THE 25 GREATEST ACTORS OF THE 21ST CENTURY (SO FAR)

The crazy idea to name just twenty-five of the greatest actors of the twenty-first century is certainly a lofty and incredibly daunting proposition. But the chief film critics of the New York Times, A.O. Scott and Manohla Dargis have bravely taken on this challenge and selected the performers whose work over the last twenty years they have considered to be absolutely transformative experiences. Most of the actors on this list have been working long before the year 2000 but the focus was on their extraordinary work they have created specifically during this century.

I am certain there will be many who will be equally outraged by the selections and the omissions of actors on this highly subjective list. They are certain names on here I would not have put on my list and I might have rearranged the order. But regardless of all that, it is a thoughtful and intriguing selection that features a diverse and international group of actors that I'm sure many will agree have delivered several of the most outstanding and memorable performances of all time.

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25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century

THE 40 YEAR OLD VERSION (2020)

Written & Directed by Radha Blank



Available to stream now on Netflix



All artists just want to be able to express themselves and share their creativity to the world. Due to talent, circumstances and a lot of luck, some people are fortunate enough to have their gifts noticed, appreciated and rewarded by a large audience. But there are others, despite their fierce determination and debatable skills, that are not as fortunate while spending many years struggling for someone to take notice and give them a chance.

Writer/director Radha Blank has cleverly built her debut feature film, "The 40 Year old Version" around her own experiences as an artist struggling for many years to be noticed, creating a comedy that is razor-sharp, heartfelt and a fitting showcase for a gifted emerging filmmaker.

Blank, feeling no need to be coy, stars as Radha, a New York playwright who is struggling to get her career off the ground. Once named one of the "Most Promising 30 Under 30" a number of years ago, she is now rapidly approaching forty with no real prospects in sight. Archie (Peter Y. Kim), Radha's sassy, gay friend since childhood is also her agent and one of her biggest supporters . He's pressuring her to meet with Josh Whitman (Reed Birney), a theater producer, to discuss getting behind her play. While Whitman claims to love her work and wants to produce it, he has few suggestions on ways to  improve her play. Radha's reaction is unexpected (and a little violent), ending with her hands tightly around his throat.

Realizing that might not have been a great move to help her career yet it does lead Radha down a path to embarking on a new and unlikely career. No longer wanting to wait for approval from the gatekeepers nor make her work easier for white people to digest, she wants to express herself with an authentic voice through rap and hip-hop. Radha begins her journey on making a mixtape by acquiring some beats from a DJ named D (Oswin Benjamin). She finds ease in spitting out rhymes in an intimate setting yet is far less confident rapping in front of an audience, choking very badly during her first live performance. Quiet and unassuming, D patiently offers Radha words of encouragement and reveals to her the endless possibilities by taking her to see other female performers.

Radha also works with students at a high school to write and put on a play, trying to inspire a future generation for a love of the theater. But like many teenagers today, they are far too distracted with social media and their raging hormones to be that focused on the stage. Archie has managed to convince Whitman to overlook the choking incident (don't ask), with the producer still wanting to work with Radha. And while her dream has been to have her work produced on a theatrical stage, she's unsure if that's what she still wants to do under such oppressive artistic conditions.

On the surface, "The 40 Year Old Version" may not appear to be a particularly fresh idea for a comedy. Yet Blank delivers a fresh perspective on the creative process, in front of and behind the camera, dealing with race, gender and age in ways that are rarely seen or considered. With an impressive ability to indicate high production values from a small budget and visually inventive with crisp black and white cinematography from Eric Branco, Blank's film brings to mind the debut feature of another filmmaker from Brooklyn, Spike Lee. "She's Gotta Have It", Mr. Lee's 1986 comedy, focused on the independent spirit of Nola Darling and her pursuit of relationships and sexuality on her own terms, much like Blank's character and her desire to express herself creatively without compromise or interference. 

Blank spent many years trying to get her career going after discovering theater in college. She acted, did stand-up and wrote many plays (almost all never produced) without ever feeling like she was getting anywhere. A shift began when she wrote a web series about a rapper, RadhaMUS Prime which was loosely based on herself. The filming of the project fell apart after her mother sadly passed away. But Blank managed to keep the idea alive and sometime later the work evolved from a television series to eventually a screenplay. The pain, struggle and hard work would pay off for Blank with her winning the Best Director prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival and earning a production deal with Netflix.

"The 40 Year Old Version" is an accomplished and groundbreaking first film. Blank's wonderful comedy is less about jokes (even though there are some very funny ones here) and more about finding dark humor in the odd and challenging moments an African-American woman of a certain age faces during her journey of self-acceptance and creative fulfillment. Anyone who has tried to make their dreams come true yet just can't quite get there, whether due to considerable obstacles or self-sabotage, will be able to relate to this story, finding a little hope and some inspiration. This film delivers a simple yet powerful message that honest work will always lead to good work.

10 FRENCH FILMS TO TRANSPORT YOU TO PARIS

I am craving to get on a plane and go somewhere --- anywhere at this point. I love the idea of escaping from the challenges and difficulties we have faced throughout this year especially after months of having to shelter in place. However the reality of actually getting on an airplane right now is not in my comfort zone nor is traveling for leisure really practical at this moment in time. 

Jason Farago of the New York Times feels the same way with the desire to go to Paris. And what any cinephile knows is that the movies are the next best way to transport you anywhere you may want to go. Farago has selected ten French films that he feels will take you right in to the heart of this enchanting city, telling many different stories throughout various eras. And these films represent the work of some of the greats like Jean Renoir, Jean-Luc Godard, Agnès Varda, Éric Rohmer, Claire Denis and Céline Sciamma.

The first country I ever visited was France and it was truly a magical moment for me. It's been many years since I've been to Paris and these films remind me that I'm long overdue for another visit. And while these movies may not completely satisfy my wanderlust, they do offer a pleasant escape to times that were (at least it seems) far less complicated.

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10 French Films To Transport You to Paris

AWARD SEASON 2020 BEGINS

As COVID-19 continues to ravage society and forcing people to consider a return to sheltering in place, it was questionable whether award season would be able to proceed due to many films being delayed and a large number of theaters across the country forced to remain shut down. And those films that did manage to be released through streaming and drive-in theaters found a far more limited audience due to a lack of major promotion. Without a certain amount of buzz to generate attention, most people are not even aware of these feature films, particularly indie fare.

But surprisingly award season appears to be starting with a trickle as the IFP Gotham and The European Film Academy have announced nominations for their awards. The Gotham Awards, which recognizes the best of independent cinema, unveiled its nominees for this year and, as a major first, all five of the nominated films for Best Feature were directed by women. One of those nominees, Kelly Reichardt’s period drama, "First Cow" leads with the most nods with four and includes Best Screenplay, Best Actor and Best Breakthrough Actor. The other nominees are Kitty Green for "The Assistant", Eliza Hittman for "Never Rarely Sometimes Always", Chloé Zhao for "Nomadland" and Natalie Erika James for "Relic". The 30th annual award ceremony will be held on January 11th, 2021 at their longtime home, Cipriani Wall Street, however without any in-person attendees.

The European Film Awards, which honors the best of cinema throughout the continent, will be a live-streamed ceremony and held on December 12, 2020. Danish filmmaker, Thomas Vinterberg and his comedy, "Another Round" leads the nominations with a total of four including Best Actor for Mads Mikkelsen who stars as a teacher who takes part in an experiment which requires him to be drunk all the time.

Here is the list of nominations for the 2020 IFP Gotham Awards:

Best Feature:

"The Assistant"
"First Cow"
"Never Rarely Sometimes Always"
"Nomadland"
"Relic"

Best Screenplay:

Mike Makowsky, "Bad Education"
Jon Raymond and Kelly Reichardt, "First Cow"
Radha Blank, "The Forty-Year-Old Version"
Dan Sallitt, "Fourteen"
James Montague and Craig Sanger, "The Vast of Night"

Best Actress:

Nicole Beharie, "Miss Juneteenth"
Jessie Buckley, "I’m Thinking of Ending Things"
Yuh-Jung Youn, "Minari"
Carrie Coon, "The Nest"
Frances McDormand, "Nomadland"

Best Actor:

Riz Ahmed, "Sound of Metal"
Chadwick Boseman, "Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom"
Jude Law in "The Nest"
John Magaro, "First Cow"
Jesse Plemons, "I’m Thinking of Ending Things"

Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award:

Radha Blank, "The Forty-Year-Old Version"
Channing Godfrey Peoples, "Miss Juneteenth"
Alex Thompson, "Saint Frances"
Carlo Mirabella-Davis, "Swallow"
Andrew Patterson, "The Vast of Night"

Breakthrough Actor Award:

Jasmine Batchelor, "The Surrogate"
Kingsley Ben-Adir, "One Night in Miami"
Sidney Flanigan, "Never Rarely Sometimes Always"
Orion Lee, "First Cow"
Kelly O’Sullivan, "Saint Frances"

Best Documentary:

"76 Days"
"City Hall"
"Our Time Machine
"A Thousand Cuts"
"Time"

Best International Feature:

"Bacurau" (Brazil/France)
"Beanpole" (Russia)
"Mignonnes (Cuties)" (France)
"Identifying Features" (Mexico/Spain)
"Martin Eden" (Italy/France)
"Wolfwalkers" (Ireland)

Here are the nominations for the 2020 European Film Awards:

Best European Film:

"Another Round" (Denmark)
"Berlin Alexanderplatz" (Germany)
"Corpus Christi" (Poland)
"Martin Eden" (Italy/France)
"The Painted Bird" (Czechoslovakia)
"Undine" (Germany)

Best European Director:

Thomas Vinterberg, "Another Round"
Jan Komasa, "Corpus Christi"
Pietro Marcello, "Martin Eden"
Agnieszka Holland, "Charlatan"
Francois Ozon, "Summer Of 85" (France)
Maria Sødahl, "Hope" (Norway)

Best European Screenplay:

Martin Behnke and Burhan Qurbani, "Berlin Alexanderplatz"
Costa-Gavras, "Adults In The Room"
Damiano and Fabio D’Innocenzo, "Bad Tales"
Pietro Marcello and Maurizio Braucci, "Martin Eden"
Mateusz Pacewicz, "Corpus Christi"
Thomas Vinterberg and Tobias Lindholm, "Another Round"

Best European Actress:

Paula Beer, "Udine"
Natasha Berezhnaya, "Dau. Natasha"
Andrea Bræin Hovig, "Hope"
Ane Dahl Torp, "Charter"
Nina Hoss, "My Little Sister"
Marta Nieto, "Mother"

Best European Actor:

Bartosz Bielenia, "Corpus Christi"
Goran Bogdan, "Father"
Elio Germano, "Hidden Away"
Luca Marinelli, "Martin Eden"
Mads Mikkelsen, "Another Round"
Viggo Mortensen, "Falling"

Best European Documentary:

"Acasa, My Home"
"Collective"
"Gunda"
"Little Girl"
"Saudi Runaway"
"The Cave"

Best European Short Film:

"All Cats Are Grey In The Dark"
"Genius Loci"
"Past Perfect"
"Sun Dog"
"Uncle Thomas"
"Accounting For The Days"

MY VIEWING DIARY: PART TEN

"Cats" (2019)

"Cats", Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1981 stage production based on the collection of poems by T.S. Eliot, is one of the most popular and successful musicals of all time, raking in a staggering 3.5 billion dollars worldwide. The long-awaited film adaption has been made by Tom Hooper, the Oscar-winning director of "The King's Speech" and another stage-to-screen adaption of an equally popular musical, "Les Misérables", with the results being a garish, clunky and odd spectacle, devoid of any of the elements that made this enduring musical so beloved by so many people. Much like the stage show, there isn't an actual clear plot here but the outline involves a young white cat named Victoria (played by Royal Ballet dancer, Francesca Hayward making her film debut) being dumped on to the cold, London streets by her owner in the middle of the night. This is when she meets the "Jellicles", homeless cats living on these mean streets, lead by Munkustrap (Robbie Fairchild), who introduces her to their world where cats will compete for a chance to go to the Heaviside Layer, a wonderous place where they will be granted a new life. But Macavity (Idris Elba), a mysterious and treacherous cat, kidnaps the potential contestants in order for him to be selected by default.

"Cats" races through at a breakneck pace, never giving us an opportunity to consider what we have watched (since the script doesn't help) or even catch our breath before moving on to the next number. But one of the biggest problems with this movie was the decision to rely on CGI to create the cats, fusing the actors digitally with a life-like cat appearance that is equally disturbing and distracting. Another visual distraction is that the cats are not to scale to the apparent real world they are supposed to inhabit, appearing much smaller than an actual cat which throws you further off balance. We have some well-known stage (James Corden, Ian McKellen, Judi Dench) and music (Jason Derulo, Taylor Swift) performers trying their best to bring life to these beloved feline characters yet they seem overwhelmed by this manic production, unable to make much of an impression. And I definitely could have done without seeing Rebel Wilson as the domestic tabby cat, Jennyanydots, singing and dancing with a chrous line of roaches.

"Cats" is really best known for one song and that's "Memory", a melancholy ballad that has been covered an estimated six hundred times by a wide assortment of artists. Oscar-winner, Jennifer Hudson plays Grizabella, the faded glamour cat who performs this classic number (strangely as a duet with Victoria), delivering an unsettling version that simply tries too hard to move you, losing much of the emotional power of this song. Say what you will about the merits of the stage musical but it has continuously, since it's debut, brought joy and thrills to millions of fans across the globe. But this "Cats" simply dulls your senses, never managing to spark any memorable or magical moments.



"Le Samouraï" (1967)

The first teaming of Jean-Pierre Melville, a filmmaker who is considered the spiritual father of the French New Wave, and the mysterious allure of actor, Alain Delon was in "Le Samouraï", an exceptional crime-drama from 1967 that has remained a highly influential cinematic work. Delon plays Jef Costello, an icy assassin-for-hire who has been given an assignment. He methodically creates an alibi with his lover, Jane (Nathalie Delon, the actor's then-wife) before he will begin the job. Costello's target is the owner of a nightclub but after completing his mission, he is seen leaving by a number of people at the club including the band's piano player, Valérie (Cathy Rosier) who locks eyes with him. Costello is one of several suspects rounded up by the investigating officer (François Périer). Most of the witnesses are unsure if he is the actual murderer but Valérie mysteriously insists he is not. Despite this, the officer is convinced Costello is the culprit and has him followed and his apartment bugged. This investigation causes another major problem for Costello as his employers believe he has become a liability and now has to be handled.

Melville's love of Hollywood film noir is on full display here with his screenplay masterfully delivering all the action and suspense you would expect from the genre yet seen through a Gallic lens. With minimum dialogue and stark atmosphere, the director has taken us in to a world that is filled with muted emotions and stylishly self-conscious. One of the greatest faces in cinema, Delon uses his to express his character's inner turmoil by utilizing only minimal movement and cold, penetrating eyes. With his world closing in on him, Costello remains expressionless and calculating, never allowing anyone to see him sweat. "Le Samouraï" doesn't offer much that hasn't been seen before but this neo-noir thriller is presented in a chilly, captivating style that is unsettling yet endlessly fascinating.



"Bunny Lake Is Missing" (1965)

"Bunny Lake Is Missing" is a largely forgotten feature film from director, Otto Preminger and for good reason. It is a great looking yet muddled psychological thriller that doesn't feature enough logical thrills. Arriving from America to London, Ann Lake (Carol Lynley) drops her young daughter, Bunny off for her first day at nursery school. With the teacher nowhere around and needing to get back home for the movers, Ann leaves her daughter with the school's cook (Lucie Mannheim). But when she return later to pick up Bunny, the child is nowhere to be found, was never seen by her teacher and the cook has walked out on her job. Distraught and terrified, Ann calls her brother, Steven (Keir Dullea who would later be known for his career-defining role in "2001: A Space Odyssey"), who moved to England with her, and they search the entire school before contacting the police. Scotland Yard Inspector Newhouse (Laurence Olivier) arrives on the scene and laboriously begins his investigation. He finds that none of Bunny's possessions are in the house and the name of Ann's imaginary childhood friend was "Bunny". So it's not long before Newhouse begins to question Ann's sanity.

Preminger, the notoriously difficult filmmaker behind such classics as "The Man with the Golden Arm", "Anatomy of a Murder", "Carmen Jones" and "Laura", did not like the original ending of the book which the film is based by Merriam Modell. This forced screenwriters, John and Penelope Mortimer to rewrite the script many times until he was satisfied. And while "Bunny Lake Is Missing" does begin promising, full of intrigue and dread, the conclusion of this mystery is implausibly deranged. The performances by leads Lynley and Dullea are distractingly overwrought, dragging the film down to B-movie level. But the rest of the cast are solid, notably Olivier although we are unable to shake the feeling that he is here only for the paycheck. And adding to the odd nature of the film, we have Noël Coward, the English writer known for his acid wit, briefly appearing as Ann's peculiar landlord and the rock band, the Zombies (whose biggest hit is the 1964 pop song, "She's Not There" which sadly does not appear here) simply performing on a television broadcast while the characters are in a bar. "Bunny Lake Is Missing" was not particularly embraced by audiences or critics when it was initially released. But it has been reevaluated by some modern viewers who have found a greater appreciation for the film. I am not one of them.