MY FAVORITE FILMS OF 2020

It feels very strange to just now be writing about my favorite films from last year yet there was nothing about 2020 that was normal. Since I have been unable to go inside of a movie theater for most of the previous year, the routine of seeing exciting new movies regularly has been missing, and deeply missed. Initially I had tried streaming the latest releases from home but I found myself distracted and was not receiving much pleasure from the experience. So I decided to focus on watching films from the past that I had either missed in theaters, previously watched or was born years after they had been originally made. I had hoped theaters would reopen at some point in LA so I could see new movies they way they should be seen. But that did not happen.

The only film I managed to see last year in a theater during the lockdown was "Tenet",  in a theater thirty miles away from home  And while I was thrilled to be back in front a movie screen, this confusing action-thriller left me underwhelmed. As the year came to a close (and award season was about to begin), I begun to actively watch some of the films that had received critical acclaim, largely on Netflix and other streaming channels. I still have not seen all that I have wanted to see yet ("Minari", "Promising Young Woman", "Palm Springs", "Small Axe" anthology, "Soul", "The Father" to name just a few) but I have decided to move ahead with my list of favorites.

Here are the films, in no particular order, that were some of my favorites in 2020:

"ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI"

We are well aware of the extraordinary gift of Regina King as a performer but with "One Night in Miami", her feature film debut as a director, we become aware of King's amazing talent behind the camera. Based on the stage play by Kemp Powers (who also wrote the screenplay), this captivating film examines the imagined meeting of four important African-American men at a motel in Florida back in 1964. Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom, Jr.), a popular soul singer/songwriter struggling in his attempt to crossover to a white audience while not losing himself as an artist. NFL player, Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge) is considering his future with a potential move in to acting in the movies. The Muslim minister, Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir) is stressed over harassment from the FBI and growing disillusionment with Elijah Muhammad, leader of the Nation of Islam. And Cassius Clay (Eli Goree) is working his way up the ranks in the world of professional boxing. After Clay beat Sonny Liston for the World Heavyweight Champion title in a major upset, Malcolm invites the men to his motel room to celebrate. But there is no wild party planned as Malcolm has actually brought them together to reflect on their accomplishments and discuss their futures. As a director, King is not a novice, having previously helmed episodes for several television shows. And it's no surprise that she has managed to get remarkable performances from her actors yet as a filmmaker, King takes strong command of this material, visually opening up the story while revealing the humanity of these iconic men.

"THE 40 YEAR OLD VERSION"

The writer/director Radha Blank has taken her challenging experiences of trying to find artistic success on her own terms and turned it in to her impressive feature film debut,"The 40 Year Old Version". Blank plays Radha, a once promising playwright that is approaching her milestone birthday yet has not been able to get her work produced. After blowing her opportunity with an arrogant producer, Radha decides to pursue a career as a rapper. And while it certainly proves not to be any easier to succeed, she finds creative fulfillment and romance with her much younger music producer. Blank breaks free of the predictability found in many rom-coms, offering a refreshing look at a character who is normally placed on the sidelines and rarely given the opportunity to be front and center. And "The 40 Year Old Version" announces the arrival of an exciting new talent in front of and behind the camera.

 

"THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7"

In 1969, five months after the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne), Abbie Hoffman (Sasha Baron Cohen), Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong), David Dellinger (John Carroll Lynch), Rennie Davis (Alex Sharp), Lee Weiner (Noah Robbins) and John Froines (Daniel Flaherty) were all charged with conspiracy to incite a riot at the 1968 event by the US Government. With "The Trial of the Chicago 7", writer and director, Aaron Sorkin takes a vivid look at this farce of a trial, run by Judge Julius Hoffman (Frank Langella) who barely attempted to hide his bias against the defendants. William Kunstler (Mark Rylance) is the defense counsel for all of the men except Bobby Seale (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), a national chairman of the Black Panther Party, who was originally the eighth defendant in the trial. Seale had his own attorney yet he was unable to appear due to illness. Refusing to delay the trial, the Judge insists that Kunstler defend him but both men continuously reject this request. Sorkin first wrote the script for Steven Spielberg to direct years ago. But in typical Hollywood fashion, the project was dropped with Sorkin being able to revive the film thanks to the deep-pockets of Netflix. Sure, he might have taken some liberties with facts and timelines but Sorkin has an incredible gift with words, delivering a thoughtful, informative and timely drama that serves as a reminder that the fight for justice and democracy is a never-ending battle.



"DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD" 

After discovering that her beloved father was in the early stages of dementia, filmmaker, Kirsten Johnson, the cinematographer behind the documentaries, "Citizenfour" and "The Oath" before directing her first feature, "Cameraperson", went to work creating a cinematic tribute to him with "Dick Johnson is Dead". This non-fiction film inventively uses elements of narrative filmmaking and black comedy with Johnson creating some imaginative ways of how her father, a now-retired clinical psychiatrist, might die. While this might sound a bit morbid, Johnson, who previously had to endure her mother succumbing to dementia, wanted to bring some humor to this tragic situation and her father was more than willing and game. After depicting several scenarios of how Dick Johnson might die, the director went in to detail with behind-the-scenes footage showing how each imaginary death was created. And we see during the filming of these fantasies the lovely connection between father and daughter, enjoying these lucid moments together while they are still able. "Dick Johnson is Dead" is an oddly surreal yet sweet ode to the intimate bond of family.

"THE VAST OF NIGHT"

"The Vast of Night" is an assured and accomplished first film from director, Andrew Patterson. Made for well under a million dollars, the filmmaker had to be inventive and made his sci-fi thriller without visual effects, focusing on creating tension through a character-driven drama. Set in a small town in 1950's New Mexico, Fay (Sierra McCormick) is a teenager working as a switchboard operator. While listening to her friend, Everett (Jake Horowitz), a late night radio disc jockey doing his program, it is interrupted by a strange audio sound. As she begins to receive calls of sightings of a mysterious object in the sky, the unnatural noise comes over the switchboard. Meanwhile Everett receives a call on-air from a former military man who was involved in a classified project and had heard this unexplained sound before. This leads Fay and Everett to begin an investigation in to what this all means. Mr. Patterson displays a stunning authority as a first-time filmmaker, knowing exactly how he wanted to tell this story with fine-tuned efficiency and economy. But the showstopper is an impressive tracking shot (with dazzlingly camerawork by M. I. Littin-Menz) that travels down the quiet streets, through a parking lot and ending up at a high-school basketball game. If you are a fan of probing science-fiction mysteries, then you should definitely check out, "The Vast of Night".

"PIECES OF A WOMAN"

Harrowing and heart-wrenching, "Pieces of a Woman" is a deeply emotional drama that looks at how an expectant couple's joyful event quickly turns in to tragedy and the challenges they each face while trying to recover from the loss. Opening with an intense, twenty-four minute, unedited scene, Martha (Vanessa Kirby) and Sean (Shia LaBeouf) are expecting their first child. As she goes into labor, Sean contacts their midwife but she's unavailable. Another midwife, Eva (Molly Parker) is sent in her place. The birth appears to be fine but suddenly the baby goes in to distress and doesn't recover. Grief-stricken over this shocking passing, this adds a heavy strain to the couple's shaky relationship as they each deal with their pain differently. Martha becomes withdrawn and detached while Sean, a former addict, begins to use and seeks comfort elsewhere. The Hungarian director, Kornél Mundruczó and screenwriter, Kata Wéber are a couple and adapted this project from their 2018 stage play, loosely based on their own experience. What makes this film truly memorable are the exceptional performances which includes Sarah Snook, Jimmie Falls (from "The Last Black Man in San Francisco"), filmmaker, Benny Safdie and the incomparable, Ellen Burstyn, who plays Martha's overbearing mother who has never hidden her contempt for Sean. But it's Ms Kirby, best known for playing Princess Margaret in the first two seasons of "The Crown", that delivers a star-making turn as a devastated mother torn between struggling to find a way to move past this tragic loss and her family's insistence to relive the nightmare by getting involved in a lawsuit against Eva for negligence.

"SOUND OF METAL"

Darius Marder effectively uses sound and the lack of it to make his riveting feature film directorial debut, "Sound of Metal". Riz Ahmed (in one of the most electrifying performances of the year) plays Ruben, a drummer of a punk-metal duo with his girlfriend, Lou (Olivia Cooke). During a concert, he begins to suffer a noticeable hearing loss. A doctor informs Ruben that his hearing is rapidly deteriorating, advising him to stop playing. But Ruben continues to try and drum until he can no longer hide it from Lou. As he's a recovering addict and fearful that the stress will cause a relapse, Lou gets Ruben in to a secluded recovery program for the deaf, run by Vietnam vet, Joe (a solid, Paul Raci). Even as he learns a new way to communicate while keeping his demons at bay, Ruben still wants to impractically return to his previous life, desperately trying to get funds for an expensive hearing implant surgery. Marder cleverly takes us in to Ruben's head by having us experience what he's not hearing with innovative sound design. "Sound of Metal" expressively reveals the unpredictable nature of life and how we must learn to accept and adapt to what comes our way.

"MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM" 

"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" is the second of the ten stage plays by the late playwright, August Wilson that Denzel Washington has committed to bring to the big screen. Viola Davis (Washington's co-star in the first adaptation, "Fences") stars as Ma Rainey, a popular blues singer in the 1920's that has come to Chicago to record a single. As her band players, Cutler (Colman Domingo), Toledo (Glynn Turman), Slow Drag (Michael Potts) and Levee (Chadwick Boseman) wait in the studio for her arrival, they hang around telling stories and messing with each other. When Ma arrives a hour later, she makes several demands which causes the session to become lengthy and complicated. And as the white producer, Mel Sturdyvant (Jonny Coyne) tries to push back, Ma sternly reminds him who's actually calling the shots of this recording. The direction by Tony-Award winner, George C. Wolfe and script by actor/playwright, Ruben Santiago-Hudson are unable to fully shake the work's theatrical origins. Yet the superb acting and poignant story dealing with racial tensions and the appalling exploitation of the talents of African-Americans makes for a powerful cinematic experience. In a film filled with many great performances, the highlight is without a doubt the final screen appearance by Mr. Boseman. As the ambitious, short-fused Levee, the actor passionately captures his dark, burning drive to grab what he sees as his last opportunity to make a name for himself as a musician, a desperation that leads to a sad and tragic outcome.

"NOMADLAND"

"Nomadland", writer/director, Chloé Zhao's beautifully rendered drama, examines the way of life involving transient people traveling across the country in search of seasonal work. Based on the non-fiction book from journalist, Jessica Bruder, Zhao focuses her film on Fern (a transcendent Frances McDormand), a woman who has lost her husband from illness and job after the plant closes in her small Nevada town. After selling most of her possessions, she sets off in a van to live and search for employment. And along the way, Fern meets and befriends other roamers, people (many played by real-life nomads) who may have fallen on difficult times yet are still living their lives to the fullest. She also unexpectedly finds a connection with fellow nomad, Dave (David Strathairn), a man that could offer companionship and a home. With exquisite camerawork by Joshua James Richards which produces a feel of a documentary, "Nomadland" takes us on a meditative journey in to the lives of the largely forgotten, an experience that is deeply moving and inspirational. It will be almost impossible for this extraordinary film not to remain in your thoughts long after seeing it.

"CUTIES"

This French drama, "Cuties (Mignonnes)" became highly controversial in this country due to it's subject matter. The story revolves around Amy (played by captivating newcomer, Fathia Youssouf) a prepubescent Senegalese girl from a strict Muslim family struggling to find her way in her new home in France. She becomes involved with a group of classmates in a dance troupe who wear revealing outfits while performing sexually provocative moves. The film has been accused of endorsing the sexualization of young girls and promoting child pornography. But "Cuties" is not exploitive and the writer/director, Maïmouna Doucouré has stated that her intention was to create a social commentary in order to bring attention to the subject of children being exposed to adult content by dramatizing this disturbing issue. There are certainly moments in the film that might lead to some discomfort for certain viewers yet Ms Doucouré has taken on the difficult challenges facing young girls in today's society with insight and consideration.

 

Honorable Mention: "Another Round (Druk)", "The Assistant",""Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" , "Boys State", "Da 5 Bloods", "Dear Comrades! (Дорогие товарищи!)", "I'm Your Woman", "MLK/FBI", "Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado", "News of The World", "Uncle Frank", "Wolfwalkers"