When 2021 began, it appeared that we were on the right track of movies returning to theaters. And while audiences did return to some of the major-studio popcorn thrillers and sequels that had been delayed or current releases in large numbers, most dramas, indie fare and original movies struggled throughout the year to get people to come out to the cineplexes. Part of the reason is that the pandemic remains to be far from over (and in many ways, has gotten worse) which means that many folks were still not ready to return to going out to the movies. This meant that streaming remained the place where most viewers were watching new movies. I feel optimistic that once COVID is in a more manageable state (hopefully by summer, at the latest), people will finally feel comfortable to return to theaters. And even though they may not all have made big box-office, there were plenty of great films released throughout last year. Most of these movies I went to a theater to see (even some that were distributed and would end up shortly on a streamer) and I was thrilled to be able to watch them there.
Here are the films, in no particular order, that were some of my favorites in 2021:
"PASSING"
Based on the 1929 novel by Nella Larsen, "Passing" has been exquisitely adapted in to an extraordinary feature film by actor, Rebecca Hall, making her debut as a filmmaker. The term "passing" refers to a time when African-Americans who had skin light enough could pass as Caucasian, offering them opportunities for a better life yet sacrificing an integral part of their true identity. Irene (Tessa Thompson) lives a comfortable life in Harlem with her doctor husband (Andre Holland) and their young son. Being fair-skinned, Irene occasionally passes as white while out in the city and one day, a white woman approaches her at a hotel dining room claiming to know her. Clare (a radiant Ruth Negga) is actually a childhood friend of Irene's that has been secretly living her life as a white person. She has been so bold to have even married a wealthy man (Alexander Skarsgård) who not only has no clue about his wife's past but is also a raging racist. As these women rekindle their friendship, the charming Clare begins to infiltrate Irene's social and family life, deeply missing the connection with her people while Irene, who does care for her friend, finds herself resenting Clare's presence and life choices. Shot in black and white and using a 4:3 aspect ratio (capturing the stunning images in a square shape) by cinematographer, Eduard Grau, Hall has crafted a beautifully rendered and highly stylized drama. And it is no surprise that it's the performances that are truly impressive here with Thompson and Negga superbly playing off of each other with a mixture of admiration, envy and suspicion. "Passing" artfully examines the complicated dilemma involving race and identity, brilliantly capturing the tragedy and still unresolved issues surrounding these themes.
"KING RICHARD"
While Venus and Serena Williams may be two of the greatest tennis players the world has ever seen, many people are unaware of what it took to help them achieve their outstanding success. In "King Richard", the answer lies with not only their weary yet determined father, Richard (Will Smith) who is the main focus here but also their mother, Oracene (a spectacular Aunjanue Ellis) and three sisters (played by Mikayla LaShae Bartholomew, Daniele Lawson and Layla Crawford), a family that worked and sacrificed together in order for these girls to reach their full potential in professional tennis. As their coach, Richard trains with Serena (Demi Singleton) and Venus (Saniyya Sidney) daily on the rundown courts in their Compton neighborhood but knows he needs to find them a seasoned coach to take them to the next level. He finally gets Paul Cohen (Tony Goldwyn), who works with John McEnroe and Pete Sampras, to see his girls play and he's impressed. But Cohen will only train one for free and selects Venus. She does well in the juniors tournaments (which Serena secretly signs up to play) but Richard has his own ideas on the career path of his daughters, eventually firing Cohen. Rick Macci (Jon Bernthal) steps in to coach both girls and relocates the family to his facility in Florida. After three years, Venus wants to turn pro yet the stubborn Richard remains an obstacle, feeling it's too soon for his young daughter. With his third film as a director, Reinaldo Marcus Green displays a deft hand in creating a warm family drama while examining how race and class greatly impacts professional sports. And in a film with many exceptional performances, it is Smith, muting much of his considerable charm, who truly captivates by completely embodying the outspoken yet philosophical Williams, making this one of the more impressive turns in his career.
"C'MON C'MON"
What is extraordinary about the cinema of Mike Mills is in it's simplicity; the filmmaker takes modest, uncomplicated stories and breathes fresh life into them by creating warm yet emotionally chaotic characters. Once again using his life experiences as a springboard with his latest, "C'mon C'mon", Mills explores the pleasures and complications of parenthood seen through the unexpected eyes of Johnny, a single, childless radio journalist played by Joaquin Phoenix in a solid turn as an average guy. After a year of estrangement, Johnny contacts his sister, Viv (a wonderful Gaby Hoffmann). During their conversation, she asks her brother if he could stay in Los Angeles to watch her nine year old son, Jesse (Woody Norman) for a few days so she go to off to Oakland to help her partner, Paul (Scoot McNairy) who is suffering from an emotional breakdown. The uncle and his nephew begin to bond despite their different personalities. Viv needs more time with Paul but Johnny has to get back to New York for work so she reluctantly agrees to let him take her son to the East Coast. This begins a road trip with Johnny and Jesse where things become more complicated between them, each trying to understand the other's quirks and perspectives. Another film released this year that was shot in vivid black & white, "C'mon C'mon" is an engaging, subtle drama on familial relationships made memorable with insightful dialogue and formidable performances.
"SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME"
There's a reason why "Spider-Man: No Way Home" has become the biggest box-office hit of 2021 and currently the eighth-highest-grossing film of all time; this super-hero adventure combines a very clever plot with hilarious comedy, high-flying thrills and even some moving drama. This movie picks up where we last left off in "Spider-Man: Far From Home" when everyone has found out that Peter Parker is Spider-Man (Tom Holland). This creates havoc not only for Peter but for the loved ones in his life; Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), his best friend, Ned (Jacob Batalon) and girlfriend, MJ (Zendaya). Desperate for a solution, Peter goes to see Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for help. Dr. Strange begins a spell that would make the world forget that Parker is the Web-Slinger but Peter keeps interrupting him, not wanting his close family and friends to lose their memories of him, which forces Strange to stop before there is a problem. But it's too late. With some time-shifted problems created, Spider-Man will have to try and repair the broken multiverse. All I will say is that for fans of this current franchise and the two previous Spider-Man trilogies, you will truly enjoy this wonderfully fun and inventive installment.
"SUMMER OF SOUL"
"Summer of Soul (. . .Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)", the directorial debut of musician, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, is not only one the most thrilling documentaries of the year but one of the greatest musical experiences ever captured on film. Set over six weeks in 1969, the Harlem Cultural Festival was intended to provide healing and bring a sense of community a year after the murder of Martin Luther King Jr. And the weekly fest did achieve that, with some of the greatest African-American musical artists performing to over 300,000 people in attendance. The appearances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly and the Family Stone, Hugh Masekela, B.B. King, Gladys Knight & the Pips, The Staple Singers and Mahalia Jackson were filmed with excerpts airing only once on television. But then the hours of footage was placed in storage and forgotten about for almost fifty years, largely due to a shocking lack of interest. The recent discovery of this incredible treasure trove of live musical performances lead "Questlove" to want to shape this restored footage (with some never previously seen) into a film that the world could finally see to understand it's value and importance. He assembled a few of the musicians that performed and people who attended the event to share their thoughts on the experience of being there. "Summer of Soul" is an amazing historical document of an extraordinary gathering that will leave you feeling completely thrilled and elated.
"TICK, TICK. . .BOOM!"
"Tick, Tick. . .Boom!" was being developed by playwright, Jonathan Larson and was still a work-in-progress before his musical, "Rent" was set to premiere Off-Broadway in 1996. But on the morning of that preview, Larson tragically passed away from an aortic aneurysm at the age of thirty-five, never seeing his play, based on Puccini's 1896 opera, "La Bohème", become a phenomenal worldwide success. "Tick, Tick. . .Boom!" was originally written as a one-man show about Larson's experiences of struggling to write a musical based on Orwell's novel, "1984" and agonizing over not finding success as a playwright before he turned thirty. The show was revised by playwright, David Auburn and staged Off-Broadway in 2001. This has now been adapted into a wonderfully captivating movie musical with Lin-Manuel Miranda making his feature film debut as a director. Andrew Garfield plays Larson whose all-consuming drive to complete the show and get it into production before his big birthday creates tension with his girlfriend (Alexandra Shipp) and problems with his best friend (Robin de Jesús). Garfield is absolutely dazzling here (and surprises as a capable song-and-dance man) in his second impressive film appearance of the year (the other is playing televangelist, Jim Bakker in "The Eyes of Tammy Faye"). And a lovely highlight is the centerpiece of the film during the number of "Sunday" that features cameos by some legends of musical theater.
"THE POWER OF THE DOG"
Jane Campion, the New Zealand filmmaker probably still best known for the 1993 Oscar-winning film, "The Piano", has returned to cinema with "The Power of the Dog", a powerful, period drama set in the American west. This might seem to be an unlikely genre for the director yet she surprises by deftly crafting a languid, unsettling psychological thriller. Adapted from the novel by Thomas Savage, the story is set on a cattle ranch in 1920's Montana run by two very different brothers; George (Jesse Plemons) is affable, considerate and polished while Phil (an intense Benedict Cumberbatch), who works the land, is aggressive, intolerant and habitually muddied. There is clearly tension between the two yet they have managed to make the arrangement work. But that changes after a stop during a cattle drive at a diner run by Rose (Kirsten Dunst), a widow and her son, Peter (an amazing Kodi Smit-McPhee). Finding Peter's delicate and soft-spoken manner offensive, Phil goes on the attack of the boy, upsetting his mother. After George consoles her, this eventually leads to their marriage, upsetting his brother. Phil becomes relentlessly hostile and cruel to Rose, causing her to retreat and turn to alcohol for comfort. From here, when Peter returns home from college to visit, the story slowly builds in an unexpected and curious manner before bringing us to a shocking conclusion. It has been about twelve years since Campion's last feature film yet "The Power of the Dog" reveals that her mastery as a filmmaker has only become more acute and persuasive. Let's hope we will not have to wait another extended period of time before her next film.
"I CARE A LOT"
"I Care a Lot" is a deliriously twisted black comedy by British writer/director, J Blakeson. Marla Grayson (Rosamund Pike) appears concerned when she goes before the court system to grant her legal guardianship over elderly people who are no longer able to care for themselves. However, this is nothing more than an elaborate and devious plot where she drugs her wealthy victims, dumps them into an assisted living facility and sells off their property and assets, making a nice living for herself and her business and life partner, Fran (Eiza González). But Marla makes the mistake of going after the wrong person. After being assured by a doctor working in on the scheme that she had no family that would miss her, she targets Jennifer Peterson (Dianne Wiest). But someone is looking for Jennifer; Roman Lunyov (Peter Dinklage) who is a brutal gangster. He's also looking for the contents in Jennifer's safety deposit box, leading to a tenacious battle between Roman and a fearless Marla. Blakeson's clever and witty script takes us on a wild ride filled with outrageous twists and creates some unexpected suspense. With her severe bob and incessant vaping, Pike plays Marla as cool, calculating and completely deranged. This versatile British actress, who has shown her incredible range from a Bond girl in "Die Another Day" to a stunning turn with her Oscar-nominated performance in the thriller, "Gone Girl", is outstanding here, making this one of her best film performances and earned Pike a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical last year.
"THE LAST DUEL"
It's unfortunate that Ridley Scott's medieval epic, "The Last Duel" did not receive more attention from viewers when it reached theaters last year. But that doesn't mean it was not one of the most powerful dramas of 2021 with solid storytelling and commanding performances. This story focuses on Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon), a knight whose wife, Marguerite (Jodie Comer), accuses Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver), a squire and former friend, of raping her. Demanding satisfaction from what he sees as a personal insult, de Carrouges appeals to the King for a duel to the death which is granted. Told in three chapters (with the screenplay written by Damon, Nicole Holofcener and Ben Affleck who also makes an appearance in a supporting role as Count Pierre d'Alençon), with each of the three individuals involved recounting the same timeline from their perspectives. This is a meditative drama that explores the dynamics of male privilege and the long, disturbing history of misogyny. While each reveals their version of events, it becomes clear that the truth lies with the person with the least amount of control or power. Comer (who first found fame on the BBC television series, "Killing Eve") delivers an astonishingly moving performance as Marguerite who painfully discovers that despite this horrific violence that has been done to her, she is the one actually on trial.
"WEST SIDE STORY"
I have always been in the frame of mind that there is never a good reason to remake a perfectly good film. So when I heard that Steven Spielberg was going to create his own version of the stage musical, "West Side Story" which had already been adapted into a beloved movie (and won the 1961 Best Picture Oscar), I was more than little skeptical. But after seeing what Spielberg has accomplished, I'm more than willing to admit I might have been too quick to judge. Spielberg has created a magical, breathtaking and deeply emotional musical masterpiece that will absolutely become a classic. Just to be clear, the director has not remade the movie, "West Side Story" but has made something closer to the original 1957 musical that Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents conceived yet also nimbly reimagined their production so that the story (with a revitalized screenplay by Tony Kushner) would be more grounded, fitting more comfortably in our modern world. Inspired by Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet", the 1950's-set story involves a turf war between New York City street gangs; the Sharks, made-up of recent immigrants largely from Puerto Rico and the Jets, a group of poor white teens, run by Riff (Mike Faist), that don't like outsiders moving into their territory. Caught in the middle is Tony (Ansel Elgort), a former Jet member fresh out of jail and trying to change his ways and Maria (Rachel Zegler in her film debut), a sweet, Puerto Rican girl who is the sister of Bernardo (David Alvarez), the leader of the Sharks. These two fall in love, creating additional tension between these rival gangs and leading to a tragic end. And there is Ariana DeBose, playing as Anita, Bernardo's girlfriend, an electrifying presence that you cannot take your eyes off of during any moment she's on screen. Rita Moreno, who won an Academy Award for playing Anita in the 1961 movie, is an executive producer of this film and the ninety year old makes an incredible appearance in a new role created for her as Valentina.
"TITANE"
And then there's "Titane (Titanium)", Julia Ducournau's trippy, fever dream that won the Best Film prize at the Cannes Film Festival. The French director has merged element of melodrama, mystery and horror to make one of the most fascinating, disturbing, thrilling and weirdest cinematic experiences of not only last year but possibly of all time. Agathe Rousselle makes her screen debut as Alexia, a young woman who was in a car accident as a child, leaving her with a titanium plate in her head. She has become a serial killer and after a botched attempted murder, she goes on the run, pretending to be the long missing son of a fire captain (Vincent Lindon). And the odd part is not that he accepts her without question as his child but that Alexia is pregnant with an automobile as the father. I will stress that "Titane" is not a movie for everyone and even those who like their movies "out there" may have a hard time here. But I really admire Ducournau's audacious nature and "Titane" was a movie that really stayed with me long after I had seen it.
Honorable Mention: "Annette", "Belfast", "Benedetta", "Don't Look Up" , "The Dry", "Everybody's Talking About Jamie" , "The Eyes of Tammy Faye", "The French Dispatch", "The Green Knight", "Luca", "Petite Maman", "Pig", "Red Rocket", "Saint Narcisse", "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings", "The Tragedy of Macbeth", "Zola"
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