A hodgepodge of film and tv offerings that helped me get through the past 10 months make up my unofficial best-of list this year.
A Lockdown Roundup Instead
Because the pandemic closed theaters and festivals throughout most of 2020, and having seen less than a couple dozen new films, I don't have my usual top ten list. Instead, I offer a roundup of the best of new films that I've seen, previously released films and series that I've watched – that kept me entertained and sane.
Streaming services rose to meet the moment. Since many of us don’t subscribe to all the services, my viewing was limited to the services that I have, with some virtual cinema screenings thrown in. It was a challenge to see many new releases – some screening windows were so short that if you blinked, you missed them (such as Gunda, at Film Forum).
In normal times, I can sit through the darkest and heaviest of films. Since these are not normal times, I opted for whatever fit the moment – comfort fare here and there – new and previously released.
Here’s what stood out for me as a locked-down viewer in 2020.
A Diverse Group of New Films
The Assistant | Kitty Green, Writer + Director
In a hushed and claustrophobic film production office, an entry-level employee (the wonderful Julia Garner) is hit in the face with sexism from morning until night of her long days. This MeToo film illustrates the effects of a ruthless, male-dominated culture and an unchecked abuse of authority on women. | Rent on Amazon
Bacurau | Kleber Mendonça Filho + Juliano Dornelles, Directors
A blur of western/horror/sci fi genres produces a wild ride for a small town in Brazil that suddenly disappears from the GPS map after the death of its matriarch. Is the mayhem real or is it the effect of the psychotropic drugs that the townspeople ingest? A political allegory that is part humor, part out there, yet singularly unique. | Rent on Amazon
The Booksellers | D.W. Young, Director
In this documentary, viewers are treated to a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the New York antiquarian book world. From its intellects to its eccentrics, and amid the wheeling and dealing, the digital era encroaches on their businesses. But most dealers and collectors adapt: They share the love of preserving printed history. If you’re any kind of a book collector, crave used book stores, or love the book as art and form, this is a must see. | Rent on Amazon
First Cow | Kelly Reichardt, Co-writer + Director
From one of my favorite filmmakers comes a buddy flick wrapped in an evocative, brooding western. Set in the Pacific Northwest in the 1820s, life is hard, and work, for many, is infrequent. A cook meets an entrepreneur and they partner in a successful business. There's just one problem. Capitalism and class clash on the frontier. The film hinges on strong performances from John Magaro and Orion Lee and they deliver mightily. | Rent on Amazon
I’m Thinking of Ending Things | Charlie Kaufman, Writer + Director
A looping, kind of fever dream from Charlie Kaufman hovers between maybe funny and omg WTF? The fabulous Jesse Buckley and the underrated Jesse Plemons play a newish couple – enroute to meet his parents, as she is rethinking their relationship. His parents are, well… What happens next is purely open to your interpretation. Inventive, unsettling, possibly hallucinatory. | Netflix
Martin Eden | Pietro Marcello, Director
Reminiscent of a Vittorio De Sica film, the adaptation of Jack London’s early 20th century novel has moved to Italy. A working-class autodidact hoping to become a writer rails against socialism and preaches the rights of the individual. Hazily unspecific in time – is it post-war or decades later – using multiple film styles and a sometimes fractured narrative. These elements help propel the transformation of the title character in this sweeping film. Be careful what you wish for. | Virtual Cinema
Time | Garrett Bradley, Director
Poetic, mournful, and resilient, this is a jaw-dropping documentary about Fox Rich who spends 20 years trying to free her husband from a 60-year prison term while supporting herself and six kids. Compiled from Rich’s personal footage along with new scenes and structured in a timeline format, the films merge in stark black and white to show what effects incarceration has on the family and how the prison system fails. An incredibly brave and intimate portrait. | Amazon
I’ve got a lot of catching up to do with films this year, and I’m looking forward to seeing: Driveways, Shirley, Koko-di Koko-da, Sorry We Missed You, Another Round, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Relic, City Hall, the above-mentioned Gunda, Collective, Nomadland, Supernova, and so many more.
Addendum: Since this list was posted, I've seen Gunda, Boys State, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Nomadland, Sorry We Missed You, and Shirley. All excellent films that are worth your time. Driveways and Supernova feature solid stories and excellent performances.
A Handful of Streaming Surprises
Various films found on streaming services caught my attention. These were some of my favorites.
The Elephant Queen: With stunning cinematography and beautiful narration by Chiwetel Ejiofor, this documentary by Victoria Stone and Mark Deeble tells the story of Athena, an elephant matriarch, who must lead her herd to new watering holes when a drought strikes the African savanna. | Apple TV+
Les Plages d'Agnès: We lost Agnès Varda in 2019, but luckily for us we have her work and this joyful piece about the artist herself. In celebration of her 80th birthday, this autobiographical essay revisits her past and contemplates her life. Every frame is pure Agnès. Merci madame! | Rent on Amazon
A Most Beautiful Thing: An inspiration and an education, filmmaker Mary Mazzio chronicles the first African American high-school rowing team from Chicago’s West Side in 1997 and forward on their 20th reunion. Overcoming gang life, incarceration for some, and hard lives, you can’t help cheer on, and for, this group of men who share their lives, fears, hopes, and dreams, warts and all. | Amazon
The Price of Everything: After spending a chunk of time writing about fraud and fakery in the art world, this documentary from Nathaniel Kahn explains the increasing commoditization of art and those who need to own it. The art professionals counter that great art must be valued or how would it survive over centuries? The doc presents a somewhat neutral tone, but one can’t help coming away with a strong opinion of both the value of the art and the artists. | Rent on Amazon
Selah and the Spades: A strong feature debut from director Tayarisha Poe, this film is worth a watch. It’s a fresh take on high school maneuvering in a prestigious boarding school. | Amazon
Stuffed: Fascinating, educational, entertaining, gorgeous documentary by Erin Derham. 'Stuffed' is the documentary on taxidermy you didn't know you needed to see. But you do – wow! | Rent on Amazon
A Binge-worthy Batch of Series and Themes
Some of the series and movies I binged on during this pandemic year that kept me engaged and entertained.
Firefly: An oldie but still a goodie, this space western was a short-lived series and remains a cult favorite. In the 26th century two remaining superpowers, the US and China, have expanded into space. The Firefly crew are the renegades vs the establishment – managing the same problems of social inequity and ethical and moral dilemmas in the future. A great cast serving great stories from Joss Whedon while flying around the galaxy in Serenity is beyond fun. | Rent on Amazon
The Mandalorian: Created by Jon Favreau, this series is also a space western about a bounty hunter tasked with reuniting an orphan Jedi (The Child) with his people. With sets using game-engine technology – the worlds, the planets seem so real and are so gorgeous – they make the narrative even more immersive. As for The Child – big props to the character designers and the puppeteers – he’s perfect. And as a Star Wars fan, this is a perfect fit for me. | Disney+
Political films: In this presidential election year, I revisited All The President’s Men, All the King’s Men, The Candidate, The Manchurian Candidate, In the Loop, and Bulworth. These classics all hold up well. | Rent on Amazon and various streaming platforms
Slings and Arrows: Brilliantly conceived, written and acted, this Canadian series revolves around a fictional Shakespeare Festival (like Stratford) attempting to balance art and commerce. When the artistic director suddenly dies – but doesn't quite leave one of the actors, things get interesting. Funny, quirky, lovable with a great cast of actors from the stage who know their Shakespeare. One of my most favorite series that I revisit often. | Acorn
Small Axe Anthology: From writer/director Steve McQueen, this quintuplet film series chronicles the experiences of London's West Indian community from the late 1960s through the early 1980s. Films range from social, political and lifestyle concerns and are based on real-life experiences. The first film Mangrove – the trial of the Mangrove 9 – is excellent, as are they all. | Amazon
Tati Trilogy: Featuring the character of Monsieur Hulot – these comedies, Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot, Mon Oncle and Playtime, could only have been created by Jacques Tati. Playtime has always been my favorite for its enormous set (dubbed, Tativille – which nearly bankrupted the filmmaker), for its use of sound and stunning visuals, and its observational, non narrative structure. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience. Treat yourself. | Rent on Amazon or The Criterion Channel
Ted Lasso: Heartwarming and funny, Jason Sudeikis stars as the title character – an American college football coach hired to coach a professional English soccer team – despite having no experience. Lasso's eternal optimism, which could get irritating, is balanced nicely by his humanity. The series is well-written and well-acted with good story development and defined arcs for its many characters. It's a fish-out-of-water story that is so, so bingeable. | Apple TV+
Upload: A future world where there’s choice in death. One can simply die, or can have one's consciousness uploaded to a forever virtual world. That is, if you have the money to buy your digital after-life and continue to fund it. Funny, charming, a bit of a mystery, and very clever. | Amazon
The 2021 Oscars and Beyond…
The 2021 Oscars are tentatively scheduled to go forward live on Sunday, 25 April 2021, pushed two months. Oscar predictions are flying in spite of the pandemic and a changing viewership. I can only say that my predictions will be pure guesses this year. Stayed tuned.
For my official best-of-films lists, check out the years' past: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015. It's a great time to catch up or discover a film you may have missed.
What’s been your film and TV diet in this most bizarre year?
Design + animation: © 2020 Janet Giampietro | 'The Child' photo: © 2020 Janet Giampietro | “Sortie” photo: Barthelemy de Mazenod on Unsplash | Posters and photos copyright of each studio, production company or streaming service.
