Walter's Top Ten Films of 2021

 

Last year, I complained (honestly) that I’d barely even seen ten 2020 films, let alone felt able to choose a top ten list. This year, thanks to many movie night invitations from Vic, including some TIFF views, I saw enough 2021 films to choose a top ten (almost – 10th spot is actually shared between 2 honourable mentions). I still had to include a few that are reaching a bit back into 2020 – forgive me, film purists.

Increasingly, I have felt that my taste or my film-watching experience of movies has diverged from those of “the critics.” Obviously, this is a gross generalization as, thankfully, film critics do still have quite diverse views. But less than ever have I felt that high Metacritic averages have steered me to reliable choices (none of the top seven made my list). Is this because I am becoming an old curmudgeon (and I confess that at times this is an odd aspiration of mine) in a way that is also linked to my utter disbelief at the grotesque ugliness of NFL uniforms these days? Seriously? Do people actually think that those are pleasant colours to watch on a playing field!!

I digress. Let’s get to it. I’ll just add that since Vic and I wrote almost no reviews during the year, I have virtually no notes to look back on, and my memory fails me on those movies I saw many months ago. But I trust my ratings and my gut feelings as I recall them.

10. (Honourable Mention) – The Dig and Passing. I didn’t rate either of these high enough to warrant my top ten list, and so I place them here more as honourable mentions than fully in 10^th place. They are both very well-made films, and I have no qualms about recommending either of them. They are also both “period films” that are done very effectively while something is slightly lacking that prevents me from being able to connect deeply with them – almost like the historical distance leaves them feeling a bit muted.

9. Don’t Look Up – Yes, this film had many problems. And it wasn’t made nearly as well as those that I’ve just barely placed in the 10^th spot. But I really think it should be viewed and discussed and argued about. The low points for me are the jerky editing and strangely chosen relational twists (if it was for humour, they missed). But some of the satire was highly effective (and I have no idea why I liked the matter of snacks in the White House so much, but I did). And I loved the meal around the Mindy table a lot.

8. The Worst Person in the World – I believe this is the first time that I saw a Joachim Trier film, and I like the tone that he adds to this type of indie rom-com in comparison to the artsier edge of this genre. It’s like there is some attitudinal shift that made it more relatable, warm and human. There is something in the very brief ending scene that was quite disappointing to me, but by then I’d already committed to being a fan.

7. Percy - This is one of those that is probably a stretch to include in 2021, but I didn’t see it in time for last year and it was close. I am quite passionate about this issue. My emotional self sees Monsanto as one of the clearer examples of the kind of evil that is destroying the earth and humanity. (My rational self is a little less extreme, but not a lot.) I believe that the film does a good job of depicting the issue and Christopher Walken seemed a good choice to depict the titular character.  

6. One Night in Miami – The idea and structure of the film was novel (speculative fiction about an actual meeting) and worked well for me. By adding the element of relationships between these four fascinating historical characters and their different ways of interacting with the context of race in America in the 60s, they invite the viewer to watch and learn and re-think from a different point of view. Highly recommended.

5. The Matrix: Resurrections – I’m not naturally inclined toward sequels. I loved the first and enjoyed the 2^nd and 3^rd more than some, but I wasn’t optimistic for how I’d feel about this. But Wachowski really had me hooked fairly early in this “resurrection” with her meta-twists on the franchise, especially after what I’d heard (I presume accurate) about her own wrangles with Warner Bros. There were still far too many shoot-em-up scenes and other scenarios that make no great logical sense. It’s not a classic like the original, but it was funny, clever, thought-provoking and entertaining.

4. The Man in the Hat – I stumbled onto this one a few months after similarly stumbling on the old French classic, Mon Oncle (1958), by Jacques Tati. Not being particular fans of old films, let alone silent films (or nearly silent films in these cases), Carol and I watched Mon Oncle with few expectations. It was a surprising delight and a fascinating glimpse into perceptions of modernity in post-war Europe. The Man in the Hat felt like it reprised all that was delightful in the Tati film, with a bunch of new delights. One of those delights was Ciaran Hinds, who is just magnificent, and a few musical moments (as I said, not quite silent) add some of the other highlights. If you want something different, look this one up.

3. Judas and the Black Messiah – There was so much that was rich and rewarding about this. It’s an important complement to The Trial of the Chicago 7 that made my list last year and tells the story of Fred Hampton, whose death plays a key role in both films. It’s historically illuminating, and the “Judas” theme adds an important layer. I’ve been used to writing off the Black Panthers as the violent side of the coin (as opposed to MLK’s emphasis), and it felt important to appreciate many aspects of their experience.

2. Belfast – This felt like the first time I’d loved a film in the theatre for a long time – so much so that I saw it twice. I literally can’t remember the last time I’ve done that. I think it had a special element for me in that the young boy at the centre of the story (largely a year in Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast childhood during the Troubles) was born only a year before me, making it easy to relate to his experience even though his life was so different from mine. I loved the play-like set of his closely relational neighbourhood, and the juxtaposition of its sense of safety that was thrown into turmoil and violence. It brings up questions about the loss of community and external forces that have destroyed the fabric of neighbourhoods like this.

1. The Father – This film both intrigues and takes you for a painful but worthwhile emotional ride. My mom is a couple of thousand km away in a long term care home that leaves her with almost no personal visits (because of vaccination issues). Phone calls are not an easy form of connection when dementia has entered the picture, and the pain and frustration of this were very present as I watched The Father. The film was hard but helped. It’s a brilliantly realised concept thanks to great acting and directing. Watch this film.

My annual “spilled coffee” award goes to Wonder Woman 1984. It wasn’t the worst movie that I wasted my time on, but it was the biggest disappointment.

And the best of the older films that I saw this year was Sorry We Missed You (no surprise as it was Vic’s #1 last year), and it helped choose alternatives to Amazon at least a few times. Still trying. I have high expectations that Mass and CODA (Carol and I loved the French original) would have made my list this year if I'd had a chance to see them.

Here's to hoping for more theatrical visits in the slightly less pandemicky year ahead.