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| Nicolas Cage in "Pig" Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com |
10) Pig - One of this year’s most original movies came from writer-director Michael Sarnoski’s crime drama. The story follows Robin Feld (Nicolas Cage), a former Portland-based chef who’s now living in the woods with his truffle-hunting pig. When Robin’s home is broken into and he has his pig stolen, he ventures out to Portland to track down the assailants. Cage delivers his best performance in years as the reclusive soul who will do anything to get back what gives his life meaning, and Alex Wolff is wonderful as Robin’s truffle supplier who helps him on his journey. Sarnoski’s screenplay explores the world of dining in such a way that hasn’t been done, offering drama, thrills, and even some humor, taking the story in some surprising directions. This is a unique narrative in the best possible way and a stunning directorial debut that will have you hankering for what Sarnoski will conjure next.
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| Andrew Garfield in "Tick, Tick...Boom!" Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com |
9) Tick, Tick…Boom! - 2021 has been a terrific year for musicals, and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s feature directorial debut is more than fitting for his theatrical sensibilities, where he adapts Jonathan Larson’s musical of the same name. The story focuses on Larson (Andrew Garfield), who’s about to turn 30 and is worried that he won’t do anything memorable with his life. He soon puts his musical passion to work in order to become a renowned playwright. Garfield provides a performance that explodes with energy as he powers his way through the musical numbers to bring this inspirational story to life. Between songs like “30/90,” “Sunday,” “Come to Your Senses,” and “Why,” you’re offered an emotional and electric view into Larson’s life, and Miranda’s direction evokes as much vibrancy as possible, loading the movie with superb voices and imaginative visuals. This is a film that captures the magic of what it means to chase your dreams; and, trust me, this is one dream of a movie.
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| Amin Nawabi in "Flee" Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com |
8) Flee - Director Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s animated documentary isn’t the easiest movie to watch, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check it out. In his film, he chronicles the life of a man named Amin Nawabi and how he escaped from war-torn Afghanistan to Denmark. This is a heart-rending account of a refugee’s experience as he goes on a dangerous trip with his family in order to secure their safety. Besides becoming familiar with Amin’s travels, we’re given a look into the life that he lived prior to this massive change, as well as a view into his life afterwards as he tries to establish a normal life and build a relationship with his boyfriend. Through gorgeous, expressive animation, this is a documentary that’s unlike what you’ve seen, exhibiting a new way in which this genre can present its subjects. This is a story that needed to be told, and you’ll be thankful to have been given the chance to know Amin.
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| From left: Caitríona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, Jude Hill, and Lewis McAskie in "Belfast" Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com |
7) Belfast - Writer-director Kenneth Branagh’s latest movie brought us on a heartwarming and poignant semi-autobiographical passage through his childhood. In his film, Buddy (Jude Hill) spends his days going to school, playing in the streets, and getting into mischief. However, the conflict between the Catholics and Protestants continues to grow, and Buddy’s family soon has to make the decision of whether or not they should pursue a safer life elsewhere. Hill provides a spirited breakout performance as a young boy who has a deep bond with his hometown, while Caitríona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, and Ciarán Hinds all give beautiful performances as Buddy’s mother, father, grandmother, and grandfather, respectively. Branagh’s screenplay carries a significant love for his hometown and family, making us feel how much it all means to him. This is a coming-of-age story that’s a detailed window into a family as they go through the good times and the bad, absorbing you as you see each day unfold.
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| Timothée Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson in "Dune" Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com |
6) Dune - Despite having made the two best sci-fi films of the last decade with “Arrival” and “Blade Runner 2049,” it was still a bold decision for Denis Villeneuve to do a new adaptation of Frank Herbert’s notoriously unfilmable novel, but he pulled it off. The film tells the story of a noble family that moves to a desert planet and soon becomes caught in the middle of a deadly conflict. This is just part one of a two-part adaptation, and it does a stellar job in introducing you to this world. Filled with fine performances from a star-studded cast, led by Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, and Oscar Issac, as well as Villeneuve’s penchant for grand, immersive visuals, this is the adaptation for which fans of the novel have been waiting. Given the level of craftsmanship that went into all aspects of this movie, we have every reason to be excited for part two.
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| Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler in "West Side Story" Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com |
5) West Side Story - Leave it to Steven Spielberg to not only make a film that captures the spirit of the 1961 original, but to also improve upon it in several ways. The story follows the rivalry between a white gang known as the Jets, and a Puerto Rican gang called the Sharks. When Maria (Rachel Zegler), the sister of Sharks leader Bernardo (David Alvarez), falls in love with Tony (Ansel Elgort), a former Jet, their new relationship puts a further strain on the two gangs that threatens to pull Maria and Tony apart. Zegler gives a stunning breakout performance that announces a new talent to the world, while Ariana DeBose, Mike Faist, and Rita Moreno boast unforgettable supporting turns as Maria’s friend Anita, Jets leader Riff, and drugstore owner Valentina, respectively. Through exuberant song-and-dance sequences and a more in-depth view into the tensions between the Jets and the Sharks, Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner don’t just do right by the original’s legacy, but has their film create its own.
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| From left: Jason Isaacs, Martha Plimpton, Reed Birney, and Ann Dowd in "Mass" Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com |
4) Mass - The most emotionally deep-rooted movie of the year comes from writer-director Fran Kranz filmmaking debut. Here, he tells the story of a mother and father (Martha Plimpton and Jason Isaacs) of a school-shooting victim, who meet with the perpetrator’s parents (Ann Dowd and Reed Birney). All four central performances provide a total gut-punch as you watch them spend time with each other and sift through their deepest feelings of what they’ve experienced in the aftermath of this tragedy. However, it’s Dowd who floors you in her heartbreaking final scene that will unravel you as she tells a story about her son. You feel as though you’re sitting right with these characters and seeing their meeting unfold in real time, and for Krantz to tackle such a delicate subject for his first movie doesn’t do anything less than present the arrival of a filmmaker who has a firm command of his cast, the words, and the camera.
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| Dev Patel in "The Green Knight" Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com |
3) The Green Knight - Writer-director David Lowery’s latest film is a mesmerizing retelling of the classic legend, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” where we see Sir Gawain (Dev Patel), nephew of King Arthur, set out on a quest to confront the Green Knight (Ralph Ineson) to settle a bargain. Patel gives a majestic performance as the courageous and flawed Gawain, absorbing you in his character’s complex arc as he faces challenge after challenge. Between the wonderful production design, gorgeous cinematography, and impressive visual effects, this is an indie film with the scope of a big-budget fantasy epic. This is a distinguished addition to the fantasy genre that shows a boldness in both the screenplay and direction, displaying a breathtaking vision that Lowery isn’t afraid to let loose on the audience. There’s a great deal of ambition in this film, not just in the technical aspects, but also the screenplay, which leaves you with much to discuss as soon as it ends. If you haven’t done so, take this adventure as soon as you can.
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| Amir Jadidi in "A Hero" Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com |
2) A Hero - This film from Iranian writer-director Asghar Farhadi is the first that I’ve seen from him, and it was a wonderful introduction to his work. His recent movie is a morality tale that follows Rahim (Amir Jadidi), who’s on a two-day leave from prison, where he’s serving a sentence for failing to repay a debt. After trying to have his creditor withdraw a complaint, his plan soon unravels into something more. Jadidi gives a layered performance of a man who stumbles from one mishap to another, showing a man who becomes more and more tortured as he gets deeper into something out of which there might not be any escape. Farhadi constructs a tense screenplay that keeps you wondering how something that may seem inconsequential might turn into something unwieldy. And, the way in which he stages the big dialogue sequences as some characters try to prevent others from finding out certain truths isn’t anything less than engrossing. Although this is the only movie of Farhadi’s that I’ve seen, it’s still easy to see why he’s one of the most renowned filmmakers of international cinema.
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| Kristen Stewart in "Spencer" Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com |
1) Spencer - Director Pablo Larraín takes a different approach to the biographical drama with his latest film, where he offers a fictionalized account of a Christmas weekend in 1991 spent at Queen Elizabeth’s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. Here, Princess Diana (née Spencer) feels the expectations and unwelcomeness of the royal family closing in on her. Kristen Stewart gives one of the year’s most astounding and transformative performances as the Princess of Wales, inhabiting her to such a degree that you sit there in awe of Stewart’s talent. She’s given good performances before, but this is on another level. Steven Knight’s fascinating screenplay is a character study in the purest sense, delving into Diana’s mind and showing how out of place she feels amongst the royals. Larraín imbues the movie with layers of beauty and psychological dread, blending the two to create an environment that’s pleasing to the eye, but also filled with claustrophobia as we feel Diana’s weekend-long suffocation of having all eyes on her. Everything about this movie helps create a quietly visceral experience that’s majestic in every frame.
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