The Best In Film In the time of COVID

2020 was an odd year for movies.  After the world began to shut down in February 2020, movies were delayed or canceled altogether.  When it became clear that the shut down wouldn't last weeks but months, studios got creative with releases.  Movies were released as premium "in theatres only" releases at $30 a view (Mulan) or just given to consumers outright to prop up fledgling streaming services (Wonder Woman 1984 on HBO Max).  

So, I didn't see a lot of movies in theatres this year. In fact, the last one was all the way back in February 2020 (Fantasy Island - a decent film that is filmed and promoted like a horror movie, but is really a drama and would have been better if they just embraced it).  But thanks to the pandemic, I saw more films in total than ever, hitting a high mark of 285 movies, a mixture of new releases and old. 

Some things did stay consistent: my average grade was a B-, again proving I tend to not hate most movies.  And I again found myself being drawn to documentaries and comedies, 2 genres I think are much tougher to break through in than dramas.

This year I've decided to list my Top 30 films.  I'll give the title and genre.   Once again, all movies (domestic or foreign, animated or live-action) are listed together and I rely on the U.S. release date to determine whether it is a 2020 film.  I also only count material shot to release as a film. That kicks out "Hamilton" which was the best 'movie' of the year but is really just a bunch of camera filming a play, which isn't really a film in my mind.

One change this year is that I'm extending the list thru February 2021, to align with extended Oscar eligiblity time period.

#30 Porno (Horror)

#29 Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets (Documentary)

#28 Young Ahmed (Drama)

#27 Netflix Vs. the World (Documentary)

#26 Downhill (Drama)

#25 Another Round (Drama)

#24 Nomadland (Drama)

#23 Timmy Failure: Mistakes were Made (Comedy)

#22: The Platform (Science Fiction)

#21: The Binge (Comedy)

#20 Boys State (Documentary)

#19 The Mole Agent (Documentary)

#18 The Personal History of David Copperfield (Comedy)

#17 Onwards (Comedy)

#16 The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Drama)

#15 White Tiger (Drama)

#14 Big Time Adolescence (Comedy)

#13 Scream Queen: My Nightmare on Elm Streeth (Documentary)

#12 The Hunt (Horror)

#11 Wonder Woman 1984 (Action)

(Comedy): Finally, a stage to screen translation that doesn't feel remotely stuffy.  And a musical!  I loved the performances, the set design, the choreography and the music.  It does preach to the converted and draws overly simplistic lines between "small town" small-minded folks and "big city" aggressively woke liberals, but it's message of inclusion and acceptance rises to the top.  Big, flashy, and fun.

(Comedy): This comedy could have been in bad taste, but instead it's a laugh riot.  3 differently abled  / ill adults make a road trip to lose their virginities at a Canadian brothel.  Hilarity indeed ensues but what I liked best about the film is that it doesn't treat the characters with kid gloves.  They're not saintly Forrest Gump-ian figures but fully fleshed out characters who are allowed to be complex, and at times unlikeable.

(Drama): Unbelievably, there are two road trip abortion movies this year, but this is by far the best. This is dramedy - and yes it is funny - that gets laugh despite the sobering subject matter because at its core, it's a film about two best friend reconnecting.  While I suspect your enjoyment rests on your feelings about abortion, it's sweet and at times delicate approach of the subject matter won this pro choicer over.

(Comedy): Pete Davidson's second entry in the top 30 list is an autobiographical comedy, heavily based on his life as the son of a fireman who died on 9/11.  The word that comes to mind most here is pathos and Davidson has it in spades.  He may not be the best actor but behind his sarcastic, bug eyed manic energy is something deeper and sadder.  The movie gets close to uncovering what that is, although isn't all the way successful.  Ultimately, it's a little long (as all Apatow films are) and the plot goes a bit astray towards the last half, but I enjoyed this thoroughly.  Curious to see what Davidson does next in the dramedy space.  I can see him making the leap to true dramatic actor like Robin Williams did.

(Comedy): Who knew that Groundhog day would create an entire new genre of film?  This latest entry in the "time loop' film registry is a lot of fun with two likeable leads and a couple of fun twists.  Not much more to say without spoiling it, but the laugh to jokes ratio is very high.

(Drama): Another play adaption.  This one does feel a little "stagey" but there are enough flourishes from first time director Regina King to make it feel like a real film, and a great one at that. The magic is on the 4 main characters and their interplay as they debate love, politics and their respective places in culture and history during, well, one night in Miami.  Every performance here hits the mark and every conversation is engaging.  

(Documentary): The year's best documentary embodies why I love documentaries.  The film shows me a view of life I otherwise would be blind to. In this case, the view is that of a military single father and his two boys.  He's recovering from an injury obtained being deployed and having a tough time juggling the chronic pain and shame from his injury, and being a dad.  It's a consistent struggle to pay bills, keep up with hospital visits and instill values he sees as important to his children.  That's it really.  But it's fascinating and heartbreakingly intimate.

(Comedy): Sasha Baron Cohen returns as Borat, that very funny misogynistic and racist character from his award worthy sketch show then 2006 film.  While 15 years ago the original film gently poked fun at gullible and xenophobic, yet still good-hearted Americans, Sasha Baron Cohen this time skewers the Trump-era racism and sexism permanenting political and daily life with clear contempt.  Whether you think it's condescending to have a foreigner lecture Americans (I do, a little) or that America needs it (I do: a lot) Sasha isn't here just to make fun; rather, he’s on mission to save America from its self-destructive course.  That he attempts to do this in a hilarious movie that is also a sweet father-daughter story is a master stroke, an accomplishment worthy of an Oscar and the title of this year's best comedy.

(Drama): Every year there's one critically-acclaimed Oscar-bait movie that actually lives up to the hype. This go around, it's Minari.  It's a simple but effective depiction of Korean-Americans chasing the American dream, and the obstacles they face along the way.  The acting is superb all around, with special praise going to Steven Yeun who underplays his role to such perfection, I was worried that he would be overlooked (he wasn't, which is great).  

(Drama): Can someone be chasing the American dream if they're British and live in the UK?  Well, if so that's what Sorry We Missed You is about too.  Much like other entries on the list the plot is simple: An industrious husband and wife attempt to secure their family's middle-class status, even as it remains maddeningly elusive.  They take a bold step, the dad becoming "his own boss" as a delivery man of Amazon-type company, and give it their all.  But events around them seem to be set up to sabotage them; this includes the policies of the company he works for (he isn't self-employed after all, he discovers) and his son's truancy, drug use, and general indifference at his parent's sacrifices.  It's hard to watch sometimes and you want to yell at the screen for the boss to stop being an a-hole and the kid to give his parents a break, but neither happens. Yet, they still keep going because, what else are they going to do?