Best Movies of 2021

Have any favorites - a lot of lists have some out - here a couple.

I noticed Pig with Nicholas Cage - it's on Hulu - well done.

As far as musicals go - I haven't seen In the Heights or West Side Story, but Tick, Tick Boom on Netflix was fantastic!

I also liked Dune & Belfast.  For animation - The Mitchells vs the Machines.  Summer of Soul was a great documentary.

Here's a few lists I came across with a quick search:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/06/movies/best-movies.html

https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/best-movies-of-2021/

https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/best-movies-of-2021

https://www.vox.com/22826203/best-movies-2021-streaming-theaters

Overall, I felt that it was a pretty good year for movies.


I just saw this one, after seeing it on one of the lists - Listening to Kenny G.  I doubt it will get nominated - but it's worth a watch!  Check it out on HBO Max.


"Shiva Baby," which is available on HBO, is well done and filmed in a way that acknowledges that awkward family social situations are the true horror scenarios in our lives, not vampires or other monsters. 


chalmers said:

"Shiva Baby," which is available on HBO, is well done and filmed in a way that acknowledges that awkward family social situations are the true horror scenarios in our lives, not vampires or other monsters. 

Yeah, I thought Shiva Baby was pretty good, and there's another I haven't seen yet, which is called The Humans, which seems similar, also revolving around a family get together.

I haven't seen many 2021 movies yet, so I don't have much to say about any best of lists. I'm going to see Licorice Pizza tomorrow.

I did see West Side Story. I thought it was very entertaining but I don't think it's best movie material. And one thing bothered me about it, which was the placement of "I Feel Pretty". It was near the end, as catastrophe starts to strike, and to all of a sudden see "I Feel Pretty" was very jarring.


I finally caught The French Dispatch last weekend. I love Wes Anderson movies, and this is the most Wes Anderson-y film yet, almost to the point of self-parody. It reminds me a little of the Steve Zissou one, where I'm not sure if I like it or not. Will have to watch again. The world-building (much like Grand Budapest Hotel) is incredibly dense, so there's a lot in there to unpack on later viewings.


I'm going to have to say Dune is my fave for the year. The only movie that actually forced me into a theater, even though I'd already seen it. Finch was pretty powerful, and I actually almost enjoyed The Suicide Squad (certainly bonkers enough). Does Don't Look Up count as 2021? That was a hard first half to watch, and then it finally started to work, and the ending is sublime. The Dig was wonderful. 

For docs, Val was excellent. So was Tina, and Summer of Soul we saw last night - amazing. Still waiting to watch The Sparks Brothers, and at some point go back to The Velvet Underground doc as I was getting bored and tired and Lou Reed was just a dick. 


Loved Summer of Soul. (Love isn't a strong enough word.)


"Pig" was surprisingly good.  The best work Nicholas Cage has done in a long time.



yahooyahoo said:

"Pig" was surprisingly good.  The best work Nicholas Cage has done in a long time.

I really enjoyed him in The Color Out Of Space, but that was 2019, I think.


Summer of Soul = great.  Liked the Mitchells animation.  I'm a dissenter on Shiva.  I thought it was absurd.  The way people spoke and behaved had no connection to reality or logic, even as caricature, and certainly not to any shiva call I've been to.  


Passing on Netflix is very well done:


In the sci fi category, I thought the French movie "Oxygen" was pretty darn good and so did critics:

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/oxygen_2021 


bub said:

In the sci fi category, I thought the French movie "Oxygen" was pretty darn good and so did critics:

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/oxygen_2021 

Holy sh#t! That looks creepy and very good.


I liked West Side Story, although I cannot say I loved it.  The cinematography was very well done, and I liked how the dance scenes were less balletic than the original and warped seamlessly into fight scenes and back again.  The acting was pretty good, especially most of the leads.   I did not like how the songs were sublimated and chopped up compared to the original, which was a lot more stage-like and therefore the songs really, well, sang out.

I did not like Licorice Pizza, although I also did not hate it.  I may be a minority on this, but it seemed too self-indulgent by the writer/director/guru.  Haim did an amazing job providing whatever center this movie has, but Cooper Hoffman never developed a presence beyond a self-absorbed asshat and I am not sure if that is because he could not or the material would not let him.  I could not buy the love relationship, either.

As a Dune fan I liked the new movie and need to see the second one to determine really how good this will be considered over time.  But I am not sure that someone who is not steeped in the world of spice would appreciate it.


I saw Licorice Pizza. I was underwhelmed, mostly because I have high expectations from PTA. I did find it generally engaging. I agree with you about Haim and Hoffman, she really carried the movie, Hoffman, not so much.

mfpark said:

I liked West Side Story, although I cannot say I loved it.  The cinematography was very well done, and I liked how the dance scenes were less balletic than the original and warped seamlessly into fight scenes and back again.  The acting was pretty good, especially most of the leads.   I did not like how the songs were sublimated and chopped up compared to the original, which was a lot more stage-like and therefore the songs really, well, sang out.

I did not like Licorice Pizza, although I also did not hate it.  I may be a minority on this, but it seemed too self-indulgent by the writer/director/guru.  Haim did an amazing job providing whatever center this movie has, but Cooper Hoffman never developed a presence beyond a self-absorbed asshat and I am not sure if that is because he could not or the material would not let him.  I could not buy the love relationship, either.

As a Dune fan I liked the new movie and need to see the second one to determine really how good this will be considered over time.  But I am not sure that someone who is not steeped in the world of spice would appreciate it.


Really happy Andrew Garfield won for Tick tick Boom, great performance!

Hans Zimmer won for Dune, the lead female vocalist has performed many times in Maplewood at the Underground Concert Series - Loire Cotler.

Golden Globe results:

Best Motion Picture, Drama

“The Power of the Dog”

Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy

“West Side Story”

Best Director, Motion Picture

Jane Campion, “The Power of the Dog”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama

Nicole Kidman, “Being the Ricardos”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy

Rachel Zegler, “West Side Story”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture

Ariana DeBose, “West Side Story”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama

Will Smith, “King Richard”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy

Andrew Garfield, “Tick, Tick … Boom!”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture

Kodi Smit-McPhee, “The Power of the Dog”

Best Screenplay, Motion Picture

Kenneth Branagh, “Belfast”

Best Original Score, Motion Picture

Hans Zimmer, “Dune”

Best Original Song, Motion Picture

Billie Eilish, “No Time to Die”

Best Motion Picture, Animated

“Encanto”

Best Motion Picture, Non-English Language

“Drive My Car”



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