2020 was an absolute dumpster fire. Sorry for being blunt; but, an unambiguously terrible year only deserves a harsh statement like that to sum it up...which means that I am forgoing the usually year-end best list.
Oh, what’s that? You still want to see my favorite films of the year even though everyone’s list is probably going to look identical (more so than usual). Fine. Here goes. My top five of 2020...that actually came out in 2020...
5) DA 5 BLOODS (dir. Spike Lee)
4) FEELS GOOD MAN (dir. Arthur Jones)
3) TENET (dir. Christopher Nolan)
2) POSSESSOR (dir. Brandon Cronenberg)
1) MANK (dir. David Fincher)
(Before you ask, I saw WONDER WOMAN 1984 and quite liked it. More than most, apparently)
I know a title that includes the phrase “the Year Without Movies” seems a tad melodramatic. But, with all the chaos outside leaving the multiplexes closed up, it felt like time just stopped and there wasn’t anything new. Admittedly, that is a shame and you better believe I’m going to monitor the incoming newsfeed about the uncertain future of theatrical exhibition like a hawk.
Anyway, not in any particular order, here are my ten favorite films out of the ones I’ve discovered during the quarantine.
CHRISTMAS ON MARS (2008, dir. Wayne Coyne/Bradley Beesley/George Salisbury)
On balance, this is probably the weakest film in this particular selection. It’s slapdash, meandering and more than a little crass in spots. That having been said, its flaws are also endearing charms. Consider this one a diamond in the rough. The main reason I included this was because, alongside retreating back to old creature comforts, 2020 made me and countless others resort to finding new ones. In this instance, it was the endlessly eclectic discography of neo-psychedelic outfit The Flaming Lips. Their unique blend of optimism, philosophy and strangeness got me through many a depressive episode in this Godforsaken year. A lot of which shows up in one form or another in this bizarre film freakout. The whole thing plays like a fragmented fever dream cocktail of half-remembered low-budget cult sci-fi flicks (probably produced between 1957-1980). With that in mind, I’d recommend pairing this on a double bill with similar oddities such as John Carpenter’s DARK STAR.
REAL LIFE (1979, dir. Albert Brooks)
Back in September, The Criterion Channel devoted a small section of it’s already impressive streaming library to the films of one Albert Brooks. By now, most of it has already fled the platform; but, that won’t stop me from talking about it here (nor should it stop you from checking out what may be some of the best comedies ever made). All of those are well worth checking out; but, his directorial debut might just be my favorite of the bunch. A skewering satirical indictment of reality television decades before we’d bear the brunt of its worst offerings.
SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS (1957, dir. Alexander MacKendrick)
As alluded to in the paragraph prior, 2020 was also the year I finally caved and got a Criterion Channel subscription (an invaluable tool in clearing up a couple cinematic blindspots). Outside of occasionally burning a hole in my wallet at inopportune times, I’d say this has been more than a worthwhile investment and films like this keep reminding me of that. Cynical, moody and everso topical, it’s a trenchant dive through an upper-class underworld where everyone’s out for No. 1 and disdain for your common man is the order of the day. Simply put, one of the best movies about journalism ever made and arguably one of the finest works in the canon of film noir.
EXPERIMENT IN TERROR (1962, dir. Blake Edwards)
A rare example of exquisite genre material from a director not widely known for such yet no less masterful for it. All shot with lavish photography from DP extraordinaire Philip H. Lathrop and undercut with a suitably suspenseful Henry Mancini score.
MISHIMA: A LIFE IN FOUR CHAPTERS (1985, dir. Paul Schrader)
Okay, I speak no hyperbole when I say this might be the finest film discovery I’ve made all year. Like a couple other titles on this list, I owe my podcast Warped Celluloid for helping me get around to it. What Paul Schrader crafted here is the story of an artist told through his art. A notion that I lament to say isn’t shared by the majority of modern biopics (and probably not a lot of older ones either). It’s a film that defies description in the best way possible. Go in knowing as little as humanly possible.
HELL IN THE PACIFIC (1968, dir. John Boorman)
A quiet meditative drama on masculinity and the conflicts that ensue over perceived cultural differences. Marvin and Mifune turn in powerhouse work as dual leads, relying on raw physical power (or, in some spots, the lack thereof).
THE INSIDER (1999, dir. Michael Mann)
How the hell did this lose Best Picture to American Beauty? I know it feels silly to start out with this. But, really, what else do I need to say? It’s Michael Mann telling a real-life story of newsroom intrigue and corporate malfeasance. At the time of writing, you can still find it on Amazon Prime. If you haven’t seen it already, fix that.
SOMETHING WILD (1986, dir. Jonathan Demme)
Brilliant romantic comedy with a screenplay that’s sharp as a tack while also doubling as one hell of a gear-shift picture. The less you know about this going in, the better. A real gem from a decade with a lot of great rom-coms; but, with few as distinct and chock full of personality as this.
VANILLA SKY (2001, dir. Cameron Crowe)
And speaking of cinematic romance, my penultimate pick for my favorite discoveries of the year is a movie that’s grown on me with repeated viewings and hasn’t left my mind since I first saw it. I know it sounds weird saying this for a movie that’s barely twenty years old; but, they really don’t make movies like this anymore. Stories that make big swings and paint with broad strokes to create something both deeply personal yet oddly universal. That ending still might be one of the most thought-provoking things I’ve seen in a long, long time. Plus, as is to be expected of a Cameron Crowe picture, the soundtrack owns.
UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD (1991, dir. Wim Wenders, full director’s cut)
Where to begin on a film that looms so large yet remains so unheard of among even the most hardcore of film aficionados? It’s rare for a director to make a bold claim such as crafting the ultimate road picture and even more so to have the final result actually live up to it. Part sweeping globetrotting love affair, part heart-wrenching science fiction parable, all incredibly unique, cultured and intelligent. A vision of a future that’s long since past that still feels enticing and worth exploring. A lengthy journey to be sure, but one well worth taking.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Strange Days, Road to Perdition, Excalibur, The Silent Partner, Touch of Evil, Solaris (2002), The Conversation, Branded to Kill, Gimme Danger, La Jetee, Killing Them Softly, The Yakuza
Happy New Year everyone! Here’s hoping 2021 is slightly less crap than 2020 was.
