{"id":23807,"date":"2021-12-31T00:30:53","date_gmt":"2021-12-30T14:30:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?p=23807"},"modified":"2021-12-31T07:54:41","modified_gmt":"2021-12-30T21:54:41","slug":"top-ten-films-of-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?p=23807","title":{"rendered":"Top Ten Films of 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"tagfilm\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"best-films-2021\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The state of the film industry feels rather precarious in 2021.<\/p>\n

Cinemas were largely empty for 2020 and for most of 2021 thanks to COVID-19 but the unexpectedly buoyant performance of Shangi-Chi and the Ten Rings<\/em> at the box office in September was the green light studios were looking for to finally put some long-finished films back on the release schedule.<\/p>\n

Since then there\u2019s been a \u2018feast or famine\u2019 scenario where Spider-man: No Way Home<\/em> has broken box office records rivalling the pre-pandemic era but at the same time audiences have stayed away and largely ignored new releases from Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, Paul Thomas Anderson, Guillermo Del Toro and Wes Anderson.<\/p>\n

A lot has been said and written about the cinema experience vs streaming at home but its possible the pandemic has rapidly accelerated a trend where audiences are almost exclusively favouring super hero and action movie fare at the expense of almost everything else with comedy, horror and drama being notable genres that were once reliably popular mainstays of the box office that audiences now seem to be ignoring in favour of waiting for them to surface on streaming services.<\/p>\n

Although its not entirely clear yet what are genuine long term trends and what are simply by-products of the COVID era, I\u2019m very concerned that well established film directors producing a variety of interesting and critically well-received films are struggling for screening sessions when pitted against the might of the Disney and Marvel machine.\u00a0 At least once upon a time there was an ecosystem where blockbuster films were a midyear staple and smaller films occupied a space in the New Year, nowadays there\u2019s a new blockbuster or two out every month of the year and their success seems to have come at the expense of everyone else.<\/p>\n

Overall, 2021 has felt like a pretty rough year for film.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know if its because we\u2019ve been spoiled in recent years but usually when I put this list together, it\u2019s a challenge to whittle my list of favourite movies down to ten and its genuinely a toss up between two or three great films as to which was my favourite of the year.\u00a0 This year, I had to think pretty hard about whether I actually saw ten films I actually enjoyed (I eventually got there with films I watched in late December) and nothing immediately stood out to me as a favourite of the year.<\/p>\n

Hopefully it\u2019s just a blip on the radar and 2022 will have some great movies in store for us.<\/p>\n

With that said, here it is, my favourite films of 2021.<\/p>\n

\"dune-thumb\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Dune<\/h2>\n

Director:<\/strong>\u00a0 Denis Villeneuve
\nWriters:<\/strong>\u00a0 Denis Villeneuve, Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts
\nCast:<\/strong>\u00a0 Timothee Chalamet, Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista, Josh Brolin<\/p>\n

\u201cFear is the mind killer\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

Denis Villeneuve\u2019s sci-fi space epic Dune<\/em> is one of the most ambitious and high-profile science fiction features in years and is a largely successful adaptation of Frank Herbert\u2019s classic novel thanks to the singular vision from Villeneuve, who creates a distinctive ambient aesthetic that sets it apart from the theme-park attraction presentation of recent Star Wars<\/em> and Star Trek<\/em> features.<\/p>\n

Dune<\/em> is a densely crafted melodrama and there is a lot for audiences to absorb with its impressive ensemble cast and complex narrative that weaves together themes of environmentalism, ecology and imperialism.<\/p>\n

\"pig-thumb\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Pig<\/h2>\n

Director:<\/strong>\u00a0 Michael Sarnoski
\nWriters:<\/strong>\u00a0 Michael Sarnoski, Vanessa Block
\nCast:<\/strong>\u00a0 Nicholas Cage, Alex Wolff, Adam Arkin<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t get a lot of things to really care about\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

After all these years Nicholas Cage continues to surprise and delight us.<\/p>\n

The enigmatic actor has had a long and storied career, delivering larger than life performances for decades, ranging from his action-adventure blockbusters such as Face\/Off<\/em> and The Rock<\/em> to his more recent turns in cult classics such as Mandy<\/em> and Color Out of Space<\/em>.\u00a0 He must be one of the hardest working men in Hollywood with over one hundred acting credits to his name and a loud, shouty, physical performance style (I\u2019m told he calls it \u2018mega-acting\u2019) that seems to have become his enduring trademark.<\/p>\n

With Pig<\/em>, director Michael Sarnoski has created a beautiful film that has wonderfully crafted monologues about the nature of life, love and the grieving process.\u00a0 Almost everyone in this film is carrying the burden of some type of loss.\u00a0 Still, I believe this is a film with a hopeful and optimistic light at its centre.\u00a0 It was one of the most moving and enriching film experiences I had in 2021.<\/p>\n

\"malignant-scene\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Malignant<\/h2>\n

Director:\u00a0 James Wan
\nWriters:\u00a0 James Wan, Akela Cooper, Ingrid Bisu
\nCast:\u00a0 Annabelle Wallis, Maddie Hasson, George Young, Jacqueline Mackenzie<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s time to cut out the cancer\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

The start of Malignant<\/em> suggests a well-honed but formulaic supernatural thriller.\u00a0 Then just when you think you know the answer, James Wan changes the question.\u00a0 Malignant<\/em> has an absolutely bombastic, totally insane, stupid-bordering-on-genuis twist in store for its audience.\u00a0 I watched this at home on a quiet rainy Tuesday night and the moment Malignant<\/em> played its hand, I stood and yelled at the tv.\u00a0 Then basically remained standing, jaw agape, at the incredible third act.\u00a0 It\u2019s madness.\u00a0 Out of this world.\u00a0 Completely bonkers.\u00a0 I loved it.<\/p>\n

Of all the films I\u2019ve watched during this hellacious and interminably long pandemic, this, this is one I wished the most I had seen in a crowded movie theatre, just to soak in the audience reaction.\u00a0 It would\u2019ve been a riotous response to rival Get Out<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Malignant<\/em> is one of those films where a wildly inventive movie director has gone out and made their riches in Hollywood and then returned to make a small-scale picture in a genre they\u2019re comfortable in.\u00a0 It\u2019s Guillermo Del Toro\u2019s Crimson Peak<\/em>.\u00a0 It\u2019s Sam Raimi\u2019s Drag Me To Hell<\/em>.\u00a0 Films that probably don\u2019t rate that highly or stand out in their filmographies, but are very much appreciated by long time aficionados.\u00a0 This one\u2019s for you.<\/p>\n

\"minari-scene\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Minari<\/h2>\n

Director:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Lee Isaac Chung
\nWriter:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Lee Isaac Chung
\nCast:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri, Christina Oh, Youn Yuh-jung, Alan S.Kim<\/p>\n

\u201cGrandma smells like Korea!\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

Minari is part of a small but welcome recent wave of Asian-American cinema that includes the likes of The Farewell, Searching<\/em> and Crazy Rich Asians<\/em>.\u00a0 It\u2019s great to see actors such as John Cho, Akwafina and Steve Yeun, who\u2019ve had secondary roles in Hollywood productions for years, have a chance to shine in these recent films.<\/p>\n

Lee Isaac Chung\u2019s semi-autobiographical fim is a Slice of Life story about making a new home for yourself.\u00a0 The writing and sense of place has a real authenticity to it that resonated with me.\u00a0 As a Third Culture kid who grew up in Borneo and now Australia, a lot of Minari’s observations about settling somewhere new and the cultural friction points that come along the way felt relatable and acutely well-observed.<\/p>\n

Minari is clear-eyed about the hardships and challenges that can come with economic migration.\u00a0 Although set nearly forty years ago and in a very particular part of the world, the experiences of the Yi family still rings true and will feel universal for many families today.<\/p>\n

\"thefatherthumb\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Father<\/h2>\n

Director:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Florian Zeller
\nWriter:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Christopher Hampton
\nCast:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Coleman, Olivia Williams<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel as if I’m losing all my leaves.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

FILM OF THE YEAR<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The Father<\/em> opens with Anthony living what appears to be a pleasant enough existence, listening to opera in his neat, finely appointed apartment.\u00a0 But very quickly, he becomes disoriented by his surroundings.\u00a0 He seems to relive the same conversations over and over.\u00a0 There are huge gaps in his memory he can seemingly not account for.\u00a0 Who is his caretaker?\u00a0 Where is his watch?\u00a0 Does the apartment belong to him or Anne?<\/p>\n

Not only does Anthony loses his bearings, so do we as the viewer, seeing the world through his eyes.\u00a0 Small details shift rapidly, confusing and confounding us.\u00a0 The kitchen tiles change from one pattern to another.\u00a0 The bag that contains Anthony\u2019s chicken dinner changes colour.\u00a0 Anthony even momentarily confuses his daughter Anne, initially played by Olivia Coleman, with another British actress Olivia Williams.<\/p>\n

Anthony Hopkins delivers an incredible, layered and vulnerable performance in the lead role.\u00a0 He exhibits an air of bravado that hints at the proud kind of man he must\u2019ve been before age and illness took hold.\u00a0 Now he struggles to grapple with his surroundings and tries, with utter futility, to exhibit some sense of order and control.<\/p>\n

The Father<\/em> is a tightly constructed, carefully honed film, that must\u2019ve been storyboarded and planned to the nth degree.\u00a0 Lines of dialogue repeat multiple times and conversations weave out of chronological order, until we suddenly arrive back to where we started.\u00a0 Production designer Peter Francis does an incredible job with shifting and redesigning the flat over and over throughout the course of the film as it takes on the appearance of Anthony\u2019s current reality or that of his memory.\u00a0 Likewise much credit must go to editor Yorgos Lamrinos who has the unenviable task of putting together a film that is purposefully un-cohesive structurally, but still makes sense narratively, with a crescendo that is moving and heart breaking.<\/p>\n

\"judas-thumb\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Judas and the Black Messiah<\/h2>\n

Director:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Shaka King
\nWriter:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Will Berson, Shaka King
\nCast:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons, Martin Sheen<\/p>\n

\u201cAmerica’s on fire right now and until the fire is extinguished don’t nothin’ else mean a goddamn thing.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

Prior to this movie, I was unfamiliar with Fred Hampton although his story is extraordinary.\u00a0 As a leader in the Chicago chapter of the Black Panther party he organized free meals and schooling for impoverished kids in his city.\u00a0 He was a talented orator and skilled negotiator.\u00a0 He was so confident and convincing with his vision that he would turn up unannounced at a meeting of white Southerners (in a meeting room adorned with the confederate flag no less) and after a tense stand off, he would have them join his alliance.\u00a0 Over time his \u201cRainbow Coalition\u201d would include rival black gangs, Latinos, Puerto Ricans and the aforementioned Young Patriots.<\/p>\n

Shaka King\u2019s biopic is an informative and fascinating look at a young revolutionary viewed from the perspective of the \u2018Judas\u2019 \u2013 a man named Bill O\u2019Neal who is facing a long term prison sentence unless he agrees to spy on Hampton for the FBI.<\/p>\n

The film is both inspiring as we learn just how much Hampton is able to accomplish by the age of just 21 and heart-breaking as the film\u2019s inevitably grim conclusion draws depressing parallels with racial injustices we read about in America to this day.<\/p>\n

\"power-of-the-dog\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Power of the Dog<\/h2>\n

Director:<\/strong>\u00a0 Jane Campion
\nWriter:<\/strong> Jane Campion
\nCast:<\/strong>\u00a0 Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons<\/p>\n

\u201cI just want to say… how nice it is not to be alone.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

Jane Campion\u2019s slow burn Western drama \u2013 her first feature in over a decade – is a compelling and thought provoking character study.<\/p>\n

It tells the tale of two ranchers, Phil and George, and the tensions that develop between them when George falls for a widowed innkeeper named Rose – who has an effeminate and introverted son Peter – whose very presence bristles Phil.\u00a0 As Phil escalates his bullying and torment of Peter, George and Rose\u2019s relationship moves quickly towards marriage.\u00a0 This creates a powder keg scenario as Rose looks to George to confront his brother Phil who is the domineering and formidable alpha in their relationship.<\/p>\n

There are universally great performances across the board in Campion\u2019s adaptation of Thomas Savage\u2019s novel of the same name.\u00a0 Although its likely that Benedict Cumberbatch will get his flowers during the awards season for his performance as Phil, I think it\u2019s the understated Kodi Smit-McPhee as Peter who is the highlight of the film.<\/p>\n

The Power of the Dog<\/em> has a smartly constructed screenplay and once the story gets its hooks into you, its absorbing to see how the power dynamics between the characters continuously shift and evolve, right up to its emphatic gut-punch of a conclusion.<\/p>\n

\"raya-thumb\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Raya<\/h2>\n

Director<\/strong>:\u00a0\u00a0Don Hall, Carlos L\u00f3pez Estrada and Paul Briggs
\nWriters<\/strong>:\u00a0 Adele Lim, Qui Nguyen
\nCast<\/strong>:\u00a0 Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Daniel Dae Kim<\/p>\n

\u201cI too wish to join this fellowship of Druun buttkickery.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

There\u2019s a shot early on in Raya<\/em> where we see a lone female warrior riding across a desert wasteland.\u00a0 She\u2019s riding on the back of a giant armadillo, wearing a wide-brim Salakot hat that obscures most of her face.\u00a0 On her belt buckle is a curved whip-blade sword.<\/p>\n

It was about then that I thought Raya<\/em> was the most interesting original IP that Disney has produced in a long time.\u00a0 It only took a matter of minutes for this story about a desolated fantasy world populated with dragons, demons and scorcery to draw me in.<\/p>\n

This animated children\u2019s fantasy film is also notable for drawing its cultural influences from South East Asia, which is a first of the studio.\u00a0 It gives Raya<\/em> a fresh and aesthetically eye-catching presentation that sets it apart from its peers in the genre.<\/p>\n

The world-building and the character of Raya<\/em> herself are the highlights.\u00a0 Once the narrative gets going, its pretty standard Disney fare.\u00a0 It feels comfortably familiar, hits all the usual action and comedy beats, and is generally crowd-pleasing.<\/p>\n

\"sound-of-metal-thumb\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Sound of Metal<\/h2>\n

Director:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Darius Marder
\nWriter:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Darius Marder
\nCast:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci<\/p>\n

\u201cSerenity is no longer wishing you had a different past.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

Sound of Metal<\/em> is the story of Ruben, a drummer in a metal band who learns he is experiencing sudden and potentially permanent hearing loss.<\/p>\n

The best kinds of movies – and the ones that stay with us – are movies that have something to teach us or offer us a different perspective. Sound of Metal<\/em> is just such as movie. It is an eye-opening and thought provoking film about a community I knew very little about.<\/p>\n

Riz Ahmed fully embraced the role by learning both sign language and drumming. His efforts pay off handsomely as there is an instant credibility and authenticity to his performance and even though he has become a well established actor playing a range of roles in Four Lions, Venom, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story<\/em> and The Night Of<\/em> \u2013 we instantly lose ourselves in his portrayal of Ruben.<\/p>\n

\"french-dispatch\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The French Dispatch<\/h2>\n

Director<\/strong>:\u00a0\u00a0Wes Anderson
\nWriter:<\/strong>\u00a0 Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola
\nCast:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Benicio Del Toro, Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Frances McDormand, Bill Murray<\/p>\n

The funny thing about Wes Anderson movies is it feels like he has consistently been doing\u00a0the same cinematic motif for two and a half decades now and yet I’m the one that veers back and forth on his films.\u00a0 There are some I love –\u00a0Grand Budapest Hotel, Rushmore, Moonrise Kingdom –<\/em>\u00a0and some I bounced off hard – like\u00a0Isle of Dogs\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0The Darjeeling Limited<\/em>.\u00a0 I don’t really know how my brain decides when its happy to engage with Anderson’s ‘quirk’.\u00a0 Maybe it’s a particular actor or setting, maybe it’s just the day of the week?\u00a0 Happily,\u00a0The French Dispatch\u00a0<\/em>was one of the ones that landed for me.\u00a0 I enjoyed the small town newspaper trappings immensely and splitting the narrative into three bit sized chunks suited me nicely.\u00a0 It goes without saying that he’s assembled a ridiculously stacked cast of talented actors and every shot in the movie is meticulously crafted and framed to the nth degree.<\/p>\n

\"rocky-iv\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Honourable Mentions<\/h2>\n

Rocky IV – Rocky vs Drago Ultimate Directors Cut<\/p>\n

Luca<\/p>\n

The Suicide Squad<\/p>\n

Encanto<\/p>\n

Nobody<\/p>\n

Archives<\/h2>\n

Top Ten Films of 2020<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<\/strong>Film of the Year\u00a0\u2013 The Invisible Man<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Top Ten Films of 2019<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<\/strong>Film of the Year\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Parasite<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Top Ten Films of 2018<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Film of the Year \u2013\u00a0BlackKklansman<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Top Ten Films of 2017<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Film of the Year \u2013\u00a0Get Out<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Top Ten Films of 2016<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0<\/strong>Film of the Year\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Hunt For The Wilder People<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Top Ten Films of 2015<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0| \u00a0Film of the Year \u2013\u00a0Mad Max Fury Road<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Top Fifty Films of 2014<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0| \u00a0Film of the Year \u2013\u00a0Grand Budapest Hotel<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n

Top Ten Films of 2013<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0| \u00a0Film of the Year \u2013\u00a0Gravity<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n

Top Ten Films of 2012<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Film of the Year \u2013\u00a0The Descendants<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Top Ten Films of 2011<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0|\u00a0 Film of the Year \u2013\u00a0True Grit<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Top Ten Films of 2010<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0| Film of the Year \u2013\u00a0The Social Network<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Top Ten Films of 2009<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0| Film of the Year \u2013\u00a0In The Loop<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My favourite films of the year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":23808,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1802,5],"tags":[62,3003,54,2702],"class_list":["post-23807","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-best-of-the-year-movies","category-films","tag-disney","tag-raya","tag-spider-man","tag-timothy-chalamet"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23807","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23807"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23807\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23827,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23807\/revisions\/23827"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/23808"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23807"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23807"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23807"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}