Blast Through the Recent Past: The Panda's Top 100 Films of the Decade - The List is Complete! I'll Now Be Silent.

[The Panda]

 

The Social Network (2010)

Directed by David Fincher

 

"If you guys were the inventors of Facebook, you'd have invented Facebook."

 

Most Valuable Player: Aaron Sorkin's Screenplay

Awards Count: Won 3 Oscars

Box Office: 97m DOM

Metascore: 95

Synopsis: On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. In a fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room soon becomes a global social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500 million friends later, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history... but for this entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications. 

Critic Opinion: "Aaron Sorkin’s brisk, witty screenplay is loosely based on The Accidental Billionaires, a tell-all book by Ben Mezrich that narrates the ascent of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) from unpopular Harvard sophomore to unpopular world-renowned mogul. The book dramatizes the testimony of Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), Zuckerberg’s classmate and the first CFO of the company, who was frozen out of all but a fraction of his shares just as the site went global. But in Sorkin’s retelling, the movie revolves around Zuckerberg, a socially autistic, status-obsessed, joyless dweeb whom Eisenberg refuses to make likable. This scorched-earth likability strategy is one of the film’s boldest gambits, because even as an anti-hero, Zuckerberg offers no traction. He’s the black hole at the movie’s center, yet we somehow don’t hate this needy young man—without caring for him as a person, we care about him as a character." - Dana Stevens

User Opinion: "One of the greatest films of all time. An intoxicatingly entertaining movie with some of the snappiest and most intelligent dialogue I've ever heard, amazing performances (especially from the mesmerizing Jesse Eisenberg who deserved an Oscar), great cinematography, slick editing, a fucking fantastic score, a goosebump inducing final scene and overall masterful directing from David Fincher.The Social Network is about as close as you can get to cinematic perfection. It will go down as the best movie of its time." - @Jack Nevada

Commentary: A sharp and intelligent film helmed by David Fincher and brought to paper from Aaron Sorkin.  The Social Network manages to transcend being a basic biopic and manages to make what could have been rather dry scenes as engaging as a great thriller.  Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg is even better with time, especially since his douchebaggery is even more evidently truthful to the real man he is portraying.  Perhaps this film has become all the more relevant as the decade has gone on, and the rise of social media apps has quite likely been the defining characteristic of the 2010s.  It's a tightly crafted film that is most definitely worth the time to go back and revisit, I think you'll find it even more impactful now.

Year Count: 2017 (11), 2018 (11), 2015 (9), 2019 (7), 2013 (7), 2012 (6), 2011 (6), 2014 (5), 2016 (5), 2010 (4)

Director Count: Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Ryan Coogler (2), David Fincher (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Barry Jenkins (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Denis Villeneuve (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

[The Panda]

 

Ah-ga-ssi (The Handmaiden) (2016)

Directed by Chan-Wook Park

 

"My saviour who came to ruin my life. My Tamako, my Sookee."

 

Most Valuable Player: Chan-Wook Park's Direction

Awards Count: Won 1 BAFTA

Box Office: 2m DOM

Metascore: 84

Synopsis: 1930s Korea, in the period of Japanese occupation, a new girl (Sookee) is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress (Hideko) who lives a secluded life on a large countryside estate with her domineering Uncle (Kouzuki). But the maid has a secret. She is a pickpocket recruited by a swindler posing as a Japanese Count to help him seduce the Lady to elope with him, rob her of her fortune, and lock her up in a madhouse. The plan seems to proceed according to plan until Sookee and Hideko discover some unexpected emotions.

Critic Opinion: "Many of the scenes in The Handmaiden go on just a bit longer than you might expect. While this tendency can occasionally become cumbersome it also becomes Park’s test of his audience. In an early scene, Sook-he bathes Lady Hideko and files her tooth when she begins to complain of an ache. The tooth-filing seems to take a long time, but it builds a perverse tension. We may not need this much time spent on amateur dentistry, but we do need to see how sexual power can manifest itself in so many weird ways.  In The Handmaiden, sex itself is a con, luring us into the narrative and then complicating it more than we might expect." - Abbey Bender, Little White Lies

User Opinion: "What I really enjoyed about this film (aside from the standard of great directing, acting and Park Chan Wook may be one of the best users of sound in a film that there is), was that the story I was expecting to watch came to a conclusion 40 minutes in.  When they ended part one, it surprised me as it had already given me everything I was expecting to see and so the twists and the reveals of the next two thirds were great bonuses. The big thing that makes the great Korean directors so damn great to watch is that when you have essentially a Hollywood film upbringing, everything shocks you as scenes that aren't supposed to happen in a film actually happen and reveals are not telegraphed from a mile away." - @chasmmi

Commentary: Park Chan Wook will really cement himself as one of the great Korean filmmakers, in fact he pretty much already has.  The Handmaiden is a wild ride that completely subverts what you'd expect a conventional narrative to put to screen, it's really refreshing to watch a good Eastern film when you start getting used to the Western tropes and ideas, because when it's done right it'll pack a complete gut punch of originality.  This beautifully shot and scored twisty drama and thriller keeps you glued to the screen, and given it's one that maybe quite a few people here haven't seen I'll give away nothing else.  If you haven't seen it, go in blind and I think you'll be in for a real treat.

Year Count: 2017 (11), 2018 (11), 2015 (9), 2019 (7), 2013 (7), 2012 (6), 2011 (6), 2016 (6), 2014 (5), 2010 (4)

Director Count: Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Ryan Coogler (2), David Fincher (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Barry Jenkins (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Denis Villeneuve (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

Edited January 12, 2020 by The Panda

[The Panda]

 

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Directed by Bob Perichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rotham

 

"It always fits. Eventually."

 

Most Valuable Player: The Animators

Awards Count: Won 1 Oscar

Box Office: 190.2m DOM

Metascore: 87

Synopsis: Miles Morales is a New York teen struggling with school, friends and, on top of that, being the new Spider-Man. When he comes across Peter Parker, the erstwhile saviour of New York, in the multiverse, Miles must train to become the new protector of his city. 

Critic Opinion: "“Spider-Verse” is a handsome movie that incorporates several animation styles. Its look nods to the layout of comic books, with noir Spidey entirely composed of black dots on a white background, but it boasts a climax heavily influenced by, of all things, abstract art. The movie’s MVP, though, may be scenarist Phil Lord, who as a co-writer brought a similarly fresh approach to “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” and “The Lego Movie.”  Lord injects “Spider-Verse” with some of the playful spirit of the recent “Daredevil” movies, affectionately parodying the mythology of Spider-Man, while also finding a really clever and poignant way to connect family ties with Miles’ ability to save the day. Meanwhile, Lord vastly expands the universe’s equality, in multiple ways (get ready for the bad-assiest Aunt May ever, voiced by Lily Tomlin) and matter-of-factly insists on inclusion, a message that was not lost on the little boy behind me at the screening I attended, who shouted, “Yay! Black Spider-Man!”" - Chris Hewitt, Minneapolis Star Tribune

User Opinion: "This was phenomenal.  One of the best superhero movies of all time.  One of the best animated movies of all time. Need a Spider Noir spin-off now." - @EarlyDeadlinePredictions

Commentary: When this movie was initially set to come out in the theaters, I was convinced I was just going to pass it up, why on Earth did I want to see yet another Spider-Man movie.  In fact, I was pretty sick of all the comic book movies flooding the cinemas in general.  But then I see the reactions and decide, "Well, I guess I have to give this one a shot."  What a wonderful surprise of a film, the best of the funnybook movies this decade hands down, it was simply superb.  What a way to both be loving to the genre it encompasses, but also manage to deconstruct it along the way.  This is the exact movie that the character Spider-Man needing, and the animation genre of film needed to reignite a spark of interest in the potential of what could be accomplished.  One of the great cinematic works of the 2010s was a cartoon Spider-Man movie, who would have thought?

Year Count:  2018 (12), 2017 (11), 2015 (9), 2019 (7), 2013 (7), 2012 (6), 2011 (6), 2016 (6), 2014 (5), 2010 (4)

Director Count: Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Ryan Coogler (2), David Fincher (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Barry Jenkins (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Denis Villeneuve (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

 

[The Panda]

 

Arrival (2016)

Directed by Denis Villeneuve

 

"Despite knowing the journey... and where it leads... I embrace it."

 

Most Valuable Player: Denis Villeneuve's Direction

Awards Count: Won 1 Oscar

Box Office: 100.5m DOM

Metascore: 81

Synopsis: Linguistics professor Louise Banks leads an elite team of investigators when gigantic spaceships touchdown in 12 locations around the world. As nations teeter on the verge of global war, Banks and her crew must race against time to find a way to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors. Hoping to unravel the mystery, she takes a chance that could threaten her life and quite possibly all of mankind.

Critic Opinion: "“Arrival” is based on Ted Chiang’s short story, and the filmmakers were clearly interested in his ideas, not just the potential for box-office-friendly spectacle. The linguistics challenges of communicating with beings whose language is an abstract mystery (well explained in Eric Heisserer’s script) are as well explored as the more sensational aspects of the story.  The unknown motivation of the visitors is a constant threat, and the tenuous relationship between countries increases the pressure to shortcut the scientific problem-solving. A mostly subliminal but important theme in the movie: Is our short-attention-span, instant-gratification culture making it impossible to execute planet-saving long-term thinking?" - Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle

User Opinion: "That's easily an A+ for me. It held even better in the second rewatch and I am starting to think that it is an all time favourite for me. The storytelling is extremely rich and you cannot help but get fully invested to it. The pace is slow and the action nonexistent for a big part of the movie but yet, there wasnt a single moment of boredom. It fell so much shorter to me than it actually was. There are so many things fo look at, so many puzzling things and the revelation in the end is absolutely mind boggling.  A movie that you will think about for a long time after watching it. It is outstanding how thought provoking it is and how rich messages it includes. I literally have not a single complain but at the same time I can see how there are people out there who may not enjoy it." - @FantasticBeasts

Commentary: This movie was therapeutic for me at the time of its release, and the core message of the film is something utterly relevant to the political and societal discourse in 2020.  Inspite all of the sci-fi twists and foolery, Arrival is trying to get at something deeper and reveal something broken within human's perception of communication.  It's a subtle commentary on how the various ways we communicate across cultures, languages, even between neighbors ends up getting lost in translation because of how we're unable to alter our perspective which is needed to grasp the message the alien others might be trying to send us.  As the film ends you are moved and filled with a somber feeling of contentedness.

Year Count:  2018 (12), 2017 (11), 2015 (9), 2019 (7), 2013 (7), 2016 (7), 2012 (6), 2011 (6), 2014 (5), 2010 (4)

Director Count: Denis Villeneuve (3), Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Ryan Coogler (2), David Fincher (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Barry Jenkins (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

[The Panda]

 

The Immigrant (2014)

Directed by James Gray

 

"I am not nothing."

 

Most Valuable Player: Marion Cotillard as Ewa

Awards Count: None because Harvey Weinstein is a total douche

Box Office: 2m

Metascore: 77

Synopsis: 1921. In search of a new start and the American dream, Ewa Cybulska and her sister Magda sail to New York from their native Poland. When they reach Ellis Island, doctors discover that Magda is ill, and the two women are separated. Ewa is released onto the mean streets of Manhattan while her sister is quarantined. Alone, with nowhere to turn and desperate to reunite with Magda, she quickly falls prey to Bruno, a charming but wicked man who takes her in and forces her into prostitution. And then one day, Ewa encounters Bruno's cousin, the debonair magician Orlando. He sweeps Ewa off her feet and quickly becomes her only chance to escape the nightmare in which she finds herself.

Critic Opinion: "t the start of James Gray’s sombre half-masterpiece, “The Immigrant,” Ewa Cybulska (Marion Cotillard) sails past the Statue of Liberty to Ellis Island. It’s January, 1921, and Ewa and her sister, Magda (Angela Sarafyan), arriving from Poland, are both in trouble: Magda is found to have tuberculosis, and is sent to the infirmary, while immigration inspectors mysteriously accuse Ewa of having displayed “low morals” on the voyage, and threaten to deport her. Suddenly, a gent in a dark coat and a bowler, named Bruno Weiss (Joaquin Phoenix), presents himself, bribes the guards, and takes Ewa to a building on the Lower East Side, which is the center of a small empire that he runs. Across the hall from his apartment, Bruno boards a few women who perform nightly in a rowdy little theatre nearby—a burlesque house that also serves as a speakeasy and a brothel. Ewa, friendless and broke, and stunned by this abrupt entry into America, joins the ragtag troupe. What else can she do? Bruno says that he’s the only one who can get Magda released from the infirmary. Alternating politeness and menace, and an odd kind of strangled adoration, he pushes Ewa into prostitution." - David Denby, New Yorker

User Opinion: "The performances are all as powerful as the material demands them to be - Cotillard does the best work of her career here, Phoenix delivers another flawless turn as far removed from his other recent work as it can be, and Renner again shows how effective he can be as a character actor. They combine emotion and expression with depth, as does the whole film: presenting itself at first as an old-fashioned melodrama, it proceeds to move and develop like a 1970s New Hollywood character study. The fusion is masterful: it's a period piece that frees itself from formula and consequently feels more energetic and alive than most contemporary movies. Ewa's story here is one you could imagine her telling her grandchildren 50 years after the events of the film, but as written and acted, it has genuine immediacy and verve that makes it feel like you're watching personal history unfold right before your eyes, all the way to an exhilarating ending and the final shot that is my pick for the best - and most beautiful - of the whole year. " - @Jake Gittes

Commentary: To let you in on yet another reason to despise Harvey Weinstein, he decided to completely dump this movie when James Gray refused to let him make edits to the movie, although it had been getting a decent amount of acclaim from critics.  The film moves forward in many conventional dramatic ways, but the way it does so creates room for some masterful character work, especially from Marion Cotillard.  If something like Brooklyn was able to get awards attention, I can only imagine what a fresh and masterfully worked immigrant drama such as this one could have gotten with the proper attention.  The final moments of the film are some of the most memorable from the year it releases, an impeccably framed final shot sends you out.  The Immigrant manages to feel like classic Hollywood at its peak storytelling form.

Year Count:  2018 (12), 2017 (11), 2015 (9), 2019 (7), 2013 (7), 2016 (7), 2012 (6), 2011 (6), 2014 (6), 2010 (4)

Director Count: Denis Villeneuve (3), Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Ryan Coogler (2), David Fincher (2), James Gray (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Barry Jenkins (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

[The Panda]

 

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

Directed by J.J. Abrams

 

"Chewie... we're home."

 

Most Valuable Player: Nostalgia

Awards Count: Nominated for 5 Oscars

Box Office: 936.7m DOM

Metascore: 81

Synopsis: 30 years after the defeat of Darth Vader and the Empire, Rey, a scavenger from the planet Jakku, finds a BB-8 droid that knows the whereabouts of the long lost Luke Skywalker. Rey, as well as a rogue stormtrooper and two smugglers, are thrown into the middle of a battle between the Resistance and the daunting legions of the First Order.

Critic Opinion: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens is completely familiar, gorgeous to behold and absolutely wonderful as it takes the Star Wars saga to new technical heights.  In other words, co-producer, co-writer and director J.J. Abrams has done exactly what every diehard, sabre-obsessed, Force-loving, Jedi-admiring, Darth Vader-fearing fan has been dreaming about since Episode VI: Return of the Jedi 32 years ago. He has made a real Star Wars movie that fans can truly embrace, that honours the legacy of George Lucas and that is better in its storytelling than anything Lucas himself did with his unfortunate prequel trilogy.  The supremely confident execution of this new movie — which is officially Episode VII — earns Abrams and his team a perfect five-star rating." - Burce Kirkland, Toronto Sun

User Opinion: "First off, Star Wars was FUCKING AWESOME. This is clearly the mo ie not of the year, but of the decade and makes that pathetic excuse of a blockbuster 'Avatar' running away crying with its pants down. Abrams, that little beast. He fucking nailed way out of the park, farther than A fucking Rod or Or-fucking-tiz could ever hit a ball. He nailed the tone of the movie perfectly with the score, outstanding cinematography that relates to the first, and he absolutely brought out the new comers beautifully. So many times with these reboots, directors get so caught up in the graphics, making sure its eye candy and not putting the effort in the writing. This film doesn't rub it in your face "hey look at our graphics! Aren't we way cooler and far more ahead of the originals?!". The graphics are great, but they also mesh well enough with the originals were it doesn't feel like a totally different movie, you could have easily thought this was made right with episodes 4-6, and trust me that's not a diss. It was refreshing." - @K1stpierre

Commentary: While, I am placing this ahead of a lot of movies that are technically better in many ways, none of those movies (and none of the others that follow this one) managed to get me to go to the theaters to see it 7 times, 4 of those times in IMAX and premium theater seating.  It's absolutely ridiculous looking back how many times I saw this film in such a short little period, that's what nostalgia will do to you.  But, the nostalgia was certainly helped with a well-crafted adventure film, brimming with lively new characters, jaw dropping visual effects and some excellent lightsaber action to close out the third act.  We also get the best main series villain of the decade introduced to us with Adam Driver's Kylo Ren, matched by a strong heroine from Daisy Ridley.  The Force Awakens didn't do anything really that new with the franchise, but it didn't need to, it sucked you back into the series and made you all the more eager for more of it.

Year Count:  2018 (12), 2017 (11), 2015 (10), 2019 (7), 2013 (7), 2016 (7), 2012 (6), 2011 (6), 2014 (6), 2010 (4)

Director Count: Denis Villeneuve (3), Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Ryan Coogler (2), David Fincher (2), James Gray (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Barry Jenkins (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

[The Panda]

 

Boyhood (2014)

Directed by Richard Linklater

 

"I just thought there would be more."

 

Most Valuable Player: Sandra Adair for the Editing

Awards Count: Won 1 Oscar

Box Office: 25.4m DOM

Metascore: 100

Synopsis: Filmed over 12 years with the same cast, Richard Linklater's BOYHOOD is a groundbreaking story of growing up as seen through the eyes of a child named Mason (a breakthrough performance by Ellar Coltrane), who literally grows up on screen before our eyes. Starring Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette as Mason's parents and newcomer Lorelei Linklater as his sister Samantha, BOYHOOD charts the rocky terrain of childhood like no other film has before. Snapshots of adolescence from road trips and family dinners to birthdays and graduations and all the moments in between become transcendent, set to a soundtrack spanning the years from Coldplay's Yellow to Arcade Fire's Deep Blue. BOYHOOD is both a nostalgic time capsule of the recent past and an ode to growing up and parenting.

Critic Opinion: "Time is the subject matter: Mason, tellingly, collects ancient arrowheads and dreams away the school days. His first descent from the world of innocence into experience comes when his mother announces they're moving to Houston, so she can return to school and find a better life for her children. Mason has to leave his house and best friend behind and, before he goes, he sees a dead bird – a small harbinger of death.  Closely tied to this idea of time is the feeling of the vulnerability of childhood experience, how dependent we all are on the choices and behaviours of adults. After the family relocates, Mason Sr. (Hawke) comes to visit. He's a motor-mouthed charmer with boundary issues (he stops by his ex-wife's house when he's expressly been asked not to). He wants Olivia back, but it's obvious that she is wary, that she's been hurt before, and not eager to wait for her husband to grow up." - Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

User Opinion: "An absolutely remarkable achievement in cinema and I really hope everyone will see this as soon as humanly possible." - @Deep Wang

Commentary: Richard Linklater's "Epic" in scale film shot over twelve years following Ellar Coltrane as he grows up in the 2000s.  This is following another nostalgia driven film, and likewise Boyhood rides on memories of the past but more in a contemplative fashion than a seeking to arouse the inner fanboy out of you.  The film is organic, and maybe it feels a bit long and aimless, but that's also representative of the subject matter of passing time and life.  There's many nice choices, such as avoiding most of the flashy milestone moments that you would normally associate with growing up, because they're not necessarily representative of life or the events that shape us.  We're shaped in these smaller day to day moments, and the big ones can often feel a bit hollow in the developmental work that's actually being done in them (graduating for example is just a recognition of a four year grind, the growth of the person happens in the four years not in the milestone).  A lovingly crafted film.

Year Count:  2018 (12), 2017 (11), 2015 (10), 2019 (7), 2013 (7), 2016 (7), 2014 (7), 2012 (6), 2011 (6), 2010 (4)

Director Count: Denis Villeneuve (3), Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Ryan Coogler (2), David Fincher (2), James Gray (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Barry Jenkins (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

 

[The Panda]

 

Roma (2018)

Directed by Alfonso Cuaron

 

"Mountains are old, but they're still green."

 

Most Valuable Player: Alfonso Cuaron for doing just about everything

Awards Count: Won 3 Oscars

Box Office: N/A

Metacore: 96

Synopsis: Cleo is one of two domestic workers who help Antonio and Sofía take care of their four children in 1970s Mexico City. Complications soon arise when Antonio suddenly runs away with his mistress and Cleo finds out that she's pregnant. When Sofía decides to take the kids on vacation, she invites Cleo for a much-needed getaway to clear her mind and bond with the family.

Critic Opinion: "“Roma” glides from momentous incident to incident. Huge events are shown to us by way of peculiar small details. A Mexico City earthquake is depicted as ceiling rubble falling on an incubator in a hospital ward. Mr. Cuaron’s story piles on potentially melodramatic story turns, from Cleo’s pregnancy to a street massacre, but the long takes (often spiced with camera pivots and tracking shots) make us both observers and participants in what feels like a mashup of historical pageant and memoir. We’re with Cleo every step of the way, yet at the director’s visual insistence, we always see the streets, the countryside, the world around her, suggesting countless other stories yet to be told." - Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

User Opinion: "Fantastic and powerful all around. It's an incredibly intimate and personal film told at such a large scale that really resonated with me. It's hard not to get invested in the life of this family thanks to the brilliant writing and direction of Cuaron. Sometimes, just watching people live their lives can be just as interesting as your typical summer blockbuster. Easily my favorite film of the year and without a doubt my favorite film that I've seen from Cuaron." - @Rorschach

Commentary: Alfonso Cuaron is truly one of the best directors working in this current period of time.  Sure, maybe he'll only release two films or so each decade but if they're all anywhere near as Roma then he's in a great place.  Roma manages to make things that should feel mundane, and turn them into some moving shots, the fact that it manages to captivate you with a long take of water in an alley is a testament to the pure craft of the film.  The sound design of the film manages to be a score of its own, in a rather quiet film outside of it, and you become fully immersed into the time period in Mexico city that was evidently deeply personal for Cuaron.  It's a shame this was pretty much just a Netflix release, with limited theatrical screenings, as this is a film that deserves your full attention and a screen that allows you to take in as many of the details as possible.

Year Count: 2018 (13), 2017 (11), 2015 (10), 2019 (7), 2013 (7), 2016 (7), 2014 (7), 2012 (6), 2011 (6), 2010 (4)

Director Count: Denis Villeneuve (3), Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Ryan Coogler (2), David Fincher (2), James Gray (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Barry Jenkins (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

[The Panda]

 

Short Term 12 (2013)

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton

 

"It's a real game that I just made up."

 

Most Valuable Player: Brie Larson as Grace

Awards Count: BOFFY Nomination for Best Picture

Box Office: 1m DOM

Metascore: 82

Synopsis: At a foster-care facility for at-risk teenagers, Grace is a young counselor trying to do her best for kids who often have been pulled from the worst kinds of home situations. Even then, life is not easy as Grace and her colleagues care for kids who are too often profoundly scarred, even as they try to have lives of their own. Now, things are coming to a head as Grace readies for marriage even as some her charges are coming to major turning points in their lives. To cope, Grace will have to make difficult perceptions and decisions that could put her career, and more importantly her charges, at dire risk.

Critic Opinion: "If all films were as affecting and authentic as this indie masterpiece by director/writer Destin Cretton about a group of teens and caretakers at a short-term group home, the moviemaking industry would be a better place. Deeply moving and featuring extraordinary performances by both first-time and established actors, this feel-everything drama is one of those honest and intimate scripts that come out of nowhere to say something incredibly meaningful and memorable." - Kiko Martinez, San Antonio Current

User Opinion: "Yeah its pretty fricking great and Brie Larson was phenomenal." - @Michael Gary Scott

Commmentary: One of the smaller from 2013 that really got overlooked when it came to recognition time.  It didn't play at Sundance and came out rather early, so I guess maybe that was a bit of a death knell for it awards wise.  Anways, Short Term 12 is a powerhouse movie of the raw emotion of a household of troubled foster children.  The film allows you to look through the lens of a segment of society not often considered, and it does so in a way that is truthful, authentic and caring to its subjects.  The film also contains some incredible early performances of a lot of upcoming actors in Hollywood right now such as Brie Larson, Rami Malek, Kaitlyn Dever and LaKeith Stanfield.  Short Term 12 is a wonderful work of cinematic empathy.

Year Count: 2018 (13), 2017 (11), 2015 (10), 2013 (8), 2019 (7), 2016 (7), 2014 (7), 2012 (6), 2011 (6), 2010 (4)

Director Count: Denis Villeneuve (3), Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Ryan Coogler (2), David Fincher (2), James Gray (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Barry Jenkins (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

Edited January 13, 2020 by The Panda

[The Panda]

 

Blindspotting (2018)

Directed by Carlos Lopez Estrada

 

"You are a convicted felon, Mr. Hoskins. You are now that until proven otherwise. Prove otherwise at all times."

 

Most Valuable Player: Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal for Acting and Writing

Awards Count: 1 DGA Nomination

Box Office: 4.3m

Metascore: 77

Synopsis: Collin (Daveed Diggs) must make it through his final three days of probation for a chance at a new beginning. He and his troublemaking childhood best friend, Miles (Rafael Casal), work as movers and are forced to watch their old neighborhood become a trendy spot in the rapidly gentrifying Bay Area. When a life-altering event causes Collin to miss his mandatory curfew, the two men struggle to maintain their friendship as the changing social landscape exposes their differences. Explores the intersection of race and class set against the backdrop of Oakland.

Critic Opinion: "Blindspotting also weaves poetry into its characters’ everyday lives, with striking results. Fans of Hamilton will find much to admire here. The protagonists use lyrical speech to negotiate challenging circumstances; their verse-infused scenes call to mind the surreal musical interludes that enlivened The Singing Detective and Dancer in the Dark.  The rich hues of cinematographer Robby Baumgartner and a compelling soundtrack from Michael Yezerski bolster the fine work of director Carlos López Estrada and a strong ensemble cast. ‘Blindspotting’ boasts an embarrassment of visual, narrative and poetic riches." - Daniel Gallant, Time Out

User Opinion: "It’s a shame that Blindspotting just came and went in the critical and public consciousness this summer. While it doesn’t rise to the very top of the wealth of cinematic riches examining race in 2018, it is a bold, bracing dramedy that feels like it has a unique voice and makes numerous cutting observations about racial tension and gentrification. In many ways, it feels like a slightly gentler and less incendiary spiritual successor to Do the Right Thing: like Spike Lee’s classic slice-of-life drama, it immerses viewers into a vibrant world where economically-disadvantaged people of color take center stage and confront various ways in which the dominant culture around them holds them down; where Blindspotting differs is that it sees and acknowledges hope for change. Character interactions consistently feel authentic, the stakes are high enough to lend urgency in lieu of a more traditional plot, and there are some extremely clever uses of rap as a method of heightening the tension of key scenes." - @Webslinger

Commentary: Blindspotting was and still is my favorite film from 2018, a movie that was ripe with potential to be a small indie hit but ended up getting overlooked.  The small nature of its box office grosses doesn't diminish the explosive grandeur of the movie itself.  Blindspotting is a creative film that brilliantly layers in portions of spoken word and nightmarish sequences of tension that transport you into the mind of Daveed Digg's character and offers a nuanced take on gentrification and racial issues.  What's nice too about Blindspotting is while it often gets close to filling in the tragic tropes of its genre, it often subverts them but not any sooner than before you feel the fear and tension that Diggs is put under.  A really brilliant little indie flick.

Year Count: 2018 (14), 2017 (11), 2015 (10), 2013 (8), 2019 (7), 2016 (7), 2014 (7), 2012 (6), 2011 (6), 2010 (4)

Director Count: Denis Villeneuve (3), Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Ryan Coogler (2), David Fincher (2), James Gray (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Barry Jenkins (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

[The Panda]

 

Hell or High Water (2016)

Directed by David Mackenzie

 

"I've been poor my whole life, like a disease passing from generation to generation. But not my boys, not anymore."

 

Most Valuable Player: Taylor Sheridan's Screenplay

Awards Count: Nominated for 4 Oscars

Box Office: 27m DOM

Metascore: 88

Synopsis: In Texas, after the death of his mother, the unemployed oil and gas worker Toby Howard is losing his ranch to the Texas Midlands Bank. Toby is divorced from his wife who lives with their two sons. When his brother Tanner Howard is released from the prison, they team up to rob agencies of the Texas Midlands Bank to raise money to pay the loan so that Toby may leave the real estate to his sons. Meanwhile the Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton who is near retirement and his Native American-descendant partner Alberto Parker try to anticipate the next move of the thieves.

Critic Opinion: "As “Hell or High Water” shifts between the brothers’ scheme and the cops on their tail, Mackenzie creates a fascinating contrast of sympathies Toby and Tanner are in the midst of a high-stakes gamble inevitably bound for collapse, but it’s a blast to watch them get away with it while they can. And while the sheriff isn’t the most likable figure, he brings his own heroic swagger to the table, so it’s never entirely clear which side of the battle has the upper hand. That ambiguity continues right through a tense, final exchange between the officer and his mark, when it’s a bit unclear who’s the actual victor — or whether such a thing is even possible, when both sides are already lost causes.  “Hell or High Water” delivers a fantastic set of showdowns, from cars streaking down the highways to bullets flying through the close quarters of a bank. Mackenzie frames it all with a clarity sorely lacking from many bigger productions. Just as it taps into a dying corner of American society, “Hell or High Water” resurrects the power of western mayhem done right." - Eric Kohn, IndieWire

User Opinion: "The film finds strength in the execution and progression of the story.  The first fifteen minutes throw the viewer right into the dilemma with little to no warning.  After that initial introduction, things settle down, and what ultimately follows is a character-driven slow-burn Western cinema offering.  It's very much a film that depends on dynamics among the characters above all else, and more specifically the dialogue and interactions held among the characters.  It may be set in a modern setting, but this is classical Western material through and through.  Texas culture is stereotyped by many, but in actuality the state is simply too damn big and diverse to lump all of its characteristics in a neat and tidy bag.  As a Texan who lived in West Texas for about a decade, the magic of this film lies in its portrayal of West Texas culture.  One of my favorite scenes in the film is that of brothers Tanner and Toby sharing a beer on a porch while basking in a sunset overlooking the plains.  Incredibly simple, but absolutely epic if you allow it to take hold over you.  In other words, it's West Texas." - @mattmav45

Commentary: Texas set movies often stereotype and caricaturize the environment that ends up coming across as inauthentic and borderline offensive to the actual residents of the sprawling state.  Hell or High Water does justice to the setting it places its characters in and presents a captivating thrill ride as you watch two brothers getting away with banking crimes and Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham in pursuit of them.  It's the final confrontation at the ending of the film that brings everything together, as you watch two men that have managed to both win and lose the long confrontation they had both had.  I wish we could have more of these kinds of thrillers, intimate in the interactions yet still managing to feel completely grand in scope.

Year Count: 2018 (14), 2017 (11), 2015 (10), 2013 (8), 2016 (8), 2019 (7), 2014 (7), 2012 (6), 2011 (6), 2010 (4)

Director Count: Denis Villeneuve (3), Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Ryan Coogler (2), David Fincher (2), James Gray (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Barry Jenkins (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

[The Panda]

 

Whiplash (2014)

Directed by Damien Chazelle

 

"Not quite my tempo."

 

Most Valuable Player: Tom Cross for the Editing

Awards Count: Won 3 Oscars

Box Office: 13.1m DOM

Metascore: 88

Synopsis: A young and talented drummer attending a prestigious music academy finds himself under the wing of the most respected professor at the school; one who does not hold back on abuse towards his students. The two form an odd relationship as the student wants to achieve greatness, and the professor pushes him.

Critic Opinion: "Indeed, what makes this movie a brilliant character study is how readily unlikable it paints its protagonists. On the one side is the man put in charge of training, guiding a new generation of players but who embraces that task with such a militant attitude it borders on terrorism. And just when a tragic incident or an impassioned speech during an after-work drink lets you think there’s a soft core inside this ruthless dictator after all, the script actually bends it backward again with yet more twists that reveal an even darker side to a personality utterly, beguilingly unknowable. In the other corner is the bright-eyed and bitterly tormented boy who starts out like your typical sympathy figure, only to surprise you later with the depths of his obsession and an almost twisted greed for success. Playing with such forceful, compellingly vile characters and leaving no room for common decency, the movie spins into a thrilling mind game in its all-out crazy finale which might not seem entirely plausible in its outcome but nevertheless electrifies with its energy and the sheer unpredictability of how things will go down." - Zhuo-Ning Su, Berlin Film Journal

User Opinion: "I've seen a lot of thrillers, featuring scenes that keep me on the edge of my seat. Scenes like "cutting the right wire to defuse the bomb before it's about to explode" or extremely tense hostage negotiations. Yet none of those movies literally kept me scared shitless as Whiplash did. It is, without a doubt, the BEST movie of 2014." - @Alpha

Commentary: The better of Damien Chazelle's two brilliant movies featured around jazz.  Whiplash's master tension work is something that rings truthful, especially if you've performed in any ensemble with a tight director at the helm of it.  The film keeps pace at an impeccable rate and you're absolutely absorbed into the entire thing for the entirety of the run time.  The character work from J.K. Simmons is stunning, while Miles Teller is certainly good, Simmons is the fearful force of presence that lingers throughout the movie, even when he is not on screen.  The score and tight editing of the film keep it rupturing through to end, just like an effective jazz piece filled with tension and dissonant, unpredictable harmonies.

Year Count: 2018 (14), 2017 (11), 2015 (10), 2013 (8), 2016 (8), 2014 (8), 2019 (7), 2012 (6), 2011 (6), 2010 (4)

Director Count: Damien Chazelle (2), Denis Villeneuve (3), Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Ryan Coogler (2), David Fincher (2), James Gray (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Barry Jenkins (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

[The Panda]

 

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

Directed by the Coen Brothers

 

"Where's his scrotum?"

 

Most Valuable Player: The Coen Brothers for Writing and Directing

Awards Count: Nominated for 2 Oscars

Box Office: 13.2m DOM

Metascore: 93

Synopsis: Follow a week in the life of a young folk singer as he navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961. Guitar in tow, huddled against the unforgiving New York winter, he is struggling to make it as a musician against seemingly insurmountable obstacles -- some of them of his own making.

Critic Opinion: "Caught in a seemingly never-ending loop of bar and club gigs, Llewyn (a revelatory Isaac) starts to feel that the times they are a-changin’. With hardly a cent to his name and without even a winter coat, Llewyn calls in favours from friends and acquaintances, like folk duo Jim and Jane (Justin Timberlake and a fine Carey Mulligan), as he desperately tries to scrape together enough money to jump-start his floundering career. Our Ulyssean protagonist’s multiple misadventures take him from the basket houses of the Village to the Chicago lair of music mogul Bud Grossman (F. Murray Abraham) and back again. Jumping from couch to couch like a hapless sailor shipwrecked at sea, thoughts of his past life in the merchant navy return.  Although many have pointed out aspects shared between Inside Llewyn Davis and the Coens’ revisionist take on Homer’s The Odyssey – the George Clooney sing-a-long O Brothers, Where Art Thou? (2000) – the past offering it perhaps resembles most is the aforementioned Palme d’Or winner, Barton Fink. Both films are transfixed by the dramatic possibility of life and art overlapping one another, and at several points Llewyn Davis certainly feels like its drawing itself inside its weary wanderer altogether, away from the fear of rejection and the trauma inflicted by the encroaching “modern”. When asked by on-off love interest Jane if he ever thinks about the future, Llewyn sarcastically replies “You mean like flying cars? Hotels on the moon? Tang?” For him, at least, it’s the present that counts – as miserable as it may be." - Daniel Green, CineVue

User Opinion: "My favorite film of the year, from my favorite directors working today. This may be the Coen's most melancholic story-- there's a profound sense of loss and coldness to Llewyn's life--but it's still incredibly funny, visceral and emotional, and the music adds so much to the film's characters and atmosphere. Llewyn's character study proves how you can pour your heart and soul into what you do and be really good at it, but it doesn't matter if you can't catch a break. The most devastating shot in the film is right before an ass-whooping from a man in the shadows, Llewyn looks at Bob Dylan and realizes that he's not special, that he's not going to make it no matter how much he tries. We laugh at how bleak Llewyn's life is so we don't cry. This is what the Coens excel at and what all of their best films pull this off in spades. Inside Llewyn Davis is absolutely one of their best." - @Gopher

Commentary: A sickly blend of melancholic brooding and dark comedy, featuring one crazy little cat.  The film features a duo about outer space from Adam Driver and Oscar Isaac, subtly foretelling what would lie in store for these two actors in the future, sadly this song did not get nominated for Best Original Song (although it well deserved to).  The loop that the movie takes back to the beginning helps cement what feels like the underlying theme of the film, which is the constant cycle of the struggling performer that is encapsulated with what is perhaps the best performance of Isaac's career, so far.  The dreamlike fuzzy look of the film is transporting, like a hazy memory of a man's forgotten life that the Coen Brothers do not want you to forget.

Year Count: 2018 (14), 2017 (11), 2015 (10), 2013 (9), 2016 (8), 2014 (8), 2019 (7), 2012 (6), 2011 (6), 2010 (4)

Director Count: Damien Chazelle (2), Denis Villeneuve (3), Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Ryan Coogler (2), David Fincher (2), James Gray (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Barry Jenkins (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

[The Panda]

 

Get Out (2017)

Directed by Jordan Peele

 

"By the way, I would have voted for Obama for a third term, if I could."

 

Most Valuable Player: Jordan Peele for Directing and the Screenplay

Awards Count: Won 1 Oscar

Box Office: 176m DOM

Metascore: 84

Synopsis: Chris and his girlfriend Rose go upstate to visit her parents for the weekend. At first, Chris reads the family's overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter's interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he never could have imagined.

Critic Opinion: "“Get Out” is one of the most complex and ferocious explorations of race in America to have ever been released by a major studio. Not since Spike Lee’s “Chi-Raq” has a film confronted an audience with its own prejudices with such full-throated power. Peele infuses the film with a devilish sense of humor, but the thematic core of the film is deadly serious. It’s often uncomfortable to watch, but rightfully so.  “Get Out” refuses to let us off the hook, even in its moments of levity. The performances are uniformly excellent, plunging us into the middle of a world of creeping paranoia and distrust, where everyone’s motive is suspect and even the most benign gestures are laced with a view of blackness as exotic “otherness.” It’s a brilliant debut for Peele, who has managed to distill the complex issue of white privilege into a palatable yet harrowing work of unapologetic horror." - Matthew Lucas, The Dispatch

User Opinion: "Get Out is genre filmmaking at its finest. Wickedly terrifying for most of its runtime, Peele's debut is accomplished in its tension and detailed twisted world that feels all too real at points. The script is remarkably tight, using every minute to its full advantage. Missing even thirty seconds of this film for a quick bathroom break would be a huge disservice to how it expertly builds the lore and atmosphere subtly and constantly. It's also quite funny, but not overtly so, allowing the audience to really buy into the reality of the somewhat ridiculous situations.  Kaluuya continues his excellent body of work as our lead, giving a nuanced portrayal of a role that could easily come off as a blank slate. The entire cast really is excellent, with every character getting a few memorable moments. Howery in particular is fantastic in a comic relief role that allows him to punctuate some of the film's best moments. Abels' score is appropriately off-kilter, serving the film's more mundane elements well and its lesser ones fantastically." - @Blankments

Commentary: Jordan Peele's debut feature, but just as Twilight Zone-esque as Us which came out this year.  While you can certainly tell Get Out was done on a much smaller budget and less resources than Us, it remains to be the better of Peele's filmmography.  Get Out is a tight thriller that doesn't have an ounce of unneeded fat in it, every scene has its place, and it all falls into place as the plot slowly unwinds.  The Sunken Place imagery is absolutely brilliant, it's great usage of metaphorical imagery to push the underlying social issue force at the film's soul.  While maybe this film isn't horror in the traditional since, the horror comes in the reality of the symbolism the movie is portraying.  I expect Jordan Peele will be able to have quite a few years of good will from this movie alone, let alone whatever comes next.

Year Count: 2018 (14), 2017 (12), 2015 (10), 2013 (9), 2016 (8), 2014 (8), 2019 (7), 2012 (6), 2011 (6), 2010 (4)

Director Count: Damien Chazelle (2), Denis Villeneuve (3), Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Ryan Coogler (2), David Fincher (2), James Gray (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Barry Jenkins (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Jordan Peele (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

Edited January 13, 2020 by The Panda

[The Panda]

 

The Revenant (2015)

Directed by Alejandro G. Inarritu

 

"My heart bleeds. But revenge is in the creator's hands."

 

Most Valuable Player: Emmanuel Lubezki for the Cinematography

Awards Count: Won 3 Oscars

Box Office: 183.6m DOM

Metascore: 76

Synopsis: While exploring uncharted wilderness in 1823, legendary frontiersman Hugh Glass sustains injuries from a brutal bear attack. When his hunting team leaves him for dead, Glass must utilize his survival skills to find a way back home while avoiding natives on their own hunt. Grief-stricken and fueled by vengeance, Glass treks through the wintry terrain to track down John Fitzgerald, the former confidant who betrayed and abandoned him.

Critic Opinion: "The film does deviate at times into spiritual visions of his lost family (his Pawnee wife is played with a kind of wild joy by Gracey Dove) that seem a little over the top but it is otherwise so grounded in its location shooting and its dedication to telling the story of the Native American people as accurately as possible, alongside that of the invasive trappers, that these fantasy sequences can be allowed (as not in Birdman).  For The Revenant is not only the story of one man’s search for revenge but it is also fiercely about that little-told part of American history that ruined its native populations, well before the setting of Westerns as we usually know them. To be sure, it is a gruelling endurance test for the viewer too, alongside Glass in a world full of fur, meat and blood, as well as flowing water, wondrous skies, ice, snow and towering trees. But there we are: it’s a masterpiece, unmissable." - David Sexton, The London Evening Standard

User Opinion: "Atmospheric, visceral, uncompromising and utterly gorgeous. An experience quite unlike any other. It is the type of film cinemas were made for. Excellent performances from DiCaprio and Hardy.  Near-masterpiece." - @The Stingray

Commentary: Inarritu once said that the Revenant deserved to be viewed in a temple, and I have to say, I agree with him.  This brutal survival film is a spiritual experience that turned the theater cold, I could feel the shivers as you watched mesmerizing landscape shots and Leo trudge his way through the snow, eating the real heart of a buffalo.  The movie tests its audiences, offering a rich experience with those willing to go where the auteur Inarritu wishes to take them.  I'd say from here and up on my list are where all of the films that I'd consider near-masterpiece (or masterpiece) level works from the decade.  Everything about the film delivers, and the final moments sting with power as Hugh Glass leaves his adversary in the hands of God.  A beautiful work of art.

Year Count: 2018 (14), 2017 (12), 2015 (11), 2013 (9), 2016 (8), 2014 (8), 2019 (7), 2012 (6), 2011 (6), 2010 (4)

Director Count: Damien Chazelle (2), Denis Villeneuve (3), Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Ryan Coogler (2), David Fincher (2), James Gray (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Barry Jenkins (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Jordan Peele (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

[The Panda]

 

Midsommar (2019)

Directed by Ari Aster

 

"This high my fire. No higher. No hotter!"

 

Most Valuable Player: Ari Aster for His Direction and Screenplay

Awards Count: Some Critics Circle Wins and Nominations

Box Office: 27.4m

Metascore: 72

Synopsis: Dani (Florence Pugh) and Christian (Jack Reynor) are a young American couple with a relationship on the brink of falling apart. But after a family tragedy keeps them together, a grieving Dani invites herself to join Christian and his friends on a trip to a once-in-a-lifetime midsummer festival in a remote Swedish village. What begins as a carefree summer holiday in a land of eternal sunlight takes a sinister turn when the insular villagers invite their guests to partake in festivities that render the pastoral paradise increasingly unnerving and viscerally disturbing.

Critic Opinion: "Pugh is fantastic as Dani; so much of the film’s narrative power relies on the intimacy of her journey. She carries the day beautifully as she is drawn ever deeper into this strange new world. It’s a big ask of any actress, but she handles it with aplomb. Reynor does strong work as Christian, constantly finding small ways to encapsulate the arrogance and smug remove of the checked-out boyfriend. Poulter makes a wonderful jerk; he even vapes like a d-bag. And Harper is great as the intellectually-driven Josh, completely disinterested in anything that doesn’t involve his own work and wants. Blomgren’s cheerful stoicism – an attitude shared by most of his fellow commune residents – makes for a counterpoint that is somehow creepier than any overt sinister behavior could ever be.  The rest of the cast – the other commune folks and guests – all hit their marks and contribute to the overall air of weirdness that permeates everything we see. There are lots of chants and dances and other groupthink-driven moments that only work because of the dedication of the ensemble.  “Midsommar” surprised me. I knew it would be weird, but I had no idea it would be THIS weird. It is utterly unlike anything else you’ll see at the movies this summer. And here’s the thing – the more I think about it, the more I like it. If there’s a better indication of artistic merit, I’d love to hear it." - Allen Adams, The Main Edge

User Opinion: "A for me. One of the best horror movies of the 21st Century and takes down Booksmart for my favourite film of the year.  The key sequence in the film where Dani, desperate and distraught at seeing her partner's infidelity, finds herself caught and surrounded by her fellow young women and they return her cries, working towards a true ritual in which Dani slowly acquires power and command from her screams, harks back clearly to her ineffectual wailing following her family's death - Christian present but not present - and her conversation with Pelle about every feeling 'held'. It is her she finds her purpose and her power.  Nowhere near as shocking to anyone with a basic understanding of pagan sensibilities - even if the nature of the cult here is drastically stretched and extreme artistic license taken with the implications of those beliefs - Midsommar is tonally consistent and satisfyingly returns agency to the characters following the fatalism of Hereditary. Everyone here deserves and is in control of their fate, even if it doesn't feel that way at the time." - @Ipickthiswhiterose

Commentary: Absolutely sensational horror, Ari Aster has one of the most innovative minds in filmmaking right now.  This is a movie I could go on watching for another two hours, the escalation of the weirdness, all corresponding to the inner turmoil and grief going on internally within Florence Pugh's character Dani's head.  It's a twisted cathartic experience that when all of the pieces start falling into place for the finale, you're left both horrified and with a sense of genuine freedom.  Dani's enemy was in front of her all along, it wasn't these strange rituals, and so once the bear gets burned and the temple comes crashing down, healing is able to start.  

Year Count: 2018 (14), 2017 (12), 2015 (11), 2013 (9), 2016 (8), 2014 (8), 2019 (8), 2012 (6), 2011 (6), 2010 (4)

Director Count: Ari Aster (2), Damien Chazelle (2), Denis Villeneuve (3), Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Ryan Coogler (2), David Fincher (2), James Gray (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Barry Jenkins (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Jordan Peele (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

[The Panda]

 

Django Unchained (2012)

Directed by Quentin Tarantino

 

"I like the way you die, boy."

 

Most Valuable Player: Quentin Tarantino for his Direction and Screenplay

Awards Count: Won 2 Oscars

Box Office: 162.8m DOM

Metascore: 81

Synopsis: In 1858, a bounty hunter named Schultz seeks out a slave named Django and buys him because he needs him to find some men he is looking for. After finding them, Django wants to find his wife, Broomhilda, who along with him were sold separately by his former owner for trying to escape. Schultz offers to help him if he chooses to stay with him and be his partner. Eventually they learn that she was sold to a plantation in Mississippi. Knowing they can't just go in and say they want her, they come up with a plan so that the owner will welcome them into his home and they can find a way.

Critic Opinion: "“Django Unchained” is Tarantino’s most complete movie yet. It is also his most vital. His storytelling talents match the heft of the tale. Slavery is the bedeviling, nasty chapter in America’s story. Tarantino crafted a parable of decency versus evil for a generation that never saw “Roots.”  Yes, there will be over-the-top gore and scene-chewing work by Samuel L. Jackson, who plays the more-than-trusted house slave of plantation owner Calvin Candie, portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio. Not only will you not like this man, you won’t be able to make excuses for him.  But “Django Unchained” is also (even at three hours) a movie that hews to its protagonists’ emotions." - Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

User Opinion: "Loved it, loved it, loved it. First off, Foxx blew me away. I love Will Smith, but I couldn't imagine him or anyone else in this part. Foxx was just so cool, so badass, and so likable. Killer. Waltz gets incredible dialogue, and runs away with the first half of the movie. He's amazing. Leo started off a little slow, but once they got to Candyland, boy oh boy did he blow me away. The dinner speech scene with the skulls and the negotiation might just be the best acted scene of the year. SLJ was everybody's favorite in my theater, even if he was so hateable. Absolutely stole every scene he was in, hilarious. The rest of the cast was great too. Excellent music and directing, perfect writing." - @Cmasterclay

Commentary: Quentin Tarantino really has a knack for the over the top bloody revenge epics, and Django Unchained might just be the best of the ones he's made (although not quite up there with Pulp Fiction).  The movie is a madhouse from the start to the finish, parts of it come to screen like fantasy revenge sequences that give you large doses of dopamine, and then when the trials hit you're on the edge of your seat rooting for Django to make it through the end.  The ensemble chews through their roles with such intensity, so many dynamic personalities bouncing off each other, all with great material to work with.  The film is a riot of entertainment, spectacle and leaves you pining for more.

Year Count: 2018 (14), 2017 (12), 2015 (11), 2013 (9), 2016 (8), 2014 (8), 2019 (8), 2012 (7), 2011 (6), 2010 (4)

Director Count: Ari Aster (2), Damien Chazelle (2), Denis Villeneuve (3), Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Ryan Coogler (2), David Fincher (2), James Gray (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Barry Jenkins (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Jordan Peele (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Quentin Tarantino (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

[The Panda]

 

Little Women (2019)

Directed by Greta Gerwig

 

"It's like the tide going out. It goes out slowly, but it can't be stopped."

 

Most Valuable Player: Greta Gerwig for her Direction

Awards Count: Nominated for 6 Oscars

Box Office: 74.2m+ DOM

Metascore: 91

Synopsis: Jo March reflects back and forth on her life, telling the beloved story of the March sisters - four young women each determined to live life on their own terms.

Critic Opinion: "What a cynically crowd-pleasing move it could have been to refocus the arc of Little Women so that it became the story of Jo March, aspiring writer, and how utterly relieved I am to learn how well it works in practice. Greta Gerwig’s take on Louisa May Alcott’s novel is intelligent and fleet, refreshing if not radical, and as organic in its feminist convictions as it is in its depiction of close-knit sororal love. As a girl, I was quite obviously a Jo, the same way all of us who read too much and cared too little about romance novels were; because I happened to be born in 1988, my cinematic Jo was the goth ingénue par excellence Winona Ryder, who in Gillian Armstrong’s adaptation gave the character a kind of delicate determination: a tomboy with the deportment of a saint. To replace Winona Ryder in the hearts and minds of millennial women was always going to take something miraculous, making it fortunate that Gerwig ended up casting Saoirse Ronan, who at 25 years old is already one of the era’s greatest actresses. In her first scene, waiting to meet a publisher, the camera shoots her from behind. Already, before we have even seen her face, we feel her ambition, her electricity: We feel her Jo-ness. Her hands, stained with Indian ink, are rarely still. Her face, long and intelligent, looks loveliest when she is at her most determined." - Philippa Snow, The New Republic

User Opinion: "Just saw it. This was a fantastic adaptation (besides some strange editing choices), made with a ton of heart and love. The cast is absolutely stellar." - @BoxOfficeZ

Commentary: So what if this is the seventh or so major adaption of Little Women?  Some stories are simply timeless and deserve to be retold each generation to ensure the heart and humanity of them lives on.  Greta Gerwig's Little Women also just might be the best adaption of the source material I've seen, film or theatric.  Greta Gerwig manages to remain at the soul of Alcott's source material, but pushes it into the 21st century in how it all the slightly updates the feminist themes at the core, that remain entirely authentic to Alcott's character and desire for the character of Jo March.  The film is beautifully told, there's a long section of it that had me tearing up just about through the entire way.  A phenomenal job from Gerwig who was shammed out of a Best Director nomination earlier today.

Year Count: 2018 (14), 2017 (12), 2015 (11), 2019 (9), 2013 (9), 2016 (8), 2014 (8), 2012 (7), 2011 (6), 2010 (4)

Director Count: Ari Aster (2), Damien Chazelle (2), Denis Villeneuve (3), Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Ryan Coogler (2), David Fincher (2), Greta Gerwig (2), James Gray (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Barry Jenkins (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Jordan Peele (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Quentin Tarantino (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

[The Panda]

I arrange and re-arranged Numbers 12 through 7, had a hard time deciding on an order.

 

 

Knives Out (2019)

Directed by Rian Johnson

 

"I suspect foul play. I have eliminated no suspects."

 

Most Valuable Player: Rian Johnson for Writing and Directing

Awards Count: Nominated for 1 Oscar

Box Office: 139.5m+ DOM

Metascore: 82

Synopsis: When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan's dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan's untimely death.

Critic Opinion: "Steve Yedlin’s cinematography gives audiences a chance to do some snooping of their own, too. His camera pans from one frantic face to another, tilting the camera to a Dutch angle whenever something’s afoot. Everyone in the family is suspicious, so Blanc and Marta team up to crack the case, inviting the audience to guess along.  Like he did with Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Johnson combines old-school storytelling with the fast pace of a modern blockbuster. It’s a combination that is complemented by a campy score, and amplified by the gumption of the performances. Craig’s detective, who describes the case as a doughnut hole within a doughnut hole, as well as De Armas’ heroine, Marta, are delightful and delectable. Still, the script is the star of the show, and the more the yarn unravels, the more exciting Knives gets, cutting deeper towards the clever climax." - Asher Luberto, LA Weekly

User Opinion: "I think this is a film, like most mysteries, that will reward a re-watch.  VERY interested in watching Ana de Armas' and Daniel Craig's characters in the first half of the movie to make sure everything fits, reaction wise.  Plot wise, this is a tight film.  Right down to the littlest thing like Harlan not acting like someone in the middle of an OD (which I thought odd at the time) as well as seeding things like inventing plots in an instant." - @Porthos

Commentary: First Rian Johnson resurrected Star Wars by providing a movie with new energy and life, then he comes and does the same to the Who Dunnit genre, an auteur for the ages!  I've seen Knives Out three times now, dragging different people along with me to force them to watch this sensational spectacle.  Each time, it has become a more and more rewarding experience, a movie that just gets better with age and rewatches.  There are so many details in Knives Out that are easy to miss with a first viewing, and there's so many small moments that you just appreciate all the more when you see all of the character and camera work being put in to make those moments happen.  Then there's the underlying theme of the film which craft it as a parable of White America desperately grasping to maintain their power that works so well with the story that's being told.  And that final shot, gets all the better with each viewing.  Maybe in a year I'll look back and wonder why I didn't place this movie even higher on my list.

Year Count: 2018 (14), 2017 (12), 2015 (11), 2019 (10), 2013 (9), 2016 (8), 2014 (8), 2012 (7), 2011 (6), 2010 (4)

Director Count: Ari Aster (2), Damien Chazelle (2), Denis Villeneuve (3), Wes Anderson (2), Alex Garland (2), Ryan Coogler (2), David Fincher (2), Greta Gerwig (2), James Gray (2), Bong Joon-Ho (2), Barry Jenkins (2), Christopher Nolan (2), Jordan Peele (2), Steven Spielberg (2), Quentin Tarantino (2), Taika Waititi (2)

 

 

 

 

[JB33]

Cool to see Knives Out so high on the list!