The 2021 Bamboo Awards - The Panda Returns with His Top 25 Movies of 2021 and more

[The Panda]

 

 

"A rock and a hard place is what we call Monday."

 

Synopsis: "Gunning for revenge, outlaw Nat Love saddles up with his gang to take down enemy Rufus Buck, a ruthless crime boss who just got sprung from prison."

 

BOT Review: "Looks great. Sounds Great. Cast is uniformly very good. The use of music kicks ass. Do feel like despite being fun most members of the ensemble are under utilized. (RJ Cyler and Zazie Beetz criminally so because I was really loving them when they were present) Lakeith is probably the standout performance, the mythical quality built up to his character is pretty rewarding. Good time." - @Ethan Hunt

 

Critic Excerpt: "A long, imposing row of straight-backed men and women, all of them on horseback, all of them confronting the horizon of a Western plain. Strange how affecting an image as simple as this can be. But the genre of Westerns is built on such images. We could be talking about John Ford’s painterly visual discoveries within seemingly every crevice of Monument Valley, or the flash-and-dash, uptempo excitement of Sergio Leone’s famed close-ups — on warring sets of eyes, on hot fingers itching for a quick draw — coming at us as if the camera itself were a gun. Style in every sense, even fashion — and, especially, the inimitable styles of its most enduring actors — has long marked the genre. So much so that when style seems to trump so-called substance, the result can still prove not only riveting but subversive, substantive — often as if by accident." - K. Austin Collins, Rolling Stone

 

My Opinion: The Harder They Fall re-invigorates life into the classic revenge western formula. The outline of the plot isn't anything different than what you can find in many other classic westerns, a mostly redeemed outlaw cowboy who has to confront the villain ghost from his past and take his revenge for the wrong they had done. What the Harder They Fall does that's so great is providing a quick, and exciting tempo to a genre that tends to take its sweet time and bask in the scenery. Through this, and a stellar and unique cast of supporting characters, the movie creates a sense of excitement and anticipation while retaining much of the classic western gravitas. I am hopeful to see more of some of these characters in sequels.

 

 

[The Panda]

 

 

"That's a weird horse!"

 

Synopsis: "Shang-Chi must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization."

 

BOT Review: "I can’t say this is my favorite Marvel movie, because The Winter Solider exists, but this was damn close." - @Cap

 

Critic Excerpt: "Correcting Marvel’s racist past, director Destin Daniel Cretton and his team rewrite the comics’ ‘Yellow Peril’ character Mandarin into Wen-Wu. The renaming of this character is symbolically subversive, as “Wen” (文) means “intellectual depth” while “Wu” (武) means “martial prowess”. Striking an enigmatic balance between “Wen” and “Wu”, Leung commands the screen at his will as the film’s brooding antagonist, fixated on desire and vengeance. Like father, like son. Shang-Chi and Wen-Wu mirror each other in their turbulent, traumatic relationship haunted by a mutual loss. This relationship brings to the surface the core Chinese value of family: the ones who came before us live inside ourselves, and we do not fight for power but for the ones we love." - Weiting Liu, Little White Lies

 

My Opinion: An MCU movie just nearly making my top 10 is a ringing endorsement from me. In fact, I had contemplated putting it even one slot higher, as the next few films I shuffled around on my list quite a bit. The film is perhaps the most fun I've had watching one of these MCU movies, as it managed to have its own voice and evaded many of the typical MCU trappings that have irked me in the past for much of the run time. The action sequences are clean and do justice to the martial arts genre, the cast have great chemistry together, and Tony Leung absolutely rocks it in his villainous role as daddy. After a full year of enjoying (for the most part, minus that truly awful winter soldier tv series, and Black Widow/What If/Hawkeye which I have not seen) what the MCU has given, I can say I am actually starting to anticipate a few of their offerings that are coming.

 

 

[The Panda]

Best Cinematography

 

1st: Dune, Greg Fraiser

 

2nd: Passing, Eduard Grau

 

3rd: The Green Knight, Andrew Droz Palermo

 

4th: Pig, Patrick Scola

 

5th: West Side Story, Janusz Kaminski

 

6th: The Power of the Dog, Ari Wegner

 

Best Editing

 

1st: Dune, Joe Walker

 

2nd: The Green Knight, David Lowrey

 

3rd: Quo Vadis, Aida?, Jaroslaw Kaminski

 

4th: West Side Story, Sarah Broshar and Michael Kahn

 

5th: In the Heights, Myron Kerstein

 

6th: Bo Burnham's Inside, Bo Burnham

Edited January 6, 2022 by The Panda

[The Panda]

 

 

"Life matters even more than love."

 

Synopsis: "Two youngsters from rival New York City gangs fall in love, but tensions between their respective friends build toward tragedy."

 

BOT Review: "I have not seen the 1961 film, so this was my first proper introduction to this musical. I do not have any real say as to whether this re-adaptation was necessary or not. What I can say, however, is that Spielberg's love for the source material is evident in every single colorful frame of this film. From a technical standpoint, this film is nearly flawless in every regard. Janusz Kaminski's deft cinematography is probably the highlight of the film, bringing kinetic energy that matches the insanely impressive choreography work throughout each musical sequence. The musical sequences are lively, exciting, and memorable." - @Rorschach

 

Critic Excerpt: "Having outsized talents like Steven Spielberg and playwright Tony Kushner at the helm helped ease this production into being without vocal opposition. Hiring the indomitable Rita Moreno to appear in a newly-fashioned supporting role didn’t hurt. She is also credited as an executive producer. And, barely one week before his demise, lyricist Stephen Sondheim gave the new interpretation his ringing endorsement. So who am I to complain?

 

The movie starts well, in a paraphrase of the original opening  sequence. A sign indicating that Lincoln Center will be the gleaming result of slum clearance on the West Side of Manhattan adds a welcome note of context. From there, the film is in the skilled hands of the hyper-talented Spielberg and his A-list collaborators." - Leonard Maltin

 

My Opinion: Steven Spielberg creates a flawless re-working of the original West Side Story, flawless in the sense that Spielberg does nothing to detract from the original film and only improve it. The quirks and problems that existed in the original story are mostly still present, but to watch the technical craft on display is something else. It's very rare that you see a true remake be able to fully supplant the original. The closest thing I can think of are Little Women and True Grit, and in both of those cases they aren't remakes in the way West Side Story is, more as new adaptions of the same source material. Dazzling cinematic material.

 

 

[The Panda]

 

 

"One should only engage with the outside world as one engages with a coal mine: suit up, gather what is needed, and return to the surface."

 

Synopsis: "A comedy special shot and made by Bo Burnham, alone, over the course of the past year."

 

BOT Review: "Fuck." - @Ezen Baklattan

 

Critic Excerpt: "With Inside, Bo Burnham kicks off a fourth phase in this evolution. The feature-length special, shot in a single room over the course of a year, is one of the first works to look back on the pandemic—to set itself in the (very recent) past rather than the uncertain present. It lands at the perfect time. As we transition from indefinite quarantine to a mostly open summer, it can feel like we’re skipping the part where we reflect on what we’ve been through: not just the mass death and desperation, but the internal crises each of us faced on our own. Enter Inside, a freewheeling mix of song, stand-up, interludes, and sketches that add up to a real reckoning with what we’ll be living with well after we’ve left the house.

 

For Burnham, Inside is less a new frontier than a return to form. The auteur has never been known for traditional stand-up in the sense of monologuing into a microphone; he first rose to fame as a teenager for parody songs uploaded to YouTube, and his ensuing stage act has always used music as a vehicle for commentary. In 2016, after the release of the special Make Happy, Burnham announced an indefinite pause on live performing, citing anxiety. Since then, Burnham has directed a feature film, acted in films like Promising Young Woman, and helmed specials from fellow comics Jerrod Carmichael and Chris Rock. (Burnham also codirected Make Happy with Christopher Storer.) With Inside, Burnham turns his lens back on himself."

 

My Opinion: I guess this is technically advertised as a stand up comedy special, but I know what I watched. I watched a movie about a man going crazy attempting to make a comedy special over the pandemic without an audience. Beyond the hilarious soundtrack, in which mostly every song is a hit, Bo Burnham documents the various moods and feelings that everyone has gone through over the past two years. Bo Burnham is able to maximize his use of this single, condensed and plain studio room, creating an engaging monologue of footage put together over the past year.

 

 

[The Panda]

Best Adapted Screenplay

 

1st: Dune

Spoiler

PAUL * I could have died.

* JESSICA * I know. It’s a terrible ordeal. * But there are reasons... *

PAUL * What does it mean? That I could be * the One? *

She stares at him. Caught off-guard. *

JESSICA * You heard. * She swallows hard and chooses truth. *

JESSICA (CONT'D) * The Bene Gesserit serve as powerful * partners to the Great Houses, but * there’s more to it. *

PAUL * You steer the politics of the * Imperium from the shadows. I know. * She blinks at that. He sees so much! But she presses on: *

JESSICA * You don’t know everything. For * thousands of years, we’ve been * carefully crossing bloodlines to * bring forth... * PAUL * (in disbelief) * ...the One? *

JESSICA * (nodding) * A mind powerful enough to bridge * space and time. Past and future... * who can help lead us into a better * future. We think he’s very close * now. Some believe he’s here. *

Paul is stunned. He looks around, seeing every part of his * life in a new, bewildering light. His mother suddenly a * strange, alien presence.

2nd: Passing

Spoiler

HUSKY VOICED WOMAN (CONT’D) You look just the same! Tell me, do they still call you ‘Rene?

IRENE Yes, though nobody’s called me that for a long time.

HUSKY VOICED WOMAN Don’t you know me? Not really ‘Rene? IRENE I’m afraid I can’t seem to place...

A spark of recognition.

THE HUSKY VOICED WOMAN nods excitedly and breaks into a laugh - crisp like a bell.

IRENE, hand to mouth, sits down in shock.

IRENE (CONT’D) (covertly) Clare!

CLARE That’s right.

IRENE Not really Clare Kendry?!

CLARE sits.

CLARE Now don’t run away. You simply must stay and talk. Fancy meeting you here! It’s simply too lucky. IRENE It’s awfully surprising yes. Pause. They look at one another knowingly.

3rd: The Green Knight

Spoiler

 

 

4th: The Power of the Dog

Spoiler

 

 

5th: The Last Duel

Spoiler

 

 

6th: The Matrix: Resurrections

Spoiler

 

 

Best Original Screenplay

 

1st: Pig

Spoiler

 

2nd: Quo Vadis, Aida?

Spoiler

 

3rd: Judas and the Black Messiah

Spoiler

 

4th: CODA

Spoiler

RUBY (to her dad) You guys have jock itch.

DOCTOR I’ll give you an antifungal cream. But you both have to keep the area dry and avoid sex for two weeks.

RUBY (to her parents) You two need clean underwear. And you’re not allowed to do it anymore.

FRANK What?! For how long?

RUBY (to her parents) Never again. Done for life. Frank and Jackie stare at her.

RUBY (CONT'D) (caving) Two weeks.

JACKIE Can’t do it.

FRANK Impossible.

 

5th: Luca

Spoiler

 

 

6th: Shiva Baby

Spoiler

 

 

[The Panda]

 

 

"We're all passing for something or other, aren't we?"

 

Synopsis: ""Passing" follows the unexpected reunion of two high school friends, whose renewed acquaintance ignites a mutual obsession that threatens both of their carefully constructed realities."

 

BOT Review: "Not only is this a strong acting powerhouse among both leads, but it's brilliantly composed and staged by Rebecca Hall, in what has been a banner year for her. The black-and-white photography is lovely, and when the two women are together, the film smartly places them into as many frames as possible, so as to show both women are two sides of the same coin in their issues and insecurities." - @Eric

 

Critic Excerpt: "Though they might have been useful, there are no flashbacks to the South Side Chicago childhoods of Irene Westover and Clare Kendry, back when they were both unambiguously light-skinned Black girls surrounded by other Black people. It is left to the viewer to fill in the subtext of this frenemyship if they have not read Larsen’s novella. Negga’s performance offers a bit more than Thompson’s, which never quite feels completely at home in the 1920s. Thompson is no stranger to period roles (Sylvie’s Love, Selma), but there is an anachronistic quality to her screen presence, as if she is in the 1920s but not quite of them. Negga, though, is also in the meatier role, one that allows her to be a wily Cool Girl while bewitching almost everyone around her — the more Clare comes around, the more it’s clear that Brian, Junior and Ted have become besotted with her, much to Irene’s growing irritation. Even the resolute Zulena eventually proves receptive to Clare’s charms. Irene is left with a sublimated dissatisfaction that she must bury in high-class niceties.

 

It seems inevitable, given the house of cards that Clare has built dancing between identities, that something must give. Much like in Larsen’s original text, an end comes swiftly when the disdainful bigot discovers his wife’s secret. When it happens, Clare is surrounded by Negroes, and there is but one exit from the unpleasantries headed her way. Hall and Passing editor Sabine Hoffman attempt a knowing ambiguity, one that will likely leave unsettled viewers pressing rewind as they attempt to understand just what happened to poor Clare and her descent into whiteness." - Soraya Nadia McDonald

 

My Opinion: A masterfully crafted and shot film from Rebecca Hall, who makes her debut as a film director. Passing eaves drops into the life of two women alike in their backgrounds but distinct in the choices they make, where one yearns to be satisfied with the lot she is given and the other attempts to pass for what she is not and then yearns for what is left behind. The usage of lighting in the film was incredible, casting the right amount of thematic shades of black, white, and grey to encompass the state of the characters within different scenes. In scenes within the white neighborhood, the lighting almost changes the skin tone of Thompson and Negga to reflect the characters motivations to pass as white in the area. Beyond the film craft, Thompson and Negga are both phenomenal in their roles. A truly beautiful work.

 

 

[The Panda]

 

 

"Silenzio Bruno!"

 

Synopsis: "Two young boys experience an unforgettable Italian summer filled with gelato, pasta and endless scooter rides. But all the fun is threatened by a deeply-held secret: they are sea monsters from another world just below the water’s surface."

 

BOT Review: "I admire Luca a lot for it’s laidback, semi-Ghibli/semi-cartoony/semi-storybook vibe. As per usual, the animation is amazing. It’s a refreshing change of pace from the majority of mainstream animation or majority of Pixar movies. In fact, it reminds me a lot of their pre-Incredibles line-up. In that, one can tell most of the story beats but you’re won over by the characters, world-building and heartwarming and relatable script. Both Tremblay and Grazer steal the show with their heartwarming friendship." - @YourMother

 

Critic Excerpt: "Alberto has a little keepsake that contains a photo of Marcello Mastroianni, a poster for Fellini’s La Strada adorns a wall and the villain’s surname is Visconti. As in Pixar’s superlative Coco, a non-American culture dominates the landscape. And the Italian accents sound authentic (despite the majority of the cast not being Italian). The best way to describe this ode to friendship, underdogs and letting your freak flag fly? Bellissimo!

 

Just one quibble. Pixar (and parent company Disney) are famous for taking the point of view of the demonised and hunted, but this movie only sort of does, because the sea-monsters are happy to exploit fish. In fact, they help the townspeople murder hundreds of them. For veggies and vegans (especially ones who’ve watched Netflix documentary Seaspiracy) Luca will be one long horror-show. You have been warned." - Charlotte O'Sullivan, Evening Standard

 

My Opinion: A dreamlike, idyllic painting of childhood and coming out of the closet. Did I mention that this wonderful little Pixar film is "gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay" in all of the best ways. By lowering the stakes and making the film about childhood enjoyment, it almost feels as if Linklater made a movie for children. Luca has continually grown on me over the year and I now regard it as a top 5 Pixar film and better than anything to come out of WDAS this century.

 

 

Edited January 6, 2022 by The Panda

[The Panda]

Best Actress

 

1st: Jasna Djuricic, Quo Vadis, Aida?

Spoiler

 

 

2nd: Emilia Jones, CODA

Spoiler

 

 

3rd: Tessa Thomspon, Passing

Spoiler

 

 

4th: Jodie Comer, The Last Duel

Spoiler

 

 

5th: Rachel Zegler, West Side Story

Spoiler

 

 

6th: Rachel Sennott, Shiva Baby

Spoiler

 

 

Best Actor

 

1st: Nicholas Cage, Pig

Spoiler

 

 

2nd: Aditya Modak, The Disciple

Spoiler

 

 

3rd: Clayne Crawford, The Killing of Two Lovers

Spoiler

 

 

4th: Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog

Spoiler

 

 

5th: Will Smith, King Richard

Spoiler

 

 

6th: Andrew Garfield, Tick, tick... BOOM!

Spoiler

 

 

[The Panda]

 

 

"96,000! Look at the Fireworks!"

 

Synopsis: "In the Heights centers on a variety of characters living in the neighborhood of Washington Heights, on the northern tip of Manhattan. At the center of the show is Usnavi, a bodega owner who looks after the aging Cuban lady next door, pines for the gorgeous girl working in the neighboring beauty salon and dreams of winning the lottery and escaping to the shores of his native Dominican Republic. Meanwhile, Nina, a childhood friend of Usnavi's, has returned to the neighborhood from her first year at college with surprising news for her parents, who have spent their life savings on building a better life for their daughter. Ultimately, Usnavi and the residents of the close-knit neighborhood get a dose of what it means to be home."

 

BOT Review: "Not every storyline works but makes up for any messiness with effusive energy." - @MrPink

 

Critic Excerpt: "There arguably has not been a great stage-to-screen translation of a musical since Chicago in 2002. It's not as if there has been a complete deficit of characters breaking into song—La La Land shut down a Los Angeles freeway and won a bunch of Oscars; Lady Gaga belted her guts out in A Star Is Born—but those were entirely cinematic outings engineered for that medium. To take something that worked well in the confines of a theater and translate it on screen is an often fraught endeavor, but Chu is more than up to the task and In the Heights is the perfect material. 

 

Chu has created a spectacle that uses all the tools film has to offer, and fills every inch of the screen. Though In the Heights is being released on HBO Max at the same time it hits theaters on June 10, it practically demands to be viewed on as large a screen as possible. If you're squinting at a TV set or a computer, you might miss some of the details painted on the walls of the bodegas or the dancers tucked into the corner. Chu successfully blends the heightened reality that the genre requires with the energy of shooting on location in the streets of Washington Heights. A veteran of the Step Up franchise, Chu treats every extra walking the streets of upper Manhattan as a member of his chorus." - Esther Zuckermen, Thrillist

 

My Opinion: In the Heights absolutely explodes with energy on the big screen. While it is not quite up to the same level of craft that Spielberg was able to put into West Side Story, the content of the film just manages to burst and pop more often without the glaring, unfixed story flaws that maybe should have stayed in the 1960s. Regardless, it is pointless to compare both of these musicals as if both cannot coexist and be great in their own rights. Lin Manuel Miranda's song-writing is infectious and at peak form in this film, you wouldn't be able to guess that it was some of his earlier work if you had never heard of In the Heights before. We need more musicals that keep the music going the entire film, no more of these dialogue breaks!

 

[The Panda]

 

 

"Well done, my brave knight. Now... off with your head."

 

Synopsis: "An epic fantasy adventure based on the timeless Arthurian legend, "The Green Knight" tells the story of Sir Gawain (Dev Patel), King Arthur's reckless and headstrong nephew, who embarks on a daring quest to confront the eponymous Green Knight, a gigantic emerald-skinned stranger and tester of men. Gawain contends with ghosts, giants, thieves, and schemers in what becomes a deeper journey to define his character and prove his worth in the eyes of his family and kingdom by facing the ultimate challenger. From visionary filmmaker David Lowery comes a fresh and bold spin on a classic tale from the knights of the round table."

 

BOT Review: "Yet, throughout the rest of the film, Gawain's tumultuous journey to the Green Chapel serves only to test his integrity and bring him to his breaking point, physically and mentally. Even his own wish to become a heroic knight is manipulated by external forces, partially brought upon his mother (implied to be enchantress Morgana Le Fey), which bring the journey to him, rather than him seeking it out himself. He seeks to gain honor, for, according to him, "that is why a knight does he what does". But it's clear from how he fumbles his answer to Joel Edgerton's Lord character that his unsure reasonings for pursuing this quest are half-hearted at best. Does he truly wish to achieve honor by finishing an unfair game he foolishly jumped into without fully thinking it through? Or, is Gawain more enamored the title and status of knighthood, moreso than the actual honor of achieving that title through virtuous means? Is any of it even worth it in the end? 

 

It's this inner turmoil plaguing Gaiwan throughout his journey that I found utterly fascinating. I won't tip my hat to how exactly the film ends since it interestingly deviates from the source material. What I will say, though, is that it only served to amplify many of those earlier questions and ideas I had floating around in my mind while watching this surreal, masterfully made film. It's exceedingly rare that I come across a film that leaves me thinking so much about it after I leave the theater, and those films are ones that I'd consider to be incredibly special to me. This is one of those films for me. It's not perfect by any means, and even after dissecting it, there's still a lot of story elements in this film that I am not sure I fully understand. But to me, this is what feels like a vision realized to its fullest potential, made by someone in full command of their craft. Any minor grievances I may have are completely moot. An unforgettable epic tale all around, and I am more than happy to bestow upon it the highest honor I can give any film." - @Rorschach

 

Critic Excerpt: "The Green Knight opens on a home-invasion scenario familiar from an even older English poem, Beowulf. As a group of knights and courtiers gather for a celebration in the presence of the king, their revels are suddenly interrupted by the entry of a huge, nonhuman, seemingly malevolent being. Here that creature is a 10-foot-tall man (Ralph Ineson) made up of what look like gnarled tree roots, riding a coppery-green horse with a giant ax to match. King Arthur (Sean Harris) declares himself too aged and frail to rise to the invader’s challenge, but the hotheaded Gawain—the king’s nephew, in this version still awaiting his knighthood—is quick to accept.

 

The green knight lays out the rules of his proposed game in a gravelly bass voice channeled through the mouth of Queen Guinevere (Kate Dickie): Whatever fate befalls the tree-man in that day’s battle, he will in turn visit on Gawain in one year’s time in a mysterious place he calls the Green Chapel. After Gawain beheads the wooden behemoth in a single blow, the entire Round Table looks on in amazement as the felled titan rises to pick up his own head, climbs back onto his horse, and gallops away with a demonic laugh. From then on, the clock is ticking for Gawain: In order to observe the code of knightly courage, on Christmas Day of the following year he must appear before the green man and accept his fate." - Dana Stevens, Slate

 

My Opinion: When I first saw the film I was left in a state of not knowing what to think about it. After my initial reaction was posted, I remembed @Plain Old Tele saying "sounds like a 3 star review to me". Maybe it was close to that at that point, but the finale and visceral imagery of it all has left me loving the film more the more I am able to chew on it. David Lowrey's auteristic work deconstructs the classic knight tale in a much more nuanced and subtle way than Ridley Scott does with his attempt in the Last Duel. The Green Knight questions modern notions of heroism and explores the question of whether those "noble attributes" and the pursuit of greatness are really worth it, and do they lead to a fulfilling life? A fascinating myth deconstruction that manages to even reconstruct a few of the original ideas of the poem in the end.

 

 

[The Panda]

I saw some more TV, quite a bit of it that liked a lot. However, these are the main two that I want to push and highlight. Ted Lasso you've likely for sure heard of or watched. Give Midnight Mass a watch, has some of the best performances of the year in it, and turns the religious horror on its head. A really brilliant miniseries imo.

 

Both TV shows were as moving and at the same quality as any movie I watched this year.

 

Best TV Show

 

1st: Midnight Mass

 

 

 

Runner-Up: Ted Lasso, Season 2

 

 

Edited January 6, 2022 by The Panda

[The Panda]

 

 

"You know why God made farts smell? So deaf people could enjoy them too."

 

Synopsis: "As a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) Ruby is the only hearing person in her deaf family. When the family's fishing business is threatened, Ruby finds herself torn between pursuing her love of music by wanting to go to Berklee College of Music and her fear of abandoning her parents."

 

BOT Review: "One of those movies that I really liked and it hits me even when it leans into indie cliches, but I'm also curious what deaf critics thought of the film?"

 

Critic Excerpt: "In this extraordinary scene, Ruby, 17 (impressive newcomer Emilia Jones) and mother Jackie (a superb Marlee Matlin) are having a heart-to-heart in Ruby’s bedroom — something all of us moms and daughters have experienced, except not, because one is deaf and the other isn’t. Ruby asks her mom if she ever wished that she, her only hearing child, were deaf. The answer will both make you smile and break your heart, like a lot of this movie. And then you’ll realize that for the entire three minutes, you’ve barely heard a sound — no spoken dialogue, just the very faintest hint of music, and the flutters of movement that accompany signing.

 

If there’s a flaw to “CODA” — the title stems from the term “child of deaf adult” -- it may be that it wears its brimming heart on its sleeve to such an extent that it occasionally nears that fine line into formula, especially when it invents plot-moving conflicts that seem unnecessary. But somehow it never crosses the line, and if you see a few predictable moments coming … well, so what? They work — boy, do they ever. If this is formula, I’m OK with that, and can you pass the Kleenex? There’s something in my eye." - Jocelyn Noveck, Associated Press

 

My Opinion: CODA hits all of the young adult cliches and staples, but I honestly could not care the least, because it works and takes everything that it can get out of the tried and true formula. At no point while watching it was I rolling my eyes as if I had seen this movie a hundred times over, when a less film following the same beats might have. In fact, I was glued and mostly teary eyed for most of the films run time. It's played out in such a genuine manner that playing the authentic and heart-warming story it has beats any genre subversion it could have done otherwise. A true heart stealer of a movie, jerked all of my sentiments. Loved it!

 

 

[The Panda]

 

 

"We are on the list!"

 

Synopsis: "Bosnia, July 1995. Aida is a translator for the UN in the small town of Srebrenica. When the Serbian army takes over the town, her family is among the thousands of citizens looking for shelter in the UN camp. As an insider to the negotiations Aida has access to crucial information that she needs to interpret. What is at the horizon for her family and people - rescue or death? Which move should she take?"

 

BOT Review: "A precise and heartbreaking look at one woman's experience with the Srebrenica massacre, and a concise breakdown on just how the UN officials failed to handle the crisis properly. Jasna Đuričić's performance here is really something to behold; any attempt to describe it would likely undersell it entirely. Žbanić directs subtly but with strong emotion and the last forty minutes of this is a pure knockout of really capturing how horrific this tragedy was. Quo Vadis, Aida? is an excellent piece of foreign cinema, bringing a truly harrowing event to life and grounding it in the human experience that makes one feel nothing by righteous fury and disgust for the perpetrators and intense sorrow for the victims. A hard watch, but a worthy one." - @Blankments

 

Critic Excerpt: "A sense of grim inevitability is, well, inevitable when dramatizing the tragedies of history. Even if you somehow went into Titanic without the foreknowledge that the boat sinks, you might pick up on the fatalistic undertones—the impression of impending calamity, imparted by a creative team that can’t help but frame that infamous tale of death and disaster with the privilege of hindsight. Quo Vadis, Aida?, one of the five films nominated for Best International Feature at this year’s Academy Awards (it lost the Oscar to Another Round), applies that same inherent understanding that something terrible is lurking on the horizon to the Bosnian War—specifically to the horrifying events of a single day in July 1995, when a paramilitary force carried out what has come to be referred to as the Srebrenica massacre. Where the film differs from other horror stories ripped from real life is that one of the characters herself sees the arc of awful inevitability too, and tries to prevent the only way this true story can end. It’s akin to a version of Titanic where someone spots the iceberg the moment the ship casts off from shore and spends the rest of the movie trying to steer off course." - A. A. Dowd, The AV Club

 

My Opinion: Don't Look Up has been getting a lot of attention recently, as a satire in which scientists know of an impending meteor coming to destroy the Earth and attempt to warn the world around them to no avail. The same core concept of an impending doom coming is at the heart of Quo Vadis, Aida?, except it's no satire, it's a documented reality. The film pulls a directorial trick of making you feel present, as if you're watching real footage of the impending real life horror that is coming for these people attempting to take refuge at the UN camp. The film is heartbreaking, especially when you watch Djuricic try at all costs to plead the UN officials to either listen to her or at least help her family, where she knows something that they do not. A flawless and thoroughly challenging film.

 

 

[The Panda]

Best Director

 

1st: Denis Villeneuve, Dune

 

2nd: Jasmila Zbanic, Quo Vadis, Aida?

 

3rd: David Lowrey, The Green Knight

 

4th: Rebecca Hall, Passing

 

5th: Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog

 

6th: Steven Spielberg, West Side Story

 

Best Ensemble

 

1st: The Harder They Fall

 

2nd: West Side Story

 

3rd: In the Heights

 

4th: Dune

 

5th: CODA

 

6th: The Green Knight

 

[The Panda]

 

 

"Let the spice flow!"

 

Synopsis: "A mythic and emotionally charged hero's journey, "Dune" tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet's exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence-a commodity capable of unlocking humanity's greatest potential-only those who can conquer their fear will survive."

 

BOT Review: "I want more blockbusters without a 3 act structure." - @WrathOfHan

 

"The stunning ensemble also helps the film's quality. Every actor is entertaining and memorable, giving their characters depth, dimension, and intrigue. Timothee Chalamet as Paul and Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica are the standouts here, though everybody gets their own memorable moment. The conversations between one another are enrapturing and add so much gravitas to each scene, only further giving the film a sense of an epic feel." - @Eric

 

Critic Excerpt: "Sometimes, when you’ve been waiting so long for a film, it becomes cursed by expectations. Dune was delayed an entire year and some change thanks to the pandemic, and even before that, there was feverish anticipation for another cinematic adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel (David Lynch previously made a divisive version in 1984). Add into the mix director Denis Villeneuve, the French-Canadian filmmaker responsible for some of the most acclaimed sci-fi screen stories of the past few years, including the Amy Adams-starring Arrival and Blade Runner sequel 2049. And yet, Dune smashes those expectations. It’s a vivid, euphoric and visually dazzling cinematic experience that engages you on every level and in every moment. You won’t be able to ignore its hypnotic allure – and not just because every member of that cast is impossibly attractive." - Wenlei Ma, Australian News

 

My Opinion: Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuune!!!!

 

Seeing this in Imax blew me away. The greatest pure cinema holy shit entrancing spectacle experience I have had since maybe Gravity (and probably even tops that). 

[The Panda]

 

 

"We don't get a lot of things to really care about."

 

Synopsis: A truffle hunter who lives alone in the Oregonian wilderness must return to his past in Portland in search of his beloved foraging pig after she is kidnapped.

 

BOT Review: "Really special film" - @Blankments

 

"rare form of exhilaration" - @Ethan Hunt

 

"Powerful and poignant in all of the best, unexpected ways." - @Rorschach

 

"this is something truly special." - @Ezen Baklattan

 

"Pig is bussin’." - @YourMother

 

Critic Excerpt: "So synonymous is Nicolas Cage with on-screen action films and a certain brand of off-screen eccentricism that it's easy to forget that he won an Oscar in 1996 for his performance in Leaving Las Vegas, and was nominated again in 2002 for Adaptation. On the surface, Michael Sarnoski's Pig suggests a Cage leaning increasingly inwards towards the kind of excessive, irony-laden pastiche for which he has become renowned over the last decade or two, but the film itself presents something altogether different and reminds us that when he's good, Cage is really, really good.

 

The plot might sound fluffy, even silly; Cage plays a loner called Rob who lives in the woods with no one but his beloved truffle pig for company, who supports himself by selling the delicacy to a flashy young kid who sells them onto fancy restaurants in nearby Portland. When his truffle pig is abducted, Rob goes on the warpath — he just wants his pig back, and much punching and action ensues. It might sound like "John Wick but with a truffle pig", but what Cage and Sarnoski achieve here is something that altogether transcends the typical revenge film and moves into something far more touching. Pig's power is its increasing series of standout encounters between Rob and those he left behind in the city as the film raises questions about success, achievement and the value of companionship. A deeply moving film with twists and turns that few could see coming, Pig is — amongst other things — a timely reminder of just how good Nicolas Cage is at his job." - Philip Clarke, Nightlife

 

My Opinion: How could I say something was the best cinema experience I had in nearly a decade and it only manage to be number 2? That's because when I saw Pig I cried for the entire second half of the movie. It was the most I think I had ever cried in a movie theater. Frankly, it was completely embarrassing so maybe I should drop this lower (jk). Anyways, Pig is empathy put to film. I came into this completely expecting a certain type of film, and I watched entranced as what I got was entirely different, new and transcendent. In case you have not seen this yet, I will say no more. It's a special, beautiful movie and a true classic in the making. Nicholas Cage was incredible and is the MVP of all cinema, movies, and streaming this year.

 

[The Panda]

The full list

 

1.      Pig

2.      Dune

3.      Quo Vadis, Aida?

4.      CODA

5.      The Green Knight

6.      In the Heights

7.      Luca

8.      Passing

9.      Bo Burnham’s Inside

10.   West Side Story

11.   Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings

12.   The Harder They Fall

13.   Bombay Rose

14.   The Power of the Dog

15.   Judas and the Black Messiah

16.   The Killing of Two Lovers

17.   Shiva Baby

18.   The Rescue

19.   The Disciple

20.   The Matrix: Resurrections

21.   Godzilla vs Kong

22.   Pray Away

23.   The Last Duel

24.   Night of the Kings

25.   Fear Street Part 3: 1666

26.   A Quiet Place Part II

27.   Tick, tick… BOOM!

28.   In & Of Itself

29.   Saint Maud

30.   Summer of Soul

 

Ensemble

1.      The Harder They Fall

2.      West Side Story

3.      In the Heights

4.      Dune

5.      CODA

6.      The Green Knight

 

Director

1.      Denis Villeneuve, Dune

2.      Jasmila Zbanic, Quo Vadis, Aida?

3.      David Lowrey, The Green Knight

4.      Rebecca Hall, Passing

5.      Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog

6.      Steven Spielberg, West Side Story

 

Actress

1.      Jasna Djuricic, Quo Vadis, Aida?

2.      Emilia Jones, CODA

3.      Tessa Thompson, Passing

4.      Jodie Comer, The Last Duel

5.      Rachel Zegler, West Side Story

6.      Rachel Sennott, Shiva Baby

 

Actor

1.      Nicholas Cage, Pig

2.      Aditya Modak, The Disciple

3.      Clayne Crawford, The Killing of Two Lovers

4.      Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog

5.      Will Smith, King Richard

6.      Andrew Garfield, Tick, tick… BOOM!

 

Supporting Actor

1.      Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah

2.      Alex Wolff, Pig

3.      Troy Kotsur, CODA

4.      Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog

5.      Idris Elba, The Harder They Fall

6.      Tony Leung, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

 

Supporting Actress

1.      Ruth Negga, Passing

2.      Ariana DeBose, West Side Story

3.      Sepideh Moafi, The Killing of Two Lovers

4.      Olga Merediz, In the Heights

5.      Marlee Matlin, CODA

6.      Polly Draper, Shiva Baby

 

Original Screenplay

1.      Pig

2.      Quo Vadis, Aida?

3.      Judas and the Black Messiah

4.      CODA

5.      Luca

6.      Shiva Baby

 

Adapted Screenplay

1.      Dune

2.      Passing

3.      The Green Knight

4.      The Power of the Dog

5.      The Last Duel

6.      The Matrix: Resurrections

 

Cinematography

1.      Dune

2.      Passing

3.      Pig

4.      West Side Story

5.      The Green Knight

6.      The Power of the Dog

 

Editing

1.      Dune

2.      West Side Story

3.      The Green Knight

4.      Quo Vadis, Aida?

5.      In the Heights

6.      Bo Burnham’s Inside

 

Score

1.      Dune

2.      Luca

3.      The Green Knight

4.      Pig

5.      The Power of the Dog

6.      Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

 

Soundtrack

1.      Bo Burnham’s Inside

2.      The Harder They Fall

3.      CODA

4.      Summer of Soul

5.      The Disciple

6.      The Matrix: Resurrections

 

Song

1.      Welcome to the Internet, Bo Burnham’s Inside

2.      That Funny Feeling, Bo Burnham’s Inside

3.      Guns Go Bang, The Harder They Fall

4.      Beyond the Shore, CODA

5.      Second Nature, Don’t Look Up

6.      Rewa Nainon Mein Rahe, Bombay Rose

 

Sound Design

1.      Dune

2.      The Harder They Fall

3.      A Quiet Place Part II

4.      In the Heights

5.      West Side Story

6.      Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

 

Visual Effects

1.      Dune

2.      Godzilla vs Kong

3.      Eternals

4.      The Green Knight

5.      Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

6.      The Matrix: Resurrections

 

Best Stunt Ensemble and Choreography

1.      Dune

2.      West Side Story

3.      Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

4.      The Last Duel

5.      In the Heights

6.      The Harder They Fall

 

Production Design

1.      West Side Story

2.      The Green Knight

3.      Dune

4.      Passing

5.      Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

6.      The Last Duel

 

Costume and Makeup Design

1.      The Green Knight

2.      West Side Story

3.      Dune

4.      Passing

5.      The Last Duel

6.       In the Heights

[Cap]

Me getting a notification: OH ETERNALS!? 🥺

 

Me realizing it’s Shang Chi: . 😔

[4815162342]

Good list @The Panda but CODA isn't original. It's a remake of a french movie.