Canine Power by Benedict Cumberbatch (left), Spencer by Kristen Stewart, and Arianna DeBoss in West End Story.
A· O. Scott
Top 10 arguments about the importance of cinema
This year I have a feeling that every good movie is proving why movies matter. There is a lot of anxiety about the future of this art form, some related to the pandemic, some unrelated. Will everything be streamed in the future, with the exception of a few IP-driven blockbusters? Will streaming platforms (and their subscribers) accept works that are bold, difficult, abominable, or difficult to understand? Only a fool would claim to know the answer. But I can safely say that the following 10 films, and the 11th one that almost made the list, did everything they could to resist the fraud, complacency and malice that are now raging around the world. They will reward your attention, touch your emotions, and respect your intellect. No matter how much or not, this is ultimately good for us.
1. "Summer of Soul", directed by Questrov
A documentary about a series of open-air concerts in Harlem in 1969 intertwined shocking live performance materials with interviews with musicians and audiences to become a glass of joyful spirits. The cast includes a number of black talents, including Stil Wonder, Sly Stone, Staple Singer, Mahalia Jackson and many more. But the film is more than a time capsule: in an age of conflict and anxiety, it is a history lesson, an argument about why art is important — and what can be done. (Hulu streaming.) ）
A scene by Mevis Staples (left) and Mahalia Jackson in Summer of the Soul.
2. Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, directed by Radu Jude
From the hardcore opening to the raucous ending, this indistinguishable Romanian film captures the despair, anger and exhaustion of the moment. A Bucharest teacher (played by the brilliant and fearless Katia Pascalius) discovers that she is in danger of losing her job because the video of sex with her husband has become a small piece of news. At the same time, the hostile atmosphere of COVID-19 and the scorching culture wars has turned everyday life into a theater of grievances and anxieties. What holds it all together— reluctantly— is Jude's crude, rationalistic approach to directing, and the anger that prompts him to throw out a mocking rage. (Theatrical screening.) ）
3. The Power of the Dog, directed by Jane Campion
Contemporary cinema has no shortage of talented, capable and interesting filmmakers. Yet Jane Campion practiced her filmmaking entirely on a different level. The grand, expansive Western showcases her craft—the graphics, the music, the vivid contrasts between Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemont, and Curtie Smit-McPhee—reminiscent of the classic traditions of old-school Hollywood narratives. However, in Campion's interpretation of Thomas Savage's novel about jealousy, power, and sexual attraction, there is no archaic or cliché. (Netflix streaming.) ）
4. Petite Maman, directed by Serene Seanma
The death of a grandmother, the grief of her parents, the new friendships — these mundane experiences that take place over the weeks of an eight-year-old girl's life provide the basic narrative structure of this simple, perfect film. Whether it's a fashion fairy tale, a psychological ghost story, or a low-tech time travel fantasy is up to you. What is certain, however, is that Josephine and Gabriel Al Sands – real-life twins – play a pair of friends who may be imaginary, with a clarity and purity, and have the greatest emotional impact under the treatment of Sienma (the director of Portrait of the Burning Woman). (Theatrical screenings will soon enter.) ）
Josephine (left) and Gabriel Sands may be imagined friends in Little Mama.
5. Bring Your Own Brigade, directed by Lucy Walker
This heart-wrenching documentary is about wildfires in California, but it also almost coincidentally explores america's approach to the polarization, chaos, and self-defeating response to COVID-19. Walker's picture is complex, in part because humans are inherently human: stupid and generous, reckless and brave. The film is hardly optimistic, but its enlightened attitude, compassion, and intellectual rigor provide a buffer against despair.
6. Bergman Island, directed by Mia Hansen-Love
During the year, when rumors of the death of cinema went along with all the other bad news, it was a pleasure to encounter this warm, cunning, and emotionally sensitive film that explored the love of cinema, filmmaking, and the tourism that surrounded it. The two filmmakers traveled to the Faroe Islands, Sweden, where Ingmar Bergman lived and worked, and found that film is life, or that there is something more important in life than film. (Available for rental viewing on most major platforms).
Mia Wasikowska and Anders Danielson in Bergman Island.
7. Drive My Car, directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi
The newly widowed theatrical artist (Hidetoshi Nishijima) travels to Hiroshima to direct an experimental version of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. A young woman (Toruko Miura), who also suffered from bereavement, is hired as his driver. In this context, based on Haruki Murakami's novella, Ryusuke Hamaguchi takes a low-key, multi-layered approach to the complexity of human relations. Chekhov's spirit lingers in the background of the film and is reflected in the film's restrained and sympathetic care for the characters. (Theatrical Screening).
8. Memoria, directed by Apichatpong Welashagu
Welashagu's films cannot be simply summarized or categorized. Calling them dreamlike is incomplete because you never know who is dreaming. In this film, the dreamer could be Jessica (Tilda Swindon), a Scotsman who emigrated to Colombia, or it could be an alien visitor, a filmmaker, Earth or time itself. To be sure, the film makes the senses sharper and stimulates emotions, and these strong emotions are not detracted from their invincibility. (Theatrical screenings will soon enter.) ）
9. "West Side Story", directed by Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner — and the energetic young actors who play members of the Jets and Sharks — managed to complete an amazing cinematic "coup." They respect the artistry and good intentions of the original stage musical and transform it into a rushing, modern and exciting work. There is much to decipher in the film's gesture of respecting the original and revising it, but the main ones are strong emotions, memorable songs, and an unabashed belief that sincerity is always stronger than cynicism. (Theatrical screenings will soon enter.) ）
Arianna Debos (center) plays Anita in West End Story.
10. The Velvet Underground, directed by Todd Hines
Like Summer of the Soul, the documentary revisits the music of the 1960s with a spirit that focuses on history than nostalgia. Instead of summoning today's musicians to pay homage to their predecessors, Hynes concentrated on studying the era in which the underground velvet bands were located and the artistic scenes that gave birth to them. He is particularly focused on their connection to New York's booming experimental films, which inspire his own sincere, intelligent, visually dense narrative style. (Apple TV + Screening).