WRITER'S NOTE: The following is a collection of reviews posted on my Instagram accounts, @be.kerian and @film_freeq, and have been slightly edited. (Only two of these selections were written specifically for this post*, while another was taken from a previous blog post**.)
For this list, I've selected ten films from 2020 that stick with me the most. Considering the theatrical window was limited that year (thanks largely to the COVID-19 pandemic, with many theater chains shutting down indefinitely and numerous release dates postponed as a result), my picks represent not only sudden change, but also perseverance and adapting to, quote-on-quote, "new normals."
The Father
One of 2020's Best Picture Oscar-nominees stars the legendary Anthony Hopkins as an elderly man with dementia, and Olivia Colman (of The Crown) as his daughter, who serves as his caretaker. Some flaws in characterizations and a few convoluted transitions are evident, and the story is intense and heartbreaking to watch at times. But The Father stands as a new masterclass in acting and directing. Kudos to director Florian Zeller (who adapted from his stage play of the same name), and to Hopkins, whose extraordinary and gifted chops haven't lost their touch. An incredible film.
*Hamilton
Lin-Manuel Miranda's ambitious musical version of the life of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton is thoroughly clever, creative, and engrossing. Despite taking many liberties with history (and a few unnecessary language choices), Miranda's daring use of hip hop vernacular and a multi-racial cast (which originated on the Broadway stage in 2015, but filmed in 2016) is, as he described, "America then told by America now." It's a defining musical for this generation.
Minari
One of this season's Best Picture Oscar-nominees (along with a slew of other worthy accolades) centers on a Korean family living and making a new life in Arkansas on the 1980s. A moving, heartbreaking, and life-affirming story of immigration, generational bonds, and perseverance in uncertain times; it's also another benchmark in diversity and representation onscreen that is immersive and universal. Kudos to distributor A24 and writer-director Lee Isaac Chung.
News of the World
Generally known for making gritty action films like the Bourne sequels, and features based on provocative true stories like United 93, director Paul Greengrass shifts genres with this engrossing western drama. Based on Paulette Jiles' novel, News of the World stars Tom Hanks (as engaging and intuitive as ever) as a Civil War veteran who journeys across the American landscape to return a girl, raised by Kiowa natives, home. The film is thoroughly immersive, evocative, and often thrilling, but far from great (some of its wide shots are recognizably CGI). Still, there's a lot to appreciate in this well-made if episodic film.
Nomadland
One of the year's most acclaimed films may be set in the early-2010s, but its setting and themes are quite relevant today, especially during a year where everybody was in lockdown. Acclaimed director Chloe Zhao (who also edited the film, and adapted the screenplay from Jessica Bruder's book of the same name) directs Frances McDormand as a women travelling and living across America, in all its breathtaking and ethereal scenery. Nomadland is also something of a travelogue of forgotten or abandoned places in the States, in the aftermath of the Great Recession. (It's intriguing that McDormand and co-star David Strathairn are the only recognizable actors in a cast of mostly unknowns, several of which are real-life nomads.) The result is bittersweet, challenging, and evocative. Another remarkable achievement.
One Night in Miami . . .
The immensely talented Regina King made an impressive directorial debut with this engrossing adaptation of Kemp Powers' acclaimed play. Set primarily during the evening of February 25 in 1964, the film dramatizes how four historical icons met at a Miami hotel during the Civil rights movement. Featuring first-rate performances by Kingsley Ben-Adir (as civil rights leader Malcolm X), Eli Goree (as boxer Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay), Aldis Hodge (as NFL star Jim Brown), and Leslie Odon Jr. (as singer Sam Cooke), the film immerses us into a piece of American history very few are familiar with.
Soul
Pixar Animation Studios' fantasy adventure, in the immortal words of Woody, reaches for the sky and then some. Director Pete Docter (whose previous work includes Inside Out, Up, and Monsters, Inc.) helps headline this engrossing, creative, witty, and thoroughly moving story of an African-American jazz musician who, after scoring the biggest gig of his career, falls into a coma and ends up in a place called "The Great Before". Where the story goes from there, I won't say, except that there's a journey (or more) of discovery and rediscovery of life and meaning. Hats off to the vocal talents of Jamie Foxx (as the eponymous Joe Gardner) and Tina Fey (as the rebellious "soul" known as "22"), and to composers Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross for their groundbreaking score. An amazing and innovative combination of fantasy, surrealism, music, culture, and story. Simply put, it's got soul.
Sound of Metal
Out of the "Best Films of 2020," I would put the raw, harrowing, and superb drama Sound of Metal at the top. Riz Ahmed gives a breakout, fully-committed performance as a drummer suddenly succumbing to hearing loss. Be advised, the film is difficult, profane, and existential at times. But it's also very genuine and authentic, what with its portrayal and contributions from the deaf community. (Kudos to the crew for the unique sound designs throughout.) I felt more connected and involved with this story than any other new release I've seen in the last 12 months. My hats off to director Darius Marder and co-producer/co-story-writer Derek Cianfrance.
*Tenet
Christopher Nolan continued his large-scale filmography with this ambitious and complex thriller about international espionage and time inversion--that is, the reversal of time. While many anticipated this would be the blockbuster that would draw audiences back into theaters following the COVID-19 pandemic (considering its IMAX cinematography), it didn't quite live up to those expectations. The film's plot is a convoluted one, to say the least, despite its charismatic A-list cast (including John David Washington's "Protagonist" and Robert Pattinson's right-hand man). But perhaps with the passage of time (this is one of Nolan's trademarks, after all), Tenet should be regarded as one of the director's most challenging and jaw-dropping experiences.
**The Vast of Night
It seems fitting that, given current circumstances, this low-budget sci-fi mystery (an impressive debut from director Andrew Patterson, filmed in 2016 and debuting at Slamdance in 2019) centers around a duo of teenage radio employees who intercept--and eventually broadcast--a mysterious airwave frequency. Imagine an unseen episode of The Twilight Zone, with a little bit of Rod Serling's iconic narration thrown in. Stranger Things, meet your distant relative.
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