Friday, December 31, 2021

Best of 2021: The Top 10 Movies of the Year


Back before Louis C.K.'s disturbing history of sexual misconduct came to light, there was a bit he used to do that I really loved. He would talk about the perils of turning 40 and the physical changes he was going through — including dealing with a bum ankle that had been bothering him lately. He went to see a doctor, who informed him he'd need to take Aleve or stretch to mitigate the pain. But there was no "fixing" the ailment: As the doctor explained to him about his suggested workarounds, "That's just a new thing you do until you and your shitty ankle both die." The whole point of the bit was the comedian's realization that he'd reached an age where he'd just have to learn to live with undesirable realities. He was now always going to have a shitty ankle, and there was nothing he could do about it. That's just the way life works.

I'm well into my 40s, and I've experienced a few versions of the "shitty ankle" as I get older — my eyesight isn't as sharp, I don't sleep as well as I used to — and each time one of these developments enters my life, I think of that old bit. There's no cure for these hindrances — I just learn the new thing I have to do to tackle the problem.

We've now endured two years of a pandemic, and so much of life these days seems like that metaphorical shitty ankle, requiring us to make the best of a not-ideal situation. In early 2021, it was tempting to get excited about the news that vaccines were on the way — a miracle, truly — and to hope that, finger snap, life would suddenly get back to normal. But that hasn't proved true: While much of our old lives has returned, Covid and its different variants have been persistent in dictating what reality will look like. Similar to the shitty ankle, it's not going away — at least not for a good long while — and we've all had to cope. 

Not unlike 9/11, your relationship with the pandemic has probably been profoundly informed by your age at this moment. The 2001 terror attacks and their aftermath occurred in my late 20s and, coupled with some personal stuff I was dealing with, helped shape my not-yet-30 view of my emotionally undeveloped self. (My inner turmoil was reflected in the unspeakable tragedy happening outside my little world.) In the same way, Covid has been merely the most overt manifestation of the strange transition into middle age that I've been experiencing lately. Whether it's Trump's rise to power or a general sense that the country is teetering on the edge of catastrophe — Biden's victory last year has mostly seemed like a brief respite, not a cure — everything around me feels less certain than it ever has. (I often think I don't have to worry about having a midlife crisis since there are enough real-world crises to distract me.) And even though I've been fortunate not to have faced much death personally because of Covid, the last two years have only thrown into sharper relief my anxiety about losing those closest to me. Everyone I care about is vaccinated, thank god, but the pandemic has been a reminder of how fragile life can be.

More and more, I have to make peace with having a shitty ankle — all those things I can't control or make better, all the worries that take up permanent residence in my head. (Come to think of it, Louis C.K.'s bit is itself a shitty ankle: Every time his standup segment enters my mind now, I'm reacquainted with my disappointment and anger over what he did in real life.) Best as I can figure, you don't ever conquer these things — you just make room for them, accepting them as part of being alive. 

And then you remember to be grateful. You think about the fact that your parents are still here and in good health. You think about your sister and her husband and their kids. You think about your friends, the people who really know you. You think about your wife's family — they're all good, too. And then you think about your wife a little longer than all the others. You think about being married for 15 years and how it feels like it's flown by and also been so substantial. You remember that you're lucky and that everybody has a shitty ankle. A limp isn't the worst thing in the world. 

* * * * *

Without further ado, let's get to my Top 10 list...

1. Petite Maman
2. Memoria
3. Passing 
4. The Worst Person in the World 
5. Summer of Soul 
6. Red Rocket 
7. Dune 
8. The Green Knight
9. Test Pattern 
10. Days

And because it was such a strong year, here's a salute to the films that just missed the cut: From 11-15, they're C’mon C’mon, Licorice Pizza, The Lost Daughter, About Endlessness and Drive My Car. International cinema dominated 2021, with four of my Top 15 premiering at Cannes, although you may notice those rankings have shifted over the last five months. And it was an exceptional year for Neon, which distributed three of my four favorite films of 2021. (If you're looking for an easy way to see the films on my list, may I suggest JustWatch, a very helpful guide to what's streaming where.)

By the way, if you've read my end-of-the-year list over at Screen International, you'll notice it's slightly different. For Screen, we only count 2021 premieres — so pictures like Test Pattern and Days (which both started screening prior to this year) don't count — and documentaries are separate from features. Even so, some movies have moved up or down on my list since I submitted my Screen ballot. What can I say: There was too much good stuff this year, and it made putting together a Top 10 delightfully torturous.  

* * * * *

It's hard to know what the future holds for either my industry or the film business in general. But it sure was great being back at Cannes, and back in regular movie theaters here in America. I took Susan to see Dune opening night after having seen it once already in advance of its Venice premiere, and I enjoyed the film even more the second time, jazzed by sharing such a big-screen film with a huge crowd. Nothing beats that.

As for my own work, I kept busy, which makes me happy. I remain your loyal Senior U.S. Critic over at Screen, where I felt honored to write the Memoria review out of Cannes. As for MEL, we had a brief (and unexpected) hiatus during the summer, but we're back and better than ever. I got to start moderating Q&As in person again — boy, how I'd missed that — and, unbelievably, I did my fourth interview with Spike Lee, this time while he and I walked around his exhibit at the Academy Museum. That was for Rolling Stone, where I also got to talk to Riz Ahmed about his music career and how it feeds into his film career. For GQ, I wrote about John Lennon and Harrison Ford. Over at InsideHook, I discussed Bob Dylan's singing voice and interviewed Victor Kossakovsky about Gunda. And my seventh book, This Is How You Make a Movie, came out in March. (Thanks to the podcasters who had me on to talk about it.) I was once again part of the Gotham Awards nominating committee, I showed up on KCRW a bunch, and the Grierson & Leitch podcast continues to roll along. Like I said, it was a busy year.

But perhaps my favorite piece of writing in 2021 was never published. My parents celebrated their 50th anniversary this year, and as a joke I thought, "Wouldn't it be funny if I put together an oral history of their wedding?" Soon, the joke became serious as I clandestinely interviewed their friends and relatives to hear their stories, many of which were new to me, and I learned a lot about these two people who raised me. (As a friend of mine put it, "It's like you're writing your own origin story.") I surprised my mom and dad with what turned out to be an 8,300-word piece. I printed only two copies, one for each of them. I think they got a kick out of it. Man, 50 years — that's really something.

Happy 2022. When Petite Maman opens, I hope you check it out. It's a special little movie, and at least one thing to look forward to in the new year.

Jarvis Cocker - "Aline"

Happy New Year. May 2022 be better than 2021.

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Let's Rank Guillermo del Toro Movies


This was interesting: Vulture asked Will and me to rank Guillermo del Toro's movies, even though we're not exactly the biggest fans of his. So what we came up with was a list made by admiring skeptics, which proved to be not quite as glowing but, perhaps, more useful for those who aren't into his brand of fantasy and horror and want to know where to start on his body of work. Hope you enjoy.

Why I Didn't Like 'The Matrix Resurrections'


For MEL, I got into my chief issue with the new Matrix movie: namely, that I think it focuses on worldbuilding to the detriment of the love story it's trying to tell. My essay is here.

Sunday, December 26, 2021

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: The End-of-the-Year Lightning Round


Totally forgot to post our second-to-last podcast of 2021, our annual quick-hit rundown of December films. We reviewed Licorice Pizza, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Nightmare Alley, Cyrano and Being the Ricardos. You can hear the whole thing down below.

Friday, December 24, 2021

'Extra Hot Great': Talking About 'Being the Ricardos,' 'Insecure' and 'How To With John Wilson'


Well, this was a treat: I got to be on Extra Hot Great with David T. Cole, Tara Ariano and Sarah D. Bunting to review Aaron Sorkin's new movie. And then I talked about some TV I've been watching, and we all discussed an episode of The Simpsons, "Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie," which a listener think is an all-timer. Did we agree? Listen below.

Art Garfunkel - "Waters of March"

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Thursday, December 23, 2021

Boris Karloff Was Always the Best Grinch


How the Grinch Stole Christmas! turned 55 recently. For MEL, I wrote about Boris Karloff and the special he brought to life.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: The Best Films of 2021


The time has come: Here are Will's and my lists for 2021's 10 best films. The only hint I'll give is that we only have three overlaps. Hope you enjoy.

'The Matrix Resurrections' Review


I dunno, folks, I just couldn't get into the new Matrix. My review is up at Screen International.

Monday, December 20, 2021

Thinking of 'Eyes Wide Shut' as a Christmas Movie


I still remember seeing Eyes Wide Shut opening night. Funny enough, my future wife was at the same screening. This article is not about that, though: It's about how Kubrick's final film has been embraced as a holiday film. Read on.

George Clooney, Disappointing Director


George Clooney's latest filmmaking project, The Tender Bar, is another underwhelming effort. He's had a few of those recently, which led me to wonder why. For MEL, I went long on the man, and also got a little personal. Hope you enjoy

Justice for Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man


Spider-Man: No Way Home reminded me how much I liked Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker. I talked about it over at MEL.

'Swan Song' and the Selfishness of the Seemingly Selfless Husband


In Swan Song, Mahershala Ali plays a father and husband who's dying. His family doesn't know, though, and so he undergoes a secret procedure in which he's cloned, the idea being that the clone will take over for him while he dies in seclusion, thereby never alerting his wife and son to what's happened. That's a seemingly noble thing to do, but it's also selfish if you think about it. I explain why over at MEL.

Friday, December 17, 2021

Vince Guaraldi Trio - "Cast Your Fate to the Wind"

Good luck getting all your work done before the holidays, everybody. Remember to stay chill.

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Spielberg's Musical, McKay's Satire and 'Red Rocket'


Three big movies on this week's podcast. (Makes sense considering we're in the thick of awards season.) Two are quite good, while one is Don't Look Up. Hear our reviews and random foolishness down below.

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

I Love "Christmas Time Is Here"

Every Christmas, this Peanuts tune pops up. But I realized I didn't know much about it, so I did a deep dive into the song and its creator, Vince Guaraldi. My appreciation is here.

I Want a Whole Movie About the Making of 'Airplane!'


Last week, HBO released the first trailer for Winning Time, about the Los Angeles Lakers' championship run of the 1980s. But the best part had nothing to do with basketball: It was the two seconds it showed of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Solomon Hughes) filming Airplane! This inspired a very whimsical piece about my love of that film and Abdul-Jabbar in general. Hope you enjoy.

What 'Don't Look Up' Gets Wrong About Disaster Movies


I know, I know: That headline construction makes me roll my eyes, too. But even though Adam McKay's dark comedy is meant to be a satire of disaster movies, I think there's something fundamentally flawed in that approach. You see, we watch disaster flicks because we do sorta like watching the earth get destroyed. My essay is over at MEL.

'Spider-Man: No Way Home' Review


It's a low bar, I realize, but Spider-Man: No Way Home is the best Marvel movie since Avengers: Endgame. My review is up at Screen International.

Monday, December 13, 2021

A Tribute to "I'm a Believer" After Michael Nesmith's Death

In honor of the Monkees' member's passing, I wrote about their most iconic hit, and the fact that they didn't write it. My essay/appreciation is over at MEL.

Friday, December 10, 2021

Nation of Language - "Wounds of Love"

I recently put together my list of 2021's best albums. (I'll reveal that later.) But for now, here's a record that didn't make the cut.

Thursday, December 09, 2021

The Complicated Legacy of the Red Ryder BB Gun


For MEL, I did a deep dive into an air rifle that's been around since 1940. For the first 40 years of its existence, it was associated with boys' love of cowboys. Then came A Christmas Story, which remains a beloved holiday staple. That BB gun is part of a larger cultural conversation, and I talked to some folks about that. Hope you enjoy.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Jane Campion, 'The Worst Person in the World' and 'Benedetta'


On this week's episode, we talked about movies shot in New Zealand, Denmark and Italy (and also a little bit in France, I believe). Hear the whole thing down below.

Wednesday, December 08, 2021

'Don't Look Up' Review


Oh boy, is Don't Look Up bad. I have very little good to say about Adam McKay's latest over at Screen International.

Monday, December 06, 2021

When Riz Ahmed Played a (Woeful) Terrorist

Early in his career, Riz Ahmed was nervous about signing on to a comedy about British Muslim young men who decide to start a jihad. Thank goodness he did: For MEL, I wrote about 2010's Four Lions.

Getting Steamy About 'Wild Things'


It's been nearly 25 years since Wild Things hit theaters. It's now on Netflix, and it's still a silly, sexy pleasure. I had some things to say over at MEL.

"Bye Bye Bye" Is Back

The NSYNC song has an important role in the excellent new Sean Baker film Red Rocket. For MEL, I do a deep dive into "Bye Bye Bye" and explain why it works so well in the movie. Hope you enjoy.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': A Cornucopia of Good International Films


So many worthwhile movies to discuss this week on KCRW: Carlos Aguilar and I review The Power of the Dog, The Hand of God, Benedetta, Drive My Car and Flee. You can hear our segment down below.

When Directors Try Their Hand at Musicals


Steven Spielberg has made his first musical with West Side Story. For MEL, I looked at the track record of other major filmmakers and their one musical: Did they ace the assignment? Read on.

Friday, December 03, 2021

Wet Leg - "Chaise Longue"

"Chaise Longue" resides in that risky terrain where "Is it catchy?" and "Is it annoying?" overlap. I've decided I'm going with the former.

Thursday, December 02, 2021

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Three Films About Families


I only now realized that this week's episode covered three films that deal with difficult families: House of Gucci, Encanto and The Humans. Guess which one I liked best.

Or you could just listen and find out.

'West Side Story' Review


What's the difference between a really, really good movie and a great movie? Here's my review of West Side Story.

'Nightmare Alley' Review


I confess I am not the biggest Guillermo del Toro guy. Did his latest turn it around for me? Not really. For Screen International, here's my review of Nightmare Alley.