Paul McCartney (featuring Beck) - "Find My Way"

Not a big fan of "re-imagined" songs, but I really love what Beck brought to this McCartney III track. As for the video, read all about it here.

So, I Finally Saw 'The Village'

For whatever reason, I never got around to watching The Village, the movie that began the downward spiral of one M. Night Shyamalan. Well, with Old out, it seemed like a good time to finally catch up with it, especially since the film came out almost exactly 17 years ago. I had a lot to say over at SyFy.

'The Suicide Squad' Review

What a delight The Suicide Squad is. And what a surprise, too. Here's my review for Screen International.

'Jungle Cruise' Review

For whatever reason, I especially like writing the "good enough" review, which is when I like a movie enough to recommend, while acknowledging its many flaws. Jungle Cruise falls into that category: It would be nothing without the chemistry between Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. My thoughts are over at Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: M. Night, G.I. Joe and 'Tombstone'

Some weeks, it's a bit brutal on the podcast because the movies aren't so hot. But that can be fun, too: It's nice to just really rip something apart on occasion. Which is my way of saying, yeesh, Old and Snake Eyes are bad. (Our Reboot segment is devoted to Tombstone, which kinda stinks, too.) Hear the whole thing down below.

'The Green Knight' Review

The Green Knight has been a movie I've been curious to see since early 2020, when it was expected to play at SXSW. Well, the wait is over: My review is up at Screen International.

Yola - "Stand for Myself"

I'd been meaning to feature Yolanda Quartey's new single on Friday Video for a little while now, but her excellent, muscular live version on Colbert this week gave me the extra nudge I needed. If you haven't heard it, check it out, too.

In Praise of Danny Boyle's 'Sunshine'

It's one of his most divisive films. It was a box-office bomb. But I like Danny Boyle's Sunshine. It came out 14 years ago, and I sang its praises over at SyFy.

'Old' Review

I had hopes for M. Night Shyamalan's latest, which chronicles a group of people on vacation at a remote beach who suddenly discover that they're ... getting older really quickly. But I think he fumbles the intriguing premise and doesn't do enough exploring the rich themes underneath. My review is here.

'Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins' Review

Did you want an origin story about Snake Eyes? Well, tough, because you're getting one anyway. My review is up at Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Space Jam: A New Legacy,' 'Pig' and My Cannes Report

Lots of movies to cram in this week. We reviewed Black Widow, Space Jam: A New Legacy, No Sudden Move and Pig. Then I asked Will about The Tomorrow War. But first, I talked about my time at Cannes. Hear the whole thing down below.

Cannes 2021: The Wrap-Up and the Rankings

For most of the year, I assumed I wouldn't be attending the 2021 edition of the Cannes Film Festival. Partly, that was because I figured there wasn't going to be a festival due to the ongoing pandemic. (And if it was held, the odds were good that American journalists wouldn't be allowed to travel to it.) Well, all that changed in late May, and quickly I found myself throwing together plans to fly to France, which included figuring out Covid protocols that seemingly changed on a daily basis -- not just for air travel but for the festival itself. I was hardly alone in feeling a little discombobulated: The other U.S. critics I knew who were going were all trying to decipher confusing and contradictory information, too.

But I made it, and I'm so glad I did. I haven't traveled to a film festival since Sundance 2020, and it's remarkable how quickly muscle memory kicked in. I joked over the last several months about being out of festival shape, which isn't so much about physical conditioning as it is the rush-rush-rush, grind-grind-grind of doing a festival on a daily basis, which requires a lot of patience, stamina and a willingness to be flexible. Considering we were taking part in an international event in the midst of a pandemic, not to mention enduring a new press ticketing system and an unpredictable Covid testing program, the ability to go with the flow was crucial. I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Because this year's Cannes was super-sized, packed with more films than usual, it was inevitable that I wouldn't be able to see everything on my wish list. The 2021 edition may have featured more options, but there's still only a finite amount of time to see films, and with reviewing responsibilities taking priority, I had to make peace with the fact that I would have to let promising movies like Vortex, Petrov's Flu, The Velvet Underground, Ali & Ava and Paris, 13th District slip away. I'll get to them eventually. 

So, let's get to the rankings. Links lead to individual reviews....  

29. Flag Day
28. Where Is Anne Frank
27. Stillwater
26. The Stronghold
25. Nitram
24. Annette 
23. Benedetta
22. Supremes
21. The French Dispatch
20. Ahed's Knee
19. Everything Went Fine
18. Belle
17. Cow
16. Val
15. Deception
14. Titane
13. Murina
12. Compartment No. 6
11. Bergman Island
10. A Hero
9. The Story of Film: A New Generation
8. After Yang
7. Hit the Road
6. Drive My Car
5. The Souvenir Part II
4. The Year of the Everlasting Storm
3. Red Rocket
2. Memoria
1. The Worst Person in the World

As I was putting together my list, I knew what my top two would be, but not in what order. Festival rankings are always a bit arbitrary, and picking a favorite often comes down to deciding between two very different films, and different impulses. Apichatpong Weerasethakul's return to the Cannes official competition for the first time in 11 years is an absolute triumph: a big, bold artistic stunner. It's the kind of film that invites "Masterpiece" hosannas. On the other side, there's Joachim Trier's thoroughly lovely and wise story of turning 30 and trying to figure yourself out. Hardly as formally inventive and singular as Weerasethakul's landmark, The Worst Person in the World nonetheless moved me beyond words and, for this moment anyway, wins by a photo finish. But it's worth pointing out that my Cannes rankings tend to shift over time: In 2013, Blue Is the Warmest Color beat out Inside Llewyn Davis, and in 2019, I slotted The Lighthouse higher than Parasite. By the end of their respective years, those films' placement had flipped. I would not be surprised if Memoria eventually reigns supreme.

My own indecision reflects that of my peers. There was no clear-cut critical consensus, with a wide range of films enjoying their own niche of support. Some people raved about The French Dispatch. Benedetta, Annette and Titane had their passionate champions. Everyone generally really liked Drive My Car and A Hero. Outside of Flag Day, another absolute stinker from Sean Penn after his The Last Face face-planted at Cannes five years ago, critics tended not to be too hard on the Competition films. And even Penn's folly inspired a few rave reviews. 

What was largely not commented on, at least among the people I was with, was the fact that ... we were watching movies in theaters again. A lot of movies in theaters. After basically avoiding theaters for more than a year, I was inside them for the last week and a half. That return couldn't have started better than by seeing the latest installment in Mark Cousins' The Story of Film series, which is no doubt why Cannes programmed it to open the festival. If it's perhaps a little too self-conscious about reminding everyone that, yes, movies still matter, A New Generation is stuffed with clips of the best and brightest films from this century, including a list of helpful suggestions for under-the-radar titles worth seeking out. Soon that initial giddy buzz went away and we went back to the grind of covering a film festival, as always. But, my god, the fact that we were there at all was a miracle I don't think enough of us paused to acknowledge.

I have a spectacular failure rate when it comes to predicting what will win the Palme d'Or, so I'm tempted not to even make a guess. But I'm going with A Hero over Titane or Drive My Car. Asghar Farhadi has never won, so the jury (headed by Spike Lee) may decide he's due. Plus, the film is seen as a return to form for him after the disappointing Everybody Knows. It wouldn't shock me if Lee went for something a little stylistically bolder, but it's always a risk to assume that the movie that most resembles the jury president's M.O. will win. So let me put it this way: If he gives it to The Worst Person in the World or Memoria, you won't hear me complaining.

Cannes 2021: 'Nitram' Review

I think Caleb Landry Jones is superb in Nitram, which is a dramatized version of the events that led to a 1996 mass shooting in Australia. But as for the film itself? Well, I've got some issues, which I get into over at Screen International.

Cannes 2021: 'Belle' Review

I quite liked Mamoru Hosoda's last film, Mirai, so I was curious to check out his latest. From Cannes, here's my review of Belle.

Jungle - "Keep Moving"

I'm ready to see my wife, who I'm guessing has played this song about five dozen times while I've been gone.

Cannes 2021: 'Memoria' Review

Going into a film festival, it's always risky to set your expectations too high for any particular film. But I was hopeful that Memoria, Apichatpong Weerasethakul's first English-language film, would be something special. It is. My review is up at Screen International.

Cannes 2021: 'The Year of the Everlasting Storm' Review

Anthology films are often a mixed bag, but the seven shorts included in The Year of the Everlasting Storm are uniformly strong. It helps when you have directors like Jafar Panahi, Laura Poitras, David Lowery and Apichatpong Weerasethakul involved. Each of them tackles the pandemic in their own inimitable ways. Here's my Screen International review.

My Interview With Morgan Neville, Director of 'Roadrunner'

I had a lot to discuss with Morgan Neville, who has made the Anthony Bourdain documentary Roadrunner. We talked about suicide, demons, Asia Argento and the challenges of wanting to be cool. My Q&A with the director is live over at Rolling Stone.

Cannes 2021: 'Red Rocket' Review

Get ready for lots of talk about a Simon Rex comeback. He's the star of Sean Baker's fairly terrific Red Rocket, which premiered today at Cannes. I reviewed the film for Screen International.

Cannes 2021: 'The Stronghold' Review

You know those foreign-language action films you see listed on Netflix that you've never heard of? Well, one of them screened as part of this year's Cannes. It's a French cop drama called The Stronghold, and it's based on a corruption case in the Marseille police force. My review is here.

Cannes 2021: 'The French Dispatch' Review

A love letter to journalism, Wes Anderson's latest is a series of vignettes made to resemble reported pieces in an upscale literary magazine. It's so gorgeous, but also a little emotionally distant. My review of The French Dispatch is here.

Cannes 2021: 'Murina' Review

Executive produced by Martin Scorsese, Murina tells the story of a teenager who longs to be free of her overbearing, verbally abusive dad. Violence and sexual tension permeate the film when the dad's longtime friend comes to visit. Let the sparks fly. My review is up at Screen International.

Cannes 2021: 'Supremes' Review

Going into the festival, I can't say I knew much about the French hip-hop group Supreme NTM. I know a lot more now after watching their engaging biopic. My review of Supremes is right here.

Cannes 2021: 'Flag Day' Review

Five years ago, Sean Penn was practically laughed out of Cannes with his Competition title The Last Face. (I reviewed that movie for Screen and attended the infamous press screening where the chortling was vocal.) He's back with a new movie. I didn't like it much more than his last one. My review of Flag Day is here.

Cannes 2021: 'Stillwater' Review

In Stillwater, Matt Damon plays an American oil rigger who travels to France to see his daughter (Abigail Breslin), who's in prison for a murder she didn't commit. Someone who had seen the film early only said one word about it to a colleague: "weird." And I have to say, that is an accurate description of the movie, which I reviewed for Screen International.

Cannes 2021: 'Cow' Review

What if Andrea Arnold spent a whole film just observing a cow? That's the hook of her first documentary, which ends up being a fascinating continuation of her great theme: the plight of individuals living on the margins in a hostile world. My review is right here.

Faye Webster - "A Dream With a Baseball Player"

It's hard to watch baseball in Cannes. 

(P.S. This song is about Ronald Acuna Jr. Yes, really.)

Cannes 2021: 'Everything Went Fine' Review

OK, see if you can follow this. Writer Emmanuele Bernheim, who worked with director Francois Ozon on films like Swimming Pool, wrote a book about the experience of helping her ailing father take his own life. Now, that book has been turned into a movie by Ozon, who also views the film as a tribute to Bernheim, who died a few years ago. As a result, Everything Went Fine is an elegy within an elegy. My review is live over at Screen International.

Cannes 2021: 'Val' Review

Val Kilmer seems to have fallen off the radar lately. Well, there's a good reason for that: He's been battling health issues for a little while. A new documentary that draws from footage the actor has shot over the years offers a glimpse into his life and his creative process, not to mention his grappling with his career decline. My review of Val is up at Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: The Best Films of 2021 (So Far) and My Cannes Preview

This episode is jam-packed with goodies. First, we each pick our six favorite movies from the first half of this year. (There are a few I haven't gotten to yet, sadly.) And then, I talk about a bunch of films I'm excited to see at Cannes. (I'm heading off tomorrow.) Hope you enjoy.

H.E.R. - "Damage"

Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson has already won a Grammy (actually, four) and an Oscar. And she only just turned 24. Please tell H.E.R. to stop making the rest of us look unambitious.