Hi all,
Since we are coming to the close of the calendar year, I thought I'd leave my top movies of 2021 here.
The idea being: All of us could drop our Top 10s here. And the rest of us can find some gems from your reccos...
Mine below is very genre (Thrillers > Action> Dramas laced with thrills/action/mystery > Noir), but that's how my year's been...
But I have already seen some eclectic suggestions in posts above, so, don't feel restricted; post anything you loved. For instance, am leaving out all Indian pics I enjoyed, cos am guessing most of us would have seen what we liked, but do feel free to leave Indian gems here)
10.
Pixie
A crazy crime black comedy with a bit of a letdown of an ending (a mexican standoff kind of shootout). But everything that precedes it and the lead performance alone should be worth your time.
9.
The Blood of Wolves II
Second part of an epic Japanese police and gangsters saga. Won't say anything else, cos it will spoil it for those who haven't seen the first part.
8.
No Sudden Move
A lovely period noir drama by Soderbergh. Period.
7.
The Dry
Aussie films have always fascinated me, so played this because of that. And the fact that it is fronted by Eric Bana
Probably the best police procedural/drama/book adaptation of the year. If you find a better police procedural from 2021, please drop a line. I would be very interested in seeing what that is.
6.
Stillwater
Maybe Damon knew he was co-writing and working in The Last Duel, so he decided to do the Best Matt Damon Movie Set In Europe before that hit the theatres
Look out for lovely supporting acts from the girl from
Little Miss Sunshine, another little girl called Maya, and her mother.
5.
Pig
I will admit I would not have seen this had critics not championed it. Cage has kind of been doing some questionable films in the past years, and I had almost given up on one of my favourites from my growing up years.
So, when I started this, had no expectations but I was BLOWN AWAY.
Starts like a thriller, and ends on the most sombre and meaningful notes - has action, drama, comedy and anything else you may want in between.
Am guessing at least an Oscar nom for Cage.
4.
No Time to Die
Loved how Danny Craig has kind of made the character his own. And even then, so easily has allowed the franchise to move forward with great vigour. I didn't know he was executive producer on this one until I saw the credits. But he has neatly bookended a great Bond career. People like my father will keep insisting Connery was the best, but Craig really has served MI6 stupendously for the past decade and a half.
The movie also, to me, foreshadows some bold future moves from Barbara Brocolli and her colleagues in the studio.
3.
Card Counter
Schrader doing Schrader things. While I have always loved his work with Scorsese, am a bit ashamed to say that this was my first critical watch of a movie he has directed. Stunning from opening credits to the end credits with not a false step. So much so, I have resolved to hunt down his earlier directorial ventures and try and watch as many as possible in 2022.
Oscar Isaac just kills it - magnetic and owns the screen. And I don't even want to speak about the supporting cast, cos they are killing it too.
2.
The Mauritanian
Very subdued, but handled with an assured hand. Pacing is extremely good and this is important -- it is a message movie, but it actually shows the rest of the world how to do a message movie in a very low-profile way. The end credits song introduced me to a lovely middle eastern artist.
1.
Riders of Justice
An actor I have always loved. Movie starts like it is going to be an all-out actioner, and then goes towards drama, then a thriller, then comedy, and then black comedy, a bit more action, and finally socks you with an almighty hit on judgments, decisions and life itself towards the end.)
If I had to justify why number one among all the things made this year that I have watched it is this: All other movies, of course, were so well made and assured in the story telling, but none of the other movies knew where
they were going as well as this one does, and that is what made it special. Once you let the ending sink in, everything else that came before it makes us look back at our own lives and the decisions we have taken and the judgments we have passed.
Hence.
0.
CAN'T WAIT FOR: NIGHTMARE ALLEY
Other pics I loved in no particular order:
11. Percy vs Goliath
12. The Paper Tigers
13. Godzilla vs Kong
14. Gunpoweder Milkshake
15. Mr. Nobody
16. The Ice Road
17. Way Down
18. Wrath of Man
19. Copshop
20. The Little Things
21. The Protege
22. Kate
23. Black Widow
24. The Suicide Squad
And just for star power:
25:
F9 and
26:
Beckett, John David Washington's lo-fi pic which looked like it was shot in 2014 and released in 2021.
27: Liked
Dune a lot, but what to judge? Considering where it ended, only hoping every one of that star cast got paid well...
PS: Might have missed some others, but will add if I remember them.
