10s of 2020 (pt. 4)

10. The Way Back

I was barely even watching this movie when it was on, because I have already seen it before. Not literally, but effectively. I knew everything it had to offer and what it individually brought to the table wasn't interesting enough for me to care. I shouldn't have even bothered, but I did, so here it sits.

9. Bad Education

Another movie that did nothing unexpected, but this one worked a little better for me. I can blame the fact that I liked the cast, mainly Hugh Jackman (who does a solid job here). Nothing super memorable, but not a bad watch.

8. The Assistant

I get what this movie was going for, but that doesn't necessarily mean I cared for it. It's deliberately slow and mundane to highlight the aspects of this form of everyday sexism, but just understanding a movie isn't enough to compel me. It's good for what it is, but what it is does little for me.

7. The Forty-Year-Old Version

I don't know anything about Radha Blank outside of this movie, but I can say that while she struggles to write and direct other people, she is excellent at writing and directing herself. She's a compelling lead and I enjoyed her journey, even if the destination was a foregone conclusion. The script hits the same beats again and again, and it all becomes slightly tedious, but there is a sincerity to it all that keeps it from falling apart.

6. Possessor

Son of Cronenberg takes over the reins from his father, and the results are mostly a success. I'm a fan of body horror and weird sci-fi, so I was mostly sold on this one, I just wish they hadn't shot it handheld, which often took me out of the experience. Still, I enjoyed Abbott and Riseborough, and the idea was wild enough to keep me interested.

5. The Wolf House

With all the plot of a pop-up book, this is an animated fairy tale that I could only ever recommend to people with an appreciation for the stop-motion animation process. It's one of the most visually impressive movies of the year, but little more than just that. It worked for me, but it's too specific and weird to appeal to most people.

4. An American Pickle

I was not expecting to like this movie so much, so maybe it's just my low expectations talking here, but this has been one of my favorite comedies of the year so far. Seth Rogen gives an actually good performance here in a dual role, and the music and production of the prologue in particular stands apart. It doesn't break any ground, but the concept is silly and there's enough character development sprinkled throughout to make its already-short runtime fly by pretty fast.

3. Dick Johnson Is Dead

One of the most experimental documentaries I've seen in a long time, this movie balances humor, sadness, and everything in between as well as anything could ever hope to, all held together by the loveable good nature of the titular Dick Johnson. A very introspective, sweet, funny, heartfelt, and emotional documentary.

2. Rewind

Truth be told, I kind of hated this movie. I hated it in the same way that I hated Dear Zachary, another one of the most disturbing and infuriating documentaries I've ever seen. But while I found the entire viewing experience uncomfortable and maddening, it's been one I haven't been able to shake. It's definitely rough, but a very powerful and eye-opening look on sexual assault from an up-close and personal perspective.

1. Portrait Of A Lady On Fire

I didn't love this movie like everyone else has, but as the sort of female equivalent of Call Me By Your Name, it has similarly wormed its way into my brain and hasn't let go. Very slow, methodical, and beautifully-shot, this movie takes its time to establish the characters, their relationship, and does so while maintaining a certain amount of tension and avoiding many of the pitfalls of the forbidden love subgenre. It also doesn't suffer from the same issues as other lesbian dramas like The Handmaiden and Blue Is The Warmest Color, which both feel at times like thinly-veiled pornography, once again setting this one apart thanks to the difference that can be made by a female perspective on a story like this. Most of my issues here are basically nitpicks, but I think with a few small tweaks this could have been a truly great film that I admired as much as many others have before me.