My Top 9 (10) Movies of 2020!

So
this year’s total for the movies was 55. That included a bunch of
documentaries and four movies that were so bad that they got called
out for it. But among the rest were some truly great ones. Most
years, getting down to my magic number of nine is tough, but there’s
an obvious line. This year, I got down to the final slot and could
not split the final pair. So you get 10 titles for the price of nine.
(To steal one of my favorite movie lines — “Forget it Jake, it’s
2020”)

Just
a quick warning-if you come across “The Landing” (a stupid moon
landing conspiracy/science fiction movie), “Cold Case: Dag
Hammarskjöld” claims to be a documentary look at the death of the
charismatic Secretary General of the United Nations. Instead, it’s
a self-indulgent mess that focuses on the director. “I Love You,
Alice B. Toklas” is a late sixties comedy that hasn’t aged at all
well. Maybe a hardcore Peter Sellers fan could love it, but not me.
Finally, “The Circle” has a cast filled with big names (Emma
Watson, Tom Hanks, Karen Gillan, Patton Oswalt), but nothing for them
to do. This movie was so boring, I turned it off after 30 minutes.
Awful.

My
most controversial review? Probably “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”. I
don’t hate it as much as I used to, but it’s a movie about
terrible people.

As
mentioned above, I watched a bunch of documentaries this year. There
were three that jumped out at me. “The Institute” and “ObeyRobot” look at the question of what “art” is, can be, should
be, might be. In the first movie, an elaborate game is set up in San
Francisco where the players don’t know it’s a game. It ran for
several years before they revealed the truth. It’s a fascinating
look at the planned and unplanned results. Meanwhile, “Obey Robot”
looks at the career and work of public artist Shepard Fairey. Art
defies the status quo and defines the future. Both movies are great.

Last
but not least in the documentary category was “Raise Hell-The Lifeand Times of Mollie Ivins”. The brilliant, blunt wit of the Ivins
is as American as apple pie. Our not getting her take on the last four
years is one of the great losses of the modern age. Her words deserve
a place next to Mark Twain.

So
what about this Top Nine Movies of the Year (that actually has ten
titles)?

Jut
missing out was “Fury” (2014), a deeply disturbing but powerful
look at the human results of “total war”. Brad Pitt is stunning
as the tank commander, Don “War Daddy” Collins. It was a
contender, but with 10 titles ahead of it, it was the obvious one to
drop.

OK,
OK, I’ll stop dragging my feet. My Top 9 (10) Movies of 2020:

9:
Paper Moon (1973) and “Asphalt Jungle” (1950) – I went back and
forth for days on which one was going to join “Fury” in “Also
Ran” category. In the end, I just couldn’t bring myself to
eliminate either. Each is a tour
de force with
wonderful characters searching for meaning. Jungle is a great heist
story told by one of the great directors with an all-star cast. Moon
has the real-life family chemistry of the O’Neals, Ryan and Tatum.
Both performed way beyond my expectations going in.

8:
American Folk (2017) – Another of my beloved “little films”. In
the days that followed 9/11, two strangers try to find their ways
home. In a shared road trip across the country, they bond over a love
for folk music, and the kindness of strangers. Starring to real-life
folk singers, Joe Purdy and Amber Rubarth. Stole my heart.

7:
My Man Godfrey (1936) – A “forgotten man”, down on his luck and
living in a city dump, is “discovered” by a rich young woman who
tries to change his life. Turns out there’s more to Godfrey than
she thought. The legendary pair of William Powell and Carole Lombard
would be enough all by themselves to make the list. With a great
supporting cast, top-rate directing by Gregory LaCava, and a touch of
social consciousness that still feels contemporary, you’ve got a
can’t miss movie.

6:
Requiem For a Heavyweight (1962) – The end of “Mountain” Rivera’s
boxing career forces him into facing the reality of his life. A
caring unemployment clerk, and his devoted cut-man battle for the
soul of the boxer with his selfish promoter. The legendary Rod
Serling wrote the script, then the director turned it over to Anthony
Quinn, Mickey Rooney, Jackie Gleason and Julie Harris and got out of
the way. Wonderful stuff.

5:
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018) – A self-centered, hotshot
young director is carried away by the wild imagination of the man he
chose to play the greatest knight errant of them all. A movie that
took 16 years to finish and is worth every minute of the wait.
Jonathan Pryce and Adam Driver flow through a world that only Terry
Gilliam could create. And DON QUIXOTE!!!!

4:
Nebraska (2013) – A son takes his alcoholic, irascible father on a
quest for the million dollars the old man thinks he won. A movie
about fathers and sons, a life without joy, and the lure of big
money. A big studio picture that feels like an indie flick.
Astonishing work by Bruce Dern and Will Forte. A soundtrack I play
regularly. This one was special.

3:
The Maltese Falcon (1941) – Hard-boiled detective Sam Spade has a
beautiful woman
walk into his office and change his life. His
partner will die, his life will be threatened,
the police will
suspect him, and mysterious men will offer him a fortune. All because
of a black bird. Good God, I love this movie. It’s always as good
as I remember it. A classic.

2:
Dogville (2003) – A young woman fleeing a gang of criminals stumbles
into a small town high in the mountains. They offer her a place to
hide in return for some work. The actual price for them all will
be higher than they can imagine. Not an “everyday” piece of
filmmaking. It’s challenging, cerebral, visceral, long, with a
convoluted storyline, and lacking a happy ending. You should watch it
anyway. Wow.

1:
Three Billboards Outside Ebbings, Missouri (2017) – A distraught
mother demands justice for her murdered daughter by confronting the
local authorities with a message they can’t miss. From the moment
the closing credits rolled, I knew this was my top movie of the year.
I’m a huge Frances McDormand fan, and she is at the top of her
considerable game here. Add in Woody Harrelson, Peter Dinklage and
the acting god who is Sam Rockwell, and it was over. Wow, double wow,
and triple wow.

So,
out of an excellent year for movies personally, these are the ones
that rose to the top. Feel free to offer your thoughts.

Can
hardly wait to see what’s in store for 2021.

Peace.