20:20 (Pt 2) Power chords, romantic comedies, and unseen gems?
Saturday, October 31, 2020 at 1:01AM Due to our ongoing fetish for freezeframing movies at random and for the practical reasons of looking for which 2020 releases are streaming --we are rapidly approaching "year in review" list-season so we gotta catch up --we're freezing 2020 pictures at the 20:20 mark. If you missed part one, that's here. The movies were chosen entirely at random ....so long as they were easily accessible for viewing.
How many of these 15 movies have you seen? Any you've been meaning to catch up with?
Are the people ready to make opening arguments?
TRIAL OF CHICAGO 7 (Aaron Sorkin, US)
Netflix. Original release date: Oct 16th. Streaming on Netflix
Well... the people have definitely made arguments already about this movie. Including here. We published both a rave and a pan. As for myself I fall somewhere in the middle of those two takes. It has its moments but its glossiness and kinda broad performances are like double-edged swords; sometimes they lend this a grand Hollywood entertainment vibe and other times they make it feel glib and inauthentic.
When I have all six strings I'll play the ultimate power chord.
TROLLS WORLD TOUR (Walt Dohrn & David P Smith, US)
Universal. Original Release Date: April 10th. Streaming on Hulu
True story: I was babysitting one of my friend's kids the other day and while he was in his zoom class the teacher asked them to name their favourite movies. Mostly it was recent Disney films or big franchises like Star Wars that were name-checked. But one kid screamed "Trolls World Tour!" like he was possessed. Out of curiousity I watched this bit and then ended up watching the whole thing. It was both beautiful and ugly and idiotic and smart... often all of those things simultaneously. It's too bad the music is terrible and that it already feels dated in its hysterical need to feel contemporary. (Anyway, get that kid an exorcist.)
[heartbeat sounds from ultrasound]
NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS (Eliza Hittman, US)
Focus Features. Original Release date: March 13th. Streaming on HBOMax
I have a terrible confession to make: have still not screened this but it's one of the most acclaimed pictures of the year so I WILL carve out the time this weekend. I'm realizing that my pickings for "best of the year" are very slim thus far since a lot of promising things are moving to Jan/Feb ...which is next year (sigh).
What was wrong with the way I said it?
BOYS IN THE BAND (Joe Mantello, US)
Netflix. Original release date: Sept 30th. Streaming on Netflix
Apologies that we never properly wrote this one up. I liked it enough to watch it twice though Murtada did not like it (as he shared on the podcast). True rare remake fact: I think it's better than the original. Unpopular opinion: I'm leaning towards Andrew Rannells being best in show. Some of his line readings were particularly inspired ("it's for you, Hank" just killed me), and though he was saddled with an unlikeable character -- who wasn't in this famous play? -- he plays the cattiness just right, as if its half-exhausted by itself. And there's so much unspoken rage underneath his rationalizations and argumentativeness. Anyway, I thought he was great but who was your favourite in this version?
[romantic music]
REBECCA (Ben Wheatley, UK)
Netflix. Original release date: Oct 21st. Streaming on Netflix
Hmmm. Now I will be spending two hours picturing Sir Laurence Olivier eating Joan Fontaine's face. (One thing I love about the original is how chilly and formal their relationship feels... even when things are going well.) These two hours will not be spent consuming the remake as no good could come of that (we hear).
Why most hip hop got me feeling
so much older, yo?
When the fuck is this loud-ass song
Gon' be over?
THE FORTY YEAR OLD VERSION (Radha Blank, US)
Netflix. Original release date: Oct 9th. Streaming on Netflix
Murtada really liked this one at Sundance.
[V.O. interrupted] The obvious unseen... [needle scratch]
THE HALF OF IT (Alice Wu, US)
Netflix. Original release date: May 1st. Streaming on Netflix
Cyrano de Bergerac sure does inspire a lot of movies and tv plots, doesn't he?
All right, run it back. Marcus, this time your feet don't leave the paint. Brandon, let's go!
THE WAY BACK (Gavin O'Connor, US)
Warner Bros. Original release date: March 6th. Streaming on HBO Max
Keep waiting for the right mood to watch this. It hasn't come yet but hopefully it will if Ben Affleck is as good as people say he is herein.
[no dialogue]
HOLIDATE (John Whitesell, US)
Netflix. Original release date: Oct 28th. Streaming on Netflix
I suspect this movie will lead many to drink, so that's a fun time stamp to land on. Holidate is not... good... but somehow it's very watchable? It helps that Luke Bracey and Emma Roberts are both so dazzlingly attractive that occassionally you forget how aggravating their characters are. But even at just 103 minutes it takes them WAY too long to fess up to their feelings since we're aware of said feelings seconds after they meet. It's all very broad but it's also bawdy and that's worth something these days when everything is so neutered.
He wanted me to read a prepared statement.
THE INVISIBLE MAN (Leigh Whannel, Canada/US/Australia)
Universal Pictures. Original release date: Feb 28th. Streaming on HBO Max
Love that the image we landed out on has Elisabeth Moss out of focus. Not quite invisible but somehow fitting. I must confess I don't quite get the acclaim for this movie/performance. All very solid but... good ≠ best. (Maybe this is just a 2020 problem?) Previously reviewed by Chris.
[voice on loudspeaker] Chin up. It's a few minutes after 7 am. Make the most of life as long as we have life.
BACURAU (Juliano Dornelles & Kleber Mendonça Filho, Brazil/France)
Kino Lorber. Original release date: March 19th. Streaming on Criterion Channel
I loved Aquarius so much so I feel guilt that I haven't yet watched this but one of these days I hope Filho can convince himself to make a short movie. I'm not necessarily proud of it but whenever I'm thinking about which of the MANY films I still have to catch up with from any given year I always go with the options that are under two hours first. Eventually I will screen this. Hopefully soon since my 2020 'best of' list is looking dire and I've heard great things. Previously reviewed by Jason.
[Voice on loudspeaker] Authorities assure us the crisis will be swiftly handled. Even so, doubts are mounting.
ARTEMIS FOWL (Kenneth Branagh, US)
Walt Disney Pictures. Original release date: June 12th. Streaming on Disney+
Well, this one certainly came (to streaming) and went (out of the public consciousness) in record time. Did any of you watch it?
Leave it be, Francie
TO THE STARS (Martha Stephens, US)
Samuel Goldwyn Major. Original release date: April 24th. Streaming on Hulu
Shea Wigham is about to get a vodka-soaked ice cube thrown at him by his drunk wife Francie (Jordana Spiro). This is a reasonably diverting lesbian drama set in the 1960s Oklahoma. I caught it last summer at the Bentonville Film Festival, I think? (Their daughter, played by Moonrise Kingdom's Kara Hayward, is the lead character, and in love with a classmate)
I've been touching it the whole time!
THE LOVE BIRDS (Michael Showalter, US)
Netflix. Original release date: May 22nd. Streaming on Netflix.
...said everyone about their phones always. Good luck with fingerprints when phones are evidence.
I am the anti-christ
PALM SPRINGS (Max Barbakow, US)
Neon. Original release date: July 10th. Streaming on Hulu
LOLOLOL. This is the scene where Nyles explains to Sarah about what's happening to her with the desert cave and the supernatural time loop. Andy Samberg and Cristin Milotti are absolutely terrific in the film and they'd make ideal Globe Comedy nominees. (Are you listening HFPA?) Boy did this moviee get f***ed up by COVID after a big festival purchase. It's so entertaining and they spent so much money at Sundance only to have to dump it on streaming. Previously reviewed by Abe at Sundance.
Reader Comments (21)
The Boys in the Band is not half-bad, but it does suffer from "Please-Not-Him" Syndrome. I know several people who have aversions to seeing Parsons, Quinto, Rannells and Bomer (not because of his looks, obviously) in anything. For me, Tuc Watkins and Robin de Jesus were MVPs.
Rebecca: why? Although I will say that KST makes a great (if not instantly iconic) Mrs. Danvers, and Lily James is as good as Joan Fontaine was (meaning she bugged the shit out of me, too) — it's a thankless role. And it's best never to compare Hammer to Olivier.
The kid who liked Trolls will make a great gay one day.
Who has a problem watching Matt Bomer ???
Rest assured for your best of lists at the end of the year you do not need to see Artemis Fowl, which somehow pulled the feat of being both incoherent and dull.
You should definitely watch The Way Back. As with many of Gavin O'connors films there are no surprises in the cliched plot but despite that Affleck gives his best performance since Shakespeare in Love and some of the young actors, Brandon Wilson in particular, will have me watching their career unfold with great interest.
Stet - had completely forgotten Affleck was in Gone Girl. So maybe his second best performance since Shakespeare in Love.
Artemis Fowl is really terrible, avoid it. I can't believe it is a Kenneth Branagh film.
Robin de Jesús.
Never Rarely Sometimes Always is so grim and it feels like the two main characters don't even like each other enough to go through everything in the film. I far preferred Unpregnant on HBO Plus for a drastically different take on the same material (really funny, with two great lead performances).
Bacurau and The Forty Year Old Version are both very good, though.
Bacurau is even better than Aquarius in my opinion. Palm Springs was absolutely delightful!
Rebecca (1940) x Rebecca (2020): In old films we don't see characters having sex, going to the bathroom to do their needs, etc. It wouldn't be bad to see something more intimate between Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh, having an apparently so intense and hot relationship. On the other hand, thankfully we didn't see anything like Ingrid Bergman sitting on a toilet or Grace Kelly holding a roll of toilet paper. :-)
PS.: There is a 1997 version of Rebecca, a two-episode British miniseries with Diana Rigg as Mrs. Danvers, starring Charles Dance and Emilia Fox. I never watched it, but I'm curious.
THE FORTY YEAR OLD VERSION is one of my favorites of the year. It helps that the lead is ridiculously charming.
PALM SPRINGS is definitely one of the best films of the year. I'm not expecting awards attention to it, but who knows with this insane year?
I'm sure I'm not the only one to make this connection by TROLLS WORLD TOUR had basically the same plot as AQUAMAN right?
Finally, with BOYS IN THE BAND I think a lot of those actors were pretty damn good on it. But I think Jim Parsons has really build a niche of gay sassy characters (see Next to Normal) and I think he succeeded here in probably the trickiest role in the bunch.
I agree that Robin de Jesús is the best in Boys in the Band. I don't see the appeal of Andrew Rannells (his looks are more suitable to play villains, in my opinion). As for Artemis Fowl, as some have said, avoid at all cost!
Pedro: It really makes me hope an executive at Warner Bros. looked at it, laughed and said "can we show Disney how this is done? Do we have a property starring a pre-teen supervillain?" And an intern said "Well, there was this show on Cartoon Network...?"
Robin de Jesus was the MVP and the only improvement over the original cast. Otherwise the original is better in every way.
I actually like Matt Bomer. He is actually a great actor. Rannells on the other hand just plays the same role and it unfortunately plays up the worst kind of gay stereotypes. Jim Parsons can just fuck off.
I tried so hard to enjoy the new Rebecca, but I can’t. Not even by the grace of Kristin Scott-Thomas. But the production design is great.
Palm Springs was really, really funny, although I wish the trailer hadn't explained what is happening.
The Way Back is a Sports Movie and a Social Message Movie, and neither the train shall meet, unfortunately. HOWEVER, Allfeck is really excellent, and I DO hope he gets remembered come Awards time.
The Love Birds is cute. It's nothing much of a fluff, but it's cute.
LOVE Palm Springs. I’ve watched it 3 times during COVID already. Glad to see some love for it here.
De Jesus and Tuc Watkins as well. I actually liked most of the portrayals, except for Quinto and Parsons in the first half. I enjoyed this movie more than I thought I would given all that's been written about it and Ryan Murphy's overzealousness. In fact I thought it was well directed for a play. I think it would be fascinating to rewrite it in today's context.
Palm Springs has been my favorite movie of this year, but I also haven’t seen as many movies this year. It’s ideal viewing while being stuck at home during a pandemic and made me see Andy Samberg as a sexy being.
Well you are in luck because Kleber Mendonça Filho has many short films! Dozens in fact... My favorites are Green Vinyl (Vinil verde) and Cold tropics (Recife frio)
theyre available on youtube (https://youtu.be/U9mu2TJ0scY)