Cold Start

Thanks for the Amazon tips.
I usually produce a personal top ten film list of the year at this juncture but it’s been slim pickings this time round with trips to the cinema limited and only discovering the potential of Netflix/Amazon towards the end of the year. Still...enough of the excuses - my blipmate filmbuddy Pensioner expects.....so let’s have a go (with a bit of artistic licence as to when these were released - I’ve definitely watched ‘em all this year)

10. True History of the Kelly Gang - Loved the book and the cinematography didn’t disappoint, but in the end just a tad too weird to be truly engaging.
9. The Trial of the Chicago 7 - Sorkin delivers plenty of wit and political insight - maybe too much of a crowd pleaser for me.
8. 1917 - the ‘one shot, continuous’ cinematography for the action scenes is just jaw dropping....visceral stuff. Didn’t always feel the emotional engagement with the characters.
7. Emma - Decadently staged and sharply acted, it’s an assured adaptation of the classic. Had problems with the overly jaunty score!
6. Parasite -really enjoyed the aspects of social satire early on in the film, but the descent into over the top slasher movie territory by the end was off putting.
5. Uncut Gems - Adam Sandler as you’ve never seen him before. A roller-coaster of aggravation and intensity that becomes exhausting - in a good way!
4. A Hidden Life - Big Terence Malick fan - aware he divides opinion on the pretentious/poetic spectrum but found this mesmerising .
3. Crip Camp - Liked the way it segued from being a snapshot of a cool getaway for disabled teens to a bigger-picture chronicle of the birth of a movement. Inspirational.
2. Shoplifters - Came late to the delights of this one - it’s edged by despair, and yet life-affirming - a claustrophobic, cluttered atmosphere but brimming with warmth. Great stuff.
1. Jojo Rabbit - An unexpected delight. Laugh out loud funny but difficult to categorise. Provocative...silly - it still manages moments of real poignancy.

Best wishes for a decent film watching 2021.