Best of 2020: Film
While many film releases had to be held back until the next year, some graced our screens regardless of the circumstances. Here are a few of the releases which our writers particularly enjoyed.
“Mank” on Netflix
Mank
Dir. David Fincher
In the gloomy mansion of Xanadu, the media mogul Charles Foster Kane is on his deathbed. As a glass snow globe rolls out of his lifeless hand, we are left guessing the meaning behind “rosebud” - his last word. Many will recognise this as the opening scene of “Citizen Kane” (1941) - Orson Welles’ debut masterpiece, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest films ever made.
On the North-Verde ranch in Victorville, Hollywood screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz ( Gary Oldman) is also in bed, recovering from a leg injury and drinking away the pressure of an upcoming deadline. He blacks out, and an empty glass bottle rolls out of his inanimate hand - does this seem familiar? In a way, he too is on his deathbed, as his work on the “Citizen Kane” script is nearly finished, and according to Roland Barthes, it is the moment of the text’s creation which brings about the “death of the author.” However, David Fincher will accomplish the impossible and bring the author back to life in his ambitious, multi-layered and sophisticated “Mank”.
“Mank” was released on Netflix on December 4, and it is a meticulously detailed, cinephilic exploration of 1930s Hollywood, with it’s politics, aesthetics and morals (or lack thereof). The leading character, Mank, is at the same time of this world and stands in stark contrast to it - a Shakespearean fool on some occasions, and the modern-day Don Quixote on others. Through its multiple interconnected storylines, “Mank” raises the question of whether the creator, and filmmaker in particular, is responsible for changing and distorting the world.
It is a demanding film, but one worth paying attention to, if not for the intricate plot then for its fast-paced jazz music, unmatched witt and beautiful cinematography.
Daria Mosolova
Soul
Dir. Pete Docter & Kemp Powers
Released on Christmas Day, Pixar’s newest film surprised me in the best of ways. “Soul” follows Joe Gardner, a middle school music teacher who struggles to find success as a jazz pianist. When his soul is separated from his body, Joe accidentally ends up in the “Great Before” - a space where souls obtain their personality traits before going to Earth - and must help an unborn soul find their passion. Almost like a companion to “Inside Out” (2015), the movie is metaphysical and complex, yet it deals with existential questions in terms which can be understood by people of all ages. It is fiercely original and imaginative, finding a balance between comedic entertainment and philosophical reflection. The animation is stunning, honouring with realism its subject matter on Earth but never shying away from being innovative when the characters find themselves beyond it. Joe is also Disney-Pixar’s first Black lead, and his story is both set against the deeply multicultural setting of New York City and imbedded in the quintessentially African American world of jazz, all of which the film depicts with grace and beauty. “Soul” explores what makes us who we are, the role our jobs and passions play in our purpose, and the grandeur of everyday existence. I never expected to learn more about the meaning of life from a Pixar film, but after watching “Soul” I think I have a slightly better idea of how to live it.
Miyin Delgado Karl
Lovers Rock
Dir. Steve McQueen
There's only so much that Steve McQueen can say in a film about the events of one night, but he says it with style. “Lovers Rock” is another story in his “Small Axe” trilogy that relishes the tender, small moments in time that slip through the cracks of an energetic night of good music and (mostly) warm company. Though, nothing is ever easy, and romance can so quickly refashion itself into a cruel brand of realism, “Lovers Rock” is cool, in an old-time, dreamy way, in a Caribbean way. It's simply nice - especially to watch a film that chooses not to handpick the most popular bits and pieces of one's culture, and instead dives wholeheartedly (barring a few inevitable lapses) into the roots.
Kirese Narinesingh
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Dir. Céline Sciamma
Released in the UK at the start of the year, “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” addresses feminist themes of marriage, abortion, the female gaze and sexuality. Erotic without being exploitative, Céline Sciamma reimagines the artistic-music dynamic as symbiotic: beheld and beholder become tangled and confused, for “when you're observing me, who do you think I'm observing?”. Set in eighteenth-century Brittany, Sciamma’s sapphic love story, remembered through the titular painting of a woman with a flame-hemmed dress, observes Marianne (Noémie Merlant) as she studies and paints her subject, Héloïse (Adèle Haenel), in secret so that she may be married. The screenplay is transcendental, as if the words have been lifted from poetry, creating a detail that weaves together fragmented artworks and coastal kisses. The invisible threads that run through the film, Greek myth and folded pages, create a manifesto on the act of looking, or, more painfully, looking away. The film is acutely aware of the economy of sound, punctuated only by a few, striking, diegetic scenes, and the final one, in which the flickering of Héloïse’s features harmonise with the arpeggios of Vivaldi, sets Sciamma’s own masterpiece ablaze.
Maeve Hastings
Tenet
Dir. Christopher Nolan
I don’t remember a time when I found a Christopher Nolan film boring or disappointing. Perhaps I am biased, but “Tenet” is no exception to my sentiment and it is most definitely not a dull film. Launched into the world as the film industry’s saving grace during the pandemic, this time-bending action-packed film full of heists, explosions, car chases and starring a cast grateful to be part of a Nolan creation (…and Michael Caine), is nothing short of an exhilarating roller coaster ride, but in reverse. In all honesty, the film is confusing at times, yes. But it is also one that, when it makes sense, is ingenious, mind-boggling and will keep one theorising timelines for hours on end. So despite the plethora of polarised reviews, I would say that “Tenet” was and is worth the watch. It is a cinematic experience and another manifestation, much like “Inception” (2010) and “Interstellar” (2014), of Nolan’s escapist and grand film-making. Even if the film is not emotionally captivating or always narratively comprehensible, it is without a doubt immersive – where even the most sharp-witted viewers cannot be distracted by their phones or otherwise. And at the end, whilst being both audacious and astonishing, “Tenet” is a glaring reminder that there is quite simply no one else who does meticulous, compelling and hours-of-discussion-worthy sci-fi blockbusters better than Christopher Nolan.
Shayeza Walid
Jojo Rabbit
Dir. Taika Waititi
Undeniably one of the most outrageous films I have ever seen, Taika Waititi’s “Jojo Rabbit” masterfully satirises Nazism in a moving coming-of-age tale of Johannes “Jojo” Betzler, a 10-year-old Nazi fanatic. We follow Jojo’s journey as he begins to question his blind nationalism, through conversations with his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler, after discovering a young Jewish girl hidden by his mother in the attic. Stellar performances from Roman Griffin Davis as Jojo, Scarlett Johansson as his progressive anti-Nazi mother, and Sam Rockwell as the disillusioned Captain Klenzendorf make the film an unforgettable emotional rollercoaster full of humour and heartbreak. What I love most about “Jojo Rabbit” is the feature which sets it apart from other films of the same era – its quirky portrayal of hope, empathy and humanity in a time as dark as WWII.
Paree Desai
Parasite
Dir. Bong Joon-Ho
Bong Joon-Ho's “Parasite” was released in UK cinemas in February of this year and is an apt story of the growing class divide in South Korea. Joon-Ho depicts the stark contrast between the Kims’ squalid, barely-noticeable, basement home and the Parks’ airy, grandiose, gallery-like home. Following a cunning plan, one by one, the Kims infiltrate the Parks’ home by posing as the help the wife, Yeon-kyo, heavily depends on to raise her two children. Yet while life begins to improve for the Kims, what's to come is the most unexpected. As such, even viewers who are pros at guessing film endings will find themselves on the edge of their seats in anticipation of the next twist. With an ingenious screenplay, successful direction and stellar performances from the ensemble cast, it’s no wonder “Parasite” gained universal acclaim and a string of noteworthy accolades.
Alexandra Anoja