Movies at home - 12/10/20 Edition
Because you need something until WW84.
December generally marks the time when a ton of awards contenders come out. However, this year, due to the pandemic and many awards bodies changing their eligibility windows, December might have a little lighter fare than usual. In an attempt to satiate one’s need for prestige-y flicks, this week’s lead films are some recent cuts that may have slipped through the cracks. But yes, I too am waiting for Wolfwalkers, Minari, Nomadland, etc.
Hell or High Water
When released, this modern western echoed the economic anxiety of the late 2000s. Plotted as desperate brothers rob banks to save the family farm from insolvency, the film isn’t just a throwaway heist flick. It’s a razor-focused, blisteringly paced western epic. Propelled by economic desperation, the brothers (played wonderfully by Chris Pine and Ben Foster) are at once brutal, tender, wretched, and hopeful, playing the everyman; the average, downtrodden Joe. A dark horse awards contender, Hell or High Water feels more relevant today than it did in 2016. Read David Sims’s review at The Atlantic. 102 mins. Watch the trailer. Find it on Amazon ($3.99) or YouTube ($3.99).
Burning
Burning wasn’t nominated for an Oscar (although should have been). This Lee Chang Dong film based on a Murakami novel is a slow building character study on classism and youth in South Korea. Filled with a love triangle, millennial ennui, and dark secrets, Burning slowly morphs into a gripping thriller. American audiences will know Steven Yuen (The Walking Dead, Minari), and Ah In Yoo (Alive) shows why he’s one of Korea’s best young actors. But Jun Jong-seo steals the show with an utterly magnetic performance as the flighty girl next door. 148 mins. Watch the trailer. Netflix now.
Read David Erlich’s “Must-See Movies: 5 Reasons to See ‘Burning’ as Soon as Possible,” at Indiewire.
Sound of Metal
This pick is a bit of cheat, since it’s a new release but the critical buzz it’s generated despite the release of Mank is legitimate. Riz Ahmed turns in a tour de force, awards-worthy performance as a young, former addict drummer who suddenly loses his hearing. The hearing loss puts Ruben on a path of learning how to cope with his new circumstances and find his path forward resonates deeply in 2020. It’s a suffocating, evocative, and cleansing watch. 120 mins. Read Kristy Puchko’s review at Crooked Marguee. Find it on Amazon Prime.
Uncut Gems
The Sandman turns in a once-in-a-lifetime performance as Howard Ratner, a small time jeweler and gambler, looking to hit it big. This Safdie brothers film is a non-stop, anxiety inducing, audio-visual feast with Ratner juggling family, business, and the mob, trying to hit it big by auctioning a rare black opal. Quintessentially New York, the film turns in a dynamic performance by Adam Sandler and strong supporting roles from Idina Menzel, Julia Fox, LaKeith Stanfield, and surprisingly, Kevin Garnett. Uncut Gems isn’t for everyone, but it’s a unique and visceral film experience that cannot be emulated. Check the trailer. Watch on Netflix.
Lighter fare…
On the Rocks
The latest from auteur director Sofia Coppola find her returning to a perfectly light, if indulgent, romp through the lives of an upper class family in New York. Laura (Rashida Jones) is a writer whose hit a lull in her life, suspecting her husband Dean (Marlon Wayans) is cheating with his assistant (Jessica Henwick). Thus begins Laura’s rash caper with her globetrotting, transient, charming father Felix (Bill Murray) to expose Dean. The reveal and film’s end is more of a whisper than bang, and doesn’t quite move the heartstrings as much as you’d expect, but the ride is still an amusing and stylish cinematic affair. Plus Jenny Slate. 96 mins. Trailer. Watch on Apple TV+.
Obligatory TV recommendation…
What to watch now that the entire internet has seen The Undoing.
The Great
The Great, from creator Tony McNamara (The Favourite), is not another stuffy period drama, but an irreverent, deeply satirical look at the rise of Catherine the Great. Elle Fanning plays a pitch perfect Catherine, from naïve idealist to willing conspirator as she overthrows her husband, the cruel, dumb Peter III (Nicolas Hoult) in order to save the Russian Empire. If you’re familiar with the brand of intelligent and witty humor that McNamara brings to his work, The Great will be a welcome watch. 10 episodes,~ 50 mins. Read Hoai-Tran Bui’s review at Slashfilm. Trailer here. Watch on Hulu now.
Shoutout Letterboxd for helping the film community keep track of their obsession.
For last week’s recommendations, check it out here.
Also, I’d love any feedback or suggestions on the content/layout! Let me know below!