While 2021 was a weak year for films, three of the six mini-reviews below highlight notable movies.
Drive My Car— a three-hour Japanese movie from start to finish but it’s entered for best picture in the U.S. because there’s about eight minutes of English dialogue. The character portrayals are excellent. The story is not earth shaking, but it keeps you enthralled. It all moves slowly, but you get on the wavelength and you don’t mind the pace, except for the last 20 minutes or so. I watched this on a small screen; on a big screen I couldn’t have lasted, even with an intermission. Regardless, it’s one of the year’s best despite the flaws.
Swan Song — with Mahersalah Ali, Glenn Close, Naomie Harris, and Awkwafina is as good as it gets. It’s in the near future, and seems entirely realistic. A man who is dying invests in a company that can create a duplicate of himself so that his wife and son don’t know the difference. The ‘duplicate’ has every cell, every memory, every thing identical, and can recall even the most subtle and minute detail of the original’s life. The drama is in the dying man’s ability or not to accept that he will be replaced. It’s a tremendous think piece and likely to not receive the acclaim it deserves. Ali has once again uncorked an Oscar-winning performance, playing both parts. I can’t envision anyone doing better this year.
Dune— with the ultra talented Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, the vastly overrated Timothée Calamet, and Josh Brolin. You have to wonder why anybody attempts to make this movie. What works within a book often does not work on the big screen. The dialogue is stilted. The film is overwrought and way too long. Only Dune aficionados, at best, could be interested.
Licorice Pizza — starring newcomers, and supposed to be a light, zippy movie to which we can all relate, but I found it unappealing. The characters held no fascination for me and the so-so plot moved too slowly.
Being the Ricardos — with Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem is a gem that the masses will never accept. They want Lucy Ricardo to rant and rave all over the “I Love Lucy” set, but that’s not at the heart of this story. Javier Bardem captures the nuances of Desi Arnaz. Nicole Kidman in an oscar-worthy turn nails Lucille Ball, one of the sharpest actors and producers in Hollywood (FYI, at Desilu productions, she gave the green light to Star Trek, Mission Impossible, Mannix, and The Untouchables.) Nevermind with the critics say, you want to see this.
The Power of the Dog — with Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, and Jessie Plemons. Although it’s won several awards, the story is rather dark and drab. Watching Cumberbatch play another role that expands his repertoire is, perhaps, worth enduring this.
