Okay we are now at my 7-6-and 5 best films of 2021.........From The Shadows
ROADRUNNER: A FILM ABOUT ANTHONY BOURDAIN
This documentary follows the extraordinary life of Anthony Bourdain. His lows and highs. His mistakes in his personal life, and his successes in life and business.
This film was criticized for dubbing in Anthony's voice as a narration for the film. Also criticized for blaming his partner for pushing away all that could help him in the end.
I loved this film I don't care if they dubbed in his voice, it was his words from an audio book. I don't care if they made his partner look bad, maybe she should look in the mirror. I never watched any of his shows, I did not know much about him, but still I walked out of the theater fascinated and you will to. What a life. Yet a life full of struggles.
A wonderful, put together documentary by director Morgan Neville. I saw this as a screening in a theater, I did not want to go see it, but...I figured I had nothing else to see.....sooo happy I did.
Roadrunner can be seen on HBOMax..CNN online..and pay per view streaming.
My number 7 film of 2021: ROADRUNNER A FILM ABOUT ANTHONY BOURDAIN
6
LICORICE PIZZA
A film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, takes us to the 70's .
We follow the story of Alana Kane (Alana Haim) and Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman) as they grow up and maybe fall in love in a very strange time period.
Two people meeting each other and not knowing their lives..in that moment will change for the better and sometimes the worst. Gary is over confident almost annoyingly so. While Alana is unstable and lost. Together they strangely work. They are kindred spirits. Without each other they become lost.
This film reminded me a bit of The French Dispatch. Where it takes little vignettes/stories and pieces them together using one base. In the French Dispatch it was glued together by the magazine itself. In Licorice Pizza all these stories are glued together by Alana and Gary. The difference here is Alana and Gary are walking into true or based on true Hollywood stories that Paul Thomas Anderson have heard about.
The acting here is spot on...
Sean Penn playing Jack Holden (William Holden)
Bradley Cooper playing Jon Peters
Tom Waits playing Rex Blau
John C Reilly as Fred Gwynn
Christine Eberrsol as Lucy Doolittle (Well Lucille Ball)
Lets not forget the leads...
Cooper Hoffman with his first acting role. He did not want to follow in his dads footsteps at being an actor. Anderson was so persistent with him, Cooper gave it a shot and he is wonderful in his first role. Alana Haim in her first role. She is part of the singing group Haim, with her sisters. In fact her sisters are in the movie, are played by the Haim sisters!! In fact her father and mother are her Mom and Dad!! Alana is in almost every scene, and she plays her role on a tightrope, awkward; confident; and slightly embarrassed she is hanging with this 15 year old.She is a marvel.
The look. That is what Anderson does great, he works time periods real well:
Gas shortages
Waterbeds
Polyester suits
Pinball machines
Smoke filled restaurants
It's the 70's
The age difference bothered me, I mean he is 15. Still you have to tell yourself this is the 70's. As the story goes on he is 16 and...that was okay in California at the time. Still odd, I still cannot figure out why Anderson did not write Gary as an 18 year old high school student. Maybe it is just me. However they really did nothing wrong except a FLASH. Alana even says "I think it is weird I hang out with Gary and his 15 year old friends". She knows. She tries to fight it, she knows that together they work, and she kind of hates it. LOL
This is one of these films you either hate or love. I kinda loved it. I have seen it twice and the 2nd time..I loved even more. It is a "Talkie", it is a story. No special effects, no green screen..and still it works lol.
Licorice Pizza is still in theaters,,,yet to be available for streaming to rent you can only stream to buy for home viewing at this point.
My number 6 film of the year: LICORICE PIZZA. It's an acquired taste. Barbra Streisand. Sand. Sand Like the SAND.
5
LAST NIGHT IN SOHO
Directed by Edgar Wright. Screenplay by Edgar Wright and Krysty Wilson-Cairns. This is the story of an aspiring fashion designer Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie),who is taking her classes in Soho in the UK. She starts having visions of life in Soho in the 1960's. Slowly these visions get darker.
This film is debated. Many did not like the pace. Still there are many people like me, who appreciate it(It did pop on other top ten lists). So what I am saying is, odds are you are going to disagree with me here...and that is okay.
This film does so many things right
-Wright, just as he did in the wonderful Baby Driver, uses music and quick edits to keep your attention there in a world where people have a Tik Tok attention span.
-The look and design by set designer Jude Farr is fantastic,switching in a snap from the 60's to present day.
What is amazing is he did not use green screens. When Eloise and and Sandie see each other they are mirroring each other with duplicate sets. Its crazy. Even in this dance scene no special effects just hard work and a steady cam...
-The costume design by Odile Dicks-Mireaux was an Oscar snub
-The screenplay keeps you guessing. What is this? A ghost story? A horror? A story of someone with psychological issues? What is it? You don't see it coming for sure.
-Performances by two of my favorite young actors: Thomasin McKenzie as Eloise and Anya Taylor Joy as Sandie. Just perfect, both often saying so much with just a look or an expression. It's great. Oh who knew Anya could sing???!
-OOOH lets not forget Matt Smith DR WHO!
This year after feeling like I see the same thing over and over, I really appreciate someone trying something different. Yes there are holes, still Edgar Wright tried something different and kept me on the edge to the end.
Night In Soho is not on any platform but is available to rent/stream by whatever service you use
My number 5 film of 2021 LAST NIGHT IN SOHO
Getting closer to my top film...
From the shadows as always thanks for your time
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