My best films of 2021 (ranked)

It has been a long while since a feature film has made me sit up, especially at the end of a film's fascinating epilogue. This was the case with "Drive My Car" (2021), based on a "long" short-story of Haruki Murakami. Hamaguchi's 3-hour film has a 39 minute prologue and a 5 minute innocent-looking minimalistic epilogue which says so much visual than through spoken words. That epilogue is fascinating. Bravo! My detailed review is at http://moviessansfrontiers.blogspot.com/2022/01/271-japanese-director-ryusuke.html

One of the very intelligent sci-fi films in decades that combines the richness of "Ex-Machina" (2014) and the sci-fi play/film "Marjorie Prime" (2017). Additionally, it has a script that can make you double up with mirth for over the first hour. Wonderful screenplay; it possibly lost out the Silver Bear to a better film in Competition Section that I have yet to watch. But it did win the best actress Silver Bear award; so it did not go empty handed. However, I rate this film as superior to the Golden Bear winner, which did not appeal to me as much. My detailed review is at http://moviessansfrontiers.blogspot.com/2021/12/270-german-film-director-maria.html

An Iranian film on capital punishment, on status of of single mothers, on forgiveness or lack of it, wins the top award at Jerusalem, Israel! Way to go! My review: http://moviessansfrontiers.blogspot.com/2021/11/268-iranian-film-directors-maryam.html

A stunning, reflective film accentuating sound and cinematography in cinema. Well-deserved Jury Prize (effectively, the 2nd best film in competition) at Cannes and the Gold Hugo at Chicago film festivals. Yet another remarkable performance from Tilda Swinton. The best work of director Apichatpong Weerasethakul to date, for me. My detailed review is at http://moviessansfrontiers.blogspot.com/2022/03/273-thai-director-apichatpong.html

A well-made small budget film of high quality. A film on the rare intent and ability to care for the future needs of others when you can do so in your lifetime. http://moviessansfrontiers.blogspot.com/2021/08/265-italian-film-director-uberto.html

Another fascinating work from Uruguayan director Rodrigo Pla and his wife Laura Santullo relying on non-professional actors on subjects that matter. My take on this little, big film: http://moviessansfrontiers.blogspot.com/2021/11/267-uruguayan-film-director-rodrigo.html

Sentimental. Yet sophisticated. With birds, the sea and the trees as silent characters. Notable performances from all types of "mothers," some true, some not so true. A rare Kawase film that is not based on a original script written by the director. Kawase and her co-scriptwriter Izumi Takahashi adapted the Japanese novel by Mizuki Tsujimura. However there is a personal touch here, Kawase herself was brought up by her grandparents (not by her parents) in the Nara region of Japan which is where the true mother in the film is originally from. My detailed review is at http://moviessansfrontiers.blogspot.com/2021/06/264-japanese-film-director-naomi.html

Part documentary, part acted, from Mexico. Wonderful idea. Discusses the corruption in the Mexican police force. Is the public responsible for the state of affairs? Are the elected politicians who encourage the corruption responsible? Will honest cops survive? Very good music and cinematography to boot. This film deserved the Silver Bear for outstanding Artistic Contribution for Editing at the Berlin Film Festival 2021. A trivia the film reveals: It is the always the original natives (a.k.a. the indigenous population) who opt for this no-win career forcing you to accept the status quo of the Mexican police force. If you don't accept the system you are cornered until you resign in disgust.

Autobiography of the director with fictional names. Best lines told to the aspiring director: "With hope, you can make comforting films. It's a trap.. Forget pain.. That's how you will make films. Imagination, creativity.. they are myths." Engaging film of Sorrentino set in Naples, with Maradona's Hand-of-God goal as a metaphor. Actor Tony Servillo is magical every time he works in a Sorrentino film--and this film is no exception. Sorrentino watchers will note the visual connect with the final scene of Sorrentino's film "Consequences of Love", also set in Naples with Servillo in the fictional scene being shot by Sorrentino's early mentor, director Antonio Capuano. Like all his films, this film also offers wry comedy and surreal sex. Italy's submission to the Oscars in the foreign language category.

The film does not belong to the actors. The film belongs to the writer/scriptwriter/former director Steven Knight (of "Locke" fame), followed by director Pablo Larrain ("Jackie;" "The Club"), and the talented editor Sebastian Sepulveda (director of the fascinating film "The Quispe Girls") The story of Diana is well known but Mr Knight's parallels with Anne Boleyn were well-crafted. This film presents to the fore the finer aspects of filmmaking behind the camera, not great performances in front of the camera.

The strength of the film lies in the screenplay. The metaphors of the pheasant (from the opening shot of the dead bird which is not crushed by the tires to the live one that Diana watches closely and doesn't want to be shot down, least of all by her own sons), the connection with eventual execution of the innocent Anne Boleyn, and the taste of KFC chickens all meld well. That's what makes the film tick--not that the film in toto is exceptional. Hats off to the talented Steven Knight, the director Larrain and the editor Sepulveda all very competent in their respective departments. They are the the ones who need kudos not the actors.

Now, how Diana is able to take her sons to the city bypassing personal security is a blind spot in the script.

An unusual film that serves to entertain verbally and visually as a dark comedy, without sex or violence. My full review is at http://moviessansfrontiers.blogspot.com/2021/11/269-canadian-film-director-denis-cotes.html

Three fascinating original tales written and directed by Hamaguchi. Arguably more sophisticated screenplays than those of his fellow countryman Kore-eda who also writes and directs his own original scripts. And wonderful, flawless performances from the entire ensemble of actors.

Notable performances, direction and cinematography. USA recreated in New Zealand.

Very unusual film that keeps your interest to the end. At Cannes, this film shared honors of the second best film in competition with Farhadi's Iranian film "A Hero." I found this work to be far superior to the Iranian film. "Compartment no. 6" is based on a Finnish novel by a reputed lady novelist from that country. As I have not read the novel, how well the Finnish director adapted it is unclear. The performances of all the actors are convincing--especially that of the Russian miner (Yuriy Borisov) from start to finish. Definitely, one of my best films of 2021. Actor Yuriy Borisov had a small role in Zvyagintsev's "Elena," (the actor's debut in feature films)--and it is impressive for him to evolve into a major character actor in this film. He was evidently Zvyagintsev's discovery.

The second best work from UK for the year 2021, though the film was released in 2020, it made the major film festival runs in 2021. ( My best film from UK in the same period remains Uberto Pasolini's "Nowhere Special.)

"Limbo" has won the top honors at the Scottish BAFTAs, Cairo and Brussels international film festivals. It is a more realistic film depicting the turmoil in the minds of Syrian refugees than "The man who sold his skin" made in the same year. Omar is a realistic and honest Syrian fleeing his homeland that he loves. The performances are credible--but Vikash Bhai's Farhad--an Afghan Zoarashtrian. While his performance is endearing it has no obvious touches of a Farsi-speaking Afghan with an unmistakable Afghan accent but instead resembles more of an Indian Parsee speaking English.

The most fascinating touch for me was the almost static camera capturing the empty road ahead of it as a metaphor of the unsure wait of the refugees The second best sequence was the "Jacques Tati" like visual sequence of the postman's car delivering mail captured with humor. Young Sharrock has a great potential and needs to walk down "the empty road" (repeatedly shown in his film) to be a major force like Ken Loach.

A magnetic performance by Renate Reinsve, well deserving her Cannes International Film Festival Best Actress award for the role. Another bit of exciting filmmaking result was the frozen time sequence of the lead actress running around Oslo at daytime, meeting her secret lover, and returning to her present lover while he still pouring out her morning cup of coffee in the kitchen. All timed with the switching on and off of an interior light in the kitchen just as magicians mesmerize unwitting participants from the audience for their tricks. Lovely cinematography that won the film a Silver Hugo at the Chicago film festival.

A lovely cast ensemble. A refreshing feel-good film to boot. I wish Emilia Jones makes it big as she goes forward in her career! A remake of a French film with a great new lead star.

Impressive screenplay; but as I have not read the book, I am unsure how much is the contribution of the adapted screenplay and direction of Maggie Gyllenhaal and how much of the film's strength belongs to the novelist Elena Ferrante. An impressive directorial debut by the actress turned director. Alba Rohrwacher is a scene stealer even in a cameo role of a hiker.

I am not a great admirer of most Almodovar films--yet two recent films he made stand out from the rest: "Parallel Mothers" and "Julieta." While "Julieta" mesmerized me by the Alice Munro story and the performance of its lead actress, "Parallel Mothers" stood out for underscoring the political history of Spain captured through excavation of mass graves of the phalangists, and also for the performances of the the main actresses Penelope Cruz, (deserving of her best actress win at Venice), Milena Smit (a very talented actress), and the attractive Aitana-Sanchez Gijon. Almodovar can be wonderful when he deals with subjects beyond sex, in all its forms. Yes, it is one of the good films of 2021, though the main story is predictable and the political aspect only surfaces towards the end of the film, as an appendage to the first part.

A very interesting script. and wonderful performances. Ms Celine Sciamma is indeed very talented

My favourite film of director Hong Sang-soo to date. Reminded me of the short stories of the Nobel prize winner Alice Munro, particularly the film "Away from Her," based on her story, with Julie Christie in the lead role. The performance of Lee Hye-yeong is remarkable.

Bruno Dumont writes his own original scripts and directs the film. His best best work among those that I have watched so far was "L'humanite" (Humanity) (1999) that swept three top Cannes awards: Best Actor, Best Actress, and The Grand prize of the Jury. Mr Dumont has made an equally good film in "France," a top-notch tale on the downfall of a major TV news personality whose name is France. It is far superior to the Hollywood film, Sidney Lumet's "Network," also on another major TV news anchor. As the poster suggests, the main character looks back at her fascinating career and the incidents and people that led to her gradual erosion of faith in humanity as fate and people contribute to the downward spiral of her life. The last 15 minutes of the film nudges us to recall Dumont's earlier film "Humanity" with similar shots of the agricultural landscape as in that film.

The film is significant for a few extraordinary elements; 1. The well constructed script. 2. The superlative performance of Lea Seydoux ending with her looking at the camera and closing her eyes as a tear drop flows out from the closed eyelid. 3. The lovely music of of the composer Christophe, used by Tarantino in "Kill Bill vol. II." 4. The remarkable performance of Benjamin Biolay, as the husband, Fred.

The film is a rare one--because it is not the tale but the way the tale has been presented that makes it fascinating. The main contributors for the film's magic are the following, in this order: Director Ildiko Enyedi (who proves her masterpiece "On Body and Soul," was not a flash in the pan); actress Lea Seydoux, who seems to be peaking in her profession in 2021 with this film and another film "France"; the supporting Swiss actress Lena Wedler; and finally Ms Enyedi's choice of music. Bravo!

Most countries, including mine, would not allow a film that is critical of life and freedom in that country. The film comes alive in the last quarter, the first three quarters being seemingly absurd. Good performance by the lead actor. However, the director's earlier work "Synoymes" was superior. My favorite sequence: The lead character, Y, a film director, swimming alone in a lovely waterbody in Gaza finding a carcass of a dead animal at the bottom. Encapsulates the entire film.

A thought-provoking original screenplay by the director Kaplanoglu underscoring the theme that any religious person, who wishes to go on pilgrimages of any kind, needs to first set right the wrongs he/she has done to others by asking forgiveness, rectifying mistakes, or repaying debts. Only then will a pilgrimage be blessed. While the film is overtly Islamic, the message holds true for all religions/faiths. The film won awards in Brazil, Turkey and China. My detailed review is at http://moviessansfrontiers.blogspot.com/2022/06/274-turkish-director-semih-kaplanoglus.html

Notable restrained performances from the lead pair who won the Silver Hugos at Chicago Internatiobal Film Festival and are two of the three co-directors of the film. The cinematography, too, is noteworthy.