Criddic's Picks 2021

 Criddic's Picks

BEST PICTURE

Belfast
Dune
The Power of the Dog
Tick, Tick...Boom!
West Side Story


BEST DIRECTOR

Kenneth Branagh, Belfast
Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog
Julia Decournau, Titane
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tick, Tick...Boom!
Steven Spielberg, West Side Story

This is Branagh's second nod for directing, after winning for Hamlet (1996). Campion was nominated for The Piano (1993). Decournau and Miranda are new. Spielberg, on his 15th directing nomination, wins his 7th Criddic award in this category!

BEST ACTOR

Nicolas Cage, Pig
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog
Andrew Garfield, Tick, Tick...Boom!
Will Smith, King Richard
Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth

Cage finally makes it onto the ballot after years of close misses. Cumberbatch has been nominated previously for The Imitation Game (2014).
Smith is on his third nomination, having won for The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) and been up for Concussion (2015). Washington is on his 8th acting nomination, winning thrice: in support for Glory (1989) and lead for Courage Under Fire and Fences (2016). Garfield wins for a revelatory dramatic and musical performance. He had been nominated in lead for Hacksaw Ridge (2016) and won support for his role in The Social Network (2010).

BEST ACTRESS

Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter
Penelope Cruz, Parallel Mothers
Emilia Jones, CODA
Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos
Tessa Thompson, Passing

Colman won last year for her supporting role in The Father and was nominated previously in support for The Favourite (2018).
Cruz has been here before for another Almodovar film, Volver (2006). Kidman has been listed in lead for The Others (2001) and support for Boy Erased (2018). Thompson is on her first. Jones, also on her first, is our winner.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Mike Faist, West Side Story
Jason Isaacs, Mass
Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah
Troy Kotsur, CODA
Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog

In a bit of unusual schedule shuffling, last year's Oscar-winner Kaluuya is the only acting beneficiary of the Covid-inspired eligibility listing. Criddic did not change the calendar acceptance arrangement and did not coincide with Oscar patterns. He was the recipient of the lead actor award for Get Out (2017). Everyone else is new to Criddic, with Kotsur edging out his competition.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Ariana DeBose, West Side Story
Ann Dowd, Mass
Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog
Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard
Ruth Negga, Passing

Dowd was mentioned here for Compliance (2012). Dunst makes a long-anticipated return after her breakout win for Interview with the Vampire (1994), nearly two decades ago. Ellis and Negga are new to BKM. Newcomer DeBose takes the prize.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Belfast
C'mon, C'mon
Don't Look Up
Judas and the Black Messiah
Mass

Mills is on his first. McKay was nommed in adapted for The Big Short (2015). Berson, King and Lucas are new. So is Kranz.
Branagh won the adapted screenplay award, somewhat controversially for Hamlet (1996) and takes the original category for a deeply personal work.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

CODA
The Lost Daughter
The Power of the Dog
Tick, Tick... Boom!
West Side Story

Everyone is new here, except Kuschner and Campion. Kushner was nominated for Lincoln. Campion lost both of her previous bids for The Piano (1993) and Bright Star (2009), but third time's the charm.

BEST ANIMATED FILM

Encanto
Luca
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Raya and the Last Dragon
Ron's Gone Wrong

BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM

Flee
Pray Away
The Rescue
Summer of Soul
Val

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Drive My Car (Japan)
Flee (Denmark)
Parallel Mothers (Spain)
Petite Maman (France)
Titane (Belgium)

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

The French Dispatch
Last Night in Soho
Nightmare Alley
The Tragedy of Macbeth
West Side Story






BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Dune
The Green Knight
The Power of the Dog
The Tragedy of Macbeth
West Side Story

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Coming 2 America
Cruella
The Green Knight
The Harder They Fall
West Side Story




BEST FILM EDITING

Belfast
The Harder They Fall
No Time to Die
Spider-Man: No Way Home
West Side Story


BEST MAKEUP

Cruella
Dune
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
House of Gucci
No Time to Die

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Annette
Dune
Encanto
The Green Knight
The Power of the Dog

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

"So May We Start" from Annette
"Down to Joy" fromBelfast
"Beyond the Shore" from CODA
"Guns Go Bang" from The Harder They Fall
"No Time to Die" from No Time to Die

BEST SOUND EDITING

Black Widow
Dune
The Green Knight
No Time to Die
A Quiet Place, Part II

BEST SOUND MIXING

Belfast
Dune
No Time to Die
Tock, Tick... Boom!
West Side Story


BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Dune
Free Guy
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Godzilla vs. Kong
Spider-Man: No Way Home

 NEW REVIEW:  

HALLOWEEN KILLS ★★½

Having firmly established a new mythology for continuing the franchise, by ignoring all previous sequels and focusing on the aftermath of events from the original 1978 film, the 2018 "Halloween" gave us a worthy return to Haddonfield. As that film closed Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), her daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) were battle-bruised but content that they had rid the world of Michael Myers. Or so they thought.

In particularly brutal fashion, Myers escapes his flame-blazing hell-journey by knifing his way through a firefighting rescue team. In response the neighborhood of Haddonfield is led into a frenzied revolt by none other than Tommy Doyle (Anthony Michael Hall, "The Breakfast Club"), one of the kids babysat by Laurie on that fateful 1978 night. As this is going on, bed-ridden Laurie shares a hospital room with a recovering Deputy Frank Hawkins (Will Patton, "Copycat"), who was attacked by crazed Dr. Sartain in the previous film. Both desperately want to help fight against Michael, once they realize that he's not dead, but are rendered virtually useless due to their injuries. This makes Laurie even more frustrated, as her family tries to compensate by finding their own ways to confront the danger.

"Halloween Kills" isn't as organized as the 2018 film was. The ensuing chaos on screen is at times almost as confusing to us as it is to the characters, which breaks up the tension from time to time. But there is some suspense and plenty of gore attacks for fans of the genre. The story does gain forward motion as we reach the dramatic climax that sets up the final chapter, next year's "Halloween Ends." It is a sufficiently executed and well-acted continuation that we do want to know how the saga will conclude. On that level, the movie works even if it's just a notch below the surprisingly effective previous entry.


 FLASHBACK REVIEW:

HALLOWEEN (2018)  ★★★

John Carpenter's "Halloween" was a milestone moment in independent film making, grossing $70 million worldwide on a budget of $300,000 partly on the strength of good reviews and word of mouth. It also introduced audiences to two iconic horror genre characters, babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and evil incarnate Michael Myers (Nick Castle). Over the next few decades, numerous sequels attempted to flesh out the story of Myers and his hunt for living family members to kill while destroying anyone else in his path. There was even a remake that diluted much of the character's effect by expounding on what made him into a killer in the first place.

The 1998 anniversary of the series presented a chance to go back to the basics, devoid of druid cults or psychic connections in what became the franchise's most successful sequel "H20," in which Ms. Curtis returned to face Michael (we thought) one last time. The producers had other ideas, particularly the late Moustapha Akkad who had a clause put into the contracts that Michael could never really be killed off. This upset Curtis, who agreed to "H20" on the condition that her character would believe he was gone for good. Then came the nadir of the franchise, "Resurrection" (2002). Now enter director David Gordon Green and Danny McBride with a vision to again wipe the slate clean back to the original concept, ignoring all the entries after the original.

Forty years after the events of the 1978 film, Michael is in an institution where he is visited in the opening moments by a pair of true crime podcasters intent on reopening the old case while taunting him with his mask. The next day, while being transferred to another facility he escapes and makes his way back to Haddonfield, where Laurie has been waiting all this time.

In the prior decades, Laurie has tried to prepare her daughter and granddaughter for the eventuality of Michael's homecoming which has estranged her from them. Her perceived overzealousness and paranoia has made her daughter Karen (Judy Greer) resentful and she refuses to entertain her mother's warnings that danger is on the way. Thus sets up this latest chapter in the storied franchise.

This sequel works surprisingly well as a direct continuation of the first movie. It is smartly written and acted, contains solid suspense and enough kills to please gore fans. Creator John Carpenter has even returned with a good, spooky score. Jamie Lee Curtis infuses Laurie with the same determination she had before, now mixed with a certain bitterness for all the lost years caused by her encounter with Michael Myers years ago. Fans should celebrate this return to Haddonfield.

REVIEW: 

CRY MACHO ★★★

At an age when most actors are either retired or picking up checks from character roles on TV ensemble shows, Clint Eastwood defies expectations and continues to find suitable starring roles at 91. In "Cry Macho" he plays ex-rodeo star who fell on hard times after a tragedy left him a shell of his former self. One day, his old boss Howard (Dwight Yoakam, "Sling Blade") comes to him with a proposition to travel to Mexico and retrieve his young son for him as payback for the help he's given him over the years.

Thus sets up the premise for the film, which unfolds in a very relaxed, easy manner, as Eastwood's character Mike Milo meets and befriends the teenager Rafo (Eduardo Minett) on what essentially becomes a scenic road trip with a stop in a quaint town where they hide out from authorities in churches and diners. Along the way, they meet a kindly local Mexican woman named Marta (Natalia Traven) who provides the duo with some food and comfort on their journey.

The two are joined on their quest by Rafo's pet rooster, which is used for cockfighting and therefore named Macho for his ability to defeat other roosters. It also serves as a metaphor for a number of things in the film, which is about what really matters in life and how to pick our battles. A couple of henchmen loyal to the boy's sketchy mother try to prevent them from reaching the border, which leads to a nice little show of physicality on Eastwood's part, but for the most part the movie focuses on the lessons learned between a boy finding out who he wants to be and an old man trying to find a reason for being. On that level, "Cry Macho" works, because we like these people and want them to be happy.

However, the script doesn't have the ambition to reach for more when it could have been a bit deeper or more epic. I think that was a deliberate choice for Eastwood as a director, wanting to simplify his message and just show people living and continuing to grow internally. The picture is typically well-made, with lovely cinematography by Ben Davis ("Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri") and an equally nice score by veteran composer Mark Mancina ("Speed," "August Rush").

If anything, this is a film that proves that less can sometimes be more. Eastwood's "Cry Macho" is a fairly undemanding but welcome addition to his varied and impressive resume. 


REVIEW:  

ANNETTE ★★★★

Stand-up shock comedian Henry (Academy Award nominee Adam Driver, "BlackKklansman") and opera star Ann (Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard, "La Vie en Rose") become a celebrity couple, marry and have a child they name Annette. Everything seems fine until Henry begins to grow restless. Ann dreams of a MeToo type situation where she is warned of Henry's true nature, but she continues and the relationship becomes rather toxic.

In a conventional film these events would take on the feel of a Hallmark TV movie, but in the hands of French director Leos Carax ("Holy Motors," 2012), who wrote the screenplay with composer brothers Ron and Russell Mael, "Annette" is a rock musical that is anything but conventional in its style. Even the appearance of baby Annette, who becomes the center of the turmoil that eventually takes place between Henry and Ann, is completely original and unexpected. I don't want to spoil the film by giving too many details, so let's just say the movie takes a lot of twists and turns. The story gets much darker than you might expect.

All of this is presented in a mix of the absurd, the tragic and dark humor. The production design and cinematography are beautiful. Add to that a score made up of songs new and old from the pop duo Sparks, the aforementioned Mael brothers. At times the film's turns may feel oppressive, as there is some violence and some of the situations take on a surreal element, but it is always fascinating. Stick with it, I say. The performances make this task rewarding, especially Driver, who seems to dare us to sympathize with a very complex character. "Annette" is one of the best, and most original, films of the year.