![]() ![]() So maybe Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (Hulu) isn't a comic masterpiece for the ages. I was psyched for glitz, glam, Gaga and murder, but what I got was a leisurely 158-minute biopic that never gets under the skin of its characters or gives us any reason to care about them.Īh, but at least the faux Italian accents, ranging in commitment from half-hearted (Jeremy Irons) to full provolone (Jared Leto), were entertaining. Maybe the trailers led me to expect too much from House of Gucci. But the Peruvian director's film about an interrupted summer idyll captures the skin-crawling sensation of knowing something microscopic and very bad might be invading your body at any second. The invisible force threatening the characters in Claudia Llosa's literary adaptation Fever Dream (Netflix) is not actually a virus. Princess Diana (Kristen Stewart) to her dresser in Spencer, in a breezily imperious tone: "Now leave me, I wish to masturbate." ![]() Ninety years old this month, she brings down the house with her rendition of "Somewhere." Perhaps even more kick-ass, however, was Rita Moreno, a standout alumna of the 1961 West Side Story who returned in Spielberg's version to play a character written just for her. While the latter had more screen time, both were formidable. This year, the always-regal Charlotte Rampling played two mother figures you wouldn't want to mess with: Reverend Mother Mohiam in Dune and the Mother Superior in Benedetta. When applicable, I've noted where the films are streaming with a subscription many can also be rented on demand. Here are some of my highlights and lowlights from this year's releases. In 2021, freed from the grip of the theatrical release schedule, I saw all sorts of "smaller" movies instead - and it was pretty awesome. That even applies to some blockbusters, given Warner Bros.' decision to release its entire 2021 slate simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max.įor me, the future of film poses a dilemma: I love theaters, but I don't love the kinds of movies that dominate theaters these days. ![]() Johnsbury's Catamount Arts (starting on January 8).įor many film fans, though, streaming has become the dominant way to watch. Case in point: The latest from local filmmaker Jay Craven, Jack London's Martin Eden, will have a Vermont International Film Foundation screening on January 6 and then play for a week at Montpelier's Savoy Theater (starting on January 7) and St. Vermonters are lucky enough to have several theaters that still screen smaller, indie films. Nearly gone from theaters are rom-coms and middlebrow dramas, replaced by action, animation, and endless sequels, prequels and origin stories. I went from reviewing one such flick in 2008 to five in 2019 - a shift that reflects the changing landscape of American film. Here's what stands out about 2021 for me: With the exception of 2007, the year I started reviewing, it's the only year in which I saw not one superhero film. While superheroes continued to soar, seemingly crowd-pleasing musicals flopped - even West Side Story, which is sure to be a major awards contender. In 2021, the list of big box-office earners consisted almost solely of franchise and family films. One thing is for sure, though: COVID-19 has exacerbated industry trends that were apparent well before 2020. It's too early to say how many movie theaters will survive this pandemic. When I saw West Side Story at Merrill's Roxy Cinemas, only five people were there to savor Steven Spielberg's exuberant spectacle on the big screen it deserved. Many theaters now require face masks again. Like me, they were probably just excited to be in a theater. On a rainy Sunday at the Essex Cinemas, I saw The Green Knight in a crowd of maskless people, most of whom didn't seem to realize they'd turned out for an art flick and not a rousing Arthurian adventure. Over the summer, it seemed as if moviegoing might return to "normal." With COVID-19 cases on the decline and state restrictions lifted, indoor theaters reopened their doors. ![]() Daphne Patakia (left) and Virginie Efira in Benedetta. ![]()
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