One more review to dump to finish out the year. And while there have been some real turds since the last one, today’s focus is on good movies. They’ll range from “Best movie of the year” to “This movie is fine but worth a watch.” If you’re looking for some new movies to knock out over the next week or so with some time off, any one of these (or all) will make a fine choice.
All My Life
How about a good cry to close out the year? All My Life is the (based on a) true story (that article will spoil the movie’s ending, fyi) of Solomon Chau and Jennifer Carter. They are a newly engaged couple whose life is thrown off course after Solomon is diagnosed with liver cancer. After deciding to postpone their wedding, friends and family rally to give them the wedding of their dreams.
First off, Jessica Rothe needs to be a star. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. She kills it in every role she has. It’s no different here, as she and Harry Shum Jr light up the screen together. These had to be tough roles to play, especially when you consider they had real life people to honor in their take on these characters. But they both prove to be more than up to the challenge.
All My Life isn’t going to win any Oscars, it’s not going to be on any 2020 Top 10 lists. It’s predictable and cheesy and filled with genre tropes. But who cares? You get exactly what you would expect out of a movie like this, and that’s the point. That’s why people watch movies like this. And maybe it’s something about the dumpster fire that most of 2020 has been, but there’s just something good about seeing people do good things for other people.
Score: 72/100
Another Round
This excellent Danish film follows four high school teachers who undertake an interesting experiment: Will maintaining a constant BAC of .05% improve their lives? Each has their own reason for doing so, but an over-arching theme of “mid-life crisis” will suffice for now.
The drama – though there is also a healthy dose of comedy – is really a vehicle for Mads Mikkelsen to shine. It may not be the best performance of the year (more on that later) but he’s still absolutely fantastic – and his is easily one of my favorite performances on the year. The ending scene in particular is maybe the single best best thing I’ve seen in all of 2020.
Score: 92/100
Greenland
A comet is approaching Earth. Some pieces have already hit, causing immeasurable damage. An even bigger piece is on the way, predicted to cause an extinction level event. Obviously Gerard Butler is in this movie.
Before you skip ahead, hear me out on this one. I get that on the surface, you might assume Greenland would be a big pile of dog doo-doo – and there’s ample evidence to back that up (Angel Has Fallen, Geostorm, London Has Fallen, Gods of Egypt, etc). And let me be straight, Greenland is far from a great movie. But it’s far better than it has any right to be.
And it achieves that largely by focusing less on the actual destruction and more on the personal and emotional side of things. It gives a different feel to the usual disaster film, and it’s a more than welcome change.
Score: 69/100
Sound of Metal
Sound of Metal follows Riz Ahmed as Ruben, a heavy-metal drummer who begins to lose his hearing and struggles to adjust to his new reality.
As we sit here today, this is my number one movie for 2020. It’s a stunning character study, led by Ahmed, who should (at the very least) receive an Oscar nomination. He’s captivating, earnest, heartbreaking. He’s earned rave reviews across the board, and it’s completely deserved. Just like this is my number one movie, Ahmed is my number one performance.
And you can’t talk about Sound of Metal without at least touching on the film’s inclusive casting, with deaf actors portraying several supporting roles. It was a great decision that adds to the authenticity and power of the story.
Score: 94/100
Sylvie’s Love
Tessa Thompson, man. Is there anything she can’t do? If there is, I haven’t seen it yet. Here she plays the titular character, who meets musician Robert (played by former NFL defensive back Nnamdi Asomugha) who starts a job at her father’s record store. There is instant chemistry between the two but there’s one small problem: Sylvie is engaged.
Structurally, it’s a fine movie. It’s not going to do anything there to blow you away. But Thompson and Asomugha are dynamite and their chemistry is on fire. The overall aesthetic brings everything up another notch. It feels like a movie that will end up of numerous critics’ end-of-year “Best Of” lists. It falls a little short of that for me, but it’s still an easy recommendation.
Score: 83/100
Wander Darkly
Sienna Miller and Diego Luna are Adrienne and Matteo, new parents who are forced to revisit the steps of their relationship – both good and bad – after a car accident. But it’s set in a sort of fantasy/limbo/not-always-sure-what’s-real-and-what’s-imagined state. It’s a fun flip of the script for what could have been an unoriginal idea. And of course there are a couple heartbreaking twists thrown in, just for good measure.
This one really surprised me. That’s thanks in large part to Miller and Luna, who are both fantastic from start to finish. But it’s the story structure that puts it over the top. It’s unique and creative, and keeps you on your toes the entire time. Wander Darkly is probably one of my strongest recommends for the year, if only because far to few people seem to be aware of this one.
Score: 85/100
And there we have it. This will probably be the last review rundown for the year. But with Wonder Woman 1984 and Soul releasing Christmas Day, I’ll hopefully have solo reviews coming for those. And starting 2021, the plan will be to get back on a more regular review schedule.
