The year of Ryusuke Hamaguchi also included triumphs by favorites like Ashgar Farhadi and Paul Thomas Anderson. Plus: Best performance, reasons for hope/despair and the dreaded "age gap" discourse.
Welp, I've only seen three of the films on your main list and five of the honorable mentions, so my New Year's movie viewing resolution list just got longer. (And this after I started the attack on my list yesterday with "Down by Law.") I just wish I felt better about going to a movie theater at this moment, since that's the only way to see "Drive My Car" right now.
Thank you for calling out how incredibly annoying the "age gap" discourse has gotten. Are movies no longer allowed to explore complex relationship types that actually do exist in our society? I can understand more being concerned about the pattern in older films where middle-aged men were constantly in relationships with women in their 20s and it wasn't even mentioned in the film, because that was a trope that actually caused some damage by making people think that older men should always date younger women. But this concern about movies like Red Rocket and Licorice Pizza seems ridiculous. First of all, Red Rocket clearly shows it as an exploitative situation, and Licorice Pizza directly confronts how conflicted Alana is about the connection she feels to Gary and what to do about it. Also, other than showing him her boobs one time and kissing him one time, which both seem pretty innocent to me, there's no hint of an actual sexual relationship. But even if there was, who cares? I hazard to guess that plenty of 25-year-old women slept with 16-year-old guys in the 1970s, and even today I'm sure it happens more than people realize. Whatever you might think about that, it does happen and it's okay for films to explore all kinds of situations. That's what film is for. Again, Licorice Pizza doesn't shy away from it. Alana is disgusted at times at her attraction to Gary, and what it says about her level of maturity and where she's at in her life, yet she can't deny it. It strikes me that it's not like we see any discourse about Titane being "problematic" for exploring the situation of pretending to be someone's dead son to fill that role in his life, despite being a pregnant woman. I think people get that the film is just trying to explore the implications of a strange relationship situation, even if it's kind of messed up. But for whatever reason (I guess because it hits home for more people), many folks seem to think Licorice Pizza and Red Rocket are "problematic" for exploring a far more common situation.
Maybe I’m just projecting a reason to ignore this annoying discourse, but there were a few times in Licorice Pizza where it sort of felt like Alana was younger than she said. Whether it’s the fact that her older sisters still live at home too, or how her dad still treats her like a teenager when she’s coming home from dates or in a bikini, or even just how inexperienced she is with certain things like martinis. 25 isn’t old but she definitely felt like someone closer to 20 who was trying to be taken more seriously by others.
The only thing that keeps me from going full fan-theory is that guy who knows her in Wachs campaign. He definitely seems to be in his mid-20’s or even older, and there was some implication that they were in school together. So maybe Alana is just a character who is sheltered in some ways?
I think this was even mentioned by Alana in an interview where she said she was 28 (her IRL age) during an improv w/ Bradley Cooper, then corrected herself to 25. Could easily see that the character Alana is lying about being younger than she actually is as cover for still being even less mature/grown up she "should" be for someone nearly 30, let alone 25.
I think it's left ambiguous whether she's lying about her age, but either way I think the important thing is that the movie plays with our ideas about age differences and power dynamics in very important ways. Who is more accomplished and arguably has more power in this film? I would argue it's Gary. He may be younger, but he owns multiple businesses over the course of the movie, is an actor, goes to bars and acts like an adult, and generally is constantly projecting a maturity beyond his years. Yes, the movie goes out of its way to show how immature he really is at times, but he overall "has his shit together" and is confident about what he wants. Alana, meanwhile, is older than Gary but has no idea what she wants or where she's going, is really trying to figure herself out, works shitty jobs and lives with her entire family, and is berated by her dad constantly. In many ways, she is younger than her age would imply, and Gary is older than his age would imply, so they naturally meet in the middle despite the age difference, which is a pretty mild difference to begin with.
This also gets at how arbitrary age is in our society. We've collectively decided that something magical changes when you turn 18 and you become an adult, but really our brains don't finish developing until about 25, and emotional maturity is on totally different tracks for each person. It's just not that simple to, devoid of context, declare a relationship to be inappropriate based on age. And especially with people in their late teens and early 20s, it's not that odd for relationships to develop.
All that said, I don't really think Gary and Alana are developing a romantic relationship at the end of the movie. I think they care deeply about each other and will likely be lifelong friends, but I don't get the impression they are going to develop any serious romantic relationship after the movie ends. People are reading so much into the mild romantic overtures at the end of the movie, but they don't necessarily mean it went any further than that. And it comes after Alana has had a really tough experience and I think she is just taking comfort in the one person who seems to really care about her.
Totally agree on the truck scene being the scene of the year. She already was an unbelievable presence but the look on her face during that whole sequence is just so incredible. Alana Haim easily has to give one of the greatest first-time performances ever in Licorice Pizza
I'm really surprised that The Last Duel isn't getting more love in these end of year lists. Thanks for at least including it in honorable mentions- most exclude it completely. For my money, it's in the top 3 of the year- thoughtful, beautifully acted, and surprisingly funny. And it's the #1 film of 2021 in the category of unconvincing blond hair on an actor!
Also finally caught The Power of the Dog. WOW. It's one of those films where you can tell how good it's going to be after 10 minutes. And our Roku restarted during the Benedict Cumberbatch bathing scene, which I interpret as some kind of southern-belle-getting-the-vapors fainting spell.
Spoiler: THE LAST DUEL didn't quite make my list either. It's snuggled into the HMs, as with Scott's list. But I suspect it's going to be a much-revisited film in the years to come. It's top tier (or near the top tier) Ridley Scott, and that's a considerable feat.
What held it off the list for me is that I don't think the film really comes to life until Ben Affleck turns up, which alters the tone, and then we get deeper into the intrigue surrounding the sexual assault. But I'm glad you mention it, Elizabeth, and it certainly stands out among studio films this year for a host of reasons.
The character work in The Last Duel is so spot on, which is especially impressive considering how the writers each took one of the acts. I loved the slow reveal on Damon's character- that he sees himself as a gruff, plain spoken soldier who never got the rewards he deserved, but of course through anyone else's POV he's a petulant child, unwittingly causing problems wherever he goes and whining while everyone else cleans up his mess.
I really enjoyed it as a study of all the forms of toxic masculinity- Affleck's gleeful hedonist at the top of the food chain, Damon's entitled child, Driver's selfish self-deluder, plus various enablers. And of course the giggly king!
Great list! Other than my somewhat strange immunity to any of LICORICE PIZZA's charms, almost everything on this list is something I loved or really want to see. Particularly kicking myself that I missed WHEEL OF FORTUNE AND FANTASY when it played (very briefly!) in New York. Hadn't seen any Hamaguchi until DRIVE MY CAR which blew me away much like everybody else.
Also, I am pretty sure I sought out THE VIEWING BOOTH based on a recommendation from you from some pod episode ages ago -- possibly a festival recap? That was something else: almost impossible to sit through and yet jaw-droppingly effective. I saw that 6-8 months ago and still think about it all the time.
The "Age Gap Discourse" feels like it is part of an unfortunate development in film discussion that has really arrived for film in the last 12 months, but has been brewing elsewhere (particularly YA fiction) for some time now. The requirement for "ethical" entertainment to follow a very narrow code of clearly condemning anything "unethical" that is depicted on screen. Commonly I've seen this framed as holding the characters "accountable" for their actions.
While I can understand the impulse to a degree, I've found that when people talk about wanting cinema to be “ethical” they are talking about the most childish black and white morality being front and center. No quarter is given that the audience may be able to discern for themselves what is right and wrong, or that there might be any value in understanding characters who do bad things.
Listened to the Next Picture pod for part one of your top tens and noticed your list was one slot different. Guessing A Hero was added between the recording of that and the posting of this list?
(Also got a bit of whiplash from surprised/overjoyed by Tasha claiming LP as her number one to egg on my face realizing she strongly disliked it.)
Ben, you are correct. I also saw Petit Maman after recording but it ultimately landed in HM. Kind of relieved that TR and I didn’t have to come to fill blows over LP. You hate to see the movies you love bludgeoned.
Looking forward to Petit Maman (along with your top 4)! Days was recently put up on MUBI, so it should be more available to people beyond virtual cinemas. I threw it on the other day for a third time - nice way to spend a rainy afternoon.
From early-early AV Club days (2001?), I quickly latched on to Tasha Robinson's reviews because I discovered we were very simpatico in our movie tastes. Anything she liked, I would end up liking. So it was a very big surprise for me to hear of her dislike of Licorice Pizza on the Next Picture Show podcast. I myself liked the movie, it felt like I was floating down a lazy river with some great characters.
Hey Scott, I finally saw "Drive My Car". I was surprised not see any critics point out the obvious parallels with Kieslowski's "Bleu" - the tragic death of an unfaithful spouse, the silent creative partner widow/widower, and the attempts to work out their grief through the spouse's lover. It's maybe a bit more emotionally reserved, but from what I've read subsequently from Hamaguchi, is actually an almost unseemly display of emotion for Japan. Maybe these are just superficial similarities, but it was the one film I couldn't help but think of while watching it.
Wow. I guess maybe it's been too long for me on BLUE, but I believe I noted the Kieslowski connection in my essay on Hamaguchi, but w/r/t Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, which is unified by similar themes of coincidence/chance. Anyway, hope you dug it!
Welp, I've only seen three of the films on your main list and five of the honorable mentions, so my New Year's movie viewing resolution list just got longer. (And this after I started the attack on my list yesterday with "Down by Law.") I just wish I felt better about going to a movie theater at this moment, since that's the only way to see "Drive My Car" right now.
MEMORIA SPOILER ALERT (DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT)
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What was your interpretation of the source of the sound?
Thank you for calling out how incredibly annoying the "age gap" discourse has gotten. Are movies no longer allowed to explore complex relationship types that actually do exist in our society? I can understand more being concerned about the pattern in older films where middle-aged men were constantly in relationships with women in their 20s and it wasn't even mentioned in the film, because that was a trope that actually caused some damage by making people think that older men should always date younger women. But this concern about movies like Red Rocket and Licorice Pizza seems ridiculous. First of all, Red Rocket clearly shows it as an exploitative situation, and Licorice Pizza directly confronts how conflicted Alana is about the connection she feels to Gary and what to do about it. Also, other than showing him her boobs one time and kissing him one time, which both seem pretty innocent to me, there's no hint of an actual sexual relationship. But even if there was, who cares? I hazard to guess that plenty of 25-year-old women slept with 16-year-old guys in the 1970s, and even today I'm sure it happens more than people realize. Whatever you might think about that, it does happen and it's okay for films to explore all kinds of situations. That's what film is for. Again, Licorice Pizza doesn't shy away from it. Alana is disgusted at times at her attraction to Gary, and what it says about her level of maturity and where she's at in her life, yet she can't deny it. It strikes me that it's not like we see any discourse about Titane being "problematic" for exploring the situation of pretending to be someone's dead son to fill that role in his life, despite being a pregnant woman. I think people get that the film is just trying to explore the implications of a strange relationship situation, even if it's kind of messed up. But for whatever reason (I guess because it hits home for more people), many folks seem to think Licorice Pizza and Red Rocket are "problematic" for exploring a far more common situation.
Maybe I’m just projecting a reason to ignore this annoying discourse, but there were a few times in Licorice Pizza where it sort of felt like Alana was younger than she said. Whether it’s the fact that her older sisters still live at home too, or how her dad still treats her like a teenager when she’s coming home from dates or in a bikini, or even just how inexperienced she is with certain things like martinis. 25 isn’t old but she definitely felt like someone closer to 20 who was trying to be taken more seriously by others.
The only thing that keeps me from going full fan-theory is that guy who knows her in Wachs campaign. He definitely seems to be in his mid-20’s or even older, and there was some implication that they were in school together. So maybe Alana is just a character who is sheltered in some ways?
I think this was even mentioned by Alana in an interview where she said she was 28 (her IRL age) during an improv w/ Bradley Cooper, then corrected herself to 25. Could easily see that the character Alana is lying about being younger than she actually is as cover for still being even less mature/grown up she "should" be for someone nearly 30, let alone 25.
I think it's left ambiguous whether she's lying about her age, but either way I think the important thing is that the movie plays with our ideas about age differences and power dynamics in very important ways. Who is more accomplished and arguably has more power in this film? I would argue it's Gary. He may be younger, but he owns multiple businesses over the course of the movie, is an actor, goes to bars and acts like an adult, and generally is constantly projecting a maturity beyond his years. Yes, the movie goes out of its way to show how immature he really is at times, but he overall "has his shit together" and is confident about what he wants. Alana, meanwhile, is older than Gary but has no idea what she wants or where she's going, is really trying to figure herself out, works shitty jobs and lives with her entire family, and is berated by her dad constantly. In many ways, she is younger than her age would imply, and Gary is older than his age would imply, so they naturally meet in the middle despite the age difference, which is a pretty mild difference to begin with.
This also gets at how arbitrary age is in our society. We've collectively decided that something magical changes when you turn 18 and you become an adult, but really our brains don't finish developing until about 25, and emotional maturity is on totally different tracks for each person. It's just not that simple to, devoid of context, declare a relationship to be inappropriate based on age. And especially with people in their late teens and early 20s, it's not that odd for relationships to develop.
All that said, I don't really think Gary and Alana are developing a romantic relationship at the end of the movie. I think they care deeply about each other and will likely be lifelong friends, but I don't get the impression they are going to develop any serious romantic relationship after the movie ends. People are reading so much into the mild romantic overtures at the end of the movie, but they don't necessarily mean it went any further than that. And it comes after Alana has had a really tough experience and I think she is just taking comfort in the one person who seems to really care about her.
Totally agree on the truck scene being the scene of the year. She already was an unbelievable presence but the look on her face during that whole sequence is just so incredible. Alana Haim easily has to give one of the greatest first-time performances ever in Licorice Pizza
I'm really surprised that The Last Duel isn't getting more love in these end of year lists. Thanks for at least including it in honorable mentions- most exclude it completely. For my money, it's in the top 3 of the year- thoughtful, beautifully acted, and surprisingly funny. And it's the #1 film of 2021 in the category of unconvincing blond hair on an actor!
Also finally caught The Power of the Dog. WOW. It's one of those films where you can tell how good it's going to be after 10 minutes. And our Roku restarted during the Benedict Cumberbatch bathing scene, which I interpret as some kind of southern-belle-getting-the-vapors fainting spell.
Spoiler: THE LAST DUEL didn't quite make my list either. It's snuggled into the HMs, as with Scott's list. But I suspect it's going to be a much-revisited film in the years to come. It's top tier (or near the top tier) Ridley Scott, and that's a considerable feat.
What held it off the list for me is that I don't think the film really comes to life until Ben Affleck turns up, which alters the tone, and then we get deeper into the intrigue surrounding the sexual assault. But I'm glad you mention it, Elizabeth, and it certainly stands out among studio films this year for a host of reasons.
The character work in The Last Duel is so spot on, which is especially impressive considering how the writers each took one of the acts. I loved the slow reveal on Damon's character- that he sees himself as a gruff, plain spoken soldier who never got the rewards he deserved, but of course through anyone else's POV he's a petulant child, unwittingly causing problems wherever he goes and whining while everyone else cleans up his mess.
I really enjoyed it as a study of all the forms of toxic masculinity- Affleck's gleeful hedonist at the top of the food chain, Damon's entitled child, Driver's selfish self-deluder, plus various enablers. And of course the giggly king!
Great list! Other than my somewhat strange immunity to any of LICORICE PIZZA's charms, almost everything on this list is something I loved or really want to see. Particularly kicking myself that I missed WHEEL OF FORTUNE AND FANTASY when it played (very briefly!) in New York. Hadn't seen any Hamaguchi until DRIVE MY CAR which blew me away much like everybody else.
Also, I am pretty sure I sought out THE VIEWING BOOTH based on a recommendation from you from some pod episode ages ago -- possibly a festival recap? That was something else: almost impossible to sit through and yet jaw-droppingly effective. I saw that 6-8 months ago and still think about it all the time.
The "Age Gap Discourse" feels like it is part of an unfortunate development in film discussion that has really arrived for film in the last 12 months, but has been brewing elsewhere (particularly YA fiction) for some time now. The requirement for "ethical" entertainment to follow a very narrow code of clearly condemning anything "unethical" that is depicted on screen. Commonly I've seen this framed as holding the characters "accountable" for their actions.
While I can understand the impulse to a degree, I've found that when people talk about wanting cinema to be “ethical” they are talking about the most childish black and white morality being front and center. No quarter is given that the audience may be able to discern for themselves what is right and wrong, or that there might be any value in understanding characters who do bad things.
Listened to the Next Picture pod for part one of your top tens and noticed your list was one slot different. Guessing A Hero was added between the recording of that and the posting of this list?
(Also got a bit of whiplash from surprised/overjoyed by Tasha claiming LP as her number one to egg on my face realizing she strongly disliked it.)
Ben, you are correct. I also saw Petit Maman after recording but it ultimately landed in HM. Kind of relieved that TR and I didn’t have to come to fill blows over LP. You hate to see the movies you love bludgeoned.
Looking forward to Petit Maman (along with your top 4)! Days was recently put up on MUBI, so it should be more available to people beyond virtual cinemas. I threw it on the other day for a third time - nice way to spend a rainy afternoon.
Really curious now to hear Genevieve weigh in on LP.
From early-early AV Club days (2001?), I quickly latched on to Tasha Robinson's reviews because I discovered we were very simpatico in our movie tastes. Anything she liked, I would end up liking. So it was a very big surprise for me to hear of her dislike of Licorice Pizza on the Next Picture Show podcast. I myself liked the movie, it felt like I was floating down a lazy river with some great characters.
Hey Scott, I finally saw "Drive My Car". I was surprised not see any critics point out the obvious parallels with Kieslowski's "Bleu" - the tragic death of an unfaithful spouse, the silent creative partner widow/widower, and the attempts to work out their grief through the spouse's lover. It's maybe a bit more emotionally reserved, but from what I've read subsequently from Hamaguchi, is actually an almost unseemly display of emotion for Japan. Maybe these are just superficial similarities, but it was the one film I couldn't help but think of while watching it.
Wow. I guess maybe it's been too long for me on BLUE, but I believe I noted the Kieslowski connection in my essay on Hamaguchi, but w/r/t Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, which is unified by similar themes of coincidence/chance. Anyway, hope you dug it!
I did, very much so. And I’ve seen “Bleu” an unhealthy number of times.
Speaking of, do you think the truck scene in “Licorice Pizza” was at all an homage to “Wages of Fear”?