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Films Seen in 2021

The one or two of you reading this know that I run an independent film society, The Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film. Boston-based, but with national membership our mission is to teach audiences to view films actively. We do this through film discussion, special film events, and most famously, our annual Awards Ceremony, where we spotlight the memberships best in independent film for the year.

Because of my involvement with Chlotrudis, I tend to see a lot of films. In the golden years (late 90’s early to mid 2000’s) I would seen anywhere from 75 – 100 eligible films per year, but that number slipped to the 35 – 50 range for many years. Then a pandemic hit, and I made a conscious effort, since i wasn’t doing as much socializing, to work on my film viewing. It was easy, since most everything was streaming as the public was/is still hesitant to go back to the cinema, which makes me sad, but I understand. Now streaming outlets have made it SO easy to see films from the comfort of your own home, I worry about the future of cinema… again. At any rate, my point is in 2020 and 2021, I have met and surpassed my previous highs for movie viewing. In 2021 specifically, I saw 216 films, 138 of which were Chlotrudis eligible indies, two were Festival films that haven’t been released official;y yet, six were bigger releases that were not eligible for Chlotrudis consideration, and 70 of which were older films that I missed.

That’s a lot of films this year. I doubt I’ll be able to keep it up, but we’ll see. The catch-up viewing of older films really dropped off around September as I dove deeply into the Chlotrudis films to prepare for nominations (which are being announced publicly today — check out the Chlotrudis website tonight or tomorrow if you’re interested.)

For the next set of blog entries I will be talking about the films I saw in 2021, starting today, with just a straight list of older films that caught up on this year. I did this mainly because I finally started to listen to the Brattle Theatre’s podcast and listening to that team’s discussion of films throughout history inspired me to see a lot of films I’ve been meaning to, and just never got around to it. So for today, it’s just a list of those films that I finally watched for whatever reason.

The Last Picture Show directed by Peter Bogdanovich

Phoenix (2014) directed by Christian Petzold, ****
Alex of Venice (2014) directed by Chris Messina, *** 1/2
Aviva (2020) directed by Boaz Yakin, ** 1/2
Fireworks Wednesday (2006) directed by Asghar Farhadi, **** 1/2
Four Sheets to the Wind (2007) directed by Sterlin Harjo, *** 1/2
We Have Always Lived in the Castle (2018) dir. by Stacie Passon, *** 1/2
Transit (2018) directed by Christian Petzold, ****
Ikiru (1952) directed by Akira Kurosawa, **** 1/2
My Man Godfrey (1936) directed by Gregory La Cava, ****
Startstruck (1982) directed by Gillian Armstrong, ***
The One I Love (2014) directed by Charlie McDowell, ****
The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) directed by Nicolas Roeg, *** 1/2
The Fountainhead (1949) directed by King Vidor, ****
Daughters of the Dust (1991) directed by Julie Dash, ***
Spotlight (2015) directed by Tom McCarthy, *****
Can You Ever Forgive Me (2018) directed by Marielle Heller, *** 1/2
You Can Count On Me (2000 directed by Kenneth Lonergan ****
Monsters (2010) directed by Gareth Edwards, ***
The Conversation (1974) directed by Francis Ford Coppola, **** 1/2
Blowup (1966) directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, ****
Labyrinth (1986) directed by Jim Henson, **
Citizen Kane (1941) directed by Orson Welles, ***
Orpheus (1950) directed by Jean Cocteau, ****
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) directed by Robert Wise, *** 1/2
The Wild Pear Tree (2018) directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, ****
Crazy Rich Asians (2018) directed by Jon M. Chu, ****
Gattaca (1997) directed by Andrew Niccol, **
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020) directed by Cathy Yan, *** 1/2
Eighth Grade (2018) dircted by Bo Burnham, ****
The Invitation (2015) directed by Karyn Kusama, ** 1/2
The Last Picture Show (1971) directed by Peter Bogdanovich, *****
Repo Man (1984) directed by Alex Cox, ***
Coma (1978) directed by Michael Crichton, ****
Enemy (2013) directed by Denis Villeneuve, **** 1/2
I, Tonya (2017) directed by Craig Gillespie, ****
A New Leaf (1971) directed by Elaine May, ****
Beauty and the Beast (1946) directed by Jean Cocteau, **** 1/2
Burning Cane (2019) directed by Phillip Michael Youmans, *** 1/2
Altered States (1980) directed by Ken Russell, **
Pikadero (2015) directed by Ben Sharrock, **** 1/2
The Seventh Seal (1957) directed by Ingmar Bergman, **** 1/2
Black Girl (1966) directed by Ousmane Sembène, ****
Blow-Out (1981) directed by Brian De Palma, **
The Out-of-Towners (1970) directed by Arthur Hiller, ****
Emma. (2020) directed by Autumn de Wilde, ****
Hud (1963) directed by Martin Ritt, ****
Love & Friendship (2016) directed by Whit Stillman, *** 1/2
Ishtar (1987) directed by Elaine May, ****
Stage Door (1937) directed by Kogonada, Gregory La Cava, **** 1/2
Yojimbo (1961) directed by Kogonada, Akira Kurosawa, ***
Columbus (2017) directed by Kogonada, *****
Alter Egos (2012) directed by Jordan Galland, *** 1/2
Afternoon (2015) directed by Tsai Ming-liang, **** 1/2
The Big Sleep (1946) directed by Howard Hawks, **** 1/2
Weirdos (2016) directed by Bruce McDonald, *** 1/2
Alphaville (1965) directed by Jean-Luc Godard, **
Key Largo (1948) directed by John Huston, ***
To Have and To Have Not (1944) directed by Howard Hawks, ****
Midsommar (2019) directed by Ari Aster, **
Rebels of the Neon God (1992) directed by Tsai Ming-liang, ****
Animals (2012) directed by Marçal Forés, ****
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) directed by Tay Garnett, ***
Barking Water (2009) directed by Sterlin Harjo, *** 1/2
Stray Dogs (2013) directed by Tsai Ming-liang, ****
The Lighthouse (2019) directed by Robert Eggers, * 1/2
Berberian Sound Studio (2012) directed by Peter Strickland, ** 1/2
His House (2020) directed by Remi Weekes, ***
Relic (2020) directed by Natalie Erika James, **** 1/2
La Llorona (2019) directed by Jayro Bustamante, ****
Sleep Dealer (2008) directed by Alex Rivera, *** 1/2

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Michael #1 Book Read in 2021!

Simon Van BooyMy #1 book of the year comes from an author whose work I have followed pretty much since his debut short story collection, The Secret Lives of People in Love in 2007. That was actually the second of his works that I read, first discovering him thanks to my friends at HarperCollins with his follow-up collection, Love Begins in Winter published in 2009. I didn’t do a list of favorite books read in that year, but I suspect Love Begins in Winter would have at minimum been in my Top 10, with a good chance it would have ranked considerably higher. After publishing a trio of books of essays, Simon published his first novel in 2011, Everything Beautiful Began After which ranked #8 in my list of Top Books Read in 2011. Two years later he repeated this feat, coming in at #8 again with his 2012 novel, The Illusion of Separateness. He appeared in my Top Books Read in 2015 list twice! I had the opportunity to read an advanced copy of his 2016 novel, Father’s Day which came in at #6, but his 2015 collection of short stories, Tales of Accidental Genius cracked the Top 5 by coming in at #3. I regret to say that I haven’t read his Gertie Milk series for ‘Tweens which has seen two books published in 2017 and 2018. For some reason I didn’t do a list of Top Books read in 2018, but if I had, I’m quite certain Simon’s collection of short stories, The Sadness of Beautiful Things would have made a strong showing. Now, with his latest, gorgeous new novel, Night Came With Many Stars he has topped my list of annual great books, a feat which I so thrilled about.

Night Came with Many Stars#1 – Night Came With Many Stars by Simon Van Booy (2021) – It’s always exciting when you’re a few chapters in and you start to realize that the book you’re reading is going to be a great one. Night Came With Many Stars the latest novel by Simon Van Booy, is one such book. A gifted writer, Simon’s books are all good, but there are a couple of his that rank among my favorites. His latest, a exquisite telling of four generations of a family living in Kentucky from the early 30’s to 2010, is an unexpected and delightful return to that echelon of beauty. Along with Patricia A. McKillip, Van Booy is one of the few authors whose use of language alone is enough to get me to read their work, regardless of subject. In this novel, the care and warmth in which Simon treats the members of this family is simply breath-taking, even as it is simple.

In each generation, we’re looking at a family that would be considered poor, but as one father asks their daughter, “do you feel poor?” Van Booy subtly demonstrates every parent’s desire for a better life for their children that becomes supremely evident when you think about the opening chapter, and the horrors Carol faced as a child, to the final chapter, and the close of Carol’s life in 2010, surrounded by her family, working hard to prosper in a modern world. The book is filled with hardships, and even danger, but the core of these families, both genetic, and chosen, is love and goodness.

Thank you Simon, for another exquisitely gorgeous book, with language you can wrap yourself up in and drift into that night that came with many stars.

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Michael’s Top Books Read in 2021, #’s 2 & 3

Closing in on #1 we’ve got a couple of books whose authors are familiar with the Top 3, as both have appeared here before. Both books are written by women, both have a fantasy element, but one skews toward science fiction, and the other, surprisingly, historical fiction. Let’s take a look.

The Stone Sky#3 – The Stone Sky by N. K. Jemisin (2017) – Minor SPOILERS below.
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As a series, the Broken Earth Trilogy is very strong. As a single book concluding the trilogy, I must say that The Stone Sky is the weakest of the three books, although still strong enough to come in at #2 for the year! (Book 1, The Fifth Season was my #1 book for 2019, and Book 2, The Obelisk Gate was my #2 book last year). While still incredibly imaginative, gripping, and intensely emotional, there is a whole lot of exposition and historic explanation that N.K. Jemisin has to explain as we approach the conclusion of her epic. In addition, the book rotates between three sets of characters: Essun, arguably our protagonist throughout the entire trilogy (I say arguably, because all of the character make questionable decisions throughout); Nassun and Schaffa, Essun’s daughter who she has been chasing after for the past two years, and her former Guardian, who brutalized Essun to keep her under control; and a new group of characters set centuries past that ultimately reveal the history of the mysterious and fascinating Stone Eaters. For me, a lot of time that was spent on Nassun and Schaffa, was just text I had to get through, as I did not have a strong emotional connection to the two characters and their storyline. Of course, they were essential, providing the emotional and physical foil to Essun’s raison d’etre, but I could not forgive Schaffa his cruelty and manipulations and his utter brainwashing of Nassun was as frustrating as it was necessary to the plot.

Ultimately, the conclusion was satisfying and powerful emotionally, capping an entire trilogy that marveled your imagination and wrenched your heart all the way through. The complexity of Jemisin’s world, spanning eons of time, is incomparable. I very much look forward to seeing her set her pen to to other worlds, Ultimately, this was Essun and Hoa’s journey for me, and while I would have liked more of them in this book, I was satisfied with their overall arc.

The Hidden Palace#2 The Hidden Palace by Helene Wacker (2021) – Delighted to discover that Helene Wecker had written a sequel to her NYT best-selling novel, The Golem and the Jinni (my #2 book of 2013). The Hidden Palace picks up where she had left off in her debut, detailing the unusual journey of two singular souls, a golem named Chava Levy, and a Jinni named Ahmad, who inhabit an ever-changing world of early 20th century New York City. Although the pair find solace in each other’s company, their relationship is a tumultuous one, eventually fracturing in a way that ripples outward and affects many around them as they struggle to find their places in a human world.

Set against the backdrop of the years leading up to World War I, Wecker does an astounding job of of juggling a bevy of characters and giving each one intriguing depth of character, and complexity of desire. Unlike her first novel, there is no out and out villain in The Hidden Palace – but rather flawed, complex human and inhuman characters who are just struggling to find their places in the world. Coming in at nearly 500 pages, The Hidden Palace takes its time unspooling its story, in a way that allows the reader to really savor the detail of both the era, and the humanity of the characters.

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Michael’s Top Books Read in 2021, #’s 4 & 5

My top five books this year are an interesting mix. With one being published over 40 years ago, one being published 9 years ago, one being published five years ago, and two being brand new. There’s an unexpected memoir showing up, a gorgeous piece of literary fiction, and not so surprisingly three books from the science fiction/fantasy genre.

Kindred#5 Kindred by Octavia Butler (1979) – I finally went back and read Octavia Butler’s first novel< Kindred and found a writer who was already fully formed, to create such an original and seminal work the first time out of the gate. Published in 1979 by a black woman; the first science fiction novel published by a black woman, and one that tackles the challenging and disturbing topic of slavery, and more, the complex, fraught relationship between master and slave, this novel is a revelation.

Dana is 26, living in modern day when she is suddenly, inexplicably wrenched through time to the Antebellum South — drawn there to save Rufus’ as he nearly drowns. Moments later, when faced by the barrel of Lucas’ father’s gun, she vanishes, returning to her home and her perplexed husband who watched her vanish and reappear. So begins this time-hopping, piece of historical fiction that examines a topic most people have trouble exploring in 2021, much less 1979. Butler doesn’t flinch or look away, but forces the reader to confront the barbaric practice that is a part of our history, but more, she digs into the varied inner psyches of those involved, both white and black. It’s singular, it’s passionate, and it’s intense. Truly a must for ever reading-list.

Bedsit Disco Queen#4 Bedsit Disco Queen: How I Grew Up and Tried to Be a Pop Star by Tracey Thorn (2013) – I’ve always enjoyed the 80’s pop group Everything but the Girl. My interest in them ebbed and flowed depending on their output, but in many ways I think it followed their trajectory with the public — which makes sense the way lead singer, Tracey Thorn explains it in her first memoir, Bedsit Disco Queen. They started fairly strong, and quickly found a steadily climbing trajectory, before dipping sharply into mediocrity after a handful of albums. Their career could have gone a few ways, most easily dissolution, or inexplicably, a sudden sharp spike in quality and popularity, then, rather surprisingly, semi-retirement. It was during this semi-retirement in the 2000’s that Tracey Thorn turned her songwriting voice into a prose writing voice, to great success.

Thorn is an accomplished writer and a compelling story-teller. She spends a lot of time on the origins of her pop stardom, notably as a teen punk follower who formed a quiet little subversive all-girl band, Marine Girls. When she met her musical and domestic partner, Ben Watt, the two formed Everything But the Girl where she merged her punk attitudes with his more sophisticated musical interests into music that sounded pretty pop with jazz influences, but featured lyrics that were from a decidedly intelligent, post-punk mindset. Thorn’s arc as a musician/pop singer also followed her band’s trajectory, and she insightfully considers that their mid-career dip in popularity aligned with the quality of the music they were creating, or at least the interest she had vested in the music they were creating. After a life-threatening illness that took Ben out of commission for nearly a year, the two found a rebirth of sorts, and they produced their career high album, Amplified Heart, which produced the massive international single, Missing. I had forgotten as well, how Thorn’s collaboration with the trip-hop band, Massive Attack and the song Protection, impacted Thorn and EbtG;s career.

Most of all, I was impressed by the way Thorn is able to weave story that reels the reader in, and keeps you engaged throughout. Besides the fact of her sublimely listenable voice when she performs, her voice when she writes is similarly enchanting. With that wry sense of humor and healthy amount of self-deprecation that comes with her punk background, Thorn has created one of the best rock & roll memoirs I’ve experienced.

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Michael’s Top Books Read in 2021, #’s 6 & 7

the Guncle#7 The Guncle by Steven Rowley (2021) – 76ers I find grief to be one of the richest subjects for storytelling, whether that be books, movies, TV, music, etc. Everyone reacts to grief in different, sometimes unexpected ways, and it’s usually a lengthy process to deal with. Steven Rowley knows grief, and handles it well creatively. His first novel, Lily and the Octopus was all about grief… the grief of losing a friend, a beloved pet dog, and how her owner dealt with an impending terminal illness. It was beautiful and fantastic and kicked off his career strongly.

Now, with his third book, The Guncle Rowley has written a fun and funny novel about a gay, former TV star living a slightly solitary life in Palm Springs, who is called upon to take his young nephew and niece for the summer. But what it’s really all about is grief and coping with loss. ]Patrick, has lost his dearest friend Sara to cancer. Sara also happened to be married to Patrick’s brother, Greg, and mother to Maisie and Grant. When Greg checks himself into rehab after his wife dies, he entrusts Patrick with his children’s care, much to Patrick’s consternation. Reeling with his own grief about the loss of Sara, now he was expected to cope with her children’s grief as well? And as a single gay male, Patrick is unsure of his qualifications to do so. Then there’s another wrinkle… Patrick is still struggling with the grief he never properly dealt with after the death of his boyfriend in a car accident several years prior. Instead, he covers it up with snappy comebacks, fashionable caftans, and that solitary life. Until the summer he became “GUP” — gay Uncle Patrick.

Like I said, Rowley knows how to handle grief: with humor, with grace, and with sympathy. Patrick’s relationship with his niece and nephew unspools naturally and gracefully. The humor is fresh and not overdone, and the life Rowley paints of Patrick’s life in Palm Springs is recognizable but not cliche. If there’s one misstep at all, it was with the young, potential romantic interest, Emory, that pops up occasionally throughout the book that seemed more of a plot checkbox than a character that we needed. But it’s a minor quibble, and as a Guncle myself, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

Honor#6 – Honor by Thrity Umrigar (2002) – Accomplished writer, Thrity Umrigar returns with a heart-wrenching, dramatic novel, Honor. Smita, A journalist covering hard-hitting, international, humanitarian stories returns to her home city of Mumbai after years of avoidance, when she she receives a call from a close colleague who needs her. To her surprise, her colleague doesn’t need her for emotional support or assistance after a difficult surgery, but summoned her to finish a story she was covering about Meena, a Hindu village woman, who married a Muslim man to tragic consequences. Meena’s brothers, old-fashioned and conservative are outraged that their sister has married a Muslim, and burn their home down with the two of them inside. Meena is horribly disfigured, nearly dying, and her husband is killed.

From the start, we sense that Smita is very reluctant to be home, and it soon becomes clear that something in her past, some traumatic event, sent her and her family to America, never expecting to return. This event links Smita and Meena in ways that the journalist never expected, and powers the momentum of this finely written, hard-hitting novel. The one stumble comes nearly at the end, when the introduction of an unnecessary, and poorly executed romance weakens the impact of the story. There was a much better path to Smita’s story resolution built into this powerful story that would have had a far great impact and resonated more strongly with the overall story, but it’s it’s a small complaint in the larger context of this powerful novel.