Red Rocket

 If you have enjoyed films like The Florida Project, American Honey, or Honey Boy, then you are going love Red Rocket. What's it all about? Mikey has returned home to his ex-wife's Texas home (although they are still technically married) broke and bruised and looking desperately for a place to crash. Mikey sweet-talks his way back inside, after all, Mikey is a charmer. He has spent the last decade or so working as an adult film star out in California. That's correct, a male porn star, out of work and out of money. He resumes his former Texas hustle of selling weed out of the local doughnut shop where he meets seventeen year old, Strawberry working behind the counter. Mikey sets his charm-o-metre to high and goes about courting this young lady into not only being his girlfriend, but his cream-filled, chocolate glazed opportunity to get back into porn. Mickey is played by Simon Rex and he has given us a truly balls-out performance. Everyone in the cast is fantastic. This white trash fairly tale is a banger. Catch it on streaming services. 

Spencer

 This is a portrait of pain. Kirsten Stewart has delivered us a heart wrenching performance as Lady Di, a woman tormented by her status, her marriage, and the overbearing staff of her mother-in-law. Diana is portrayed as someone who would like to jump out of her own skin and run away. Stewart does a remarkable job not only imitating Diana's walk and talk, but the way she tilts her head, she conveys a sense of dread, like she was recoiling from the world, a cornered animal behind the lacy veil of a fancy ornamental hat. Stewart grimaces like her pearls were actually strangling her, like they were a shock collar tightly affixed to a bad dog. She tries, as best she can, to shield her children from the royal world of ridiculous traditions and cruelty but we know how the story ends. It's a gorgeous film, cold, cruel. Stewart is deserving of her Globe nomination and I hope she wins. Catch it on streaming services. 

Don't Look Up

 Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence play scientists who have discovered a giant comet hurtling towards earth; a comet which will wipe out the entire planet. Meryl Streep plays the president of the United States as a kind of blonde Sarah Palin type figure. Jonah Hill plays her son. When this information is brought to the president, no action is taken until the comet plays well with voters. They hatch a plan to send Ron Perlman into space to destroy the comet like Bruce Willis in Armageddon. At the last moment the mission is aborted because it is discovered the comet contains valuable minerals used in the production of cell phones. A Jeff Bezos character (Mark Rylance) hatches a new plan to break the comet up into little pieces and let it hit the earth. It’s a crazy but believable story which makes it incredibly funny and incredibly sad at the same time. The film could be taken as an analogy for either Covid or the climate crisis. It is an astute observation of this social media world in which we live and it's one of the smartest films you will see this year. It's also one of the funniest. Catch Don't Look Up on Netflix. 

The Novice

The Novice is a portrait of obsession, grit, and raw determination. Isabelle Fuhrman plays Alex, a freshman who joins the rowing team in her junior year at university. Nothing will stop her becoming the best rower on the team. Through, blood, sweat, and tears, Alex pushes herself to new limits. Isabelle Fuhrman has given us one of the most brilliant and powerful performances of 2021. Already overlooked by the Golden Globes - Oscars, get your head out of your golden ass and pay attention. Isabelle Fuhrman is a powerhouse. The Novice is the feature directorial debut from Lauren Hadaway; she has given us a stunningly good looking film. It's beautiful like a boat of rowers in perfect unison; this movie glides gorgeously along. And it subverts expectations - there are a few twists I didn't see coming. Catch a ride with The Novice on streaming services. 

The Power of the Dog

 This is a Jane Campion film. She has been busy with her series Top of the Lake for many years. This is her first feature in over a decade; it's a good good one. What's is all about? Benedict Cumberbatch plays hyper-masculine cow-wrangler, Phil and Jesse Plemons plays his softer bother, George. George marries Rose (Kirsten Dunst) and she has a teenager son, Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) who is artistic, sensitive and likely gay. Well it turns out that Phil, behind all that testosterone and cruelty, he's a repressed Brokeback Mountain cowboy himself. Phil is pretty nasty to Rose throughout the film and Peter, he doesn't like anyone being mean to his momma. You have to watch out for those quiet types. The movie may be slow but it's gripping. The ending may leave you surprised and confused, so pay attention, this is an astute tale of revenge. It's also one of the best looking films of the year and it has given us some of the best performances too. This one is already nominated for a Golden Globe best picture. It will be surely be nominated for an Oscar too. Catch it now on Netflix.   

C'mon C'mon

 

With the charm and black and white cinematic sensibility of a Woody Allen or a Jim Jarmusch film, C'mon C'mon offers us one of the most delightful films of the year. Joaquin Phoenix plays Johnny, a radio journalist making an audio documentary about kids and what they think the future will hold for them. His sister Viv (Gaby Hoffmann) recruits Johnny to look after her son Jesse (Woody Norman) while she deals with her mentally ill musician husband. The film is essentially the relationship between Jesse and Johnny. Johnny, even though his is making a radio piece about what kids think,  has no understanding of his own nephew. Johnny is a fish out of water when it comes to parenting and quickly learns all the highs and lows which come with the job - turn your back for a second and they are gone. Woody Norman who plays the kid is really a charming little guy and full of talent for improv. The film is full of authentic moments of both charm and melancholy. This one will be be making my list of the best films of 2021. Catch it on streaming services when available. 

The Feast

 This is the first feature for director Lee Haven Jones and it's something to behold. It's a horror film that Cronenberg would have been proud to have made - it's slow, aesthetically extremely cold, and creepy as fuck. If this doesn't sound like your bag, the The Feast is not for you. Also it's in the Welsh language, so subtitles to boot. For me, this is all good stuff. What's it all about? A wealthy family is throwing a dinner party and they hire Cadi (Annes Elwy) to help prepare the meal. Cadi, well she is one creepy freak for sure but the whole family is odd and everyone seem to have a strange fetish. Lots of kinking voyeuristic action takes place in The Feast, including the audience - the act of watching others in their private moments is both unsettling as an invasion of privacy but also perversely alluring to see what is really going on. Isn't that what film and books are though, keyholes into the lives of others? This little film looks great and it offers up a three course horror show. If you like your horror movies strange, mythical, and gross, then dig into The Feast on streaming services. 

Boiling Point

Like 1917 or Birdman, Boiling Point is a one shot movie, no edits or cuts; it's just one take (or at least that's what it's supposed to feel like). Anyway, for me, the gimmick usually gets old, but not in the case; for Boiling Point it just ramps up the tension. If you have every worked in a restaurant, then Boiling Point is must viewing - they have achieved a great feeling of authenticity; people have obviously put themselves through film school washing dishes and/or waiting tables - this stuff is spot on. The story revolves mostly around head chef Andy (Stephen Graham) and all he and his restaurant have going on. There is a lot on his plate (order up restaurant puns!) - from cranky health inspectors, a surprise food critic and a celebrity chef drop in, nut allergies, rude guests, bickering staff, lazy dishwashers, and the pressure of a full house, Boiling Point cooks right along. There was even a small moment between two pastry chefs in the back kitchen which had me of the cusp of tears. The movie is technically brilliant but also truly engaging. The entire cast is really fabulous - Vinette Robinson as Carly was a stand out. Make a reservation to watch Boiling Point when the opportunity arrives. It's a five star. 

King Richard

 Welcome to the next movie which will be nominated for Oscar's Best Picture. Based of the true story of Venus and Serina Williams and how their father helps turn them into international tennis stars. The story really is a remarkable one, Richard Williams (played by Will Smith - will he be nominated for this?) had five kids from his first marriage, two with his second and his second wife had three from a previous marriage. Richard's second marriage is what the film focuses in on, raising these five girls, Venus and Serina being his biological kids. He wrote out a plan, an 85 page plan, to turn them into tennis pros. The film portrays Richard poor, working as a security guard in the evening and training his daughters in the day in a scroungy ghetto of L.A., They practice tennis on a crappy court surrounded by bad-ass gangsters who like to talk smack. The whole movie follows the playbook of the underdog sports movie; so yes, it's a bit cliched at times but King Richard, well it delivers an ace down the center line. And I love to root for the underdog. Catch this on in the theatres or on streaming services.