Drive My Car

 Artsy, reflective, existential. This is a story of losses, triumphs, jealousy and carrying on in the face of tragedy, betrayal, and/or grief - how our own guilt can propel us forward. What's it all about? The nuts and bolts are essentially an accomplished actor/director, Yûsuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima) is hired to direct a stage play; the casting; the rehearsing, etc. The company who hired him requires Yûsuke to have a driver, Misaki Watari (Tôko Miura) to chauffer him around in his own car for liability and insurance reasons - hence the title "Drive My Car." It is the relationship and shared grief and guilt of Yûsuke and Misaki which is at the heart of the movie. This Oscar nominated film, with a three hour running time, will not be everyone's cup of tea, however for me the time flew by and it's the kind of existential meditation I often go to the cinema for. Sometime I go for zombies and helicopter chases, often I go for quiet beauty, reflection, and something a little deeper. If you are looking for a long meditative drive, catch this one in theatres near you. 

Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes

 Zombie movies, heist pictures, underdog sports films - I forgot to mention I also dig time travel movies. "Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes" is a low budget Japanese time travel mind bender which will quickly confuse you and bring you a whole lot of joy in a very short span. With a run time of only 70 minutes, this head trip flies by and doesn't overstay it's welcome by even a few minutes. What's it all about? Kato (Kazunari Tosa) discovers his TV and the one in the restaurant below his apartment (where he works) have suddenly been connected by a two minute time differential; the one in the restaurant is in the future and the one in his apartment is in the past (depending where you are - it gets tricky, quickly!). There is a lot that happens in this one shot film and your head will spin. You will also laugh. Plus there is a love story! All in 70 minutes! In the future, catch this little gem at your local rep cinema or on streaming services when you get a chance - it's worth your time and you won't look back (see what I did there - always time for a little humour).    

American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story

Full confession, I'm an atheist and I know very little about sports - any knowledge I do possess was likely garnered by watching sports movies. I had no idea who Kurt Warner was until I watched American Underdog. In fact I don't think I could name more than five football players -hey, I watch movies, not sports. Anyway, besides from being a sucker for a good zombie film or a heist picture, I do love me a good underdog sports film. This one follows the playbook and even has Dennis Quaid (the litany of underdog sports movies Dennis has been in, "Soul Suffer," "The Rookie," "Born a Champion," - Kevin Costner took all the other ones). If you don't know the playbook, it's sports hero has dream (to play in the NFL), hero meets girl (Anna Paquin as a single mom of two kids, one blind). The hero must prove himself to his girl and himself to the world. He is faced with adversity at every turn and when you think he has finally made it, bam, back to the bottom you go. But this time, this time is going to be different. Our hero wins, then end. Yes, American Underdog is cliched and god loving, but I still enjoyed it. Kurt Warner's story is a remarkable one and if his belief in Jesus helped him achieve his dream, who am I to piss on that - enjoy your Jesus. If you are looking for an underdog sports movie, and you enjoyed films like "Invincible" then "American Underdog" will get you across the finish line. 

Licorice Pizza

 

Licorice and Pizza, two things that don't go together; or shouldn't, just like Alana (Alana Haim) and Gary (Cooper Hoffman -  the late and great Philip Seymour Hoffman's son in his acting debut). Alana is a twenty something year old woman working, taking high school photographs for the yearbook, when she meets fifteen year old Gary, hustler. The age gap is the problem, but the high school chemistry is pure rom-com magic. If you don't know the films of Paul Thomas Anderson, well he is the gentleman who gave us "There Will Be Blood" and "Boogie Nights." So if you know those films, then imagine a romantic comedy written and directed by such an individual and you get "Licorice Pizza." It's funny, bizarre at times, and heartfelt. It's also a massive nostalgia trip for those old enough to remember the 70s - there are some catchy tunes in there also. Hoffman and Haim are great, as are the rest of the cast and all the funny cameos (Bradley Cooper was a standout for me). If you want to stretch the creative limits of the rom-com (stretch it like a piece of licorice or a gooey piece of cheesy pizza) then check out this Oscar nominated film at a theatre near you.

Archive 81

OMG I loved it. I binged it in two days. What's it all about? Mamoudou Athie plays Dan Turner, a video/audio tape restorer/archivist. Dan has been hired by a peculiar man who works for a mysterious company to restore some video tapes damaged in a fire. Dan has to work in a remote location in a big house in the forest with no cell or internet reception (because the tapes are too fragile to move - whatever, just go with it). The subject of these tapes is the PhD thesis work of Melody Pendras (Dina Shihabi) who was recording an oral history of The Visser - an apartment building with strange occult things happening with the residents. Why did I love it? It's a mix of The X-files, The Ring, Stranger Things, The Exorcist, The Manitou, and maybe LOST. It's a horror mystery and it's chock full of horror references and Easter eggs to other such works in the genre. Dan's geeky friend Mark (Matt McGorry) walks around wearing film festival T-shirts. This is my kind of geek! If your DNA ancestry results have come back as horror-fan, then you must check out this great new show now streaming on Netflix.  

Love, Death & Robots

 Profane, profound, pornographic. "Love, Death & Robots" is an animated science fiction series of unrelated shorts, each ranging from about six to twelve minutes, sometimes edging upwards to the twenty minute mark. They are an assortment of Heavy Metal style candies, each with it's own style, flavour, and weight. The ones played for laughs, "Automated Customer Service" and "Three Robots," are truly hysterical - like laugh out loud funny; and brilliant. "The Drowned Giant" is profound and will leave you reflecting, as many of these short pieces do, on humanity's insignificance in the universe. Other play out like Twilight Zone mind-benders. There is some twisted stuff here and lots of this shit is not for kids. This is R rated adult fare and it's really a mixed bag. Some of the candies are tastier than others but they will all leave you wanting to put your hand back in the sweet jar to watch just one more. Catch these brilliant pieces of animation on Netflix. 

Till Death

So, if you have worked your way through my list of the best films of 2021 and are still looking for something to watch OR you just want to turn off your brain and have some fun, "Till Death" is the thrilling ride you need to jump on and strap in for. It's not quite as good as "Don't Breathe" or "Run" but it's pretty darn good. What's it about? I'm not telling you! It's ridiculous and a highly implausible story but if you are willing to buy the premise, then this elaborate revenge story of an extremely jealous husband will have you glued to your seat. I measure thrillers by my Hitchcock yard stick and Till Death stands pretty tall on that scale. It stars ugly old Megan Fox, as described by nobody, never. She is willing to get dirty and bloody for this role and she does a great job of it. If you are thinking of renewing your wedding vows, catch Till Death streaming on Amazon.