2020 Capsule Reviews

Crazy Samurai Musashi

rating: *****

review: Wow! In recent years an increasing number of filmmakers have pursued the "single tracking shot" concept, from Birdman to 1917 to even One Shot, and as far as I'm concerned it's always on the face of it impressive on that level alone.  Musashi is much like One Shot insofar as it's a horribly obscure movie, but it's such a brilliant execution of the concept, one samurai facing off against an entire clan, just a constant stream of sword-fighting, but always staged with keeping the action interesting.  For me I fell instantly and hopelessly in love with the results.  I doubt this even received a theatrical release in the States.  As far as I can tell distribution was negligible, and I only even knew it existed when I saw the movie at Walmart (and since physical media is rapidly declining, the chances of finding something like this outside an equally lucky find at Dollar Tree have only further diminished), and reviews have been hopelessly dismissive.  So this won't even show up in streaming platforms, probably.  I don't care.  I discovered it.  It's now one of my favorite movies.

Waiting for the Barbarians

rating: *****

review: Hollywood, and the press, and critics, often collude in destroying careers, and there's not a reasonable argument against this.  Barbarians costars Johnny Depp, in the period where everyone still believed he was probably the bad guy in the Amber Heard situation.  Now, of course, there's far more wiggle room, but people don't really re-evaulate movies, especially ones that were instantly obscure.  But this is another work of genius.  No doubt in my mind.

True History of the Kelly Gang

rating: *****

review: For me, Russell Crowe was one of the big cinematic heroes of the early pandemic, between his small role here and one of the wide releases that dared open in 2020.  Another hopelessly obscure work of genius.  That's three.

Emma.

rating: *****

review: Anya Taylor-Joy in a joyously inventive revisioning of the classic.

WW84

rating: ****

review: Everyone went gaga over the first one, but I instantly preferred this one, which was a better overall showcase for Wonder Woman, and had a memorable villain or two besides.  The opening sequence alone is a classic, and I guess I'm a sucker for ones showcasing someone in a cathartic flying experience, since I loved that best about Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, too.

Tenet

rating: ****

review: Christopher Nolan was cinema's big champion that year, and he was widely criticized for it, but for me all I cared about was that Tenet was as close to matching the action scope of The Dark Knight as he'd attempted to that point.  I also love how it audaciously tackles the idea of combatting terrorism, which is basically the whole point of the movie.  Plus a lot of visual gimmicks to satisfy viewers who still think Inception was his best movie.

Bill & Ted Face the Music

rating: ****

review: One of the pandemic miracles, or so it seemed then, was the appearance of this late third entry in the series, thereby further solidifying Keanu Reeves as a modern master of franchises, if somehow anyone still doubted it.  Probably bolsters the reputation of the whole series.

The Gentlemen

rating: ****

review: Critics kind of fell all over themselves trying to explain why Guy Ritchie no longer had it (they're still trying to make the fatuous argument here in 2023), but at least this played out before the pandemic hit.  For me, a great cast, and a standout supporting role for my favorite actor, Colin Farrell.

Capone

rating: ****

review: I can think of very few actors who without the benefit of some scandal have garnered such undeserved scorn from critics as Tom Hardy.  For anyone else this would've been hailed as a genius showcase.

The Way Back

rating: ****

review: Gavin O'Connor has been one of my favorite directors of the past decade.  Ben Affleck has surprised a lot of people by how much they liked him in the same period.  Here they work together for an affecting sports drama that's heavy on the drama and light on the sports. A great combination.

Sonic the Hedgehog

rating: ****

review: The hedgehog is entertaining, but for me it's a hugely welcome spotlight and return to form for Jim Carrey after years of exile.

News of the World

rating: ****

review: For years I was uninterested in the movies Tom Hanks was making.  For me this was a comeback of interest.  Kind of a later spiritual sequel for Road to Perdition, but one that allows him to have a little fun, too.

Downhill

rating: ****

review: Wow, so Will Ferrell, I don't know if you've noticed, isn't as popular as he once was.  Downhill came and went I think without the pandemic affecting no one noticing.  But it's a great dramatic film for Ferrell, from filmmakers Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, both still somehow highly underrated.

Greenland 

rating: ****

review: Gerard Butler can sometimes (okay, a lot of the time) seem as if he chooses projects without regard to quality, but this was an exception, a standout survival drama that feels like a blockbuster in the style of Independence Day, but keeping things at a strictly human scale.

Ava

rating: ****

review: I keep mentioning in these capsules how critics are inexplicably undervaluing major talent, and Jessica Chastain is a favorite victim of this.  Here she's combining her penchant for human drama with the needs of action films.  Another supporting spotlight for Colin Farrell.  He had a banger year for those.  I never have gotten around to seeing the Disney+ exclusive Artermis Fowl, in which Farrell is literally plugged into the movie post-production to try and save it.

Let Him Go

rating: ****

review: One of the benefits of starring in a critic-proof, stubbornly hugely successful TV series like Yellowstone seems to be Kevin Costner gets to once again revive his movie career, and this was well worth his time in doing so.

Unhinged

rating: ****

review: A critical darling for a few years, Russell Crowe fell from grace years ago, and it's only freed him to make increasingly interesting choices.  Here he's an unabashed villain.  Whatever publicity he gets now shamelessly mocks his weight gain, in an era that's supposed to be tolerant of such things.  So you kinda know how hollow such campaigns really are.

The Night Clerk

rating: ****

review: For me much of the early pandemic meant as releases thinned out there was at least a greater chance of minor films getting noticed, and many of them evoked classic Hollywood, and while all the attention of course instead went to streaming services (critics ended up being slavish in their new devotion, so that if awards are given out, they go to streaming releases almost exclusively), films like Night Clerk gave good material to stars like Tye Sheridan.

Bloodshot

rating: ****

review: An attempt at jumpstarting a new cinematic superhero universe for most viewers, even before the pandemic, was instead a nonstarter, with Guy Pearce gamely trying to rub off whatever remaining Memento magic he had on Vin Diesel.  But Vin Diesel never really has fans outside of the Fast & Furious movies, alas, even if he makes decent action movies out of the concepts driving them.

Birds of Prey and the Fabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn

rating: ****

review: After the belated popular failure of Suicide Squad (one of those unpopular box office successes), even if Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn was an instant icon, it really didn't matter what she appeared in next.  But for the life of me I don't understand ignoring an obvious spotlight like this, and object lesson in proving that no matter what's happening around her, she still shines.

Bad Boys for Life

rating: ****

review: Will Smith and Martin Lawrence return for this belated sequel that revived interest in Smith's career, and wisely acted as if it was basically a Smith spotlight in the style of the bright '00s period of it.

The Burnt Orange Heresy

rating: ****

review: Like Night Clerk a bright throwback spotlight vehicle for a worthy aspirant, this time Elizabeth Debicki.

The Rhythm Section

rating: ***

review: Tagged with some of the worst reviews of the year (and before the pandemic!), this one stars Blake Lively and Jude Law, and it's a movie I'll need to revisit, since I remember liking it, but I have few specific memories of it.

The New Mutants

rating: ***

review: Holds the dubious distinction of being the last of the Fox productions of X-Men movies, with a troubled release date history that no doubt benefited from the pandemic for finally happening.  Not a bad movie by any means, but its existence in a vacuum is disappointing given how most of the other films in the franchise went out of their way to provide some tangible link to the rest of it, usually with a throwaway cameo or two.

The Last Full Measure

rating: ***

review: In a prior era this would've been a standard adult drama anyone would've known existed, but in this one it falls into instant obscurity.  Features the likes of Sebastian Stan, Samuel L. Jackson, Ed Harris, William Hurt, Peter Fonda...Worth assembling such talent.

Mulan

rating: ***

review: For me the original animated version was Mushu (as voiced by Eddie Murphy).  This live action version doesn't even have Mushu.  But I guess the greater point of the story still stands.

Archenemy

rating: ***

review: After The Man Who Killed Hitler and then the Big Foot, I kind of wanted another cult-sized experience.  Joe Manganiello, as great as he is, turns out to not quite be Sam Elliott, but the results are still worth a look.

Irresistible 

rating: ***

review: It turns out Jon Stewart reuniting with Steve Carell wasn't quite the second coming of The Daily Show for critics.  But it's still a biting political satire well worth checking out.

The Hunt

rating: ***

review: A totally different political satire!  But worth watching, too!

Jungleland

rating: ***

review: Not quite Warrior.  But worth a look.

The Tax Collector 

rating: ***

review: David Ayer's career plummeted after Suicide Squad.  But that doesn't mean he's any less interesting a filmmaker. If you still like End of Watch, you'll like this, too.

Infidel

rating: ***

review: Jim Caviezel still gamely pursuing the audience of The Passion of the Christ.

Emperor

rating: ***

review: It's a testament to how shallow the movie era is when one of the most famous and infamous figures in American history, John Brown, shows up as a supporting character in this and the results are completely ignored.

The Vanished

rating: ***

review: There was a time when Jason Patric's unusual career choices interested critics.  That time is long past.  But this is another of those, and it's worth a look.

Fatman

rating: **

review: Mel Gibson has been pumping out b-movies.  They're not all terrible.  In fact he's made some brilliant choices!  But this Santa Claus thriller ain't necessarily one of 'em.

Legion

rating: **

review: Mickey Rourke was another critical darling tossed to the scrapheap whenever the mood struck them, and this is another lean period.  It was suggested his turn here was an embarrassment.  It isn't, and it's also the best reason to watch.

Robert the Bruce

rating: **

review: Another very belated sequel!  This one sees Angus Macfadyen reprise his most famous role, from Braveheart.  This one's less rousing.

The Empty Man

rating: *

review: Very, very unfortunately, James Badge Dale cashed in all his chips from his small-scale career revival for this mainstream horror movie.  If I ever try watching it again, it'll again and this time emphatically be for Dale alone.

The Warrant

rating: *

review: I remain a big fan of Neal McDonough, who I first saw in Star Trek: First Contact and later starred in the brilliant but short-lived TV series Boomtown.  This is a low budget western.  Alas.