Films Watched 2021
A comprehensive list, with ratings and comments, of all the films I saw for the first time in 2021.
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- DirectorWoody AllenStarsEvan Rachel WoodLarry DavidHenry CavillA middle-aged, misanthropic divorcé from New York City surprisingly enters a fulfilling, Pygmalion-type relationship with a much younger, unsophisticated Southern girl.7.5/10 - Funny movie, even if a bit hit and miss.
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsOwen WilsonRachel McAdamsKathy BatesWhile on a trip to Paris with his fiancée's family, a nostalgic screenwriter finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s every day at midnight.7/10 - The Paris setting is captured beautifully, however I felt that there were more interesting themes that could have been explored, rather than focusing on the nostalgia aspect. Also wasn't a big fan of Owen Wilson for the lead role.
- DirectorSofia CoppolaStarsBill MurrayRashida JonesMarlon WayansA young mother reconnects with her larger-than-life playboy father on an adventure through New York.6/10 - As expected from Sofia Coppola. Definitely has its moments, but ultimately did not manage to properly impact me.
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenPenélope CruzJesse EisenbergThe lives of some visitors and residents of Rome and the romances, adventures and predicaments they get into.7/10 - Very quirky film. Some of it works, some of it doesn’t. The parts that work are great.
- DirectorJérémie GuezStarsMatthias SchoenaertsJoel KinnamanMaika MonroeA tale of family, friendships and betrayal in the violent world of the Philadelphia mob.7.5/10 - Not much action, but the characters were compelling enough to carry the film. Also loved the gritty Philly setting.
- DirectorKyle RankinStarsIsabel MayRadha MitchellThomas Jane17-year-old Zoe Hull uses her wits, survival skills, and compassion to fight for her life, and those of her fellow classmates, against a group of live-streaming school shooters.7/10 - Action flick on a touchy subject. Fairly generic but is well executed with solid pacing and a suspenseful atmosphere.
- DirectorJ.C. ChandorStarsOscar IsaacJessica ChastainDavid OyelowoIn New York City 1981, an ambitious immigrant fights to protect his business and family during the most dangerous year in the city's history.8/10 - An all-round strong showing, that took a different angle to what I expected. This is an atmospheric thriller meets character study, that manages to humanise the struggle between power and morality. I was particularly impressed by Oscar Isaac's performance and Bradford Young's cinematography.
- DirectorBen YoungerStarsGiovanni RibisiVin DieselNia LongA college dropout, attempting to live up to his father's high standards, gets a job as a broker for a suburban investment firm which puts him on the fast track to success. But the job might not be as legitimate as it first appeared to be.8/10 - Enticing film offering an insight into the world of boiler room brokers.
- DirectorIlya NaishullerStarsBob OdenkirkAleksey SerebryakovConnie NielsenA docile family man slowly reveals his true character after his house gets burgled by two petty thieves, which, coincidentally, leads him into a bloody war with a Russian crime boss.7/10 - Basically John Wick but if he was a family man.
- DirectorStefano SollimaStarsMichael B. JordanJodie Turner-SmithJamie BellAn elite Navy SEAL goes on a path to avenge his wife's murder only to find himself inside of a larger conspiracy.6/10 - A weak and predictable script, but Michael B. Jordan and some good action scenes somewhat ease the pain.
- DirectorThomas VinterbergStarsMads MikkelsenThomas Bo LarsenMagnus MillangFour high-school teachers consume alcohol on a daily basis to see how it affects their social and professional lives.7/10 - Pacing suffers a bit in the first half, but overall a fun film with an interesting message.
- DirectorLarry CharlesStarsSacha Baron CohenKen DavitianLuenellKazakh TV talking head Borat is dispatched to the United States to report on the greatest country in the world.9/10 - Hilarious. They don't make em like this anymore.
- DirectorTaylor SheridanStarsAngelina JolieNicholas HoultFinn LittleA teenage murder witness finds himself pursued by twin assassins in the Montana wilderness with a survival expert tasked with protecting him -- and a forest fire threatening to consume them all.8/10 - A bit rough round the edges, but still a very solid movie that delivers a tense atmosphere and fast-paced action.
- DirectorGuy RitchieStarsJason StathamHolt McCallanyJosh HartnettA mysteriously stoic character is hired as a security guard by a cash truck company responsible for transporting a lot of money around Los Angeles each week.7.5/10 - Good action movie with some originality, although at times it comes through as convolution rather than interesting.
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsWallace ShawnDamian ChapaBobby SlaytonA married American couple goes to the San Sebastian Festival and gets caught up in the magic of the event, the beauty and charm of the city, and the fantasy of movies.6/10 - The usual Woody Allen recipe, but a little weak and contrived, especially in the beginning.
- DirectorPatrick HughesStarsRyan ReynoldsSamuel L. JacksonSalma HayekThe bodyguard, Michael Bryce, continues his friendship with assassin, Darius Kincaid, as they try to save Darius' wife Sonia.6/10 - Some pretty funny moments, standard action comedy otherwise.
- DirectorJames GunnStarsMargot RobbieIdris ElbaJohn CenaSupervillains Harley Quinn, Bloodsport, Peacemaker, and a collection of nutty cons at Belle Reve prison join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X as they are dropped off at the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese.8/10 - Very funny, heavy on the self satire, feels like what Guardians of the Galaxy did for Marvel, but more mature.
- DirectorCary Joji FukunagaStarsDaniel CraigAna de ArmasRami MalekJames Bond has left active service. His peace is short-lived when Felix Leiter, an old friend from the CIA, turns up asking for help, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.7.5/10
- DirectorShawn LevyStarsRyan ReynoldsJodie ComerTaika WaititiWhen Guy, a bank teller, learns that he is a non-player character in a bloodthirsty, open-world video game, he goes on to become the hero of the story and takes the responsibility of saving the world.7/10
- DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsJake GyllenhaalRiley KeoughPeter SarsgaardA demoted police officer assigned to a call dispatch desk is conflicted when he receives an emergency phone call from a kidnapped woman.6/10
- DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsDemián BichirRodrigo SantoroBenicio Del ToroIn 1967, Ernesto 'Che' Guevara leads a small partisan army to fight an ill-fated revolutionary guerrilla war in Bolivia, South America.7/10
- DirectorAri AsterStarsFlorence PughJack ReynorVilhelm BlomgrenA couple travels to Northern Europe to visit a rural hometown's fabled Swedish mid-summer festival. What begins as an idyllic retreat quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult.6/10 - Promising first half, but the plot starts to overreach and soon becomes a bit nonsensical.
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsColin FarrellEwan McGregorHayley AtwellThe tale of two brothers with serious financial woes. When a third party proposes they turn to crime, things go badly and the two become enemies.7/10 - A poor script gets carried by quality acting and directing.
- DirectorAlfonso CuarónStarsJulianne MooreClive OwenChiwetel EjioforIn 2027, in a chaotic world in which women have somehow become infertile, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea.8/10
- DirectorNoah BaumbachStarsAdam DriverScarlett JohanssonJulia GreerNoah Baumbach's incisive and compassionate look at a marriage breaking up and a family staying together.7.5/10