2020 Year in Review

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^{By: Amanda Guarragi}

2020, what a year!

It was a rough year but we had some great films that came out to help get us through the madness! So without further ado, here are my Top 10 films of 2020 with some honourable mentions of course.

1. Promising Young Woman
dir. Emerald Fennell

“This film is unlike anything I’ve seen and it is because of how the story is structured. It does slow down towards the middle of the film, only to pick back up and deliver one of the most controversial endings of the year. Some will agree with the ending and others will most definitely be infuriated. However, the ending of the film is the perfect reflection of how women are treated and what men deserve.”

Promising Young Woman Review Excerpt

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2. Emma
dir. Autumn de Wilde

“The film felt like the embodiment of the character of Emma Woodhouse, like her entire soul was spread into the corners of the frame and we could feel her presence, even if she wasn’t on screen. De Wilde captured Ms. Woodhouse’s entire being and made sure we understood who she was.Emma had the perfect balance of tension between possible suitors and a whirlwind of situations that caused Emma to spin out of control.”

Emma Review Excerpt

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3. Da 5 Bloods
dir. Spike Lee

“The wonderful thing about Spike Lee, is that he makes you fall in love with his characters in the first act of the film. In the second act, he shows you their pain, flaws and grievances. Then in the third act, he exposes his characters, like an open wound, to the world that has so deeply wronged them, time and time again. It is a film, like every other Spike Lee film, that unloads accurate information about Black history. Lee has never shied away from telling it like it is and has always managed to show every perspective on racial ideologies.”

Da 5 Bloods Review Excerpt

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4. The Invisible Man
dir. Leigh Whannell

“Not only did Whannell write a fantastic story, he also created a chilling, isolated atmosphere that affected his protagonist, as well as the audience. You feel everything with Cecelia because of the framing and camera movements, it feels as if you’re stuck with her on this journey. The sound design is also something that flowed nicely throughout the film and was utilized at the right moments, for dramatic effect.”

The Invisible Man Review Excerpt

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5. Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn
dir. Cathy Yan

“I loved everything about this, especially the fact that it focused on the many ways women can be mistreated by men. It definitely has a different girl power energy and maybe it’s because I’m older but this badass, anarchist, violent, R rated energy just gives off a higher level of empowerment. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced something like that. Seeing all those women on screen, harnessing their powers and setting aside their differences in order to take a villain out.”

Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn Review Excerpt

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6. Soul
dir. Pete Docter

“Soul is emotional and incredibly moving because it has conversations about the choices people make in their lives. What makes us fully formed people? Why do we have the need to find a purpose in life and if we don’t we consider ourselves failures? These are internal struggles that we have all faced, time and time again.”

Soul Review Excerpt

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7. Palm Springs
dir. Max Barbakow

“It has a nice mixture of comedic moments and realistic discussions about life, which I really appreciated. The perception of loneliness, is always something that should be explored and how life can sometimes seem meaningless, if you do not have someone to share it with. That is why placing the central event, as a wedding day, in this film was extremely beneficial because of the weight it holds on everyone’s lives. It is very well crafted because they address so many different ideas of love and relationships.”

Palm Springs Review Excerpt

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8. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
dir. George C. Wolfe

“The direction had this dual sense of atmosphere. Even though it takes place in a recording studio, it did not feel stuffy and static, like other plays that have been adapted for the screen. Wolfe created two separate rooms that had separate energy from each other. What was most impressive was how Wolfe captured his actors.It felt like we were on stage with these actors, the close ups and tight knit camerawork that was used was extremely effective.”

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Excerpt

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9. One Night in Miami
dir. Regina King

“Regina King’s direction was subtle and effective. She took the stage play and made it her own. It felt effortless as everything flowed from scene to scene, even light conversations to deeper ones. Even though the film takes place in one room for majority of the runtime, it’s the dialogue that holds you and the way King focused on her actors. She brought out such fantastic performances and the way she moved them through each scene was strong.”

One Night in Miami Review Excerpt

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10. The Trial of the Chicago 7
dir. Aaron Sorkin

“The film is not a representation of this current era that we are living in. Instead it represents the long fight against systemic racism and how this level of injustice has not been handled properly. A Sorkin script is never easy to get through, many actors have said that it is harder than it seems. It is fast paced and the soundtrack also brought everything together, it wasn’t overused and it came in at the right moments.”

The Trial of the Chicago 7 Review Excerpt:

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Honourable Mentions

• The Sound of Metal
• UNPregnant
• Pieces of a Woman
  

Best Animated Feature

Wolfwalkers
dir. Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart

AND…

Over the Moon
dir. Glen Keane

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HIDDEN GEMS

Definition Please
dir. Sujata Day

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Swallow
dir. Carlo Mirabella – Davis

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Miss Juneteenth
dir. Channing Godfrey Peoples

Well there you have it! For a year with limited new theatrical releases, there have been some great films. There’s more to come in 2021. So start making your lists now!