mm has written 97 reviews for films during 2021.
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The Matrix Resurrections 2021
I've never been the biggest fan of anything Matrix or Wachowski, so my expectations coming in were pretty non-existent.
Seeing it post-Spiderman certainly was an interesting experience, as each grapples with the history of the franchise in their own distinct, but polar opposite way.
While I didn't love how this went about exploring that past, there's enough there to think about that will grow on me over the next couple days unlike that other movie which to put it kindly:…
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Being the Ricardos 2021
As many nitpicks as I have with it, at the end of the day Being the Ricardos is a Sorkin movie that makes me laugh, therefore I am guaranteed to rewatch it another 10 or 15 times in my life.
Not something I can say for most of the films I saw this year or last.
The movies!!
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Don't Look Up 2021
Well, Leo's pretty great!!
I guess I should wait until he's had an equal amount of swings to say for certain, but I think I'll be staying in the McKay-comedy director camp than whatever this is. Not to say that he shouldn't have pivoted to more serious fare, totally get that, this just didn't land with me at all.
I'm not sure who it's made for, as someone who has been alive through the asshole's run for office, COVID and…
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Nightmare Alley 2021
After spending a career designing creatures that could live in one, Guillermo del Toro up and made a movie about a carnival of the bizarre, with a dash of the Greed of Man to keep things balanced.
Nightmare Alley is a lot to take in all at once, but I can already tell this is going to sit well with me in the months to come.
The movies!!
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West Side Story 2021
There are a million things I could say about this, but you’ve read all of the takes by now so I’ll keep it brief.
West Side Story is the best movie of the year.
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Licorice Pizza 2021
I'm tempted to nitpick about a few things, but at its core Licorice Pizza is a simple, charming slice (heh) of two well-written & acted characters lives that had me smiling and laughing throughout.
Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman are just electric on screen, and Bradley Cooper gives one of the all-time heat checks. Wandering the streets of the valley, sweating through his clothes, asking girls if they like peanut butter sandwiches, just so great.
PTA did it again! The movies!!
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Swan Song 2021
Easily one of the most aesthetically pleasing movies of the year, but something about the story left me feeling a bit hollow?
As if it was one script polish away from getting to the Arrival or Ex Machina tier of sci-fi, which it's clearly aiming to get to.
Mahershala is so great though.
The movies!!
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House of Gucci 2021
There was a tweet that stuck with me from a while ago that basically said Martin Scorsese and Ridley Scott directed each other’s movies with this and Killers of the Flower Moon.
That thought stayed in my head throughout the movie. And now all I can think about is how much this would have crushed with Marty at the helm.
Ridley’s directorial (and editing, jeesh) sensibilities don’t quite fit this particular world, so it’s the over-the-top performances that carry the…
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The Harder They Fall 2021
A truly rip-roaring, effortlessly cool western with an ensemble of actors that understand the tone and commit themselves to having as much fun as possible.
Coolest movie of the year for sure.
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No Time to Die 2021
Bumping up to a 4.5/5 because it made me cry again lol.
In retrospect, it’s interesting how many plot points these borrow from other recent films, especially The Dark Knight with Skyfall and this with Avengers: Endgame.
They have all been effective, so I’m not complaining about it, but I do hope the next person’s movies chart their own course a bit.But these are minor quibbles, the Danny Craig movies all rule. Sad to see it end!