Mike has written 160 reviews for films during 2021.
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The Hand of God 2021
Exquisitely shot, occasionally hilarious and heartbreaking. Felt like I should’ve liked it more but I’ll admit to not being in the best mood to sit through this one. Might be worth a revisit someday.
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C'mon C'mon 2021
The dreamlike structure and how it flows smoothly from scene to scene, the way everyone is written like they’re larger than life but also deeply human, the phenomenal title cards/scene breaks/needle drops??
No one does these movies about the uncertainty of life quite like Mike Mills. And Joaquin is totally at the top of his game here with performance that’s felt unlike anything he’s done before. Absolutely top tier shit. -
Don't Look Up 2021
Self indulgent, completely unsubtle and absolutely up its own ass, also like 30 minutes way too long but hey: I didn’t entirely dislike this?
The message is real and looking at how COVID happened it’s clear it’s a message worth repeating. The casts just steal every scene and honestly I had some fun here. (And Leo with that daddy look? H-word on main) -
The French Dispatch 2021
What a fucking blast. An anthology feature from the legend himself. He was at his most inventive here, delivering his A-game in every shot as the movie spirals down multiple genres, styles and stories with a delightful cast of wonderful characters that will stay in my mind for a while.
Prematurely giving this 5 stars because who cares?? This was probably the most fun I’ve had watching a movie this year. -
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The Matrix Resurrections 2021
In a world where the biggest movie of 2021 is one where audiences are basically losing their minds over nostalgia (not shaming anyone for that I enjoyed that movie too), Resurrections is an earnest, dorky and critical look at how safe blockbusters have gotten over the years.
It’s not perfect and does get maybe a tiny bit much sometimes but I just can’t not praise the fact that this exist. The first hour or so I was genuinely having the time… -
West Side Story 2021
Spielberg has his hands on my throat the first 2 hours. The cinematography, cast and ENERGY!!!
There’s obviously an Ansel Elgort sized elephant in the room (and an absolutely hysterical outburst from him) but besides the final act and a potential sexual predator co-leading the film…fucking solid. -
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Spider-Man: No Way Home 2021
A monumental fan service that was pretty clumsily put together but also warmed my cold heart. Laughed so hard at how funny/stupid it was but I was defo feeling like my 10 yo self throughout.
The biggest praise I can give it is that it has me reinstalling Spider-man on my PS5 rn, I can’t get enough of it. -
The Last Duel 2021
The first act was probably the weirdest and weakest, thankfully it was brief. Once I got used to the cadence and tone it got sooo much better from there (it was strangely hysterical at points…especially given the subject matter).
The structure was remarkable. The way each chapter add scenes (and reshot scenes) to be subtly difference with more context and was shot with different lenses to match the perspective? Brilliant.
Jodie Comer is a damn star and carried this movie, Adam Driver never fails to deliver and Ridley Scott needs to make movies for the rest of his life. -
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