With 2021 fast coming to a close, there are plenty of movies that I haven’t gotten a review out for, whether a full one or as part of these rundowns. I’m going to try to fix that, with this one and maybe one more right before January. I still might miss some, depending on release dates and when I actually get to see them, but these should cover a good chunk of them.
American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story
Kurt Warner’s story is no doubt inspirational. It’s about as much of an underdog story as there can be. So having it made into a movie comes as no surprise. I just wish it wasn’t this movie. American Underdog is much more a family/romantic/Christian drama than a sports movie, and it’s worse off for it. We don’t even see Kurt’s time with the Rams until the last act of the movie!
It’s decently well-acted, led by Zachary Levi as Warner, and Anna Paquin as his wife, Brenda. The football action isn’t awful, but it certainly leaves plenty to be desired. Let’s be honest, though, you’re not going into a movie like this expecting much in that department.
But with the focus on Kurt and Brenda’s life, it becomes just another corny movie about good people who find themselves in hard times. But shift the focus to Warner taking over the Rams offense? Now there’s a movie.
Score: 30/100
CODA
Ruby (Emilia Jones) is the only hearing person in her family, with her parents and older brother all deaf. As she nears high school graduation, she weighs the responsibilities she feels towards her family and their fishing business against what she wants for her own future.
This is a brilliant ensemble cast, with Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur garnering acclaim for their roles and Ruby’s parents, Jackie and Frank. Daniel Durant hasn’t been mentioned as much as the other three, but he’s incredibly strong as well as Ruby’s brother Leo.
CODA may ultimately prove a little too predictable, but it doesn’t make it any less affecting or moving. The representation of an underrepresented community only adds to that. It also features what just might be the most emotional scene I’ve seen this year. It’s one I’ve watched at least 10 times on its own; I get choked up every time.
Score: 91/100
C’mon C’mon
Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny, a radio journalist traveling around the country interviewing children about their lives and visions, thoughts, and hopes for their futures. He gets a first-hand lesson into that mindset when he takes his young nephew Jesse (Woody Norman) along as his sister deals with a personal matter.
This is such a touching story, illustrating an inter-generational relationship and how there’s always something to learn from each other, whether it’s the middle-aged uncle teaching his nephew or vice versa. Maybe it’s because I have a nephew right around Jesse’s age, but parts of C’mon C’mon felt so real to me. But even if you don’t have that same personal connection, there should be plenty to draw you in to these characters and their stories. Phoenix has never been better (and that’s saying something) and Norman impressively goes toe-to-toe with him the entire time.
Score: 88/100
India Sweets and Spices
Every year, I try my best to find a few hidden gems. Movies that don’t get big releases, don’t have huge star power in the cast or crew. Those are some of my favorite movies each year. It feels like I’ve uncovered a secret that I get to share. India Sweets and Spices is one of those movies.
Alia (Sophia Ali) returns to her posh New Jersey home after her freshman year in college. She begins to clash with the snobby, party and gossip-filled life of her parents and their family and friends. This is heightened when she befriends Varun (Rish Shah), whose family owns the local Indian grocery store. A hard-working, middle class family is far below the standards of the circle her family runs in. And when Alia stumbles upon some family secrets, the rebellion goes all in, forcing her family to reckon with their past.
We don’t see many (any?) movies with full Indian casts to shine a light into their family and cultural dynamics. And from what I can gather, this is an accurate (at least to a degree) portrayal of how a family like Alia’s would act (please correct me if I’m wrong; I was only able to find a couple reviews from Indian writers).
As the push for representation grows stronger, it’s great to see an under-represented group get a movie like this. I only hope more people will see it. It’s funny and sweet. The acting is above average at worst, fantastic at best. It also gets into women’s rights and the misogyny that still exists within their culture. It’s a comedy with something to say. Those are in short supply these days and we could use more movies like this.
Score: 84/100
Mass
If there’s an award for Best Movie of the Year That You Never Want to Watch Again, then Mass is your clear front runner. The plot sounds simple enough. Two sets of parents meet to have a discussion. That’s it. That’s literally the movie. But it’s what the conversation is about that creates so much tension, grief, and pain, among countless other emotions you’ll cycle through.
One set of parents are the parents of a victim of a school shooting from several years prior. The other parents are the mom and dad of the shooter. There’s not much more to say. That’s the movie. And if you’re thinking, “How can they get a full movie out of a conversation with four people?”, I was right there with you. And every time I thought, “Well where do they go from here?”, the movie immediately answered.
Even still though, the runtime is really only the real complaint. While it does do a good job of pivoting each time it needs to pivot, some scenes ran long and began to feel a bit repetitive. But this is the smallest of complaints.
A movie like Mass doesn’t work without stellar acting, and my goodness these four are incredible. Reed Birney and Ann Dowd are Richard and Linda, with Jason Isaacs and Martha Plimpton opposite as Jay and Gail. Each one gives a powerhouse, heartbreaking performance. If you want a masterclass script and acting, this is the movie for you.
Score: 97/100
National Champions
Heisman-winning quarterback LaMarcus James (Stephan James) plans a boycott of the national championship game, protesting for compensation for college athletes. It’s a timely topic, but too bad for the movie that a new name, image, and likeness policy was put into place after production finished, allowing college athletes to profit off themselves. It’s different from what the players are fighting for in the movie, but that almost makes it worse.
But on the other hand, it’s not like this is some great movie. It’s bad. Well, not so much bad as dumb. But also bad. It’s cheesy and corny and doesn’t seem to fully understand how college football works. There are several dumb plot twists (they’re not what I would call real twists, but you get the idea), including a subplot with the coach’s wife that is just beyond unnecessary.
The biggest surprise is how shockingly stacked the cast is. In addition to James, J.K. Simmons plays his coach, Bill Lazor. And maybe they didn’t realize what movie they were in? Because they are legitimately great. Big time vibes of this Tiktok.
But they’re not the only two big names. Alexander Ludwig, Lil Rel Howery, Tim Blake Nelson, Andrew Bachelor (aka King Bach), Jeffrey Donovan, David Koechner, Kristin Chenowith, Timothy Olyphant(!), Uzo Aduba. Ridiculous cast. Every single person there is too good for this movie.
Score: 38/100
Nightmare Alley
Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) picks up work as a carny, growing close to clairvoyant Zeena (Toni Collette) and her mentalist husband Pete (David Strathairn). He picks up on and improves their gimmicks, eventually venturing out on his own. But when he meets psychiatrist Dr. Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett), he finds himself up against his toughest mark yet.
Nightmare Alley is filled with great performances filling out an interesting premise. But it’s ultimately a little too uneven. It could have gone all in on some of the darker themes it explores, and that would have likely made for a stronger movie. Even still, though, the acting and surrounding aesthetics (production design, score, etc) make for a pretty entertaining watch. There are also a few twists along the way, of course, and whether you see them coming or not, and how much you buy into them could sway you quite a bit in either a favorable or unfavorable direction..
Score: 82/100
The Summit of the Gods
A photojournalist uncovers a clue that could reveal the truth behind one of mountain climbing’s biggest mysteries. It’s a fictional story, though it is rooted in the real life story of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, who were maybe the first two (known) climbers to reach the top of Everest.
This is one of the most beautifully animated movies I’ve seen in quite some time. It’s worth watching for that alone. But it’s also an engaging story and a fun historical fiction. Some stretches do drag a tad, however, preventing it from being a truly great movie. But in the times when it finds its groove, it really hums along. And it’s on Netflix, so with such easy access, there’s no reason not to watch it.
Score: 85/100
