Didn't see a thread for this.
I'll go first:
#10 A HERO (Asghar Farhadi) Amazon Prime. A masterful modern Neo-Realist drama
#9 FLEE (Jonas Poher Rasmussen) Hulu. Streaming rental. Sublimely moving tale of survival told as an animated Documentary. Nominated for 3 Oscars
#8 NIGHTMARE ALLEY (Guillermo Del Toro). HBO Max. Hulu Gorgeously mounted adaptation of William Gresham's novel. Stands with the 1947 version. 4 Oscar nominations including Best Picture
#7. THE MAN WHO SOLD HIS SKIN (Kaouther Ben Hania). Hulu. Kanopy. Hoopla - and streaming rental. Superb metaphor for our commodified times. A female Director to watch. Oscar nominee in 2020 for International film.
#6. POWER OF THE DOG (Jane Campion) Netflix. Literate and subtle period drama with Western trappings. Beautiful performances and strong on all production fronts. Nominated for 12 Oscars including Best Picture and all four main actors as well.
#5. PARALLEL MOTHERS (Pedro Almodovar) Streaming rental. Almodovar's heartfelt melodrama intertwining the stories of a pair of new mothers, their children and the arc of recent history in Spain. A exceptional Penelope Cruz is nominated for the Best Actress Oscar. As is Alberto Iglesias' for his strong film score.
#4. CYRANO (Joe Wright). Streaming rental and in theaters. Colorful musical adaptation of the famed story is anchored by a superb performance by Peter Dinklage, who does it without the famous big nose. Magnificent acting. Nominated for Best Costumes. Dinklage more than deserved a nom
#3. QUO VADIS, AIDA? (Jasmila Zbanic). Hulu, Kanopy and for rental. War as told on a very personal devastating level from a female perspective (Jasmila the Director, and star Jasna Djuricic). The intensity of the conflict is told on the battlefield, but within the soul. Nominated for the 2020 Best International Film Oscar.
#2. DRIVE MY CAR (Ryûsuke Hamaguchi). HBO Max. Engrossing meditative take on loss and forgiveness. Deceptively simple in it's telling, but compelling. Nominated for 4 Oscars including Best Picture and Best International Film.
#1. WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD(Joachim Trier). In theaters. Trier's witty and wise tale of a thirtiesh woman still trying to find herself is refreshing and original.
.
** A couple of notes. First, as with all years, I didn't get a chance to see everything I wanted to, but, it's March, so it's time. Movies like PETIT MAMAN and MEMORIA that I've seen on multiple lists still haven't been made available where I live, so they shall have to wait for an addendum down the road.
Second, I am following the Awards rules most abided by in 2020 where the 'year' was extended into this past February. So, movies like JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH, THE FATHER and BARB AND STAR GO TO MAR VISTA count as 2020 and not eligible. Here is the eligibility list I'm going by for the most part: https://www.thegoldknight.com/.../best-picture-eligible...
As always, I welcome your comments and your lists!
I'll go first:
#10 A HERO (Asghar Farhadi) Amazon Prime. A masterful modern Neo-Realist drama
#9 FLEE (Jonas Poher Rasmussen) Hulu. Streaming rental. Sublimely moving tale of survival told as an animated Documentary. Nominated for 3 Oscars
#8 NIGHTMARE ALLEY (Guillermo Del Toro). HBO Max. Hulu Gorgeously mounted adaptation of William Gresham's novel. Stands with the 1947 version. 4 Oscar nominations including Best Picture
#7. THE MAN WHO SOLD HIS SKIN (Kaouther Ben Hania). Hulu. Kanopy. Hoopla - and streaming rental. Superb metaphor for our commodified times. A female Director to watch. Oscar nominee in 2020 for International film.
#6. POWER OF THE DOG (Jane Campion) Netflix. Literate and subtle period drama with Western trappings. Beautiful performances and strong on all production fronts. Nominated for 12 Oscars including Best Picture and all four main actors as well.
#5. PARALLEL MOTHERS (Pedro Almodovar) Streaming rental. Almodovar's heartfelt melodrama intertwining the stories of a pair of new mothers, their children and the arc of recent history in Spain. A exceptional Penelope Cruz is nominated for the Best Actress Oscar. As is Alberto Iglesias' for his strong film score.
#4. CYRANO (Joe Wright). Streaming rental and in theaters. Colorful musical adaptation of the famed story is anchored by a superb performance by Peter Dinklage, who does it without the famous big nose. Magnificent acting. Nominated for Best Costumes. Dinklage more than deserved a nom
#3. QUO VADIS, AIDA? (Jasmila Zbanic). Hulu, Kanopy and for rental. War as told on a very personal devastating level from a female perspective (Jasmila the Director, and star Jasna Djuricic). The intensity of the conflict is told on the battlefield, but within the soul. Nominated for the 2020 Best International Film Oscar.
#2. DRIVE MY CAR (Ryûsuke Hamaguchi). HBO Max. Engrossing meditative take on loss and forgiveness. Deceptively simple in it's telling, but compelling. Nominated for 4 Oscars including Best Picture and Best International Film.
#1. WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD(Joachim Trier). In theaters. Trier's witty and wise tale of a thirtiesh woman still trying to find herself is refreshing and original.
.
** A couple of notes. First, as with all years, I didn't get a chance to see everything I wanted to, but, it's March, so it's time. Movies like PETIT MAMAN and MEMORIA that I've seen on multiple lists still haven't been made available where I live, so they shall have to wait for an addendum down the road.
Second, I am following the Awards rules most abided by in 2020 where the 'year' was extended into this past February. So, movies like JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH, THE FATHER and BARB AND STAR GO TO MAR VISTA count as 2020 and not eligible. Here is the eligibility list I'm going by for the most part: https://www.thegoldknight.com/.../best-picture-eligible...
As always, I welcome your comments and your lists!
