One pleasure of considering what’s “best” in a year on a micro level is that the best parts of a movie may not lift the movie up toward “best” status. Let me smooth that thought out: A movie might look great but still play poorly; the cast might be game but the story might be lacking; the soundtrack may vibe but the images it play over don’t. You get the idea*.
So when thinking about the best-shot films of 2021, I thought of movies I haven’t given much attention to, like C’mon C’mon, which hangs too loose for my money but looks great. To me, that’s worth highlighting: Robbie Ryan knows how to tell a story visually where Mike Mills struggles to tell that same story directorially. Good work by Ryan.
C’mon C’mon joins a bunch of movies that come together well all around, and you’ll just have to go to The Playlist to find out what those movies are.
*I hope you do! I am in 100% inarticulate year-end burnout mode.
A Constant Visual Feast 