{"id":8844,"date":"2021-06-16T07:33:49","date_gmt":"2021-06-16T07:33:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/runyourownwebsite.uk\/sorted\/?p=8844"},"modified":"2021-07-12T18:54:36","modified_gmt":"2021-07-12T18:54:36","slug":"top-10-films-of-2021-so-far","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/runyourownwebsite.uk\/sorted\/top-10-films-of-2021-so-far\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 films of 2021 (so far)"},"content":{"rendered":"

We are almost a week into the Euros and we\u2019re now past the midway point of June \u2013 so it is time to sit back and assess the first six months of the year in film.<\/h2>\n

For us all, it\u2019s still a relativity new experience to be back in the cinema. But that doesn\u2019t seem to have slowed down the release of new movies. In 2021, I\u2019ve already seen around 100: many have been great, some okay, and there\u2019s a few so bad I hope I never lay my eyes on them again!<\/p>\n

Here is my top 10 films of the year so far, presented to you in the knowledge it is totally different from everyone\u2019s list. But that is the joy of being a critic: we learn to agree to disagree \u2013 and are richer for it.<\/p>\n

So, in no particular order, these are the outstanding movies I have seen since January\u2026<\/p>\n

Dear Comrads<\/h3>\n

This is based on a true story that took place in the USSR in 1962. As food prices increase yet again throughout the Soviet bloc, workers in a small industrial town go on strike in protest. The government moves quickly to quash the uprising and the ensuing massacre is seen through the eyes of a Party member. Filmed in stark black and white, this is a disturbing and unsettling look at a dark moment in history. Some of the images are still with me.<\/p>\n

Quo Vadis Ada?<\/h3>\n

Another bleak film yes, but again an important slice of history. Ada is a translator for the United Nations as it seeks to bring peace in the 1990s Balkans conflict. But when the Serbian army overruns her town, she embarks on a desperate search to find her family. Have no doubts, this is a moving and shattering experience and a \u2018must see\u2019 film.<\/p>\n

Identifying Features<\/h3>\n

A mother travels in the dangerous \u2018badlands\u2019 spanning the border between the US and Mexico as she looks for her son, who she has been told is dead. This is a compelling drama that had me hooked from the moment the titles started rolling.<\/p>\n

The Dig<\/h3>\n

Ralph Fiennes, Lilly James and Carey Mulligan star in this delightful story of discovery, friendship and love as they set about discovering a long-buried Anglo-Saxon longship in 1930s Suffolk. For the history buffs among us, this is the true tale of the finding of the treasure known as the 'Sutton Hoo horde'.<\/p>\n

Minari<\/h3>\n

I absolutely loved this Oscar-nominated film about a Korean family setting up a farm in Arkansas and the diverse bunch of characters the came across in the local community. Funny and moving, this is pure joy from start to finish.<\/p>\n

Promising Young Woman<\/h3>\n

Another Oscar-nominated film, it\u2019s a tale of revenge. Carey Mulligan (in another stellar role) is the young lady seeking to avenge those who wronged her in the past. It\u2019s quite violent but great fun.<\/p>\n

Cruella<\/h3>\n

This is the most \u2018unDisney\u2019 Disney film you will ever see! It\u2019s manic, frantic, violent, sad, funny, and thoroughly entertaining. It has a killer soundtrack and Emma Stone delivers a tremendous performance in the title role (although Britain\u2019s Emma Thomson steals the show as the evil Baroness). <\/p>\n

Nobody<\/h3>\n

Talking of killer soundtracks, this film has the best use of You\u2019ll Never Walk Alone<\/em> in a film since Carousel<\/em>. Bob Odenkirk (of Breaking Bad<\/em> and Better Call Saul<\/em> fame) is a mild-mannered bloke who goes on the rampage when a bunch of bad guys come after his family, unleashing the beast within. Basically, he\u2019s a one-man A-team. Christopher Lloyd joins in and there is an awful lot of fun to be had watching Odenkirk going about his business.<\/p>\n

After Love<\/h3>\n

This is notable for an incredible performance by Joanna Scanlan, who plays widowed Muslim woman who discovers her husband led a double life in France. I left the screening with \u2018something in my eye\u2019. It\u2019s a simple story told superbly well.<\/p>\n

A Quiet Place Part 2<\/h3>\n

This first lockdown delayed the original release of this film, but boy, it was worth the wait! Picking up where the first film left off, Emily Blunt and her family are still in hiding from the aliens who \u2018see with their ears\u2019\u2026 It\u2019s scary, thrilling and exhilarating.<\/p>\n

So that\u2019s my top 10 of the year so far. Enjoy wading through them at your leisure.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Andy Godfrey is a film critic for Sorted<\/em> and a member of the Mark Kermode Appreciation Society.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We are almost a week into the Euros and we\u2019re now past the midway point of June \u2013 so it is time to sit back and assess the first six months of the year in film. For us all, it\u2019s still a relativity new experience to be back in the cinema. But that doesn\u2019t seem […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":692,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,1546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8844","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-free-content","category-homepage"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/runyourownwebsite.uk\/sorted\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8844","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/runyourownwebsite.uk\/sorted\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/runyourownwebsite.uk\/sorted\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runyourownwebsite.uk\/sorted\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/692"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runyourownwebsite.uk\/sorted\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8844"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/runyourownwebsite.uk\/sorted\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8844\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8854,"href":"https:\/\/runyourownwebsite.uk\/sorted\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8844\/revisions\/8854"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/runyourownwebsite.uk\/sorted\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8844"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runyourownwebsite.uk\/sorted\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8844"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runyourownwebsite.uk\/sorted\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8844"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}