You already know what today is just by the sheer existence of this post. It’s been a YEAR. Another year. Where does this sense of obligation come from? Every year spare a couple, I rush to my laptop on Oscar Sunday to bless you fine people with some words on a blog. Who even has a blog anymore? Me, apparently. This would probably be better suited to a TikTok if I actually wanted to reach an audience. But the thing is, that is not the purpose. Never has been. This is purely self-serving, as is nearly everything in my life because I am a selfish hack, a single twenty-something *based in Brooklyn*, and honey, she’s never looked better.
But seriously, I was up last night facing a bout of anxiety because of THIS. The guilt that I saw a fraction of the films up for awards this year. The guilt that I didn’t watch all of the Best Picture nominees. The guilt that I hadn’t written on here in a year. Then a spiral about my guilt, my shame, my failure, my inability to follow through and commit to the things I want blah blah blah blah blah. Because of this stupid, stupid awards show. God, I am unbearable. God, I need a therapist.
But here I am, nonetheless. And maybe that’s something. Was hoping to give you a laugh. Boy did this derail fast. I just turned on tick, tick…BOOM! and suddenly I feel better. Time stamp says I’m 4:39 in and my eyes have already welled with tears. Oh no, I’ve watched it before. If you know anything about me you know I’m an annoying theatre person (was gonna say “kid” but alas I’m not a kid). They’re singing “Happy Birthday”, you just want to wake up and cry. This movie is perfect. I am so so pleased with movie musicals of the last year. Maybe that will be a good segue.
Here are the 2021 movies I saw in no particular order though actually they are probably very close to being in the order that I saw them because I’m using my AMC app to help me (#AList #HeartbreakFeelsGoodInAPlaceLikeThis) and I likely have an undiagnosed mental disorder that is anti-“no particular order”:
- Shiva Baby
- In the Heights
- Black Widow
- Dune
- Last Night in Soho
- He’s All That (lmaoooooo)
- tick, tick…BOOM!
- House of Gucci
- Licorice Pizza
- Love Hard
- West Side Story
- Don’t Look Up
- Clifford the Big Red Dog
- The Power of the Dog
- Drive My Car
- Nightmare Alley
I feel like that’s it…who knows. Wow, what a sad list. Honestly, I spent a good chunk of last year watching old seasons of Survivor and I’m not mad about it.
So what am I supposed to say? Go see the musicals. tick, tick…BOOM! and Spielberg’s West Side Story are some of the best movie musicals out there. Musicals are so hard to get right on film, and these are exceptional. House of Gucci was utterly chaotic yet I fell asleep in the middle? I’m pretty sure Jared Leto committed some sort of hate crime with his acting. I had higher hopes for Last Night in Soho and Licorice Pizza and they both let me down. Shiva Baby…was that 2020 or 2021? Idk. It’s excellent, amazing, wonderful, funny, extremely anxiety-inducing. Go see it. I’m dying at the fact that I watched Clifford the Big Red Dog before The Power of the Dog. Very on brand. Couldn’t tell you which I enjoyed more. Don’t Look Up was dumb and…what’s the opposite of nuanced? Whatever it is, it’s that. Nearly all of these movies were too long. There were other movies I really wanted to see that I just didn’t get around to (Red Rocket, The Worst Person in the World, C’mon C’mon, the list goes on), and maybe I will. Maybe I won’t.
Anyway, another year without predictions, but another year writing to you on Oscar Sunday. Here’s hoping you’re all well. I know I’m not (kidding…sort of).
xoxo,
C
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