Nomadland

Nomadland (Chloe Zhao, 2020)

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Rating: Q=8, P=7 / Obsession

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Grief/Coping, Pseudo-Documentary, Social Realism, Travel

This film is a poem. So beautiful. Chloe Zhao has made a masterpiece (only her third film!). I felt like I was watching something momentous in the history of filmmaking. Frances McDormand is incredible--her performance feels so candid, emotional, and meaningful. Watching Fern embrace a nomad lifestyle as she copes with so much loss is moving and important. Through Fern we see ourselves as individuals and as a broken species. As she says at the beginning of the film, she is not homeless, just houseless. Who is to say that the human society we've created--with mortgages, regular schedules, jobs with insurance and benefits, etc.--is the way we should be living?

This film definitely deserved the Best Picture and Best Actress awards. Probably my favorite Best Picture winner in quite a while. Magnificent.

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Minari

Minari (Lee Isaac Chung, 2020)

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Rating: Q=6, P=6 / Average OJ

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Complex Relationships, Family, Farming, 1980s

A breathtakingly beautiful film about how difficult it can be to make a meaningful life--one that supports your family and your own personal dreams. It is a story about new beginnings, fresh starts, and second chances. It is about being Korean in the rural Midwest of America in the 1980s. It is about the struggles of marriage--the compromise, differences, patience. Jacob and Monica try, each in their own way, to protect each other and their children. Though they both strive for a perfection that cannot exist, they do achieve something marvelous--ultimately this story is about just letting be.

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SPECIAL: Marvel Cinematic Universe Ranked

UPDATED 7/13/2022: Added two films.

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As most of you know, my favorite films are centered around strong scripts with emphasis on psychology and character development and relationships. So, it shouldn't seem surprising that I don't usually choose action flicks or big blockbusters. But I do love adventure and escape, so in recent years I've enjoyed watching more of these films. I got more into Star Wars and then the DC universe with the Batman films. Well, this last month or so, I finally watched all the Marvel films I could--still need to see the ones that are not on Disney+. I had already seen a few, and those are still my favorites, but I will say I liked them all much more than I thought I would. 

While the majority are still just mediocre films, in my opinion, I did really like them as a whole. My favorite hero is probably Dr. Strange (but Tony Stark is also intriguing and infuriating) and my favorite villain is Loki without a doubt. Favorite minor characters are Korg, Heimdall, and Shuri. I found most of the fight scenes boring (and sometimes way over the top) but my favorites were in Avengers: Civil War. Probably because there was a deeper and more complicated meaning behind those. I really liked seeing different worlds--everything to do with Asgard and Norse mythology was great. Some of the science and logic of certain films irritated me (and the time travel messed with my brain), but I still found it all fun.

Below I've ranked the films in order from my least favorite to favorite. Rather than write about each one (that would take far too long) I will just include my ratings this time.

22. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

Rating: Q=5, P=3 / Thanks But No Thanks

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21. Captain Marvel (2019)

Rating: Q=5, P=3 / Thanks But No Thanks

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20. Iron Man 2 (2010)

Rating: Q=5, P=4 / Average OJ

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19. Ant-Man (2015)

Rating: Q=5, P=4 / Average OJ

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18. The Avengers (2012)

Rating: Q=5, P=4 / Average OJ

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17. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Rating: Q=5, P=4 / Average OJ

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16. The Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Rating: Q=5, P=4 / Average OJ

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15. Captain America: The Winter Solider (2014)

Rating: Q=5, P=5 / Average OJ

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14. Iron Man 3 (2013)

Rating: Q=6, P=5 / Average OJ

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NEWLY ADDED: 13. Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Rating: Q=6, P=6 / Average OJ

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12. Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Rating: Q=6, P=6 / Average OJ

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NEWLY ADDED: 11. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

Rating: Q=6, P=6 / Average OJ

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10. Avengers: Infinity Wars (2018)

Rating: Q=6, P=6 / Average OJ

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9. Avengers: End Game (2019)

Rating: Q=6, P=6 / Average OJ

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8. Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Rating: Q=6, P=6 / Average OJ

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7. Thor (2011)

Rating: Q=6, P=6 / Average OJ

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6. Iron Man (2008)

Rating: Q=6, P=6 / Average OJ

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5. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (2017)

Rating: Q=6, P=6 / Average OJ

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4. Black Panther (2018)

Rating: Q=7, P=6 / Can't Get Enough

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3. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)*

Rating: Q=6, P=7 / Comfy Old Standard

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*My previous rating went up on my second viewing of this one!

2. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Rating: Q=6, P=7 / Comfy Old Standard

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1. Doctor Strange (2016)

Rating: Q=7, P=7 / Obsession

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I still think Dr. Strange is the best. I like his struggles and how he overcomes his ego. I like the mystic arts and wizardry and concepts of reality and psychology in this film. And I like Benedict Cumberbatch, of course.

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Bombshell

Bombshell (Jay Roach, 2019)

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Rating: Q=6, P=5 / Average OJ

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Based on True Events, Sexual Harassment, Scandal, Politics, Journalism, Drama

I remember when Gretchen Carlson and later Megyn Kelly and others sued Roger Ailes. I was disgusted and, unfortunately, not surprised that such behavior and misconduct is still happening in our world. The whole world of Fox News is incomprehensible, to me, so this film was fascinating and made me think even more about it all. Great performances by Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, and especially Margot Robbie.

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