【2020–2021】The best films of the year and their notes

In the middle of the previous year, LetterBoxd was recommended by a friend. If you watch documentary films systematically, you will really want to make a list of good films at the end of the year. Self-awareness, sharing and communication. This article was published on Medium on the same day as Echoes of Water .

Best Movies of 2020–2021

1. Inside the Red Brick Wall 2020｜Hong Kong Documentary Worker

If rankings mean anything, the biggest is here. I have watched a lot of good films in the past two years, but "Poly University Siege" is the best. It's hard for me to argue that this is decoupled from my concerns about the issue, because the "siege" experience is that I go from the protesters to the movie audience, then back to the protesters, and then back to the people (the audience, the protesters, and all the others). collectives), it is impossible to bypass the struggle experience. But it's always in my place because of the "protest documentaries." It's the best movie.

2. The Woman Who Ran 2020｜Hong Changxiu

Kim Min-hee first spied on the monitor windows of two female friends, and then "escaped" to the theater for the second time after the female boyfriend met. She fled to the theater, and the screen fled into the eyes of the audience, which made me dizzy. I often recall Kim Min Hee's lines and performances in this film, the kind of delicate objects between the likes and dislikes, the transmission and metaphor of meat, apples, clothes, noodles, and bread among those women.

3. "Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy" 2021｜Ryusuke Hamaguchi

The first story, the dialogue and the parallel ending, is the most concise expression, which is the problem consciousness of the film; the second story, how the text is interpreted and the influence of the transmission, is the method of revealing the author; the third The story, the performance and the deconstruction of a layer of performance, this is the text, which means that if we have a good method of interpretation and transmission, we can really parallel the ending, and any medium for creation can be used.

4. Drive My Car 2021｜Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Movies can also parallel a better story than the "adapted work". The family is the world, the theater is the world, the world around the tree is the world, the snow hills in Hokkaido are the world, the car is the world, and the theater/world is on the road that keeps driving. Although the line "It's not your fault" is a very everyday Japanese drama, but then Uncle Vanya's sign language ending scene lingered in my mind for three days and three nights. The success of this film is by no means accidental or depends on the audience's imagination, it is layer by layer From "what is creation" to what is "exhibition".

5. The Abortionist 2019｜Chen Guo

Only here is 2019 smuggled, because it is difficult to expect where will it be broadcast after the 2020 Golden Horse Film Festival. The confusion of abortionists is a miracle, it is the rebirth of "Lanchao" from the dead, and the ending of Nie Hualing's "Sangqing and Taohong" in the pursuit of the Holy Spirit. Using Bai Ling to make "abortion" be neither humble nor arrogant, the mother-daughter Tai Chi perfectly bypasses the shackles of sadness, preaching and political correctness. The most important thing is that the girl who died of miscarriage in "Dumpling" spent her birthday in "The Abortionist".

6. The Story of Southern Islet 2020｜Zhang Ji'an

A balance of tranquility and tension. The spirituality of the ritual passes through the white cloth of the shadow puppet show, as well as the screen, and is established in the theater. If it weren't for such a routine arrangement of shots, the spiritual bridge could not be so weighted that even the audience was shaken by the witchcraft. Shaking, shaking, behind the door, behind the window, next to the chair, in the car, there are spirits. If you don't see it, look again and you'll see it. Both class and national politics are beautifully restrained, simple but not less issue-oriented.

7. "Introduction" 2021｜Hong Changxiu

It turns out that "changing men" can really be completely changed, and three broken arrangements are enough. The dialogue is very essence, "I have something to tell you" but not telling you, this is the boy's right. When Kim Min Hee appeared, Hong Changxiu's old cosmic works began to run parallel in his mind, the old actors scolded, the restaurant by the sea, and the universe was running again. But at this time the boy went into the water, the innocence and perseverance, cuteness and sadness of course are self-evident. This is another serendipitous and imaginative story, in a less verbose version.

8. "24" (24) 2021｜Zhang Ziqian

I chose this one because it is irreplaceable. Only the ending subtitle of this film makes me think "this is definitely part of the movie", that is, "25th", too simple, too sincere, in fact, the emotions themselves are complex, just staring and realizing how it is Yes, this shock is enough. This is a brand new experience for movies. It turns out that the sound engineer and the film work and people are like this, and the director can do this.

9. "In Front of Your Face" 2021｜Hong Changxiu

There are two works without the goddess Kim Min-hee this year, so I can be sure that I have a love for Hong Chang-soo. If the heroine hadn't played the Bach Minuet in G major, maybe I wouldn't have loved this film. The classical soundtrack really helped the plot in place - when I watched the film, I couldn't get rid of the lightness and cruelty. I was pretty sure it wasn't an accidental tune. And as long as this is established, it can be simple why it should be complicated.

10. The Edge of Daybreak 2021｜Taiki SAKPISIT

The history of Thai film processing is very complicated, and it is difficult for me to understand, but what is amazing is that the human part is very well shot, especially the women. The pros and cons of expressions under the mirror position, body touch, clothes and wind, and the metaphors of mud and filth are superimposed and will not be surprising, as long as there are three-dimensional people, they will be smooth. It is enough to imprint the weight of history, because there are sufficient emotions, sadness, confusion, collapse, despair, and the images are very convincing.

11. Tenet 2020｜Christopher Nolan

This video experience is also a bit difficult to replace. The structure and picture are beautiful.

12. Drifting Petals 2021｜Luo Zhuoyao

I have written on Duan Media: Ghosts in My City: On "Flowers and Fruits" and the Hong Kong Films of the Golden Horse Awards

13. Wife of a Spy 2020｜Kirosawa

After getting in the car, I recalled that I liked it even more, Aoi Yu was so amazing, those words and expressions kept reverberating.

14. Taking back the Legislature 2020｜Hong Kong Documentary Filmmaker

Choosing this one is to take advantage of the ranking method to express how good "Poly University Siege" is. There is a dozen or so distances in between. But they are all very good, not intended to compare. I just want to take the "Protest Documentary" as a matter of course, because it is really a good movie.

15. 100 Times Reproduction of Democracy 2020｜Chulayarnnon SIRIPHOL

How could this be a protest documentary? Thailand is really complicated. It played the entire fragment of the social movement song in the midst of the noise, and knew that it was serious enough, but it was unbelievable and difficult to replace, so it was selected. I admit that this is coupled with my concern, otherwise it should feel like a very noisy lunatic, unless you admire lunatics in the first place.