The Summit of the Gods (2021)
Directed by Patrick Imbert
Put simply, The Summit of the Gods is the best animated film of the year, hands down. Based on a Japanese manga series of the same name, this beautifully-drawn French language think piece is a welcomed and refreshing example of the power of animated films. Using an approach similar to how Welles and Mankiewicz tackled Citizen Kane, director Patrick Imbert slowly uncovers the life of a once-famous mountain climber (now missing and presumed dead) through the remembrances of those who knew him best. This wonderfully crafted mystery is augmented by a number of truly tense and immersive climbing scenes that are among the best I’ve seen, animated or otherwise. That The Summit of the Gods was completely left out of the Oscar race is neither just nor surprising given this year’s nominees, but that doesn’t make it right.
Last Night in Soho (2021)
Directed by Edgar Wright
Edgar Wright’s latest effort is perhaps his most stylish, and one of my favorites. In Last Night in Soho, Wright taps into the techniques and plotting devices made famous by Italian Giallo greats like Dario Argento and Mario Bava, mixing supernatural overtones with murderous mystery. Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy are fantastic at the helm of this time-traveling whodunnit, with Terrance Stamp and Matt Smith operating as their loathsome adversaries. The film, however, begins to wane in its second half when its ghostly elements begin to rather clumsily dominate its story, but these complaints are minor considering the devilish fun at the heart of this neo-Giallo. If you, like me, love the music and fashion of London’s swinging ‘60s (mixed with a decent amount of gore and menace), you could do much worse than Last Night in Soho.
No Time to Die (2021)
Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga
For the most part, I’ve enjoyed every James Bond film I’ve seen, dating all the way back to 1985 when I saw A View to a Kill in the movie theater. No Time to Die is no different, with an emphasis on the “no different” part. It’s true that for a Bond film, this is an impressive outing, but that doesn’t quite forgive its heavily formulaic nature. Every beat is familiar to the point that I’d swear I’d seen this film before – and essentially, I had. Daniel Craig certainly ranks among the best to ever play the debonair super-spy, I only wish he was given new material to apply his talents to. This being Craig’s last performance as Bond, I had my fingers crossed he’d go out on a high note, but instead I found myself barely caring at all. Also on board is Rami Malek channeling his best Peter Lorre (I love Lorre, though, so I guess that’s a positive) and Léa Seydoux as the film’s lifeless “Bond Girl.” The real star, however is a criminally underused Ana de Armas, who brings a breath of fresh air to an otherwise perfunctory addition to the long-running franchise.
James is a writer, skateboarder, record collector, wrestling nerd, and tabletop gamer living with his family in Asheville, North Carolina. He is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the North Carolina Film Critics Association, and contributes to The Daily Orca, Razorcake Magazine, Mountain Xpress, and Asheville Movies.