It’s 9 p.m. on January 28 as I’m starting to write this. The deal I’d made with myself was at least one post per month. January should’ve been easy! Round up some 2020 faves, count ‘em down, Happy New Year. But I haven’t quite mastered the art of the best-of list, which is probably actually just the art of not overthinking things that are supposed to just be for fun. In any case, I’m switching gears, saying a final goodbye to 2020, and looking instead at the movies I’ve rung in the New Year with. That’s still a lot of movies – 22 new and new-to-me, plus two rewatches (Wonder Woman, because I was trying to make sense of Wonder Woman 1984, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E., in which I contend that Armie Hammer has never been better, and now likely never will be). So yeah, a lot! A lot, which included…
A bunch of M. Night Shyamalan movies, inspired by Blank Check’s “Pod Night Shyamacast” series. It’s baffling that The Sixth Sense and The Happening were made by the same person! I have not decided if I’m going to continue on and put myself through The Last Airbender for the sake of completion.
Promising Young Woman, which I liked fine. It’s very cool visually, and as much as I appreciate how much goes on, I think I liked it best when it leaned into the horror movie tone. Also, what a delightful use of a Paris Hilton song.
Tenet, which I unfortunately liked quite a bit. It should be impossible for such an incomprehensible movie to be so watchable, and yet, my DVD copy is on its way. I’m not even looking to understand it better. I just like action! And I want to kiss the three leads! If only Christopher Nolan had just said less last year.
You can follow me on Letterboxd for all the highs and lows of my film consumption, but my top picks for the month, the real gems, the movies that are still taking up space in my head and heart, are as follows:
I Hate New Year’s
Directed by Christin Baker
The title seems like a cynical way to start this list, but stay with me, because I’ve got a lot of love for this movie. I Hate New Year’s is clearly small-budget and a little unrefined, but it feels unabashedly queer in a way that a lot of other more mainstream gay film efforts still just don’t. The biggest things for me were that 1. the depictions of queer community, friendship, and collaboration felt real and familiar, and 2. I was able to text the above picture to my partner and say, “Look, it’s us” (in the broad sense that we too are a mixed-Asian/Filipino couple, and also we’d wear those outfits). Layne (Dia Frampton, of one of my forever-favorite bands, Meg & Dia) and Cassie (Ashley Argota) are both successful musicians who are out and proud, and while the movie never questions that, it also never takes it for granted. They mean a lot to their fans, both separately and as a potential power couple, who watch via social media as the two stars galavant around Nashville on New Years Eve, getting where they need to go with the help of Marley (Candis Cayne). When the clock strikes twelve and all is sung and done, this is a really sweet movie, and you can support Christin Baker’s lesbian-focused streaming network by renting or buying it directly from Tello Films.
The Before Trilogy
Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004), and Before Midnight (2013) – Directed by Richard Linklater
I don’t remember what originally put the Before films on my radar, because as beloved as they are, they aren’t really something that I would have even been aware of until recently. I saw that HBO Max was taking Before Sunrise and Before Sunset down at the end of the month, so I figured that was as good a reason as any to finally give these a try. Long story short, I now own the Criterion set and the published screenplays. While each installment took some time to grow on me, once I was pulled into Céline (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke)’s orbit, I was with them through all the ebbs and flows. There were times when I thought they’d lose me, leaving me behind in some cafe or church as they continued their walk-and-talk through whichever city they were in. But just as they always found their way back to each other, I always found my way back to them. Before Sunset hit me hardest of all, and I still feel a tug in my chest when I think about, “I want to see if you stay together or if you dissolve into molecules.” “How am I doing?” “Still here.” “Good. I like being here.” Sure, sometimes the conversation is odd and meandering, but then you get to these moments that are just dazzling. The thing is, as much as I’m tired of the default straight, cis, white romance in media, it’s entirely possible to get me to root for a couple like Céline and Jesse. They’ve just gotta move me.
Nine Days
Directed by Edson Oda
Speaking of being moved, I cannot overstate how stunning Nine Days is, and what a delight it is to see the always-wonderful Winston Duke give this powerful and deeply sensitive performance as Will, a man tasked with choosing one soul from an eclectic group of candidates to be born into the world and live a life – a process which takes nine days. Haunted by the memory of the life he once lived, Will approaches his job with stony practicality, until he is challenged by the spirited and unflappable Emma (Zazie Beetz). Through Emma’s eyes, and with the help of Will’s colleague and friend Kyo (Benedict Wong), it’s revealed that perhaps Will is not as closed off as he seems, and in fact, he actually goes to great lengths to extend kindness to those not selected for life. It’s a big idea, executed beautifully in Edson Oda’s feature debut. I had the pleasure of watching it through Film Independent, who have since nominated it for two Spirit Awards: Best First Feature, and Best Supporting Male for Wong. One of the many releases delayed due to, you know, the global pandemic, Nine Days is now due out this summer, and it’s definitely one to be on the look out for.
So there you have it! A little something for January, just under the wire. Thanks for reading, and thank you also to everyone who read my Happiest Season piece in December. I hope you all continue to stay safe and be well.