The COVID pandemic provoked mass hysteria amongst the film industry, prompting theatres to be closed, release dates to be pushed back, productions to be halted, and even pushing some companies out of business. Countless articles wondered about the fate of cinema, and whether the availability of at-home film rental portended the end of communal viewing culture. Continue reading “Piper Coyner’s Top 10 Films of 2020”
It goes without saying that 2020 was a crazy year for all sorts of things, and this includes movies – due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the closing of theatres and rise of streaming meant there were limited options for people to make and watch new movies if they didn’t have the apt resources. The last time I made a top 10 list, last year, was much easier than it was this year. While part of it is because there weren’t many releases at all, part of it was because a lot of the movies I watched that came out this year were really good. Of the 2020 releases I’ve seen, I would say that my top 20 are all great films that I will be ready to defend in a heartbeat. It was really hard to put only ten films on my list this year, so before we get into those, I think it would be best to quickly talk about those 10 that just barely made the cut.
We begin on a silent black screen. Then, an invocation of the author whose words will be put to screen in the coming two hours. “Emma Woodhouse,” prays the blackness, “handsome, clever, and rich…” It is as if this screen, well-aware of the task ahead, is working from the outset to win favor with the spirits that safeguard the narrative it is attempting to retell. In a way, the stage has been set. Emma. Continue reading “Review: ‘Emma.’ Is as Well-Mannered as They Come”