20. Unpregnant (2020, Dir. Rachel Lee Goldenberg)
As 2021 brought with it a legitimate threat to Roe Vs. Wade, the recent wave of films focused on abortions has become more important. Even in a comedy as ribald as Goldenberg’s road movie feels like it stings with truth. The story starts with the familiar crux of an unwanted pregnancy filling the protagonist with shame, making them imagine what their future could look like. She is just a teenager, stuck in a position that threatens to ruin her plans for the future. Even then, abortion isn’t as easily acquired. As perfectly shown, there is a need not only to drive but to travel across several states to somewhere safe. Given that the father is a flake, it makes the journey more of a hurdle as things slowly grow from a covert operation into a never-ending headache.
The comedy centers around a road trip with the perfect odd couple. In the driver’s seat is the perfectionist, the one who needs to keep a schedule. The other is a troublemaker who constantly veers the car down bizarre paths. As much as this is an exploration of women’s rights through America’s conservative south, it’s also a coming of age story made more endearing because of the central friendship. For a film that follows a familiar path, it’s done with a wild spirit, constantly jabbing hot button issues (even accidentally) while they try to survive. It’s a very funny film, but it’s also one that perfectly shows how difficult it is to be a woman living in America. She may have control over the trip, but there are still many things she needs to get a grasp on. It’s only a matter of if the people she encounters along the way will let her.
19. Portrait of a Young Girl at the End of the ‘60s in Brussels
(1994, Dir. Chantal Akerman)
Considering Akerman’s love for the longing gaze, it’s amazing how much energy she packs into a single hour. Over the course of a day, a woman meets with various friends to discuss what the future looks like. One of her friends is a degenerate, someone who dropped out of the military and is trying to find greater meaning in life. The sense of being cast aside looms over them, wandering around Brussels and noticing the mix of populous conversations with intellectual institutions. While they barely address any deeper intention, there is a clear understanding of characters, an urgency to try and find their value in the world. Much like the story, it’s an aimless one that doesn’t present a clear answer. Still, be glad you’re not going through this uncertainty alone.
With that said, it’s in the film’s third act where Akerman makes one of her most emotionally eviscerating scenes. With nothing more than a James Brown song, the protagonist stares in a state of dejection. The world falls away and she realizes that she’s alone. The world feels even lonelier than it did in all of those earlier discussions. In a crowded room, there is only isolation. How does one eventually begin finding substance in their life? As the title suggests, this is the end. Maybe not the end of her life, but the end of a personal era. What lies ahead is something unknown to everyone watching. They don’t get to see what’s there. All she has to do is take time to think about what’s been said and find her own path. She seems more than capable of pulling it off.
18. Babylon (1980, Dir. Franco Rosso)
While people tend to argue that music is the great unifier, they mean it on personal levels. They don’t mean it as a way to unify a tribe and give them an escape from the greater world. For Rosso, he sincerely means that reggae and dance music are a saving grace. For Jamaican immigrants in 1970s England, the world outside doesn’t understand them. They speak in a patois that, even in English, benefit from English subtitles. The divides are obvious both racially and culturally, and it’s only when the door is shut and the records start spinning that there’s freedom. As the crowd sways, there’s elation. So long as nobody knocks with noise complaints, the night will be a sweet, sweet ride.
It’s a film that feels lived in, taking audiences into the private quarters as they discuss every topic that interests them. Rosso reflects the differences within the community, allowing them to be seen experiencing joy and sadness. It’s a story of wealth inequality and the struggle to be seen as equal when even the use of language isolates them from their fellow man. It’s a hostile film that often feels dangerous, but with the purposeful intent of reflecting a community that often feels ignored and undervalued. They came to England for better chances and the reality doesn’t fully pay off dividends. Life may be tough, but so long as the record continues to play and the singer continues to uplift, there will be hope that tomorrow is better. They just have to remember the unity that exists within all of them.
17. Promising Young Woman (2020, Dir. Emerald Fennell)
Revenge fantasies isn’t a genre that usually produces thought-provoking work, but Fennell found a way to tackle assault with a nuanced and entertaining perspective. Lead by an impressive Carey Mulligan performance, the story deconstructs modern society by conveying the ways that women are often undermined and forgotten about while toxic masculinity continues to thrive. Even her choice to cast actors known for playing nice guys as creeps allow for added subtext that shows how complicated the matter is. With a glossy coat of paint over every scene, it’s a film that starts as a fantasy before diving head-first into the bleak and uncomfortable, finding a balance that is impressive even when it’s at its most divisive.
It’s commentary that stings, taking pointed jabs that reflects the ways society plays against women with promising futures. Every scene immerses in the uncomfortable, finding ideas emerging of people thrown by the wayside. Even the choice to include Paris Hilton’s “Stars Are Blind” in a pivotal scene comments on how the media portray frivolous women. They call them whores, unwilling to think that they have any greater problems besides partying. Much like Hilton or Britney Spears, Mulligan plays a woman who feels thrown away once her usefulness has been met. The question Fennell has is what she does to regain control not only of her image but of her life. The answer may be unpleasant and controversial, but it concludes the film on a triumphant final note. Fennell is ready to challenge a lot of notions in cinema. Better be ready.
16. Wildlife (2018, Paul Dano)
Off in the distance is a forest fire. The threat grows by the day as trees burn rapidly, sending smoke into the air and causing concern for the nearby town. Will there be anything left to cherish when this story ends? Thanks to a group of firefighters, it’s another heroic mission that is solved without much conflict. However, one central figure turns out to have a different problem spreading at home. In the time that he’s gone, his wife begins an affair that leads to a series of conflicts that create the biggest irony of the story. While they are able to tame the nature around them, they aren’t able to keep their own marriage from going up in flames.
The story is told from the firefighter’s son’s perspective. As a photographer, he is used to staging and capturing precious moments. He is doing everything to make this one endure, to try and push away all of the negativity and present a vision of Rockwell-esque happiness. With a delicate handle of metaphor, Dano gets the most out of his actors as they convey the tragedy inside intimacy. As characters fall further apart, there is a rise in concern. This is a bittersweet tale with a mature heart that doesn’t go for easy quarrels. In its place is the difficult decisions that come with realizing that more was separating them than distance. He may get the picture of a perfect family eventually, but the story behind it is much more complicated and hides meaning that is only understood by those who can see beyond the homely smiles.
Coming Up Next: Frogs, Pariahs, and Nomads
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