Ah yes, 2021. Yet another year that was pretty difficult to get through. Thankfully, movies have been there for me to help me get through the good times and bad.
Ah yes, 2021. Yet another year that was pretty difficult to get through. Thankfully, movies have been there for me to help me get through the good times and bad.
My goal this year was to hit 150 movies, and I was able to watch 160. My most-watched film this year was It’s A Wonderful Life, which I watched a total of three times. All the films in this article can be viewed on my First Time Favourites: 2021 list. I chose these ten films not only because they were the highest-ranked but because I also resonated deeply with some of them.
The Apartment (1960)
The classic “I’ll do anything to climb the corporate ladder.” C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon) is stuck in the same old rut at work as an insurance clerk until he figures out a way to get a promotion. He starts lending out his apartment in the Upper West Side to four senior executives at the company he works for.
Instead of finding peace in the knowledge of soon receiving a promotion, Baxter becomes overwhelmed by the sheer amount of planning involved. Was it all worth it to reach the top?
Favourite Line: “The mirror… it’s broken.” “Yes, I know. I like it that way. Makes me look the way I feel.”
Funny Face (1957)
From book clerk to fashion model! Jo Stockton, played by Audrey Hepburn, gets discovered by fashion photographer Dick Avery (Fred Astaire) during a fashion shoot for the magazine he works at. Stockton’s pixie-like features make her stand out, much like her real-life story, which makes her the next best thing in the fashion industry. I love Hepburn, so this was yet another enjoyable film in her repertoire.
Favourite Line: “Take the picture! Take the picture!”
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
I can’t believe I haven’t seen this film before. What thrilling twists and stellar performances by both Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. The Shawshank Redemption follows Andy Dufresne during his time in prison for the double murder of his wife and her lover. While he’s locked up, Dufresne becomes an admired and respected individual by his fellow inmates and the warden.
If it wasn’t obvious by the other reviews out there, this film is a must-watch.
Favourite Line: “I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living, or get busy dying.”
Minari (2020)
What a beautiful film Minari was. The whole time, you’re invested in the Yi family, following Jacob’s (Steven Yeun) struggles with starting a farm on their new plot of land and Monica’s (Han Yeri) search for some normalcy in her life. There is so much symbolism represented in Minari that everyone can relate to. From an immigrant family searching for the American Dream to the meaning of life and death.
Favourite Line: “The minari will grow here.”
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
Humphrey Bogart pulls off a complete masterclass in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Bogie is one of my favourite actors, and it’s so easy to see why when he puts this much emotion into his craft. You feel exactly what he’s feeling as he’s navigating through Mexico in search of finding gold. Will they be able to get out alive, or will greed get the better of them?
Favourite Line: “I sure had some cockeyed ideas about prospectin’ for gold. It was all in the finding I thought. I thought all you had to do was find it, pick it up, put it in sacks, and carry ’em off to the nearest bank.”
Girlfriends (1978)
Ever have the feeling where you’re in your twenties when life seems to be moving so fast for others while you’re standing still? Just me? Girlfriends follows Susan Weinblatt (Melanie Mayron) as she deals with the loneliness that her twenties bring her. Her best friend and roommate moves out to get married, which leaves Weinblatt to figure out a handful of questions she never thought she’d have to ask herself.
I think this film perfectly captured the female friendship dynamic and the absence of it. It’s complicated and can sometimes be messy, but that’s life.
Favourite Line: “I don’t know what’s going on anymore.”
Lost Horizon (1937)
Although seen as a dud in Frank Capra’s illustrious career, I thoroughly enjoyed Lost Horizon. Robert Conway (Ronald Colman) and a small group of civilians crash land in the Himalayas. They’re rescued by the people of Shangri-La, a mysterious oasis in the middle of the mountains. It becomes an escape for Conway as the beginnings of World War II are ever-present in the outside world.
Overall, the themes in this film were what I found so addictive. The haunting way that Capra tells this story still leaves me in awe. Hoping one day that I’ll be able to find my own Shangri-La.
Favourite Line: “Gentlemen, I give you a toast. Here’s my hope that Robert Conway will find his Shangri-La. Here’s my hope that we all find our Shangri-La.”
The African Queen (1951)
The adventure of a lifetime. The African Queen takes place at the start of World War I. Humphrey Bogart plays a drinking riverboat captain in Africa that provides passage for a Christian missionary (Katherine Hepburn). The two actors are both flawless and bring an intensity to the role others couldn’t even begin to replicate.
Favourite Line: “Oh, I’m not worried miss. Gave myself up for dead back where we started.”
Soul (2020)
Yet again, Pixar is pulling out another incredible animated film, this time about the meaning of life. Joe Gardner is a middle school teacher in love with playing and performing jazz music. He gets in an accident, which separates his soul from his body and transports him to the You Seminar. With a little help from a few souls-in-training, he has to find a way to get back to Earth.
Sure, the movie is about Joe’s physical journey starting with his accident, but at its core, it’s about how life is so precious to all of us. Living each day by truly loving what you do is the only way that makes life worth living. Such a special film that came out at the perfect time for me.
Favourite Line: “I’m going to live every minute of it.”
Love & Mercy (2014)
I think this was my favourite first watch of 2021. Everything about this film was fantastic. It takes place in the mid-1960s when Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys stops touring with the band to focus on producing Pet Sounds. During this time, he begins to lose himself. We get flashes to Brian’s life in the 1980s, where he’s under the control of his thieving therapist with no end in sight until Melinda Ledbetter, played by Elizabeth Banks, comes along.
Both Paul Dano and John Cusack play Brian Wilson with so much heart and soul. They completely captured the mood of the film. I honestly had no idea about what Brian Wilson went through and so learning more about him as a person was enlightening. One of the best biopics I’ve seen. I also may have listened to nothing but The Beach Boys for days after I watched this movie.
Favourite Line: “I think I might be losing it.” “I don’t blame you. There’s a lot to lose out there.”
Other Notable First Time Favourites: The Beatles: Get Back (I’m aware this isn’t a movie but it was too good not to mention), The Philadelphia Story, Lawrence of Arabia, Nomadland, The Florida Project, The Big Sleep
