Richard Fitzwilliams Looks Back at the Year of 2020

This was a disastrous year for the cinema. The pandemic closed cinemas worldwide and led to films destined for theatrical release being streamed instead. The announcement by Warners, that for the next year all releases would be streamed simultaneously in theatres and cinemas, will affect the future of film. The Oscars, with new diversity rules, will allow some on-line movies to qualify.

The big movie of the year was Tenet, which I couldn’t understand, wished well but, fatefully, it bombed in the United States. With the new James Bond postponed until Easter 2021 (at least) and Mulan deservedly doing badly, blockbusters were absent.
 
In their place came a large number of art house movies. On the positive side many had women directors, top roles for persons of colour and LGBT themes.
 
Film of the year was Sam Mendes’s amazing 1917, seemingly shot in one take. Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, which won the Oscar for best picture, Mank about the making of Citizen Kane, The Trial of the Chicago 7 about the infamous show trial in 1969 and Uncut Gems featuring an unrecognisable Adam Sandler, were among the year’s most fascinating for me.

The African-American experience was reflected in the superlative Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom with Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman, who died so tragically, are both Oscar certainties. There was Spike Lee’s inventive Da 5 Bloods, One Night In Miami was excellent and Alfre Woodard in Clemency was unforgettable. Steve McQueen’s excellent Mangrove was about discrimination in the 1960s in the UK. Mogul Mowgli had an excellent performance by Riz Ahmed.

It was also a remarkable year for films with an LGBT theme. Portrait of a Lady on Fire was exquisite. Moffie, set in apartheid South Africa, was excellent. The Boys in the Band showed there was plenty of life in this revival. The Prom was a fun musical with a gay theme and Summer of 85 showed François Ozon on top form.

Richard Fitzwilliams’ Favourites:

1.  1917
2.  Parasite
3.  Portrait of a Lady on Fire
4.  Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
5.  The Trial of the Chicago 7
6.  Who You Think I Am
7.  Never Rarely Sometimes Always
8.  Clemency
9.  Babyteeth
10. Shirley