2021 had a lot of pressure on it. Following up on one of the worst years ever can’t be easy. While the outside world is still dealing with pandemics and the such, we are at least being blessed with some great movies. This year, the industry brought its A game, bringing us some of the most entertaining works in recent memory. Here are our picks for 2021’s best actors and directors.
Best Actor
Greg Mysogland- Daniel Craig (No Time to Die)
No Time to Die brought Daniel Craig’s fifteen year run as James Bond to a spectacular end and he did some of his best work yet in the role. He’s been called the best Bond ever and the film makes it abundantly clear why. He’s as suave and funny as ever while also displaying an extremely wide range of emotions, brought out by the rich character work provided in the film’s story. The performance will cement his Bond as one of the great screen characters of all time.
Honorable Mentions: Jodie Comer- The Last Duel, Léa Seydoux- No Time to Die, Scarlett Johansson- Black Widow, Florence Pugh- Black Widow, Timothée Chalamet- Dune, Rebecca Ferguson- Dune, Jason Momoa- Dune.
Best Directors
Zach – Denis Villeneuve
Dune is a masterwork. I’ve tried to read the novel several times but could not penetrate the text. I cannot endure Lynch’s adaptation. But what Villeneuve does with the material is exceptional. The audio design is mesmerizing throughout, from the soaring battle bagpipes to the nauseating horror effects that go into realizing The Voice.
The world is unbelievably realized. Every ship, every magnificent structure, feels grounded, thought out, functional. Denis directs his cast to solid performances all over, but Rebecca Ferguson steals the show, especially in the harrowing gom jabbar opening, her and Paul’s brutal escape from the Harkonnens, and the lovely tet-a-tet with Javier Bardem’s Stilgar.
There’s too much to say about this film. It is a finely constructed piece. Simply put, Dune, as a story, eluded me for decades; meanwhile, I’ve seen Denis Villeneuve’s Dune six times and I’m eager to dive in again soon, to say nothing of my excitement for the upcoming sequel.
Ethan Maddux – Denis Villeneuve
Before I say anything about Dune, I think it’s important to note that I’m the kind of guy who bought the book about five years ago when I heard the rumor of this movie happening just because I’m such a fan of Denis Villenueve’s– but I never actually read it. So, I come at Dune from the angle of both a long-time sci-fi and a Villeneuve fan, but not as one of the actual source material.
Anyway, watching Dune with no expectations I felt really overwhelmed by it, in a good way. There was so much detail and care put into every little facet of that movie, I was mostly just in awe of it, not fully digesting the subtleties of its world but more so lost in its intensity and scale.
The performances are obviously fantastic. How could they not be, after all, the cast is more expensive than the net worth of my family tree, and that investment paid off. Particularly though, Jason Momoa really stood out to me. As fun and intense he can be as an action star, never had I seen him simply act so naturally charming. That said, Oscar Isaac objectively gave the best performance, but let’s be real we already knew he would.
I don’t see these types of Sci-Fi movies as often as I’d like, and when they do happen, they don’t usually get people talking like I’d hope. Dune changed that, and now in addition to thinking it’s one of the best movies of the year, I also think it’s the one I’m the most excited to rewatch.
Greg Mysogland – Denis Villeneuve, Dune
To avoid repeating what others are saying about Villeneuve’s work on Dune, I’ll be brief. The film is a stunning achievement that employs virtually every aspect of the cinematic medium to their fullest potential. The visuals, sound, acting, editing, and more are all incredible and work in perfect tandem to create the exotic world and epic journey of the film. Villeneuve deserves all the praise he’s getting and more for bringing it all together.
Honorable Mentions: Zack Snyder- Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Cary Joji Fukunaga- No Time to Die
Best Animated Movies
Kila Panareou – The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Not a film I expected to be as good as it was from the trailers, but this film was a hugely enjoyable family feature, with echoes of The Incredibles throughout. The Mitchells are an ordinary family, except that they’re a really weird family, but when robots take over the world they’re one of the few survivors left to put a stop to it. Incredibly culturally aware, with a truly likable cast of characters this movie stands out from the other animated releases this year, like Luca. Most stand out however are the animation techniques used throughout – there’s a beautiful mix of sketch styling alongside the more familiar 3d animation and it really makes this film have its own particular stamp.
Honorable mentions: Raya and the Last Dragon
Marcus Orchard- Gintama: The Very Final
It takes a lot to deliver a satisfying ending to a series that has been airing since 2006. Even if the Gintama manga delivered a satisfying ending, there was no promise that the final Gintama movie would yield the same results. Fortunately, Gintama: The Very Final, somehow nailed the ending with fantastic pacing, comedy, and an exhilarating final battler. Gintama will always be remembered as one of the best anime series of all time, and Gintama: The Very Final was a nearly perfect finale to Odd Jobs’ journey.
