2020 Leaman Awards

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*Last Updated 7/27/2022  

2020 Films Seen: 72
Number of Films with A or A+ Grade: 2
Key Films Still to See: La Llorona, Wolfwalkers, City Hall, Blood On Her Name, Pieces of a Woman, Another Round, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Jiu Jitsu, Time to Hunt, Athlete A

Brief Summary: Time will tell if Sound of Metal becomes an all-time great movie for me, but the strength of this year lay in its depth and variety of good films. There is a lot to enjoy here, a lot to be challenged by, and pretty much a strong entry into nearly every genre you can think of. A couple all-timers and this could have been an all-time great year itself. 
Not a "best of" list or a "favorite" list - but a list of the films and sequences (action, drama, comedy, & musical) that I think represent the best the year had to offer. So think of it as a strange mixture of favorite, best, and defining. Once you get to the top ten films, it definitely becomes more defined as a Top Ten list of the year. The number one film is my favorite of the year. 

Honorable Mentions: Alone, The Christmas Chronicles Part Two, Enola Holmes, On the Rocks, Palm Springs

25. News of the World (B-)
24. Desert One (B)
23. Bill & Ted Face the Music (B)
22. The Last Full Measure (B)
21. The Croods 2; A New Age (B)
20. One Night in Miami... (B)
19. Miss Juneteenth (B)
18. Tenet (B)
17. The Trial of the Chicago 7 (B)
16. Emma (B+)
15. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (B+)
14. The Way Back (B+)
13. Bad Education (B+)
12. Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (B+)
11. Mank (B+)

THE TOP TEN
10. Judas and the Black Messiah (B+): It's not perfect and I can't pretend I know the history it covers perfectly, but this film impressed me. It's more nuanced than something like The Trial of the Chicago 7, weaving multiple empathetic views while remaining critical of central characters. Good stuff here

9. Nomadland (B+): 2020's Best Picture winner is another insightful and patient story from 2020 filled with empathy towards its broken subjects while retaining the ability to still criticize and disagree. Was worried from reputation it would be political/preachy, but this is far from it. It's not fully my cup of tea and I don't agree with some of the implied wisdom here - but it's a good story that beautifully reflects on some important human themes -worth a watch.

8. Extraction (B+): This is a solid action film. About 1/3 of the way in, we are treated to an intense and prolonged sequence that will make action fans giddy and hold a firm place as one of the best action scenes of all-time. It's a chase that covers nearly every action genre, which is a nice rarity these days. Additionally, there's some attention paid to dramatic themes, a particularly interesting one being how how violence is directly/indirectly perpetrated & indoctrinated to young boys by their fathers (or father figures). Worth a viewing

7. The Father (A-): 

6. Greyhound (A-): Based on the book The Good Shepherd by C.S. Forester, Tom Hanks stars as Captain Krause in this modern World War II instant classic. The story focuses on about a forty hour or so period of time where an Allied ship convoy, headed by Hanks, crossing the Atlantic Ocean is harassed by a German submarine wolfpack. The film is a lean experience that cuts out extraneous subplots about romances, home life, or deep character analysis in favor of an extremely narrow focus. What's it like to be in the shoes of a convoy captain during the Battle of the Atlantic? What's it like to make life and death split second decisions on hunches and incomplete data in the hunt for subs, when to use resources for a rescue, and when its best to sacrifice a ship. I absolutely love the focus here. It also just so happens to give us the single best submarine war sequence told from the perspective of a surface ship as well. What a surprise that another Tom Hanks WWII film finds its way on the top of one of my lists. For more on the best World War II films, check out my guide HERE.

5. Minari (A-): This film reminded me a lot of 2003's family tale In America in that each are a collection of sequences, held loosely by an overall narrative, that depict the beauty and the difficulties of new cultures, marriage, raising children, and handling fears, spirituality, and community. It's slow and patient, drags here and there, but is moving and well-executed. Funnily enough, I found so much of this film to be relatable in so many small ways. Give this one a chance.

4. The Invisible Man (A-): The best horror film I've seen in about 15 years. Moss gives a top shelf performance in a story that chills with its ability to embody the horror of an on-going trauma & how it alienates you from community and sanity. Massive props for the camera work too!

3. The Outpost (A-): An insightful & affecting war film that's one of the best in the "War on Terror" genre. The film executes well the choice to honor (without glorifying) the individual service/bravery of the soldiers while still being willing to examine the political/military goals of their mission. 

2. Hamilton (A): I somehow never saw this play so this filmed version of it was my first introduction. I know it's not quite a "film" but it was such a beautiful, powerful, and moving piece of art that essentially played like a movie musical that I couldn't not honor it here. Instantly became one of my top five movie musicals and it continues to climb as listen to the soundtrack and think about its themes over and over.

1. Sound of Metal (A):



FAVORITE ACTION SEQUENCES OF THE YEAR
The Very Good:
  • "Finale: Bridge Battle for the Boy" -Extraction
  • "Finale: Brother and Sister vs. Yayan Ruhia" -Wira
  • "Finale: Returning the Car Through Roadblocks & Fire" -Lost Bullet
  • "Freeport Heist Involves an Inverted Fight in Two Parts" -Tenet
  • "Inverted Estonian Plutonium Heist" -Tenet
  • "Lino Fights His Way Out of Jail" -Lost Bullet
  • "Tangier Escape: Car Chase to Escape First Assassination" -The Rhythm Section
  • "Locker Room Fight: Three vs. One" -Welcome to Sudden Death
The Great:
  • "Greyhound and Dicky Take On a U-Boat Together" -Greyhound 
  • "Battle for Outpost Keating" -The Outpost
The Best: "Dhaka Survival Mode Chase: Extraction Goes Sour" -Extraction
Commentary: Chris Hemsworth plays Tyler Rake, an extraction expert. He’s hired to get back the kidnapped teen boy named Ovi in the city of Dhaka, which he accomplishes. However, once he gets to his extraction point on the shores of a river, there’s a problem – another trained assassin is picking off his team and hunting to get the boy back. There’s a small standoff in the woods, but once Tyler and Ovi make it back to their car the chase kicks off properly. From the moment it begins you can tell there is something different about this chase. First, there’s a commitment to make the entire sequence look like one take. Yes, there are obvious cut points, but that’s not the goal here – the goal is to put you immediately in the action from beginning to end. To that end, the camera is free to move inside the car, outside the car, float over and change its focus to other characters. The car chase sequence phase feels new as not only is much of it filmed well with some nice destruction and skilled stunts, but the camera moves seamlessly and always gives a good sense of geography – even during exposition scenes. It’s hard to even see the visual effects here to be honest. If the floating camera in The Raid II’s car chase sequence was interesting, this is a flat out marvel. After a key wreck, Tyler goes into “survival mode” and the chase enters a second phase on foot as they try to escape through a maze of apartment complexes with police and the assassin in tow. This leads to some excellent tactical shootouts and fights. The style here is like John Wick (the director is a veteran of that series) but more utilitarian and a little less showy. The third phase is when they are re-acquired by the assassin on the second floor of the complex and a physical fight between them breaks. They struggle and go over the railing and down to the street below. It takes a while to get up and when they do it becomes a close quarter knife fight until Tyler is struck by a car in the street. The assassin acquires the boy but gets struck in return by a truck Tyler picks up. The final phase of the sequence is escaping the truck under a bridge to throw the bad guys off the trail. It’s an exhaustive sequence that feels like it takes its cues from the best Jason Bourne foot chase / car chase / fight extravaganzas and says, “I can one up that. I can combine your car stuff, foot stuff, and then add in John Wick shootouts and fights”. Crazy enough, they accomplish it all. It’s a sequence for the legend books.


FAVORITE DRAMATIC SEQUENCES OF THE YEAR
The Very Good:
  • “Trying to Share a Warning and Being Betrayed” -The Assistant
  • “Tassone Explains the Problem to a Student’s Mom” -Bad Education
  • “Paul’s PTSD is Triggered by a Pushy Chicken Salesman” -Da 5 Bloods
  • “A Witty Insult Ruins the Group Outing on Box Hill & Induces Humility” -Emma.
  • “Presidential Alert: Picked for Shelter Among Neighbors” -Greenland
  • “Opening: Hunting, Killing, and Confirming a Single U-Boat” -Greyhound
  • “Decisions: Survivors in the Water or a Boat in Distress?” -Greyhound
  • “Framed for a Murder in a Public Restaurant” -The Invisible Man
  • “Chairman Fred’s Welcome Back Speech” -Judas and the Black Messiah
  • “A Silent Phone Call of Thank You” -The Last Full Measure
  • “Vietnam War Memorial Breakdown” -The Last Full Measure
  • “Dinner: Blackledges and Weboys Meet” -Let Him Go
  • “Levee Tells the Story of His Father” -Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
  • “Grandma Arrives in Arkansas” -Minari
  • “Story of the Men of Keel Run Told in Erath County” -News of the World
  • “Letting his Brother Say Goodbye to His Father” -Onward
  • “Finale: I Didn’t Save Him” -The Outpost
  • “Next Step of Training: One Take Impromptu Fight” -The Rhythm Section
  • "Re-united Parents, Government Agent, & a Hug of Safety" -Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
  • “Opening: Day Two Without Sound” -Sound of Metal
  • “Finale: It’s okay – Sitting and Accepting” -Sound of Metal
  • “Returning to the Airport Freeport” -Tenet
  • “Beating Memorial: Telling Brandon to Take the Last Shot” -The Way Back
  • “Finale: Making Amends and Shooting Hoops on the Shore” -The Way Back
The Great:
  • “Opening: Escaping the House” -The Invisible Man
  • “Finale: I Want My Mommy” -The Father
  • “Pride of Georgia…Not Allowed in the House” -One Night in Miami…
The Best: “Deafness is Not a Disability – You Need to Leave” -Sound of Metal
Commentary: 


FAVORITE COMEDIC SEQUENCES OF THE YEAR
Not a category I kept good track of - One of the toughest TBH
The Very Good:
  • "Opening: Robbery Leads to Humorous Van Chase & Fight" -Enter the Fat Dragon (2020)
  • "Play JaJa Ding Dong" -Eurovision Song Content: The Fire Saga
  • “Smooth Moves Across the Wedding Dance Floor" -Palm Springs
  • "Montage: Having Fun with Multiple Lives - 80's Bar Dance" Palm Springs
  • "A Commandeered Tractor Wreaks Havoc on the Farm" -Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
  • "The Alien Makes a Side Trip to the Grocery Store & Discovers Sugar" -Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
The Great:
  • n/a
The Best: n/a


FAVORITE MUSICAL SEQUENCES OF THE YEAR
The Very Good:
  • "My Shot" -Hamilton
  • “The World Was Wide Enough" -Hamilton
The Great:
  • “Non-Stop" -Hamilton
  • "One Last Time" -Hamilton
The Best: “Satisfied" -Hamilton
Commentary: n/a

BEST DIRECTOR
Nominees:
  • Lee Isaac Chung Minari
  • David Fincher Mank
  • Shaka King Judas and the Black Messiah
  • Rod Lurie The Outpost
  • Darius Marder Sound of Metal
Commentary: n/a


FAVORITE FILM ENSEMBLE
Nominees:
  • Bad Education
  • Judas and the Black Messiah
  • Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
  • Minari
  • One Night in Miami...
  • Sound of Metal
Commentary: n/a


FAVORITE MALE PERFORMANCES
Nominees:
  • Riz Ahmed Sound of Metal
  • Chadwick Boseman Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
  • Anthony Hopkins The Father
  • William Hurt The Last Full Measure
  • Hugh Jackman Bad Education
  • Daniel Kaluuya Judas and the Black Messiah
  • Caleb Landry Jones The Outpost
  • Bill Murray On the Rocks
  • Gary Oldman Mank
  • Jesse Plemens Judas and the Black Messiah
  • Paul Rici Sound of Metal
  • LaKeith Stanfield Judas and the Black Messiah
Commentary: n/a


FAVORITE FEMALE PERFORMANCES
Nominees:
  • Nicole Beharie Miss Juneteenth
  • Olivia Colman The Father
  • Olivia Cooke Sound of Metal
  • Viola Davis Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
  • Yeri Han Minari
  • Allison Janney Bad Education
  • Lesley Manville Let Him Go
  • Frances McDormand Nomadland
  • Cristin Milioti Palm Springs
  • Elizabeth Moss The Invisible Man
  • Amanda Seyfried Mank
  • Yuh-jung Youn Minari
Commentary: n/a


FAVORITE SCREENPLAYS
(original or adapted)
Nominees:
  • Bad Education
  • The Father
  • The Invisible Man
  • Greyhound
  • Judas and the Black Messiah
  • Mank
  • Minari
  • Nomadland
  • The Outpost
  • Palm Springs
  • Sound of Metal
  • The Trial of Chicago 7
Commentary: n/a


BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Nominees:
  • Desert One
  • Dick Johnson is Dead
Commentary: A nicely made documentary on the 1979-1980 Iran hostage crisis, with the primary emphasis being on the failed military rescue from April 1980. The documentary lays out the context well, gives perspectives from most all the major players (a must in these kinds of documentaries), and provides insight into their thinking. I wish it was a bit more reflective about special operations in general and how reliable they are - but it's just not that kind of documentary. That said, for anyone looking for a good and engaging education about the event, this would be a good place to turn.


BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Nominees:
  • The Croods 2: A New Age
  • Onward
  • Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
  • Soul
Commentary: The Croods franchise took a giant step forward in quality with their second movie, Onward treaded water, and Soul was a mixed bag for me. Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon represents an animation studio (Aardman) doing what they do best - presenting simple, clear, funny, and humanistic (largely through animals) animated tales. Like the previous film, this one features no talking and is animated in that simple claymation style; and its all the better for it. Taking place in quiet Mossingham, the story is kicked off when an alien kid accidentally visits the town sparking a government investigation, a tourist craze, and a campaign for the titular Shaun the sheep to help the alien return to his planet safe. It's a patient film that slowly builds the story and the stakes; it doesn't need to raise the stakes to planet threatening levels or throw a joke a second at you. By the third act, all of the characters and storylines seamlessly dovetail into a satisfying resolution. I'm so glad films like this are continuing to be made.
BEST FILM EDITING
Nominees:
  • Extraction
  • The Father
  • The Outpost
  • Palm Springs
  • The Sound of Metal
  • Tenet
Commentary: n/a


BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Nominees:
  • The Assistant
  • The Invisible Man
  • Mank
  • Nomadland
  • The Outpost
Commentary: n/a


BEST ART DIRECTION
Nominees:
  • Mank
  • Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
  • The Outpost
  • Tenet
  • Underwater
Commentary: n/a


BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Nominees:
  • The Invisible Man
  • Greyhound
  • Monster Hunter
  • Sonic the Hedgehog
  • Tenet
Commentary: n/a


BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Nominees:
  • Emma.
  • The Invisible Man
  • Greyhound
  • Let Him Go
  • Mank
  • Minari
  • News of the World
  • Soul
  • Tenet
Commentary: n/a


BEST SOUND DESIGN
Nominees:
  • Alone
  • The Invisible Man
  • Greyhound
  • The Outpost
  • Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
  • The Sound of Metal
Commentary: n/a


BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Nominees:
  • Emma.
  • Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
  • Mank
  • News of the World
  • Underwater 
Commentary: n/a


BEST MAKE-UP & HAIR DESIGN
Nominees:
  • Emma.
  • Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
  • Mank
  • Mulan
  • News of the World
Commentary: n/a

BIGGEST GUILTY PLEASURE
Nominees:
  • Bloodshot
  • Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
  • The Trip to Greece
Commentary: n/a


MOST SURPRISING FILM
Nominees:
  • Bill & Ted Face the Music
  • The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two
  • Extraction
  • The Invisible Man
  • The Outpost
Commentary: n/a


MOST DISAPPOINTING FILM
Nominees:
  • The Gentlemen
  • The Impractical Jokers: The Movie
  • Let Him Go
  • Tenet
  • Wonder Woman 1984
Commentary: So I kind of thought Wonder Woman 1984 was really really bad. Given the current minimum quality we are getting in superhero films, this one is shockingly subpar. It felt like the first 2 hours of the film provided a progressive moral parable filtered through commentary on the "80's American Mentality" and then connected it to a contemporary critique with a finale that played like the film equivalent of that "Imagine" video Gal Gadot headed up at the beginning of the pandemic.
I've no problem enjoying and admiring movies with different worldviews and politics than I hold (just look at many of my favorite shows/movies) - but with art, HOW the view is shared is vital. If I'm being honest, the plot, characters, and dialogue struck me as not much smarter, nuanced, or artful than a Left Behind film. p.s. The action is also subpar, mostly unnecessary to the story, and totally forgettable in the superhero landscape, let alone the action landscape.


MOST UNDERRATED FILM
Nominees:
  • Greyhound
  • The Last Full Measure
  • The Outpost
  • The Rhythm Section
Commentary: n/a


MOST OVERRATED FILM
Nominees:
  • Birds of Prey
  • Da 5 Bloods
  • First Cow
  • Greenland
  • Let Him Go
Commentary: The film is a lot like a Vegas buffet of film genres, stories, techniques, tones, and messages; there's a little a bit of everything here. Sometimes that can work in a movie, but I don't think it works well (or at all) in this case. There is nothing inherently wrong with a film that focuses on one technique or message over what Lee has done, but it has to work in the end. My contention is that due to the buffet approach, the film is never able to find a logical or emotional coherence for the viewer and "comes off" more like someone just throwing whatever they want to at the wall and hoping it sticks (even if that's not the intention). For more you can read my brief review of the film HERE. 


WORST FILM
Nominees:
  • Capone 
  • Dolittle
  • Greenland
  • Impractical Jokers: The Movie
  • Wonder Woman 1984
Commentary: Fifteen minutes into the film I thought, "Hmm, this might be a more thoughtful disaster movie than I'm used to. Okay. Let's go." Fifteen minutes later, "Oh, this isn't the turn I expected it to take." Thirty minutes later, "Is it over yet? I'm miserable." The film begins with great promise, but turns into a tedious affair that ultimately becomes morally offensive in how it lifts up the protagonist's monumentally selfish decisions as noble and loving. It feels more like Lars Von Trier's version of Deep Impact mixed with An American Tale. It's a taxing, dumb, and ultimately insulting film.


BEST COMPILATION OF WORK
Nominees:
  • Chadwick Boseman (Da 5 Bloods, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom)
Commentary: n/a


ERIC BANA AWARD
*Given for the best performance in a bad film (See 2004's Troy)
Nominees:
  • Colin Farrell The Gentlemen
  • Martin Lawrence Bad Boys for Life
  • Pedro Pascal Wonder Woman 1984
  • Guy Pearce Bloodshot
Commentary: n/a
THE END!


"We're gonna teach 'em how to say Goodbye...You and I" -Hamilton


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