Nick Kelly’s Top 10 Films of 2020

Nick Kelly’s Top 10 Films of 2020

Well 2020 came and went. The less said the better. Let’s talk movies.

Nick Kelly’s Top 10 Films of 2020

10. Uncle Frank

Paul Bettany leads this 1973 set drama, and once again shows what a commodity he is to any film he acts in. The film tells a familiar story of a close minded family slowly coming into the light, lead by IT alum Sophia Lillis. but Bethany’s performance is the reason to watch. It’s a simple film that sneaks up on you when you feel safe and comfortable and rips your heart out. If you need to feel the feels, ask Uncle Frank.

9. Marona’s Fantastic Tale

I watch a lot of animation, make a point to seek out smaller and foreign animated films like this one, so I have seen some amazing and truly other-worldly styles of animation, and I can say, I have NEVER seen anything like Marona’s Fantastic Tale. If you combined Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso, Sylvain Chomet and that kid that spray paints those really cool tags down by the train station, you would get something CLOSE to what this film looks like. At times Eye-gougingly beautiful and at others strangely upsetting, this is a must watch for fans of art and animation. As far as the story, it is a simple and sweet tale of a dog’s life, you know what that entails, so prepare yourself.

8. Onward

Poor Onward, it didn’t stand a chance, released days before lockdowns began in America, it didn’t have enough time to create a buzz, and with the designs of the characters looking more like a Dreamworks film, it was a perfect storm of bad luck. That said, this will be the Pixar film years down the line that you’ll watch again and be baffled by how wonderful it is, and all your friends who didn’t watch it in 2020, you can tell them how stupid they are.

7. Pinocchio

A very under-the-radar release in the states, Matteo Garrone’s wonderfully strange and eery version of the classic Italian fairytale boasts some incredible make up, a beautifully whimsical score by Dario Marianelli and a heart-felt performance by the always reliable Roberto Benigni: who now thankfully has aged out of playing the puppet, and brings his wonderful charm to the tortured Geppetto. If you are a fan of Garrone’s eye popping adult fairytale A Tale of Tales, you will love this dark, accurate take on a truly dark fairytale.

6. And Then We Danced

This is another film tackling oppression, this time in modern day Georgia. Where two male Georgian dancers have a secret love affair. While you may have seen a similar story to this one: society trying to keep two people apart, I can promise you, you’ve never seen it told this way. Georgian dance, which is fascinating in it’s own right, frames the love story with stunning cinematography by Lisabi Fridell. The film never lets you leave the characters world, with director Levan Akin putting the camera so close to the actors you cannot look away from what they are feeling. The film elicited riots at screenings over its depiction of LGBTQ romance in Georgia, a typical anti-gay country. Support the film for the message it sends, as well as the filmmakers who literally risked their lives to make a beautiful story about courage and love.