By Anna Husted EBS FILM CRITIC
While 2019 was not as good a year
for film as 2007—which brought us “No Country for Old Men,” “There Will Be
Blood,” “The Assassination of Jesse James,” “Knocked Up,” and many more acclaimed
movies—it still appears as though 2019 will be stronger than 2020.
That being said, 2020 will be a year of strong directors, particularly
female directors and directors of color. Check out this sneak peek of what to
look for this year:
“Onward” – Pixar – In theaters now
Let’s all agree to go see the
latest Pixar movie this week. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and love Ian and Barley
Lightfoot, the two elf brothers in search of their father.
“First Cow” – Kelly Reichardt – March 6
Director Kelly Reichardt is known
for creating beautiful, still cinematic masterpieces based in the Pacific
Northwest. “First Cow” promises to be no different, creating conflict out of almost
nothing.
“Mulan” – Niki Caro – March 27
The animated version of Disney’s
“Mulan” was released after I stopped watching animated movies because, as a
middle-schooler at the time, I was “too old” and “too cool.” Eventually I got
around to seeing the original “Mulan” and I cannot wait for this live-action
remake, especially with director Niki Caro at its helm. Caro’s “Whale Rider” is
one of my favorite films of all time. The feminist coming-of-age stories
inspire without the sappiness.
“F9” – Justin Lin – May 22
Charlize Theron is back and John
Cena has joined the “Fast & Furious” family. ‘Nuff said.
“Candyman” – Nia DaCosta – June 12
Greta Gerwig showed us the
brilliance of a good remake with last year’s “Little Women”—let’s see if
another strong female director can do the same. At the very least, it’s unlikely
Philip Glass’s original score can be beat.
“Soul” – Pixar – June 19
“Soul” is about a man who loses his
love for music and is transported out of his body in this story of redemption.
“In the Heights” – Jon M. Chu – June 26
Let’s see what else Lin-Manuel
Miranda has up his sleeve. Jimmy Smits co-stars.
“Tenet” – Christopher Nolan – July 17
After Robert Pattinson’s preceding decade,
I’ll see him in anything, especially if it’s in the next Christopher Nolan
film. The plot for “Tenet” is vague but hints at themes of time travel and
evolution.
“The French Dispatch” – Wes Anderson – July 26
Writer and director Wes Anderson
returns after his uninspiring “Isle of Dogs” to reestablish himself as the best
director for great actors. “The French Dispatch” is about American journalists
in a French town delivering news to Francophiles abroad. Starring Tilda
Swinton, Elizabeth Moss, Timothée Chalamet, Owen Wilson, Saoirse Ronan, Willem
Dafoe, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Christoph Waltz and of course, Bill Murray.
“No Time to Die” – Cary Joji Fukunaga – November 25
If you’re like me, you’ve probably seen
every James Bond film and dislike half of them, but that doesn’t stop you from
hitching our wagons to Bond after Bond. I’m looking forward to what’s rumored to
be Daniel Craig’s final Bond film. Hate the title, not the game.
“The Eternals” – Chloe Zhao – November 6
Yes, the Marvel Universe is still
being put to screen and, yes, a lot of us are sick of it. That said, director
Chloe Zhao’s approach is unique—she gave us a fresh perspective of life on the
Pine Ridge Reservation in “The Rider.” I’m excited for her future work even if
it is in the form of another Marvel movie.
“Annette” – Leos Carax – TBD
Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard
star in director Leos Carax’s latest film about a comedian and his opera-singer
wife and their especially gifted child. Carax directed my favorite film of
2012, “Holy Motors,” and has not released a feature film since. I can’t wait.
Anna Husted has a
master’s in film studies from New York University. In Big Sky she can be found skiing
down a mountain or at the movies at Lone Peak Cinema. When not gazing at the
silver screen or watching her new favorite TV show, she’s reading, fishing or
roughhousing with her cat, Indiana Jones.
