My top 10 movies of 2020 (with caveats)

 

To say that 2020 was a weird year for movies would be the understatement of the, well, year. The fact is that it was incredibly hard to find let alone see the best films of the past year (with some only now getting distributed more widely via streaming platforms). Personally I believe 2019 was an incredibly hard act to follow with several marquee directors doing some career-best work coupled with a better than average slate of commercial fare too. 

For me, 2020 was about much more lowkey simple pleasures, which is perhaps fitting considering what an unabashedly terrible year it was. Still, I found quite a few films that I did like a lot and while there are still many acclaimed 2020 films I have yet to see, having finally caught Minari (which is expected to perform well at the Oscars), I finally felt like I could reveal my annual top 10 list with the caveat that it could easily change once I get see more highly touted films like The Father.

But for now...

10) *tie Dick Johnson is Dead/Totally Under Control/The Reagans - I'm cheating a little bit by grouping all these docs together, but it was a particularly strong year for them and I didn't have a favorite among these. There was Showtime's partisan but still powerful takedown of the Reagan era in their multi-part, fascinating series on the 40th president and his wife. And speaking of presidents, Totally Under Control, which documents the failure to take the cov-d crisis seriously at all levels of government -- but especially by the Trump administration will make you hate the 45th president more than you already do. And finally, there is the incredibly moving and uniquely personal doc, Dick Johnson is Dead, a film about a woman grappling with the inevitable loss of her father by embraced it with grace and joy.

9) Freaky - I simply did not see this wacky and deliriously gory thrill ride coming. It takes a tried and true body swap premise to knew heights by introducing horror and by providing Vince Vaughn with his more endearing and enjoyable roles in several years. I was underwhelmed by director Christopher Landon's breakout hit Happy Death Day, but he seems to have perfected his vision of candy colored scares here in a movie that feels both like an homage and a total original. One of the more laugh out loud movies I've watched in a while.

8) Borat Subsequent MovieFilm - This unexpected sequel really grew on me. It's one of those movies that you can enjoy more on repeat viewings after the initial shock wears off. Who knew that there was still plenty of gas in the tank of this character, especially after so many horrible people who didn't get the jokes co-opted him as their own. All credit goes to Sacha Baron Cohen who has lost none of his daring and savage wit (he's also the best part of the overrated Trial of the Chicago 7) and Maria Bakalova, who is a revelation as his daughter. She ought to be Oscar nominated for her fearless work here, but will likely be passed over because of the Academy's consistent (and absurd) bias against comedy.

7) The Invisible Man -The most purely entertaining popcorn movie of the year was a modest hit but could have been a blockbuster if covid didn't knock the wind out of its sails. Elizabeth Moss is at her unhinged best (again, should be in the Oscar conversation, but won't be) and the movie's stunning visual effects put to shame far more expensive and far dumber action thrillers. It also deserves kudos to seriously tackling the often overlooked trauma of domestic abuse without cheapening it or overly sensationalizing it. A terrific, throwback crowdpleaser.

6) One Night in Miami - Regina King proves she's as adept at directing as she is acting with this effective stage-to-cinema translation. She gets four fantastic performances -- with the standouts being Leslie Odom Jr. and Kingsley Ben-Adir -- in this fictionalized piece about an evening where Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown and Sam Cooke, got together fought, laughed, commiserated and confided in each other about their fears and careers -- and how race plays a fundamental role in their lives. It magically avoids being either boring or preachy and winds up being invigorating.

5) Mangrove/Lovers Rock -It's hard to encapsulate the stunning totality of director Steve McQueen's ambitious Small Axe suite of films recounting the rise of the black civil rights movement in the UK. Every entry is excellent, but the first two are sublime. Mangrove is a stirring and passionate courtroom drama that is a showcase for its cast of known and up-and-coming actors. And the briefer, but no less beautiful Lovers Rock is a revelation -- one long, by turns tumultuous and tremendously sexy dance party that has to be seen to be believed. McQueen is an unparalleled craftsman. I can't wait to see what he does next.

4) On the Rocks - Bill Murray and Sofia Coppola managed to rekindle their Lost In Translation chemistry all these years later with this loving ode to New York City and complicated father-daughter relationships. If there was any justice Murray would finally win a well-deserved Oscar for his work here which perfectly balances his comedic timing with his glorious pathos as a bit of a Lothario who nevertheless adores his daughter (Rashida Jones) and teams up with her to determine whether her husband (a surprisingly subtle Marlon Wayans) is cheating on her. Underrated gem of the year.

3) Nomadland - A haunting and undeniably sad journey that feels like a very important movie of the moment, without ever feeling manipulative or opportunistic. Frances McDormand remains one of our greatest living actresses and she is surrounded by a remarkable cast of professional and amateur actors in this moody, moving look at a community of drifters who are making the most of their lives on the underbelly of the American economy. The movie just unfolds, and it's a richly rewarding experience I won't soon forget.

2) Minari - This beautifully rendered, almost old-fashioned story of a Korean family trying to forge a new life for themselves as farmers in Arkansas is damn near perfect. It's a tear-jerker to be sure, but also frequently quite funny and ultimately inspiring. The ensemble cast is incredibly lovable and believable, especially Steven Yeun, who has emerged as one of the great leading men and the scene-stealing child actor Alan S. Kim who just lights up the screen and seems to have wisdom well beyond his years. The rare film that everyone can and should enjoy.

1) Da 5 Bloods - Spike Lee's proves his triumph with BlacKKKlansman was no fluke with this sprawling, ambitious Vietnam war/PTSD epic. At its center is a remarkable performance by Delroy Lindo, my favorite of the year, as an ex-marine so damaged he's become a Trump supporter. The journey he goes on back to the jungle with some former comrades and his son in tow is exciting, informative and emotionally compelling. I watched this film twice within the span of just a couple days I was that floored by it. One of Lee's best -- and in my personal opinion -- the best film of last year. 

'Nomadland' is deeply sad but also profoundly important

I finally caught Chloe Zhao's beautiful film Nomadland on Hulu and it's a stunner. 

I had wondered if the film could ever live up to the hype around it, it's topped many 2020 best of lists and is considered a shoo-in for a boatload of Oscars. 

That said, it doesn't feel like a manipulative movie in search of acclaim. In fact, it's lack of sentimentality is what makes it feel so unique. It's one of the best films I've seen capture the brutality of our modern economic crisis. It's about the human collateral damage of capitalism, although it never beats you over the head with its message.

This isn't dress-up playacting of plight (which is my understanding of what Hillbilly Elegy is) it's richly authentic and unflinching.

It's centered on a remarkably honest and unglamorous lead performance from Frances McDormand. She already has two richly deserved Best Actress Oscars (even though I wasn't a fan of Three Billboards, her performance was worthy) and she could easily win a third for her heartbreaking work here as a widowed woman who has embraced a nomadic lifestyle -- one that is by turns rewarding (she forms deep bonds with her fellow travelers) and full of pitfalls (health scares, the hassle of parking where you're not wanted).

McDormand's character's entire backstory isn't fleshed out and the movie is better for it. We get enough of her journey to understand where she was and her weathered face is etched with so much feeling you can figure out where she is going. She is surrounded by a cast of what appears to be mostly non-actors (with the notable exception of the always achingly vulnerable David Strathairn) who give the movie a vivid sense of urgency and reality.

They work odd, arduous jobs -- an Amazon warehouse is depicted in all its antiseptic horror -- and endure the casual dismissal and judgment of others for embracing a lifestyle that for many of them feels like the only option in a world that has grown totally foreign to them.

Not unlike last year's Sound of Metal, this is a sensitive, quiet film that eschews easy plot contrivances or feel-good emotions. Instead, it goes for stark beauty and devastating truths. I haven't seen a movie quite like it and it's easily one of last year's best films.

Don't let its relative bleakness be a deal breaker.

My 100 favorite movies montage: A little something I made

 

I made this video for no particular reason other than I felt like it and I could. These are my 100 favorite movies at the moment (featuring music from Tangerine Dream's score for one of those favorites, Michael Mann's Thief). The movies I reference the most, watch the most, think about the most and am most willing to watch anytime anywhere at the drop of dime. They're silly. stupid, problematic, scary, violent and cool and I think they're a good reflection of my tastes and personality. Here's the master list:

We need a documentary to debunk 'Stop the Steal'

Someone far smarter than I should pursue this -- but I've become increasingly convinced that someone needs to make a smart, accessible and entertaining documentary debunking this 'Stop the Steal' nonsense once and for all.

Films have a way of being the last word on history -- for better or worse. And a popular film with some real teeth and data, could help move the needle, at least a little. And I think this conspiracy theory needs to be debunked now with more of a sense of urgency or a certain portion of our population will believe the false claims that the 2020 election was stolen for a generation, and that is perilous for the shred of democracy we have left.

For better or worse, JFK (albeit, far from a documentary) permanently shifted opinions about the assassination of the former president. And say what you will about Michael Moore, his films have opened minds on gun control, health care and the legacy of the Bush administration. An Inconvenient Truth clearly brought awareness of climate change more into the mainstream and so on and so on.

It's for this reason, I presume, that Adam McKay has sought out a huge A-list cast to headline an upcoming film that has some political themes -- which I welcome. And we need someone with wit and style to tackle this topic because believing the 2020 election was 'stolen' is not just wrong, it's ludicrously stupid.

All the information is out there for anyone who cares to read it or hear it. There were no significant numbers of "dead people voting" -- the few discrepancies that were found were almost all honest mistakes and not at all on the level that would swing an election.

There is no evidence of machines flipping "millions of votes" from Trump to Biden (and somehow, miraculously not down ballot races) and we know this because we have paper ballot back-ups that verify this and the equipment the right has been fear mongering about for months (because it was manufactured in Venezuela) was only used in one county in California, not in a single one of the swing states whose results they question.

Votes didn't just start magically appear post-election day. In several states, GOP legislatures required the record number of mail-in ballots due to COVID (thanks, Trump) be counted last and because the former president spent months disparaging this method of voting, they disproportionately skewed towards Biden. These were not new votes, these were votes that had YET TO BE COUNTED on election night.

Only a child would think that presidents are determined and declared based on who has a lead at midnight on election night - and of course, these same voters want to ignore Biden's lead in Arizona at the same time.

Clearly, there is a portion of the public who will always remain willfully ignorant about these facts, just as there are millions of Americans who believe the Clintons have a 'kill list' and that Barack Obama was born in Kenya. But then there are a lot of other Americans, low information folks, who are persuadable and need to be persuaded.

It's clear that mythological voter fraud has taken hold as the new boogeyman for a lot of citizens out there and this paranoia will lead (and already has) to draconian legislation providing solutions in search of a non existent problem, that will only curtail more people's access to the ballot, which could have dangerous results.

I think now is a time where Hollywood could and should marshal their considerable resources and influence to tip the scales in the direction of truth.

'Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar' is an overlong, but silly delight

I grew up on a series of silly SNL spin-off movies in the '90s and although Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar isn't one of those, it feels like one -- and in a good way.

It's a testament to how committed Kristen Wiig and her writing partner Annie Mumolo are to playing two unhappily single clueless Midwesterners ("pathetic Stellas trying to get their groove back") who have lost their jobs at a department store and have decided to go on there version on adventure which means vacationing at a candy-colored Florida getaway.

It's got ludicrous, knowingly low budget effects, musical numbers and a completely unnecessary subplot involving a terrorist plot masterminded by a goofy villain (also portrayed by Wiig in white pancake make-up in an inexplicably designed lair and with a child henchman whose origins are also never explained). It's probably not for everyone's tastes,  but it consistently made me laugh and it made me long for my own vacation getaway.

The film is a bright, sunny bauble, with no real stakes and simple charms. Barb and Star are one note characters, but I love the note. and so I got a kick out of their kooky personal journey. After such a disappointing turn in Wonder Woman 1984, it's a treat to see Wiig get this wacky again. And Mumolo is her hilarious match.

Meanwhile. Jamie Dornan of 50 Shades of Grey pops up effectively sending up his stoic persona and there's a surreally funny bit with a crab that sounds like it's being voiced by Morgan Freeman, but it's Morgan Freemond... with a D.

Sure, it mostly plays like an extended sketch and it's about absolutely nothing. But I like it's cartoonish tone and look and it has enough of a strange streak that it avoids being too sentimental, which is the death knell of comedies like these.

Its lack of realism may be a turnoff for people who were fans of 2011's Bridesmaids, the Oscar-nominated, blockbuster penned by Wiig and Mumolo. For all that movie's broad humor, its characters felt very relatable and real and the story was grounded in deep emotions amid its big comic set pieces. 

Barb and Star on the hand gets a bit bogged down withs international intrigue plot that feels lifted from a dozen other 'dummies accidentally get involved in criminal enterprise' comedies. It's probably a bit overlong -- it's best bits mostly come in the film's first half, like a hostile 'talking party' hosted by a scene stealing Vanessa Bayer, and it's certainly not about anything.

But who cares? Sometimes you need a big, dumb comedy and this one scratched an itch for me. And it looks incredible and while Mumolo and Wiig's characters may be a bit annoying, they're pretty damn funny too. Just like the movie.

I think it's worth the trip, if for no other reason it will make you excited for a time where we can be outside and carefree and social again. And to just laugh again, too.

'Judas and the Black Messiah' is a big missed opportunity

Judas and the Black Messiah should feel like an urgent, timely piece of under-reported history landing in a particularly fraught moment for civil rights and black activism, but it doesn't. It looks incredible -- does a phenomenal job of evoking its late 60s, early 70s period setting, but it feels slightly unfinished and unfocused. Sadly, it feels like a huge missed opportunity.

This is perhaps because it crosscuts between two characters -- the legendary Black Panther leader Fred Hampton (played effectively by Daniel Kaluuya) and an FBI informant Bill O'Neal (played by LaKeith Stanfield less effectively), with neither getting fully realized to satisfying effect. It starts promisingly enough with Stanfield (not quite pulling off playing someone much younger than himself) as a small time hood who poses as an FBI agent to steal a car, and early on we are treated to some glimpses of Hampton's legendary ability to build coalitions with unorthodox constituencies (gangs, rural whites, Puerto Ricans) but little else about its significance and practical function. 

We expect a Heat-style epic about a test of wills between two complicated leading men but instead we end up with almost a Cliff's Notes version of this history. The result is a movie that feels like it should be more powerful than it is, a movie that has a lot of potential but little else. And unless, like me, you go in knowing much of the history already, you don't necessarily leave with a greater understanding of Hampton's importance or O'Neal's motivation.

Some of this is the fault of the screenplay, but also Stanfield's jittery performance. We never understand his true feelings about the Black Panther party. He seems to see its righteousness and is conflicted, but he never really illuminates this tension beyond acting nervous and stressed. It may be that he doesn't have the range to convey the complexity of this man (although some riveting footage of the real life O'Neal at the end suggests they do bear a resemblance) or that the screenplay simply didn't know enough about him to portray it. But we never really understand why he so willingly signs on to be a spy or how he really feels about it.

Kaluuya fairs a little better as Hampton. He certainly does a terrific impression of Hampton's distinct speaking voice. But the film cuts away from him every time his story starts to get interesting, and beyond his relationship with the mother of his child (Dominique Fishback in a nice, but also under-developed performance), we don't get a lot of backstory or information on him either. He arrives fully formed, speechifying and right when we start to get more shades of his persona, he's gone. We don't get enough of an opportunity to get emotionally invested in him.

The infamous assassination of Hampton is portrayed in vivid detail and is effectively horrifying. But if all feels a little abrupt, at least for me. It's not that it's a short movie. It's just over 2 hours, but it still feels rushed. The great Jesse Plemons pops up periodically as an ominous FBI overseer. We have moments where he appears to maybe be conflicted about putting Stanfield in danger, and others where he appears to be a true believer in the overheated rhetoric of J Edgar Hoover (Martin Sheen is very silly putty make-up, why not cast an actor who actually looks a bit like Hoover?) and others where he boasts about having investigated the murder of three civil rights workers in the mid-60s. He repeatedly tells Stanfield he thinks the KKK and Black Panthers are no different. Does he really believe this? It's unclear.

If he isn't meant to be a fully realized character, why give him so much screentime? And if he is, why sketch him out so haltingly? 

Some of this may serve the story. A better film would interrogate the confusion and tension of being this immersed undercover. The Departed did this very well as did Donnie Brasco. But we never see much of Stanfield's life when he isn't playing a Panther, in fact, it appears he doesn't have one.

What I hope the movie does do is drive more viewer interest in Hampton, who truly is a worthy subject for a glossy film like this. The end titles, which spell out the fallout from his death, are powerful as is the real footage of the aftermath, which are stirring. I only wish it had all been the subject of a great movie instead of a merely ok one.

Hanks continues quiet winning streak with 'News of the World'

Besides Denzel Washington and maybe George Clooney, Tom Hanks is America's most reliable reigning movie star. 

He doesn't make blockbusters like he used to, but over the last several years he's been so consistently good in good to great movies, that he has become something of a national treasure. That is, of course, with the exception of the far right, who is so threatened by his enduring popularity that they have cast him as an alleged pedophile in an elaborately false conspiracy theory.

In News of the World, a decidedly old fashioned western directed by Paul Greengrass, he has another role that fits him like a glove. A noble Civil War veteran named Captain Kidd (who appears to make a living reading newspapers to the illiterate), who has agreed to return a mysterious missing girl (she has been living with Native Americans, and has adopted their language) to her family at great risk to his own life.

While the movie does nothing to reinvent or revolutionize the genre, it looks great (as does a handsome and tanned Hanks) and it picks up some stream once Hanks and the young girl (strong newcomer Helena Zengel) are in real peril.

Hanks is one of those actors who has bit up so much audience goodwill and trust that he can communicate so much with a look or a single line delivery. It's this gravitas and ability to control his instrument that made him so effective in movies like Captain Phillips, Bridge of Spies, The Post, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (I happen to think Sully is wildly overrated though). 

All solid so-called 'dad movies' that nevertheless delivered, in large part due to Hanks.

Like Denzel, he's in his 60s now, and it's unclear what he wants to do that hasn't already done. He's always gravitated towards the heroism of the past -- whether it be the space program or the Cold War or the old West. I'd be curious to see him take on more contemporary subject matter. That said, News of the World isn't devoid of modern overtones,  but it wisely doesn't wear its commentary of race on its sleeve.

Curiously, before his Captain Phillips comeback he had fallen out of fashion for trying to stretch a little, first with this divisive Wachowskis' film Cloud Atlas and then with his own ill-fated rom com Larry Crowne. And his last outright bombs have been when he's tried to play a villain (The Circle) or more of a traditional action hero (Inferno). So perhaps I am wrong, and people long to see Hanks as an avatar of the better angels of our nature.

In News of the World, this makes more a relaxing and rewarding viewing experience, even if it's not the most fast-paced, riveting one, It's an interesting departure fore Greengrass. who is best known for his hyperactive, jumpy Jason Bourne film. But he also did direct Hanks in one of his all-time best performances in Captain Phillips, where he was able to show some startling vulnerability, and he is able to do that again here. Which makes it (pretty much) worth the nearly $20 rental price.

Black History Month: My favorite black filmmakers working today

We are in the midst of something of a renaissance of mainstream black filmmaking -- but make no mistake about it there are still far too few opportunities for directors of color to do their thing. 

This past year, however, was encouraging with Oscar winner Regina King making a stunning debut as a big screen auteur with her moving drama One Night In Miami. And Shaka King (who doesn't even appear to have a Wikipedia page yet) has become a breakout name thanks to his acclaimed film Judas and the Black Messiah. And yet, pointedly, no black director has ever one the Best Director Oscar, even in two cases where the films they made won the Best Picture honor.

Still, in honor of Black History Month, I thought I would focus on the positive and highlight the names of my favorite black filmmakers who are still active (RIP John Singleton). I'm overlooking folks who have a single film under the belts, but who I'm hoping to see a lot more from (I'm thinking of folks like Boots Riley whose Sorry to Bother You was a stunner) and decided to focus on a handful of relative veterans.

Jordan Peele - Fans of Key and Peele could tell that he had cinematic ambitions based on the style and scope of many of their best sketches, but no one could have predicted what a cultural event Get Out would be. Four years after its release it remains a major touchstone (my favorite recent joke compares white people who fawn over Stacey Abrams to Bradley Whitford's white liberal character). I happen to think his more polarizing second film, Us, is even better. It's scarier, more complex and ends on a far more unsettling and ambiguous note. He is quite possibly my favorite director working right now.

Spike Lee - No list like this would feel complete without including arguably the most famous black director of all time. After years of disappointing work he's returned with a vengeance with the one-two punch of BlacKkKlansman and Da 5 Bloods, both films with a foot set in the past but with a message intended for the here and now. Perhaps Lee has been bolstered by a more collaborative relationship when it comes tot he writing of his recent films, but either way they are moving, ambitious genre pictures that suggest he has a lot of gas left in the tank as a provocateur.

Ryan Coogler - In my opinion, he's made nothing but great films -- and the only thing that is consistent throughout is his partnership with leading man Michael B. Jordan (who is scheduled to team up with him again soon). Fruitvale Station, while heartbreaking, is a beautiful, important film. Creed totally elevates the established Rocky mythology in refreshing ways and provides Sylvester Stallone with an opportunity to give the performance of his career. And Black Panther is just a stone cold classic, more of an epic event than just a superhero film, it completely upended Hollywood notions of the mass appeal of an unapologetically black film.

Ava DuVernay - After her breakthrough with the timely and powerful Selma, she suffered a major setback with the disappointing A Wrinkle in Time. But then she got back to what she does best -- righteous fury -- with her two masterpiece social justice projects, 13th, the documentary about the prison industrial complex, and the miniseries When They See Us, which brought the tragedy of the Central Park Five to vivid, unforgettable life. She has become a brand now in the best way.

Steve McQueen - One of the biggest wild cards, he knocked it out of the park twice with two wildly different dramas in 12 Years a Slave and Widows. And with his recent Small Axe series of UK-set period films he's brought his artistry to a whole new level. His Lover's Rock was a wholly original, sensory sensation, easily one of the best pieces of filmmaking of the past year. I can't wait to see what this unpredictable filmmaker does next.

Barry Jenkins - He should have won Best Director for his remarkable triptych Moonlight, where he established a singular elegiac style (he's almost like an urban Terrence Malick) and his gorgeous adaptation of If Beale Street Could Talk was criminally underrated. He definitely marches to the beat of his own drum, which I appreciate and has staked out a plain in the pantheon of greatest modern film directors.

Carl Franklin - Far from a household name, this underrated director first turned heads back in 1992 with his twisty thriller One False Move. He achieved more mainstream success with a pair of Denzel Washington's most under-appreciated leading roles in the noir Devil in a Blue Dress and the jaunty thriller Out of Time. He's flown under the radar since then, but if anyone is need of a strong collaborator to shake him out of slump these days it's Denzel.

RIP Christopher Plummer, one of the most prolific character actors ever

The great Christopher Plummer has died at 91 years old. He's one of those actors who's been around so long and been so prolific that it's hard to imagine the movies without him (only Michael Caine comes close to matching his late career ubiquity). He remained a reliable home run hitter later in his career that just about any other actor and it's his late career work that I think I'll remember his best for.

There was his patriarch in 2019's whodunit Knives Out, the engine that drove the mystery. His tender scenes opposite Ana de Armas gave that film its heart. There was his oily lawyer in Syriana, who George Clooney threatens so convincingly in a coffee shop. There was his secret Nazi sympathizer banker in Spike Lee's wonderful Inside Man (and his cameo role as a skeptical priest chastised by Denzel Washington in Lee's Malcolm X). And his Oscar winning turn in Beginners, a man who comes out of the closet late in life -- just to name a few.'

Obviously for many generations he will always be linked to the role that made him famous, the head of the Von Trapp household in The Sound of Music. Plummer reportedly chafed at being associated with the infamously hokey musical, but he clearly made a strong, unforgettable impression as a proud man who stands up to fascism (his ripping of the Nazi flag remains an inspirational meme).

For many years afterword he struggled mightily to set himself apart from that movie, and he eventually succeeded. I particularly enjoyed him as the straight man foil to Peter Sellers' Inspector Clouseau in The Return of the Pink Panther, and my absolute favorite is his terrifying performance in the underrated, and little seen 1970's thriller The Silent Partner, opposite Elliott Gould.

In that movie he plays a deranged psychopath named Harry Riekle whose plan to rob a bank is usurped by a clever teller (Gould). Riekle becomes hellbent on revenge and gets it in grisly fashion. In the most unforgettable scene in the movie, Plummer delivers a terrifying, threatening monologue to Gould where only his eyes are visible through a slit in the door. It puts to use all the great elements of Plummer's instrument: his intense, steely blue eyes, his mellifluous but menacing voice and his unflappable bearing.

He'd play other great villains late in his career, too. Like his campy turn as a Klingon in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (one of the best baddies of that entire franchise) and 12 Monkeys where he is the power behind Brad Pitt's batshit crazy throne.

He was robbed of an Oscar nomination (and arguably a win) for his pitch perfect performance as Mike Wallace in The Insider and his presence in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was as comforting as a warm blanket.

He notoriously took over for the disgraced Kevin Spacey in the otherwise forgettable All the Money in the World and soon became the butt on jokes (not at his expense) because of the wild circumstances in which he was cast. And yet, he got the last laugh on us all by being the best part of the film nabbed an Oscar nomination for his efforts.

It's always tough to lose living legends like this and Plummer was such a great character actor that he was still steadily getting work into his 90s, because there were few, if any, better. He will be sorely missed.

'Let Him Go' delivers satisfying Costner-Lane star turns

Let Him Go is a disarmingly simple film with a pretty irresistible presence. A stalwart, salt of the earth aging couple of ranchers (played to perfection by Kevin Costner and Diane Lane) lose their son, and watch with disgust as their daughter-in-law remarries into what turns out to be a profoundly shady, abusive family (known as the Weboys) and takes their young grandson to them.

Costner and Lane embark on a journey to retrieve the adorable young boy and to bring him back home with then no matter what. It's an old fashioned almost western, tailor made to the star personas of Lane, and especially Costner, who hasn't been this good in years.

The movie is also elevated by the incomparable Lesley Manville, who creates a truly dreadful villain, as the Weboy matriarch, in just a few short scenes.

It's not a particularly deep movie and the characters are very complex. Lane is determined and maternal. Costner stoic and noble. But it doesn't make the movie any less effective as a piece of period pulp.

Costner in particular is a delight here. After a short run as his generation's Gary Cooper, he became a bit of a punchline after getting derailed by a series of big budget vanity projects that failed. It's hard for some people to remember that he was once one of the most likable and successful Hollywood stars. His run from roughly 1987 (with The Untouchables) through 1993's A Perfect World is pretty remarkable. Even the films that don't entirely work (like 1991's blockbuster Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) they're still pretty entertaining,

Hollywood is very forgiving for leading men of a certain age and Costner has remained very active, especially in recent years. But this is the first time it doesn't feel like a forced bit of stunt casting, at least to me. The filmmakers here understand the Costner persona -- it's earnestness and simplicity -- and lean into it well.

The same goes for Diane Lane, who with the notable exception of Unfaithful, has almost never had roles that matched her talent. She is such an inherently likable and sincere presence on screen that you always want to root for her, and it's easy to do it here.

It all barrels towards an inevitably bloody conclusion and I do wish we had a greater understanding of who exactly the Weboys are and were, since they are clearly nefarious in a sort of vague but all encompassing way. The film is quiet and slow paced until it isn't and then suddenly it seems to end all too abruptly. It's the kind of movie that Clint Eastwood would work wonders with, but alas, writer-director Thomas Bezucha is no auteur.

But it's a good, solid piece of filmmaking -- perfect for a shut in covd viewing if you like classic good vs. evil fairy tales, with old pros doing what they do best.