The best movies of the year (so far)
From Greta Gerwig’s Little Women to Netflix’s The Half of It, these are the flicks you should have seen. reports.
So far, 2020 has been a cinematic year like no other. Covid-19 brought Hollywood to a halt in March, shuttering movie theatres across the globe (including New Zealand for two months). That forced the essential abandonment of the northern summer blockbuster season, left distributors and producers scrambling to re-think their release strategies, and audiences in lockdown had to discover new ways to get their movie fix.
It means that, as we reach the halfway stage of the year, the best flicks we’ve seen have come from a range of platforms. If you haven’t seen any of these yet, you’re in for a treat.
The Assistant
truth about perfluorooctanoic acids and the ongoing effects they can have on livestock and human health. result is a bold, bubbly and bravura retelling that makes this classic tale timely as well as thrilling. Writer-director Greta Gerwig manages to seamlessly splice contemporary concerns, and still evoke the sights and sounds of late-1860s America. However, her real ace is the cast. Eliza Scanlen, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh and Saoirse Ronan (ironically an Australian, two Brits and an Irishwoman) really are a magnificent quartet.
Motherless Brooklyn (Lightbox, iTunes)
Welcome back Edward Norton, we’ve missed you. Yes, this beautifully crafted, deliciously compelling, chillingly atmospheric film noir is a fabulous showcase and reminder of the talented 50-year-old actor. In his first major acting role since 2014’s Oscar-winning Birdman and only his second stint calling the shots, Norton has delivered not only a stunning performance, but a captivating old-school tale of corruption that reminds one of 1974’s Chinatown or 1997’s LA Confidential.
With expert production and costume design and a fantastic jazz-infused score by Daniel Pemberton, Norton truly brings the story to life in all its gloriously grimy glory.
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