Big Picture Big Sound

In a bizarre turn of events, it appears the 2020s are almost half over. It's been a quiet new decade, hasn't it? There have been no pandemics, no social and political unrest and no contentious presidential elections. Could you imagine?

But if there had been, thankfully movies have always had the ability to provide calm through any storm. When the world outside gets too tough, movies have always been a passport to escape, and they have the ability to take us places we may never actually go. The 2020s, for all their dark days, have provided deeply felt and thoughtful movies that dared to challenge viewers.

Below, in alphabetical order, are the five standouts from the decade, so far:

First Cow (2020, dir. Kelly Reichardt)
To say that director Kelly Reichardt's films require patience makes them sound like a chore. She certainly doesn't move with any intensity, but she makes each of her films rewarding to sit through. "First Cow," the movie I placed in the top spot of my Top 10 List of 2020, is the best film of her career (and she's made a handful of great movies). John Magaro stars as Cookie, a cook traveling with fur trappers, who befriends King-Lu (Orion Lee) and together they begin a business venture selling delicious-looking oily cakes. "First Cow" is a beautiful film about two lost souls finding solace in each other and, in Reichardt's methodical way, a heist thriller.

Nomadland (2020, dir. Chloé Zhao)
"Nomadland" came out at both the wrong time and the absolute perfect time. Director Chloé Zhao's delicate ode to a nomadic lifestyle won Best Picture and Director for Zhao, along with star Frances McDormand's third Best Actress Oscar. All the laurels heaped upon "Nomadland" were richly deserved for its observation of McDormand's Fern and the people she meets along her journey. "Nomadland" is gorgeously captured and sensitively told.

Oppenheimer (2023, dir. Christopher Nolan)
As I stated on last year's Top 10 list, I retract my original three-and-a-half star review of "Oppenheimer" because this is a four-star masterpiece. The reigning Best Picture winner is a culmination of what director Christopher Nolan does well (when his big ideas don't get in the way like "Tenet" or "Inception"). The story about the father of the Atomic Bomb not only enters the history books as a Best Picture winner (along with picking up Oscars for star Cillian Murphy and Nolan for directing) but also as one-half of the "Barbenheimer" sensation. "Oppenheimer" is smart and thrilling filmmaking on a scale that isn't seen much these days.

Past Lives (2023, dir. Celine Song)
Celine Song's gorgeous and elegiac debut is a quiet powerhouse of a movie. Greta Lee and Teo Yoo star as Nora and Hae Sung, childhood friends who reconnect after not seeing each other for years. "Past Lives" plays with the notion of fate and destiny, but does so with a measured eye. The movie is free of revelations and histrionics, and Song simply allows the characters' trajectory to unfold naturally. "Past Lives" is one of the most beautiful films of the decade.

TÁR (2022, dir. Todd Field)
Actor turned director Todd Field has made three film over the span of 20-plus years. When great filmmakers take their time putting out movies, it can be frustrating, but when you deliver at the level Field does, it's always worth the wait. "TÁR" stars Cate Blanchett - who somehow outdoes herself here - as Lydia Tár, a world famous conductor and composer, who experiences a fall from grace. "TÁR" is a thrilling piece of filmmaking - and a great movie to discuss after the credits roll.

Due to the rigorous rules of my personal list making, no mini-series, TV series or any other form of media could go on the official list. But, it never hurts of a special citation award, which I would give to Martin Scorsese's seven-part Netflix series "Pretend It's a City." The filmmaker sits down with his friend Fran Lebowitz to discuss - well, complain - about all things culture, New York City, and a little bit of everything in between. It's a wonderful, insightful, and easy watch, where Scorsese cedes all ground to Lebowitz. He's happy to just sit there and laugh.

Here's to an uneventful second half of the 2020s!