NEW 2020 RELEASES

While at my home for Christmas, still under siege from COVID, I've gotten the chance to watch a few new releases that I'd thought I'd share my thoughts on. Because it's quarantine. And I'm still writing this blog.

AMMONITE (2020), written and directed by God's Own Country filmmaker Francis Lee, follows Kate Winslet playing real-life paleontologist Mary Anning as she falls in love with Saoirse Ronan's character, Charlotte Murchison. The film follows the lead of its chilly protagonist a bit too closely, often playing stoic rather than wearing its heart on its sleeve, but it's often to the film's benefit. Winslet and Ronan are terrific here, as well as the work of the production designers, sound designers, and the film's DP, Stephane Fontaine. It falls short of masterpiece status, unlike period lesbian romances before it such as Carol and Portrait of a Lady on Fire, but it's a beautiful showcase for the craftsmanship of the film's actors and makers. Rent on Amazon Video or iTunes for $19.99.

BLACK BEAR (2020), an Aubrey Plaza-led relationship drama centered around Allison (Plaza) as she joins a young couple, played by Christopher Abbott and Sarah Gadon, at their lakeside cabin. The film blurs the lines of reality to such a captivating, unusual extent that the end results are wonderfully different than many other cabin fever relationship dramas. The film takes a turn about halfway through that further complicates the narrative and pushes it into new, exciting places. Plaza is excellent as a young director/actress entangling the personal with the professional, and you'll never guess where Black Bear will go next. Rent on Amazon Video, iTunes, Vudu, Redbox, or Flix Fling for $5.99.

LOVERS ROCK (2020), one of the five Steve McQueen films to premiere directly on Amazon Prime this winter, runs at a brief 70 minutes. That being said, the film often threatens to buckle under the weight of its nonstop dance party premise. Not a lot happens in Lovers Rock, but that's kind of the point. The film moves and dances with a kind of fluidity that is undeniably beautiful to watch. It's a pure, joyous expression of community that underscores a brief, yet affecting, tale of young love borne out of an all-nighter. Stream on Amazon Prime, sectioned under the "Small Axe" trilogy.

HAPPIEST SEASON (2020), an LGBTQ+ Christmas romcom manages to break surprisingly little new territory in the Christmas genre arena. That's not to say the film is unlikeable, as it's often quite sweet, but Happiest Season severely underestimates our willingness to root for lead actresses' Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis' relationship when Davis' character Harper is, quite literally, the worst. The breakout star of the film is Mary Holland as Jane, the odd-one-out in Harper's unbelievably impressive family. She's hilarious, and that's where Happiest Season makes its best effort; the film's comedy works surprisingly well. It's a solid, unpretentious little film with lots of heart -- you could do worse this Holiday season. Stream on Hulu.