There was an awful lot to sort out when looking at the year that was 2021 in film. But, that’s exactly what the Music City Film Critics Association was tasked with earlier in the month. The result? The MCFCA awards nominations being announced earlier this week. For a full rundown of this year’s nominees, you can mosey on over to another corner of the internet and check out Erica Ciccarone’s piece for the Nashville Scene.
Those of who you regularly read SoBros Network know good and damn well that I’m not the film guy here. I saw 28 new movies in 2021. I went to the theater nine times – including trips to see Godzilla vs. Kong, a G.I. Joe movie, and FOUR Marvel movies. I’m not the guy who’s going to sit here and talk about the intricacies of Nicolas Cage’s career and how we got to Pig, nor will I wax poetic on the emotional toll that Mass exacts upon the soul. You need a quote from Anchorman? I’m your guy. You want to talk about the technical aspects of Nightmare Alley? Good luck.
I can’t break down each field the way the guys did on The Vick’s Flicks Podcast embedded below. But, what I can do is talk about the profound effect that watching The Power of the Dog had on me. Out of the 28 -new- movies I saw in 2021 (or, can I put Killing Them Softly and Trumbo on my ‘best of 2021’ list? How does this work?), I had The Power of the Dog in the top spot, so I have no qualms whatsoever with this flick dominating the MCFCA noms. There are absolutely haunting and unique performances across the board – and not ‘haunting’ in the literal sense of the word. But, that unsettling haunting feeling that makes your gut say “there’s something not quite right about one or all of these people and I can’t quite make sense of it.” Some may be critical of its slow-burn nature, but I view it as critical to the emotional bloodletting we encounter in the final sequence of the film.
It’s a twist for the ages…one that completely caught me off guard, and I pride myself on my ability to detect a twist coming. Damn you, Jane Campion, for the damage you’ve done to my fragile ego. But, I think what I enjoyed the most about the ending was how provocative it was, and how that critical slow burn nature stirs up different feelings in us all as we learn things about each character and see bits of our own lives and experiences within them. I called it tragic and said (characters redacted to avoid spoilers), “wow – I really thought we were at a turning point with [REDACTED].” I spoke with a friend that essentially said “good for [REDACTED].”
The ending also puts a spin on everything we’ve seen before it. It’s like emotional Tenet. I’m watching the events of the film unfold over time, and then with a single sequence, I’m suddenly watching them back in my mind with a completely different perspective. Simply brilliant – from Campion to Benedict Cumberbatch to Kirsten Dunst to Kodi Smit-McPhee and even the charming charisma of Jesse Plemons, it was a home run effort in storytelling, acting, cinematography, the whole nine yards.
And, I needed a stiff fucking drink after I sat through it.
Our resident film critic and member of the MCFCA, Brandon Vick, and I sat down with the President of the MCFCA, Sean Atkins, to dish on the awards nominations and what each of them thought of the nominees, plus the important question of whether or not Dune actually counts as an action movie. Enjoy!
Listen to “Ep. 93: The 2021 Music City Film Critics Association Nominations” on Spreaker.You can also get Brandon’s review of The Power of the Dog here.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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