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Song of the Day #5,010: ‘Somewhere’ – Rita Moreno

Continuing the countdown of my favorite 2021 movies…

Best Films of 2021
#3 – West Side Story

I’m not a fan of the original West Side Story, something I discovered when watching it as part of my AFI Movie Musicals series in 2020. I don’t know if that made me a harder or easier target for this new take on the source material, but I came out of it convinced I’d seen a new classic.

This movie is such a visual and audio treat from the first bravura shot to the last. Nobody knows how to position and move a camera like Steven Spielberg, and it’s a treat to see him finally try his hand at an epic musical.

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Song of the Day #5,009: ‘The Ostrich’ – The Primitives

Continuing the countdown of my favorite 2021 movies…

Best Films of 2021
#4 – C’mon C’mon

I have somehow missed all three of C’mon C’mon writer-director Mike Mills’ previous films: 2005’s Thumbsucker, 2010’s Beginners, and 2016’s 20th Century Women.

I missed them despite great casts, glowing reviews and multiple award nominations. His latest effort, C’mon C’mon, suggests I have some catching up to do.

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Song of the Day #5,008: ‘Waters of March’ – Art Garfunkel

Continuing the countdown of my favorite 2021 movies…

Best Films of 2021
#5 – The Worst Person in the World

Joachim Trier’s The Worst Person in the World was one of the last 2021 films I saw before finalizing my top ten list, and the one I was most anticipating. Despite the burden of those expectations, this movie managed to surprise and delight me in a dozen different ways.

First it was more narratively daring than I expected, then more dramatically resonant. It was more sexually frank, more emotionally intuitive, more stylistically clever, more willing to engage with modern cultural debates. Finally, it was unexpectedly thoughtful about mortality and purpose.

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Song of the Day #5,007: ‘Nothing to Remember’ – Neko Case

This is the fifth Random Weekend song from the Hunger Games soundtrack, a compilation of songs “inspired” by the 2012 film.

This was a worthy collection, featuring contributions from Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, Arcade Fire, Glen Hansard, Maroon 5 and Kid Cudi, among others. Today’s track comes courtesy of the great Neko Case, who wrote two songs for the film but had only one selected for the soundtrack.

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Song of the Day #5,006: ‘Tears Before Bedtime’ – Elvis Costello

The Random iTunes Fairy serves up a lot of interesting songs. But I didn’t realize until today’s selection popped up just how rarely she delivers something I really love.

Usually, my reaction to the first notes of the random song is something akin to “huh.” As in, there’s an artist I haven’t thought about much lately. Or, I wonder how this album wound up in my iTunes library?

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