Best Movie of the 2010s, Round of 32: Princeton Garden Theatre Region
Blah blah blah here is another set of match ups and I’m mad because all of these are so good at this point and PADDINGTON LOST so what’s the point. 🤬 Alas, we must continue even against the unspeakable devastation and bias against true Paddingfans. 🐻
SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE (2018)
PADDINGTON 2 (2017)
Erin’s Pitch for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: What I really like about this movie is that it takes two genres and pulls out the best of each of them. It has the self-awareness and winking nods to the audience that I think only the best superhero movies successfully achieve, and it’s an animated film that doesn’t look down on its audience. It really is a marvel *get it?* of a film.
Tom’s Pitch for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: Mahershala Ali as Prowler in this movie is perfect. He’s the ideal choice for a morally ambiguous uncle/father-figure type. This movie has incredible emotional weight because he’s in it, and because Brian Tyree Henry is his foil as Miles’s father. Two incredible actors, one incredible movie.
Erin’s Pitch for Paddington 2: I bought a shirt recently that said, “I would die for Paddington.” My sister and I literally waited with bated breath until the merch drop happened online. It’s not a movie, it’s a lifestyle.
Tom’s Pitch for Paddington 2: Let Paddington End the Prison Industrial Complex Challenge 2021. He can do it. There’s precedent.
Erin’s Choice: I know it lost but PADDINGTON.
Tom’s Choice: This is like choosing a favorite child. I’m just not going to choose. That’s it. I’m not going to pick. Wait, this never gets posted if I don’t pick anything? This goes on forever and ever? I’m never allowed to leave this page? Hmm…that might be better than one of these losing. I’ll consider it. Ugh, I’m already bored. I have to get out of here. I’m picking…Spider-Verse. Sorry Paddington.
The People’s Choice: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - 20 (83.3%), Paddington 2 - 4 (16.7%). You people are monsters. Paddington will live forever in eternity.
WINNER: SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE (2018)
DALLAS BUYERS CLUB (2013)
IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK (2018)
Erin’s Pitch for Dallas Buyers Club: I just think that the performances in this film are top notch! I have been a bit lukewarm on Jared Leto lately, and my guess would be that he wouldn’t be cast in this movie in the year 2021, but darn it if he didn’t earn that Oscar. McCounaghey too, obvs.
Tom’s Pitch for Dallas Buyers Club: This is only the 5th movie ever to win both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, and only the second since 1960! (Mystic River is the other). McConaughey and Leto are so, so excellent in this.
Erin’s Pitch for If Beale Street Could Talk: Speaking of earning the Oscar. Regina King could slap me in my face and I’d thank her and tell her how she elevates everything she’s involved in, including slapping me in the face.
Tom’s Pitch for If Beale Street Could Talk: It’s the Brian Tyree Henry region, people. His character is the linchpin of this movie, as his ten-ish minutes of screentime illuminate the horrors of prison and the cycle of imprisonment without showing a single moment of it. You can tell from his talking, between the lines of his little jokes, and his facial expression exactly what there is to fear for our protagonist Fonny, wrongly accused of a crime he didn’t commit.
Erin’s Choice: Both of these are great, but I choose Beale Street because I think I like it more. ☺️
Tom’s Choice: There’s a handful of scenes from Beale Street that are so beautiful and/or crushing that they’re permanently seared into my memory. It’s Beale Street here for me.
The People’s Choice: Dallas Buyers Club - 9 (47.4%), If Beale Street Could Talk - 10 (52.6.%). A Beale Street/Spider-Verse matchup pits Brian Tyree Henry in a supporting role against Brian Tyree Henry in a supporting role.
WINNER: IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK (2018)
MOONLIGHT (2016)
BLACKKKLANSMAN (2018)
Erin’s Pitch for Moonlight: Have you ever heard of Letterboxd? It’s an app where you can rate movies. It’s like a Goodreads for film nerds. And wow are Letterboxd people harsh. I’m not saying that the new Netflix release The Kissing Booth 3 is any good (I saw the first one and have no idea how it turned into a trilogy), but it literally has a 1.3 out of 5 on Letterboxd. A 1.3!!! Anyway, Moonlight has a 4.2.
Tom’s Pitch for Moonlight: Is it the Brian Tyree Henry region or the Mahershala Ali region? He hangs over this entire wonderful, perfect movie. The guy is one of the best actors we have going. Luke Cage? Predators? True Detective? Ramy? He even made me like Green Book. And he’s gonna be Blade?! C’mon. He elevates this already excellent movie to top-tier status.
Erin’s Pitch for BlacKkKlansman: This is one that is just as good on a rewatch, and sometimes the end of the film just pops into my head. It was a risky choice and it has become etched into my brain.
Tom’s Pitch for BlacKkKlansman: Laura Harrier hasn’t really been in anything since this, which is shocking because she carries herself like a star throughout the whole thing. Her chemistry with John David Washington and her status as a Black Panther situates JDW in a peculiar position and parallels much of today’s political sphere.
Erin’s Choice: Moonlight please. Have you seen that movie poster?!
Tom’s Choice: I don’t have much to say here. Moonlight is my pick.
The People’s Choice: Moonlight - 12 (57.1%), BlacKkKlansman - 9 (42.9%). Unlike at the Oscars, Moonlight is a favorite in this tournament, so this was a closer one than we expected.
WINNER: MOONLIGHT (2016)
THE FLORIDA PROJECT (2017)
SING STREET (2016)
Erin’s Pitch for The Florida Project: I mean, I wrote an entire essay on the first two minutes of the movie. I truly love and adore this one. It is an excellent example of showing, not telling, and I felt eeeevery emotion within my overly-sensitive little heart.
Tom’s Pitch for The Florida Project: At one point, Willem Dafoe looks at a bunch of birds in this as he exits his room and tells them to go home - “no harm, no fowl,” he utters, and chuckles to himself. I love him so much. He is delightful in this as the likable motel owner trying his best to keep things in order.
Erin’s Pitch for Sing Street: Don’t let the sort of corny title fool you--this is a real humdinger of a musical. It is just Irish goodness in that it’s sad but doesn’t wallow; it’s hilarious but in a gallows humor-type way. Not enough people have seen this one!
Tom’s Pitch for Sing Street: Who’s coming to see the Broadway adaptation with us when it hits the theater? You’ve gotta watch the movie first. LISTEN TO US! Jack Reynor is a star!
Erin’s Choice: Love these, but The Florida Project is a true fave of mine. It’s Willem Dafoe babes.
Tom’s Choice: I’ll be singing “Drive It Like You Stole It” for the rest of my life in honor of Sing Street’s inclusion in this bracket. But it’s not getting past The Florida Project, which is a masterpiece.
The People’s Choice: The Florida Project - 11 (84.6%), Sing Street - 2 (15.4%)
WINNER: THE FLORIDA PROJECT (2017)
That’s it so far! Keep an eye on Instagram for the next region’s matchups! For now, we’ll leave you with the state of the Princeton Garden Theatre Region as it stands:
