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Celebrating cinematic excellence: 2021’s best movies
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It has been one heck of a movie year.
I always struggle with assembling my best-of list when it comes to a year’s film offerings. There’s the fact that I often haven’t seen some of the most anticipated/acclaimed movies due to their year-end release dates – just off the top of my head, I can name PTA’s “Licorice Pizza,” Steven Spielberg’s upcoming “West Side Story” remake, Guillermo Del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley” and, of course, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” as movies that likely would have a real shot at this list. There’s also plenty of stuff that I simply haven’t seen – there’s a LOT out there.
Even so, I’ve watched and reviewed something like 130 films so far in 2021 – I probably won’t get to 150, but it could be close – so I like to think that this is a decent list. Granted, it’s also a list that could be different depending on the day – I’m leaving off some worthy movies. In addition, this list is simply one person’s opinion. If your favorites don’t appear here, that’s no condemnation of your taste.
Now, if your favorites appear on my worst-of list – don’t worry, it’s coming in the next week or two – then there might be a tiny bit of condemnation.
So here you are – my top 21 films of 2021, listed in more or less alphabetical order. Please note that the total includes my honorable mentions.
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Turn the page: 2021's Recommended Reads
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Reviewing books is one of the best parts of my job. As part of that job, I’ve read dozens of books over the course of the past year. I freely admit that I tend to seek out works that I know will resonate for me – and hence usually enjoy the books I review – but even with that degree of curation, there’s no denying that there are always some that particularly stand out.
This is not your traditional “best of” list – not my style. Instead, consider this a collection of recommendations. These are suggestions; I enjoyed them, so I thought that you might as well. I’ve also included selections from my writings about these books (please note that the full reviews are available on our website). Bear in mind that this is not a comprehensive list – there are literally hundreds more great books that came out this year, exceptional works that I simply never got a chance to read.
I’m not arrogant enough to call these the best books of the year – it’s all subjective and this is just one man’s opinion. What I can say is that every one of these works captured my imagination and my attention … and perhaps one or more of them will do the same for you.
And now, without further ado, here are my recommended reads from 2021, divided into fiction and nonfiction and listed in alphabetical order.
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Plaid Friday and Small Business Saturday celebrate seasonal shopping
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BANGOR – Plaid is rad.
Don’t dig your ‘70s flannel out of the closet just yet - we’re talking about the upcoming Plaid Friday festivities in Downtown Bangor. On Friday, November 26, the date when big-box stores feature Black Friday markdowns, more than a dozen small businesses in the downtown district will be offering deals, discounts and promotions to encourage customers to shop local this holiday season.
Why plaid, one might ask? Plaid Friday is a national initiative to celebrate local entrepreneurs. The plaid texture represents the many threads that come together to form a thriving small-business community. Bangor is the ideal place for Plaid Friday sales: we have talented craftspeople, community-minded shoppers, and family-owned businesses galore.
(Besides, plaid is Paul Bunyan’s pattern of choice, right?)
Coming on the heels of Plaid Friday is Small Business Saturday, offering a whole new slate of deals from the downtown businesses you love. It’s also a second chance to visit these local merchants if you simply couldn’t miss the bedlam of big-box Black Friday (not sure we understand your psychology, but we still respect you as a person).
So grab your wallet - and flannel, if you REALLY must - and patronize the downtown businesses we’re featuring below. You can find a full list of participating businesses at the end of the article.
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