Check out our favourite films of 2021 below:

10. The Suicide Squad

James Gunn made his return to the big screen with the wild and crazy supervillain rollercoaster of a movie with The Suicide Squad. And this was pure comic book pulp at its best. R-rated and totally over-the-top, Gunn was like a kid in a candy store as he took his favourite most despicable, and sometimes useless DC supervillains, and threw them into a do or die mission to save the world. The Suicide Squad was loud and in-your-face cinematic fun and audiences were sure to get a kick out of it.

9. Jungle Cruise

Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt took a trip into the Amazon jungle and this was one wild ride down the river! With terrific swashbuckling flair and moments of spot-on humour, Jungle Cruise was an enjoyable watch through and through. Johnson and Blunt had perfect chemistry together and you couldn’t help but fall in love with these two fantastic characters. Frank and Lilly were a terrific match on-screen and they certainly got involved in one hell of rush that was blockbuster fun at its best.

8. West Side Story

When you want that special feeling of the movies you only need to turn to movie legend Steven Spielberg and he delivered a stunning cinematic event to the big screen with West Side Story. Big, bold, colourful and bright, West Side Story was an incredible piece of cinema that was brought to life with the power of the famed stage show and translated onto the canvas of the movie screen like never before. This was a story to escape into and it truly got you in your groove thanks to a wonderful combination of performance, choreography and music, and made the movie theatre a very magical place once more.

7. Land

Filmmaker and performer Robin Wright took audiences out into the grand wilds of a still uncharted America in Land, and this film presented an intimate and meditative picture of life, love and loss. And it was sure to touch your soul. Using images and performance over dialogue and words, Wright showcased the feral beauty of a still untamed landscape and the consequences that happen when one encroaches on it. As her character Edee Holzer learn to live with the landscape she soon became one with it and a beautiful story of rebirth and renewal unfolded before the audience. Land was an absolute beauty of a picture and for those who witnessed it, it was certain to stay with them.

6. I Care A Lot

Rosamund Pike brought a cold, calculating and truely psychopathic quality to shady legal guardian Marla Grayson in the sharply original dramatic thriller I Care A Lot….and this one certainly cut deep. Frame by frame, minute by minute you had no idea where this crazy thriller was going to turn to next and as it moved quicker and quicker the tension only ramped up and the shocking final moment hit with the force of a 367 Magnum! This was cinematic originality as I’ve never seen before and I was hooked from the very first moment.

5. Spider-Man: No Way Home

The Multiverse has arrived and Tom Holland’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man jumped headfirst into the web-spinning fun of it all with Spider-Man: No Way Home. And there were plenty of ‘Oh My God’ moments in this superhero extravaganza! Packing together action and narrative all in one, long time Marvel fans were treated to some very cool treats thanks to director Jon Watts unique narrative and this was a cinematic experience that truly fed the fanboy or fangirl in all of us. Audiences of all ages were sure to love what was delivered in Spider-Man: No Way Home and the result was pure fun at the movies.

4. Cruella

Fashionistas beware because Emma Stone was about to smash the catwalk with the high energy, rock edge of Cruella. Stepping into the devilishly decadent couture stylings of the infamous Cruella de Vil, Stone showcased the origins behind the madness and mania of one of Walt Disney Pictures greatest ever villains and Cruella was one wild time out at the movies. Feeding off the rebel, rock n’roll energy of the 1970s, Cruella was a hell of a lot of fiendish fun and there were plenty of bold moments to make you sit up and say WOW! Gorgeous to look at, and entertaining through and through you certainly weren’t going to forget the rush of Cruella and the devil was certainly given her due.

3. Wrath of Man

Tough guy director Guy Ritchie returned to the big screen with a vengeance with an action film of pure Old Testament vengeance with Wrath of Man. And this one hit with the strength of an M4 on full auto! Jason Statham was in pure beast mode as the mysterious ‘H’, a security cash truck driver who was not all he claimed to be and who had one hell of a grudge to settle. And the result was pure chaos. Wrath of Man was packed full of testosterone and kept you guessing the whole way through and it was a great pleasure to see Ritchie and Statham back together and the result was a piece of classic action cinema. Wrath of Man was not for the faint of heart, but damn did it hit hard.

2. The Last Duel

Maestro filmmaker Sir Ridley Scott took audiences back to the steel and fire of the Middle Ages with The Last Duel, an extraordinary historical story of truth and justice and this was a cinematic event for the ages. Telling the true story of the quest of the Lady Marguerite de Carrouges (Jodie Comer) for divine justice and the battle that her husband Sir Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) would fight with his sworn enemy Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver), this was a once in a lifetime cinematic event. Damon, Driver and Ben Affleck were all truly exceptional in their parts, but the success of this movie belongs to Jodie Comer who gave a fiery and passionate performance and would not quit until she saw justice done. Bold and mighty, The Last Duel was an impressive and powerful watch and is far and away one of the best films I can claim to have ever seen.

1. No Time To Die

After a long wait, we finally saw the swan song from Daniel Craig as he once again donned a tuxedo and stepped into an Aston Martin for his final performance as secret agent 007 James Bond in No Time To Die. And this blockbuster cinematic event was nothing short of extraordinary. Operatic and dashing, No Time To Die was a film of pure energy and character and had the flavour of the ultimate Bond film as Bond raced against the clock to save the world from a dangerous and unhinged new villain. Craig was in his element as Bond and brought a complete full circle to his performance as the debonair spy in this energetic and pulse-pounding action thriller and damn was it a fine watch. No Time To Die was a fantastic experience in the cinema and audiences sure got their adrenaline fix with this one. It was just magnificent on every single level and a very worthy choice for the best film of the year.

The post SpicyPulp’s Top 10 Films of 2021 appeared first on SpicyPulp.

In 14th-century France, knight Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) and his squire Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) are ordered to fight to the death after Carrouges accuses Le Gris of raping his wife.

Based on the shocking true historical event that rocked the French nobility of the 14th century to its core and which was documented in-depth in Eric Jager’s best selling book, The Last Duel is an epic medieval tale of power, perspective and the truth, and offers director Ridley Scott an incredible new world to bring to life on the canvas of the big screen. Here he resurrects to the exact detail of what the 14th century was like. From the cold and open woodlands of Normandy to the highly ornate castles of Paris to the open battlefield of the 100 Years War, Scott resurrects the Middle Ages up on screen and audiences will be spellbound with the visuals that he crafts. Equal parts beautifully ornate and stunningly raw, Scott is able to craft a fully fleshed out feudal system for audiences and every detail, from costuming to housing, vehicles and weaponry, is handled with exquisite care.

In this world, he introduces audiences to three incredible characters who include Matt Damon as Sir Jean de Carrouges, Adam Driver as Jacques Le Gris and Jodie Comer as Lady Marguerite de Carrouges. And all three are stunning in their roles. Adapting a screenplay written by Nicole Holofcener, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, Scott utilizes a unique three-person perspective to reveal the story of this shocking and powerful narrative. Reminiscent of Kurosawa’s Rashomon, The Last Duel reveals the detail of its story in three chapters which showcase the brutal assault of Marguerite de Carrouges and the summary trial that leads to the famed duel. A duel that would be fought to the death and whose results would change the medical world forever. This structure and setting allow Scott to go to work and together with this terrific calibre of performers he crafts an engaging and thoroughly intense story that doesn’t let up for a moment.

Scott is truly at the top of his game with his work on The Last Duel and chapter by chapter, layer by layer, the complicated story of The Last Duel is revealed and you never know what’s going to happen next. The use of the characters three unique perspectives allows audiences to experience the story from different points of view and gives the performers a wonderful range in which to play and interpret the actions of the story. This narrative device of showcasing the plot from three different perspectives is incredibly clever on Scott’s behalf and allows him to draw out the tension of the film’s heated story.

Standing front and centre in The Last Duel is Hollywood superstar Matt Damon, and this is a performance and character, unlike anything we’ve ever seen him portray before. As French knight Sir Jean de Carrouges, Damon cuts a dark and intimidating figure. Best described as a warrior through and through, Carrouges is a brute of a man who is prone to a stern sense of self-righteousness and self-aggrandising behaviour. Obsessed with his standing as a knight and demanding of the respect that his title bestows upon him, he is a man who is quick to temper and who does not dwell on ideas of compassion. Damon’s performance and actions are incredibly blunt within the film and he portrays Carrouges as a man who shares a very direct relationship with his wife and whose actions are not those of a lover, but rather those of a scarred and battle-tested warrior.

On the other side of Damon as the villain of the piece is Adam Driver as Jacques Le Gris, a one time friend to Carrouges who finds himself in service and favour to their liege lord ahead of his friend, and who quickly becomes a thorn in his side. An ardent womanizer and cad, Le Gris has a taste for the finer things in life and his ‘man of the world’ vitality mark him out as a man apart in these times. Like Carrouges he’s a battle-tested warrior and soon his sights turn to his former friend’s pretty young wife, whom he desires to covet above all else. Driver gives an incredibly complex performance as Le Gris and his status as a monster is revealed gradually and he certainly presents a sinister and scary figure.

Providing a key level of support within The Last Duel and hastening the actions of the lead characters is Ben Affleck as Count Pierre d’Alençon, the liege lord to whom Carrouges and Le Gris must swear their allegiance to and he’s a deviantly despicable character. Possessing absolute power in the province of Normandy, Affleck’s Count Pierre is a wholly debauched narcissist who only exists to serve his basest desires and his playboy existence of women and wine make him a wholly scandalous character. As Count Pierre, Affleck steals every scene in which he appears and there’s a good dose of bawdy comedy thanks to his extremely over-the-top performance which gives The Last Duel a sense of levity and produces some unintentional laughs from the audience.

Bringing everything together in The Last Duel is the film’s primary female protagonist and heroine of the story Lady Marguerite de Carrouge who is portrayed in an incredible performance by the immensely talented Jodie Comer. Let it be heard that Comer is just flawless in her role in The Last Duel and her commitment to the character and her actions pay a grand sense of tribute to the true historical character of Marguerite and the courage she faced in the horrific ordeal that she had to overcome. Comer gives an incredibly complex and shifting performance as Marguerite due to the film’s unique sense of perspective storytelling and it isn’t until the final act where we see her come into her own within the story and it’s here that Comer excels in the part and completely takes control of the film.

Comer gives an incredibly layered performance as Marguerite and we get to see many different sides to her character. A dutiful wife who wants to become a doting mother, Comer is an exquisitely beautiful creature and perfectly compliments the gorgeous costumes that she is clothed in by Academy Award-winning costume designer Janty Yates. Comer is true to the historical character of Marguerite and portrays her as an educated, well-read and thoughtful woman who is dutiful and clever in the running of her estates and she makes a profound mark on the audience with her performance. The Last Duel is truly Jodie Comer’s movie and she is nothing short of exceptional, presenting the true story of a woman who survived a terrorifying event and who fought tooth and nail to claim back her respect and see justice done.

The Last Duel is a film that does not sugarcoat its raw story and Scott produces a picture that is not some fantasy of the Middle Ages but is instead a true representation of the gritty and dangerous reality of what life would have been like in the period. While modern audiences may have their own ideas of the concept of chivalry here it is merely an idea that is spoken, but certainly not practised and the reality of life is far harsher and colder. This is a time when power was exerted by the blade of a sword and Scott builds out a complex and interesting narrative shaped by political intrigue and an archaic legal process. Themes of justice and the truth do prevail within the story, but they are not delivered until The Last Duel’s shocking third act and are very much in keeping with the time period.

Alongside its rousing sense of historical drama, The Last Duel also brings to the screen the sheer brutality of medieval warfare. And Scott holds nothing back as the carnage reaches the silver screen. There is nothing pretty or stylized about the combat of The Last Duel, instead, there is just the hard-hitting ferocity of bladed combat in full force. Think of two rugby scrums smashing into one another with each man holding a five-foot razor blade in their hands while they savagely have at one another. This is The Last Duel in action and the final fight between Damon and Driver as Carrouge and Le Gris is of two animals going at each other with the choke chains pulled off. It’s bloody and dirty as they slam into each other and the idea of knightly honour is completely left off this battlefield. It’s a raw spectacle to watch and your heart will be in your throat the whole time as you clamber to see who comes out on top and what fate awaits for Marguerite de Carrouge.

The Last Duel is an exceptional piece of cinema built by a master craftsman at the top of his game. Colossal in scope, this is a film that honours the true history of its narrative and presents the truth of an incredibly courageous woman who shook a country to its knees in her quest for absolute justice. The Last Duel is a cinematic feat of pure amazement and should be seen on the big screen for maximum impact.

Image: 20th Century Studios

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Check out the brand new behind-the-scenes featurette below:

Taking audiences inside the making of The Last Duel, this featurette contains never before seen behind the scenes footage, numerous b-roll, on-set photography and Scott’s on personal hand-drawn storyboards and you truly get a taste of the scale and scope that awaits audiences in The Last Duel.

Of his process as a filmmaker, Scott commented saying, “for me every scene has to have a stake. Large or small. The message is simple, what do I want the audience to walk away knowing.”

This insight into Scott’s process as a filmmaker and the attention to detail that he brings to the craft is sure to intrigue fans, and it’s incredible to see such a wealth of footage play out before us.

Here’s the official synopsis:

In 14th-century France, knight Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) and his squire Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) are ordered to fight to the death after Carrouges accuses Le Gris of raping his wife.

The Last Duel will arrive in cinemas on October 21.

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While appearing on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to promote his new drama Stillwater, Damon opened up about what it was like to re-team with childhood best friend Ben Affleck to pen the script for The Last Duel. The first film they’ve written since their 1997 Oscar-winning feature Good Will Hunting.

“It’s the first film we’ve written in like twenty-five years or something. We wrote it with another great writer called Nicole Nicole Holofcener. It’s gonna come out later in the year but it’s about, it’s about the last sanctioned duel in medieval France between these two knights, one of whom accused the other of raping his wife, and they fought to the death and it’s all based on this history book that we read. So we adapted that, but we saw it as a story of perspective, and so Ben and I wrote the male perspective and Nicole wrote the female perspective. And we’re really excited about it, Ridley Scott is directed it,” said Damon.

Adapted from the best selling book The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France by Eric Jager, The Last Duel is a gripping tale of passionate love, a shocking crime, a hard-fought path to justice and a brutal vengeance. In short, it’s an absolutely epic story of true historical fiction, and from what we’ve seen from the first trailer we can tell you that we’re well excited to see Ridley Scott’s vision for this project brought to the big screen.

The first trailer made for an epic watch and Damon’s enthusiasm for the project is very clear and we can’t wait to see more from the film.

Watch the full clip below:

The Last Duel will arrive in cinemas on October 14.

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Watch the full trailer for The Last Duel below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

In 14th-century France, knight Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) and his squire Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) are ordered to fight to the death after Carrouges accuses Le Gris of raping his wife.

Based on the true historical combat that occurred in Paris, France on 29 December 1386, The Last Duel, which is adapted from the gripping true story by Eric Jager, and which was adapted to the big screen by Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Nicole Holofcener makes for a compelling and epic story, and audiences are sure to thrilled and ensnared by this ultimate tale of medieval combat.

Scott, who is revered as a master cinematic world builder, and who has entertained with fantastical films that include Alien, Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven and All The Money In The World has crafted something utterly superb in The Last Duel, and the scale, scope and detail of this project is sure to entrance audiences.

Matt Damon and Jodie Comer star as Jean de Carrouges and his wife Marguerite in the film and the pair absolutely stun with their performances in this first trailer, and their chemistry together is sure to keep audiences enthralled and enchanted. Added to that is the dark energy of Adam Driver as Jacques Le Gris, Carrouges’ squire and court favourite, who commits a terrible crime and who almost gets away with it until Carrouges demanded a battle to the death to ensure God’s true justice. Finally, Ben Affleck brings the story together as Count Pierre d’Alençon, Carrouges and Le Gris overlord who adjudicates the first arguments between these two knights and sets in motion the events for a bloody showdown.

The Last Duel is a film of ultimate cinematic quality that needs to be seen on the big screen and is also a full-circle moment for Scott as it brings him back to his very first film with The Duellists which was released in 1977. It’s an utterly epic work and I cannot wait to see this arrive on the big screen.

The Last Duel is a film that I can barely contain my excitement for and I cannot wait to see the action of this new project unfold when it arrives on the big screen on October 14. Prepare thyself for the ultimate tale of love, honour and revenge with this one.

Images: 20th Century Fox

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