Seventh Row’s editors pick the 20 leading performances they loved most from the films of 2020. This is the first piece in our 2020 wrap up series.
Essays
Charlène Favier’s Slalom is a complex exploration of abuse
Charlène Favier’s Cannes-selected debut, Slalom, is a tense pas-de-deux between a 15-year-old professional skiing star, Lyz (Noée Abita) and her coach, Fred (Jérémie Renier).
Charlatan draws parallels between a faith healer and communism
Agnieszka Holland’s Charlatan tells the story of Czech herbalist and healer Jan Mikolášek to draw parallels with post-war communism.
Sophie Dupuis explores masculinity in a Quebec mine in Souterrain
Sophie Dupuis’s second film, Souterrain, is a thoughtful exploration of the emotional lives of men working in a Quebec mine.
Education Review: Small Axe ends on a note of bittersweet hope
Education, the final film in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe anthology, explores systemic racism in the British schooling system and the West Indian women who organised to combat it.
All About Eve at 70: A closeup on Joseph Mankiewicz’s classic and its stage adaptation
On the 70th anniversary of Joseph Mankiewicz’s All About Eve, we dissect why Ivo Van Hove’s recent stage revival, and its attempts to be ‘cinematic’, pales in comparison.