2020 NFL All-Pro Team

 Quarterback

1st team: Aaron Rodgers (Packers)

2nd team: Josh Allen (Bills)

Running Back

1st team: Derrick Henry (Titans), Dalvin Cook (Vikings)

2nd team: Alvin Kamara (Saints), Aaron Jones (Packers)

Wide Receiver 

1st team: Davante Adams (Packers), Stefon Diggs (Bills)

2nd team: DeAndre Hopkins (Cardinals), Tyreek Hill (Chiefs)

Tight End

1st team: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)

2nd team: Darren Waller (Raiders)

Tackle

1st team: Garett Bolles (Broncos), Jack Conklin (Browns)

2nd team: David Bakhitiari (Packers), Ryan Ramcyzk (Saints)

Guard

1st team: Quenton Nelson (Colts), Wyatt Teller (Browns)

2nd team: Ali Marpet (Buccaneers), Shaq Mason (Patriots) 

Center

1st team: Corey Linsley (Packers)

2nd team: Frank Ragnow (Lions) 

Defensive End

1st team: Myles Garrett (Browns), Leonard Williams (Giants)

2nd team: Chase Young (Washington Football Team), Joey Bosa (Chargers)

Defensive Tackle

1st team: Aaron Donald (Rams), DeForest Buckner (Colts)

2nd team: Cameron Heyward (Steelers), Chris Jones (Chiefs)

Outside Linebacker

1st team: T.J. Watt (Steelers), Khalil Mack (Bears)

2nd team: Hasson Reddick (Cardinals), Za'Darius Smith (Packers)

Inside Linebacker

1st team: Bobby Wagner (Seahawks), Fred Warner (49ers)

2nd team: Lavonte David (Buccaneers), Blake Martinez (Giants)

Cornerback

1st team: Jaire Alexander (Packers), Xavien Howard (Dolphins)

2nd team: Jalen Ramsey (Rams), Darious Williams (Rams)

Safety

1st team: Jessie Bates (Bengals), John Johnson III (Rams)

2nd team: Justin Simmons (Broncos), Marcus Maye (Jets)

Kicker

1st team: Jason Sanders (Dolphins)

2nd team: Younghoe Koo (Falcons)

Punter

1st team: Jake Bailey (Patriots)

2nd team: Jack Fox (Lions)

Return Specialist

1st team: Cordarrelle Patterson (Bears), Gunner Olzewski (Patriots)

2nd team: Andre Roberts (Bills), Jakeem Grant (Dolphins)

Special Teamer

1st team: Matthew Slater (Patriots)

2nd team: George Odum (Colts)  

NFL Wild Card Predictions

Buffalo Bills over Indianapolis Colts: Despite coming in as the hottest team in the AFC and maybe even the entire league, a perspective Bills playoff run is hard to have faith in or even comprehend. This franchise seemingly has a hex on them that allows them to lose playoffs games in the most painful, jaw-dropping ways imaginable (all 4 Super Bowls in the 90's, the Music City Miracle, whatever the hell happened in Houston last season) and even in a season where he's shown tremendous growth in terms of consistency, accuracy and decisionmaking, Josh Allen has proven he's still capable of spectacular, turnover-filled implosions that can abruptly derail a game. As skeptical as I am about the Bills' odds of making a run, I'd still be pretty surprised if a Colts team led by an ailing, notoriously cold weather-challenged Philip Rivers ended up being the team that knocked them out.  

Seattle Seahawks over Los Angeles Rams: Divisional foes meeting in the playoffs usually result in close, low-scoring slugfests and since that's exactly what we got when these two teams squared off in Week 16, I expect the same to happen on Saturday afternoon. While the Rams have the deeper and more proven defense that would traditionally give them the edge in this type of matchup, the Seahawks superior offensive firepower and questionable at best health of Jared Goff (if he's deemed healthy enough to play after having thumb surgery last Monday) makes Seattle the slight favorite here. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Washington Football Team: I'm very tempted to pick Washington here. Ron Rivera is one of the only head coaches in the league that can claim that they've had any degree of success against a Tom Brady-led team (he went 2-0 against Brady's Patriots during his time with the Panthers), the Bucs as a collective are exactly the type of undisciplined, mentally soft team that could overlook an opponent because of their record and most importantly, Washington's defense has the vicious pass rush/strong corner combo that has given Brady fits all 5 times he had to face teams that possessed those qualities during the Bucs creampuff 2020 schedule. However, Alex Smith is seriously banged up and their skill position players have been pretty terrible in recent weeks and Tampa's defense is good enough for them to win a low scoring game against a hampered offense. 

Baltimore Ravens over Tennessee Titans: The Titans stunned the entire NFL world last January when they went into Baltimore and manhandled a 14-2 Ravens team that was the top seed in the AFC. Despite a worthy effort, the Ravens attempt to avenge that humiliating loss earlier this season failed when they fell 30-24 in OT after Derrick Henry ripped off a 29-YD walkoff TD run. I believe the 3rd time facing the Titans in the last calendar year will be the charm for the Ravens. The Titans porous defense is going to a very hard time keeping up with the deep rotation of rushers the Ravens utilize (Lamar Jackson, J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Mark Ingram), the Ravens are playing significantly better now than they were they narrowly lost to the Titans in November and as difficult as Henry and A.J. Brown are to matchup with, the Ravens aggressive, physical defense should be able to slow them down just enough to secure Jackson his 1st career playoff win.    

New Orleans Saints over Chicago Bears: If any heavyweight contender is capable of losing to a mediocre at best Bears team that went 3-7 to end the regular season, it's a Saints team that's headed up by the covert all time choke artist duo of Sean Payton and Drew Brees. Since their lone Super Bowl run in 2009, they've suffered a string of inexplicable playoff losses (Wild Card Round in 2010 to a Seahawks team that went 7-9, Minneapolis Miracle in 2016, NFC Championship Game in 2018 against the Rams where they were outscored 26-10 after taking a 13-0 lead into the 2nd quarter), Wild Card last year to the Kirk Cousins-led Vikings), missed the playoffs four times and made it past the divisional round just once (the aforementioned debacle in 2018). Even though gagging is embedded in their DNA, a Mitch Trubisky-led Bears team that is down 2 of their top 3 corners (rookie Jaylon Johnson, Buster Skrine) and possibly more key additional starters (inside linebacker Roquan Smith, emerging rookie wideout Darnell Mooney) paired with the fact that this game is in the weather-proof confines of New Orleans should prevent the Saints seasonal diarrhea from popping up this week.   

Pittsburgh Steelers over Cleveland Browns: You have to feel for the Browns. They make it to the playoffs for the first time since 2002 and lose their head coach/offensive playcaller, multiple starters (star guard Joel Bitonio, safety Ronnie Harrison, possibly more as the week goes) and all of their practice time due to a COVID outbreak within their facility right before the game. Making matter worse, they have a matchup on Sunday against a physically-drained Steelers team that is basically begging to get knocked off so they can finally get some rest after playing 13 straight weeks that would've been very winnable if they were at full strength. Absolutely brutal break for a long suffering franchise and hopefully they'll get a crack at playoff glory again soon after the pandemic has subsided. 

Way Too Early Oscar Predictions: 2020-21 Edition

It's very odd to start thinking about the upcoming Hollywood award season at a time where they're typically already starting handing out statues (last year's Golden Globes took place on January 5th), but thanks to the COVID-driven shifts in the eligibility window (all titles have to be released via theaters, streaming, VOD or a public drive-in screening by February 26th instead of the typical December 31st cutoff), the kickoff of the season has been pushed back to late February with the Oscars currently slated for April 25th. While studios were mostly forced to shift whatever they had scheduled for theatrical release during this period (The French Dispatch, West Side Story, The Last Duel), this year's field of potential contenders in all major categories is still very strong thanks to robust slates from the streaming juggernauts and a few entries (Nomadland, Minari, The Father) from the specialty distributors that have already met the qualification requirements as they await their TBD planned theatrical releases. 

Although it's not as prevalent as usual this year for obvious reasons, it does need to be noted that there are still a handful of potential contending titles that critics/members of the voting bodies haven't seen yet (Malcolm & Marie, Judas and the Black Messiah, The United States vs. Billie Holliday, The Dig, The Little Things) that could throw a late wrench in the field of presumed frontrunners and radically change the predicted nominees below. Now that the obligatory preamble and caveats are out of the way, here are my current projections for the individuals and movies that will be up for the film industry's most prestigious awards three and a half months from now.

(Note: * indidcates projected winner)

Best Picture:

The Father

Mank

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Minari

News of the World

Nomadland* 

One Night in Miami

Soul

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Director:

Lee Issac Chung (Minari)

David Fincher (Mank)

Regina King (One Night in Miami)

Aaron Sorkin (The Trial of the Chicago 7)

Chloe Zhao (Nomadland)*

Best Actor:

Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal)

Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom)*

Anthony Hopkins (The Father)

Gary Oldman (Mank)

Steven Yeun (Minari) 

Best Actress:

Viola Davis (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom)

Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman)

Frances McDormand (Nomadland)*

Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman)

Zendaya (Malcom & Marie)

Best Supporting Actor:

Sacha Baron Cohen (The Trial of the Chicago 7)

Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah)

Leslie Odom Jr. (One Night in Miami)*

Paul Raci (Sound of Metal)

Mark Rylance (The Trial of the Chicago 7)

Best Supporting Actress:

Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm)

Ellen Burstyn (Pieces of a Woman)

Glenn Close (Hillbilly Elegy) 

Olivia Coleman (The Father)

Amanda Seyfried (Mank)*

Best Original Screenplay:

Mank

Minari 

Promising Young Woman

Soul

The Trial of the Chicago 7*

Best Adapted Screenplay:

The Father

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

News of the World

Nomadland* 

One Night in Miami

Best Animated Feature:

The Croods: A New Age

Onward

Over the Moon

Soul*

Wolfwalkers

Best International Feature:

Another Round*

The Mole Agent

Night of the Kings

Sun Children 

Two of Us

George Clooney Ranked

Welcome to the latest edition of "Ranked"-where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out related accolades. This week, I'm profiling the work of George Clooney-whose latest project "The Midnight Sky" is now streaming on Netflix. 

George Clooney's Filmography Ranked:

23.Tomorrowland (D-)

22.Ocean's Twelve (D-)

21.Hail, Caesar! (D+)

20.Batman & Robin (C-)

19.The Monuments Men (C)

18.Good Night, and Good Luck (C)

17.The Perfect Storm (C+)

16.Spy Kids (C+)

15.Burn After Reading (C+)

14.Money Monster (C+)

13.Intolerable Cruelty (B-)

12.Up in the Air (B)

11.O Brother, Where Art Thou? (B)

10.The Ides of March (B)

9.Gravity (B+)

8.Ocean's Thirteen (B+)

7.Michael Clayton (B+)

6.Three Kings (B+)

5.From Dusk till Dawn (B+)

4.South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (A-)

3.Out of Sight (A-)

2.The Descendants (A-) 

1.Ocean's Eleven (A)

Top Dog: Ocean's Eleven (2001)

Powered by a charismatic ensemble cast, clever heist and cool, confident style of filmmaking, Steven Soderbergh's remake of Ocean's Eleven manages to be an invigorating blast of pure entertainment. 

Lowlight: Tomorrowland (2015)

The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise (at least the first two) and even something harmlessly goofy like The Haunted Mansion proved that being based on a Disney theme park attraction wasn't a kiss of death for the quality of a movie. Then Tommorowland came along and reinforced why it can be a horrible idea to flesh out the premise behind something that's designed to provide purely visceral entertainment for a short period of time. Not only is the messy "adaptation" that Brad Bird and Damon Lindelof cooked up feature a silly, convoluted plot, it betrays its wonder-fueled entertainment origins by being aggressively dull and needlessly long.       

Most Overrated: Good Night, and Good Luck (2005)

Iconic broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow is a figure from American history that deserves to be propped up more in the present day f-particularly for his efforts to dismiss McCarthyism for the erroneous witch hunt that it was and Good Night, and Good Luck is an adequately made/acted production that accomplishes all of its storytelling goals. However, Murrow's efforts to expose the injustices of McCarthyism through pursuing various stories of people who've had their careers or lives ruined by baseless accusations of being supporters of the Communist Soviet Union and subsequent clashes with network executives/government officials that stemmed from his reporting is the type of important yet dry material that's better suited for a history classroom than the silver screen.  

Most Underrated: The Descendants (2011)

Re-watching this recently for the first time since my initial viewing in 2012 has only solidified my stance that The Descendants is an exceptionally underrated movie. It handles complicated themes (grief, infidelity, impending death of a loved one) in a graceful, even-handed manner, deploys humor at the perfect times to break up the immense sadness that is at the center of the narrative and features extraordinary performances from Clooney and Shailene Woodley that sell every nuance of a morally and emotionally complex story.    

Best Pre- Super Stardom Vehicle: From Dusk till Dawn (1996)

Outside of Danny Ocean, I don't think Clooney has played a character that's made better use of his natural charisma and smart-ass attitude than Seth Gecko. The way that he utilizes those gifts makes him the ideal anchor for the unhinged B-movie insanity that occurs in both halves of this crime saga turned vampire hunting schlockfest as well as a terrific vessel for the plethora of sharp dialogue Quentin Tarantino's script delivers.   

Most Insane Superhero Movie: Batman & Robin (1997)

As superhero movies have evolved into billion dollar empires that are micro managed down to the smallest details, the ill-conceived, balls-out ridiculousness of Batman & Robin has become kind of a charming relic of a bygone era where these movies weren't part of intricate shared universes. The head-scratching ineptitude and bizarre creative choices (Nipples on the Bat Suit, Mr. Freeze rocking ice skates, etc) on display here resulted in the fun kind of bad movie that the 90's churned out with regularity and unlike like a lot of things from that era in entertainment, hasn't really returned in the present day.     

Week 16 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2020 Edition

 Quarterback

MVP: Josh Allen (Bills)

The final stage of Allen's breakout campaign is complete: He finally put up a good game against the Patriots. Saying it was a good game is actually underselling it, Allen straight up shredded the suddenly reeling Pats for 320 YDS and 4 TD's in an easy win for the new kings of the AFC East. Allen has spent this season proving all of his detractors like myself (I dubiously named him the most overvalued fantasy QB ahead of this season) with smart, consistently strong play and that clear step forward he took this year should help him land among the top 3 QB's off the board in next year's drafts. 

Honorable Mentions: Tom Brady (Buccaneers), Deshaun Watson (Texans), Aaron Rodgers (Packers)

LVP: Kyler Murray (Cardinals) 

Coming into championship week ranked as a top 3 option at the position, a visibly banged up Murray struggled to do much of anything against a relentless 49ers team-finishing the game with 322 (247 passing, 75 rushing) scoreless YDS and an INT. Even with a largely underwhelming stretch run, Murray was a top-end QB1 in 2020 and his dual threat ability paired with the continued development of his rapport with DeAndre Hopkins should make him an appealing early round pick in 2021.

Dishonorable Mentions: Drew Brees (Saints), Justin Herbert (Chargers), Baker Mayfield (Browns)

Running Back

MVP: Alvin Kamara (Saints)

In all my years playing fantasy football, I can't recall a championship week performance as absurdly dominant as this. After dropping mediocre numbers for roughly a month, Kamara came roaring back to post a historic 22 CAR/155 YDS/6 TD performance against the Vikings on Christmas Day. Anyone who won a championship because of this 50+ point explosion is forever indebted to Kamara and quite frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up being enough to vault him past Derrick Henry and Dalvin Cook in the conversation for the #1 overall pick in 2021 drafts.    

Honorable Mentions: Myles Gaskin (Dolphins), David Johnson (Texans), Jeff Wilson Jr. (49ers)

LVP: Le'Veon Bell (Chiefs)

With Clyde Edwards-Helaire injured and the lowly Falcons coming into Arrowhead, fantasy pundits and players alike seemed to think that Bell was finally going to enjoy his long-awaited resurgence. Instead, Andy Reid cooked up yet another overwhelmingly pass-happy gameplan and left Bell with only 8 touches for 39 YDS (7 carries/30 YDS, 1 REC/9 YDS) in a disconcertingly sloppy offensive performance for the defending champs. Regardless of where Bell plays in 2021, he'll be nothing more than a late round flier as he continues to underwhelm since returning from his self-imposed football hiatus in 2018.

Dishonorable Mentions: Josh Jacobs (Raiders), D'Andre Swift (Lions), Melvin Gordon (Broncos)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: Davante Adams (Packers) 

Even driving snow can't slow down Adams. The Packers top wideout was uncoverable yet again-posting 142 YDS and 3 YDS on 11 receptions in a blowout victory over a formidable Titans squad. Heading into 2021, he's the uncontested top fantasy wideout and a likely top 5 overall pick.

Honorable Mentions: Stefon Diggs (Bills), Mike Evans (Buccaneers), Jamison Crowder (Jets)

LVP: Brandon Aiyuk (49ers) 

George Kittle's return and a run-driven gameplan with 3rd stringer C.J. Bethard under center put the brakes on an impressive fantasy stretch run for Aiyuk-as he mustered just 2 touches (a reception and a carry) for 31 YDS against the Cardinals. Even with a conceivably reduced targetshare with the prospective return of a healthy Kittle and Deebo Samuel in 2021, the speed and YAC ability Aiyuk showed during his rookie year should make him an intriguing mid-round option.    

Dishonorable Mentions: Corey Davis (Titans), Marvin Jones Jr. (Lions), A.J. Brown (Titans)

Tight End

MVP: Travis Kelce (Chiefs) 

In a development that should shock absolutely no one, the only member of the Chiefs offense that didn't put up pedestrian numbers in an ugly 17-14 win over the Falcons was Kelce. The stud TE broke the single season receiving yards record for the position that George Kittle set just last season with a 7 REC/98 YD/1 TD day. With the possible exception of Rob Gronkowski's monstrous 2011 campaign (90 REC/1,327 YDS/17 TD's), Kelce has put together the best season we've ever seen out of a TE and undoubtedly made a lot of fantasy owners who spent a top 25-30 pick on him very happy in the process.   

Honorable Mentions: Rob Gronkowski (Buccaneers), Darren Waller (Raiders), Hayden Hurst (Falcons)

LVP: Robert Tonyan (Packers)

Huge games from Davante Adams and rookie running back A.J. Dillon relegated Tonyan to an expendable secondary contributor against the Titans, as he reeled in 1-of-2 targets for 17 YDS. While he's largely TD dependent (his 10 scores do a lot to prop up an otherwise average 50 REC/568 YDS statline), Tonyan still did enough this season to establish himself as a TE1 and should wind up going in the top 10 rounds of 2021 drafts. 

Dishonorable Mentions: T.J. Hockenson (Lions), Tyler Higbee (Rams), Noah Fant (Broncos)

Defense/Special Teams

MVP: Buccaneers

Those who stuck with the erratic Bucs for Week 16 were rewarded with a solid performance against a Lions team that didn't even bother trying-amassing 4 sacks, an INT and FUM Rec in a 44-7 victory that clinched them their first playoff spot since 2007. As currently constructed, this group is just alright and will need to add some more playmakers if they want to be a staple on the fantasy radar in 2021.

Honorable Mentions: 49ers, Ravens, Seahawks

LVP: Saints

The Saints defense proved once again why they can't be taken seriously as a top-tier group by getting lit up by the Vikings (33 points allowed, 2 sacks, 0 takeways) in Week 16. Even with their borderline dominant play in the middle of the year, New Orleans shouldn't be considered a top-tier fantasy defense until they're able to prove their bursts of strong play are something other than a quick mirage.

Dishonorable Mentions: Colts, Texans, Patriots

2020 NFL Power Rankings: Week 17

 ()=previous ranking

1.(1) Kansas City Chiefs (14-1) Week 17 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers

2.(2) Green Bay Packers (12-3) Week 17 opponent: Chicago Bears

3.(3) Buffalo Bills (12-3) Week 17 opponent: Miami Dolphins

4.(4) Seattle Seahawks (11-4) Week 17 opponent: San Francisco 49ers

5.(6) New Orleans Saints (11-4) Week 17 opponent: Carolina Panthers

6.(9) Pittsburgh Steelers (12-3) Week 17 opponent: Cleveland Browns

7.(5) Indianapolis Colts (10-5) Week 17 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars 

8.(10) Baltimore Ravens (10-5) Week 17 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals

9.(7) Cleveland Browns (10-5) Week 17 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers

10.(11) Miami Dolphins (10-5) Week 17 opponent: Buffalo Bills

11.(8) Tennessee Titans (10-5) Week 17 opponent: Houston Texans

12.(13) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-5) Week 17 opponent: Atlanta Falcons

13.(12) Los Angeles Rams (9-6) Week 17 opponent: Arizona Cardinals

14.(16) Chicago Bears (8-7) Week 17 opponent: Green Bay Packers

15.(14) Arizona Cardinals (8-7) Week 17 opponent: Los Angeles Rams

16.(15) Washington Football Team (6-9) Week 17 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles

17.(23) Dallas Cowboys (6-9) Week 17 opponent: New York Giants

18.(21) San Francisco 49ers (6-9) Week 17 opponent: Seattle Seahawks

19.(17) Minnesota Vikings (6-9) Week 17 opponent: Detroit Lions

20.(18) Las Vegas Raiders (7-8) Week 17 opponent: Denver Broncos

21.(25) Los Angeles Chargers (6-9) Week 17 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs

22.(20) New York Giants (5-10) Week 17 opponent: Dallas Cowboys

23.(19) New England Patriots (6-9) Week 17 opponent: New York Jets

24.(27) Carolina Panthers (5-10) Week 17 opponent: New Orleans Saints

25.(22) Philadelphia Eagles (4-10-1) Week 17 opponent: Washington Football Team 

26.(24) Denver Broncos (5-10) Week 17 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders

27.(30) Cincinnati Bengals (4-10-1) Week 17 opponent: Baltimore Ravens

28.(28) Houston Texans (4-11) Week 17 opponent: Tennessee Titans

29.(29) Atlanta Falcons (4-11) Week 17 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

30.(26) Detroit Lions (5-10) Week 17 opponent: Minnesota Vikings

31.(31) New York Jets (2-13) Week 17 opponent: New England Patriots 

32.(32) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-14) Week 17 opponent: Indianapolis Colts  

Tom Hanks Ranked

Welcome to the latest edition of "Ranked"-where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out related accolades. This week, I'm profiling the work of Tom Hanks-whose latest project "News of the World" is in theaters now and will be available to rent via video on demand services on January 15th.

Tom Hanks' Filmography Ranked:

23.Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (D+)

22.Splash (D+)

21.Larry Crowne (D+) 

20.The Polar Express (D+)

19.Bridge of Spies (C)

18.That Thing You Do! (C+)

17.Apollo 13 (B-)

16.Charlie Wilson's War (B-)

15.A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (B)

14.Forrest Gump (B)

13.The Ladykillers (B)

12.Cast Away (B+)

11.Sully (B+)

10.Philadelphia (B+)

9.Toy Story 2 (B+)

8.Catch Me If You Can (B+)

7.Captain Phillips (B+)

6.Road to Perdition (A-)

5.Toy Story 4 (A-) 

4.Saving Private Ryan (A)

3.Toy Story 3 (A)

2.The Green Mile (A+)

1.Toy Story (A+)

Top Dog: Toy Story (1995)

Game-changer is a term that is probably thrown around too much-particularly in the world of entertainment, but in the case of Toy Story, it's completely warranted. John Lasseter and the animators at Pixar redefined what an animated film was capable of by using groundbreaking (at the time) computer-created visuals and having a story that has ideas/humor that will resonate with adults without glossing over the breezy fun elements that make it appeal to kids. The seeds of innovation that were planted here continue to flourish 25 years later as plenty of other filmmakers have gone onto make movies that share Toy Story's DNA and considering the warmth these titles continue to be met with, we're likely to see a whole lot more movies that are cut from this winning mold.  

Lowlight: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)

Even with the participation of Hollywood heavyweights like Sandra Bullock, Viola Davis, Max von Sydow and Hanks, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close still manages to feel like a Hallmark or Lifetime movie of the week. With its use of 9/11 as the backdrop of this (fictional) story and relentlessly melodramatic plot beats, the film applies a sickeningly manipulative tearjerker touch to its attempts to explore loss and grief that is just maddening to watch.

Most Overrated: Forrest Gump (1994)

Is part of why Forrest Gump earned this distinction because I'm pissed that it beat out Pulp Fiction for the Best Picture Oscar? No question. However, the real catalyst for this take is my strong disagreement with the popular sentiment that this is one of the greatest movies ever made. While Forrest Gump is a solidly-acted drama that efficiently hits the bulk of its feel good narrative targets, it's not nearly profound, heartfelt or entertaining enough to warrant any special standing in the wide world of movies or even extensive rewatches.    

Most Underrated: Road to Perdition (2002)

Sam Mendes' (1917, Skyfall) seemingly forgotten mediation on the consequences of living a life defined by violence and a parent not wanting to their child to go through that same vicious cycle of pain, death and suffering that just happens to take the form of a gangster movie makes for a more poignant and cohesive project than Martin Scorsese's musings on similar themes in last year's The Irishman. The uncompromisingly bleak atmosphere does a great job of emphasizing the danger that could lurk around every corner in the world of organized crime as well as the psychological toll of being a professional killer, the performances are stunning (Hanks, Jude Law, Stanley Tucci, Daniel Craig, the late Paul Newman in what ended up being his final live action film role) across the board and unlike The Irishman, it doesn't lessen the impact of its message by needlessly padding the runtime (this runs a very efficient 117 minutes, which is 92 minutes less than Scorsese's film).  

Most Groundbreaking Espionage Movie: Bridge of Spies (2015)

Toy Story isn't the only innovative project Hanks has been involved in during his career. Not content with the sleek style, relentless mindgames and mounting suspense that tend to be cornerstones of espionage movies, Steven Spielberg set out to make the world's first mundane spy thriller and boy oh boy did he stick the bland landing. A Cold War-era legal drama told exclusively through perfunctory conversations/meetings until it arrives at a finale that features the first completely clean, tension-free military prisoner exchange in the history of cinema is a hell of a breakthrough for a genre that has relied too damn heavily on things like excitement, twists and suspense since its inception.

Best Sneaky Good Coen Brothers Movie: The Ladykillers (2004)

2020's relatively barren film landscape has given me the time to examine the back catalogues of some  filmmakers I admire and upon viewing the pretty widely frowned upon Coen Brothers remake of The Ladykillers back in April, I ended being very pleasantly surprised by it. The Ladykillers has the same dark, absurd sense of humor as all of their best comedic efforts, an underrated collection of scene-stealing goofball characters (Hanks as a pretentious Southern scholar who is heading up a casino heist, J.K. Simmons as a bumbling explosives "expert" and Irma P. Hall as a god-fearing widow who routinely outsmarts the criminals that are targeting her) and a great final act the features the bumbling idiot criminal protagonists getting what's coming to them in hilariously entertaining fashion.