The Oscars are just a few days away, with Jimmy Kimmel returning to host the ninety-fifth ceremony. So here is a bit of cinema ranking and some lively bits of Oscar information to go over before showtime this Sunday:
There was much chatter about the recent polling by the British film magazine, Sight and Sound with their survey, taken every ten years, ranking the top-ten greatest movies of all-time. Beginning in 1952, with Vittorio De Sica's "Bicycle Thieves" topping the list, each decade saw a shifting in order of films but it was "Citizen Kane" that ruled the number one position starting in 1962. Orson Welles' 1941 masterpiece remained at the top of this poll until 2012 when the stylish psychological thriller, "Vertigo" by Alfred Hitchcock took over the top spot. At this time, the list was expanded to include one hundred movies and increased the number of international film professionals and critics to participate in the selections. And last year with the latest poll, "Vertigo" was replaced by a new film that had previously ranked thirty-seven on the list. The New York Times explores the history of the Sight and Sound poll, examining how opinions and tastes have changed over the decades.
Many were taken aback when the British performer, Andrea Riseborough was announced this year as one of the nominees for Best Actress in a little-seen, off-the-radar, indie drama, "To Leslie". After just watching her searing performance in the film as an alcoholic, single mother who squanders all the prize money after winning the lottery and abandoning her son, it is quite clear to me that not only does Riseborough earn her spot in the category but is actually a true contender to receive the award. But this is hardly the first time that the actress has impressed audiences, critics and her fellow actors with her captivating, committed work. Vulture has selected eleven of Riseborough's previous film and television appearances to highlight, giving a better understanding on why she is in the conversation.
Roger Deakins is one of the most honored cinematographers by the Academy with the British director of photography earning his sixteenth Oscar nomination this year for his breathtaking work in Sam Mendes' "Empire of Light". Cláudio Alves, for the blog, The Film Expereince, has ranked this visionary master's sixteen nominations, breaking them down from great although not thrilling to absolute transcendence.
Vulture has also gone on to rank all fifty-four films nominated this year for an Oscar (including the short films). This is an impressive endeavor and I have to say I'm a little shocked at what was ranked at the bottom of this list. Check it out for yourself:
And to close this Oscar Madness out, here is a clip of the first, almost thirty minutes of the 1974 Academy Awards which includes a dazzling opening musical number by Liza Minnelli that pays tribute to the award, an introduction by then-Academy President Walter Mirisch (who just recently passed away in February at the age of 101) and opening comedy monologue by host Burt Reynolds:
With less than a week away, the Oscars will close out award season and that means the guilds have been making their selections of the best in cinema from 2022. And "Everything Everywhere All at Once", the trippy, family drama-comedy by the filmmaking team, the Daniels has been sweeping these prizes including the recent Film Independent Spirit Awards. Now this certainly doesn't mean this will be the outcome at the Academy Awards but this film's chances have improved greatly to bring home a lot of Oscar gold.
Here are the winners of the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards(Film):
Best Feature: "Everything Everywhere All at Once" Best Director: Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert, "Everything Everywhere All at Once" Best Screenplay: Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert, "Everything Everywhere All At Once" Best Lead Performance: Michelle Yeoh, "Everything Everywhere All at Once" Best Supporting Performance: Ke Huy Quan, "Everything Everywhere All at Once" Best Cinematography: Florian Hoffmeister, Tár" Best Editing: Paul Rogers, "Everything Everywhere All At Once" Best Documentary: "All the Beauty and the Bloodshed" Best International Film: "Joyland" (Pakistan/USA) Best Breakthrough Performance: Stephanie Hsu, "Everything Everywhere All At Once" Best First Feature: "Aftersun" Best First Screenplay: John Patton Ford, "Emily the Criminal" Someone To Watch Award: Nikyatu Jusu, "Nanny" John Cassavetes Award: "The Cathedral" Robert Altman Award: "Women Talking:
Here are the winners of the 2023 Writers Guild Awards(Motion Picture):
Best Original Screenplay: Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan, "Everything Everywhere All at Once"
Best Adapted Screenplay: Sarah Polley, "Women Talking"
Best Documentary Screenplay: Brett Morgen, "Moonage Daydream"
Here are the winners of the 2023 Producers Guild Awards (Motion Picture):
Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures: Jonathan Wang, Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, "Everything Everywhere All At Once"
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures: Guillermo Del Toro, Gary Ungar and Alex Bulkley, "Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio"
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Picture: Odessa Rae, Diane Becker, Melanie Miller and Shane Boris, "Navalny"
Here are the winners of the 2023 Directors Guild of America Awards (Motion Picture):
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film: Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert, "Everything Everywhere All at Once"
Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First-Time Theatrical Feature Film Director: Charlotte Wells, "Aftersun"
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary Feature Film: Sara Dosa, "Fire of Love"
Here are the winners of the 2023 ACE Eddie Awards:
Best Edited Theatrical Feature Film (Comedy): Paul Rogers, "Everything Everywhere All at Once"
Best Edited Theatrical Feature Film (Drama): Eddie Hamilton, "Top Gun: Maverick"
Best Edited Theatrical Documentary Film: Erin Casper, Jocelyne Chaput, "Fire of Love"
Best Edited Animated Film(Theatrical or Non-Theatrical): Ken Schretzmann and Holly Klein, "Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio"
Here are the winners of the 2023 the American Society of Cinematographers Awards (Motion Picture):
Best Feature Film Cinematography: Mandy Walker, Elvis"
Best Documentary Feature Cinematography: Ben Bernhard and Riju Das, "All That Breathes"
Here are the winners of the 2023 Screen Actor Guild Awards (Motion Picture):
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: "Everything Everywhere All at Once"
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role: Michelle Yeoh, "Everything Everywhere All at Once"
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role: Brendan Fraser, "The Whale"
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role: Jamie Lee Curtis, "Everything Everywhere All at Once"
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role: Ke Huy Quan, "Everything Everywhere All at Once"
Meanwhile over in Europe, the Brits and the French have different ideas on what was the best in cinema last year with the WWI set, German-language drama, "All Quiet on the Western Front" sweeping the BAFTA awards and winning seven awards, the most ever for a foreign language film.
Here are the winners of the 2023 BAFTA Film Awards:
Best Film: "All Quiet on the Western Front"
Outstanding British Film: "The Banshees of Inisherin"
Best Director: Edward Berger, "All Quiet on the Western Front"
Best Original Screenplay: Martin Mcdonagh, "The Banshees of Inisherin"
Best Adapted Screenplay: Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson and Ian Stokell, "All Quiet on the Western Front"
Best Leading Actress: Cate Blanchett, "Tár"
Best Leading Actor: Austin Butler, "Elvis"
Best Supporting Actress: Kerry Condon, "The Banshees of Inisherin"
Best Supporting Actor: Barry Keoghan, "The Banshees of Inisherin"
Best Cinematography: James Friend, "All Quiet on the Western Front"
Best Editing: Paul Rogers, "Everything Everywhere All at Once"
Best Documentary: "Navalny"
Best Animated Film: "Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio"
Best Film Not in the English Language: "All Quiet on the Western Front"
Best Production Design: Florencia Martin and Anthony Carlino, "Babylon"
Best Casting: Nikki Barrett and Denise Chamian, "Elvis"
Best Costume Design: Catherine Martin, "Elvis"
Best Hair & Make-Up: Jason Baird, Mark Coulier, Louise Coulston and Shane Thomas, "Elvis"
Best Original Score: Volker Bertelmann, "All Quiet on the Western Front"
Best Sound: Lars Ginzsel, Frank Kruse, Viktor Prášil and Markus Stemler, "All Quiet on the Western Front"
Best Special Visual Effects: Richard Baneham, Daniel Barrett, Joe Letteri and Eric Saindon, "Avatar: The Way of Water"
Best British Short Film: "An Irish Goodbye"
Best British Short Animation: "The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse"
Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer: Charlotte Wells, "Aftersun"
And the César Awards honored "La Nuit du 12 (the Night of the 12th)", about a police detective who becomes obsessed with a complex case involving a murdered female victim in a small town in the French Alps, with six awards including Best Film. The Honorary César went to American director, David Fincher with star Brad Pitt (who co-starred in the filmmaker's "Seven" and "Fight Club") making an unannounced appearance to present him with the career achievement award.
Here is a partial list of winners of the 2023 César Awards:
Best Film: "La Nuit du 12 (the Night of the 12th)"
Best Director: Dominik Moll, "The Night of the 12th"
Best Original Screenplay: Louis Garrel, Tanguy Viel and Naïla Guiguet, "The Innocent"
Best Adapted Screenplay: Gilles Marchand and Dominik Moll, "The Night of the 12th"
Best Actress: Virginie Efira, "Paris Memories"
Best Actor: Benoit Magimel, "Pacifiction"
Best Supporting Actress: Noemie Merlant, "The Innocent"
Best Supporting Actor: Bouli Lanners, "The Night of the 12th"
Best Female Newcomer: Nadia Tereszkiewicz, "Forever Young"
Best Male Newcomer: Bastien Bouillon, The Night of the 12th"
Best Debut Feature: "Saint Omer"
Best Animated Feature: "My Sunny Maad"
Best Documentary Feature: "Returning to Reims (Fragments)"
Best Foreign Film: "As Bestas (the Beasts)" (Spain/France)
Best Cinematography: Artur Tort," Pacification"
Best Editing: Mathilde van de Moortel, "Full Time"
Best Original Score: Irene Dresel, "Full Time"
"Sur l’Adamant (On The Adamant)", a French documentary by Nicolas Philibert, received the top jury prize of the Golden Bear at the conclusion of the 2023 Berlin Film Festival. This film examines a different kind of medical center, a floating structure located on the Seine River in Paris, that helps individuals suffering from mental health disorders with a kind staff helping them in a way that in generous and humane. The latest from Christian Petzold, "Roter Himmel (Afire)", which involves four people on a holiday near the Baltic Sea when they become trapped by uncontrolled forest fires, won the German director the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize. The Silver Bear Jury Prize (or third runner-up) was given to the Portuguese filmmaker, Joᾶo Canijo for his film, "Mal Viver (Bad Living)", a drama about a family of several women from different generations, whose relationships with each other have grown hostile and bitter. And legendary French filmmaker, Philippe Garrel took the Best Director prize for "Le grand chariot (the Plough)" which co-stars his children, Louis and Esther Garrel in this drama about a traveling puppet theater run by several generations of a family.
Here are the jury winners of the 2023 Berlin Film Festival:
Golden Bear for Best Film; "Sur l'Adamant (On the Adamant)"
Silver Bear for Best Director: Philippe Garrel, "Le grand chariot (The Plough)"
Silver Bear for Best Screenplay: Angela Schanelec, "Music"
Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance: Sofía Ortero, "20,000 Species of Bees"
Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance: Thea Ehre, "Till the End of The Night"
Silver Bear for an Outstanding Artistic Contribution: Hélène Louvart for the cinematography in "Disco Boy"
I always go into seeing every movie with excitement, an open mind and great optimism. But sometimes things just don't work out. Here are a few films that I saw last year that unfortunately just didn't work for me.
"AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER"
Sure, "Avatar: The Way of Water", James Cameron's sequel to his 2009 visually groundbreaking, sci-fi adventure, has not only become the highest grossing film of 2022 but has leapt to become the fourth highest grossing film of all-time (with Cameron's "Avatar" and "Titanic" ranking at number one and number three respectively) currently at $2.1 billion dollars. And I'm certain that I may be in the minority (since it would require many people to have seen this movie multiple times in order for it to have made this amount of money) but I did not enjoy "The Way of Water" and even given a free ticket could not get me to sit through this movie again. This film picks up sixteen years later on the planet Pandora where American solider, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is living as an Avatar with his love, Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) as one of the Na'vi, raising their five children which includes Spider (Jack Champion), the human son of Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang) who died fighting against the Na'vi. With Earth still dying, the Resources Development Administration have returned to Pandora in order to once again try and take over the planet, with a mission now run by General Ardmore (Edie Falco). The new plan involves using Na'vi avatars that utilizes the memories of dead soldiers, including Quaritch, in the battle to colonize Pandora. With the avatar Quaritch capturing Spider, learning about the language and customs of the Na'vi, Jake convinces a reluctant Neytiri to take their family to shelter with the Metkayina people who live isolated surrounding the sea, instead of fighting. But Quaritch is determined to track them down no matter where they hide. There is more plot involved but not really worth going over as it doesn't add up to much. The narrative of "The Way of Water" is so basic with such dreadful dialogue that it makes the mind-numbing three-hour runtime feel even longer. Even the visual effects and action sequences add nothing to enhance this poorly conceived adventure. "Avatar: The Way of Water" is definitely not worth the long wait.
"DON'T WORRY DARLING"
When the actress Olivia Wilde decided to work behind the camera, her first feature film as a director was "Booksmart", a charming yet raunchy teen comedy about two high school girls wanting to finally break the rules, after spending all their time being good students, and party hard on their last day of school. This made me anticipate Wilde's follow-up and the trailer for her next film, "Don't Worry Darling" appeared very intriguing. And while this psychological thriller begins quite promising, the film devolves into a contrived, muddled mess. Set in a 1960's styled world where all the men go off to work in a California desert town called Victory while their wives kiss them goodbye, spending their days shopping, cooking, cleaning and never asking what exactly their husbands do at their jobs. Alice (Florence Pugh) is at first content as the happy housewife for her husband, Jack (Harry Styles) but she soon begins to experience odd occurrences and strange hallucinations. As she become more uneasy and increasingly paranoid, Alice pushes back against the community's founder, Frank (Chris Pine) for answers. After admitting to her privately that their society is not all that it appears to be, Alice confronts him publicly at a dinner party. Yet Frank denies everything she reveals, making it seem like Alice is losing her mind. "Don't Worry Darling" brings to mind "The Stepford Wives" which used the thriller genre to make a commentary on gender politics. Yet like that high-concept film, the script by Katie Silberman fails to have a clear vision on how to have this clever story make much sense once we reach the conclusion. The film is exquisitely shot by Matthew Libatique, features outstanding production design and has some nice supporting work by Pine and the director who plays a neighbor's wife. But it is Pugh, with an intense, committed performance, who manages to keep us engaged throughout this lackluster drama. Unfortunately, her persuasive work is not enough to make the disappointing "Don't Worry Darling" worthwhile to watch.
"BROS"
"Bros" was promoted as the first gay romantic comedy from a major studio with an actual cast of LGBTQ performers. And while the far more enjoyable other gay rom-com released last year, "Fire Island" may have been technically first, "Bros" fails to deliver many laughs or stir amorous emotions in this rom-com about modern gay men trying to find love in today's complicated world. Billy Eichner (who also co-wrote the screenplay with the director, Nicholas Stoller) plays Bobby, the host of a podcast about Stonewall who has proudly accepted being single and feeling no shame. At a party, Bobby meets Aaron (Luke Macfarlane), a hot muscle gay. The two later begin to date and while they are attracted to each other, Bobby and Aaron have very different views on life, sex and relationships, making them find a true love connection together extremely challenging. MacFarlane does bring an effortless charm to his character (which I'm sure has much to do with the years of him playing the (straight) romantic lead in many Hallmark Channel movies) but Eichner is the harder sell. The comedian and star of the popular game show, "Billy on the Street" doesn't naturally radiate warmth and charisma, making him come across far too abrasive to be effective as the focus of a romantic comedy. The actors also don't generate much chemistry as a couple which doesn't help imaging that their characters would seriously end up happily ever after. Eichner has been quite vocal about his disappointment with the film underperforming, blaming homophobia for the film's poor box-office. There certainly could be some truth to his claim but the problems with "Bros" could also be the underdeveloped characters, lack of funny jokes, too much time spent venting about gay culture and relationships and the inability to create an inviting atmosphere.
"BONES AND ALL"
Luca Guadagnino is one of the more commanding filmmakers currently working today, crafting emotionally complex, carnally driven, visually stimulating cinema like such memorable works as "I am Love", "A Bigger Splash" and "Call Me By Your Name". But the Italian director's latest, "Bones and All", based on the book by Camille DeAngelis, is a teenage cannibalistic love story that features his compelling style and some outstanding performances, yet this creepy, road-trip drama never successfully achieves a convincing cohesion with its mix of narrative themes. After being abandoned by her father (Andre Holland) on her eighteenth birthday, Maren (Taylor Russell) is forced to confront what she has never admitted to herself; she has a taste for human flesh. Maren's father details her history, beginning with devouring the babysitter as a child, on cassette tapes for her, no longer believing she will outgrow this uncontrollable desire. Out on her own, Maren meets other "eaters" which includes Sully (an excellent Mark Rylance), an older eccentric who educates her on their ways. Feeling uncomfortable around Sully, Maren flees his home, later meeting Lee (a scary-thin Timothée Chalamet), a fellow teenage "eater" who she falls for, joining her on a quest to Minnesota to see if she can get information on her mother who disappeared when she was an infant. "Bones and All" doesn't work as a romance, an emotional drama or a horror film, leaving behind only a listless, unfocused movie.
"THE SON"
Florian Zeller, the French novelist turned playwright turned filmmaker, made a big impression with his first film as a director, "The Father" in 2020. Based on his 2012 play, this engaging English-language drama about a man suffering from dementia and his daughter struggling to help him became a critical and box-office success, receiving plenty of award recognition including star, Sir Anthony Hopkins winning the Best Actor Oscar and Zeller and co-writer, Christopher Hampton earning Best Adapted Screenplay. Zeller's latest feature, "The Son" is based on another one of his plays (with the screenplay once again co-written with Hampton) yet this time, the results are extremely disappointing. Hugh Jackman stars as Peter Miller, a successful businessman who has started a new family with a younger wife (Vanessa Kirby) and newborn baby, leaving his other family behind. His ex-wife, Kate (Laura Dern) comes to Peter desperate about their seventeen-year-old son, Nicholas (Zen McGrath) who has become sullen, won't speak to her and skipping school. Peter agrees to take Nicholas in, hoping to reconnect with his son and straighten him out. And while the new environment seemed to help initially, Nicholas begins to not go to school. Peter's response is to just yell and make demands, pushing his morose son even further away. "The Son" is an exasperating and frustrating film, watching these self-absorbed, emotionally detached parents just wanting the problems of their deeply troubled and depressed child to simply just go away, never considering getting him professional help. As I continued to watch their flagrant disregard for their son's well-being and never attempting to communicate with a calmer approach, I just became more outraged by their behavior. A great cast (which includes an appearance by Hopkins as Peter's estranged father) is wasted in "The Son", a poorly conceived drama that is a perfect guide in how not to parent a child.
Raquel Welch, the Hollywood sex symbol who managed to maintain her sensual image throughout her lengthy career while proving she could act, has sadly passed away on February 15th at the age of eighty-two. This striking brunette beauty, who died after a brief illness, emerged in films during the mid 1960's as a refreshing alternative to the ice-blonde sirens who ruled the silver screen in the '50's. And while she began her career in bikinis (most notably in a fur-skin one) and tight-fitting dresses, Welch never had to suffer the indignities of being seen as sexy and dim, always appearing shrewd and witty on screen.
Born Jo Raquel Tejada in Chicago, she was one of three children of Bolivian aeronautical engineer, Armando Tejada and Josephine Hall. When she was a toddler, the family moved to San Diego, CA. As she grew up, the teenage Raquel entered and won several beauty contests including winning the title of "Miss San Diego" at the county fair. After marrying her high school sweetheart, James Welch in 1959, she attended San Diego State, enrolled in the theater arts department. Welch had two children, Damon and Tahnee in quick order, but her marriage was over by 1962, leaving her as a single mother with a family to support.
After a brief stay in Dallas, Welch went to Los Angeles to try her luck in Hollywood. She got a business manager and began pursuing roles with the studios, landing small parts in movies (including an appearance in the 1964 Elvis Presley musical, "Roustabout") and television shows. In 1965, Welch managed to secure a non-exclusive, seven-year studio contract with 20th Century-Fox. Her first leading role was in the 1966 sci-fi adventure, "Fantastic Voyage", as part of a medical team that are shrunken and injected into an injured scientist to help save his life. This was a box-office hit and made Welch a rising star.
But it was her next film that would take Welch to the next level. She appeared in "One Million Years B.C.", a fantasy film involving cavemen trying to survive in the world against dinosaurs with Welch wearing only a deer-skin bikini. This was another success, turning Welch into an international sex symbol with the help of a publicity still from the movie becoming a best-selling poster. She went on to become a major film star, appearing in "Fathom", "Bedazzled", "Banolero!", "Lady in Cement" and "100 Rifles". But Welch was largely unhappy with her screen roles, wanting more challenging opportunities and to be seen for more than her beauty and curves.
Welch's first attempt was taking on the title role of a transsexual woman in "Myra Breckinridge", an adaptation of Gore Vidal's novel, in 1970. Yet despite the fascinating cast that included director, John Huston, film critic, Rex Reed, early screen appearances by Farrah Fawcett and Tom Selleck and the return of screen comedy legend, Mae West, lured out of retirement since her last film in 1943, this outrageous comedy was not well received. Considered one of the worst films ever made, "Myra Breckinridge" has since gone on to find a cult following. But Welch persevered, going on to appear in "Bluebeard", "The Last of Sheila", "Mother, Jugs & Speed", "Kansas City Bomber", "The Three Musketeers" and "The Wild Party" with very few of them finding critical or box-office success.
Welch had been cast to star alongside Nick Nolte in "Cannery Row" in 1982 but was fired over a contract violation and replaced by Debra Winger. Welch went on to sue the studio, MGM and after a lengthy trial, finally won a ten-million dollar settlement in 1987.
But her film career had cooled down by this point, so she went to work on television, appearing in a wide range of programs including "Mork & Mindy", "Evening Shade", "Sabrina the Teenage Witch", "Spin City" and "Seinfeld". She also did several television movies including "Right to Die", a 1987 drama about a successful woman who struggles after her ALS diagnosis, earning Welch a Golden Globe nomination. Welch also appeared on stage, displaying her musical talent, first in 1981, briefly filling in for star, Lauren Bacall in the Broadway musical, "Woman of the Year" and replacing original star, Julie Andrews in "Victor/Victoria" in 1997.
The 73rd annual Berlin Film Festival has begun today, offering the first look at some new films from across the globe and will run through February 26th.
Rebecca Miller's latest, "She Came To Me", a romantic-comedy with Peter Dinklage, Marisa Tomei and Anne Hathaway will open the fest.
The American actor, Kristen Stewart will preside as President over this year's jury who will select which films will win the prizes in the Main International Competition. The rest of the jury is Iranian-French actor, Golshifteh Farahani; German director, Valeska Griebach; Romanian filmmaker, Radu Jude; US casting director, Francine Maisler; Spanish director, Carla Simón and Hong Kong director, Johnnie To.
The selections for the main competition include new works by Philippe Garrel ("Le Grande Chariot (The Plough)"), Margarethe von Trotta ("Ingeborg Bachmann: Journey into the Desert"), Christian Petzold ("Roter Himmel (Afire)"), Zhang Lü ("The Shadowless Tower"), João Canijo ("Mal Viver (Bad Living)"), John Trengove ("Manodrome") and debut feature films by Giacomo Abbruzzese ("Disco Boy") and Celine Song ("Past Lives").
Some of the Special Screenings at Berlinale will include the world premiere of "Love To Love You, Donna Summer", a documentary on the legendary disco performer by the Oscar-winning filmmaker, Roger Ross Williams, "100 Years of Disney Animation: A Shorts Celebration" will highlight some of the best cartoon short films from this studio; "Superpower", actor/director, Sean Penn's non-fiction film on Volodymyr Zelenskyy which followed the Ukraine President from the beginning of the Russian invasion of his country last year.
And Steven Spielberg will be honored with this year's Golden Bear Lifetime Achievement Award and will screen several of this director's celebrated films in the Homage section. This will include his debut feature from 1971, "Duel"; the classics, "Jaws", "Raiders of the Lost Ark", "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" and his latest, the Oscar nominated drama loosely based on his life, "The Fabelmans"
My optimism that the movie business would fully rebound in 2022 after the last couple of years forcing cinemas not to operate at full capacity faded as the year progressed. The year was certainly an improvement over the previous one and clearly people had returned to theaters which allowed a few films to make some serious money; the long-awaited sequel of "Avatar" arrived nearly at the end of the year which quickly overtook the long-awaited sequel to "Top Gun" (which had made quite an impressive sum itself) as the world's biggest box-office champ of 2022, taking in over two billion dollars. And the sequel to "Black Panther" also made a formidable impact at the box-office. So you can certainly begin to see the pattern; people were drawn to the familiar and that is what got them back to fill seats in theaters.
But don't get me wrong, I am absolutely thrilled that these movies did such incredible business. Yet once you move outside of these Hollywood blockbuster sequels, adult dramas, comedies and indie cinema continued to struggle to lure audiences back to the theaters in a significant way. And that cannot entirely be blamed om streaming as that business is going through it's own growing pains. Another issue was the lack of a robust slate of movies reaching theaters with weeks going by before another major new movie was released which was particularly noticeable during the summer and Christmas seasons.
As we move into 2023, I am feeling that sense of optimism once again for a great healthy year of cinema. It certainly feels possible with the reliable Tom Hanks in an adult comedy-drama and a scary, dancing AI doll bringing people back into theaters last month. Anyway, I did manage to find many films that I thought were outstanding and enjoyable throughout the previous year. Here is my list of favorite films from 2022 in no particular order:
"TAR"
"Tár" is a masterful work that explores art, culture, identity and gender politics yet not in a way that is expected, provoking reactions that will either inspire emphatic agreement or trigger bitter outrage. As the first female chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic, Lydia Tár (played by Cate Blanchett in a breathtaking, riveting performance) is accomplished, a gifted composer greatly admired and respected. She is charming and witty yet also manipulative, impervious and narcissistic. These are traits that would be tolerated by a man in her position but for a woman with unfettered power, they are considered off-putting and threatening. Tár shares her life with wife Sharon (Nina Hoss), the concertmaster for the Philharmonic, and their young daughter but is far from faithful in their relationship. While trying to avoid a former female conducting student that she may have had an inappropriate affair with and dealing with the fallout from an edited video during a master class she conducted at Jullilard where she aggressively challenges and humiliates a student that has gone viral, Tár begins to pursue the attention of a young, talented Russian cellist (Sophie Kauer). Todd Field, who returns to filmmaking after a sixteen year absence, has written and directed an extraordinary character study that offers us no easy or definitive answers, pushing us to consider and reconsider the complicated and disturbing conduct of this volatile artist.
"THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN"
"The Banshees of Inisherin" is the latest dramatic comedy from writer/director Martin McDonagh, an Irish fable that begins with a seemingly innocuous dispute between two old friends before reaching a bitter, gruesome and completely deranged conclusion. Set in the fictional small island of Inisherin in 1923, Pádraic (Colin Farrell), a sweet-natured yet dim dairy farmer, has been drinking buddies with Colm (Brendan Gleeson), a brooding musician, for a while. But one day Colm decides he no longer wants to be friends with Pádraic for no particular reason beyond not wanting to listen to him chattering on. This doesn't sit well with Pádraic, growing increasingly upset by this rejection and insisting on trying to talk with him, leading Colm to threaten to do some drastic self-harm if he doesn't stop. With wonderful supporting turns by Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan (and Jenny the donkey), "The Banshees of Inisherin" is a comical yet tragically absurd look at the inability of these men to properly communicate their fears, desires and emotions, leading to calamitous circumstances.
"TRIANGLE OF SADNESS"
Winner of the top prize of Palme d'Or at last year's Cannes Film Festival, "Triangle of Sadness" is a brilliantly conceived, vicious social satire on the uber-rich, diving into their privileged world with witty political commentary and outrageous pitch black humor. Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean, a South African actor who sadly passed away from a sudden illness last August) are a couple who both model and popular influencers on social media. They are invited on a luxury cruise in exchange for promotion to all of their followers. With an assortment of irrational, wealthy passengers on board and the yacht's Captain (Woody Harrelson) spending most of the time drinking in his cabin, this cruise runs into choppy turbulence at sea (literally and figuratively) before some of the passengers end up in a "Lord of the Flies" situation on a deserted island. For his English-language debut, the Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund (who previously made other well-received dark comedies, "Force Majeure" and "The Square") confronts the absurd power struggles in human relationships in a way that is thought provoking, amusing and extremely disturbing. As for the title? That refers to that space between the eyebrows that could have an unsightly wrinkle which can be erased with some Botox if you have the means.
"ALL THE BEAUTY AND BLOODSHED"
"All The Beauty and Bloodshed" is a captivating documentary that reveals the life of photographer Nan Goldin, looking back on her difficult, middle-class childhood where she lost her beloved older sister to suicide and finding a creative and emotional path as an artist through the queer community in New York City during the '70's and '80's. This is detailed around Goldin's harrowing recovery from an addiction to OxyContin, starting an activist group PAIN (Prescription Addiction Intervention Now) which advocates for more treatment from opioids and using her power as an artist to go after the Sackler family, the owners of Purdue Pharma that mislead the public over the serious addictive qualities of these drugs and for years profited off this deception, by protesting to have their names removed from museums. But what makes this film so brilliant is in how director Laura Poitras (who was awarded the Golden Lion at the 2022 Venice Film Festival) has woven Goldin's memories, insights, artistry and activism into an expressive biographical study that feels very much like the photographer's own work.
"EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE"
One of the more innovative films that also managed to find significant commercial appeal was "Everything, Everywhere All at Once", an absurdist adventure by the filmmaking collective, The Daniels which is made up of Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) runs a laundromat with her husband, Waymund (Ke Huy Quan). Evelyn's marriage is struggling, her relationship with her daughter, Joy (Stephanie Hsu) is strained, in part due to her non-Chinese girlfriend and their business is being audited by a hard-nosed IRS Agent (Jamie Lee Curtis). Suddenly Evelyn meets another version of Waymund who appears trying to explain he's from the Alphaverse, a parallel world which is being threatened by Jobu Tupaki, an alternative version of their daughter. This film doesn't seem like it should work with it's odd jumble of genres and wild editing. But The Daniels, who began as music video directors before turning to feature films, are in full control of "EEAAO" masterfully merging multiple worlds and weird ideas into a film that is thrilling, hilarious, heartwarming and delightfully strange. The cast is perfection with the heartfelt story of Quan's triumphant return to acting after being a child actor (appearing in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and "The Goonies") and forced to abandon his career due to a lack of substantial opportunities, making this film's enormous success even more special.
"LOST ILLUSIONS"
"Lost Illusions (Illusions Perdues)" is a French adaptation of the first two parts of Honore de Balzac's 19th century set novel. Xavier Giannoli, the co-writer and director, has done something unexpected with such venerable material, crafting a vivid and spirited melodrama which examines the contrasting lifestyles between the provincial and aristocratic along with the transgressive nature in the world of journalism. We follow Lucien de Rubempré (Benjamin Voisin), a young aspiring poet of very modest means who falls for the more mature, wealthy and married, Madame de Bargeton (Cécile de France). Envious of her privileged world, Lucien decides to take his chances by going to the big city of Paris to become a novelist. But not able to get published and eventually shut out of the society connections set up by Madame de Bargeton, he is forced to take a job at a small local newspaper where Lucien discovers that actual news is the least thing anyone wants to report. "Lost Illusions" received an impressive fifteen nominations at the 2022 César Awards (the French equivalent of the Oscars), taking home seven trophies including for Best Film. This enticing film takes us into the elegantly rigid world of class and manners yet manages to keep the atmosphere light, intriguing and thoroughly entertaining.
"MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON"
Beginning as a series of shorts on YouTube, "Marcel The Shell With Shoes On" was expanded into a delightful feature length film, introducing to the masses this very cute yet introspective little creature. Blending stop-motion animation in a real world setting, a documentary filmmaker, Dean (Dean Fleischer Camp) moves into a rental after the end of his marriage and discovers Marcel (voiced by Jenny Slate) also living there with his nana, Connie (Isabella Rossellini). Impressed by his tenacity and profound worldview, Dean decides to start filming this little, shoe wearing shell, leading to him becoming an internet sensation. But Marcel soon sees the complications of this fame and how it effects his well being. Created by Camp (who co-wrote and directed this film) and Slate (who also co-wrote), "Marcel" is a wonderfully warm, charming comedy, filled with astute observations on the emotional complexity of humanity as viewed through a talking sea shell.
"TURNING RED"
I do believe that "Turning Red" is probably the first animated feature film that has taken on the complicated subject of puberty. And from Disney/Pixar no less. Domee Shi, the Canadian filmmaker who co-wrote and directed this full-length feature debut following winning the Best Animated Short Film Oscar for "Bao" in 2019, based this superb movie loosely on her own childhood. Set in Toronto, thirteen year old Mei (voiced by Rosalie Chiang) lives with her parents at their family temple. While she is a focused, good student, Mei has also discovered the opposite sex, obsessive over the boy band, 4*Town and having a crush on Devon (Addie Chandler), who works at the local convenience store. One night, Mei is transformed into a giant red panda which is triggered when she is in a state of high emotion. Her mother, Ming (Sandra Oh) tries to help yet her strict, overbearing ways has Mei pushing away from her. Beautifully rendered, "Turning Red" takes an inventive, whimsical look at the experience of a young girl's change to maturity in way that is appealing and considerate for all viewers.
"KIMI"
A terrific film released last year that has not received nearly enough attention (largely due to it only being available to watch on HBO Max) was "Kimi", a taunt, Hitchcockian styled thriller that is placed firmly in our modern times by director Steven Soderbergh. Angela Childs (Zoë Kravitz) is a blue-haired, Seattle-based employee for a tech company called Amygdala. She works from home monitoring incoming data streams for Kimi, an in-house, smart speaker device, and makes corrections to the software. Angela also suffers from agoraphobia with the COVID-19 pandemic only making her anxiety worse. One day, Angela receives a recording that sounds like a woman being violently assaulted by a man. Being a victim of an assault, she becomes obsessed, digging deep into her own investigation to find out how she can help this woman. But this leads Angela to uncovering more than she bargained for, putting her life in a perilous situation. With a solid script by David Koepp and twitchy performance by Kravitz who's in a constant state of trying to calm her nerves, desires and fears, Soderbergh has once again displayed his extraordinary gift for taking a familiar genre and putting his own distinctive spin to create a chilling film that feels fresh and wildly unpredictable.
"THE BATMAN"
Out of the numerous movies based on comic-book heroes (or anti-heroes) that were released last year, the only one that left any lingering impression on me that made some effort to elevate the genre was "The Batman", Matt Reeves' intriguing reboot of the iconic crime-fighter. That begins with the inspired casting of Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne, the billionaire who has been secretly fighting crime in Gotham City as the Dark Knight for just a couple years. The police department thinks Batman is nothing more than a dangerous vigilante with the only one who trusts him is Lieutenant James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright). After the Mayor is brutally murdered, Batman gets involved in solving the crime after the masked killer who goes by "The Riddler" (Paul Dano) leaves behind a clue addressed directly to him. More grisly murders are committed by The Riddler with his clues leading to the nightclub run by Oswald "The Penguin" Cobblepot (Colin Farrell) and Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz) a waitress who works there. Despite this being the fourth cinematic revisiting of this character and having an almost three-hour run length, "The Batman" feels decidedly different from previous iterations, managing to create a darker, more grounded narrative that relies more on the emotions and motivations of these familiar characters than battle sequences and visual effects. Yet there is certainly plenty of thrilling, entertaining action to be found in this film. All of this helps make "The Batman" stand out beyond your average super-hero movie with provocative elements of a neo-noir, psychological crime drama.
Honorable Mention: "Babylon", "Bullet Train", "Close", "Emily The Criminal", "Fire Island", "Fire of Love", "The Inspection", "Is That Black Enough For You?!?", "The Menu", "Moonage Daydream", "Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris", "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish", "Saint Omer", "She Said", "The Woman King", "Women Talking"
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
_film_poster.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)