MY FAVORITE FILMS OF 2025

The upheaval of cinema in general and the film industry as a whole unfortunately continued throughout the previous year. From theaters still struggling to get audiences into seats that were not for big-budgeted sequels or remakes to Netflix and Paramount in a nasty battle over trying to swallow another studio, Warner Bros. which, if either is successful, will leave one less movie company and definitely many more job losses and even fewer films making it into a local movie house. And don't even get me started on AI.

But being an optimist, I remain hopeful that the business will continue to thrive and flourish. My hopefulness is guided largely due to many of the types of films that found both critical praise and box-office glory in movie theaters in 2025: bold and stylish feature films that offered fresh perspectives and unexpected exhilarations that actually gave folks a compelling reason to leave the comfort of their homes. I believe this trend will continue and an even bigger year in film is on the horizon. So here is my opportunity to celebrate my favorite films of 2025, listed in alphabetical order:

"BUGONIA"

With their fourth collaboration together, "Bugonia", Emma Stone and director, Yorgos Lanthimos have created an outlandishly twisted yet profoundly clever pitch black comedy about a ruthless CEO kidnapped by two men who believe she is an alien. Stone plays Michelle Fuller, the head of the pharmaceutical conglomerate, Auxolith who likes to believe that she's enlightened yet passively maintains the standard toxic workplace environment. She is taken hostage by Teddy (Jesse Plemons) and his autistic cousin, Don (Aidan Delbis) with the sole purpose of getting her to admit that she's actually from another planet that is causing harm to Earth. Chained in their basement and routinely tortured, Teddy, a high-strung, conspiracy theorist, will not let up until he gets a confession. But as the days pass, Michelle, remaining cool and calm, begins to chip away at the confidence of their plan with Teddy becoming more unhinged and Don starting to question the situation they are in. Inspired by the 2003 South Korean film, "Save The Green Planet!" (which is expertly adapted by Will Tracy), Lanthimos uses mordant wit, uneasy quirkiness and shocking bursts of gory violence to propel his version of this story forward. The verbal dueling by Stone and Plemons, both doing peak work, is absolutely fascinating to watch. "Bugonia" has a lot to say, touching on environmental concerns, capitalism and big pharma to name the obvious ones, and brilliantly does it in a way that is provocative, oddly hilarious and very bleak.

"BLUE MOON"/"NOUVELLE VAGUE"

Richard Linklater managed to have made two great films released last year with both reflecting back on a couple of highly praised, creative talents: one at the very start of his prestigious career and the other in the unfortunate decline of the occupation he once thrived in.

"Blue Moon" looks back on one day (March 31, 1943 to be exact) in the life of Lorenz Hart (Ethan Hawke), a celebrated lyricist and one half of the popular songwriting team of stage and screen, Rodgers and Hart. After leaving the world premiere of the new musical, "Oklahoma!" early, Hart arrives to Sardi's restaurant where the afterparty will be held. With his heavy drinking somewhat in control, the chatty and sardonic Hart complains to the bartender (Bobby Cannavale) about the show, which he was supposed to help write with his creative partner, Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott) but didn't believe in its potential, while trying to get a drink served to him. Rodgers put the musical together with a new lyricist, Oscar Hammerstein (Simon Delaney) which Hart resents, mostly because the show has received raves. During the party, Hart hopes he can coax his long-time partner into working on a revival or even a new musical together. Linklater and Hawke previously found great success with their "Before" trilogy of films which consisted of just conversations between a couple and "Blue Moon" expands upon this in their latest collaboration with a dialogue-driven, drama that is remarkably heartfelt and candid. Hawke, in one of his best screen performances, carries this film as the boisterous Hart holds court, having conversations filled with sparkling bon mots and delivering melodic monologues. Yet there is an overwhelming sadness that hangs over him that he's not completely able to conceal.

"Nouvelle Vague" (which translates to "new wave") tells the incredible story of how Jean-Luc Godard broke all the rules to make his first feature film, "Breathless". Godard (Guillaume Marbeck) was a film critic for the influential French magazine, Cahiers du Cinéma. Some of his fellow critics, Éric Rohmer (Côme Thieulin), Claude Chabrol (Antoine Besson) and François Truffaut (Adrien Rouyard) (with his directorial debut, "The 400 Blows" just making its premiere at the 1959 Cannes Film Festival) had moved into filmmaking and decides he's ready to create a movie too. Starting with a brief outline written by Truffaut, Godard sets about hiring his cast and crew. He finds former boxer, Jean-Paul Belmondo (Aubry Dullin) as his lead and convinces Hollywood starlet, Jean Seberg (Zoey Deutch), who was in Paris to promote her latest film, to join his project. Young, brash and with a healthy ego, Godard embraces a guerilla filmmaking style that ignores continuity, rewriting the script constantly or simply disregarding it altogether and having very short shooting days. Filmed in shimmering black and white by David Chambille and with a translated screenplay by Holly Gent and Vincent Palmo, "Nouvelle Vague" is almost entirely spoken in French, a language that Linklater does not speak. The Texan filmmaker has crafted a loving tribute to the French New Wave movement and particularly to Godard who inspired him to just go out and make his first movie anyway he could. An enchanting celebration of independent cinema, Linklater beautifully captures with "Nouvelle Vague" the importance of following and trusting your instincts in the name of creating art. 

"EDDINGTON"

"Eddington" is the latest from the king of "emotional horror", Ari Aster. The writer/director continues his vividly surreal exploration into family trauma and psychological deterioration. This story takes place in the fictional small town of Eddington, New Mexico during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The local sheriff, Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) doesn't believe in the lockdown or mask mandate, feeling that it violates his rights. But many in the town disagrees with him including the Mayor, Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) who insists he follow the guidelines. Frustrated, the sheriff decides to run for mayor against Ted who is up for re-election. But Joe's unstable wife (Emma Stone) is not happy with his abrupt decision. Then the film takes a progressively weirder shift into darker territory involving Black Lives Matter protests, cultism, conspiracy theories, sexual abuse and cold-blooded murder. This is a lot to take in and much of it is intended to be very divisive. Yet Aster is in full control of "Eddington", audaciously creating tension and discomfort in this drama that's inspired and messy. There is no denying that Aster is a challenging filmmaker, tackling harrowing, difficult subjects in his now trademark offbeat style, that is clearly an acquired taste. But his brutally dour cinema is thought provoking and captivating with "Eddington" another interesting addition to Aster's oeuvre.

"FRANKENSTEIN"

I must admit I didn't think another cinematic rendering of Mary Shelley's gothic novel was really necessary. Yet in the masterful hands of Guillermo del Toro, "Frankenstein" is a dazzling visual spectacle, exquisitely presenting this illustrious horror tale in a manner that hasn't really been seen before. Told in two parts: first from the doctor's viewpoint and then from his creation's perspective. After his mother (Mia Goth) dies while giving birth to his younger brother when he was a child, Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) becomes a surgeon obsessed with trying to "cure" death through science. Expelled from college for attempting to reanimate corpses, Victor meets Henrich Harlander (Christoph Waltz), a wealthy merchant who witnessed the trial. Harlander offers him unlimited funding and a private location to continue his experiments but under one condition which he would disclose at a later date. With the help of his brother, William (Felix Kammerer), Victor advances by assembling a "man" using body parts from dead soldiers. On the day of the trial, Harlander reveals the condition which Victor promptly refuses and the merchant accidently dies trying to stop the experiment. The creature (Jacob Elordi) is successfully brought to life. Frustrated by a lack of intellectual abilities and fearful of its incredible strength, the doctor tries to destroy his creation. Unable to die, the creature runs away, hiding out on a family's farm. The blind grandfather (David Bradley) befriends the monster, teaching it how to speak and read. And then the creature decides to track down his "father". The director had long professed his desire of making his version of "Frankenstein" and this dream project is a relatively faithful adaptation that is beautifully rendered (with stellar camerawork by Dan Laustsen and breathtaking production design by Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau), capably performed (with Goth also appearing as William's fiancé, Elizabeth who manages to comes between Frankenstein and his monster) and intoxicatingly entertaining.

"HEDDA"

"Hedda Gabler" was a play written by Norwegian playwright, Henrik Ibsen back in 1891. And while it received negative feedback at the time of it's initial stage production, this drama about an aristocratic woman feeling trapped in her marriage who manipulates those around her has gone on to be considered a theatrical masterpiece and one of the great dramatic roles in theater. This play has been adapted for the screen several times since then and the latest, "Hedda" from writer/director, Nia DaCosta strikingly reimagines Ibsen's play into a thrilling contemporary drama elevated by commanding performances from Tessa Thompson and Nina Hoss. Set in 1950s England, the story opens with police interrogating Hedda Gabler Tesman (Thompson) following a shooting at her estate. We then flashback to the events leading up to this unfortunate mishap with Hedda preparing for a lavish party to help her new husband, George Tesman (Tom Bateman), a financially struggling academic hoping to secure a lucrative promotion from Professor Greenwood (Finbar Lynch). But Dr. Eileen Lovborg (Hoss) is also a rival for this position who has been invited to the party and, unbeknownst to George, is Hedda's former lover. While DaCosta's Hedda may still be a sly, bored newlywed who entered into a loveless marriage in pursuit of potential wealth but she is now a queer Black woman, still desperately holding a torch for her ex-lover and more than willing to destroy her if she can't have her. This creates fresh tension to this compelling drama with other notable changes include Thea (Imogen Poots), still a former classmate of Hedda's yet now a rival for Eileen's affections. "Hedda" is a vivid retelling that cleverly twists the emotional and psychological power struggles in this well-known classic with a modern sensibility that unexpectedly includes race, gender and sexuality.

"MARTY SUPREME"

For his first film after creatively splitting with his brother, Benny, Josh Safdie has taken us into the world of professional ping-pong with "Marty Supreme". Loosely based on the life of table tennis champion, Marty Reisman, Safdie and co-writer, Ronald Bronstein has concocted a frenzied, fictionalized account of his wild and outrageous exploits. In 1952 New York City, Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet) has set himself a goal to become the greatest table tennis player in the world. Unwilling to let a lack of funds stop him from heading to England to compete in the British Open, Marty borrows the money from his uncle's shoe store where he works. Staying at the player's barracks is not suitable for him so Marty cons his way into a room at the Ritz London where he meets former Hollywood actress, Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow). He talks his way into an affair with her and despite Kay being married to Milton Rockwell (Kevin O'Leary from the tv show, "Shark Tank") a wealthy executive of a pen company, that doesn't stop Marty from going to him for sponsorship. After losing against Koto Endo (Koto Kawaguchi), a deaf Japanese player in the finals, Rockwell offers Marty a chance for a rematch during an exhibition in Tokyo before the World Championships. But Marty refuses the deal after learning he would be expected to throw the game. With propulsive energy and an offbeat, unpredictable storyline, "Marty Supreme" takes you on a weird ride filled with quirky, comedic moments and shocking violence. As an emotionally detached, bamboozling grifter, there doesn't seem to be much to admire about this wannabe table tennis champ. Yet through the fully committed performance by Chalamet, he's able to make Marty not only irresistibly charismatic but you even find yourself rooting for him to somehow succeed with his endless schemes. "Marty Supreme" is a riveting character study (with galvanic appearances by a diverse group of performers that includes Odessa A'zion, Fran Drescher, Tyler Okonma or better known as musician, Tyler the Creator, fashion designer, Isaac Mizrahi and film director, Abel Ferrara) with a heightened narrative structure that boldly defies expectations.

"ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER"

Since his breakthrough with "Boogie Nights" back in 1997, Paul Thomas Anderson has continued to prove that he's one of the best contemporary filmmakers working today. With his tenth feature film as a writer and director, "One Battle After Another", Anderson (loosely adapting another Thomas Pynchon novel, "Vineland") has masterfully created a dark comedic action-thriller involving a former revolutionary forced back into combative battle when he and his teenage daughter are pursued by a venomous military officer. The story begins with meeting the members of a far-left military group, the French 75 lead by lovers, "Ghetto" Pat Calhoun (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Perfidia Beverly Hills (a dynamic Teyana Taylor). Their violent activities gains the attention of commanding officer, Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn) who captures Perfidia and compromises her to provide him information about their group. A racist, race fetishist, Lockjaw also engages with her to abuse him sexually. Perfidia later gives birth to Bob's child but doesn't want to give up the thrill she gets fighting for revolution, abandoning him and their baby. Years later, Lockjaw, promoted to colonel, begins to track down the former members of the French 75 when Perfidia is forced to inform on them after being arrested again and goes into witness protection, eventually coming for Pat. After a warning, he's on the run with his daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti), getting assistance from her karate instructor and community activist, Sergio St. Carlos (Benicio del Toro). Sprawling with ideas, Anderson has cleverly assembled his film in a way that doesn't seem like it would work together. We have the long-standing fight between equity and injustice, counterculture rebellion, breathtaking car chase sequences, white nationalism and some screwball comedy antics thrown in for good measure. But at the heart of this film is a father and daughter love story. As they fight to stay alive, Pat and Willa, whose relationship has been strained largely due to him being stoned all the time, manages to find a deeper, closer connection. "One Battle After Another" succeeds because PTA maintains his subversive indie spirit while still achieving a mass appeal entertainment.

"SINNERS"

On the surface, "Sinners" might appear to be just another horror movie. But writer/director, Ryan Coogler had something far more audacious on his mind, using the genre to address social and political themes inventively with a commanding visual style. After spending some time in Chicago associating with the Mob, the identical twins, Elijah "Smoke" and Elias "Stack" Moore (both impressively played by Michael B. Jordan) return to their hometown in Mississippi with a plan. They are going to run their own business by opening a juke joint. They offer their young, musician cousin, Sammie (Miles Caton) a chance to perform there despite the warnings of his pastor father who rages about the sin of playing the blues. They track other friends to help including Annie (Wunmi Mosaku), Smoke's estranged wife and luring a local music legend, Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo) to also perform. But during their raucous opening night, they are paid a visit by three strangers: an Irish-immigrant vampire named Remmick (Jack O'Connell) and a racist married couple (Peter Dreimanis, Lola Kirke) he turned. They are musicians and want to be let inside but are turned away, with a strong sense that there is something off about them. Still lurking around, Stack's former girlfriend, Mary (Hailee Steinfeld), a White passing Black woman, goes out to investigate this group. She is bitten and after going back inside of the club, horrifying chaos and rampant bloodshed goes on through the night. Coogler explores in "Sinners" the long, complex history of racial oppression and the misappropriating of African-American artistry by viewing it through a vampiric theme and how music, particularly the blues, was used to help galvanize and heal through these dark times. But he never loses sight of this also being an entertainment, delivering blood-soaked frights and stirring musical numbers. With razor sharp imagery from cinematographer, Autumn Durald Arkapaw, a rousing musical score by Coogler's long-time collaborator, Ludwig Göransson and an excellent cast, "Sinners" is an innovative, groundbreaking horror drama that transcends through exceptional storytelling and authentic characterizations.

"TRAIN DREAMS"

Based on the novella by Denis Johnson, "Train Dreams", from director, Clint Bentley, artfully recounts the story of a quiet, working man, who doesn't do anything particularly special and copes with several tragedies during his life, in a way that is intimate, haunting and deeply moving. Told through genial narration by actor, Will Patton, we meet Robert Grainier (a sublime Joel Edgerton) who takes up railroad construction and seasonal logging work in Washington state. After seeing a Chinese laborer killed by his co-workers for no clear reason, Robert continues to be haunted by this memory. He witnesses other disturbing and deadly situations while working on these jobs. An orphan and later adopted by a family, Robert lived his life largely in isolation. But that changed after meeting Gladys (Felicity Jones) at church. They soon marry, build their home and have a child. Robert's work keeps him away from his family for months at a time, creating some tension between him and Gladys, which leads to a distressing situation when a wildfire sweeps through the area. Bentley and co-writer, Greg Kwedar has taken Johnson's story and skillfully crafted a meditative and impassioned drama, poetically offering insight into the human condition. "Train Dreams" is a tremendously graceful and understated masterwork (enhanced by the luminous camerawork of Adolpho Veloso) that lingers with you long after viewing the film.

Honorable Mentions: "Black Bag", "Friendship", "Caught Stealing", "A House of Dynamite", "Is This Thing On?", "K-Pop Hunters", "Lurker", "The Mastermind", "Mickey 17", "No Other Choice", "Sentimental Value", "Superman", "Thunderbolts*", "Twinless", "Weapons", "Zootopia 2"

MY FAVORITE FILMS OF 2024

When the year of 2024 began, the outlook was not particularly optimistic for the movies. The Hollywood labor strikes had created major production delays, meaning that there would be fewer wide releases available and the films that were released throughout the beginning of the year were pretty much ignored. But the summer turned things around with several blockbuster hits, followed by a string of more box-office successes into the fall and winter. Ultimately, it was another solid year for cinema with revenue down only 3% from the previous year. And despite the apparent limited supply, I found there to be many exciting and stimulating movies released over the course of the year that I thoroughly enjoyed. Here is my list of favorite films of 2024 I saw in alphabetical order:

"ANORA"

Who could have imagined that a dark, romantic screwball comedy involving a New York sex worker and the son of a Russian oligarch would be charming, witty, poignant and laugh-out-loud funny? Yet in the hands of writer/director, Sean Baker, who has made a career of creating impressive, indie works about the lives of marginalized people, has brilliantly achieved this feat with "Anora". In a breakout performance, Mickey Madison plays Anora (who prefers to go by "Ani"), a twenty-three year old stripper trying to make a living by getting men to pay for lap dances. One night, Vanya Zakharov (Mark Eydelshteyn) comes to the club and they make a connection. After later having her come to his lavish mansion in Brooklyn and paying her for sex, Vanya offers Ani $15K to spend the week with him. They pass the time by having fun, lots of sex and a trip to Las Vegas with his entourage. At the end of the week, Vanya decides he doesn't want to go back to Russia to work for his father and asks Ani to marry him in order to stay. Ani is obviously skeptical yet after Vanya tells her he's in love, she choses to believe him. The couple are quickly married and begin a domesticated life. However, when word gets back to Vanya's parents (Aleksei Serebryakov, Darya Ekamasova), they summon Toros (Karren Karagulian), a handler hired to watch after their wild child son, to bring an end to this marriage. Like he has with most of his films, Baker takes us on a wild, unpredictable ride, this time by bringing a contemporary spin to the wacky comedy style of early Hollywood. "Anora" is singularly odd, delightfully funny and absolutely one of my favorite films of last year.

"CONCLAVE"

Who would have thought that the selection of a new Catholic pope could be filled with intrigue, deception and danger? With "Conclave", the first English-language feature from the Oscar nominated German filmmaker, Edward Berger, we are taken behind the scenes into the secret meetings involving the search for a pope that manages to be genuinely thrilling and surprisingly intense. After the current pope dies from a heart attack, the process begins to elect his successor. Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is the Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals, set about organizing the papal conclave in Rome. There are four main candidates, each with different political views involving which direction to take the church, ranging from more liberal, social conservative and staunch traditionalist. No candidate receives the required two-thirds majority following the first ballot, although the conservative Joshua Adeyemi of Nigeria has a slight edge while Aldo Bellini (Stanley Tucci) from the US and the British Lawrence split the liberal vote. The unexpected arrival of Vincent Benitez (Carlos Diehz) from Mexico, who had been secretly named cardinal only one year earlier, creates a bit of a stir. As they continue the voting, dark secrets are revealed involving candidates, Cardinal Joseph Tremblay (John Lithgow) and Adeyemi, causing them to gradually lose their ranking while Benitez begins to slowly yet steadily gain votes. Based on a novel by Robert Harris and with a sturdy screenplay by Peter Straughan, Berger has crafted a beautifully staged, contemplative mystery that offers a nuanced exploration into the Catholic Church's internal politics. The entire cast is exceptionally good, particularly Fiennes as a soothing voice of calm and reason during the complicated proceedings, expertly holding the film together with his compelling performance. With a twist ending that some found shocking while others dismissed as silly, "Conclave" is a thought-provoking melodrama that also manages to be a perfect escapist entertainment.

"EMILIA PÉREZ"

"Emilia Pérez" , the latest from the revered French filmmaker, Jacques Audiard, is difficult to categorize because of it's shifting tones and astonishing mix of genres. Yet because of the divergency, this Spanish-language, dramatic-comedy, musical fantasia is one of the most brilliantly audacious and deliciously twisted films of the year. Based on an opera written by Audiard (and loosely adapted from Boris Razon's 2018 novel "Écoute"), the film tells the story of a young attorney (Zoe Saldaña) who is lured into helping a cruel drug cartel leader (Karla Sofía Gascón) transition into a woman. There is no question that "Emilia Pérez" is polarizing with the film being savagely criticized due to some strongly objecting in their view to the filmmaker's cultural misrepresentation, stereotypes, poor Spanish dialogue, and song lyrics. And while I can certainly understand why some viewers might feel this way, I do not belive that was at all the intention of this film. Audiard (who does not actually speak Spanish) unapologetically dares to challenge with his artistry, boldly delving into a world of dark themes and provocative ideas that was intended to make some members of the audience uncomfortable.

"HARD TRUTHS"

The British filmmaker, Mike Leigh has reteamed with Marianne Jean-Baptiste, the star of his 1996 drama, "Secret & Lies" twenty-eight years later in "Hard Truths", a masterful work about an extremely anxious woman and the complications this creates in the relationships with her family. Depressed and mad at the world, Patsy (Jean-Baptiste) seems to go out of her way to make sure that everyone she encounters ends up as unhappy and miserable as herself. But those who are forced to continuously endure her wraith are Patsy's mild-mannered husband, Curtley (David Webber) and their unmotivated adult son, Moses (Tuwaine Barrett) who both tend to just shut down in her hostile presence. The only one who can remotely reach through to Patsy is her good-natured sister, Chantelle (Michele Austin) by trying to remain patient and understanding during her suffering sibling's irrational rants. The eighty-one year old Leigh has made his impressive career by using lengthy rehearsals and improvisation techniques with his actors to help build characters and the narrative for each of his films. With "Hard Truths" (which could possibly be Leigh's final feature), the director has crafted another vivid character study with monumental performances that manages to be reflective, deeply moving and surprisingly hilarious.

"HIS THREE DAUGHTERS"

Azazel Jacobs' "His Three Daughters" is an arduous yet profoundly affecting drama involving three sisters trying to cope with the impending loss of their dying father which in turn forces to the surface their own buried, prickly relationship with each other. As their father, Vincent (Jay O. Sanders) is in hospice care at home nearing the end of his battle with cancer, his daughters, Katie (Carrie Coon) and Christina (Elizabeth Olsen) arrive from their homes out of state to his small apartment in New York. They have come to offer support during his final days to their step-sister, Rachel (Natasha Lyonne) who has been living with him for years. It begins with the eldest and controlling, Katie complaining about Rachel smoking weed in the house, insisting she smoke outside, and the lack of food in the house. Then she becomes concerned with Rachel taking over the ownership of the family's longtime rent-controlled apartment once their father is gone. The more earthy, passive-aggressive Christina just wants to maintain peace and calm between each other during this difficult time while Rachel prefers to simply retreat to her room and remain stoned most of the day. Lead by extraordinary performances by the three actresses, Jacobs brilliantly captures the complications of family dynamics, particularly during a time of crisis and grieving, in a way that's heartfelt and emotionally compelling.

"HIT MAN"

The actor Glen Powell had been paying his dues by doing the work, slowly rising up the ranks over the years by making an impression with various supporting roles in television and film. His first breakout moment came playing astronaut, John Glenn in "Hidden Figures" back in 2016. Then he had an even bigger moment seven years later with a significant part in the mega-hit sequel, "Top Gun: Maverick". Powell would go to star in the sleeper hit romantic-comedy, "Anyone But You" and in another successful sequel, "Twisters". But it was the charismatic actor connecting with fellow Texan, filmmaker Richard Linklater when he was cast as part of an ensemble cast in his 2016 comedy, "Everybody Wants Some" that led to the fantastic romantic-thriller, "Hit Man" which Powell not only stars but co-wrote the screenplay with Linklater. Based on a magazine article by Skip Hollandsworth, Powell plays Gary Johnson, an unassuming professor of psychology. Aiding the police department with their sting operations, Gary unexpectedly gets pulled into duty to play a fake hitman to prevent a murder-for-hire plot after the undercover cop assigned gets suspended. He does well and given the job, using his skills to research suspects in advance in order to create the perfect hitman persona for each case. This leads to Gary becoming more confident in his personal life. But he runs into a big conflict-of-interest when he meets Madison (Adria Arjona), a wife looking for someone to kill her abusive husband. Unwisely, Gary begins an affair with the beautiful woman without revealing who he really is, leading to a messy and further complicated situation. Darkly comedic and thoroughly entertaining, "Hit Man" is a perfect showcase for Powell, revealing that he has the beguiling charm and solid acting chops to become the next major movie star.

"MARIA"

With the third film of Pablo Larraín's trilogy of important 20th-century women, "Maria" examines Maria Callas, considered by many to be the world's greatest opera singer, during the final week of her life while she was living in Paris. A spectacular Angelina Jolie plays Callas who at this point has been in declining health, abusing sedatives and has lost much of her tremendous singing voice. She spends her days isolated in her apartment with devoted employees, Ferruccio (Pierfrancesco Favino), the butler and housemaid, Bruna (Alba Rohrwacher) who both struggle to get her to take care of herself and see a doctor. Callas announces to them that she has a reporter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) coming to the house to interview her yet it's unclear if it's factual or she's only hallucinating due to the medication. But she is secretly meeting with a conductor (Stephen Ashfield) for private lessons to know if she can ever perform again. Thanks to Jolie's fully committed, regal performance and Edward Lachman's immaculate camerawork, I think "Maria" is the best of Larrain's films of three incredibly fascinating women. And despite the tragedy of the impending end of a great talent, the director manages to keep you fully engaged with a subdued yet thrilling drama that will haunt you long after seeing the film.

"NICKEL BOYS"

The filmmaker RaMell Ross has taken Colson Whitehead's harrowing, Pulitzer prize-winning novel, "Nickel Boys" and expectedly made a somber, deeply moving drama. Yet Ross has elevated this story by unexpectedly crafting an experimental film with a highly inventive visual style. Told with a nonlinear narrative and shot primarily from a first person perspective (with remarkable camerawork by Jomo Fray), the story follows Elwood (Ethan Herisse), a bright young man with a promising future, who ends up at a notorious Florida reform school after being falsely accused of a crime. Since this is the Jim Crow-era of the 1960's, the Nickel Academy is segregated with the White students are treated well and have clean accommodations while the Black students live in harsh conditions and are regularly abused. And instead of educating these boys, the school makes money off of them by sending them out as forced labor. While at the Academy, Elwood befriends Turner (Brandon Wilson), a fellow student who is well aware that this school is extremely dangerous, questioning if they will make it out alive. With an outstanding cast (particularly Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor playing Elwood's grandmother), what "Nickel Boys" does quite effectively is to have the audience feel like they are living through someone else's experiences.

"PROBLEMISTA"

Julio Torres began his professional career being hired to write for "Saturday Night Live" back in 2016, working with the team for four years. That led to the Salvadoran born comedian developing a Spanish-language comedy series for HBO, "Los Espookys" along with former "SNL" cast member, Fred Armisen which lasted two seasons. And last year Torres released his feature film directorial debut, "Problemista", a wonderfully weird comedy he also wrote that cleverly takes on the struggles of an immigrant trying to achieve the American dream. Torres plays Alejandro, a young man from El Salvador who has come to New York City in pursuit of becoming a toy designer. Failing to get a desired internship, Alejandro must find a sponsor before his work visa expires. Enter Elizabeth (a hilariously scary, Tilda Swinton), an art critic who meets him during a brief time that he worked under-the-table at a cryogenic freezing lab where her artist husband (the rapper, RZA) is being stored. She dangles over Alejandro the possibility of sponsoring him if he will work (unpaid) to assist her putting together a show of her husband's art. However, Elizabeth is a complete nightmare: demanding, unreasonable and most certainly, a bit insane. In between the whimsically, surreal imagery and strange, offbeat characters, Torres has something meaningful to say about the confounding bureaucracy and economic hardships that immigrants face trying to succeed in this country. The inspired blending of timely, social commentary and playful, absurdist humor makes "Problemista" one of my favorite recent comedies.

"A REAL PAIN"

Besides his acclaimed work as an actor, Jesse Eisenberg has had other creative outlets. He has written several plays, a couple of podcasts and made his feature film directorial debut two years ago. The indie drama, "When You Finish Saving the World" was met with modest reviews with critics appreciating his abilities as a storyteller yet finding some of the characters too broad and overbearing. With his latest work behind the camera, the offbeat yet endearing "A Real Pain", Eisenberg has found a winning balance between his idiosyncratic tendencies and a wider commercial appeal. Eisenberg (who also wrote the screenplay) stars as David Kaplan who plans a visit to Poland with a heritage tour group. While there, he'll visit the childhood home of his late grandmother, hoping to experience a deeper connection with his Jewish ancestry. David invites his cousin, Benji (Kieran Culkin) along on the trip. They were very close as children yet recently there has been some distance and estrangement between them with David hoping this excursion will provide a road to reconnection. But they are two very different types of people with David more neurotic and reserved while Benji is free-spirited and outspoken. This story may be filled with pain and trauma yet Eisenberg expertly crafted an ingenious way to make "A Real Pain" poignant and hilariously funny.

Honorable Mention: "As We Imagine As Light", "Blitz", "The Brutalist", "Civil War" , "A Complete Unknown" , "Femme", "I'm Still Here", "Kinds of Kindness", "Love Lies Bleeding", "Nightbitch", "The Order", "The Piano Lesson", "September 5", "The Wild Robot"

MY FAVORITE FILMS OF 2023

The cinematic year of 2023 was filled with highs and lows. With COVID largely in the past, audiences have returned to theaters in significant numbers with "Barbie", "Oppenheimer" and two pop music superstars (that would be Taylor Swift and Beyoncé) helping to draw them back. But then we had two industry strikes that lasted for months and caused a pretty major rupture in the pipeline last year (and most certainly will be even worse this year). Super-hero fatigue seems to have finally set in and the numbered sequels are no longer such a sure thing. But in between, we still had a great year with solid, masterful and diverse works of cinema. While it may be harder to find indies and adult dramas in theaters as they tend to be screened for an even, shorter period of time or they are largely made for streaming services with a brief theatrical run, there were some wonderful movies to be found. 

Here are my favorite films that I really enjoyed last year, listed in alphabetical order:

"ALL OF US STRANGERS"

With the intimate drama, "All of Us Strangers", writer/director Andrew Haigh has deftly captured a sense of loss and mourning in a way that's fantastical yet remains compassionate and deeply moving. Loosely based on the 1987 novel "Strangers" by Taichi Yamada, this story follows Adam (Andrew Scott), a lonely and isolated screenwriter trying to work in his apartment. An initial awkward encounter with a drunken neighbor, Harry (Paul Mescal) later leads to them connecting on a romantic level. Feeling wistful about his past, Adam ventures out to his childhood home and finding his parents (Claire Foy, Jamie Bell) still living there although they have been dead since he was twelve after a tragic car accident. While this plot might sound a bit too high concept to be effective, Haigh is in full command, guiding us through Adam's emotional journey as he reconnects with his parents by sharing with them his current life and past fears and desires. Anchored by an innovative screenplay and powerful performances, "All of Us Strangers" is a heartfelt rumination on love, grief, depression and ultimately, acceptance.

"AMERICAN FICTION"

At its core, "American Fiction" is essentially a wild, hilarious comedy yet Cord Jefferson's film debut as writer and director also captures moments that are profoundly moving and incredibly insightful. Thelonious "Monk" Ellison (Jeffrey Wright) is an African American novelist and professor currently living in Los Angeles. While his work is acclaimed, his books don't sell well with them having little appeal to the Black community. During a seminar, he walks in on an interview with African American author, Sintara Golden (Issa Rae), the writer of a wildly popular novel filled with black stereotypes. Appalled by the idea of this book and its success, "Monk" decides to play the game and write his own version of this type of book under a pseudonym. But to his dismay, the book becomes a best-seller with an offer for a movie deal and high demand for a follow-up novel. In between all of this, "Monk" heads back to his hometown of Boston to help deal with his mother (Leslie Uggams) who is showing early signs of Alzheimer's with his sister (Tracee Ellis Ross) who is a medical doctor and estranged, recently divorced brother (Sterling K. Brown) that has recently come out as gay. And "Monk" begins a romance with Coraline (Erika Alexander), a neighbor who lives next door to his mother. There is a lot going on in this satire, yet Jefferson skillfully holds it all together, very impressive for a first-time filmmaker, keeping "American Fiction" enjoyable throughout and managing to draw exceptional performances from his wonderful cast. I can't wait to see what this exciting filmmaker will do next.

"THE HOLDOVERS"

"The Holdovers" marks the reunion of the director, Alexander Payne and the actor, Paul Giamatti almost twenty years later following "Sideways" their previous outstanding film together. Set during near the end of 1970, Giamatti plays Paul Hunham, a professor at a New England prep school. Gruff, somber and rigid, Hunham is not a popular teacher amongst the students. Professor Hunham is assigned over the Christmas break to watch over the few students who are unable to return home, referred to as "Holdovers", along with the cafeteria manager, Mary Lamb (Da'Vine Joy Randolph). After a father flies in on a helicopter with an offer to take his son and the remaining boys on a ski trip, all are able to get permission by their parents except Angus (in an impressive acting debut by Dominic Sessa) who ends up stuck alone at the campus with Hunham and Mary. As these three isolated and emotionally broken people begrudgingly come together, they each find their own offbeat way to help each other and heal themselves. Payne intentionally made "The Holdovers" to evoke the spirit of a movie that could have been made in the 1970's with its distinctive cinematic rhythms and vintage formatted camerawork created by cinematographer, Eigil Bryld. Plus, there is a really great soundtrack that features music by composer Mark Orton and pop songs from the 60's and '70's. "The Holdovers" may be set in the fairly recent past yet feels perfectly timeless.

"KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON"

Martin Scorsese has made several great films throughout his prestigious career and his latest, "Killers of the Flower Moon" ranks high on this impressive list of cinematic achievements. Leonardo DiCaprio, in their sixth feature film collaboration together, stars in this fact-based story as Ernest Burkhart, a WWI vet who goes to his uncle, William King Hale (Robert DeNiro) in Oklahoma to live. During his job as a cab driver, Ernest meets Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone), a member of the Osage nation whose family owns oil on their land. Hale encourages a relationship between them, and they are soon wed. A series of murders of the Osage, including Mollie's family, begins by corrupt members of the community with the goal to steal the tribal members' wealth. Originally conceived with the emphasis on the FBI coming in to save the day and solve this crime yet this film avoids the pitfalls of a "White savior" plotline device (like the misguided "Mississippi Burning") with the persuasive screenplay by Eric Roth shifting focus more on the Osage, their customs and concerns. Quentin Tarantino is absolutely wrong regarding his statement about directors that stay too long in the game will ruin their reputations and their body of work. The eighty-one-year-old Scorsese shows here that he's still very much at the peak of his powers as a filmmaker. And the biggest compliment I can state about "Killers of the Flower Moon" is that I have sat through movies that were only ninety minutes long that felt much longer than the over three-hour runtime of this engaging film.

"MAESTRO"

For his second time behind the camera following his dazzling musical remake of "A Star is Born", Bradley Cooper takes on another musician in "Maestro" where he impressively plays the legendary composer and conductor, Leonard Bernstein. While he was sexually fluid throughout his life, the film's focus is on Bernstein's complicated yet enduring marriage to actress, Felicia Montealegre played with warmth and burning intensity by Carey Mulligan who delivers another brilliant performance. "Maestro" begins with a somber Bernstein in his 70's being interviewed about his past while working on his latest opera before shifting to his first big break in 1943 when he was a last-minute replacement to conduct the New York Philharmonic. After meeting Montealegre at a party, Bernstein drifts away from his relationship with a male musician (Matt Bomer) to focus only on her where they have a glamourous life and start a family. But over time, Bernstein's eyes begin to wander, landing on a young musician (Gideon Glick) and Montealegre is left feeling resentful and frustrated. With the capable assistance of cinematographer, Matthew Libatique, Cooper has the camera in constant motion while utilizing crisp black & white for the early part of Bernstein's life before slowing down and shifting to saturated color once we reach the Bernsteins' life in the 1970's. There was a bit of chatter regarding Cooper's use of a prosthetic nose to play Bernstein but it's all an unnecessary distraction to the accomplished feat of the actor/filmmaker crafting a powerful and moving work with a Hollywood biopic that transcends the expected.

"ORIGIN"

Based on Isabel Wilkerson's "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents", "Origin" is Ava DuVernay's masterwork that explores the painful events that inspiried Wilkerson to begin this book and all of the extensive research and travel involved in order for the writer to complete her thesis. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor plays Wilkerson who is consulted by her editor (Blair Underwood) to write a piece about the shooting of Trayvon Martin. Interested yet hesitant, Wilkerson decides to not pursue this assignment. But several personal tragedies pushes her to get back to work and explore expanding upon the ideas of bigotry. With the belief that race is not the only determining factor in prejudice, she begins examining the caste systems of India and the extermination of Jews in Nazi Germany, especially since the discrimination in both cases involves people of the same race, and how they are connected to the racism in America. The film is boldly rendered in an experimental cinematic style that combines elements of narrative and non-fiction storytelling; exquisitely performed by a stellar cast (that includes Jon Bernthal, Niecy Nash-Betts, Vera Farmiga and Audra McDonald) and presents Wilkerson's comprehensive investigation persuasively. "Origin" has helped me reconsider my views on racism and bigotry and how far-reaching it has been in our society. DuVernay has once again crafted a fascinating and astonishing work of cinema.

"PASSAGES"

Bold and provocative, "Passages" is a European set drama from American filmmaker, Ira Sachs which examines a love triangle that has rarely been explored in cinema involving two queer men and a woman. Tomas (a captivating Franz Rogowski) is a German filmmaker living in Paris with his English partner, Martin (Ben Whishaw). Unsatisfied in his relationship and looking for excitement, Tomas connects with Agathe (Adèle Exarchopoulos) at a party which later begins an unlikely sexual affair. Tomas tries to make his romance with Agathe work yet still strongly desires Martin. An exceptional film for enlightened adults, "Passages" daringly attempts to tackle the complicated fluidity of sexual identity in a way that is titillating, introspective and considerate.

"PAST LIVES"

"Past Loves" is the alluring debut by writer/director Celine Song that takes a graceful and poignant look at a relationship that evolves from childhood to adulthood as opportunity and continents keep them apart, yet a strong connection continues to burn between them. Our story begins in Seoul where Na Young and Hae Song are children attending the same school where they become close friends with a deeper yet reticent affection forming between them. But they are separated when Na Young's family immigrates to Canada. Twelve years later after searching for each other on Facebook, Hae Song (Teo Yoo) and Na Young, now going by Nora (Greta Lee) spend time over Skype reconnecting and stirring old feelings. But due to circumstances, it would not be until another twelve years before the two will finally meet in person with Hae Song coming from Korea to visit Nora who is now living in New York with her husband of seven years, Arthur (John Magaro). Sparked by her own personal experiences, Song has confidently made a film of profound beauty, looking at this couple trying to maneuver their friendship through suppressed desires and entangled heartbreak. And by the time we come to the conclusion, "Past Lives" unexpectedly delivers a powerful, emotional wallop.

"SALTBURN"

A wickedly perverse, Gothic thriller on the British upper class, "Saltburn" cleverly dives deeply into the depths of obsession and depravity. Oliver Quick (a very game Barry Keoghan) has just entered Oxford on a scholarship and struggles to fit in. He becomes fixated on Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), a handsome, wealthy and popular student and they actually become friends. After Oliver reveals his family problems and the recent unexpected passing of his father, Felix, in order to help him out, invites him to spend the summer at his family's country house, Saltburn. Once at this lavish estate, Oliver meets Felix's parents (Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant), sister, Venetia (Alison Oliver) and an American cousin, Farleigh (Archie Madekwe) who also attends Oxford. As his obsession for Felix intensifies, a darker side of Oliver is revealed as he charms and seduces this eccentric family. Just as polarizing as her feature film debut, "Promising Young Woman" (which I was not a big fan) yet writer/director Emerald Fennell has managed to make "Saltburn" more appealing with a sharper script, crafting characters that are far more intriguing and going even further out there with shocking and outrageous moments. "Saltburn" is certainly not for the easily offended but if you like your cinema challenging, mind-boggling and demented, then this film should fit the bill.

"THE ZONE OF INTEREST"

As only his fourth feature film over the last twenty-three years, filmmaker Jonathan Glazer has delivered another brilliantly conceived yet disquieting drama with "The Zone of Interest" which takes us to a place set during a disturbing time in history, creating an environment that is haunting and austere. Glazer uses the novel of the same name by Martin Amis as inspiration for his screenplay with the film detailing a fictional account on Rudolf Höss (played here by Christian Friedel), a real-life SS Nazi commandant who would later be executed for his war crimes. Living in a charming home behind a wall next to the Auschwitz concentration camp that he runs, Höss spends his day operating the camp, then later retiring for a quiet evening to his wife, Hedwig (Sandra Hüller) and their five children. When Höss is offered a promotion that would require a move to a town near Berlin, Hedwig is distraught about leaving behind the beautiful home she has spent so much time creating, begging her husband to ask if she and their children can remain. While "The Zone of Interest" is yet another film that deals with the horrors of the second world war, Glazer has avoided the expected, inventively using a modern approach to tell this story with cinematographer Łukasz Żal using only natural lighting and shooting scenes with an infrared and surveillance camera. We never witness the atrocities that goes on behind the wall of the Höss home, but we hear the faint, ominous sounds of gunshots and screams along with the jarring score by Mica Levi which effectively adds to the uneasy atmosphere. "The Zone of Interest" is yet another compelling, singular work from Glazer and hopefully we will not have to wait so long for the next movie by this gifted filmmaker.

Honorable Mention:  "Afire", "All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt", "Anatomy of a Fall", "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret", "Blackberry", "Blue Jean", "Dream Scenario", "Fair Play", "Full Time", "Me Captian (Io capitano)", "Rye Lane", "A Thousand and One", "The Teachers' Lounge (Das Lehrerzimmer)", "Theater Camp", "Tori & Lokita"

MY FAVORITE FILMS OF 2022

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"