This year I was able to see 121 new releases in the theater and, as in year's past, I thought it would be fun to compile a list of my top ten favorites. My ranking is not based on the critical response or on box office receipts but, rather, on how much I enjoyed each movie so it is an interesting mix of blockbusters and indie darlings! (Click on the title to read my original review).
I enjoyed this movie about the end of a long-standing friendship so much more than I was expecting! The goings-on descend into the absurd at times and there are some genuinely hilarious moments but this has some thought-provoking things to say about depression, isolation, loneliness, mortality, and the desire for a legacy and I think McDonagh strikes the perfect balance between the comedy and the tragedy. Both Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson deliver incredible performances and Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan are also superb. The cinematography is simply breathtaking and I loved the haunting score.
9. Aftersun
This is the most quietly devastating movie I've seen in a long time but I loved the complex relationship between a father living with regret and a daughter just starting to live. Writer/ Director Charlotte Wells employs hazy cinematography and an episodic structure to convey the fragmented nature of childhood memories and the ambiguity of the final shot is more heartbreaking than something more explicit would have been. Both Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio, in her debut, give incredibly moving performances and I was absolutely gutted by the end.
This neo-thriller about mutual obsession is complex but ultimately very compelling. What I enjoyed most is how Park Chan-wook plays with perception by having images come into and go out of focus and by using clever editing and innovative camera work. This is a straightforward police procedural but these stylistic choices, as well as multiple subplots, keep the audience guessing until the haunting conclusion. Tang Wei gives an enigmatic performance worthy of Hitchcock's best femme fatales and the chemistry between her and Park Hae-il is smoldering. The overhead shots of mountain peaks and crashing waves are beautiful and the woodwind heavy score is incredibly evocative in this atmospheric mystery.
I laughed out loud during the entirety of this social satire that takes aim at the vacuous and shallow idle rich! I loved how class divisions are dismantled in an absurdly amusing way (a scene involving just about every bodily fluid imaginable) and I really appreciated the message that people should not be judged solely on their wealth or looks but rather their knowledge, abilities, and experience and that it pays to treat the people who serve you with kindness and respect. The cast is fantastic but Dolly DeLeon gives a standout performance in the third act and I am still thinking about her character's actions in the final scene!
6. The Northman
This is a very simple revenge story but the references to Norse mythology and symbolism are what make it so interesting and compelling. The images on the screen are stunning and feature the usual atmospheric world-building that Robert Eggers is known for. The medieval warfare is visceral and unrelenting and I also loved the sound design and the heart-pounding score. Alexander Skarsgard is an absolute beast but I also found Nicole Kidman's performance to be fascinating and Anya Taylor-Joy is luminous. It is brutal, bloody, and brilliant and, while it may not be for everyone, I loved it!
5. TÁR
This cautionary tale about a brilliant conductor's fall from grace is incredibly compelling and thought-provoking. Cate Blanchett gives an unbelievably powerful performance because her character is very unsympathetic and yet you somehow begin to feel sympathy for her. Every scene is fraught with meaning (the significance of which is not always immediately apparent but is eventually revealed) and I loved the ambiguity of the narrative because the audience is never really sure if she is guilty of what she has been accused. It is an interesting commentary on cancel culture and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it or the discussion of whether artists should be judged by their work or their behavior.
4. The Batman
I really loved the darker tone of this movie because it feels more like a classic noir thriller rather than a stylized superhero action movie. I also really loved Bruce Wayne's character arc as a man almost broken by the weight of living up to his parents' legacy to finally accepting their fallibility and Batman's journey from exacting vengeance to becoming a symbol of hope for Gotham City. Robert Pattinson is brilliant in the role and I enjoyed the juxtaposition between his more explosive performance as Batman with his restraint as Bruce Wayne. The action sequences are exciting and intense and the images on the screen are gorgeous (I loved the use of red). Finally, the atmospheric score by Michael Giacchino is one of the best I've heard this year.
The narrative is chaotic, strange, fantastical, and sometimes even ridiculous but it tells an incredibly touching story about the weight of missed opportunities and the pressures of living up to expectations. I laughed uproariously through most of it but I had a tear in my eye at the resolution. The images on the screen are gorgeous and I loved the fact that each of the multiverses has its own unique visual style with brilliant cinematography and editing. Michelle Yeoh gives an amazing performance that showcases her range (I was so impressed that she performed her own stunts) and both Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu are also outstanding. I loved this quirky masterpiece!
That this is an immersive spectacle with unparalleled visual effects is to be expected from James Cameron but I think it is so much more than that. I really loved the emphasis on what it means to be an outsider, particularly the relationship between Lo'ak and Payakan, a cetacean who has been shunned by his species. I also really loved the journey that Sully and Neytiri take as parents because they focus so much on protecting their children but ultimately end up being saved by them and the father-son relationship between Sully and Lo'ak is incredibly poignant. Finally, the theme of respect for the environment is very powerful, particularly the scenes where the whalers hunt tulkuns merely for the sake of acquiring a valuable resource. The action sequences in the third act kept me on the edge of my seat and I was very impressed by the emotional performances of Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana. Seeing this was a thrilling experience but it didn't quite live up to that of watching...
This is quite possibly the most exhilarating movie I have seen in a very long time! The story is incredibly compelling and a lot more emotional than I was expecting. It pays homage to the original, with a lot of fun callbacks that fans will instantly recognize, while paving the way for a new narrative with a new group of pilots who are easy to root for. The action sequences are unbelievably thrilling and immersive (the audience is literally in the cockpit with the pilots thanks to all of the practical stunts) and the final dogfight in an F-14 Tomcat had me cheering out loud. I loved Tom Cruise's performance and Maverick's character arc is a logical progression from the original movie because, even though he is still a bit cocky, he is more mature and feels his responsibility to his team of young pilots. Val Kilmer's performance reduced me to tears and Miles Teller is outstanding. I loved everything about this movie and I had a smile on my face during the whole runtime!
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