Cinema in 2023 and my top ten films, plus a few others
In this time of great unrest and geopolitical turmoil, we could at least expect cinema to flourish, as art has done many times in history. True, under specific metrics, the world is better now, including a healthier, richer, and better-educated global population. Nevertheless, it doesn’t feel that way. I don’t mean to be catastrophic; I want to be optimistic; as one of my cinematic heroes, Guillermo del Toro, so eloquently put it, “Optimism is radical. It is the hard choice, the brave choice”. However, although things are difficult, there is still much to be grateful for, including great stories with complex and thought-provoking films that aim to bring greater understanding of the human condition. There were several outstanding films this year; some even have a real shot to be remembered twenty years from now. But only time will tell. Finding a unifying theme to coalesce around this selection is difficult. Still, many films in the list address timeless issues, such as the complexities of love and friendship, while others peer into the dark corners of human nature. Also, some stories are set in the past or future yet appear poignantly relevant.
Although I went on a marathon run trying to catch up on all the films I missed (in probably my busiest year ever) I could not see everything I wanted. For instance, I could not see “Fallen Leaves” (2023) by Aki Kaurismäki, “Totem” (2023) by Lila Avilés, or “Godzilla Minus One” (2023) by Takashi Yamazaki to name just a few. In addition, through no fault of my own, I missed the screening of “Poor Things” (2023) by Yorgos Lanthimo due to technical difficulties at the Zurich Film Festival. I was genuinely hoping to experience that film before the end of the year, but it was impossible. I look forward to seeing some of these soon.
But you are here for the list and the list you shall have. Below, you will find the ten best films I have witnessed so far, with no particular order other than “Past Lives” at the top. I also included a few honorable mentions worth taking a trip for. I hope you enjoy the list and my thoughts on them. Have a healthy 2024, and hopefully, see you next year!
“Past Lives” Dir. Celine Song
This could turn out to be the love story that defines a generation.
This film appears in everyone’s top ten list, and it does it because it is superb. I think more about this film than any other film in the last few years. It is the directorial debut of Celine Song, telling a story it feels was gestating inside of her for many years, and the meticulous patience, passion, melancholy, and overall joie de vivre are evident in every frame. The characters and every detail in the film seem lived in, with great performances by Greta Lee, Teo Woo, and John Magaro. Under lesser hands, the story could have turned into a predictable paint-by-numbers romantic drama. Still, under Celine’s able hands, it almost transcends the medium, becoming something short of ethereal. This could turn out to be the love story that defines a generation. This film deserves all the praise it is getting, and I can’t wait to see what Celine does next!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13238346/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_past%2520liv
“Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse” Dir. Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson
The Guggenheim sequence alone would be worth the price of admission.
The stakes were high after “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” which surprised me in 2018. I was expecting “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” to be good, but I didn’t think it would be this good. Like all good sequels, it expands the world of the first film. Still, it brings back many of the elements we loved, including gorgeously rendered animation that has opened the doors for different kinds of animation seeping into the mainstream. The Guggenheim sequence alone would be worth the price of admission. Although it is filled with details that will take years to parse through, it is just one of the elements of a film that brings an equally enthralling story that may be the counterargument to the superhero fatigue we have seen in the last year. “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse” has big shoes to fill, but hopefully it will stick the landing.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9362722/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1_tt_7_nm_0_q_across%2520th
“Killers of the Flower Moon” Dir. Martin Scorsese
Everyone knows Martin Scorsese is one of our greatest film directors, and he has secured his place in the pantheon.
Everyone knows Martin Scorsese is one of our greatest film directors, and he has secured his place in the pantheon. Still, he doesn’t rest on his laurels and continues to deliver great films to his canon. Leonardo DiCaprio’s character embodies the “banality of evil”, a term used by Hannah Arendt on the Adolf Eichmann trial, but that equally applies to the true story of the brutal murders of the Osage Nation in the 1920s, which apropos seems eerily appropriate to the time we live in. DiCaprio’s character is confused, but somehow, throughout the film, he appears to believe he is a good man despite actively participating in the murderous plot orchestrated by his uncle, played by Scorsese’s early career muse, Robert DeNiro. Notwithstanding the outstanding performance by DiCaprio, he is outshined by Lily Gladstone, who shines with an intelligently subtle performance that anchors the film. The films used everything Scorsese has learned throughout his career to tell the story but still aimed to bring something new and fresh with an ending that I found to be a brilliant stroke of genius that may divide the audience.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5537002/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1_tt_7_nm_0_q_flower%2520moon
“Oppenheimer” Dir. Christopher Nolan
If a film had to be made on the subject, notwithstanding the grim nature of it, I am thrilled it was by one of our finest storytellers and directors currently working.
Although we do not think of the threat of nuclear annihilation as much as we should, Christopher Nolan is here to remind us how all of this came to being and how some of the answers to the questions posed back remain elusive to humankind after all the Doomsday Clock stands at 90 seconds to midnight — the closest to global catastrophe it has ever been, and which will be updated in a matter of days, under a world fraught with geopolitical tension. If a film had to be made on the subject, notwithstanding the grim nature of it, I am thrilled it was by one of our finest storytellers and directors currently working. The film is matched with an impeccable performance by Cillian Murphy, who has appeared in many of Nolan’s films but takes the lead role for the first time. One wonders what took Nolan so long to put him there, but I can’t imagine anyone else embodying Oppenheimer after this. The film is a virtuoso display by a master filmmaker working at the top of his game, which would pretty much be unrivaled at this scale if it weren’t for Denis Villeneuve.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15398776/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1_tt_4_nm_3_q_oppen
“May December” Dir. Todd Haynes
This could be dangerous territory for some, but not for Haynes, who successfully walks the tightrope, but not without its critics calling it camp.
Todd Haynes is back at it again with a very complex film touching on a complex and thorny subject with so much in it. Despite its slow pace, it can feel breezy at times, but it is also heavy and deeply uncomfortable to watch. This could be dangerous territory for some, but not for Haynes, who successfully walks the tightrope, but not without its critics calling it camp. The pairing of Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman would be worthwhile on its own — but more so if you add Todd Haynes. Dealing with child abuse may be a barrier too high for some, especially since the film offers no clear conclusions, as many would expect it to deliver. Nevertheless, this is a complex character study of two similar characters linked in their un-self-awareness. Although Moore and Portman have all eyes on them, many will miss Charles Melton’s understated and tragic performance, which is truly the heart of the film and why it will resonate with the viewer and invite conversation around these topics.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13651794/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1_tt_2_nm_5_q_may
“Cat Person” Dir. Susanna Fogel
They are two standout scenes that were masterfully realized; when you watch the film, you will know which ones I am talking about.
I remember reading the short story by Kristen Roupenian in The New Yorker when it became viral around the beginning of the Me Too movement. I was unaware it was being adapted into a movie, and coming across the finished film was a pleasant surprise. They did a marvelous job adapting the short story, following largely beat-by-beat but adding some unique film elements and expanding it with additional twists that elevate the material. They are two standout scenes that were masterfully realized; when you watch the film, you will know which ones I am talking about. In the original story, I did not get a mismatch of tones, moods, and atmosphere, but in the film, it works! Kind of like last year’s “Barbarian”, of which this film reminded me a bit. I usually imagine myself adapting stories onto the screen, but I would not have come up with what Susanna Fogel did here based on a screenplay by Michelle Ashford. You will never see Nicholas Braun of Cousin Greg fame again in the same way.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14647404/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_7_nm_1_q_cat%2520pers
“Robot Dreams” Dir. Pablo Berger
This is storytelling at its finest and confirms what Guillermo del Toro said, “animation is not a genre for kids. It’s a medium for art; it’s a medium for film.”
I didn’t watch Pablo Berger’s beautiful vision in adapting Snow White’s fairy tale into “Blancanieves” (2012), even though it was on my radar when it came out. Now, I want to get my hands on that film ASAP. Films without dialogue are not new; this year, we got John Woo’s “Silent Night” (2023), an ode to pure action storytelling. In “Robot Dreams”, based on the graphic novel by Sara Varon, we get breathtakingly beautiful animation to tell a story that shares some themes with this year’s standout “Past Lives” (2023) but adds plenty of original ideas that will likely make you shed a tear or two. This is storytelling at its finest and confirms what Guillermo del Toro said, “animation is not a genre for kids. It’s a medium for art; it’s a medium for film.” This film is also vastly different from “Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse” (2023), which appears on my list, or even Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron” (2023), which, unfortunately, I have not been able to see yet. This is also a testament to the golden age of the animated medium.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13429870/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_robot%2520drea
“Saltburn” Dir. Emerald Fennel
Alison Oliver, Archie Madekwe, Jacob Elordi, and Rosamund Pike are a great ensemble, all excelling in their jobs at the service of Emerald; without her pen and direction, it could come down crashing.
I was a big fan of Emerald Fennel’s directorial debut “Promising Young Woman” (2020) and was sure her next effort would take it even further. In that regard, “Saltburn” didn’t disappoint. “Saltburn” is funny, but it is also dark, twisted, and probably not for everyone, which would explain why the audiences are so divided. We already knew Barry Keoghan was a great actor from “The Banshees of Inisherin” (2022) and others in his prestigious filmography. Still, the balancing act he plays here is truly something to behold. Alison Oliver, Archie Madekwe, Jacob Elordi, and Rosamund Pike are a great ensemble, all excelling in their jobs at the service of Emerald; without her pen and direction, it could come down crashing. Comparisons have been made to “The Talented Mr. Ripley” (1999), and on the surface, that is evident, but “Saltburn” is deviant in a whole different way, infused with a host of modern pop culture and a great dose of fun, dark fun, if that is your thing.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17351924/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_5_nm_3_q_saltb%2520
“Anatomy of a Fall” Dir. Justine Triet
There are no easy answers, and if you watched it with a loved one, you will likely continue talking about the film long after the credits roll.
It plays part as a true crime documentary, part as a court drama, and part as a melodrama, but the film is so much more than this. It is a riveting story held all in place by Sandra Hüller’s empathetic performance. As we gather more information, our allegiances shift; this may reflect who we are more than the film itself, but great art should hold a mirror up to society. No one would be able to come unscathed out of the intense level of scrutiny Sandra Hüller’s character goes through in what is said to be the pursuit of the truth, even if that does not appear to be the motivation behind the system in place as portrayed by the film. There are no easy answers, and if you watched it with a loved one, you will likely continue talking about the film long after the credits roll.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17009710/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
“The Killer” Dir. David Fincher
The whole film is crafted to utter perfection, and although it is based on a graphic novel, it may very well be Fincher’s most personal film yet.
Although I probably liked “Mank” (2020) more than most, “The Killer” was more the kind of film I was hoping Fincher would make, and now he has. The film looks gorgeous, and it may sound even better. The sound design alone would merit its deep study, without even mentioning the exquisite soundtrack by The Smiths. Michael Fassbender’s character barely speaks onscreen, even though he narrates the film. Still, his steely performance does all the talking you would ever need. Fincher convinces us how vulnerable our lives can be when relying on gadgets, technologies, and services to bring comfort to our lives but end up being the culprit of our demise. The whole film is crafted to utter perfection, and although it is based on a graphic novel, it may very well be Fincher’s most personal film yet.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1136617/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1_tt_7_nm_0_q_the%2520killer
Honorable mentions
“Fair Play” (2023) Dir. Chloe Domont
Although not groundbreaking, the directorial debut by writer-director Chloe Domont is delivered in a perfectly packaged way that will bring me back to the theater for Choe’s next film.
“Beau Is Afraid” (2023) Dir. Ari Aster
One of the weirdest and most absurdist films that has more to it than it has been given credit for, and you will think about it for a long time to come.
“Leave the World Behind” (2023) Dir. Sam Esmail
I liked this more than most, not just because the Obamas served as executive producers; however, that should get us thinking if this is equivalent to the mysterious warning Mahershala Ali’s character gets in the film.
“Evil Dead Rise” (2023) Dir. Lee Cronin
It is a throwback horror film that was by far the most fun screening this year, with (what should be) a star-making performance by Alyssa Sutherland.
“Talk to me” (2023) Dir. Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou
Every few years, there is a film that breathes new life into the horror genre; this year, it is this one.
“Barbie” (2023) Dir. Great Gerwig
It was a much better film than it had any reasonable right to expect. It is thought-provoking and covers many relevant topics in this day and age.
“The Holdovers” (2023) Dir. Alexander Payne
It is an inspirational, humane, and heartfelt film that feels straight out of the 70s.
