Living (2022)

Living is a cozy little film despite being filmed with cold images and dialogue that is kept at arms length. The film's writer and director manage to fill those spaces with a kind of spark of passion which lights the film in a way that is unexpected. That and Nighy's rightly lauded performance give Living a real life. 

Living follows it's inspiration (the 1952 film Ikiru) very closely and anyone who is familiar with that film will see it clearly. However Living finds its own pace with its embrace of a truly British aesthetic. Hermanus films this both as a period piece and as a tribute to the films of that era. This is especially highlighted in the film's opening credits and it's ending marked with a "The End".

The film doesn't play out like one would expect, with the final act being more of a reflection than a climax. The catharsis we are seeking comes from the conversations of those left behind. It is a bit jarring and some of the final conversations feel set up a bit. But the power of the film's story and Nighy's character's small but profound legacy is compelling. Nighy, who is often known for playing more outstanding roles, truly does shine in this very understated role.  

Living

Starring: Bill Nighy, Aimee Lou Wood, Alex Sharp, , Adrian Rawlins, Oliver Chris, Tom Burke, Barney Fishwick, Patsy Ferran, 

Director: Oliver Hermanus

Writer: Kazuo Ishiguro

 

Navalny (2022)

Navalny is powerful to watch although much of the nuance of the story is lost for non-Russian audiences who aren't familiar with all the ins and outs of the history of one of Russia's leading opposition leaders. As a western audience we watch appalled at the shocking treatment of a political figure who challenges the authoritarian leadership of his country, but the film feels almost fantastical without a deeper understanding of the context and history which allows this sort of story to play out. And much of that history and context is missing. 

This may not be the fault of the film. How could a film capture all that one might need to know to understand this sort of atrocity? The film makes some off hand references to certain events and even suggests at one point that Navalny may not be perfect, but without a more in depth knowledge much of the richness of this story is lost. Still, the history of this man and his persecution remains powerful and the film does a wonderful job of helping bring the plight of opposition in Russia to light. It is a strong reminder of what a threat Putin plays to the world and just how hard it is to challenge that. 

Navalny

Director: Daniel Roher

Infinity Pool (2023)

Infinity Pool is as disturbing as it appears from everything we've seen leading up to its release. It is an unflinching yet extreme parable about how lack of accountability amongst the privileged leads to horrific behaviour which is visually stunning and viscerally upsetting. The younger Cronenberg is proving he is a visionary film maker in his own right and knows how to craft cinema in a way that gets under our skin and crawls all over. However the film suffers somewhat from a script that feels like it cuts corners to get to where it's going too quickly, focusing on cycling through its premise without building a real enough world to truly make us live in it. Yet this doesn't take away all the power from the film which manages to still shake its audience to the core. 

The film's plot points often feel a bit absurd and there are times where I wish the film had spent time earning where it was going. Often we are asked simply to accept what it is giving us without giving us reason to feel it. But despite not quite pulling off believability what the film does well is how it implicates its audience in its story. Infinity Pool doesn't make it about someone else but puts us in the position of James Foster (or does it?) and leaves us panting with an ending that is appropriately unsatisfying and disconcerting. We aren't supposed to feel good, we aren't supposed to get resolution. In the final moments we are given something upsetting to sit with.

The real ace in the hole here is Goth who manages to be all things for this movie, terrifying and seductive. She is part of what makes it all work in the end by making us feel the whole range of emotions at her character, one that is miles away from her infamous Pearl performance. She is as committed as Cronenberg is to making us as uncomfortable as we can be. It's hard to imagine anyone else in this role. 

So Infinity Pool is deeply haunting and terribly uncomfortable but not quite the masterpiece this film maker clearly has in him. 

Infinity Pool

Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Mia Goth, Cleopatra Coleman, Jalil Lespert, Amanda Brugal

Writer/Director: Brandon Cronenberg 

 

You People (2023)

You People is often laugh out loud funny. Hill and London are hilarious together and Barris and Hill's script is consistently funny often going down uncomfortable wormholes that purposefully make us more and more clenched until we can't do anything but laugh. But the story itself feels rather heavy handed and constructed. The story feels more like it is serving a premise than existing as an organic story.

While Hill and London are very funny together, the film never makes a convincing argument for their relationship. From their meet-not-so-cute through their dating scenes, you never really see them connect. Instead the movie just asks us to assume they are in love. And their families are set up as rather single note caricatures. The film might have just clicked more if the characters felt more real and their journey felt more organic.

But that doesn't stop the film from being smart and funny with witty critiques of culture clashes as it sets out its scenes of conflict. Murphy and Louis-Dreyfus are both comedic legends and they both do great work even if their characters never get a three-dimensional treatment. Generally the film is less a great story and more a series of funny scenes that give us some interesting food for thought as we move through it. It would have been great if it could have been both, but despite the times I was pulled from the movie I was still enjoying it. 

You People

Starring: Johah Hill, Lauren London, Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Nia Long, David Dechovny, Molly Gordon, Sam Jay, Mike Eps, Rhea Perlman, Matt Walsh

Director: Kenya Barris

Writers: Jonah Hill, Kenya Barris

Fire of Love (2023)

I wasn't familiar with the story of the Kraffts, volcanists who were married to each other and died together pursuing their dream. It is the sort of perfect romantic true story that is compelling and moving. Dora uses their own footage of their work as well as interviews with them to tell the story of their meeting, building their careers together, and their tragic end. 

We spend a bit of time learning about volcanos but this is really a love story, a story of two people and how their love for each other was tied essentially to their love of volcanos and vice versa. For example we spend time watching gorgeous footage (from the Kraffts themselves) of volcanic activity set to French love songs. It is a surprisingly beautiful artistic choice. The film is about our our passions shape us, how our love of our pursuits can mean as much as our loves for each other. It is a love letter to that idea. 

And the film used, shot mostly by the subjects themselves, is compelling and gorgeous. It isn't hard to see what sparked their love for their work. So when the movie reaches its peak and we see footage from the day of their deaths, the film becomes so beautifully poignant. It is about living our best lives. 

Fire of Love

Director: Sara Dosa

 

Missing (2023)

I enjoyed the 2018 film searching and felt that although the film got a bit fantastical in its final act, it was a solid watch. Missing, a stand alone sequel that follows the same screenlife format and is set in the same "universe" (established in the opening moments of this film as TV footage of that incident are being watched by a character in this one), is also a solid watch and perhaps a little less over the top at the end. I think they're on to something with this little gimmick that could generate a lot of interesting little stories.

Missing shows us Storm Reid can carry a film. She is strong all through and very compelling. The story has enough interesting twists and turns, and just as it starts getting closer to its story jumping the shark a bit, the final twist grounds the film in a way that makes the whole thing more satisfying. 

So for a solid watch Missing is worth a shot. It might not do anything revolutionary but it entertains and tells a good story. I would be open to seeing more in this series if they can keep the stories feeling authentic and not too sensational. 

Missing

Starring: Storm Reid, Nia Long, Kevin Leung, Joaquim de Almeida, Daniel Henney, Amy Landecker, Tim Griffin, Megan Suri

Writers/Directors: Nick Johnson, Will Merrick   

 

Broker (2023)

Broker slowly evolves throughout it's runtime from comedy (of errors?) into a sad romantic story. It explores themes of the nature of family, right and wrong, responsibility, while also telling a rollicking road movie featuring characters one immediately latches on to. Sometimes the movie feels a bit manipulative and it's hard sometimes with subtitles to know if the original script is being oversimplified in its dialogue as the subtitles often appear. But most of this is overcome by just how engaging Broker's story and characters are.  

The cast comes together very well, playing off each other and portraying the dynamics between each of the group so well you see them become a family before your eyes. Perhaps it's obvious where it is all going from the beginning but Broker compensates for that by making their path to get there so fascinating all the way through. And as the film enters its final act the reality of how this all isn't going to work out how we want it to becomes so clear. 

Broker offers us a rather optimistic if vague ending, giving us just enough information to interpret the future of these characters as we see fit without wrapping it all up with a nice bow. I appreciated that it dealt with its somewhat exaggerated story line in a realistic way and in a way that was truly satisfying. Broker despite being rather sad ends up managing to be a feel good story and pulling this off is rather remarkable. 

Broker

Starring: Song Kang-ho, Gang Dong-won, Bae Doona, Lee Ji-eun, Lee Joo-young, Im Seung-soo

Writer/Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda

M3GAN (2023)

Sure, M3GAN has a plot that is predictable and rote, a script that throws logic to the wind, and (I would argue) isn't very well acted. But it's all fun so who cares? Seriously. M3GAN is camp and it knows what it is, delivers on that (while delivering perhaps on little else), and gives audiences just what it promises to. M3GAN isn't the sort of movie that usually does it for me, but I've got to give it credit that it does exactly what it's intended for and holds up on what's important; it's a fun watch. 

There are moments that made me think M3GAN might have more going on behind it's creepy eyes than meets the (creepy) eye, such as how in constructs a narrative about how when we aren't taught or modelled values we don't inherently have them. In this way M3GAN is a bit bleak and dystopian and shows some promise. But it mostly negates this with its ending which just didn't have the guts to go all the way with this theme, and moving forward with ending that the script doesn't earn. But again, M3GAN doesn't need to work on that level. It works solely as camp thriller and in that it is very entertaining. Would it have been a better movie it had explored some more interesting things in some tangible capacity? Certainly it would. Does that make it bad? Not at all. 

So when M3GAN starts running on her hands and feet evoking horror movie classics but in no way making sense to the plot, we just go with it cause it's cool. When M3GAN's owner turns on her without ever having shown any predilection to do such a thing we just go with it cause... well not sure it's cool but that's what happens in all these movies, right? I will hurt myself going on and on about all that isn't great about M3GAN or I just sit back, enjoy it's silly fun and get exactly what it is offering. In the end what's important about a film is how much we enjoy watching it. Sure movies that get deeper into themes that touch on our real experiences and have scripts that are written with clever character arcs and fascinating turns of phrases can offer a whole lot more. But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy a silly little movie now and then. 

M3GAN

Starring: Amie Donald, Jenna Davis, Alison Williams, Violet McGraw

Director: Gerard Johnstone

Writer: Akela Cooper

 

Skinamarink (2023)

Skinamarink is one of those debut films that shows audiences that a new filmmaker with an exciting new vision has entered the scene. First time feature writer/director Ball has delivered a disturbing and exhilarating experimental film that will grab the attention of audiences in a way reminiscent of films like Eraserhead but also in new ways not experienced before. 

It's hard to talk about Skinamarink without "spoiling" it (although that word used in the way it in is popularly thrown around doesn't quite fit with a story like this) but the part that feels "experimental" (another word that gets thrown around in different ways) is how the audiences is rarely ever looking at its subject. So much of Skinamarink is spent watching something adjacent to what we are hearing happening. The film plays with the concept of just how much scarier things that are not shown can be by making almost the entire film "not shown." There are brief moments where we actually "see" something (using quotes a lot here but I use this because the film stock used is so grainy we often only see the images partially) and even then our imaginations have to fill in the gaps, likely in ways worse than what could be filmed. 

Skinamarink is also one of those great films where it's "meaning" is legitimately up for discussion, the kind of story where one can walk away with very different reasons that are completely justified. I very much understood the chaos of childhood trauma as it is experienced but I believe other ways to feel the film's messaging could very well be legitimate. That's part of the what makes the film engaging, the ways it speaks to some dark and uncomfortable truths within us. But in the end the film can be enjoyed even without looking for understanding. 

I do think the film's experimental aspects will be challenging for some audiences. The film requires a certain amount of patience, no that's not right, an acceptance that we aren't going to be always watching something that lays out a narrative or development. Many audiences might not be up for such a treatment. But if you can Skinamarink will offer you something to ruminate on, that will haunt you, and it promises fascinating things from film maker Ball in the future. 

Skinamarink

Starring: Lucas Paul, Dali Rose Tetreault

Writer/Director: Kyle Edward Ball 

 

The Pale Blue Eye (2023)

Moody and atmospheric The Pale Blue Eye is a fairly satisfying murder mystery incorporating gruesomely fun elements of the occult with some clever twists and turns. Director Cooper leans into the genre aesthetics and melds the kinds of mystery and horror elements that subject of its story (a fictional version of Edgar Allen Poe) is known for. Shot in a combination of shadows and candle light, Cooper includes just enough of the grisly without crossing too many lines. The film always feels a bit safe but still delivers on its story. 

One of the strengths of the film is the delightfully weird performance of Harry Melling as Poe. He plays him as a true character, the kind of person who behaves just outside of cultural norms and brings a joy to those he encounters. This story imagines Poe as a young man experiencing events that might inspire his later real world writings. He is wonderful to watch.

Cooper has made a visually lovely film with its snow covered daytime scenes and spooky gothic horror nights. Overall The Pale Blue Eye offers a satisfying mystery puzzle with some enjoyable performances. Perhaps the ending feels a bit pat and gets wrapped up with quite the perfectly tied bow, but at the heart of this mystery is a satisfying enough unveiling. And Cooper, leaning into the pathos, sells it well.  

The Pale Blue Eye

Starring: Christian Bale, Harry Melling, Gillian Anderson, Lucy Boynton, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Toby Jones, Timothy Spall, Robert Duvall

Writer/Director: Scott Cooper

 

A Man Called Otto (2023)

Is A Man Called Otto a bit manipulative and certainly predictable? Yes it is! But do I care? Not one bit. Hanks and his costars sell this chicken-soup-for-the-soul style film and make it so wonderfully watchable. It may not be a great movie but it is a great watch and that's 90% of the battle. 

This is an American remake of a Swedish film, which was an adaptation of a book and in some ways it feels like it's been put through the ringer. But what comes out in the end is a feel good tear jerker. Look up "crowd pleaser" in the dictionary and A Man Called Otto would fit the bill. 

A bit of a family project (produced by Hanks' spouse and starring his son as a younger version of his character) A Man Called Otto feels like a labour of love. A lot of it feels forced but it's just so sweet you want to forgive it's faults and just let yourself enjoy the story. Yes my eyes misted a bit. It would be hard to imagine anyone but Hanks pulling this off. But it isn't just him. His supporting cast, including the delightful Mariana Treviño, just fills the film with joy. 

Director Foster is no slouch and he walks a fine line here. He manages to tone down the schmaltz (which is a bit accomplishment with this story) and just let the strengths of the film standout, especially its cast. You won't be disappointed in giving over 2 hours of your time to Otto. 

A Man Called Otto

Starring: Tom Hanks, Mariana Treviño, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Tuman Hanks, Cameron Britton, Juanita Jennings, Peter Lawson Jones, Rachel Keller

Director: Marc Foster,

Writer: David MaGee

 

Favourite Films of 2022

I watched 192 new films in 2022 (not counting films I rewatched) in a combination of cinemas and streaming. It was a great year for movies overall and even though they weren’t in my top ten I would still strongly recommend each and every one of these: After Yang, Anything is Possible, The Batman, Beast, Belle The Dragon and the Feckled Princess, Black Phone, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Brian and Charles, Bros, Bullet Train, Cow, Death on the Nile, Decision to Leave, Elvis, Emily the Criminal, Empire of Light, Eo, Fall, Fire Island, Glass Onion, Good Luck to You Leo Grande, Hit the Road, The House, Hustle, I Wanna Dance With Somebody, The Inspection, Jockey, Matilda the Musical, Men, The Menu, Old Henry, The Outfit, Peace by Chocolate, Pearl, Prey, RRR, The Shadow in My Eye, Slash/Back, Spirited, Strange World, Tar, Three Months, Three Thousand Years of Longing, Triangle of Sadness, Turning Red, Vengeance, Violent Night, Windfall, The Woman King, Women Talking… and probably a few more. 

But as I do every year, I challenge myself to pick the 10 films that I loved the most in 2022 and this is what I came up with. They aren't the best as none of us are able to determine some sort of objective quality; it all comes down to our personal preferences. These are the films that I personally loved, that I know I will enjoy over and over again, and the films that I will most recommend others watch. The list is in alphabetical order not order of preference... except the end... because I love them all in different ways that can't be compared to each other or ranked. 

Aftersun

A young woman remembers her final trip with her father as a child through watching videos of their vacation. 

What is amazing about Aftersun is how much it tells you without telling it to you. Instead it lets you pick up cues from the lived-in scenes it portrays. Aftersun if filled with mundane moments that just hold within them so much power and story. It is a quiet little movie that sneaks up on you and shakes you to the core in the best of ways. As a father with a daughter this film was just breathtaking for me. What a powerful debut from a promising film maker. 

All Quiet on the Wester Front

As The Great War breaks out German youth enthusiastically enlist to fight the “enemy” and come to see that war is never great.

I am a huge fan of the 1930 film but everything about this version is what I would want from a remake. It brings a whole new perspective to the story while keeping true to the themes that make the tale great. 

All Quiet is a gorgeous film and a brutally honest depiction of war and all its horrors performed by a strong cast. The legacy of this story remains one of the strongest indictments of war while also being an incredible film to experience.  

The Banshees of Inisherin

On a small island off the coast of Ireland, two friends struggle with how to coexist after one decides he no longer wants to be friends and threatens to cut off his fingers if his former buddy won’t leave him alone. 

Banshees is perhaps the funniest film of the year is also one of the most heartfelt and moving. It is the sort of film that is both wonderfully hilarious and deeply sad. A powerful meditation on friendship in all of its beautiful and ugly aspects. This film features my favourite original screenplay of the year and some of the best performances in any film of the past 12 months. A true joy and a true tearjerker all at once. 

Bones and All

Two young cannibals find each other and try to make a life for themselves as they cross America and find what they thought was impossible, love. 

This film put me through an emotional wringer. I was disturbed and frightened and bawling my eyes out and falling in love, all at once.  2022 was an amazing year for horror but who would have thought a cannibal romance would have me fall so in love and wreck me so thoroughly? While Bones and All may not be for the faint of heart, those who can stomach it will be richly rewarded. 

Cha Cha Real Smooth

A young man falls for an older woman when he looks after her autistic teen daughter. 

When I sat down to watch the sophomore film of writer/director Cooper Raiff I had no idea what I was in for, but few films gave me as much melancholic joy as this one did. So many of my favourite films this year are stories about love tinged with sadness, but this one the most directly. I love how it doesn’t fall into “love triangle” tropes and just gives us a purely lovely movie about a crush that I could watch again and again.  

Emergency

Three college roommates, two Black, one Hispanic, find a white girl passed out in their hallway and try to find help for her despite all the barriers the racial intersections present to them on their last night before graduation. 

Emergency is another film that came out of nowhere for me and knocked me on my ass. The film is hilariously funny while also being brutally honest about the state of America in 2022. Emergency features a cast of promising young actors and made by promising young film makers. The kids are alright if Emergency is any indication.  

Marcel the Shell With Shoes On

A small shell lives with his grandmother when a film maker renting the house they inhabit discovers them and decides to help them find their lost community. 

The most absurdist film on my list, yet also one of the most universally accessible and lovely movies to come along in a very long time. The sort of film a child could watch that is also completely satisfying for any adult of any generation to enjoy. Quite honestly funny and incredibly moving at the same time. Marcel is the sort of joyous and original film that is comes along so rarely. I knew I was watching something special the moment it started.  

Nope

A man tries to maintain his deceased father’s movie horse training business despite the lack of much help from his sister when something in the skies threatens them and their neighbours. 

I can’t remember as good a year for horror as 2022 in a long time, yet it is no surprise that Jordan Peele’s new film is one of the best of that genre for another year. Nope kept surprising me, never going where I thought it was going, and hitting me right in the gut. No matter how many times I watch it I catch something new and I could just talk about it for days and days as it is such a rich thought provoking film. 

Easily the best film about making films of the year, no question. 

Scarborough

Three children meet and becomes friends while spending time in a day program which provides some respite from the harsh world around them. 

It is a cliché that Canadian films are depressing but it is a cliché because it is mostly true (this year's Peace by Chocolate is the rare exception). Scarborough keeps that tradition alive with its beautiful tear jerking tale that gets deeply into the stories of three children whose lives are filled with challenges but also a great deal of love. Scarborough will have you cheering through your tears by the end. Such a lovely film with powerful performances from the children at its centre and the adults around them. 

Everything Everywhere All At Once

A woman who runs a laundry business discovers… oh who am I kidding. There is no explaining this movie! 

I saw this film at a film festival screening early in 2022 and the crowd cheered as did I, surprised and shook by what I had just seen. I saw it again a few weeks later when it got a limited release, eager to experience it again so I could catch even more of all that was going on. I got even more out of it than I did the first time, picking up on things I hadn't been able to process in the first viewing. For my birthday I took my family to see it again later in the year when it was still playing in mainstream theaters months after its initial release as it had become a phenomenon. And once again I loved it even more. I have watched it a number of times since at home and each time I am wowed by the story, the characters, and the sheer magnitude of its power. 

Everything Everywhere All At Once is a tiny miracle of film making and a reminder of just how magical movies can be. I am so thrilled it found an audience as I truly expected it to play the underground circuit and disappear into the memories of movie nerds like me. A reminder that they do still make original films and not just churn out the next instalment in billion dollar franchises. Everything Everywhere became an unlikely blockbuster and awards darling and it fully deserves all of it. 

What a film! My favourite of 2022 and one of my favourite of all time.