It has become traditional at year’s end that I look back and select ten memorable films I’ve seen in the preceding twelve months, and I shall hew to tradition, even though a look back convinces me that this was the worst year of cinema I can remember. Was it a hangover from the pandemic? A migration of talent to television series? Uncertainty about the fate of the world? Who knows? One trend that was constant was the absence of spectators in the theaters. At a 7:30 Monday showing of Devotion I was completely alone. It seems inevitable that the industry will suffer, then change. Movie budgets and star salaries could drop by 50% or more and it wouldn’t necessarily hurt the product. Many of my favorites–e.g., Banshees of Inisherin–could be made on a shoestring. At the same time, the year’s highest grossing films, albeit few and far between, were still high-budget blockbusters; so I fear Hollywood will chase in that direction for a while to come. The number of big-budget flops, however, will shake something. Usually, the last weeks of December are full of pedigreed, Oscar-intended releases that we have to wait until February to catch. This year, not so much. That said, here are my favorites:
1. Argentina 1985. A true story of a political reckoning in, per the title, 1985 Argentina, this had superlative ensemble acting around a remarkable lead performance and a convincing sense of realism (compare, e.g., to the similar She Said). It got bonus points for showing me a culture and a moment of history I was unfamiliar with. And, always welcome, a heartwarming ending.
2. Official Competition. The most fun movie of the year, with Penelope Cruz, Antonio Banderis and Oscar Martinez having the time of their lives playing actors making a film. The plot twists wee delicious, the spare cinematography elegant, the intelligence welcome.
3. The Banshees of Inisherin. So Irish, so stubbornly tragic, so forlornly beautiful, but above all such amazing peformances by Brendan Gleeson, Colin Farrell, Kerry Condon and all the regulars at the pub. This was obviously and fittingly a playwright’s movie.
4. The Bastard King. A totally remarkable nature docudrama in which the life of a lion is not only anthropomorphized but raises issues central to our own species, from climate change on down. Filmed in sepia, each scene is more jaw-dropping than the last.
5. Call Jane. In spirit a sequel to the superior The Trial of the Chicago 7, this was the political feel-good film of the year, unfortunately made timely by the Dobbs decision.
6. Tar. The final ten minutes ruined what was otherwise the most powerful, thought-provoking American film, with two great performances by Cate Blanchett and Nina Hoss and a unique dive into the world of classical music.
7. Cyrano. As much a ballet or opera as a movie, this reimagining of a well worn fable with Peter Dinklage as the fulcrum brought the 17th-century French settings to lovely life.
8. Phantom of the Open. Always room for a feel-good comedy with a good heart. The golf sequences were spurious but Mark Rylance’s characterization was deft.
9. Top Gun: Maverick. Strictly formulaic but an expertly executed tried-and-true formula. The anonymity of the enemy downplayed the militarism, and Jennifer Connelly was the heartthrob of the year.
10. The Good Nurse. Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain in a quietly powerful “based-on-a-true-story” indictment of our health care system.
PS: The Quiet Girl and All Quiet On the Western Front While not available for viewing in Santa Barbara in time for the initial list, both of these films are up for 2022 Oscars and merit inclusion on the above list, replacing Phantom and Nurse, as much as I liked those quirky choices. All Quiet is powerful both as action film and political statement, while Quiet Girl is a pure expression of love and beauty, a psychological probing worthy of an Irish Bergman.
Top Performances
While not a fan of combining the categories of Best Actor and Best Actress, I do see merit in eliminating the often artificial distinction between Lead and Featured Actor, when studios use it to game the Oscars and snag an award for a featured performance that may be onscreen as much as many leads. So, without increasing the total number of nominees, here are the performers whose work I consider award-worthy.
Cate Blanchett, Tar
Andrea Riseborough, To Leslie
Jessica Chastain, The Good Nurse
Emma Corrin, Lady Chatterly’s Lover
Danielle Deadwyler, Till
Sally Hawkins, Phantom of the Open
Nina Hoss, Tar
Zoe Kazan, She Said
Keke Palmer, Nope
Anya Taylor-Joy, The Menu
Sigourney Weaver, Call Jane
Antonio Banderas, Official Competition
Paul Dano, The Fabelmans
Ricardo Darin, Argentina 1985
Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin
Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin
Eddie Redmayne, The Good Nurse
Mark Rylance, Phantom of the Open
David Strathairn, Where the Crawdads Sing
Ten Worst
Finally, I can’t go quietly without singling out the major disappointments. I’m avoiding obscure titles here and considering only films that made some critic’s best-of list:
Aftersun
Crimes of the Future
Elvis
EO
Everywhere Everything All at Once
Fire of Love
Glass Onion
Nope
Petite Maman
Woman King
