Sasquatch Sunset
Gross out comedy with zero dialogue that, if you're patient enough to stick around, has a surprisingly profound ending. Riley and Eisenberg are unrecognisable. It's unique and I loved it. From the makers of KUMIKO THE TREASURE HUNTER (see Top Ten 2015). With Ari Aster credited as producer it should achieve the cult status it deserves.
The Holdovers
I would put my neck on the line and say this film was PERFECT. A real throw back to filmmaking from the 1970s and not as silly as, say, Licorice Pizza (but a fair comp). A consummate Christmas film. I couldn't have loved it more if it came up to me and presented me with a giant Toblerone (I’m easily pleased).
The Zone of Interest
I took my favourite niece to watch this in a small town in Germany, and although I advised her that nachos might not be an appropriate snack, she persisted, and the slow crunching did somewhat impede on the whole point of this film (it won the Oscar for Best Sound Design). I was expecting to be in bits during this film, but it was so flat and disaffecting (deliberately so - the Banality of Evil personified on screen), that my hanky remained dry. Until I turned around and looked at my fellow cinema-goers in the eye as they were leaving… then the floodgates opened.
The Settlers
It's a brutal period drama set in Chile in the late 19th century, during the colonialisation of the rough uncontested Tierra Del Fuego archipelago. It plays out like a slow western across cold and rugged landscapes, based on real historical events, with a horrifically gruesome denouement. I loved it in the same way I loved BONE TOMAHAWK (see Top Ten 2016), proper film making with ample portions of just desserts, and a sprinkling of dark humour to make it more digestible. A masterpiece.
The Delinquents
I thought THE DELINQUENTS was a triumph of slow cinema. Very evocative of the neo-noir crime / bank heist thrillers of the 1970s, with its slow panning shots of, say, a suited man crossing a city street, up the buildings into the sky; to the brown tone colour grading, the costumes, split screen shots; and my god - the incredible score deserves an Oscar! Set in Argentina, this is about two banking colleagues, one of whom performs a heist stealing just enough money to never have to work again. He confesses and goes to prison, leaving his uninvolved colleague with the cash and a promise to split it when he gets out in 3.5 years time, forcing the colleague to be an unwitting accomplice. What follows is a contemplation about what it means to be free. And to love. I enjoyed the subtle humour, the minute details, the ambiguous ending... No stone was left unturned (...or was it?).
The Substance
If body horror is your jam, then this sticky confection is the mother of all sweet pickles. This sophomore feature is the preserve of Coralie Fargeat, with a career best performance by Demi Moore, smearing it in the face of an ageist entertainment industry. This is the film that Cronenberg wishes he’d made. If it doesn’t win awards, I’ll eat my…er…
Green Border
Polish film about the humanitarian crisis in Belarus, by Agnieszka Holland. What a film. Incredible. Everyone should watch it. Just once. (I never want to see it again).
The Count of Monte Cristo
As much as I hate to say it, I thoroughly enjoyed this - the three hours just flew by! A swashbuckling storybook tale of betrayal and revenge and love, cleverly edited so any violence is implied (making it family friendly, if subtitles aren't a problem for kids). Very French, it had some xenophobic anti-English sentiment, but I think the Brits will take it on the chin and laugh along (the audience I was with certainly did!). Kind of a period, French, Mission Impossible action film, if you like.
Crossing
I thought CROSSING was sublime, everything you could wish for in a (foreign language) film, superb craftmanship and acting, and a great story. I really enjoyed going on that journey with the Georgian mother who’s trying to find her son in Turkey, and her neighbour’s son who tags along. I loved the way it treated the trans (and age) themes, with strong characters who did not view themselves as victims, especially in a devout society where they are more likely to be victimised - it was very human, very empathetic. The note at the beginning, that bordering countries Turkey and Georgia both have gender neutral languages, really set the tone beautifully. And a title with a pun! Loved it!
Between The Temples
I thought this film was an absolute delight. The film just starts, with the only warning being a siren (!), none of the eternal line of logos that adds minutes to the run time of movies these days (as parodied in that episode of The Simpsons). The prologue is so strong, you worry that level can't be sustained for the whole film - no need to worry. A poignant and funny film about a depressed Cantor (Jason Schwarzman) who's lost his singing voice, who then bumps into his old music teacher, who persuades him to do her bat mitzvah [when I write it down on paper, it sounds like a tough sell!]. The cinematography was stunning (shot on 35mm), hats off to the DOP. The script was spot on, the editing snappy, the acting sublime, the directing confident - all the pieces fell together in perfect harmony (pardon the pun). To me it felt like THE GRADUATE of the 2020's. Nice companion to the TV show NOBODY WANTS THIS.
The Apprentice
Ali Abbasi makes films about monsters (BORDER, HOLY SPIDER), so it’s not a stretch that he should move on to the Donald Trump origin story. It’s even-handed and understated (no caricaturing), making it all the more damning. Jeremy Strong is the Dr. Jekyll character, teaching Trump all of his very special skills. Believe me, it’s great. Very very great. It’s tremendous.
Anora
Gosh. I can see what all the fuss was about in Cannes (tried to get in several times, but was always full!), this butt-clenching high-octane film set in New York (lovely to see the Coney Island sets 🎢) about an erotic dancer who gets lucky, so to speak. A sexy Cinderella tale. The Russians and sex workers border on being cliché, but Baker restrains the characterisation in an unexpectedly modern and sensitive way, especially Yura Borisov (from COMPARTMENT NO.6, see Top Ten 2022)’s character. It's funny and moving - totes awkward at the end when ones tears start just as the film ends, and you have to leave the screen before you had a chance to compose yourself! Yeah its great (though I am a little surprised that it won Palme D'Or).
Rumours
Ending on another future cult classic with a strong environmental message (I should’ve picked one, between this and Sasquatch Sunset, but it makes a nice full circle). A group of liberal World Leaders meet to formulate a tag line for the G7 climate crisis in the grounds of a castle in Germany, where an ancient bog-person is being exhumed from the ground. I could barely contain my delight at the unsubtle way this apocalyptic political satire unfolded - soapy music, soft focus, wanking zombies… Although not named, the nation's leaders were so obviously caricatures of their real counterparts (sensible Merkel, sexy Trudeau, doddery Biden), exaggerating their personalities, insecurities and ineptitudes. Director Guy Madden, of course, adds his signature madness - it's amazing. So funny. So brainy.