November 13, 2015 will forever be etched into the minds of the French, as it was the day of a number of co-ordinated terrorist attacks that took place almost simultaneously at a number of different locations in Paris. Director Alice Winocour had a personal connection with the attacks, as her brother was present at the Bataclan (a well-known theatre and concert hall) where the deadliest attack took place that saw scores of people wounded and at least 89 people lose their lives. Thankfully, her brother survived the attack, but this incident is the initial idea about Winocour's “Revoir Paris”, which is less about the terrorist attack itself, but rather the aftermath of it. How the survivors attempt to move on after being part of something so traumatic, whilst also feeling guilty that they have survived while many others around them perished. What makes the film so powerful is that it is told through Mia's eyes. Mia is a survivor of a terrorist attack while visiting a cafe one night, and later finds it hard to move on with life. She is drawn back to the place of the attack and trying to meet up with other people who were there that night, in an attempt to make some sense out of it all. Because of this, the rest of her life suffers, as she is no longer the same person she was before that night. This puts a strain on her relationship with her husband because, even though he is there for her, there is no way he can really understand what is going on in her head because he didn't live through the same ideal. This is why we see Mia drawn to the other survivors, particularly one named Thomas, who she remembers sitting a few tables away from her at the time. The actual terrorist attack is shown, but again from a vantage point from where Mia would only see. It comes out of nowhere and is frightening, and you get some sense of the intense fear that you would be feeling. What follows for the rest of the film is surprising, because it is more a celebration of human kindness as Mia searches for a man who held her hand during the attack, unsure of who he was or if he survived the attack. It is a beautiful film, that is incredibly powerful, largely due to the fact that it does not go the melodramatic root, and overplay the emotional impact of such a story. Virginie Efira has never been better as Mia, and as usual Benoit Magimel impresses as the charismatic Thomas.
19. HOW TO HAVE SEX
Initially I was very disappointed that this was not the documentary I thought it was, because I definitely need some lessons.........No, I am just being silly now. This was one of my frustrating clashes at MIFF (no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't make it fit my schedule), that I was finally able to catch up with in the final week of the year, and I am so glad I did because I thought it was very impressive. Early on though, I did not think that was going to be the case, as I am not a fan of teenage partying and drinking culture and when the opening part of the film featured mostly that, I had a bad feeling that “How To Have Sex” was not for me. However, as it went along, I found myself liking and even caring for the characters director Molly Manning Walker had filled her film with. They were more than just drunk idiots, rather these were real people with real insecurities, acting in a way that they thought was expected of them at these sort of parties. The film is all fun and games, until one morning the group of friends realises that Tara did not return home from the night before from partying. Whilst they assume she must have hooked up with a guy, and was still with him, the girls start to panic when they cannot get in contact with her. It turns out Tara is alive and well, but she did not have the night to remember that they all think she had. Tara, who prior to that night was a virgin, is celebrated by her friends for losing her virginity, but inside Tara is a mess, knowing the encounter with the man was not the hot and romantic moment they all assume it was. Mia McKenna-Bruce is so good as Tara, and is the heart and soul of the film. She has the extremely hard task of presenting this larger-than-life persona, and acting as though everything is awesome with her, but in reality it is anything like that, as she regularly has flashbacks and memories of the night before. The situations and drama within the film have been presented by Walker very realistically, that the film becomes quite scary and at times depressing. It can also be seen as an eye opener for parents of teenagers in regards to the social pressures and expectations that are put on these kids, particularly the girls. It is such a powerful film, that actually shook and disturbed me, but I think it is an important film with a lot to say that also really resonates long after you have finished watching it.
18. THE ROOSTER
This was my favourite Australian film that I saw in 2023, which I was lucky to see at MIFF in a sold-out session (the world premiere, actually) with director Mark Leonard Winter in attendance. With a packed house, the film played like gangbusters, particularly in the very funny scenes, which there are many. The film is about a young policeman, Dan, who after his childhood friend is found dead in the local bush land, heads out there in an attempt to find some answers on how he died. Whilst wandering through the bush, he runs into a very cranky hermit, and while their initial encounter is fiery, the two men end up striking a bond and then a friendship, as they begin to realise that they have more in common than they initially would have guessed. I thought this was an outstanding film, in every facet, and was stunned to learn that this was Winter's first film as a director, because the quality of “The Rooster” was that of a season veteran. The cinematography is particularly beautiful, with the Australian landscapes looking stunning, but throughout the film, there were a number of odd and surreal moments (that work exceptionally well) that just did not feel like the work of a rookie director. Winter is in total control of his own film here, and through “The Rooster” he comes across as a very confident director with a great handle on both tone, and pace. The absolute highlight of the film though is Hugo Weaving and his batshit crazy performance as the un-named hermit. He is magnificent! I have said this before, but Weaving is a national treasure, who keeps churning out stunning performance after stunning performance, year after year. At times he is so funny in this, when he has these out-of-nowhere foul-mouthed outbursts. Whilst “The Rooster” starts off as something of a mystery, it evolves more into an examination of guilt, shame, loneliness, the male ego and masculinity, whilst also touching on themes of mental illness and depression too. I was super, super impressed by “The Rooster” and hope it does well when it gets a national release here in Australia later in February. One of the funniest moments I saw in a film this year takes place during “The Rooster”, when we get a montage of Dan and the hermit running around the forest, playing table-tennis, and enjoying each others company. Throughout the montage it keeps cutting back to the pair sitting outside naked, waiting for their washed clothes to dry. The montage continues until it ends on the sitting, naked pair when Weaving says “maybe we should have waited for a sunny day!”. It got a massive laugh in the cinema.
17. MONICA
This was the final film I saw in 2023, and it totally blew me away. It is a quiet family drama about an estranged daughter's return to her family, when her mother is close to dying from a brain tumour. The woman has not been a part of her family's lives for a least a decade after her mother essentially disowned her due to a lifestyle choice. The film is all about love and reconnecting with loved ones, and forming new bonds, and it is yet another powerful piece of work, and this is mainly due to the subtlety director Andrea Pallaoro uses in telling her story. In different hands this film could have been an absolute disaster, amping up key moments in emotional intensity with uplifting music blaring......but Pallaoro strips it right back, and portrays the story as honestly as possible which sometimes leads to some uncomfortable and painful moments. There are some big moments within the film that the audience is anticipating, with the biggest one being when will the mother recognise exactly who Monica is. Like I have just said, in different hands, this moment could have been really big, with the characters and audience in tears, but here it is done via a simple gesture of reaching out a hand, and a smile; we know that she now knows. The moment we have been waiting for all film ends up being this tiny moment, and yet it is so powerful!! You feel it in your gut; and that is how the whole film plays out. It is such a stunning achievement as here we have a film that is “just” a family drama about abandonment, acceptance, relationships, failing health, and forgiveness, that ultimately ends on a scene of absolute hope. It is such a complex and nuanced film, that I couldn't be more impressed by, and Trace Lysette is absolutely sensational in the titular role of Monica. I must say that if you plan on seeing “Monica”, please try and go in knowing as little as possible, as the film is more rewarding when you now nothing about the situations beforehand.
16. SUBTRACTION
I think everyone by now knows I have a love of Iranian films, but another thing that I love is films about twins or doppelgangers with themes of identity, so when I heard that director Mani Haghighi's new film was about just that and that it was a thriller, I knew I was going to love this film, and it turns out I was right in a big way. Haghighi is like the rock star of Iranian directors, in which I mean he just doesn't seem to care about what is considered the norm in films from that country (which are mainly social dramas). His films are so different from anything else coming out of Iran in that they are big, broad, often very funny, and less political, and he never makes the same thing twice. They are also very, very entertaining. Whilst the film crackles with directorial energy, the true key to the success of “Subtraction” all boils down to the two leads abilities to create two different characters , making them easily identifiable from one another because obviously each looks the same. Both Taraneh Alidoosti and Navid Mohammadzadeh are phenomenal at achieving this task, as you become convinced that you are watching two distinct couples, and this is done with more than just the average change in clothing and make-up. I must admit that when the two couples originally crossed paths with one another, I initially struggled to work out who was who, but once I worked it out (which didn't take long at all) I was never in doubt as to which variation of the character I was looking at onscreen. What is interesting about the whole doppelganger element to “Subtraction” is that they are not real doppelgangers at all; they are two distinct couples living apart from one another, unaware of each other, until they eventually cross paths. It is only then that the trouble starts to begin as questions of identity are raised, as well as the morals behind falling in love with another woman or man who happens to look exactly like your partner. Can it be helped or stopped if one of them falls in love or is drawn to a “better” version of the person they already love? It is actually really interesting stuff. The suspense of the film comes from the fact that one member does not know about the phenomenon, with the other three trying to keep it from him, due to his unpredictable and volatile nature, but then being stuck in the same place as him. Going into a film that deals with doppelgangers, you can often sense where the movie is going to end up. There is really only one ending that makes sense, and so while the end of “Subtraction” is a little predictable, I must admit that I was also quite surprised with how Mani Haghighi concluded his film (how's that for a contradictory statement?!). “Subtraction” has been handsomely put together, filled with stunning cinematography that makes the film feel “big”; the tension is continually raised as the film goes along until it ends in an explosive but very satisfying conclusion. I loved it! Click here to read my original review.
15. WINGWOMEN
Sometimes I think us cinephiles can take ourselves and the medium a little too seriously. What is wrong with loving a film just for being entertaining and putting a smile on our faces for its two hour running time. This is exactly what happened with me and Melanie Laurent's “Wingwomen”. I absolutely loved this film, but because there is essentially nothing that hasn't been seen before in the film, I actually thought about naming it my “guilty pleasure”of the year. However I realised I had nothing to feel guilty about loving “Wingwomen”; it was designed to be fun, silly, funny and something you could just turn on and forget about any troubles you may have while it played, and it succeeds beautifully in all facets. “Wingwomen” is essentially another “one final job” film as it is about two best friends, Alex and Carole, who make their living as thieves who decide they have had enough of this lifestyle and want to stop to live normal lives. When they propose the idea to their boss, nicknamed “The Godmother”, she is not happy about it, but says she will think it over if they do one last job, which is stealing a famous and rare painting that is soon to be put on display for the public. They reluctantly agree, and realise that they are going to need one extra person for the job, so they hire Sam, a fiery race-car driver for their getaway. From here though, they need to train Sam up with firearms training, self defence, and basic fitness to get her ready for her first criminal job, all whilst knowing the likelihood that “The Godmother” is unlikely to let them go after they have finished the job. As I said, the plot is kind-of been there, done that, but the reason it is so successful and entertaining has to do with the insane likeability of the cast, and the fantastic chemistry they have together. Melanie Laurent plays Carole, whilst the stunningly gorgeous Adele Exarchopoulos plays firearms expert and sniper, Alex and they are both so, so good. They have this natural rapport that makes you truly believe that they have been best friends for years. The way they joke with each other, bicker or make fun of the other, it shows a comfortability between the two of them, but there is also a deep (platonic) love between them too. These are characters that you love being around because they are fun loving and have a sense of morals (despite regularly killing people while stealing things). I was unaware of Manon Bresch, who plays Sam, before this, but when she enters the film later on, she fits in perfectly, with the petty sniping between her and Alex being very amusing. “Wingwomen” has also been beautifully directed with a lot of flair by Laurent, who uses the exotic locations of the film to great effect. I have seen most of Laurent's directorial efforts and I believe that she is truly an excellent director; she's never boring from the visual side of things either, regularly finding unusual angles to shoot a scene from to keep it interesting. An excellent example of this is the scene when the group locate and assassinate a bunch of thugs who, unluckily for them, killed Alex's pet bunny when it got caught in the crossfire of a hit on the girls themselves. During the scene, Carole and Sam dance a flamenco, distracting the guys, while Alex nails them, one-by-one, from afar with her rifle. It is a cool scene in a cool movie; one that you can just tell the actors themselves had a ball making too (as seen in the outtakes during the credits), and I refuse to feel guilty for loving “Wingwomen”.
14. TRENQUE LAUQUEN
I was initially very intimidated by the four hour and twenty minute running time of “Trenque Lauquen” back when I saw it at MIFF, while also cautiously excited because for some reason I just had a really good feeling about this film. My feeling turned out to be prophetic as I absolutely loved “Trenque Lauquen” and the extended running time just flew by. The success of “Trenque Lauquen” and why it was so easy to sit through was due to the fun atmosphere of the film and with how playful it all was with format. The film almost plays like a novel in that it is broken down into twelve chapters. What it really reminded me of though was an old silent serial where each new chapter added more fun and intrigue to the story line. I am quite a big fan of pioneering French filmmaker Louis Feuillade and his silent serials like “Les Vampires”, “Judex” and “Tih Minh”, and to me “Trenque Lauquen” truly felt like an updated modern version of the types of films he used to make one hundred years ago, which I think may be one of the reasons I love this film so much. Like those serials, director Laura Citarella playfully tells her tale by mixing genres so what you initially think is going to be a straight ahead drama, ends up dipping its toes into other genres like romance, mystery, suspense, horror and even sci-fi (seriously), which is just delightful. It just makes the film so much fun because you never really know where it is going to go next. It is always bubbling away from scene to scene, full of energy, light-hearted and always fun. This is true even when serious things are being explored, like for instance Laura's disappearance. What I think the film is really about are stories themselves, and the importance of storytelling and how telling a person's story, it keeps that person alive or relevant. There are many times during “Trenque Lauquen” when a story thread begins and is followed for however long Citarella sees fit, but doesn't always feel the need to close out that story or thread. It sounds like it could be frustrating for the viewer, all lead up and no pay off, but actually experiencing the film, it turned out to be the opposite as I found it exhilarating, as it was more about the journey than the destination. I think also because each plot strand is followed so genuinely by Citarella and her cast, you are willing as an audience member to go along for the ride too. You feel the same excitement the character's do as they are investigating something, finding clues and making educated conclusions. You would think that a film about the disappearance of a certain character, that the person playing that character would have little to do, but that is not the case here, as while Laura is the person who goes missing, she is also the main character of “Trenque Lauquen”, and actress Laura Paredes is outstanding in the role. She also co-wrote the film with director Laura Citarella, so you assume that her character is very close to her heart but she doesn't produce a false note in this very long film. You just believe her in every moment even when she is experiencing or reacting to the very unbelievable. Probably my favourite contribution to the film though was Gabriel Chwojnik's very playful score which really reflects the changes within the narrative and genre as the film goes along. I particularly got a kick out of just how sci-fi he went with the music as the story heads down that path too. Like the film itself, the music is light, energetic and a whole lot of fun. Click here to read my original review.
13. THE ORIGIN OF EVIL
It is strange how sometimes you can view a single image from a film and just know that the film is going to connect with you. This kind of happened here with me when I saw the origin French poster for “The Origin of Evil”. Whilst the image itself doesn't really resonate with me in terms of things I am necessarily interested in, what it did do was evoke the spirit of Claude Chabrol's bourgeois thrillers, so I felt compelled to search it out and watch it. As it turns out, the film is much more De Palma than Chabrol, but with De Palma being my favourite director, I am sure you realise why I ended up loving “The Origin of Evil” so much. The story is about a woman, Stephane, who attempts to connect with her estranged father whom she has never met. The man turns out to be a multi-millionaire, and no matter how much Stephane pleads to the opposite, her father's new family are sure that she just wants his money, and they will do anything to stop that. That is the basic starting point of the film, and from there it is filled with twists and turns that would be criminal to highlight. This is such a fantastic and fun thriller from director Sebastien Marnier who does an excellent job of keeping his cards close to his chest, so that each new twist is a surprise and adding a new wrinkle to the story. This is Marnier's third feature film, and from all accounts his best yet. It is the first of his that I have seen but I will definitely be looking forward to his future films because he has a keen visual sense, and does an excellent job of building suspense within a story before he rips the carpet out from underneath you. The entire cast is very good, they are a wacky bunch of eccentric characters, but the film really does belong to Laure Calamy who plays lead character Stephane. Her role is much more complex than you initially think, but which becomes obvious the more the story twists and turns; at times she comes across as a victim, other times as the manipulator, however as passive as she may seem initially, she is much stronger than anyone expects or gives her credit for. Her performance is both warm and calculating, depending where you are in her story, but Calamy is just perfect in every scene. Calamy was also excellent in another French thriller that I saw this year, “Full Time”, (about a woman trying to get to work during a transport strike), which only just missed making my top 25 list, so she has had a stellar year. It is really hard to talk about what makes “The Origin of Evil” so great without ruining its surprises, so I'll just say that it is a superior and very playful thriller that I had an absolute ball with (I have actually seen it twice, and it still works amazingly well even after you know its surprises), and recommend wholeheartedly.
12. POOR THINGS
I have been a fan of Yorgos Lanthimos's surreal idiosyncratic and skewed perspective of the world from almost the beginning, and with his latest film, “Poor Things”, he may have created his most insane film yet. It may also, arguably, be his best. The film tells the story of Bella Baxter, the Frankenstein-like creation of her “father”, Dr Baxter, who found the girl's deceased body floating in a river after the poor girl took her own life. Realising that the woman was also pregnant at the time, and that the fetus was still alive, the good doctor (or mad scientist) did the only normal and responsible thing which was to take the brain from the unborn child, replace it in Bella and then reanimate her back to life (!). From there the madness really takes off as we are witness to Bella's journey of discovery as she realises how great it is to be alive and human, whilst also being witness to the darkness that can, at times, also comes with humanity. This is such an odd, odd film, but at the same time, so easy to love because of the purity of Bella as a character. She is someone who has no filter, no social programming, nor any shame about anything she is doing. She does things because she wants to, or the opposite as well. If she eats something that she doesn't like the taste of, she will spit it out, despite the setting or who she may be eating with. Part of the fun of the film is the fact that Bella is out-of-sync with herself, in that she has the brain of a newborn, yet the body of a fully grown adult. This creates an awkwardness inherent within the character both in speech and movement, while Bella's brain attempts to catch up with her body. My favourite scene in the film is when Bella is out to dinner with Duncan (Mark Ruffalo). It is a swanky affair, very high class, when suddenly Bella hears music, and instantly and almost involuntarily reacts to it. Rising from her chair, she finds herself moving to the music, but she has no real control over her body so looks like a broken doll dancing her heart out. The funniest bit though is when Duncan attempts to keep up with Bella, as if it is some rehearsed dance between them, with the two of them looking ridiculous, although their reactions are totally opposite. He is stressed that he is looking the fool in front of his peers, whilst she is having the time of her life. Emma Stone is wonderful as Bella, and you take for granted just how hard the role is. She is always speaking in broken sentences with words never flowing from her mouth with any ease, while at the same time having to deal with the physical aspects of the role with the distinct way she walks and moves. She is also constantly evolving, and learning so her performance is always in flux and motion. Mark Ruffalo is also fantastic as the stuffy and pompous Duncan; arrogant and full of himself, until he becomes a shell of himself, thanks to Bella. Willem Dafoe surprises in the softness he brings to his role of the good doctor, as he lets his feelings become involved with Bella so he ends up more of a father figure than a scientist studying an experiment. I also want to mention just how great Kathryn Hunter is as Swiney, the Madam at the brothel Bella decides to work at. It is a tiny role, but she is just outstanding in the limited screen-time she has. Visually, like all of Yorgos Lanthimos's films, “Poor Things” looks stunning, thanks to Robbie Ryan's beautiful, yet odd cinematography and Shona Heath and James Price's very bizarre production design. It all looks very strange but at the same time stunningly beautiful. I would also be remiss in my duties if I did not mention Jerskin Fendrix's very off-kilter score, which sounds unlike anything I have heard before, but fits the film like a glove and adds so much to Bella's world and perspective of it. There is so much going on in “Poor Things”, and so much more I could say, but just be prepared that it is a very, very weird film, that is also very frank in its depictions of sex and nudity (there is a lot of it!), but also has the most wonderful lead character at its centre, who fills the film with heart and pathos.
11. CLOSE
Lukas Dhont's tale of adolescent male friendship, “Close” was one of the most devastatingly beautiful films I saw in 2023. For a film with such a gentle heart, it packed a massive punch, that absolutely floored me. It also almost did not make it onto this list due to an oversight by myself where I thought it had actually came out in 2022. When I realised I had actually seen it in January, I quickly had to re-arrange my entire top 25 to fit the film in. “Close” is about two boys (in their early teens), Leo and Remi, who are the best of friends and have been that way since they were very little. They are incredibly close with the boys often touching and hugging each other, laying on each other or even sleeping together in the same bed. They spend a lot of time with each other, with each boy feeling an extended part of the other's family. They have a pure love for each other, but not a romantic love. This continues when they begin high school, but it isn't long before their closeness is noticed by their classmates, who then think that the two must be gay and together. They both deny this, but as the scrutiny on their relationship increases, Leo starts to pull away from Remi in attempt to avoid being labelled as “gay”. Remi is hurt and devastated by this change in their friendship, but attempts to continue to go on like normal, but Leo starts to ignore him more and more, as Remi finds himself ostracised, which leads to devastating consequences. As I have said, this is such a beautiful film, filled with so much colour, both figuratively and literally. The opening scenes of the film, with the two boys just playing and having fun together, are the key to the film and its success, so you can see just how far they boy's relationship deteriorates in such a short time. Even Leo's relationship with Remi's mother changes significantly, and it is so heartbreaking to see, when we think back to those early scenes. The film really highlights what we can lose via society's need to label things, or put a name to something they do not understand or have themselves. I keep wanting to use the word “gentle” for this film, which is especially true in the performances of the two boys. Eden Dambrine is just wonderful as Leo, in a role that is incredibly complex, especially later in the film when he has to deal with his regret and guilt over his part in the end of their friendship. You can feel how much pain he is in over it, particularly over not standing up for the friendship. Dambrine has a beautiful, natural chemistry with Gustave De Waele, who plays Remi, making the intense closeness of their friendship believable from the outset. De Waele plays Remi as the more sensitive of the boys, but also in a sense, the stronger of the two in the fact that he did not give in to a peer pressure and act differently because of it. I also have to mention Emilie Dequenne who plays Sophie, Remi's mother. She only has a couple of scenes in the film, but she stands out whenever she is onscreen, and in such a short amount of time, she brings so much heart into the film. “Close” is a beautiful, stunning, devastating film that you will never forget.
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