Sofia Coppola's films always seem like a breath of fresh air when compared to the majority of what is released into cinemas these days; her soft, feminine, quietly introspective examinations of whatever topic or story she is exploring, seem a far cry from the bombastic, loud, muscular cinema that is often the norm. Whilst I thought Coppola's previous film, “On The Rocks”, was one of her lesser achievements, she is back in top form with her bio-pic of Priscilla Presley, whilst showing a different side of Elvis and their whirlwind love affair. It is unashamably romantic in the opening half of the film, as Elvis woos an underage Priscilla. We are witness to a young girl falling in love, head over heels, with one of her idols who also happens to be one of the most famous people in America. In that sense, it is like a heightened first love story, as Priscilla gives herself fully to Elvis, while also finding it unbelievable that out of all the girls throwing themselves at him, he has chosen her. The first half of the film has an excited energy to it, that mirrors Priscilla's own excitement while falling in love. Coppola never shies away from the fact that Priscilla was very young when they first started dating, but counters this with a very respectful Elvis, who is a total gentleman with Priscilla, including always being upfront with her parents and asking their permission. It isn't until Elvis convinces Priscilla to move to America and live with him at Graceland, that the story takes a darker turn, with Priscilla realising that the fantasy of being with someone so famous, is completely different to the reality of it, as she often finds herself alone, bored and forever waiting for him to return. “Priscilla” is a delightful film that has been sumptuously made, and is stunning to look at. There is a beautiful softness to Coppola's visuals, thanks to the glorious production design which leans heavily on pastel colours and fabrics. The way Philippe Le Sourd's camera gracefully glides through Graceland, it exposes the wealth and beauty on display, but also how lonely a space it is when not populated by Elvis and his crew. In a way, Priscilla is trapped in a beautiful prison, unable to leave on the off chance that Elvis may return, or call and need her. While I think there is no doubt that there is true love between Elvis and Priscilla, Coppola's film seems to say that it was always on Elvis's terms; from what Priscilla did, to what she was allowed to wear, even her hair colour. Cailee Spaeny is wonderful in the title role which, like the film itself, relies on a quiet intensity. We watch her grow from an excited child to determined young woman, willing to give up on what on the outside looks like a fairy tale love story, for a life of her own, not one that is controlled by a man, even if that man is Elvis Presley. In regards to Elvis himself, I wasn't as big a fan of Jacob Elordi's performance as the King. I think he nails the voice, but lacks the charisma of the legend. He seems to disappear in a room, when he should always be big, front and centre. What is interesting and something that you would think would work against “Priscilla” is the lack of Elvis songs used, and yet you barely notice it. I think it actually works for the film, like Coppola is saying “I know Elvis is the King. I know you love him. But this is Priscilla's story, and I will not be falling back on his music to tell her story”, and Phoenix's score works so well within the story that you do not miss the Elvis songs.
9. DREAM SCENARIO
Nicolas Cage makes so many average films that we often forget just how great an actor he really is when he is committed and inspired by a project, and “Dream Scenario” is the latest film to open our eyes and remind us. Cage is so good in this film, playing just an everyday, normal (some would say boring) professor, but he is so real, natural and very, very funny. The story of “Dream Scenario” sees Cage playing a college professor, Paul Matthews. who ends up in a very weird phenomenon where random people start seeing him in their dreams. He never does anything in the dreams, but is always there just watching, but never interfering with whatever the person is dreaming about. As the days go on, the amount of people who dream about him grows until he becomes something of a celebrity with talk shows wanting to interview him, and marketing managers trying to hire him to advertise a number of products. For a man who is barely noticed in his real life, this sudden celebrity is both something of a shock for Paul, who is used to the quiet life, but also something he embraces as he is suddenly “cool” to both his students and kids at home. However when the dreams suddenly, and for no reason, turn into nightmares where Paul is attacking or killing the dreamer, his short lived celebrity is quickly and brutally torn apart by a ruthless cancel culture, upturning Paul's real life in the process. Director Kristoffer Borgli's “Dream Scenario” is a fantastic look at the dark side of celebrity, as well as a condemnation of cancel culture, particularly in regards to people who are affected when they have done nothing to deserve it. Borgli had a particularly great 2023 as his previous film, the Norwegian-language “Sick of Myself” (which also deals with celebrity too, but in a much different fashion), was released to English language territories and received quite well. I like both films a lot, but think “Dream Scenario” is the stronger of the two, mainly due to the fantastic performance from Nicolas Cage. In terms of other characters Cage has played in his career, his Paul Matthews is a close cousin to his Charlie Kaufman from “Adaptation”. We watch Cage as he suddenly has an aura about him when the light is shining bright on him, to then see him totally befuddled and devastated as he begins to lose it all, without doing anything to garner either response. Borgli's handling of the dream sequences are great too, with the early ones being surreal and odd, filled with that bizarre dream logic, whilst the nightmare scenes are truly like little, contained horror films; some creepy, some terrifying, and some very bloody. We are never given a reason for why Paul appears in everyone's dreams which I think is the right move because trying to explain it would ruin it as it would no doubt come across as silly. I have to point at that I love 95% of “Dream Scenario”, but the final ten minutes, when Borgli adds a completely new element to the film, just do not work and feel like they are from a different film entirely. What comes before it though is both brilliant, extremely funny, and very thought provoking.
8. THE HOLDOVERS
Paul Giamatti and director Alexander Payne once again have hit gold with “The Holdovers” , their first collaboration together since “Sideways” way back in 2004. This new film also sees Giamatti play a dull professor, but unlike the one Nicolas Cage plays in “Dream Scenario”, Giamatti's Paul Hunham is a cranky, sarcastic beast, who seems more intent on belittling his students when they fail, than take the time out to make sure they succeed. He is a solitary man, living alone on campus, where his work is essentially his life and vice versa. During the Christmas holidays, he draws the short straw of the teacher to stay back and take care of the kids who are unable to go home to their parents. Through a number of circumstances that then takes place, Paul is left with one boy, Angus, who along with the head-cook Mary, end up forming a little family together. By spending one on one time with the boy, this sees Paul cool in his snark as they both start to take an interest in each other and begin to realise that they have more in common than they first thought, and that there was more to the other than they initially assumed. Over the next two weeks, the three of them end up going on unsolicited adventures (written up as school excursions), in an attempt to make the most out of a bad situation, where Paul starts to come to terms with the failings of his past, and Angus learns he has more control over his future than he once thought. This is a fantastic film built around a truly brilliant script. There is a truthfulness that reigns supreme over “The Holdovers”, in terms of both the characters and situations they find themselves in. At times the film is both funny and poignant, with a whole lot of heart. Paul is such a wonderful character; hard to get along with at times, sure and with an intense love of academia, but he is genuine to a fault. He never sugar-coats anything, which can be a detrimental quality at times, but at least you always know that what he tells you is the truth. Giamatti gives 2023's second best performance by a male actor in his characterisation of Paul, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph is just as good as Mary. Actually I was blown away by Randolph who is devastatingly good as the mother of a boy recently killed in Vietnam; you can see the amount of pain she is in, but who refuses to let life beat her. She still believes that life is worth living even through the hardest times. While the film is set during the early 1970s, the film itself just screams “70's cinema”. From the aesthetics of that decade to the way the film has been shot, with the use of pans and zooms, it feels of that era, when we used to regularly get challenging and rewarding cinema that did not pander to the lowest common denominator. “The Holdovers” is a new Christmas classic and a throw-back to an era of cinema lost.
7. KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
Arguably the best reviewed film of the year, Martin Scorsese's tale of the brutal and systematic murders of the Osage people by the local white community in an attempt to steal their oil out from under their feet, is one of the master director's very best films. Huge in scope, with a running time to match, “Killers of the Flower Moon” centres on a dumb and easy-to-manipulate man, Ernest, who arrives in town to find work with his uncle, William Hale. Working as a driver, Ernest soon meets Mollie, and the two start a love affair which ultimately ends up in marriage and children. However behind the scenes, Hale is working on trying to secure Mollie's family land into Ernest's name (so the wealth from the oil comes to them), by killing off her siblings one-by-one, sometimes with the direct help of Ernest himself. Everyone knows I am a huge Scorsese fan (he is one of my three favourite directors) and all of his films are like events to me, particularly now this late in his career. The man just understands cinema and how to get the best out of any story, and yet, there is something about “Killers of the Flower Moon” that also feels new to any Scorsese film before it. There is a sadness to the film, almost like an inevitability that the Osage will be wiped out, and the whites will suffer nothing for the murder and destruction they have caused. The violence is less celebrated here than usual, and more condemned. I do not know how to explain it properly, but at times it feels more like an apology or at least a document on questioning how this was able to happen. Scorsese has garnered three fantastic performances from Leonardo DiCaprio as Ernest, Robert DeNiro as William Hale, and Lily Gladstone as Mollie. I think the character of Ernest is a much more complex one than you initially think because he does truly love Mollie, but is also complicit in murdering her sisters, and yet he appears emotionally removed from those crimes because he sees himself as a good husband to Mollie. DeNiro is always at his best when working with Scorsese and it holds true again here, as he is magnificent portraying William as the snake he truly is. Charming and lovable when amongst the Osage, but behind closed doors, he is terrifying in his efficiency at executing his plans to steal their land via any means necessary. The heart and soul of the film though belongs to Gladstone and her portrayal of Mollie, the poor woman who loses so much during the story except the love and trust of her husband, which leads to even more devastating results. She has a moment when she lets out a blood chilling scream at the bottom of a staircase that will haunt you for days after. With a running time of close to four hours, the film feels half of that, with a narrative that is always moving so that you never find yourself bored for a second.
6. AFIRE
Once again Christian Petzold has shown to the world just how great a director he is with “Afire”. Right from the opening frame of the film, his direction felt effortless; like always, I felt like I was in the hands of a master filmmaker, as he is able to construct an involving social drama, that is also very funny at times, while having his film anchored with something that could be a death knell to a lesser director, and that is a very unsympathetic lead character. Leon is an utter douche bag; he is so self involved, so self-important, totally inept in social situations, while also being jealous of those who find these situations easier to be in then himself, and he is nowhere near the talented writer he thinks he is. Somehow Petzold actually gets you to care for the guy at the same time you are rolling your eyes at him. So often you just want to slap Leon and get him to wake up, get him to remove his head from his own arse, so he could notice exactly what was happening in front of him, and through all this, I still found myself caring for the douche and worrying about the things he was going through. No doubt, actor Thomas Schubert deserves a lot of the credit here in creating a performance that exposes Leon's insecurities and flaws as a person, but doesn't go too far over the edge where we hate the poor guy. It probably also helps that the majority of his scenes are played opposite Paula Beer, Petzold's current muse, who returns for her third consecutive film with the director. She is outstanding in her role as Nadja, so light, free and full of life, almost like the opposite of Leon. She lives in the moment, finding enjoyment wherever she can, but at the same time she is also a serious academic. The relationship between Nadja and Leon is very complex, and essentially the backbone of the film, as it is constantly evolving (and at times devolving), but at all times you can see that Nadja only wants to help Leon to become both a better writer and person, someone who can actually live in the moment. As I mentioned above, Beer is so naturalistic in her performance, that you cannot help but love her character. The film drifts, building very slowly, that you could almost be excused for thinking that the film is going nowhere, but which could not be further from the truth, as it all wraps up in the most brilliant ending that is particularly poignant due to everything that has come before it. Unlike most modern filmmakers, Petzold is fantastic at finding the perfect moment to end a film on and “Afire” has yet another brilliant ending, with the image of some hands being incredibly powerful. It is a sensational film filled with complex characters and relationships, but breaking it down to its base element, “Afire” is really about a man learning to live in the moment, not taking himself too seriously and take notice of what is in front of him, which if he begins to learn these lessons, will see him become a better writer and human being in general. “Afire” is another fantastic film from Christian Petzold, one of the best and most consistent directors working in world cinema today. Click here to read my original review.
5. MAY DECEMBER
While it is never stated in the film as such, the story of “May December” is based on the real-life case of Mary Kay Letourneau, who was a school teacher that was sent to prison for her part in the “romance” between her and a twelve year old boy, in Washington. Without going into too many details, the interesting thing about this case is that Letourneau, while in prison (or waiting to be imprisoned), gave birth to two children fathered by this boy. Further more, once Letourneau was released from jail after doing her time, Letourneau and Vili Fualaau (the boy, who now, was over the age of twenty) ended up marrying each other, living together as husband and wife. None of that is part of “May December” except in the background, as Haynes briefly addresses the scandal of his characters via a quick montage of newspaper articles and headlines detailing all of this, so we understand why a Hollywood actress would want to take the time to meet these people and then play them onscreen. As you can tell, all of this is very heavy stuff, so you would think that it would ultimately force Todd Haynes' film to be a serious drama to examine all of this, but the most surprising aspect of “May December”, and the biggest reason for why it is so great, is the gutsy, (and very deliberate) campy tone that Haynes gives to his film. I was not expecting “May December” to be a funny film at all, and yet at times it is hilarious! “May December” is filled with wonderful performances especially from the three lead characters. This is Julianne Moore's fifth time working with Todd Haynes and I always feel like magic is created when these two get together. Whilst I doubt that they could ever top their masterpiece, “Far from Heaven” (a rare five-star film for me), Moore once again creates a complex character with Gracie. She plays her as a woman who still feels she has nothing to apologise for, that she has done nothing wrong, nor is she embarrassed or ashamed of it, and yet we can see through interactions with both Joe and her own kids, just how manipulative she can be through her words and tone. It is interesting watching the power dynamics between her and Joe even now, as Gracie still stands over him like he is a little kid even though he is now a fully grown adult and much bigger in stature than her. Gracie is definitely the dominant party in this marriage and gets angry when she doesn't get her way, belittling Joe in the process. “May December” is Natalie Portman's film though, hands down. Granted, she has the most “showy” role in the film, but she does it so, so well. When she first enters Gracie's house to meet the family, she comes across as really down to earth and friendly, but as she asks more and more personal questions, particularly to Joe involving the psychological aspects of what happened, you can feel she isn't as genuine as she wants to come across. She keeps saying that she only wants to be true to the story, but her questions are loaded to the point that it feels like Elizabeth has already come to town with her own opinion on Gracie's story, so instead of actually listening to what both Gracie and Joe are saying, she keeps trying to steer the conversations towards the more controversial or salacious material of their story. The more and more Elizabeth tries to embody Gracie and get under her skin to understand her fully, the creepier Portman's performance gets, where by the end she goes to quite a dark and controversial place, all under the guise of capturing the “truth”. The other performance of note in “May December” is that of Charles Melton, who plays Joe. He is the most grounded and realistic of all the characters in the film, mainly because he seems to be the only one truly looking inside of himself, and trying to come to terms with exactly what happened to him and what he has lost because of it. I adored “May December”, and I got amusement out of a patron at MIFF describing the film to another as “the best and most Todd Haynes picture yet”. While I wouldn't go that far, I knew exactly what she meant, as the film feels like it could have only been made by this director. He is mining material and themes similar to that he has done before, but it never feels derivative of anything else he has made. It is a fantastically complex film, creepy at times and always uncomfortable, told in a deliberately campy style and filled to the brim with great performances. Click here to read my original review.
4. FALLEN LEAVES
My most anticipated film of 2023 was Aki Kaurismaki's “Fallen Leaves”, and boy, it did not disappoint me one little bit. I like the way the imdb describes the film so here it is: “In modern-day Helsinki, two lonely souls in search of love meet by chance in a karaoke bar. However, their path to happiness is beset by obstacles - from lost phone numbers to mistaken addresses, alcoholism, and a charming stray dog.” As you can see, the plot is simplicity itself, it is essentially a romantic comedy but it has all been done in Kaurismaki's trademark deadpan style. I absolutely fell in love with the film right from the onset. It was everything I wanted it to be, and so much more. It was one of those films where I knew I had a big, ridiculous smile on my face the whole time I was watching it. “Fallen Leaves” is the fourth film in his Proletariat Trilogy (which is so funny, and so Kaurismaki, to have a fourth part in a “trilogy”), and it fits nicely among these group of films, both in its quality of filmmaking and in its themes explored. Like always, Kaurismaki has teamed with cinematographer Timo Salminen, to give the film a rich, textured and lived-in look. Bursting with colour and fitted with retro-technology, as you would expect. Radios and televisions all look like they have come from the 1950's, and while surprisingly, mobile phones do make an appearance in “Fallen Leaves”, they are the older, text-only versions from the 90's, that the characters use. In fact, if it was not for the constant reports on the radio about Russia's invasion of the Ukraine, you could swear that the film was a period piece. Other Kaurismaki trademarks like smoke filled pubs, live musical bands, and dead-pan comedy, mixed in with tragedy, are all present in “Fallen Leaves”, so if you are a fan of the director, I cannot see anyone not loving this. The film has been put together expertly; brilliantly shot, and particularly, edited, however the genius of the film comes down to its simplicity. It is a small scale story, that packs an emotional punch. Too many films these days are so overstuffed, in what appears to be just to inflate their running time. The art of editing almost appears dead, in terms of trimming unnecessary fat from a film. “Fallen Leaves” has a running time of only 81 minutes, but every minute is worth it. “Fallen Leaves” sees the introduction of two new actors to Kaurismaki's world, with Alma Poysti and Jussi Vatanen playing Ansa and Holappa respectively, and both are outstanding. They fit seamlessly into Kaurismaki's Finland, as if they had been working with the director all of their lives. I do wonder how different it must feel for an actor to work in a Kaurismaki film, because he obviously demands the actor to deliver performances in the most stone-faced and dead-pan manner, with very limited dialogue, and yet still find a way to express emotions within these restrictions. Regardless of how hard they may have found it, both Poysti and Vatanen do a wonderful job in their roles. The film is so funny, because of the dead-pan nature in the way it is told and acted, and I found myself laughing out loud regularly, with the karaoke scene being a particular highlight. Aside from the comedy, “Fallen Leaves” actually tackles some serious issues with depth, particularly Holappa's alcoholism and the detrimental effect it is having on his work life, and relationships, and looking at why he depends on alcohol so much. The Russian invasion of the Ukraine is also highlighted regularly, with reports on how many people have died being a constant on the radio. It appears that as Aki Kaurismaki is getting older, he is getting a little softer, because his earlier films were all often quite downbeat; hilarious but downbeat. Whilst “Fallen Leaves” does take a turn towards the tragic that I was not expecting, it does also end on a note of optimism. There is a golden moment near the end (my absolute favourite cinema moment of 2023), where Asna smiles and winks, that melted my heart. It is so quick, maybe a second or less, and not something you would normally see in a Kaurismaki film, but the moment is so perfect here; I just loved it! Click here to read my original review.
3. SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE
The rare animated feature to wind up on one of my list, “Spider-Man: Across the Universe” wasn't even a film I was planning on seeing on the big screen, despite how much I enjoyed the previous film. Superhero films have gotten so bad in recent years, and I continually feel like I am watching the same thing over and over again, that I swore off watching any, and have stayed true to that. However, soon after this new film's release I received a very passionate text message from my brother (who is a massive fan of animation) telling me just how fantastic it was, calling it the movie of the year so far. On his recommendation I decided to see it in theatres and to see if he was right, which he was. At that time of the year, “Spider-Man: Across the Universe” was the best film of 2023. This film has everything; it is dramatic, action packed, very funny, and has so much heart! The animation is also to die for!! I have never seen anything like it, and part of that is because the art style regularly changes depending on which multi-verse the story is taking place in, with my absolute favourite being the Spider-Gwen world, as it had this water-colour painterly look to it. I know that I wont be able to explain this properly, but when Miles Morales ends up in the Spider-Man headquarters, the way the animation styles keep changing in shot/in scene is totally insane and must have taken forever to design and achieve, and as wild and crazy as it all looks, it just works perfectly in the film and for this story. The film sees Miles being taken through the multi-verse by the other Spider-People to Spider-Headquarters to explain to him that in each of their universes, some story lines are canon and must take place so the entire multi-verse does not implode. One of these things is having a loved one die, like Peter Parker does with Uncle Ben, and Gwen Stacy does with her father. For Miles, it is indeed meant to be his father that has to die, so in an attempt to let that happen in his universe, the other Spider-People try to distract Miles long enough so that his dad can be murdered by a new villain named Spot. When Miles works out what is going on, he attempts an escape determined to save both his dad and the multi-verse that will come crashing down if he succeeds. For an animated film, “Spider-Man: Across the Universe” has the very long running time of almost two and a half hours, but you never feel the time once. The movie moves at breakneck speed and is constantly in motion, that the whole thing goes by in a blink. There is just no way you could ever find yourself bored, as there is always something happening. Another thing that I really loved about this film is the voice cast, who give really genuine performances in their roles. Shameik Moore is outstanding as Miles Morales, giving the kid the right amount of spunk and energy, while imbuing him with a massive heart. Hailee Steinfeld is wonderful as Gwen Stacy, who understands what Miles is going through but has come to understand that what must happen must happen, so there is a world-weariness to her performance. Oscar Isaac is both brilliant and at times terrifying as Miguel O'Hara, the vampire Spider-Man and leader of the group; he is just so commanding and deserves your respect. Finally, Jason Schwartzman is hilarious as the pathetic villain Spot, who after being embarrassed by Spider-Man early in the film, develops his powers in such a way to become the biggest threat to Miles' world. I love that the filmmakers haven't gone down the road of using big name actors with easily identifiable voices, as personally I find that takes me out of the film when I recognise them. Here they give performances as good as if they themselves were on camera too. Everything just works with this film, including the fact that they had the very hard task of coming up with an ending to this film that feels complete, and not just the set up for the third film, as this is the middle part of a trilogy. Amazingly, the filmmakers have done just that by coming up with a very satisfying finale, and at the same time you just want to barrel into the third film to see what happens next. I absolutely loved “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”, and breathlessly look forward to the concluding chapter later in 2024.
2. THE KILLER
After the rather middling Citizen Kane drama, “Mank”, director David Fincher returns in a big way with “The Killer”, easily his best film since 1999's “Fight Club”. The film, which is based on a French comic book of the same title, is simplicity itself, as we are witness to an unnamed assassin tracking down other assassins from his own organisation, who were sent out to take care of him after he uncharacteristically failed a job. When these other killers are unable to locate our failed assassin, they rough up his girlfriend in an attempt to gather information on his whereabouts, which infuriates him and sets him out on a path of revenge, killing anyone in his way that had anything to do with the injuries inflicted on his girl. It is a simple revenge story, but told with so much style and class, as we are regularly in the killer's head throughout the film. It is all about the details and his personal mythos which he constantly recites in his mind, that has seen him so successful. In fact, the assassination attempt is the first he has ever failed, so what comes next is all new to him. The film is told in six chapters (and an epilogue), with the first chapter devoted to the assassination attempt itself. We watch as the assassin plans everything to the nth degree to ensure success, whilst also ensuring he isn't noticed. As I said, it is all about the tiniest details, that he thinks about and follows through with. I am a massive fan of Jean-Pierre Melville's “Le Samourai”, which is a 1967 French film starring Alain Delon as an assassin, who also succeeds due to his complete devotion to the little details. “The Killer” feels like a modern updating of “Le Samourai”, with today's technology, while never feeling derivative of the earlier film. I think the opening chapter of “The Killer” is just outstanding, as we watch the assassin prepare himself and his weapons for the hit. Taking his time, slowing his heart rate, stretching, making sure he is ready for that perfect moment to strike.......only for it to come undone by an unplanned person passing by as he takes the fatal shot. From that point on, it is all action, as he makes his escape and heads for home, only to be confronted by carnage when he returns, which then starts his revenge. Michael Fassbinder plays the unnamed titular killer, and as usual, he is outstanding. Interestingly since most of the film plays out on him when he is alone, he cannot fall back on dialogue to help his performance, rather he must give an internal performance, which also hides what he is really feeling on the inside. He must always look calm, when the opposite may be closer to the truth on the inside. Whilst I say there is little dialogue, that is true, but Fassbinder does narrate his thoughts right throughout the film, so we always now what he is feeling. His line readings are almost robotic, but again this is true of the assassin who has trained himself to follow his rules to the letter, that he in turn becomes like a robot himself. I do not want to say too much about the rest of the film because the fun is in discovering it all, but I loved the differences in the two meetings between the other assassins, with one being more cerebral, the other downright brutal. In fact the chapter titled “The Brute” is probably the greatest example of kinetic cinema that I saw in all of 2023. It is outstanding, and you feel every punch and kick that both men take. “The Killer” was made by Netflix, but thankfully had a small theatrical window, which gave me the chance to see it on the big screen, where it played wonderfully well. Of particular note was just how amazing the sound design of the film was. I have since re-watched the film on Netflix too and it holds up although I must admit I preferred my cinema screening of it. I said to my brother after watching it on Netflix, that it is the quickest two hours of any film from this year; it just flies by. I wholeheartedly recommend “The Killer” to all and sundry, as Fincher is back at what he does best; making uber-stylised crime thrillers. Oh, I also have to mention the opening titles too, which are actually rather quick, but show our assassin killing people in a number of different fashions. Great movie, with excellent re-watch value.
1. OPPENHEIMER
Here we are, finally. My favourite film of 2023 was none other than Christopher Nolan's sensational “Oppenheimer”; a film that dared to tell a compelling adult story with respect for its audience, which seems too few and far between these days. For those of you who are rolling your eyes at this reveal of top film, please note that I am not one of those on the Christopher Nolan bandwagon. While I have indeed seen all of his films, I do not worship him as a cinematic God, nor think he can do no wrong within the medium. This is proven when his previous film, “Tenet”, showed up on my “worst-of” list of that year, as I thought it was utter tripe. That said, he has made some excellent films before this such as “The Dark Knight”, “Inception” and “Memento”. I just take each film on its own merits, and “Oppenheimer” may arguably be his best film to date. It is just a fascinating story, told in the most wonderful way. The race to build an atom bomb in an attempt to win the war, and then the aftermath after creating a weapon with such power, and how the American government turned on its creator once the deed was done. I was riveted from start to finish of this nearly three hour film. Nolan does not tell Oppenheimer's story in a linear fashion, rather we gets snippets from different moments in his life that may pertain to what he is doing in the present at that time. While it may sound confusing, it never is because whilst these brief edits may seem erratic, they help illustrate the base story as a whole, which is still told in a linear format (if that makes sense). Cillian Murphy gives the best performance of the year as Oppenheimer; he is so intense in the role, not to mention all the weight he lost in attempt to create the man's well known silhouette. You can just tell that Murphy has given everything of himself for this role, and I have no doubt come Oscar time that he will be awarded with the “Best Actor” award for his performance here. But the film is littered with excellent performances throughout, and it was wonderful to see Robert Downey Jr. back doing real acting again because you forget just how great an actor he really is. The suspense that you feel throughout the whole of “Oppenheimer” is so full on, as it leads to the moment of the testing of the actual atom bomb, which is one of the film's best scenes. You can feel the tension; all that work, over so many months, boils down to this one moment......and it is exhilarating. Once the bomb has been created, and the war over, the film changes tact as at first we are witness to the brief celebrity Oppenheimer is awarded, to then almost immediately seeing him becoming irrelevant in the US military's eyes now that he has done what they needed from him. It then gets worse for Oppenheimer, as they attempt to go after the man by trying to portray him as a traitor to his country after being past friends with a communist. Personally, I think the building of the bomb the more exciting half of the film, but the government turning on Oppenheimer in the second half is arguably the more interesting, as it is material less mined and less known. It is during the interrogation of Oppenheimer that two moments happen, one fantastic, the other the film's only flaw. The former is Emily Blunt's big moment when she has her stand off with Jason Clarke's character and the disgraceful treatment of her husband by the government he gave up so much for to help. She is so strong in this moment, as she takes down the arrogant Clarke via a few clever answers to his questions. However, there is one of the worst sex scenes I have ever seen during this interrogation, and what I think is the only flaw in “Oppenheimer” and the only thing stopping me from giving the film five stars. While I know what Nolan is trying to do and say with this sex scene, it has been so badly designed and handled, that it just does not work and really should have been edited out, as he could have made the same point of Oppenheimer having all his dirty laundry hung out to dry in front of everyone, in a different, more subtle way. Other than that (terrible) moment, I think that “Oppenheimer” is a perfect film. Finally we get an adult story, told to us by a director who refuses to talk down to his audience. This is the type of cinema we need more of, and less of the superhero garbage. While I mentioned that I am not on the Nolan bandwagon, I have always appreciated “how” he tells his stories and his devotion to shooting his films on film, relying on in-camera effects compared to CGI effects. Shooting on film gives the movie such a rich look, which digital still cannot compete with, and your eye just knows when it is watching something tangible onscreen as opposed to something made in a computer. I am rambling now, so I will just saw succinctly: CHRISTOPHER NOLAN'S “OPPENHEIMER” WAS MY FAVOURITE FILM OF 2023.
Well
there you have it, that was my round-up of the year that
was 2023; hopefully you got some enjoyment out of it. Now before I
finish, lets have a brief look at the upcoming year and my most
anticipated films of 2024.
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