To say that Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof has balls of steel to make the films that he does is an understatement, and his latest film “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” is yet another attack on the current regime and both its treatment of women, and their interrogation techniques. Rasoulof is a dangerous filmmaker, and by that I mean he is a danger to himself, as his films are always political in nature and in a country like Iran, being so critical of the current regime the way he is, leaves himself open to persecution from the authorities and the state. What is so dangerous about this film is that it takes place during a real, recent incident that happened in Iran back in 2022 when a 22 year old student, Mahsa Amini, died in custody after being arrested due to her hijab not covering her hair sufficiently. This led to huge protests by the country's youth, particularly women, the amount and size of people involved never seen before in Iran. This is the backdrop to “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”, and what I found interesting about the film was that when it begins, it does so on a very large canvas, set in current day Tehran during the very real protests and riots of 2022. The more the film goes on though, the smaller the canvas and the world depicted gets, as it then becomes about the protecting of an injured protester, Sadaf, who is also Rezvan's (the eldest daughter) friend. They hide her in their house, cleaning her wounds (which were remarkably similar, at least in location, to the wounds Mahsa Amini received in her beating), making her comfortable while hiding her from their father who believes that these “rioters” are getting what they deserve. By the end of the film, it is a small intimate canvas as the drama only involves the four family members themselves, but of course the meaning of these scenes relates to bigger themes than what is being depicted onscreen. This is such an angry film, you can feel Rasoulof seething at the way the youth of his country are treated by an outdated regime, and you can sense it is a cry for revolution as he clearly stands by all those protesting, particularly the women. In another dangerous move, Rasoulof uses real iPhone footage of the protesting and the authority's very questionable techniques to break them up and stop said footage being filmed. He uses this footage as the videos the two daughters are watching and are disgusted by, making them question the state and those who blindly work for them like their father. “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” ultimately becomes an allegory about the state, the way they interrogate people to get the results they want, and those who are willing to stand up and fight against them whatever the personal cost to them may be. The father in the film is essentially a stand-in for the state / regime, whilst his daughters are the current generation making a stand against a law they think is archaic and wrong. It is an important film but I will say that it is a little long (the film runs for just shy of three hours), but it is so worth seeing and has something very significant to say. While not quite the masterpiece like his previous two films, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” continues Rasoulof's impressive run of angry and powerful stories attacking the hypocrisy of Iran's current regime. Click here to read my original review.
19. SHADOW OF FIRE
Shinya Tsukamoto's latest film was also one of my most anticipated films of 2024, and thankfully it did not disappoint. I have actually watched the film twice so far; the first time was on blu-ray, whilst I was then lucky enough to see it on the big screen a couple of weeks after my initial watch. Unfortunately, due to my tardiness to order a ticket, I had a terrible seat when I saw “Shadow of Fire” in a sold out cinema, but even from my dreadful vantage point, I still felt the film's full power, which is a telling sign to how great a movie actually is. This is the third part in Tsukamoto's anti-war trilogy, and takes place in post war Tokyo, soon after the fire bombing has flattened the city. It is about people doing whatever they have to do, just to survive and get through each day. It is an incredibly sad film because all of the characters in it have been touched by war, either directly or indirectly, and all been affected by it, be it they have lost loved ones, been injured in the fire-bombing, been left homeless or they have lost their minds due to the atrocities they were forced to commit during the war. Tsukamoto's reasoning for making this trilogy is that he believes that Japan's relationship with it's history of war is fading, and he is worried that the nation could then be doomed to repeat their past mistakes regarding war, and once you have experienced war, in any of it's forms, you can never go back to the person you were before it. The first half of the film takes place in a small inn, where the owner has had to revert to dabbling in prostitution to survive. Soon, a returning soldier (who used to be a maths teacher) and a war orphan return to the inn so often, that you could say they have moved in. Before you can say Hirokazu Koreeda, the three of them create a make-shift family, and you feel like the three of them will get through these tough times together. However this is not a Koreeda film but a Tsukamoto one, and soon this sense of normalcy is destroyed by a quick and incredible moment of violence, that changes everyone's future in an instant. Personally, I think the scenes that are set within the inn are when “Shadow of Fire” is at it's best, however, about halfway through the film, the young war orphan sets off on a journey with a returning soldier, along with the young boy's prized possession: a loaded gun. These scenes, out in nature, feel completely different, and take a little while to get used to but the culmination of this sequence is incredibly powerful. As usual, Shinya Tsukamoto is able to do so much with so little, and I must admit that I was surprised by how small of a canvas he was working on for this latest film. His cinematography is again a highlight, and I love that he continues to use Chu Ishikawa's music to score his films even though it has now been over seven years since this talented musician passed away. His music will always compliment Tsukamoto's visuals; they are just meant to be together. While there is very little onscreen violence, the after effects of violence are fully shown which makes “Shadow of Fire” a hard watch at times. Despite the bleakness of the film, it does end on a small note of hope, although I am not sure that you would necessarily call it a “happy” ending. This is yet another excellent film from Shinya Tsukamoto.
18. BIRD
As luck would have it, the next few films on this list, I saw late in the year, and I assume would probably have ended up much higher if I had both, more time to digest each film and a chance to watch each film more than once. Andrea Arnold's “Bird” was one film that I wasn't massively excited to see, but did so because it had been greeted with positive reviews. I saw it on the final day of 2024, and I thought it was just extraordinary, and quite a bit different than what I was really expecting. The film is about a twelve year old girl named Bailey, who lives with her older brother Hunter, and their father Bug (who was fourteen himself when Hunter was born). Incensed by the fact that her father is marrying a girl he has only known for three months, she leaves home to see her deadbeat mother, only to witness more sadness as she is living with a violent loser, that Bailey's step-sisters are terrified of. Later that night, she joins her friends who are part of a vigilante gang on an assault of another person, and while running from the authorities she falls asleep in a vacant field. She then awakens to the company of a very strange man, whose name is Bird, and who is looking for his family who he hasn't seen for many years, and asks Bailey for her help to find them. Bird is so odd, in his mannerisms and the way he talks, but he also sees the beauty in life, in the simple things, like the morning sun of the day. Meeting Bird while change Bailey's life forever. This is such a wonderful film, and Andrea Arnold does such a excellent job of creating a truly believable world where Bailey and Hunter live with their dad. It is a desperate world, where Bug has no money, or really any qualifications to succeed in life, and yet they survive because he genuinely loves his kids. No, he isn't the perfect parent, nor close to being the perfect person but he isn't a total deadbeat like his facial tattoos initially give the impression he may be. Barry Keoghan plays Bug and he is so good in this; he just bursts full of energy and it feels like he is living every moment onscreen and Andrea Arnold was lucky enough to capture these real moments. There is never a moment when you feel him “acting”; it all feels real. This is the ultimate strength of the film.......it all feels so real (which is pretty scary at times), until it doesn't. While I will not ruin it, an element of magical realism enters the film late, which was surprising but I loved it, and it is something that makes “Bird” so special because it works so well. Bird, the character, is played by German actor Franz Rogowski, and it is such a weird performance, but it just fits perfectly within this story. He is such an empathetic character, but again very real too, which is shown in a scene when Bailey is disappointed in him because he didn't step into a situation to protect her. He states that “he is not a hero”, but says so with a sense of sadness and shame because he is also disappointed in himself. Our main character, Bailey, is played by Nykiya Adams, and she is something else entirely. Due to the way her character has been brought up, she feels so much older than her twelve years of age. She's seen too much of the world already, and this story becomes a coming of age tale as she is now forced to act in a way that is more mature than her actual age in an attempt to protect her younger siblings. As much as there is a lot of doom and gloom in “Bird”, at times it is both uplifting, and fun because it has so much energy to it, thanks to the fast paced nature of the lives these people live. I was expecting a dull, kitchen sink type drama with “Bird” but thankfully got something a whole lot more alive, and I am happy to say that those positive reviews for it are well worth it.
17. VERMIGLIO
“Vermiglio” was another film that I saw in the last week of 2024 that absolutely blew me away, but unlike “Bird”, it was more for its quiet moments and restraint. The imdb does a great job of succinctly describing the film's plot, like so: “1944. In Vermiglio, a mountain village where the war is a distant but omnipresent horizon, the arrival of Pietro, a soldier escaping the war, disrupts the dynamics of the local schoolmaster's large family, changing them forever. The love between Pietro and Lucia, the eldest daughter, leads to their marriage and an unexpected destiny.” This is such a lovely Italian film, beautifully and sensitively directed by Maura Delpero, that looks at the way war effects a community even when it doesn't directly touch them anymore. It slowly reveals more and more secrets that the members of the family have, as well as opinions towards the soldiers they are hiding. The story takes place over the course of a single year, as we are witness to Vermiglio during it's four seasons. The absolute highlight of the film though has to be cinematographer Mikhail Krichman's stunning lensing of the film. He has created some of the year's most beautiful images, including my favourite which is a haunting shot of a snow covered graveyard in winter populated by many metal crosses. Krichman is Russian director, Andrey Zvyagintsev's regular cinematographer, and always does exceptional work, however this is the first film I have seen lensed by him in many years, but the man has clearly not lost any of his talent. I know a lot of people my be put off by the slow pacing of “Vermiglio” but personally, I was riveted by the tale being told that I never noticed the time passing. I was also regularly surprised in the turns the story ended up taking, and by how at times it was warm, funny, cold and harsh, like life itself. Although “Vermiglio” is really an ensemble piece, you could make a point that the main character of the film is Lucia, and I thought the actress who played her, Martina Scrinzi, was just outstanding and gave the best performance within the film. It is fair to say though that her character is given the most meat to chew, and her arc is the most thorough, but that shouldn't make her achievements any less grand. Interestingly, and perhaps paradoxically what you would think, the film starts full of warmth and happiness, while the war is still going on, but grows colder and sadder and more desperate, once the war is over. It happens gradually but signifies just how much we lose through war, but may not realise it until it is well and truly over.
16. ANORA
Since winning the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival, Sean Baker's “Anora” has become this year's critical darling, with it getting almost universally positive reviews, and for good reason. I was a little late on the Sean Baker bandwagon, but over the past couple of years I have realised just how great he is at creating stories about marginalised characters, or those who work in unsavoury lines of work, and getting you to care for them all so wholeheartedly. He is a director who never judges his characters, but presents their lives honestly, full of heart, and often with more than a touch of comedy too. Earlier in 2024, I totally fell in love with Baker's 2015, iPhone shot film “Tangerine” after watching it for the first time, and then was dying for “Anora” to be released so I could watch another bit of Sean Baker genius. With everyone claiming it was his best film yet, I was so excited to finally see it, so imagine my surprise when I finally did, and I found myself not enjoying the film. “Anora” is about a young sex worker who one night meets up with a teenage boy, Ivan, from Russia. Not knowing who this boy really is, Ani gives him the night of his life (and the best sex of his life), and Ivan totally falls in love with her, and impulsively proposes to her, which she accepts. However when word makes it back to Mummy and Daddy in Russia, they are less than impressed with their son's choice of wife, and set about using their New York contacts to find a way to annul this marriage as quick as possible. However, Ani refuses to play along, and although she may not come from much, is willing to fight for the love of her life. The first half an hour of the film is watching Ani at her job, meeting and greeting people, having sex etc. So far, so good. However, when she meets Ivan, the sexual antics continue but I just was not enjoying the film anymore. I kept thinking “this movie is meant to be awesome, why am I not loving every second of this???”. The answer is Mark Eydelshteyn, who I thought gave a horrible performance as Ivan. I never believed him for a minute.......however, about half an hour into the film, when Ivan's parent's goons come for him to bring him back to Russia, he does a runner, and the film picks up so much, that it ended up becoming number 16 on this list you are reading. Suddenly, the film becomes a hilarious, bonkers chase film, as they all go around New York looking for Ivan so they can annul this marriage. “Anora” suddenly and unexpectedly becomes almost like a slapstick comedy, filled with wacky pratfalls and lots of four-lettered dialogue spewed from the mouths of its characters. From this moment on, I loved every second of “Anora”, thanks in large part to Mickey Madison's stunning performance in the title role. She is every bit as good as you have heard, and deserves all the plaudits coming her way. She wont take shit from anyone, and is willing to fight for what is hers, even if she is considered small in this suddenly big world she enters. Madison just gives the film so much energy, and pathos too. She is extraordinary! For people that are familiar with Sean Baker's films, you would know that he has cast Karren Karagulian in every film he has made so far, and coming into “Anora” I was wondering where he would show up this time. Karagulian is absolutely brilliant, not to mention hilarious, as Toros, the head-goon looking for Ivan. It is his biggest role in any of Baker's films to date, and he is just so good in it. The other person I have to mention is Yura Borisov, who also plays a goon named Igor, and who Anora really seems to have it in for, even though he is quite careful and respectful when tying her up. Ha! All through the film, I knew I knew Borisov from somewhere and it suddenly hit me that he is also in “Compartment No. 6” playing a similar role in that he is a tough guy who may not be as bad as he wants you to believe. Finally, much has been made about how “Anora” is essentially a New York fairy tale romance story, so I thought it was going to be predictable as to where the story went, but I am happy to say that that was not the case, and I was genuinely surprised by it's ending. I was also impressed that it went for some real emotional honesty by the end, giving away its comedy for a genuinely poignant moment. Despite my dislike for the initial half an hour of “Anora”, it ended up being one of my favourites of the year. Definitely worth checking out.
15. RED ROOMS
I hope you guys are ready for some horror films, because coincidentally, the next four films can all be categorised under that genre, even though all four are completely different from one another. Pascal Plante's “Red Rooms” is a disturbing look at the dark side of the true crime obsession we, as a community, are currently in the midst of. It is easy to see why so many people get hooked on true crime via podcasts, documentaries and the like, because it is about the dark side of human nature. Trying to work out why and how another human being could do something so horrible to another, and then being able to live with themselves after the fact. Its the organising of clues to fit a narrative, in an attempt to solve a crime. It is being a small part of that darkness without actually dipping our toes into it for real. But what happens when people get so far into it, that they end up losing themselves to it? This is essentially what “Red Rooms” looks at, and the best word to describe the film is “chilling”. Accused serial killer Ludovic Chevalier's trail is set to begin, and fashion model Kerry-Anne has become obsessed with the case. She is determined to be at the trail every day to see the man in person and to witness the horrific videos, photos and evidence of the crimes Chevalier is accused of. These include the graphic rape and mutilation of a thirteen year old girl, that Chevalier allegedly sold viewings of over the dark web to those that like that sort of thing in a viewing room called a “red room”. While there are four corpses attributed to Chevalier, only three videos of these crimes have been found. With Kerry-Anne being something of a whizz on a computer, she sets about on her own, trying to find that fourth video, but for what purpose? What makes “Red Rooms” such an impressive film is the ambiguity of it all. Things are never fully explained so it is left up to us to add our own interpretations on the motives of Kerry-Anne and the others involved, and as the film goes along, I promise you that you will begin to question your initial interpretations. Another strong element to the film is while it deals with some shocking crimes, we are never witness to any of it, although there are certain moments where we hear parts of it, and that is bad enough. We also see the reaction to the evidence from the family and friends of the victims too. The film has been expertly shot by cinematographer Vincent Biron in a cold, clinical style, that actually gives it a feel similar to a David Fincher film, which is apt because these are the kinds of stories he excels at making. Saying that, it never feels derivative of a Fincher film, it is more a point of reference. Juliette Gariepy is amazing as Kerry-Anne, coming across initially as a professional woman with an interest in true crime, before she starts to spiral and does things that even shock herself because, I'm sure, she herself isn't sure why she is doing these things. By the end of the film, she is a completely different person, lost inside the case, but always on the move trying to find out more, more and more. She is like a junkie, just doing anything to find another hit. Laurie Babin is also fantastic as Clementine, one of Ludovic Chevalier's groupies who believes he is innocent, and who believes she has found a like-minded friend in Kerry-Anne. “Red Rooms” has two scenes in the film that are just chilling to watch, but not because of anything gory or bloody, rather it has more to do with the implications of the scene, and the whole invasion of privacy in regards to the victims families. The first scene is when Kerry-Anne brings into the court room a number of different clothing items, which by themselves seem anything but suspicious. However when the trial begins for the day, and Chevalier is brought into the room (in his glassed off section of the court), Kerry-Anne begins to change her clothes, very slowly. It is unclear what she is doing, until it is revealed that she is dressed exactly like one of Ludovic Chevalier's teenage victims, and then she finally gets what she wants. Chevalier turns and looks at her directly in the eye. The scene is so horrific due to the way the victim's parents rightfully act, and Kerry-Anne is then thrown out of court, but what caused her to do such a thing, is she goading the killer or appealing to him to notice her? We never know. The other scene I will not mention but it comes at the film's end, and will make your jaw drop. “Red Rooms” is such a fantastic film that will make you want to take a shower after it, even though you never actually witness anything graphic in the film at all; you still feel unclean by it all, which is an amazing achievement from director Pascal Plante, and I hope that “Red Rooms” gets the recognition it deserves in the future.
14. LONGLEGS
I have been a fan of director Osgood Perkins right from his very first film, “February”, which came out back in 2015, and have continued to love all of his films after that. He just has a style that I connect with, which is very slow-paced, a little unusual in the stories he tells, able to illicit excellent performances from his cast, while building a palpable atmosphere where tension becomes unbearable, rather than focusing on gore or jump scares. Because of all of this “Longlegs” was on my most anticipated list of 2024; I just had a feeling that it was going to be something special, but I was not prepared for how big the film would end up becoming, nor how successful it was to be. I have to applaud the film's distributors, Neon, who came up with a brilliant marketing campaign for “Longlegs” which got everyone into the cinemas to see it. Months before the film was to come out, Neon started releasing these small thirty second teasers, with bizarre imagery and weird dialogue over the top of it. Initially, there was no context given about these images, nor even the film's title that they were promoting, but it got people to sit up and want to know more. The closer to release they got, the more they revealed that the footage was for “Longlegs”, although they never reveal Nicolas Cage's appearance in the film at all. The marketing worked and “Longlegs” was a massive success, but was the film any good? My opinion....god, yes! It is such a fun film, but one that I think a lot of people take too seriously. Even Perkins himself has stated that he was having fun making this film, and not trying to make a serious horror thriller. You have to be willing to accept that there are supernatural elements to this story, which does not work without them. They may seem a little silly if you keep thinking of “Longlegs” as a real-world situation, so my advice is to just accept them and have fun with them, and then you will get the most out of the film. The plot is about a young FBI agent trying to track down a serial killer, via the use of occult clues that the bureau has found. However, the more agent Harker finds out about the case, the more she feels she might have a personal connection to it, that may be hidden in her subconscious from her childhood long ago. I think I have watched “Longlegs” four times now, and it never gets boring, rather you pick up on so many different elements that you miss on earlier viewings, that Perkins has laid out for people to find. Even the fact that he has hidden twelve images of the devil within his film, is fun to find on repeat viewings. So yes, similar to his first film “February”, “Longlegs” does feature some devil worshipping, and I would have to say that the two films do feel like companion pieces to one another, dealing with similar themes, and even landscapes and weather patterns, with both films having key scenes taking place in the snow. Maika Monroe gives a very controlled, if odd performance as Agent Harker which really only makes sense after the film has ended. When I watched the film with my horror-loving fourteen year old daughter she was baffled by Monroe's performance, saying she was moving and talking like a “doll”. Yes, it is strange, but once you know the whole story, it is a great performance, especially as I am sure she would know that people wouldn't understand it fully until the end. It is well known by now that Nicolas Cage plays the serial killer, and whilst I know a lot of people find him chilling in the role, personally I think he overacts. He is not horrible, but he just goes too over the top for my liking. His look is also on the odd side, but I think it works. The person who gives the best performance in “Longlegs” though is Alicia Witt, who play's Harker's mother. I had no idea that it was Witt in the role until the credits rolled, but she is outstanding as a god-fearing religious nut, doing whatever she must for her daughter to live the life she deserves. Technically, “Longlegs” has been beautifully made. It is well-shot, the score is creepy, and the sound design helps wonders in creating a very scary atmosphere. I also love the final half an hour of the film which starts at the farmhouse and does not let up until the very end. It is a fantastically fun horror film, one of the best of the year, as long as you have fun with it and do not take it so seriously.
13. STARVE ACRE
I was not expecting to be bowled over by “Starve Acre” the way I was. It catches you off guard and then goes for the jugular. The film is directed by Daniel Kokotajlo and I was quite a fan of his previous film, “Apostasy”, which is about a Jehovah's Witness questioning her faith and religion entirely. I have to say that for him then to turn around and make a folk-horror film next, that took me by surprise, but he creates a film that is even better with “Starve Acre”. Why the film works so well is because the horror elements are introduced quietly and subtlety, without you really noticing it, before they then become what the film is about in the second half. Before that “Starve Acre” is about a husband and wife, drifting apart after the death of their young son, who dies from an asthma attack. Struggling with their grief, the two parents keep to themselves, trying to survive the best way they know how. For the mother, Juliette, she has her sister come over to be with her, while they dabble in seances and the like, so she can get peace of mind, that her son is happy on the other side. Richard, the father, on the other hand, fills his day with work, doing a project he promised to do together with his son which was to find the buried roots of an old oak tree that supposedly existed under his land. The house is an unhappy place with no one communicating with each other, as their loss becomes too heavy to handle. Suddenly, when all seems lost, Richard finds a giant hare that he helps to look after, and bring back to health. Whilst initially secretive about his find, when Juliette sees the hare, she isn't horrified or angry but drawn to the hare, as she too begins to look after it, in a way replacing their dead son. And from then on, it starts to get weird, before entering full folk-horror mode. This really is an excellent film, due to how seriously director Kokotajlo handles the family drama at the beginning. For the first half of the film, you are totally invested in the sadness of a couple tearing themselves apart after an unimaginable tragedy. You do not notice that Kokotajlo is also adding in little folk-horror elements at the same time, that will become so important by film's end, because he layers it in so simply. By the end of “Starve Acre” the film is similar to something like “The Wicker Man” although much smaller and intimate in scale, but it just works so well and is terrifying because you realise that it has been building from the beginning of the film, but you just haven't noticed it. The hare itself is so great, and creepy, thanks to the animatronic puppet used (instead of cgi) which gives it this tactile feel to it, that your mind just knows that it exists onscreen and is “real”. The acting by both Matt Smith and particularly Morfydd Clark are outstanding, in both the grounded earlier scenes of the film, and the more weird and unnatural moments by the end. The fact that they both pull off a scene of bathing the hare together and making it work, gives you an indication of the quality of their performances. I have to mention also, just how much I love the ending to “Starve Acre”; it is just perfection. Just before it happened, I thought this would be awesome if it finished like so, and then it did, and I was like “Wow! They actually went there!”. I think folk-horror can be hard to pull off successfully, but “Starve Acre” is the best modern example I have seen of it, in a long time.
12. ODDITY
As all horror fans know, there is a lot of product out there, and unfortunately not much of it is very good, so we end up seeing a lot of dreck in the hope of finding that one hidden gem. For mine, “Oddity” is one of those hidden gems. It is a very odd film, but so incredibly creepy. As good as “Caveat”, (Irish director Damian McCarthy's debut) was, “Oddity” is so much better in every aspect, particularly in the way McCarthy is able to create atmosphere and build towards his scares. McCarthy always has you on edge, so you never completely know when or if something is going to happen, but he makes you anticipate it and then leaves you hanging that little bit longer until it almost becomes unbearable. Visually, I thought “Oddity” looked amazing, and McCarthy's camerawork was classically stylised and impressive. It is a very dark film, with most of the scenes taking place during the night, but there is a warmth to the lighting due to all the wood used in the couple's home which feels rather old and cosy, the complete opposite of modern homes which are cold and shiny. I am sure that the wood of the house is used to complement the large wooden mannequin who sits terrifyingly motionless at the kitchen table. He is essentially a variation on the golem, which was a creature in Jewish mythology, made of clay that could be then manipulated by its creator to do its bidding. What is so impressive here though, is just how much dread this mannequin creates whilst doing absolutely nothing. His design, with his always gaping mouth (as if screaming), is the source of the fear, as this is one messed up looking creature. As terrifying as “Oddity” is, there is no way that the film would work without the performances from Carolyn Bracken who plays twin sisters, Dani and Darcy, and makes them two completely different people. I actually wasn't sure that it was the same actress playing them both initially, being they were so different. Bracken plays Dani as a normal, down to earth girl. Smart, intelligent, in love with her husband, and just an everyday girl. She plays Darcy completely different; she's kooky, a little creepy, trusts no-one, and has a sadness inside of her too. Besides being blind, she may also be a little mentally unstable too, as she believes in the unknown, spirits and all types of magical things. She is a lot darker than her sister and not at all inviting around other people. Director Damian McCarthy smartly has styled the sisters completely differently too, with Dani having the longer darker hair, and Darcy short white hair. The way Bracken speaks as Darcy is completely different too. The only negative to “Oddity”, if you can call it that, was that I worked out where it was going well in advance, waiting for the film to catch up. That said, the journey to get there was so impressive that it didn't annoy me like it normally would. This is a great film, and it also scared the crap out of my fourteen year old horror-loving daughter, who also thought “Oddity” was fantastic. Click here to read my original review.
11. MARIA
After the semi-disappointment of his political vampire allegory, “El Conde (The Count)”, Pablo Larrain returns to form with another fantastic bio-pic, this time on the final days of opera singer Maria Callas, expertly played by Angelina Jolie. I am not sure how he does it, but Pablo Larrain is something of an expert at creating non-traditional bio-pics, getting you to care about that person, even if you would normally have no interest in them, or have any idea about the kind of world they may live in. Besides “Neruda” (which I just couldn't find a way into to enjoy), I have loved all of his bio-pics, but I must admit that I thought he had his work cut out for him with “Maria”, because I am not a fan of opera at all, and before watching this movie, I had no clue as to who Maria Callas actually was. My belief in Larrain must be huge though, because even with all of this working against the film, I still had “Maria” as one of my most anticipated films of 2024. The end result? I thought the film was amazing and Larrain, together with Angelina Jolie, spellbound me with this very sad tale of an icon coming to the realisation that she no longer has the ability to perform to the level the world expects from her. I think this is what makes the bio-pics Pablo Larrain has made so successful, because instead of trying to cover a person's entire life in a film, which would reduce the drama to bullet points, he chooses an important moment in that person's life and through that moment gives a feeling of what this person was like throughout the rest of their life. “Maria” takes place during the last few days of her life, during the 1970's when she was living in Paris. As I mentioned, we get a heartbreaking look at Callas as she attempts to sing once more, practising on an empty stage, when she finally comes to the realisation that it is all over, and that her voice will never be the same again. For a singer to lose the power of her voice, it must be a crushing blow to her ego. Throughout the film, Maria is being interviewed about her life, and this gives Larrain the chance to show glimpses of the woman when she was at the apex of her fame, adored by the world, and in demand wherever she went. We are witness to snippets within her love affairs, a look at her relationship with her family members which changed after her fame, the adulation that she loved and regularly sought, and also just how much music (and performing) meant to her. Callas' story really is a tragic one, because even when she had so much and was loved by so many, she died at the very early age of 53 quite an unhappy woman. One thing I must mention is just how amazing “Maria” looks thanks to Ed Lachman's gorgeous cinematography. The use of colour in the film is both surprising and very beautiful, particularly a scene when he goes full on “Vertigo green”. The use of mirrors, reflections and distortions within the image ensure that the viewer is always engaged in the film, and as an added bonus, “Maria” was actually shot on celluloid (something both Lachman and Larrain wanted to do for “El Conde” but were unable to) which adds to the textures within the film. Supposedly this is the final film in Pablo Larrain's (now dubbed) “Lady with Heels” trilogy, and whilst it may be the least of the three (if pushed I would put “Jackie” and “Spencer” before this one), “Maria” is still so good to ensure that the trilogy ends with the bang it deserves.
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