The beginning of this year has been much more full of work than I’d like, so I have not had time to engage in many recreational activities. But I have managed to see all but one of the Oscars best picture nominees as well as quite a few others in the major categories. It was a strong year for films (but a bad one for donkeys). Read on for more details, which I have tried to keep (mostly) non-spoilery…
Best Picture
Everything Everywhere All At Once – Hands down, my favorite. But I would say that, wouldn’t I? It’s a subtitled, science fictional, martial arts, happy/sad, culturally authentic movie starring Michelle Yeoh playing many versions of herself across the multiverse. It’s totally my jam, and I was out in the theater to see it as soon as it came to my town. Of course, it could have been terrible… but it was not terrible. It was wonderful. The directors, actors, crew, everyone involved took a crazy concept and script and made it glorious with their total commitment and energy. There is so very much in here, but it boils down to, “Be kind.” Simplistic? Or fundamental? I’m going with the latter. (4.5 out of 5)
The Fabelmans – My feelings about Steven Spielberg’s movies are all over the map, so I really didn’t know what to expect from this autobiographical piece about his childhood, his family, and his beginnings as a filmmaker. I was surprised to find myself glued to the screen the entire time. Everything in it seems both meaningful and expressively shot, even though the characters themselves are a bit one-note (in a way that makes sense for a story told from the perspective of a child who is rather determined to deny some emotional realities). It’s full of sharp edges and heart — and insight into how filmmaking and its hyperfocus on observation can be both a way of expanding one’s consciousness and also a way of escaping from it. (4.5 out of 5)
Women Talking – An imaginative exploration of a real-world story about women in a Mennonite colony who learned that men in their community had been drugging and sexually assaulting them for years. It was powerful and brought me to the verge of tears many times. The crimes that take place before the film starts are extreme and horrifying to think about. The film does not shrink from that reality, but its focus is on how the women decide among themselves what to do in response. Their long discussion is at times very angry and emotional, but they work through it in an inspiring way. There is much to think about and feel here. (4.5 out of 5)
Tár – A studied and subtle character piece that left me intrigued and a bit depressed. Blanchett does an incredible job playing an artistically gifted but arrogant and self-absorbed orchestra conductor who seems unconcerned about the collateral damage she leaves in her wake as she flames through her career arc. The culture that enables her bad behavior is briefly but effectively sketched as well — perhaps most convincingly by the static cinematography that makes all the action seem as if it’s happening inside a rigid frame that cannot adjust to changing circumstances. But lo! Change comes, however unwanted by some. I’m sure Mahler would understand. (4 out of 5)
All Quiet on the Western Front – A brutal depiction of battles being fought over a few kilometers of muddy, blasted land near the end of World War I, this truly makes you understand that “war is hell”. The parallel armistice negotiations between the Germans and the French in a luxurious train car in the woods bring an extra layer of surrealism to the story. There is not a lot new here, but as an anti-war film told from the German perspective, this would be a fascinating companion watch to “1917” from a few years back. (4 out of 5)
Triangle of Sadness – How to describe this film… Das Kapital meets Gilligan’s Island? With Monty Python bombing the party partway through? (And maybe an appearance from Lord of the Flies, too.) This is a strange film, with some pretty yucky plot developments, and a lot of entitled assholery on the part of the main characters. But despite all that, something about it is bracing! I quite enjoyed the transition from petty power dynamics in the beginning to unhinged grotesquerie in the latter half. (The phrase “complete and total barf-o-rama” from Stand By Me came to mind.) It was interesting throughout, and illuminating in its own way. The message: most human interactions are displays of dominance or displays of deference to the dominant, with a lot of it centered on wealth or lack thereof, which… might be true? At least that’s how I feel on my cynical, angry days. (Donkeys, beware this one!) (4 out of 5)
Elvis – This film really dragged for me, and I had to break it out into two consecutive nights to finish it. I realized in the intermission that the makeup and Hanks’s portrayal of Colonel Parker had been reminding me of The Penguin from the Batman movies — same weird nose and fake chin, same artificial belly. Was this intentional rather than just bad prosthetics and acting? I mean… the guy is clearly a villain. Hard to tell how much of this is warranted character assassination, and how much is cartoonish fiction; I question the narrative frame. That sounds like a pan, but on the plus side, the delving into Elvis’s musical inspirations and the rush of the performance scenes make up for a lot. I’m a Gen X-er, and I’ve always thought of Elvis as a joke of a has-been. Now I see him very differently, as a bridger of cultural divides, an inspired performer, and a light snuffed out too soon. A film that can shift long-held ideas in such a way is doing something right. And even though I tend to scoff at “stunt acting” that hinges on impersonation like this, I do think Austin Butler brought a soulful power to the role. (3.5 out of 5)
Avatar: The Way of Water – I always find Cameron’s films interesting, even when I don’t particularly like them, and this was another mixed bag in that regard. Very much a sequel to the original Avatar, it has the same strengths and weaknesses: great effects and thematic elements, ham-handed dialogue and characterization. The underwater scenes are, dare I say it?… immersive, and truly impressive from a technical standpoint. (I saw it in 3-D, and it was worth it.) I look forward to seeing where he’s going with some of the story elements and characters and introduced here – especially Kiri. But is it worthy of best picture? Definitely not. (3 out of 5)
The Banshees of Inisherin – On one level, I get this — the level of a bewildered sense of betrayal. I was entirely on Padraic’s side, wondering “WTF?” at his best friend’s sudden decision to have nothing more to do with him. A joke, surely? Or a quickly reversed whim? It made no sense, to him or to me. There is mention of “despair”, but it doesn’t seem sufficient to explain events. I feel I must be missing something… the year being 1923, and the explosions going off on the mainland make me suspect there is some Irish historical reference that I do not understand, but the movie does not make it clear for outsiders. So… I feel bad, but I don’t fully know why. (Donkeys, trigger warning!) (3 out of 5)
Top Gun: Maverick – Didn’t see it, don’t want to, especially after being tortured by F-35s flying overhead for the past several years.
International Feature Film
All Quiet on the Western Front – See my thoughts above. Of the films in this category, I believe this one should win. (4 out of 5)
EO – The quantity of crazy shit this donkey experiences over the course of the movie is unbelievable — literally. There is no way all that stuff could have happened to one hapless equine. But I don’t think the point is to be realistic. I think it’s more to say that life is random and so many of us — especially non-humans — have no control over our fates. A depressing message, but the surreal cinematic style keeps it from becoming mind-numbing. There is some quite strange stuff here! (Can’t the donkeys catch a break??) (3 out of 5)
Argentina, 1985 – The narrative beats are fairly predictable, but it’s an inspiring story of justice winning out when it so often does not. (3 out of 5)
I have not yet seen Close or The Quiet Girl.
Documentary Feature Film
Navalny – An amazing portrait of the Russian dissident who challenged Putin’s rule and was poisoned (non-fatally) in retaliation. I haven’t stopped thinking about this since I watched it weeks ago. It’s an incredibly well-produced film that plays like a thriller and leaves many unanswered questions — about the past, and also the future of Russia and Navalny himself. Things have gone completely nuts since he was imprisoned, and democracy seems further away than ever. Maybe “Moscow4” will be the answer. (4.5 out of 5)
All That Breathes – An account of two brothers who nurse predatory birds back to health in New Delhi, one of the most polluted cities in the world. The “web of life” — including human strife and trash — is laid out with a minimum of preaching. The scenes of birds lying exhausted as their injuries were treated made me want to cry, and the scenes of giant piles of human rubbish being navigated by creatures who have no idea what they’re being exposed to made me want to vomit. Quite an experience. (4 out of 5)
Fire of Love – This documentary about a married couple who are volcanologists does an admirable job showing how its subjects’ addiction to danger is both borderline nuts and very productive to the science they specialized in. It’s no surprise they died in the course of it, but it’s also clear that’s a risk they were happy to take, over and over again. “Une histoire d’amour”, indeed. (4 out of 5)
I have not yet seen A House Made of Splinters or All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, though I am particularly keen to see the latter.
Animated Feature Film
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On – This is poetry. Silly, profound poetry. My favorite in this category because of its uniqueness and wistful quality. (4 out of 5)
Puss In Boots: The Last Wish – This was fun! A great voice cast, and an interesting visual style. Maybe too much thematic similarity to some other franchises, but hey! The giant liquid eyes of cuteness make up for a lot. (3.5 out of 5)
Turning Red – Let your freak flag fly! (3.5 out of 5)
The Sea Beast – It starts off in a quite labored way but becomes more effective as it unfolds. However, it ultimately feels like something that was scripted by a focus group rather than a more organic, character-based process. (3 out of 5)
I have not yet seen Pinocchio.
