I know it's late, and you'll have to excuse me for that, but it was tough to find time to write with the holidays and the snow and all that good winter stuff. However, with that out of the way and Oscar nominations this week, I figured it was better late than never to write about some of my favorite movies of the last year.
I'm a firm believer in there being some degree of objectivity when evaluating art. I think most people can look at a home movie I made at the age of 11 and confidently say that million dollar blockbuster is "better" than that. But, it gets to a point where having a truly critical comparison of art comes down to personal preference. Yes, all of these films are amazing, but what makes this better than that? Do you value the dialogue or the cinematography more? The set design or the editing? So instead of having a ranked list from 11-1, this'll be a free for fall for the first ten spots, with the only proper ranked spot going to my number one film of the year.
Please don't look too much into the fact that I ranked the best albums of the year.
You don't often see humorous jokes about identity politics. Most of the jokes I've seen come from unfunny reactionary right wing comedians going for an easy laugh. That's not the case with American Fiction though. It expertly navigates what Black Art is versus what white critics want to engage with and what "real" art is compared to mass produced money grabs. Cord Jefferson has shown us he knows how to weave comedy and drama like few others in his previous projects like The Good Place and HBO's Watchmen, but American Fiction shows that he's ready for the big screen and I looked forward for his next project.
Barbie was a phenomenon that I think very few people saw coming. We knew it was going to be big, but no one was expecting it to be this big, I certainly didn't. I love Greta Gerwig, Little Women, Lady Bird, and Frances Ha were all fantastic. But Barbie blew me away in ways not many big budget blockbusters have recently. It was funny and heartfelt, in a completely original way. Kids loved it, adults loved it, people were wearing pink for months. I think it's beyond fun that this movie influenced pop culture the way it did, and I'm excited for this to be a staple film for future generations.
This is pretty much all I wanted from an MCU film. James Gunn shows that superhero films can be more than just capeshit schedule fodder. Guardians of the Galaxy has always been one of Marvel's strongest film properties, and Vol. 3 cements it as their best in mind. More so than being another movie where one super powered being fights another super powered being, it's a story about going to great lengths to help the ones you love.
I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting to like this movie as much as I did. I can't say I'm Alexander Payne's biggest fan, with both The Descendants and Downsizing not being up my alley. But The Holdovers was different. It was hysterical, straight up one of the funniest movies I've seen recently. The chemistry between Giamatti, Sessa, and Randolph was outstanding, but Da'Vine Randolph Joy was the stand out here. And I'm glad she's getting the recognition she deserves with awards from the National Board of Review, the Golden Globes, the Critics Choice Awards, and is the favorite to win Best Supporting Actress at this year's Oscar ceremonies.
Killers of the Flower Moon is an absolute power house of a film. Scorcese continues his trend of historical dramas, and he continues his trend of hitting it out of the fucking park. Sure, the movie's over three and a half hours long, but you don't feel it. And no point is the movie slow, boring, or uninteresting. You're engrossed the entire time, waiting, eagerly, to see what'll happen to Molly as her life comes crashing down around her.
Before watching this movie I heard a lot of debate if this was a comedy or not, if it was actually a parody film. It's not, not even close. At its core, it's the story of an abusive partner taking advantage of her significantly younger partner. Yes, there's some humorous lines in the movie and they definitely got more than a chuckle out of me, but May December is far more heartbreaking than it is funny. When Joe is with his son and says "God, I can't tell if we're connecting, or if I'm creating a bad memory for you in real time, but I can't help it." it'll fuck you up.
The story of Nimona's production is fascinating. It's based on an critically acclaimed web comic/graphic novel and was originally being developed by Blue Sky Studios before being canceled by Disney despite being more than 75% complete. I will be forever grateful to Netflix for picking up this masterpiece. Of course Disney would shelve the movie written by a trans author that features a same sex couple and a shape shifting anarchist, but thank god this movie was eventually released. It's a beautiful story of acceptance, and learning to feel comfortable in your skin, and how we should blow up the government.
What can I say about this behemoth that hasn't already been said? The entire ensemble cast was excellent, the movie was visually stunning, and it highlighted the complexities of an incredibly difficult point in history. This was Nolan at his most Nolan, all of his previous work culminated to this. Non-linear story telling? Check. Black and white? Check. Historical drama? Check. A larger than life figure that has to grapple with the morality of what is right? Check. It's telling that in a year where there were two 3-hour plus period dramas Oppenheimer wasn't overshadowed by the film made by the modern master of cinema.
Past Lives is one of those films that sneaks up on you. Don't get me wrong, right out the gate it was a cute love story, but it gets much deep than that. As the film progresses and you learn more of the intertwined history of these three people, you begin to develop a better understanding of the Korean idea of inyeon, and what it means for our characters. Is it worth worrying over what could have been, or even what can be, instead of focusing on what you have?
This movie has, maybe, the best animation I've ever seen. It's slick, it's snappy, it's in your face, it's maximalist gonzo animation at it's finest. I've been trying to figure out the best way to put into words just how bonkers and intricate this movie looks, and it's surprisingly difficult. I think everyone knows Spider-Man, but I don't know if people have ever seen Spider-Man like this. Even if you've seen Into the Spider-Verse, you haven't seen anything like this. Across the Spider-Verse takes everything from the original and ups the ante and presents a breathtaking visual spectacular.
And here we are, with our unranked list done, I'd like to introduce, my pick for, the best film of 2023.
Mutant Mayhem takes a little bit about what makes the other movies on this list great, and the final product is something more than just the sum of it's parts. Sure, people could dismiss this as an animated kids movie, but they'd be doing theirselves a disservice by not checking this out. They'd be missing out an a hysterical story about found family and the struggles of growing up. I laughed during the movie, and I cried during the movie, and the whole time I'm amazed at what's on screen. This movie oozes style, but without sacrificing it's substance. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is the real deal and the best Hollywood had to offer in 2023.
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