Favourite Films of 2022: Part 1 – The Movies

We still have to see how it will stand the test of time, but 2022 has been a great movie year, and it feels like the movies are rebounding from the pandemic. I will never not champion the movie-going experience, and here are my favourites from the past year in cinema. Individual achievements to follow.

Top 5 Overall

Everything Everywhere All At Once

Few films are ever able to surpass high expectations, but this one exceeded and succeeded. From the moment I saw the trailer and took note of the cast, I knew I was going to be in for a treat, but I had no idea precisely the spectacle The Daniels had in store for us. We’re treated to this beautifully rich adventure that is as bombastic as it is ambitious, as poignant as it is hilarious. Each member of the cast is outstanding in their own right, but almost make a point to let the audience know it’s a team effort. Michelle Yeoh as Evelyn is superb and there’s no denying that, but to bring Evelyn to life, she needs Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu and Jamie Lee Curtis. And they all understand this so perfectly that everything works so in sync. It’s as close to a perfect film that 2022 saw.

The Banshees of Inisherin

Almost serving as counter-programming to Everything Everywhere All At Once, this one leans into the careful and quiet. Colin Farrell delivers a career-best performance, in a career filled with quality, underrated performances. Ultimately I had no idea how to approach my thoughts on this. It’s comedic, it’s dark, it’s oddly optimistic, but incredibly depressing. It’s about the friendships we have and the impact they have on the self. It manages to be about so much of everything, but never once feels scattered or gluttonous or indulgent. It very much feels like filmed therapy session, where you just run through everything, it all connects and makes sense, and you feel a sense of relief on the other side, despite everything you just went through. And that’s something only the trio of Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, and Martin McDonagh could bring us.

The Glass Onion

I think the best thing Rian Johnson did for Glass Onion was to not feel the need to one-up Knives Out. He just sets out to deliver a twisty, turny murder mystery with a wild cast of even wilder characters. Daniel Craig feels at home inhabiting Benoit Blanc, and is now having fun in this world he and Johnson are building together. It would be easy to parse through and examine the precient commentary various media personalities this COULD be about, but even leaving certain hyper-specific allegories aside, it’s still a general critique of the trend of hoisting these particular personalities onto a pedestal. And then puts it all through a super fun murder mystery that keeps you on the edge until the very end.

The Menu

Much in the same way the chef prepares his food, the film is precise in its presentation. Director Mark Mylod is very careful to keep you on the edge of your seat from the get-go, but never tips his hand, even leading up to the final moments. Ralph Fiennes is magnificently intimidating as Chef Slowik. His presence looming over the proceedings, installing this slow, creeping sense of dread. His claps gain power and control over the restaurant with each passing course. Anya Taylor-Joy always brings confidence to every scene. Even when Margot is as lost and scared as everyone else, there’s still a hint of knowing in her demeanor. The supporting cast is great with Nicholas Hoult and Hong Chau for delivering superb and uniquely unsettling performances.

Nope

I’ll admit it, I’m a Jordan Peele fanboy, and will generally follow wherever he leads. His examination of spectacle, and the human need for it, is surprisingly poignant. His meta-commentary never feels trite or contrived. He’s fully aware of what he’s doing and where he’s trying to lead the audience, but never does it with a wink and a nod. I think Nope is his most polished and aggressive film yet, with exciting performances from Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun and Daniel Kaluuya. This one definitely takes a second watch for it to fully sink in, but it’s worth that second watch.

Most Surprisingly Good

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

This could have gone two ways, and it broke the way of being surprisingly fun. Never tries for greatness, but always stays entertaining.

Best Comedy

  1. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
  2. Confess, Fletch
  3. Clerks III

Best Drama

  1. The Northman
  2. Emily the Criminal
  3. The Fabelmans

Best Action

  1. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
  2. Violent Night
  3. Bullet Train

Best Superhero

  1. The Batman
  2. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
  3. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy

  1. Three Thousand Years of Longing
  2. Troll
  3. Next Exit

Best Horror

  1. Barbarian
  2. Pearl/X
  3. Black Phone

Best Animated

  1. Wendell & Wild
  2. Sea Beast
  3. Turning Red

Favourite Music of 2022

Favourite Album

Florence + The Machine – Dance Fever

I went back and forth between several albums that could have gone here (see Honourable Mentions). But as a longtime fan of Florence + The Machine, it felt right to put Welch’s grand, beautiful epic of an album in the top slot. From the second the needle drops on side-one, track-one of Dance Fever, you’re captivated, lost in the music, dancing along and ignoring the world. Whether you’re physically dancing around your living room or mentally dancing at your office desk, the album grabs ahold of you and doesn’t let go. It perfectly encapsulates the musical spirit of Florence + The Machine without feeling like a “typical” effort from them.

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Best in Cinema 2021: Part 1 – The Films

The movie-going and movie watching landscape continues to grow and evolve, against the industry’s will but for their benefit. 2021 saw the tail end of the extended awards season, while kinda-sorta embracing streaming as a viable option when faced with declining interest in the movie-going experience, which will more than likely become a niche endeavour, instead of a standard event. But across the board, great films continued to be released, here were my favourites from throughout the year.

Continue reading “Best in Cinema 2021: Part 1 – The Films”

Best in Music: 2021

Best Album

Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee

This year saw two artists abandon their more downtrodden sounds and embrace a happier tone. Lorde had a more straightforward pop album in “Solar Power,” meanwhile the Michelle Zauner led Japanese Breakfast explored the facets of joy and happiness for one of her most personal and experiential records to date. It’s an album you can sit and envelope yourself in, or just have on in the background of a nice dinner, but it’s never disposable noise. It was certainly one of the top albums I had on repeat this year.

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Best in Cinema 2020: Part 1 – The Films

To say my favourite films of 2020 are a reflection of the 2020 experience would be a whimsically reductive assessment of films made prior to the turning of the calendar and shit-hitting of a fan. But the art we gravitate to, be it book, song, film, whatever, are a reflection of ourselves and our state of mind. Could my picks for best films of 2020 be more of a commentary on how I was internally processing the events of the year? Perhaps. But they’re also just quality films worth checking out.

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Best Movies of 2019: Part 1 – The Films

Best Films of the Year

Parasite

This was the final entry into the list, the last I saw, but I was blown away with how perfect this film is. Bong Joon-Ho has long made interesting think pieces on class disparity, including past Top 10 entries Snowpiercer and Okja, but they haven’t so finely put a bow on it. And to his credit, he never marks a villain or hero in the story, so as not to demonize or lionize one particular class or the other. Bong Joon-Ho expertly crafts his story by attacking the systemic nature of disparity, as opposed to the unwilling participants. We feel for all involved, especially for the tragedy of the Kim family. The film is masterfully edited and brilliantly paced to pull you right in, and while it’s an ensemble piece, Song Kang-ho’s performance as Ki-taek is one of the more careful and nuanced performances of the year, bringing great heart and woe to the Kim patriarch.

Continue reading “Best Movies of 2019: Part 1 – The Films”

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