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thefilmsnob · 11 months

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Glen Coco’s Top 10 Films of 2022

Hey, look out, gang, movies are back in theaters! Isn’t that exciting?! Get off the couch and go to some, so theaters don’t close! Also, I usually share my top 10 films of the previous year much closer to the Oscars ceremony, but it’s been Procrasti-Nation up in my life and I have a real job. Anyway, introductory paragraphs are so 2008 and I’m already 2000 and late, so I’ll just get on with my top 10 films of 2022...after the runners-up and the standard bonus track...there’s always a bonus track.

RUNNERS-UP

-Everything Everywhere All at Once

-The Fabelmans

-The Northman

-The Whale

-Women Talking

#10b. (Bonus Track) Nope

Director: Jordan Peele

Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun

Like his previous films, Jordan Peele’s third feature begins with an entrancing prologue that begs to be deciphered, especially its relationship to the film as a whole. As the story unfolds, all its seemingly disparate parts coalesce to make a final product that’s a mix of fascinating plot developments, gorgeous photography and insightful themes. Although the payoff this time isn’t quite as satisfying as in his previous works and the themes are somewhat less coherent, Nope is still an engrossing experience, crafted by one of the industry’s most distinct and creative voices. A master of utilizing and manipulating an array of tantalizing images—inflatable tube men, chimpanzees, the sky—Peele has created a spectacle that, in turn, challenges our fascination with the very idea of spectacles, but just like the characters in the film, we too can’t look away.

#10. Thirteen Lives

Director: Ron Howard

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, Joel Edgerton

When 12 young players and coach of a Thai soccer team were saved from the flooding Tham Luang cave during a miraculous rescue mission just five years ago, it was obvious someone would adapt this harrowing event into a film. In fact, there have been several adaptations in various forms already, but that doesn’t take away from the sheer intensity and realism director Ron Howard has imbued in his version, so much so that at times it actually feels like a documentary. William Nicholson’s meticulous screenplay focuses in great detail on the myriad of technical issues faced during the grueling mission and huge stars like Viggo Mortensen and Colin Farrell completely disappear beneath their real-life cave diver characters alongside their Thai acting partners for maximum authenticity. Knowing the outcome is insignificant; when you’re watching the divers swim through dangerously narrow passages or finally exhaling as the boys are rescued, it’s as if you’re there, witnessing the ordeal firsthand.

FULL REVIEW

#9. Top Gun: Maverick

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Starring: Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly

Who knew a Top Gun sequel, released 35 years after the original and unaffiliated with Marvel, Star Wars or James Cameron, would become one of the most successful films of all time? Well, it did and it’s exactly what the dwindling movie theater business needed: an exhilarating combination of eye-popping special effects and nostalgia. Sure, it has some clunky dialogue and cheesy moments here and there, but the mesmerizing flight choreography, numerous callbacks, wonderful acting and a surprising amount of pathos render those flaws trivial. And in these uncertain times, there’s such a strong feeling of comfort and familiarity seeing a true movie star like Tom Cruise flash that iconic smile and save the day. It helps that he gives one of the best performances of his career as the now-veteran Maverick, instructing a new class of pilots which includes his old partner Goose’s son, played with apt restlessness by Miles Teller. Cruise’s talent is most evident in a poignant scene that reunites him with former rival and currently ailing Iceman; in a story set so frequently in the sky, this heartwarming scene grounds it with a level of tenderness that’ll take you by surprise.

#8. Bones and All

Director: Luca Guadagnino

Starring: Taylor Russell, Timothée Chalamet

Here’s something you’ve probably never heard: one of the most romantic films of the year follows two young people with an insatiable urge to consume human flesh. Bones and All isn’t some typical zombie or cannibal B-Movie, though; the content is treated with the same sincerity as a great prestige picture. Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet don’t play one-dimensional monsters but fully realized outcasts who we come to not only understand but care for, especially as their romance, based on a unique type of belonging, blossoms. Aside from romance, the film’s also a metaphor for drug addiction and the poor souls on the fringes of society. Not exactly a horror film, it still includes graphic, bloody images that are at once shocking and matter-of-fact, not meant to frighten but to bring us into these characters’ bizarre reality. Perhaps the most frightening aspect of the film is a truly creepy character portrayed by the invaluable Mark Rylance, who, in an award-worthy performance, embodies the darkest side of this lifestyle, one unbound by any moral code. Employing fittingly grainy photography, director Luca Guadagnino evokes similar films from the ‘70s and ‘80s, giving atmosphere to one of the most unique movie experiences of 2022.

#7. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Director: Dean Fleischer Camp

Starring: Jenny Slate, Dean Fleischer Camp, Isabella Rossellini

It takes serious discipline to avoid using the word ‘charming’ in every sentence describing this movie, but that’s basically it in a nutshell--or, rather, seashell. Indeed, a seashell is what Marcel is, the protagonist at the heart of this live-action/animated hybrid gem. Based on Dean Fleischer Camp’s animated shorts that gained popularity years ago, this feature is an example of art imitating life in that a fictionalized version of the writer/director moves into an Airbnb, discovers Marcel living there and makes documentaries that go viral. The imagination on display with regard to how the inch-tall Marcel and his grandmother interact with their human surroundings is pure whimsy, whether they’re using wine corks as chairs or a spinning record as a treadmill. Voiced by Jenny Slate with an adorable child-like rasp, Marcel is instantly endearing, as are his drolly nonchalant exchanges with his new human friend. Beyond the film’s overt appeal, there’s also an underlying debate about the pros and cons of social media that adds some weight to this otherwise light and...charming...experience.

FULL REVIEW

#6. Moonage Daydream

Director: Brett Morgen

Starring: David Bowie

If you’re looking for a cinematic Wikipedia entry of David Bowie, this is not the documentary for you. Granted, it would’ve been nice to hear more anecdotes from friends and colleagues, but what we’ve been gifted by Brett Morgen, who wrote, directed, produced and edited the project, is a kaleidoscopic stream of consciousness brought to life. Told roughly in chronological order (emphasis on ‘roughly’), the film shows many of Bowie’s live performances, interviews, film roles, side projects (ie. sculpting, oil painting) and extensive behind-the-scenes footage. Bowie himself provides voice-over work throughout, musing on topics like art, love, religion, identity, life itself and no shortage of philosophy, in place of mere dates and locations. Though several are included, Morgen interestingly omits many of Bowie’s greatest hits, in favour of more obscure songs, and it’s a testament to the genius’s artistry that they’re just as phenomenal. The way Morgen incorporates these songs, how and when he combines them with the wondrous imagery, is sheer poetry, culminating in a jaw-dropping climax. This is how Bowie would’ve wanted his story to be told, a work that can be labeled with the same word used to describe Bowie’s entire life: art.

#5. Bodies Bodies Bodies

Director: Halina Reijn

Starring: Maria Bakalova, Amandla Stenberg, Pete Davidson, Myha’la Herrold, Lee Pace, Rachel Sennott, Chase Sui Wonders

Described as a horror film on Wikipedia and marketed as a slasher flick, Bodies Bodies Bodies is definitely not the former, debatably the latter and, in fact, one of the funniest movies of the year. The black comedy sees a group of mostly wealthy twentysomethings gathered for a ‘hurricane party’ at a mansion owned by the parents of the host. Following a murder mystery game, the partyers start dying off for real, but instead of cooperating to survive, they succumb to pettiness and paranoia, exacerbating the situation in a manner both hilarious and sadly believable. Set in one location, the film relies heavily on its charismatic young cast and a smart screenplay by Sarah DeLappe that’s kinetic, engrossing and astute. It’s also, finally, a delightful skewering of various qualities of Generation Z from constant validation-seeking to endless labels to jobs that may or may not be real jobs. It culminates in a deeply satisfying finale that ties things up perfectly and validates everything that preceded it, an ending that’s at once brutal and entirely cathartic. And even if you don’t love this film, you’ll still love to ‘hate-watch’ it.

#4. All Quiet on the Western Front

Director: Edward Berger

Starring: Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Daniel Brühl

It’s fascinating how a movie so enveloped in drab greys and blues and caked in mud could look so striking. That’s the case with the latest adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front; director Edward Berger and cinematographer James Friend take a dark period in history from which we’re far removed and pull us in with crisp, vivid images. Occasionally, we’re treated to beautiful views of forests and fields, but more often we experience the horror of the battlefield, complete with muddy trenches, severed limbs, pools of blood and incessant fear. It’s a stark contrast to the praise and glory the idealistic young Germans were promised by their overzealous superiors. Felix Kammerer shines as the naive Paul Bäumer, a symbol of the loss of innocence in war, his big bright eyes gazing at the inhumanity before him. These messy scenes are juxtaposed with those featuring Daniel Brühl, a German official trying to negotiate peace with men in spotless uniforms inside ornate rooms. The film’s stellar technical achievements support equally awe-inspiring personal moments as in the film’s most powerful scene involving soldiers on opposite sides of the war when a character ignores his programmed hatred and allows his humanity to take control.

#3. Tár

Director: Todd Field

Starring: Cate Blanchett, Nina Hoss, Noémie Merlant

Written, directed and produced by Todd Field, Tár is a masterclass in nuance and precision. Every frame, every line, every movement is so deliberate and full of meaning. This style perfectly compliments Lydia Tár, the world-famous composer and conductor, played by Cate Blanchett in a pitch-perfect, and perhaps her best, performance. The character’s accomplishments are extraordinary, especially for a woman in that field. It’s hard not to admire this trailblazer, even as her challenging behaviour and potentially problematic actions surface. But, Blanchett and Field refuse to make her simply unlikable or provide tidy labels like ‘villain’. Her subtle actions like gripping someone’s hand to stop incessant pen clicking or employing a slight inflection on a certain word tells us volumes about who she is. As the film proceeds, we learn that she may have a history of sexual misconduct, but we’re provided subtle hints gradually rather than an overt information bludgeoning. Ultimately, the story tackles timely issues like the ‘me too’ movement and cancel culture, but Field shows monumental restraint in refusing to take a side, instead choosing to treat the audience like mature adults and reserving judgment for them.

#2. The Banshees of Inisherin

Director: Martin McDonagh

Starring: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Barry Keoghan

The Banshees of Inisherin is set in 1923 on a small, sparsely populated island off the coast of Ireland where life is quiet and predictable. Things are rationally organized, from the sharp divide between rocky cliffs and water to the rows of stone that separate fields from foot paths. That’s why it’s so jarring when Colm refuses to join longtime friend Pádraic on their daily trip to the pub because, we soon learn, he just doesn’t like him anymore. A friendship’s decline is a simple premise but one that leads to profound developments as both emotions and stakes intensify rapidly. It’s a fascinating character study, enhanced by magnificent performances from the year’s best acting ensemble. Banshees tells an intimate story, but it reflects the current state of our society at large. The powerlessness felt by some of the characters mirrors what we’re all feeling in a world afflicted by a raging pandemic, a senseless war and an eroding democracy. Because it’s a Martin McDonagh film, the character analysis, dark humour and moments of genuine feeling are blended with the macabre, but take that all away and you still have endless lines of riveting dialogue. That’s one reason why the omission of flashbacks was such an apt decision. We don’t need to see the friendship as it once was; these marvelous actors tell us everything we need to know about a joyful past, a turbulent present and an uncertain future.

FULL REVIEW

#1. EO

Director: Jerzy Skolimowski

Starring: Ettore, Hola, Marietta, Mela, Rocco, Tako (all donkeys)

The best film of 2022 features an undeniably charismatic lead. Like many icons of film, this one is beautiful, benevolent, charming, and sympathetic. He also happens to be a donkey named Eo. I was so curious as to how this story would be told since it’s not a documentary about donkeys but a scripted work of fiction starring one. He’s neither animated nor a product of CGI over which the the film makers have complete control. This makes Polish writer/director/producer Jerzy Skolimowski’s deeply moving film EO not only impressive but subversive. In fact, instead of anthropomorphizing the donkey as Hollywood is wont to do, Skolimowski embraces his non-human nature, presenting a real living donkey as the wonderful creature he is.

The story begins with Eo working in a Polish circus with his fellow human performer Kasandra who cares deeply for him until he’s taken away to work at a stable. His journey continues as he moves from place to place, person to person, some kind, some cruel. We see he’s not so different from humans; he enjoys being caressed and loved and protected. He lacks the cruelty, though, which makes caring about him effortless and speaks volumes about humanity. Frankly, few other works will make you reevaluate your feelings toward--and relationship with--animals more than EO, a film that is often as heartbreaking as it is endearing. Yet, it’s not meant to scold its audience or even pass judgement but merely encourage one to view life differently, in this case through the peaceful, unassuming behaviour of a magnificent little donkey.

#top 10 films 2022 #movie review #movies

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