We are at the crossroads of cinema.
A global pandemic has accelerated the conversation in the industry between film and TV and the coexistence of streaming and movie theaters. If you talk to “in the know” people, they worry about the future. I remain optimistic.
The glass is half full. Art and the way we consume content has changed dramatically, as it has over the past few decades. Does this mean fewer cinemas? This may not mean the end of my most cherished sanctuary, my church, where I go to escape and praise the celluloid gods.
After rocking my first in-person attendance at 94e Oscars, full of slaps and historic moments, it was full steam ahead.
I was lucky enough to have had the opportunity to take my very first trip to Europe, where I sailed through stunning scenery and a few unwarranted stops on a red carpet for wearing the “wrong color” tuxedo. , but above all, I saw a few films that seduced me, in particular the Palme d’Or by Ruben Östlund, the black comedy “Triangle of Sadness” with the discovery of Filipino actor Dolly De Leon.
It was also in France that Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” descended on festival-goers, cementing former Nickelodeon and Disney Channel star Austin Butler’s place in Hollywood’s future, staying in the pack. top of the shoots of actors seen in 2022.
The summer blockbuster season has begun with the dominance of Joseph Kosinski’s high-flying sequel, “Top Gun: Maverick,” proving there’s no movie star like Tom Cruise.
Marvel Studios wrapped up its Phase Four with the visual thrills of “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” and “Thor: Ragnarok” before culminating in the upcoming emotional farewell to Chadwick Boseman with “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” building a new appreciation for his other teammates, especially the legendary Angela Bassett.
We popped into the Fall Festival with Telluride who gave us the world premieres of Sarah Polley’s vital ‘Women Talking’ with her enchanting ensemble and the resonant ‘Empire of Light’ with another knockout from Olivia Colman and Toby Jones.
After making stops in Venice before heading to the mountains of Colorado, Todd Field’s long-awaited 16-year-old return to writing and directing presidency with the psychologically complex ‘Tár’, starring two gripping turns from Cate Blanchett and the criminally underrated Nina Hoss.
TIFF came back strong, desperately trying to navigate an Emmy-filled weekend, but brought the goods with the premiere of Steven Spielberg’s personal childhood story, “The Fabelmans,” and two releases. dynamites from (leader or support?) Michelle Williams and veteran actor Judd Hirsch.
It was wonderful to see that before director Gina Prince-Bythewood delivered her historic epic ‘The Woman King’, she had long been one of the game’s best as moviegoers revisit classics like ‘Love and Basketball ” (2000). Embedded in the story of Dahomey Empire, the filmmaker brought to the fore an onslaught of talented black women – both in front of and behind the camera – like Thuso Mbedu and editor Terilyn A. Shropshire.
THE WHALE, Brendan Fraser, 2022. © A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection
Courtesy of Everett Collection
The comeback stories have been high points, like Brendan Fraser’s soaring to a new stratosphere of fame and gratitude with his transformation into Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale.”
The New York Film Festival gave a belated voice to the harrowing story of Mamie Till-Mobley, in the form of Danielle Deadwyler’s ferocity in Chinonye Chukwu’s poignant drama. “Till” also reminded us that Whoopi Goldberg is always an amazing actress when given the right vehicle.
The Hollywood industry had to look in the mirror at its guilt for allowing a monster like Harvey Weinstein with Maria Schrader’s influential “She Said.”
It also became a game of “will they” or “will they not” when Antoine Fuqua’s “Emancipation” starring Will Smith was released. Although aloof from criticism, I was able to take home the genius of cinematographer Robert Richardson and the memorable roles played by Ben Foster and Charmaine Bingwa.
And then there’s “Everything Everywhere” in between, and the story of Ke Huy Quan’s triumphant return is the soul of the season, with Michelle Yeoh’s long-awaited worship tour underway.
I will always continue to champion the medium of animation, which has had exceptional releases with “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”, “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” and the always delicious “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On”.
Documentaries continue to thrive on innovation, most notably with the handcrafted mastery of Ryan White’s “Good Night Oppy,” which will go down as one of the most egregious snubs on the shortlist in recent memory.
I’m not sure I cried more with films like Matthew Heineman’s “Retrograde” and Chris Smith’s “Sr” while finding more love in the musical space with “Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song” by Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine. and “Moonage Daydream” by Brett Morgen.
Some of the best moments in cinema this year came with international, non-English language feature films such as “Close” in Belgium and “Holy Spider” in Denmark, both of which ranked very high on my list and were represented in various categories. I’m not sure I’ll have a more memorable three hours than watching Tollywood’s Indian breakout “RRR” with my wife on our couch at home, giving her two new leading men to admire from afar with Ram Charan and NT Rama Rao Jr.
I ended the year with a handful of visual effects-driven shows such as Roland Emmerich’s ‘Moonfall’, which was equally fun and amazing, and James Cameron’s ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’, which cost a billion dollars. Regarding the latter, as the evolution of the animation medium continues with talk of undeniable beauties like “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On”, I’ve chosen to acknowledge the motion capture creations of the Cameron’s sequel to the animated feature, which shouldn’t be taken as a lighthearted. I am a huge advocate for animation and its recognition value in various technical categories. If people support things like “The Adventures of Tintin”, then “Avatar 2” can also be seen in the same space.
Finally, while these aren’t Oscar categories yet, I’ve included two additional accolades for Best Cast and Best Stunts, which are to be adopted by the Academy. The winners for these are casting directors and stunt coordinators.
As final Oscar voting prepares to begin Jan. 12 before being announced Jan. 24, it’s always good to encourage industry voters to watch as many movies as possible. Above all, a reminder that the list below is not absolute. If a movie or performance isn’t listed, that doesn’t mean I hated it. Naming the best of any art form is subjective and tastes change over time.
Starting today, and looking ahead to 2023, it’s mine.