New year means a new me, as is evident by the fact I’m actually writing on here as opposed to saying “Yeah, I should get around to it”. A new year also means an opportunity for a rebrand and a new blog nemesis, so goodbye Rebel and Jared (until your next films) because we have a new rival in town.
I was trying to find a link to my top 18 films of the year the other day, so lazily googled “The film ramble”, which is usually successful on page 3 of google searches (Not that I google this blog for the sake of it all the time, ergh I sound like a narcicist already). This time however, I was shocked to see something else come up… the film “Rumble”. This isn’t some new blog which sounds way too much like mine but cooler in every way, but an animated film from 2021.
Needless to say, I haven’t watched this shocking looking totally harmless family animation. However, I do decree the makers of this film enemies of the film blog. If you have any opinions on this film other than pure hatred, you’re not welcome on this blog either. Screw this film which was made to stop my attempt at stardom. Damn films, taking my top google search spot.
The following review will spoil the original Avatar (Obviously, stupid)
Speaking of films which mix humans and non humans with no doubt clunky story telling, let’s talk about Avatar: The Way of Water or Avatar 2. Now, it’s been exactly half of my life since the original Avatar came out, a time where I would’ve imagine Citizen Kane to be a biopic of that bloke who missed the penalty in Qatar, and I don’t think I’ve watched Avatar 1 in about 10 years.
So for those who like me, couldn’t remember, Avatar is alive again having had his body turned permanently into a blue person. He’s also been busy over the last 13 years as he has four children, one from the scientist who died and also looks after some Mowgli kid who was the son of the evil soldier in the last film. Their happy existence is ruined when the humans come back, including a blue’d up version of dead sergeant who was made using his memories (this isn’t the only non-sensical thing). To save his people and make something happen in the film, Avatar and family decide to leave the tribe and join the water people who have come straight out of a Sally Hawkins dream. While there, they will learn the way of the water over a long time before an inevitable low stakes hour long fight (It’s a 192 minute film)
So technically, this film has that aesthetic. The characters look kind of alive. It’s odd though, there is almost a smoothness which makes this feel like a video game in style more than a movie. Sure, it’s acquired and there are times I shook this feeling off, but soon enough we would go back to that odd feeling when the camera moved that bit unnaturally or too smoothly. Otherwise, the designs are all great. The creatures are interesting enough and the underwater scenes are vibrant with good use of lighting. If you’re there to watch a good looking film, you’ll be happy and that’s fine.
However, the story doesn’t match the first. Everything feels scaled down in terms of the conflict. There are so many lazy forced decisions from the characters and it feels designed so that Cameron can get to a place for a third film as opposed to a natural flow. Most conflict is because the characters aren’t fitting in to their new land, but after a while you stop caring. I also found there were just too many characters on screen, many of whom were forgettable and poorly written, for me to give a damn by the time we got to the emotional climax of the movie. There were Mr and Mrs, 4 kids, Mowgli and the water people and it was just too unfocussed as it meandered into average family drama with fancy characters.
There just didn’t feel as much to discover in this world. The sea creatures weren’t game changers and the safe environment of a shallow reef never presented any exhilaration that flying through a jungle would. Everything felt lovely and neat, which in a film about how beautiful but dangerous nature could be, just felt missing.
Ultimately, I didn’t hate this film. It was technically very good and worth an evening at the cinema, but despite the fresh coat of paint, this Avatar story just doesn’t live up to the original.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Tár is not just the second half of Avatar but a whole film within itself. Lydia Tár is one of the most famous female composers around. Charismatic, yet cold, we see her leading her last song in her round of conducting the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, having never lasted at an orchestra for so long. Everything seems to be going smoothly before she starts obsessing over a new cellist and allegations begin to come about over her conduct.
The main observation from anybody who watches Tár is that it’s a slow film, almost wearing this as a badge of honour. It plays its whole credits in the first 15 minutes and each scene feels long and drawn out, almost to a point of cinematic parody. In the first 30 minutes, we get a good 10 minute interview with her and then a 15 minute conducting lesson at a local university. At two hours and thirty seven minutes (18 minutes longer than the usual benchmark), this film feels like it should be so boring, but somehow, in an almost difficult to explain way it’s not.
Lydia Tár as a character has a magnetism about her. You want to hear every word she says as you feel she has an authority and a respect with her full unwavering tone of voice. Cate Blanchett brings a gravitas not often seen to the screen, particularly in female roles. Every word at the beginning feels cool and considered before she starts to lose this demeanour later on. Tár is partly a film about her driving herself into insanity slowly as her previous actions start to catch up with her. Yet, there’s a great intrigue about this as it’s a fundamentally cool character. Unlike the Hollywood Adam Driver punching a wall, the film is written with more class. We’re not seeing Tár shout and scream at the beginning, but getting more irate at noises, making irrational decisions, closing herself off from the world. She’s not exploding, but imploding and the story feels better for this.
The whole writing process is classy and grown up. We know Tár has done some things wrong to a former worker of hers. We know she is being “cancelled” for it, but we’re not told what. Why would we be? Lydia already knows what she did and won’t discuss it. Instead we see a list of e-mails in her inbox and her e-mailing about this. Her assistant (played by Noemie Merlant who is just great in everything) asks her about what happened and investigates it herself, but in an indirect way. We see her disgust towards the lead not through her talking, but through a text exchange with a friend, which immediately gives the asymetric information. We see the disdain early.
I mentioned earlier that the film is about Tár being cancelled. Yet, to describe it as that is a real disservice. At the beginning Tar has an argument with a black student about his refusal to conduct Bach due to his past and the student being unable to relate to him, before we see Tár suffer a same fate. However, the whole film feels like it’s about a desire to grab, enjoy and cling on to power. We don’t like Lydia Tár, but we’re interested in her. We follow her thought process clearly, her aloofness allowing us to study her with intrigue from a distance instead of supporting her during her plight.
Technically this film is a masterpiece. Everything from the production design (those lovely 20th century German flats leave me rather envious) to the sound to Tár’s fantastic powerful wardrobe (showing her as in control) all just work to great effect to bring together a great script and actor and deliver an intriguing atmosphere.
While you need to be in the right mood to watch a dragging ambient film, if you give it a chance, Tár really works as a piece of cinema. A well made, subtle but powerful script brought to life by the incredible Monkey from Del Torro’s pinocchio Cate Blanchett is a real winner.
What makes a good movie? Maybe it’s something that makes you laugh. It may make you cry. It may make you feel nothing at all except an empty despair about how everything is meaningless and all we do is die so what is the point of living. Then you watch Paddington 2 and suddenly you realise that’s what’s worth living for.
While this year, my blog updates have been more sporadic (whoops), this is always a post I enjoy doing as it allows me to write about the films I’m passionate about and highlight many gems that some of you may not have discovered. I did it last year and am looking forward to doing it again and showing the films which, much like Will Smith’s right hand to Chris Rock’s cheek, left an impact on me.
I have watched a number of films this year, so if your favourite isn’t on this list, you can see my rough full rankings here. Please do get irrationally upset, even if I really enjoyed more than the top 50. As always, if the film’s wide release in the UK was from Christmas 2021- Christmas 2022, it’s eligible. It’s my list, it’s my rules
As usual, I will show which streaming services you can find these films on. [£] means available to rent online
18) Children of the Mist
There is an intellegent eloquence about Children of the Mist which gives it an incredibly sad overtone. The film about the mountainous northern village in Vietnam and the kidnapping of brides starts off slow as we follow the life of Di and her loving mother and delinquent alcoholic father. The mother particularly is much sadder than she outright says, having been pushed into this loveless marriage. We see Di forced into a marriage with a local boy who kidnaps her. At first it seems unassuming, before becoming increasingly difficult to watch. She clearly isn’t in to him, writing about how much she loves another boy while sat next to him, but she seems to have less and less control of the situation, before we end up with an emotional climax.
This documentary is understated, yet each person including the director wears their heart on their sleeves as we see a male dominated society push around an innocent girl into a future she doesn’t want.
17) Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle
How about a Japanese war epic based on a true story, but there is a twist. The fact there isn’t a war…
Second Lt. Onoda and his small group of soldiers are on a Phillipine island fighting the Americans, and when split from the crowd there are only few of them left. When they hear of surrender, Onoda, who was trained at a special military unit believes this not to be true and vows to continue fighting. Despite Japan trying to re-call him, he doesn’t believe they can have lost so holds himself and his dwindling crew on the island for over 30 years. A brilliantly acted movie with fantastic set ups and cinematography, this long film doesn’t feel like 30 years as it’s regularly exciting and its characters interesting and conflicted as this imaginary war takes its toll. It’s a shame this film got such a small release as it’s really a fantastic study of the impact of war and training for it, in a different way with an incredible true story to boot. [£]
16) The Northman
I don’t think many films failed as bafflingly at the box office as The Northman. This was despite a generally positive reception to an uncompromising, exciting movie. It was probably the uncompromising nature that made it struggle, from the barbaric pillaging of villages to incestuous kissing. This film was exciting and stylistic. A rather basic re-telling of Hamlet, the performances across the board, the production design and cinematography made it a brilliant big screen experience, although there will be plenty to gain from a small screen viewing as this film will cut through. [Sky Cinema/Now]
15) Great Freedom
The best part of the Shawshank Redemption is the building of relationships over the long passage of time. This is also Great Freedom’s biggest strength as Hans, who is imprisoned for being gay in 20th Century Austria, develops a friendship with his murderer cellmate Viktor over the course of three decades as Hans is a repeat offender. The film shows the injustice Hans faces and the difficult life he leads, facing bigotry both in life and behind bars. As a “175”, Hans is stigmatised and is seen as worse than Viktor, but over time they build a respect for each other. A tough emotional watch, this empathetic character study is worthy of comparison to what is considered an all time great. [Mubi]
14) Happening
Some films on this list I will watch multiple times. Happening is one I will watch only once. In 1950’s France, Anne is a promising literature student who is going far. All seems well in her life until she becomes pregnant. Not wanting a baby and scared of the consequences, she looks to have an abortion in a state where it is illegal to have one, or to even help someone to have one. This brilliantly acted and directed movie is absolutely traumatic, especially as we get towards a startlingly uncompromising crescendo. [Mubi]
13) The Batman
It was always going to be difficult for “The Batman” to outdo “The Dark Knight”. With Heath Ledger’s villain bringing an air of manic energy to the film, Paul Dano’s riddler would have a lot to live up to. Yet, in a way, the film is incredibly different. Instead of unpredictability, this film goes for a slower puzzle box of chaotic order. Maybe that’s why this film feels different but successful. Robert Patterson and Zoe Kravitz as the Bat and the Cat have a great chemistry and the film is beautifully shot with a great score. The best super hero film in a while, this Noir detective drama is a welcome change from the boring marvel template, engaging you with an underscore of suspense. This was a film worth seeing on the big screen as I said in a previous review. [Sky Cinema/Now]
12) Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio
In a year where there were three Pinocchio films, this was the only one I watched. Yet, having seen trailers for the others, I can say fairly convincingly this one is the only one worth watching. By the guy who did Pan’s Labyrinth and that fish sex movie which one best picture, this film is much more raw and emotional than anything Disney would do. The first 15 minutes are about Geppetto losing his son, before creating Pinocchio while in a fit of drunken rage. The film’s focus on mortality grounds it in humanity as we see the impact of Pinocchio’s immortality. The 1930’s fascist Italy setting provided a different perspective of the story, yet one not unfamiliar from Del Toro’s other works. While this isn’t a film primarily for children, it certainly is a film for family. The love and care towards the stop motion puppet craft is fantastic. Each character’s puppet is full of emotion and personality. The movement feel’s janky and imperfect in a way that works naturally. The look and atmosphere of each location is on point, helped by an absolutely wonderful score. For a film about a wooden boy, this picture has plenty of heart. [Netflix]
11) Girl, Picture
Should a character be likable? Maybe, maybe not. The problem with the three protagonists of Girl Picture is that neither are likable. The lead is a particular example of this. Mimmi is a cold individual who is maybe just looking to rebel, but is maybe looking for love. She works with Ronkko who is worried she is broken as she is struggling with any form of sexual relationship, so is likely asexual. Mimmi also falls for Emma, a perfectionist ice skater who has always lived a template life dictated by her parents. Each girl has their own stuff to work out in what is an honest, uplifting coming of age story. The film works as haracters don’t seem to linearly progress, but sway around. They think with their hearts, regularly upset one another in self-destructive ways, but ultimately do care for each other and there is enough there that you truly root for them. [£]
10) Photocopier
A Me Too noir detective film which had vibes of Bong Joon Ho’s film making about it, it was a surprise that Indonesian film photocopier didn’t hit a wider audience. A young woman wakes up after a party struggling to put the pieces together after some drunk photos lose her her scholarship. She also finds her t-shirt is on the wrong way round which increases her suspicions. People turn against one another as secrets are revealed in this brilliantly written and acted story. You don’t know where it’s going next and it remains intriguing, while also showing poignant messages around wealth, gender and justice. [Netflix]
9) Everything Everywhere All At Once
Out of this list of 20, EEAAO is most likely to still be talked about in 10 years time. One of the most successful independent films both critically and in the box office, this film had it all. A film which you have seen nothing like, this martial arts film about a middle aged Chinese woman having to use skills from the many Evelyns in the many universes to save her own is full of a mad cap energy which just works. This is also because it has a big heart. Despite the chaos, its just a film about a mother and her daughter trying to understand each other’s worlds. Evelyn’s regrets and struggles are an important part of the story which makes her appreciative of what she has. This unremarkable character is suddenly the important person in the world and really finds herself. A technical masterpiece, as well as enjoying the effects and the action, there is also some great performances from Michelle Yeoh and her on screen husband Waymond played by Ke Huy Quan. This is a beautiful film for anybody feeling lost. Review[Prime Video]
8) Decision To Leave
I don’t think there has been a better homage to the noir Hitchcock-esque films of yesteryear than Park Chan Wook’s Decision To Leave. Yet that feels a disservice to say this is a homage, as this modern day film also feels a worthy entry into the genre of its own right. Much like your classic Hitchcock film, it starts as a simple detective story. A man has been murdered, a broken detective investigates the wife and then starts to fall for her. We see the interesting relationship between the two bloom with a question around whether she was a murderer almost becomes a lingering second fiddle. This is only the first half of the movie as a story of obsession comes about. The film looks grand with shots which remind one of Vertigo and the writing is phenomenal. For any fan of the noir genre, this is essential viewing. Review here[Mubi]
7) Emily
This film was probably my biggest surprise of the year. The Emily Bronte biopic shows the (probably somewhat exaggerated) story of Bronte not fitting in with her sisters, falling in forbidden love, writing Wuthering Heights and then her tragic young death. This film was brilliantly acted, written and shot leaving us with a historic biopic which was exciting and engaging. Emily’s relationship with Charlotte was tense as was hers with the vicar she fell for. With its strict contrasting use of colour to show imagined fantasy and stark reality, the film feels familiar yet refreshing. Emma Mackey’s performance is certainly worth writing home about. I wrote more about it here. [£]
6) Flee
This is a marvel of film. A gay, unaccompanied child refugee’s journey from Afghanistan to Denmarkis told by “Amin” to his friend. As he needs to be anonymous, everything was filmed then animated, with his previous experiences also animated. This is possibly the most personal film you could see as Amin had never told anyone of his story for fear of repercussion. You see the impacts of what happened to him back them as well as the impacts it has on his day to day life and his relationship with his boyfriend. Today this story remains so important, so I implore you, please see this film if you can. Review[Disney +]
5) Mass
Despite some of what I have posted so far not being a barrel of laughs, Mass is probably the most depressing film on this list. Two families whose sons were both in a school shooting meet as they look for understanding, repentance or forgiveness. The film reveals information slowly as well as feelings. It’s beautifully written hitting crescendos at different times, before a sense of calmness and progress. At times, feeling like a stage play, Jason Isaacs, Martha Plimpton, Reed Birney and Ann Dowd all put in 10/10 performances meaning you don’t feel you can look away. For all the films with all of the effects that come out, nothing can replace brilliant acting in showing what makes a good film. Review[Sky Cinema/Now]
4) Titane
Okay, so it came out on Boxing Day 2021, so it shouldn’t be elegible. But due to my rule of no cinema between Christmas and New Year, I allow it. If you don’t like me talking about the car sex film, you can go to Surbiton Rebel Wilson Fan Club and hear about how Senior Year is film of the year. Starting off as a visceral body horror, I didn’t like Titane for the first hour. Our lead character is in an accident as a child, then becomes a serial killer as an adult and likes cars as much as Jeremy Clarkson. Yet when we get over this, the film gets more screwed up but fantastic. She cuts her hair to escape the police and claims she’s a long lost boy. Her new father accepts this and takes her home none the wiser (although there is a question of whether he knows he’s lying to himself). She realises she’s pregnant with car baby (yeah) and hiding who she is becomes more difficult as both her and new father enjoy this second chance at a relationship they both lost. For all the madness that happens in this film, it’s ultimately a sweet film about family and acceptance. The heart of it is why it’s in my top 5 of the year. Review[Mubi]
3) Paris, 13th District
Paris 13th District is When Harry Met Sally, but saucier, French and for the modern age. When two millennials become room mates, sparks fly. Elsewhere, a third character gets mistaken for a cam girl, so starts talking to her a lot. This film felt natural for its generation and looked brilliant. A strong soundtrack as well as some nice cinematography only helped some interesting, flawed characters all of whom you wanted to succeed. [Mubi]
2) Playground
At 73 minutes long, Playground is by a mile the shortest film in this list and arguably the smallest in scale. Nora starts school as a shy timid girl. When she finds that her brother Abel is getting bullied at play time, this sticks her in a moral quandry as Abel tells her to keep quiet. A harsh story about growing up and the warzone that a playground is, Playground remains really human, keeping the camera at Nora’s level while adults are almost headless figures. Brilliant child performances and a brilliant script make sure you have building feelings of anger and empathy as the film goes on. This is cinema at its basic and its best. You can see my full review here[Mubi]
And the film of the year is
Last year, my film of the year was Another Round, a Danish film about freedom and liberation, capturing something that was lost during COVID-19. While very few films have masks and lateral flow tests front and center, it’s difficult to argue that the effects of what happens in the world affects film making and even how you view them. With such a great disaster, we all had a chance to re-evaluate and come to terms with our mortality. Now we are returning to some form of normality, we think about what is important to us and how to better our lives which became stale trapped at home. We can live again, and that is beautiful, but also sad in a way, as we reconsider what to drop as the world is our oyster. This is an very feeling can be seen clearly in my film of the year, The Banshees of Inisherin
It was a Martin McDornagh film in Three Billboards that got me into film originally and showed me what could be done with great actors in an intriguing situation. I was apprehensive as to whether Banshees could ever live up to that. I’m glad to report that Banshees is McDornagh’s funniest film and possibly his best.. A simple film set on an Island off the coast of Ireland sees two friends a simple man (Colin Farrell) and a thinking man (Brendan Gleeson) fall out because the latter just doesn’t want to be friends anymore. There isn’t a big reason for this, he has just decided that Farrell’s character is a bit dull. Needless to say, Farrell’s character doesn’t take this lightly and the whole island becomes intrigued by this.
Everything about this film is on point. The script, the setting, the music and the performances, particularly Farrell’s. His comedic timing is impeccable and I chuckled lots when originally watching the film. The movie balances the grounded approach with the abstract. Half of the characters are almost parody while others are normal. There is also a dark side to the movie. It gets very on edge at times, but that balances the humour brilliantly. This film is art and if you can handle the darker moments, I’d encourage you to watch it. My full review is here. [Disney +]
The Film Ramble 