Blow off the cobwebs, we are back. I know it’s been a while since I’ve updated this blog. Unfortunately it’s been a busy few months and I then had to choose between sitting down and writing or going to watch a movie and I picked the latter. What that has meant is that I have a great list of twenty films that I want to share with you. I’m basically the British Obama.
The main takeaway I want to say is that cinema is pretty great. How wonderful was Barbenheimer? Beyond the hype for that there were so many great films which didn’t even make the below list. Sick of Myself, Royal Hotel, Godzilla Minus One, You Resemble Me, Return to Seoul, Spiderverse-2, Fabelmans, Blackberry, Marcel are just some of the brilliant films which wouldn’t have been out of place, as are indie darlings Anatomy of a Fall and Past Lives. However, the films have been ranked and the final results are below. (Full list here: https://letterboxd.com/thefilmramble/list/2023-ranked/, I’d recommend any film in the top 50).
Anyway, usual rules. Releases between 26/12/22-21/12/23 as the week in between Christmas and New Year is Purdah
20) Reality
Is there a more shocking name in existence than Reality Winner. The true story film is a really interesting experimental piece. It uses the recordings from FBI investigations, turning them into a script with both the interesting and mundane parts shown. A fairly low budget piece, if you don’t know the story, you’re not sure how it’s going to end. While there isn’t the emotional connection as people are acting closed off, the film remains an interesting one, as you see the workings of something you rarely do so authentically blurring the lines between documentary and drama. [Reality is available for digital download]
19) Leave the World Behind
Probably the most divisive film on this list, Leave the World Behind didn’t receive a fantastic reception from most movie goers on its release. However, I found it to be a real highlight this year. Based on a 2020 novel of the same name, this film sees a family rent out an AirBnB. With a couple of weird things happening, you can start to tell something big is going on. When another family come and claim they own the place, distrust starts to increase, with underlying themes of gender, age and race being part of the conflict, although never said (Much like in Night of the Living Dead). As the situation becomes more stark, the families need to work out whether they trust each other and survive what seems an apocalyptic event. Some people don’t like the film because it doesn’t explain everything. It isn’t handed to you on a platter. However, I think that’s too its advantage. Those in the scenario don’t know the answers, just that they need to survive. Director Sam Esmail also uses slow, brooding scenes to create tension, cutting between multiple climaxing stories at once. It’s slick, stylish and controlled and with powerhouse acting from Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke and Mahershala Ali, it’s worth a watch if you like the more human side of a catastrophe. [LTWB is available on Netflix]
18) May, December
May December is most interesting because of its characters. When an actress (Natalie Portman) goes to meet a woman (Julianne Moore) and her husband (Charles Melton) who were found to be in a relationship when he was 13 and she was old enough to be his mother, she finds almost infantilised characters. As she’ll be playing the woman in an upcoming movie, she needs to know everything about her, studying her. This starts to lead to a bridge between the two characters. The dynamics are fun and interesting in this film. With great performances, this is sure to do well in the awards season. A well paced, well written movie, it’s definitely worth your time. [May December is available of Now Cinema]
17) The First Slam Dunk
There is something really interesting about basketball, both to watch in a film and in real life. It’s a sport where you can go on a hot streak, or just collapse in the space of 5 or 10 minutes, which almost makes it cinematic. While nothing will ever top Hoop Dreams as the greatest sport film of all time, TFSD is a fun anime about a rag tag team in a big final, based on a 1990’s series. Switching between their stories and the final itself, it does get crammed, but you pick up what you need to root for the characters. Each one is full of charm and personality, and the classic anime style is gorgeous.
16) Women Talking
Following attacks on women by men in the Mennonite society, all of the women need to decide whether to run, fight or forgive. This leads to them having in depth conversations, considering the impacts of each one and the characters’ own moral compasses. A slow paced, and thoughtful film, it’s shot with dull colours but remains interesting thanks to the tight writing and brilliant acting from Rooney Mara, Jessie Buckley and Claire Foy among others. Nominated for Best picture among other awards at the Oscars last year, the film particularly got deserved recognition for its screenplay. Not an easy watch, but still an important one. [Women Talking is streaming on Prime Video or available for Digital Download]
15) Brother
A Canadian film focussing on themes of masculinity and grief, but in a variety of different ways, Brother is the story of two teenage brothers Michael and Francis. Francis presents himself as more macho and confident, while Michael is shy. However, we learn about these characters and their insecurities in a harsh environment throughout the two hours. With flashbacks and a well paced movie revealing itself, the film really thrives thanks to its brilliant acting. [Available for digital download]
14) The Beasts
The Beasts is a masterstroke in tension. A true-crime drama, the film focuses on a French couple who move into the Spanish mountains to set up a farm. However, when they refuse to sell land for wind farms, the poor residents of the town become hostile as they are also denied life saving money. A slow, but tense thriller, this film sees the French couple start to breakdown as they feel increasingly isolated. Wonderful acting and writing, this Spanish film is fantastic. [Streaming on BFI Player and available on digital]
13) Puss In Boots: The Last Wish
Quite possibly the biggest surprise of the year, Puss 2 is a sequel to a very mediocre animated film. In a year of high quality animation (Marcel and Spiderverse to name a couple), this film stands as the best thanks to its colourful and creative animation and tight script. Puss has used up eight of his nine lives, and now death is coming to hunt him down. To cheat death, Puss has to find a meteor (or something, I can’t exactly remember) before different sets of rag-tag villains can. The film deals with anxiety and fear in a fresh way you don’t expect. Each character has depth and vulnerabilities. Even the annoying side character isn’t annoying. The villain with his creepy whistle is one of the best. This film does become dark at times, but that’s refreshing. Despite that, it’s still a fantastic family film, heck it’s even better than Shrek 2. [Available on Now Cinema/Sky]
12) Tár
This year two films about conductors came out. Maestro was a hammy biopic about someone we never learnt about that didn’t want to say anything. Tár was an agonisingly slow film about a despicable person who got cancelled and spiralled as she lost control, the one vital part of being a conductor. Despite the glacial pace, and the desire to show things without telling, the film still works not just because its so well made, but mainly due to Cate Blanchett’s performance as the titular character. Even when she was monologuing, she controlled the whole screen with her commanding voice and demeanour. It’s a fantastic movie, one which requires patience and investment. [Available on Now Cinema/Sky]
11) How to Have Sex
A fantastic British independent film, HTHS sees three young British women go on holiday to a Spanish resort. Two have lost their virginity and one hasn’t and is started to feel pressured about it. They then meet these British boys and following a night of heavy drinking, something has happened which distressed the lead character. With fantastic writing and brilliant acting from an inexperienced cast, HTHS primarily runs on showing teenage angst around identity and who people are in the world. The sex element is only part of a greater picture of mystery and confusion of teenage life. A really well made movie. [Available on MUBI]
10) Wonka
Well, this list is certainly eclectic, if nothing else. Wonka is a funny, charming light musical and is one of the best family films of the year. A prequel about Wonka starting in a chocolate shop, Chalamet’s character is an all singing and dancing optimist. However, the locals lock him up and the chocolate cartel look to shut him down, meaning he has a battle on his hands to achieve his dream to sell and share his chocolate. A wonderful holiday movie for the whole family. [Wonka is available in the cinema]
9) Joyland
Despite being nominated for best international film at last year’s Oscars for Pakistan, this film was banned in a large number of areas of the country. In a patriarchal family, long time unemployed Haider finds a job as a back up dancer in a group lead by a trans woman, whom he soon starts to fall for. Meanwhile, his wife Mumtaz is forced to give up her job by the family to help a sister in law look after her children, leading to her own unhappiness. A tender, tragic tale of family, sexuality and misogyny, Joyland is a sensitive portrayal of problems in a society. Great performances and tight writing do make it one of the year’s best. [Available on BFI Player and available elsewhere for digital download]
8) Theatre Camp
Honestly, I expected to go into Theatre Camp hating it. The trailer alone looked loud and annoying, at best it would be a Saturday night lazy film when I’m feeling tired. However, judging a book by its cover is something idiots do, and I was an idiot. Theatre Camp is a mockumentary about a camp owned by Joan, who has recently gone into a coma. When her son who knows nothing about theatre takes over, and finds its finances in a dire state, he needs to do what he can to save it. Meanwhile, all the hapless former theatre kid teachers seem just as clueless, trying to run a good summer. It’s a really goofy, exaggerated movie. However, its got a lovely warm soul and is genuinely very funny. Theatre kids will love it as they’ll consider it an exaggerated film which they can laugh at. Those who aren’t theatre kids will love it because it’s an accurate description of theatre kids. A wonderful family film which more people should see. [Streaming now on Disney+]
7) How to Blow Up a Pipeline
Are we the baddies? HTBUAP is a thriller about a group of eco-terrorists who look to blow up a pipeline. Based on a book of the same name, this movie takes its time to show the process from flashbacks showing each character’s motivations in amongst the high pressure situations of making bombs and strapping them to oil pipes. As these are amateurs, it could all go wrong at any point, whether by dropping something, drilling something wrongly or not doing the maths correctly. Resultantly, this thriller is so high stakes that there were long periods where I wasn’t even breating. [Streaming now on Netflix]
6) Oppenheimer
Definitely the film on this list that you most likely saw, Oppenheimer was not only half of an incredible cultural phenomenon, but also a fantastic film. Lead by the fantastic Cillian Murphy as the titular character, the slow three hour biopic about a scientists caught the imagination of a world increasingly dumbed down by CGI was a minor miracle. With a strong script, cast and practical effects, this film will deservedly win Best Picture at the Oscars next year. The test bomb drop moment was an outer body experience and definitely my favourite film watching moment of the year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYPbbksJxIg&t=80s&ab_channel=UniversalPictures
5) Broker
The first film I saw this year, and only four were better. If you asked me for a list of my favourite directors, Kore-Eda would be regularly near the top and after a European break with the disappointing “The Truth”, he’s closer to his Japanese home in Korea. This time, however, he’s thematically back in his comfort zone of the made family. When two men in a church who look after abandoned babies go to steal one of them to sell, the police are after them. Meanwhile, the mother finds them and also wants to help sell it. While it sounds like trafficking, it’s also people looking to find a baby a loving home but making money, thus leading to some moral grey areas. As we learn each character’s stories and motivations, we find a kind and tender movie as four strangers start to become an odd mix and match family. It’s interesting cinema based on a true Korean concept. [Available on Sky/Now or for digital download]
4) The Five Devils
A French arthouse, gothic time travelling sci-fi lesbian romance. Could this be any more pretentious? Well, I don’t care because it’s a brilliant movie. Full of intrigue and layers, a husband and wife take his sister into the house, but there is an undercurrent, with the wife being unhappy about this. We soon learn why as the daughter, who constructs smells to remind her of people, travels back in time to see the story of the three adults’ past. In a Back to the Future-esque twist, she also wants to stop her mum and aunt from falling in love in the past to make sure that she exists in the future. Quiet, brilliantly acted and a really well told drama, this underseen gem is a left-field movie worthy of a watch. [Available on MUBI or for digital download]
3) Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret
Based on the iconic Judie Bloom novel, Margaret is a wonderful coming of age film, discussing growing up as a young girl from a female perspective. Margaret moves from New York to New Jersey, and has to deal with a new life in suburbia. Starting to reach puberty, she and her new group of friends are curious and worried about their changing bodies. She also looks to find her identity and religion with her Christian and Jewish parents not quite able to give her an answer. A heartfelt movie with wonderful characters and funny sharp writing, this female gaze movie feels refreshing and new, while also being warm and familiar. [Available on Amazon Prime and for digital download]
2) EO
My top two of the year were pretty neck and neck, so deciding between two such different movies was challenging. Therefore, consider this to be the crème de la crème. EO is a circus donkey in Poland who is separated from his best friend following the circus’ bankruptcy. Throughout the film, his goal is to find her. He doesn’t say anything, but this is the clear aim. Just walk around Poland and interact with many people and animals. It’s almost a set of vignettes showing the best and worst of humanity. It’s beautifully filmed as we see EO’s response to what is happening and feel a true sense of jubilation and also tragedy. We see people who celebrate him and show him affection, while others use him and want to harm him for very little reason. While no animals were harmed in the making of the movie, it isn’t an easy watch. However, there is no character I’ve wanted to succeed in a film this year more than the damn donkey. [EO is streaming on BFI player and available for digital download]
And the film of the year is…
When I build these lists, I always hope they show a variety of films. Comedies, tragedies, family films, animations, art house quiet dramas, musicals, action movies (Sorry Godzilla minus one didn’t make the cut, but you should watch it). As I watch more and more films it’s rarer I sit there and think “This film is the best of its genre”. However, there is one film that truly did that for me this year and is worthy.
When I first watched When Harry Met Sally, that was the benchmark. A nearly perfect rom-com, the story was great and the chemistry between Harry and Sally was wonderful, leading up to the new years scene. I was never going to watch a romantic comedy as good as this ever again, and I was fine with that…
That was until a small British film came out this year called Rye Lane. Dom has recently had a big break up and is crying in the bathroom. Yas hears this and soon when she sees him again starts talking to him to learn his story. Yas also has had a bad break up and over the course of the day they help each other find closure, while also starting to fall for one another.
At only 82 minutes long, this movie is fast moving and full of energy. It has plenty of laugh out loud moments as well as heart felt ones. A feel good rom-com, it’s totally fresh in its story telling while retaining a sense of familiar. The two lead characters have so much chemistry and really bring the whole movie together. Not only is Rye Lane a love story, but it’s also a love story about Peckham, with each character and place being vibrant. A truly wonderful feel good film, Rye Lane is not just one of the great rom-coms of the year, but one of the greatest of all time.
[Rye Lane is streaming on Disney+ and available for Digital Download]
The Film Ramble 