Best of 2023
Added 2023-12-23 18:00:06 +0000 UTCHey guys. I'd love to know what some of your favorite films have been this year, and why.
Comments
I haven't seen many movies that came out this year, like, for example, Godzilla Minus One (sadly, they don't play it in theaters in my city), Past Lives, Saltburn, Sound of Freedom, The Iron Claw (available on February 16 in my country), The Creator, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Maestro, Beau Is Afraid. My favorites of 2023: Talk To Me - Something refreshing to the genre with satisfying conclusion. Worth to see more than once. Oppenheimer - Might get lost to follow certain historical facts and information on initial viewing, but it has style with consistent concept. Well balanced and executed. Plot tackles subject extremely important to all mankind at some point of our existence. Props to Nolan for being as much honest as possible to a viewer in terms of using practical effects. If I would rate it, would be 8/10. Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One - I had a fun time watching the movie on a big screen, another solid entertainment in a franchise. The Killer - Surely not one of Fincher's best, however a interesting, methodical director's signature. Takes its time to plug you in though, so to speak. Asteroid City - Captures a sentence - Weird experience in a positive way. Beautiful aesthetics.
Oskitello
2023-12-24 17:24:42 +0000 UTCFor me, 2023 has been a great year for movies. Normally I see about 10-15 movies a year worthy of Top 10 consideration but this year was different. This is my list as it stands, with still some movies to see like The Zone of Interest and Ferrari. If you’re interested, here my list on Letterboxd including reviews and notes (https://letterboxd.com/sneky/list/best-of-2023/edit/) 1. Poor Things (Yorgos Lanthimos) - Bella Meets World baby! Lanthimos’s best film. Give Emma Stone all the Oscars! 2. Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan) My review: Nolan has stated that this is the movie he has been building towards his entire career and you can see why. It's his Citizen Kane and his masterpiece. Here he re-establishes similar dynamics we see in The Prestige (2006) by inter-cutting the highs of process and creation with the lows of both personal and professional betrayal. Like with the Batman films, his protagonist learns that having a conscience means becoming obsolete and being publicly defined by falsehoods. In the end, his Rosebud is being that grad student frozen with an epiphany that will change the world for forever and like many of Nolan's protagonists, he is destined to follow his ambitions/obsessions to the end, no matter the cost. Features an excellent ensemble cast, with standout performances from Murphy, Downey Jr. and Krumholtz. Perhaps Nolan's best directed film next to Dunkirk with The Trinity Test sequence being a high mark. Perfectly paced, as it moves with the frantic energy of it's characters. 3. Asteroid City (Wes Anderson) 4. The Boy and the Heron (Hayao Miyazaki) My Review: It's surrealism and beautiful animation have a hypnotic effect from the jump, to the point where the characters (including the main one) cease to be characters and become more a collective of emotions and ideas interacting with one another. In other words, a more sophisticated and immersive version of Inside Out (2015), where the true protagonist is offscreen. Even in his old age, Miyazaki is still grappling with the harsh realities of life: the contradictions, injustices, tragedies, traumas, and moral quandaries we all face. In many ways its his "what does it all mean" film but in the most inviting way possible. In retrospect, I guess it should be no surprise the film's original title was "How Do You Live?" 5. Killers of the Flower Moon (Martin Scorsese) 6. May December (Todd Haynes) 7. The Killer (David Fincher) 8. Godland (Hlynur Pálmason) 9. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse 10. Godzilla Minus One (Takashi Yamazaki) 11. BlackBerry (Matt Johnson) 12. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (Christopher McQuarrie) 13. Beau Is Afraid (Ari Aster) 14. Wonka (Paul King) 15. The Royal Hotel (Kitty Green) 16&17. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar & The Swan (Wes Anderson) 18. Falcon Lake (Charlotte Le Bon) 19. John Wick: Chapter 4 (Chad Stahelski) 20. Barbie (Greta Gerwig) 21. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. (Kelly Fremon Craig) 22. Talk to Me (The Philippou Bros) 23. The Holdovers (Alexander Payne) 24. You Hurt My Feelings (Nicole Holofcener)
Stephen
2023-12-24 01:53:22 +0000 UTCthere’s still a lot I wanna see but it would be hard for anything left on my list to beat my Top 5 - Barbie/Oppenheimer double feature was the most fun I’ve had in a theater all year - John Wick: Chapter 4 most beautifully executed action movie since Mad Max: Fury Road - Killers of the Flower Moon stunning and heartbreaking both times i watched it - Godzilla Minus One Never thought I’d live to see a Godzilla movie that made me cry but here we are. - Poor Things I love all of Yorgos’ movies, but I think this is his strongest since The Lobster. I’ll have to rewatch both again.
Jared Angcanan
2023-12-23 18:40:52 +0000 UTCI agree with you on Iron Claw
Deepfocuslens
2023-12-23 18:18:37 +0000 UTCI've never heard of that one. I'll check it out.
Deepfocuslens
2023-12-23 18:18:17 +0000 UTCPotentially recency bias but I thought The Iron Claw was a strong contender for best movie of the year. It's not revolutionary in its filmmaking (although there's more artistry there then you might expect) but I found it an incredibly effective family drama. Other than that, I'm still shocked how long Blackberry has stayed on my mind. It's a classic "how the company got started" type of story, but I think the handling of the characters is really unique. The two personalities are polar opposites and they are depicted in that way. It's not like a Sorkin script where the "opposites" talk the same, have the same sense of humor, same vocabulary, etc. These two guys really feel like they're from different planets. Even with that, they have an undeniable and odd chemistry. I thought that anchored the otherwise thrilling, funny, and engaging story. Last reference, I wouldn't call it "the best" but I think Infinity Pool was really funny and a much stronger film than Possessor. I hope it gets more attention.
Arthur Augustyn
2023-12-23 18:17:36 +0000 UTCI really loved “You Hurt My Feelings”. I think Nicole Holofcener has a great instinct for funny dialogue. Although the film is relatively light and breezy, being an artist, I strongly related to the characters and themes.
Henri J. Mertens
2023-12-23 18:10:04 +0000 UTC
