10 Best Films of 2023

10 Best Films of 2023

In 2023 we saw the power of the Barbie/Oppenheimer double feature, dubbed Barbenheimer. These two films were so different thematically that a social media phenomenon emerged, which enticed audiences to see both movies on the same day. We heard Barbie (Margot Robbie) asking "Do you ever think about death?" and on the same day see Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) claim "I am become death."

We saw Tom Cruise do an incredible over-the-top jump over a mountain for Mission: Dead Reckoning. We saw Godzilla become a creature of chaos & destruction in Godzilla: Minus One, which might not just be my favourite film of this year, but of the last 24 years. Flowers of the Killer Moon proved grandpa Scorsese still has the power to make captivating movies. 

This list is a celebration, and admiration, of the artists who made 2023 an incredible year for artistic expression. This year has been a testament to the fact that great movies are still being made. 

1. Godzilla: Minus One 

2. The Holdovers

3. The Zone of Interest

4. Killers of the Flower Moon

5. Anatomy of a Fall

6. May December

7. Oppenheimer

8. American Fiction

9. Bottoms

10. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning

Anatomy of a Fall (2023) Review

Title: Anatomy of a Fall 
Year: 2023
Director: Justine Triet
Country: France
Language(s): French, English

Justine Triet's Anatomy of a Fall won the Palm D'Or at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. The 2022 winner, Triangle of Sadness, was my favourite film of that year, so I trusted Cannes to curate a film that would keep me engaged throughout the run-time. Triet's picture is fascinating; it's a film that subverts expectations regarding courtroom drams and feels more like Marriage Story than Basic Instinct. 

Sandra Voyter (Sandra Huller)  is suspected of murder after her husband's death, and their partially sighted son (Milo Graner) faces a moral dilemma as the main witness.

Hollywood has made us accustomed to suspenseful pictures trying to sweep the run under us with an over-the-top twist, but Anatomy of a Fall's screenplay is more complex & has more on its mind than boring tropes and clichés. This film is psychological and sociological deep dive into the anatomy of a marriage. It is also about gender roles, disability, ambition and depression. 

Sandra Huller's performance is remarkable, playing a complex character who you can simultaneously empathize with and doubt. The directing and cinematography are remarkable, each shot is delivered in an effective, deliberate way that adds to the suspense of the drama. 

Anatomy of a Fall is a very well made film about the nature of truth and the difficulty of finding justice. The film refuses to give decisive answers and examines how people justify their own narratives based on information they are given. It's a great movie that deserved its Palm D'Or. 

Ashes and Diamonds (1958) Review

Title: Ashes and Diamonds
Year: 1958
Director: Andzreg Wajda
Country: Poland
Language: Polish 

In the mid fifties a group of Polish filmmakers sought to depict their country onscreen, attempting to understand the political reforms caused by the outcome of World War Two. Andzrej Wajda's Ashes and Diamonds was considered the best of these pictures, but it was a tricky film to make. It had to depict the Polish resistance army, while also not upsetting the communist censors. 

As World War II and the German occupation ends, the Polish resistance and the Soviet forces turn on each other in an attempt to take over leadership in Communist Poland.

In Ashes and Diamonds, Poland is in near ruin. Buildings are in such shambles that even light rain causes indoor flooding. Our main character, Maciek (Zbigniew Cybulski), looks disheveled, mimicking the environment around him. The communist Hotel Monopol, where leaders are celebrating the war's end, is bathed in glamour. It suggests that in the upcoming years there will be an even bigger power imbalance between the working and ruling class. 

Maciek looks, and behaves like, an outsider in this post-war Poland. This is a country that has become quite different from what he had been accustomed to. The cinematography and set design make this setting feel uncomfortable and alienating. We are immersed a somewhat surreal, nightmarish atmosphere that invites questions about Poland's position on the world stage. 

Ashes and Diamonds is a very cynical film that is hard to engage with in present day. Its an important time capsule, a window into what life looked like in Poland at the time, but I wonder if the Poles would admire it in contemporary times. It is a very well-made film, just not one that I'd rewatch. 

Le Corbeau (1943) Review

Title: Le Corbeau
Year: 1943
Director: Henri Georges Clouzot
Country: France
Language: French

The French "Master of Suspense", Henri Georges Clouzot, caused controversy in Vichy France when his film Le Corbeau hit theatres. It proved to be a popular commercial success, but the occupied government was infuriated with the onscreen parable about a society torn apart by mistrust and informants. The authorities decided to blacklist Clouzot. 

A French village doctor (Pierre Fresnay) becomes the target of poison-pen letters sent to village leaders, accusing him of affairs and practicing abortion.

Le Corbeau is a relevant film, even decades later. It warns us about the dangers of bureaucracy and authoritarianism. It tells us about how mistrust can harm a society. We can see this in present day with our political divisions, and how create an "other" sides that don't align with our views. 

Clouzot's picture hits us hard with the cynical truth, much like how the best of George Orwell's works do. Nowadays the "town with many secrets" idea is a trope, and much of this film has dated narrative ideas that feel cliche in contemporary times,  but its themes are popular in fiction and that make it more accessible than other art from that era. 

I enjoyed Clouzot's other works, Wages of Fear & Diaboliques, much more than Le Corbeau, but I must acknowledge that his film does have important themes and is an intriguing window into life during the Vichy government. 

American Fiction (2023) Review

Title: American Fiction
Year: 2023
Director: Cord Jefferson
Country: US
Language: English

I was surprised when I heard that American Fiction (2023) had won the People's Choice Award at Toronto International Film Festival. I was considering going to the festival & I didn't think the film stood out to me when it was announced. After viewing it for the first time, I must admit that I am impressed. 

A novelist (Jeffrey Wright) who's fed up with the establishment profiting from Black entertainment uses a pen name to write a book that propels him into the heart of the hypocrisy and madness he claims to disdain.

American Fiction is a smart satire that dissects racial stereotypes while taking storytelling risks. It mocks the system around Black art and dives into the shady ways its advertised, consumed and created. It asks if we actually want authentic black stories or if we want to keep seeing media like Boyz in the Hood.

The picture is also an excellent family drama. This part helps mold our main character & give us a more well rounded artist who we can empathize with.  Jeffery Wright, as well as the other actors involved, help give life to a charming, witty and fun script. 

American Fiction made me laugh plenty of times. It is incredibly effective as a comedy, and the heartfelt moments also hit hard. It's a worthwhile viewing that deserves the Oscar buzz that it's getting. 

The Zone of Interest (2023) Review

Title: The Zone of Interest
Year: 2023
Director: Jonathon Glazer
Country: Germany
Language: German

Jonathon Glazer's newest feature film, The Zone of Interest, is a confronting dissection of evil; a deconstruction of what participation in evil looks like. It's quite different from most pictures on this subject matter, because it doesn't allow its audience to distance themselves from the characters. 

Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel) and his wife Hedwig (Sandra Huller) strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden beside the camp.

Many reviewers like talk about "the banality of evil", but The Zone of Interest is more about the sin of comfort. This is the main motivation of Rudolf Hoss and his wife. Their families' comfort drowns out the screams of those beyond their wall, just like our comfort drowns out those in Ukraine and Palestine. Our phones act as a barrier, removing ourselves from a harsh reality. 

The Zone of Interest doesn't fetishize the time period the film takes place in. It's crisp, clean and digital; it looks like the events took place in present time. This is intentional, as it removes the feeling of "well this happened a long time ago."  The sound design also makes a statement as it presents atrocity as ambience, We, like Rudolph and Hedwig, often hear violence but choose to ignore it as part of the background. 

The Zone of Interest is a very smart film that utilizes its cinematography, sound design and editing in very innovative ways that add to the overall narrative. I was very impressed by this unsettling film. 

That Thing You Do! (1996) Review

Title: That Thing You Do!
Year: 1996
Director: Tom Hanks
Country: US
Language: English

There are many films that depict the rise-and-fall of fictional bands (see: Almost Famous) and the majority of them have a cliche, predictable and by-the-numbers narratives. That Thing You Do! doesn't reveal anything narrative in its story or direction, but Tom Hanks' directorial debut is charming in its own way.

In this film, a local Pennsylvania band scores a one-hit wonder in 1964 and rides the star-making machinery as long as they can, with lots of help from their manager (Tom Hanks). 

That Thing You Do! is full of youthful energy. Its colors are vibrant and the music is reminiscent of the "Flower Power" Beatles era. The actors play their roles with great exuberance; my favorite scene has the band members running down the street, overwhelmed with joy, as they hear their song on the radio for the first time. 

Nearly 30 years later, That Thing You Do! serves as great nostalgia - for the nineties. The aesthetic tries to be sixties, but the film looks like other teen/young adult pictures of the nineties. The pastel colors and general energy of the characters feels familiar and brings me back to my childhood. 

This affectionate exploration of growing pains has a resonating emotional maturity that will hit at every range of emotion. Hanks has directed a very underrated 90's gem that ought to charm generations to come. 

Alexander Nevsky (1938) Review

Title: Alexander Nevsky
Year: 1938
Director: Sergei Eisenstein
Country: USSR
Language: Russian

When it came to write the screenplay for Alexander Nevsky Sergei Eisenstein  was not in the good graces of USSR film studio Mosfilm. His previous picture, Bezhin Meadow, was shutdown for not being politically satisfactory. For Nevsky, the studio made Eisenstein collaborate with a member of the secret police who sat in on NKVD interrogations. He was certainly a writing partner you wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of. 

This is the story of how a great Russian prince (Nikolay Cherkasov) led a ragtag army to battle an invading force of Teutonic Knights.

Alexander Nevsky is an epic fable; large in scope and sweeping in its cinematography. Each shot is beautiful, flowing together like stanzas in a great poem. Eisenstein makes great use of epic set design, awe inspiring costuming and a booming score to enhance his flair for monumental visuals. 

The story is simplistic and character arcs are non-existent, but the focus of Nevsky is shooting impressive battles that involve hundreds of extras. It's pure Propaganda, but it was needed at the time. 1938 was a difficult year for the Russians and soon the Nazi war machine would be on their doorstep. Audiences needed Alexander Nevsky. 

The film feels a bit dated, and loses a lot of its power if viewed without an understanding of the context. Alexander Nevsky is innovative and impressive, but its more style than substance. I still would recommend it. 

Ivan the Terrible Part 1 & 2 (1944) Review

Title: Ivan the Terrible I & II
Year: 1944
Director: Sergei Eisenstein 
Country: USSR
Language: Russian

Ivan the Terrible was a personal hero of USSR premier Joseph Stalin. He commissioned Sergei Eisenstein to make a film of the Sixteenth Century Grand Prince of Moscow. This production would be filmed during World War Two at the Alma Ata studios in Kazakhstan. Part I was met with great acclaim, but Stalin detested Part II & it was surprised until the dictator's death. 

Part 1: 
During the early part of his reign, Ivan the Terrible (Nikolay Chersov)  faces betrayal from the aristocracy and even his closest friends as he seeks to unite the Russian people.

Part II:
As Ivan the Terrible attempts to consolidate his power by establishing a personal army, his political rivals, the Russian boyars, plot to assassinate their Tsar.

Both films are epic in scale and remarkable in visuals. Eisenstein has a keen eye for close-ups, making his film resemble Carl Th. Dreyer's Passion of Joan of Arc. Ivan the Terrible is shot as a towering, powerful figure whereas his opponents are a managerie of eerie, judging faces. 

The architecture does a tremendous job at demonstrating how cold and calculated the antagonists, the boyars, are. Angled exaggerated walls, vaulted ceilings and pointed arches add to the films' drama & heightened sense of dread. 

The set design by Iosif Shipnel deserves a great amount of praise, as does the costume design, highly theatrical lighting and brilliant score. The visual vocabulary of Ivan The Terrible draws upon religious iconography, classical art, and psychoanalysis. The use of visual symbolism is remarkable - almost every modern filmmaker owes a debt to Eisenstein for inventing new cinematic languages. 

The writing is overshadowed by the imagery, but it's still quite impressive. The film's narrative is nail-biting, almost Shakespearean in the way it depicts the turmoil between Ivan and the Boyars. The characters are heavily rooted in the film's aesthetic. The costuming, lighting, theatrical makeup all are more important than the dialogue. 

I found myself incredibly impressed by these films. Style and substance mix for a masterwork of World Cinema. Eisenstein is one of the greatest filmmakers of all time and Ivan the Terrible is proof of this. 

The Iron Claw (2023) Review

Title: The Iron Claw
Year: 2023
Director: Sean Durkin
Country: US
Language: English

I have been a fan of wrestling since the "Attitude Era" of the late 90's, when "Stone Cold" Steve Austin & The Rock were main evening Pay Per Views. Throughout my decades of fandom, I've dived through wrestling history. One wrestler that had intrigued me was Kevin Von Erich, due to the so-called "Von Erich Curse".  It's a remarkable story that surprisingly was made into a full-length motion picture. 

The Iron Claw is true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s.

Director Sean Durkin crafts a film that explores one man's toxic obsession with the American Dream, and how his domineering mindset destroys his family. Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany) refuses to see the humanity in his sons David, Mike, Kevin and Kerry. Instead he sees them of reflections of himself, and of his desire to be the strongest, fastest and toughest. 

Unfilled expectations in a "father knows best" atmosphere lead to great tragedy. Durkin's writing highlights an aching family trauma brought on by single-minded ambition. The cinematography does a great job at highlighting the claustrophobia of the Von Eric's situation. The wrestling choreography is well done. The acting is outstanding. Zac Efron is completely transformed; donning the figure of a Greek God. Efron went above and beyond with his character.

The Iron Claw often sacrifices character development in favor of covering historical ground. We spend most of our time on the surviving brother, Kevin Von Erich, but we hardly get to know the rest. Chris Von Erich is missing completely. The Hollywood-ized ending is a bit off putting considering the tone throughout the majority of the picture. It's a decent film, but The Oscars were right to snub it.