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| 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' |
I’m a huge film fan, as many will know. I didn’t have time nor money to see any Toronto International Film Festival movies during the festival. So I’ve been playing catch up since.
I’m happy to share my top favourites of the year below. As I see more, I reserve the right to add them to my favourites list.
UPDATED March 31, 2022:
MY FAVOURITE MOVIES FROM 2022:
1: Everything Everywhere All At Once - So much fun to watch again and again, original, zeitgeisty, hilarious, with a heart of gold at the centre of its bagel, this feels like this year’s Parasite (meaning, the small awesome indie that wins hearts and takes the top prize at the Oscars over other more conventional, respectable but less loved flicks.)
2: Riceboy Sleeps - The struggles of the immigrant experience in Canada are laid bare in this quiet, touching, beautiful story about a Korean single mother raising her son in suburban Vancouver in the 1990s. Its quiet authenticity including both comedic and tragic story lines deeply moved me. When news of an illness convinces the mother, played beautifully by Choi Seung-yoon, to take her now teenage son to South Korea to finally meet his family, the cinematic journey moves into unforgettable territory.
3: She Said - This compelling, riveting thriller / tribute to investigative journalism follows two New York Times journalists taking on the sexual monster Harvey Weinstein and inspiring the beginnings of the #MeToo movement.
4: Nope - Truly creepy, slow burn horror flick by Jordan Peele. Not as good as Get Out nor Us, but still quite something to behold. Remembering some scenes still makes me shudder, which means it got under my skin. And that’s always a great thing in a movie.
5: Top Gun: Maverick - I was late to the party watching this only last month on the big screen (where it should be seen). It’s totally entertaining and hits all the right notes, or all the right moves. Good job, Tom Cruise!6: The Fabelmans - Touching and very personal memory play by the esteemed Steven Spielberg, beautifully crafted and acted.
7: Aftersun - Small, subtle indie about a lonely, troubled single father played by the gorgeous Paul Mescal trying to connect with his teenage daughter on a trip abroad.
8: The Batman - Finally caught this artful, very dark, brooding, slightly twisted take on the franchise starring Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz. The art direction and various other technical effects, plus the acting were superb, although Pattinson is no Christian Bale. Not sure his take brought much new to the role. I enjoyed it though as I do dig super hero movies like this but this won’t be for everyone. Plus like many movies this year, they could’ve easily cut 30-45 minutes from the long running time.
9. The Whale: Brendan Fraser deserves the acclaim he's been receiving for his deeply effecting embodiment of a grotesquely obese, gay man near the end of his life. There wasn't an inauthentic moment from him, so much emotion and love shines through the incredible make-up. I cried a few times.
10. Triangle of Sadness: Fascinating, provocative satire
exploring class and the excesses of clueless wealth amid characters on a
doomed private cruise. And lots of yummy Harris Dickinson throughout.
Magnificently acted and crafted, I'm giggling about parts of it now a
couple hours after watching it.
11: Women Talking - Beautifully written and acted and very timely. It often felt like a play rather than a movie. But clearly this hits so many important notes about the power of collective action to overcome systemic oppression and abuse.
12: The Banshees of Inisherin - I first found this a tad boring and confusing (why is he cutting off his fingers?!!) but later I came to appreciate it as a big metaphor for the uselessness of civil war (the Irish civil war to be specific.)
13: Good Luck To You, Leo Grande - Wonderful, sex positive story about an older woman learning to get comfortable and embrace her sexuality with the help of a gorgeous male escort.
And the rest of my favourites in order:
Elvis
Armageddon Time
The Woman King
Tár
All Quiet On The Western Front
Bros
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Turning Red
Glass Onion: Knives Out
The Wonder
Golden DeliciousThe Swimmers
Thor: Love and Thunder
White Noise
The Menu
Doctor Strange 2: The Multiverse of Madness
My Policeman
Uncharted
The Edge of War
The Good Nurse
I want to see as soon as possible, in order:
Weird: The Al Yankovic StoryTill
Babylon
Decision To Leave
RRR
Crimes of the Future
I Wanna Dance With Somebody
LivingMrs. Harris Goes To Paris
EmancipationI have no plans to see Avatar’s sequel as the first one didn’t do much for me.
