Edward Finan’s Top Films of 2023
Here are some of my favorite films from this past year!
May December
The only other film I have seen of Todd Haynes was his 2019 film Dark Waters. May December is a large step above that, even though the two are not very similar in any way. The strong points of this film are the performances of its three lead actors. Natalie Portman gives a mirrored perspective of an incredibly unsettling relationship between Julianne Moore and Charles Melton, something that was conceived while he was in high school. The underbelly Haynes presents hardens our perspective on method acting and blurs the line between our expectations and the reality of odd roles. Cinematically, this film is gorgeous. The work with space and camera placement gives the audience time to drown themselves in the awkward pool Haynes dives into very early in this film. An otherwise unorthodox story gives light to its absurdity through an actor who attempts to understand what may have caused all of this in the first place, and it hits the mark.
Maestro
I have an article up about this film already, so please go and read that for a more detailed synopsis and elaboration. All in all, my main love for this film comes in the form of Carey Mulligan. She feels overshadowed for the entire film by Berstein (Cooper) but always seems to have a positive outlook on what is to come. Her character is free of hate and full of the real meaning of love, and that is for anyone who is willing to give it back.
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
While the buzz for the second film has come to a halt, and the title I have put here is no longer correct as a “part one,” this film acts as a setup for a bigger movie in the franchise. There is nothing short of some of the greatest action sequences in film history, as is for a majority of the MI series. I have not seen many people touch on the coloration of this movie a whole lot; it is an underrated part of this movie and makes the film feel larger and more innovative.
When do I get a ride in the mini yellow car?
Past Lives
Past Lives is one that I did not know would impact me so far in the future of watching it. It continues to bind in my head with the narrow sense of reality we have these days, it is so powerful in the way it tells an easily missed story in cinema. With little Academy praise, the film acts as a tone down on general romance tropes and gives the audience the real take on what happens with undying love. Truly a work for the ages!
The Holdovers
Much of cinema lately has felt uninspired and much has come with a distaste for the storytelling of many newcomers. The Holdovers feels like a breath of fresh air from the remakes and redux’s of the 21st century. It feels authentic while keeping the age of cinema in this back of it’s mind. The characters are well drawn out and have great arcs (It is basically Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s supporting Oscar to lose; I would gasp if she did not get it). Many called for the return of the feeling of this movie into the multiplexes, but it is only one that only classics give out, so we can only hope that the future holds much more of this feeling.
Anatomy of a Fall
I was lucky enough to catch Justine Triet’s new project through a rental at the end of December. Anatomy of a Fall torments the viewer with bleak facts and lack of trust in a courtroom that closes in every so slightly as the story progresses. Sandra Hüller is a fantastic pick for a troubled writer undergoing the emotions of her husband’s death that we, the audience, have no clear answer to how it happened. The ambiguity leaves unrest in many viewers, but it gives space for the truth to truly never be known in a realistic case against all odds. The courtroom scenes are demanding and silent other than the massive weight of the case and voices of the lawyers and witnesses. This film can also be given two sides with its French release. For the French speakers, her tone is foreign, like the jurors and much of the courtroom feel. I am an English speaker, and I felt closer to Hüller’s character, solely because the court was speaking in a language I did not understand, much like she felt. It is an interesting setting and leaves no witnesses for its hard-cut drama in tight spaces.
(On another note: give that dog an Oscar! Right now!)
Killers of the Flower Moon
With Scorcese’s career at it’s near end, we are lucky to sit in awe at Killers of the Flower Moon and appreciate one of the best directors of all time. This film feels like his most epic, most grand, and most emotional. The performances are absolutely incredible, with Lily Gladstone potentially winning an Oscar come March. The film’s length is it’s hardest selling point, but with it’s recent release on AppleTV+, audiences can take those bathroom breaks without missing any of the finest work from the late director.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
For Spider-Man, it may seem that every story has strung its course. With Into the Spider-Verse setting a new standard for animation, it was hard to see a sequel coming close to the visual storytelling told through innovative comic-book-like frames. The only other movie (made by Marvel) that tried this was Ang Lee’s 2003 Hulk; needless to say, the Spider-Verse films have a significant edge when it comes to every aspect of that film. While Across is considered to be a “part one” film, and many may argue it cannot stand alone and relies heavily on its future sequel for narrative weight, this film does so much in just under two and a half hours with ingenious storytelling and implementation of the heartful tropes of what it means to be Spider-Man. I prefer this film to the first, simply because it does everything the first one does and widens the perspective on it. Anyhow, Across acts as a gateway into what we know in animation to something we have never seen on a big screen before.
Oppenheimer
There is not much more to say about this mammoth of a film. We got Christopher Nolan and Ludwig Göransson at the top of their careers. Without one or the other in this film, it probably does not work. The score is just as important as anything in the film and carries the strongest weight. This is one that will stand to the testament of time, having one of the largest box office weekends ever held alongside it’s sister film Barbie. It is hard to say that this is his best work, personally, even if it is definitely his largest landmark in cinema. With confidence, this film set a new standard for blockbuster films, introducing large formats of IMAX film to the big screen. Its influence will come to show with years passing, but we all know he is not done changing how we view his work along with cinema as a whole.
Poor Things
The top two films of this past year were two that changed cinema for the future. As described before, Oppenheimer used a new film format and would have cemented Nolan as one of our great directors of the century if he had not been already. On the other side, Yorgos Lanthimos may have done the same with his recent output of Poor Things. While I have already covered this in an article a couple of weeks ago, I have since seen this another two times and can confidently say this film is one for the ages. Every aspect of this can be broken down into incredible details and provoke themes that were not even intended by the director himself. The exploration of life through the lens of a second chance, specifically the hard truths associated with it. While it contains a somewhat happy ending, Bella Baxter goes through devastating hardships she only sees as new experiences. For some people, new experiences are hard to go out and get, whether it is a lack of opportunity or simply being afraid of new things. This film explores how it is okay to go through things, because once you make it out, you can remember your hardships to get through the simple pains in life and become the best version of yourself.
Thank you for reading!
These are my top 10 films of 2023! Anything you would add? Disagree with? Head over to @avaloncinephiles on Instagram or message me on my socials!