Greetings, Movie Fans!
Another year gone, and another list of favorites on the way. Four lists to be exact.
This first Top 10 list of 2023 is for the films that I saw for the first time in 2023, and were released prior to that year. There were plenty of films to choose from that pleasantly surprised me, and I figure why not open myself to scrutiny as to the how and why it's taken me this long to see some of these gems.
Without further ado, let's dive in!
10. "The Wave" (2015)
There have been plenty of disaster films post-1990s released from Hollywood and abroad, but none have really captured that genre quite as well as the films during that decade. Most mainstream disaster movies have used technological improvements and bigger budgets to make the disaster genre about as ridiculous and enormous as possible, and while that's not a bad thing by default, it does make me nostalgic for simpler times. "The Wave" finds an excellent balance of both a simpler premise and making it look incredible in terms of special effects. Kristoffer Joner also does an amicable job selling the plot as the lead scientist trying to save a small town community in Norway of an impeding avalanche that's going to cause a massive tidal wave. It doesn't do anything new with story structure - you have the build up, the event, and the aftermath. What makes "The Wave" refreshing, however, is that it sticks that landing in every aspect. Any disaster movie that can give me white knuckles and make me forget I'm watching a film is a winner every time!
9. "The Dark" (2005)
Admittedly, I hadn't heard of this little horror film from the UK until I had stumbled across it on Amazon Prime during my 2023 October horror marathon. Starring Maria Bello and Sean Bean as a married couple, "The Dark" takes place on a coastal countryside property in Wales that slowly reveals itself to be the previous home of a potential cult leader, and it soon is revealed that there is much more at play than religious fervor. If anyone has read my movie writings in the past, one of the musts for me when it comes to horror is atmosphere, and I found myself absolutely hooked by the darker themes of "The Dark", no pun intended. It certainly doesn't move at a breakneck pace, but I think that's what I loved about it in addition to all its well-placed creepiness. Of all the films I watched last October, it really was this one that stuck with me the most, and I certainly look forward to giving it another turn.
8. "Mona Lisa" (1986)
There's a long list of actors whom I make a point to see as much of their filmography as I possibly can, and as luck would have it, not mention one of the big draws I had to "Mona Lisa", two of those actors are both in this film - Bob Hoskins and Michael Caine. Caine's on screen presence speaks for itself and can elevate any film to greater heights whether the film itself is good or not. I feel Hoskins has that same ability, and one thing he does incredible well is his seamless transitions from roughneck to tenderhearted. These transitions are smooth as butter in his role here as George, an ex-con fresh out of prison trying to make a new start for himself that will allow him to be closer to his daughter. One of first said jobs lands him as a bodyguard for a high-class prostitute, who treats him well enough and he begins to think he has feelings for her. Of course, it's never that simple, as her boss and the crowd he runs with are not quite as easy to get along with. The result is an engaging comedy-romance-action-drama that quickly ranks as one of my favorite Bob Hoskins films to date (below "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?").
7. "The Eyes of My Mother" (2016)
I didn't know much about "The Eyes of My Mother" when I decided to watch it over Christmas break, so as a result, I didn't have much in terms of expectations. I had heard some positive word-of-mouth on social media off and on, but that was extent of my knowledge. I'm glad to say that any reservations I may have had were completely blown away with the first few minutes of this film. First of all, the black and white cinematography is gorgeous in all aspects, and in some scenes, it's haunting spare. Director Nicholas Pesce made excellent use of shadows to really draw the audience in to Francisca, and the plot of how she was keeping a captor in her barn, whom so happens to be the same man who years before had brutally murdered her mother when Francisca was young. The film is quite short at 77 minutes, so I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I will say this film is an excellent example of how trauma at an impressionable age can really, well, fuck up a person. Kika Magalhaes as Francisca has to pretty much carry this film on her back, and she does incredible job of doing just that. I consider this film highly recommended for fans of slow-burning horror.
6. "The Ninth Configuration" (1980)
I assume most know by now the history of "Ninth Configuration" and how it was meant to be part of "The Exorcist" trilogy before that not at all happening. It's a shame, because this film, and really any film, can do better than what did become "The Exorcist II", and that's being polite. Regardless, while perhaps underappreciated in its time, "The Ninth Configuration" stands up incredibly well on its own. What starts out as a dark comedy of sorts quickly transcends into something much more suspenseful and melancholy. At a glance, it's really a play on mental health, especially in terms of post-war PTSD and what can happen when a mixed bag of those individuals come together in a castle for treatment. To say anymore about it would really do it a disservice, because going in blind and just letting it come to you in full as it is made me appreciate it far more than if I had tried to watch trailers or any other bits beforehand. William Peter Blatty knocks it out with his direction, and the large cast led by Stacy Keach and Jason Miller takes us for a ride with both often hilarious highs and sobering lows. It's not an easy one to find, but if you can get your hands on it, it's well worth the price of admission!
5. "Two Mules for Sister Sara" (1970)
I'm fairly certain that I watched more Westerns in 2023 than I had all the previous years of my life combined. I had watched "How the West Was Won", the Randolph Scott/Budd Boetticher westerns from Criterion, "Johnny Guitar", and a handful of Clint Eastwood westerns from the 1970s. All of them were honestly pretty great in their own right, but the one that stands tall the most for me was "Two Mules for Sister Sara." Not only was the film well-made, but it's easily the most fun I've ever had watching a Western. Don't get me wrong, "Unforgiven" will likely always be my all-time favorite, but while that one is more serious in tone, generally speaking, Clint Eastwood and Shirley MacLaine were an absolute blast together in this film with some sharp chemistry to boot. If I'm being honest, MacLaine effortlessly steals the show with every scene that she's in, and while Eastwood does what he does best in managing the action scenes (which feature excellent choreography for the time) and offering prickly one-liners, it's MacLaine that brings the levity, and to say that I adored her in the film is an understatement. It's one of the few Westerns that I can safely say I'll revisit often.
4. "Betty Blue" (1986)
I'm sure I am not alone in the belief that the longer a movie gets, the harder it has to work to earn its stripes. I can only think of about two other three-hour romantic-dramas that I've liked in the past, those being "Titanic" and "Blue is the Warmest Color", and now I can say there's a third I've liked, in fact, Loved, and that's "Betty Blue". I think what impressed me the most about his film is that it was wise in its use of its runtime. The two main characters (and lovers), Zorg and Betty, are introduced to the audience without any backstory, and it never takes the time to do that at any point. Essentially, the characters and the audience are complete strangers to each other, and the acting by Jean-Hugues Anglade and Beatrice Dalle is so charismatic that I was completely hooked for the ride. What I also loved is that Director Jean-Jacques Beineix never meanders in a certain tone for too long. Yes, there's love, romance, sex, and comedy, but there's also some darker turns in terms of deep depression and mental instability, and I could never really tell when those turns were going to happen, which certainly passed the time. The film is three hours, but it felt like two, and sometimes that's the best compliment I can give a longer film!
3. "Shortbus" (2006)
I saw "Shortbus" back in January of 2023, so I can scarcely remember how I even learned about it. I want to say I read an article somewhere that listed films with the most risqué sex scenes, and let me tell you, they were not mislabeling this film. I can't recommend "Shortbus" enough, but it is definitely not a fit for many appetites. There is full nudity and sex all over the place in this movie, and my understanding is that the intercourse scenes were not simulations - they really went for it. That being said, what made me curious outside of a film that pushes the envelope, is I understood the story to be top-notch, and I completely agree with that. There are many characters introduced in this film, though it mainly focuses on two couples - one comprising of a man and woman, and one of two men - as they're going through different intersections of their lives and relationships when it comes to their respective sexualities. Of course, there's passion involved, but also challenging emotions that threaten to turn everything about their relationships upside down. The film is bright, colorful, and even contains some musical numbers. It almost defies genre labels. I wasn't sure what I was going to get at first, but over a year later, I still remember the film vividly, and that's one reason I gave it one of my highest scores of the year out of every film I watched in 2023.
2. "After Life" (1998)
I feel like I owe great thanks to the Criterion Collection for exposing me to this one, or else I may have continued to miss a film I'm sure I'll be referring to as Beloved in the years to come. I tend to trust my gut when it comes to movies, and mine leapt at "After Life" as soon as I read the brief synopsis about how the film takes place in a version of Purgatory, where the dead are told that neither Heaven nor Hell exists, and that their afterlife will be eternally spent in a recreated memory of their choosing that meant the most to them. Some of the dead choose something from adulthood, some from their childhood, and some couldn't choose at all, mostly due to regret. Right off the bat, what this film did so well was staying grounded. It would have been easy as can be to turn this idea into something over-the-top and made of pure sugar, but it never once crosses that line. There's cheer in the film, bittersweetness, and also some sadness depending on the deceased person being interviewed for their memory's recreation. I also appreciated how while you get to see the beginnings of the scenes being recreated, the film forces you to use your imagination more often than not, and I found that to be more engaging by far than if they had just handed everything over to the audience in a neat little bow. It's truly beautiful on a tear-jerking level.
As much as I loved these nine films, there truly was one that just towered above the rest. It was the type of film that reminded why I love movies as much as I do, and said film was...
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1. "The Handmaiden" (2016)
Holy shit, did I love this film! I'm actually really pissed off at myself for taking seven years to finally see it. I think it honestly checks off every box that I have - great directing, gorgeous cinematography, well-written, top-tier acting across the board, and the list goes on. It's a drama that has romance, mystery, and a surprising amount of comedy that caught me off-guard in the best way. Sure, one could make the argument that the twist(s) can be seen coming long before they arrive on screen, and I'll admit to some truth to that, but that's the great thing about a movie like "The Handmaiden" - it really doesn't matter in the end. The film is still so well-crafted that it still unfolds in a way that is incredibly satisfying, and I for one would have been okay if it kept going for another two hours. Really the entire cast crushes it all the way through, but I have to give special praise to the two leads, Kim Min-hee and Kim Tae-ri. They have masterful chemistry with each other, but even more impressively, great chemistry with the supporting cast as well, which is critical for a film like this to work as well as it does. If I had seen this back in 2016, there's little-to-no doubt in my mind that I would have crowned it #1 at the time, and 2016 was a pretty decent year in its own right. "The Handmaiden" is a stunner, and I give it the highest recommendation!
Thank you for checking out my first Top list of 2023!
Next up: "Top 5 Most Disappointing Films of 2023"
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