The (global) best (and worst) of 2022
One could say the same thing about the state of cinema as last year - there's still a struggle for direction in the post-pandemic world. Only now we are in the midst of a war of attrition. That will definitely shape the way we see the world through film, but hasn't filtered through yet. Europe has come back a bit with character driven relationship dramas, led by two wonderful films from Ireland. South India has continued to deliver mature and entertaining stories, while Hindu nationalism weighs ever heavier on Bollywood. But for the first time in a decade, the film of the year comes from Hollywood of all places.
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- DirectorDaniel KwanDaniel ScheinertStarsMichelle YeohStephanie HsuJamie Lee CurtisA middle-aged Chinese immigrant is swept up into an insane adventure in which she alone can save existence by exploring other universes and connecting with the lives she could have led.Yes, its a boring choice. It's going to swamp the Academy Awards. But not only does one of the most neglected actresses finally show her full range (well two actually, Jamie Lee Curtis is just as insane as Michelle Yeoh). It's also a much overdue parody of "Asian-ness", in that it tears all the stereotypes about family and humility to shreds. All that with a dash of queerness. Lets hope its success urges more US film makers to escape from PC prison.
- DirectorM. ManikandanStarsNallandiVijay SethupathiYogi BabuThe last active farmer in a remote village tries to hold out against a property developer.While Western climate activists glue themselves to paintings for reasons that elude me, Malayalam cinema gives us this practical lesson in learning to live with the land we're walking on. This is actually better than "Everything" but I can't always have a favorite film of the year from Kerala, can I? This is as close to perfect as a film can get.
- DirectorColm BairéadStarsCarrie CrowleyAndrew BennettCatherine ClinchIn rural Ireland, a quiet, neglected girl is sent away from her dysfunctional family to live with relatives for the summer where she blossoms and learns what it is to be loved.A pure gem of subdued emotions, this is an instant classic that will quite likely propel its director Colm Bairéad to stardom, but I hope he doesn't follow Neil Jordan's commercial footsteps. It's one of those rare films that prove there are still ways to tell familiar stories in different ways.
- DirectorMartin McDonaghStarsColin FarrellBrendan GleesonKerry CondonTwo lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them.The other gem from Ireland albeit a little more polished and complex, this has the best double male lead performances in at least a decade. Farrell past his prime really shines, and Gleeson turns a hard-to-believe persona into an unforgettable experience. I prefer "Quiet Girl" for its impact, but these are both masterpieces in a year the UK hasn't come up with any.
- DirectorSaim SadiqStarsAli JunejoRasti FarooqAlina KhanThe youngest son in a traditional Pakistani family takes a job as a backup dancer in a Bollywood-style burlesque and quickly becomes infatuated with the strong-willed trans woman who runs the show.The director will have to wear a bullet-proof vest for the rest of his life, although he just portrayed the reality of queer life in the majority of the Muslim world. It reveals how strangely accepted trans women are as opposed to gay men, and what a burden to wives their husband's closet becomes.
- DirectorRuben ÖstlundStarsThobias ThorwidHarris DickinsonCharlbi DeanA fashion model celebrity couple join an eventful cruise for the super-rich.Winner of the Palme d'Or, this high society satire packs more punch than his previous winner "The Square". Full of great observations, it goes a tad overboard, but then again we live in the most absurd times in living memory.
- DirectorRodrigo SorogoyenStarsMarina FoïsDenis MénochetLuis ZaheraAn expatriate French couple operate an organic farm in the Spanish countryside but clash with villagers.Best psychological film of the year but hard to stomach, this is a distinctly European take on xenophobia and the perils of social isolation, very well cast and written, but a tad too long.
- DirectorJoachim TrierStarsRenate ReinsveAnders Danielsen LieHerbert NordrumThe chronicles of four years in the life of Julie, a young woman who navigates the troubled waters of her love life and struggles to find her career path, leading her to take a realistic look at who she really is.Norway has produced a number of satirical self-observatory accounts, but this is the best one by far,. and also Joachim Trier's masterpiece. Apart from Michelle Yeoh, Renate Reinsve's Julie is the greatest performance of the year.
- DirectorTeemu NikkiStarsPetri PoikolainenMarjaana MaijalaSamuli JaskioJaakko and Sirpa have never met face to face but they talk on the phone every day. When he hears about her declining health, he decides to go meet her in another city; a challenge if you can't see and are paralyzed from the chest down.Another great performance by Petri Poikolainen in this melodrama / thriller from Finland, but the star is the camerawork by Sari Aaltonen.
- DirectorEdward BergerStarsFelix KammererAlbrecht SchuchAaron HilmerA young German soldier's terrifying experiences and distress on the western front during World War I.I expected to dislike a remake of one of the best anti-war movies ever, but it's an altogether different adaptation of Remarque's book which adds some details about the closing days of World War I. Not as phenomenal as "1917" but still very well done.
- DirectorSonja TarokicStarsMarina RedzepovicStojan MatavuljNives IvankovicA new school counsellor tries to stay out of power dynamics imposed by the Headmistress, teachers and parents.My favorite Eastern European film of the year, it's a convoluted yet realistic story of teacher's lounge intrigue, a microcosm of misogyny and mental mishaps. To be sure, it'll be way too serious for some.
- DirectorVolodymyr TykhyyStarsDmitriy TuboltsevStanislav BzhezinskyiPetro MykytyukIn 2014 Russia's hybrid war against Ukraine turns hot. An engineer, actor, soccer coach and florist volunteer to fight on the front line. Unaware of the pivotal role they will play in the war, they discover the meaning of true leadership.As for the country and topic of the year, this satire available on Youtube shows Ukrainian black humor at its finest while also delivering a Patriotic context. Unlike most war films from the country, this one gives you a pretty good idea what's going on and how we got there.
- DirectorAntonio LukichStarsAndriy LidagovskiyIrma VitovskaIryna OstrovskaA sound engineer tries to record the song of a rare bird that dwells in the Ukrainian mountains.Another belated Ukrainian discovery, this is also Transcarpatian black humor albeit a bit more cryptic. It's perhaps the best recent Ukrainian film to give you an idea about the national psyche.
- DirectorOmar El ZohairyStarsDemyana NassarSamy BassiounyFady Mina FawzyA family is forced into a period of self-discovery after its authoritarian patriarch is accidentally turned into a chicken by a magician during a children's birthday partyMoving over to the Muslim World, this Egyptian low-budget satire is probably the weirdest film I've seen this year. It's best to not read anything about it and just sit it through. You can try to figure out what means afterwards.
- DirectorAsghar FarhadiStarsAmir JadidiMohsen TanabandehSahar GoldoostRahim is in prison because of a debt he was unable to repay. During a two-day leave, he tries to convince his creditor to withdraw his complaint against the payment of part of the sum. But things don't go as planned.It's not Farhadi's best and the lead's teeth are to perfect and shiny, but it's still a complex mature relationship drama exceeding any US or European effort in that domain.
- DirectorMohammad KartStarsJavad EzatiTannaz TabatabaeiAmir AghaeeA film of a woman swimming in a pool is distributed through the internet. Now her husband and her brother are after finding the one who is responsible for that and taking revenge on him.A thriller by newcomer Mohammad Kart, it's social critique masked as crime drama, underscoring the weird coexistence of continuously daring film makers in one of the world's most oppressive regimes.
- DirectorSaeed RoustayiStarsPayman MaadiNavid MohammadzadehParinaz IzadyarThe police are after a drug lord named Naser Khakzad, but when they finally manage to catch him, he tries whatever he can think of to escape and save his family.In the same vein is this police procedure drama with social critique disguised as a moral lesson. Roustayi is definitely the best Iranian director right now, although the constant screaming will be a challenge for many.
- DirectorSaeed RoustayiStarsSaeed PoursamimiTaraneh AlidoostiNavid MohammadzadehLeila, who has spent her entire life caring for her family, makes a plan as her brothers are struggling to make ends meet.His latest monumental family drama pales in comparison to lead Taraneh Alidoosti, who deserves an Audacity Award if there was such a thing. As of now she's in jail for posting a photo of herself without a headscarf supporting the Mahsa Amini protests.
- DirectorMaryam MoghadamBehtash SanaeehaStarsMaryam MoghadamAlireza Sani FarPourya Rahimi SamMina's life is turned upside down when she learns that her husband was innocent of the crime for which he was executed, so she starts a silent battle against a cynical system for her own and her daughter's sake.If that's still not enough Iran for you and if you are curious about the dire long-term consequences of capital punishment, this psychological drama will (up)set you (up).
- DirectorVenkat PrabhuStarsSilambarasan RajendarS.J. SuryahKalyani PriyadarshanOn the day of a public conference by the state's Chief Minister, his bodyguard and a police officer are stuck in a time loop.As for entertainment, I can't help but observe that India still rules, mainly because the US can't kick the boring superhero habit. This political thriller in a Groundhog Day scenario which both the hero and the villain must complete is both highly original and thoroughly enjoyable.
- DirectorBasil JosephStarsTovino ThomasGuru SomasundaramAju VargheseA tailor gains special powers after being struck by lightning, but must take down an unexpected foe if he is to become the superhero his hometown needs.Yet India is also able to gave us a superhero movie that is not boring and repetitive, with two losers hit by the same phenomenon going into completely opposite directions. Ever noticed that US superheros are never from villages or poor? This one develops a fairly different dynamic thanks to that premise.
- DirectorMahesh NarayananStarsFahadh FaasilRoshan MathewDarshana RajendranA software engineer, living in Kerala, is prompted by his family to look for his cousin's missing fiancee. As they stumble upon her video-based suicide note, he races against time to find her.Social media thriller of the year no. 1 was shot on an iPhone during the pandemic and once again proves the creative edge Malayalam film has over Bollywood. Anyone else could have had the idea but didn't.
- DirectorMuhammed MusthafaStarsAnna BenSreenath BhasiRoshan MathewSet in the village areas of Wayanad, Malappuram and Kannur, Kappela revolves around an ordinary, innocent girl who comes to Kozhikode city from a high range area called Poovarmala.Social media thriller no. 2 is another creative film in Malayalam which lures you into a false sense of anticipation and has three truly impressive leads, first and foremost shooting star Anna Ben.
- DirectorPan NalinStarsBhavin RabariRicha MeenaBhavesh ShrimaliSamay fights heaven and earth to find light. He wants to catch, control, cut and project that light to tell stories. Now to pursue that dream he must leave everything he loves and take a flight to find the light.Director Pan Nalin's autobiographic retelling of his rural childhood is actually more interesting than Spielberg's disjointed "The Fabelmans". Beautifully photographed, it is a bit too polished for its own good (like most of Nalin's work).
- DirectorBhaskar HazarikaStarsLima DasArghadeep BaruahNeetali DasTwo chaste lovers bow down to social taboos and repress their feelings, but doing so pushes them towards a horrific crime.Best horror / romance film I've seen this year, and the first in Assamese. Indian regional cinema continues to produce surprises like this one. Think "Bones and all" without fantasy. The final frame is one of those stuck-in-your-mind-forever images.