In a year that was packed with Big Budget Blockbuster Bombs, there were some powerful films that showcased stunning performances and some outrageous movies with phenomenal production designs. 2023 will be remembered as the year of the cinema of experience. We dressed up for “Barbie” and gathered groups of friends for double features of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer”. There were great concert films with packed theaters of Swifties watching “The Eras Tour” and the re-release of “Stop Making Sense” which had audiences dancing in the aisles. Continuing that renaissance is Beyonce’s film, “Renaissance” with opening box office of 21 million and the concert film is still playing in theaters.
My favorite films this year have a shared theme of self-fulfillment. They’re all radically different and yet each showcases a journey of discovery or validation of one’s purpose in life, and the peace that comes with realizing your potential. There were four films that I ranked as nearly perfect: a quiet Korean American movie about love, a Japanese film from a German director, the second film from writer/director/star Bradley Cooper, and a surreal sci-fi punk sex comedy from a famous Greek filmmaker.
I believe that your viewing experience has a big effect on how you feel about a film. There’s a reason filmmakers are eager for you to experience their work in a theater with an audience; that shared experience modulates your own. Most audiences will not get the opportunity to watch Celine Song’s directorial feature debut, “Past Lives” in a cinema. The film was a hit at the Sundance Film Festival and had a small theatrical run this summer. Watching the film on the big screen encourages you to view the space between the characters. The intimate story of a childhood crush becomes a yearning for what might have been or could be as the couple reunite as adults.
This quiet film hides an intensity of feeling and emotions that are allowed to simmer and build. Actress Greta Lee (“Russian Dolls”, “The Morning Show”) plays this modern woman who’s drawn to her Korean sweetheart and her face reflects her emotional state with soulful clarity. Her husband, played by John Magaro, is remarkably understanding and the Korean crush, both shy and yearning is Teo Yoo. The idea that we’re meant to have connections with certain people in our lives is a romantic idea and the film resonates long after watching it. It’s an amazing debut of a major talent.
I had the privilege of enjoying “Perfect Days” in a nearly perfect setting, this year’s Telluride Film Festival. German director Wim Wenders belies his age, a spry 78, with two films released this year. He received the Silver Medallion and a Tribute during the festival and sat for an enlightening interview before the screening. Wenders later brought out the incredible Japanese star of the film, Kôji Yakusho as a surprise guest. The fact that a German director created this marvelous meditation about a cleaner of public toilets in Japan, in Japanese, is astounding. “Perfect Days” is Japan’s entry as Best International Film for the Academy Awards.
“Perfect Days” will be released by Neon Pictures on December 21, 2023. It’s a must-see on the big screen. It’s an immersive experience with a soundscape and unusual photocollage interludes created by Wender’s wife. Watching Yakusho go about his daily routine of maintaining the artfully designed public toilets is to watch a masters at work; the cinematography, the acting and the direction are perfection. There’s not much that happens, yet it’s the tale of a life dedicated to service and simplicity. I found myself silently crying along with the star as he drives off in his cleaning van at the end of the film. The movie is both melancholy and soulful—a rich experience.
There aren’t many directors whose work I find both deeply-disturbing and annoying, and on the other hand, delightful and ground-breaking. Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos (“The Lobster”, “The Favourite”) is an incredible talent who’s work pushes boundaries. His unusual style is a wild creative vision that involves a lot of play and improv. Lanthimos shows what the artistry of filmmaking can do when you push past the boundaries of a “normal film set”. “Poor Things” is an astounding, bonkers sci-fi opera. Emma Stone bares her soul and her body as the creature, Bella, in this tale of a female Frankenstein finding her way in the world. And what a world! The production design matches Lanthimos’ candy-colored dreams in a goth-punk surreal world.
Mark Ruffalo gives a career-best performance as the mustache-twirling villain whose sexual prowess attracts Bella. While Bella is off seeing the world, her creator, excellently played by a gentle Willem Dafoe, and her true love, Ramy Youseff, wait patiently for her return. This is a sexually explicit film, but it’s Bella’s exploration of her humanity and rebellion against society’s idea of womanhood that animates the film. It’s an astonishing physical and emotional performance by Emma Stone. A fulfillment of a creative genius and his collaboration with artists, “Poor Things” is not for everyone…but Wow! What a film!
Bradley Cooper proves that his directorial debut, “A Star is Born” was not a one-off star turn. “Maestro” is the bio-pic about Leonard Bernstein that Cooper spent years researching and passionately preparing to gift us. He studied under contemporary orchestra conductors, spent time with Bernstein’s family and collaborators and his work pays off. The story centers on the relationship between the bisexual Bernstein, an almost unrecognizable Cooper, and his wife, played by the brilliant actress Carey Mulligan. You don’t need to be a fan of classical music to know that you’re watching something magical when you see Bernstein conducting. It’s Mulligan’s performance as the supportive partner who finally hits her limit, that gives the film it’s other emotional crescendo.
There are so many other wonderful films from 2023. I was blown away by Sandra Hüller in both “Anatomy of a Fall” and “The Zone of Interest”. I fell in love with Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal in the tender, heartbreaking ghost story, “All of Us Strangers”. But if I had to choose the four most profound and breathtaking works of film art this year, I’m going with “Past Lives”, “Perfect Days”, “Poor Things” and the story of Leonard Bernstein’s life, “Maestro”.
Drinks with Films ratings:
“Past Lives”: 3 bottles of Korean booze guzzled in championship in a Korean club (out of 5), not a perfect film but what a directorial debut and Grace Lee is an amazing lead actress.
“Perfect Days”: 5 cups of Japanese tea, enjoyed at a bustling stall in Tokyo (out of 5), a mediatative film that asks you to look at the meaning of life.
“Poor Things”: 5 bottles of champagne, sipped in a drunken celebration of life (out of 5), incredible performances, production design and bonkers story so well-told, bravo!
“Maestro”: 5 martinis in one hand with a constant gestation of a cigarette-wielding second hand (out of 5), Bradley Cooper does it again in this masterpiece but it’s Carey Mulligan who brings a quiet powerful performance that will devastate you.
Drinks with films 