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Movie Review: ‘Saint Omer’ Pieces Art From Life

Zita Short
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Movie Review: ‘Saint Omer’ Pieces Art From Life

Director: Alice Diop

Writer: Alice Diop and Amrita David

Stars: Kayije Kagame, Guslagie Malanda, and Valérie Dréville

Synopsis: Follows Rama, a novelist who attends the trial of Laurence Coly at the Saint-Omer Criminal Court to use her story to write a modern-day adaptation of the ancient myth of Medea, but things don’t go as expected.

While watching Saint Omer (2022), it is important to consider the fact that Alice Diop worked as a documentarian for fifteen years before making the transition to feature filmmaking. This is a film that reflects her personal investment in the hot button issues at hand. While addressing the racial divide that exists within French society, she also steps back to consider the responsibilities that artists take on when tackling real life stories. Diop finds a way to ground a story about infanticide in the slightly less controversial discourse that surrounds journalistic ethics and it’s fascinating to watch, especially as the scope of this story expands. It is exceptionally rare to see a courtroom drama that draws on the works of Marguerite Duras for inspiration and even rarer to see a film that fully commits to incorporating formal experimentation into its narrative. 

From the outset, we are invited to view modern-day Paris through the eyes of Rama (Kayije Kagame), a pregnant professor of Senegalese descent who feels like she has been ‘othered’ by her Caucasian peers. She is forced to contend with racial micro-aggressions on a daily basis and worries that her child will be forced to endure similarly vicious abuse. In her spare time, she begins to write a new novel. After hearing about the story of Laurence Coly (Guslagie Malanda), a poor Senegalese immigrant who committed infanticide, she is inspired to produce a modern retelling of the story of Medea. In order to provide a more accurate portrait of the context that surrounds Coly’s case, Rama travels to Saint-Omer to observe her trial. Coly’s heartfelt testimony causes her perspective on the event to shift and, as time goes by, she realizes that she and Coly have shared many of the same life experiences. 

Diop makes the bold decision to insert several elisions into a narrative that already tests its audience’s patience by playing out at such a gradual pace. The process of piecing together information that is occasionally revealed in an offhand manner is initially challenging. We never gain a strong sense of Coly’s moral character and find ourselves grappling with the Big Issues while trying to get a handle on the smaller details. Our participation in the investigative process ends up mirroring the journey that Rama goes on. Even for viewers who stand at a slight remove from the issues at hand, it’s impossible not to feel implicated in this case. We are put in the position of a storyteller and forced to consider the fact that we bring a lot of baggage into our consideration of controversial figures. We are asked to question our assumptions about this woman’s upbringing and the influence that cultural traditions have on her behavioral patterns. Diop can also be credited with respecting her audience enough to let them draw their inclusions and one is never made to feel that they are watching a henpecking diatribe that doesn’t make effective use of film grammar. 

In many regards, the screenplay serves as a counterpoint to Billy Wilder’s Ace in the Hole (1951), a cynical satire about the state of yellow journalism in midcentury America. Wilder viewed the film’s protagonist, Chuck Tatum, as a charismatic anti-hero who is willing to lie, cheat, and steal in his efforts to further his own career ambitions. Rather than developing empathy for the subject of his latest article, Tatum single-mindedly pursues the shallow, materialistic rewards that have been promised to him if he takes advantage of them. Saint Omer charts a very different course to that picture, in that it suggests that writers have the ability to view their sources of inspiration through a humanistic lens. Without implying that the writer-muse relationship is entirely incorruptible, Diop argues in favor of artists who wish to take real life events and transform them into art. She takes a long, hard look at a tricky situation and finds a way to extract a faintly optimistic conclusion from it. 

There is much to admire here and Diop’s approach to telling this story does command admiration. If one were to offer up a mild critique of her directorial technique, they might note that this material has been presented in a relatively dry manner. There are plenty of viewers who would contend that displaying this content in any other way would diminish its impact. This French arthouse flick would suffer if it had been puffed up with traditional melodramatic tropes or flashy star turns, but I don’t think that it’s entirely unfair to question whether Saint Omer could have captured an even more dynamic and propulsive energy. 

Grade: B-

 

List: Dave Giannini’s Top 10 Movies of 2022

Dave Giannini
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List: Dave Giannini’s Top 10 Movies of 2022

Once again, it has been a weird year. Not a pandemic year, but still oddly feeling the effects. It seemed like, week to week, I had no idea when or where movies would be premiering. Is this day and date on streaming? Is it in theaters for a week? Is it a limited release? I just don’t know anymore.  But luckily, there were still great movies to be seen and some amazing cinema experiences to be had. Every year is good, but every year is different. That being said, here are my Top 10 movies of 2022!

But first, a few honorable mentions. Just outside my Top 10 are the following: RRR, Honk for Jesus, Save Your Soul, Watcher, Barbarian, Confess Fletch, and Fire Island.

10. Gehraiyaan


Ok, don’t run away.  I know this one was probably lightly seen by American audiences, and it does not seem to be the Indian film of choice for 2022.  But there’s room for more! I love you, RRR, but you’re stuck in honorable mention land. This is the type of movie that seems to have gone to the wayside (or thrown onto streaming never to be seen again). A twisty story, filled with intrigue, beautiful stars, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected violence. Gehraiyaan was one of my biggest surprises of the year and stayed near the top for quite a long time.

9. Spoiler Alert


So, I’m not going to lie. This was also unexpected. I rolled my eyes hard at the trailer. As a queer person, I tend to recoil at love stories surrounded by death, and here we go again. Most “tearjerkers” show their hand and you can see the strings. Spoiler Alert is not that. Jim Parsons, in a lead role, truly surprised me with his range. Plus, the film really takes its time getting to all the sadness. You learn to love this couple through their trials and tribulations and it is wildly effective. I was no fan of the obsessive tv show framing device, but the rest is so good, that it ends up not mattering much

8. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery


“It’s just so dumb!” A wonderfully enjoyable scene that does not represent the film. This movie, unsurprisingly, is incredibly smart, and probably a tad more subtle than its predecessor. Gone are the obvious references to Trump supporters, and here are interesting, complex characters that you love and hate at the same time. Daniel Craig is back as Benoit Blanc, and he really gets to let loose. Janelle Monae, although known either from previous roles or her astounding music career, is an absolute revelation. They are infinitely watchable and you can see why director Rian Johnson trusted her with the most difficult role. But everyone plays their part, and you could not remove a single performance and have the same strong film.

7. Avatar: The Way of Water


Did I think this movie would be made? No.  Did I think it would crack my Top 10? Also no. But here we are. Cameron does it again. Yes, it is visually majestic, but that’s not what stuck with me. The story is a massive improvement from the original. Sigourney Weaver somehow plays a convincing teenager and are you kidding me with this Sam Worthington performance? But the most impressive thing that Cameron did is somehow make a large universe expand even further. If only other Sci-Fi/Fantasy conglomerates would take note…

6. Nope


Ok, Jordan Peele, you got me back.  I wasn’t a fan of his work after Get Out, but you want to talk big swings?  This is the one for you. Now, it doesn’t all really come together, but the spectacle of Nope really hits home for me and left me with so much to think about.  The brother sister tandem of Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer is perfection personified. It has been a long time since I have seen a Black actor personify the Western stereotype with as much ease. Although Kaluuya has been lauded, especially since Peele’s first film, it’s still somehow not enough. The supporting players work together in ways that show Peele’s prowess, not only as a visual filmmaker, but as one who casts well and trusts his actors. Nope is a wild ride, and one I can’t wait to take again.

5. Three Thousand Years of Longing


Look, shut up. This movie is great, I don’t care what you say. Tilda, the chameleon, is, as always, herself and not herself at the same time. The makeup and effects are beautiful, but that’s not what this one is about. It’s an allegory for all relationships, difficult and otherwise. What lengths are we willing to go, not just to begin a relationship, but to continue it for the betterment of both people? The stories that the Djinn tells are lovely, but the movie really lands in the second half when things get slightly more normal.

4. Everything Everywhere All At Once


What to say about this that hasn’t been said. It’s maximalist cinema! Michelle Yeoh is amazing! Ke Huy Quan is so wonderful! It does the multiverse better than the MCU could dream! All true.  But also, in a movie brimming with action and big moments, The Daniels managed to make empathy a superpower. In a world full of abs and youth, they placed Asians at the center. They were not consumed with thinness. They were not concerned with the age of their stars. They made a great, fabulous, huge movie that is almost literally all heart.

3. Moonage Daydream


I almost never put documentaries on my list. The art form is just so different that I have a difficult time ranking them with narrative features. Moonage Daydream is different. This is easily my favorite cinema experience of the year, maybe of any year. 15 minutes in, I wasn’t sure that this was “for me.” But the encompassing sound and visuals almost beat you into submission. It is a journey that forces you to get on its wavelength, if you dare. But once you do, it is a powerful, emotional, beautiful experience that oozes Bowie and everything that he was. Stunning.

2. Tár


Are you serious with this performance. Cate Blanchett is obviously one of the greatest actors of her generation. But this. This is new. I know the weight it carries when I say this, but this is her greatest achievement as an actor. Tár should make you uncomfortable, and boy does it. Do I hate her? Do I love her? Both? After two viewings, I’m still not sure if I can answer these questions comfortably. Tár is certainly a movie with a plot, but it’s more meandering than focused, which goes against the lead character’s ideals. Despite that, looking back, there is not a single scene that should be removed because it all leads to the continuance of Lydia Tár, both a great thing and a horrific one.

1. The Banshees of Inisherin


A black (very) comedy about depression, friendship, civil wars, and love. This is another movie that takes work to get on its energy. But it is wildly rewarding when you do. Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell are great together, as they always are. Farrell’s confusion and resounding anger while espousing the benefits of being nice will stay with me for some time. It is no surprise that literally every important character is being considered for acting awards this year, as performances this genuine are quite rare. There are no missteps here, and it is, without a doubt, the best movie of the year for my money.

Interview with M. Keeravani

Zita Short
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Interview with M. Keeravani

Over the course of 34 years, composer M. Keeravani has steadily established himself as one of India’s preeminent film composers. It makes sense that he was called upon to write several songs for RRR’s soundtrack when it came time for S.S. Rajamouli to mount the most expensive production in the country’s history. Keeravani significantly contributed to the film’s soundtrack, in addition to providing the film with a score. He can also claim credit for composing the hit song “Naatu Naatu,” which quickly became a massive worldwide sensation after the film was released into theaters.

 

Zita Short had the opportunity to sit down with Keeravani and chat about his long and storied career. 

 

Zita: How did you first become involved in this project?

Keeravani: I was commissioned to compose six to eight songs for this movie, RRR, in addition to providing a musical score. I was in charge of the entire music department. I had all the lyricists working for me, as well as having musicians and singers as my subordinates. I had to take care of all those elements of the production. “Naatu Naatu” is one of the seven or eight songs that we recorded as part of this process.

 

Zita: Was it important to you to tie the film’s overarching themes into the film’s score?

Keeravani: In my eyes, the score is supposed to mirror the emotions of the protagonist. I like to keep it simple. I don’t provide musical accompaniment for scenes in which my compositions wouldn’t serve a necessary purpose. That’s how it should be. Not only for this movie, for any movie. There should only be one major theme. I commit to that theme and attempt to keep the audience engaged throughout the film. Whether it’s a story, whether it’s a major theme, whether it’s a protagonist or an antagonist, there should be one principal message. A significant perspective or goal that viewers can follow along with. I feel that it is important to keep elaborating and expanding the main theme. Whenever a change occurs in the score, it has to somehow relate back to that single theme. 

In RRR, that theme is friendship. Friendship between two people who accidentally meet and form a close bond, without being aware of the other’s political agenda. In the end, that’s the story. That’s the basic story; how a friendship between two people progressed into animosity, before returning to normalcy. I try to follow along with the theme, so whatever comes to my mind, whatever songs I compose, will be related to this single theme. There won’t be much deviating from this theme. That’s how I usually work. 

 

Zita: The song possesses quite a comedic tone. Did that distinctive tone emerge out of the creative process or did you have that idea in mind from the very beginning? 

Keeravani: It has to be lighthearted because it’s a song of celebration. These men want to celebrate their ethnicity, their nostalgia for the past, and all of the nice things about their motherland and their homeland. There was no serious content that we had to convey within this song. It’s all about celebrating joyous moments and showcasing your dancing abilities. In the end, the song emerged as a defense against the intimidation, ill treatment, and hostility that they face at a party. Naturally, they end up singing in their own style. They want to prove themselves in the language they know. Through the use of body language and choreography, they assert their national identity. They want to show the world how special they are in their own way. So lightheartedness was an important ingredient in this song. It’s a package of humor, energy and confidence.

 

Zita: What was it that set you on the path towards the career you have today?

Keeravani: It’s a long story because I have been a composer for 34 years and worked on over 240 movies. It was a long, long journey. I started off learning violin and later on I started learning to play piano. So those are the basic instruments I play. I started to develop an interest in composing music for films by watching movies and listening to many Telugu, Indian, and Western songs. I took inspiration from many different sources. I began assisting a couple of famous composers and after a couple of years, I got my big break from a local producer. I end up composing music in almost all Indian languages. Fortunately, RRR happens to be a movie that covers almost all of the major languages.

 

Zita: The song and the film have been so widely embraced. How does it feel to be part of a worldwide phenomenon? 

Keeravani: I’m very happy about that. This has been a collective effort. There are many people involved in the creation of this project, and the development of this song. The lyricist, the choreographer, the director, the artists, the dancers, the programmers and, of course, the musicians. Everybody gave their best and that’s what brought this song into the world. This recognition is kind of overwhelming for us.

 

Zita: What was it like to see the now-legendary “Naatu Naatu” choreography for the first time?

Keeravani: The choreography is too good. The choreographer has to be given most of the credit for the rapturous response that the song has received. It’s very innovative and we all knew that Prem Rakshith would come up with something special. He’s always coming up with something new. He’s a very hard worker and a very kind human being. I appreciate the fact that he put so much effort into coming up with this dance. He’s the one who brought the song to life. 

 

Zita: It’s relatively rare to see a spontaneous musical number in an English-language production nowadays. Do you think that there’s any chance that Anglophone filmmakers will take inspiration from Indian cinema and revive this trend? 

Keeravani: Well, the main difference between Indian and British cinema is that British production houses buy songs that are already popular and integrate them into scenes in a poetic manner. However, the song is rarely the main focus and frequently gets pushed into the background. In India, it’s not like that. The song is treated like a proper song. It’s like a classic musical, like The Sound of Music (1965) or Fiddler on the Roof (1971). Maybe the trend will make a comeback and every film will feature at least one musical number. I look forward to the day when Western movies begin to highlight songs more effectively. Clearly, audiences like this song and as long as you come up with a good song, people will respond to it positively. 

 

Zita: You have such a large and diverse body of work behind you. How does RRR differ from some of the smaller productions that you have worked on? 

Keeravani: This type of blockbuster provides you with the opportunity to gain more artistic freedom. It also saddles you with a lot of different responsibilities. You can experiment on many different levels but you still feel the pressure of working on a high budget production. It has to be great and you can’t make any artistic compromises. You have to stay true to yourself. It’s a difficult task but, at the end of the day, it’s enjoyable. We got such great results and it’s nice to sit back and celebrate. 

 

List: Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2023

JD Duran
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List: Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2023

This week on Episode 414 of the InSession Film Podcast, we discussed our Top 5 most anticipated films of 2023. It’s a new year and that means new movies for us to look forward to this year. The wake of COVID isn’t completely over (as demonstrated by the aftermath of the Golden Globes), but it seems as if may be the first year where things feel as normalized as it was in 2019. And as a result, there is so much to look forward to in 2023. We’ll see films from Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, David Fincher, Denis Villeneuve, and Greta Gerwig. Among many others! We’ll have a slew of blockbusters this year that include The Flash, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. There are other big films such as Creed III, John Wick: Chapter 4 and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (or is it just JD?) to look forward to as well. Not to mention our favorite filmmakers here at ISF, such as Hirokazu Kore-eda, Jeff Nichols and Kelly Reichardt. 2023 is shaping up to be a great year for film and we’re very excited for it.

For the sake of this post, we are going to list our true Top 10 most anticipated films of 2023. So these lists will be slightly different from what we discussed on the podcast.

JD

1) Showing Up
2) The Bikeriders
3) The End
4) Zone of Interest
5) Barbie
6) Asteroid City
7) Peter Pan and Wendy
8) Monster
9) Dune: Part 2
10) Magic Mike’s Last Dance

Brendan

1) How Do You Live?
2) Monster
3) M:I – Dead Reckoning (Part 1)
4) Peter Pan and Wendy
5) Creed III
6) Poor Things
7) The Iron Claw
8) Nightbitch
9) Oppenheimer
10) Barbie

Jay

1) Ferrari
2) The Way of the Wind
3) How Do You Live?
4) The Killer
5) The End
6) Killers of the Flower Moon
7) The Iron Claw
8) M:I – Dead Reckoning (Part 1)
9) Oppenheimer
10) Dune: Part 2

Ryan

1) How Do You Live?
2) Oppenheimer
3) Ferrari
4) The Iron Claw
5) The Killer
6) Challengers
7) May/December
8) Barbie
9) The Bikeriders
10) Dune: Part 2

Honorable Mentions (Combined)

Beau Is Afraid, Blitz, El Conde, Civil War, Strangers, The Color Purple, Rustin, Elemental, Rebel Ridge, Shirley, You People, Spaceman, Bad Behavior, Dream Scenario, Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret
Maestro, Priscilla, The Actor, Megalopolis, Next Goal Wins, Untitled Ethan Coen Film, Untitled Sadie Brothers Film

Hopefully you guys enjoyed our lists and if you agree or disagree with us, let us know in the comment section below. There are obviously many more films coming out this year that we didn’t have time to mention. That is to say, your list could look very different than ours given the amount of great potential that we could see in 2023. That being said, what would be your Top 5? Leave a comment in the comment section or email us at [email protected].

For the entire podcast, click here or listen below.

For more lists done by the InSession Film crew and other guests, be sure see our Top 3 Movie Lists page.

The Woman in the Picture: The Life and Legacy of Delphine Seyrig

Eve O Dea
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The Woman in the Picture: The Life and Legacy of Delphine Seyrig

When it was announced back in December that Chantal Ackerman’s Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) had been selected as the greatest film of all time for the Sight & Sound poll, reactions were (as expected) divisive. As images of the film flooded the internet on blogs, in videos, and tweets, they all had one thing in common: the actress Delphine Seyrig as the titular character in a state of melancholy. With a name not nearly as well known as some of her New Wave/Left Bank contemporaries, Seyrig’s career has proven itself one of the most enduring of the era. Her filmography, the characters she played, her appearance, that voice, and her personal life contained multitudes.

Seyrig was born in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1932. Her European parents encouraged an early understanding of social justice by sending her to a pacifist-run school as a teenager. With a sparse acting career in the 1950s, she met director Alain Renais in New York City, who asked her to star in his film The Last Year at Marienbad (1961). Renais, who by this time was known for his striking documentary about the Holocaust, Night and Fog (1956), and an unorthodox, dreamy filmmaking technique, placed Seyrig and her co-star Giorgio Albertazi in a stunning villa in costumes provided by the House of Chanel. The story is purposely convoluted, refusing to acknowledge what is real and what is fantasy. There is a romance, maybe; the man and the woman have met before, perhaps. Mirrors and shadows don’t act how they’re supposed to, and the viewer becomes immersed in the high-end dreamworld. Seyrig, whose appearance was striking and adaptable for any era and style, feels right at home in this elegant maze. Blessed with a head of naturally voluminous curls, her hair is dark and slicked down as she makes her way through the villa’s halls with grace and mystery. Her deep, raspy voice only contributed to the air of androgyny she carried with her throughout her career, even when playing the most glamorous, feminine characters in all of cinema.

Relatively speaking, Seyrig acted in few films throughout her career. In the 60s, she acted in a handful of films which made use of her multilingualism, including those of François Truffaut and Luis Buñuel. The years 1970-1971 perhaps displayed the height of her otherworldly, unplaceable femininity. She played the fairy godmother to Catherine Deneuve’s princess in Jacque Demy’s lucious, ornate, candy-colored Peau d’âne (1970) (Donkey Skin). In the film, set sometime in the 1600s, Seyrig is styled like a 1930s movie star, in a purple satin dress and foot-high lavender collar with bleach-blonde finger waves. It is over the top, but she wears the look with ease, as if she wore that sort of thing to bed every night. The following year, she would again play an anachronistic, high-femme time traveler in Harry Kümel’s Daughters of Darkness (1971) an erotic, queer, terribly stylish, cornerstone of the campy 1970s vampire cinematic canon. Seyrig is once again adorned like a 1930s countess who entrances all who meet her. The film falls short of becoming a true classic with its awkward script and subpar acting from other members of the cast, though Seyrig’s presence is so striking that one laments every time she exits the frame.

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972), in which a group of upper-class friends try, and fail, to eat a meal together, is one of two collaborations between Seyrig and Buñuel. Again, Seyrig returns as the elegant, elusive, icy blonde. That stylized perfection would be put aside with Seyrig’s first collaboration with Belgian-director Chantal Ackerman as a widowed mother questioning the monotony of her life in Jeanne Dielman. In this film, Seyrig ditches the designer clothes and peroxide in favor of auburn hair and the typical adornments of a housewife unconcerned with her outward appearance. She slouches, is slightly heavier, and completely transforms from the actress we have seen before. It is perhaps because of her ability to so effortlessly transform, from masculine to feminine, from elegant to plain, from modern to historic, that she is not as recognizable to casual film-goers as Anna Karina or Jeanne Moreau. 

Though, given that screenwriter Marguerite Duras once referred to Seyrig as the “reluctant muse” this may have been Seyrig’s plan all along. In modern terms, I compare Seyrig to French actress Adèle Haenel, whose last cinematic performance was in the Celine Sciamma directed masterpiece Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019). Disillusioned with the corruption and abuse of the French film industry, Haenel has stepped away from film acting and has been vocal about feminist issues. Similarly, Seyrig became an advocate for feminist causes during the 1970s, including the “Manifesto of the 343”, a petition signed by over three-hundred women who boldly declared to have had an abortion, which was illegal at the time. In 1975, Seyrig founded the feminist video collective Les Insoumuses (a French portmanteau that roughly translates to “disobedient muses”), which produced videos focused on women in media, labor, and reproductive rights. As a director, Seyrig made two films directly focused on feminist causes: Scum Manifesto (1976) (named after the radical feminist writing of the same name by Valerie Solanas), and Sois belle et tais-toi (1981) (Be Pretty and Shut Up) consisting of interviews with several women of the film industry. In interviews with Seyrig, which one can find online, she pushes back every claim that she is being too radical or unreasonable. Her voice is powerful, she does not falter or contradict herself. Though nowadays we are generally used to hearing celebrities discuss prominent social issues in interviews, at the time Seyrig was risking her career for her outspokenness. In her words, “le bonheur est l’indépendance”, or “happiness is independence”.

Seyrig’s last film performance was in Johanna D’Arc of Mongolia (1989) a film by experimental director Ulrike Ottinger, with whom Seyrig had previously collaborated in Freak Orlando (1981). She died of lung cancer the following year, the same year as another reclusive, hard-to-define actress who brought androgyny to the big screen back in the 1920s: Greta Garbo. Seyrig was only 58. While hardly what one would call a “star”, Seyrig’s legacy has proven to be long lasting throughout the world of international cinema and as an icon of second-wave feminism.

 

Movie Review: ‘The Kings of the World’ Captivates in its Hopelessness

Hector A. Gonzalez
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Movie Review: ‘The Kings of the World’ Captivates in its Hopelessness

Director: Laura Mora Ortega

Writers: Maria Camila Arias and Laura Mora Ortega

Stars: Carlos Andres Castañeda, Cristian David, Davinson Florez

Synopsis: Follows five young men and about the marginalized, excluded humanity who seeks a place in the world.

Reality and dream-like coming-of-age angst meet with one another in Laura Mora Ortega’s Golden Shell-winning The Kings of the World (Los Reyes del Mundo) – an engrossing and grievous portrayal of excluded youth and striving for a place in the world. 

 

Whether we like it or not, we all have to admit that the world is immensely cruel. The universe doesn’t owe us anything; it doesn’t need to give in to our prayers. We might rely on chance and luck, but the only way to strive for a better life is to fight for the things we want, not only for ourselves but for the people we cherish. So, we hold on to that lingering and slowly-fading sensation of hope to keep our heads high. This yearning for better things to come fuels Laura Mora Ortega’s latest feature film, The Kings of the World (Los Reyes del Mundo, in its original Spanish title). Its quintet of protagonists, who have lost almost (if not all) of their innocence due to what they have been through, are holding on to the dream of one day escaping their harsh realities in the dark and brutal streets of Medellín to a promised land that was taken away from their people. Their journey leads to nowhere, but a lot happens during their travels – reality and delirium are the critical factors to this beautifully told yet haunting portrayal of excluded humanity and seeking a place in the world. 

Who are the five boys at the center of this story? Rá (Carlos Andres Castañeda), Culebro (Cristian David), Sere (Davinson Florez), Winny (Cristian Campaña), and Nano (Brahian Acevedo). The quintet has been the closest of friends for many years, even though there are occasions when they don’t trust each other in the least. They have gone through it all, which connects them – all abandoned by the cruelty of life and loss – going around their lives as if they were kings, albeit without a kingdom to rule. After receiving a letter from the national Land Restitution Agency, Rá and his closest mates embark on a journey to claim his late grandmother’s land in rural Nechi, Colombia. The boys might be picaresque in character portrayals, as they are troubled youngsters trying to fight for what’s theirs, no matter the means. These are character portraits we have seen in a wide variety of films. However, their performances are special because it is the actors’ first time on screen. The reactions and facial expressions are naturalistic, and their chemistry is top-notch – feeling as if they were brothers, a family who cannot be separated. As Rá says to the Land Restitution agent: “Nobody wants them, just like nobody wants me. We’re all alone out there.”

Apart from its heartbreaking finale, one of the scenes that sticks with you the most is when the boys encounter a house of five elderly ladies in the middle of nowhere. This scene is emotionally impactful because it is the only occasion when they are truly cared for; it is the only moment when someone actually nurtures them. Their innocence is almost gone by that time in the film, but in the short time they spend with those women, it feels like they are kids again. The world has dealt Rá and company a bad hand, hence appreciating (and holding for dear life) these couple of hours with them. When you look back at this moment once finishing the movie, it hurts even more because of one easy-to-miss detail… the single tear shed by one of the ladies. They know that what awaits the boys is filled with tragedy; they weep because they don’t know how to help Rá and the others. Some of the other stops and encounters in their expedition might not have the same emotional attachment as this one, but they make up a fascinating experience to endure. As emotions swing from yearning to hopelessness, Laura Mora Ortega captures the tragic beauty of longing and puerile barbarity.

The film might contain some of the trappings of a teen coming-of-age story, where a group of hot-headed teenagers thinks that the world owes them a gift because of all their suffering. Still, The Kings of the World separates itself quickly because of Laura Mora Ortega’s narrative approach. Mora Ortega tackles her film with a sense of magical realism, adjoining dream-like sequences that make their journey an even more tragic one. Nevertheless, she remains grounded when talking about the sad presence of the dark streets of Medellín. Beauty and cruelty are intertwined without ever feeling melodramatic or far from reality. Because of this blend within two different realms, Mora Ortega’s latest tends to feel like a ghost of some sort, where five lost souls wander around Colombia to get to a land that might set them free at last – long gone from the violence that plagues their daily living. Mora Ortega, alongside her team, manages to engage the viewer while its picture is bathed in hopelessness (the burden of existence by living exiled), which is quite an arduous task to do because it can feel repetitive or run for longer than it needs to. Some occasions do feel such that a handful of sequences could be cut in favor of contemplation or misdirection to its eventual ending. However, for almost the entirety of its runtime, The Kings of the World remains a stellar dark drama and companion piece to Laura Mora Ortega’s Killing Jesus (Matar a Jesús).

Grade: B+

List: Christian Eulinberg’s Top 10 Films of 2022

Christian Eulinberg
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List: Christian Eulinberg’s Top 10 Films of 2022

Another movie year has passed, and I’ve had plenty of time to ponder on all of the silver screen experiences I’ve had this year. Fortunately for me, narrowing down my top 10 favorite movies of the year was rather simple this year. If I’m being honest, I felt 2022 was one of the weaker years for cinema; it appears that we are still in that transition time when movies are slowly returning to theaters and the ramifications of 2020 continue to hang over Hollywood. But that’s not to say there weren’t a few titles that surprised me. 

  1. The Fabelmans

“You do what your heart says you have to. ‘Cause you don’t owe anyone your life. Not even me.” Coming-of-age films are my kryptonite, and Steven Spielberg has done it again. The narrative about a boy who fell in love with the power of movies while simultaneously discovering a shocking family secret is a deadly combination that makes for a sweet and emotional tale. I was immediately smitten by Gabriel Labelle and Michelle Williams’ performances as Sammy and Mrs. Fabelman, as well as their chemistry. If you’re a sucker for coming-of-age dramas like me, this film is for you. It’s brilliantly narrated, shot, and well-directed. Spielberg never fails to deliver. 

  1. Causeway

“Would you want to make the offer again? It would be good to have someone around. Have coffee with in the morning. Smoke in the evening. Cook dinner sometimes.” I feel like this film flew under a lot of people’s radars, and it almost sailed under mine. With the anticipation of Don’t Look Up, it feels like it’s been a while since we’ve seen Jennifer Lawrence in a prominent role. On the surface, this film does not appear to have much to offer, yet it is a compelling narrative of two strangers who develop an unexpected friendship. Jennifer and Bryan Tyree Henry’s relationship has to be my favorite actor pairing from 2022. My attachment to this film was significant. Being forced to return to your hometown due to an unexpected incident is a difficult pill to take, especially after working so hard to leave in the first place.

  1. The Whale

“Do you ever get the feeling people are incapable of not caring? People are amazing”. I love seeing plays translated into films, and I believe Darren Aronofsky smacked the ball out of the park with this one. The Whale portrays its characters in such a raw and vulnerable manner that you can’t help but empathize with them. This movie is not for the faint of heart because it deals with several substantial topics such as depression, suicide, and religion. Brendan Fraser delivers an outstanding performance alongside Sadie Sink and Hong Chau. If I were to describe this film in one word, it would be melancholy; it is practically flawless, at least in my opinion, and conveys the notion that people are inherently kind

  1. White Noise

“Maybe when we die, the first thing we will say is, “I know this feeling. I was here before.” In my opinion, Noah Baumbach is a perfect 2-for-2 when it comes to marital stories. White Noise was not on my radar at the start of 2022, but it rapidly became a film that made me reflect on how limited and vulnerable we are as people. I can’t think of many films that approach the subject of death so casually. This picture is the ideal combination of comedy, sci-fi, and drama; I would even go so far as to call it a dark comedy depending on how you look at the screenplay, which is excellent. The banter and responses between Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig were so sharp, witty, and brilliant that if I didn’t know any better, I’d swear they were married in real life.

  1. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

“I am Queen of the most powerful nation in the world, and my entire family is gone. Have I not given everything?”. Wakanda Forever is the pinnacle of art infused with life. The film achieves the ideal mix of discussing the cycle of sorrow while also tenderly honoring Chadwick Boseman’s memory. In the company of Tenoch Huerta, Danai Gurira, and Lupita Nyong’o, Letitia Wright shines out. I admire how Ryan Coogler made this a stand-alone tale accessible to fans of the first film. Unlike the other Marvel films released in 2022, Wakanda Forever seems like the most genuine sequel of the bunch. What makes this film so impressive is that Coogler also was given the daunting challenge of creating a sequel to one of Marvel’s most adored characters, and he managed to pull it off. This was a fantastic way to wrap out Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

  1. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

“I don’t need puzzles or games. The last thing I need is a vacation. I need danger, a hunt, a challenge”. Rian Johnson has done it again with another intriguing whodunit mystery featuring a standout cast, culprit, and motivation. I was fortunate enough to watch this film in cinemas during Thanksgiving weekend, and it was definitely worth the trip. This is the kind of movie that should have gotten a lengthier theatrical run than a week, but beggars can’t be choosers, I suppose. If you do see this film, I recommend seeing it with a large group of people as there are too many hilarious moments, pop culture analogies, and fantastic performances to enjoy it alone. 

  1. The Batman

“They think I’m hiding in the shadows, but I am the shadows”.

Despite my belief that this picture should have been released in the fall of 2022, The Batman is the best comic book film of 2022. Matt Reeves has created the ultimate brew of the caped crusader. The cinematography is among the greatest I’ve seen in a comic book picture in quite some time. Gotham City feels like a character in this film and is reminiscent of Batman: The Animated Series. The city appears to be on its final legs, and the blood-orange sky is a sight to behold. People questioned whether Robert Pattinson could portray Batman, and I believe his performance as the Dark Knight is proof that he is more than qualified. His portrayal of Batman is one I’ve been looking forward to seeing on the big screen for a long time. This is Batman in his second year of battling crime, so he still has a lot to learn. His chemistry with Selina Kyle (Zöe Kravtiz) is satisfying, and his banter with Commissioner Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) is on par with Christian Bale and Gary Oldman’s time with these roles.

  1. The Woman King

“You Are Powerful. More Than You Even Know. Do Not Give Your Power Away.” I’m kicking myself for not watching this movie in cinemas when it was first released. However, I was astounded by the film’s sheer determination. Regardless of its historical inaccuracies, Viola Davis and her team worked on this project with love, passion, and pride. The action scenes were thrilling and exciting, and the film knew when to slow down and provide us with the conversation and emotional beats we require to connect with these characters. The Woman King achieves cinematic royalty with its extremely skillful, well-crafted, and purposeful picture that tells a narrative of empowerment and humanity. It’s well-crafted from start to finish, with Davis shining in the starring role.

  1. Avatar: The Way Of Water

“The way of water has no beginning and no end. The sea is around you and in you. The sea is your home, before your birth and after your death”. I was skeptical that James Cameron would take the world by storm and provide a successful sequel to one of the most successful films of all time. And I must say, I was astounded. This is a film that must be seen in a theater and was designed solely for the 3D experience. In short, it was fantastic. The visual effects were spectacular, and despite its 3-hour and 15-minute run length, this is a well-paced film with plenty of action, compelling characters, world-building, and a strong feeling of community. I’ve always got the impression that James Cameron admires Hayao Miyazaki’s imaginative approach to environmental challenges. The preservation of our woods is the central topic of the first Avatar film and the topic of Avatar: The Way Of Water is ocean preservation. To summarize, don’t doubt James Cameron

  1. Everything, Everywhere, All At Once

“The Only Thing I Do Know Is That We Have To Be Kind. Please, Be Kind. Especially When We Don’t Know What’s Going On.” This is undoubtedly A24’s greatest picture to date, and it surprised everyone, including me. This was one of the first movies I saw in 2022, and it has been at the top of my list ever since. I could sit here all day talking about how amazing the action was and how creative the numerous universes we visit throughout the film are. But what drew my attention to this film was the message and the difficulties and hardships this family faces in attempting to restore the self-inflicting damage they had done to their household. Michelle Yeoh, Stephani Hsu, and Ke Huy Quan had the finest on-screen chemistry I’ve ever seen in a film. These characters and their problems feel authentic, and the writing is poignant and heartfelt. The Daniels accomplished something wonderful for the audience, and I hope people see this film and understand why I love this story so deeply.

 

Podcast: Top 5 Most Anticipated Movies of 2023 – Episode 517

JD Duran
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Podcast: Top 5 Most Anticipated Movies of 2023 – Episode 517

This week’s episode is brought to you by the film Devotion. Follow us on Twitter for your chance to win a FREE digital code!

This week on the InSession Film Podcast, we discuss our Top 5 Most Anticipated Movies of 2023! Plus, a fun conversation about the career of Gerard Butler.

After last week’s epic InSession Film Awards, Jay Ledbetter is back this week to help us discuss everything that is coming out in 2023. We had a great time talking about the film we’re looking forward to the most and we did our best to diversify the conversation. And who doesn’t love a coda that involves a Gerard Butler retrospective?

On that note, check out this week’s show and let us know what you think in the comment section. Thanks for listening and for supporting the InSession Film Podcast!

– Top 5 Most Anticipated Movies of 2023 (5:50)

It’s a new year and that means new movies for us to look forward to this year. The wake of COVID isn’t completely over (as demonstrated by the aftermath of the Golden Globes), but it seems as if may be the first year where things feel as normalized as it was in 2019. And as a result, there is so much to look forward to in 2023. We’ll see films from Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, David Fincher, Denis Villeneuve, and Greta Gerwig. Among many others! We’ll have a slew of blockbusters this year that include The Flash, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. There are other big films such as Creed III, John Wick: Chapter 4 and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (or is it just me?) to look forward to as well. Not to mention our favorite filmmakers here at ISF, such as Hirokazu Kore-eda, Jeff Nichols and Kelly Reichardt. 2023 is shaping up to be a great year for film and we’re very excited for it. That said, what would be your top 5?

– Notes / Discussion (1:29:05)

This week for our break segment, we keep things pretty brief, but we do have something excited coming up next week that you definitely want to stay tuned for!

[divider]

RELATED: Listen to Episode 516 of the InSession Film Podcast where we discussed our Top 10 Movies of 2022!

[divider]

– Gerard Butler Discussion (1:39:38)

We didn’t get a chance to see Plane yet, however we did have a fun conversation about the career of Gerard Butler and how he carved out a niche for himself over the years.

Show Sponsor: First Time Watchers Podcast

– Music

A Hidden Life – James Newton Howard
Forbidden Friendship – John Powell
The Return of the Eagle – Atli Örvarsson

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InSession Film Podcast – Episode 517

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Next week on the show:

Review: Inside Llewyn Davis
Top 10 Movies of 2013

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List: M.N. Miller’s Top 10 of 2022

M.N. Miller
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List: M.N. Miller’s Top 10 of 2022

  1. Top Gun: Maverick

How can we not include a film in our top ten list that saved movie theatres across the globe? Only one man can deliver in a world that desperately needs heroes – Tom Cruise! Stand up and cheer, ladies and gentlemen. Top Gun: Maverick is a full-throttle, action-packed nostalgia machine that delivers the supersonic thrills we all have been clamoring for.

  1. The Northman

Truly spine-tingling writer and director Robert Eggers’s downright Shakespearean Viking epic combines his distinct style with a film with mainstream mass appeal. The Northman blurs the lines between dreams and haunting nightmares. The magnetic Alexander Skarsgård gives a ferocious and volatile turn that will go down as one of the year’s most underappreciated performances.

  1. Descendant

This Netflix film also has the type of morality that people try to convince themselves of its ambiguity as the decades pass, never more than when a white descendant of a slave ship captain mistakes a new and unlikely bond to voice his opinion that is as eye-opening as the story itself. Trust me, it’s a stunner. As equally fascinating as it is riveting, Descendant is an extraordinary documentary about oral histories, gatekeeping, and community. Margaret Brown’s film is like no other.

  1. Bones and All

I walked into a coming-of-age romantic cannibal road film, not knowing what to expect and fully knowing my chops for anything horror tend to lean away from the genre. However, Bones and All gets off to a ferocious and effusive start that you will hardly see coming that hooked me and would not let go. A stirring and tender love story that will have you walking out a completely different person than when you sat down. As the film says, there was life before Bones and All and after Bones and All. I left thinking just one thing — Luca Guadagnino’s adaptation of Camille DeAngelis’s novel is an instant classic.

  1. The Banshees of Inisherin

The wonderful thing about The Banshees of Inisherin is that you have no idea where it’s headed, even in its darkest moments. Director Martin McDonagh’s excellent script takes you to places you don’t expect, even if they are, let’s say, cosmetic, so to speak. Those truly bleak and ominous scenes can be appalling, even jaw-dropping because the film keeps doubling down on the ultimatums the story threatens. Featuring the best performance of Colin Farrell’s career, McDonagh strips away the movie minutia and makes the plot simple. If there was ever a story that offers a metaphor for being aware of boundaries, this is it.

  1. RRR

Action spectacle? A Telugu bromance that rivals Peter and Sidney? Stunning folklore about colonialism? S. S. Rajamouli’s wholly exhilarating and highly addictive RRR is a rousing, adrenaline-fueled, dazzling act of genre-bending filmmaking for the ages.

  1. All Quiet on the Western Front

One of the most gut-wrenching, brutal, and uncompromising anti-war films ever made. There are few cinematic experiences this or any year, like Edward Berger’s adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s classic work. The director captures the source’s material’s visionary concept. The first anti-war novel abandoned popular themes of nobility, patriotism, and the romanticizing of fighting for something as inconsequential as a few meters of land. Berger brilliantly helps bring to life the curtain that Remarque pulled back. All Quiet on the Western Front is an indelible achievement.

  1. Navalny

There are moments so shocking that transpire on the screen of the CNN/HBO Max documentary Navalny, people would swear this is a fictional film because they may have trouble believing it. The documented account of a man challenging the sitting Russian president is an astonishing and downright chilling film that plays out like a tightly wound political thriller. The ending is so visceral that it can be felt in your bones, and the viewer becomes mindful of the current state of our present world.

  1. Decision to Leave  

His thriller, about an ominous romance, is an atmospheric masterpiece filled with obsession, jealousy, and loss of self-control. Reminiscent of Hitchcock, the tone is seamless, the performances by Park Hae-il and Tang Wei are flawless, and the storytelling is addictively satisfying and engrossing. Perhaps no mystery crime film has been so exquisitely photographed while being so gracefully crafted. Park Chan-wook’s ability to elevate the “genre” film into remarkable pieces of art is breathtaking. Decision to Leave is a transfixing metaphor for what it means to love without trust and trust without love. The final haunting scenes will live in your memory long after the final credits roll and the lights come on.

  1. Everything Everywhere All at Once

There are very few film experiences that rival Everything Everywhere All at Once. It may be one of the most original movies I have ever seen. A genuinely bonkers, exhilarating, awe-inspiring, and mind-bending filmgoing experience. It leaves you breathless from sheer creativity while tugging at your heartstrings. The Daniels film is just an electrifying collective burst of creative energy. It will be a film with you saying to yourself that you have never seen anything quite like it, and many will try to duplicate it for years to come.

It’s the year’s best film.

 

 

List: Brian Susbeilles’s Top 10 of 2022

InSession Film Staff
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List: Brian Susbeilles’s Top 10 of 2022

The year 2022 brought back several major directors after a few years away from the screen. Alejandro G. Inarritu and David O. Russell took seven years away only to come back with, well, blah types of films (Bardo and Amsterdam, respectively), while Martin McDonough and Ruben Ostlund came back five years after their triumphs with a film even more triumphant; more on their respective films later. Then, there were those who were gone for a very long time; Andrew Dominik’s controversial Blonde was his first film in ten years, Adrian Lyne’s godawful Deep Water was his first release in twenty years, and Todd Field, sixteen years after Little Children, came back with a vengeance with his best work to date in Tar starring soon-to-be three-time Oscar winner (I hope I didn’t jinx that), Cate Blanchett.

For me, personally, this was a more expansive year to see a lot more movies with trips to both the Middleburg Film Festival and the Savannah Film Festival. That meant more travel, more new films to watch, and more encounters with new people to meet. It was an amazing year and it brought back more people to theaters thanks to wonderful films like Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of Water, and Everything Everywhere All At Once, just some of the films on the outside of my Top 10 of 2022. 

10. All Quiet On The Western Front

Edward Berger made Germany’s first production of Erich Maria Remarque’s groundbreaking novel about the horrors of the First World War through the eyes of a young German soldier. Without the masterful trickery that Sam Mendes put in 1917, Berger centers the drama in the darkened heart of a defeated army and the pressure from the German high command to sign an armistice with the French. The story’s power, nearly 100 years after it was first published, remains so true to this day.

9. The Banshees Of Inisherin

This feckin’ movie from Martin McDonough is as equally great as his debut feature, In Bruges, reuniting Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as two men who live on an island. Set in war-torn Ireland in 1923, there are no bombs or bullets, but when one man abruptly ends his relationship with the other, the fallout from this begins a firestorm that consumes the two men. Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan are tailor-made for their respective roles and add balance to the Farrell-Gleeson pairing. McDonough cultivates within his dark comedic mind an original Irish fable rooted in James Joyce and W.B. Yeats. 

8. Triangle of Sadness

Ruben Ostlund followed up his Palme d’Or-winning The Square with a second Palme d’Or-winning film, another satire but one more brutally honest about the wealthy, the pretty, and the drunk. Harris Dickinson and the late Charbri Dean are a modeling couple in which she makes more money than him, to his consternation. They go on a lavish cruise where the characters are even more socially obnoxious that it is outrageous and leads to chaos. Ostlund pulls no punches, going to the groin on the hypocrisies of class differences with a Marxist captain (Woody Harrelson), a manure-selling Russian oligarch (Zlatko Buric), and a cleaning lady who decides to take over when they get into peril – the scene-stealing breakout that is Dolly de Leon. 

7. Close

In the same vein of Inisherin but with a more serious tone, director Lukas Dhont hit hard on this story about childhood and consequences when a friendship ends suddenly over a perception. But this is more like real life and the guilt one feels, especially for a 13-year-old who now has to carry a serious burden with him. Eden Dambrine, Gustav De Waele, and Emile Dequuenne carry the emotional punch Dhont gives to the audience about being alone and how it connects with everyone.

6. The Fabelmans

Steven Spielberg finally brought to the screen his life through the character Sammy Fableman, played so gently by newcomer Gabriel LaBelle, in this coming-of-age journey. From New Jersey and The Greatest Show On Earth to the Hollywood lot meeting with John Ford; it is an extraordinary story of a filmmaker’s growth and dealing with turmoil at home and the external perceptions of being Jewish. Despite what people will say, Michelle Williams is certainly a lead performance, and Judd Hirsch’s short appearance gives the entire theme to Sammy’s – and Spielberg’s – home vs family struggles. 

5. Living

One of the best films by Akira Kurosawa is Ikiru, a humanist tale about giving back when time is limited and wanting to leave behind something worthy. Remaking a great international film is hard, but director Oliver Hermanus and writer Kazuo Ishiguro translate it into a heartwrenching tale in 1950s Britain and with it a career-defining performance by Bill Nighy. It is so Oscar-worthy for a veteran who has been in some great films, but Living as a whole is just a reminder that even the simplest improvement is all humans need to do to make a difference.

4. Women Talking

Another director who made a comeback in 2022, Sarah Polley, should make movies more frequently. This film proves it, a harsh drama about a group of Mennonite women and girls who must make the choice of either staying or fleeing a colony after they discover what the men have done to them. The ensemble uses all emotions in their debates and brings to focus the cultural clash laid upon them in a modern world. Not a fault in any of the performances from Rooney Mara to Francis McDormand as they establish the goalposts to what these women should do after encountering such an evil act.

3. Glass Onion

I’m not going to add, “A Knives Out Tale” because this is very different from the first installment of Benoit Blanc’s investigations. Aside from bringing back Daniel Craig, writer/director Rian Johnson flips the storytelling as he pulls back the layers on a Greek island as a group of friends and their connection to the golden tit that is Edward Norton’s villainous performance. But it is Janelle Monae who hits it far out like Ana de Armas in Knives Out when Johnson suddenly pulls the rabbit out of the hat in his super fun twisting and turning that tops the first film by far.

2. Babylon

A massive elephant dump! A huge booze-filled orgy! Hello, college! Damien Chazelle comes back with his most ambitious, risk-taking epic of the rise and fall of three major players in Hollywood from the hedonistic 1920s to the conservative, sound-making Depression 1930s. Every note is so correct with Justin Hurwitz’s sensational score and the leading performances of Diego Calva, Margot Robbie, and Brad Pitt that even Lydia Tar herself could not make it better. (Shoutout to Tar, another honorable mention on this list.) It may have been a box office failure, but all three hours are utilized perfectly and never goes flat. 

1. Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio

Is there anything he cannot do? Del Toro’s love and care for his films, including his move to the animated medium with co-director Mark Gustafson, is a masterpiece with his own take on the famous Italian story. Yet, this feels like a totally original story with him adding his own senses to the wooden boy with a nose that grows when he lies. The voiceover work featuring Ewan McGregor, Christoph Waltz, Tilda Swinton, and newcomer Gregory Mann (who gives the voice acting performance of the year) is among the best in the last decade by an ensemble for an animated film. Alexandre Desplat’s score plus the song, “Ciao, Papa,” is as whimsical as it is emotional. By the end of the movie, I was a blubbering mess, and anytime you yank my heart and soul like that, that film goes straight to the top of my list. 

 

Follow me on Twitter: @brian_cine (Cine-A-Man)

Movie Review: ‘EO’ Proves Doubters Wrong

Zita Short
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Movie Review: ‘EO’ Proves Doubters Wrong

Director: Jerzy Skolimowski

Writer:Jerzy Skolimowski and Ewa Piaskowska

Stars: Sandra Drzymalksa, Isabelle Huppert, and Lorenzo Zurzolo

Synopsis: Follows a donkey who encounters on his journeys good and bad people, experiences joy and pain, exploring a vision of modern Europe through his eyes.

Directors who choose to make films about christlike donkeys who retain their dignity in the face of unimaginable human cruelty inevitably end up risking associations with Robert Bresson’s Au Hasard Balthazar (1966). That critically acclaimed masterwork has served as a touchstone for countless European auteurs, but very few are brave enough to wear their influences as heavily as Jerzy Skolimowski does. It has to be said that there’s something undeniably admirable about his audacious approach to bringing this homage to the screen. This is not one of those adaptations that strikes the viewer as a pale imitation of a truly original piece of art. Skolimowski transforms Bresson’s simple premise into an artistic vision that is very much his own and embeds his own directorial signatures into many of the film’s quieter moments.

Bresson’s film centered around Balthazar, a gentle creature who watches on as the humans who surround him exhibit different facets of the human condition. He envisioned his saintly donkey as a victim of humanity’s inherently destructive spirit, while still taking the time to highlight moments of grace and levity. Skolimowski shifts his focus to EO, an inquisitive donkey who yearns for total freedom, even as he wistfully recalls being cared for by Kasandra (Sandra Drzymalska). He changes hands frequently and frequently finds himself in the employ of indifferent aristocrats who wrestle with familial conflict. He never succeeds in settling down in one place or establishing a close bond with any of his owners but manages to avoid succumbing to ennui and despair. 

At its most thrilling and inventive, the film makes a case for itself as an example of pure cinema. Skolimowski appears to be having the time of his life experimenting with all of the tricks that he has up his sleeve. His sense of enthusiasm is infectious and you find yourself getting caught up in his occasionally chilly vision of the modern world. We are constantly thrown off balance by Michał Dymek’s insistence upon setting the events of the film in a slightly surreal version of Europe. Every now and then, he launches into a completely nutty digression that expands the sweep and scope of the narrative. These passages introduce a lovely playful quality into the proceedings that only makes the turducken-like nature of individual sequences even more ingratiating. 

The promotional shots of a nervous EO standing in the middle of a paddock don’t prepare viewers for an utterly thrilling sequence in which we are invited to see the world through his eyes. Suddenly, the world opens up and we are forced to reorient our perspective in a matter of seconds. It’s one of those set pieces that demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible. This is a spectacular, extravagant production, on the scale of its director’s most celebrated works and one worries that the film’s bombast will not fully register with the audience if viewers aren’t forced into a confrontational position. Amidst all of the deliberately jarring tonal shifts and wacky visual flourishes, it can be easy to lose a sense of the bigger picture. This is not a knock on the film itself but an acknowledgement that the theatrical experience gives audience members enough space to apply their critical thinking skills to the arthouse cinema that they consume.

However, it should be noted that one of the unexpected turns that the plot takes doesn’t pay dividends. When French superstar Isabelle Huppert pops up as the imperious chatelaine of an Italian estate that has fallen on hard times, she sets the film off course. She remains a charismatic screen presence but the strength and ferocity of her performance doesn’t mesh with Skolimowski’s overall vision for the project. Perhaps this disjunction was intentional and Huppert’s heavily stylized performance was supposed to introduce a layer of meta commentary into the plot. Other members of the cast achieve the desired result by tamping down their natural magnetism. It is difficult to create this effect without making the performances appear to be lifeless and inert. Somehow, the members of this cast get away with it for about 70 minutes and it’s still difficult to make any real complaints about a scene in which Huppert vamps around in an elegant frock for a couple of minutes. 

For the most part, this is a stunning late career effort that suggests that loose remakes can and should play fast and loose with the rules and conventions that are typically attached to arthouse cinema. It’s not everyday that you encounter an 88-minute epic that could conceivably be a modest parable about man’s inhumanity to man or an allegorical representation of the ongoing climate crisis. You can get as pretentious as you want while generating theories about what it all means and nobody will judge you for it. 

 

Grade – B+

 

Women InSession: Favorite Films of 2022 – Episode 21

JD Duran
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Women InSession: Favorite Films of 2022 – Episode 21

This week on Women InSession, we discuss our favorite films of 2022 and our New Years resolutions in film!

Panel: Kristin Battestella, Zita Short, Erica Richards, Amy Smith, Shadan Larki

On that note, check out this week’s show and let us know what you think in the comment section. Thanks for listening and for supporting the InSession Film Podcast!

– Music

The Return of the Eagle – Atli Örvarsson

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Women InSession – Favorite Films of 2022

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List: Jacob Mauceri’s Top 10 Films of 2022

Jacob Mauceri
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List: Jacob Mauceri’s Top 10 Films of 2022

For me personally it was a slow year of catching new film releases. Being from San Antonio, a lot of the movies I’ve heard endless praise for were showing in the neighboring, larger metroplex – Austin, TX (which is a solid hour-twenty drive without traffic – I don’t have that kind of time). I was able to catch some new independent or artistically forward movies. The remainder either got lost in the pantheon of $19.99 VOD releases (I got bills to pay) or just never came out in a way I could watch it. There were a few notable exclusions that I could’ve made time for but didn’t (pouring one out for The Fabelmans and Bones and All). But all that aside, there were a handful of new releases that really blew me away. Here is the list of 10 of those films.

  1. NOPE

I’m one of those people that thinks anything Jordan Peele does is a slam dunk. NOPE was no exception to that. What separates Peele from his contemporaries is that you never know what you’ll get with him. Almost structured as a labyrinth, NOPE shows you events in a way that doesn’t tell you its true intention. Then when the event at Jupiter Claim happens, the entire movie drop kicks you in the face.

NOPE’s structure may be unappealing to some, but its boldness and bombastic end was a winner for me. As far as Peele’s movies go, letting go and letting him take you for the ride is the ideal way to enjoy his movies.

  1. Top Gun: Maverick

If you had told me in 2021 that the legacy sequel to the 1986 box office smash Top Gun would be in my top 10 of the year, I would’ve called you crazy. It is now 2023, and I am and have been a believer since I watched it on June 17th. The current Hollywood landscape has been riddled with legacy sequels, remakes, and reimaginings to the point that it makes you think that MAYBE Hollywood has run out of ideas (could’ve fooled me!). And most of these movies have been pretty (French incoming) ~god damn awful~ to put it plainly.

However, there must have been some magic on set because this movie is everything that a legacy sequel/remake/whatever should be. Tom Cruise’s Maverick is still an actual character (see Sally in the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie). The new characters don’t override the original characters and I actually care what happens to them! While I know I may make it sound like the bar is in hell (it is), Top Gun: Maverick makes something that is already beloved and makes it even better.

  1. Everything Everywhere All at Once

You probably think I’m a sicko for placing this movie so low.

To be completely honest, I don’t really know what to say about Everything Everywhere All at Once. It’s a lot of movie for your buck, and is far and away the most inventive movie of the year. You know a movie from Daniels is going to be weird, but this is just cranked to an 11. Swiss Army Man and Daniel Scheinert’s last solo endeavor The Death of Dick Long were weird in equal measure. I never thought they could’ve topped those, but they did.

My appreciation for this movie has slowly diminished as the year progressed (it was at my #1 spot for most of 2022!), but it is, by all facets, a brilliant movie. Every acting award it has been getting has been rightfully earned. Plus who doesn’t want to see Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan succeed?

  1. Triangle of Sadness

Prior to this I hadn’t seen a Ruben Östlund movie. But Triangle of Sadness blew me away. I had read multiple reviews (specifically ones from Cannes) that essentially listed this as “the takedown of the rich and beautiful.” Where I interpreted it to trivialize the current system in which we’re forced to participate. Where at the end of the day we’re all animals and things such as disparity, money, and status don’t really matter. I know that’s just my outlook, but viewing the movie at that angle made me enjoy the experience more.

Triangle of Sadness was hilarious and had some stellar performances from Woody Harrelson, Dolly de Leon, and Charlbi Dean (RIP). The hard tonal split between the first and second halves may not be for everyone, but I appreciated how unique of a shift it was. Plus that ending! *chefs kiss*

  1. The Northman

New projects from Robert Eggers, like Jordan Peele, will always be greeted with immense excitement from me. I had just replayed God of War (2018) in anticipation of God of War: Ragnarok – so my knowledge of Norse mythology was firing on all cylinders. I watched The Northman in a packed and lively theater so I had all of the hallmarks of a great viewing experience.

There’s a great amount of respect that Eggers has for mythology and it shows in both The Witch and The Lighthouse. The Northman is riddled with little nods to Odin and the ending with the Valkyrie so it furthers Eggers’ visual love of myth and history. I’m not one to criticize something due to a lack of mythological awareness, but a movie that does show great mythological awareness is an added bonus for me.

  1. The Banshees of Inisherin

Like Triangle of Sadness, The Banshees of Inisherin was my first film from the film’s director. Martin McDonagh crafted the funniest movie of the year. The Banshees of Inisherin has some of the best character work in a 2022 movie as well. A particular moment with the donkey character made me choke up – a donkey. How come you didn’t make me cry when Tracy Letts’s character died Adrian Lyne’s Deep Water?

Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson are stellar actors, and Farrell specifically had a fantastic year in 2022. But The Banshees of Inisherin delivered otherworldly performances from both Farrell and Gleeson. I am fully expecting Farrell to win the Best Actor Oscar and McDonagh to win the Best Original Screenplay Oscar.

  1. TÁR

TÁR had me at Mahler 5. It also helps that TÁR is a magnificent movie. What really sets TÁR apart from the other movies on this list is its way of storytelling. You aren’t given anything to go off of, you as the viewer have to earn the story. Which makes the experience that much sweeter.

Cate Blanchett gives a career-best performance with Lydia Tár. It feels as if we’re only getting a slice of her life – but there’s an entire living person underneath Cate Blanchett’s performance. Plus, the gradual dissolve of prestige for Lydia Tár eases the viewer into the same hole that Tár is making for herself. Just a really brilliant, anxiety-inducing great time.

  1. Aftersun

I will not be writing about how vulnerable this movie made me, because that is for me and not for the internet (sorry internet). When I saw multiple critics rave about this movie I thought it was a bunch of nonsense. Then I actually watched the movie. And oh man, was I wrong!

Charlotte Wells takes full advantage of the medium to tell a story about memories and diminishing familial relationships. At first I was enjoying what I was seeing but it wasn’t until the birthday song scene that it all came together. Then “Under Pressure” started playing and the waterworks shortly followed. I can’t recommend this to everyone, but the experience is a poignant, emotionally dense one.

  1. RRR

Most people I know had to watch this through Netflix. Which is fine, given its relatively limited availability. But I was lucky enough to see this in a theater. Not a packed one, but you could’ve told me it was and I would have believed you. RRR is one of the zaniest experiences I’ve had watching a movie. Just a big loud party that a) you want to go to and b) everyone is invited to.

There was a kid a couple rows in front of me that had very obviously seen the movie before. Before Naatu Naatu started he yelled “YES” in this theater. Now if I ever watch this again in a theater, I too will yell “YES.” I don’t really want to go into the details of the movie itself, because RRR has to be seen to be believed. But TRUST ME, it’s the real deal.

1.Babylon

Imperfections and all, I absolutely loved Babylon. To be completely honest, I don’t love Damien Chazelle like most people do. Whiplash is ok, La La Land is just a weaker version of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, and I haven’t seen First Man (but haven’t had the interest to seek it out). But the multisensorial journey that Babylon takes you on resonated with me.

Babylon is a lot of movie, and definitely isn’t for everyone. RRR has a guy using a motorcycle as a weapon, and Babylon has an elephant crapping on the camera. It feels like a movie you’d watch as a kid but would tell your parents you were watching something they would like to hear. What made me fall in love with this movie was its ability to transport me back to when I fell in love with movies – Ratatouille-style and all. Those kinds of experiences differ from everyone, so it’s possible that Elvis – a movie I didn’t care for – gave viewers that same experience. In the end, I’m just glad I get to see wild things in the theaters.

List: Hector Gonzalez’s Top 10 Films of 2022

Hector A. Gonzalez
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List: Hector Gonzalez’s Top 10 Films of 2022

Last year, we were given plenty of cinematic gifts and surprises in the likes of TITANE, Happening, Bergman Island, The Power of the Dog, Annette, amongst others. And while I love Julia Ducounau’s sophomore feature with my entire heart and cherish the sensory experience of Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Memoria, I think 2022 has surpassed the greatness of last year’s cinema when you take into consideration all of the great pictures that have released throughout the year. Some of my favorite cinematic or in-theater experiences of the past few years happened in 2022. Sure, many of them premiered at film festivals I attended, and unfortunately, they are not available to be seen by the U.S. or Puerto Rican audiences (Pacifiction, Godland, Manticore, One Fine Morning, Saint Omer). However, those will probably be at the top of next year’s list. Nevertheless, let’s get things rolling; here are my top 10 films this year (without including some of the festival hits that haven’t been formally released). 

 

Some honorable Mentions: Return to Seoul, Stars at Noon, NOPE, BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths, and Resurrection. 

  1. Blonde

Starting the list is one of the most controversial films of the year (and also one of the most hated), Andrew Dominik’s adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates’ novel, Blonde. The film often tethers the thin line of provocation and exploitation to a quite significant fault that causes plenty of audience members to tune off. However, its artfulness and cruel magnetism arrive when the film erupts into a surrealistic Lynchian territory that reminds me of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me and Mulholland Drive, with Joyce Carol Oates’ version of Norma Jean/Marilyn Monroe replacing Laura Palmer. Its tale of a Hollywood icon is fictitious, often intertwining fiction and reality, dreams and nightmares, to uplift its fictitious effect to equally horrifying, devastating, and hypnotizing degrees. Blonde’s lengthy and almost 3-hour canvas is grueling, but it amounts to Oates and Dominik’s surrealistic vision of an unforgiving portrait of Hollywood’s obsession through visually poetic and lugubrious vignettes. And Ana de Armas? Well… she easily delivers one of the best performances of the year. 

  1. Decision to Leave

Park Chan-wook orchestrates with acute precision his latest neo-noir-like venture, Decision to Leave, to provide maximum elegance and cinematic texture. And while it might not surpass his magnum opus (to date), The Handmaiden, or Stoker (in my opinion), he’s at his most restrained narrative-wise, his craft is so skilled and sharp that you can’t ignore such a feature. The mixture of its dread-inducing detective story and the seduction of an erotic thriller paves the way for a story about yearning and dependence via the aspect of being “lost in translation”, where Tang Wei and Park Hae-il deliver astonishing performances that pull you into that web of lies and deceit. There’s more than meets the eye; as you revisit Decision to Leave, you notice more of Chan-wook’s visual distinctiveness and narrative symbolism that you missed in your previous viewing. It is a different experience watching the film a second time than the first after dissecting the various metaphors. 

  1. Aftersun

Quick question: How is Aftersun, one of the most acclaimed films of the year by everyone who watches films as a living, Charlotte Well’s directorial debut? Seriously! I can’t fathom that this is the first feature film she has directed. Its script is exceptionally personal and sincere, and the performances from its leading duo of Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio are enigmatic. This knife-sharp combination helps Aftersun’s reflection on childhood at another stage in your life and its celebration of fatherhood to hit you with all of its emotional force. As time passes, you begin to recall memories and start noticing details – the thing you were too young to understand. This is one of the reasons Aftersun made me reflect a lot about my life, especially the past, and re-evaluate my parents’ sacrifices. As it unfolds, the more it hurts. It’s a tear-jerking wallop of a backdrop while these two characters spend their holiday at a Turkish resort playing pool, enjoying the beach, and doing tai-chi. The hype around this feature was legitimate, and more so. Hopefully, what comes next for Wells is appreciated in the same stature. You won’t hear ‘Under Pressure’ that same way again, trust me. 

  1. Crimes of the Future

The king of body horror (and my favorite director of all time), David Cronenberg, returned to bless the screen with Crimes of the Future – a film where he explored some of the ideas that made his name and sculptured them into a new modernized light (the changes in our bodies, violence within the realms of eroticism, and the introspection of please in a world without pain). It is yet another divisive work that I found myself loving in its totality; there might have been some inch of bias as I am a big fan of the Canadian filmmaker’s work, but who cares. This was not the shock factor carnival ride that its trailers insisted it would be or what the Cannes Film Festival walkouts showcased. Instead, it has a plot-heavier sensibility to the narrative that generated plenty of conversations about how we see reality compared to the dark world Cronenberg was building. And the last shot, which references Carl Theodor Dreyer’s The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), has remained in my head ever since I saw it. Long live the new flesh, where body is reality, both blood curdling and stimulating. Once again: Thank you, David Cronenberg!

  1. Alcarràs

Carla Simón is one of the best filmmakers working today, and she doesn’t get the praise she deserves worldwide. Her Golden Bear-winning picture, Alcarràs, should receive more love in the awards circuit. Not only is it a marvelously heartbreaking depiction of Spain’s agrarian crisis, but it showcases the importance of heritage and the erasure of identity through modernization’s cold hammer. Time passes, and things tend to change, but Simón captures in a realistically harrowing way by solely focusing on how that inevitable change affects the Solé family mentally. Equally tragic, beautiful, and heartfelt, you are in awe of the breadth and brio of Simón’s latest work, filling her film with empathy and lamentation toward the people who have lost their jobs in recent years because of similar scenarios of those depicted in the movie. It has been a year where many films contain powerful endings, and Alcarràs is no exception, as those last few seconds hit you like a sledgehammer trying to knock on their house’s walls.

  1. Moonage Daydream

In the same way that I love David Cronenberg in cinema, I love David Bowie in music. I grew up listening to his music, and I consider him to be one of the best musical talents ever to grace the stage. So, it would be pretty evident that the kaleidoscopic documentary of the man himself, Brett Morgen’s Moonage Daydream, would make the cut of my favorite films of the year. Watching this one of the biggest screens possible was such a unique experience that I went back to watch it again and then again. This venture radiantly and stylistically explores the magisterial talents of the Thin White Duke. No matter what stage and which era of his career is your favorite, if you love his work, there is a probability that you will cherish this documentary a lot, just like me. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to see the man live, but thanks to Moonage Daydream, it captured the magnetism of how it felt to be in the audience of one of his shows – one of those infrequent music docs that transcend what you have seen before. I was just buzzing with excitement during its entirety, showing that you can’t beat the real thing in a world where plenty of music biopics are constantly being made.

  1. The Eternal Daughter

Joanna Hogg is one of the best current British acts to pierce the screen, and her latest work, The Eternal Daughter, cements her at the top of the list. The film, which takes us back (in a way) to the self-referential world of Julie Hart and The Souvenir, leaves wistful markings on the viewer. The tactility and gracefulness of her craft help Hogg write about her own pains and potential frustrations, both in her professional and personal life. Compared to her other features, this one is quite different; we see her switching gears and applying some horror-esque elements to conjure a ghost story about the memories haunting your art and life decisions. While heart-rending and haunting, the mirror effect of Tilda Swinton’s dual performance causes a relatively transient experience where this lovely story about a mother and daughter turns into a cathartic reflection of how memories affect a person in an assuring and destructive way through a grounded horror medium. After The Souvenir Pt. 2, I didn’t think Hogg was going to return to tell a tale of Julie and Rosalind, but I’m glad she did. It doesn’t feel like the third part of a trilogy but a glimpse into a potential future for these characters. 

  1. Close

Many films tore my heart into pieces this year, but the one that broke it in half was Lukas Dhont’s sophomore feature, Close. It is one of the most emotionally moving films of the year. It has been a long time since I have had an experience like this, where a film has torn me down entirely to the point of actually crying more than a handful of times (especially in a room full of critics and festival attendees, even the organizers). It reminded me of Destroyer’s underrated record “Introducing Angels”, from their record ‘Trouble in Dreams’, where Dan Bejar speaks on the uniting power of tragedy. This is a crucial factor in the last couple of scenes in Close, where the main character is about to erupt into emotional catharsis as he has bottled all his emotions up. The beautiful yet striking portrait of processing grief at a young age and the toxic masculinity of today’s society makes you think about how the world we live in today. 

  1. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

Another film festival top-prize winner arrives on my list with Laura Poitras’s best work to date, the extraordinary All the Beauty and the Bloodshed. Although I really enjoyed Sara Dosa’s Fire of Love, Andrew Dominik’s This Much I Know to Be True, and Elvis Mitchell’s Is That Black Enough for You?!?, Laura Poitras’ latest is easily the best documentary of the year. It isn’t only a piece on resilience and a showcase of Nan Goldin’s work as an activist and photographer; it is a portrait of the importance of having love, acceptance, and respect in one’s life after tragic events stagger your world. Nan Goldin narrates with a numb yet poised voice as Poitras scrolls through some of her famous portraits and images, where personal tragedies are attached, and she reflects on them. Angst alters to despair as the talks about tragedy and grief arrive. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed begins as a political documentary but ends as a work for Goldin to mend her heart and reflect on the past – Poitras’ most fascinating, emotional, and touching project. 

  1. TÁR

Ok, so hear me out… I think that Todd Fields’ first feature in sixteen years, TÁR, is a masterpiece. Yeah, I said the unspeakable m-word. It is an extremely sharp character study about an artist’s amour propre and orchestrating your own cessation – self-destruction through idolism – through the towering masterclass performance by Cate Blanchett as the fictitious EGOT-winning composer Lydia Tár. These are the types of pictures that just sit in awe of when watching; to experience a magnum opus is a rare feat because they arrive so infrequently. I felt the same uneasy yet riveting sensation when I first watched David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive – something crawling deep inside you that just shatters your mind. Of course, anything I have said (or written) about this film will not do it justice. However, I think this film is one of a kind in all aspects, and it stands out as the best film of the year (and the top of the decade today). 

List: JD Duran’s Top 10 Movies of 2022

JD Duran
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List: JD Duran’s Top 10 Movies of 2022

Each year we do a Top 10 list for our awards show, and it’s some of the most fun we have on the podcast. Yes, these lists often change over time, but there’s something about celebrating your favorite films in a given year that I find very rewarding. 2022 was especially exciting because there’s an argument to be made that it’s the best year of the 20’s so far. At the very least it had the most depth, with some films fighting heavily for that last spot in the Top 10. And my 11-20? Yeah that was a nightmare trying to figure out. But again, a fun nightmare because there were just so many good films to choose from for those slots. The year started off kind of slow, with some great films in the middle for sure, but it wasn’t until late fall and into December where things snowballed with immense intensity. There were some weeks where it was one gem after another. Whether it be from veterans like Steven Spielberg, Martin McDonagh or Guillermo del Toro. Or newcomers such as Charlotte Wells, Panah Panahi or Dean Fleischer Camp. At every turn there was something excellent around the corner. It was also a great year for spectacle and that is no doubt exemplified in my list below as well. 2022 had so much to offer and it was a memorable one, that’s for sure.

We do encourage you to listen to Episode 516 to hear more about our picks, but as we do every year, listed here (after the jump) are my Top 10 Movies of 2022.

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RELATED: JD’s Top 10 Movies of 2021

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10. Hit the Road


Hit the Road isn’t just on my list here, it’s my pick for Best Overlooked Movie of 2022 as well. The film fell through the cracks, but it’s one hell of a debut from Panah Panahi (son of the great Jafar Panahi). His direction is phenomenal. The tonal precision of the film is especially striking. Hit the Road starts off as this biting comedy, and it’s truly one of the funniest films of 2022, before it transitions into this poignant commentary about parental sacrifice. In the hands of a lesser filmmaker, this is a tonal mess, but instead it’s handled with great diligence. As if that’s not enough, Hit the Road is my pick for Best Cinematography as well. The imagery here is stunning. It’s evocative on its own, but simultaneously very complimentary to the film’s drama and humor. The performances are remarkable. There’s just so much to love and I hope people catch up with it.

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9. The Northman


What can I say? I’m in the bag for Robert Eggers. His commitment to deeply layered mythology and lore is mesmerizing. However, what I love about The Northman is how that ethos is embedded into the DNA of the film and how it drives the choices of these characters. Throughout the film Amleth is taught that he must die in battle to reach Valhalla. What a better way to die than by seeking revenge on your Uncle for killing your father right in front of you. Eggers brilliantly marries faith and mythology to render vivacious machismo, and it makes for some of the most gripping drama of 2022. Then there’s the film’s redolent cinematography. The set design. The period aesthetics. The performances. It’s all excellent. Click here to listen to our full review.

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8. All Quiet on the Western Front


All Quiet on the Western Front is the most visceral experience I’ve had in years. It’s not an easy watch, but it’s one full of remarkable pathos and passion. If you’ve seen its Oscar-winning predecessor, you know what you’re walking into, and yet Edward Berger (where the hell did he come from by the way?) creates an overwhelming recreation of WWI that impeccably amplifies the commentary of the original source material. Berger’s direction in it all is transportive, guttural and immensely stark. The performances are phenonmenal. And the new additions of the political negotiations add a bleak irony that makes it distinctive from other version of this story. Click here to listen to our full review.

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7. After Yang


After Yang is one of the most soulful and graceful films of 2022. It sees one of Colin Farrell’s best performances as a man whose family is grieving over the loss of their techno-sapien robot, and he begins to grapple with loss in ways he did not expect. What I find so profound about the film is how writer-director Kogonada examines memory through the lens of someone we’ve loved and lost. When Jake finds out that Yang was able to capture his own memories, it allows him to see what was important to Yang. How did he see the world? What memories was he willing to safeguard over others? How would we react if we had the ability to see memories from other perspectives? There’s so much here about that idea that I find so thought-provoking and poignant. After Yang also features my pick for Best Original Score. The music here, along with Farrell, are a key reason as to why the film is so moving. Click here to listen to our full review.

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6. Top Gun: Maverick


Top Gun: Maverick, aka Manchester By the Sea in the sky, is one of the best blockbusters we’ve seen in the last decade. As a spectacle, it’s breathtaking to watch and experience. However, as exhilarating as its action is, the emotional core of the film is just as riveting. Maverick is a character surrounded by death, and the screenplay uses that to its advantage to make Maverick a vulnerable character. Something that both Tom Cruise and Miles Teller channel incredibly well to create a dynamic that’s really moving. The scenes between them are palpable and never without tension. Then there’s Mav’s “I can’t beat it” moment with Iceman that is the icing on the cake. It’s Cruise’s best work in years. This will be a film that ages like fine wine as the years go on, and it’s one of the best of 2022. Click here to listen to our full review.

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5. The Banshees of Inisherin


The Banshees of Inisherin is Martin McDonagh’s best film to date. It’s my vote for Best Original Screenplay, but McDonagh’s direction is just as noteworthy. The cinematography, editing, score and performances are all excellent. Colin Farrell arguably gave a career-best performance in After Yang and then maybe out-did himself here. But it’s not just Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan, and Kerry Condon are all fantastic as well. They tap into the film’s simple conflict impeccably, which is a nice sleight of hand, because it doesn’t take long for that simplicity to transform into this nuanced look at isolation and how to cope with loneliness. Tonally, McDonagh brilliantly balances out humor with an emotional underbelly that strikes quite potently by the end. Click here to listen to our full review.

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4. The Fabelmans


The Fabelmans is Steven Spielberg’s best film in years, and it’s one that he’s been building toward for over 40 years now. This isn’t the first time he’s tackled this material. You can trace his upbringing all the way back to Close Encounters of the Third Kind before its even more prominently in films like E.T. and A.I. Artificial Intelligence. When filmmakers started this recent trend of making movies about their childhood, it’s almost as if it was tailor-made for Spielberg. And he did not disappoint with The Fabelmans. It’s rich in emotion and complexity. It’s stunningly well crafted (or maybe not stunning because it’s Spielberg and he’s the 🐐). It avoids schmaltzy sentimentality. It’s one of his funniest films to date. It has one of his very best endings. I mean, what else can you say? It’s Spielberg at his best. Click here to listen to our full review.

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3. Everything Everywhere All at Once


Everything Everywhere All at Once is a remarkable achievement on all fronts. It’s one of the most inventive films in years. It’s a whole ride narratively and tonally. It’s one of the most emotionally captivating films of 2022 (for me, it’s perhaps *the* most moving film of the year). Michelle Yeoh is phenomenal in the lead role, especially when you consider just how internalized and subtle it is. The story of Ke Huy Quan is one thing, and that alone is so endearing and poignant, but my god does he deliver a truly striking performance. He’s genuinely great and deserving of being called the Best Supporting Actor of the year. Stephanie Hsu is equally enthralling in her performance. And then there’s the writing and directing of the Daniels duo, which is nothing short of astounding. What they achieve here through sublime editing and storytelling should be taught in classrooms. They’re somehow able to weave several different narrative threads, from various multiverses, into one seamless story about a family reuniting and fighting through their differences. Never have I been so moved about a rock falling over a cliff. How they did they pull that off!? Click here to listen to our full review.

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2. Tár


Todd Field’s Tár is the most provocative film of 2022. It’s a film that wonderfully questions our allegiance to Lydia. Because of Field’s lavish writing and directing, we know that she’s innocently a victim of internet manipulation. However, the way she treats others around her, with no regard for the ramifications of her actions, we start to question her motives and what she’s truly capable of. There’s a fascinating duality at the core of this film that evokes a complex ambiguity. Which on its own terms is thought-provoking, but it’s even more alluring thanks to Cate Blanchett’s striking performance. Michelle Yeoh is my pick for Best Actress, but I’m not going to argue with you if you choose Blanchett. Click here to listen to our full review.

[divider]

1. Aftersun


Charlotte Wells. Remember the name. She may not win the Oscar (congrats to Papa Spielberg on this third!), but she gave the best direction of 2022. Aftersun is a movie about reflection. It’s Wells, through the character of Sophie in the film, reconciling with her memories of her father and the sorrow that he was trying to hide from her while they were on vacation celebrating her 11th birthday. So, naturally, the film is structured through Sophie (as a young adult) watching footage she had captured with her camera, symbolically alluding to Wells’ desire for cinema. But even further, much of the cinematography here is shot to emphasize reflection. Whether it be a mirror or the glass off a TV, we see these characters often outside the frame, but inside some sort of reflection. Aftersun is without question one of the best shot films of the year, and it almost exclusively thrives on incisive and purposeful framing and composition. Then there’s the performances by Paul Mescal and Frankie Curio, who are both excellent here. The score will have you weeping by the end of the film. In addition to a needle drop in those final scenes that will rip you apart. The sophistication and maturity of this film is so grand that I refuse to believe this is a directorial debut. Wells and her team deserve the world. Click here to listen to our full review.

To round out my Top 20, here is the rest of my list:
11) Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
12) RRR
13) Women Talking
14) Babylon
15) Nope
16) Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
17) Decision to Leave
18) The Batman
19) Broker
20) Avatar: The Way of Water

Let us know what you think. Do you agree or disagree? We’d like to know why. Leave a comment in the comment section below or tweet us @InSessionFilm.

To hear us discuss our InSession Film Awards and our Top 10 Best Movies of 2022, subscribe to us on iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud or you can listen below.

Part 1

Part 2

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InSession Film Podcast – Episode 516 (Part 1)
InSession Film Podcast – Episode 516 (Part 2)

Poll: What is your most anticipated movie of 2023?

Brendan Cassidy
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Poll: What is your most anticipated movie of 2023?

Last weekend we wrapped up our 2022 campaign, where we acknowledged not just the return of movies and the moviegoing experience, but also their “bigness”. It seems like Hollywood is trying to keep one-upping itself, making up the lost time that was COVID 2020. This begs the question, will this year be even bigger than a year that included Avatar: The Way of Water and Top Gun: Maverick? Well, maybe not that big, but 2023 at least has the chance at being more consistently huge, and there’s a lot to look forward to.

What is your most anticipated movie of 2023?


Chasing the Gold: Golden Globes Reactions – Episode 50

JD Duran
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Chasing the Gold: Golden Globes Reactions – Episode 50

On Episode 50 of Chasing the Gold, JD is joined by Brian Rowe to discuss reactions to the 80th Golden Globes. We also talk about this year’s SAG and DGA nominations and how they impact this year’s awards race.

On that note, have fun with this week’s episode, and let us know what you think in the comment section below. Thanks for listening!

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The Return of the Eagle – Atli Örvarsson

We try to make this the best movie podcast we possibly can and we hope you enjoy them. Subscribe today on iTunes, Spotify, or Stitcher, and please leave us a review on iTunes. You can also find us on Soundcloud, PlayerFM, and TuneIn Radio as well. We really appreciate all your support of the InSession Film Podcast.

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Chasing the Gold: Reactions to 2022 Oscars – Episode 48

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List: Zach Youngs’ Top 10 of 2022

Zach Youngs
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List: Zach Youngs’ Top 10 of 2022

My theatrical experience in 2022 was a bit of a let down. Many of the films I had eagerly anticipated were not all that I hoped they would be. The blockbuster machine held the same tired old tunes and some of the indies failed to strike a real chord. I ended up skipping more theatrically released  films than I ever have before because I just couldn’t stand to see yet another soulless, CGI spectacle. However, the gems I did find filled me with that sense of wonder and yearning I want from film. They brought me to tears, opened my mind, and stoked my passion for this beautiful art form. Here are the ten films of 2022 I couldn’t stop thinking of, replaying, and talking about.

  1. Neptune Frost

From the first frame, I knew I was hooked on Neptune Frost. This cyberpunk and afro-futurism musical is astounding. Its meditations on class struggle, gender politics, and sex are thought provoking and much more mature than other films that have tried the same themes. What the filmmakers lack in computer generated effects, they make up for in lovingly rendered practical effects, sets, costumes, and makeup. A beautiful film.

  1. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Have you ever cried so hard at a film you worried you were making your seat neighbors uncomfortable? You better believe I have and it was watching this film. The thing is, yes, I did cry at the short scenes of sadness, but more than that I cried at the purity and optimism of this tiny, beautiful creature. It’s a movie filled with hope that never lacks the problems you encountered as the pessimism of the universe threatens to envelop us. Marcel makes me want to hope again even in the face of everything that wants to bring me down and that’s a feeling I want to chase.

  1. After Yang

There’s something shockingly beautiful in Kogonada’s film. After Yang is a visual feast. While it has a narrative pull, it is so much more about the feelings the images invoke about  being human. Kogonada’s ideas are visually arresting and with After Yang he takes your breath away. It doesn’t even matter what the story is, even though it is very intriguing, because Kogonada evokes such intense feelings with small clips of memories. I will be thinking about this film for a long time to come.

  1. RRR

I wasn’t sure I was on board for this film when the hype machine was in full swing, but my goodness what a #@!&-ing ride! It literally has everything; hunky men, incredible action, music, romance. What else can you ask for? An absolute sumptuous feast for the senses.

  1. Glass Onion

It’s difficult to make a really good, original mystery film, but to do it twice, within three years of each other? Incredible. Glass Onion doesn’t top the original, but expands what we know about Benoit Blanc and lets us experience his genius in a totally new way. There are no annoying callbacks or rehashing of story, it’s just something wholly new, but welcomingly familiar. It’s something I pray we can get on physical media because it is one to dissect over and over again.

  1. Nope

Jordan Peele’s mind is astonishing. He takes such large concepts and layers them upon each other, building out a metaphorical journey that only deepens with each viewing. With Nope, the technical mastery is the MVP. Sound, visuals, music, cinematography, it’s a masterclass in technique and tension. Just a terrifically built cinematic experience.

  1. The Batman

Yes, I wrote my introduction against the behemoth conglomerates and their soulless cash grabs, but The Batman is something else entirely. Like Christopher Nolan ahead of him, Matt Reeves has built a Gotham City that oozes grime and graft in the darkened, rain soaked streets. This film is beautifully gritty and simply a great detective story. It takes Batman to his roots and acknowledges the silliness of a sad, orphan boy in a rubber suit.

  1. The Bob’s Burgers Movie

When a TV show makes the leap to the big screen it can be a little like a supersized episode. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially when the show is as good as Bob’s Burgers. The music, the laughs,and the incredible family dynamic is all there with the added bonus of exceptional animation and a depth to the established canon of the characters. I saw this one three times in a theater, once on a streamer, and once with my super special blu-ray copy. Every time it brings me joy and has me humming along to every song.

 

  1. Everything Everywhere All At Once

This film comes to the idea of high concept and turns that dial past all the way up. It not only brings that complicated, convoluted concept into a wonderful cohesive unit, EEAAO becomes something more than just a multiversal jaunt. It has multiple, awe-inspiring catharsis points and a beating, aching heart. It’s so very funny, sweet, and gross in the best ways. There simply isn’t anything else like it.

  1. Tár

The scope and scale of Tár is grand. Even though the film is a tight focus on a character with very few scenes that aren’t from her POV, the film is genuinely epic in what it attempts to tackle. After watching it, if you didn’t know Lydia Tár was a fictional character you would suspect she is real. With an alchemy of story and performance, she is real. Lydia Tár is a larger than life figure who completely jumps off the screen, who gets under our skin, who we hate and love. This film is so brilliant because every aspect of it is so perfect, so well crafted and honed into that perfection. What an absolute marvel this film is.

An Avant-Garde’s Avant Garde: The Work of Shirley Clarke

InSession Film Staff
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An Avant-Garde’s Avant Garde: The Work of Shirley Clarke

When I began watching films on the Criterion Channel and started exploring all other films and directors, one name I saw pop up often was a director named Shirley Clarke. Female directors from the past were lacking and getting in on their work was a big exploration, but I had never heard of Clarke in school or in a film history book I read. Even when talking about New York’s independent film scene, her name never came across my radar, which makes sense considering the New York Times wrote in 2012 that her reputation faded away and was “marginalized, written out of histories and dismissed as a dilettante.”

But Shirley Clarke was no dilettante. She was born and raised in New York where she was an aspiring dancer, training in various styles of modern dance. In the early 1950s, she decided to make the switch over to filmmaking and her first short film was titled Dance in the Sun. Praised by The New York Dance Film Society, Clarke studied at the City College of New York to improve her skills, especially editing, which became noteworthy in her future work. She would join the Independent Filmmakers of America and play a role in avant-garde and documentary cinema in New York City.

In 1959, Clarke would receive her first Academy Award nomination for Best Live-Action Short. Skyscraper is a documentary, but the style of it features a script with three voiceover characters playing construction workers discussing the changes in the city. The subject, 666 Fifth Avenue, is a character and Clarke described the film as a musical comedy because of the jazz soundtrack and dialogue which feels more like an actual narrative film. This led to a short documentary sponsored by UNICEF called A Scary Time which Clarke co-directed with Thorold Dickinson about the trend of poverty and illness amongst all children in the Third World.

The 1960s was Clarke at her most creative and original as she stormed New York’s underground cinema, even though she opposed the word “underground.” She directed The Connection, based on a play that came from The Living Theatre, which made numerous works that broke conventional methods of stage acting. It is filmed in a one studio apartment where a group of heroin addicts awaits for their dealer to give them their fix while a documentary crew is there filming them. The fourth wall is broken – not to the audience – but to the camera already recording them. In the beginning, it is presented as a found footage film, as the assistant says the director has gone missing since he turned the footage over. 

It was a film that wowed people who saw it and caused controversy because Clarke sued the state of New York for the right to show her film because of censorship over the use of the word, “shit.” That, and the more graphic details of the drug content, which is harsher than other films  at the time, resulted in the film not getting permission to screen in a public theater. However, Clarke won in court, although the film was not profitable. In 1966, she directed Portrait of Jason, a documentary that features a middle-aged Black man who tells his whole life in one night. It’s a tragicomedy in which Jason Holliday talks about growing up Black and gay and having to be a hustler since he was a child. Again, avant-garde techniques were used to give a real-time look to Jason’s narrative (it was shot over 12 consecutive hours in one evening), including the voices of Clarke herself and others questioning Holliday’s motives and life decisions up to this point. 

While The Connection and Portrait of Jason are two of Clarke’s most original and recognized films, she would make another documentary that resulted in a bigger reward. In 1963, shortly before her death, Clarke directed Robert Frost: A Lover’s Quarrel With The World, a 40-minute showing of the life of the famous poet, which includes interviews and speeches given in the last months of his life. Shot for TV, the film was nominated for Best Documentary at the Academy Awards and won. 

In the 1970s and 80s, Clarke would spend her time making experimental movies showing live performances of various dances. She would help pioneer the use of video film and technology after being sponsored by the Museum of Modern Art to create multiple experimental shorts that showcased video films. Clarke would also lecture at various colleges and film schools, including a stint teaching at UCLA, granting the respect of numerous film critics and directors such as Agnes Varda, who cast Clarke in a minor role in her film, Lions Love. Her final film would be 1985’s Ornette: Made In America, a documentary chronicling the life and career of jazz artist Ornette Coleman. Instead of being a narrative documentary, Clarke would edit sequences of Coleman’s interviews with archive footage of his performances in a music video style mixed with a throwback to a psychedelic look as part of Coleman’s free jazz playing.

Shirley Clarke died in 1997, at age 77, forgotten except by historians of the underground movement who began a plan to rehabilitate her career. In the last decade, Clarke’s films underwent restoration and were re-released to open to a new audience, establishing her as an important figure in New American Cinema, when a group of people took to structural filmmaking over narrative. Back in 1962, Clarke declared, “I’m revolting against the conventions of movies. Who says a film has to cost a million dollars and be safe and innocuous enough to satisfy every 12-year-old in America?” By remaining on the fringes of filmmaking, Clarke broke ground on her terms that others have adapted today, in 2022.

 

Follow me on Twitter: @brian_cine (Cine-A-Man)

List: 2022 InSession Film Awards (all nominees and winners)

JD Duran
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List: 2022 InSession Film Awards (all nominees and winners)

This week on the InSession Film Podcast, we featured our 10th annual InSession Film Awards! During Part 1, we discussed the very best that 2022 had to offer in terms of film. We dove into everything from movie surprises, to overlooked movies, to the best acting performances and so much more!

For every category, we each listed our own nominations and winners. Winners are highlighted in bold.

Best Actor

Brendan:

  • Ram Charan, RRR
  • Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin
  • Felix Kammerer, All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Paul Mescal, Aftersun
  • Bill Nighy, Living

JD:

  • Paul Mescal, Aftersun
  • Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin / After Yang
  • Brendan Fraser, The Whale
  • Bill Nighy, Living
  • Felix Kammerer, All Quiet on the Western Front

Jay:

  • Austin Butler, Elvis
  • Daniel Gimenez Cacho, Bardo
  • Ram Charan, RRR
  • Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin
  • Gabrielle LaBelle, The Fabelmans

Ryan:

  • Colin Farrell, After Yang / The Banshees of Inisherin
  • Adam Driver,  White Noise
  • Park Hae-il,  Decision to Leave
  • Felix Kammerer, All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Franz Rogowski, Great Freedom
Best Actress

Brendan:

  • Cate Blanchett, TÁR
  • Mia Goth, Pearl
  • Jenny Slate, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
  • Tilda Swinton, The Eternal Daughter
  • Tang Wei, Decision to Leave

JD:

  • Cate Blanchett, TÁR
  • Danielle Deadwyler, Till
  • Vicky Krieps, Corsage
  • Mia Goth, Pearl
  • Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Jay:

  • Cate Blanchett, TÁR
  • Penelope Cruz, Official Competition
  • Danielle Deadwyler, Till
  • Lesley Manville, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
  • Tang Wei, Decision to Leave

Ryan:

  • Cate Blanchett, TÁR
  • Tang Wei, Decision to Leave
  • Tilda Swinton,  The Eternal Daughter
  • Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans
  • Michelle Yeoh,  Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best Actor Supporting Role

Brendan:

  • Diego Calva, Babylon
  • Paul Dano, The Fabelmans
  • Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once
  • Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin
  • Jeremy Strong, Armageddon Time

JD:

  • Paul Dano, The Fabelmans
  • Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once
  • Miles Teller, Top Gun: Maverick
  • Albrecht Schuch, All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Mohammad Hassan Madjooni, Hit the Road

Jay:

  • Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All At Once
  • Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin
  • Miles Teller, Top Gun: Maverick
  • Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway
  • Steven Yeun, Nope

Ryan:

  • Paul Dano, The Fabelmans
  • Don Cheadle, White Noise
  • Mark Rylance, Bones and All
  • Justin H Min, After Yang
  • Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin
Best Actress Supporting Role

Brendan:

  • Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin
  • Chloe East, The Fabelmans
  • Judith Ivey, Women Talking
  • Ji-eun Lee, Broker
  • Pantea Panahihi, Hit the Road

JD:

  • Hong Chau, The Whale
  • Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once
  • Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin
  • Dolly De Leon, Triangle of Sadness
  • Pontea Panahiha, Hit the Road

Jay:

  • Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin
  • Bae Doona, Broker
  • Greta Gerwig, White Noise
  • Zoe Kravitz, The Batman
  • Janelle Monae, Glass Onion

Ryan:

  • Nina Hoss, TAR
  • Lashana Lynch, The Woman King
  • Janelle Monae, Glass Onion
  • Isabella Rosselini,  Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
  • Jessie Buckley, Women Talking
Best Director

Brendan:

  • Damien Chazelle, Babylon
  • Park Chan-wook, Decision to Leave
  • Jordan Peele, Nope
  • Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans
  • Charlotte Wells, Aftersun

JD:

  • Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans
  • Robert Eggers, The Northman
  • Edward Berger, All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once
  • Charlotte Wells, Aftersun

Jay:

  • Edward Berger, All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Damien Chazelle, Babylon
  • Park Chan-wook, Decision to Leave
  • Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans
  • S.S. Rajamouli, RRR

Ryan:

  • Park Chan-wook, Decision to Leave
  • Steven Spielberg, The Fabelman
  • Todd Field, TAR
  • Jordan Peele, Nope
  • James Cameron, Avatar: The Way of Water
Best Original Screenplay

Brendan:

  • Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin
  • Hirokazu Koreeda, Broker
  • Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner, The Fabelmans
  • Todd Field, TÁR
  • Park Chan-wook and Chung Seo-kyung, Decision to Leave

JD:

  • Todd Field, TÁR
  • Jordan Peele, Nope
  • Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin
  • Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once
  • Charlotte Wells, Aftersun

Jay:

  • Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin
  • Jeong Seo-kyeong and Park Chan-wook, Decision to Leave
  • Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner, The Fabelmans
  • Jordan Peele, Nope
  • Todd Field, TÁR

Ryan:

  • Todd Field, TÁR
  • Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Bardo
  • Martin McDonaugh, The Banshees of Inisherin
  • The Daniels, Everything Everywhere All at Once
  • Joanna Hogg, The Eternal Daughter
Best Adapted Screenplay

Brendan:

  • Kogonada, After Yang
  • Guillermo del Toro and Patrick McHale, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
  • Dean Fleisher-Camp, Nick Paley, and Jenny Slate, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
  • Sjon and Robert Eggers, The Northman
  • Sarah Polley and Miriam Toews, Women Talking

JD:

  • Sarah Polley, Women Talking
  • Kogonada, After Yang
  • Rian Johnson, Glass Onion
  • Christopher McQuarrie, Eric Warren Singer and Ehren Kruger, Top Gun: Maverick
  • Dean FLeischer-Camp, Jenny late and Nick Paley, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Jay:

  • Edward Berger, Ian Stokell and Lesley Paterson, All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Sjón and Robert Eggers, The Northman
  • Guillermo del Toro and Patrick McHale, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
  • Noah Baumbach, White Noise
  • Sarah Polley, Women Talking

Ryan:

  • After Yang,  Kogonada
  • White Noise,  Noah Baumbach
  • Glass Onion,  Rian Johnson
  • She Said,  Rebecca Lenkiewicz
  • Women Talking,  Sarah Polley
Best Cinematography

Brendan:

  • James Friend, All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Linus Sandgren, Babylon
  • Kim Ji-yong, Decision to Leave
  • Hoyte Van Hoytema, Nope
  • Jarin Blaschke, The Northman

JD:

  • Gregory Oke, Aftersun
  • Claudio Miranda, Top Gun: Maverick
  • Kim Ji-Yong, Decision to Leave
  • Amin Jafari, Hit the Road
  • Jarin Blaschke, The Northman

Jay:

  • James Friend, All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Linus Sandgren, Babylon
  • Kim Ji-yong, Decision to Leave
  • Michal Dymek, Eo
  • Hoyte van Hoytema, Nope

Ryan:

  • Top Gun Maverick, Claudio Miranda
  • Bardo,  Darius Khondji
  • Decision to Leave,  Kim Ji-yong
  • Nope,  Hoyte van Hoytema
  • All Quiet on the Western Front,  James Friend
Best Documentary

Brendan:

  • Fire of Love
  • Lucy and Desi
  • Moonage Daydream
  • “Sr.”
  • This Much I Know to Be True

JD:

  • Sr.
  • Fire of Love
  • Bad Axe
  • All That Breathes
  • All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

Jay:

  • All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
  • Fire of Love
  • Jackass Forever
  • Sr.
  • This Place Rules

Ryan:

  • Bad Axe
  • Fire of Love
  • All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
  • Moonage Daydream
  • Sr.
Best Foreign Language Film

Brendan:

  • All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Broker
  • Decision to Leave
  • Hit the Road
  • RRR

JD:

  • RRR
  • Decision to Leave
  • All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Broker
  • Hit the Road

Jay:

  • All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Broker
  • Decision to Leave
  • Eo
  • RRR

Ryan:

  • All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Bardo
  • Broker
  • Decision to Leave
  • Great Freedom
Best Animated Movie

Brendan:

  • Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood
  • Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
  • Mad God
  • Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
  • Turning Red

JD:

  • The Sea Beast
  • Turning Red
  • Puss in Booths: The Last Wish
  • Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
  • Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood

Jay:

  • Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood
  • Mad God
  • Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
  • The Sea Beast
  • Wendell & Wild

Ryan:

  • Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
  • Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
  • Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
  • Chip N Dale: Rescue Rangers
  • Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood
Best Original Score

Brendan:

  • Volker Bertelmann, All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Justin Hurwitz, Babylon
  • Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, Blonde
  • Michael Abels, Nope
  • Hildur Guðnadóttir, Women Talking

JD:

  • Volker Bertelmann, All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Alexandre Desplat, Pinocchio
  • Justin Hurwitz, Babylon
  • Aska Matsumiya, After Yang
  • Hildur Guðnadóttir, Women Talking

Jay:

  • Volker Bertelmann, All Quiet On the Western Front
  • Justin Hurwitz, Babylon
  • John Williams, The Fabelmans
  • Michael Abels, Nope
  • Robin Carolan and Sebastian Gainsborough, The Northman

Ryan:

  • Bryce Dessner, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Bardo
  • Alexandre Desplat, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
  • Michael Abels, Nope
  • Hildur Guðnadóttir, Women Talking
  • Michael Giacchino, The Batman
Best Use of Soundtrack Music (Doesn’t have to be original. Closing and Opening credits count)

Brendan:

  • “Under Pressure” by Queen & David Bowie, Aftersun
  • “Losing My Religion” by REM, Aftersun
  • “Something in the Way” by Nirvana, The Batman
  • “Deyar” by Shahram Shabpareh, Hit the Road
  • “Daydream Believer” by The Monkees, Women Talking

JD:

  • “Dosti” by MM Keeravani, RRR
  • “My Son” by David Bradley, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
  • “Under Pressure” by David Bowie and Queen, Aftersun
  • “Concerto in D Minor BWV 974: II” by Bach, The Fabelmans
  • “Barbarian” by Besomorph, TÁR

Jay:

  • “Riki Tiki Tavi” by Donovan, Barbarian
  • “Sailing” by Christopher Cross, Ambulance
  • “Something In the Way” by Nirvana, The Batman
  • “Toxic Las Vegas” by Elvis Presley, and Jamieson Shaw, Elvis
  • “Wolf Like Me” by TV On the Radio, Wendell and Wild

Ryan:

  • “Ciao Papa” – Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
  • “New Body Rumba” – White Noise
  • “Peaceful Easy Feeling” – Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
  • “(You Made It Fell Like) Home – Bones and All
  • “This is a Life” – Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best Opening/Closing Credits Sequence or Scene

Brendan:

  • Babylon (Opening Title Drop)
  • Moonage Daydream (Opening Title Reveal)
  • Pearl (Closing Credits)
  • Tar (Opening Credits)
  • Top Gun: Maverick (Opening Credits)

JD:

  • TÁR (Closing)
  • Decision to Leave (Closing)
  • After Yang (Opening)
  • Aftersun (Closing)
  • The Fabelmans (Closing)

Jay:

  • Babylon (Closing)
  • The Fabelmans (Closing)
  • The Northman (Closing)
  • RRR (Closing Credits)
  • Tar (Closing)

Ryan:

  • After Yang (Opening)
  • The Fabelmans (Closing)
  • TAR (Opening)
  • Pearl (Closing)
  • White Noise (Closing) 
Best Overlooked Movie

Brendan:

  • Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood
  • Hit the Road
  • Hustle
  • Living
  • This Much I Know to Be True

JD:

  • Devotion
  • Hit the Road
  • Cha Cha Real Smooth
  • Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths
  • See How They Run

Jay:

  • Benediction
  • Funny Pages
  • Great Freedom
  • Official Competition
  • Sr.

Ryan:

  • Bad Axe
  • Nitram
  • Sundown
  • Weird
  • The Wonder
Best Surprise Movie

Brendan:

  • All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Avatar: The Way of Water
  • The Eternal Daughter
  • Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
  • Top Gun: Maverick

JD:

  • The Menu
  • Catherine Called Birdy
  • Living
  • Avatar: The Way of Water
  • RRR

Jay:

  • Ambulance
  • Barbarian
  • Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
  • Nitram
  • Vengeance

Ryan:

  • Avatar: The Way of Water
  • Cha Cha Real Smooth
  • Confess, Fletch
  • The Eternal Daughter
  • Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Best Surprise Actor/Actress

Brendan:

  • Jessica Chastain, Armageddon Time
  • Mia Goth, X / Pearl
  • Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once
  • Mark Rylance, Bones and All
  • Sam Worthington, Avatar: The Way of Water

JD:

  • Jenny Slate, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
  • Justin H. Min, After Yang
  • Tom Cruise, Top Gun: Maverick
  • Diego Calva, Babylon
  • Sam Worthington, Avatar: The Way of Water

Jay:

  • Austin Butler, Elvis
  • Tom Cruise, Top Gun: Maverick
  • Ashton Kutcher, Vengeance
  • Aubrey Plaza, Emily the Criminal
  • Sam Worthington, Avatar: The Way of Water

Ryan:

  • Mia Goth, Pearl/X
  • Paul Mascal, Aftersun
  • Miles Teller, Top Gun: Maverick
  • Nicole Kidman, The Northman
  • Austin Butler, Elvis
Best Movie Discovery

Brendan:

  • Charlotte Wells – Director, Aftersun
  • Edward Berger – Director, All Quiet on the Western Front
  • All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Diego Calva – Actor, Babylon
  • Gabriel LaBelle – Actor, The Fabelmans

JD:

  • Chanda Dancy – Composer, Devotion
  • Edward Berger – Director, All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Panah Panahi – Director, Hit the Road
  • Charlotte Wells – Director, Aftersun
  • Paul Mescal – Actor, Aftersun

Jay:

  • Edward Berger, All Quiet On the Western Front
  • Diego Calva, Babylon
  • Danielle Deadwyler, Till
  • Owen Kline, Funny Pages
  • Gabriel LaBelle, The Fabelmans

Ryan:

  • Felix Kammerer, All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Ti West, X/Pearl
  • Charlotte Wells, Aftersun
  • Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin
  • Gabriel LaBelle, The Fabelmans
JD’s Individual Special Awards

Best Individual Score Track

  • “In My Breath” – Aska Matsumiya (After Yang)
  • “Voodoo Mama” – Justin Hurwitz (Babylon)
  • “We Know What You Whisper” – Ludwig Goransson (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)
  • “Tanks” – Volker Bertelsmann (All Quiet on the Western Front)
  • “From Darkness to Light” – Simon Franklin (Avatar: The Way of Water)

Best Stop Motion Character

  • Marcel – Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
  • Pinocchio – Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
  • Wild – Wendell & Wild
  • Wendell – Wendell & Wild
  • The Assassin – Mad God

Best Young Performer

  • Gabriel Labelle – The Fabelmans
  • Eden Dambrine – Close
  • Frankie Curio – Aftersun
  • Gregory Mann – Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
  • Rayan Sarlak – Hit the Road

Best Directorial Debut

  • Max Walker-Silverman – A Love Song
  • Lila Neugebauer – Causeway
  • Alice Diop – Saint Omer
  • Charlotte Wells – Aftersun
  • Panah Panahi – Hit the Road

Best Movie Not In My Top 20 That Still Resonates Profoundly

  • Close
Brendan’s Individual Special Awards

Best Performance by a Non-Human, aka “Cheddar Goblin” Award

  • The rattlesnake, Babylon
  • Jenny the donkey, The Banshees of Inisherin
  • Jessy the dog, Hit the Road
  • The scarecrow, Pearl
  • Lulu the dog, Dog

Best Song-and-Dance Credits Sequence

  • After Yang
  • Hit the Road
  • RRR
  • White Noise

Best Use of Sound the Academy Forgot About

  • Nope

Best Dual Tilda Swinton Performance (of course there’s more than one)

  • The Eternal Daughter
  • Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

Best Performance by a Director NOT Playing Themselves

  • David Lynch, The Fabelmans

Best Performance by a Monkey in a Movie About the Exploitation of Movies

  • Gordy, Nope
  • Mitzi’s pet monkey, The Fabelmans
Jay’s Individual Special Awards

Movie That Honestly Might Seem Revolutionary in 10 Years

  • Ambulance

The Nicolas Cage Aware for ABSOLUTELY GOING FOR IT

  • Jake Gyllenhaal, Ambulance
  • Paul Dano, The Batman
  • Mark Rylance, Bones and All
  • Colin Farrell, The Batman
  • Tobey Macguire, Babylon

Inanimate Object of the Year

  • Sheep Shears, The Banshees of Inisherin
  • Auditor of the Month award, Everything Everywhere All at Once
  • OrchiBed, Crimes of the Future
  • Horse Poop, Pinocchio
  • The Mona Lisa, Glass Onion

Movie Advice of the Year

  • “When the horizon is at the top, it’s interesting. When it’s on the bottom, it’s interesting. When it’s in the middle, it’s boring as shit!”, The Fabelmans

Movie Your Dad Is Probably Falling Asleep to Right Now

  • Thirteen Lives

Movie Animal of the Year

  • Eo, Eo
  • Lulu, Dog
  • Jenny, The Banshees of Inisherin

Blink and You’ll Miss Them Award for Best Micro-Performance

  • David Lynch, The Fabelmans
  • Isabelle Huppert, Eo
  • Michael Stuhlbarg, Bones and All
  • Toby Huss, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

The King of the World Award

  • For the 25th consecutive year, Big Jim Cameron

The “Retire Please” Award for Directors Who Have Lost It (AKA The Zemeckis)

  • Judd Apatow, The Bubble
  • Robert Zemeckis, Pinocchio
Ryan’s Individual Special Awards

2021 Taking One for the Team Award

  • Anyone who had to watch Jungle Cruise

2021 Best Jay Intro

  • Cruella
  • Nine Days
  • Titane
  • The Ring
  • Shiva Baby
  • Zola

2021 Best Podcast Line

  • “4K Titties” Erik Anderson, Mulholland Drive Episode

2021 Movie Series of the Year

  • Terrence Malik
  • Michael Mann
  • Spike Lee
  • David Lynch
  • Billy Wilder

2021 Best Cinematic Vehicle

  • Red Car in Drive My Car
  • The Moving Truck in Licorice Pizza
  • Astin Martin in No Time to Die
  • Family Station Wagon- The Mitchells vs the Machines
  • Cadillac in Titane

2021 Best Movie Trailer

  • The Matrix Resurrections

2021 Cultural Icons

  • Baby Annette, Annette
  • Bronco Henry, The Power of the Dog
  • Clifford, Clifford the Big Red Dog
  • Gabriel, Malignant
  • Sand Worms, Dune
  • Palo Gucci, House of Gucci
  • Notorious PIG, Space Jam: A New Legacy
  • Mid Size Sudan, Old
  • Trish, Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar

Well, that’s it for our 2020 InSession Film Awards! Hopefully, you all enjoyed our nominations and winners. If you agree or disagree with us, let us know in the comment section below. We would love to hear how your nominations and winners would vary from our picks above. You can also email your selections to us at [email protected] or follow us on social media.

To hear our Top 10 Movies of 2022, listen to Part 2 of Episode 516!

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