Somehow it's mid July so it's time to survey the first half of the cinematic year. We worry for Hollywood given the writer's strike and the possibilities of a tepid fall/winter slate (the big titles people are most looking forward to are almost upon us -- Barbie and Oppenheimer). But regardless we take stock every year at this time, no matter what the future might hold. The following list honors only films released between January 1st and June 30th, 2023. It's our way of insuring we keep track of early favourites so that we don't fall victim to the dread recency bias that generally makes awards-giving bodies look forgetful and lazy. The followlng lists are all in alpha order as its too soon for preferential ballots.
PICTURE
Air (Ben Affleck, US) Warner Bros, April 5
Not as good as the hype suggests, but solid popcorn entertainment nonetheless. Sure, it’s all too easy and spoon-fed but delicious supporting performances (Ben Affleck, Chris Messina, and Viola Davis take a collective bow) help it pop.Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (Kelly Fremon Craig, US) Lionsgate, April 28th
This long-time coming adaptation does right by the classic YA source material.Asteroid City (Wes Anderson, US) Focus Features, June 23rd
A stylish comedy with guffaw-worthy sight gags, expertly deadpan performances, and absurdly nested structural curiousities.Joyland (Saim Saddiq, Pakistan) Oscilloscope, April 7th
Pakistan’s Oscar finalist last season got a theatrical release this year. Saddiq is a natural born filmmaker and this trans stunner is an amazing calling card. May his career be long and glorious.Of An Age (Goran Stolevski, Australia) Focus Features, February 10th
The romantic/sexual awakening drama, Of An Age is about a young man (Elias Anton) who falls for his best friend's older brother (Thom Green) on a road trip. The first ten minutes are weirdly rough, pitched hysterically at eleven (or twelve, thirteen?) for reasons we couldn't quite fathom but afterwards it's a marvel. Smartly concise, taking place over just a couple of days (albeit years apart), Of an Age manages to be stirring and evocative, filling in the gaps between those days with a decade of complicated melancholic feeling. Stolevski already announced himself as a promising talent with the witchy horror film You Won’t Be Alone and now we know he's a versatile (!) filmmaker, too.Other People's Children (Rebecca Zlotowski, France) April 21st
An insightful character drama starring the ever-watchable Belgian goddess Virginia Efira (Benedetta, Sybil). If only Hollywood still made movies like this. We have so many great actresses that deserve rich opportunities like this.Past Lives (Celine Song, US/South Korea) June 2nd
A multifaceted drama with a slyly perfect opening gambit. Yes, what is their story? Do tell. I was personally late to Past Lives, which has been a word of mouth hit, but what an achievement from debuting writer/director Celine Song. So difficult to shake. It's like a veritable pandora's box of meaning and feelings. Please run to see it if you haven't yet!Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse (Dos Santos, Powers, Thompson, US) Sony/Columbia, June 2nd
Mainstream thrills rarely get more inventive than this. The cliffhanger ending prevents it from being a masterpiece of its medium/genre but still...Wow.A Thousand and One (AV Rockwell, US) Focus Features, March 31st
A superbly acted family drama about a mother and son on the margins of society. Don’t think it quite sticks the landing but it’s very involving.To Catch a Killer (Damian Szifron, US) Vertical, April 21st
With a primarily VOD release it didn't get much attention but despite it’s somewhat tropey characters, it's a tense well executed entry in the (yes, overpopulated) serial killer genre from the talented director of Argentinian classic Wild Tales.
Other films I enjoyed a lot this year included the better-than-you’d-expect comedies Renfield and No Hard Feelings, Portugal’s gay musical fantasia Will-o-the-Wisp, Spain’s most recent Oscar submission Alcarras, and the fantasy action franchise-hopeful Dungeons & Dragons believe it or not. More “favourites” at the site.