WOF: Top Ten Movies of 2023

 

Top Ten Movies of the Year 2023

1.     American Fiction - -- wonderful adaptation of a Percival Everett novel by first-time director Cord Jefferson with Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K. Brown, Leslie Uggams, Erika Alexander, Tracee Ellis Ross and others. A great evaluation of how mainstream culture, particularly the publishing world, looks at authenticity in the African American literature world. So so funny, but also touching because it examines the main character, Thelonious Ellison's family life. For more thoughts on American Fiction, listen to the December 2023 podcast.

2.     Maestro -- actor/director Bradley Cooper's deep dive examination of the life of Leonard Bernstein, particularly his relationship with his wife, Chilean actress Felicia Monteleagre, played by Carey Mulligan, who is fantastic here. This movie is tough to get into, crowded as it is with marquee caliber names, rat-a-tat dialog, and extended fantasy sequences. Anyone who is not familiar with Bernstein's work and legacy is probably at a disadvantage here, but would anyone who is NOT familiar actually take time to watch? But the flick soon settles in to show Leonard's passion for music, his drive, his deep affection for his wife and family, but also his predilection for sex with men. Cooper is great, but at times his portrayal strays into a costume-party caricature impression of Bernstein rather than a full embodiment of the man. Also, the amount of cigarette smoking in the film is enough to grow cancer cells in the lungs of anyone watching. But overall, the acting and the craftsmanship are top notch. 

3.     Killers of the Flower Moon -- Martin Scorsese's latest featuring Robert DeNiro and Leonardo DiCaprio is a riveting tale of American greed and deception played out in 1920s Oklahoma, where newly oil-rich Osage Indians are systematically targeted by any means necessary so that their wealth is funneled into white hands. The careful research on this true-life story, resulting in detailed costuming and sets, as well as beautiful cinematography and strong performances all around, particularly by Lily Gladstone, make this film a must-see despite its long running time. 

4.     Rustin -- kudos to actor Colman Domingo, whose performance holds this film together. The film is a somewhat stagey telling of how civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, a close associate of Martin Luther King, was drummed out of the NAACP after nasty rumors made him a liability. But Rustin's dedication to the cause led him to conceive and organize the March on Washington, eventually regaining the support of King and the NAACP and facing off against the racist forces of opposition in Washington. As played by Domingo, Rustin is an intellectual firebrand who also happened to be gay, and we see him push aside his white assistant/lover for a relationship with a closeted husband and minister who eventually rejects him because he has too much to lose. There is a crackling script but so many characters from history to keep track of -- Roy Wilkins, Medgar Evers, Adam Clayton Powell, MLK, John Lewis (look, Glynn Turman! Chris Rock! Jeffrey Wright!) -- that I was getting whiplash trying to keep them all straight, but that's OK. And if the piece came across as a bit stagey, it couldn't be helped -- the thing was directed by playwright and Tony winner George C. Wolfe, who is best known for his brilliant stage and stage-to-screen work. A bravura, tour-de-force performance by Domingo. 

5.     Barbie -- Greta Gerwig's entirely original take on the role of the Barbie doll in our changing society is equal parts silly and sharp, fluffy and profound. It's so sunny and bright, with dazzling colors and danceable music in its execution, that it is really hard to resist. Margot Robbie does a great job giving us the personification of an innocent who is no dummy, and Ryan Gosling throws himself into his role as Ken, who discovers then attempts to perpetrate patriarchy on Barbieland, with disastrous results. 

6.     The Holdovers -- Paul Giamatti shows off his brilliant acting chops once again as Mr. Hunham, an unpopular teacher shepherding students over the Christmas holidays at a New England boys academy in the early 1970s.  As he attempts to match wits with Angus, an angry teen who's been stashed at the school by an inattentive mother, we learn that Hunham has some secrets of his own. The film includes a standout performance by Da'Vine Joy Randolph, as the school's cafeteria manager who grieves the loss of her son to the Vietnam war. This is a film that peels back he layers of what makes each of these characters tick, and is being called a new Christmas classic. 

7.     Past Lives -- OK, this thing almost had me bawling. Twelve-year-old Koreans form a tight friendship bond, even vowing to marry when they get older, but Nora's family soon immigrates to Toronto, leaving Ha Seung behind. They reconnect years later on Skype, but their lives remain separate due to distance. After several more years, Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) visits the U.S. on a pretense to see Nora (Greta Lee), and they spend time together in New York. But Nora, now married, has moved on. And it is painfully clear through the acting that Hae Sung is damn near speechless with love for his former school pal, his disappointment so palpable you can touch it. These scenes of the two of them together are so fraught with desire, regret, yearning, confusion, awkwardness, and love despite the spareness of their conversation that it is stunning. Not to mention that the cinematography on this flick is nothing short of breathtaking, and the musical score is also evocative and atmospheric. 

8.     Little Richard: I Am Everything -- documentarian Lisa Cortes creates a 360-degree view of pioneering rock and rhythm & blues icon Little Richard, delving into his roots as a performer and examining the divided soul that led him later in life to ping-pong between a lifestyle of reckless rock'n'roll abandon and that of strict religious fervor. And though in his later years it seemed as though he indulged in a lot of public whining about being overlooked, it was not without merit. The documentary proves that Richard was a one-of-a-kind trailblazer to whome generations of performers owe a significant debt.  

9.     You Hurt My Feelings -- director Nicole Holofcener's amusing yet probing examination of the white lies we employ in the service of shoring up our loved ones. Julia Louis Dreyfus stars as a New York City creative writing professor struggling to write a novel. When she inadvertently discovers that her struggling therapist husband hates it, despite all of his praise and encouragement, all emotional hell breaks loose.  This one makes you think about how often our efforts to be kind may ultimately be cruel.    

10.     May December -- In this Todd Haynes-directed outing based on the Mary Kay Letourneau case, Natalie Portman plays Elizabeth, an actress who visits Savannah, Georgia, to research the life and personality of Gracie (Julianne Moore), the middle-aged woman she is set to play in a movie. Gracie left her husband and children 24 years earlier for a relationship with a 13-year-old boy. Now in a marriage to that young man (Charles Melton), with three more children, Gracie warily welcomes Elizabeth into her seemingly normal suburban household. Elizabeth is deceptively predatory and voracious, pushing the boundaries of these relationships with her questions and her desire to inhabit Gracie. Despite her promises to be fair to Gracie in her portrayal, she betrays her trust over and over, An unsettling film character study,

Honorable Mentions

Origin, 
The Little Mermaid,
Oppenheimer,
Quiz Lady

Not So Much (In My Humble Opinion):

Spinning Gold – what could have been an interesting story about the life of Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart is told badly and cast badly, despite great 1970s costumes and of course incredible disco-era music. Disappointing.

Wish – I have long been a fan of Disney’s animated output. But this latest outing, with fave performer Ariana DuBose voicing the spunky teen main character Asha, just lacks a compelling story or enough character development overall to rise above the ordinary. Which considering that it has an original fairytale kingdom, animated animals, tons of songs and the talents of DuBose, is very disappointing indeed.

Asteroid City – I have long been a fan of the Wes Anderson canon of films, ever since Bottle Rocket. I loved last year’s The French Dispatch. But Asteroid City, a love letter of sorts to the 1960s fascination with space and the then-brand-new space program, as well as a look at how a broken young family heals, left me mostly cold. Despite one moment of surprise that had me braying with laughter, the Anderson formula of too-smart-for-their-own-good kids, confused and clueless adults, and the storybook presentation of characters and scenes is starting to show signs of congealing.
 
Saltburn – tried to get through it. Thought it would be a “Call Me By Your Name” type summer vacation flick, but soon began to look like a cross between “Brideshead Revisited” and “The Talented Mr. Ripley.” I didn’t find the fumbling Barry Keeogh or the current heartthrob Jacob Elordi riveting enough to keep watching. I understand some shocking things take place later on in the flick. I don’t care.

Napoleon – Ridley Scott has made some great films (Blade Runner, Alien, Thelma and Louise, Gladiator, etc.), but Napoleon isn’t one of them. As great an actor as Joaquin Phoenix may be, he does not fit the role of the Corsican soldier who became the emperor of France and conquered Europe. The disconnect between Phoenix’s portrayal and the overall contemporary approach, contrasted with the period-perfect sets and costumes, was just too distracting. Didn’t get through it.

The Color Purple –This is the screen adaptation of the Broadway musical adaption of the original 1985 movie and 1982 book The Color Purple. This story by Alice Walker is pretty much canonized in Black culture by now. And the new movie looks beautiful, is well cast with Fantasia Barrino recreating her Broadway starring role, with Colman Domingo, Halle Bailey, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Corey Hawkins and others. The musical and dance numbers are all rousing and Fantasia’s gorgeous self-realization anthem at the end will give you the teary tingles. So here’s where I lose my Black Card, risk offending fave singer/songwriter Brenda Russell, and forfeit any possible future relationship with executive producer Oprah Winfrey: I just didn’t love it.  This version doesn’t really get into the emotional corners of the story, particularly when comparing Fantasia’s performance of Celie as a mute stalwart compared with Whoopi Goldberg’s surprisingly nuanced portrayal as a woman carefully navigating a minefield of abuse and prejudice.

Priscilla – I must confess to not being much of an Elvis fan, and I was never able to get through more than 20 minutes of Baz Luhrmann’s breathlessly praised Elvis! flick from last year. However, I was interested in learning more about Priscilla Presley, who got swept up into Elvis’ orbit at a pretty young age. I also have enjoyed director Sofia Coppola's other slow burn character studies, like Lost In Translation and Marie Antoinette, but this look at the life of Priscilla Presley is sooooo boring, principally because the lead actress, Cailee Spaeny, looks like a child and has no personality. Watching it gave me no clue what it was that Elvis liked about her and there seemed to be little chemistry between her and Jacob Elordi, who plays Elvis. Instead there is this paint-by-numbers, this is what happened, then this, then this progression of scenes that have barely any spark to them. The film is lushly photographed, and the clothes and interiors are impeccable. The music is mostly NOT Elvis, for which I was grateful, instead there are popular songs of the day with lyrics that not-so-subtly signal exactly what is going on in the script.

Looking forward to awards season. All the best for a happy and healthy 2024!