(10) Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Disney’s remake of its beloved 1940 nightmare fuel left a bitter aftertaste that could only be washed away by Guillermo del Toro’s magical stop motion interpretation of the wooden doll’s adventures and was one of the most admirable films we’ve seen this year. It was easy to be hypnotized by the realistic movements of the puppets and thankfully the filmmaker had also crafted a magical tale that not only captured the mischievous spirit of Carlo Collodi’s classic, the disobedient puppet was also given new cinematic life by contrasting his defiance with the growing fascism in Italy – and the result was nothing short of excellent. Not since Pan’s Labyrinth has the Mexican director enchanted as much as here, giving Pinocchio a personal and passionate touch that permeates the already impressive production. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is a triumph for the art of stop motion and a fantastic and original interpretation of the childhood fairy tale.
(9) The Banshees of Inisherin
In Bruges director (and screenwriter) Martin McDonagh is a theater king. His plays have been praised far and wide, and several of them have also been turned into extremely watchable, remarkable feature films. The latest in the series thoroughly entertained us in 2022 as its comedy felt dark and deadly unique at the same time, which together with brilliant acting from both Colin Farrel and Brendan Gleeson (now reunited under McDonagh’s direction) made this film one of the past pearls of the year.
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(8) Licorice Pizza
Paul Thomas Anderson did what Paul Thomas Anderson always does. He slipped into the crowded cinema repertoire among milked superheroes and tired remakes and delivered another difficult film that didn’t come close to making its budget. A film that on paper didn’t sound like much to the world, incredibly pretentious and even boring but turned out to be just the opposite. We enjoyed a surreal romantic comedy, filled with happiness, brilliant acting and magnificent dialogues and were amazed at how similar Cooper Hoffman was to his father (Philip Seymour), not only in appearance but also in acting. The pizza reel turned out to be an as twisted as it was charming coming of age reel that stood out considerably in the generic gag that often makes up the film selection these days and unlike these films, it also utilized its long playing time in an excellent way.
(7) Nope
We barely had time to settle down in the cinema chair before the magnificent soundscape drew us into a most unclear world that we had a dangerously difficult time defending ourselves against. We were amazed at what an insanely good-looking film Jordan Peele had managed to carve. The mood that slowly built up and then ripped open a hurricane of mindfuckery that tore us apart, spat us out full-faced only to then suck us back in, right into its violent vortex. We then lay there and had it sometimes good, sometimes difficult. There were so many straight throws that we lost count when the final came and if he had only managed to tie the bag together at the end, Nope would have sailed even higher up the list. No matter what, we all agreed touchingly that this was a much-needed breath of fresh air in the genre, and Peele proved once again that we need directors who think outside the box and constantly surprise an increasingly discerning audience with something new.
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(6) Bones and All
Call Me by Your Name director Luca Guadagnino’s cannibal drama was unlike anything else we’ve seen this year. An irresistible story that refused to leave our thoughts. In addition, it was both gorgeous and well played, and served one of the sharpest soundtracks of the year. A coming-of-age story that was both beautiful and heartfelt and as an audience we were treated to both bloody meat bones and youthful love. It was heart and pain at the same time as the young cannibals and turtle doves, played brilliantly by Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet, set out on a road trip lined with carcasses. Bones and All was as unique as it was captivating a film about alienation and loneliness but also the search for an identity, one’s origins and being accepted for who one is. To succeed in interspersing such a beautiful romance with brutal slaughter without it becoming cheesy is certainly not something everyone can master, but Guadagnino clearly showed why he is one of the most interesting directors of our time.
(5) Nothing new on the western front
Edward Berger’s lavish Netflix epic based on the iconic bestseller written by Erich Maria Remarque wasn’t perfect. There were parts that felt tough and other parts that were added and that were not in the book edition, which we would have liked to have done without. But it was good. Really good, though. The way the horrors of war are portrayed here and the way the gruesome death toll of World War I drives the narrative forward had us glued to the TV. Youthful innocence, loyalty, patriotism, sacrifice and duty were woven together into a story steeped in tonal darkness and very good acting.
(4) Avatar: The Way of Water
Despite the corona forecasts, cinema culture turned out to be far from doomed and technology innovator James Cameron was this year the front man who refuted the doomsday prophets. With the sequel to the record holder Avatar, the director chose to refine everything that made the predecessor so successful and the result turned out to be perhaps the most dazzling blockbuster production we have ever witnessed. We were immediately blown away by how far CGI technology has come and the action-packed final act was an unparalleled example of the director’s passionate madness, but it was also the more peaceful underwater scenes that captured us in their near-documentary cinematic magic. Three hours felt like 30 minutes as we followed computer-animated characters that felt more real than the real actors and the whole thing was so powerful that we were constantly swept along in Cameron’s turquoise waves. Marcus came out of the 3D screening of The Way of Water completely red-eyed from crying after once again witnessing Cameron’s storytelling skills and is a wonderful experience that we will definitely see many more times on the biggest possible screen.
(3) Everything Everywhere All At Once
Amongst all the CGI-goofy superhero movies mixing in with the multiverse madness, there was one savior among the junk – a delightfully freaky one. Everything Everywhere All At Once was called one of the most refreshing films of the year, which with a good dose of humor and a large pinch of creativity created a colorful indie adventure about the improbable probability that arose when a burned-out middle-aged woman suddenly gained access to alternate worlds and which for a holy mad day became humanity’s last hope against an unstoppable nihilistic force. We were so surprised by the film’s genuine heart that we could, for example, be teary-eyed by a scene where two perfectly still rocks philosophize about the meaning of life, and the phenomenal kung fu duo Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan pulled in from their toes to deliver real, believable people in utterly absurd worlds dominated by sausage fingers, singing raccoons and buttplugs. EEAAO was and remains a sweet, funny, intelligent, inventive, twisted, existential, lovely and above all human film that had just about everything and will take you everywhere, all at once.
(2) Decision to Leave
Park Chan-wook hardly needs any introduction after blessing movie lovers with his bloody revenge films, but the question is whether the Korean auteur has not dished up his most sublime cinematic banquet to date with Decision to Leave. Any other director could have taken the story of a mysterious widow and made something completely conventional out of it, but in Park Chan-wook’s hardened hands, this thriller novel became a sensational taste sensation that held so many nuances, pulses, scents and tastes that we were as if obsessed with the exquisite imagery, the awl-sharp cutting and the delicate soundtrack. The sizzling chemistry between the hungry leads was a sizzling feast for all the senses and we were engrossed in the rare mystery. Park Chan-wook’s direction was electric, charged and brilliant. The story was playful, seductive and tempting. Decision To Leave was a tasty noir we just couldn’t get enough of and will not likely leave anyone unmoved.
BEST FILM OF THE YEAR 2022:
(1) Top Gun: Maverick
Tom Cruise and Joseph Kosinski’s scandalously long-awaited sequel to one of the most style-defining, iconic films of the 80s finally got air under its wings and could take off after countless delays. And of course we were nervous. We had our doubts. The built-in disdain for grave-robbing old brands, dusted off retirement-age action heroes who have no right whatsoever to blindly fling themselves through the air at supersonic speeds. But with 15 billion kroner recorded in theaters and a tight script that not only gave us just the right dose of nostalgia, but also managed to renew, engage and build on almost 40-year-old building blocks. To say we were impressed is an understatement to say the least. Because not in our wildest imaginations could we have dared to hope or believe how euphorically redemptive and snortly directed Maverick’s return to the flying chair would be. We screamed, cheered and let ourselves be totally and utterly absorbed in what was not only the best movie of the year by far, but also one of the best action experiences in many, many years. Cruise, Bruckheimer and Kosinski disproved all the critics and doubters. Top Gun: Maverick didn’t just have air under its wings, it soared high in the sky and demonstrated exactly how to construct a sequel. Powerful, earth shattering and absolutely freaking wonderful.
