I Saw 325 New Movies in ’24. Here are The Best & The Worst – BRAZILIAN PRESS // O maior jornal brasileiro fora do Brasil
By Roger Costa
TOP TEN
1-ONE LIFE
The true story of Nicholas Winton, a London broker who helped hundreds of Jewish children escape the Nazi occupation in Prague, is a film that could change the world from its current chaos: it teaches us that compassion and empathy must be applied at any circumstance, including when ideals or beliefs do not match.
Winton, a man without religion or traditions, risked his life to save people he initially didn’t want any association with. His heroic actions shows us a humanitarian lesson to be applauded and inspired by. Anthony Hopkins is outstanding as the accidental hero in this triumphant directorial debut by James Hawes. And what a superb job for a first comer: it is a feel good movie, something the world needs right now- it is about rescuing, saving lives, honoring human values. While watching this, I felt God’s presence, it was like a spiritual healing. It was an unforgettable experience.
2- THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG
Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof had to flee his country after conceiving this masterpiece in suspense and political protest. As a witness of what goes on inside a judge’s home, in conflict with his daughters and wife, after his gun disappeared and they are linked to the deadly protests taking place around the city, the audience is guided through a veracious, breathtaking and striking study on the face of evil embodied as a patriarchal, intolerant ruling system. The director’s bravery and willingness to tell his story and expose the absurds of the system (affecting and disrupting families, in other cases, killing in the name of their beliefs) are all over the film, in the dialogs, in the claustrophobic settings, in the unexpected twists. It’s a revolutionary, bold, scandalously screaming for freedom piece of work that describes our era of intolerance. Risking his life for the art, giving us a tremendously impactful political, humanitarian statement, Rasoulof deserves to be honored Best Director of the Year. His film can take a regime down.
3- THE BEAST
The most inventive, hallucinating and erotic metaverse narrative ever, this wondrously strange and seductive sci-fi, romantic epic directed by French provocateur Bertrand Bonello is simply irresitible. Recurring to themes such as obsession, love, sexual impluses, fame and ambition, Bonello scores his best work yet anchored by fascinating multiple turns by Lea Seydoux and George MacKay as a pair of lovers meeting up at various timeframes. Spectacular!
4- ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT
Delicate, utterly touching and timely, Indian director Payal Kapadia’s universal female drama follows the journeys of three women coming together for a trip to the beach while leaving their tribulations back in Mumbai: Prabha misses her estranged husband; her roommate faces danger and morality as she falls for a Muslim boy and a neighbor fights for her property and rights amidst the inequalities of their country. As they navigate their struggles, the film paints a memorable, humble and very humane portrait of surviving the standards and expectations of the world towards women.
5- THE SUBSTANCE
Brilliantly messed-up, this combination of elements from Cronenberg, Lynch and Kubrick announces director Coralie Fargeat as one of the most visionary female directors of our era. Subversive, darkly comic, absurdist, wonderfully gruesome and visually hypnotic like no other film this year, fueled by perfect performances from Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, it is a wild, wise and unashamed critique to obsessive vanity and the era of botox.
6- ABOUT DRY GRASSES
Stunningly observed and masterly narrated, this poignant drama from Turkey is worth every second of its 197 minutes of length. A secret complain on the relationship between a teacher and a pre-teen girl is only the tip of the iceberg in this head-spinning, cut-throat drama filled with sensational insights on our role and responsibility as influential intelligence to the future of humanity. Director and co-writer Nuri Bilge Ceylan conducts the material with impressive sensibility, meticulously unveiling important, defining clues throughout details, creating a gripping, poetic yet very tense atmosphere, impossible to look away.
7- CONCLAVE
The election for a new Pope stirs up a lot of controversy and brings to the surface the fragility of the human condition masked as spiritual leaders in Edward Berger’s stunning dramedy about manipulation and lies. Ralph Fiennes leads the most fabulous and efficient ensemble cast of the year in a ravishing, Oscar-worthy performance. Each dialog here reflects the hypocrisy of human justice and the inevitable risks of our relationships. A masterclass in investigative cinema.
8- THE OLD OAK + DRIVING MADELEINE
Two incredibly touching and life-affirming films that bring us important lessons about dignity and solidarity. The fist one is Ken Loach’s underseen xenophobia drama centered on the relationship and support of an Irish pub owner to the refugees coming to their small town; It’s a tribute to compassion and a call for standing up for righteousness. The second is French director Christian Carion’s compelling melodrama following the simple taxi ride taken by a 92-year-old elderly woman and the connection she develops with the driver, turning into a life changing opportunity for both- and for us. It’s heartwarming, sweet and unexpectedly remarkable.
9- THE BRUTALIST
The most ambitious American film of the year is indeed an instant classic influenced by the greatest in American cinema’s splendor. Actor turned director Brady Corbet gave us an impressive cinematic miracle: with limited budget, he masterly crafted a sumptuous work, something we’ve been craving for since “There Will be Blood”. Delivering stunning performances from Adrien Brody and Guy Pearce, it grabs you from the beginning with its magnificent beauty, mystery and complexity, and won’t let you go: the journey of a Holocaust survivor living the American Dream, its glory and torments, is simply unforgettable.
10- HOW TO HAVE SEX
Focusing on the troubles of youth and their eagerness for sex, party and fame, first time writer-director Molly Manning Walker crafts an alarming, vibrant and accurate canvas of Generation Z. Anchored by Mia McKenna-Bruce’s breakthrough performance it announces the beginning of a bright future for both its director and lead star. Bravo!
ANOTHER MEMORABLE SET OF +15
11- THE FIRE INSIDE
12- HERE (Belgium) + FEMME + TOTEM
13- DO NOT EXPECT TOO MUCH FROM THE END OF THE WORLD
14- HIT MAN + FLOW
15- GHOSTLIGHT
16- I’M STILL HERE
17- THE MONK & THE GUN + INSHALLAH A BOY + KNEECAP
18- JANET PLANET
19- THE GREEN BORDER
20- A REAL PAIN
21- I SAW THE TV GLOW
22- THE ROOM NEXT DOOR
23- JUROR #2
24- LA CHIMERA
25- KIDNAPPED
ALSO VERY GOOD AND SHOULD BE REMEMBERED
SING SING (pict.), SEBASTIAN, GOOD ONE, RED ISLAND, COUP!, MY OLD ASS, THE FEELING THAT THE TIME FOR DOING SOMETHING HAS PASSED, TERRESTRIAL VERSES, AGENT OF HAPPINESS, DIDI, MUSICA, COUP DE CHANCE, TREASURE, EL CASTIGO, ORDINARY ANGELS, PROPERTY.
GUILTY PLEASURES
STOPMOTION (pict.), CHALLENGERS, THE VOURDALAK, MILLER’S GIRL, THELMA, LAST SUMMER, MAXXXINE, FLY ME TO THE MOON, HERECTIC, GLITTER & DOOM, SCAB VENDOR, PROBLEMISTA, BIG BOYS, THE BEEKEEPER, QUEENDOM.
NOT RELEASED YET
GRAND TOUR (pict.), HARVEST, AKIN’S DESERT, PEPE, THE EDITORIAL OFFICE, BABY, YOUNG HEARTS.
BEST ACTORS
Keith Kupferer (Ghostlight)
Ralph Fiennes (Conclave)
Adrien Brody (The Brutalist)
Clarence Maclin (Sing Sing)
John Turturro (The Room Next Door)
BEST ACTRESSES
Mia McKenna-Bruce (How To Have Sex)
Vicky Krieps (The Dead Don’t Hurt)
Demi Moore (The Substance)
Maisy Stella (My Old Ass)
Danielle Deadwyler (The Piano Lesson)
AND THE WORST FILMS ARE:
ANORA (pict.), BABYGIRL, LOVE LIES BLEEDING, FIREBRAND, MEGALOPOLIS, BORDERLANDS, CIVIL WAR, DADDIO, DRIVE AWAY DOLLS, ARGYLLE, THE FIRST ROOM, THE BOOK OF CLARENCE, NIGHT SWIM, BLINK TWICE, BETWEEN THE TEMPLES, STRESS POSITIONS, FREE TIME, SPACEMAN, BOB MARLEY ONE LOVE, IMAGINARY, MADAME WEB, BACK TO BLACK, KINDS OF KINDNESS, SASQUATCH SUNSET, LAND OF BAD, HORIZON PART 1.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! LONG LIVE CINEMA!
GO TO THE MOVIES! SUPPORT THE INDIES!
