BEST ACTOR - Brendan Fraser, The Whale
The Whale was my #1 most anticipated movie of 2022, and a large part of that had to do with Brendan Fraser making a comeback. After some personal issues took him away from the spotlight for a number of years, Darren Aronofsky gave The Mummy star the role of a lifetime - earning him a well-deserved 6-minute tear-filled standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival. Playing a 400-pound, regret-filled gay father stuck inside his apartment, Fraser takes a role that could have been either simply misery porn or the cringe of the century and creates a truly transcendent performance unlike anything I've ever seen. While online reactions have been very divisive over the film, I personally found it to be one of the most moving portraits humanity I've ever seen.
Runner-Up: Austin Butler, Elvis
Despite appearing in small roles here and there, I'd never registered the name Austin Butler until now, thanks to his incredible turn as the King of Rock and Roll. While I was left mixed on the overall film (for better or worse it's totally a Baz Luhrmann joint), Butler's stage presence was magnetic.
Honorable Mentions:
1. Mark Rylance, Bones and All
2. Paul Mescal, Aftersun
3. Eddie Redmayne, The Good Doctor
4. John Boyega, Breaking
5. Alexander Skarsgård, The Northman
BEST ACTRESS - Mia Goth, Pearl
Mia Goth has been on my radar ever since the underrated A Cure for Wellness - she has this peculiar look that, like Anya Taylor Joy or Mia Wasikowska, feels "off" in the best way. Giving the young actress the platform to truly show off her talents, Ti West's horror prequel to X is a harrowing villain origin story that shows Mia Goth is a force to be reckoned with. If the Oscars weren't cowards, this should win Best Actress, but it likely won't even be nominated!
Runner-Up: Danielle Deadwyler, Till
Another name that didn't register until this performance, Danielle Deadwyler, playing Emmett Till's grieving mother in this latest biopic, gives a masterclass in conveying utter heartbreak and resilience.
Honorable Mentions:
1. Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin
2. Aubrey Plaza, Emily the Criminal
3. Renate Reinsve, The Worst Person in the World
4. Zoe Kravitz, Kimi
5. Margot Robbie, Babylon
Decades later and the Jackass crew are still putting themselves through bodily harm for our amusement. Easily the hardest I've laughed in a theater this year, the fourth entry in the main series also brought us this awesome poster, with Johnny Knoxville being shot out of a canon while spreading angel wings. The image says it all - the man has a death wish, he's a modern day Evel Knievel, but there's also a freedom and truly carefree joy in it as well.
Runner-Up: Thor: Love and Thunder
I'm apparently in the minority that greatly enjoyed Thor: Love and Thunder - a fun Marvel summer blockbuster - and I also loved its colorful posters, evoking the days of 1980s fantasy books and films.
Honorable Mentions:
2. The Batman
5. Blonde
BEST TRAILER - Wakanda Forever
After the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, the world was anxious about how Marvel would handle his loss in future Black Panther films. I can't fathom the pressure that put on the marketing team to assure audiences Wakanda Forever was in good hands - but they knocked it out of the park. The trailer, with expert timing, beautiful music and centered around a chill-inducing speech from Angela Bassett, was one I'd actually look forward to in the theater!
Runner-Up: Nope
Jordan Peele is the current king of horror, and Nope's trailer, promising his biggest-scale scare-fest yet, is perfectly creepy and mysterious. I also love the reverse direction of the credits, hinting at the fears lurking in the sky.
Honorable Mentions:
2. The Batman
4. The Northman
5. Lightyear
BEST MUSIC SCORE - Babylon, Justin Hurwitz
Composer Justin Hurwitz and director Damien Chazelle were made for each other - whether it's creating the upbeat musical throwback of La La Land, the pensive intensity of First Man, or the Jazz Age insanity that is Babylon, their collaborations have spawned some of my favorite movie themes ever. While Babylon has been getting some negative reviews, I loved it for how it captures the sleazy, over-the-top time period, and how it's expressed through the frenetic music that pulses to the beat of a coke-riddled heart.
Runner-Up: Crimes of the Future, Howard Shore
Howard Shore - perhaps best known for his work on the Lord of the Rings trilogy - teams up with David Cronenberg again (their 18th collaboration!) for his comeback to body horror sci-fi, Crimes of the Future. Shore's music perfectly matches the otherworldly ambience of the body modification underground performance art world gruesomely depicted in the film.
Honorable Mentions:
1. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ludwig Göransson
2. Parallel Mothers, Alberto Iglesias
3. Pearl, Tyler Bates & Timothy Williams
4. The Northman, Robin Carolan & Sebastian Gainsborough
5. Hellraiser, Ben Lovett
RRR is one of the most epic movies of the year. Thanks to Netflix, it's become a massive hit beyond its native India, mixing crazy action scenes unlike anything you've seen in a Hollywood film, a large-scale "history lesson," a Shakespearian tale of friendship, and of course this amazing dance number "Naatu Naatu" that makes the best use of suspenders ever conceived in a musical interlude.
Runner-Up: "Love is Not Love" from Bros
Billy Eichner may not have been happy with the box office results of Bros, the first mainstream gay romantic comedy - but maybe it will find its audience later. The song "Love is Not Love" is a surprising moment in the movie so I won't spoil it, but it goes to show that Billy can SING!
Honorable Mentions:
BEST ACTION SCENE - The Mission, Top Gun: Maverick
His off-screen life might be problematic, but Tom Cruise always hits it out of the park with his spectacular action scenes. Flying an actual fighter jet with mounted cameras, the final "impossible" mission in the long-awaited Top Gun sequel is what movies were made for. Absolutely thrilling - there's a reason why this raked so much money at the box office!
Runner-Up: Police Station Fight, RRR
The most "epic" movie of the year, RRR first dropped my jaw during this early fight scene with what seems like one determined officer vs. hundreds of other guys. You simply do not see things like this in movies anymore. Maximalist filmmaking at its most entertaining!
Honorable Mentions:
1. Fanny Pack Fight, Everything Everywhere All at Once
2. Batmobile getting caught in the rain, The Batman
3. Piggyback Fight, RRR
4. Bridge fight, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
5. Americans vs. Na'vi with Whales, Avatar: The Way of Water
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN - Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN - Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Last year I gave this award to Nightmare Alley, so I guess if Guillermo del Toro releases a film, it's a trump card for this category! But even though Pinocchio is a stop motion animated film, sets still needed to be constructed, and just because they are smaller than a live-action set, doesn't make it any less impressive! The tactile, wood-carved look of the film perfectly fits the story and there are intricate details in every frame.
Runner-Up: The Northman
Why is The Northman getting snubbed so hard this awards season? Maybe someday director Robert Eggers will get his moment, but if you want to feel transported to the muck and grime of the times of the Vikings, The Northman will do just that!
Honorable Mentions:
1. Cyrano
2. Crimes of the Future
3. Barbarian
4. Three Thousand Years of Longing
5. Babylon
BEST COSTUME - Art the Clown, Terrifier 2
One of the things I think about when awarding this category is: 'Could you recognize the character/movie from the costume alone'? With Art the Clown, it's more about, can you ever forget it once you see it! One of my new favorite slasher villains, this mute psycho with a penchant for laughing at the darkest things imaginable, Art is sure to become a Halloween costume staple as more people spread the word!
Runner-Up: Jamie Lee Curtis's Yellow Outfit, Everything Everywhere All at Once
I honestly believe the sole reason Jamie Lee Curtis is getting award season accolades for this role is the fact that she boldly wears the most un-flattering outfit imaginable. As an older actress showing what her body actually looks like, but still being hilarious and ass-kicking - you have to give her credit!
Honorable Mentions:
1. Everything Angela Bassett Wears, Wakanda Forever
2. Red Dress, Pearl
3. Hawke's Mask, The Black Phone
4. The Riddler, The Batman
5. Cyrano's Uniform, Cyrano
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Marcel the Shell looks like if Terence Malick directed an animated film. There is a completely unique, beautiful, all-natural glow to this cute indie comedy that made me want to live in it.
Runner-Up: Blonde
Blonde has garnered quite a bit of controversy lately - from the notorious NC-17 rating to some decrying the film as exploitation. But one thing is for sure: the cinematography is great! Switching between different styles throughout, it visually conveys the many elusive sides of one of Hollywood's most gossiped-about starlets, Marilyn Monroe.
Honorable Mentions:
1. Nope
2. Top Gun: Maverick
3. Barbarian
4. Bodies Bodies Bodies
5. Babylon
BEST TV SERIES - Better Call Saul, Season 6 (AMC)
They stuck the landing. Better Call Saul wraps up the entire Breaking Bad saga in a pitch perfect way and I can't wait to re-watch the whole thing again!
Runner-Up: Severance (Apple TV+)
Ben Stiller one-ups his fantastic prison break miniseries on Showtime, Escape from Dannemora, with a hugely ambitious, thought-provoking workplace sci-fi series that blew my mind every episode!
Honorable Mentions:
1. The Rehearsal (HBO)
2. Pam and Tommy (Hulu)
3. Ozark, Season 4 (Netflix)
4. House of the Dragon (HBO)
5. We Need to Talk About Cosby (Showtime)
BEST COMEDY SPECIAL - Jerrod Carmichael, Rothaniel
This comedy special from Jerrod Carmichael, directed by Bo Burnham, is one of the most intimate and confessional I've ever seen. It's the sort of thing that could've backfired with a terrible crowd, but he brings you on an emotional journey with this extremely personal performance, blurring the line between a show and straight up real humanity you rarely see in stand-up.
Runner-Up: Taylor Tomlinson, Look At You
In this special, Taylor Tomlinson is somehow able to hilariously discuss her own personal struggles with mental health through the lens of a stand-up comedian.
Honorable Mentions:
1. Nick Kroll, Little Big Boy
2. Aziz Ansari, Nightclub Comedian
3. Neal Brennan: Blocks
4. Bill Burr, Live at Red Rocks
5. Patton Oswalt, We All Scream
WORST MOVIE - Christmas Bloody Christmas
There's a sector of low budget horror movies that holds a special place in my heart - despite shoddy effects or sub-par acting, there's a certain likeable, scrappy charm to them. However, Christmas Bloody Christmas, a killer robot Santa movie released this December on the Shudder streaming app, just made me angry.
The characters are all clearly ciphers for the director, having unrealistic arguments like if Pet Sematery 2 is better than the original. The film is like when you get conversation-trapped by that one know-it-all hipster friend who believes they're clever as they increasingly get drunk and spew expletives every other word. The garish neon lighting looks like the back of a Spencer's gifts, the kills are unremarkable, and besides a few sparks and green eyes, it doesn't make use of the robot Santa concept at all.
Runner-Up: The Munsters
While I did appreciate some of the new costume and set designs here, Rob Zombie's reboot of The Munsters is one of the most aggressively unfunny things I've ever seen. I had high hopes since Zombie is a self-proclaimed huge Munsters aficionado, but a comedian he is not. Easily my biggest disappointment of the year.
(Dis-)Honorable Mention:
1. Moonfall
2. The 355
3. Jurassic World: Dominion
4. Firestarter
5. Morbius
BEST "RETRO" DISCOVERY - A Patch of Blue (1965)
Needs to be at least 20 years old (2002)
RIP Sidney Poitier. Truly one of the all-time great actors, he always infused his roles with class and dignity, and was a true progressive in African-American representation on film. In A Patch of Blue, he plays the love interest of a blind white girl, played by Elizabeth Hartman, in one of the most moving portrayals of love I've ever seen.
Runner-Up: Desert Hearts (1985)
Speaking of progressive love stories, Desert Hearts was a landmark film in the LGBT canon, depicting what's considered the first positive portrayal of lesbians in a wide release film. Again, the relationship is made all the more heartbreaking in that society doesn't want them to be together.
Honorable Mentions:
1. Ghost World (2001)
2. The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)
3. Starman (1984)
4. Living in Oblivion (1995)
5. Smooth Talk (1985)
Thank you for reading - hopefully you enjoyed looking through my year in film and possibly have some new flicks to check out in 2023! I'll have my official top ten list soon, so stay tuned! And below, find a playlist of the music mentioned above:
No comments:
Post a Comment