While 2023 has been an excellent year for films. Sadly, as has been the case in most recent years, the movies nominated for the big awards, specifically the Oscars, haven’t been my favorites. This year continues the trend. At the time of this post, I have three of the predicted ten Best Picture-nominated movies in my Top 10 movies of 2023, with that number more likely to go down than up as I revisit my thoughts. The same can be said of the nominations in the other awards, specifically the other Big Five. It has felt as if voters are more interested in rewarding actors who are traditionally nominated or are due for their first nomination, and the nomination is a longevity award rather than an outstanding performance that year.
Category Archives: Drama
Anatomy of a Fall (2023)
Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall could be the Oscar darling of 2023. The film has generated a lot of awards-season buzz. While mainly shown in arthouse-type theaters, this tour de force has sustained a long theatrical run. Positive critical reviews and word-of-mouth conversations have helped the film tremendously and at the right time. A lock to be nominated for Best International Film, Anatomy of a Fall has a chance to receive nominations for Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress in a Lead Performance (Sandra Hüller), and Best Picture. Far from an earth-shattering film, or even one that you’ll think about much after your viewing, it is a worthwhile watch that will have your mind switching back and forth through its 150-minute run-time, anticipating how it might end.
Ferrari (2023)
2023 has been the year of the biopic. The year may be the blueprint for success that could ignite a trend. Each year, several biopics are released. Some are good. Some are not. In 2023, it has often felt like a new biopic was set for release each week. Some of the better ones were The Iron Claw, Dumb Money, Oppenheimer, Blackberry, Tetris, Maestro, Air, and Sound of Freedom. At some point, there was biopic overload, with films like Golda, Big George Foreman, Rise, Chevalier, Rustin, and Nyad getting lost in the shuffle. Rustin and Nyad are receiving Oscar Buzz for leading acting performances. Yet, if not for this recognition, each film likely would have gone unnoticed by the public.
Godzilla Minus One (2023)
Finally! This is what a Godzilla movie was meant to be! Since 1954, there have been 37 movies with “Godzilla” in the title, with another (Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire) set for a 2024 release. Of the 37, only four are animated. Almost all are Japanese-made. The handful of American-made films, including Godzilla (1998), Godzilla (2014), Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), and Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), are mediocre at best. These films failed to execute in many ways, something Takashi Yamazaki’s (Lupin III: The First, Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura) nearly impeccable Godzilla Minus One does not.
All of Us Strangers (2023)
Dark. Mysterious. Unsettling. Romantic. Poetic Prophetic. Andrew Haigh’s (Leon on Pete, 45 Years) All of Us Strangers is an imaginative, transcendent love story featuring two Oscar-nominated actors portraying empathetic characters desperately searching for human connection. This idyllic love story gives a glimpse from its first scenes that our two leads are destined for something beautifully tragic.