You'll notice this top 10 is lacking one film. That's because I didn't see 10 new releases in 2022. The cinema had two things working against it in summer, excellent weather and the Commonwealth Games, and then the end of November/start of December when I would normally have caught up, I was taken out by the cold that knocked me sideways for 3 weeks (yes, it was just a cold, no, I have no explanation).
This means I've not seen Black Panther 2 yet, which I aim to remedy shortly. I doubt we're going to have excellent weather two years in a row, so hopefully 2023 will see me watching more films in the cinema.
I am applying my usual 4 criteria:
a – did the film do what it set out to do?
b – did it use its resources to its best ability? A £250,000 film is not going to have as good explosions as a £25,000,000 film, or it shouldn’t, and if it does, there’s something wrong with the £25,000,000 film. Basically, it's a technical merit score.
c – Intellectual satisfaction – does the film’s plot pull some really stupid move at the last moment? Does the plot rely on characters being more stupid than they are?
d – Does this work as a whole? Did it work for me? I am aware that this is the most subjective of subjective criteria!
1 - Cyrano
I cried for three quarters of this film. I am not sure I can recommend it more than that (matters were not helped by me knowing what happens next).
Sure, I have opinions on some of the changes and the marketing, but it's a joy.
(Also, I will never forgive various awards ceremonies for not giving "Wherever I Fall" something - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHo3w5ORcdY)
2 - Parallel Mothers
The thing I like about Almodovar is he writes woman who are real in all the best, jagged ways. I have no idea what they'll do next.
I know some people find him a little too much but this is one of his good ones.
3 - Bad Guys
This is an absolute joyous delight of a film.
I love Snake the most, of course I do, and this deeply stupid joke (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_inDxb7wQ-Q) got the second biggest belly laugh of the year out me.
I'm cheating slightly, because I saw this on an aeroplane, but despite a 24 hour delay to the flight, it still made me smile so much. The lady who sat next to me would also like to add her vote.
That's how good it is - it makes jetlagged strangers talk to each other.
4 - Bullet Train
D wanted to see a stupid film to keep him amused for a couple of hours. This filled that gap.
Is it good? I don't know. But it is enjoyable.
The Boomslang's character card got the biggest belly laugh of the year.
5 - Everything Everywhere All At Once
This one is actually probably me being the problem. Like, I love the idea of it, and the execution of it (and the rock universe), but mindless positivity annoys me as much as mindless negativity.
6 - Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Skipping all my spoilery comments, this was a fun film, even if it's yet another example of Strange being used as the springboard for other people's films rather than getting one of his own. (I still want Strange vs Mordo. I am never getting Strange vs Mordo. I refuse to accept this.)
7 - Spiderman: No Way Home
I am the problem with this. Nine tenths of this is solid, it's just the remaining tenth annoys me to beyond reason. And yes, it's to do with the not-quite-avunculicide.
8 - Thor: Love and Thunder
I appreciate Taika Waititi's attempt to do a Brechtian superhero film. Even if it didn't work, I appreciate the attempt. I am also deeply amused that, the things I didn't like about Thor: Ragnarok, that I got told I was being a spoilsport about, are the things everyone else who loved Ragnarok hated about Love and Thunder.
Also - killer bunny!
9 - Uncharted
This was just bad. At some point, Hollywood will have to realise that a tragic backstory does not equal characterisation.
It's a film that features a battle between airborne pirate ships and it's still the worst film I saw in the cinema last year by some way, that is how bad it is.
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