My Top 20 films of 2022
1. “Women Talking” (d. Sarah Polley)
2. “Joyland” (d. Saim Sadiq)
3. “Avatar: The Way of Water” (d. James Cameron)
4. “Benediction” (d. Terence Davies)
5. “Last Film Show (d. Pan Nalin)
6. “Saint Omer” (d. Alice Diop)
7. “Broker” (d. Hirokazu Kore-eda)
8. “Happening” (d. Audrey Diwan)
9. “Three Thousand Years of Longing” (d. George Miller)
10. “Nope” (d. Jordan Peele)
11. “No Bears” (d. Jafar Panahi)
12. “All Quiet on the Western Front” (d. Edward Berger)
13. “The Banshees of Inisherin” (d. Martin McDonagh)
14. “The Blue Caftan” (d. Maryam Touzani)
15. “The Northman” (d. Robert Eggers)
16. “The Batman” (d. Matt Reeves)
17. “Holy Spider” (d. Ali Abbasi)
18. “Klondike” (d. Maryna Er Gorbach)
19. “Alcarràs” (d. Carla Simón)
20. “Decision to Leave” (d. Park Chan-wook)
More than anything, the 2022 year in film feels like a marked return to normal after the unusualness of the pandemic era of 2020 and 2021. This is reflected both in the gargantuan box-offices of the successes of the year, as well as the more populist approaches to nominees from the Academy Awards. Still, the discrepancy between the recent award season – culminating tonight with the Oscars – and the swathe of excellent films in less lauded corners, makes the end of the award season more bittersweet than truly reflective of an industry adapting to a “post” pandemic world.
The Oscar nominees for Best Picture do offer an eclectic range, even if I remain less enthused about a good third of them. Even as four of my 20 favourites have found favour in the Best Picture nominees, I am cautious about the range of actual nominees. For example, I found the frenetic exuberance of The Daniels’ “Everything Everywhere All the Time” more tedious than illuminating when I reviewed it in May, and I was more ambivalent about the formal precision of Todd Field’s “Tár” (unreviewed) despite appreciating the ambition of its stolidity. But rather than talking about what I don’t like in the Oscar nominees (like the simultaneous daring and repetitiveness of “Triangle of Sadness” or unambitious technicalities of “Top Gun: Maverick”) I want to use this last hurrah of 2022 films, before tonight’s ceremony, to celebrate the films I feel most enthusiastic about in the last year. The 20 films listed above each signal good things, in their way, for the industry even amidst the fragility of what the future of the industry might look like across the world.
It’s why, I’m so enthused about the sheer emotional acuity of Sarah Polley’s “Women Talking” which marks the first time since Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma” in 2018 that my favourite film of the year is a nominee for Best Picture. Polley’s film, which I’ve inexplicably seen seven times since its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, with its thoughtful approach to its group of women – all grappling with the reality of the abuse of the men in their Mennonite colony – refuses to condescend to its characters, or to telegraph the expected ways to make us feel. Instead, “Women Talking” lets us in, ever so gently, into the lives of these people and their trust in their faith against the unthinkable delivering a nuance and sincere fable of becoming. It is an astonishing film of empathy, and each choice (the thrilling score, the intentional blocking, the unusual colour grading) feels like part of a miraculous milieu.
It’s that level of sincerity which runs throughout the best films of the year. “Joyland” became the first Bangladeshi film to be make the top-15 shortlist for the Best International Film Oscar and I hoped that it would make the final list of nominees. Alas, no. Instead, the actual nominees in that category offer a conventional collection of European films (and an Argentinian entry) that mostly, unfortunately, belie the transnational strength of submissions. “Joyland”, though, feels destined to live on beyond its foiled Oscar hopes. In a stunning debut, Sadiq delivers a heart-rending tale of a shy young-man navigating his love for his wife, his fledgling romance with a transwoman and the patriarchal weight of his father’s shadow. The same father-son dynamics also run through James Cameron’s mega-blockbuster “The Way of Water” and India’s Oscar shortlisted, but also unnominated, “Last Film Show”, another underseen film (this one about a young rural boy’s dream of becoming a filmmaker) that I hope builds a legacy beyond this year. As the world celebrates the brash “RRR”, I hope the sweet charm of “The Last Film Show” finds international audience.
In “Benediction” and “Saint Omer”, a legend of British cinema and a French newcomer offer startling inventive takes on familiar genres – the artistic biopic and the legal dramas. Both films bend our awareness of tropes of tragedy into films which intelligently weave their stylistic prowess while remaining keyed into the aching performances from their cast. Further afield are two ambitious films that hinge on unplanned motherhood – Diwan’s French abortion-drama “Happening” imagines itself as a quasi-horror following a young woman in the sixties on a dangerous journey to find an abortion as society ignores her plight. Even more ambitious is Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Broker” in its ability to make a startlingly warm drama about a pair of men who smuggle unwanted babies for couples looking to adopt in the very difficult Korean adoption system. Somehow that set-up turns into a warm and hopeful film. And, rounding out the top 10 we return to English speaking-fare with two underrated fantasy films – Miller’s literary elegy to storytelling and Jordan Peele’s best-film-yet a filmic elegy to storytelling. Both films sum up the metatextual thrust of 2022, as the best films of the year found cinema reflexing and reflecting on itself and its possibilities.
The remaining ten films in my top 20 feature exiled Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi with his thrilling metatextual commentary in “No Bears”; political intrigue and visceral thrills in “Holy Spider” and “Decision to Leave”; moving familial dramas in the love-triangle of “The Blue Caftan” and the agrarian sadness of “Alcarràs”; varying accounts of countries at war in Ukrainian “Klondike” and German “All Quiet on the Western Front”; and three contemplations on masculinity in “The Batman”, “The Banshees of Inisherin” and “The Northman”. It’s been a good year in film.
My Best Directors
James Cameron for “Avatar: The Way of Water”
Terence Davies for “Benediction”
Jordan Peele for “Nope”
Sarah Polley for “Women Talking”
Saim Sadiq for “Joyland”
Oscars’ Best Director
Todd Field for “Tár”
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert for “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Martin McDonagh for “The Banshees of Inisherin”
Ruben Östlund for “Triangle of Sadness”
Steven Spielberg for “The Fabelmans”
In a just world, it would be hard to bet against the gargantuan reach of Cameron’s imagination in “The Way of Water”, whose sincerity met his love for spectacle in a true feast for the eyes. It’s a shame that after three nominations for female-directors over 2020/2021 Sarah Polley could not find favour with this branch this year. Of the actual Oscar nominees, although the Daniels seem bound for glory, I’m most impressed by Östlund and Spielberg. I may be more mixed than enthusiastic on the actual film that is “Triangle of Sadness”, but it is hard to deny that the things which work best about the ribald class-comedy are most dependent on Östlund’s perverse ability to visually provoke while stoking our amusing. It’s inventive work. And in “The Fabelmans” tribute to movies and family, Spielberg finds the happy medium between formal grace and emotion in his work in “The Fabelmans”, the best direction he’s done since 2002’s “Minority Report”.
My Best Supporting Actors
Stephen Chacon in “Emergency”
Albrecht Schuch in “All Quiet on the Western Front”
Gang Dong-won in “Broker”
Andrew Scott in “Catherine Called Birdy”
Ben Whishaw in “Women Talking”
Oscars’ Best Supporting Actors
Brendan Gleeson in “The Banshees of Inisherin”
Brian Tyree Henry in “Causeway”
Judd Hirsch in “The Fabelmans”
Barry Keoghan in “The Banshees of Inisherin”
Ke Huy Quan in “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
What a travesty that Lena Dunham’s best film, the hilarious and earnest “Catherine Called Birdy” went by ignored since its festival premiere last year. Andrew Scott’s turn as an absurdly wrongheaded and well-intentioned in medieval England is a comedic tour-de-force and stands above the rest of potential choices for supporting actor. Further afield, the humorous idiosyncrasies of Chacon in the college-comedy “Emergency” signal a young actor worth considering, Schuch and Gang provide sly turns in ensemble dramas and the ever-dependable Ben Whishaw shows sharp empathy as the lone male among the “Women Talking”. Ke Huy Quan is, perhaps, the closest thing to a sure thing at tonight’s ceremony and his performance (although it belongs in the Lead Category) will not be a bad winner. Of the actual nominees, though, I’m most enthused about Barry Keoghan’s off-kilter approach in “The Banshees of Inisherin” finding the humour and wistfulness in his hopeful, but abused, Dominic.
My Best Supporting Actresses
Shafy Bello in “The King’s Horseman”
Kerry Condon in “The Banshees of Inisherin”
Judith Ivey in “Women Talking”
Rasti Farooq in “Joyland”
Rooney Mara in “Women Talking”
Oscars’ Best Supporting Actresses
Angela Bassett in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
Hong Chau in “The Whale”
Kerry Condon in “The Banshees of Inisherin”
Jamie Lee Curtis in “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Stephanie Hsu in “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Rooney Mara (in English) and Rasti Farooq (in Urdu and Punjabi) find depth and nuance in quietness and stillness that lingers for long after their characters leave us. Their performances linger within the loudness surrounding them in their respective films, and contrast against the more ostentatious work finding favour with awards. Kerry Condon, a beleaguered but understanding sister in “Banshees” is the only pick of mine that makes the Academy’s shortlist, and her welcome BAFTA win has made her emerge as a potential spoiler for tonight’s awards. Still, the race seems more inclined towards the duelling veterans – Angela Bassett as the regal Queen and Jamie Lee Curtis as a tiresome accountant. Both performers have given us excellent careers, even if neither performance feels like a fitting representation of their work or the year’s best. Of the two, Bassett at least is consistently engaging unlike Curtis who offers my least favourite performance in this category.
In thinking of Bassett’s work, I can’t help but consider the more impressive turn from Nigerian actress Shaffy “Bello in the underseen adaptation of Wole Soyinka’s monumental play, or the quiet dignity of Judith Ivey as the wisest of the women in “Women Talking”. Meanwhile, even though I am no fan of the falsity in Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale”, I am happy to see Hong Chau celebrating her first Oscar nomination after providing the only smattering of human honesty in cruel myopia of that film.
My Best Actors
Jake Gyllenhaal in “Ambulance”
Ali Junejo in “Joyland”
Jack Lowden in “Benediction”
Owen Teague in “Montana Story”
Song Kang-ho in “Broker”
Oscars’ Best Actors
Austin Butler in “Elvis”
Colin Farrell in “The Banshees of Inisherin”
Brendan Fraser in “The Whale”
Paul Mescal in “Aftersun”
Bill Nighy in “Living”
Considering that the likely winner of this category tonight will be either Austin Butler or Brendan Fraser attempting emotional catharsis in performances (and films) that don’t quite cohere, I’m happy to have been blessed with the sincere performances of Jack Lowden and Ali Junejo who do some of the most emotionally moving work of the year. Junejo is a Bangladeshi actor who has worked primarily in theatre and delivers my favourite non-English performance of the year in “Joyland”. It’s exactly the kind of sensitive and emotive work that tends to be ignored by mainstream awards, which is why I’m so happy that my fellow jury-members at January’s Palm Springs Film Festival were able to award him our Actor Prize. Meanwhile, British heartthrob Jack Lowden’s tender work as the British poet Siegfried Sassoon offers the emotional depth lacking in most of the actual Oscar nominees. Only Colin Farrell, in this category, offers a performance that seems truly nuanced. Butler is a serviceable Elvis, but it seems truly jarring to think that he may become the most-feted performer from a Baz Luhrmann film.
Young Owen Teague (who performs opposite the nominated Andrea Riseborough in “To Leslie”) gives the star-making turn as a son who does not mourn the imminent death of his father in “Montana Story” and Korean master Song offers yet another bit of excellence in “Broker”. I suspect Gyllenhaal’s wide-eyed freneticism in Michael Bay’s thriller may be an unusual choice, but the best thrills of that film are found in his go-for-broke work.
My Best Actresses
Oksana Cherkashina in “Klondike”
Rebecca Hall in “Resurrection”
Guslagie Malanga in “Saint Omer”
Carey Mulligan in “She Said”
Anamaria Vartolomei in “Happening”
Oscars’ Best Actresses
Cate Blanchett in “Tár”
Ana de Armas in “Blonde”
Andrea Riseborough in “To Leslie”
Michelle Williams in “The Fabelmans”
Michelle Yeoh in “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
The nailbiter of whether Blanchett or Yeoh will prevail tonight feels less urgent, than considering the wealth of excellent turns that 2022 had to offer for leading ladies. If Yeoh prevails tonight it would be a welcome unusual genre of film to be celebrated in this category, but I can’t help thinking how much Rebecca Hall’s towering performance in the body-horror “Resurrection” (completely ignored in 2022) is a sign that horror remains on the outskirts for so many. In 2021, Hall (a director and actress) directed Ruth Negga to the best performance of 2021 which inexplicable went with an Oscar nomination, and I’ll admit I am more surprised at the limited outcry for that compared to the recent backlash to 2022’s nominations in the wake of the absence of the (very good) Danielle Deadwyler and Viola Davis in this category. For many, the inquiry into Black Actresses ends here, but thrilling work from Negga last year or Alfre Woodard in “Clemency” in 2019 feel as worthy of clamouring query.
Still, even as both unnominated women (Davis and Deadwyler) this year offered riveting takes on Black womanhood, if only the outcries were looking beyond conventional English-language fare to the note-perfect Guslagie Malanga in “Saint Omer” as a mother accused of infanticide” in a tremendous performer. Hall and Malanga, both films hinging on motherhood, offer daring and unflinching commitment in their work and I feel happy to have witnessed their tremendous work which resonate beyond the award plaudits of whoever becomes the Oscar winner. Of the actual nominees, I’m intrigued by the fanciful ambition of Williams’ diaphanous mother in “The Fabelmans” and Riserborough’s commitment to a familiar alcoholic mother in “To Leslie” but the searing eyes of Hall and Malanga look out at me offering peerless work this year. They are joined by Ukrainian Cherkashina as a mother going through the hell of war, Vartolomei as a young student who is not ready to enter motherhood, and Carey Mulligan’s trenchant journalist.
What are my hopes for the Oscars? Perhaps Sarah Polley wins a much-deserved Best Screenplay award, perhaps “The Banshees of Inisherin” does not go home empty-handed. Beyond that, little else. The Oscars do matter as a zeitgeist footnote of what the industry thinks and I’ll always value what they offer in ways of memorialisation for emerging cinephiles. They were my first point-of-reference when I began to consider film seriously. But now, I can look at them only as an intriguing, if uncompelling, account of a range of options reflecting a limited consideration of what makes the “best” of the year – not always ones I agree but valuable for what they suggest about the industry.
Meanwhile, I’ll spend the weekend thinking of the humanistic grace of “Women Talking” and “Joyland” of the spectacular imaginative worlds of “The Way of Water” and “Nope” and “Three Thousand Years of Longing”, the societal tales of “Saint Omer” and “Last Film Show” and “No Bears” and the sly inventiveness of “Broker” and “Decision” to Leave” and “The Northman” and the rest of film I have memorialised in the column this week. The Oscars are once a year, but good cinema is forever and as I officially close the door on the best of 2022 in cinema, I know 2023 has already gotten off to a great start from the premieres at Sundance to upcoming holdovers from 2022 that are yet to be screened by wider audiences.
Even as I am likely to be ambivalent about the winner of tonight’s ceremony, and even as we are bound to see another swathe of handwringing about low turnout for the Oscars, I know that film – not just American film but around the world – is in good hands. The imaginative work of Polley, and Diop, and Sadiq, and Davies, and Peele, and Nalin, and Hirokazu, and Kore-eda, and Touzani, and so many more promise that.
