Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania; Wild, otherworldly visuals and a stellar cast attempt to overcome the MCU trappings of never ending, never starting, everlasting storyline. Fun, silly spectacle suffers from comic book conveniences & delayed back story yet still entertains; B+

 

The Sapphires

The Sapphires; Sweet indie film w/fun cast who possess great voices & comedic timing. O’Dowd leads emotional balance between laughs, romance & realities of war while themes of Australia’s history of racism are introduced & glazed over. Hard to not tap your toes to Motown soul; B+

Shotgun Wedding

Shotgun Wedding; A fun cast slumming it in the sun and trying desperately to make a screwball comedy sandwiched with 80s style action that ends up missing more than it hits and lacks any sense of sophistication or nuance. Some good moments too often slammed up against cringe; C
 

The Menu

The Menu; Delightfully exhilarating, hitting all the right notes, straddling tone line between abject horror & uproariously dark humour. Entire cast is perfect in their respective roles, playing every nuance the cleverly crafted script offers. Will live on for years to come; A
 

Billie Eilish Live at the O2

Billie Eilish Live at the O2; Expertly shot w/stunningly up-close angles that add to the concert experience. A performer where a sense of intimacy and closeness compliments the music. Very little extra behind the scenes material but an excellent capture of the live event; B+

Darby and the Dead

Darby and the Dead; Tries to be a Paranorman Mean Girls but despite its talented cast, fails miserably by devolving into worst teen movie tropes w/little heart or humour. There’s a great story lying in aspects of the themes but the script goes to the most obvious banal places; D

Fall

Fall; Breathtaking (and at times, stomach churning) photography spruces up this straightforward adrenaline adventure focussed on some thrill seeking young people. The heights are dizzying and their struggle exhilarating. A B-movie elevated by its cast and camera work; B+

Confess, Fletch

Confess, Fletch; The return of the wise cracking, identity creating investigative reporter with a nose for trouble is in great hands as portrayed by Hamm. He hits all the right notes in a script that balances action, comedy and romance perfectly. Bring on the sequels please!; A-

The Territory

The Territory; A story very much ongoing, this documentation of continued destruction of the Amazon & encroachment upon Indigenous land is compelling in how it comes from the Uru-eu-wau-wau’s own telling of their pressing situation to the world. We must listen, and respond; B+
 

The Pale Blue Eye

The Pale Blue Eye; Murder mystery immerses the viewer from the first frame forward w/atmospheric filming and fine acting. Bale shows why he can’t be defined by his comic book characters as his presence infuses the story with depth, despair and detective work. A fine whodunnit; B+

Avatar: The Way of Water

Avatar: The Way of Water; Technically astounding. Finale has elements of Terminator, Aliens & Titanic. Some story moments are silly. The film struggles to overcome the fact that most of the Sully family isn’t very likeable. A remarkable visual feast from the peerless Cameron; A

Beast

Beast; Simple premise is exactly what the trailer was selling audiences. Single father of two fights to survive a lion attack in remote Africa. Elba’s solid acting works well in tandem with special effects to deliver exhilarating thrills with few surprises. Real life horror; B

The Best and Worst Films of 2022

2022 was a sad year for films, as the movie going public didn't flock back to theatres in the way studios would have hoped. This may have more to do with the quality of films offered up to viewers than all the other reasons oft cited for box office decline. Sadly, it seemed easier to compile a list of the worst films I've seen this year than it was to brainstorm a Top 10 Best List off of the top of my head. 

Going back through the 59 new release films I saw this year (which includes streaming debuts and movie network premieres) that included 14 trips to the cinema, there was a real unevenness to the quality of content. Though a number of films earned an A-/B+ grade, there were very few that came with a hands down, "you HAVE to see this film!!" rave review. It's very clear what was the greatest film this year, followed by very few surprises and a bunch of well done, good job, pat on the back efforts. Here's to better offerings next year! So with this, I offer to you, the Top 10 Best Films I saw in 2022...

10. Bullet Train; Theatres used to be filled with films like these; fun, action packed stylized joy rides with a good amount of humour. Convincing Brad Pitt to play a role more generally reserved for the Channing Tatums and Ryan Reynolds of the world may speak more to the dearth of roles for leading men like him or it could just be a symptom of the type of work outside of superhero films that can appeal to action loving audiences and filmmakers alike. The casting of this train's cadre of characters works well to the film's benefit, adding to the carefully orchestrated mix of comedy, mystery and fight choreography. This is a true crowd pleaser in the vein of 90s indie action of an upper echelon. It doesn't compromise on its style, with a pace that pulls the audience along to the final frame, enjoying every minute of it.

9. The Worst Person in the World; Few films take the time to show us more than a single chapter in someone's life, unless it's a biopic of a celebrated famous person that showcases the highlights of their time on earth. Rarely do we see someone floundering through mid-life, messing up as often as they live it up, in the manner of Julie in the aptly titled The Worst Person in the World. A full performance of a full life, filled with the multitude of emotions, experiences and entanglements that people find themselves navigating through simply living life and trying to find one's footing despite conflicting goals and desires. Never exactly likeable, as the title suggests, but often highly relatable, Renate Reinsve is excellent embodying everything that can make us love and hate a person, filmed in a manner that captures the mundane, the heartbreaking and the hallucagenic quite perfectly imperfect.

8. Pink Skies Ahead; Technically a 2020 release, this slice of life living with anxiety popped up on the Movie Network and impressed with its honest depiction of the subtle aspects of crippling anxiety. Anchored by a wonderful performance from a favourite ingénue, Jessica Barden, this semi-autobiographical work comes from a place of profound truth, shying away from the trappings of stereotypical depictions of mental illness for the sake of movie machinations. The moments captured in the film are cute, sweet and common for coming of age dramas so when the anxiety enters the frame, it's a brilliant reminder of how people living with the struggle have their ordinary lives constantly threatened by this invisible monster always lurking under the surface, ready to explosively appear under the most inexplicable circumstances. Small budget filmmaking with a big impact for those impacted.

7. The Gray Man; Gosling finds a franchise role that he could play until the cows come home. In theatres, this very well may have been a blockbuster, as it checks all the boxes that spy thrillers like Bond and Bourne have delivered, to lesser returns than this film offers up. From the action and comedy masters, the Russo brothers, The Gray Man has three of the most charismatic, charming and alluring leads play cat and mouse for two hours. Gosling's deadpan delivery is nicely complemented by Evans' relishing his opportunity to take a villainous turn, while de Armas shows why she's much more than eye candy and continues to steal films from bigger box office drawing leading men despite being given underwritten roles. If Netflix continues to churn these out, it's only a matter of time The Gray Man series settles in nicely alongside the Mission: Impossible, Bourne and Bond series in the hearts and minds of movie lovers.

6. Run Woman Run; The antithesis to the film above, this small budget, small story has huge emotional returns and continues to demonstrate the strength of talent found in Indigenous filmmakers these days. Set in Six Nations of the Grand River, the film lovingly shoots the scenery between scenes of brutally honest self-questioning and self-delusion when it comes to pondering the state of our own physical/mental health and wellness. Dakota Ray Hebert heads up a down to earth cast that contains the diversity of personalties you're bound to likely run into on the reservation. The film solidifies the work of director Zoe Leigh Hopkins as a mainstay in the industry with a promising, long career ahead of her. The balance of sadness, hilarity, heart and humour can be a tonal shift struggle for some, but it's reflective of the reality that self-love is hard to come to terms with.

5. Nope; There's very few auteurs out there that can command an audience to show up in cinema seats based solely on their name alone, but Jordan Peele has become one of them. Though Nope may not come as a surprise given the initial images and themes hinted at in the trailers and previews, its carefully constructed and crafted filmmaking certainly takes the audience along for a surprisingly gripping ride. The fun of experiencing a thrilling, suspenseful film in the confines of a dark cinema is not lost on Peele. It's as though he made this film with the thrill of summer movie going in mind. A summer blockbuster mentality with genre chills reminiscent of the summer of Jaws, turning cloudwatching into the new showering or swimming of horror films past. You'll never see inflatable tube men again without thinking about the layered storyline of Nope.

4. Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio; Speaking of auteurs, there may not be another as passionate and affectionate about his love of monsters and monster movie making than Guillermo del Toro. People love to hear and see him express his love of the unloveable, and with his latest take on an age old tale, he managed to make me care about a story I never engaged with before. The meticulous workmanship of stop motion animation lends itself perfectly to the vision of del Toro and the story's obvious connection of bringing inanimate objects to life through the love and care we give them and how they return that love to us tenfold. This telling of the Pinocchio tale doesn't shy away from the horrors and grotesqueness inherent in the aspects of the story, while carving deep into the core of its themes of what makes humanity equally horrible and hopeful. Another beautiful fairy tale from del Toro.

3. Glass Onion; Sometimes watching a cast having so much fun can be less fun for the audience. This is NOT the case of Glass Onion, the latest Rian Johnson mystery in the Knives Out series. We could watch this group brought together to solve a murder on a gorgeous Greek island for much longer than it takes for Daniel Craig to solve the mystery. Janelle Monáe refreshes the reminder of how she is the consummate renaissance woman, while playing off a very playful cast of characters. Though the mystery isn't that perplexing, what is confounding is how exquisite this cast collaborates on a fun, entertaining diversion that we never knew we needed more of. I'm game for another instalment of this series, but I'm not sure if I want more Knives Out with Benoit Blanc, or more movies starring this exact same cast. Go along for the ride. You'll be glad you did.

2. The Woman King; There wasn't a more powerful performance this year than Viola Davis embodying the epitome of kingly power in The Woman King. Taking its tale from the true life Agojie, the film manages to out perform the fictional Dora Milaje found in the Black Panther movie in terms of ferocity, inspiration and fortitude. A real crowd pleaser of a film, it has the typical movie moments designed to make you stand up and cheer, but the cast and direction manages to elevate it above the tropes. The female thespians find ways to impart humour, pathos and heart wrenching emotion out of a script that could play simply as a pure run-of-the-mill action film. In that area, the film does not fail to deliver, with brutal, exhilarating fight scenes buttressed by background story that infuses the action with meaning and consequence.

1. Everything Everywhere All At Once; Funny story. We were going to go see Pulp Fiction in a theatre the night before seeing this film. At the last minute, I decided that I shouldn't force my youthful love of a once in a generation film on my daughter. In retrospect, I had come to realize that the moment wasn't right, it wasn't a film for her and isn't of her time or era. The next day we decided to go see Everything Everywhere All At Once, sight unseen. The most we knew was from 30 second ads on TV and 5-10 second social media spots that told us nothing. It looked like a fun kung-fu film starring Michelle Yeoh. We weren't prepared for the tour de force that is this film from the insanely gifted minds of the Daniels. Indescribable yet all encompassing in its offering of every genre blended together in a way that works infinitely better than anyone could imagine. It has to be seen to be believed and then rewatched to appreciate it on the many levels it operates on. We didn't go and see Pulp Fiction that evening. Instead, we went and saw the Pulp Fiction for this generation.

With that, I offer up some of the other films I enjoyed this year that didn't quite make the Top 10 of 2022 but are worth a watch. Check out the reviews by clicking the titles and decide if you want to give them a try in 2023. There's something for everyone in this strange mix of movies from this past year.

Honourable Mentions: The Batman, Crush, Drive My Car, Emily the Criminal, Enola Holmes 2, The Fallout, Pig, Sing 2, Sneakerella, Spirited, Vengeance, West Side Story

Sadly, this year offered up more than its share of awfulness on screen. I don't take joy in writing about horrible movies. I see it more as a service to others so you don't waste your time when there's so much other content available to spend your time on. There's seriously SO much content out there it's impossible to keep up with it all and to be swindled into suck just doesn't sit right with me. So, you've been warned...here are the Top 5 Worst Movies I saw in 2022:

5. The Matrix Resurrections; There's a good movie to be made in the concepts presented in this film. It's just not this one. It's sad to see an influential, original film desecrated by its own franchise follow ups, but that's what's happening with the Matrix. Anyone who wasn't around to see the original but has caught wind of the sequels won't have any interest taking the blue pill and falling down the rabbit hole that made the first film so groundbreaking and mind bending. At least the first two follow ups offered some interesting action scenes on a scale larger (or at least different) from the first film. Sadly, this one starts to steer into a silly, meta commentary that sparks some creativity and cleverness but then takes a hard right into boringness, confusion and carelessness. I bet this isn't the last we've seen of this franchise. Here's hoping a series can revive its ideas to much better effect.

4. Death on the Nile; The death in question occurs in the audience by way of boredom. This film would work best as a screensaver, showing off its exquisite locales and stunning luxury. Unfortunately, this must be the fault of falling in love with one's own film work and failing to find the editor's skill of trimming to get to the mystery at hand. Coming out the same year as Glass Onion, you can contrast the two as opposites in introducing the audience to your cast and stunning setting in equally enticing and excruciating ways. There's no way to get into this film that never seems to start and then never knows when to end either. One shouldn't have to struggle to get into a mystery. We should be smitten and hooked from the get go. This film works better as travel fodder than mystery material and if you don't believe me, then you're in denial (insert dad joke or Jungle Cruise comment here).

3. Zombies 3; This sequel to a sequel of a Disney Channel made for TV movie isn't on here because it should have been amazing. The bar isn't set too high to begin with. However, the charming charisma of its likeable leads and a funny supporting cast game for goofy monster movie shenanigans and musical numbers that made the first Zombies film a surprise hit in our household fails to serve up anything hummable or watchable this time around. You might be thinking I'm crazy to expect anything less, but the guilty pleasure of watching Meg and Milo, both on and off camera, crumbles before our eyes. These two have a fun chemistry reminiscent of old time rom-com duos we've come to love in the past and they could be recast in any number of projects that aren't the stale, well past its due date that this Zombie franchise has become.

2. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore; The only secret worth knowing is how this franchise manages to string along an audience that lost interest several films (and TERF tweets) long ago. Thankfully, it's rumoured that the extent of this follow up franchise is being downsized to mercy kill the unpopular screenwriting, yet doing so, of course, without fully isolating its creator for fear of losing the suckling at the teat of the mass merchandising machine it brings to a studio in need of the money this franchise brings. It's astounding just how disinteresting this series has been, turning Dumbledore into a Dumblebore (am I right???). I can't even recall what the fun Dan Fogler did in this film, while the repulsive Redmayne and Miller (the latter off screen and the former on screen) are equally stunningly unmemorable. Did I see this film or did my muggle mind only imagine that I did?

and the worst film of 2022 is...

1. Black Adam; This atrocity may very well be the worst film of this century. Black Adam will go down in history as either a turning point in the DC Universe (all hail our new hope, James Gunn!!), the film that made Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson come back down to earth (his historic run of crowd pleasing box office hits stuck by lightning), or the beginning of the end of superhero films (which is unlikely, but it sure as hell tried). It's no wonder that heads rolled over at Warner Bros. before the release of this stinker. The stench was in the air long before this hit theatres, and I pity those of you who went into a dark theatre and endured the assault of this craptacular. Films like these make my worst lists all the time, often because they disappoint, more than they fail to entertain, but this one is in a league of its own. It is unworthy of your couch time, and not even admissible to be left on in the background. Stay FAR away from Black Adam. I'd even suggest watching Shazam! for the first, second or tenth time before pressing play on this overstuffed bag of suck. You DON'T want to smell what the Rock was cooking with this film.

And there you have it. 2022 wasn't a great year for film, but it did supply one of the greatest cinematic experiences of my lifetime in the form of a surprise multiverse adventure that was equally hilarious and heartbreaking in multiple ways. I hope you have an opportunity to enjoy a movie in theatres sometime soon, and that it offers you the escape the films on this list did for me, while also reaffirming the humanity and shared experience of love and laughter that we commonly call life. Peace and Be Wild.

Guillermo del Toro's PInocchio

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio; Expertly crafted to match the tone and aesthetic of del Toro’s incomparable vision. Perfectly executed by its talented voice cast, composer and animators. Gives so much heart to an old wooden monster story with its message about loving life; A+

Amsterdam

Amsterdam; Talented cast chews up dialogue in this important cautionary reminder of how history repeats itself when lessons of the past are dismissed or ignored. Film has a lot to say but struggles to find its footing with an uneven pace and too broad a scope to fluidly tell; B

Emily the Criminal

Emily the Criminal; Raw, gritty filmmaking anchored by Plaza’s gripping performance makes for an emotionally jarring yet entertaining film that has a “don’t want to look, but can’t take my eyes off of this” intensity to its sad but true comment on cyclical economic violence; A-

Glass Onion

Glass Onion; A stellar cast collaborates on an exquisitely shot, delightfully fun mystery. Monáe is exceptionally great, adding layers to her performance as the film unfolds and characters become more intertwined. More, please. More Knives Out or more of this cast in new films; A

Black Adam

Black Adam; A music video, an invasive orchestral score and a video game all compete to be anything but a coherent movie. It took three credited writers to craft a nonsensical snore fest that manages to make The Rock boring. A completely unredeemable mess; F

Vengeance

Vengeance; Novak knows how to deliver a meta narrative reflecting American societal issues with an approach that’s equally composed of critical commentary, stand-up style humour. It’s self-deprecatingly aware while poking fun at the ideological divide between city and country; B+

Strange World

Strange World; Fantastical creatures and landscapes feel fresh yet familiar in this exploring adventure film. Themes resonate in their combination of old and new beliefs, with family relationships at its core and bigger planetary questions weighing overhead. Good fun; B+
 

Three Thousand Years of Longing

Three Thousand Years of Longing; Intriguing storytelling starring two wonderful actors, helmed by a master visual stylist yet ultimately unfulfilling. Probably was a good read, amplified by Miller's vision still feels like the dour tale of solitude & longing it is. Decent; B-

Disenchanted

Disenchanted; Less whimsical than its predecessor, lacking the novelty & originality, playing the story beats w/minimal surprises. The actors are all game and relishing the revisit, while Disney production values are always top notch. Sadly, simple fare not worth revisiting; C+

Spirited

Spirited; Reynolds & Ferrell demonstrate how their peerless comedy comes from a heartfelt place, w/earnest attempts at singing & updating the Dickens classic. Best moments come in a Monty Pythonesque period number and when the two are riffing off each other. Sweet Xmas fare; B+
 

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; Rises to challenging/daunting task of honouring dearly departed Boseman yet struggles at filling immense void of that loss. Burdened by sorrow & dour feelings, the film is less entertaining than it is an act of catharsis. Great craftsmanship; B-
 

Enola Holmes 2

Enola Holmes 2; Less of the fun banter found in the first film, but the stakes are higher & more deadly for the dashing heroine w/charisma aplenty. The mystery unraveled remains essential & the social relevance timely. Best display of Brown’s talents come from this franchise; A-

The Woman King

The Woman King; Vibrant storytelling filled w/dynamic, powerful performances from the entire cast. Using time worn Hollywood tropes to tell a story about people and places oft ignored by Tinsletown breathes fresh, invigorating air into the triumphant tale. Refreshingly joyful; A
 

The School for Good and Evil

The School for Good and Evil; The cast is having a blast, the visuals are scrumptious but the pacing & lore seems to struggle with whether this is a series, a franchise or an overlong feature film. Actors are excellently cast and play the dualities nicely. Overstuffed but fun; B-

The Black Phone

The Black Phone; Creepy, moody and disturbing tale based on pre-internet childhood fears of the neighbourhood “grabber”. Great performances all around give it a realistic intensity, even while horror elements offer unexplainable aspects. Genre fare elevated by its talents; B+

Slash/Back

Slash/Back; Arctic setting and authentic casting adds intriguing elements to this classic horror story. Though some scenes suffer from amateur acting, the characters are true to who they are and the film is better for it. Cultural themes offer a welcome layer to genre fare; B-

Minions: The Rise of Gru

Minions: The Rise of Gru; Knows its lane and delivers a fun soundtrack, animated gags, clever nods and silly jokes, all within 90mins. The cast is great, especially the newcomers and the animation continues to be inspired even if it’s no longer fresh. Franchise is fully milked; B

The Worst Person in the World

The Worst Person in the World; A fascinating portrait of a woman’s life journey, that’s never typical, sentimental or overly contrived. The storytelling and acting is raw, emotional and complex but equally funny, unsettling and uplifting. Very honest, realistic filmmaking; A-

Pinocchio

Pinocchio; Expertly crafted and filled with wonder and charm, an update or remake of a film oddly out of time. Hanks’ acting comes across hammy and ridiculous but the other cast members make the most of their roles. Many segments look good but not a wish we needed to (re)make; B

Licorice Pizza

Licorice Pizza; Stylishly captures an era that may be nostalgic for some but irrelevant to others. Very watchable but ultimately unfulfilling and meandering. To a detail, expertly executed, but as a sum of its parts, simply not for most audiences outside of 70s Valley kids; C+

Elvis

Elvis; A great job conveying & situating Elvis’ cultural influence/(s) & impact for a generation who may not know a lot about him. Butler nails the performance in physical, musical & emotional ways. Some moments get too music video or montage heavy yet ultimately satisfying; B+

Bullet Train

Bullet Train; Owes its tone to mid to late 90s films in the vein of Guy Ritchie and Tarantino. Funny, well choreographed, kinetically paced with excellent casting in all roles. A throwback that feels as fresh and fun as Pitt seems to be having delivering pure entertainment; B+

Drive My Car

Drive My Car; Clever, layered dialogue along with stylish visuals, meaningful looks, entangled circumstances and a play within a film, renders us a powerful story crafted beautifully to express our shared human experience. Quiet storytelling can be deeply moving in contrast; A-