Music & Films for
Common People
%2021_44_07.png)
It is successful at creating a sense of danger in the air and to chain the events to create a gripping crime thriller that creeps into your nerves. Less succesful, though, at letting us peek at the internal turmoil that all these events cause in the main characters and their relation.
50
les meutes
(hounds) dir. kamal lazraq
(morocco)
Teachers under the attack of censorship should be declared one of the top sub-genres of the year. From the lot, it is possibly Without Air the one that lands better the risk of letting the right wing values having a say on education and the consequences it can have for tolerance.
49
elfogy a levego
(without air) dir. katalin moldovai
(hungary)
It has a very daring premise that really challenges a lot of cultural constructions on the intersections of race and class, and it has many brilliant moments in its screenplay, but it could have benefited from more certitude on the tone it wanted to achieve
48
american fiction
dir. cord jefferson
(united states)
One lie that leads to a bad decision and then to a worse one until the snowball has grown til' the point of no return. Kaltenbäck and Herzi are able to create a fascinating character without falling for judgements, and make us truly believe that she could end to such extremes.
47
le ravissement
(the rapture) dir. iris kaltenbäck
(france)
It seems like a huge missed opportunity that this film tried to avoid being political like the plague (as if it was really possible with that topic) and say something (anything!) about the world today. Still, the action is gripping and throws a good couple questions about journalism ethics.
46
civil war
dir. alex garland
(united states)
This film could have done very well with a ruthless trim to take away at least one third of the length and just focus on the main character rather than trying to give space to other voices. Still, the main proposition made by the filmmaker in the age of disinformation, is quite brutal.
45
magyarázat mindenre
(explanation for everything) dir. gábor reisz
(hungary)
Yes, it is very questionable in terms of historical accuracy, but who really cares when it's able to deliver such a powerful political thriller about Catherine Parr, the sixth and last wife of Henry VIII. It is enhanced of the historical aesthetics and the strong feminist rewriting of history.
44
firebrand
dir. karim aïnouz
(united kingdom)
Right now, it's impossible to fight the remakes, spin-offs, live-actions and sequels supremacy in Hollywood. Yet, among that lack of creativity there are a couple of salvageable projects, like Inside Out 2, a fun expansion of the mind world that Pixar created.
43
inside out 2
dir. kelsey mann
(united states)
Ratter than being a documentary that makes an argument, Dahomey opens a conversation about the colonial looting of historical pieces and wether restitution is the solution. There are no easy answers, and the director makes sure that all points of view are heard.
42
dahomey
dir. mati diop
(senegal)
We all have heard of a case of a mature person falling for a scam that leaves them on a economic predicament. This film is empathetic with its character's moment of vulnerability, and shows how human is to go through a rabbit hole of bad decisions in such a state.
41
urotcite na blaga
(blaga's lessons) dir. stephan komandarev
(bulgaria)
Love Lies Bleeding is a continuous flow of bold decisions, both in narrative and style. We can forgive that not all of them work at the same level when there's such a commitment to creativity and to put forward and unorthodox queer and feminist story of love and revenge.
40
love lies bleeding
dir. rose glass
(united kingdom)
Adapting a literary classic will always be tricky task as there are concessions that must occur and we'll always wonder if there's a need for a new version. This telling of the revenge epic is elegant and excels in all its formal elements, and most of its adaptations are acceptable
39
le comte de monte-cristo
(the count of monte cristo)
dir. matthieu delaporte & alexandre de la patallière (france)
Possibly the most disappointing Cannes winner since Deephan, although it has style merits. The first part is a brilliant realistic retold of Pretty Woman, but everything goes to waste as soon as Baker decides to strip his central character of all her dignity on the second half.
38
anora
dir. sean baker
(united states)
Using a naturalist approach to storytelling that immediately brings to mind the films of Terrence Malick, Minervini questions the values on which the United States of America were built: faith and war. It is a remarkable film that applies documentary techniques to fiction.
37
the damned
dir. roberto minervini
(united states)
On such a good year for horror films, this indie production was a big surprise as how it achieved such a frightening experience with that small scale production, it all happening mostly on one TV set and in "real time". A very strong screenplay that keeps evolving.
36
late night with the devil
dir. cameron & colin cairnes
(australia)
A touching documentary that follows a family living outside of social structures in the middle of the forest and how their lifestyle is forced to change when the mother dies. It's such a strong bittersweet film about loss and staying true to yourself that it could almost pass as a fiction.
35
ukjent landskap
(a new kind of wilderness)
dir. silje evensmo jacobsen (norway)
A juicy character of a mature single woman that experience sex for the first time, with a powerful performance by Eka Chavleishvili, are the cornerstone of this film that, behind its innocence, is able to convey a strong message of female independence.
34
shashvi shashvi maq'vali
(blackbird blackbird blackberry)
dir. elene naveriani (georgia)
Although it has problems of making AI palatable for young audiences, The Wild Robot is very effective storytelling in terms of character and world creation and landing its message of community support and acceptance, and would be equally enjoyed by adults and kids.
33
the wild robot
dir. chris sanders
(united states)
Possibly the most irreverent film that Jude has done to date (and that's a lot to say) that keeps landing punches at corporate hypocrisy, patriarchy, and Romanian society in general. This deranged film mostly works thanks to the magnetic force of Ilinca Manolache's character.
32
nu astepta prea mult de la sfirsitul lumii
(do not expect too much of the end of the world)
dir. radu jude (romania)
A bittersweet film that, through the eyes of a little girl, is able to explore really harsh topics of class and migration while never being preachy about them. It is one of those surprising films that are able to pack so many thoughts and emotions in an apparent small-scale production.
31
àma gloria
dir. marie amachoukeli-barsacq
(france)
Among the many films that explored the historical oppression of women in small villages, The Devil's Bad was different at doing it with the devices of horror cinema in order to convey the real state that such misogynist societies generated in young women.
30
des teufels bad (the devil's bath)
dir. severin fiala & veronika franz
(austria)
Bayona's second film that deals with the human will to survive against extreme catastrophes is very effective in moving the audience, although it walks the fine line of using effects to sensationalize human tragedy. Luckily, the focus in the human story is always priority over controversy.
29
la sociedad de la nieve
(society of the snow) dir. josé antonio bayona
(spain)
It's provocative, sexy and charged with adrenaline! Guadagnino's tennis triangle has the electric power of a dynamic editing, inventive framing and stimulating music as his tools to deliver a winning match that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
28
challengers
dir. luca guadagnino
(united states)
Hamaguchi makes a clever film that tackles the never-ending fight against corporate greed that destroys the environment. It strikes a good balance between contemplation of the lifestyle in a frosted forest and the discussions regarding the future of the community.
27
aku wa sonzai shinai
(evil does not exist) dir. ryûsuke hamaguchi
(japan)
Almost channeling a Farhadi-esque storyline of a woman that unknowingly ends up working for the family that killed her husband, this is a powerful exploration of the race tensions in Sudan, where two different Africas, the Black and the Arab, collide.
26
wadaean julia
(goodbye julia) dir. mohamed kordofani
(sudan)
Canijo takes a full melodrama about a dysfunctional family and finds the humanity in their personal grievances (yes, think Almodovar, less the emphasis on visual aesthetics). It is a film where three generations are at odds with each other, but have developed a codependence bond that hurts them and ties them. It is a great study of characters, with an elegant paused tone that leaves the stories to really breathe.
25
mal viver (bad living)
dir. joão canijo (portugal)
A harsh story that exposes the vulnerability that women experience in a extreme patriarchal oppression when there's not a man in their lives. This is a historic triumph for Jordanian cinema, not only on how far it got in Festival screenings, but also on how it is able to frontally question a system where a woman is not entitled to anything if her husband dies and she doesn't have a son. Al Rasheed got the suffocating tone totally right.
24
inshallah walad (inshallah a boy)
dir. amjad al rasheed (jordan)
If there's something that characterises Holland's best works, it's her humanist approach while dealing with the cruelest situations of human degradation. If her topic of expertise, until now, was nazism, she is very able to take her humanist spirit to expose the humanitarian crisis that migrants experiment in the Poland-Belarus border. If perhaps there are storylines that just occupy space, the migrants and the activists stories strike all the right chords.
23
zielona granica (green border)
dir. agnieszka holland (poland)
Possibly the most audacious film of the year, taking the Dorian Gray of tragic eternal beauty to the most crazy limits one can think of. Fargeat creates a rich visual experience that is a feast for the eyes and for the senses with bold cinematography, sound and editing choices that are incredibly stimulating. Even if by the final part it ran out of new things to say and instead went for a full blood feast, it has enough virtues for making it indelible.
22
the substance
dir. coralie fargeat (united states)
The recipe is known by all: two strangers with opposite personalities embark on a trip that will have them changed. What sets apart Crossing from other films is how well it captures the need for this people to find something, either redemption or a new beginning, and for applying an "otherness" gaze that is defiant and fights for regain stolen dignity. Kudos for Mzia Arabuli's performance, she made the most of every moment in screen.
21
crossing
dir. levan akin (sweden)
Baetens takes her time building the setup to her story of healing the wounds from the past, with round characters and credible scenarios that get us really involved with this small town life. We might not even realize, just like the main character, when things changed and suddenly this tale of friendship gets torn into a story of patriarchal abuse. Her most poignant contribution to the topic is how she deals with complicity in order for this situation to happen.
20
het smelt (when it melts)
dir. veerle baetens (belgium)
Crowra is a strong statement for proving that if we are ever going to tell new stories, our gaze should shift to those voices and narratives that systematically have been excluded from cinema representation. Salaviza and Messora show not only a true commitment to tell the stories of Brazilian indigenous people, but also to truly understanding and translating their lifestyle in a poetic style that defies the norms of conventional western cinema.
19
crowrã (the buriti flower)
dir. joão salaviza & renée nader messora (brazil)
If you want to find the best animation for adults, you certainly have to look outside of Hollywood. Australian filmmaker Adam Elliot, who stunned with the sweet and sour "Mary and Max", charges again with a new look at how rich could be the life of those considered "outsiders". Extremely charming in its odd quirky style, it is a film that touches your heart without failing for cliches or easy sentimental paths. It is all honesty and skill.
18
memoir of a snail
dir. adam elliot (australia)
After the success of All Quiet on the Western Front, Berger proves that he is Hollywood material with a strong political thriller that follows the selection of a new Pope. With a strong screenplay that keeps building tension, although some times tries way too hard to keep twisting the plot, and a star-filled ensemble cast that is more than efficient at their job, this was a sure award contender. It is the master cinematography and music what elevates this film to art.
17
conclave
dir. edward berger (united kingdom)
After 50 years of making "The Spirit of the Beehive", of the most emblematic film in the history of Spanish cinema, the legendary filmmaker Victor Erice offers one of his best movies ever. The story that follows the search for a lost actor is the filmmaker's own love letter to cinema itself and a testament of the power of films to transcend life and memory. It is cooked on slow burn, but the taste achieved will be exquisite for the most trained palates.
16
cerrar los ojos (close your eyes)
dir. víctor erice (spain)
The power of a dystopian story relies on how feasible it would be for that nightmarish regime to actually happen in real life. Beyond Utopia shows us that Orwell's 1984 society is actually happening in North Korea, with a totalitarian dictatorship that feds them with a fake sense of reality that paints their homeland as glorious and heroic. This brave documentary bares the deep human rights violations and the nearly impossible escape from there.
15
beyond utopia
dir. madeleine gavin (united states)
The incendiary power of music and cinema to be weapons of social and political change! The fictionalized story of the Irish rap band Kneecap, with the members playing themselves, is charged with the electric fight for Irish sovereignty in the face of British colonisation, and how the fight for freedom of use of the Gaelic language can be brought to a new generation through the things that really matter to them.
14
kneecap
dir. rich peppiatt (ireland)
A zombie film like no other you've ever seen. Based on a novel by the same author as "Let the Right one In", here we are faced with a proposition: what if we take the common topic of resurrected dead people, but we face it as a hyper-naturalist film. It is a crazy game that possibly not many are willing to accept, but if we manage to engage with it, there's a good reward awaiting. It is a shame that at the very last minute, they succumbed to the genre cliches.
13
håndtering av udøde (handling the undead)
dir. thea hvistendhal (norway)
A criminally overlooked intimate drama that puts a queer gaze on what it even means to form a family. Anamaria Marinca possibly offers her best performance since "4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days" as a woman that is forced to take care of the children of her late female partner. There's a true punk sense of disruption to social standards that is matched by the energetic (yet very artsy) tone, and places Stolevski as one of the new film voices to follow.
12
domakinstvo za pocetnici (housekeeping for beginners)
dir. goran stolevski (north macedonia)
The polish husband and wife duo of filmmakers gift us another stunning animation made entirely by oil-panting, a technique they previously showed in Loving Vincent, but that in these new film is supported by a stronger story of forbidden love in a patriarchal society where a young woman is forced to marry the father of her lover. Their passion for their craftsmanship is truly unique, and the overall result does match the ambition of the project.
11
chlopi (the peasants)
dir. dorotea kobiela & hugh welchman (poland)
10
20 days in mariupol
dir. mstyslav chernov (ukraine)
What a year for non-fiction cinema! For the first time ever there are three documentaries in our Top 10, the three of them very different in their approach, but connected as denounces of oppressive systems. In this Oscar winning film, we are able to see the development of the Russian invasion to the Ukranian city of Mariupol, a hard watch that shows, without any censorship, the real scope of the horrors of war. It is also a testimony of the importance of the journalist work so the world can have access to the truth.
9
la passion de dodin bouffant (the taste of things)
dir. tran anh hung (france)
Many people were baffled when France chose The Taste of Things over Anatomy of a Fall to compete in the Oscars. Even if it clearly wasn't the correct decision, there are still many merits to this film that is pure Classic Romanticism in a love letter to food and to love itself. Somehow, in this day and age, it is a film that goes back to the traditional filmmaking the one that might be the most refreshing. The calmness and elegance in which this tragic romance is approached is a virtue that arouses our senses.
8
emilia pérez
dir. jacques audiard (france)
Highly controversial, Emilia Perez is full of bold decisions, some of them are very rewarding (having a trans actress as the lead, the frenetic rhythm and aggressive use of color), while others are, to say the least, head-scratching (the stereotypical representation of Mexican lifestyle, the casting choice to have Selena Gómez in a language she's not fluent). But all in all, Emilia Perez manages to keep you surprised and glued to the screen thanks to its out of the box thinking with a very unconventional musical.
7
danaye anjir-e moabad (the seed of the sacred fig)
dir. mohammad rasoulof (iran)
First of all, this film is an act of bravery. Rasoulof defied the many detentions and prohibitions to work from the Iranian government who accused him of "distributing propaganda against the regime". In spite of his endangered freedom, he made a film where he targets the oppressive patriarchal regime, both inside and outside home. A precise framing, full of symbolisms, and a slow building of tension are his main stylistic virtues, and the film achieves a glorious first part that sadly isn't fully matched by the ending.
6
vermiglio
dir. maura delpero (italy)
A miraculous piece of classic cinema, one of those rare jewels that is able to take the best from the big european auteurs, but with a very clear grip of a storytelling for the XXI century. Delpero has a slow, elegant and delicate approach to a North Italian family during the final days of WWII, it resumes humanity and every character is given a mature treatment, so we can find their own personal predicaments very relatable. The camera makes the most of the glacial landscape in shots that are of extreme beauty.
5
les filles d'olfa (four daughters)
dir. kaouther ben hania (tunisia)
Olfa had four daughters, but her two eldest were radicalized by the Islamic state and disappeared to join the fundamentalist fight. Rather that conforming with just interviewing their subjects, Kaouther Ben Hania casts two professional actresses to play the role of the missing daughters, so the family can recreate the time before their departure in a cathartic exercise to understand what happened. A strong emotional viewing that speaks directly to the current times of radical religious fundamentalism.
4
a different man
dir. aaron schimberg (united states)
In a year where the dark implications of transforming yourself physically was heavily explored in cinema, A Different Man stands out because it goes further at giving us much more to think about identity and the impossibility to change our true self. It is a twisted and obscure satire, with echoes to Woody Allen and Charlie Kauffman, but very in line with the psycho-social horrors that A24 loves to produce. The proposed game also works perfectly thanks to the amazing work of the three lead performers.
3
kadib abyad (the mother of all lies)
dir. asmae el moudir (morocco)
The personal is politic, and Asmae el Moudir dives into the story of her own family in order to understand the story of her country. This exercise of extracting a collective memory from a painful historical moment its so strong because of the media the filmmaker uses (a puppet stage for family and neighbours to interact), and because it present one of the most fascinating characters of contemporary documentary cinema: an authoritarian matriarch who is the gatekeeper to the family dark secrets.
2
the zone of interest
dir. jonathan glazer (united kingdom)
A chilling take on the banality of evil, specially pertinent when we're living a genocide unfolding in Palestine. The woes of this nazi family aren't as important as the subtext of what's happening right next door and that we never get to see in the screen, a brilliant directorial decision that achieves its terrifying effect thanks to the brilliant sound design. Also an admirable editing that sometimes leaves scenes for uncomfortable lengths and sometimes cuts in unexpected moments for us to fill the gaps.
1
all of us strangers
dir. andrew haigh (united kingdom)
Every single queer person that I've known hasn't been able to hold their tears at two specific points of this film, both of them conversations between Andrew Scott's character with the younger version of his parents, played by Claire Foy and Jamie Bell. It is because possibly no other film has ever captured so well the generational trauma that was collectively experienced by queer Gen-Xs and Millennials, which is the family rejection. This is the true power of cinema: a way to offer catharsis to our deepest emotions.
But not only Andrew Haigh is able to touch all the right emotional chords, he does that by offering a transgressive storytelling that mixes fantasy, reality, dreams and multiverses. It is Celine Sciamma's Petite Maman, but taking it to further levels of narrative exploration, making it one of the most postmodern cinematic experiences we've ever experienced. But beyond that, there's also a search for style, with a gorgeous cinematography that is able to capture the intimacy of the body and the soul and blends styles to match that movement between realms of reality. The editing, the music and the performances are also top level, and make it an all-round triumph for queer cinema.