Films that I enjoyed in 2022
I am really grateful that this year, my friend Matt persuaded me not to score or rank films anymore. I used to ask him what scores he would give to certain films but he never gave out any scores. Even when I ask him to rank the best 5 or best 10 movies, he said that he didn’t have a list. Later he explained to me that is because he holds all those films very dearly, and that he wouldn’t be able to rank them. Each film has its own special place in his heart.
Since when did we start to use score to communicate about films? As a filmmaker myself, I realize more and more how difficult it is to make a film. Afterall, it is about reconstructing reality, our own version of the time and space continium. Each film, no matter you like it or not, lives the vision and effort of someone, someone just like us. How can a score explain a film for its good and bad? Indeed, scoring is an act of egoism, establishing one’s own authority (thinking about Bourdieu’s note on taste and class, or taste as a “social weapon”).
Instead, I want to see films, especially those made with a true heart, as gifts that are shared with me. Thank you Matt for inspiring me.
One of the best thing living in New York City, is that I can go to watch movies any time. There are big chain movie theaters as well as so many independent movie theaters, each of which has its own amazing programs throughout the year. After going through the pandemic, it is intoxicating to be able to watch movies on a big screen with friends or strangers in the dark space again. It is an experience that we should never take granted for. Funny that I just read Barthes essay on cinema, which is recommended by my friend Sheldon. Barthes described the cinema experience as erotic in a metropolitan context, about “narcissistic and maternal”. I can relate to it since I’d like to see cinema as a shared dream.
Originally this list below includes every film, new or old, that I watched and enjoyed this year. Sheldon dared me to curate it down to a list of 10 films, which I did. So first, I am going to list 10 films that I found the most life-inspiring with small comments, and then 20 more films that I found entertaining and would recommend. All films are listed in the order of the date I watched them.
Memoria by Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2021, Colombia
People who knows me probably know this movie already. I wrote an essay about it at the beginning of the year.
Flee by Jonas Poher Rasmussen, 2021, Denmark
Animated documentary about a refugee family story. What moves me the most is that the film doesn’t focus on the refugee experience itself, but how such experience affect them psychologically and change the way they live their lives forever.
Oslo, August 31st by Joachim Trier, 2012, Norway
I watched this film after watching The Worst Person in the World, and fell in love with this one instead. The narrative feels so effortless and elegant, yet reveals so much unspoken moral burden, paradox and struggle living in modern society. It makes you reflect on our own reasons to live for.
Cow by Andrea Arnold, 2022, U.S.A
A vérité portrait of the life of a milk cow in a farm. Mundane, beautiful and brutal yet truthful. Human live by eating other living things. When we used to hunt and kills by ourselves, we understand the value of lives better. Yet we invent modern machine to rip the sense of cruelty off everyday products, to make ourselves feel “cleaner”. Cow reveals the hypocrisy in it. Director said in an interview, that many viewers relate the cow to women’s body in the society, which I found insightful and profound.
Vortex by Gaspar Noé, 2022, France
Although its visual is still experimental (dual screen from Lux Æterna), Vortex is different from any of his previous film. The film just quietly observes the late life of an old couple. It looks at the fear of death and aging directly and leaves a hole in your heart when the film is over. I also think that the film has a symmetrical structure, and suspect that it can be watched in reverse.
RRR by S.S.Rajamouli, 2022, India
I guess I can say this is the Indian version of Top Gun or Mission Impossible? I don’t really watch Bollywood movies much so the exotic spectacles and energy from RRR really left me in awe. The film is cliche and formulated yet unapologetic, fun and satisfying, almost campy. Although the film is far from feministic (all female characters are merely objects), the masculinity (or maybe I should just say bromance) presented is completely different from anything I have seen in my life. The two male characters are muscular yet so expressive, vulnerable and sentimental. They are like lovers on screen. Western audience might find them “gay” cause we (yes I categorize myself as western audience as well) are not used to see man like this on screen. Although the film is far from my taste of films, I put it on this list cause it really opens my eye.
Days by Cai Ming Liang, 2020, Taiwan
I feel immensely lucky to see Cai Ming Liang again when I am stuck in my own creative career. I wrote an essay titled “Cinema of Mortality” about my re-encounter with his cinema.
Aftersun by Charlotte Wells, 2022, U.K
If there is a must-watch film this year, I will recommend Aftersun. I think Charlotte creates a cinematic language that I have never seen before: where the clubbing scenes play as anchor throughout the film to guide us into the memory, or one can say dreams. Watching this movie is like the process of remembering someone you love from your past, or dreaming of them, trying to connect with them although they are no longer here. There is always that generational, missed echo between parents and children: when you reach to certain age and are finally able to understand some behaviors or decisions of your parents in the past, you want to talk to them but it sometimes is too late. All you can shout out to is a dark abyss. In the end, it is about you reconciling with yourself. I am selfish enough to wish the film to feel even more mundane and observational. But in the end, this film is still my love of the year.
The Fablemans by Steven Spielberg, 2022, U.S.A
Spielberg really captures the feelings of observing people, especially those who are close to you, through a camera and how the power of cinema can affect people’s perspective of their own.
Millennium Mambo by Hou Xiao Xian, 2001, Taiwan
Hou Xiao Xian’s time magic of cinema. It feels like present time but it keeps reminding you that you are looking at a past. How can we exist in different time simultaneously? Perhaps only through cinema. Li Ping Bin’s cinematography dances with Lin Qiang’s music in perfect harmony, as Shu Qi overwhelms the movie theater with her melancholic yet breathtaking presence, letting out the perfect fin-de-siècle energy. Millennium Mambo is a dream that I can die within. I feel so spoiled to wrap my 2022 with this masterpiece.
Other recommended films of the year (among all that I watched) in the order of the dates I watched them:
Everything Everywhere All at Once by the Daniels, 2022, U.S.A
X by Ti West, 2022, U.S.A
Paris, 13th District by Jacques Audiard, 2021, France
Top Gun: Maverick by Joseph Kosinski, 2022, U.S.A
Watcher by Chloe Okuno, 2022, U.S.A
Lost Illusions by Xavier Giannoli, 2022, France
The Discreet Charm of Bourgeoisie by Luis Buñuel, 1972, France
Irma Vep by Olivier Assayas, 1996, France
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande by Sophie Hyde, 2022, UK
Dreaming Walls by Maya Duverdier and Amilie Van Elmbt, 2022, USA
Ali & Ava by Clio Barnard, 2022, UK
Peter von Kant by François Ozon, 2022, France
Barbarian by Zach Cregger, 2022, U.S.A
Pearl by Ti West, 2022, U.S.A
House by Nobuhiko Obayashi, 1977, Japan
Rouge by Stanley Kwan, 1988, Hong Kong
Afternoon by Cai Ming Liang, 2015, Taiwan
Three short films by Cai Ming Liang: The Night 2021/The Skywalk is Gone 2002/Moon and The Tree 2021
All The Beauty and The Bloodshed by Laura Poitras, 2022, U.S.A
2022 is indeed a good year for films. There were so many good films and I haven’t seen many of them as well. I feel grateful for all these films and hopefully more in the 2023.
I wish everybody good health and luck. Happy New Year!
Yours,
Junting