As one year gives way the next, cinephiles of all stripes play that familiar game of identifying the cream of the crop. From quiet film festival gems to sprawling effects-laden extravaganzas, this year was chock full of memorable cinematic moments, and it is with pleasure that I bring you this unapologetically subjective selection for the best of 2024:
PERFECT DAYS (Wim Wenders)
Without reservation, Perfect Days was my favourite film of the year. Koji Yakusho is flawless as Hirayama, a toilet cleaner in Central Tokyo living a modest life full of quiet joys and punctuated with oddly joyful surprises. Deceptively simple in its construction, the film gently implores you to contemplate the deeper meaning of each of life’s precious moments.
LA CHIMERA (Alice Rohrwacher)
This lyrical tale from Italian director Alice Rohrwacher builds a layered and beautiful world in which to lose yourself. The grieving Arthur (Josh O’Connor, heartbreaking), a British archaeologist, takes up with a colourful group of grave-robbers stealing ancient Etruscan artifacts in 1980s Tuscany as he attempts, in vain, to come to terms with the loss of his beloved Beniamina.
CHALLENGERS (Luca Guadagnino)
Not everyone will agree, but for pure pulpy pleasure, no other film this year tickled me quite the same way. From the pulsating score to the sizzling chemistry of its central love triangle (okay… mainly Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, though Zendaya is pitch perfect as the ice queen torn between them), you’ll never watch tennis the same way again.
THE SUBSTANCE (Coralie Fargeat)
Starring Demi Moore in a career-best performance opposite the consistently impressive Margaret Qualley, this sophomore effort from up-and-coming director Coralie Fargeat plumbs the depths of the feminine psyche to deliver a twistedly entertaining fable on the fine line between self-obsession and self-hatred.
POOR THINGS (Yorgos Lanthimos)
While admittedly divisive – and about thirty minutes too long – Poor Things is a wildly innovative visual spectacle, and quite honestly deserves a spot on this list for Emma Stone’s performance alone. Impressively committed to her portrayal of a young woman resurrected by unorthodox means, she is unforgettable as the anchor of this post-modern take on the legend of Frankenstein.
DAHOMEY (Mati Diop)
With her first documentary feature, Diop proves herself a cinematic force to be reckoned with, taking home the Golden Bear at this year’s Berlinale. Documenting the repatriation of twenty-six royal treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey, Diop reckons with the persisting legacy of colonialism in Africa, interrogating the very meaning of cultural heritage and restorative justice with poetry and grace.
SUPERBOYS OF MALEGAON (Reema Kagti)
While Bollywood dominates the popular imagination when it comes to Indian cinema, the subcontinent is home to a rich tapestry of cinematic traditions largely unknown outside its borders. Shining a light into one tiny corner of that universe, Kagti puts the delightfully quirky Mollywood on the map with this uplifting tale about the joys of filmmaking and the enduring bonds of friendship.
ONE OF THOSE DAYS WHEN HEMME DIES (Murat Firatoğlu)
One of the greatest experiences for the avid film festival goer is to see a film with absolutely no expectations, and to be blown away by the results. Delivering one of the most engaging films I had the pleasure of viewing at the Venice Film Festival this year, Firatoğlu has crafted a politically layered and tragicomic look at one man’s very bad day.
BESTIARI, ERBARI, LAPIDARI (Martina Parenti & Massimo D’Anolfi)
This supersized documentary, clocking in at an impressive 206 minutes, requires a serious commitment from its viewers but has ample rewards in store for those who stick it out. Dividing itself into three meticulously realized sections (Animals, Plants, and Stones), the film aims a microscopic lens at a macroscopic subject: the insignificance of humanity in the grand scheme of terrestrial history.
DO NOT EXPECT TOO MUCH FROM THE END OF THE WORLD (Radu Jude)
One of the most unique and fascinating films released this year, this latest effort from bad boy Romanian director Radu Jude defies description. Following overworked production assistant Angela on a fascinating and profane existential road trip through modern day Bucharest, the film takes on everyone from Prince Charles to Nicolae Ceausescu in its sprawling takedown of late-stage global capitalism.
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