Aidan’s Top Ten Movies of 2022
Each year my movie-fan brother who lives in Newcastle-on-Tyne in the North-East of England, sends an email listing his ten favorite movies of the year. This is the third in an ongoing series.
Aidan is a published poet, playwright, and rock music journalist, who opened for Paul Weller’s The Jam, back in the day.
…And the Irish have stormed in with my top 2 favorites:
1. The Quiet Girl (Ireland)
This feature debut from Colm Bairéad is a poignant drama based on a short story by Claire Keegan set during the 1980’s in rural Ireland. Cáit (played brilliantly by 12-year-old Catherine Clinch) is sent away from her overcrowded, dysfunctional home to stay with childless relatives on their farm. Emotions run deep but are perfectly tempered and the conclusion is satisfying in every sense.
2. The Banshees of Inisherin (Ireland)
Director Martin McDonagh reunites his ‘In Bruges’ partnership of Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson for this parable of the breakdown in friendship of two lifelong pals that decays everything around them. It’s a story about one man’s depression, loneliness and anger but it’s wonderfully compelling with some crackingly-funny dialogue.
3. Aftersun (UK)
Another debut feature, this time from Charlotte Wells. A terrific work of detailed father-daughter observation featuring Paul Mescal (as dad Calum) and daughter Sophie played by Frankie Corio (a real find). The rapport between the two for the entire movie is a marvel. Without any discernible linear narrative, the film becomes an accumulation of small moments and memories all shot through with an almost other-worldly quality. Not for one moment is this a dispiriting picture, but one that will move and reward.
4. Hit the Road (Iran)
Panah Panahi, the son of Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, takes the reins for his debut feature about a squabbling family driving across the Iranian desert towards the Turkish Border. As the
journey progresses, we discover its reason. A celebration of family and togetherness while the youngster of the family, as played by Rayan Sarlak, is an unstoppable force of nature.
5. Belle (Japan)
A dazzling anime from writer/director Mamoru Hosoda. Suzu is a normal awkward schoolgirl, until her geeky friend Hiroki introduces her to ‘U’, an awe-inspiring virtual world with five billion subscribers. It’s here that Suzu is transformed into Belle the ultimate realisation of the glamourous pop-star who rides around the vast world on the back of a huge blue whale (as we’ve all done I’m sure). Following the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ inspired mid-section, Belle then shifts into a storyline that taps into teenage experiences, offers opinions about social media while the sheer weight of detail Hosoda packs into the designs are mind-blowing. And if that ain’t enough, there’s some banging pop tunes to enjoy.
6. Gangubai Kathiawadi (India)
Set in the Mumbai underworld, this genuinely tough melodrama, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali from the true-crime book ‘Mafia Queens of Mumbai’ by Hussain Zaidi, stars Alia Bhatt in the title role. Gangubai dreams of movie stardom but is lured by a boyfriend to the big city whereupon she is trafficked into prostitution. A brutal nightmare follows, but she becomes a representative and eventually mother figure to the sex workers in the brothel. The film has fantastic energy, not least during the spectacular musical set-pieces. A great mix of storytelling and songs, and truly uplifting.
7. Revolution of our Times (Hong Kong)
2019 and the Fugitive Offenders Bill is passed legalising the the extradition of Hongkongers to China, precipitating a furious and courageous response. Kiwi Chow’s documentary covering the first six months of civil protests uses drone footage, on-the- spot news reports, footage taken by the protestors and witness interviews. Attacks on unarmed civilians, indiscriminate use of tear-gas and lives lost hardly make this a balanced film. But it’s not meant to be when good people forfeit their lives in the name of democracy.
8. Elvis (USA)
Glitzy, bright…’contains flashing images’, well what would you expect from Baz Luhrmann? Austin Butler wisely eschews the curled-lip impersonation and turns in a charismatic Elvis, set against Tom Hanks’ bloated Colonel Tom Parker. The basics are all there: the early days, the influence of black music, the initial outrage, the military service in Germany, the awful movies, the comeback etc etc. before being gaslighted by Parker into staying in Vegas in order pay off the Colonel’s gambling debts. Some key moments are left aside e.g. his invitation from Nixon to the White House to demand action on degenerates like the Beatles.
9. The Worst Person in the World (Norway)
Exquisitely acted by Renate Reinsve and directed by Joachim Trier. A masterful character study of a woman on the cusp of turning 30 years old, still weighing up career options and looking for the perfect lover but finding a succession of men who are equally as aimless as herself. Reinsve won a Cannes Best Actress award for this and you can see why. Funny, inventive and richly- layered.
10. Hatching (Finland)
Finnish director Hanna Bergholm’s first feature is a compelling body-horror. 12-year-old balancing gymnast, Tinja (Siiri Solalinna), rescues a bird that has crashed through the window of the family home, but incurs the wrath of her mother. Tinja later finds the bird close to death in the woods along with an egg next to it. She and takes the egg home, watching it grow ever larger before…er, hatching. Full of clever ideas that take chances. Bad parenting rules. ‘Hatching’ flies.
