The Big 2022 Movie Draft on 'The Extra Credits'

This was fun: The hosts of The Extra Credits had Will and me on to participate in a draft of last year's best movies. The rules were that we'd each get five picks, and then we'd let the listeners choose whose slate was the best. You can hear our draft and deliberations down below. If you wanted a decent overview of the 20 most worthwhile/noteworthy movies of 2022, this is a good place to start.

My Interview With Lea Seydoux and Mia Hansen-Love, the Team Behind 'One Fine Morning'

One of the gems of this year's Cannes was in Directors' Fortnight, where Mia Hansen-Love's One Fine Morning premiered. Months later, I spoke with Hansen-Love and her star, Lea Seydoux, about making a film as natural as breathing. Our conversation is over at the Los Angeles Times.

Best of 2022: The Top 10 Movies of the Year

Before MEL was a website, or had a name, it was just an idea. I had been working with Josh Schollmeyer, who was my editor at Playboy for a few years, and before that we were acquaintances. (I was buddies with his childhood best friend in film school. Josh and I then met at the friend's bachelor party and stayed in touch.) Over at Playboy, Josh and I were excited by the prospect of revitalizing a publication that had fallen into self-parody, one that had once done smart cultural coverage and thoughtful, in-depth interviews. The possibility of trying something different in the world of men's magazines — something that reflected the fact that modern masculinity wasn't anything like what you saw in men's magazines — appealed to both of us.

It didn't work out at Playboy, and soon Josh was looking for something new. I still remember having dinner with him a little while later. He sounded optimistic. "You know how we talked about what we'd like to do at Playboy if we'd had the chance?" he said to me. "I think I may have found that." This was in 2014.

Michael Dubin, the CEO of Dollar Shave Club, had been interested in starting a men's publication. He and Josh founded this nascent site, and Josh brought me on to help him and some others dream up what it could be — and, also, what we didn't want it to be. It wasn't going to be heavily, boringly masculine. It was going to be curious about the world and the societal shifts that were occurring. It was going to talk about mental health and sexuality and politics and online culture. I helped write the site's initial articles in order for us to get a sense of what the potential might be. It wasn't until 2016 that we really started to promote the site — and only after it had finally landed on an official name. MEL. Three capital letters. No, it wasn't a reference to Mel Gibson. It was a name that had a personal connection for Michael. As with all new websites, the name sounded dumb at first. But, as with all new websites, the more you said it — and the more the site began to establish its voice — the more natural the name became.

I was merely a contributing editor — writing pieces and pitching ideas in staff meetings — but Josh soon assembled a great collection of writers, artists and editors who believed in his vision. I handled entertainment and the arts, and they covered everything else, which was a lot. Pitch meetings were a joy because I learned so much from these people, whose areas of expertise were so different from mine. For most of MEL's run, I'm fairly certain I was the oldest contributor, and this Gen-Xer got an education about the real-life experiences of Millennials and Gen-Zers, which were vastly different and more complex than the patronizing depictions I'd often read in the news. Josh encouraged us to draw from our interests and anxieties when suggesting articles, and so we learned a lot about one another. 

For me personally, what I especially learned was how those younger generations perceived the filmmakers, actors and musicians that I held dear — and, spoiler alert, they weren't always as enamored as I was. Stopping by the MEL offices or reading some of my colleagues' pieces was a constant reminder that any sense of an artistic canon or sacred cows was a myth. Everything was up for debate, which wasn't surprising since the site was so dedicated to questioning how much patriarchal systems played into determining what kinds of entertainment were considered "worthy." Having to defend what I considered unarguable positions was a useful exercise. My younger cohorts inspired me to scrutinize how I evaluate art — and to interrogate my own blind spots.

As many women as men wrote for MEL, and while it was never an especially large staff, it was fairly diverse. We had writers all across the country, as well as the U.K. It felt like a family, which is a thing you sometimes hear about publications. Nonetheless, I've been lucky to have felt part of a few such families in my professional life, and MEL was one of them. 

The site was nimble enough to respond to what was happening during those years. Trump's ascendance, which was also the rise of neo-Nazis in this country, inspired a lot of thoughtful reporting and essays. The allegations against Harvey Weinstein, which sparked the #MeToo movement, provoked painful soul-searching about what it meant to be a good ally. These and other issues of the time, including Black Lives Matter, were examined from the perspective of masculinity, but in retrospect what I realize MEL was doing was exploring how masculinity was itself at the heart of all these societal ills. "Toxic masculinity" eventually became a cliched buzzword, but that was what MEL was dedicated to dissecting. I can't speak for anyone else, but as a straight white man, the site was cathartic. Even while writing about movies, music, television and whatever else, I found myself returning again and again to these same themes, roto-rooting through my anger and helplessness at how bad America seemed in the Trump years. Of course, others had know far longer than I about the insidiousness of sexism and racism in this country, but I was determined to do my part in addressing it in the popular culture I covered.

MEL went away briefly in 2021 when Unilever, which bought Dollar Shave Club, decided to cut our financing. We found another home soon after, but the resurrection was short-lived: At a meeting on July 22, 2022, we found out MEL was done, effective immediately. Just about anybody who's had a job in journalism or media has had one of those experiences. It's not fun. 

I've been so happy that so many of my colleagues have gone on to do great work at other places. It is bittersweet to see some of them get engaged or married — I always felt like the "old" person in comparison to them, the married guy in a room of mostly young, single folks. Life keeps moving, but I will always feel fortunate to have known them and to have worked alongside them. 

And I'm grateful to Josh, who brought me on at the start, giving me a wide platform to write about all types of things. For MEL, I profiled so many artists I've long admired, including Frederick Wiseman, Todd Haynes, Werner Herzog, Craig Finn, Britt Daniel, Rufus Wainwright and Boots Riley. Plus, I got to speak to emerging talents, like Garrett Bradley and Ephraim Asili. And then there were the cultural deep dives that Josh encouraged me to pursue. One of my favorite pieces was dedicated to the long shadow that Deliverance's rape scene still casts across society. I'm also quite proud of my look back at the history of the Red Ryder BB gun, a symbol of boyhood violence for generations, which gained newfound popularity thanks to A Christmas Story. (It remains a beloved holiday item.) And I was very pleased Neil LaBute sat down for a long conversation this year in honor of the 25th anniversary of In the Company of Men. He was willing to talk about everything, including his seeming cultural disappearing act since #MeToo. 

But I also really loved writing what Josh and I nicknamed "Song Histories," which were 3,000-to-4,000-word essays on iconic or infamous songs that were suddenly back in the collective consciousness for whatever reason. More than just simple "What inspired this song" pieces, these were my nearly-weekly attempt to deliver definitive takes on artists and their work, all through the prism of one indelible tune. My tributes to "Fast Car," "Nothing Compares 2 U," "Wake Up," "Nothing Else Matters," "You Oughta Know," "Strange Fruit," "My Way," "Vienna," "Jeremy," "Stan" and others allowed me to place a song within its historical context while reflecting on its continued resonance, especially as songs were being rediscovered and reconsidered on TikTok and social media. Unexpectedly, these were also sometimes very emotional to write: There's a powerful intimacy to music that not even the greatest film can quite achieve, and even when I didn't particularly like the artists I was discussing, I found myself connected to them in a way I hadn't before. I miss Song Histories more than just about anything else from my MEL days.

I write for so many great outlets. And yet, you always prepare yourself for the possibility that any of them could go away at a moment's notice. Being with MEL from the start will always be something I'm awfully proud of. MEL didn't change the world, but it helped me make sense of it for a little while.

* * * * *

Now, let's talk a little about the film year. Here's my Top 10...

1. Aftersun
2. The Eternal Daughter
3. Tar
4. One Fine Morning
5. Playground
6. Vortex
7. Descendant
8. EO
9. The Fabelmans
10. Neptune Frost

The two movies I most wanted to get onto that list were We're All Going to the World's Fair (No. 11) and Mad God (No. 12), both of them exceptional. Alas, they just didn't make the cut.

If you're curious, I also put together a list for Screen International. But be warned: Screen counts any film that premiered at any festival this year as a 2022 release, so a certain Kelly Reichardt gem that won't open in the U.S. until 2023 is on it. Also, we put documentaries and features on two separate lists. 

If the most noted theme of this year was "Movies about the power of movies," my Top 10 suggests that I was more moved by the relationship between children and parents — specifically, how the child (a.k.a. the filmmaker) tries to understand the parent they've lost. Look no further than The Fabelmans, which Universal is incorrectly selling as a paean to cinema's redemptive power. Anybody who watches Steven Spielberg's personal project will correctly assess that it's really more of a lament for how art can't fully heal the wounds that family dysfunction creates. That sense of trying to use filmmaking as a balm carried through in several of 2022's finest movies, like One Fine Morning, The Eternal Daughter and Aftersun, all of them as nakedly semi-autobiographical as Spielberg's opus. The poignancy of those films derives from how clear-eyed they are about the permanent divide between ourselves and the unknowable adults who raised us — and how even a terrific movie can't bridge it.

* * * * * 

Professionally, I remain, happily, extremely busy. I have now been writing for Screen International for 17 years, serving as the trade's Senior U.S. Critic and traveling to Cannes and Toronto. (Fingers crossed, I'll be back at Sundance in January for the first time since 2020.) In the wake of MEL's end, I've contributed pieces to Slate, Chron, GQ, InsideHook, Decider and Cracked, but I've been especially pleased to profile several actors and filmmakers for the Los Angeles Times. It was a treat to speak to White Lotus star Michael Imperioli and Yellowjackets' Christina Ricci, but even those highlights couldn't compare to interviewing the creative teams behind three of my four favorite films of 2022: Aftersun, The Eternal Daughter and One Fine Morning. Their insights and enthusiasm only increased my love for their movies. And if all that wasn't enough, I also spent a relaxing afternoon with Nina Hoss from Tar, the other of my four favorites.

Speaking of the L.A. Times, perhaps my single most enjoyable experience of the year was hanging out with Lizzo. A few weeks before Special came out, but with "About Damn Time" already on the radio and climbing the charts, I talked to her about therapy, self-esteem and her burgeoning empire, which included a soon-to-be-Emmy-winning reality series. Cocky, assertive, candid, crass, vulnerable, funny as hell, Lizzo could not have been better company. Some profiles you finesse and shape, and some you simply try your best to accurately reflect what it was like to be in the subject's presence. I think I did a little of the former with Lizzo, but in some ways, that piece was mostly the latter. 

Meanwhile, the Grierson & Leitch podcast celebrated its sixth year in 2022. You can hear me on a regular basis over at KCRW's Press Play With Madeleine Brand. I was once again thrilled to be part of the Gotham Awards nominating committee. And 10 years after being asked for the first time to submit a ballot for the once-a-decade Sight and Sound greatest films poll, I sent in a very different one in 2022. I remain ecstatic about the new critics' poll champ, which I consider the second-greatest movie ever made. (The greatest ended up topping the directors' poll.) In much sadder news, I had the honor of writing the obituary for Jean-Luc Godard over at Rolling Stone.

Now that the pandemic is fading into the background, it's been great to get back out in front of audiences to moderate Q&As with filmmakers. Most of these weren't recorded, but in some ways the off-the-cuff casualness of the exchanges was what made them such fun. My thanks to the folks from RRR, All That Breathes, Navalny, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, Decision to Leave, The African Desperate, A Piece of Sky and Riotsville, U.S.A. for inviting me to host these conversations. 

And that's enough. Here's to a great 2023. This new year will be one of milestones for me. It's my 30th anniversary of moving to Los Angeles. It's been 20 years since I started dating my wife Susan. My hope is you have milestones to celebrate in 2023 as well — things you're already looking forward to and ones yet to be discovered.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: The Best Films of 2022

It's that time of year again. Will and I each count down our Top 10 films of 2022 on this week's episode. Hope you enjoy.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Going to Bat for 'One Fine Morning'

Christy Lemire and I were on KCRW to review five new movies, and there's a lot to discuss in a short segment. We talked about The Whale, Empire of Light, Emancipation and Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio. But I spent a little extra time raving about Mia Hansen-Love's latest. Check it all out down below.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: My Cannes Recap and 'Top Gun: Maverick'

Well, this is embarrassing: I completely forgot to post last week's podcast, which was our first after me being away at Cannes for two weeks. I talked a bit about my festival experience, including my favorite films I saw there, and we also reviewed Tom Cruise's massive hit. Check out the episode below.

Cannes 2022: The Wrap-Up and the Rankings

An informal poll I conducted of colleagues who, like me, attended last year's pandemic-affected Cannes confirmed my suspicion: The 2021 installment was better than this one. Partly, it was the fact that there were fewer people around, making navigating the festival easier, and partly it was because the films were stronger. To be fair, the 2021 edition had, essentially, two years worth of movies to work from, which allowed for an extra helping of greatness. (Also, there were simply more films programmed in 2021 than this year.) But even so, 2022 yielded fewer terrific movies, although I am cognizant of having missed out on several pictures that were well-reviewed, including Aftersun, Corsage, Godland and The Blue Caftan. You spend 11 days watching movies, but there are still some you can't get to.

But if the highs of this year's slate weren't as high -- or as frequent -- then at least the lows weren't so low. Looking at my rankings, even the films at the very bottom of my list offered a few pleasures or some interesting ideas. There were no outright stinkers, and the truth is, I generally liked most of what I saw, even if my enthusiasm was often measured. That said, I know plenty of folks who strongly support Three Thousand Years of Longing, Elvis, Stars at Noon and Top Gun: Maverick, so my festival experience is no guarantee to have been anyone else's. That's part of the fun of being at Cannes.

So, without further ado, here are my rankings, including movies I'd seen prior to the festival. Links lead to individual reviews.

39. Three Thousand Years of Longing
38. Elvis
37. Stars at Noon
36. Father and Soldier
35. Remains of the Wind
34. Brother and Sister
33. The Innocent
32. Top Gun: Maverick
31. War Pony
30. Final Cut
29. Rebel
28. Mediterranean Fever
27. Our Brothers
26. Imagine
25. Funny Pages
24. Crimes of the Future
23. God's Creatures
22. Holy Spider
21. Smoking Causes Coughing
20. Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind
19. Tchaikovsky's Wife
18. The Silent Twins
17. Hunt
16. Plan 75
15. The Eight Mountains
14. Moonage Daydream
13. Armageddon Time
12. Decision to Leave
11. Leila's Brothers
10. Triangle of Sadness
9. Men
8. All That Breathes
7. Close
6. Broker
5. Tori and Lokita
4. EO
3. R.M.N.
2. Showing Up
1. One Fine Morning

(If you'd like to be additionally annoyed that I didn't care for Top Gun: Maverick, let me point you to this essay I wrote for MEL about my misgivings about Maverick as a character.)

For me, there were two true standouts, one I saw at the beginning of the festival and one I saw at the very end. One of the unfortunate themes of this year's Cannes was world-class directors bringing less-than-world-class films to the Croisette, with everyone from Claire Denis to David Cronenberg being accused of not living up to their previous high-water marks. (Of course, this take was subjective as well: I was quite taken with Broker, generally considered a letdown from former Palme d'Or-winner Hirokazu Kore-eda, and I deeply dug Tori and Lokita and R.M.N., which proved that, respectively, the Dardenne brothers and Cristian Mungiu still have plenty to say.) But One Fine Morning, Mia Hansen-Love's just plain lovely look at a widowed mother (Lea Seydoux, wonderful), and Kelly Reichardt's deceptively simple Showing Up were clear outliers, finding their makers doing some of the best work of their illustrious careers. The only reason I think Showing Up should win the Palme is because One Fine Morning was in Director's Fortnight, which keeps it out of the running. (Why it wasn't in the official competition, which slotted Hansen-Love's slightly-less-great Bergman Island last year, is a mystery to me.)

The other prevailing theme of the 2022 edition was the glut of good-enough films. Not bad, not amazing, just ... good. I suspect a second viewing will add dimension to Park Chan-wook's densely plotted Decision to Leave or may make me appreciate James Gray's Armageddon Time more. That's the hope, anyway: If this Cannes wasn't filled with stunners, the movies certainly didn't lack for ambition, and sometimes a fresh perspective away from the rush-around of a festival can help. Maybe just maybe I'll even come around on Stars at Noon. 

And now, here's where I indulge my annual tradition of incorrectly guessing what's going to win the Palme d'Or. It's impossible to know, of course, because the nine people who make up the competition jury will be giving out the prizes, and it's not like they're talking to anyone. But in terms of possible victors, Lukas Dhont's late-arriving Close, which just got picked up by A24, could be a consensus choice, emotional and heartfelt. If the jury wants to go in a more career-achievement direction, Cronenberg could walk away with the prize for his audacious (I'm not sure entirely successful) "return to form" Crimes of the Future. Nostalgia has been the best-reviewed of the competition films I haven't seen, and Armageddon Time got such a warm reception at its premiere, which featured Grey getting choked up about what the movie means to him, that I think it has a shot as well. 

But ultimately I see the Palme going to either Close or Decision to Leave, with my pick being the former. Park is a revered filmmaker, and Decision to Leave is a Hitchcockian thriller that's inspired plenty of comparisons to Vertigo. It's a work of consummate craftsmanship that deals in obsession, both familiar and challenging at the same time. But Close makes people cry. I'm gonna go with tears.

And if Showing Up should somehow win? Well, that loud noise you'll hear on Saturday is me turning on my phone when my plane lands and letting out a cheer when I see the news.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'The Last Duel,' 'Halloween Kills' and 'Bergman Island'

Period dramas, horror sequels and the latest from Mia Hansen-Løve are all featured on this week's podcast. Lots to discuss with all three films, even the one that's bad. Hear the whole thing below.

Cannes 2021: The Wrap-Up and the Rankings

For most of the year, I assumed I wouldn't be attending the 2021 edition of the Cannes Film Festival. Partly, that was because I figured there wasn't going to be a festival due to the ongoing pandemic. (And if it was held, the odds were good that American journalists wouldn't be allowed to travel to it.) Well, all that changed in late May, and quickly I found myself throwing together plans to fly to France, which included figuring out Covid protocols that seemingly changed on a daily basis -- not just for air travel but for the festival itself. I was hardly alone in feeling a little discombobulated: The other U.S. critics I knew who were going were all trying to decipher confusing and contradictory information, too.

But I made it, and I'm so glad I did. I haven't traveled to a film festival since Sundance 2020, and it's remarkable how quickly muscle memory kicked in. I joked over the last several months about being out of festival shape, which isn't so much about physical conditioning as it is the rush-rush-rush, grind-grind-grind of doing a festival on a daily basis, which requires a lot of patience, stamina and a willingness to be flexible. Considering we were taking part in an international event in the midst of a pandemic, not to mention enduring a new press ticketing system and an unpredictable Covid testing program, the ability to go with the flow was crucial. I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Because this year's Cannes was super-sized, packed with more films than usual, it was inevitable that I wouldn't be able to see everything on my wish list. The 2021 edition may have featured more options, but there's still only a finite amount of time to see films, and with reviewing responsibilities taking priority, I had to make peace with the fact that I would have to let promising movies like Vortex, Petrov's Flu, The Velvet Underground, Ali & Ava and Paris, 13th District slip away. I'll get to them eventually. 

So, let's get to the rankings. Links lead to individual reviews....  

29. Flag Day
28. Where Is Anne Frank
27. Stillwater
26. The Stronghold
25. Nitram
24. Annette 
23. Benedetta
22. Supremes
21. The French Dispatch
20. Ahed's Knee
19. Everything Went Fine
18. Belle
17. Cow
16. Val
15. Deception
14. Titane
13. Murina
12. Compartment No. 6
11. Bergman Island
10. A Hero
9. The Story of Film: A New Generation
8. After Yang
7. Hit the Road
6. Drive My Car
5. The Souvenir Part II
4. The Year of the Everlasting Storm
3. Red Rocket
2. Memoria
1. The Worst Person in the World

As I was putting together my list, I knew what my top two would be, but not in what order. Festival rankings are always a bit arbitrary, and picking a favorite often comes down to deciding between two very different films, and different impulses. Apichatpong Weerasethakul's return to the Cannes official competition for the first time in 11 years is an absolute triumph: a big, bold artistic stunner. It's the kind of film that invites "Masterpiece" hosannas. On the other side, there's Joachim Trier's thoroughly lovely and wise story of turning 30 and trying to figure yourself out. Hardly as formally inventive and singular as Weerasethakul's landmark, The Worst Person in the World nonetheless moved me beyond words and, for this moment anyway, wins by a photo finish. But it's worth pointing out that my Cannes rankings tend to shift over time: In 2013, Blue Is the Warmest Color beat out Inside Llewyn Davis, and in 2019, I slotted The Lighthouse higher than Parasite. By the end of their respective years, those films' placement had flipped. I would not be surprised if Memoria eventually reigns supreme.

My own indecision reflects that of my peers. There was no clear-cut critical consensus, with a wide range of films enjoying their own niche of support. Some people raved about The French Dispatch. Benedetta, Annette and Titane had their passionate champions. Everyone generally really liked Drive My Car and A Hero. Outside of Flag Day, another absolute stinker from Sean Penn after his The Last Face face-planted at Cannes five years ago, critics tended not to be too hard on the Competition films. And even Penn's folly inspired a few rave reviews. 

What was largely not commented on, at least among the people I was with, was the fact that ... we were watching movies in theaters again. A lot of movies in theaters. After basically avoiding theaters for more than a year, I was inside them for the last week and a half. That return couldn't have started better than by seeing the latest installment in Mark Cousins' The Story of Film series, which is no doubt why Cannes programmed it to open the festival. If it's perhaps a little too self-conscious about reminding everyone that, yes, movies still matter, A New Generation is stuffed with clips of the best and brightest films from this century, including a list of helpful suggestions for under-the-radar titles worth seeking out. Soon that initial giddy buzz went away and we went back to the grind of covering a film festival, as always. But, my god, the fact that we were there at all was a miracle I don't think enough of us paused to acknowledge.

I have a spectacular failure rate when it comes to predicting what will win the Palme d'Or, so I'm tempted not to even make a guess. But I'm going with A Hero over Titane or Drive My Car. Asghar Farhadi has never won, so the jury (headed by Spike Lee) may decide he's due. Plus, the film is seen as a return to form for him after the disappointing Everybody Knows. It wouldn't shock me if Lee went for something a little stylistically bolder, but it's always a risk to assume that the movie that most resembles the jury president's M.O. will win. So let me put it this way: If he gives it to The Worst Person in the World or Memoria, you won't hear me complaining.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: The Best Films of 2021 (So Far) and My Cannes Preview

This episode is jam-packed with goodies. First, we each pick our six favorite movies from the first half of this year. (There are a few I haven't gotten to yet, sadly.) And then, I talk about a bunch of films I'm excited to see at Cannes. (I'm heading off tomorrow.) Hope you enjoy.

Toronto 2018: 'Maya' Review

Mia Hansen-Love has a new film that's gotten almost zero buzz. I find that shocking. Maya isn't one of her best, but it's good. I make the case for this romantic drama over at Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Reviewing 'Jackie' ... and 'Hudson Hawk'

I am always reminded that one shouldn't use the word "eclectic" to describe something that offers a variety of different things. (Technically speaking, "eclectic" means a wide array of great items.) So, I'll simply say that this week's episode of the Grierson & Leitch podcast runs the gamut. On one side, we review Jackie and Things to Come, great movies fronted by superb female performances. On the other, we go back and look at Hudson Hawk. In between, we also chat a bit about the indomitable Double Indemnity. So, a little something for everyone this week. Check it out here.

'Things to Come' and Learning to Let Go

Over at The New Republic, I spent a little time raving about Things to Come, which is merely the second-best film out this fall with Isabelle Huppert. (The other, of course, is the fabulous Elle.) She plays a woman saying goodbye to her marriage, her mother and the life she's known. It's a gem -- read all about it.

Toronto 2016: 'Things to Come' Review

I love Mia Hansen-Love's last film, Eden. Now I have to decide if I prefer her latest. Things to Come has a more conventional premise -- it's about an older woman navigating some difficult life crises -- but it's a beaut. And Isabelle Huppert absolutely rules in it. I reviewed the film for Paste.

2015 in Review: My Top 10 Movies of the Year

Six foreign-language films, one stop-motion animation, two Sundance premieres, one short film (animated): Those are the movies that comprised my Top 10 films of 2015. And here they are...
  
1. The Tribe     
2. Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem   
3. Anomalisa    
4. Experimenter     
5. World of Tomorrow  
6. The End of the Tour  
7. Phoenix  
8. Eden    
9. Son of Saul  
10. Hard to Be a God

I went into detail over at The New Republic, although I should point out that, because Will and I have a hard-and-fast rule about not including short films in our Top 10s, I left off Don Hertzfeldt's terrific World of Tomorrow, slotting another Sundance premiere, James White, in at No. 10 instead. (And if you'd like to see my more extensive Village Voice ballot, which includes votes for different acting categories, you can check that out here.)

Rather than talking about the 2015 film world in general, I'd rather focus on the fond personal memories I have about the year gone by. Tops on the list would have to be my SAG Foundation conversation with Yana Novikova, the deaf star of The Tribe. Our Q&A required two interpreters but could not have been more engaging and insightful. Watching this young woman interact with deaf audience members after the screening was an absolute treat.

I also remember leading another SAG Foundation talk this past year, this one the night before I left for Sundance, with Boyhood director Richard Linklater and star Ellar Coltrane. It had been almost exactly a year since they had debuted the film at Sundance 2014, and now they were in the midst of a major Oscar campaign. Some of us actually believed it was going to win Best Picture, and when I said goodbye to Linklater that night I wished him good luck. (After all, Boyhood was my favorite film of that year.) He gave me a warm smile, but he was too modest for more than that. Maybe he could already sense that Birdman's momentum was going to overwhelm his little film. Or maybe he simply didn't care about awards, which is the better attitude anyway.

After a year off to write a book about Public Enemy, I returned to Cannes this past summer. I consider myself lucky to have seen two movies with the exact perfect person for each. Jordan Hoffman loves Woody Allen as much as I do, and so to see one of his films at Cannes was a dream come true. Hey, Irrational Man isn't great, but to share it with him was a blast. And Justin Chang was an ideal seatmate for Inside Out. He thought he was the only one crying; I just happened to be a little more composed than he was. Even if the overall festival wasn't exemplary, hey, there were plenty of gems. (And I look forward to seeing The Lobster and Cemetery of Splendour again.)

My PE book was probably the piece of writing I'm most proud of from 2015, but I'm also quite pleased with another book of mine that came out this past year: Martin Scorsese in Ten Scenes. My thanks to Mark Graham for inviting me to promote the book by writing a defense of Shutter Island for Decider. I feel like I finally got out of my system the myriad reasons why I feel that movie is a masterpiece.

I wrote many, many pieces this year, and because I did the writing, I am simply too close to them to know which ones were the best. But I really enjoyed collaborating with Alissa Wilkinson on a piece for Movie Mezzanine about World of Tomorrow and Hertzfeldt's work in general. (It's currently unavailable as the site prepares for its relaunch, but I hope you'll get to read our back-and-forth correspondence soon.)

Likewise, getting to do a Dissolve Forum with Noel Murray on White Men Can't Jump was plain ol' fun. The loss of The Dissolve was one of 2015's most painful developments: I am gladdened to see its writers and editors kicking ass across the web since their labor of love was shuttered.

Other highlights: Getting to spend some time with Charlie Day. Talking hip-hop with Randall Park. Hanging out with Caitriona Balfe on the rooftop terrace of an L.A. hotel. Asking Queen Latifah about what she learned from the failure of her talk shows. Talking to Ellen Page about life as an out actress. But the tops of the tops was my sitdown with Will Smith, who was as energizing and inspiring as I could have hoped. I really love doing these Backstage cover stories, which have given me an even greater appreciation for actors and acting.

What else? I'm sure I'm forgetting dozens of great moments. But I did really love getting to cover the Academy's annual Sci-Tech Awards. Margot Robbie and Miles Teller should host more things together. Also, apparently I look good in a tux.

One of the year's more surreal and gratifying moments was the great Neko Case writing this piece about that whole Playboy kerfuffle from 2014. I am grateful to her for her apology, and hope she knows that it was completely unnecessary. To this day, I'm sick about how someone on Playboy's social media team handled that original tweet and angry at all the people online who gave Case grief because of her very funny response. I already considered Case to be one of our greatest musicians; her handling of this whole silly internet exchange only made me admire her thoughtfulness and artistry more.

Over at Rolling Stone, I covered Stephen Colbert's first night on the new show. (Fingers crossed his Late Show finds it way in 2016.) I also really enjoyed writing about Obama's last appearance on David Letterman's show. And I got to see my byline in the print edition, which would have completely freaked out the 15-year-old version of me: It was a profile of W/ Bob & David.

After four years, Will and I pulled up stakes from Deadspin to start writing for The New Republic. We love our new digs, but we do miss working with Rob Harvilla and the rest of the great team over at Deadspin. (And Will and I continue to love doing our ranked lists for Vulture.)

In May of 2015, I was appointed Senior U.S. Critic over at Screen International, where I've been writing since 2005. I'm honored by the new title and thrilled to be working with a great team, which includes my reviews editor and friend Fionnuala Halligan.

But the most profound moment of the year gone by, oddly, was my wife and I purchasing our first home. Deciding not to have kids, she and I won't ever experience what childbirth and parenthood are like, but the simple process of putting down a large chunk of money and becoming homeowners taught me things about myself that I could never have imagined. If you know me in real life, feel free to ask: I'm very happy to bore you about it at length.

Here's to a fruitful 2016. I still have no idea who I'm going to vote for. But I'm fairly certain which candidates I'm never, ever going to vote for.

Sundance 2015: Ranking the Best and Worst of the Festival

I could have just as easily put together a list of the movies I wished I could have seen at this year's Sundance Film Festival: The End of the Tour, Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, Going Clear, Diary of a Teenage Girl, The Forbidden Room, Tangerine, Experimenter, I Am Michael, The Stanford Prison Experiment, The Overnight....OK, you get the idea. (Plus, I have Don Hertzfeldt's acclaimed short World of Tomorrow waiting for me on my laptop. I cannot wait.) So consider the below ranking a snapshot of one person's experience in Park City. Five different critics could give you five different overviews.

I can't say I saw any slam-dunk stunners this year, as opposed to 2014 when I flipped for Boyhood and The Raid 2. You'll note my top two picks from the 2015 edition are actually films that premiered elsewhere but were included in Sundance's Spotlight section. I suspect a couple of the movies I didn't see on the list above might have competed for one of the top spots.

Looking at my rankings, I realize I'm less enthused about Brooklyn than many of my colleagues are. On the opposite side, I'm guessing I'm higher on The Nightmare than most. What's funny is that many of the best films at Sundance this year have an element of horror to them, whether it's the 17th century creepiness of The Witch, the school of the damned in The Tribe, the post-apocalyptic setting of Z for Zachariah, or the real-world terrors in the documentaries The Nightmare and Welcome to Leith. As for Eden, I bonded with two new friends at the festival because they responded to Mia Hansen-Løve's film as strongly as I did. It's not a horror movie, but it's a deeply felt character study that I haven't stopped thinking about since seeing it in Toronto last year.

On to the rankings. Links lead to individual reviews (some may be behind paywalls)...

26. Strangerland
25. A Walk in the Woods
24. Ten Thousand Saints
23. The Bronze
22. Stockholm, Pennsylvania
21. Brooklyn
20. What Happened, Miss Simone?
19. True Story
18. Results
17. The D Train
16. Homesick
15. Partisan
14. 99 Homes
13. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
12. Last Days in the Desert
11. Mistress America
10. Dope
9. Wild Tales 
8. Mississippi Grind
7. Digging for Fire
6. Z for Zachariah
5. Welcome to Leith
4. The Nightmare
3. The Witch
2. Eden
1. The Tribe

AFI Fest 2014: The Final Rankings

I can't think of a festival in Los Angeles that's ever been more of a whirlwind than this year's AFI Fest. Partly, that was because I was part of the New Auteurs jury (alongside Alonso Duralde, Eric Kohn and Anne Thompson), but mostly it was due to the fact that a mad rush of world premieres (some of them announced at the last minute) kept me watching and reviewing highly-anticipated Oscar contenders just about every day. I wouldn't have traded a moment of any of it.

Before I get into the rankings, I'd like to thank the AFI Fest staff, especially Jacqueline Lyanga, Lane Kneedler, Jenn Murphy and Landon Zakheim, who all took such good care of me. They run a fine festival.

Now, to the list. I should say that all 10 films in the New Auteurs section, which focuses on first- and second-time international directors, were all good enough to recommend. (You can see our list of winners right here. I co-sign on all of them.) I've been on juries before, and I know that this isn't always the case: Normally, you have to suffer through some real dogs. So, again, my thanks go out to the programmers for finding the wheat among the chaff.

As always with my rankings, they include films I saw before the festival elsewhere. (I decided to leave off Cinema Paradiso since I haven't seen it in years and barely remember it.) I already can't wait to see my No. 1 film again next year when it gets its official release. I've been intrigued by it since May: I'm happy to report that it lived up to the hype.

28. The Gambler
27. The Wonders
26. Viktoria
25. The Homesman
24. Güeros
23. Red Army
22. Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere
21. Blind
20. Happy Valley
19. Tales of the Grim Sleeper
18. Clouds of Sils Maria
17. Leviathan
16. A Most Violent Year
15. American Sniper
14. Run
13. Black Coal, Thin Ice
12. Thou Wast Mild and Lovely
11. Self Made
10. Violet
9. The Duke of Burgundy
8. Wild Tales
7. Jauja
6. Alive
5. Two Days, One Night
4. Still Alice
3. Eden
2. Foxcatcher
1. The Tribe

Toronto 2014: Ranking the Best and Worst of the Festival

What I've realized ever since missing Cannes this summer is that life now feels like an endless game of catch-up. Going to Toronto, I wasn't just needing to see new movies -- I also had to see what had premiered on the Croisette. Therefore, these below rankings (which also include a few films I caught at Sundance) are even less definitive than normal. Links leads to individual reviews.

29. Tokyo Tribe
28. Welcome to Me
27. The Good Lie
26. Infinitely Polar Bear
25. Mary Kom
24. The Judge
23. Black and White
22. Laggies
21. Nightcrawler
20. The Last Five Years
19. Men, Women & Children
18. Tusk
17. Maps to the Stars
16. 99 Homes 
15. The Voices
14. Sunshine Superman
13. Tales of the Grim Sleeper
12. Rosewater
11. Whiplash
10. The Imitation Game
9. Charlie's Country
8. A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence
7. While We're Young
6. The Duke of Burgundy
5. The Theory of Everything
4. Two Days, One Night
3. The New Girlfriend
2. Still Alice
1. Eden

Also, I'd like to thank my roommates Jordan Hoffman, David Ehrlich and Matt Patches for being such fun company during the festival. And now...sleep.

Toronto 2014: 'Eden' Review

Filmmaker Mia Hansen-Love's two most recent movies, Father of My Children and Goodbye First Love, were (in different ways) about the struggles people face when life doesn't work out for them like they'd hoped. Her latest, Eden, follows in the same vein, and is even better. My review is up at Screen International.