The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Let's Talk About 'The Odyssey' (and 'Office Space')

Will and I go long on Christopher Nolan's epic film. And then we go back to 1999 to revisit Mike Judge's Office Space. You can hear our discussion down below.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Odysseus, Ross McElwee, 'Reading Lolita in Tehran' and 'Horsegirls'

I was on KCRW this week with fellow critic Angelica Jade Bastién to talk about the weekend's big releases. That means The Odyssey, of course, but also Remake, Reading Lolita in Tehran (pictured above) and Horsegirls. You can hear our segment down below.

'The Odyssey' Review

The wait is over: Here's my review of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey for Screen International. 

Best of 2024: The Top 10 Movies of the Year

In 2001, I had a shitty year and I couldn't wait for it to be over. On New Year's Eve, I attended a party where I didn't know a ton of people, and I ended up chatting with this woman. During our conversation, I mentioned how happy I was that 2001 was ending, figuring I didn't need to elaborate on why. But she just looked at me, confused. "What was so bad about it?" she asked me.

I have never run into this person since, but I think about her occasionally. How could she have been so obtuse? Did she not remember 9/11? Wasn't she, like the rest of us, still wrestling with the horrible feeling that everything had changed and nothing felt certain anymore? I didn't expect her to also know about the personal things that had happened to me in 2001 that had gone terribly wrong, but still: Why didn't she know that this has been an all-time awful year?

As I've gotten older, I've been more forgiving in my judgment of that person. We don't know what other people are going through but, also, we can't assume that our experience is universal. Truth is, she may have had an amazing 2001, despite 9/11 or anything else happening in the world. Maybe she wasn't depressed, lonely and feeling very much at a crossroads in her life. Maybe she wasn't me.

I've been thinking about that woman a lot in 2024, which for a lot of people was a pretty shitty year. Trump's reelection was the pivotal lowlight, of course, but additionally there were plenty of things going on in the personal lives of those around me that also contributed to a general sense of despair. People lost spouses. People lost parents. People lost their pets. Cancers came back. Loved ones kept getting older. Health issues got serious. Dreams got dashed. Was 2024 the worst year of my life since 2001? Sometimes, it sure felt that way, although it feels odd (and dangerous) to write that. After all, all years are a mix of good and bad, filled with fond memories and crushing bummers, and even the notion of declaring a particular year "the worst" seems incredibly self-indulgent and overdramatic — plus, it's just asking for trouble. (You never know how much worse things could get, and you should be careful not to take your blessings for granted, lest you lose them.) 

But at the same time, I know people who, all told, had a great 2024. They found love. They had a baby. They got an exciting new job. They got out of a bad relationship. They received a prestigious honor. They got to travel. Their baseball team won the World Series. All that good fortune happened in the same year that so much misery occurred — sometimes, to the same person. So was it a good year or a bad year for them? How do you weigh the pros and cons?

A movie that has stayed with me all year was A Real Pain, which I saw at its Sundance premiere. In the film, Jesse Eisenberg's uptight but seemingly put-together family man David is complaining about his cousin, Kieran Culkin's far more volatile Benji. The tour group they're with feel sorry for the hotheaded, emotional Benji — "he's clearly in pain," one of them says — which sparks an pointed response from David. "I know, but isn’t everyone in pain in some way?" he replies. "Well, you seem okay," another tour-group member says. That's when David really loses it.

"I’m not," he responds. "That’s the thing! I have shit going on! I do. But I take a pill for my fuckin' OCD, I jog, I meditate and I go to work and come home at the end of the day. I move forward. Because I know my pain is unexceptional so I don’t feel the need to burden everybody with it."

Most of my life, I've viewed things like David. I have shit going on, but I know other people do, too. So I just keep on keepin' on, convinced my pain is unexceptional. I don't want to burden folks with it. There's value in that — namely, the importance of not becoming so self-absorbed and consumed with your own stuff that you lose sight of what's happening to those around you. But in 2024, I saw other people's pain and wondered about the value of just constantly moving forward — sometimes, that pain has to be acknowledged. That recognition is also a way of growing closer to others by opening yourself up and letting others see your pain. A good pal of mine has a saying that I really love: "If you want to make a friend, ask a favor." The idea is that by being vulnerable and asking for help, you allow others to see you — and for them to feel connected to you in an intimate way. This year, amidst a lot of terrible things, I watched people not be afraid to "burden" others. I know I did the same.

That's why, as bad as 2024 was, I can't say I absolutely hated the last 12 months. There was too much beauty and too much joy to outright dismiss the year in its entirety. Even amidst the pain, there was the reminder of how sadness can generate its own forms of wisdom, humility, humor and compassion. Those things are gifts and you've got to seek them out. Otherwise, life loses all meaning. So, no, I'm not "excited" or "relieved" that 2024 is ending — for starters, with Trump returning to the White House, 2025 could easily be worse. But also, I'm not interested in discarding everything that this year brought. I accept it all. I do wonder, though, how that woman from that 2001 New Year's Eve party is doing. 

* * * * *  

Another reason to be grateful: 2024 was one of the best film years in recent memory, as demonstrated by my stacked Top 10 list...

1. Nickel Boys (RaMell Ross)
2. Janet Planet (Annie Baker) 
3. A Real Pain (Jesse Eisenberg)
4. Challengers (Luca Guadagnino)
5. His Three Daughters (Azazel Jacobs)
6. Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell (Pham Thien An)
7. Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World (Radu Jude)
8. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Mohammad Rasoulof) 
9. Here (Bas Devos)             
10. The Brutalist (Brady Corbet)

I also want to give special mention to the movies that ended up 11-15 on my list, which were Evil Does Not Exist, The Room Next Door, A Different Man, In the Summers and Anora, all of them stellar pictures in their own right. 

For a different take on the year in movies, check out my Screen International list, which only counts films that premiered in 2024. (In other words, five of the movies in my official Top 10 above don't count since they played at festivals last year — and a sixth one, Challengers, was set to premiere in Venice before the actors strike changed those plans.) If you'd like a lengthy discussion about my official Top 10, check out the Grierson & Leitch end-of-the-year podcast.

As I look over my lists, I have vibrant, pleasant memories attached to each of these movies. I remember when I saw them, where I saw them and what was going on in my life at the time. The other day, someone asked me if ever watch movies just for enjoyment. I feel like I always am. 

* * * * * 

As always, I kept busy this year. 2025 will be my 20th anniversary of writing for Screen International. I cannot believe it, and I couldn't be more grateful. Beyond the reviews I write all year as the trade's Senior U.S. Critic, there's also the festivals I cover for the publication, including Sundance, Cannes, and the double shot of Venice and Toronto. Another Sundance is just around the corner. Can't wait.

I was also extremely active over at the Los Angeles Times between reviewing films and profiling actors and directors. Who all did I chat with? Sean Baker (at Gardena Cinema, which was a blast). Juliette Binoche and director Tran Anh Hung for The Taste of Things. Carol freaking Burnett. India Donaldson. Ryusuke Hamaguchi. The stars of His Three Daughters (the night after the election no less). Nicholas Hoult. Jimmy Kimmel (wasn't expecting that interview to go viral). Richard Linklater. Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman for May December. Julianne Nicholson. RaMell Ross. Sebastian Stan and Adam Pearson for A Different Man. Taylor Tomlinson. John Wilson. Also, I was thrilled to do a breakdown of the Oppenheimer screenplay, which reads like a dream by the way, with insights by Kai Bird, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Hoyte van Hoytema, Clive Owen, Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas. Another favorite Times memory from 2024: writing a 25th anniversary piece for The Sixth Sense, which allowed me the opportunity to interview some old colleagues from my brief time in script development, including my former boss Anne Helmstadter, without whom I never would have met my wife Susan.

A very fun thing that happened in 2024 was I started writing for RogerEbert.com. There are too many highlights to mention, but allow me to single out a few gems: my profile of diehard Tenet fans, my interview with Danny Boyle about his friend Cillian Murphy on the eve of his Oscar win, my salute to Emma Stone on the eve of her Oscar win, my very mixed review of this year's Oscars, my interview with Catherine Breillat about Last Summer, my tribute to the late Eleanor Coppola, my long conversation with Keith Law about baseball movies, my interview with Jesse Plemons about Kinds of Kindness (no. 17 on my list of the year's best films), and my interview with Joanna Arnow about The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed (no. 20 on my list). Oh, also: I spent a day hanging out with Justin Baldoni in July before the release of It Ends With Us. (You may have heard some stuff about him recently.)

For my friends at Cracked, I got to talk to some comedians I love, including Anthony Jeselnik and Tig Notaro. I also got deep with John Early and Penn Jillette, who were refreshingly candid about life, work and politics. And I interviewed filmmakers Caroline Suh and Cara Mones, whose documentary Sorry/Not Sorry is about Louis C.K. but, really, is about the whole notion of this thing we call cancel culture.

Over at Rolling Stone, I bid a fond farewell to the great Donald Sutherland. I also looked back at 1994's The Crow, which was emblematic of its time. (You might recall there was a (putrid) remake this year.) I hopped on a Zoom with Joshua Oppenheimer to talk about his wonderful film The End (no. 19 on my list). And I told the world what the Golden Globes got right (and wrong) with their nominations.

I was once again thrilled to be part of the Gotham Awards committee as a member of the panel that selected the acting nominees. It was my honor in January to present LAFCA's Best Director prize to Jonathan Glazer for The Zone of Interest. It's always a kick to be on Press Play With Madeleine Brand, not to mention guesting on the Breakfast All Day podcast to join my friend Christy Lemire to talk movies. I returned to Wilco the Podcast to discuss the band's Hot Sun Cool Shroud EP. And, of course, everyone's favorite weekly film podcast, Grierson & Leitch, had another superb year. Will and I have so much fun doing the show, and I am grateful to all those who listen.

On a personal note, Susan and I celebrated 18 years of marriage. (Her No. 1 movie of the year is also Nickel Boys, followed by A Real Pain, Anora, The Seed of the Sacred Fig and The Room Next Door.) Her insights into films remains as astute as the day I met her back in 1999. (She's also a terrific writer.) But those qualities are not even among the 150 things I most love about her. Put it this way: No year with Susan can remotely be considered a "bad" year.

In 2024, I also did a fair amount of Q&As. It is a job I take seriously and enjoy immensely, and I am always appreciative when an audience member comes up to me afterwards and says, "That was really good — most Q&As are terrible." (I hear this more often than you might imagine.) I consider it a huge compliment. Here's just a small list of the people I've been lucky enough to share a stage with this year: the A Different Man team of Sebastian Stan and Adam Pearson; Ethan Hawke (for Wildcat); Joshua Oppenheimer and Michael Shannon (for The End); Ryusuke Hamaguchi (for Evil Does Not Exist); the Lee team of Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard and Andrea Riseborough; George MacKay (for The Beast); the Anora team of Sean Baker, Mikey Madison, Samantha Quan and Drew Daniels; the cast and crew of Sing Sing; the cast and crew of The Brutalist; the Nickel Boys team of RaMell Ross, Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson; Charlie Kaufman (for I'm Thinking of Ending Things and then for Being John Malkovich alongside Catherine Keener); and Franz Rogowski (on my birthday!) for Passages. There was the night Juliette Binoche and Tran Anh Hung were too sick to attend their Q&A for The Taste of Things, and at the last minute, Tran Nu Yen Khe, the filmmaker's wife and creative partner, stepped in and proved to be an absolute delight. I also have to thank the fine folks at the American Cinematheque, who for the third year of Bleak Week took my suggestion to program Testament — and allowed me to moderate a post-screening Q&A with director Lynne Littman. What an honor. (Later in the year, I also got to present Junebug, which remains wonderful.)

And then one last thing. In November, I was asked to moderate a career conversation with Daniel Craig at the Egyptian. I had been warned that he can be a little surly on stage, but I found him warm, candid and hilarious. It was a pretty special night, helped by the fact that his longtime agent, Sally Long-Innes, was in the audience, telling a great anecdote about first meeting him years ago. I am such a fortunate person, able to write in a variety of formats and also to interview interesting artists in print and also in front of an audience. The 2001 version of me could not have conceived that he would ever be in the position of the 2024 version of me, and I don't take that for granted. I look at that picture at the top of this post, and my overwhelming feeling is gratitude. There are no bad years, no matter how bad you might think they are.

Thank you for reading this. If you enjoy the work I do, that means a lot. Here's to more beauty and pain in 2025.

(Photo by Ziwei Zhao for American Cinematheque.)

A History of the Joker Being Funny (or Not)

In honor of Joker: Folie à Deux, I wrote a little something for Cracked about the Clown Prince of Crime. Specifically, I tried to answer this question: Is the Joker actually a funny supervillain? Hope you enjoy.

My Interview With David Krumholtz, Star of 'Lousy Carter'

You know him from The Santa Clause. Or 10 Things I Hate About You. Or Oppenheimer. I talked to David Krumholtz about going viral, having kids and his wry new comedy Lousy Carter for RogerEbert.com.

The Greatest Low-Low-Budget Films

How could a movie be made for less than $50,000? And how could that movie be any good? For RogerEbert.com, I pay tribute to the 10 finest films that were shot on a shoestring. Hope you enjoy.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Let's Talk About the Oscars (and 'Love Lies Bleeding' and 'Ricky Stanicky')

How was your Oscars? We review the show on this week's episode. Then we dig into the latest from Kristen Stewart and Peter Farrelly. (There are many comments about John Cena as well.) Check it all out down below.

My Review of the 2024 Academy Awards

I will always love the Oscars. And I was generally very happy with what won last night. So why did I find the show so underwhelming? Here are my thoughts.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: The New 'Dune,' 'Spaceman' and Our Oscar Predictions

Two outer-space films are reviewed on this week's podcast. But the real excitement comes during our deep dive into the Oscars, where we make our picks in all the major categories. Hope you enjoy.

I Talked to Danny Boyle About Cillian Murphy

The Oppenheimer star is favored to win Best Actor next Sunday at the Oscars. So I decided to talk to a director who worked with him very early in his career. For RogerEbert.com, I had a quick chat with Danny Boyle, the man behind the terrific 28 Days Later and Sunshine. Hope you enjoy.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Ethan Coen Solo, Christopher Nolan Reappraised and 'His Girl Friday'

On this week's podcast, there's only one new movie, which is Drive-Away Dolls. Then, we give Tenet a second look in honor of its re-release and go back to 1940 for His Girl Friday. Dive in!

The Comeback of Robert Downey Jr.

For RogerEbert.com, I took a moment to appreciate that, 25 years ago, Robert Downey Jr. was at his lowest point, battling drug addiction and facing a prison sentence. Much has changed since, happily. Hope you enjoy.

I Talked to 'Tenet' Fans

Four years ago, at the height of the pandemic, Christopher Nolan released Tenet. It wasn't as well-received as his other films, and for obvious reasons, it didn't do as well at the box office. This Friday, the movie returns to theaters. The people most excited about that fact are the folks online who have been beating the drum for this movie since 2020. For RogerEbert.com, I talked to five of the most vocal, learning who they are and what the film means to them. This ended up being sweeter and more poignant than I was expecting. Hope you enjoy.

My Interview With the Cast and Crew of 'Oppenheimer'

So, this was a massive undertaking, but I can't tell you how pleased I am with how it turned out. 

Over the last couple of weeks, I've been talking to different people in front of and behind the camera who were involved with Oppenheimer. Specifically, we've discussed Christopher Nolan's screenplay, which I've read and is a real wonder. Folks like Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt and Robert Downey Jr. gave me insights into how the script changed on set, and then Nolan and others shared tidbits regarding what was added and what was changed.

The design team did an incredible job with this piece -- hope you enjoy.

Best of 2023: The Top 10 Movies of the Year

Every time I go to a film festival, I try to make sure to take a moment to appreciate that I'm there: "I'm here at Cannes." "I'm here at Sundance." All these years later, I still can recall a time when I didn't go to film festivals — when that didn't even seem possible — and so I take that moment to reconnect with the giddiness I first felt. It is very easy to be blase — to get dragged down by the minor hassles involved with traveling, like spotty WiFi, lost luggage and jet lag — and forget what a privilege it is. Some prefer to project an air of being above it all, playing the role of the hardened professional who considers going to festivals to be a pain in the ass. That stance doesn't work for me. I remember, so I don't want to ever forget.

That exercise of appreciating things has carried over to other aspects of my life. Being grateful for the friends I have, the job I get to do on a daily basis, the family I have around me, the life I've created, and the amazing woman who married me 17 years ago. You get sidetracked by the annoyances and you risk missing all that.

I have never been good at "being in the moment." Meditating has never really worked for me. Who wants to be in the moment when you've got 10 things coming up demanding your attention? What's happening now is never as exciting as what's around the corner. But Susan has done her best to readjust my thinking. It's taken a while, but I think I'm finally getting the hang of it.

When I think back to 2023, I recall moments of happiness. Going to the Barbie premiere and immediately noting how much more joyful and elated the energy in the theater was then for, say, the many Marvel premieres I've attended. People dressed up. Everybody seemed to be having a ball. Same for the premiere of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour — the whole crowd just seemed so jazzed to be there. And why not? Maybe it's okay to love things.

I think of going to movies with Susan. I think of hanging out with dear colleagues at film festivals. I think of having long dinners with friends and talking about the big stuff — life, death, what we're doing here on this planet — until late in the evening. I feel myself finding new ways to appreciate what I do and understand who I am. I feel lucky to be getting older, to have learned to let go of certain things, to figure out which things matter and fight like hell for them. I feel like extra space has opened up inside me, allowing me more room to explore myself and the world around me. Life isn't shrinking, it's getting bigger.

I remember seeing Past Lives at its premiere at Sundance and being floored — and feeling the whole audience being floored at the same time, all of us gobsmacked by what we were seeing. (I still remember my critic friend next to me loudly stifling his sobs.) And then I remember seeing The Zone of Interest at its premiere at Cannes and being floored in a completely different way. Those moments are the ones you live for as a film critic — they're so rare, and if you haven't had one in a while, you fear it will never happen again. And then it does, and it fills you up with something you can't describe, and all you want is more of it. Seeing David Byrne's American Utopia and Summer of Soul at last on the big screen. Dying and going to heaven while attending the world premiere of the restored Stop Making Sense in IMAX in Toronto. More, more, more.

Every year is filled with pain, anger, sadness and fear. My wife had gallbladder surgery that had complications that, a month later, she's still wrestling with. Heartaches came our way. There are obstacles that feel like they'll never be surmounted. There are injustices — both in the wider world and in my little ecosystem — that are infuriating. 2023 had more than its share of trials. But I am trying to focus on the moments, if just for a second. They're always there. Don't let them go.

* * * * * 

Let's turn now to my Top 10...

1. The Zone of Interest
2. Past Lives
3. De Humani Corporis Fabrica
4. Showing Up 
5. Passages
6. Maestro 
7. Oppenheimer 
8. The Iron Claw
9. About Dry Grasses
10. Occupied City

This is a pretty formidable list, with All of Us Strangers just missing the cut, but I also want to point you to my Screen International ranking of 2023's best films, which counts any movie that premiered anywhere in the world this year. Several movies on that list won't get an official U.S. release until 2024, which means my Top 10 for next year is already in excellent shape.

As I look back on the movie year, what's clear is that I was premature in declaring Cannes 2023 to be "merely okay." I had missed About Dry Grasses and Occupied City — long films can be schedule-killers during a festival — but when I caught up with them in the fall, I realized how exceptional they were. (A second viewing of Killers of the Flower Moon, which ended up at No. 13 on my list, cemented that film's considerable merits as well.) 

In general, I can't think of a year in which I rewatched so many movies — partly because I had to review them during their subsequent U.S. release (or refresh my memory before interviewing one of the people involved in the film), and partly because I wanted to lock down my feelings about them with a follow-up viewing. More often than not, those additional screenings proved incredibly useful, which reminded me of being in film school and spending a week analyzing one movie, really digging into it until you felt you fully understood it. You never fully understand a film, of course — watch it again in 10 years, and you'll be amazed how often it's a brand new experience. But the illusion of wholly grasping a work of art is something a lot of us have spent our whole lives chasing, gladly.

* * * * * 

Career-wise, it was a busy, fulfilling 2023. I have now been writing for Screen International for 18 years, proudly serving as the publication's Senior U.S. Critic and covering Sundance, Cannes and Toronto. Some of my favorite reviews I wrote for Screen include the ones for Past Lives (I wrote the first draft in a delirious haze in the lobby of the Eccles immediately after seeing the film) and Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (No. 24 on my end-of-the-year list). I don't know if they're the best reviews I wrote, but when I go back and read them, I recall exactly the feeling of what those respective movies did to me. That's one of my main objectives whenever I write, articulating an ineffable sensation in words.

I am astonished that the Grierson & Leitch podcast has now been going strong for eight years. It doesn't seem nearly that long, and yet the Sunday ritual of recording the show now feels like such an ingrained part of my life. Especially gratifying this year was getting to meet a few listeners at festivals, events or just randomly in Los Angeles. (I will say, though, I most get identified in public by fans of the great Breakfast All Day podcast, which I sometimes guest on. Because that one exists in YouTube form, you can actually see me on that show, which I suppose makes it slightly easier to spot me in the wild. Like our listeners, the BAD audience is filled with sweet individuals, and it's always a treat to say hello to any of them I meet.)

It has been especially rewarding writing more for the Los Angeles Times, and my 2023 is filled with happy memories of talking to the likes of Aubrey Plaza and Theo Rossi, Lea Seydoux and Mia Hansen-Love, Brendan Fraser, Cate Blanchett, the team from The Last of Us, Will Sharpe, the Yellowjackets teens, Aubrey Plaza (again!), Lizzy Caplan and Claire Danes, Christian Petzold, Adele Exarchopoulos, Alex Timbers, Rebecca Miller, Godfrey Reggio, Christian Friedel, Dua Lipa, Ridley Scott, Charles Melton and Matthew Libatique. All of those profiles were thrills, especially the Blanchett chat, but my proudest L.A. Times piece was an ambitious look at three nuclear-war films from the early 1980s that grappled with the aftermath of humanity destroying itself. Lynne Littman (Testament), Nicholas Meyer (The Day After) and Mick Jackson (Threads) had plenty to say about their movies, which have never left them, even though they came out so long ago. If you read one piece of mine from 2023, make it this one.

That's a lot of interviews, and I did even more for Cracked, a humor site, which gave me the opportunity to have serious conversations with funny people. Often talking to my subjects for an hour, I tried to figure out what made them tick, what inspired them to pursue comedy, and how they navigate a world in which there's a new sensitivity around determining what's funny and what's simply punching down. Some highlights: David Cross telling me about being on medication; Peter Exline reminiscing about inspiring aspects of The Big Lebowski; Jim Gaffigan tracing the history of his "inside voice;" Pauly Shore telling me, well, everything; James Marsden reflecting on the surprise success of Jury Duty; Bobcat Goldthwait remembering his dear friend Robin Williams; Julia Louis-Dreyfus on not doing the Seinfeld dance for fans; Gina Yashere being very honest about Bob Hearts Abishola co-creator Chuck Lorre; Kristen Schaal on motherhood and comedy; Hari Kondabolu reflecting on that whole Apu business; Maria Bamford mourning her mother; Eugene Mirman on telling jokes about his late wife; Samantha Bee walking through New York while imagining her future; Michaela Watkins discussing what she learned about getting fired from Saturday Night Live; and Eddie Izzard talking about politics (and Darth Vader). The highlight, though, was getting on Zoom with David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker to break down the funniest moments from Airplane! Also, attending the Groundlings' one-night-only benefit performance of A Chorus Line allowed me to write a different type of live review — it was a wondrous evening.

Every month or so, I'm delighted to be asked on Press Play With Madeleine Brand to review that weekend's movies. Getting to share a radio spot with the likes of Christy Lemire, Amy Nicholson, Katie Walsh and Alison Willmore is always a blast. And I was honored to appear on Wilco the Podcast to discuss my book Wilco: Sunken Treasure and then, later, do a deep dive on Wilco's new album Cousin. (It actually consisted of two episodes.)

I had missed getting to moderate Q&As during the pandemic, and in 2023 I was grateful to have more opportunities to talk to actors and directors in front of an audience. The American Cinematheque asked me to speak to Gus Van Sant (Gerry), Michael Haneke (a career conversation) and Bela Tarr (The Turin Horse) as part of their spectacular Bleak Week series this summer. I hung out with Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, who are really funny, to talk Tori and Lokita. Rodrigo Moreno illuminated his great sort-of heist picture The Delinquents, which I deeply dug at Cannes and liked even more upon second viewing. Christian Petzold was hilarious discussing Afire. Ira Sachs provided plenty of insights into Passages. Celine Song, Greta Lee and Teo Yoo blew my mind by discussing how the opening of Melancholia helped inspire their approach to Past Lives. Director Nikolaj Arcel and star Mads Mikkelsen were such an ace comedic duo that I just stood back and let them do their thing during a Q&A for The Promised Land. Writer-director Lila Aviles was delightful dissecting John Cassavetes' influence on Totem. Alma Poysti told great stories about Aki Kaurismaki and working on Fallen Leaves. (It was her first visit to Los Angeles. She was tickled to be here.) Director Matteo Garrone and his stars Seydou Sarr and Moustapha Fall made the audience cry at a Q&A for Io Capitano. I walked away from each of these experiences in a state of euphoria, energized by the conversations. But I had to especially pinch myself after getting to interview Steve James after a screening on Hoop Dreams, one of the foundational movies of my life. And I've been fortunate to be asked to moderate several Q&As with the cast and crew of the year's best film. I have seen The Zone of Interest three times and gotten to speak to Jonathan Glazer, Christian Friedel, Sandra Huller, Mica Levi, Johnnie Burn and others on a couple occasions. The depth of my admiration for that masterpiece deepens with each interaction.

The Gothams invited me to be part of the nominating committee for the Outstanding Lead Performance and Outstanding Supporting Performance categories again in 2023. This is always one of my favorite things to do during the year, and I loved our picks. (I was even happier that Lily Gladstone ended up winning Outstanding Lead Performance for The Unknown Country, No. 17 on my list this year.)

After 14 years, this summer I stepped down as vice president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. I served under three great presidents: Brent Simon, Stephen Farber and Claudia Puig. She and I worked together for seven years, with a pandemic thrown in there in the middle to complicate things, and I am very happy she and I left the exec board at the same time. (It's nice to have a buddy to go through the postpartum with.) These jobs are unpaid, sometimes thankless, but I found it incredibly enriching and wouldn't have traded a minute of it. (I worked with a ton of great people — Alonso Duralde, Amy Nicholson, Annlee Ellingson — but Justin Chang, who was secretary my entire time on the board, deserves special mention.) I am very pleased with the new leadership we have — president Robert Abele and vice president Katie Walsh — who are good friends and good people. I have never forgotten what a big deal it was to be voted into LAFCA, and I take the group very seriously. I'm very proud to see it continuing to thrive with this new exec board. (And I was so pleased in January to present our Best Editing prize to Blair McClendon for Aftersun, the best film of 2022. It was a great night, my final banquet as part of the exec board, with many highlights, including having Barry Jenkins on hand to present our Career Achievement award to Claire Denis.)

This year was a lot. Thank you for reading and listening to me in 2023. I hope you have a wonderful 2024. Please vote.

Ludwig Goransson - "Can You Hear the Music"

This is a very good soundtrack.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Oppenheimer,' 'Barbie' and the New 'Mission: Impossible'

We were off last week, so there's a lot to discuss in our latest episode. Three big movies, and we tackle them all in depth. Have a listen.

Dua Lipa - "Dance the Night"

Happy Barbenheimer, everybody.

'Oppenheimer' Review

See it as big as you can. For Screen International, I reviewed Oppenheimer.