'One battle after another' is the masterpiece of the year
Our favourites on the films released in cinemas from January to December: Paul Thomas Anderson's wonder at the top
The year is drawing to a close and it's time for rankings: as always, we too had fun lining up our 10 favourite films, released in cinemas from January to December. Here they are:
One battle after another
Not just the film of the year, but the masterpiece of the decade. Paul Thomas Anderson has been one of the most important directors in world cinema for many years now, but here he has even surpassed himself with a capital work that is profoundly political, extremely ironic and capable of deploying symbolism of a shattering power. Inspired by Thomas Pynchon's 'Vineland', it has an endless series of memorable sequences (the car chase, first and foremost) and is enhanced by an extraordinary cast. Quite simply, the film we have been waiting for for so long. A milestone in the history of the art we love most.
The seed of the sacred fig tree
Iranian cinema is probably the most important cinema in the world today, and there are numerous titles that continue to prove it. One of the most significant examples is undoubtedly this film by Mohammad Rasoulof: the author, through a perfectly calibrated staging, creates a product that keeps the pace very high throughout its long duration (almost 170 minutes), without ever faltering and managing to involve and shake the spectator just as he had intended. It only takes a few sequences to feel the full force of a feature film that shows the darkest aspects of Iranian society, reflecting on patriarchy, religion, family, and how it 'responds' to those who simply try to have a little freedom. Impressive.
Maria
Pablo Larraín is one of the decisive auteurs of the contemporary world and proves it once again with this (anti-)biopic about the last days of Maria Callas' life. After building a powerful imagery with "Neruda", "Jackie" and "Spencer", the Chilean director narrates another 20th century icon and does so with his classic originality and brilliance. "Maria" is not (only) a film about a life actually lived, but a profoundly metanarrative work: Larraín shows us an artist who creates characters around herself, between those who want to interview her or an orchestra that can accompany her voice one last time. It is (also) a powerful film about the cinema 'Maria', a film in which Callas herself directs the autobiography in images that she would have liked to write. Visionary.
A simple accident
Let us return once again to Iranian cinema and we cannot do otherwise in the face of the latest work by Jafar Panahi, a dissident author always ready to fight the injustices of his country using his camera as a weapon. Winner of the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, "A Simple Accident" is a portentous socio-political allegory, effective in alternating the tones of farce with those of tragedy, combining them to arrive at a result of great dramatic and stylistic strength. Together with the characters, we the audience are also faced with moral dilemmas and questions about how we would behave if we were really confronted with our alleged persecutor. The finale is simply memorable.
