2023 films

 I saw a lot of movies this year. Like, going to the movies with a friend is like way fun. I used to think it was boring but maybe I'm just getting older. Anyway, this was a great year for movies, let's get together and see a movie!

Barbie. It was so good! It was funny and entertaining throughout but the best part is all the social commentary. Brilliantly told from the point of view of girls playing with dolls. I think it illustrated the differences in how women and men view patriarchy. I love a film that can generate a ton of discussion about gender roles. I saw some people complaining they didn't like how men were portrayed in this film. And like, I don't understand that. I thought it was so tender to men's issues and represented men very well. Lots of flipped script satire stuff, we love a good satire.

Oppenheimer. Bad. Boring. Unimpressive. 0/10 stars. I was so sad because I loved a lot of other Nolan films. The story of building a bomb can have so many political and philosophical themes, but there was little to no exploration of those themes. Three hours of men arguing with each other. And like, you never knew what they were talking about. I get that was supposed to get you to feel how they characters felt (and probably general public felt) back in the 40s, being confused and getting only parts of the story at a time, but it was such a chore for the audience. If this film has a message it would be "scientists want to do science but the government will take advantage of them and throw them under the bus" which is a good message, but you could watch x-files instead and get the same message. The sex scenes were unsexy. I hated that. I like sexy sex scenes. Also jarring to watch Barbie, a movie that satirized men sitting around tables talking, and then watching Oppenheimer, which was three hours of men sitting around tables talking.

Bottoms. Incredible. Probably my favorite this year. It's a comedy about teenage girls that start a self-defense club at high school. Like, you know with that premise you're going to have a good time. Another feminist movie and the humor was pretty dark, like, there was a joke about a bomb threat at the school, and that was pretty tame lol. A lot of the characters are queer girls. I'd watch this with anyone anytime let's get together and watch it. 

Priscilla. Lovely very beautiful to watch. Elvis Presley was 24 years old when he started dating 14 year old Priscilla. I wrote about this movie pretty extensively, check out my blog if you want more of my thoughts. 

Down By Law. Came out in the 80s and starred Tom Waits. I saw it at an art-house cinema in Barcelona. I watched it because I love Tom Waits. Made me homesick it's very American.

The Boy and the Heron. Classic Studio Ghibli. Almost felt like an amalgamation of the others, so maybe a little disappointing in that it wasn't as original. Very obvious in it's portrayal of death and grief, the other movies were more subtle. Boy loses his mom in a fire and goes to a parallel universe and learns about his Mom and Step-Mom and the cycle of life and death. Enjoyed it a lot, calming and gentle, very beautiful, tender and fun to watch. Lots of birds. Very bird forward movie.

Poor Things. SO GOOD, maybe the best film I saw this year. Very cute and magical and light-hearted. Also made me die laughing a few times. A mad scientist gives a woman a new brain and she has a Candide adventure. She meets lots of people and gives so much love, despite a lot of the unfair things she witnesses. All the characters are cute and sweet and I had such a fondness for all of them. A few scenes in the beginning were a little headachy, like, fish eye perspective and weird camera angles. Little bit of blood and a lot of sex, incredible soundtrack. Some people might be triggered or disgusted by the idea of a woman with an under-developed being manipulated into having sex. I like a film that can portray difficult situations with such care and fondness. Highly recommended, I will watch again.

Saltburn. Fun, good, worth the watch. A college student goes to live with a rich family for a summer, rich people partying ensues. The main character was a hot mess and I love that for him. He was goal oriented but he didn't earnestly pursue his goals. It's ambiguous if he loved Jacob Elordi's character, I think he did and I was touched. Most the characters were unlikeable and gross, but I love that. Jacob Elordi's character was actually really sweet, he was so kind and heartfelt. I felt sorry for him which was weird because I don't want to feel sorry for the spoiled rich kid. Dark humor, class commentary, the shock value scenes were not shocking at all. The bathtub and vampire scenes were hot. I think it tears apart the poverty purity test. Like, how impoverished do you have to be to have justified class rage. Really appreciated that. Loved the symbolism of Zadok the Priest at the beginning, well made, easy on the eyes, good acting and pacing and fun plot, some 2000s nostalgia which is always good. I didn't see the plot twist coming and I was embarrassed because I really should have caught on to it way earlier lol. Recommend it for sure.

Did y'all see these movies? And fight me in the comments about Oppenheimer.