From almost the first to almost the last day of the outgoing year, cinema fans around the world were able to look forward to outstanding film fare. No matter whether dramatic, fairytale-like, family-friendly or profound – in 2023 numerous works were convincing. This was particularly the case in the following strips.
The extraordinary drama “The Banshees of Inisherin” was left behind at the Oscars. But that shouldn’t obscure what a masterpiece Martin McDonagh (53) created with the film. Colin Farrell (47) and Brendan Gleeson (68) are pretty much best friends who turn into mortal enemies on a whim, and they annoy each other time and time again. What sounds extremely banal on paper turns into a tragic, sometimes hilarious, almost fairytale-like film experience thanks to a lot of verve from everyone involved.
Can the third part of a “Rocky” spin-off really stand on its own two feet, or is the knockout inevitable? With “Creed III: Rocky’s Legacy,” leading actor Michael B. Jordan (36) not only celebrated his directorial debut. In contrast to the first two parts, he also had to do without the driving force Sylvester Stallone (77), who now really wants to retire from boxing after “Creed II”. “Creed III” cannot reinvent the wheel. But the film skilfully knows how to recreate the well-known tensions of the genre.
While Plumber Mario has been an integral part of the video game world for decades, his cinematic adventures (the bizarre live-action film “Super Mario Bros.” from 1993 can easily be ignored) have been very limited. That’s likely to change in the future after the incredible success of “The Super Mario Bros. Film”: With over 1.3 billion US dollars, the animated film not only grossed a huge chunk. He knew how to captivate old and young Mario fans to the screen with the perfect mix of nostalgia and fresh ideas.
Anyone in “Dungeons
Actor Brendan Fraser (55) celebrated his Hollywood renaissance with “The Whale” – which was promptly recognized with an Oscar for best actor. However, the film by Darren Aronofsky (54) is not a voyeuristic depiction of a failed person over whom the audience feels elevated. Rather, the film shows how even a feeling as positive as love can have negative consequences for those involved and develop into a vicious circle. Together with the other great cast, Fraser ensured that the audience reflected on both their own lives and the lives of their loved ones. That’s not easy – important things rarely do that.
The spark in “Oppenheimer” may ignite late, but it does so powerfully. Despite various stylistic gimmicks, it turned out to be a pretty compelling film, so there’s no comparison to Christopher Nolan’s (53) recently extremely exuberant “Tenet”. However, the biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy, 47), the “father of the atomic bomb”, turned out to be much more documentary-like than many filmgoers had expected. “Oppenheimer” skillfully creates a cinematic monument to one of the most influential figures in human history. One that seems as paradoxical as the person to whom it is dedicated.
Director Greta Gerwig (40) has already demonstrated her talent for conjuring complex, multidimensional female characters with depth, humor and authenticity onto the screen in “Lady Bird” (2017) and “Little Women” (2019). The success of her film “Barbie”, which she celebrated with this recipe, was still almost unbelievable: the film grossed over 1.4 billion US dollars worldwide, making it the most successful film of the year. This was not only, but also largely due to the main roles: the perfect cast for the title role was found in Margot Robbie (33). Ryan Gosling (43) as Ken still knew how to steal her scenes time and time again.
With “The French Dispatch,” cult director Wes Anderson (54) recently got a little artificial. With the typically weird, deliberately artificial-looking and incredibly charming “Asteroid City” he turned the corner again in 2023 and continued what he had perfected in “Grand Budapest Hotel” in 2014. The star-studded ensemble cast of “Asteroid City” is beyond reproach, but you don’t really need to mention that with Anderson.
With “Killers of the Flower Moon”, film fans could really look forward to a real “Scorsese”: high tension, peaks of violence and finely developed characters, which this time are even based on real people and include Scorsese’s all-purpose weapons Leonardo DiCaprio (49) and Robert De Niro (80) will be embodied. The film is based on the non-fiction book of the same name about the Osage murders that took place between 1910 and 1930 – making it a star-studded, over 200-minute-long and much-needed history lesson.
Joaquin Phoenix (49) and Ridley Scott (86) do not experience their personal Waterloo with “Napoleon”. Both men are too good at their craft for that: the actor is able to masterfully portray the stark contrasts of the title character. And the director shows realistic-looking visuals, especially in the battles, which have become almost unusual in times of computer effects inflation. The only thing that is annoying is the fast pace with which at least the cinema version of the film rattles off Napoleon’s career – the planned and much more extensive director’s cut should remedy this.
“Wonka”, the prequel to “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, takes the audience into the magical world of Willy Wonka and paints a completely new picture of the eccentric chocolatier. Lead actor Timothée Chalamet (27) once again proves his versatility and manages the perfect balancing act between childlike naivety and acting talent. The film sparkles with magic, anticipation and hope, making it the perfect family film for the current and all coming pre-Christmas seasons.
