2023 Viewing

As with last year, as the default projectionist for many series at 2220 Arts, countless theatrical experiences in the past year were on home turf, where we hosted several Los Angeles debuts for undistributed films, or preview screenings for works on the cusp of weeklong runs. I still have a festival backlog of titles that haven’t hit the city, or only made it for a one-off screening or a few days at one of the farflung Laemmles. It was a strong year for cinema.

Meantime, here’s a short-list dozen of viewings that still pluck a memorable string, or feel complicated in a lasting or worthwhile way.

Afire – Christian PetzoldAll of Us Strangers – Andrew HaighAnatomy of a Fall – Justine TrietFremont – Babak JalaliFull Time – Éric GravelHuman Flowers of Flesh – Helena WittmannMan in Black – Wang BingReality – Tina SatterRoald Dahl Quartet – Wes AndersonSister, What Grows Where Land is Sick? – Franciska EliassenThe Eight Mountains – Felix Van Groeningen + Charlotte VandermeerschThe Zone of Interest – Jonathan Glazer

And another twenty or so that were impressive to see or hear, or think about with friends:

Asteroid City – Wes AndersonA Thousand and One – AV RockwellComa – Bertrand BonelloEnys Men – Mark JenkinForagers – Jumana MannaHoly Spider – Ali AbbasiHow to Blow Up a Pipeline – Daniel GoldhaberInfinity Pool – Brandon CronenbergMay December – Todd HaynesOppenheimer – Christopher NolanOrlando, My Political Biography – Paul B. PreciadoOur Body – Claire SimonPoor Things – Yorgos LanthimosRewind & Play – Alain GomesRye Lane – Raine Allen-MillerSaint Omer – Alice DiopShowing Up – Kelly ReinhardtWill-O-the-Wisp – Joao Pedro RodriguesYouth (Spring) – Wang Bing

I’ve still yet to see the new Wiseman, Rohrwacher and Radu Jude films, and missed Trenque Lauquen when it came through. Some of the films that others loved this year, like Past Lives, felt inert and sketch-like to me. The Scorsese overlong and in need of subtraction – it’s simply too much time to spend with this actor stable – DiCaprio et al.

Though perhaps I agree with Richard Brody (strangely) that this was really the year of Wes Anderson – while many write him off on house style (or too much thereof), I thought he really landed this year in his sweet spot of literary adaptation and full-dimensional book design / expanded cinema. He should become a Dahl competist.