2024 has a number of fantastic cinema works that are impressive artistically and on emotional levels. Here are ten films. The first is Dune: Part Two since it is fantastic in director Denis Villeneuve’s vision. The film presents visual worlds like the Harkonnen arena, just powerful in filming it in black and white infrared that fit into the world building. It also makes Roman arenas seem plain. The part of the film that had Paul Artredies (Timothee Chalamet) question his destiny adds to the dramatic story. His conflict with Chani (Zendaya), fighting for her people, brings what I thought was the intent of the author, Frank Herbert. This would be the danger of a messiah figure leading to the univeral jihad. It becomes more apparent in the second book, Dune Messiah.
Javier Bardem’s Stilgar is just perfect bringing laughs while keeping to the absolute loyalty to the Kwisatz Haderach. The music by Hans Zimmer was a great. I really feel that his score plussed the narrative while the first film was low key like a muttering hum. This movie’s music felt epic. The ten Academy Award nominations might give a nod to Dune: Part Two. It looks to get special effects, sound, production design, and film editing like the first Dune film. Competition is heavy so it may lose out to other movies. I think I’m most disappointed that Villeneuve did not get a Director’s Guild Award nom. It lessens the chance of an Academy Award nom.
The film that was devastating was the documentary, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story. His story was played on the news, but the film shows Reeve’s private life; his wife, Dana Reeve, sons, Will and Matthew, and daughter, Alexandra Reeve Givens. The connection is of course the role that was closely identifed with Reeve, Superman, but it is the jumping off point to show the humanity of Christopher Reeve. The review is here: https://geektruth.blogspot.com/2024/09/superman-christopher-reeve-story-review.html. There are other documentaries that may make the Oscar nomination list, Daughters, The Remarkable Life of Ibelin, and Dahomey, but I hope Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story gets the nom for Reeve, his impact on cinema, and our lives.
Next is A Complete Unknown, a feat pushing the boundaries musician biopic, excellent work by James Mangold. I was thinking about the shift from Bob Dylan to Pete Seegers and realized that Mangold had a focus that widened from Dylan to the music scene and time period. It doesn’t shine a light on Dylan, his portrayal is of a complicated, flawed artist capable of great work. Chalamet got the Best Actor nom from the Screen Actors Guild, well deserved, Edward Norton for Best Supporting Actor, and Monica Barbaro, Best Supporting Actress. Most likely, this will be repeated for the Academy Awards. A Complete Unknown is currently in theaters, check out the review: https://geektruth.blogspot.com/2025/01/a-complete-unknown-review.html, not to be missed!
An excellent cinematic work, by another talented director, Robert Eggers, is Nosferatu. Still, playing in theaters, it is a dark and powerful rendition of the original horror classic from 1922. Eggers’ film is not only a tribute to the best of the horror genre, but to cinema itself with its roots. Bill Skarsgard puts in a stunning performance as Count Orlok, I heard his voice outside where the movie was playing, and can instantly recognize that it was Nosferatu! Lily Rose Depp’s Ellen is career defining pushing her as an actress. It is a shame that Eggers is not recognized, passed up by the DGA, but some technical awards might be given like special effects, I really see make-up getting a nom, also sound, the movie is powerful in creating a soundscape, and I would say cinematography by Jarin Blaschke.
I don’t know if it is the horror genre that may be too niche for the Academy, but you can watch the film and see for yourself: https://geektruth.blogspot.com/2024/12/nosferatu-review.html. Almost in contrast, Inside Out 2 was a surprise surpassing the original, brilliant as an animated movie. It is one of the best child development works. Kelsey Mann should be applauded as a director creating an animated work that is meaningful beyond the entertainment. I think Mann and co-writers, Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein, should be nommed for their story work. It is fantastic that Amy Poehler returned as Joy and also had territory to explore as Maya Hawke’s Anxiety complicates the life of Riley. The film expands on the characters and world that was established by the first Inside Out (2015). Inside Out 2 looks to be nommed for Best Animated Film, but I think its importance should extend to best screenplay. It is currently streaming on Disney+. Don’t forget the review!: https://geektruth.blogspot.com/2024/06/inside-out-2-review.html.
Another film favorite is Megalopolis. This film would not be on any critics list, but it is impactful to me as a work of art. It is bold in what it presents, this city of the future like Metropolis (1927), and challenging in its narrative. I found half way through to stop trying to work out what is happening and just let the imagery, sound, and story brush over me as an experience. The story of an artist, in this case, architect, Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), shows what artists face in creating a work. In this case, the city of Megalopolis, also a romance with socialite Julia Cicero (Nathalie Emmmanuel) who acts as his muse, family comes into a play, conflict with her father, Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Espotisto). There is also politics and corruption especially with femme fatale Wow Platinum (Aubrey Plaza) and the scheming Clodio Pulcher (Shia LaBeouf). An incredible cast. I see it as the stuggle to build a utopia, a sort of trilogy, with Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga as a dystopia or post-apocalypse, and Dune: Part Two as epic sci fi, philosphical, and building several worlds.
This film is not for everyone, it is challenging as cinema, and may not get any noms. I would hope special effects, production design, costume, and music, but again this movie just may not get award recognition. I hope that those willing to give it a chance will watch it: https://geektruth.blogspot.com/2024/10/megalopolis-review.html. Next, another film that was crafted by the vision of its director, Alex Garland and his war time thriller, Civil War. At the time of its release, there was confusion that it directly was commenting on the political election. The movie is an allegory on battlefield reporting and is set in America, but the opposition to the government, the Western Forces, a combination of Texas and California is not playing on a possible future.
It is a journey like Apocalypse Now (1979) except on the road with veteran photographer Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst) traveling with the inexperienced Jessie (Cailee Spaeny). I think Dunst and Spaeny are worthy of best actress and best supporting actress noms. Lee says at one point that her photographs were to send a warning back home, but conflict is inevitable. Of course, Spaeny also figures into a later favorite film. They are traveling to Washington, D.C. and find the conflict that makes the war seem senseless. It is always harrowing to see it all play in familiar settings, the point of Garland, which is fascinating to me visiting the Gettysburg battlefields. It may not get award recognition, but I think the cinemtography and sound are stunning. Civil War is currently streaming on Max, review is here: https://geektruth.blogspot.com/2024/04/civil-war-review.html.
#FavoriteFilms, #DunePartTwo, #DenisVilleneuve, ##Nosferatu, #RobertEggers, #BillSkarsgaard, #LilyRoseDepp, #CivilWar, #AlexGarland, #KirstenDunst, #CaileeSpaeny,
No comments:
Post a Comment