Best of 2023 So Far

[JohnErle]

And I thought my measly 4 followers on Letterboxd was embarrassing. If it'll make you feel any better, I can bump you up to two.

[Buscemi2]

87 followers. Of course, I do a lot of lists.

[transformers2]

Godzilla Minus One fell apart big time in the final act. The direction the story went in after the major event that closes out the second act was extremely dull, the final Godzilla confrontation is really underwhelming (especially given all the buildup to it) and the final scene completely undercuts one of the strongest moments of the entire movie. It's not bad at all, it just didn't really dazzle me.

[transformers2]

John was talking about me Boosh. I literally had 0 followers before today.

[numbersix]

I've now crossed 100 films released publically in 2023. Still a few more to get through, but most of the major ones are now done

My Top 20, in order

Past Lives
All of Us Strangers
Talk to Me
The Zone of Interest
Poor Things
Rye Lane
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Io Capitano
Fallen Leaves
Huesera: The Bone Woman

The Holdovers
Barbie
The Delinquents
The Boy and the Heron
Asteroid City
When Evil Lurks
Anatomy of a Fall
Monster
Little Richard: I Am Everything
Dream Scenario


And for fun, my least favourite...

The Killer
Maestro
The Exorcist: Believer
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
The Boogeyman

[transformers2]

Did anyone outside of some critics and the voting bodies of SAG, BAFTA and the Academy even like Maestro Its ratings on IMDB and Letterboxd are only slightly above average (its easily the lowest rated Best Picture nom on both sites) and the only mentions I've heard of it all this awards season are from "regular" people bemoaning that it got a handful of Oscar noms while stuff like All of Us Strangers, The Iron Claw and Asteroid City got completely shut out.

[Buscemi2]

Awards voters love show business movies and Bradley Cooper. That's the reason.

I'm still amazed about how AMPAS didn't try to figure out how to nominate Cooper's forgettable performance in Licorice Pizza for Best Supporting Actor a few years back. That tends to be the random "popular actor who's never won" performance that seems to get nominated for some reason.

[transformers2]

I wasn't contemplating why Maestro got nominated for Oscars, I was using the hatred that six, you and I had for it as a springboard to pose the question of whether or not there were was anybody outside of some critics and awards voters who really liked the movie.

[Buscemi2]

Old people probably liked it. Just not as many who loved Oppenheimer.

[Chienfantome]

I loved Maestro

[numbersix]

I think a couple of my least favourite ended up in your favourites, Chien.

Then again, you have been sick so maybe that's the reason

[Chienfantome]

Haha

Since I published my list, I've caught and loved Monster and The Zone of Interest, definitely amongst my favourite of 2023, both.
Poor Things, on the other end, I had a hard time sitting through the first 90 minutes, but the last hour made it worth it, but far from my favourites.

As for my least favourites of the year, off the top of my head, Beau is Afraid sits all the way up there. But John Wick 4 was pretty awful too.

[transformers2]

I think a couple of my least favourite ended up in your favourites, Chien.

Then again, you have been sick so maybe that's the reason

3 of your bottom 5 were in his top 20. We shared 6 of the same top 20. Everything is upside down around here these days!

[Buscemi2]

Six joined Letterboxd.

[numbersix]

Yep. Had a while ago, I think, but never bothered to commit. Now I've put almost every feature film I've seen on it. Strangely, my life doesn't feel any better.