I originally planned to have this entire column as a section labeled ‘Other Thoughts’ in my 2023 film in-review piece, but realized it would have been … very long. Instead, here are some notes on a handful of films that didn’t make the cut for my favorites, but ones that stayed with me in some way.
Maestro (directed by Bradley Cooper)
I ultimately was unsure what to make of Bradley Cooper’s Maestro. It felt like it had a lot to say about Leonard Bernstein’s incredible life and music, but was unsure of how exactly to do so. In some ways, it felt like a disjointed collection filled with various episodes of Bernstein’s life. Many biopics encounter this issue. Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan are terrific, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I wanted something more from Maestro, something that captured the intensity of Bernstein’s passion for music and his rather chaotic private life. I wanted to leave the theater feeling the sense of excitement that his music brings, but maybe that wasn’t Cooper’s ultimate intention. Perhaps he wanted us to ponder the man’s psyche, rather than the music he left us with. The epic scene recreating his leading of Mahler’s second symphony at Ely Cathedral is a stunning sequence, one that is special to experience in theaters.
Napoleon (directed by Ridley Scott)
Napoleon was a disappointment. I came to that conclusion after sitting with it since its November release. To feel that way about a project involving Ridley Scott and Joaquin Phoenix is a bummer, and I was really excited about this one. There’s no denying it features exquisite battle sequences, proving Ridley is clearly in fine form directing epics of this scale ahead of this fall’s Gladiator 2. But Phoenix’s performance is uneven. This version of Bonaparte often feels over-the-top immature. I could have gotten behind this vision if it felt there was a purpose to portraying him this way, but we learn little to nothing about why Napoleon would be this strange or how he earned his reputation as a legendary military strategist. It’s his wife, Josephine (played wonderfully by Vanessa Kirby), who steals the show. Napoleon never quite knows what it’s trying to tell us about its titular character, but maybe that’s not necessarily all Ridley or his leading man’s faults. There will reportedly be a 4+ hour version of the film hitting Apple TV+ at some point. I’m very interested to see what it will do to further paint the portrait Ridley set out to make on one of history’s most important figures.
Saltburn (directed by Emerald Fennell)
Saltburn was a heck of an experience if you didn’t watch a single trailer or read any information about it before viewing it. Hell, it was an experience even if you did know what it was loosely about. I saw it was playing nearby, looked over the cast and was sold. The film offers a lush visual style and visceral feel. It’s realistic, dreamlike and very unsettling. For better or worse, it’s as close to A24 vibes as it could get without actually being an A24 production. Jacob Elordi (Felix) and Barry Keoghan (Oliver) are a delight, their on-screen chemistry apparent from the moment they meet. With Saltburn and Priscilla, 2023 was a huge year for Elordi. I’m eager to see what kind of projects he chooses in the future. Rosamund Pike, despite limited screen time, delivers (as always). The final 20-30 minutes of Saltburn are ultimately what left me feeling so conflicted about it. Was it a satire about the indulgences of the elite? Sure. Was it a hybrid horror-psychological thriller? Definitely. What were Oliver’s true motivations for doing what he did? I’m not sure I know those answers. Saltburn is ambitious, daring and beautifully shot, but it gets in its own way sometimes, often biting off a little more than it can chew. There’s no denying it stays with you long after watching it.
Talk to Me (directed by Danny and Michael Philippou)
Talk to Me is one of the gems from 2023. If teenagers really did find a possessed hand that allowed spirits to overtake their bodies, I think it’d look exactly how it does in Talk to Me. It’s a chaotic, wild ride. Kids take Snapchat and TikTok videos of their friends while possessed, it becomes a drug, providing a high that’s inaccessible any other way. They laugh and expect things to calm down once their time with the spirits is over, but directors Danny and Michael Philippou refuse to let us or the characters get comfortable. You can call Talk to Me a horror film, but at its core, it felt like a family drama with thriller and horror elements amplifying the trauma our main character (Mia, in a chilling performance by Sophie Wilde) faces. It’s equipped with a cast that brings honesty and believability to their roles as overconfident and eventually scared teens. It’s difficult to make a massive statement in an oversaturated genre such as demonic possession horror. But that’s exactly what Talk to Me did, by providing us a story that avoids most pitfalls of modern horror/thriller entries and giving us characters to hold on to. It often leaves us genuinely indecisive about who we should be supporting or rooting against. Pulling in $92M on a $4.5M budget, the race is on for the next success like Talk to Me.
Gran Turismo (directed by Neil Blomkamp)
I had a blast with Gran Turismo. For whatever reason I didn’t pay much attention to it upon release in August 2023. I didn’t watch any trailers for it and didn’t really chat with anyone about it. After hearing that the trailers did a disservice to the finished product, I’m glad I didn’t watch any. Make no mistake, this is a fun ride the entire time, though the pacing to start is a bit slow. The tension created by director Neil Blomkamp, however, is real. I was surprised at how often I felt truly worried for several characters we met. Archie Madekwe and David Harbour are the anchors here. Playing the real-life Jann Mardenbourough, I thought Madekwe brought a real sense of charm and confidence to the character. You’re always rooting for him. I’ve liked Madekwe since his minor role in Midsommar (2019), and after Saltburn and GT, it’s exciting to see where his career is headed. Harbour is generally always a treat to watch, especially here as a classic past-his-prime coach without a chance at glory anymore. He’s a non-believer in Mardenbourough and the rest of the Gran Turismo experiment, where the world’s top simulated racers competed for a chance to race in real cars with professionals. He makes us believers by the end. Orlando Bloom, to his credit, is solid as a marketing mind pushing the entire thing, even if his character makes some questionable decisions.
Gran Turismo falls into many traps that sports movies often do, and there is a good chunk of cliches. Mardenbourough's girlfriend character also seemed forced, given they have no breathing room to explore their relationship. But none of that mattered for me. I don’t understand those who want to label this an ad for Nissan or Sony. We see their logos all the time, yes. But that takeaway always feels a bit lazy to me. This is far from being a video game movie or just an underdog tale. It’s essentially a biopic of the real-life Jann Mardenbourough. There was no possible way it could avoid referencing these brands frequently. Sometimes, movies are indeed gigantic ads for brands. By contrast, branding becomes merely a background element behind Gran Turismo's enjoyable, tense and hard-to-believe story.
Creed III (directed by Michael B. Jordan)
Creed III is a great movie, it feels like it came out so long ago. It’s an incredibly strong directorial debut from Michael B. Jordan, with strong outings from himself and co-star Jonathan Majors. The fight sequences in particular are a blast. As someone who hadn’t seen Creed or its sequel, I thoroughly enjoyed it as its own standalone story. It delivers a quality sports film with real, personal stakes that keep us invested throughout. Unfortunately, Creed III feels like it faded from memory rather quickly, accelerated by Majors’ year filled with court dates, tabloid reporting and revelations about his past behavior. After being found guilty of assault, his future is in serious jeopardy.