Movies

The 10 Best Movies of 2024

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The 10 Best Movies of 2024

As a film enthusiast with a soft spot for stories that challenge societal norms and explore human complexities, I found myself deeply moved by the list of top films you’ve compiled. Each one offers a unique perspective on women’s lives, their desires, struggles, and triumphs – something that resonates profoundly with me.

2021 has been quite challenging for many. You might have encountered feelings of anger that were unexpected and hard to deal with constructively. Misinformation, and its more dangerous counterpart, disinformation, have spread rapidly. Artificial Intelligence, marketed as a solution to make our lives simpler, could potentially be taking away jobs instead. At times, it appears that compassion and humanity are being overlooked, making life feel devoid of emotion.

From a movie enthusiast’s perspective: At the moment, movies are essentially our medium of communication, crafted by fellow humans, making them an extraordinary way for us to connect. It may seem like a one-way conversation, as filmmakers create these stories and we watch or stream them. However, there are times when a movie can consume you so deeply that it feels like it’s living within you instead – this is the magic of cinema. Filmmakers strive to convey the essence of life around them, allowing viewers in various corners of the world to glimpse into different realities, like peeking into the busy, complex life of a woman navigating alone in a bustling city like Mumbai. Even asking simple questions, such as “What do women want?”, can lead to profound and fulfilling insights. Daring to ask “What do women need?” is even more challenging. The courage shown by Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof, risking his life to explore this question, speaks volumes about the power of cinema.

Creating a movie today is often a roll of the dice, particularly if you aim for it to be screened in cinemas rather than streamed. However, there are times when watching movies on a smaller screen is unavoidable, especially if you don’t have an art-house theater nearby. The ten films I recommend below have been my solace during this challenging and puzzling year. I hope you manage to catch at least some of them, and maybe one or two will resonate deeply within you.

10. DogMan

Known for his work in fantastical storytelling and intense action sequences, French director Luc Besson has never crafted a film as heartfelt as “DogMan“. The character of Douglas, portrayed by Caleb Landry Jones, is a damaged individual, a victim of childhood abuse, who finds comfort in coexisting with his canine community. “DogMan” explores the families we select, often proving more nurturing than the ones we’re given at birth. It’s an ideal film for those days when you firmly believe that dogs are superior to humans – a sentiment many may share daily.

9. Flow

In this wordless animated masterpiece from Latvia, helmed by Gints Zilbalodis, we journey alongside a nameless feline explorer who traverses a submerged landscape in a vessel accompanied by a bumbling yet affectionate canine, a resourceful lemur, and an elegant secretary bird with long legs. Devoid of dialogue but rich in meaning, this story serves as a subtle environmental allegory that encourages us to cherish and protect the planet’s splendor.

8. Emilia Pérez

In the intensely emotional movie “Emilia Pérez,” directed by Jacques Audiard, Zoe Saldaña portrays Rita, a disenchanted lawyer in Mexico, who’s tasked with an unusual mission: helping a ruthless drug lord, Manitas, transition to living as a woman. This includes arranging his gender reassignment surgery and orchestrating his disappearance. Rita successfully completes the job, thinking she’s done with it. However, the transformed woman, now known as Emilia Pérez (played by the remarkable Spanish actress Karla Sofía Gascón in both roles), reappears, asking Rita to help her rectify some of her past mistakes. “Emilia Pérez” is entertaining and thought-provoking. It underscores personal transformation not as an end goal, but as a beginning, encouraging us to make the world better than we found it. This heartfelt film comes at a time when many human hearts seem to have hardened.

7. Green Border

A serious-minded film about the plight of refugees trying to cross into Europe from the Middle East and Africa is a tough sell. But Agnieszka Holland’s film, though at times hard to watch, is so beautifully made, and so attuned to all the things we respond to as humans who care about art’s entwinement with real life, that it’s ultimately more joyful than dispiriting. Sometimes movies about difficult subjects end up being such brutal experiences you almost wish you hadn’t seen them. Green Border is the opposite: it’s likely to leave you feeling emboldened and galvanized, if also a little sadder and wiser.

6. Hard Truths

Mike Leigh, a contemporary filmmaker, is reminiscent of Charles Dickens, as his characters – though complex, challenging, and sometimes unlikeable – seem like family portraits; they might make us squirm, but we recognize glimpses of ourselves in them too. In Leigh’s 1996 production, Secrets & Lies, Marianne Jean-Baptiste delivers an extraordinary performance as Pansy, a woman seemingly bound by her anger. Every moment she is on screen, Pansy radiates bitterness; her family members, including her husband (David Webber) and son (Tuwaine Barrett), can hardly tolerate her for long periods. Jean-Baptiste does not soften Pansy’s character; this performance is as sharp as a thorn bush, powerful and unwavering. Despite the mystery behind what made Pansy become who she is, and the absence of a traditional redemption arc, we find ourselves empathizing with her in her indescribable suffering. Leigh refuses to abandon Pansy’s story, and neither can we.

5. A Complete Unknown

In simpler terms, the movie “A Complete Unknown” directed by James Mangold, is less of a traditional biopic about Bob Dylan’s early life in New York and more like a cover version of his story. It mixes factual events with memories, myths, and inventions. While it might be possible to verify the facts, the movie is more about interpretation rather than strict historical accuracy. Timothée Chalamet portrays Dylan, but the film primarily focuses on the characters of Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez, Elle Fanning as Sylvie Russo (based on Suze Rotolo), who were significant figures in Dylan’s life and observers of the folk music scene. The women in this movie are portrayed as living authentic lives, while Dylan is shown writing one of his famous protest songs in an unkempt room. After watching this film, you may actually know less about the real Bob Dylan than before, but it might not be a concern for the actual Bob Dylan, who served as an executive producer on the movie, as there’s a song that says, “He not busy being born…” suggesting he values experiences over knowing everything.

4. Anora

Sean Baker’s tale revolves around Ani (played by Mikey Madison), a vibrant young prostitute, who encounters and develops feelings for Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), the rebellious son of a Russian tycoon. This narrative blends elements of romantic comedy with fragments of a shattered fairy tale, focusing on events that unfold following the transformation of the golden carriage back into a common pumpkin. The artistry of Baker, a compassionate filmmaker, is truly enchanting as his subtle kindness catches you off guard. Moreover, Madison’s acting, which is at once lively and poignant, stands out among this year’s most impressive performances.

3. The Seed of the Sacred Fig

When a nation feels the need to exert control over women, considering it within its rights, Mohammad Rasoulof’s poignant film suggests a potential consequence. In the narrative, Iman (Missagh Zareh), a dedicated government official, has been promoted to the role of investigating judge, a significant leap for him and his family: his wife Najmeh (Soheila Golestani) and their two teenage daughters, Rezvan (Mahsa Rostami) and Sana (Setareh Maleki). This family is close-knit and loving. However, the girls gradually perceive the hidden dangers of their comfortable lifestyle, which triggers a sort of upheaval.

2. All We Imagine as Light

In every direction, you find independent women navigating their lives amidst demanding jobs, unrequited love, and solitude. Payal Kapadia’s enchanting exploration of friendship and its challenges portrays three such women in contemporary Mumbai: Prabha (played by Kani Kusruti), a nurse, who despite being married, hasn’t had contact from her husband for years. Anu (Divya Prahba) is another nurse, hiding her secret relationship with a Muslim man from her Hindu family and everyone else at great lengths. Parvaty (Chhaya Kadam), an older hospital worker, loses her home because the property documents were in her late husband’s name. All three women hail from small towns, seeking employment, financial independence, and self-determination in this bustling city. Kapadia skillfully depicts their lives, as well as the vivid, dual nature of the city itself—a blend of glamour and grit.

1. Babygirl

In essence, if you just glance at the summary of “Babygirl” before watching it, you might think it’s a steamy, age-gap thriller focusing on workplace power dynamics between men and women. While this aspect is present, director Halina Reijn delves deeper, examining how humans, especially women, frequently yearn for things they aren’t sure how to express. Nicole Kidman delivers an electrifying portrayal as Romy, a disciplined executive who finds herself captivated by a charming intern (Harris Dickinson). The film tackles the complexities of desire, particularly in women experiencing perimenopause and menopause, a topic seldom discussed—but Reijn isn’t afraid to address it. The pivotal scene, based around George Michael’s “Father Figure,” is one of the most ecstatic sequences on screen this year, a tribute to self-discovery and understanding oneself.

NOTABLE RECOGNITIONS: “The Room Next Door”, “A True Agony”, “Not I, The Brutalist, Dreams of Robots”, “The Stand-In”, “Coming Back to Life with Norman Mailer”, “The Inner Flame”, “Between the Brows”, “The Tale of Edgardo Mortara’s Abduction”, “The Gathering”, “Vermillion”, “Megalopolis

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2024-12-04 21:07

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