My favorite movies and series of 2023

I had a fantastic cinematic year — how about you, Reader? I've watched many new films and series with diverse plots and styles, made on every scale and budget.

Looking ahead to 2024, I'm launching a new initiative called Cinema Club, a ritual for those who want to share a film experience. We meet in the theater, watch films, and delve into common perspectives. A selection of the most interesting films screening in Milan.

This year has been tumultuous in the film industry, with strikes from writers and actors in the United States posing challenges to production but also paving the way for European and international productions. Analysts also argue that we are currently experiencing a genuine renaissance in cinema interest.

In the midst of all this chaos, I certainly missed something, but here are the things that truly captivated me.

Enjoy!

Marco

P.S. As I do every year I've also prepared a playlist of my favorite music videos, you can watch it here!

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​"Poor Things” - by Yorgos Lanthimos

Emma Stone brilliantly portrays Bella Baxter, a woman with the chance to start anew. Revived through a bizarre reanimation process, Bella becomes a kind of human tabula rasa, free from social pressures and conventions.

In a patriarchal world, 'Poor Things' is a fascinating journey into Bella's search for identity, offering a truly original visual and narrative experience.

The bold, vibrant set designs and mind-bending sets add a layer of surrealism, while the exaggerated Victorian costumes seem crafted by a seamstress under the influence of acid. The result is a total visual trip!

However, it's not just about extravagant aesthetics; 'Poor Things' also brings laughter with its explicit humor and stands as Lanthimos's best film: eccentric, surprising, crazy, and courageous.

“Sick of Myself” - by Kristoffer Borgli

I've been following Norwegian director Kristoffer Borgli for a while; his short films struck me with their originality. He excels in navigating the fine line between humor, grotesque, beauty, thrills, and laughter.

His cinematic debut is a delirious masterpiece that raises one of our time's pressing questions: Is the ability to attract attention an art or a disease?

In the film, the protagonist embarks on a disconcerting journey, grappling with how far one can go to achieve fame and notoriety. Taking a dangerous dose of a Russian drug, she hopes to catalyze attention onto herself, resulting in severe injuries and an absurd journey through the maze of fame-seeking.

Borgli transports us into a bizarre and insane world, depicting contemporary society with touches of grotesque and irony — a sharp reflection on our obsession with visibility and celebrity.

“Aftersun” - by Charlotte Wells

Despite being released in October 2022, I decided to include "Aftersun" among my favorites this year.

The touching and powerful debut feature from 35-year-old Scottish director Charlotte Wells stands out for its sincere acceptance of loss. The film takes us through a predominantly happy experience: a father-daughter vacation in a picturesque resort on the Turkish coast, culminating in a tearful ending.

The film's strength lies in the delicacy of the relationship between eleven-year-old Sophie and her father Calum (played by Paul Mescal).

While Calum's past and his situation with Sophie's mother remain largely unresolved, it's clear that they are no longer a united family. Through subtle hints, we perceive the hardships and wrong decisions that marked the father's past. As a separated parent, I found the film particularly engaging in exploring the nuances of this bond, prompting reflections on the many vacations spent with my daughter.

A poignant, yet painfully universal revelation is that this vacation represents the farewell between Calum and Sophie. The director skillfully communicates this inevitable separation without the need for explicit words—a moment of poignant beauty and bitter truth that makes "Aftersun" a powerful cinematic work.

“The Bear”

"The Bear" holds a special place among series. The first season is a war story set in a kitchen. Carmine "Carmy" Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) takes over the family restaurant after his brother's sudden death. Every scene in the Chicago restaurant is chaos—yelling, confusion, metallic noise, and flames.

In the second season, some things remain the same: kitchen language ("Corner!" "Hands!" "Yes, Chef!"), delightful close-ups of food, and the soundtrack. However, "The Bear" is no longer a war story set in a kitchen; it's now a sports story set in a kitchen. The second season focuses on a team, following an underdog team through a season of reconstruction.

But above all, "The Bear" speaks of the curse and blessing of having a calling. It's about caring, learning discipline, doing things right, trying and trying again, and having the conviction that improvement is possible.

What really engaged me was Jeremy Allen White's articulate performance as the volatile, problematic, mysterious, nervous, perfectionist, and acclaimed chef. He seamlessly transitions from a heartfelt monologue about his late brother's addiction to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, to shouting at his colleagues in the chaos of their messy kitchen. It's impossible to look away from him. White isn't just a great actor capable of playing the lead role in a series that's on everyone's lips; he's also the kind of person that men and women, during dinners, unanimously agree to define as "crazy hot".

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