Every film I give an "A." 14 total.

After Yang
After Yang is about a man who clings to the pain of his android son's death. Gentle, contemplative, a masterclass in establishing setting and mood through cinematography. Colin Farrell is brilliant and worth watching for his performance alone.

Aladdin
It’s easy to take for granted the role of the theatrical-chaotic sidekick (Olaf, Sisu, Bing-Bong, etc), but an entire movie based around them is unimaginable. Such is the power of Genie’s friendship that it takes over as the emotional climax of the story.

The Bad Guys
Exceptional animation meets exceptional fun. It's a redux of what makes Kung Fu Panda -- an ensemble cast where every member has a unique role, clever design, and the audience feels like a participant to the heist gang's friendship. Don't overthink; just have fun.

Captain Phillips
Intense and brutally realistic. You feel every second you’re trapped in a dinky lifeboat in the minute of the ocean, wondering when the gunfire is going to shoot. Truly one of the most horrific films I’ve seen. Tom Hanks puts everything into this performance.

Casablanca
Film historians should weigh in on this, but Casablanca feels like the oldest film I've seen (1942) that mastered screenwriting. Every scene is written with purpose, every line of dialogue renders the brooding, frustrated Rick Blaine. Classic story structure still used today.

CODA
The feeling of CODA is empathy. It’s a humorous but fair take on how disability is shared by the whole family. The film got me emotional twice — when Ruby’s family sees (in every sense of the word) her concert and the college audition. Introduced me to Joni Mitchell. 

Cyrano
Overlooked people often overlook themselves. It’s painfully obvious why Peter Dinklage’s Cyrano doesn’t believe anyone can love him and that fresco irony is underscored, sung, and choreographed to perfection. One of my favorite production designs of the year. 

Everything Everywhere All at Once
I love seeing movies without knowing anything about them. I walked into EEAAO only knowing that Michelle Yeoh was in it. That’s it. It turned into one of my favorite memories of 2022, one of my favorite films ever. All-time cast, all-time art designs, all-time story.

The French Dispatch
The first two acts of The French Dispatch, like most Wes Anderson: bizarre, unsettling, left wondering if this is brilliant or messy. But like most Wes Anderson, the final act in the menagerie wraps all the themes into a neat package. A lovely tribute to journalism. 

Glass Onion
Murder mysteries is not about how to fool the detective; it’s how to fool the audience. Either you sus WHO the killer among us is, or you know the who and solve the HOW. Usually the WHO or HOW is complex, but Glass Onion shows us how to make a dumb thing clever, then dumb again. 

The House
I’m a big fan of triptychs because they require a little extra patience to see how the beginning, middle, and end flow together. Individually, each short story of The House is fascinating; as a tapestry it’s disturbing, macabre, and beautiful. 

The Lion King
The only soundtrack to an animated film to be certified Diamond:

• Circle of Life

• I Just Can’t Wait to be King

• Be Prepared

• Hakuna Matata

• Can You Feel the Love Tonight

The instrumental tracks are also pretty. “This Land” is one of Hans Zimmer’s best. 

Del Toro's Pinocchio
It’s probably (and deservedly so) going to win best animated feature this upcoming Oscars. Everyone is obsessed over how Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) was willing to make much monkey sounds just to work with Del Toro. Take that Bob Iger. 

Silence
Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, and Liam Neeson all deliver. But it's Yōsuke Kubozuka as Kichijirō who sticks with me -- someone who continuously apostatizes but still seeks repentance. A grueling 3-hr watch, but if you're interested in theology, it's a must.

6th Annual Pappie Awards

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