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From “Avatar” to “Everything, Everywhere”, see the films that fulfilled their role in 2022

The movie industry is undergoing a transformation, fueled by falling box office receipts, as more people prefer to consume entertainment from the comfort of their homes.

This also gives merits in the retrospective of films released in 2022 in a slightly different way, from the most disappointing titles to, here, the most satisfying ones, which fulfilled their role.

“Satisfactory”, in this case, differs from the traditional “best” lists that many critics put together, as it allows including more populist films that stood out for doing well what they set out to do.

This approach also reflects a year in which many of the traditional award-bait films failed in one way or another, and some of the highest-profile commercial films (see “Batman” and the Marvel sequels Thor, Black Panther and Doctor Strange) did not fully live up to expectations to varying degrees.

As for the sequels that made this list, in a film industry based on franchises and relying on family properties, the challenge of doing these extensions well is vital to the financial health of the industry and, creatively speaking, deserves applause when done well.

In terms of omissions, it’s worth noting that there were several releases this year from acclaimed directors – including Darren Aronofsky, Noah Baumbach, Damien Chazelle, Antoine Fuqua, Martin McDonagh, Sam Mendes and David O. Russell – that were seen, considered and not. entered the list. Indeed, if there was a bias here this year, it was towards films that entertained broadly, with a few exceptions.

So, which ones made the “cool” list? In alphabetic order:

“Apollo 10 and a Half: Space Age Adventure”: Richard Linklater’s animation is a look at his youth growing up in the shadow of NASA and the kind of lighthearted nostalgic exercise that truly illustrates what life was like back then, during an era when TVs were small and before everyone carried a phone. to all places.

“Avatar: The Way of Water”: overcoming skepticism about an encore 13 years later with a flurry of dazzling spectacle, James Cameron again takes a very basic story and turns it into an epic, state-of-the-art demonstration of movie magic that practically demands you get off the couch, put down the remote control and go to a movie theater to watch it on the biggest screen possible.

“Everything Everywhere At Once”: Not everything worked in this foray into alternate universes and paths not taken, but this mix of action, comedy and sci-fi represented one of the most creative efforts of the year and happily touched audiences, while showcasing the remarkable Michelle Yeoh and the uplifting return of Ke Huy. Quan, once a kid from Indiana Jones.

“The Fabelmans”: Steven Spielberg’s deeply personal window into how his youthful experiences shaped him into the filmmaker he became is obviously filled with nostalgia, but it also provides a welcome ode to the power of movies. A little sparse in its format, the film nevertheless works as a superhero origin story for a director whose half-century of shooting etched so many moments into our memories.

“Between Knives and Secrets 2”: writer-director Rian Johnson has managed to recharge and still capture the whimsy, wit and fun of his original crime novel, with Daniel Craig as the sole survivor in a film that really should have spent more time in theaters before hitting Netflix.

“Good Luck, Big Leo”: Uploaded straight to Hulu, this two-hander set to Emma Thompson as a widow who keeps a sex worker (Daryl McCormack) and peppers him with questions about her life and work, was sweet, funny, and overall delightful, a little jewelry in one year with many rhinestones. (Thompson, as a footnote, is also slaying Roald Dahl’s musical Matilda.)

“RRR: Uprising, Rebellion, Revolution”: like “Avatar,” don’t let the three-plus hours of footage scare you (plus, you’ll probably watch it on Netflix anyway). This Indian historical fantasy has it all, including an abundance of energy, wild action sequences and grueling dance numbers. A film that draws on multiple genres, from superhero to western, and still manages to feel fresh and fresh.

“Till”: Danielle Deadwyler’s heartbreaking performance as Mamie Till Mobley, grappling with the murder of her son Emmett, in Mississippi in 1955, uplifted and brought renewed attention to this tragic story, in a film that sensitively deals with the murder to focus on how it happened. voice to a civil rights activist.

“Top Gun: Maverick”: Despite coming 36 years after the original (time flies too, apparently), this sequel waited out the pandemic to share the experience with moviegoers and rewarded them with a thrilling flight that gave Tom Cruise a perfectly tuned encore as he flew what amounts to a rescue mission for movie theaters. Frankly, it would be nice to just let it all hang out after that, but nothing that makes that much money can stay quiet for long.

“Turning Red”: Pixar hasn’t been treated very well by its parent studio in the Disney+ era, which explains why this wonderfully warm and very funny coming-of-age story – a genre so overloaded that it’s really hard to do it well – was funneled straight to streaming. The film works on several levels, but transforming into a giant panda turns out to be a wonderful metaphor for the indignities and confusion associated with puberty.

Source: CNN Brasil

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