I haven't watched a lot of last year's crop of films. It's not because of an unwillingness on my part but rather a reluctance.
Each year, I remind myself that I feel better served by films that have stood up against the weight of time rather than those buoyed temporarily by sometimes suspect critical and social consensus. Sticking to films that remain relevant across the generations often signifies material that is extremely specific and complex in its storytelling, and universal in its insight.
Watching award shows now for two decades, it has become obvious to me that many films held high in the moment quickly recede from the spotlight, with many forgotten within a year or two. Upon future review, if not forever lost to time, these films hold little lasting appeal; their momentary spotlight brought on by hype rather than substance.
Yet, of the films produced last year that I saw, three stood out and I believe will remain with me for decades to come.
The Worst Person in the World
Though this film acts as a specific time capsule, capturing the generational anxieties of our present moment, director Joachim Trier and cowriter Eskil Vogt commit to screen the complexity and general anxiety of pursuing a purposeful and well-lived life. Watching the film, I couldn't help but feel like I knew these characters, their worries, their hesitancies, their desires. Playing Julie, an indecisive and seemingly impulsive millennial, Renate Reinsve stands above all the rest, gracing us with the best performance of year. And it defies logic that such a performance - with all the hallmarks of a star-making turn - would shamefully elude the Academy Awards.
Bergman Island
As adventurous and free-spirited as The Worst Person in the World is, Mia Hansen-Løve's Bergman Island quietly gives it a run for its money. Focusing on Chris and Tony, romantic partners and both filmmakers, this film tackles the complexity of balancing a domestic and creative life. For much of the film, we watch Chris on an artistic retreat navigating her domestic life and struggling to grasp the beginnings of a creative idea. Yet, about half way through, Chris begins to share with us her creative progress, and the film opens up. Unexpectedly, a film-within-a-film begins to cross pollinate with what we've seen and invites the audience inside both Chris' process and her own romantic questions. Not only is this one of the best films I saw last year, it also holds within it one of the most overlooked performances of the year: Mia Wasikowska as Amy, a young filmmaker attending a wedding and hoping to reignite a long-dormant relationship.
Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time
Of special mention is this noir-infused, passionate gem by Hungarian director Lili Horvát. From the juxtaposed early extreme close-ups of Márta, a neurosurgeon who has quit her respected position in the United States to pursue a relationship in her native Hungary, I was off-kilter and unsure. And as the narrative opened up and invited questions about memory and the brain, I felt a thrill questioning Márta's reliability as a narrator. An unexpected joy to watch, leaving plenty to contemplate for days after it goes black.