Molly Mortimer
Saoirse Ronan in “Lady Bird.” (Photo credit: IAC Films).
1. “Lady Bird” — Greta Gerwig directs Saoirse Ronan in her 2017 directorial debut “Lady Bird.” The film is an emotional story that details the trials and tribulations of growing up. “Lady Bird” features powerful performances from Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf, and the story packs an emotional punch, making Gerwig’s directorial debut one of my favourite films.
2. “Frances Ha” — Noah Baumbach collaborates with partner Greta Gerwig to bring audiences a black and white, emotional character study that follows one woman (Gerwig) as she throws herself into following her dreams in New York City. Gerwig gives a marvellous performance in the titular role and her and Baumbach’s ability to bring such a relatable character to the screen are some of the things that make “Frances Ha” such a good movie.
3. “The Lost Daughter” — “The Lost Daughter” is perhaps one of the most unique portrayals of motherhood to grace the screen in recent years. Maggie Gyllenhaal makes her directorial debut, adapting Elena Ferrante’s novel into an engaging film that showcases brilliant performances from Dakota Johnson, Olivia Colman, and Jessie Buckley, with the latter two going on to receive Oscar nominations for their performances. Gyllenhaal’s adaptation is complex and emotional, making the film one of the better things to come out of Netflix’s ever-growing pool of films, and one of my personal favourites.
4. “C’mon C’mon” — Mike Mills brings one of 2021’s most tender stories to the screen with his drama “C’mon C’mon.” The film tells the story of a closed off radio journalist (Joaquin Pheonix) and his nephew Jesse (Woody Norman) as they go on a cross country journey across the U.S. Joaquin Pheonix and his then-eleven-year-old co-star Woody Norman give deeply personal performances set against black and white cinematography from Robbie Ryan.
5. “Spider-Man: No Way Home” — One of 2021’s biggest films, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” is one of Marvel’s best and features a remarkable turn from Tom Holland. Set on a multi-versal scale, Jon Watts brings an action-packed affair to the screen topped off with many emotional moments. The abundance of fan service, an exciting story and miraculous performances make “Spider-Man: No Way Home” a smash hit.
6. “La La Land” — Damien Chazelle’s colourful musical ‘La La Land’ is a visual feast driven by spectacular performances from Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. Chazelle directs a film that both entertains you and tugs at your heartstrings, and Justin Hurwitz’s music elevates the film to a whole other level. Extravagant musical numbers and a moving story, make “La La Land” one of my favourite films.
7. “Nomadland” — Frances McDormand stars in Chloé Zhao’s poignant film that follows Fern (McDormand), a woman who gives up her home to become a nomad, as she travels across the U.S., meeting new people and forming new bonds. Not only does “Nomadland” benefit from Zhao’s marvellous directorial efforts, but the film also benefits from mesmerising cinematography courtesy of Joshua James Richards.
8. “Call Me By Your Name” — Luca Guadagnino directs Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer in his 2017 adaptation of André Aciman’s novel. With a delicate love story at its core, “Call Me by Your Name” is one of 2017’s best films. With incredible performances from its two leads, gorgeous visuals created by Sayombu Mukdeeprom, and a melodic array of accompanying songs written by Sufjan Stevens, “Call Me by Your Name” easily takes its place in my top ten films.
9. “Flee” — Jonas Poher Rasmussen directs a heart-breaking documentary about one man’s harrowing journey of survival as he escapes the war in Afghanistan only to be faced with a whole new world of challenges, and barriers. Taking a more unique route for documentaries and animating its characters, “Flee” easily takes its place as one of my favourite films, a film that tugs on your heart strings and tells a story all too familiar to refugees across the globe.
10. “Everything Everywhere All at Once” — One of the best films to come out of 2022 already, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” is an action-filled, wacky journey brought to audiences’ courtesy of Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. Guaranteed to be one of A24’s craziest films, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” brilliantly manages to inject tearjerking emotion into an insane story that takes places over multiple universes. Not only does the film benefit from an incredible story, but the film also features sensational performances from Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, and Jamie Lee Curtis
