Favourite Films of 2022
NOTE: Sharing brief thoughts and a list of favourite new and old films for now. Will most probably update this post with images and expand on some of the films later. (Wasn’t organised enough to write a more completed post during the week, and I didn’t want to spend too much time on a computer today.)
January 3 Update: Added images.
Brief thoughts on the state of cinema in the UAE during the past year:
There as a bit of a kerfuffle last December when the release of West Side Story was pulled from the Gulf region because of censorship instigated in Saudi Arabia, because it has a trans character. It ended up getting released in the UAE in January this year, without any fanfare and I managed to go see it twice. Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness which has a gay character although not overtly acknowledged was also released here, but not in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait or Qatar.
But a few other films did not get released, despite the advertised release dates and trailers shown in cinemas - Licorice Pizza, Lightyear, Everything All At Once, Crimes of the Future, Three Thousand Years of Longing.
Overall, it looks inconsistent and messy, and probably not fun for film distributors.
Reel Cinemas, one of the multiplexes in Dubai hosted a program of repertory screenings in the summer, but without any strong marketing and schedules that were changed last minute, it wasn’t surprising there was hardly anyone attending, sometimes I was the only one. But I was glad I got to see the following films, all for the first time on the big screen:
-Alien
-Back to the Future 1 and 2 (3 was scheduled then didn’t show)
-Hook
-Sleepless in Seattle
-Superman
The Godfather 50th anniversary screening came to Dubai and it was great to see it again in a cinema (went 3 times) after seeing it for the first time on a big screen in Bologna a few years ago.
Interstellar was re-released here, I wasn’t sure why, but was happy to go see it again.
Generally, I do wish the multiplexes here would try to independently program classics more frequently. So far they’ve been actively re-releasing the Harry Potter films.
Alliance Francaise hasn’t been been scheduling many classics compared to the past two years, but one screening, The Silence of the Sea was a standout for me.
Another rep screening to mention is Goethe Institute’s Cine Klub - When Hollywood Had a Geman Accent - German Directors at the Pacific which takes place in Abu Dhabi. I’ve not been, but based on feedback from people I know, they said it takes place on a rooftop and the screening conditions aren’t good.
Cinema Akil programmed a few rep screenings, but I didn’t attend any.
Recent news like the “restructuring” of International Film Festival Rotterdam and the shutting down of Edinburgh Film Festival, and reading my friend Alex Fuller’s thoughts about the recent edition of the BFI London Film Festival has been a bit troubling about how established film institutions are run. Not to mention how Hollywood seems to be run by executives who don’t even like films.
A couple of recent experiences with film programming for government led cultural institutions has left me feeling very discouraged, especially the way films are vetted and film programming treated like secondary events and calendar fillers.
Coming from a place where the two leading international film festivals (DIFF and ADFF) were cancelled with no clear explanations, and living in a city where I don’t really see a big enough or dedicated enough cinephile community. Travelling to see the films I want to see at festivals and retrospectives is what helps satisfy my cinephiles needs, and I’m now slightly fearful film institutions and festivals I like and support could disappear or change overnight.
With that out of the way, let’s talk about films.
In summary, I watched a lot - mostly in cinemas, some at home, a few in airplanes (shout out to two films, a-Ha the Movie and Val).
A lot of mid-budget/straight to streaming type of films get released in UAE cinemas, which I always find both odd and amusing, and probably deserve a separate written piece about it as there have been a few good ones I’ve seen.
For now, two lists:
Favourite New Films, a top 30, although there’s a lot more that I liked.
Favourite Repertory Screenings of the year
A link to my 2022 film viewing diary on Letterboxd and all the films I liked are marked here too.
Favourite new films of 2022
Crimes of the Future
My number one film of the year is Crimes of the Future. I went to see it twice on the same day in Amsterdam in June (first at Pathe City in the morning and then at night at Eye). I knew then it’s my favourite film of the year. The rest of the list is in alphabetical order.
1. Crimes of the Future
"Sorry, I'm not very good at the old sex"
After Yang
”…the pursuit of this illusive thing, this process that was connected to the soil, to the plants, to the weather, and to a way of life. To a way of life.”
Plus, the opening sequence.
3. Aftersun
”I just feel a bit down or something.” Under Pressure scene.
4. Barbarian
Cinema still alive and kicking. (+ House of Darkness makes a good Justin Long horror double bill)
5. The Banshees of Inisherin
Brutal.
6. Belle
An idealised version of a virtual world.
7. Benediction
Funnier than I expected. Devastating final scene.
8. Decision to Leave
A new noir classic.
9. Devotion
A better alternative to Top Gun: Maverick
10. Dog
Channing Tatum (+ The Lost City makes a good Channing Tatum double bill)
11. Elvis
Confession, I actually didn’t like it at first viewing. But I felt compelled to go see it again, and ended up liking especially the second half.
12. Foragers
“This land isn’t yours”
13. France
The car accident scene.
14. Godland
All the scenes, especially the waterfall scene.
15. The Gravedigger’s Wife
So tender.
17. Kimi
Covid meets Rear Window meets Home Alone. Plus Zoë Kravitz drying her hands after sanitising it.
17. Licorice Pizza
”You give me hope. This is fate that brought us together. This is fate.”
Plus, Sean Penn’s line delivery, “Don’t ask me about Kuala Lumpur.”
18. Master Gardener
The closing credits sequence.
19. Nightmare Alley
“Mr, I was born for it”
20. Nope
”Nope.”
21. Orphan: First Kill
Maniac mic drop car scene.
22. Pacifiction
The giant wave, the last 40 minutes.
23. The Plains
Life narrated in three hours, in a car.
24. RRR
Naatu Naatu, CGI lions and just overall purrre enterrrtainment if you put aside the reimagined history and questionable nationalism.
25. Saint Omer
The haunting stares. The closing courtroom speech.
26. Smile
Utterly scary.
27. Tár
Jaw dropped at the final scene.
28. Trenque Lauquen
Hypnotising four hours shapeshifting mystery.
29. Under the Fig Trees
Chatting, laughing, flirting, dreaming.
30. West Side Story
A new musical classic.
Top 10 Rep Screenings in Cinemas of 2022:
1. West Indies (Med Hondo, 1979) - The Film Museum, Vienna
This was on my wish list for a few years. A masterpiece.
2. Stella Dallas (Henry King, 1925) - Darsena, Venice
I had only seen the remake by King Vidor (1937), but I liked this one a bit more. It was the pre-opening film of the Venice Film Festival, a MoMA restoration accompanied with music by Stephen Horne - heart tugging at the right moments, performed live by Gaga Symphony Orchestra.
We were all wiping our tears as we stepped outside to a rainy night.
3. The Age of Innocence (Martin Scorsese, 1993) - Cinema Ecoles, Paris
I had only seen this before at home when it was out on VHS. To be able to finally watch it in a cinema was an occasion that had to be noted in this list. Hopefully on 35mm another time.
4. Eyes Wide Shut (Stanley Kubrick, 1999) - Cinema Christine, Paris
Same as above, only watched this at home, in December two years ago when we are all mostly stuck at home. Was so happy to finally see it in a cinema. I think it’s a perfect film to watch every December.
5. Days of Heaven (Terence Malick, 1978) - LAB111, Amsterdam
”You're only on this Earth once. And I - to my opinion, as long as you're around, you should have it nice.”
6. Risky Business (Paul Brickman, 1983, 35mm) - Cinema Christine, Paris
This was not the 1980s American teen movie I was expecting, turned out to be much darker than expected.
The start of Tom Cruise’s career as a lead actor career. The trains, nighttime cityscapes, In the Air Tonight, Tangerine Dream.
“Just the shameless pursuit of immediate gratification. What a capitalist.”
7. Hard, Fast, Beautiful (Ida Lupino, 1951) - Cinema Christine, Paris
Mother/daughter tearjerker.
8. Teresa La Ladra / Teresa the Thief (Carlo Di Palma, 1973) - Passinetti, Venice
Monica Vitti is devastating in this.
9. Once Upon a Time, Beirut (Joecely Saab, 1995) - Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi
This was part of CineMAS - The Alternative Film Festival I curated, and I included it for mostly selfish reasons to be able to watch it myself.
10. Koyaanisqatsi (Godfrey Reggio, 1982) - Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi
Thanks to Nezar Andary for adding this to Al Sidr Festival that he founded.
Others Favourites and Highlights:
Martin Scorsese films I had not seen before - Cinema Ecoles, Paris
This was major for me:
-Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore
-Bringing Out the Dead
-After Hours
+ The Age of Innocence listed above
Billy Wilder films - Cinema Ecoles, Paris
-A Foreign Affair
-Fedora
Howard Hawks Retrospective - Cinematheque Francaise, Paris
Was only able to watch 16 of the 40 films in this retrospective.
The ones I watched are listed here: https://letterboxd.com/hindmezaina/list/howard-hawks-at-cinematheque-francaise/
Four Shorts by Ateyyat El Abnoudy - Cinema du Reel, Centre Pompidou, Paris
I had not seen any of her films before and hope I can see more of her works.
-Horse of Mud
-The Sandwich
-Seas of Thirst
-Permissible Dreams
Venice Classics at the Venice Film Festival
-Crazy Desire
-The Black Cat
-Teorama
-Branded to Kill
-A Confucian Confusion
+ Stella Dallas and Theresa the Thief listed above
Repertory Screenings at Viennale
- Ebrahim Golestan, Elaine May, Argentinian Noir
At Home:
- Simon Barbes or Virtue on Another Screen
- Films by David Cronenberg:
Dedicated some time in the summer to watch as many of his films as I could, based on what I could find on Apple TV. My favourites:
-History of Violence
-Eastern Promises
-Shivers
-Videodrome
-The Fly (and ended up watching it again on 35mm in Vienna in November)
-eXistenZ
+ Bull Durham and Body Heat because I was listening to the excellent Erotic ‘80s season on You Must Remember This Podcast