Andy Ray’s Ten Best Films of 2024
I thought 2023 was a strong year for Hollywood. But it doesn’t come close to 2024. Consider the output was so powerful, I had to leave off “Nickel Boys,” “Good One,” “My Old Ass,” and even “Wicked Part I” and “Conclave” from my list. Now that’s a good year! What a contrast from the Covid years of the early ‘20s, when I felt like I had to stretch to even compile a Top Ten List. So, with that said, let’s jump in and take a look at the year’s best films:
Saoirse Ronan turns in another compelling performance as a recovering alcoholic who returns to her hometown in Northern Scotland in Nora Fingscheidt’s “The Outrun.” Ronan’s performance rivals that of Sigourney Weaver in 2021’s “The Good House” as the best recent portrayal of a character suffering the ravages of alcoholism. And Fingscheidt doesn’t tell the story in a linear fashion, but rather the way Ronan’s character would relate her life story to a third party. This gives “The Outrun” a dreamy, Terrence Malick vibe. It’s certainly one of the year’s most unique offerings.
In James Mangold’s “A Complete Unknown,” Timothee Chalamet has the unenviable task of playing a moody yet brilliant introvert with a propensity to treat others badly. Given the limitations of the role, Chalamet pulls off songwriter-poet Bob Dylan about as well as anyone could. But the real star here is Edward Norton as folk singer-songwriter Pete Seeger, who discovers Dylan’s talent and exposes him to the music world. Seeger’s constantly sunny personality stands in sharp contrast to that of Dylan. And Norton’s interpretation of Seeger is his best accomplishment since “Motherless Brooklyn.”
Much has been said about Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Perez.” Yes, it’s a musical. Yes, it’s rough and somewhat violent – so, strictly for adults. And yes, the protagonist (and the actress who plays her) is transgendered. But “Emilia Perez” doesn’t succeed because of the transgender angle; it succeeds because it’s one of the most thrilling and original films of the decade. Spanish actress Karla Sofia Gascon plays a Mexican drug lord who undergoes a gender reassignment to escape the authorities. Then she takes on a new identity, while still remaining close to her children and performing charitable work on behalf of women hurt by husbands in the drug trade. It’s a powerful yet supremely entertaining picture, and Zoe Saldana is equally strong as the attorney who helps Emilia on her journey.
Jesse Eisenberg’s “A Real Pain” features a fabulous yet uncomfortable performance by Kieran Culkin as a man who accompanies his cousin (Eisenberg) on a group tour of the Majdanek concentration camp in Poland, where their grandmother escaped death during WWII. Culkin’s character is rude, profane, and annoying. Yet he somehow manages to connect with the others on the tour in an engaging and almost childlike way. It’s one of the best performances of the year. Unlike some of the others on my list, “A Real Pain” is a “small” film about personalities rather than a sweeping epic.
Walter Salles’ “I’m Still Here” is the true account of the capture, torture, and imprisonment of former Brazilian congressman Rubens Paiva – but told through the eyes of his then 11-year-old son. The real hero of “I’m Still Here” is Rubens’ wife Eunice, played by veteran Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres in one of this year’s strongest performances. Never once is “I’m Still Here” depressing; in fact, the Paiva family can’t keep from laughing even when trying to take a “serious” picture for the local newspaper. “I’m Still Here” is heartwarming, and aided by a touching, yet not overly sentimental, ending.
Malcolm Washington’s “The Piano Lesson” is the best of the recent motion picture adaptations of August Wilson’s stage plays. Even though it does feature a few extended monologues, “The Piano Lesson” doesn’t feel like a filmed play, and the characters are completely engaging. John David Washington (Malcolm’s brother) plays Boy Willie, who travels from his home in Mississippi to Pittsburgh to purchase the family piano, so he can sell it to buy the land the family has farmed since the Civil War. Standing in his way is his sister, played by Danielle Deadwyler, who steadfastly refuses to part with the family heirloom for reasons which pan out during the course of the film. Between 2022’s “Till” and 2024’s “The Piano Lesson,” Deadwyler has firmly established herself as one of our greatest actresses. It’s a damn shame she still hasn’t even been nominated for an Oscar.
Uberto Pasolini’s “Nowhere Special” flew way under the radar last spring, perhaps because of its subject matter. James Norton plays a dying single father trying to find a new family for his six-year-old son, played by newcomer Daniel Lamont in one of the finest acting jobs ever by a child. Despite the set-up, “Nowhere Special” is never maudlin; you won’t shed a tear. While Pasolini’s screenplay is deliberately paced, we soon become actively engaged in the search for a new family. And between each potential suitor, we’re treated to a myriad of scenes simply showing father-son bonding. This is another “small” film, and certainly one of the year’s finest achievements. I can’t wait to see more from Pasolini.
While “I’m Still Here” has received all the attention, my pick for best foreign film of the year is Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” the story of a lifelong bureaucrat named Iman, who is forced to rubber-stamp the executions of young rebels protesting their restrictive and oppressive government. By all accounts, Iman is a good and decent family man, who happens to have two daughters mildly involved in the ongoing protests. This cognitive dissonance plays out in a wildly entertaining third act, reminiscent of “The Shining.” While its subject matter may seem foreign to us, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” has a very American feel to it. It’s very accessible and absolutely gripping.
Director Sean Baker turns in his best film since “The Florida Project” with the supremely absorbing “Anora,” the story of a stripper-callgirl (in a fantastic breakout performance by Mickey Madison) who becomes the muse – and then wife – of the filthy rich son of a Russian oligarch. Fast-paced, profane, and wickedly funny, “Anora” is, at its heart, a screwball comedy, reminiscent of early Quentin Tarantino films in which we find ourselves laughing at situations that really aren’t funny but are presented that way. This is the year’s most devilishly entertaining film, although its subject matter is more serious than originally presented, and it concludes on a down note.
While quite common in the 1950s and ‘60s – perhaps due to the rise in popularity of television – sweeping epics don’t come along very often anymore. That makes Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist” all the more entertaining; it aims big, and it succeeds. Clocking in at a marathon 3.5 hours, “The Brutalist” never drags, and never ceases to fully engage us. The great Adrien Brody plays a fictitious Jewish Hungarian holocaust survivor who emigrates to the United States and becomes an award-winning architect whose life and career span many decades. Told against the backdrop of an ever-changing world, “The Brutalist” features another fine supporting performance from Felicity Jones as Brody’s wife, confined to a wheelchair due to osteoporosis. In her quiet yet forceful manner, Jones’ character is key to the entire effort. Corbet’s direction and original screenplay instantly push him to the forefront of American filmmakers. “The Brutalist” is one of this decade’s gems.
Andy Ray‘s reviews also appear on https://townepost.com/