Sam’s Showtime Schedule
As time passes by, one celebrates by living in the moment, and I tend to do this by pressing play or seeing screenings. For some, the end of the year calls for reminiscing on memories, while for others (me as this column writer and you as this column reader), it calls for a showtime special reminiscing on motion pictures.
This what-to-watch guide features 2023 releases which significantly stuck out to me upon reflection. Without further ado; a film bro (normal woman), movie reviewer (Letterboxd user), and cinema scholar (cinema studies minor) presents: A Few 2023 Features.
1. PAST LIVES Dir. Celine Song
“What if this is a past life as well, and we are already something else to each other in our next life? Who do you think we are then?”Past Lives is a feature directorial debut that explores life by connecting what has passed and has happened to the possibilities of what might or could have been. Through its screenplay and the cinematography, the film tells a dramatic, yet delicate story about location and love—specifically one about the innocence of childhood crushes in contrast to the intenseness of present partners. A powerful portrayal of the inevitable question “what if”, particularly resonating with spectators who believe a partner is someone they have met in past lives and will find in every other lifetime.
2. BOTTOMS Dir. Emma Seligman
“Could the ugly, untalented gays please report to the principal’s office?”
3. 君たちはどう生きるか/THE BOY AND THE HERON Dir. Hayao Miyazaki
“You see this world? There’s more work to be done.”
4. KUOLLEET LEHDET/FALLEN LEAVES Dir. Aki Kaurismäki
“I have the time, but not the money.”
5. THE HOLDOVERS Dir. Alexander Payne
“I find the world a bitter and complicated place, and it seems to feel the same way about me. I think you and I have this in common.”
The Holdovers is a dialogue-driven and comical bittersweet feature set in the ‘70s that is destined to be an academia classic and holiday favourite. Through the shots, the plot choices, the line deliveries, and every off-screen and on-screen detail; through the touching stories and outstanding performances; the film forms a stimulating craft reminding the audience that everyone is capable of being a good person, and everyone deserves the goodness of other people. Hits so hard the way it has an ability to heal as much as hurt.