Best of the 2023 Festivals

It was a year that many Chlotrudis members went back to Film Festivals in person and in force. The Society had strong representation at the Independent Film Festival Boston (IFFBoston), the Provincetown International Film Festival (PIFF), the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and a sprinkling of others. There was definitely a group of films that rose to the top of the heap, and another group of films that were championed by a single person. Many of these films have found their domestic release already, while others have yet to find their place. All of them are worthy of checking out when they are available, and I encourage you all to keep this list handy.

This first batch include films that were seen and championed by at least one viewer. Not quite enough collective viewing to get them to the best of list, but definitely worth consideration.

• BOTTOMS, directed by Emma Seligman – Anyone who knows Michael knows he came back from PIFF raving about Emma Seligman’s in your face follow-up to SHIVA BABY, an irreverent, raunchy, send-up of 90’s high school movies (or late 80’s, as HEATHERS is the film Michael most likens it to). The film was released wide in September, so everyone who hasn’t seen it yet, can go watch it now. It’s smart, and features a terrific screenplay, and a bevy of great performances led by co-screenwriter Rachel Sennott, and Boston’s own Ayo Edbiri. (Streaming on AmazonPrime and AppleTV+)
• ROTTING IN THE SUN, directed by Sebastián Silva – Michael also praised Chilean director Silva’s ROTTING IN THE SUN, touting it the second most shocking, in-your-face film of the festival (following BOTTOMS). Silva’s audacious story of a depressed film director (played by Silva) who meets an Instagram influencer (played by Jordan Firstman, a real-life IG influencer) at a party where there are penises aplenty on display turns into s much more pointed critique about social class. Catalina Saavedra proves her Chlotrudis Award nomination for Silva’s film, THE MAID, was no fluke with a powerful and hilarious performance. (Streaming on MUBI and AppleTV+)
• THE BEAST, directed by Bertrand Bonello – This France/Canada co-production received high praise at TIFF. In the near future emotions have become a threat. Gabrielle decides to purify her DNA in a machine that will immerse her in her past lives and rid her of any strong feelings. But then she meets Louis, and although he seems dangerous, she feels a powerful connection to him as if she has known him forever. (Not yet released)
• A HAPPY DAY, directed by Hisham Zaman – This Norwegian film about migrant minors held in a camp until their 18th birthday uses whimsy and magical realism to tell a devastating story. Three friends struggle between the desire to escape into the harsh snowy mountains where survival is uncertain, or waiting until that happy day when they become adults and face the unwanted deportation to the countries from which they escaped. (Not yet released)
• HIS THREE DAUGHTERS, directed by Azazel Jacobs – A tense, captivating, and touching portrait of family dynamics starring Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen, and Natasha Lyonne as sisters who converge after their father’s health declines. Lyonne, in particular, steals the show in this finely acted drama. (Not yet released)
• THE HOLDOVERS, directed by Thomas Payne – A return to form from Alexander Payne follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. (In theaters now)
• MOTHER, COUCH, directed by Niclas Larsson – In a remote furniture store, Mother stations herself on a green couch, refusing to get up, leaving her three estranged children to figure out why. With the help of the store managers, David and his siblings embark on a mind-bending journey to reveal life-altering family truths. (Not yet released)
• PICTURES OF GHOSTS, directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho – Downtown Recife’s classic movie palaces from the 20th century are mostly gone. That city area is now an archaeological site of sorts that reveals aspects of life in society which have been lost. And that’s just part of the story. This documentary is an interesting turn from the director of 2022’s BACURAU. (Not yet released)
• SOLITUDE, directed by Ninna Pálmadóttir – An Icelandic drama tells the story of an aging curmudgeonly farmer who moves to the city for the first time and forms a bond with a paper boy. (Not yet released)
• THE TEACHER’S LOUNGE, directed by Ilker Çatak – When one of her students is suspected of theft, teacher Carla Nowak decides to get to the bottom of the matter. Caught between her ideals and the school system, the consequences of her actions threaten to break her in this taut German film. (Not yet released)

The following ten films are the ones that multiple people agreed topped the festivals this year. These ten films provide the quality an excitement that draw festival goers back year-to-year.

1. AFIRE, directed by Christian Petzold – A fascinating tale from German director Petzold, about a young author who can’t get out of his own head and see different perspectives. Set against a backdrop of a summer resort home by the coast, and nestled by forests experiencing dangerous wildfires, the strong cast really captures the surreality of the story. This was a big hit for many Chlotrudians who attended the IFFBoston, (Streaming on the Criterion Channel, AppleTV+, and Amazon Prime)
2. PERFECT DAYS, directed by Wim Wenders – Who knew one of the best Japanese films of the year would be helmed by German director Wim Wenders? Aided by a phenomenal lead performance by the great Koji Yakusho, Wenders chronicles the quotidian days of Japanese toilet cleaner Hirayama, as he goes about his work, photographs the branches of trees, listens to classic rock albums on cassette, and navigates through the curious behavior of the people around him. (In theaters now)
3. MONSTER, directed by Hirozaku Koreeda – Master filmmaker Koreeda brings focuses his humanist view of the works through a Rashomon story-telling vehicle as a young Japanese boy befriends a curious, effeminate individualist scorned by his fellow classmates. Koreeda takes the screenplay by Yûji Sakamoto and explores it from three different perspectives, slowly creating a full story as a devastating storm sweeps across the city. (In theaters now)
4. FALLEN LEAVES, directed by Aki Kurasmaki – The Finnish master of deadpan comedy tackles a forties-style romantic comedy, complete with a sweeping score, and dramatic scene cuts and makes it his own. Our two leads, Alma Pöysti, and Jussi Vatanene face tremendous obstacles, including lost phone numbers, mistaken addresses, alcoholism, a train accident and a charming stray dog to find the path to happiness. (In theaters now; Streaming soon on MUBI)
5. THE FEELING THAT TIME FOR DOING SOMETHING HAS PASSED, directed by Joanna Arnow – In her debut, feature narrative, Arnow creates a mosaic-style comedy following the life of a woman as time passes in her long-term casual BDSM relationship, low-level corporate job, and quarrelsome Jewish family. This one was a surprise hit among Chlotrudians at TIFF, and we look forward to its eventual release. (Not yet released)
6. EGOIST, directed by Daishi Matsunaga – This gentle, dramatic love story was a quiet hit at PIFF. A favorite of programmer Andrew Peterson, it’s a bittersweet gay romance that turns into a powerful story of love between a mother and her son’s lover. A stunning and truly haunting work with three nuanced and rich leading perforances, Daishi Matsunaga’s adaptation of the late Makoto Takayama’s autobiographical novel is a joy; a satisfyingly textured, bittersweet character study infused with warmth and energy. (Not yet released)
7. PAST LIVES, directed by Celine Song – A big indie hit for 2023, this film closed out IFFBoston and has found acclaim across the board. Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrested apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Twenty years later, they are reunited for one fateful week as they confront notions of love and destiny. (Streaming on AppleTV+ and Amazon Prime)
8. FREMONT, directed by Babak Jalali – This sleeper hit from the IFFBoston harkens back to the early indie films of Hal Hartley, with amusing, deadpan characters with heartfelt motivations. A young Afghan refugee works at a fortune cookie factory and decides to find love… or at least start dating. A great cast includes “The Bear’s” breakout star Jeremy Allen White, a a droll supporting role from Gregg Turkington. (Streaming on AppleTV+ and AmazonPrime)
9. AMERICAN FICTION, directed by Cord Jefferson – Surprise hit from TIFF stars Jeffrey Wright whose literary author struggles with the way pop culture tries to pigeon-hole black culture into the single mom/street-talking/killed by cop stereotype that fuels so many best-selling books. Layered with a complex family story, and shot in and around Boston, AMERICAN FICTION is an accomplished feature, produced by local her, Mike Bowes. (In theaters now)
10. EVIL DOES NOT EXIST, directed by Ryûsuke Hamaguchi – Building on the huge success of last year’s DRIVE MY CAR, Hamaguchi’s latest film starts off as an amusing environmental drama before it takes a surprising turn in its final quarter to explore something so much deeper. It’s hard to understand quite what the something is, but talk to Michael if you’d like to find out what his wild theory is. (Not yet released)

And there you have it. The films from 2023 Film Festivals that resonated the most with Chlotrudis members. Check out the films that have been released already, and make an effort to see the ones still in theaters if you can. Also, be on the look-out for the films still waiting for their release date. Perhaps they won’t end up being your favorites, but they’re all worthwhile to see.