Michael Darvell Looks Back at the Year of 2022
What has surprised me most about the films released during 2022 is the number of outstanding UK titles. Sometimes they were made in co-operation with US studios, but it has been a positive joy to witness the likes of Kenneth Branagh’s childhood memories in Belfast, Martin McDonagh’s spellbinding The Banshees of Inisherin, Florence Pugh’s mesmerising performance in Sebastian Lelio’s The Wonder, Roger Michell’s The Duke with Jim Broadbent’s cunning thief, John Madden’s Operation Mincemeat, about misleading the Nazis, and Terence Davies’ subtle portrait of Siegfried Sassoon in Benediction.
Clio Barnard made a very touching drama of Ali and Ava, Bill Nighy beautifully realised an ordinary man in Oliver Hermanus’ Living, while Michael Grandage’s handling of My Policeman was particularly moving and rather better than most would have us believe. Ralph Fiennes’ chef impressed in Mark Mylod’s The Menu, and there were notable debut performances by the actress Frankie Coro and the director Charlotte Wells for Aftersun. Lastly, I seem to have enjoyed Laure de Clermont-Tonnere’s version of Lady Chatterley's Lover rather more than most.
Elsewhere in the world of film, Lasse Hallström’s Hilma lovingly portrayed the Swedish abstract painter Hilma af Klint, Edward Berger’s remake of All Quiet on the Western Front became an instant classic (again), and Claire Denis dealt impressively with the odd relationships in Both Sides of the Blade. Mia Hansen- Løve put Ingmar back on the map in Bergman Island and Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness seemed to annoy more people than it pleased, but it felt to be a piece of real cinema.
There were also outstanding performances by Austin Butler in Elvis, Baz Luhrmann’s biopic which appeared to be a case, as they said of another film this year, everything, everywhere, all at once. Ana de Armas gave an amazing performance as Marilyn in Andrew Dominik’s Blonde and Penélope Cruz was her usual immaculate self in Official Competition. Best documentaries of the year? Good Night Oppy, Last Flight Home, Downfall: The Case Against Boeing, The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe and A Bunch of Amateurs, although Andrea Arnold really hit the bullseye with Cow.
Michael Darvell’s Favourites: