Its been an eventful 2023 for international TV and film.
I discovered Triet with her 2013 debut featureAge Of Panic.
Ive been hooked ever since.
‘Four Daughters,’ ‘My Mum,’ ‘Your Dad,’ ‘Top Boy,’ ‘Succession,’ ‘The Sixth Commandment’ & ‘Dreaming Whilst Black’Kino Lorber/ITV/MAX/BBC
It was pre #MeToo and women were still struggling to make it into the Official Selection Competition.
That year, just three of the 22 Palme dOr contenders were women.
The previous year, just two female directors had made the cut.
Neon / Courtesy Everett Collection
Its the same reason NetflixsTop Boyhas been one of my top shows of the past decade.
Jobsons heartbreaking turn as high-ranking dealer Jaq is another high point.
Both of those earlier films were narrative dramas, and there are dramatic elements inFour Daughters, too.
Olfas eldest teenagers Ghofrane and Rahma were swept up in the religious fervor and disappeared in 2015.
Only later did it emerge they had joined ISIS in Libya and had been married off to militant leaders.
The case attracted massive media attention in Tunisia and across the world.
On first watch, I almost immediately discarded it as another re-enactment film centered around conventional talking-heads-style confessionals.
And then Ben Hania played her strong hand.
Successionis probably the best English-language series of the last five years, and certainly my favorite in that period.
DiscoveringPoor Thingsin Venice was a similar treat.
The ingenuity and creativity leapt off the screen.
It was a truly unique visual and thematic feast and superbly acted by all.
Emma Stone has never been better and Mark Ruffalo was an absolute hoot.
Its also how relatable the characters are, even in the midst of a fantastical body horror tale.
I cant wait to see what they both do next.
Farquhar is brilliantly portrayed by Timothy Spall.
He is a man ill-at-ease with his sexuality, who tragically lets his guard down for the wrong lover.
His story lingers long in the memory.
That stems from money, and the fact its not a billion-dollar business here.
We still have that attitude.
Its collaborative, you take it seriously, but not too seriously.
Now were taking it just that step further, where were allowed to care.
Give it a try, its a hell of a lot more than you think.
Thats the magic of this film and of Miyazakis storytelling its not only language-agnostic, but its ageless.
My five-year-old was enchanted by the magical creatures and what she termed as the funny grandmas.
My nine-year old, an art obsessive, loved the skilled animation.
Meanwhile, my 11-year-old said he loved the storyline and how it takes unexpected turns.
In a world filled with sequels and algorithms, what is better than cinema at its purest?
If this is indeed Miyazakis last film, its an apt conclusion to an amazing career.
Writer-actor-director Salmon co-wrote the series with writing partner Ali Hughes.
He turns in a performance that has you rooting for his character from the off.
The making of the show is in itself a story of perseverance in this industry.
A pilot bowed on the BBC in 2021 to widespread acclaim.
A U.S. deal took it to Showtime and other international sales have stacked up.
Funny, dramatic, meaningful… we need to see whereDreamingtakes our hero next.
FX/HulusThe Bearserved up the most delicious fare in its second season.
And lets not forget that standalone episode featuring a stunning guest star turn by Jamie-Lee Curtis.
Can we have some more, yo?
Theres also a poignant love story in the mix.
But Im so glad that I continued with it.
The character of Zott is admirable, and her soulmate Calvin Evans (Lewis Pullman) a gem.
The dog, Six-Thirty (voiced by B.J.
Novak in one episode), is a keeper of the finest kind.
