The Emerging Artist and I are drawing up our Best Of 2023 lists. Instead of giving them in one long post, I’m spreading them over two or three.
Movies
We saw roughly 80 movies, including streaming and TV. That’s a rough figure because we didn’t always see movies with each other, and I’m not absolutely confident in my records. Here are the ones we both put at the top of our viewing year, excluding old movies we’ve enjoyed all over again, and excluding a couple that only one of us would have put there – this is a ruthless process. We tended to see children’s films with other companions, so those are exceptions to the consensus requirement.
The image captions are linked to either an IMDB page or a review by my favourite movie critic, Mark Kermode.
Two documentaries, both seen at the Sydney Film Festival, one about the US government’s response to genocides after the fall of the USSR, the other about the struggle of independent journalism in Modi’s India:
Two children’s films, one each, a story of a migrant family and the origin story of a classic:
Five features, one each from Morocco, Ireland, Germany/Japan, South Korea/USA and the north of England; one possibly the last film of a master, and at least one debut feature; one that was lucky to see the light of day because it challenged state-enforced norms:
Coming soon, our favourite TV series of the year.
Me fail? I fly! 
I don’t often go to the pictures, but for once I can recommend one to you! I went to one of the British Film Festival films at the local Palace: One Life starring Anthony Hopkins in the true story of ‘British Schindler’ and it was excellent. There’s a review of it at the Guardian/Culture/Film.
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Ah, One Life is showing just around the corner from where we’re cat-and-house sitting for a friend. Weather and viruses allowing we may get to it in the next couple of days. Thanks for the recommendation, Lisa, and have a happy new year!
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Thank you, Jonathan, get well soon!
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I’m not sick, yet, but I’ll pass your wishes on to the Ailing Artist
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When we got Covid, from the same night out at a restaurant as 10 other people who all got it too, I was crook almost immediately but The Spouse didn’t show up as positive till the next day. And he had it so mildly, he probably wouldn’t even have got tested if I hadn’t had it so badly. Strange…
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I loved Past lives, and also enjoyed The Old Oak. I’d like to see One life. Didn’t see a lot this year, and not many standouts.
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