And true to his previous works, the music in each scene is supplied organically from what is going on during that time period.Īlfonso Cuarón's Oscar caliber film recreates from his imagination the Mexico City of the early 1970's, juxtaposing the intimate story inspired by his family's housekeeper (played by Yalitza Aparicio) and the political turmoil engulfing the nation. This was one of my favorite films at Cannes.

On the heels of his Oscar-winning masterwork, ' Ida,' Polish auteur Pawel Pawlikowski brings us another sumptuous black-and-white portrait of mismatched characters, though this time around, they are lovers (played by Joanna Kulig and Tomasz Kot), and based on some biographical details from the lives of his parents. Amy Adams perfectly captures the spirit of the conservative wife who nudges her husband to power. Surprisingly romantic and assured directorial debut, with great supporting characters played by Sam Elliott and Andrew Dice Clay.Ĭhristian Bale positions himself at the front of the Best Actor race (alongside Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody) with his dead-on portrayal of Dick Cheney in ' The Big Short' director Adam MacKay's brilliant seriocomic study of modern political corruption. Hope to hear what's on your list. Enjoy!- Chaz Ebert (*List revised and updated)īradley Cooper's successful reimagining of this Hollywood classic stars an engaging Lady Gaga as a singer whose rising career enters the stratosphere just as her lover, a music icon and struggling alcoholic played convincingly by Cooper, hits the skids. I am dividing them into categories of Narrative Films (Parts I and II) Guilty Pleasures Animation and Documentaries (Parts I and II), but the films are being listed in a random order, not necessarily in order of preference. Many have already been added to the Independent Spirit Awards nominations, and will most likely grace the lists for the Golden Globes and even the Oscars. Some movies on this list will undoubtedly be nominated for awards on Critics' Lists or at the Producers and Directors Guilds. However, I have been keeping track of some of the movies that I think are worth seeing and I now share that list with you. NOW THAT THANKSGIVING IS OVER and we have enjoyed gathering with family and friends to give thanks for the people and things that really matter in this life, it is time to seriously indulge in that age old trip to the movies to catch up on everything before the awards shows are presented. I have not seen all the movies yet, so I will not cull my list down to a Top Ten List until later in December.

Calibre film