Check out our favourite films of 2022 below:

Honourable Mention: Barbarian

Unbelievably original and freakishly scary, writer/director Zach Cregger’s Barbarian was one extremely clever piece of horror that came right out of left field and delivered on all the terror. From its foreboding opening scenes to the excessive gore of its closing moments, Barbarian was a hell of a watch, and it really put the fear into audiences. This was a film that was unexpected and completely took audiences by surprise and its jump scares and repellent horror elements made for one of the best horror experiences of the year.

10. Cyrano

Noted filmmaker Joe Wright returned behind the camera for the opulent tale of the historical classic Cyrano de Bergerac in Cyrano, and this musical-historical-romance was a cinematic extravaganza. Show with a very luxurious eye and styled with beautiful baroqueness this film explores the very notion of love and its control over our souls. Peter Dinklage again commanded the very centre of the screen and as an audience member you could not but be caught up in the beauty and elegance of this amazing work.

9. Nightmare Alley

Visionary director Guillermo del Toro brought his unique gothic sensibilities to the outlaw carnival realm of the 1930s in his gripping and intense psychological thriller Nightmare Alley. And the result was film noir with a mean sense of bite. Re-adapting William Lindsay Gresham classic thriller to the big screen, del Toro narrowed in on the complexities of power and the dark side of man as Bradley Cooper’s ambitious carnie Stanton ‘Stan’ Carlisle would do anything for fame and fortune. With its dramatic scale and nerve-racking vigour, Nightmare Alley was a cinematic experience that kept audiences on edge the whole way through.

8. The Northman

A cinematic experience of full force, Robert Eggers’ The Northman was a teutonic movie of epic power and bold mythology and in watching it you felt the full fury of the Viking Age. Balancing the blood-letting ferocity of the past with the mysticism of the pagan era, The Northman was a beast of a movie and its savage power made you sit up in your seat. Alexander Skarsgard went to an extreme edge to become the murderous Prince Amleth, and this was a cinematic presentation that hit with the force of a battle axe!

7. Parallel Mothers

Renowned for his mastery of the cinematic arts, Pedro Almodóvar’s Parallel Mothers was a piece of cinema that completely wrapped you up in the complexity of its layered storytelling and its dramatic severity made a lasting impact on the audience. Exploring themes of love, motherhood, family, trauma and history, Parallel Mothers was a film that surprised you at every moment and its narrative turns led to plenty of shocking exposition. Penélope Cruz and Milena Smit created a very meaningful sense of chemistry between one another, and all of Almodóvar’s creativity and focus were refined down in this picture.

6. The Batman

With a brooding film noir presence director Matt Reeves brought the Dark Knight back to cinemas and this was a new type of Batman that audiences had never witnessed before. Laced with shadows and psychological complexity, The Batman was a rough and tumble portrait of an all-new Batman and it made for a very severe watch. Robert Pattinson brought a new quality to his obsessive and extreme portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman, which was matched with the seductive sensuality of Zoe Kravitz Selina Kyle/Catwoman. Then there was the psychopathic villainy of Paul Dano’s The Riddler and the old-school gangster bravado of Colin Farrell’s The Penguin, and all of it made for a new kind of watch. The Batman was bold and operatic in its cinematic presentation and its opening 20 minutes is some of the best cinematic presence ever captured on film. A new Dark Knight rose with The Batman, and audiences were spellbound.

5. Avatar: The Way of Water

After 13 years visionary filmmaker James Cameron returned to cinemas with the much-awaited sequel to his 2008 triumph Avatar, with Avatar: The Way of Water, and this was an utter masterpiece. Pushing the art of cinema further than it had ever been pushed before, Avatar: The Way of Water dialled up the technology of its storytelling to present an utterly beautiful presentation, and the action and intensity of this film ran at speed. Cameron jumped on the accelerator with this picture, and for those lucky enough to see it in IMAX, this was a film that delivered on the sheer scale that only cinema can present.

4. Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

With its heartfelt storyline, loveable characters and gorgeous haute couture style, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris was simply one of the best films of the year and audiences would be spellbound by its presentation. Anchored by a flawless performance by Lesley Manville, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris was a beautiful movie-going experience right from start and you couldn’t help but get wrapped up in the lovely little story. Every part of this production came together with a beautiful sense of refined elegance and it was an utterly magical piece of cinema to watch.

3. The Menu

In terms of cinematic satire, nothing was sharper this year than director Mark Mylod’s The Menu and from beginning to end audiences were in for one hell of a shock. With a pitch-perfect cast, clever narrative, elegant decor and acute moments of horror, The Menu was horror cinema with a pulse and it certainly served up something new to the genre. Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes engaged in one hell of a standoff in this picture, and the shock factor of this picture kept the audience guessing at every single moment.

2. Top Gun: Maverick

In 2022 Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise once again stepped back onto the flight deck and buckled in for the adrenaline rush of Top Gun: Maverick as Captain Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell, and this was a film that pulled audiences right back into the danger zone. With its non-stop adrenaline, heartfelt nostalgia and cinematic technology that put you right into the centre of an F-18 at full velocity, this was a blockbuster extravaganza and it was a picture that brought audiences back to the power of the cinema. From beginning to end, Top Gun: Maverick was a rush of energy and fun, and audiences looking to have their adrenaline maxed out were well rewarded by this picture. It was just AWESOME!

1. Elvis

But when it comes to the cinema of 2022 one film reigned supreme and that was Baz Luhrmann’s auteur rock ‘n’ roll epic Elvis! And damn did this picture groove. With his unique sense of glamour, style and pop energy, Luhrmann brought the life of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll , Elvis Presley, to the cinema as only he could. This was a film of pure spectacle and marked rising star Austin Butler as one performer to seriously keep an eye on. His commitment was complete and total and he rocked out completely as The King! Elvis was a cinematic experience of pure energy and you found yourself fully grooving out in your seat with this picture, and watching it in the dark of the cinema, with a full audience around me was one of the best experiences of the year.

The post SpicyPulp’s Top 10 Films of 2022 appeared first on SpicyPulp.

This musical adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s classic play tells the story of Cyrano de Bergerac (Peter Dinklage) as he pines for the affections of the beautiful Roxanne (Haley Bennett), who has fallen in love with another man named Christian de Neuvillette (Kelvin Harrison Jr.). Though Cyrano understands that his social status and physical appearance will forever keep him apart from his love, he offers his skills as a gifted poet to Christian in an effort to bring him and Roxanne together once and for all.

When it comes to the annuals of literary history one work is lofted high above all else. Edmond Rostand’s 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac is regarded as one of the greatest ever achievements in literary circles and its central character, a libertine rogue by the name of Cyrano de Bergerac, one of the most well-rounded literary characters ever conceived. It is now with grand timing, and a considerable level of panache that director Joe Wright, a filmmaker who is well regarded for the visual splendour of his cinema, brings Cyrano’s tale to the silver screen and the completed piece is nothing short of a work of art. Taking audiences back to the rough and tumble France of the 17th century, Cyrano brings music, dance and a grand choir of voices to this incredible character and it is an utterly marvellous spectacle to witness.

Balancing character, narrative and marvellous visuals, Wright takes audiences on a galivanting adventure of romance, passion and desire as he re-introduces a modern audience to France’s greatest ever Renassasiance Man. Through the combination of the musical with the historical, Wright crafts a radically different kind of musical experience. It’s very rare that audiences are treated to a film this intricate in its detail and it’s an entirely unique experience. Wright draws upon a vast array of inspirations to bring Cyrano’s tale to life and looks to ideas of Broadway and opera, ballet and hip-hop, historical action and sweet romance and the resulting images will have your eyes wide with awe. Through his commitment to characterization and narrative, he crafts a story that is both historical and modern all at the same time and offers up a treatise on the very notions of romance and love.

From the visual standpoint, Cyrano is an absolute treat for the eyes, and audiences who are lucky to witness it will be transported to another time and place of absolute luxury and decadence. Dripping with baroque lavishness and rococo detailing, Cyrano takes audiences to the palatial villas and opulent salons of Paris and Wright paints the canvas with a collection of soft pinks, oranges, peaches, blues and whites, and this detail, intricately photographed by cinematographer Seamus McGarvey whose eye for natural light leaves the film feel natural and real. Lavish costumes, such as the beautiful flowing gowns worn by Hayley Bennett’s Roxanne and designed by Jacqueline Durran and period-correct hairstyling and make-up only add to the spectacle and almost ethereal-fairytale quality of Wright’s story and this incredible production has all the detailings of a Fragonard painting.

Cast as the lead character is multi-award-winning actor Peter Dinklage and he is utterly perfect in the role. Known for his ability to slip into characters and balance heavy emotions with the language of drama, Dinklage makes for a superb Cyrano, and his’ is a performance that rings true to the character of this now legendary man. A poet, raconteur, quarrelsome troublemaker, romantic and the greatest swordsman in all of France, Dinklage leans heavily into the romantic leanings of the character and his one true motivation in life, his love and passion for the unrequited love of his dear Roxanne. While his talent as a poet might speak to her, and there’s is a relationship formed of friendship and longing, the underlying romance is lost on him to her and in this work we see Cyrano facilitating a way to live through another so that his love might be quenched. Dinklage produces a keen interest in the audience of Cyrano’s journey throughout the film and this is a character who will truly move you as an audience member.

As the subject of our title character’s long-held affections is Hayley Bennett’s Roxanne, a care-free, high-spirited beauty who longs for love above all else and who desires it on her terms. Bennett gives Roxanne an ingenue innocence, but in the telling of the story, we see that she is a much more complicated character than first expressed and Bennett’s performance truly grows on you. Her performance of Roxanne is a character who thrives on love and its expression, and there’s an erotic undercurrent that is present in her performance. Just like Dinklage, Bennett brings her entire self to the expression of Roxanne’s character and she makes a considered love interest and foil for our titular character.

Those with an appetite for music and dance will also be well rewarded by Cyrano and there are some incredible musical numbers. All four principal actors, Peter Dinklage, Hayley Bennett, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Ben Mendelsohn express themselves through the performance of song and these musical numbers are a grand way to deliver the narrative of Cyrano to an all-new audience. There is a liveliness and intelligence to the musical numbers that are expressed in Cyrano and they are transportative in their construction and presentation.

Given the presence of this whirlwind narrative of love and devotion, you are sure to be in tears at its ending and Cyrano is far and away one of the year’s best films. Beautiful to look on, packed to the brim with amazing performances and possessing a story that gets to the heart of why we love, it’s an utterly unforgettable work of art and a true testament to the character of the legendary Cyrano de Bergerac.

Image: Universal Pictures

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Take a look inside the making of the movie here:

Here’s the official trailer for Cyrano:

Bringing a fresh light to the famed 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand, Cyrano casts award=winnign actor Peter Dinklage as the famed poet Cyrano de Bergerac and takes audiences inside a wonderfully colourful and musical narrative. As he longs to be closer to his great love Roxanne (Haley Bennett), Cyrano’s true feelings are brought out and soon he must contend with rising jealousies and the emotions of lost love.

Dinklage looks incredible in this adaptation of Cyrano and it’s clear that Wright is looking to bring new life to the famed character and play, which is regarded as one of histories greatest-ever pieces of literature,

Here’s the official synopsis:

This musical adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s classic play tells the story of Cyrano de Bergerac (Peter Dinklage) as he pines for the affections of the beautiful Roxanne (Haley Bennett), who has fallen in love with another man named Christian de Neuvillette. Though Cyrano understands that his social status and physical appearance will forever keep him apart from his lady love, he offers his skills as a gifted poet to Christian in an effort to bring the two lovers together once and for all.

Prepare thyself to be transported into a true work of art when Cyrano arrives in cinemas on February 27.

The post Step into the creative vision of Joe Wright’s ‘Cyrano’ appeared first on SpicyPulp.