The film year 2022 was distinguished by several things.
Sweden enjoyed success abroad with "Triangle of Sadness" (Ruben Östlund) and "Boy from Heaven" (Tarik Saleh) - two films where the actors do not speak Swedish.
We also saw the return of the Swedish romantic comedy in films such as "The Year I Stopped Performing and Started Masturbating", "Thanks for Last", "Tuesday Club" and "Regulars".
"Elvis" (Baz Luhrman)
The film world's greatest maximalist and his film about the king of rock 'n' roll is a glitter explosion, embellished with extra gold sequins and fake diamonds.
It's simply the most bloated movie of 2022.
Of course, not everyone appreciates the aperture, but if you do, the film is an experience - here, glittering scenography is mixed with fantastic costumes and singing.
"Avatar: The way of water" (James Cameron)
It's not the world's most expensive film for nothing.
The plot is secondary, the environment is the main focus.
But then what an environment: entire communities underwater, children playing with strange water creatures and swimming with mighty whales.
It's a solid film that flexes its muscles (that is, the money, the imagination, everything that's meant to impress) in every frame.
And it is of course meant to enthrall (and remind of what
film
can be) – the film is best seen in an IMAX theater with 3D glasses.
"Everything everywhere all at once" (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert)
The directors (who go by the name "Daniels") have previously worked with music videos and short films.
It is fitting – such should convey a feeling, not infrequently impress with imaginativeness.
This sci-fi action fantasy moves between parallel worlds and timelines.
It moves between dream and reality, what was and what could have been.
That is to say – one spectacular environment after another.
And above it all hovers a bagel, which here symbolizes humanity's collective experiences, dreams, hopes - everything that forms both our own and the world's history.
Swollen.