Barbenheimer - 9.7./10

Jadd J.A.D.D. Jadd

In 2023, cinema was saved by Barbenheimer. Not to say there wasn't anything else good that year. There was Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Killers of the Flower Moon, Rustin, The Iron Claw, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Anatomy of a Fall and more. It was a crammed year with dates crashing together.

One was a biopic about the man who created the nuclear bomb. The responsibility humanity has for such dangerous and alarming weapons, we continue to mistreat that power, especially in the hands of the worst people imaginable.

The other was based on the global toy from Mattel about an existential crisis about a woman's worth amd findy their idenity in the world and how beautiful and strong they are and how we should appreciate and respect them.

Both movies are astonishing in their technical filmmaking; I cannot express how visually pleasing they are. Both are smartly written and thought-provoking while being flawlessly directed by two tour de force directors, Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan. Who bring not only their style of filmmaking and story that make them great filmmakers. Greta Gerwig uses different techniques for each movie she does. She approaches filmmaking colours and pulp while using grounded and earthly tones. But her storytelling lies within telling inmate stories and characters from everyone's perspective, particularly women's point of view.

Christopher Nolan creates and pushes the envelope of what filmmaking can achieve, inventing new techniques and telling vast stories that are ambitious. His approach to filmmaking is gritty and grounded, but doesn't suck all the colour without being edgy. And ask the questions about the psychological human conditions and the theological and philosophical layers of the universe.

The cast of actors that these great filmmakers assemble is insane. Getting the best of the best actors, Oscar-calibre/character actors and getting them to go above and beyond to deliver rich and powerhouse performances.

And that's the reason why Barbenheimer is important and why there should be more events like it. I'm hoping Dunesday will be this year's next event because we need it.