Continuing my recognition of the best performances of from 2023 movie year (you can see my Supporting Actress picks HERE), today we’re putting the Supporting Actors in the spotlight. Much like yesterday, this was an extremely tough category full of great choices from a variety of different movies. Narrowing them down to five wasn’t easy. So let’s get started…

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Dar Salim (“Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant”), Liam Cunningham (“The Last Voyage of the Demeter”), Matt Damon (“Oppenheimer”), Josh Hartnett (“Oppenheimer”), Peter Sarsgaard (“Memory”), Sterling K. Brown (“American Fiction”), John Magaro (“Past Lives”), Jacob Elordi (“Priscilla”), Willem Dafoe (“Poor Things”), Ben Affleck (“Air”), Jon Bernthal (“Origin”), Jonathan Majors (“Creed III”)

#5 – Holt McCallany (“The Iron Claw”)

I love seeing the name Holt McCallany attached to a movie. He has the tendency to make everything he’s in better. It’s certainly no different with “The Iron Claw”. His unsettling portrayal of the complex patriarch of the Von Erich wrestling family is an essential and pivotal piece of the story. To no surprise McCallany nails it, bringing a surprising humanity to an otherwise toxic role.

#4 – Colman Domingo (“The Color Purple”)

Lots of awards prognosticators are mentioning Colman Domingo for “Rustin”. For my money, his best performance came in “The Color Purple”. It’s a mean and nasty turn, but one that conveys everything we need to know in vividly uncomfortable detail. The second half of the film doesn’t do him any favors, but Domingo remains a powerful presence throughout the story.

#3 – Donnie Yen (“John Wick: Chapter 4”)

I knew the great Donnie Yen was going to make this list from my very first viewing of “John Wick: Chapter 4”. His performance as a blind yet lethal assassin is action-packed and often funny, yet weary and soulful. He has a great rapport with star Keanu Reeves and everything he does clicks from his character-building to his kinetic fight sequences.

#2 – Robert De Niro (“Killers of the Flower Moon”)

After so many incredible collaborations it goes without saying that Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese go together like peanut butter and jelly. “Killers of the Flower Moon” offers further proof. De Niro delivers yet another career highlight with a performance so subtly venomous yet deviously persuasive. This is a brilliant turn from the veteran actor.

#1 – Robert Downey Jr. (“Oppenheimer”)

What a career it has been for the resilient and immensely talented Robert Downey Jr. That already great career reaches new heights with his amazing performance in “Oppenheimer”. It helps to be working within the best script of the year, but Downey Jr. takes his character even further, relaying the political complexities of Lewis Strauss with such clarity and precision. Hopefully that long overdue Oscar will finally be his.

That wraps up the supporting performances. What did I get right or wrong? Stay tuned for the lead performances coming soon.

And just like that another movie year has come and gone. I recently shared my Top 10 movies of 2023 (check it out HERE). That’s always a fun list to put together, but I also enjoy showing some love to the year’s very best performances. Over the next few days I’ll be sharing my favorites for each of the four major acting categories. So as I normally do, let’s kick it off with the absolutely jam-packed Supporting Actress category.

Honorable Mentions:

Penélope Cruz (“Ferrari”), Danielle Brooks (“The Color Purple”), Juliette Binoche (“The Taste of Things”), Vanessa Kirby (“Napoleon”), Julianne Moore (“May December”), Tilda Swinton (“The Killer”), Katrina Kaif (“Tiger 3”), Carrie Coon (“Boston Strangler”)

#5 – Haley Atwell (“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”)

In year packed with great supporting performances, it’s a shame that Haley Atwell seems to have been lost in the crowd. She’s a fun, feisty, and energetic addition to the action-packed Mission: Impossible franchise and was able to match star Tom Cruise scene for scene. I can’t wait to see what she brings to the upcoming Part Two.

#4 – Emily Blunt (“Oppenheimer”)

In a film absolutely loaded with great performances, one of the standouts was Emily Blunt as Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer. It’s a complex role that sometimes requires her to be brittle while at other times calling on her to be strong as iron. Blunt manages it wonderfully, mixing delicacy with pure blunt force (no pun intended). She’s great.

#3 – Sandra Hüller (“The Zone of Interest”)

One of the coldest performances of the year came from the great Sandra Hüller in Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest”. She plays the wife of a Nazi commander put in charge of Auschwitz during World War II. We watch as she spends her days in total indifference in and around her cozy villa just outside of the notorious death camp. It’s a bone-chilling turn from an actress who has had a great year.

#2 – Rachel McAdams (“Are You There God? It’s me, Margaret”)

I’m so happy to see that people haven’t forgotten about Rachel McAdams when putting together their lists. She is the heart and soul of a movie that turned out to be one of the year’s biggest surprises. McAdams never disappoints, but here she plays a woman quietly navigating her own pain to be the best mother she can be. It’s a beautifully authentic and heartfelt performance.

#1 – Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“The Holdovers”)

Now heres a performance that grabbed me from the very first moment the actress appeared on screen. Da’Vine Joy Randolph is such a crucial presence in Alexander Payne’s outstanding dramedy “The Holdovers”. She has great comic timing and brings an emotional heft to her character. Even more, she’s instrumental in several legitimate ‘Scene of the Year’ contenders. Go ahead and give her the Oscar.

And that wraps up Supporting Actress. What are you thoughts on my picks? What would make your list? Let me know in the comments section below. Keep watching as I take on Supporting Actor next.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has brought to home video the striking new Western “Butcher’s Crossing”. The 2023 movie year was one full of surprises. Among them was this gritty and slow-burning thriller from director Gabe Polsky in his narrative feature film debut. The movie is anchored by a fascinating Nicolas Cage lead performance and features gorgeous cinematography and a throughly compelling story with an edge. Read my full review of the film HERE.

This Blu-ray edition of “Butcher’s Crossing” is out now and available to own. See below for a full synopsis and release information.

About the Film:

Year: 2023

Runtime: 107 Minutes

Director: Gabe Polsky

Screenwriter: Gabe Polsky & Liam Satre Meloy

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Fred Hechinger, Xander Berkeley, Rachel Keller, Jeremy Bobb, Paul Raci

Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage (1996, Best Actor, “Leaving Las Vegas”) stars in a gritty story about buffalo hunters in the Old West. Will Andrews (Fred Hechinger) has left Harvard to find adventure. He teams up with Miller (Cage), a mysterious frontiersman offering an unprecedented number of buffalo pelts in a secluded valley. Their crew must survive an arduous journey where the harsh elements will test everyone’s resolve, leaving their sanity on a knife’s edge.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is bringing Alexander Payne’s extraordinary “The Holdovers” to home video in a terrific collector’s edition combo-pack. Sparked by two of the best performances of the year from Paul Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph, this funny yet heartfelt dramedy has deservedly received widespread acclaim and should remain a major player throughout awards season.

This Blu-ray collector’s edition of “The Holdovers”, including the film on standard DVD and Digital, released on January 2nd. See below for a full synopsis and release information.

About the Film:

Year: 2023

Runtime: 133 Minutes

Director: Alexander Payne

Screenwriter: David Hemingson

Cast: Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa, Carrie Preston, Brady Hepner, Ian Dolley, Jim Kaplan, Michael Provost, Andrew Garman, Naheem Garcia, Stephen Thorne

Certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a score of 96% and nominated for 8 Critics Choice Awards including Best Picture, “The Holdovers” delivers an expert balance of comedy and warmth.

From acclaimed director Alexander Payne, “The Holdovers” follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually, he forms an unlikely bond with one of them — a damaged, brainy troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa) — and with the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam (Da’Vine Joy Randolph).

Special Features:

• Alternate Ending – “Mary Continues On” 
• Deleted Scenes
  • Introduction by Alexander Payne
  • New Room
  • Making a Scene
  • The Road Back to Barton
  • Ancient History
• The Cast of THE HOLDOVERS – Sit down with the cast of THE HOLDOVERS, including Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and newcomer Dominic Sessa, while they discuss getting into the minds of their characters. Meet the boys of Barton and learn more about director Alexander Payne’s casting process.
• Working with Alexander – Hear the cast and crew about their on-set experience working with acclaimed director Alexander Payne.

And just like that 2023 is done and what a wild year it has been for movies. As usual it was a year with its share of surprises and more than a few disappointments. Some movies made big splashes at the box office; some movies deservedly bombed; other highly anticipated movies were pushed to next year. One thing is for sure, 2023 gave us plenty to enjoy.

So here we are in late December, the time where we critics take on that annual tradition of picking the ten best movies from the past year. While some (understandably) argue that such lists are pointless and silly, what can I say? I love reading them and putting mine together. With that said, it’s time to get to it. Without further delay, here are my Top 10 Films of 2023.

As always let me start by showing some love to my #11-20….

• #20 – “The Boy and the Heron”
• #19 – “Revoir Paris”
• #18 – “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
• #17 – “May December”
• #16 – “Society of the Snow”
• #15 – “The Promised Land”
• #14 – “The Boys in the Boat”
• #13 – “The Holdovers”
• #12 – “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”
• #11 – “Fallen Leaves”

The Top 10 Films of 2023

#10 “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” – File this one as the movie on my list that deserved way more attention than it received. “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” didn’t get a warm reception upon its release. That’s a shame. It remains my favorite horror movie of 2023. Stylishly mixing old-school supernatural chills with extraordinary practical effects, “Demeter” takes a lone chapter from Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” and turns it into a harrowing horror movie on the high seas. It all festers into a tense, moody, and gruesome delight from Norwegian director André Øvredal. [REVIEW]

#9 “Ferrari” – Among the more exciting announcements in 2023 was Michael Mann’s return to the director’s chair. “Ferrari” is a movie Mann has been trying to make for over two decades and his passion for the project penetrates every frame. The film follows three tumultuous months in the life of Enzo Ferrari, the founder of the luxury sports car manufacturer that bears his name. Adam Driver is as sturdy as ever while Penélope Cruz is outstanding playing his wife Laura. Mann caps it off with the racing of the Mille Miglia in what is one of the most breathtaking final acts of the year. [REVIEW]

#8 “Godzilla Minus One” – If you had asked me at the beginning of the year I wouldn’t have predicted that a Godzilla movie would be on my Top 10 list. At the time I didn’t even know one was set to be released. But Takashi Yamasaki’s “Godzilla Minus One” ended up being one of the biggest surprises of 2023. This engaging mixture of exhilarating spectacle and heartfelt humanity offers up a crash course on how to make a great blockbuster. The kaiju action is immensely satisfying. But it’s the story’s deeply ingrained human element that makes it stand out. [REVIEW]

#7 “Past Lives” – Writer-director Celine Song blessed us with the very best feature film debut of 2023. Her endearing and poignant drama “Past Lives” received widespread praise after premiering at Sundance. Since then that praise has (rightfully) only grown. “Past Lives” tells a sophisticated and bittersweet story that’s subtly romantic and thematically rich. It’s driven by a sublime Greta Lee who delivers one of the most evocative performances of 2023. Warmly written and beautifully shot, “Past Lives” marks the emergence of a new and truly exciting cinematic voice. [REVIEW]

#6 “John Wick: Chapter 4” – It’s the time of year where many of us start setting guidelines for our ‘Best of the Year’ lists and begin narrowing down what constitutes a “worthy” movie. Take a film like “John Wick Chapter 4”. Fellow critics have rightly sang its praises. But is it an awards caliber movie? Allow me to answer with an emphatic YES! JW4 is far and away the best action movie of the year, with its incredible blend of vision, style, and craftsmanship. The action sequences are mind-blowing and the intensely committed and inherently likable Keanu Reeves is icing on the cake. [REVIEW]

#5 “The Iron Claw” – You don’t have to be a fan of professional wrestling to love Sean Durkin’s brilliant “The Iron Claw”. This wrenching drama tells the true story of the legendary Von Erichs, a family whose in-ring achievements were only outshined by their personal tragedies. Durkin approaches the story with honesty and empathy through one of the year’s best screenplays. The film also features some terrific performances led by a career best turn from Zac Efron. Fans will love the numerous name drops and cool callbacks. Yet it’s the deeply affecting human drama that sets the movie apart. [REVIEW]

#4 “The Killer” – “The Killer” gives us two long awaited returns – that of David Fincher and Michael Fassbender. Directed by Fincher and written by Andrew Kevin Walker, this lean, smart, and stylish action-thriller proves to be the perfect vehicle for Fassbender’s ice-cold charisma and steely magnetism. Fincher’s steady screw-tightening builds some great tension within the film’s effectively deliberate and deceptively layered frame. “The Killer” is a first-rate pulpy neo-noir that seems to get better with each viewing. And I already have a hankering for the next Fincher-Fassbender collaboration. [REVIEW]

#3 “The Zone of Interest” – Movies rarely leave me speechless. “The Zone of Interest” certainly did. This is no ordinary historical drama nor is it like any Holocaust movie you’ve seen before. Writer-director Jonathan Glazer has made a daringly precise and artfully calculated feature that puts what Hannah Arendt called “the banality of evil” on shocking display. This is a quietly chilling work that doesn’t need gruesome imagery to make you uncomfortable. Explorations like this are never “fun”. But Glazer has delivered a vital movie that is a landmark achievement both in filmmaking and as a historical reflection. [REVIEW]

#2 “Killers of the Flower Moon” – “Killers of the Flower Moon” seems like a movie only Martin Scorsese could make. From its scope to its craft to its style of storytelling, everything about it feels like a Scorsese picture. And it’s not recency bias to say it’s one of the acclaimed director’s very best films. I’ve seen “Killers of the Flower Moon” three times – all three hours and 26 minutes of it. Each time I found myself absorbed in nearly every facet of the film – the performances from the top stars to the terrific supporting cast, the incredible production design, the sweeping epic feel, the unshakable honesty of the story, the moody magnetic score. It’s a masterwork. [REVIEW]

#1 “Oppenheimer” – The sheer achievement that is “Oppenheimer” cannot be overstated. From a simple box office perspective it was the biggest surprise of the year. A three hour biography of a theoretical physicist isn’t the kind of movie you would expect to make nearly $1 billion. But such is the Christopher Nolan effect. From the brilliance of his screenplay to the stunning execution of his direction, Nolan has a made a film that defies expectations. It’s an utterly mesmerizing piece featuring the best ensemble cast of the year, a haunting score, and phenomenal cinematography. It’s extraordinary filmmaking and storytelling making this yet another career defining accomplishment from one of the best in the business. [REVIEW]

And those are my picks for the best movies of 2023. What did you think of my list? What would make yours? Let me know in the comments section below. Till next year….

The first cut of Zack Snyder’s “Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire” has released and Netflix has dropped a series of cool character posters to go along with it. To absolutely no surprise the film has been met with scalding reviews from many critics. Yet equally predictable is the film’s enormous success as it quickly became the #1 movie on Netflix worldwide.

This first installment in Snyder’s sprawling space opera introduces us to a fascinating original world full of interesting characters, jaw-dropping locations, and of course stylish action. It’s a fun two hours but it does more to entice than fulfill, ramping up the anticipation for the already announced extended cut. You can read my full review of “Rebel Moon – Part One” HERE.

Check out the new “Rebel Moon” character posters below…