Hamnet

What an absolute masterpiece from Chloé Zhao! To gush about her before getting into the rest of this beautiful film is all too easy. Yes, she’s easily one of the current best in moving a camera, but she may be better than any working director at knowing when to set a frame with her lens and let the actors move inside of it without bouncing the camera 50 times through a scene which lets the plot and dialogue breathe as if it’s a painting to be observed by all. Her dialogue is simple yet astounding and never once over explains a plot detail, trusting the audience has a Brain that can fill in unseen gaps which other directors need to take note of! Jessie Buckley moves across the screen with a subtle grace and complexity that breaks your heart when she lets that wave of emotion burst through. Paul Mescal shows he’s easily one of the best young actors we have, he’s genuinely a genius, making every line of written word come alive and impact audiences deeply. The simplicity of the settings and practical locations made Lukasz Zal’s cinematography natural yet eye pleasing. And that damn score… Max Richter broke everyone’s heart in that final scene which may also be the best looking shot I’ve seen in film, definitely of this year. Masterpiece movie.