Even with the global pandemic changing so many aspects of our life this year, some things never change, key among them being top 10 lists. One of our favorite publications to watch this time of year is Cahiers du Cinéma, as their list of Best Films is always worth paying attention to in order to see what European critics look for in a film. Because this is a French publication, some of the titles in the list were released last year in the U.S. as they were released in Europe this year — like “Uncut Gems” which is on number 3.
READ MORE: The Best Films Of 2020… So Far
Topping the list is Frederick Wiseman‘s 4-hour documentary “City Hall,” which dives deep into the local government in Boston and how the city is run. Our reviewer found the film to be inspiring, especially when viewed through the prism of the pandemic, “what Wiseman’s film boils down to, in many ways, is a much-needed dose of competency porn – a snapshot of government officials trying their very best to do better, and to be better.”
A slightly surprising, but still deserved recognition goes to the prolific Korean director Hong Sang-soo, who gets not one but two entries in the list, “The Woman Who Ran,” at number 2, and “Hotel by the River” in sixth place. The two films have received international praise, including from our reviewer who wrote that “The Woman Who Ran” examines the textures of female relationships “what independence might look and feel like for women entering a new, more mature stage of life—and how a short trip out of one’s comfort zone might generate bounties of food for thought.”
Here’s Cahiers du Cinéma’s full top 10 films of 2020:
City Hall (Frederick Wiseman)
The Woman Who Ran (Hong Sang-soo)
Uncut Gems (Ben Safdie and Joshua Safdie)
Malmkrog (Cristi Puiu)
The Things We Say, the Things We Do (Emmanuel Mouret)
Hotel by the River (Hong Sang-soo)
Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains (Gu Xiaogang)
The Salt of Tears (Philippe Garrel)
Enormous (Sophie Letourneur)
The August Virgin (Jonás Trueba)