"202"

Now as before, all the noise and hype around these major commercial titles can distract us from a few smaller gems released in the past year. So below I’ve compiled a list of nine outstanding “under the radar” films from ‘22, including three narrative features from overseas, and three documentaries. If you’re just hearing about some of them now, then I’m doing my job. Here’s to lots more great movies — big and small — in ’23.

I love Steve McQueen, and I know I'm not alone. For me, it’s impossible to separate the "King of Cool" from his passion for anything with wheels, excepting wheelchairs and tricycles. 1968's "Bullitt" showed us what he could do in a souped-up Mustang. And five years prior, he displayed his motorcycle-riding prowess in the classic get-out-of-prison war film, "The Great Escape.”

I was captivated by last year’s smash hit “Frozen,” not only for its stunning animation and catchy songs, but for its story, which featured female characters in primary, heroic roles. It is a story about women, in fact… the men are almost incidental.