Joanna Hoggis a minimalist, meditative director with an interest in character study and realistic drama. She’s made several fantastic films, likeArchipelagofeaturing a youngTom Hiddleston,The Eternal DaughterwithTilda Swinton, and her magnum opus, the two-partThe SouvenirstarringHonor Swinton ByrneandTom Burke. Hogg’s style owes much to the old masters, likeEric RohmerandYasujirō Ozu.
In interviews and top ten lists,Hogg has praised a number of films, most of which center on the same intimate storytelling and interpersonal dynamics that define her work. There are plenty of gems among her recommendations, fromNicolas Roeg’sBad TimingtoKenneth Lonergan’sMargaret. Fans of Hogg’s movies are likely to appreciate them as well.
10’All That Jazz' (1979)
Director: Bob Fosse
The legendaryBob Fossedirected this musical drama, drawing on his own experiences as a choreographer and director on Broadway and Hollywood.Roy Scheiderplays Joe Gideon, a driven but self-destructive theater director. He attempts to juggle the demands of show business, his relationships, and his own deteriorating physical and emotional well-being.
With its dazzling dance sequences, musical numbers, and araw, unflinching look at the cost of artistic brilliance,All That Jazzmakes for a powerful statement. “I think it’s an extraordinary film,“Hogg said. “It’s so complex and got so many layers, but can also be seen as this musical, so it’s very satisfying in a lot of different ways.”
Watch on Tubi
9’An Angel at My Table' (1990)
Director: Jane Campion
An Angel at My Tableis a biographical drama about New Zealand authorJanet Frame(Kerry Fox), who defied a troubled childhood to become a successful writer. The narrative unfolds through three distinct phases: her austere upbringing, her institutionalization in a psychiatric hospital, and her eventual triumph as a literary sensation. At times brutal,An Angel at My Tableremains an ultimately uplifting and powerful viewing experience.
Directed bytwo-time Oscar winnerJane Campion, whose direction is sensitive and striking as always,An Angel at My Tableboasts rich landscape cinematography and a quietly devastating performance from Fox. The film placed Campion firmly on the map, opening the door for her 1993 masterpiece,The Piano.Hogg includedAn Angel at My Tableon her Sight & Sound list ofthe ten best movies of all time.
Watch on Criterion
8’Margaret' (2011)
Director: Kenneth Lonergan
This emotionally charged drama revolves around Lisa Cohen (Anna Paquin), a smart and assertive young woman living in New York City. The narrative is set in motion when Lisa inadvertently plays a role in a tragic bus accident, which leaves her grappling with guilt. She becomes entangled in the ensuing legal battle and must undergo a moral reckoning. Paquin is joined in the sprawling cast by heavy hitters likeJ. Smith Cameron,Matt Damon,Mark Ruffalo, andJean Reno.
A true epic—the extended cut clocks in at over three hours long—Margarethad a notoriously fraught post-production process. Despite filming in 2005, it didn’t come out until 2011, its release delayed by multiple lawsuits. Nevertheless, when it finally premiered,Margaretwas acclaimed as a multilayered drama and a snapshot of post-9/11 New York. It was another movie that madeHogg’s all-time top ten.
Rent on Amazon
7’The Red Shoes' (1948)
Directors: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
This gem from British duoPowell and Pressburgertells the story of a young ballet dancer, Victoria Page (Moira Shearer), who joins a prestigious ballet company run by the tyrannical impresario Boris Lermontov (Anton Walbrook). As Victoria’s talent blossoms, she is torn between her dedication to her art and her love for a young composer, Julian Craster (Marius Goring).
The Red Shoesstands outwith its gorgeous cinematography, elaborate sets, and stellar climactic dance sequence. It’s the work of maestros at the height of their powers, cementing itself as an auteurial classic and catnip for cinephiles. “I think I probably saw it when I was about 12, and I was already a lover of fairy tales, andThe Red Shoesdefinitely sparked my imagination,“Hogg said.
The Red Shoes
6’The Rules of the Game' (1939)
Director: Jean Renoir
The Rules of the Gameis a classic of French cinema, a comedy of manners set in a luxurious château on the eve of World War II. There, the upper-class inhabitants mistreat their servants, andthe film uses its humor to skew the hypocrisy of the elites. Witty writing and solid performances are at a premium here: they still feel fresh all these decades later.
Complex, contradictory, and unfolding on multiple levels at once,The Rules of the Gamedefies easy categorization. Like many of cinema’s all-time greatest efforts,The Rules of the Gamewas underappreciated upon its original release; however, time has been kind to it. Lost for some years but restored in 1959, the movie remains highly respected and has influenced everyone fromMartin ScorsesetoNoah Baumbach. It was another film that Hogg named amongthe ten greatest ever made.
5’The Band Wagon' (1953)
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Fred Astaireleads this musical as Tony Hunter, a once-famous movie star struggling with his career. Hoping for a comeback, he agrees to star in a Broadway musical based on theFaustlegend. However, the production faces numerous challenges, including creative differences, personal conflicts, and the pressure to revitalize Tony’s career. With the help of a talented but temperamental prima ballerina, Gabrielle Gerard (Cyd Charisse), he strives to put on a once-in-a-lifetime show.
“The Band Wagon[…] was very inspirational, particularly when I got to make my graduation film at film school,“Hogg explains. “It was something about the ‘Girl Hunt Ballet’ being a film within a film and being done in such a stylized way.“The Band Wagonremains highly regarded as one ofFred Astaire’s best moviesand a turning point in musical cinema, influencing not only Hogg but numerous other artists, includingMichael Jackson, who paid tribute to the film in his iconic “Smooth Criminal” video.
4’Journey to Italy' (1954)
Director: Roberto Rossellini
Journey to Italyis widely consideredItalian legendRoberto Rossellini’sdefining filmanda seminal work in the Italian neorealism movement. It centers on Katherine (Ingrid Bergman) and Alex Joyce (George Sanders), a married couple in a troubled relationship. When they travel to Naples to settle the estate of a deceased relative, they embark on a journey that forces them to confront their issues.
The movie unfolds at a languid pace: most of the time, nothing much happens at all. Rather than plot, the focus here is on atmosphere and authentic characters.Journey to Italy’spoetic storytelling was a major influence on the French New Wave. Hogg included it, too, amongher ten all-time favorites.
Director: Nicolas Roeg
Bad Timingis a psychological drama from one of the most influential auteurs of the 1970s. The story begins after a young woman, Liena Flaherty (Theresa Russell), has attempted suicide, and an investigator (Harvey Keitel) starts looking into the incident. Through flashbacks, he pieces together the turbulent love affair between Milena and psychiatrist Alex Linden (Art Garfunkel).
The story oscillates between past and present, uncovering disturbing and destructive desires.Bad TImingwas polarizing: some were wowed by its intensity, while others found it all to be in bad taste. Nevertheless,there’s no denying director Nicolas Roeg’s bold vision or the intricacy of his nonlinear storytelling. Hogg selected the film asone of her Criterion closet picks.
2’Radio On' (1979)
Director: Christopher Petit
Radio Onis a British road movie, shot in moody black-and-white and soundtracked by Kraftwerk,David Bowie, and various new wave bands. At the heart of the story is disenchanted DJ Robert (David Beames), who sets out on a journey from London to Bristol following the mysterious death of his brother, seeking answers. Along the way, he crosses paths with all kinds of eccentric characters.
“The first time I saw it, I was so struck by it. It was at a time when I was very interested in the north-east of England. Like Julie inThe Souvenir, I wanted to make a film set in this industrial part of the UK, and I wanted to shoot in black and white. I can’t remember whether I wanted to shoot my film in black and white because I’d just seenRadio Onor had already thought that. But I was really struck by the beautiful black-and-white cinematography of that film,“Hogg said.
1’Ticket of No Return' (1979)
Director: Ulrike Ottinger
Ticket of No Returnis an avant-garde German drama directed by filmmaker and photographerUlrike Ottinger. It focuses on an unnamed woman (Tabea Blumenschein) who drifts through the gritty and surreal cityscape of Berlin, encountering a colorful cast of characters. She is happy to drink with anybody and has no intention of returning to the place from which she came. Like most of Ottinger’s other work,the film is stylistically inventive. For example, it features a Greek chorus that comments on the action.
“[It’s] a story about a woman who’s an alcoholic,“Hogg said. “I think the themes of it interested me. Again, very stylized and very much into creating her own world, so I think that excited me: a filmmaker with a very individual approach and quite an intellectual approach as well.“Ticket of No Returnis a niche but worthwhile viewing experience, a film that’s as challenging as it’s rewarding and thought-provoking.
