2019 is coming to a close, finally. Looking back on the year, it sucked personally. I’m glad it’s winding down and hoping that hindsight is 2020. At least I got to go to the movies. Truth be told it’s what kept me together-and it did it more then it should. The idea of going to Daniel Craig’s final Bond film (No Time to Die), in 2020, more exciting to me than Christmas morning, and it’s what is giving me that extra something to keep going.
In visiting the cinema during the year, I was excited to see a wide range of films. There were some incredible foreign flicks (Parasite, The Wondering Earth) released this year along with some truly original blockbusters (Rocketman, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and some really special indy films (The Last Black Man In San Francisco, The Peanut Butter Falcon). The summer saw it’s normal sequelthon and I continued to waste my time at Disney remakes like Dumbo and The Lion King. At least Pixar held up to its usual high standard with the incredible release of Toy Story 4. With three releases this year I’m worn out of Marvel flicks (Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, and Spiderman: Far From Home), but still really enjoyed the different perspective and how dark the DC release Joker turned out to be. I always enjoy seeing some great films on the big screen for the first time. This year some of those classic titles include The Maltese Falcon, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Kiki’s Delivery Service. Plus getting to see The Polar Express and The Matrix on the big screen again where both treats.
Here’s to the 2019 movies and those to follow in the upcoming twelve months!
Before you get to the list I have a personal note: I take a lot of time, pride, and effort when making this list. Over the past few years many have torn my list apart with much criticism and frankly I find it offensive. I don’t do it to you and am tired of it happening to me. That’s why I haven’t blogged as much this year, though I miss it dearly.
With that said here are my ten favorite movies from the year that is 2019:
10. Doctor Sleep
There was no film I was more two sided about this year than the sequel to Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. On the positive side of the coin was how much I enjoyed the novel, Ewan McGregor in the lead, and the fact that a sequel that a sequel to The Shining was coming to the big screen. On the hesitant side of the coin was my love for The Shining, a brilliant movie that is turning forty in 2020, and the fact that it was two and a half hours. Luckily the positive side of the coin prevailed. The movie played nicely as a sequel to the movie and as an adaptation of the book. It was everything I wanted: suspense with some great scares, an intriguing story (with out a good story there’s no point in watching a movie), and some incredible performances.
9. The Last Black Man in San Francisco
The Last Black Man in San Francisco is truly one of the most original and ambitious movies of 2019. There’s a lot going on in this movie and is one that must be talked about at length. I like that in a movie. There’s a powerful message behind the film and how it comes across is subtle. I hate when films slap its message across my face and am glad this one didn’t do that.
I must admit I didn’t fully understand it when I walked out of the theater and after multiple viewings on DVD more sticks out to me. This one will stick with me for years to come.
8. The Best of Enemies
I am a sucker for stand up and cheer moments in movies and the ending to The Best of Enemies had the best stand up and cheer ending of 2019 The film portrayed an important and uncomfortable piece of local history. The movie is set in Durham NC and I love seeing stories from my home state on the big screen. That fascinated me. Sam Rockwell, who is one of the greatest actors out there right now, and Taraji P. Henson both gave great performances in the film. If a movie can make me uncomfortable and stand up & cheer with it, while teaching me a something, then that’s two hours well spent.
7. Rocketman
This movie is why I love going to the theater to see movies. It was an awesome blend of music, story, and fantasy that the audience got into. Everybody their loved the music, the subject matter, and let it be known, during the movie, that they were having one hell of a good time watching it. It was a visual and audio experience that was just that, an experience. I was a fan Taron Egerton going into the movie and came out just loving his performance as Elton John. Fun fact Elton John co-starred with Taron Egerton in the Kingsmen sequel. If this film doesn’t win the Academy Award for best costume design the Motion Picture Academy is doing their job wrong, it’s easily the best costumed film I’ve seen in a few years. Considering the source material it should be.
6. Richard Jewell
Let me get this out of the way first: the movie is not on this list because it’s directed by my favorite filmmaker Clint Eastwood. However that fact doesn’t hurt. I got caught up in the slow burn of the story immediately. I knew how the movie was going to end and was still on pins and needles during key events. The supporting cast, Sam Rockwell, Jon Hamm, Kathy Bates, & Olivia Wilde were all fantastic in their respective performances. However Paul Walter Hauser (I Tonya, Blackkklansman) was incredible in the title role. I love that Clint Eastwood cast a lesser known actor in what will be a career making performance.
5. Toy Story 4
There is no love/hate relationship between me and Pixar, it’s all love. Toy Story 4 continues that tradition. Its predecessor, Toy Story 3, still remains the best of the franchise but it set an incredibly high bar. When your coming off a near perfect movie coming close to besting it is an accomplishment unto itself. Toy Story 4 took me on a beautiful journey that’s about friendship and standing up for the those who can’t stand up for themselves. Along the way the journey made me laugh, cheer, and put a lump in my throat. Any film that can do all that in 100 minutes is a film worthy of being on this list.
4. JoJo Rabbit
What can I say about JoJo Rabbit? This is one that is very difficult to write about without spoiling the events of the film. Let me start by saying I did not laugh harder at any other movie I saw this year then I did while attending this one. All the jokes were well paced and hilarious. The film balanced its comedy very nicely with very tender moments of sweetness. One of the things I hate the most is when a movie slaps its point across my face. I find it insulting to my intelligence as a human being and a movie goer. I appreciated that JoJo Rabbit makes its point about the horrors of war subtly and in a very entertaining way.
3. The Peanut Butter Falcon
You can easily draw a line between the plot of Huck Finn and that in The Peanut Butter Falcon. Both are great adventure stories, for fans of all ages. I was impressed throughly with Shia LaBeouf’s performance. Though I’ve enjoyed some films he’s been in (Lawless, Fury) this is the first time I’ve been wowed by his acting talent. He’s easily outshined by Zack Gottsagen, the real star of the movie. I am in absolute love with the casting director for actually casting an individual with down syndrome in the role. He is the heart and sole of this movie and is a pleasure to watch perform. His eagerness to have fun, in the film, is contagious and jumps off the screen. Do yourself a favor and see this charming movie, you will not regret it!
2. Parasite
The trailers, for this incredible film out of South Korea, made it look like a horror flick. Parasite is pretty far from being a horror flick. At the heart of the film is a story about the different society classes of South Korea. This film could have just as easily been set in any country around the world, not just South Korea, and still been as meaningful. This movie took me out of my comfort zone while rooting for all the various characters. I love how it blurs the the black and white of the good and the bad into a line of grey. That makes for a complex movie that warrants much discussion. Honestly of the films I saw this year this is the one I want to show to people, so I can have the discussions about it face to face.
In terms of foreign films, it’s not only the best I saw of 2019, but one of the best I have ever seen.
1. Once Upon A Time in Hollywood
When I first heard that Tarantino was doing a film featuring Charles Manson I got really excited. I admit once I heard the full premise of this movie I got a little disappointed that the movie didn’t focus on Manson. The trailers turned that disappointment into excitement and what a ride this movie was! Normally I’m skeptical of films that are almost three hours long but that didn’t bother me with this one. I loved all the characters, both fiction and non fiction. I thought they blended together nicely. I’ve always thought Tarantino’s strongest point as a filmmaker was his writing. He crafted some great one liners, a unique story, and one ending that will stuck out among the many films I saw this year.
THE BEST OF THE REST:
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY: VICE
Every year I publish this list between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. I tend to miss a movie that’s released wide after the new year or something I haven’t seen that is out during that week. I always like to acknowledge that there’s some really special films that don’t make the list. I call this The One That Got Away.
This years one that got away is Vice. Christian Bale leads an incredible ensemble about former vice president Dick Cheney. Amy Adams and Sam Rockwell are at the top of their game in this movie. I loved how the story was crafted. It showed the rise to power of the former Vice President from an intriguing source. Needless to say I am a big fan of this movie.
BEST MALE PERFORMANCE (supporting or lead): Zach Gottsagen The Peanut Butter Falcon
BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE (supporting or lead): Renee Zwelleger Judy
SCREENPLAY (original): Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
SCREENPLAY (adapted): JoJo Rabbit
THE TOP OF THE DECADE:
The end of the year is a special one. It concludes the decade. Below are some of my favorites from the past decade.
A quartet from 2012 Argo, The Master, Skyfall, and Zero Dark Thirty top the list. Hell or High Water, Inside Llewyn Davis, and Spotlight all follow very, very closely. Others that I loved include but not limited to Beginners, Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance, Foxcatcher, Margin Call, Moonlight, Spectre, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, and Trumbo.
With all that said, meet me at the movies. I’ll be the one gulping down the oversized soda.
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