The Best Films of 2018
Well, seeing as though everybody else has had their "best of the year"
list out since December, I guess I should get off my lazy behind, and
get one out also, shouldn't I? As always, I have a good excuse. As a
regular paying filmgoer, I choose to hold off on this list until I
can see as many of the year's films as I can. And since many of the big
end of the year films usually expand slowly (sometimes very slowly)
into wide release around January-February, I choose to wait. I did get
to see most of the major end of the year releases,
so I feel the time is ready to make the list.
As usual, I will be naming my favorite film of the year, followed by what I felt were the great films of 2018. The great films can be anything that truly grabbed my attention, so they can be dramas, comedies, kid's films, whatever. Then I'll be listing the "honorable mentions" (the runner ups), followed by my 10 favorite actor and actress performances of the year. Aside from Best Film, all of these choices will be listed in alphabetical order.
So, with that out of the way, let's get down to the important stuff - the movies.
THE BEST FILM OF 2018
LEAVE NO TRACE - Here is a movie that is quiet, assured, and the year's best film, in my eyes. It doesn't spell a lot of things out for the audience, and there are a lot of moments that rely simply on atmosphere and the actor's faces in order to get the point across. And yet, the movie is constantly absorbing, and as thrilling as any drama can be. This is one of those movies that you should go out of your way to see, and want to tell others to see as soon as possible. Writer-director Debra Granik has a talent for discovering new female acting talent. Her last film, 2010's Winter's Bone, was the film that launched Jennifer Lawrence's career. With this movie, she introduces us to Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie, a young actress from New Zealand, and one of the true breakout performances of the year. She plays Tom, a 13-year-old girl who lives in the forest along with her veteran father Will (Ben Foster, also powerful here). He has PTSD after his time fighting in the war, and cannot handle modern life anymore ever since the death of his wife when Tom was very young. And so the two have been living "off the grid", only going into town for Will's required medications and other necessities when needed. Leave No Trace ultimately becomes a story of how this close father and daughter relationship becomes divided when Tom experiences modern society for the first time, and learns to enjoy it. Will, however, becomes restless in a home environment. He wants to go back to where they were, but the question becomes if he has his daughter's best interests in mind. We can simply see the pain on the faces of these two as they feel they are being pulled apart, because they both want something different. The way that the movie expresses this is incredibly powerful, yet never overstated. As glimmers of hope begin to form for a better life for Tom, we also see how hard it is on her, because she has so much respect for her dad. She never exactly expresses this in dialogue, but we can see it in so many other ways. This is a wonderfully subtle movie that captures the emotion of love, loss and letting go with minimal storytelling. And by the time we get to the film's quiet but striking final scene, we are incredibly moved by the simple image we see. Leave No Trace manages to be a unique but accessible film that should speak to just about anyone who watches it.
THE GREAT FILMS OF 2018 (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER):
A QUIET PLACE - John Krasinski's A Quiet Place is a cinematic short story that wastes no time. It sets us into its world and introduces and allows us to sympathize with its main characters in a matter of minutes. It then uses atmosphere and economic story telling to wrap us into its plot in a way that few horror films have ever even attempted. Each scene seems designed to raise the stakes, either emotionally with the characters, or through the physical threat that is hunting them. This is as lean, tight, and as intense a thriller as you are likely to see. The film drops us into a mostly abandoned post-apocalyptic world. Through scattered newspapers that are lying about on the street, we see reports of some kind of possibly alien menace that are attracted to and hunt their victims by sound, and have apparently wiped out a majority of the world's population. We are then introduced to a family of survivors. Krasinski (who co-wrote the script, as well as directs and stars) plays the unnamed father who has devoted his life to keeping his family alive during and after the attack. His real-life wife, Emily Blunt, is the mother, and their three children are played by Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe and Cade Woodward. The family has survived this long because they speak to each other in sign language, with subtitles provided for the audience. Their eldest daughter is deaf (as is young Millicent Simmonds in real life), so we have a hunch that knowing sign language in advance has become a survival tool in a world where the slightest sound can attract the giant creatures who are usually hiding in the trees or bushes before they strike. A Quiet Place is an entirely visual film. There is almost no spoken dialogue, and just about any sound in the movie is used as an instant moment of tension. The movie also displays a brilliantly economical way of storytelling. Not a single shot is wasted here, and almost every moment is used to further the suspense or the characters. This is as much an emotional drama as it is a thriller, and it succeeds at both.
A STAR IS BORN - The latest take on A Star is Born (this is the fourth time Hollywood has made this movie, since the original in 1937) reminds us of a simple lesson in filmmaking - Sometimes it's not the story being told, but rather the way it's being told. This movie keeps most of the familiar story beats that has been with the tale since the beginning, as well as taking place in the world of music, just like the 1976 version starring Barbara Streisand. However, it's been updated enough, and shows that in his directorial debut, that Bradley Cooper can helm a film with a sure and steady hand. For such a rehashed property, it's amazing how nothing here feels unnecessary. Cooper not only directs, but also stars, and the chemistry that he shares with his co-star Lady Gaga (who is headlining a film for the first time here) is palpable, and stands for much of the film's success. There is a dramatic and romantic connection between the two leads that feels absolutely genuine. While the story is a melodrama at heart, the movie does not go out of its way to place its central lovers in contrived situations. Instead, it allows us to see these two characters fall in love with each other, and then they have to face each other's personal demons, which is the way it is for every couple. That's the beauty of the story, and why it is so loved by Hollywood. It's a simple story with relatable themes, and when done well (as it has been here), it can not only be incredibly moving, but also an automatic crowd pleaser. What makes this particular take on the story succeed is not just the believable romance between the two leads, but also how believably the film handles addiction. The movie never once over-dramatizes, or uses addiction for a cheap plot gimmick. We get to see the bleak realities of what it can do to a person, as well as to a relationship, in stark detail. Addiction has always been a key element to the story of A Star is Born since the first time it was told, but what Cooper does is give a hard-edged look at it. We never feel like the movie is going to cop out, or look for unrealistic answers, and the screenplay written by Cooper, Eric Roth and Will Fetters never once disappoints us. A Star is Born is certainly familiar, even if you haven't seen the earlier incarnations of it, but when the film contains these performances and this level of emotion, that tends to be the last thing on your mind.
BLACK PANTHER - This was the first great entertainment of 2018, and in my mind, is the best Marvel movie to come out in a while. Yes, the movie has all the action and stunts you would expect, but it really has so much more on its mind. It's a vibrant film, full of life, and with a large cast of characters who are all wonderfully developed and never once seem shortchanged or pushed to the background. It also has a wonderful setting that we haven't seen in the movies before. Not only that, it achieves what few superhero movies have been able to do, by giving us both a memorable hero and villain, and allows us to be engaged in their struggle. This is a movie that fires on all cylinders. It is these wonderful characters and their expertly written and developed relationships that make Black Panther one of the strongest entries in the expanding cinematic universe of Marvel Comics. Yes, the movie can be thrilling in its action, but it is just as thrilling because we really and truly care about everyone who inhabits the story. Nobody here is unimportant, and the movie would be lesser if one character was removed. There are no moments here that feel like padding or filler, and nothing feels out of place or unnecessary. This is a script that has clearly been thought out, and has been brought before the cameras by an expert team. The performances, the visuals, the cinematography, and even the music score all create a complete experience. Most importantly, the movie does not go flat in its final moments. The big "epic" battle sequence is grand, not chaotic. And the final standoff between the Black Panther and the main villain is built from much grander stakes than you would expect, and is appropriately thrilling instead of anticlimactic. This is probably the most ambitious project to come out of Marvel Studios. While it follows the basic template of a superhero story, it breaks the traditional mold in so many ways. It not only creates a great heroic character that we want to see in many sequels, but it gives him an entire world and a rich supporting cast that we want to see more of as well. A lot of superhero introduction films are content to just give us a memorable hero. Black Panther does so much more. It's intelligent, a hell of a lot of fun, brilliantly planned out, and just an all around superb entertainment.
THE FAVOURITE - Here is one of the better films of 2018's list of Oscar nominees. From its three leading lady performances, to the screenplay which perfectly balances tragedy with razor-sharp comedy. Olivia Colman has rightfully earned just about every award recognition in the book for her portrayal of Queen Anne, who ruled England during the 18th century, mostly from her bed. Stricken with gout, and surrounding herself with 17 rabbits to replace the 17 children that she has birthed and lost by this point, Colman finds both the tragedy and the humor in her portrayal, and it is something to witness. Not to be outdone in the acting category are Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone, both sensational as the two women scheming against one another to get the Queen's favor. The Favourite has divided many viewers, and I can see why. This is an extremely dark and vengeful story about these two women doing horrible things to one another in order to gain the Queen's trust. And yet, the movie never loses its sense of humor, nor does it go into such levels of viciousness that I was turned off. It is the performances of Colman, Weisz and Stone that completely carry the film. This is also not your conventional costume drama. Director Yorgos Lanthimos is not exactly known for being a conventional filmmaker, and while this is probably the closest he has ever come to doing a conventional movie that can be pigeonholed into a genre, he finds ways to throw in his trademark humor, and some other oddball choices. But beyond these original choices, he has also made an absolutely gorgeous film, one of the better looking ones I've seen recently. From the costume design by Sandy Powell, to the sets by Fiona Crombie, this is a movie that can grab your attention simply with its sumptuous design in just about every category. Fortunately, there's a great script, some amazing performances, and an overall high energy within the visual trappings. This is a movie that manages to be shocking, hilarious, sad, thoughtful and heartfelt at various times throughout. This is a movie that can go in multiple directions, but due to the steady direction and the incredible cast, I never felt lost. This is just a wonderfully structured film.
ISLE OF DOGS - Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs was hands down the boldest and most polarizing animated film of the year. Yes, the movie is a visual feast with its gorgeous and fluid stop motion art style. And like a lot of Anderson's films, the deadpan humor and wordplay is quite strong. But, the movie also has a lot on its mind, including a political undercurrent that will resonate with adult audiences. In fact, the movie seems to be tailored almost exclusively for adult audiences. Despite the cast of talking dogs, the film contains a lot of Anderson's trademark dark humor. It also has his trademark whimsy and light tone, which, combined with the stop motion animation, gives the film an unearthly and almost dream-like quality. Anderson and his team of co-writers have crafted a simple but emotional story that is filled with hard truths, honest sentiments, and an overall sense of wonder that we seldom get in movies. It's the kind of movie where the imaginative visuals and the world it's set in draw you in, and then you find yourself captivated by not just the look, but also the tone and the dialogue. This is a movie that sucks you in little by little, until you are completely under its spell. While the simple plot that celebrates the love between humans and canines makes up the main heart of the story, it is also used as a launching point for a variety of subplots which cover a wide range of themes, such as political corruption and using fear to rally voters, a minority rising up and standing against the establishment, and even a touch of satire on technology.. The movie never seems overly busy, despite its tackling of multiple themes, and its large cast of characters. Not only is Isle of Dogs visually captivating, but it is also enriching and rewarding. It's seldom that we get an animated feature with a love for dialogue, but perhaps it's not surprising here, since Anderson has always been a master at wordplay. This is a great little film, worthy of a repeat viewing not just to catch all the visual touches and gags that you missed, but to also appreciate the work that went into what these puppets and model figures are saying.
MIRAI - What a joy this movie is. Like the best animated family films, Mirai mixes truth and honesty with flights of fantasy that will appeal to both children and adults. This is a movie that is filled with wonder, but at the same time, it is achingly realistic as it looks at the agonies of both young childhood and parenthood. The movie is about the bond of family, and learning your place within it, but it mixes this with a playful sense of humor, a lot of visual wonder, and more emotion than any other animated release this year. Writer-director Mamoru Hosoda has created a film that mixes complex themes and ideas with family entertainment. This, combined with the film's richly detailed and very human character designs, is what makes the film so poignant. It's also a marvel to look at the film's largely hand-drawn backgrounds and settings. In an interview, Hosoda also talks about how hand-drawn art is becoming lost in most recent animated films. Mirai is a testament not just to his gifts as a storyteller, but also to the beauty of hand-drawn animation, and why it must survive. Mirai is a film that is all at once human and fantastic. The movie spends enough time in both the real world and the world of imagination of its young child hero that we are wrapped in by both sides of the story equally. Just as emotionally involving as the story are the images, which have been lovingly crafted by Hosoda and his team. There is not a single scene here that feels thrown together, or flat. Each scene has been painstakingly crafted, from the backyard where many of Kun's fantastic adventures and encounters begin, to a modern day train station that becomes a surreal and cold nightmare during the film's climax. The film's mix of human emotion, imagination and artistic beauty blends together to create that rare kind of family film that you truly want to treasure while you are watching it.
ROMA - Here is a film I did not review, as I try to review only films I see at the theater, and this is currently only found on Netflix. And yet, its dreamlike, nostalgic atmosphere and tremendous performances make it an unforgettable experience. Inspired by writer-director Alfonso Cuarón's reminiscences from childhood and dedicated to the real-life nanny, Liboria "Libo" Rodríguez, who helped to raise him, it is the simple story of a live-in maid and housekeeper named Cleo (first-time actress Yalitza Aparicio, giving an astonishing performance) and her relationship to the family she works for while living in the Roma neighborhood of Mexico City in 1970. The movie is made up of small story threads that weave together to create a beautiful narrative of family, love and loss as Cleo works her way through various joys and personal heartaches. This is Cuarón's most personal and intimate film, holding an almost improvised tone. It is a small movie of enormous power and emotion, and the luminous 65mm black-and-white photography only helps with the nostalgic and simple tone that the film is trying to create. This is a gem of a film, and it's a shame that it's not being played in many theaters outside of film festivals. This is a poetic film that is not soon to be forgotten after you watch it.
SEARCHING - This is not the first thriller to be built around the gimmick that the entire film takes place on line via cameras, texts and video chats. However, this is easily the best attempt at the stylized approach we have had. First-time feature director Aneesh Chaganty (a former employee of Google) has managed to use the limitations of filming solely on smartphones, browser windows and security cam footage, and has created not just an enthralling film, but one that is emotionally effective and has a ton of heart behind it. John Cho delivers a powerful leading performance as David Kim, a widower in California who grows concerned with his 15-year-old daughter Margot (Michelle La) does not come home or return his texts. The last time he heard from her was when she tried to contact him in the middle of the night, but he was sleeping and missed her calls. Now, there's total silence, and none of her friends have seen her at school or at her usual hang outs. As the mystery grows into a Missing Persons investigation, the tension and mystery grows. Searching occasionally leaves the computer screen to show us media reports as the search for the missing teen becomes major news. We also get to see the effect the case has on the viral community, as her classmates leave passionate and forced tribute videos, and haters and trolls start hounding David on line, accusing him of being responsible for his daughter's disappearance. All of this creates a surprisingly compelling narrative, despite the limited storytelling technique of mostly using video chats and texts to drive the action. We are involved in the characters, and in the mystery itself. This is just an extremely well thought out film, and one that pays off in just about every way.
SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER VERSE - In Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, we get the ultimate argument as to why the character should have been animated all along. With the freedom of movement we see in this film, not only can the titular hero do anything a spider can, but he does so with with a tone that is consistently inventive and alive. This movie sets itself apart from the handful of other comic book movies we get every year by being inventive in its visuals, storytelling, and truly using the art form to create images we have never seen, and could not be achieved in one of the live action Spidey movies. But it's not just on the surface that this movie works. Behind the adventure, comedy and movement, there is substance underneath. The movie asks what does it really mean to be Spider-Man? Can anyone do it? What does he mean to the people he protects? Like the best superhero films, this is not all flashy spectacle and funny quips. This can be a deeply moving film at times. It's also just a lot of fun. It has scenes of movement that I had never dreamed of before in the cinematic universe of the character. When I saw Spider-Man leaping, crawling, or diving off a roof, only to catch himself with his webbing, it's how I always imagined him moving in the comics. This is the rare blockbuster that actually gives its characters room to grow and be emotional. We also grow to care about the various Spider-people who inhabit the story, and their plights to return to their home dimensions. And when it is time for the big action sequences, they are some of the finest I have ever seen, even eclipsing some of the better live action efforts. Even the climatic battle (usually the weakest link of a superhero movie) manages to impress, and has an amazing amount of flow considering how chaotic it gets. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is truly something special. It can be enjoyed by just about anyone, even those with little knowledge of the characters, as the movie does a great job of setting up its complex, but fairly linear, plot. It has also become my favorite cinematic interpretation of the character and his universe. I hope the team behind this gets to do a lot more of these movies, but most of all, I hope it does well enough to inspire more like it, as there are plenty of other heroes who I would love to see get the animated big screen treatment. To me, it just makes more sense to hire a talented voice actor to play Batman, than to hire a big name like Ben Affleck, and hide him behind a lot of rubber and latex.
WON'T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR - If the current toxic political and social world that seems to thrive on cynicism and corruption has you feeling down, then Won't You Be My Neighbor, a documentary about kid's show host Fred Rogers, may be just the movie you need to see. It's impossible not to admire and be drawn into the story of how this ordained minister wanted to help children make sense of the world around them, so he created a low budget TV show that ran for nearly 2,000 episodes from 1968 to 2001 (he passed away at age 74 in 2003), and helped children cope with topics as diverse as losing a beloved pet, to the assassination of Bobby Kennedy, racism and Vietnam. Early on, we're told by someone who worked on the show that everything you could do to make a good television show, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood did the opposite of it. The sets were low budget and cheap, the pace was slow and reflective, and the host was not exactly overflowing with TV star charisma. Fred Rogers got into the TV business, because when he looked at children's television, all he could see was humor based around humiliation, with characters being hit in the face with pies. He knew that shows for kids could do so much more, and his main mission was to connect with children and let them know that he understood them, and could talk to them on their level without talking down to them. We don't learn much about the private life of the man, as he was notoriously secretive about his personal and family life up to the end. What we do learn is that Fred was incredibly in tune with what was going on in the world, and knew how to explain these difficult topics to children. Won't You Be My Neighbor is simple and straightforward in its structure. You won't learn any shocking truths about the man here. It simply exists to celebrate the ideals of love, understanding and compassion that Mr. Rogers imparted to children on a regular basis. What insights the movie does give us is that he actually hated television and celebrity fame, and yet used both in order to reach the children of the world. Won't You Be My Neighbor is not just a movie with a message, but it's also entirely compelling and completely enthralling in a quiet and unassuming way, much the way the show was to children all of the world.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Insidious: The Last Key, Paddington 2, 12 Strong, Peter Rabbit, Annihilation, Game Night, Love Simon, Unsane, Ready Player One, Chappaquiddick, Beirut, Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero, Avengers: Infinity War, Tully, Deadpool 2, Book Club, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Hereditary, Ocean's 8, Incredibles 2, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, Sorry to Bother You, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies, Christopher Robin, Crazy Rich Asians, BlacKkKlansman, Alpha, A Simple Favor, White Boy Rick, Smallfoot, First Man, The Hate U Give, Overlord, The Grinch, Instant Family, Widows, Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2, Green Book, Bumblebee, Mary Poppins Returns, Vice, On the Basis of Sex, Eighth Grade
MY TOP 10 PERFORMANCES BY AN ACTOR (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER):
MY TOP 10 PERFORMANCES BY AN ACTRESS (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER):
Amy Adams in Vice
Yalitza Aparicio in Roma
As usual, I will be naming my favorite film of the year, followed by what I felt were the great films of 2018. The great films can be anything that truly grabbed my attention, so they can be dramas, comedies, kid's films, whatever. Then I'll be listing the "honorable mentions" (the runner ups), followed by my 10 favorite actor and actress performances of the year. Aside from Best Film, all of these choices will be listed in alphabetical order.
So, with that out of the way, let's get down to the important stuff - the movies.
THE BEST FILM OF 2018
LEAVE NO TRACE - Here is a movie that is quiet, assured, and the year's best film, in my eyes. It doesn't spell a lot of things out for the audience, and there are a lot of moments that rely simply on atmosphere and the actor's faces in order to get the point across. And yet, the movie is constantly absorbing, and as thrilling as any drama can be. This is one of those movies that you should go out of your way to see, and want to tell others to see as soon as possible. Writer-director Debra Granik has a talent for discovering new female acting talent. Her last film, 2010's Winter's Bone, was the film that launched Jennifer Lawrence's career. With this movie, she introduces us to Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie, a young actress from New Zealand, and one of the true breakout performances of the year. She plays Tom, a 13-year-old girl who lives in the forest along with her veteran father Will (Ben Foster, also powerful here). He has PTSD after his time fighting in the war, and cannot handle modern life anymore ever since the death of his wife when Tom was very young. And so the two have been living "off the grid", only going into town for Will's required medications and other necessities when needed. Leave No Trace ultimately becomes a story of how this close father and daughter relationship becomes divided when Tom experiences modern society for the first time, and learns to enjoy it. Will, however, becomes restless in a home environment. He wants to go back to where they were, but the question becomes if he has his daughter's best interests in mind. We can simply see the pain on the faces of these two as they feel they are being pulled apart, because they both want something different. The way that the movie expresses this is incredibly powerful, yet never overstated. As glimmers of hope begin to form for a better life for Tom, we also see how hard it is on her, because she has so much respect for her dad. She never exactly expresses this in dialogue, but we can see it in so many other ways. This is a wonderfully subtle movie that captures the emotion of love, loss and letting go with minimal storytelling. And by the time we get to the film's quiet but striking final scene, we are incredibly moved by the simple image we see. Leave No Trace manages to be a unique but accessible film that should speak to just about anyone who watches it.
THE GREAT FILMS OF 2018 (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER):
A QUIET PLACE - John Krasinski's A Quiet Place is a cinematic short story that wastes no time. It sets us into its world and introduces and allows us to sympathize with its main characters in a matter of minutes. It then uses atmosphere and economic story telling to wrap us into its plot in a way that few horror films have ever even attempted. Each scene seems designed to raise the stakes, either emotionally with the characters, or through the physical threat that is hunting them. This is as lean, tight, and as intense a thriller as you are likely to see. The film drops us into a mostly abandoned post-apocalyptic world. Through scattered newspapers that are lying about on the street, we see reports of some kind of possibly alien menace that are attracted to and hunt their victims by sound, and have apparently wiped out a majority of the world's population. We are then introduced to a family of survivors. Krasinski (who co-wrote the script, as well as directs and stars) plays the unnamed father who has devoted his life to keeping his family alive during and after the attack. His real-life wife, Emily Blunt, is the mother, and their three children are played by Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe and Cade Woodward. The family has survived this long because they speak to each other in sign language, with subtitles provided for the audience. Their eldest daughter is deaf (as is young Millicent Simmonds in real life), so we have a hunch that knowing sign language in advance has become a survival tool in a world where the slightest sound can attract the giant creatures who are usually hiding in the trees or bushes before they strike. A Quiet Place is an entirely visual film. There is almost no spoken dialogue, and just about any sound in the movie is used as an instant moment of tension. The movie also displays a brilliantly economical way of storytelling. Not a single shot is wasted here, and almost every moment is used to further the suspense or the characters. This is as much an emotional drama as it is a thriller, and it succeeds at both.
A STAR IS BORN - The latest take on A Star is Born (this is the fourth time Hollywood has made this movie, since the original in 1937) reminds us of a simple lesson in filmmaking - Sometimes it's not the story being told, but rather the way it's being told. This movie keeps most of the familiar story beats that has been with the tale since the beginning, as well as taking place in the world of music, just like the 1976 version starring Barbara Streisand. However, it's been updated enough, and shows that in his directorial debut, that Bradley Cooper can helm a film with a sure and steady hand. For such a rehashed property, it's amazing how nothing here feels unnecessary. Cooper not only directs, but also stars, and the chemistry that he shares with his co-star Lady Gaga (who is headlining a film for the first time here) is palpable, and stands for much of the film's success. There is a dramatic and romantic connection between the two leads that feels absolutely genuine. While the story is a melodrama at heart, the movie does not go out of its way to place its central lovers in contrived situations. Instead, it allows us to see these two characters fall in love with each other, and then they have to face each other's personal demons, which is the way it is for every couple. That's the beauty of the story, and why it is so loved by Hollywood. It's a simple story with relatable themes, and when done well (as it has been here), it can not only be incredibly moving, but also an automatic crowd pleaser. What makes this particular take on the story succeed is not just the believable romance between the two leads, but also how believably the film handles addiction. The movie never once over-dramatizes, or uses addiction for a cheap plot gimmick. We get to see the bleak realities of what it can do to a person, as well as to a relationship, in stark detail. Addiction has always been a key element to the story of A Star is Born since the first time it was told, but what Cooper does is give a hard-edged look at it. We never feel like the movie is going to cop out, or look for unrealistic answers, and the screenplay written by Cooper, Eric Roth and Will Fetters never once disappoints us. A Star is Born is certainly familiar, even if you haven't seen the earlier incarnations of it, but when the film contains these performances and this level of emotion, that tends to be the last thing on your mind.
BLACK PANTHER - This was the first great entertainment of 2018, and in my mind, is the best Marvel movie to come out in a while. Yes, the movie has all the action and stunts you would expect, but it really has so much more on its mind. It's a vibrant film, full of life, and with a large cast of characters who are all wonderfully developed and never once seem shortchanged or pushed to the background. It also has a wonderful setting that we haven't seen in the movies before. Not only that, it achieves what few superhero movies have been able to do, by giving us both a memorable hero and villain, and allows us to be engaged in their struggle. This is a movie that fires on all cylinders. It is these wonderful characters and their expertly written and developed relationships that make Black Panther one of the strongest entries in the expanding cinematic universe of Marvel Comics. Yes, the movie can be thrilling in its action, but it is just as thrilling because we really and truly care about everyone who inhabits the story. Nobody here is unimportant, and the movie would be lesser if one character was removed. There are no moments here that feel like padding or filler, and nothing feels out of place or unnecessary. This is a script that has clearly been thought out, and has been brought before the cameras by an expert team. The performances, the visuals, the cinematography, and even the music score all create a complete experience. Most importantly, the movie does not go flat in its final moments. The big "epic" battle sequence is grand, not chaotic. And the final standoff between the Black Panther and the main villain is built from much grander stakes than you would expect, and is appropriately thrilling instead of anticlimactic. This is probably the most ambitious project to come out of Marvel Studios. While it follows the basic template of a superhero story, it breaks the traditional mold in so many ways. It not only creates a great heroic character that we want to see in many sequels, but it gives him an entire world and a rich supporting cast that we want to see more of as well. A lot of superhero introduction films are content to just give us a memorable hero. Black Panther does so much more. It's intelligent, a hell of a lot of fun, brilliantly planned out, and just an all around superb entertainment.
THE FAVOURITE - Here is one of the better films of 2018's list of Oscar nominees. From its three leading lady performances, to the screenplay which perfectly balances tragedy with razor-sharp comedy. Olivia Colman has rightfully earned just about every award recognition in the book for her portrayal of Queen Anne, who ruled England during the 18th century, mostly from her bed. Stricken with gout, and surrounding herself with 17 rabbits to replace the 17 children that she has birthed and lost by this point, Colman finds both the tragedy and the humor in her portrayal, and it is something to witness. Not to be outdone in the acting category are Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone, both sensational as the two women scheming against one another to get the Queen's favor. The Favourite has divided many viewers, and I can see why. This is an extremely dark and vengeful story about these two women doing horrible things to one another in order to gain the Queen's trust. And yet, the movie never loses its sense of humor, nor does it go into such levels of viciousness that I was turned off. It is the performances of Colman, Weisz and Stone that completely carry the film. This is also not your conventional costume drama. Director Yorgos Lanthimos is not exactly known for being a conventional filmmaker, and while this is probably the closest he has ever come to doing a conventional movie that can be pigeonholed into a genre, he finds ways to throw in his trademark humor, and some other oddball choices. But beyond these original choices, he has also made an absolutely gorgeous film, one of the better looking ones I've seen recently. From the costume design by Sandy Powell, to the sets by Fiona Crombie, this is a movie that can grab your attention simply with its sumptuous design in just about every category. Fortunately, there's a great script, some amazing performances, and an overall high energy within the visual trappings. This is a movie that manages to be shocking, hilarious, sad, thoughtful and heartfelt at various times throughout. This is a movie that can go in multiple directions, but due to the steady direction and the incredible cast, I never felt lost. This is just a wonderfully structured film.
ISLE OF DOGS - Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs was hands down the boldest and most polarizing animated film of the year. Yes, the movie is a visual feast with its gorgeous and fluid stop motion art style. And like a lot of Anderson's films, the deadpan humor and wordplay is quite strong. But, the movie also has a lot on its mind, including a political undercurrent that will resonate with adult audiences. In fact, the movie seems to be tailored almost exclusively for adult audiences. Despite the cast of talking dogs, the film contains a lot of Anderson's trademark dark humor. It also has his trademark whimsy and light tone, which, combined with the stop motion animation, gives the film an unearthly and almost dream-like quality. Anderson and his team of co-writers have crafted a simple but emotional story that is filled with hard truths, honest sentiments, and an overall sense of wonder that we seldom get in movies. It's the kind of movie where the imaginative visuals and the world it's set in draw you in, and then you find yourself captivated by not just the look, but also the tone and the dialogue. This is a movie that sucks you in little by little, until you are completely under its spell. While the simple plot that celebrates the love between humans and canines makes up the main heart of the story, it is also used as a launching point for a variety of subplots which cover a wide range of themes, such as political corruption and using fear to rally voters, a minority rising up and standing against the establishment, and even a touch of satire on technology.. The movie never seems overly busy, despite its tackling of multiple themes, and its large cast of characters. Not only is Isle of Dogs visually captivating, but it is also enriching and rewarding. It's seldom that we get an animated feature with a love for dialogue, but perhaps it's not surprising here, since Anderson has always been a master at wordplay. This is a great little film, worthy of a repeat viewing not just to catch all the visual touches and gags that you missed, but to also appreciate the work that went into what these puppets and model figures are saying.
MIRAI - What a joy this movie is. Like the best animated family films, Mirai mixes truth and honesty with flights of fantasy that will appeal to both children and adults. This is a movie that is filled with wonder, but at the same time, it is achingly realistic as it looks at the agonies of both young childhood and parenthood. The movie is about the bond of family, and learning your place within it, but it mixes this with a playful sense of humor, a lot of visual wonder, and more emotion than any other animated release this year. Writer-director Mamoru Hosoda has created a film that mixes complex themes and ideas with family entertainment. This, combined with the film's richly detailed and very human character designs, is what makes the film so poignant. It's also a marvel to look at the film's largely hand-drawn backgrounds and settings. In an interview, Hosoda also talks about how hand-drawn art is becoming lost in most recent animated films. Mirai is a testament not just to his gifts as a storyteller, but also to the beauty of hand-drawn animation, and why it must survive. Mirai is a film that is all at once human and fantastic. The movie spends enough time in both the real world and the world of imagination of its young child hero that we are wrapped in by both sides of the story equally. Just as emotionally involving as the story are the images, which have been lovingly crafted by Hosoda and his team. There is not a single scene here that feels thrown together, or flat. Each scene has been painstakingly crafted, from the backyard where many of Kun's fantastic adventures and encounters begin, to a modern day train station that becomes a surreal and cold nightmare during the film's climax. The film's mix of human emotion, imagination and artistic beauty blends together to create that rare kind of family film that you truly want to treasure while you are watching it.
ROMA - Here is a film I did not review, as I try to review only films I see at the theater, and this is currently only found on Netflix. And yet, its dreamlike, nostalgic atmosphere and tremendous performances make it an unforgettable experience. Inspired by writer-director Alfonso Cuarón's reminiscences from childhood and dedicated to the real-life nanny, Liboria "Libo" Rodríguez, who helped to raise him, it is the simple story of a live-in maid and housekeeper named Cleo (first-time actress Yalitza Aparicio, giving an astonishing performance) and her relationship to the family she works for while living in the Roma neighborhood of Mexico City in 1970. The movie is made up of small story threads that weave together to create a beautiful narrative of family, love and loss as Cleo works her way through various joys and personal heartaches. This is Cuarón's most personal and intimate film, holding an almost improvised tone. It is a small movie of enormous power and emotion, and the luminous 65mm black-and-white photography only helps with the nostalgic and simple tone that the film is trying to create. This is a gem of a film, and it's a shame that it's not being played in many theaters outside of film festivals. This is a poetic film that is not soon to be forgotten after you watch it.
SEARCHING - This is not the first thriller to be built around the gimmick that the entire film takes place on line via cameras, texts and video chats. However, this is easily the best attempt at the stylized approach we have had. First-time feature director Aneesh Chaganty (a former employee of Google) has managed to use the limitations of filming solely on smartphones, browser windows and security cam footage, and has created not just an enthralling film, but one that is emotionally effective and has a ton of heart behind it. John Cho delivers a powerful leading performance as David Kim, a widower in California who grows concerned with his 15-year-old daughter Margot (Michelle La) does not come home or return his texts. The last time he heard from her was when she tried to contact him in the middle of the night, but he was sleeping and missed her calls. Now, there's total silence, and none of her friends have seen her at school or at her usual hang outs. As the mystery grows into a Missing Persons investigation, the tension and mystery grows. Searching occasionally leaves the computer screen to show us media reports as the search for the missing teen becomes major news. We also get to see the effect the case has on the viral community, as her classmates leave passionate and forced tribute videos, and haters and trolls start hounding David on line, accusing him of being responsible for his daughter's disappearance. All of this creates a surprisingly compelling narrative, despite the limited storytelling technique of mostly using video chats and texts to drive the action. We are involved in the characters, and in the mystery itself. This is just an extremely well thought out film, and one that pays off in just about every way.
SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER VERSE - In Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, we get the ultimate argument as to why the character should have been animated all along. With the freedom of movement we see in this film, not only can the titular hero do anything a spider can, but he does so with with a tone that is consistently inventive and alive. This movie sets itself apart from the handful of other comic book movies we get every year by being inventive in its visuals, storytelling, and truly using the art form to create images we have never seen, and could not be achieved in one of the live action Spidey movies. But it's not just on the surface that this movie works. Behind the adventure, comedy and movement, there is substance underneath. The movie asks what does it really mean to be Spider-Man? Can anyone do it? What does he mean to the people he protects? Like the best superhero films, this is not all flashy spectacle and funny quips. This can be a deeply moving film at times. It's also just a lot of fun. It has scenes of movement that I had never dreamed of before in the cinematic universe of the character. When I saw Spider-Man leaping, crawling, or diving off a roof, only to catch himself with his webbing, it's how I always imagined him moving in the comics. This is the rare blockbuster that actually gives its characters room to grow and be emotional. We also grow to care about the various Spider-people who inhabit the story, and their plights to return to their home dimensions. And when it is time for the big action sequences, they are some of the finest I have ever seen, even eclipsing some of the better live action efforts. Even the climatic battle (usually the weakest link of a superhero movie) manages to impress, and has an amazing amount of flow considering how chaotic it gets. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is truly something special. It can be enjoyed by just about anyone, even those with little knowledge of the characters, as the movie does a great job of setting up its complex, but fairly linear, plot. It has also become my favorite cinematic interpretation of the character and his universe. I hope the team behind this gets to do a lot more of these movies, but most of all, I hope it does well enough to inspire more like it, as there are plenty of other heroes who I would love to see get the animated big screen treatment. To me, it just makes more sense to hire a talented voice actor to play Batman, than to hire a big name like Ben Affleck, and hide him behind a lot of rubber and latex.
WON'T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR - If the current toxic political and social world that seems to thrive on cynicism and corruption has you feeling down, then Won't You Be My Neighbor, a documentary about kid's show host Fred Rogers, may be just the movie you need to see. It's impossible not to admire and be drawn into the story of how this ordained minister wanted to help children make sense of the world around them, so he created a low budget TV show that ran for nearly 2,000 episodes from 1968 to 2001 (he passed away at age 74 in 2003), and helped children cope with topics as diverse as losing a beloved pet, to the assassination of Bobby Kennedy, racism and Vietnam. Early on, we're told by someone who worked on the show that everything you could do to make a good television show, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood did the opposite of it. The sets were low budget and cheap, the pace was slow and reflective, and the host was not exactly overflowing with TV star charisma. Fred Rogers got into the TV business, because when he looked at children's television, all he could see was humor based around humiliation, with characters being hit in the face with pies. He knew that shows for kids could do so much more, and his main mission was to connect with children and let them know that he understood them, and could talk to them on their level without talking down to them. We don't learn much about the private life of the man, as he was notoriously secretive about his personal and family life up to the end. What we do learn is that Fred was incredibly in tune with what was going on in the world, and knew how to explain these difficult topics to children. Won't You Be My Neighbor is simple and straightforward in its structure. You won't learn any shocking truths about the man here. It simply exists to celebrate the ideals of love, understanding and compassion that Mr. Rogers imparted to children on a regular basis. What insights the movie does give us is that he actually hated television and celebrity fame, and yet used both in order to reach the children of the world. Won't You Be My Neighbor is not just a movie with a message, but it's also entirely compelling and completely enthralling in a quiet and unassuming way, much the way the show was to children all of the world.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Insidious: The Last Key, Paddington 2, 12 Strong, Peter Rabbit, Annihilation, Game Night, Love Simon, Unsane, Ready Player One, Chappaquiddick, Beirut, Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero, Avengers: Infinity War, Tully, Deadpool 2, Book Club, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Hereditary, Ocean's 8, Incredibles 2, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, Sorry to Bother You, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies, Christopher Robin, Crazy Rich Asians, BlacKkKlansman, Alpha, A Simple Favor, White Boy Rick, Smallfoot, First Man, The Hate U Give, Overlord, The Grinch, Instant Family, Widows, Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2, Green Book, Bumblebee, Mary Poppins Returns, Vice, On the Basis of Sex, Eighth Grade
MY TOP 10 PERFORMANCES BY AN ACTOR (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER):
Mahershala Ali in Green Book
Christian Bale in Vice
John Cho in Searching
Bradley Cooper in A Star is Born
Adam Driver in BlacKkKlansman
Sam Elliott in A Star is Born
Ben Foster in Leave No Trace
Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody
Viggo Mortensen in Green Book
John David Washington in BlacKkKlansman
MY TOP 10 PERFORMANCES BY AN ACTRESS (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER):
Amy Adams in Vice
Yalitza Aparicio in Roma
Toni Collette in Hereditary
Olivia Colman in The Favourite
Marina de Tavira in Roma
Elsie Fisher in Eighth Grade
Lady Gaga in A Star is Born
Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie in Leave No Trace
Emma Stone in The Favourite
Rachel Weisz in The Favourite
So, those are my favorites of 2018 in a nutshell! Hopefully, as we go
further into 2019, we will get many more bright moments to come in the
cinema.
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