The Best Films of 2019

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 2019.  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 2019

1917 -  Here is my pick for not only the best film of 2019, but also one of the most amazing technical achievements I have seen on the screen all year.  1917 is a revolutionary film, as it gives off the seamless impression of having been filmed in a single take.  Aside from one five second period of darkness after one of the soldiers has been knocked out, director Sam Mendes and cinematographer Roger Deakins trail the actors, constantly keeping the camera in motion, and making the audience feel like we are walking alongside the lead characters on their mission during World War I.  Set over two days in April 1917, the film never once loses sight of the two young men who barely seem to be in their 20s as they undertake their mission.  Mendes, already a strongly established director of the stage and screen, has truly challenged himself here by creating a film that appears to have no edits, stops or cuts.  Obviously, this is impossible, but the way the film has been mounted creates such a credible illusion that we just stop looking for the seams.  I certainly didn't see any.  Aside from that previously mentioned five second period of a blank screen, the actors and camera never stops, creating a sense of engulfing realism and tension that I have never experienced while watching a film before.  This is not just technical wizardry, either.  1917 creates such an intimate and complete sense of being there that it adds to the emotional power of the film itself.  Editor Lee Smith has created such a convincing illusion of a nearly two hour unbroken shot that I just wanted to savor what I was watching.  The story it tells is enthralling as well.  Inspired by real life stories told by his grandfather, Alfred Mendes, the director has crafted a story that is driven by both thrills and complex emotions.  1917 is a true achievement in cinema.  It's the kind of film you wish you could experience for the first time again almost as soon as it's done.  It's also the rare kind of film where I would have liked to have turned right around and bought a ticket for the next showing.  From beginning to end, this film is simply unforgettable.


THE GREAT FILMS OF 2019 (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)

BLINDED BY THE LIGHT -  I feel that in recent years, the term "fan" has been misused or sullied.  Most people view it negatively.  It creates the image of someone in a dark basement, sitting in front of a computer, and complaining endlessly or leaving ugly posts on various message boards and chat groups.  These posts can either be for or against a certain celebrity.  The mass social media culture has turned everyone into an online critic.  Everyone has an opinion, and due to the anonymous nature of the Internet, nobody has to be careful with what they say.  Everyone can be "off the cuff" and honest about a celebrity, and how they feel about them.  And they feel it is their right, because they are a "fan".  Blinded by the Light is a movie about true fandom, and I say that, because it is about the joy of discovering someone's work that speaks to you.  In the case of this movie, it is about a 16-year-old Pakistani Muslim living in a small England town in the middle of a recession in 1987.  He discovers the music of Bruce Springsteen, and for the first time, an artist's work truly speaks to him.  He can relate to the anger and passion that Springsteen speaks and sings with.  It is an experience everyone has, whether it be music like it is here, or art, film, professional sports and live theater.  We all have that moment where we make a connection with an artist of some sort, and we feel like they are speaking directly to us, or that they have lived through the same frustration or situations that we have.  Director Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham) has made a wonderful little film about that moment, and how important it is.  There is an energy to the film and, even though it is not technically a musical, the Springsteen songs are so integral to the story and used to such great effect, it comes pretty close, especially during joyous scenes where the characters simply become lost in the music.  It is also a drama that avoids big moments and confrontations.  Most of all, Blinded by the Light is a truthful film, not just on what it truly means to be a fan, but also of the cultural and societal rifts that can form within immigrant families living outside of their home.  It understands the desire of youth to create their own life and engage in their culture, but it also understands how the older generations want to keep traditions and family customs alive.  This is a very smart, joyous, and just plain wonderful film that I hope you will make a point to see, because movies of this level of understanding and happiness are very rare.

BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON -  Paul Downs Colaizzo's Brittany Runs a Marathon allows us to see something I've wanted to see for a very long time - Jillian Bell in a leading role.  She's been appearing in supporting roles for years in movies like 22 Jump Street, Goosebumps and Rough Night, and she has always been a stand out.  I've wanted to see a movie give her an opportunity to take on the lead for a very long time, and now that she has, the only question I have is why did it take so long?  As I have expected, Bell is wonderful here, but the movie is kind of wonderful also.  It's also very brave.  I say this because the movie allows Bell to create a complex and fully dimensional character.  Her Brittany Forglar is not always a nice person.  She can be rude, sharply critical of others (especially the one who remind her of herself and her own flaws), and can also be nasty to people who only want to help her.  She's also a slob, an alcoholic, and prone to taking bad advice from her roommate.  And yet, we like her, because this is a complex script by Colaizzo, as well as a complex performance from Bell.   Brittany Runs a Marathon obviously works as a comedic crowd pleaser.  The script is very funny and sharp, and Bell is not-surprisingly up to the challenge, and gives us one of the funnier performances of the year so far.  But, the movie also has so much more on its mind.  It truly explores all angles of the character, both the good and the bad.  The movie is also an effective drama that talks honestly about self image, and how other people see those who are overweight or obese.  We don't just learn a lot of hard truths about Brittany herself, but also society, and perhaps a little about ourselves and how we perceive others.  Brittany Runs a Marathon is as funny and as strong as I hoped a movie featuring a lead performance by Jillian Bell would be, but it surprised me a lot with its hard-edged honesty.  This is a great little movie that opens up about something a lot of people are afraid to talk about.  That's part of what movies are for.  They put things on the screen about ourselves that we're afraid to talk about, and help us understand it better.  This is not just a great comedy, it's a quietly powerful movie too.

THE IRISHMAN -  Throughout his career, Martin Scorsese has been accused of glamorizing the mob lifestyle in his films.  Perhaps The Irishman is his answer to those criticisms.  At particular moments in the film, when certain real-life mobsters are introduced, the movie will pause, and tell us when this particular person we're looking at died, and more precisely how.  The cause of death listed is always gruesome, usually multiple bullets to the head.  These people who are happy and enjoying life on camera will meet a grisly end in a short time.  But the most poignant response the movie takes to these criticisms is the first time we see Robert De Niro as Frank Sheehan.  He's in a retirement home, well past his prime, and an aging relic.  He no longer holds any power or influence, and all of his old mob friends are dead.  His family have also disowned him largely due to his criminal past.  He begins to talk to an unseen interviewer about his days in crime, and as his story unravels, it is sad, perhaps a bit nostalgic, and ultimately about how he ended up the broken and lonely old man that we see him as now.  With a running time of three and a half hours, it's a sprawling story to be sure.  Scorsese has swung for the fences with this one, making perhaps his most personal mob epic of his career.  The Irishman is also just a marvelously constructed film.  With fluid editing by Scorsese regular, Thelma Schoonmaker, the pace is constantly moving.  It also recreates the era its story is set in perfectly, though precise settings that feel lived in rather than staged, and a vast number of perfectly matched music from the time on the soundtrack.  But most of all, we have the central leads.  De Niro hasn't delivered a performance this memorable in a while, giving Frank a kind of quiet and steely power, while Joe Pesci and Al Pacino in the other key roles are both wonderful.  By the time the film winds to its inevitable end, we get a very quiet and reflective final act, where Frank slowly loses the power he has enjoyed for so long.  The good times cannot last, and he will be left with nothing but regret.  That is what sets The Irishman apart from a lot of crime films, including some that Scorsese has done in the past.  The final hour or so built around betrayal and eventual quiet isolation are what make the film stand out.  This is an undeniably well-made film through and through, but it is the more reflective moments that give the film its ultimate power.  Despite its extended length, this is a film that deserves to be seen.  Neflix deserves credit for supporting Scorsese's vision here, and seemingly not tampering with it in any way.

JOKER -  I don't remember the last time a thriller had the effect on me while I was watching it to the extent that I felt like a tightly wound coiled spring ready to snap.  Joker is not a movie that you enjoy, but it is a movie that pulls you into its world and its lead character.  You feel things you probably don't want to feel, but the fact that the movie is doing such a wonderful job of drawing you in is reason enough to recommend.  Nobody will have fun watching this, but they will still have an unforgettable movie experience.  I feel it's appropriate to say this, because Joker is an unpleasant film to watch, but it is also completely absorbing.  It feels lived in.  For the two hours or so that it runs, I was mesmerized.  I go to the movies for a lot of reasons, and I enjoy them for a lot of reasons.  Sometimes I go to escape, and sometimes I just want to see the world in a different way.  What director and co-writer Todd Phillips has done is create a film that pulls you into very dark corners of the mind that you probably don't want to go.  You almost want to resist.  There are moments where I knew where the film was going, and I wanted to stop it.  This is a relentlessly cruel and sad movie.  But, it is not a sad sack, nor is it whiny.  It's alive, it has a kind of energy to it.  That's what sets it apart, and that's what makes it one of the more challenging films I have seen in a while.  This movie made me feel things almost from the first frame.  They are not good feelings for the most part, but the movie takes us there and fully explores them.  It is a satisfying drama about a tortured man, and not just a "Geek Show" that forces us to watch horrible things.  It is expertly paced, and draws us slowly into its most severe and darkest aspects.  Joker forces us to watch its main character fall apart mentally and emotionally.  It is a credit to Joaquin Phoenix's performance that we fully believe in him.  It doesn't seem like an actor who is pretending to be losing his grip.  He looks like he's been fighting a losing battle all his life, even physically.  He encompasses every fiber of this character, and it's kind of startling.  He brings this life to the performance that feels like maybe Arthur has been a part of him his whole life, waiting to come out in this performance.  He reaches some incredible depths here, and it is electrifying to watch every second he's on screen.  Joker is bold, kind of daring, and truly energetic.  So what if I can't recommend it for everyone?  A lot of movies are not for everyone, and this is a movie that certainly will not appeal to the wide masses.  But, I loved what it set out to do, and ultimately achieved.  You may see it differently.  Debate is another wonderful thing that movies can create.  I have a feeling this one will create a lot.

JOJO RABBIT -  Back when Mel Brooks made his debut feature The Producers, he stated that one of his missions was to make the world laugh at Hitler in an act of revenge.  With JoJo Rabbit, writer-director Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok) must have had the same mission.  All at once hilarious, passionate and a little sad, this is a wonderful coming of age story where Adolf (played by Waititi himself) is portrayed as a Nazi Youth's imaginary best friend, frequently compulsive, bratty and childish.  Watching 10-year-old JoJo (a marvelous Roman Griffin Davis, giving the best child performance in a while) romping about with an imaginary child-like Hitler is sure to raise some eyebrows in the audience, especially since the movie throws the image into our face in the film's opening moments.  Yet, Waititi gives the scenes an appropriate sense of comic whimsy so that we are immediately set at ease.  JoJo Rabbit creates a tricky balancing act for itself by combining soft whimsy, broad humor, and eventual heartfelt emotion into a single narrative.  The amazing thing is how naturally these tones flow together in the story.  Waititi never once give the audience the impression that he is swerving from one tone to the next with a screenplay that is well thought out, and executed just as beautifully with confident direction, and beautiful cinematography.  At its heart, this is a boy's journey as he learns to think for himself and become his own man.  It may be a predictable journey, but the power of it is immeasurable, thanks to Davis' confident performance, and the way the script handles the relationships that JoJo shares with the people in his life.  This is a film that starts out as broad and whimsical satire, but eventually it finds a lot of things to say.  JoJo Rabbit simply is alive, vibrant, and wonderful in a lot of ways.  It manages to be funny, painful, endearing, and deeply moving, sometimes in the same scene.  When so many movies can't get one tone quite right, here is a masterfully done film that draws so many emotions from its audience, and does so in a skillful way that never once feels forced.

JUDY -  It's very rare that you get to see an actor perform above abilities previously seen by them when giving a performance, but that's just what Renee Zellweger does in Judy.  She's not just acting here, she is going above and beyond your expectations, as well as any performance from her performance history that you could care to name.  She's bearing her very heart and soul up there on the screen, and it is beautiful to watch.   The movie itself plays it somewhat safe when it comes to telling the story of Judy Garland, but that's to be expected.  At least it's not so safe that the movie comes across as completely toothless.  It also can be emotionally devastating at times, though I'm not sure how much is due to the movie itself.  That's just how powerful Zellweger is here.  She is not only up to the challenge of being Garland in all aspects, but she rises above the material, which was already pretty strong to begin with.  This is a case of a movie that probably was always good, but thanks to the lead performance, it becomes absolutely wonderful.  Some movies are lifted up or saved by its performances.  This is a rare case where the lead performance raises everything to such a level that it's kind of stunning.  You can easily see how Judy could quickly devolve into a sad-sack of a movie about self-destruction, but British filmmaker Rupert Goold keeps everything moving at a quick pace.  We can clearly see that Garland is a pawn to her addictions, and a near-lifetime of hard living and drinking has taken its toll.  However, we do not pity her, and that is thanks in big part to Zellweger.  She plays her as a performer on the ropes, but is not ready to quit.  She knows she is not at her best, and her performances can be erratic.  This is part of what makes the performance work so well.  She's not doing a flat-out imitation of Garland, but rather is portraying her as a shadow of who she used to be.  She still has pride and even a sense of humor.  There is also not as much of the padding that we usually expect from a biopic film, since this movie is focused on just a specific moment in her life and career.  What the movie captures is how Garland essentially performed with little preparation, as if she were working without a net.  The movie kind of takes the same approach, which is a smart decision.  Here is Garland, here is where she was in her life, and there is little time for contrivances and forced melodrama.  It's a tight, focused film, and that focus is wisely centered on Zellweger.  She makes the film, and in her final moments, she almost transcends it.  This is a movie that can be shattering emotionally, but it also has a lot of spark, a lot of life, and one unforgettable portrayal.

LITTLE WOMEN -  After crafting her own marvelous coming of age story with 2017's Lady Bird, writer-director Greta Gerwig tackles Little Women, perhaps the most famous coming of age story of all time.  The 1868 novel has been adapted in various formats, from film and stage, and even a Japanese anime.  All of these have tackled Louisa May Alcott's story in different fashions.  What Gerwig does is combine the semi-autobiographical story with elements of the author's thoughts on the world at the time.  The end result is something quite joyous, and one of the better films of 2019.  In a bold move, the director has not made a straight up adaptation here.  Oh, it follows the original story closely enough.  But, it also tells the story out of sequence, and also adds a personal touch by framing the story around the efforts of lead heroine Jo (Saoirse Ronan) to sell her book to a hard-headed publisher (Tracy Letts), which likely mirror Alcott's own experiences in trying to sell the novel back in the day.  The ending has also been altered slightly.  How purists will feel about these changes might be up to debate, but I personally appreciated the gambles that Gerwig has taken with her adaptation, and think they have paid off flawlessly.  This is a beautiful film, filled with life and performances that add to the growing list of Award-worthy hopefuls.  This is a movie that celebrates the imperfections of its characters, even Jo, who has a few more moments of weakness here than in some other film versions of the novel.  Gerwig is really diving into these characters, and letting us see some new angles here.  That's part of what gives this film the life that it has.  It's not just the performances that are on display, but the screenplay itself that is worthy of attention.  At only her third time behind the camera, Gerwig shows a real mastery of not just successfully telling a familiar story, but bringing new excitement into it.  Little Women succeeds not just as an adaptation, but also in celebrating the imperfections of the characters.  This is a bold film, but it's as warm and heartfelt as you could ever want it to be.  It's a wonderful entertainment, and one that you should make time for in this current crop of holiday releases.

MARRIAGE STORY -  Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story is that rare kind of movie that seems to come from a completely honest place.  There's not an ounce of contrivance, and no moment that doesn't feel natural.  It feels real and lived in from beginning to end, and it is easily the filmmaker's more assured movie to date.  This film about love lost, divorce, and the struggle to hold the family together afterward has more emotion in one scene than some movies have in their entirety.  He has made a simple film, one without plot twists or revelations.  It is simply a story of a couple that have drifted apart, and try to hold onto what little they have left for each other for the sake of their young son.  Baumbach has tackled the subject of divorce before with his 2005 film The Squid and the Whale, which was based on his memories of his parents splitting up.  He goes much deeper into the subject this time, showing not just the struggles, but exploring the aftermath on everyone in the family.  The couple at the center of it all are played by Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, both of them giving career peak performances.  Marriage Story is an emotional roller coaster of a film that shows us the anger and resentment that can build due to the difficult process of finalizing a divorce.  This is a movie that will cut deep to just about anyone who has experienced the pain of a separation, and that plays a big part of the film's ultimate success.  There are no false crises, and not a contrived subplot to be found.  It's simply about two people trying to make their way through the legal process, and the emotional toll that it takes on them and their son who is caught in the middle.  It's no surprise that Marriage Story is a film of raw power, but it goes beyond that, and becomes something completely honest and fierce.  There are absolutely no compromises here.  Baumbach has made a film of biting hard truths, pain and sadness, and one that deserves to be celebrated for many years to come.  This not only represents an ultimate high mark for the filmmaker, but also for the relationship drama genre as well.

PARASITE -  Bong Joon-Ho's Parasite is that rare kind of movie.  One that can constantly surprise you from beginning to end.  It's a movie that veers wildly in multiple directions, but for once it feels natural, instead of the result of a convoluted screenplay that doesn't know which way to go.  It's a social satire, a broad dark comedy, and a thriller.  A movie like this that has so many twists and turns, and goes in so many multiple directions, needs an air-tight script, and the one provided by director Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-wan is one of the best to hit the screen all year.  It's not just how meticulously crafted the plot is and how it keeps its multiple tonal shifts in line, but it's also how natural the dialogue sounds.  Nobody talks in exposition, and nobody says something in order to move the plot along.  In other words, it often sounds like people actually having a conversation more often than not.  But more than that, it's how expertly the script changes tone when needed.  It can be light and funny, it can be intense, and it can also be tremendously brutal.  This is a movie that is constructed of scenes that probably should not fit together, and yet they do, because the screenwriters have thought this thing out, and it shows when it plays out on the screen.  That's the kind of movie this is.  It's not only surprising and supremely entertaining, but it makes you look at certain people who are around you every day differently.  Parasite is chaotic, savage and sort of sad, but it can also be tremendously funny and bright.  It's the kind of movie you really don't expect, but when it's done, you kind of wish there were more like it - The kind of film that pulls you in effortlessly, stays with you long after it's done, and is not forgotten.

UNCUT GEMS - Whenever Adam Sandler takes on a rare dramatic role as here, he basically takes the traits of his comedic characters, and plays them straight.  Just like in his comedies, Sandler portrays people who are anti-social, nervous about the world, and insecure.  He really is playing the types that he knows, only dropping the broader aspects of his performance.  It's a smart move, and it's worked for him.  Uncut Gems is probably his first attempt at a truly dramatic performance.  His other attempts had touches of comedy to them, but here, Sandler is pure raw emotion.  His anger is volcanic, he's shifty, and he's probably the kind of person you would avoid in real life.  But, he is mesmerizing here, and brings a certain power and intensity to a script that at times feel familiar, but he makes it consistently worth watching.  At its core, Uncut Gems is a movie driven by the same adrenaline that fuels its protagonist.  It's constantly moving, the characters are repeatedly talking over each other, and everyone seems to be in a race to get what they want.  It brings us inside the main character's world where deals are made and broken in a span of about a minute, and where he has to constantly be on the watch out for thugs who might be waiting to "persuade him" to pay off the debts he owes by any means necessary.  What the movie gets right is how it displays Howard's life as a constant balancing act.  He's a smart man, but he's also compulsive, and doesn't make the right decisions sometimes.  He knows the game of his trade, but he also overshoots his chances all too often.  We see how it impacts his personal life and the people around him, but it also clearly shows that Howard doesn't really care.  It's all about him, and all about placing the next bet and hopefully scoring big.  His life is a wreck, and it's one he's completely responsible for.  Again, this plays perfectly upon Sandler's usual on-screen persona, which is usually impulsive and childish.  Channeling these traits toward anger and obsession instead of laughs is what makes the performance work, and the decision to cast him so wonderful.  Uncut Gems is a slow-burn movie, but it is thrilling when it needs to be, and is constantly fascinating to watch as we witness the main character's life spiral out of control, with him just trying to stay one step ahead of everyone.  It reminds us just how strong Sandler can be as an actor when he is not playing to the lowest level of the audience, and when he has a great script and filmmakers that understand how to use his on-screen persona to the best of its ability.


HONORABLE MENTIONS
 A Dog's Way Home, The Upside, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, Cold Pursuit, Alita: Battle Angel, Happy Death Day 2 U, Isn't It Romantic, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Fighting with My Family, Captain Marvel, Captive State, Us, Shazam!, Missing Link, Teen Spirit, Avengers: Endgame, Long Shot, John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum, The Sun is Also a Star, A Dog's Journey, Brightburn, Booksmart, Rocketman, Ma, Late Night, Toy Story 4, Yesterday, Annabelle Comes Home, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Midsommar, Crawl, Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Dora and the Lost City of Gold, Good Boys, The Peanut Butter Falcon, Hustlers, Ad Astra, Downton Abbey, Motherless Brooklyn, Doctor Sleep, Last Christmas, Ford v. Ferrari, The Good Liar, Frozen II, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Knives Out, Dark Waters, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Bombshell, Spies in Disguise, Just Mercy


MY TOP 10 PERFORMANCES BY AN ACTOR (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)

Roman Griffin Davis in JoJo Rabbit

Robert De Niro in The Irishman

Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood

Adam Driver in Marriage Story

Taron Egerton in Rocketman

Tom Hanks in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Joaquin Phoenix in Joker

Brad Pitt in Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood

Sam Rockwell in JoJo Rabbit

Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems

 

 

MY TOP 10 PERFORMANCES BY AN ACTRESS (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)

Ana de Armas in Knives Out

Jillian Bell in Brittany Runs a Marathon

Laura Dern in Marriage Story

Scarlett Johansson in Marriage Story

Scarlett Johansson in JoJo Rabbit

Jennifer Lopez in Hustlers

Saoirse Ronan in Little Women

Park So Dam in Parasite

Charlize Theron in Bombshell

Renee Zellweger in Judy

 

 

So, those are my favorites of 2019 in a nutshell!  Hopefully, as we go further into 2020, we will get many more bright moments to come in the cinema.

 

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