Cindy Prascik's 2018: My Year in Movies

Dearest Blog: 2018 was a strange year for movies, as it was a strange year in many, many ways. I only saw 70 new movies during the year that's winding down, which is 20-30 off my normal total. At fault were two main factors: First, there were fewer movies that felt like imperative viewing, and, secondly, the behavior of movie audiences has become so bad that I'm less inclined to get out and see something just to see it, or merely to have content for the blog. I've become much more likely to seek out something I can watch at home than to brave the talkers, texters, seat-kickers, and smuggled-candy rattlers at the cinema.

Normally, year's end finds me trying to whittle 20-25 favorites down into a top-ten list, but this year only 13 movies earned final consideration. This year also may mark the greatest divergence yet between my list and the lists of people who get paid for their movie opinions. As usual, that's due in part to many awards contenders not getting screen time locally until they rack up a pocketful of major nominations, but mostly paid film critics and I just don't agree on what makes a good movie. I hope you'll consider both of our opinions, then get out to the movies and form your own.

Disclaimer: As usual, repeat viewings or the lack of opportunity for same may result in a film's original Weasley rating not being reflected in its year-end position.

Without further ado, my top ten best/favorite movies of 2018:

10. Black Panther (original Weasley rating 9/9) Black Panther is a superhero whose time has come. Marvel once again hits the casting jackpot with Chadwick Boseman, who fronts a compelling tale fleshed out by vibrant visuals and an amazing score. It burns me just a little that Black Panther will be the first of its genre to earn serious awards consideration, an honor deserved by The Dark Knight and/or Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but that's the system's problem and can't be held against the movie. Two claws way up!

9. Sherlock Gnomes (original Weasley rating 8/9) Sherlock Gnomes took a beating from critics and fans alike, but I loved it for its bright colors, boppy tunes, extremely reasonable runtime, and, of course, Johnny Depp. If there hadn't been much good said about it before, upon the release of Holmes and Watson, at the very least it became the best big-screen Sherlock Holmes of 2018.

8. Aquaman (original Weasley rating 8/9) DC's big-screen Aquaman takes a long-ridiculed, B-list hero and makes him a box-office juggernaut, thanks to a well-crafted film and Jason Momoa's effortless coolness. It's not as dark as past DC offerings, nor as silly as garden-variety Marvel; instead Aquaman makes its own niche and is better for it.

7. Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (original Weasley rating 8/9) I love the Hotel Transylvania franchise for its ability to bring a little bit of creepiness into any season. The third installment in the series is colorful, bouncy fun, and, as always, benefits from limiting Adam Sandler to just one stupid voice, as opposed to his usual array of MANY stupid voices. Long live Drac!

6. Green Book (original Weasley rating 9/9) Green Book is an "inspired by actual events" story that, if it takes some liberties with real life, its message is no less timely or important for it. Magnificent performances from Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen make Green Book one of the year's true must-see movies.

5. Hunter Killer (original Weasley rating 8/9) Quit laughing, will ya? Hunter Killer is an epic two hours of enormous effects, steely glances, and male posturing, all the things that bring me to the big screen regardless of any other considerations. Throw in my fave, Gary Oldman, and Gerard Butler doing his best meathead hero, and you've got a guaranteed new classic that I'll watch hundreds of times once it hits cable.

4. Darkest Hour (original Weasley rating 9/9) Oscar says this is last year's film, but I didn't see it 'til January, so it makes my 2018 list. An everything-winning turn by Gary Oldman heads a picture that keeps you on the edge of your seat despite knowing how it all turns out in the end.

3. Bohemian Rhapsody (original Weasley rating 9/9) Another based-on-a-true-story that takes some cinematic license with the facts, Bohemian Rhapsody is an uplifting biopic that proves the old saying: a happy ending depends on where you end your story. A star-making turn by Rami Malik makes Bohemian Rhapsody a top contender as we cruise through the heart of Awards Season.

2. Paddington 2 (original Weasley rating 9/9) Paddignton 2 is a delight. The charming and thoroughly-English continuing adventures of an endearing teddy bear and his family boasts a top-notch cast, with a standout performance by Hugh Grant as its villain. Paddington 2 is movie-making at its finest, not to be missed by anyone of any age.

1. Den of Thieves (original Weasley rating 8/9) From its first trailer, I started calling Den of Thieves my number-one movie of 2018. If we're being honest, along the way I truly expected some big-budget superhero epic or favorite actor's awards bid to unseat it, but...here we are, and here it is. I re-watched it again the night before last just to be sure this was where I wanted it, and, yeah, it is. Shootouts, car chases, Gerard Butler's chest-thumping anti-hero, and an unexpectedly terrific ending make Den of Thieves the kind of movie that will always draw me to the cinema. (For the record, I noticed upon preparing this list that I saw my number-one and number-two movies on the same day, way back in January, and that about sums up the kind of year it’s been at the cinema.)

So, dear reader(s), another year draws to a close. Many thanks to everyone who reads this blog, who takes the time to like, comment, and share, and especially to Daniel, for letting me be a part of his first-class movie page. Best wishes to everyone in 2019, may it be a better year for us all. Happy New Year!

PS: Where's my Cats trailer??

MOVIE REVIEW: DARKEST HOUR

During the early days of World War II, the fate of Western Europe hangs on the newly-appointed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who must decide whether to negotiate with Hitler, or fight on against incredible odds.

Director: Joe Wright

Release Date: Nov 22, 2017

Cast: Gary Oldman, Lily James, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ben Mendelsohn, Stephen Dillane

Rated PG-13 for some thematic material

Runtime: 2 hr. 5 min.

Genres: Biography, Drama, History

Review:

Joe Wright’s Darkest Hour is a perfectly solid historical drama that’s buoyed by an impressive turn by Gary Oldman.  Wright’s movie hits most of the basic points of interest as he covers roughly a month of Winston Churchill’s life as he ascends to the role of Prime Minster as Hilter’s forces close in on Britain.  As such, it makes for an interesting companion pieces to Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk.  While that film dealt the soldier’s point of view this film is far more concerned with the political landscape that Churchill was dealing with as he took office.  It’s catnip for history buffs even though everyone knows how it ends.  Still, it’s a fascinating situation to examine considering how badly the odds where stacked against the UK.  Wright does a solid job of providing a glossy accounting of darken close quarter rooms where major decisions were being made in the face of impending doom.  The film, though, wouldn’t work nearly as well if it wasn’t for a stellar turn by the film’s star Gary Oldman who disappears into make up and character.  This isn’t the first time Oldman has lost himself into characters behind make up, most memorably in Dracula and an underrated and nearly forgotten turn in the Silence of the Lamb sequel Hannibal.  This film is clearly Oldman’s showcase, so much so that some of sequences might as well have the words “For your Consideration” emblazoned along the bottom of the screen.  Thankfully Oldman doesn’t disappoint as he delivers one of the best performances of his career in a long while.  He’s had better roles in the past but this type of biopic seems ready made for award season. 

B+

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Darkest Hour & Molly’s Game

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for a pair of true tales: Darkest Hour and Molly's Game.

 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers or, you know, a history book (or maybe a tabloid).

 

First up: Starting off the New Year right with my Gary in Darkest Hour.

 

Winston Churchill does not negotiate with Nazis.

 

Dear reader(s): By now you will have heard that Gary Oldman's transformation into Winston Churchill is nothing short of remarkable. I'm here to tell you, with all the impartiality a person who makes a homemade Gary Oldman calendar every year can muster, that you should believe the hype. Much has been made of the countless hours Gary spent in makeup and prosthetics in order to take on the portly prime minister's appearance--and it is well and truly amazing--but the quality of this performance is not about physical transformation; it's about how well he tends to the details of BEING Churchill: mannerisms, speech patterns, expressions. The look in his eyes at times is just extraordinary. We movie fans are so used to Gary disappearing into his roles that we may take it for granted, but this is a whole other level, a masterful performance for the ages. Darkest Hour's supporting cast is also stellar, with Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, Stephen Dillane, and the incomparable Ben Mendelsohn all holding their own opposite Oldman's tour de force turn.

 

Darkest Hour relates an oft-told story with an outcome well known to everyone, but it isn't handicapped by its familiarity; instead it feels like quite the nail-biter right down to the finish. Despite the somber subject matter, the picture steers well clear of misery and self pity; it is hopeful and actually quite funny at times, that rare awards-worthy bit of filmmaking that seems to care as much about entertaining as it does about accolades.

 

Darkest Hour clocks in at 125 minutes and is rated PG13 for "some thematic material."

 

Darkest Hour is a solid historical epic with an Oscar-caliber lead and a sadly-timely message about the dangers of placating tyrants. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Darkest Hour gets nine.

 

Fangirl points: My Gary (duh)! Ben Mendelsohn! Joe Armstrong!!

 

Next on the docket: Molly's Game.

 

The rise and fall of Molly Bloom, a one-time Olympic contender who made and lost a fortune running an exclusive high-stakes poker game.

 

It won't be news to anyone who's seen so much as a single trailer that Molly's Game rises and falls on Jessica Chastain's outstanding turn in the lead. Chastain seems born to acclaimed writer (and first-time director) Aaron Sorkin's rapid-fire style, and she gets to glam it up as the high-class hostess to elite celebrities, athletes, and world leaders. You will not be able to take your eyes off of her. While the supporting cast is solid, there's not much room for anyone but Chastain as Bloom narrates her own story, with others popping in and out merely as grout to her tile. No disrespect to Chastain, who is entirely Oscar worthy, but I'd be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to remind filmmakers that more Idris Elba is always better. (Please make a note of it.) Sorkin's direction weaves seamlessly between Bloom's present-day legal battles and her relating of the events leading to said battles. As is Sorkin's trademark, the dialogue is superb, even if the poker language might as well have been some alien tongue for all I understood it. Daniel Pemberton continues his win streak with another striking score. The film slows down just enough that a small trim might have made a more efficient whole, but that's a petty quibble with what is ultimately a couple great hours of cinema.

 

Molly's Game runs 140 minutes and is rated R for "language, drug content, and some violence."

 

Molly's Game is a fascinating story and a worthy showcase for one of the finest actresses of her generation. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Molly's Game gets eight.

 

Fangirl points: Keep those eyes peeled for for about two seconds of Jose Bautista in newsreel footage at the start of the film. 

 

An ice rink PA is playing George Harrison's son singing my favorite George Harrison song. Chris O'Dowd! Justin Kirk! Brian d'Arcy James!

 

Until next time...