My Favorite Films from 2019

Welcome to my list of favorite films from 2019.  Some are critical darlings while others are more standard crowd pleasers but ultimately, they’re all films that left an impression on me.  

First up are films that I'd classify as pleasant surprises but not quite top 10 worthy;

READY OR NOT – I’m always happy when a fun, well-made horror movie comes out of nowhere.  This film is fun on multiple levels and you’ll need to keep your eye on Samara Weaving in the future.



BOOKSMART – Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut is incredibly polished but more so, its incredibly funny and heartfelt.



LAST CHRISTMAS – Sure it looks like a paint by the numbers Rom-Com but it’s something fresh and unexpected with a charming lead.



DOCTOR SLEEP – Mike Flanagan successfully pulled off making a sequel to Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining which was respectful of that film and solid enough to stand on it’s own two feet.



GOOD BOYS – A preteen Super Bad probably sounds like a risky idea but this movie made it work on so many levels.



JOKER – I’m not nearly as high on this film as most but I can still appreciate it even if it mines Martin Scorsese’s catalog and successfully graphed it on a comic book character.



TOY STORY 4 – A fourth entry wasn’t necessary in this series and there is no reason for it to be as good as it is, an impressive epilogue.



DOLEMITE IS MY NAME – Eddie Murphy’s return to R rated fare, reminds you why he was such a big deal back in the 80s.



AD ASTRA – A high concept mash up of 2001 and Apocalypse Now that nearly pulls off something impressive.



JUDY - Renée Zellweger proving she’s worthy of her first Oscar by delivering another award’s worthy performance.



MARRIAGE STORY – Sure the topic and themes are well worn in Hollywood, but this newest entry is propped up by a pair of the best performances of the year.



THE IRISHMAN – If you ever wanted to watch all of Martin Scorsese’s films but didn’t want to watch multiple films, may I present to you The Irishman.

Now onto my 10 favorite films of 2019

10) YESTERDAY – Yesterday is an understated Rom-Com fantasy with a big heart, it’s earnest and thoughtful and sure to leave you with a smile on your face.




9)  KNIVES OUT – A throwback to the classic Agatha Christie films, a sharp script and an A list cast make this one of the more enjoyable films of the year.



8) ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL – It took over a decade for James Cameron passion project  to finally hit the screen, the result is one of the better sci-fi films of the last few years and probably one of Robert Rodriguez's most polished films.



7)  FORD V FERRARI – A classically styled prestige film that takes a real-life tale and makes it’s an engaging dramedy carried by two movie stars.



6) 1917 – Sam Mendes war epic is a technical marvel even with a bare bones story that's been told multiple times before, it deserves to be seen on the big screen. 



5) JOJO RABBIT – A weird concept that ends up being something that’s funny, meaningful and incredibly endearing.




4) ROCKETMAN – Rocketman is an example of how you shake up the musical biopic genre with something original, appropriate and appreciative of the central artist.



3) PARASITE – Bong Joon-ho's newest film is a success on a multiple levels.  Unlike many arthouse films, this is easily accessible and even easier to love.  It's funny, timely and tragic.



2) ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD – Quentin Tarantino’s love letter to 70’s Hollywood seems to stream directly out of the director’s brain onto the screen.  Throw in a pair of excellent turns by Leonardo Dicaprio and Brad Pitt and a fanciful story that’s Tarantino through and through even though its surprisingly bloodless for the most part.



1) MIDSOMMAR – Ari Aster made two films and each of them have left a lasting impression.  Midsommar though reflects an incredible leap in craftsmanship and overall quality.  Midsommar is a film that needs to be viewed multiple times to appreciate the nuance of skill at work.

MOVIE REVIEW: MIDSOMMAR

With their relationship in trouble, a young American couple travel to a fabled Swedish midsummer festival where a seemingly pastoral paradise transforms into a sinister, dread-soaked nightmare as the locals reveal their terrifying agenda.

Director: Ari Aster

Cast: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, Vilhelm Blomgren, Will Poulter

Release Date: July 3, 2019
Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery

Rated R for disturbing ritualistic violence and grisly images, strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and language

Runtime: 2 h 27 min

Review:

Midsommar, Ari Aster’s 2^nd film, is a singular movie watching experience.  It’s the type of film that’ll stick with you for a long while afterward.  Aster’s direction is self assured and methodical while never being boring even with the film’s glacial pace.  There’s a steady sense of dread from the outset and it never really lets up throughout the better part of the film.  While this film isn’t quite as strong in the horror category as Hereditary was its still filled with plenty of starkly bleak imagery and iconography.  At its center is Florence Pugh who carries the film and elevates some of the weaker portions of the film’s plot.  Pugh’s ability to emote pain and grief comes through the screen which some of the film’s more trippy sequences all the more powerful.  As for those hallucinatory sequences they are some of the most discombobulating and outright weird sequences I’ve seen on film.  It's easy to compare Midsommar to the original Wicker Man, it does share various similarities with that film, but ultimately it’s it own wonderfully weird amalgam of that film and the 1981 film Possession, destined to become a cult classic in it's own right.

A-