A lot has happened since I last dropped one of these movie
blogs. Skip one year and movies radically
change overnight I guess. Disney and
Marvel will still reign king at the ticket line but what is slowly becoming are
stories with something to say about the current times were all in and people taking
notice. And by notice, I mean watching
and making these movies relevant. Who in
a million years thought you could make a Joker arthouse character study on a
thin budget of about $30 million and turn in over $1 billion WITH NO BATMAN
involved?
Foreign films have fully infiltrated their way into
Hollywood. Movies like Parasite have
existed in the Korean art world for years, some of which have been on this very
blog before. Clearly none have reached
the level of mastery as what Bong Joon-Ho has accomplished in Parasite, but it’s
a pleasure to finally see outside cultures get relevance in ours. When a film is great, country and culture should have no barring on where it ranks above
one we feel more familiarized with. I am
very excited to see just how much more as an audience we can continue to grow
and appreciate good cinema. And know its
okay to enjoy the rollercoaster blockbuster rides that we can offer, because there are times
where we need that popcorn escape. Both
worlds can live together and not be a battle of which is art, and which is pure
bliss.
HONORABLE METIONS
Under the Silver Lake
The Lighthouse
Arctic
Godzilla King of Monsters
The Nightingale
WITHOUT FURTHER ADU….THE TOP 10
#10
THE IRISHMAN
Martin Scorsese’s dream story for almost two decades. The dream team of mafia tough guy actors of
the past 30 years. The man who probably
may have really killed Jimmy Hoffa. The
movie was destined for greatness before the first minute ran on a 200 plus
minute movie. Perhaps it was a bit much
of it all. Perhaps for me anyway, the digital
facial technology whatever its called to “make DeNiro look 40,” just didn’t sit
well with me. Everyone was still a knock
out, especially Pesci my god, talk about not acting for years and coming back
with home run. In the end, I’ve felt I’ve
seen far better gangster flicks even from the master of cinema himself. Irishman was a wonderful film, it just came
out 20 years too late and without the need of this technology.
UNCUT GEMS
Adam Sandler was a tour-de-force times speed and Adderall on
an 8-ball binge. That was this
rollercoaster of a performance from the Sand man, whom was terribly shunned out
of the best actor categories. Well
probably never see Sandler this chaotic and douchey again. But for anyone whose every placed a sport bet
and felt the outer body experience that some bets take you to, you’ll completely
understand the lunacy behind Sandler’s gambling degenerate character. Oh, by the way, Kevin Garnett can fucking act
too.
#8 and #7
US and MIDSOMMAR
I wanted to discuss both these films together and honestly, I
can make a case for loving either film over the other. So, they take these two slots. Jordan Peele and Ari Aster right now are the
leaders to take horror back to the promised land. And I anxiously await where these two
demented minds take us next. Because
they have two bright voices that show us two completely different styles of
horror. Peele’s US was another take on
social prejudice but this time not on race (like a lot of people expected) but
on class. Similar in a way with what Joon-Ho
had to say with Parasite (more on that later), Peele wanted to pull back the curtain behind what makes us
our own worst enemy a lot of the times.
Where Aster’s Midsommar is visually striking cinematography and his
exposition is more of visual poetic horror than straight in your face. And it takes a lot more peeling of the onion
so to speak to grasp what he’s showing you.
Last year’s Hereditary was my favorite film of the year because in large
fact how Aster’s camera work play is phenomenal and uncanny. He is no different in Midsommar and dared to
show audiences just how scared they could be in a 90% daylit film. Whatever is next from these two you can rest
assure we are going to be in for a hell of a….treat.
FAR FROM HOME
Lost in the fire behind the mammoth of the Avengers finale
ENDGAME was this FAR better than it should have been superhero film two months
later called Far From Home. Taken place
soon after the events of Endgame and (SPOILER SCREW YOU) Ironman’s death, Peter
Parker is a fragile and vulnerable “hero” who gets manipulated by the lately
always amazing Jake Gyllenhaal MYSTERIO character and what ensues is a story
rich in not only spectacle and awe (the razzle) but also a very crucial
breakdown of what makes Peter Parker so damn lovable in these comics. He is broken here, scared, in mourning and yet is
expected to take on the reigns of this new future of superheroes, all the while he faces
an enemy that should remind us all just how incredibly easy the weapon of media
can be wielded and spun and used like an atomic bomb. The film also features a three to five-minute
sequence during which Spiderman first falls into Mysterio’s illusions that may
very well be the best sequence in a Marvel film yet. Or at least in quite a while. And if it isn’t already clear, I’m sorry nerd
horde, but this film blows away Endgame and all its sad nostalgia.
#5
ATLANTICS (French – ATLANTIQUE)
This is where the list separates itself, as I feel these
five films were by large and far the best 5 films I saw all year. I had to make 6 through 10 work for the rest
of the list, but these five were the strong standouts for me. Starting with Senegalese director Mati Diop’s
amazing film Atlantics. She became the first
black female director to have a film entry in the Cannes film festival. It is extremely difficult for me to explain
this movie to people because so much of the story is a surprise especially mid-way
through, and although I’ve seen others explain away part of the surprise, I
rather not do that. It’s a beautiful
story that spins between romance love story into supernatural ghost story with
a strong message woven within it. Must
watch and then come discuss it with me (NETFLIX)
JOKER
What else is there to say that hasn’t already been said
about this film. Or the never NOT
amazing Joaquinn Phoenix. The little
movie that surely was going to make money due to its character, but no one expected
THIS. Once you realize the director Todd
Phillips most known films before this was The Hangover, Old School and Road
Trip is when your mind really starts to boggle.
It’s like well you casted Joaquinn Phoenix now you’re an auteur. Well regardless of the how, what Phillips
manage to pull off in Joker is nothing short of amazing. A dark arthouse character study loosely based
on the killing joke comic strip (there’s no comic origin for Joker ever) and of
course the obvious Scorsese influence (he was producer). Sprinkle that Phoenix magic and you have the
culture shock movie of the year. Yet another
case study on socialism here is the underbelly of Phillip’s vision of watching
one man’s slow descent into madness and how much society weighs in on that
descent. Were slow as a society here in
America when coming to terms with the term “mental illness” because we operate
in a world where its weak if you aren’t perceived as strong or masculine. My hope is that with the $1 billion box
office that normally goes to the likes of Avengers and Star Wars, at least
maybe that same crowd that saw Joker now will open their minds more so about a
touchy subject that needs a more vocal conversation.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
If one movie this year felt like a Hollywood All Star Game
it was Quentin Tarantino’s opus to the golden age of Hollywood. This movie just evoked happiness, innocence,
joy, coolness, fun, laughter and just all the things the Hollywood lifestyle
used to seem like from a distance.
Albeit within the shadow of the Manson murders on the horizon and with
it all that innocence, this was a time that clearly meant a lot to Tarantino. He grew up watching these spaghetti western’s
that seem old and silly to us now. But
that effect left a lasting mark on a lot of people during that time, people like our parents and grand parents that
remember when something was as simple as a cowboy and a robber. Leo and Pitt here play actor and stunt double
partners that seem to have the coolest bromance time ever. They are as funny as they’ve ever been and the
rest of the all star cast just emitted that fun cool vibe that came with living
in late 60s LA. The movie is gorgeous
and wonderful, and it’s rare to see a Tarantino movie have this kind of
vibe. This seemed like the kind of movie
a kid would make before he sets off on retirement to remind himself and others
like him, what once was…
#2
1917
If there was one cinematic experience movie of 2019 that
movie was 1917 (I know that sounds confusing, sorry). 1917 was the final film I made it out to see
in theaters solely so I could finish this list before the Oscars. Been only one other movie all year I saw
alone in theaters (Midsommar) and let me tell you, of all the Endgames,
Spidermans, Star Wars, etc etc….THIS MOVIE IS MEANT TO BE SEEN IN
THEATERS!!! Okay, nerd rant over. But wow…Director Sam Mendez has outdone himself
and this “feels” like his Gladiator. The
man behind great films like American Beauty, Road to Perdition and the best
bond film ever Skyfall, he delivered yet another amazing cinematic experience
that exceeds all those. What Nolan did
with Dunkirk I applauded and thoroughly enjoyed, but 1917 is far superior. You can look back at my lone argument toward
Dunkirk, only thing that usually is missing from Nolan blockbusters…the
connectedness to its characters. 1917 is
based upon Mendez’s own great grandfathers WW1 stories where he was a “runner”
for the British army and tells the tale of these two incredible men who must
travel between enemy lines to stop a battle that is certain death for the British
army. The movie is shot to seem like it
takes place over one entire shot, over the course of a single day and you feel
like you are inside the trenches of war like never before. I have no problems with those who would say
this was the best movie of the year because it was THAT GOOD. But for me, the next film just had something
more that we need to discuss in 2020. But make no mistake, 1917 was a powerful
and nerve-racking intense film that I look forward to re watching again.
#1
PARASITE
And here we are. The
movie I can not stop talking about since I saw it. The movie I legitimately believe will go down
as a masterpiece and classic film for a generation. It’s the perfect game of movie making. Or as close as it gets. Bong Joon-Ho is no longer just a Korean director,
he is a top of his class A1 movie director that deserves to call his next film
whatever he wants. I first fell in love
with his style in the amazing Snowpiercer few years back. Then I came upon Memoirs of a Murderer and of
course the Netflix produced Okja. In Parasite
he has found his Mona Lisa. A film that
feels like it was painted by brush strokes at times and not just a camera lens. Every image is an important piece of what he
is trying to convey through story. And this
story about a poor family literally living underneath the street, whom
one by one infiltrates a modern rich wealthy family with a house on top of the
hill. And with yet our final film depicting
classism and socialism and its slap in the face toward what is happening just
outside your door. Whether you live here
or in China.
I’m not here to tell you how you should feel after watching
a movie. We all go for different
feelings and emotions. But for me as of
late I have geared my attention more toward the eyes wide open style narratives
that perpetuate a conversation toward the right direction. And art has always been one of the best ways
to express a voice. I think in cinema
period if you aren’t voicing an opinion or belief of something, then what is
the point? I was deeply moved by
Parasite’s story and all its little nuisances that Joon-Ho mastered together
like Neo when he firsts sees the Matrix and realizes he can stop bullets. We are seeing a master Hitchcockian director
with a finesse of which all movie buffs should appreciate. This indeed is the best movie of the year!
