Top 10 Best Films of 2019

Now that the worst is out of the way, it's time to look at the best of 2019. While there were plenty of good films there weren't many great ones. Some on repeated viewings didn't hold up well, while others surprisingly got better that I regret the rating I gave it. Looking at the number of films I saw in 2019, it's less than what I saw in 2018. I watched about seventy movies that year, but for last year, I saw about sixty. Even then, there were many still I missed; my sincerest apologies to John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Richard Jewell, Deep Waters, Just Mercy, Honey Boy, Dolomite is My Name, Waves and The Last Black Man in San Francisco to name few.

2019 saw the end for many movies like Avengers: Endgame and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. Both are based on existing written properties that got their cinematic start at the end of the 2000's. What can be said about Marvel that hasn't been said already, it's the first in creating a cinematic universe since Universal's Classic Monsters with its catalog of superhero movies and television spin-offs. How To Train Your Dragon began as series of children's novels that evolved into a franchise from DreamWorks Animation with a motion picture trilogy, TV specials and a TV show that lasted for eight seasons.

On the other end of the spectrum are Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Dark Phoenix. Franchises that have been around for a long time and had multiple chances to start anew with mixed results to say the least. Their latest installments began on a strong note with The Force Awakens and First Class, only to stumble on the final chapter. Even Madea was surprisingly given a finale but the less said the better.

There were the usual flock of sequels, some were alright (Godzilla: King of Monsters, The Angry Birds Movie 2, The Lego Movie 2) others not so much (The Secret Life of Pets 2, It: Chapter 2, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil). Many were continuations to films that began a decade ago (Toy Story 4, Glass, Doctor Sleep, Rambo: Last Blood, and Zombieland: Double Tap).

Disney delivered their yearly crop live-action remakes. The Lion King was an unnecessary spectacle, Lady and the Tramp was surprisingly harmless, Dumbo was the worst offender with Aladdin being the unexpected best of the bunch. After the sensational success of Bohemian Rhapsody, 2019 saw a trio of musicals that were based or inspired by famous artists with Yesterday, Rocketman and Blinded by Light. First-time Horror directors Robert Eggers (The Witch), Jennifer Kent (The Babadook) and Jordan Peele (Get Out) delivered their second films with The Lighthouse, The Nightingale and Us.  

From the list of books tuned into movies the list included Little Woman, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Doctor Sleep, Pet Semetary, Alita: Battle Angel, and Five Feet Apart. After the live-action embarrassments that were Dragon Ball Evolution, Death Note and Ghost in the Shell, anime and manga were finally given the proper respect with Detective Pikachu and Alita: Battle Angel. 

"Christian films," like Breakthrough, Overcomer and Unplanned were embraced by their target audience, though The Irishman, A Hidden Life, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood , By Grace of God, and Harriet had their fair share of strong religious themes.

A quick shout-out to documentaries that I sadly didn't see but adding to my never-ending watchlist from One Child Nation, They Shall Not Grow Old, American Factory, For Sama, and the previously lost concert film Amazing Grace.  

As for other duds that my worst list didn't cover, Hellboy and Terminator: Dark Fate weren't the franchise starters the studios were hoping for as both bombed with audiences and critics.

Like last year, there were more than ten films that I enjoyed. So here are some Honorable Mentions...

  

• Avengers: Endgame: What began in 2009's Iron Man, reaches its ultimate climax in the final chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 
• A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: Tom Hanks shines as Mr. Rogers, showing how kindness can be contagious even in the hardest of hearts.
• The Farewell:  Based on a small lie and director Lulu Wang's own experience, is a comedic drama that explores culture and family among other values. 
• Ford v Ferrari: Based on a real rivalry starring Christian Bale and Matt Damon, is an automobile account on maintaining one's passion and drive, even within a corporate world. 
• A Hidden Life: Terrence Malick's poetic motion picture on the martyrdom of Franz Jägerstätter. 
• The Kid Who Would Be King: From Joe Cornish, the director of Attack the Block is an underrated kid's movie and the best King Arthur film in a long time.
• Klaus: Sergio Pablos' gorgeously animated and delightfully merry take on the legend of Santa Claus. 
• Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: The ninth film from Quentin Tarantino, is his most mature movie in exploring the final days of Hollywood's golden age.   

Time to look back one last time and enter the new decade with my top ten favorite films of 2019, starting with.....

10). Little Women

"The thing I said to them [Sony] was, it was so clear to me when I reread the book, this book is about women, ambition, money, and art. And it was about the intersection of those things. I want to make a movie that focuses in on that, because to me, that’s what this book is about. And moreover, that’s what Louisa May Alcott liked, in fact. And this distance between Louisa May Alcott and Jo March is also at the crux of my story. I wanted to explore all that. I think I said it with enough confidence that they accepted my analysis." 

-Great Gerwig

When this movie made the Oscar list for Best Picture, it was the one film I had not seen. What a mistake it was to miss such a remarkable film. In what is the seventh adaptation on the big screen, Greta Gerwig makes not only a superb screen version of Louisa Alcott's beloved novel but integrates much of Alcott's own life as well. The touching story of four sister growing up and leaving behind childhood, each going their own separate ways but not forgetting each other. The trails, regrets and happy memories they go through in discovering who they are. The March Sisters are wonderfully portrayed by Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh and Eliza Scanlen, who lead a superb cast that includes Timothée Chalamet, Laura Dern, Chris Cooper, Bob Odenkirk, and Merly Streep. Fans of Alcott will not be disappointed, and newcomers like myself will be genuinely surprised. 


9). Ad Astra

"I love 2001 like nothing else, really. I mean, it’s top five for me. The thing is though, it’s interesting, because if you look at the science fiction genre, there’s Steven Spielberg science fiction movies, there’s Stanley Kubrick’s, they’re very different, but they both often deal with aliens. ....... what I wanted to do was to do the opposite of what had come before, not because I don’t love those movies—I do—but that’s the point. You love them, so you don’t want to rip them off and copy them." 

-James Gray

Next on the list features another former Oceans 11 star now an astronaut lost in space. If the next astronaut film doesn't have Don Cheadle or Andy Garcia, the Oceans' Astronaut Anthology will never be complete! (Mission to Mars & Passengers don't count!) In all seriousness, James Grey's Ad Astra reminded me of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey; in a good way that it didn't feel like like a rip-off. Both are slow but engaging; mostly quite but still intense. They feature an astronaut on a perilous mission on finding a specific life hidden among the stars. The main difference is that Ad Astra has a plot that's easier to follow. I was captivated from start to finish. I wanted to see where this was going, I cared what happened to Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) and the psychological turmoil he was going through. Some may see this movie as an atheistic allegory like 2001 but like said masterpiece whether it was the filmmaker's intention or not, I found more to this movie that was challenging, hypnotic and surprisingly enlightening.

8). Give Me Liberty

"We did not set out to make a political film at all, but obviously, we did reference certain events that took place in Milwaukee [because] one cannot turn one’s eye blind on that situation, but it was never about race or disability or social issues. It was about human relationships and it was about the humanity that we all share, regardless of where we come from.......Our question was let’s get these people physically together in the same van, which serves as a model for Milwaukee and for America, generally, and now that they physically share the same space and they start with antagonism, how do we bring them together, so all of a sudden, before you know it, they’re around the table, celebrating life and realize they have more in common than not."   

-Kirill Mikhanovsky

I think we can appreciate our own lives even in the worst of times after viewing the chaotic madness that Vic (Chris Galust) goes through in one day as a medical transport driver. Never has a movie like Give Me Liberty felt so raw and genuine with its melting pot presentation of the human spirit. Showing plenty of the harsh and unpleasant moments but at the same time giving room for hope and compassion. Poor Vic can't catch a break with anyone including his own passengers consisting of a rowdy group of seniors late for a funeral, a Russian (Maxim Stoya) claiming to be a former boxer, and Tracy (Lauren "Lolo" Spencer) a young woman with ALS who just might be my favorite character of the year. She may not be able to walk but that doesn't stop her from keeping her foot on the ground. Many of my favorite films don't star big name actors, Give Me Liberty features an all cast ensemble of unknowns, non-professionals and first time actors. Galust and Spencer give an outstanding debut in a film celebrating the bonds that everyone shares no matter who we are and where we come from.

7). The Peanut Butter Falcon

"I think the general public hasn't seen something like this before. Hasn't seen somebody with a different ability, or disability, or Down Syndrome being in a feature film like this. I think it's really common for an actor like that to be maybe a B or C character, somebody who just pipes in with a little wisdom and says this sort of very small nugget of wisdom, but that's it. And we were like, no, we're gonna write something starring Zack and make something starring Zack and I think the world's a little bit like, "Oh, we haven't seen this done before." I love Rain, Man. I think it's a great movie. I love Forrest Gump. I think it's a great movie. Those are actors playing a disability. And I think this is the first time an audience really gets to see doing it for real." 

-Tyler Nilson & Michael Schwartz

If I had to choose the Best Actors of the year Lolo Spencer and Zack Gottsagen would be the winners. The characters they play have a disability that the actors themselves have in reality. Like their fictional counterparts they don't allow it to deter them; making their performances all the more extraordinary that I've seen all year. Unlike Tracy in Give Me Liberty, Zak (Gottsagen) has no family and is on the run with dreams of being to be a wrestler; we see the effect he has on the people including a cocky fisherman (Shia LaBeouf) who both form the family they never had. The Peanut Butter Falcon makes for a good companion piece with Give Me Liberty, with the former being more light-hearted than the latter. Both are worth the watch especially Spencer and Gottsagen's performances who'll hopefully pave the way for other people with disabilities to pursue their dreams whether it be acting or any other inspiring goal.

6). Shazam!

"When you’re a kid, you have to learn that there are times when adults will let you down and fail you. It’s an important part of growing up everybody has to learn, but it’s something that really gives Billy and Sivana their origins as a hero and villain.When you take away their powers, what Billy and Sivana both want it to belong and be part of a family and we wanted to get into how that desire can bring out the best or the worst in a person.The difference is that Billy learns to forgive people for their faults and Sivana doesn’t. That’s what holds Sivana back and what makes Billy a hero, but we also wanted people to understand the motivations behind their actions and empathize with what they’re feeling because they’ve both been hurt by people."

-David Sandberg

That's right, a DC comics movie made my list. Shazam! continues the trend of why horror directors are perfect for making superhero movies. Something that Warner Bros. is catching on as seen last year with Saw and The Conjuring director James Wan making Aquaman and Andy Muschietti, who did Mama and It Chapters 1 & 2,  scheduled to helm the upcoming Flash movie. David Sanberg does an impressive job on making this superhero comedy balance its humor, drama, action and at times dark moments. Even more impressive, it is a movie that remembers to have fun just like the DC cartoons. An element that the DC Extended Universe is finally catching on as seen with their recent work. I had my doubts but Zachary Levi nails it as the titular hero and Asher Angel shines as the young alto ego with an arc that had me tears. Not bad from the director of Lights Out and Annabelle Creation.

5). The Irishman

"I hope a picture like this can help change the reception an audience gives a movie. That they have the time to watch it. Everything now is so fast, so fast, so fast. Everybody complains about soundbites. But if you actually read where a soundbite comes from, you’re reading it in context and it sometimes changes things. It’s a danger not only to cinema but it’s a danger to our culture and a danger to our country and how our kids are going to live — to want a quick fix. I’m not saying people should take the medicine of [a piece of art] that’s laborious. But if you can help them be open to something that might have different layers to it, where they may not be able to get it until two days later, that might be interesting. "

-Martin Scorsese 

The beauty of being made for Netflix or any streaming service, is the ability to watch a movie at your own leisure, pausing it at any moment, and watching at a later time. For a film that lasted nearly four hours and kept me engaged throughout its entire run-time, is it any wonder why Martin Scorsese is seen as one of the best filmmakers today. With a status on the level of The Godfather, The Irishman explores the life of Frank Sheeran and his rise inside the mob world. The powerful and ruthless allies he made, his work on "painting houses," and the test of loyalty that lasted until it all came crashing down. Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino are a force to be reckoned with onscreen in a movie that exposes humanity at its worst. What a world of corruption greed, and murder can cause to one's soul, the effect it has on the people they love, and the remorseful search for redemption that one is desperate when at the end of their rope.

4). Knives Out

"I do really love engaging with genre, and whenever I do it, I’m not thinking in terms of what needs to be turned on its head or subverted or undercut — I’m thinking exactly the opposite. I’m thinking, “what is the thing that I essentially love about this, and what is the thing that means the most to me about it, and how can I most purely express that on the screen?” Now, to me, expressing that on the screen does not mean photocopying the thing I watched when I was young. It means finding a way to give the audience, in as fresh and electric a way as possible, the actual experience that I am referring to, what I experienced with this stuff as a kid or how this stuff makes me feel. And sometimes to do that, you have to either veer off the path or kind of clap your hands to wake the audience up out of the daze of familiarity of some of these tropes. But it’s all hopefully for me — at least the goal is — it’s all toward the ends of bringing it all back to what the thing is all about." 

-Rian Johnson 

I rarely give a movie a second watch while still in theaters, but for Knives Out, I made an exception. Why? Because it's that great of a movie! Rian Johnson's old fashion murder mystery is a breath of fresh air that was needed in this ever ending pool of sequels, remakes, reboots and other existing proprieties. An original whodunit mystery that subverts expectations and keeps you second guessing until the end. When the audience can't figure out the culprit until the big reveal, then the movie has done its job. It's not just entertaining, it finds time to incorporate a couple of political themes, that I didn't expect could pull off. The trailers do an amazing job of not revealing anything so I won't here. I will say a few things: the lead character is phenomenal and all that they stand for and with Daniel Craig reportedly finishing his time as James Bond in No Time to Die, I wouldn't mind seeing him return as Detective Benoit Blanc in a sequel.

3). Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus

"One of the biggest draws of doing the movie was in doing something different and hopefully getting different eyes and brains to react to it. It’s great to hear from fans who already like the show and comics, but there’s just something MORE to hearing someone who has just found the show or even from people who didn’t like the show but maybe will like the movie. I always made the show for people who, like me, grew up or are growing up loving science-fiction and horror and absurdist comedy, and that’s how I want people to see the show and movie and comics more than anything else. "  

-Jhonen Vasquez

If Veggietales is my light, Invader Zim is my dark (Interestingly, both received a comeback in 2019). Not many cartoons get a second chance after cancellation, but with the success of Samurai Jack and Hey Arnold getting a proper ending, it seemed only fitting that Invader Zim also have a satisfying conclusion. After Zim's countless efforts of failing to take over the Earth and Dib's never-ending goal of trying to expose Zim's identity, the stakes are higher than ever before. For once in his life, Zim comes up with a plan that actually might work and get Dib out of the way with the creation of the florpus that spells DOOM! DOOM! DOOOOOOOOOM! Enter the Florpus is my kind of sci-fi fun with just the right amount dark humor that I enjoy. It's crazy, random, funny, action-packed, with amazing animation and a good amount of heart that was rarely seen the show, as far as I can remember. If Rick and Morty is too much for your taste, check this one out and enjoy the PUDDING!

2). Parasite

"For people of different circumstances to live together in the same space is not easy. It is increasingly the case in this sad world that humane relationships based on co-existence or symbiosis cannot hold, and one group is pushed into a parasitic relationship with another. In the midst of such a world, who can point their finger at a struggling family, locked in a fight for survival, and call them parasites? It's not that they were parasites from the start. They are our neighbors, friends and colleagues, who have merely been pushed to the edge of a precipice. As a depiction of ordinary people who fall into an unavoidable commotion, this film is: a comedy without clowns, a tragedy without villains, all leading to a violent tangle and a headlong plunge down the stairs. You are all invited to this unstoppably fierce tragicomedy." 

-Bong Joon-ho 

Another film that I will remain vague on plot. If you can, go into this film knowing little to nothing  about the premise. What I can say is that Bong Joon-ho has crafted a masterpiece that like The Irishman, explores the human spirit at a low point. The desperation, the wants, the needs as seen through poor and unemployed Kim family and the wealthy and privileged Park family. Joon-ho made the film to reflect that state of his home country South Korea, you can imagine his surprise when his story resonated on a global scale. It will be worth reading through the subtitles as Joon-ho himself said "Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films." Darkly satirical but powerfully profound, Parasite is a provocative parable you do not want to miss.

1). 1917

"......these movies are difficult to make now. You know, you are up against superhero movies and franchises and animated films, and if you make a movie of scale that you want people to see in the cinema with no big stars in the leads, you know, you have to take everything you can get...... I felt this one, it was part of me. It was part of my childhood. It was part of my family history. And I felt compelled to tell it in a way that I've rarely felt before. Without that, the months and months of, you know, frustration and crazy goals that you set yourself — one of which being to make a movie like this in one shot — would seem to be, you know, really pointless. But somehow it was a rewarding experience and worth all the sacrifices."

Sam Mendes

No other film was more transcendent than Sam Mendes' war epic 1917. A movie that doesn't put you in the front row, you are literally transported with the soldiers trekking in enemy territory. The one-shot technique makes the experience all the more organic as we see the events unfold in the span of a day. While this method of movie-making is nothing new, it's the first to my knowledge done at this level of intensity. Imagine being the camera man in charge of recording the war footage, that's what this movie is. The size and scope it took to recreate the trenches and battle fields are outstandingly convincing. The story may not be as complex as Parasite or entertaining as Knives Out, but sometimes, the most simplest story can say so much. I can't praise this film enough from the score by Thomas Newman is his best yet, the cinematography by Roger Deakins is jaw-dropping, George MacKay & Dean-Charles Chapman carry the film splendidly and the script by Krysty Wilson-Cairns and Mendes himself who the movie was inspired by the stories Mendes' grandfather told him when he served in the Great War. Additional praise to the team for making a movie centered on World War I, as it's a subject that isn't as talked about as much and shouldn't be forgotten. 1917 is a cinematic accomplishment on just how far cinema has come on telling such unforgettable and gripping stories, which is why it is my number one movie of the year.