Top 9 Movies of 2019
Another year has passed, and I will be sharing my 9 favorite movies of 2019. I'm arranging my picks in alphabetical order and the reason I'm doing nine is I'm saving one movie for a video. You may know what it is. 2019 I thought was better than last year for movies in terms of quality and some made me feel very ecstatic. So here they are.
Keanu Reeves returns as the legend that is you know who and continues to not disappoint in this franchise. John is on the run with a price on his head and has to defend himself but we already know what an unstoppable force he is. With more great action-packed sequences, it's got assassins with katanas on motorbikes, lethal horses, vicious dogs, and John taking down a giant with a book! With another chapter on the way, I hope it will continue to be good, though the sooner we can deal with that adjudicator the better. Her monotone persona doesn't do it for me, which is ironic because I thought Halle Berry would be the weak link but she wasn't that bad. I can't say much else except: "Si vis pacem, para bellum."
I like to imagine Joaquin Phoenix being told that some people find DC movies too dark and serious, and then say "Wait till they get a load of me." Joker is a more gritty and realistic take on the famous Batman villain. People at first were skeptical of the idea of a Joker movie with no Batman but they became intrigued when they saw the trailers. I was no exception as these were some of the best trailers I've seen last year. At the same time, they were very concerned that the movie would encourage violence. I can see where they're coming from as in the movie when Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) commits an act of crime, he's seen as this inspiration for people to rise up against the elite. In fact, that moment where Arthur is surrounded by a cheering mass with a bloody smile gave me major chills. But I saw this movie twice on its opening weekend and luckily no harm came to me or other people. The only bad thing that happened was while watching it for the first time, some people were talking behind me during the movie and I cannot abide when people do that. I watched it on 35mm film but then it started to look jumpy and they had to shut down the projector and put on the digital version. Fortunately, I didn't hear any more disruptions and got a free ticket voucher. But I digress.
I felt this was a risk that paid off. I love how authentic this whole production was, and how it didn't rely on CGI or big action sequences like the MCU. On top of that, Joaquin Phoenix, man. He makes this movie with his incredibly haunting performance. By the time I'm writing this, he has won a Golden Globe. I see more awards coming his way in the future. This film overall gave us something that stands on its own with its approach, its dirty but beautiful cinematography, its gloomy score, and its maniac leading performance.
Coming off of directing the most divisive Star Wars movie, Rian Johnson's latest movie was a modern take on the classic whodunnit genre. Harlan Thrombley has committed suicide after celebrating his 85th birthday, but eccentric detective Beniot Blanc suspects foul play. It's rare you see a murder mystery movie today, let alone an original one and this was a highly entertaining movie with wicked humor and quite an all-star cast. Daniel Craig as Blanc has become one of my favorite characters in a movie last year. His Southern drawl is a bit hammy, but I love the sound of it. Chris Evans is enjoyably despicable as Ransom but you gotta admit, he looks mighty fine in a sweater. Ana de Armas is very good as Marta, the heart and soul of the film. And all the other players were superb. I even like how Frank Oz makes a cameo as Harlan's lawyer. It's a thrilling mystery with plenty of surprises and a big reveal that sticks the landing. Also, can we get more movies with Daniel Craig as Blanc?
Two men manage a lighthouse and go insane. That's pretty much the plot of this movie, but it is so harrowing and bizarre. Right from the very beginning, when the ominous score plays, I could tell I was in for something dark. Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson are great together, going back forth to being rivals to getting drunk and dancing and singing. Pattinson has shown a considerable amount of growth as an actor that people should give him a chance for playing Batman. There's also a mermaid with nether regions and she's the scariest thing I've seen in a movie last year. Her shrieking terrifies me. Some moments come across as Lynchian including one involving what sounds like distorted feedback. So much about this movie could be interpreted in a couple of ways like maybe the island where the lighthouse resides is purgatory, all the hallucinations Pattinson sees are his sins, and the light is salvation. However one would interpret it, it was an odd and unsettling descent into madness.
This is a late addition to my list since it didn't come out in a theater in my area until last weekend, and after watching it finally, I thought it was an intense but stellar film. Two soldiers have to go on a perilous mission to deliver a message to stop a battalion from walking into an ambush. But the way it was shot and edited to be like one continuous shot was so well-done. When you got Roger Deakins as your DP, you are going to get some amazing visuals. It may seem like a gimmick and you can almost tell where they hid the cuts, but I was just immersed in this film thanks to the cinematography and solid performances from the two leads, Dean-Charles Chapman and especially George MacKay who was the standout. What Sam Mendes and his crew have made was a nerve-racking and emotional experience and I salute him.
The 9th movie by Quentin Tarantino is a retro look into the lives of a washed-out actor, his stunt double, and Sharon Tate in 1969 which was the end of the Golden Age of Hollywood. I wasn't so hot on Tarantino's last movie, The Hateful Eight. I mean, I enjoyed it for watching it on 70mm film with the overture, intermission, and original score by Ennio Morricone but it didn't hold up on re-watches for me. Now with his ninth film, Tarantino had my attention again. The entertainment value in the film was very strong even in simple things like the driving scenes but Tarantino finds some very catchy tunes and I got the soundtrack to enhance my driving.
The main characters were so interesting that I could watch a simple day in the life with them and not get bored. Leonardo DiCaprio was great as usual. There was some meta in how his character, Rick Dalton, plays a heavy on a western TV show as he played a villain in Django Unchained. Yet when he's playing an actor who's acting, he is still incredible and intense. Margot Robbie's portrayal of Sharon Tate has generated some controversy in how she doesn't have a lot of dialogue and doesn't do much besides smile and enjoy the Hollywood life. A similar issue was Anna Paquin's role in The Irishman where she says only seven words, though, to me that was part of her character and Paquin herself didn't have problems with that. Back to Robbie, it doesn't bother me too much and I think she does her best with what she has been given and even the late Tate's sister approved of her performance. And to bring up a point, movies are a visual medium and you don't always need dialogue. I think Tarantino did this portrayal with good intentions to show what kind of star Sharon Tate was since most people nowadays associated her with his tragic and brutal murder by the Manson family. Now the MVP of the movie for me is Brad Pitt who was fantastic as Cliff Booth, another favorite of mine. He was the very definition of cool in how he looked and what he was capable of. Plus his dog, Brandy, is a lovable mutt.
So this film was a great and dazzling new addition to Tarantino's filmography. Despite what I mentioned before about Margot Robbie as well as all the inevitable foot shots and the controversial depiction of Bruce Lee, it was a great love letter to movies and Hollywood complete with a violent finale. As I was watching the movie for the first time, I was thinking it could end two ways. The route Tarantino ended up taking was very gratifying but sadly this was a fairy tale. Still, movies can provide an escape from reality.
This movie hasn't been on my radar from the start, but then I heard a lot of people praising it, calling it "a masterpiece" and "one of the year's best." So I decided to watch it with low expectations and by God, they were right. My initial fears were it would be too artsy and I wouldn't be able to follow it, but it drew me in with its fascinating story and visual beauty. A.O. Scott said it best in his review when he called it "wildly entertaining, the kind of smart, generous, aesthetically-energized movie that obliterates the tired distinctions between art films and popcorn movies." The focus of the film is on two families, one who's poor and the other who's rich and how they get involved with each other. I wouldn't dare say much else because it would be better if you don't know much about the plot if you watch it. It really makes me happy to find a movie like this, something that is supremely well-crafted but all-around captivating. Bong Joon-Ho has established himself as a master of his craft with this film. And speaking as someone who is sometimes hesitant to watch foreign movies, I say more people should see this. It's got humor, suspense, poignancy and they're all masterfully balanced in this movie. It's easily in my top 3 of the year.
Unlike Joker, DC's other movie last year was more light-hearted. Not only did SHAZAM gave some hilarious content, but it also had some much-welcomed heart and even some dark moments. Zachary Levi was an absolute joy to watch as the titular hero. He was goofy, sure, but what else did you expect from Chuck? And he certainly had his heroic moments. With two well-received movies this year, hopefully, DC will continue to do more of their own thing.
Honorable Mentions:
The Irishman
If Avengers Endgame was the big cinematic event of the year for comic book movies, then The Irishman was the event for cinephiles. All you need are four famous names: De Niro, Pacino, Pesci, and Scorcese. This epic mob film further displays how much Scorcese has been evolving as a filmmaker. While there were gunshots and violence, there were some quiet, profound moments and this movie asks us to have some breathing room to contemplate. Some would be expecting this to be the next Goodfellas or Wolf of Wall Street, but this is something different. The way this movie was structured reminded me of Amadeus in how it begins with an old Frank Sheeran (played by Robert De Niro in one of his best roles in quite a while) reflecting on his life as a hitman. But unlike Salleri, Sheeran is full of regret especially being involved in the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa, played with hotheaded excellence by Al Pacino. As for Joe Pesci, he appears very calm as Russell Bufalino but portrays a stone-cold leader sublimely and it's great to see him and De Niro work together again. With a class A director and first-rate performances from legendary actors, you get a golden film that comes once in a generation.
Keanu Reeves returns as the legend that is you know who and continues to not disappoint in this franchise. John is on the run with a price on his head and has to defend himself but we already know what an unstoppable force he is. With more great action-packed sequences, it's got assassins with katanas on motorbikes, lethal horses, vicious dogs, and John taking down a giant with a book! With another chapter on the way, I hope it will continue to be good, though the sooner we can deal with that adjudicator the better. Her monotone persona doesn't do it for me, which is ironic because I thought Halle Berry would be the weak link but she wasn't that bad. I can't say much else except: "Si vis pacem, para bellum."
Joker
I felt this was a risk that paid off. I love how authentic this whole production was, and how it didn't rely on CGI or big action sequences like the MCU. On top of that, Joaquin Phoenix, man. He makes this movie with his incredibly haunting performance. By the time I'm writing this, he has won a Golden Globe. I see more awards coming his way in the future. This film overall gave us something that stands on its own with its approach, its dirty but beautiful cinematography, its gloomy score, and its maniac leading performance.
Knives Out
Coming off of directing the most divisive Star Wars movie, Rian Johnson's latest movie was a modern take on the classic whodunnit genre. Harlan Thrombley has committed suicide after celebrating his 85th birthday, but eccentric detective Beniot Blanc suspects foul play. It's rare you see a murder mystery movie today, let alone an original one and this was a highly entertaining movie with wicked humor and quite an all-star cast. Daniel Craig as Blanc has become one of my favorite characters in a movie last year. His Southern drawl is a bit hammy, but I love the sound of it. Chris Evans is enjoyably despicable as Ransom but you gotta admit, he looks mighty fine in a sweater. Ana de Armas is very good as Marta, the heart and soul of the film. And all the other players were superb. I even like how Frank Oz makes a cameo as Harlan's lawyer. It's a thrilling mystery with plenty of surprises and a big reveal that sticks the landing. Also, can we get more movies with Daniel Craig as Blanc?
The Lighthouse
Two men manage a lighthouse and go insane. That's pretty much the plot of this movie, but it is so harrowing and bizarre. Right from the very beginning, when the ominous score plays, I could tell I was in for something dark. Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson are great together, going back forth to being rivals to getting drunk and dancing and singing. Pattinson has shown a considerable amount of growth as an actor that people should give him a chance for playing Batman. There's also a mermaid with nether regions and she's the scariest thing I've seen in a movie last year. Her shrieking terrifies me. Some moments come across as Lynchian including one involving what sounds like distorted feedback. So much about this movie could be interpreted in a couple of ways like maybe the island where the lighthouse resides is purgatory, all the hallucinations Pattinson sees are his sins, and the light is salvation. However one would interpret it, it was an odd and unsettling descent into madness.
1917
This is a late addition to my list since it didn't come out in a theater in my area until last weekend, and after watching it finally, I thought it was an intense but stellar film. Two soldiers have to go on a perilous mission to deliver a message to stop a battalion from walking into an ambush. But the way it was shot and edited to be like one continuous shot was so well-done. When you got Roger Deakins as your DP, you are going to get some amazing visuals. It may seem like a gimmick and you can almost tell where they hid the cuts, but I was just immersed in this film thanks to the cinematography and solid performances from the two leads, Dean-Charles Chapman and especially George MacKay who was the standout. What Sam Mendes and his crew have made was a nerve-racking and emotional experience and I salute him.
Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood
The 9th movie by Quentin Tarantino is a retro look into the lives of a washed-out actor, his stunt double, and Sharon Tate in 1969 which was the end of the Golden Age of Hollywood. I wasn't so hot on Tarantino's last movie, The Hateful Eight. I mean, I enjoyed it for watching it on 70mm film with the overture, intermission, and original score by Ennio Morricone but it didn't hold up on re-watches for me. Now with his ninth film, Tarantino had my attention again. The entertainment value in the film was very strong even in simple things like the driving scenes but Tarantino finds some very catchy tunes and I got the soundtrack to enhance my driving.
The main characters were so interesting that I could watch a simple day in the life with them and not get bored. Leonardo DiCaprio was great as usual. There was some meta in how his character, Rick Dalton, plays a heavy on a western TV show as he played a villain in Django Unchained. Yet when he's playing an actor who's acting, he is still incredible and intense. Margot Robbie's portrayal of Sharon Tate has generated some controversy in how she doesn't have a lot of dialogue and doesn't do much besides smile and enjoy the Hollywood life. A similar issue was Anna Paquin's role in The Irishman where she says only seven words, though, to me that was part of her character and Paquin herself didn't have problems with that. Back to Robbie, it doesn't bother me too much and I think she does her best with what she has been given and even the late Tate's sister approved of her performance. And to bring up a point, movies are a visual medium and you don't always need dialogue. I think Tarantino did this portrayal with good intentions to show what kind of star Sharon Tate was since most people nowadays associated her with his tragic and brutal murder by the Manson family. Now the MVP of the movie for me is Brad Pitt who was fantastic as Cliff Booth, another favorite of mine. He was the very definition of cool in how he looked and what he was capable of. Plus his dog, Brandy, is a lovable mutt.
So this film was a great and dazzling new addition to Tarantino's filmography. Despite what I mentioned before about Margot Robbie as well as all the inevitable foot shots and the controversial depiction of Bruce Lee, it was a great love letter to movies and Hollywood complete with a violent finale. As I was watching the movie for the first time, I was thinking it could end two ways. The route Tarantino ended up taking was very gratifying but sadly this was a fairy tale. Still, movies can provide an escape from reality.
Parasite
This movie hasn't been on my radar from the start, but then I heard a lot of people praising it, calling it "a masterpiece" and "one of the year's best." So I decided to watch it with low expectations and by God, they were right. My initial fears were it would be too artsy and I wouldn't be able to follow it, but it drew me in with its fascinating story and visual beauty. A.O. Scott said it best in his review when he called it "wildly entertaining, the kind of smart, generous, aesthetically-energized movie that obliterates the tired distinctions between art films and popcorn movies." The focus of the film is on two families, one who's poor and the other who's rich and how they get involved with each other. I wouldn't dare say much else because it would be better if you don't know much about the plot if you watch it. It really makes me happy to find a movie like this, something that is supremely well-crafted but all-around captivating. Bong Joon-Ho has established himself as a master of his craft with this film. And speaking as someone who is sometimes hesitant to watch foreign movies, I say more people should see this. It's got humor, suspense, poignancy and they're all masterfully balanced in this movie. It's easily in my top 3 of the year.
SHAZAM!
Unlike Joker, DC's other movie last year was more light-hearted. Not only did SHAZAM gave some hilarious content, but it also had some much-welcomed heart and even some dark moments. Zachary Levi was an absolute joy to watch as the titular hero. He was goofy, sure, but what else did you expect from Chuck? And he certainly had his heroic moments. With two well-received movies this year, hopefully, DC will continue to do more of their own thing.
Honorable Mentions:
Jumanji The Next Level
With the last Jumanji movie being a surprise hit, another one just had to be made, but this was just as fun and enjoyable as the last one if not more. I was consistently laughing throughout it. I wasn't keen at first on Dwayne Johnson acting like Danny DeVito but when I saw the movie, it won me over, and Kevin Hart acting like Danny Glover was another plus.
Zombieland Double Tap
Made 10 years after the first one, this sequel was surprisingly solid. The cast was still enjoyable, especially Woody Harrelson who's hilarious as Tallahassee. With new faces and challenges, this movie was a gory blast.
Ford v Ferrari
Matt Damon and Christian Bale lead this old-fashioned racing film about friendship and pushing boundaries with plenty of speed and thrills to enjoy.
Marriage Story
Adam Driver and Scarlett Johannson give excellent performances in this heart-rending look into a couple's divorce.
Dolomite Is My Name
A return to form for Eddie Murphy in this raunchy but loving homage to comic Rudy Ray Moore and his alter ego, Dolemite. In the same vein as Ed Wood and The Disaster Artist.
Apollo 11
Made for the 50th anniversary of the historical event, this documentary uses restored footage and audio to present a well-made look into one of Mankind's greatest achievements.
With the last Jumanji movie being a surprise hit, another one just had to be made, but this was just as fun and enjoyable as the last one if not more. I was consistently laughing throughout it. I wasn't keen at first on Dwayne Johnson acting like Danny DeVito but when I saw the movie, it won me over, and Kevin Hart acting like Danny Glover was another plus.
Zombieland Double Tap
Made 10 years after the first one, this sequel was surprisingly solid. The cast was still enjoyable, especially Woody Harrelson who's hilarious as Tallahassee. With new faces and challenges, this movie was a gory blast.
Ford v Ferrari
Matt Damon and Christian Bale lead this old-fashioned racing film about friendship and pushing boundaries with plenty of speed and thrills to enjoy.
Marriage Story
Adam Driver and Scarlett Johannson give excellent performances in this heart-rending look into a couple's divorce.
Dolomite Is My Name
A return to form for Eddie Murphy in this raunchy but loving homage to comic Rudy Ray Moore and his alter ego, Dolemite. In the same vein as Ed Wood and The Disaster Artist.
Apollo 11
Made for the 50th anniversary of the historical event, this documentary uses restored footage and audio to present a well-made look into one of Mankind's greatest achievements.
Just Mercy
A very powerful film that will make feel you heartbroken and mad at the injustices of the world but inspired by the act of one lawyer who would not give up on proving the innocence of a death row prisoner.
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