My Top 10 Favourite Films Of 2019 (So Far)
It seems to me that as good a place to start this whole writing about film endeavour is with a list (because if the success of sites like Buzzfeed has taught me anything, it's that people love lists), and in the interest of starting from a place of relevancy, why not start with a list of my favourite films of 2019 (so far). The benefit of this as I see it, is to give anyone who might take the time to read these ramblings a quick and easy sense of who I am as a critic and as a movie fan. You see I was a fanatic follower of film for the first 30 years of my life before spending 5 years of my life studying the medium academically and those experiences can't help but to dictate my tastes. Yes I can appreciate a well made art house flick, but my heart will always pull me back to genre cinema and big budget spectacle and I suspect this list will provide plenty of evidence of that. It's very likely that I will attempt to write about many of these films in further detail at some point in the future so for the sake of brevity I will only be providing brief impressions here. Also, as it's my desire to share my love of cinema through this blog, I will tend to focus more on the positives of a film than with critiques of it's failings. This is a list of the experiences I enjoyed the most at the cinema, and not necessarily the films I think are the "best". So, without further delay, here are my Top 10 Favourite Films of 2019 (so far).
10) CRAWL (Dir. Alexandre Aja) - And immediately, I've lost your respect. Look, I'll be the first to admit that CRAWL is not a "good" film. It overcomplicates it's premise, hasn't enough faith in it's audiences attention span and doesn't express any aspirations beyond being disposable entertainment. Aja at his best has a tendency to touch genre greatness (see 2003's HAUTE TENSION or 2006's THE HILLS HAVE EYES remake) only to squander goodwill by ultimately opting for the low hanging fruit of 'popping' his audience with an unnecessary twist or cheap thrill and his latest film continues this trend. Yet the premise of CRAWL is established effectively enough that it managed to maintain my interest throughout. The setup of an estranged father and daughter, forced to resolve their familial tensions whilst trapped in a crawl space in the middle of a hurricane with a decidedly unpleasant alligator looking to them as it's next meal is a strong enough hook for me.. Yes the threat escalates as the plot progress through the constant threat of flooding and the (admittedly excessive) introduction of additional 'gators but the film works because it maintains the relationship between parent and child as it's central concern. Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper both deliver sympathetic performances and the film delivers on the promise of gore in a way that doesn't stretch credulity (too often). I'm a sucker for B-movies with simple setups and CRAWL ticked enough boxes for me to have a good time for the film's 87 minute runtime.
9) HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U (Dir. Christopher Landon) - I could promise you that my selections will get more respectable but why start our relationship on a lie? HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U is a sequel to 2017's HAPPY DEATH DAY and doesn't stray too far from it's predecessor in tone or content. Both films are black comedy slashers that follow Jessica Roethe's self-centred sorority sister as she is plunged into a GROUNDHOG DAY-esque time loop where her day rests everytime she is, often comically, murdered by a mask wearing killer. The first film was a tremendously good time owing in no small part to it's knowing sense of humour and an utterly fantastic performance by Roethe who managed to take a deeply unlikeable protagonist and gradually make her more sympathetic as she struggled to escape her fate. The sequel doesn't stray too far from this formula yet still manages to innovate on it's premise by exploring the cause of the time loop and expanding the cast. Roethe returns and delivers an even more comedically exasperated performance as she now has to deal with the additional complication of parallel timelines and multiple different killers. While the film may lack the edge of many of it's genre forebears, Roethe's performance alone merits it's inclusion here for me. It probably won't make my end of year list but awards season doesn't kick off until November so that's usually the case at the end of summer.
8) SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME (Dir. Jon Watts) - It isn't my intention to discuss the behind the scenes politics of the film industry in this blog so I'm going to consciously avoid discussing the Sony/Disney debacle. I will however say that the Marvel Cinematic Universe references of both this film and SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (2017) are the aspects I like the least. In both films, Tom Holland is great, the villains are excellent and the teen movie aspirations are well executed and yet Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark completely overshadows both films (and he doesn't even appear in FAR FROM HOME). But in the interest of positivity, I'm just going to focus on what this film does well. Tom Holland is one of the best bits of casting in all the MCU. His Peter Parker is every bit as entertaining out of the Spider-Man costume as he is in it and he even dispels my personal biases against the teenage depiction of the character (nerd fact: in the comics Peter only spent the first 3 years of his 57 years in print in high school before he graduated in the comics). Much of this is down to Watts' commitment to delivering a sincere and authentic coming of age story that harkens back to the best teen movies of the 1980s and 1990s. Additionally, the filmmakers commitment to effective and memorable villains continues in FAR FROM HOME with Jake Gyllenhaal's turn as Quentin Beck Delivering a performance that shifts from charming and charismatic to snide, arrogant and petty, Gyllenhaal proves every bit as memorable as Michael Keaton's Adrian Toomes in HOMECOMING and provides an excellent foil for Holland. FAR FROM HOME doesn't reinvent the wheel as far as super-hero movies go but in it's best moments provides as much entertainment as one could ask for.
7) UNDER THE SILVER LAKE (Dir. David Robert Mitchell) - So if you'll allow me a slight concession, and a moment of bragging I suppose, but I actually first saw this film at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. But as the film was released in theatres in 2019 and it was my second viewing earlier this year that I particularly enjoyed, I've decided to include it here. I have a deep and abiding love for crime noir and a great deal of affection for Mitchell's first film, IT FOLLOWS (2014), so my initial expectations for UNDER THE SILVER LAKE were perhaps unfairly high. As a result I was somewhat disappointed after my first time viewing the film. Confession time, I avidly dislike THE BIG LEBOWSKI (1998) and while I recognise it's position as a cult classic, I ultimately find it a deeply unsatisfying (which I do understand is at least part of the filmmakers intention) viewing experience. I maintain the belief that Paul Thomas Anderson's INHERENT VICE (2014) has many of the same aims as LEBOWSKI but overall is a much better film. I mention this because upon my initial viewing, UNDER THE SILVER LAKE reminded me of nothing more than a "millennial" LEBOWSKI. While I have found Andrew Garfield's work impressive in both RED RIDING 1984 (2009) and THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010) I was initially underwhelmed by his performance in this film. I found his Sam to be be vapid, self-centered and deeply unlikeable, which is of course the point. Sam is intended less as a surrogate for the audience than he is a commentary of the entitlement and casual sexism of white men of his age and ilk. He drifts through the strangely surreal Silver Lake driven on by his own desire to "solve" the disappearance of a woman he barely knows, and through his increasingly paranoid desire to feel important, begins to see conspiracy all around him. Without the weight of my own expectations, I was able to enjoy the wry humour of the film on second viewing and appreciated how thoroughly it creates a believably noirish setting out of hipster theme parties and underground comic books. Overly long at close to two and a half hours, and with unsettling sexist undertones, UNDER THE SILVER LAKE doesn't entirely succeed in it's aims. Still it is well made and does enough to make this list (for now).
6) AVENGERS: ENDGAME (Dir. Anthony Russo & Joe Russo) - This entry may seem surprisingly brief compared to some of the others on this list but most of my honest commentary about this film would be taken up by petty nitpicks (another essay for another time) and what I feel this film does do well can be summed up fairly succinctly. ENDGAME is a movie of moments. Make no mistake, this film has a seemingly impossible task as the culmination of 23 films worth of plot and build up and strains under the weight of that pressure, and as a standalone film it simply doesn't work. ENDGAME can not possibly be viewed in a vacuum and still provide a satisfying viewing experience. It introduces many characters without explanation, conducts key developments off screen, cheats its own established rules, resolves character arcs without logic and relies entirely on a preexisting knowledge and investment on behalf of the audience for its emotional weight. Yet as a collection of moments, it is a tremendous success (I will forever tear up at the one two punch of Steve Roger's lifting Mjolnir followed so closely by the return of the previously lost heroes). It executes these key moments with excellence across every aspect of the production. Ultimately ENDGAME is a triumph of multi-format storytelling, delivers superhero spectacle to a level not previously seen and deserves it's place as the highest grossing film of all time (without adjusting for inflation of course, people in 1939 REALLY liked GONE WITH THE WIND). Judged on its own merits though, it just isn't a particularly good film. Still, this is a list of preference not objective quality so here it is.
5) JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 PARABELLUM (Dir. Chad Stahelski) - In recent times the action genre has been dominated by the big budget, huge spectacle franchises such as the MISSION IMPOSSIBLE and FAST & FURIOUS films. So when the original JOHN WICK film was released in 2014, many were caught unaware. While Gareth Evans had been keeping the ultraviolent candle burning with the RAID films (released in 2011 and 2014), it was Stahelski's slick and simple debut that really seemed to capture the moment, owing in no small part to the unyielding commitment of series star, Keanu Reeves. As an actor, Reeves has long been the subject of ridicule for his perceived limitations yet found undeniable success as an action star in vehicles such as SPEED and the MATRIX films. Some of the criticism of his past work is undoubtedly deserved yet Reeves has delivered some truly memorable performances, often in more villainous roles, in films such as THE GIFT (2000) and STREET KINGS (2008). In JOHN WICK, the actor effortlessly blends leading man charisma with this moral ambiguity to create what is may end up being his most iconic role, and his performance carried the momentum of the first film. The first sequel would expand the comic book mythology of Wick's world and ups the action stakes but loses the pure adrenaline fuelled simplicity of it's predecessor. JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 PARABELLUM (despite its ridiculous title) manages to be the best of both worlds, combining the commitment to action of the original with the world building of CHAPTER 2. While the action scenes are increasingly frequent, brutal, ridiculous and at times hilarious, the rest of the film is anchored by the stellar cast that has been gathered. Reeves is a coolly charismatic as ever while the returning trifecta of Ian McShane, Laurence Fishbourne and Lance Reddick all provide able support. Meanwhile franchise newcomers Halle Berry, Angelica Houston and Mark Dacascos all make the most of their limited screentime. But if anyone steals the show from Reeves it is Asia Kate Dillon's no-nonsense Adjudicator, who manages to dominate every scene they are in including opposite legends like McShane, Fishbourne and Houston. Sometimes, all I need is for a film to have a clear sense of its identity and purpose and to execute on that sense with passion, and the JOHN WICK films are clear passion projects for Stahelski and Reeves. Personally I can't wait for the inevitable CHAPTER 4.
4) ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (Dir. Quentin Tarantino) - It's a strange experience to be a fan of Quentin Tarantino's work in 2019. Once seemingly every cinesphile's favourite director, the most common responses I encounter when discussing his films nowadays tend to range from mild indifference to outright scorn, and to tell the truth I understand these reactions. Tarantino himself has only become more self-aggrandising and unapolagetically 'problematic' as the years have passed and his work seem to find new levels of self indulgence with each entry. Yet, without fail, I find myself sitting front and centre opening day for every new film of his because the simple truth is that no other filmmakers in modern Hollywood are making genre films with the technical skill, creative flair and (lets be honest) budget of Tarantino. Now there have been plenty of misses amongst the director's output post what I consider to be his most underrated films, JACKIE BROWN (1997). KILL BILL (2003/4) is probably my favourite Tarantino film (even divided in half) but DEATH PROOF (2007) is a well meaning misfire and what moments of genius there are in INGLORIOUS BASTERDS (2009) and DJANGO UNCHAINED (2012) are buried in both films monumental run times. I maintain that THE HATEFUL EIGHT (2015) is a return to form, and I suspect I'm in the minority with that viewpoint, but it too can be criticised for running just under (or over depending on which version you watch) 3 hours. ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD seemingly continues the trend of Tarantino's recent films then through its 161 minute run time, it's languid pacing and it's use of revisionist history. One of the recurring criticisms aimed at Tarantino in critical circles has been that his films are style over substance, lacking any personal feeling or expression from the filmmaker. I have often argued the merit of this assessment of his work, but it cannot be mistaken that ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD is easily Tarantino's most openly personal film. Here, the LA born filmmaker has created a glamorised, almost fantastical, vision of the Hollywood of his childhood. The film's tale of three people in very different stages of their careers, trying to find their places within the film industry, unfolds at a deliberately languid pace that lends the fairly uneventful first 2 hours of the movie an almost dreamlike quality. Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio form a hugely watchable double act with the former's cool charisma effectively juxtaposed by the latter's insecurity and self-loathing. Both actors do excellent work yet it is Margot Robbie's depiction of Sharon Tate that steals the film and reveals much of the filmmakers intent. Robbie comes to represent the heart of the film and is a clear exercise by the filmmaker to rehumanise Tate by portraying her everyday life separate from the tragic mythology that has grown around her (an effort wholly supported by Sharon's sister Debra Tate, in recent interviews). In the interest of fairness I must make mention that Tarantino's attempt to separate the man from the myth with Mike Moh's depiction of Bruce Lee has met criticism from Lee's family, though I do feel the reality of the situation is too nuanced to go into here. Where ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD has caused most of it's controversy is in the film's final act, which I will discuss briefly now so if you do not wish to be even slightly spoiled I'd stop reading now. The key thing I suspect many have overlooked when understanding the film's climax is the title itself. This film is a fairytale, one where on the night of August 9th 1969, instead of entering Sharon Tate's home to carry out their ghastly crimes, by a twist of fate, the followers of Charlie Manson instead choose to target the home of Tate's neighbour in this film, DiCaprio's Rick Dalton. What follows is shocking not only for it's violence, but also it's black sense of humour, as the would be killers encounter Pitt's ex-Green Beret, who is more than capable of handling any threat they pose. This finale reveals in Tarantino, an intense desire to right a tragic wrong, to restore to Tate a sense of humanity and perhaps even stave off the decline of the Hollywood of the director's youth. The film is clearly a labor of love for Tarantino and one worth seeing for the performances of Pitt, DiCaprio and Robbie if nothing else.
3) BOOKSMART (Dir. Olivia Wilde) - The most recent viewing on this list for me so it's position may change come the end of the year. BOOKSMART is a fairly straightforward film, a coming of age teen movie in which lifelong best friends Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) after discovering that their commitment to study has landed them the same College placements as their more carefree peers, seek to have one night of excess before graduating. Wilde's debut film has been most often likened, not unfairly, to a female take on SUPERBAD (2007) the comparison does do the film somewhat of a disservice as BOOKSMART manages to tackle questions of identity, sexuality, expectation and mental health alongside it's hilarious exploration of friendship bordering on co-dependence. A better comparison for the film would likely be 2016's criminally overlooked THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN, not purely because both have female directors working from female written scripts, as both perform perfect balances of comedy with drama. Beanie Feldstein (previously seen in 2017's excellent LADYBIRD) and Kaitlyn Dever (immortalised forever for me as Loretta McCready in FX's phenomenal series JUSTIFIED) are simply sensational in their roles are have created one of the great duos of the teen movie genre. Their charisma, chemistry and comic timing belie their years and left me at least desperate for a BOOKSMART TV series. Yet the entire cast are equally capable with stand out turns from Jessica Williams, Jason Sudeikis and scene stealer Billie Lourd. Probably the film on this list seen by the fewest people but the one I feel deserves a much bigger audience.
2) US (Dir. Jordan Peele) - Jordan Peele's 2017 directorial debut, GET OUT, received critical acclaim upon release, proved hugely successful at the Box Office and even picked up an Academy Award for Best Screenplay amongst it's 4 nominations. Needless to say, expectations were high for his follow up, US, and if his second outing as director falls short of his first critically, its not for lack of ambition. US attempts to engage with and explore themes and ideas far more abstract and far reaching than GET OUT and as a side effect, lacks that film's brutal simplicity. If nothing else, US most resembles a big screen episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE (which Peele fittingly oversaw the 2019 reimagining of). Subsequently the film is prone to more narrative plot holes and logical failings than GET OUT, but in its best moments still manages to achieve greatness. That US's tale of deadly doppelgangers works as well as it does is thanks in no small part to the excellent cast Peele has assembled. Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex and Elizabeth Moss are all excellent in their dual roles but if anyone related to this film deserves award recognition it is surely Lupita Nyong'o who delivers one of the horror genres' greatest ever performances that has to be seen to be believed and virtually demands repeated viewings to truly appreciate the level of nuance at play. To match his cast, Peele brings some of his best work to the film and his efforts alongside the costuming department and his cinematographer, Mike Gioulakis, make virtually every scene a visual treat. The crowning moment of Peele's career thus far must come in the climactic confrontation between Lupita's Adelaide and her dark mirror. From the choreography, the lighting, the set design, the editing and the fantastically implemented soundtrack, every thing comes together in this scene to deliver something truly classic and not to be forgotten. However, for such a heavily plot driven film's, the plot holes that exist do diminish the experience slightly for me but do nothing to hinder the enjoyment. If you haven't already watched US, you really should go out of your way to see it. It's fantastic.
1) MIDSOMMAR (Dir. Ari Aster) - While MIDSOMMAR is an undeniably great film, it does take the top spot for me so far this year for deeply personal reasons. I was not a fan of Aster's previous film HEREDITARY (2018). While I greatly enjoyed Toni Collette's central performance, and there are a few undeniably great moments of horror, overall the film never rose above its influences for me and ultimately felt like a hollow experience. Aster's second film, MIDSOMMAR, also wears it's influences on it's sleeve (specifically 1973's THE WICKER MAN) but has a more emotionally resonant through line for me than HEREDITARY. Florence Pugh is exceptional in the lead role of Dani, a student with severe anxiety problems trying to navigate a family tragedy whilst in a toxic relationship with Josh Raynor's increasingly loathsome Christian. Raynor is also key to the film's success as his performance of Christian's selfishness and casual cruelty is so effective and true to life that not only does the audience innately understand why Dani is still with him, but there have been many people (mostly men) who didn't recognise his behaviour as toxic or even problematic. The success of MIDSOMMAR is that everything else that happens in the film is depicted in relation to Dani's battles with anxiety and her relationship with Christian. Their trip to the isolated Swedish commune of Helga, encounters with its unnerving customs and the horrors that subsequently unfold all provide a backdrop to the overdue dissolution of Dani and Christian's relationship. I don't want to give away anything further about the plot so I will instead discuss why this film so deeply affected me. Simply put, Florence Pugh delivers the most realistic and heartbreaking performance of an individual afflicted with anxiety related mental illness that I have ever seen on film. Even before the familial trauma she undergoes, Pugh's every nuance conveys that this is a young woman gripped by anxiety and the various panic attacks she suffers throughout the film are gut wrenching in their realism. That her time in Helga offer Dani some form of therapeutic release lends the film an oddly positive tone for me. Ultimately MIDSOMMAR is an excellently crafted horror film, with a lot to say regarding mental illness, and while the same could be said for HEREDITARY, I find Aster's second film to be superior to his first. Perhaps a tad too long, but even this criticism is a matter of taste as I found the films length and pacing to enhance its dreamlike qualities. Of all the films I've seen this year, this is the one that still lingers in my thoughts most vividly and as a result is the best film I've seen so far this year,
Well that's my list. My aim with this piece wasn't to provide great critical insight on each film, it was instead to provide and introduction to my cinematic taste and the approach I will be taking with this blog. Hopefully the experience wasn't too painful and my hope is that I will only improve in my writing through practise (though my use of punctuation will no doubt remain as inconsistent as ever). Thank you for taking the time to read this essay/article/piece and I hope you enjoyed it. If not please feel free to let me know. Either way I'll hopefully be back with another essay next week. Thanks for reading.
10) CRAWL (Dir. Alexandre Aja) - And immediately, I've lost your respect. Look, I'll be the first to admit that CRAWL is not a "good" film. It overcomplicates it's premise, hasn't enough faith in it's audiences attention span and doesn't express any aspirations beyond being disposable entertainment. Aja at his best has a tendency to touch genre greatness (see 2003's HAUTE TENSION or 2006's THE HILLS HAVE EYES remake) only to squander goodwill by ultimately opting for the low hanging fruit of 'popping' his audience with an unnecessary twist or cheap thrill and his latest film continues this trend. Yet the premise of CRAWL is established effectively enough that it managed to maintain my interest throughout. The setup of an estranged father and daughter, forced to resolve their familial tensions whilst trapped in a crawl space in the middle of a hurricane with a decidedly unpleasant alligator looking to them as it's next meal is a strong enough hook for me.. Yes the threat escalates as the plot progress through the constant threat of flooding and the (admittedly excessive) introduction of additional 'gators but the film works because it maintains the relationship between parent and child as it's central concern. Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper both deliver sympathetic performances and the film delivers on the promise of gore in a way that doesn't stretch credulity (too often). I'm a sucker for B-movies with simple setups and CRAWL ticked enough boxes for me to have a good time for the film's 87 minute runtime.
9) HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U (Dir. Christopher Landon) - I could promise you that my selections will get more respectable but why start our relationship on a lie? HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U is a sequel to 2017's HAPPY DEATH DAY and doesn't stray too far from it's predecessor in tone or content. Both films are black comedy slashers that follow Jessica Roethe's self-centred sorority sister as she is plunged into a GROUNDHOG DAY-esque time loop where her day rests everytime she is, often comically, murdered by a mask wearing killer. The first film was a tremendously good time owing in no small part to it's knowing sense of humour and an utterly fantastic performance by Roethe who managed to take a deeply unlikeable protagonist and gradually make her more sympathetic as she struggled to escape her fate. The sequel doesn't stray too far from this formula yet still manages to innovate on it's premise by exploring the cause of the time loop and expanding the cast. Roethe returns and delivers an even more comedically exasperated performance as she now has to deal with the additional complication of parallel timelines and multiple different killers. While the film may lack the edge of many of it's genre forebears, Roethe's performance alone merits it's inclusion here for me. It probably won't make my end of year list but awards season doesn't kick off until November so that's usually the case at the end of summer.
8) SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME (Dir. Jon Watts) - It isn't my intention to discuss the behind the scenes politics of the film industry in this blog so I'm going to consciously avoid discussing the Sony/Disney debacle. I will however say that the Marvel Cinematic Universe references of both this film and SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (2017) are the aspects I like the least. In both films, Tom Holland is great, the villains are excellent and the teen movie aspirations are well executed and yet Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark completely overshadows both films (and he doesn't even appear in FAR FROM HOME). But in the interest of positivity, I'm just going to focus on what this film does well. Tom Holland is one of the best bits of casting in all the MCU. His Peter Parker is every bit as entertaining out of the Spider-Man costume as he is in it and he even dispels my personal biases against the teenage depiction of the character (nerd fact: in the comics Peter only spent the first 3 years of his 57 years in print in high school before he graduated in the comics). Much of this is down to Watts' commitment to delivering a sincere and authentic coming of age story that harkens back to the best teen movies of the 1980s and 1990s. Additionally, the filmmakers commitment to effective and memorable villains continues in FAR FROM HOME with Jake Gyllenhaal's turn as Quentin Beck Delivering a performance that shifts from charming and charismatic to snide, arrogant and petty, Gyllenhaal proves every bit as memorable as Michael Keaton's Adrian Toomes in HOMECOMING and provides an excellent foil for Holland. FAR FROM HOME doesn't reinvent the wheel as far as super-hero movies go but in it's best moments provides as much entertainment as one could ask for.
7) UNDER THE SILVER LAKE (Dir. David Robert Mitchell) - So if you'll allow me a slight concession, and a moment of bragging I suppose, but I actually first saw this film at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. But as the film was released in theatres in 2019 and it was my second viewing earlier this year that I particularly enjoyed, I've decided to include it here. I have a deep and abiding love for crime noir and a great deal of affection for Mitchell's first film, IT FOLLOWS (2014), so my initial expectations for UNDER THE SILVER LAKE were perhaps unfairly high. As a result I was somewhat disappointed after my first time viewing the film. Confession time, I avidly dislike THE BIG LEBOWSKI (1998) and while I recognise it's position as a cult classic, I ultimately find it a deeply unsatisfying (which I do understand is at least part of the filmmakers intention) viewing experience. I maintain the belief that Paul Thomas Anderson's INHERENT VICE (2014) has many of the same aims as LEBOWSKI but overall is a much better film. I mention this because upon my initial viewing, UNDER THE SILVER LAKE reminded me of nothing more than a "millennial" LEBOWSKI. While I have found Andrew Garfield's work impressive in both RED RIDING 1984 (2009) and THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010) I was initially underwhelmed by his performance in this film. I found his Sam to be be vapid, self-centered and deeply unlikeable, which is of course the point. Sam is intended less as a surrogate for the audience than he is a commentary of the entitlement and casual sexism of white men of his age and ilk. He drifts through the strangely surreal Silver Lake driven on by his own desire to "solve" the disappearance of a woman he barely knows, and through his increasingly paranoid desire to feel important, begins to see conspiracy all around him. Without the weight of my own expectations, I was able to enjoy the wry humour of the film on second viewing and appreciated how thoroughly it creates a believably noirish setting out of hipster theme parties and underground comic books. Overly long at close to two and a half hours, and with unsettling sexist undertones, UNDER THE SILVER LAKE doesn't entirely succeed in it's aims. Still it is well made and does enough to make this list (for now).
6) AVENGERS: ENDGAME (Dir. Anthony Russo & Joe Russo) - This entry may seem surprisingly brief compared to some of the others on this list but most of my honest commentary about this film would be taken up by petty nitpicks (another essay for another time) and what I feel this film does do well can be summed up fairly succinctly. ENDGAME is a movie of moments. Make no mistake, this film has a seemingly impossible task as the culmination of 23 films worth of plot and build up and strains under the weight of that pressure, and as a standalone film it simply doesn't work. ENDGAME can not possibly be viewed in a vacuum and still provide a satisfying viewing experience. It introduces many characters without explanation, conducts key developments off screen, cheats its own established rules, resolves character arcs without logic and relies entirely on a preexisting knowledge and investment on behalf of the audience for its emotional weight. Yet as a collection of moments, it is a tremendous success (I will forever tear up at the one two punch of Steve Roger's lifting Mjolnir followed so closely by the return of the previously lost heroes). It executes these key moments with excellence across every aspect of the production. Ultimately ENDGAME is a triumph of multi-format storytelling, delivers superhero spectacle to a level not previously seen and deserves it's place as the highest grossing film of all time (without adjusting for inflation of course, people in 1939 REALLY liked GONE WITH THE WIND). Judged on its own merits though, it just isn't a particularly good film. Still, this is a list of preference not objective quality so here it is.
5) JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 PARABELLUM (Dir. Chad Stahelski) - In recent times the action genre has been dominated by the big budget, huge spectacle franchises such as the MISSION IMPOSSIBLE and FAST & FURIOUS films. So when the original JOHN WICK film was released in 2014, many were caught unaware. While Gareth Evans had been keeping the ultraviolent candle burning with the RAID films (released in 2011 and 2014), it was Stahelski's slick and simple debut that really seemed to capture the moment, owing in no small part to the unyielding commitment of series star, Keanu Reeves. As an actor, Reeves has long been the subject of ridicule for his perceived limitations yet found undeniable success as an action star in vehicles such as SPEED and the MATRIX films. Some of the criticism of his past work is undoubtedly deserved yet Reeves has delivered some truly memorable performances, often in more villainous roles, in films such as THE GIFT (2000) and STREET KINGS (2008). In JOHN WICK, the actor effortlessly blends leading man charisma with this moral ambiguity to create what is may end up being his most iconic role, and his performance carried the momentum of the first film. The first sequel would expand the comic book mythology of Wick's world and ups the action stakes but loses the pure adrenaline fuelled simplicity of it's predecessor. JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 PARABELLUM (despite its ridiculous title) manages to be the best of both worlds, combining the commitment to action of the original with the world building of CHAPTER 2. While the action scenes are increasingly frequent, brutal, ridiculous and at times hilarious, the rest of the film is anchored by the stellar cast that has been gathered. Reeves is a coolly charismatic as ever while the returning trifecta of Ian McShane, Laurence Fishbourne and Lance Reddick all provide able support. Meanwhile franchise newcomers Halle Berry, Angelica Houston and Mark Dacascos all make the most of their limited screentime. But if anyone steals the show from Reeves it is Asia Kate Dillon's no-nonsense Adjudicator, who manages to dominate every scene they are in including opposite legends like McShane, Fishbourne and Houston. Sometimes, all I need is for a film to have a clear sense of its identity and purpose and to execute on that sense with passion, and the JOHN WICK films are clear passion projects for Stahelski and Reeves. Personally I can't wait for the inevitable CHAPTER 4.
4) ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (Dir. Quentin Tarantino) - It's a strange experience to be a fan of Quentin Tarantino's work in 2019. Once seemingly every cinesphile's favourite director, the most common responses I encounter when discussing his films nowadays tend to range from mild indifference to outright scorn, and to tell the truth I understand these reactions. Tarantino himself has only become more self-aggrandising and unapolagetically 'problematic' as the years have passed and his work seem to find new levels of self indulgence with each entry. Yet, without fail, I find myself sitting front and centre opening day for every new film of his because the simple truth is that no other filmmakers in modern Hollywood are making genre films with the technical skill, creative flair and (lets be honest) budget of Tarantino. Now there have been plenty of misses amongst the director's output post what I consider to be his most underrated films, JACKIE BROWN (1997). KILL BILL (2003/4) is probably my favourite Tarantino film (even divided in half) but DEATH PROOF (2007) is a well meaning misfire and what moments of genius there are in INGLORIOUS BASTERDS (2009) and DJANGO UNCHAINED (2012) are buried in both films monumental run times. I maintain that THE HATEFUL EIGHT (2015) is a return to form, and I suspect I'm in the minority with that viewpoint, but it too can be criticised for running just under (or over depending on which version you watch) 3 hours. ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD seemingly continues the trend of Tarantino's recent films then through its 161 minute run time, it's languid pacing and it's use of revisionist history. One of the recurring criticisms aimed at Tarantino in critical circles has been that his films are style over substance, lacking any personal feeling or expression from the filmmaker. I have often argued the merit of this assessment of his work, but it cannot be mistaken that ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD is easily Tarantino's most openly personal film. Here, the LA born filmmaker has created a glamorised, almost fantastical, vision of the Hollywood of his childhood. The film's tale of three people in very different stages of their careers, trying to find their places within the film industry, unfolds at a deliberately languid pace that lends the fairly uneventful first 2 hours of the movie an almost dreamlike quality. Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio form a hugely watchable double act with the former's cool charisma effectively juxtaposed by the latter's insecurity and self-loathing. Both actors do excellent work yet it is Margot Robbie's depiction of Sharon Tate that steals the film and reveals much of the filmmakers intent. Robbie comes to represent the heart of the film and is a clear exercise by the filmmaker to rehumanise Tate by portraying her everyday life separate from the tragic mythology that has grown around her (an effort wholly supported by Sharon's sister Debra Tate, in recent interviews). In the interest of fairness I must make mention that Tarantino's attempt to separate the man from the myth with Mike Moh's depiction of Bruce Lee has met criticism from Lee's family, though I do feel the reality of the situation is too nuanced to go into here. Where ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD has caused most of it's controversy is in the film's final act, which I will discuss briefly now so if you do not wish to be even slightly spoiled I'd stop reading now. The key thing I suspect many have overlooked when understanding the film's climax is the title itself. This film is a fairytale, one where on the night of August 9th 1969, instead of entering Sharon Tate's home to carry out their ghastly crimes, by a twist of fate, the followers of Charlie Manson instead choose to target the home of Tate's neighbour in this film, DiCaprio's Rick Dalton. What follows is shocking not only for it's violence, but also it's black sense of humour, as the would be killers encounter Pitt's ex-Green Beret, who is more than capable of handling any threat they pose. This finale reveals in Tarantino, an intense desire to right a tragic wrong, to restore to Tate a sense of humanity and perhaps even stave off the decline of the Hollywood of the director's youth. The film is clearly a labor of love for Tarantino and one worth seeing for the performances of Pitt, DiCaprio and Robbie if nothing else.
3) BOOKSMART (Dir. Olivia Wilde) - The most recent viewing on this list for me so it's position may change come the end of the year. BOOKSMART is a fairly straightforward film, a coming of age teen movie in which lifelong best friends Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) after discovering that their commitment to study has landed them the same College placements as their more carefree peers, seek to have one night of excess before graduating. Wilde's debut film has been most often likened, not unfairly, to a female take on SUPERBAD (2007) the comparison does do the film somewhat of a disservice as BOOKSMART manages to tackle questions of identity, sexuality, expectation and mental health alongside it's hilarious exploration of friendship bordering on co-dependence. A better comparison for the film would likely be 2016's criminally overlooked THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN, not purely because both have female directors working from female written scripts, as both perform perfect balances of comedy with drama. Beanie Feldstein (previously seen in 2017's excellent LADYBIRD) and Kaitlyn Dever (immortalised forever for me as Loretta McCready in FX's phenomenal series JUSTIFIED) are simply sensational in their roles are have created one of the great duos of the teen movie genre. Their charisma, chemistry and comic timing belie their years and left me at least desperate for a BOOKSMART TV series. Yet the entire cast are equally capable with stand out turns from Jessica Williams, Jason Sudeikis and scene stealer Billie Lourd. Probably the film on this list seen by the fewest people but the one I feel deserves a much bigger audience.
2) US (Dir. Jordan Peele) - Jordan Peele's 2017 directorial debut, GET OUT, received critical acclaim upon release, proved hugely successful at the Box Office and even picked up an Academy Award for Best Screenplay amongst it's 4 nominations. Needless to say, expectations were high for his follow up, US, and if his second outing as director falls short of his first critically, its not for lack of ambition. US attempts to engage with and explore themes and ideas far more abstract and far reaching than GET OUT and as a side effect, lacks that film's brutal simplicity. If nothing else, US most resembles a big screen episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE (which Peele fittingly oversaw the 2019 reimagining of). Subsequently the film is prone to more narrative plot holes and logical failings than GET OUT, but in its best moments still manages to achieve greatness. That US's tale of deadly doppelgangers works as well as it does is thanks in no small part to the excellent cast Peele has assembled. Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex and Elizabeth Moss are all excellent in their dual roles but if anyone related to this film deserves award recognition it is surely Lupita Nyong'o who delivers one of the horror genres' greatest ever performances that has to be seen to be believed and virtually demands repeated viewings to truly appreciate the level of nuance at play. To match his cast, Peele brings some of his best work to the film and his efforts alongside the costuming department and his cinematographer, Mike Gioulakis, make virtually every scene a visual treat. The crowning moment of Peele's career thus far must come in the climactic confrontation between Lupita's Adelaide and her dark mirror. From the choreography, the lighting, the set design, the editing and the fantastically implemented soundtrack, every thing comes together in this scene to deliver something truly classic and not to be forgotten. However, for such a heavily plot driven film's, the plot holes that exist do diminish the experience slightly for me but do nothing to hinder the enjoyment. If you haven't already watched US, you really should go out of your way to see it. It's fantastic.
1) MIDSOMMAR (Dir. Ari Aster) - While MIDSOMMAR is an undeniably great film, it does take the top spot for me so far this year for deeply personal reasons. I was not a fan of Aster's previous film HEREDITARY (2018). While I greatly enjoyed Toni Collette's central performance, and there are a few undeniably great moments of horror, overall the film never rose above its influences for me and ultimately felt like a hollow experience. Aster's second film, MIDSOMMAR, also wears it's influences on it's sleeve (specifically 1973's THE WICKER MAN) but has a more emotionally resonant through line for me than HEREDITARY. Florence Pugh is exceptional in the lead role of Dani, a student with severe anxiety problems trying to navigate a family tragedy whilst in a toxic relationship with Josh Raynor's increasingly loathsome Christian. Raynor is also key to the film's success as his performance of Christian's selfishness and casual cruelty is so effective and true to life that not only does the audience innately understand why Dani is still with him, but there have been many people (mostly men) who didn't recognise his behaviour as toxic or even problematic. The success of MIDSOMMAR is that everything else that happens in the film is depicted in relation to Dani's battles with anxiety and her relationship with Christian. Their trip to the isolated Swedish commune of Helga, encounters with its unnerving customs and the horrors that subsequently unfold all provide a backdrop to the overdue dissolution of Dani and Christian's relationship. I don't want to give away anything further about the plot so I will instead discuss why this film so deeply affected me. Simply put, Florence Pugh delivers the most realistic and heartbreaking performance of an individual afflicted with anxiety related mental illness that I have ever seen on film. Even before the familial trauma she undergoes, Pugh's every nuance conveys that this is a young woman gripped by anxiety and the various panic attacks she suffers throughout the film are gut wrenching in their realism. That her time in Helga offer Dani some form of therapeutic release lends the film an oddly positive tone for me. Ultimately MIDSOMMAR is an excellently crafted horror film, with a lot to say regarding mental illness, and while the same could be said for HEREDITARY, I find Aster's second film to be superior to his first. Perhaps a tad too long, but even this criticism is a matter of taste as I found the films length and pacing to enhance its dreamlike qualities. Of all the films I've seen this year, this is the one that still lingers in my thoughts most vividly and as a result is the best film I've seen so far this year,
Well that's my list. My aim with this piece wasn't to provide great critical insight on each film, it was instead to provide and introduction to my cinematic taste and the approach I will be taking with this blog. Hopefully the experience wasn't too painful and my hope is that I will only improve in my writing through practise (though my use of punctuation will no doubt remain as inconsistent as ever). Thank you for taking the time to read this essay/article/piece and I hope you enjoyed it. If not please feel free to let me know. Either way I'll hopefully be back with another essay next week. Thanks for reading.
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