Andrew's Top 10 of 2019 - Film
This article was painful, but in a good way. 2019 might’ve been one of the best years of film I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing, there was simply too much good stuff. While animation fell a little on the wayside for me this year and the mega blockbusters utterly failed to impress (more on that later), this year was still home to some of the best films made with some of the best film-making. It was brutal getting down to 10 films, I think I started with 22 that I even just liked, but hopefully I’ve left you with a list that feels strong enough for your next several viewing parties.
It’s possible your favorite films might not be on this list. To recap when I did this last year, this list only represents my opinion; these were my favorite films, not necessarily the best films. Additionally, there were a ton of films I regrettably missed this year that very well could’ve made the list, including:
…and many others
As an aside, I did see a lot of the big franchise movies this year, including Avengers: Endgame, Joker, and Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. I will not be including any of those on this list. Avengers: Endgame didn’t do all that much for me; while it was impressive watching Marvel actually cap off 10+ years of the most ambitious film project basically ever, the actual film just had a little too much fan-service and not enough really interesting storytelling past its first half. Star Wars IX was a light adrenaline rush that afterwards left me feeling completely empty inside, it’s heavy dose of “nostalgia at any cost” being ultimately ineffectual; I felt the film was pretty much awful, which is disappointing given how unique and bold, if a little unfocused, Stars Wars VIII turned out. Finally, I personally think Joker is a fairly bad film, but I will say that Joachim Phoenix’s performance of the titular character stands among the best of his peers and was not even remotely surprised that he won this year’s Oscar for Best Actor. Joker’s the only one of these three I can sort of recommend, and that’s solely on its actor’s incredibly nuanced performance.
Finally, this was such an insane year for film that this article is going to drown in honorable mentions. Most of these films are also absolutely incredible and were cut short simply by the merit of this being a Top 10 list and not Top 15. This section is plump with movies that were all fighting and clawing desperately for 9th and 10th place, and I basically recommend most all of them about as much as the actual winners. There’s plenty of wonder before we get to the magic.
Honorable Mentions
Missing Link
The latest in the string of incredibly well crafted and uniquely presented Stop motion films by Laika, Missing Link came in and blew me away with its surprising wit, wonderful characters, and some of the best animation I’ve seen all year. It’s also a rather daring story given its esoteric subject matter and intended audience, with it’s traditional adventure story that carries the same energy and enthusiasm that saw such great success in works like Tintin and Indiana Jones, but with enough modern sense to realize the more problematic elements of stories framed in this colonialist visage. I actually think it says a lot that for me this film just barely fell short of top 10 this year while also being arguably the least overall impressive film in this studio’s repertoire. It speaks well of Laika that even at their worst, they’re still leagues above almost every other animation company, and I appreciate their relentless dedication to this lost art. And I don’t want to bury the lede here, Missing Link is still a truly magnificent film in its own right and absolutely deserves to be watched, I just didn’t happen to like it as much as other Laika films or quite as much as the 10 films that won.
Toy Story 4
For the last couple of Toy Story films, I was convinced all together that there were no more stories worth telling in this universe. Not because there was nothing left to say, exactly, but there wasn’t anything left to say about and with this particular cast. I’m amazed that Pixar keeps proving me wrong every time, delivering “one of the best movies I didn’t know I wanted”. I’m also deftly impressed with how coherent the whole production managed to be despite all the production hell that it had to churn through.
Toy Story 4 is basically two films in one, kicking off with its secondary story about new toy “Forky” going through an identity crisis having basically been constructed using leftover utensils and craft materials and now effectively being born into existence from nowhere, and Woody and the other toys needing to set him straight and help him understand what it means to be a toy. The real meat and potatoes story then, is a reunion between Woody and Bo-Peep, a character whom after the first couple films traded ownership a bit before becoming a “lost toy”, free of any owners and living on her own. In a nutshell, TS4 is framed a bit as a love story in that whole “old flames never go out” style of romance, but the heart of the film is one that looks at individuals who have accomplished everything they set out to do, and asks them what they’re going to do and be in the aftermath. All this, in a film that’s once again flawlessly animated, curious with detail, and even pushing the nature of animated cinematography by borrowing ideas from life action camerawork. This was such an unexpected treat that, once again, just barely didn’t make it to the top 10.
The Wandering Earth
The Wandering Earth is a big action science fiction film about The Wandering Earth project, an initiative designed to save the planet from being swallowed into the impending “red giant” status of the Sun by strapping a ridiculous number of “Earth Engines” around the world and migrating the planet towards a new home in Alpha Centauri. Actually, sorry, that’s just the setting, the actual plot of the film starts with the planet having just made it to Jupiter, where the plan is to use the Jovian giant’s intense gravity to slingshot towards their new home, but a recent earthquake knocked out just enough of the engines to put Earth within the event horizon of Jupiter. The film focuses on a rag tag team of scientists and daredevils from the underground city of Shanghai going on a mission to repair and restart the engine located in Sulawesi, concurrent with many other similar missions around the world needed to save humanity. How is that not just the coolest thing ever?
And, in all seriousness, it’s actually great. Not only did I have an awesome time with this movie, it also got me pretty excited about the future of Chinese cinema, especially in the realm of CG. Since that brand of film does so well overseas, it’ll be great to see more and more of this style of film come from their culture.
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
I think it’s fair to say that by the time this film was announced, people were officially “over” the Lego brand of films. This was certainly not helped by their quick super-saturation, releasing a new one basically every year for about 4 years straight. As a result, The Lego Movie 2 was skipped by audiences for the most part, and that’s a shame because ultimately this movie continued the nuanced trends of the first film and wove in some really insightful messaging for young audiences, maybe even more so than the first film. Granted, if you weren’t a big fan of the first movie (or any of the “Lego Cinematic Universe”) this isn’t going to be the one that settles you in, but that didn’t stop the sequel from legitimately surprising me in a lot of curious and clever ways.
Tito and the Birds
As a story, Tito and the Birds is fairly tame, largely predictable and has its heart, if not necessarily its head, in the right place. But, if there was a reason to recommend this one, its for its genuinely unique visual library, one that mixes techniques of the painterly aesthetic brought to life in such films as Loving Vincent (albeit with a more digital touch) together with these mosaics of events that I can only describe as revolutionary…largely because they are told with revolving canvas, aiming to give a circular sort of logic to its storytelling and presentation. The message at the heart of the film is also good, if perhaps as subtle as a jackhammer, observing in which ways the populace is controlled and crippled by the rampant spreading of fear and misinformation. While I can’t imagine I’ll be watching it again in a hurry, it was well worth a curiosity viewing.
Steven Universe: The Movie
So…uh, this is complicated. I’ll start by saying that I’m a huge fan of Steven Universe, and hold it up as one of the greatest children’s shows ever made. I also think that, as a followup to the conclusion of that show, Steven Universe the Movie works well simultaneously as minor deconstruction and larger reaffirmation for the show’s core tenants. By all accounts, this film acts as a victory lap, knowing its fans would enjoy it for all the same reasons they enjoyed the show. Yet for whatever reason, I can’t really put a finger on it, the feature film version just didn’t quite sync up well with me. I liked it, sure, but I also didn’t really get anything new or all the interesting out of it. I think there were some ideas that the film started gnawing at in interesting ways, but it wouldn’t be until the recently premiered Steven Universe Future that these weeds would be plowed through in much greater detail. I had a talk with a friend about this film in which I described most of my problems with this as being personal and somewhat unreasonable, to quote directly “I think the problem is I’m having a hard time not viewing it in this damaging utilitarian light.” Steven Universe the Movie basically just gave us more of the same wonderful show without necessarily offering anything that new, and I guess for some reason I was less okay with that than most of my peers. I hold Steven Universe and by extension Rebecca Sugar up to a much higher standard. I’ll be the first to admit that viewpoint really isn’t fair, but that’s also still how I feel. I really enjoyed it — still really enjoy it, animation and music especially is just phenomenal — but if I’m being honest, I could still easily think of at least 10 other films that just did more for me this year, and I feel bad not including it past an honorable mention because Rebecca doesn’t deserve that. Not after everything she’s done for the next generation of kids. Still, gotta go with the heart on this one, and the heart just wasn’t all in on this.
Primal: Tales of Savagery
This is a bit of a stretch, to be honest. Primal is the latest series by acclaimed director and animation sweetheart Genndy Tartakovsky, and for all its immaculate storytelling, atmosphere, craft, character, and just about EVERYTHING that it does with this gargantuan dexterity, the series label is a bit of a troublesome rub for a top films list. So why am I putting it here?
Well, apparently Genndy assembled the entire first season together as a compilation film called Primal: Tales of Savagery and released it in Los Angeles theaters so that it could enter the Oscar short list for Best Animated Feature. Which it did — good on you Genndy. Now, it didn’t make it to the final nominations which to be fair is super hard for anything outside of the tentpole films (a topic with which I’ve talked in length), but I wanted to use this loophole to showcase this absolutely incredible work of art that Genndy has put on display, and the only reason it’s not in the top 10 is only because it’s just not technically a film. Less an adult, more 5 extremely well mannered, bright eyed intelligent boys stacked on top of one another in an oversized trench coat.
The Irishman
Yet another film that falls into the category of “if only this was a top 15 list”, The Irishman is the latest crime story from screenplay savant Martin Scorsese, featuring a slew of absolute knockout actors that came to largely define that genre of filmaking for quite a time — Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino all bring their beastly talent to tame this savage story. It’s also in many ways the opus of Scorsese’s career, its characters and story reveling in the glory days of being the mob what ran this town and living a life of respect and high culture, while balancing it against the reality that mob life comes with: it’s messy, garish, ruthless, and ultimately less glamorous the longer you’re in it. This is an engaging narrative that traverses the precarious line from “Can you believe we’re doing this?” to “God, can you believe we’re still doing this?” There’s clearly a sort of romantic idea to the life this mobster lived, but the longer he breaks it down and the more you see it play out, you’re left to slowly watch all the glitz and life just slosh out, a history of killing and murder and power all to end up old, alone and mostly forgotten. It’s a sad and trying film, and not just because it’s over 3 hours long.
John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum
I find it remarkable that John Wick as franchise really hasn’t slowed down or gotten especially stale. Yes, it’s had little falters here and there, but it’s still one of the more exhilarating and often creative action franchises out there. How must it feel to be Keanu Reeves and have now redefined the action genre twice over the course of your career, first with The Matrix and now with John Wick (arguably three times if you include Speed, but that’s a bit of a reach). Now, I wasn’t initially blown away with John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum, but it’s a film that once settled left me in a good place overall, and outside of The Wandering Earth this was definitely my favorite action movie of the year, hands down. If you’re looking for a little more of a deep dive, I highly recommend this video essay on the film by FilmJoy.
There you have it, those were my top almost 10 films of the year that didn’t quite make my top 10 of the year. What does it say about 2019 that I felt compelled to talk about 20 films this year? Just, this entire year has been crazy. Actually, here’s the real crazy: we haven’t even started the list yet and I’m already around 2500 words. So yeah, might as well get started.
10 - Ford vs Ferrari
This film was made in a way that felt to me in the spirit of building and repairing a car in a garage, every detail hammered and tightened with white knuckled American grit, but with a clearly open and embracing passion throughout its atmosphere. Here’s the quintessential American film about the real life rivalry between Italian car designer Ferrari and American car manufacturer Ford in a fight to see who can win the “24 hours of Le Mans” race. What keeps it grounded however is that of perspective, with the film’s focus not from the perspective of the rich businessmen of their respective companies but that of designer and engineer Carrol Shelby and racing legend Ken Miles fighting just as much against corporate bureaucracy as they are the expertise and craft of their Italian competitors. This film definitely reeks a bit of Oscar bait, with it’s docu-drama structure and subject matter to being very American in its values and sensibilities to its focus on complicated characters played by serious A-list actors, but obviously the surface of the vehicle isn’t as important as what’s under the hood. Don’t get me wrong, all that stuff stands, but also all that stuff works. Ford vs Ferrari is a beast of a film, tightly paced and wittingly toned to feel almost like a man against nature kind of film. It’s that kind of film that leaves you internally cheering for the leads all the way across, even when they’re clearly getting screwed over an awful lot of the time.
It’s also incredibly clear that this was crafted by people that just absolutely love cars. It’s not enough that you see the races from multiple perspectives and especially in the driver’s seat, but rather that you feel them in your chest. The editing of this film is wicked sharp, throwing you on the ground level of events as often as possible, really making sure you understand the impact to racing that was the Ford GT40; for a film about race cars and their down to earth drivers, keeping close to the gravel makes a lot of sense here. And these drivers, my goodness Christian Bale and Matt Damon are serious powerhouses in their respective roles. Within their prestige of showmanship, each showcases some surprisingly nuanced acting decisions and lots of brilliant touches. Ultimately, Ford vs Ferrari is a solid action historical drama that has all the parts needed to deliver a smooth yet exciting ride from start to finish.
9 - Jojo Rabbit
Jojo Rabbit is a coming of age film about a misunderstood young boy growing up in Germany near the tail end of WWII with the help of his loving mother and his imaginary friend…Adolf Hitler. But like, an idealized version of Hitler that’s awesome and can do anything; you know, like the version of Hitler that was often sold to young boys of that particular time. He’s very much attached to the hype train of Nazi propaganda and glamorizes the war despite not really matching the profile of a soldier because it helps him deal with his insecurities. He holds these beliefs as truth…until he discovers one day that his mother is hiding a Jewish refugee in the walls of their house. He’s now trapped with several conflicts in a bizarre balancing act of making sure he doesn’t let his mom know that he knows while also colliding head on with his own ideology as tries to understand this “bizarre entity” in his house and what would drive his mother to hide her in the first place. The whole package comes courtesy of Taika Watiti, director of such clever and insightful comedies as Thor: Ragnarok and What we do in the Shadows, who comes to this project bearing a sort of twee emulsion of Wes Anderson childlike whimsy with more of a somber, heartfelt approach aiming for love in all its characters. It’s a satire to be sure, drenched in black comedy and fueled by absurdity, but there is a constant undercurrent of empathy that lets the film slide into all the right grooves. The result is an experience that I can only best describe as “the horrible wonderful feeling of growing up”.
Watiti is immeasurably clever — and if this film is any indication, ridiculously daring — a conclusion I think people are rapidly realizing. Here, he presents this unique film that takes a look not only at the way we tend to easily grow up with troublesome if empowering fantasies (in this case, Nazism), but more importantly how we’re meant to grow out of them as well, all against the background of an event so full of heartbreak and a societal proliferation of damaging ideals. It acknowledges how hard it can be to experience so much confusion and turmoil when you’re young, but also how essential it is to remember the moments of love, and to chase them wherever you can find them.
8 - Once Upon a Time in…Hollywood
I’ll start with the primer that Quentin Tarantino is one of my favorite directors. His trademark ability to create incredible atmosphere an tension through simple conversation and staging is remarkable. There’s also a clear appreciation for the vastness of film history in most all of his work, ultimately helping to stylize Kill Bill like Asian martial arts films, or defining the coda of Inglorious Bastards to showcase the power of film within culture. Once Upon a Time in…Hollywood carries that appreciation, but less as a stylistic element and more as a historical one. While the film touts itself largely as “a fairy tale about the end of the Golden Age of Hollywood”, the majority of its events are grounded in reality and aiming to recapture that old Hollywood magic. The main players here are Leonardo Dicaprio as actor Rick Dalton whose glory days have long passed him, and Brad Pitt as his stunt double and general handyman Cliff Booth. The story revolves around Rick struggling to find work in this Hollywood he no longer recognizes while questioning if he’s washed up or not, while Cliff ends up caught in a bizarre side adventure while running errands for Rick. There’s obviously a lot more going on in this film, but I’ll leave the rest a secret.
One minor non-criticism I have for this film is that in order to get the most out of it, you need to have Tarantino’s passion for film history, not just an appreciation but an active working knowledge. It’s not going to be a film for everyone, but just like basically every other Tarantino film it was never intended to be. I was taken aback by the incredible set design, tonal cinematography and general pacing of the story, but I also feel that I had basically the barest amount of historical film appreciation under my belt to actually get what the director was aiming for. This might’ve scored higher for me if I was just a little smarter to that end, but even that in and of itself is telling. The only major takeaway I have is that whether Tarantino keeps making films after this, they will always be to his own tune and in his own style and that’s highly commendable in our current age of committee construct filmmaking.
7 - Penguin Highway
I almost missed this film, which isn’t strange because I think most people missed this film. It also would’ve been a shame, because on the whole I think this might’ve been the most creative film I saw all year.
Penguin Highway tells the story of a clever young boy on the brink of puberty as he investigates the strange the sudden appearance of penguins in his home town. He’s a bit precocious, full of himself and horny in the way that young boys are, but he’s also full of optimism and rather clever for his age. The investigation of penguins leads him to other discoveries that by traditional measures make less and less sense in the world we live in, but in the framing of the film it works since all the observations are made, effectively, by kids. I mean, they’re definitely smart, scientific kids, but they approach the implausible with nothing but enthusiasm and the proper lack of discernment for what can and cannot be. If there’s anything this film is amazing at, it’s instilling this sense of childlike wonder and magic throughout, but taking the whole of it seriously and validating its existence. The animation is also top notch all throughout, with an ending sequence that just screams with excitement and flourish that left my jaw hanging for a solid bit. I absolutely loved Jojo Rabbit as a story of learning how to mature and grow out of delusory fantasies, but I think the kind of childhood experience offered here is equally valid and occasionally more nuanced.
I was also caught magnificently off guard in discovering this was director Ishida Hiroyasu’s debut feature film. He’s had some history with short films like Fumiko’s Confession, Rain Town, and Hinata no Aoshigure, but his previous work is so experimental and short by comparison. Penguin Highway remains his first take at a long form narrative, and to see him approach the medium with such clever ideas and smart writing puts him on the radar of names to look out for. I do love the old guard of Japanese animation directors, but it’s refreshing to see such a strong showing from this completely new generation just around the corner.
6 - I Lost My Body
I Lost My Body is a french film about finding yourself and reclaiming a sense of purpose in your life, and about the complex nature of relationships and the marks they leave behind. It’s also about a severed hand escaping a dissection lab and traveling through a city trying to find its owner, with various montages and flashbacks to moments in the owner’s life from the hand’s perspective. Funnily enough, despite its psychedelic nature, this is probably director Jeremy Clapin’s most “grounded” film.
It’s hard to talk about this film in any really factual sense. Either I try to talk about the traditional slice of life content beating at the film’s heart and lose the intricacies of its more enriching moments and sobering yet sublime encounters, or I try to focus on the esoteric journey of the hand and the brilliant way the filmmakers managed to uniquely capture the sensation of touch — a feat not easily accomplished in film let alone animation — even sing the praises of the lead animators who posed this hand so well you’d swear it was a person all its own, and ultimately fail to express why the film works so well in its subtler moments. Either way, I think I’d feel at a loss trying to completely describe why I Lost My Body was probably the best animated film I saw this year, even if it wasn’t my favorite.
I suppose instead, true to the ethos of the film, I can only recommend that you experience it yourself and discover what it means to you.
5 - Us
For the longest time, Us was my film of the year about class divide and the separation of “haves versus have-nots”. As we trek through 2020 and the prevalent gap between rich and poor continues to canyon, expect this topic to continue proliferating in more of your media. It was only towards the tail end that I found another film that really hit on these ideas with greater accuracy, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still appreciate Us’s more fantastical approach, blending in bizarre horror and powerful imagery into a film with incredible atmosphere and a truly unique vision.
Brought to the screen from rising talent Jordan Peele of Get Out fame, Us follows the story of a middle-upper class family going on vacation that suddenly takes a turn for the lethal when they encounter a deranged family of doppelgangers with the intent to kill and replace them. I won’t spoil anything beyond that because I think the wonder and mystery is what will grip you like an angler’s nightlight. Peele’s technique is on full display for a narrative that works for basically all the same reasons Get Out did: his command of biting satire, excellent pacing, and this ability to drench his scenes with tension so sharp it would make Tarantino blush. For his followup film, he deviates largely on two points: a shift in allegory from racism to class divides, and a slight jump from psychological storytelling to something more sociological. While the overall tone and execution of these films doesn’t differ tremendously, Us allowed me to see a wider berth of techniques and considerations that Peele is able to utilize with a vision that’s both more refined and somehow more nebulous, and ultimately I think I liked this film better. Even if you’re like me and not a tremendous fan of the horror genre, I would still highly recommend this one.
4 - Klaus
I basically hate Christmas movies. Not deliberately, mind you, I have no qualms with the subject matter or their overall shared ideals. I just hate them because most of them are not good, and almost all of them act and feel far too alike. I know a lot of people regard the stop motion specials as classics, but they just don’t do much for me (and if I’m looking to appreciate old era stop motion, I’d first look into Jason and the Argonauts). In total, I can count up the number of Christmas films I enjoy on one hand: Home Alone, Home Alone 2, The Santa Clause, Elf, and Arthur Christmas. I also want to state plainly that despite my history I had high hopes for Klaus from the start; I’ve been keeping an eye on SPA studios for the past couple years of experimental production work as the try to figure this film out. I could tell this was a talented team with a lot of heart, and that if anyone could get this kind of movie right it was them. Ultimately, Klaus didn’t just meet expectations, but it set a towering bar for other Christmas films to meet.
What we have here is a unique and nuanced take on the Santa Claus origin story, divorced from anything overly mystical. Jesper, pompous spoiled son of the esteemed Postmaster General, is sent to the dreary town of Smeerensburg to establish a working post office; if his station doesn’t send out at least 6000 letters in one year he’ll be completely cut off from his father’s riches. Upon arriving he finds himself in the middle of a town-wide intense family feud in which the adults have all become embittered by the constant exposure of hate. After trying and failing to establish himself as a postman with all the local citizens, he sets out to find the last person on the outskirts of town, the old woodsman. From there, well it’s probably better to let you see for yourself.
This film was so wonderful. On the technical side, the entire film was made with an experimental new animation technique that enables 3D shading on a 2D production, and mixed together with this team’s charm and style create a jubilant expressive work. On the story side, I was deeply impressed at how SPA studios found such a nuanced take to an otherwise overdone folklore, and using its story to remind why those legends are so magical to begin with, and it certainly helps that all the characters pop out and perfectly reflect the town they in. My initial reading was right; this movie was made from the heart by a team of people that wanted to make something wonderful. It was so lovely watching how excited they were to be nominated this year. There’s too many things I loved about this movie, so I feel confident not only saying it was my favorite animated film of the year but I’m also pretty sure it’ll be my favorite Christmas film for the rest of my life. The bar has been set high, you might need a flying sleigh to make the jump.
3 - Little Women
This novel has been adapted so many times now. I mean, it’s not all that weird to think about remaking this film again given the cyclical nature of Hollywood, but it’s never going to be the most obvious or easiest choice, especially given how classic a novel it is. Also, this would be the seventh time, and the previous attempt was literally just a year prior, admittedly only in the UK and as a contemporary reboot of the story. But, none of that matters. None of that matters because this one is directed by Greta Gertwig, fresh off her 2017 masterpiece Lady Bird, a story about being (a) young (woman) and learning how to grow up into the person you want to be in relation to the family you’re raised with. None of that matters because this film is jumping on the shoulders of a ridiculously stacked cast, all of whom are completely here for this — Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Eliza Scanlon, and Florence Pugh just completely run away with this film playing not so much a cast of wonderful people but rather “a family”, like the kind of family you wish you knew because they’re just so together it kills you. Remaking Little Women again should’ve been a rough patch, but none of that matters because this was the one in which everything went right.
Greta aims to elevate what is otherwise a fairly simple slice of life story about 4 young sisters growing up in the mid 1800’s into this tightly knit interspersed narrative, weaving through flashbacks and story beats in a way that restructures the events for a more evocative impact, yet also does so without it feeling especially gimmicky or cheap. The choice to move away from a simple detailing of events to having the entire thing told from one of the girl’s perspectives enables a more emotional telling to occur, exactly the kind of telling you want for a story that’s built off of small conflicts and ultimately childish fancies that only asks that you also “care like they do”. Despite how beautiful everything is, this is effectively a no frills film built entirely off of strong performances, excellent editing, and a wickedly clever adapted screenplay by Gertwig herself. Little Women is a nicely told story in its own right, but in the hands of this family the story has been elevated to astronomical heights.
2 - Marriage Story
I think it’s interesting that Adam Driver and Scarlet Johansson both played prominent lead action-driven roles in some of the biggest blockbusters of the year (Star Wars IX and Avengers: Endgame, respectively), but my favorite movie of theirs is the one that’s basically just 85% conversation in a large handful of rooms.
Marriage Story comes to us not so much from the mind but rather the gut of Noah Baumbach, a director whose style is best described as “casual conversation strung into a story”. The entire film is centered around married couple Charlie and Nicole Barker as they go through a challenging divorce. This isn’t a groundbreaking concept or anything, one of Baumbach’s pleasant qualities is that he keeps all the interest in that of his characters rather than unique or bizarre circumstances. In this case, it’s refreshing to see a couple that very much continue to love one another all the way through, even if they aren’t really in love with one another anymore. They try so hard to keep the entire process clean and painless, but as each is trying so hard to make things work for their son Henry, they unintentionally bring a lot of pain and heartache to the surface. There’s a tricky balance here as divorce has a tendency to bring out the worst in people, yet the goal of the film is to keep both leads likeable through the whole process and ultimately succeeds. Oddly, this is a film as interested in showing you how they fell in love as to how they lost that love, and somehow feeling almost “fair” about the whole proceeding. This was, for lack of a better phrase, a beautiful breakdown.
While there were a lot of intense and incredible performances this year, for me this film was acting at its most raw, with actors that did nothing but pour their heart and soul into every shot time and time again. And crucially, neither is in it alone. This was melancholic, sure, but also enriching in a way not often portrayed which is kind of surprising given how common divorce can be. I watched two people completely collide with tragically drifting passions, yet came with the conclusion that neither’s heart was broken…just growing.
1 - Parasite
I loved Us, and rather enjoyed its sort of fantastical use of class warfare to highlight its horror elements. That movie was loaded with style and marvelous execution, with a visual flair that made it awe-inspiring. However, while I enjoyed Us and found it great at highlighting a prevalent issue and contextualizing it uniquely, Parasite forgoes that for a much deeper exploration that digs through all the dirt, grime and salt that fills this trench with so much difficult content. And, in the end, Parasite got more out of it.
This is a hard one to talk about. The story here is about the Kim family — a unit of four that lives in poverty in a Korean half-basement — that con the rich Park family — a unit of four that lives in a high altitude house built by a famous architect — into working for them, effectively integrating into their family. I just don’t want to say more than that because I want this film to be a surprise; I honestly feel the less you know about this one the better, and that’s super awkward for me since I tend to maybe spill on the keyboard a bit with these number 1 picks. But I promise this film is worth every minute, from it’s fantastic use of just muted enough color ranges and beautiful cinematography, to the amazing sense of rhythm that cascades through both the general pacing of events and timing of its montages, to even the simpler details about how the film uses windows as a way to highlight the mentality and almost “internal privilege” of its characters and the literal view they have of the rest of the world. It’s funny, it’s wicked, it’s sad and plain depressing at times, it’s heartbreaking, it’s mischievous and tactile, and above all else it’s as biting a satire on the modern world as any you’re likely to see. While I enjoyed Us, I do think the simple allegory of “rich vs poor” has a somewhat limiting scope; Parasite would rather drag you through the nettle with some thornier observations: “in a world ruled by the rich, the poor destroy the poor merely for a taste of that world”.
It’s hard to keep this one a secret, I really want to share but I shouldn’t. I only know that I walked out of the theater and just felt broken for the rest of the day, and couldn’t stop thinking about everything I just saw for the next couple of weeks. I can’t say I’m surprised that such a story could come from the immaculate Bong Joon Ho. a man who’s been building and refining the themes and inner workings of this film over the course of his entire career, and I personally can’t wait to see it again, no matter how hard it tore me down. This was, by no small margin, my favorite film of 2019, and I think it absolutely deserved to win best picture this year.
And that’s my list. 2019 was the most difficult to churn through. It’s not so frequent that there’s such an excess of movies that aren’t just good but flat out phenomenal, to the point where even the number 7 and 8 films felt as good as some of the number 1’s and 2’s of previous years; by a factor of scale, 2019 was just so loaded with incredible stories told by incredible people. It was especially invigorating to see so much raw performance this year, and it was equally satisfying to see directors using their actors to the fullest. I really tried to catch as much as could this year, and while I have no regrets I know I missed so many potential hits.
Speaking of things missed, what were your favorite films of the year? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to donate to our Patreon. That’s all for 2019; what an incredible way to finish off the decade, right?
Well, mostly. I have one last list article coming out, and the decade is the subject…
