We also said "rest in peace" to a number of film legends. Some directors that left us include French new wave maverick Agnes Varda, Singin in the Rain director Stanley Donen, John Singleton (Boyz n the Hood), and b-movie icon Larry Cohen. Actors that passed include singer/actress Doris Day, Rip Torn (Men in Black), Peter Fonda (Easy Rider), Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner), German actor Bruno Ganz (aka, the Downfall Hitler meme guy), horror icon Sid Haig (the saddest one for me!), character actor Robert Forster (Jackie Brown), and Chewbacca himself, Peter Mayhew.
But while there's a lot to mourn when it comes to cinema (as Martin Scorsese infamously pointed out in his controversial New York Times piece), there's also a lot to celebrate! This blog post is meant to illuminate aspects of films that really stood out to me this year, both the good and bad!
THE BEST
BEST ACTOR: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
The pre-Joker Arthur Fleck is someone who feels a total lack of control over his own life - even that iconic Joker laugh is a painful, involuntary action for him. Fleck's transformation into the Joker feels inevitable - the uncaring world of Gotham allows his demented worldview to fester and grow. The lack of care for the mentally ill resulting in violence is something we still sadly see all the time in the news, and Phoenix brilliantly brings this lonely, tragic character to life.
Runner-Up: Willem Dafoe, The Lighthouse
The Lighthouse provides Willem Dafoe the role he was born to play: a poetry-spewing, slightly crazy, rough-and-tumble, farting New England lighthouse keeper. As this nightmarish, claustrophobic film trudges on, with two lighthouse keepers stuck together in close quarters, Dafoe does a magnificent job conveying the cold, intense insanity of the situation.
Honorable Mentions:
- Taron Egerton, Rocketman
- Kevin Harrison Jr., Waves
- Paul Walter Hauser, Richard Jewell
- Noah Jupe, Honey Boy
- Eddie Murphy, Dolemite is My Name
BEST ACTRESS: Camila Morrone, Mickey and the Bear
Right now Camila Morrone may be best-known as the much-younger girlfriend to Leonardo DiCaprio (22 to his 45), but Mickey and the Bear shows that she's an up-and-coming performer to watch. In the film, Morrone plays a teenager stuck in Montana, in a volatile relationship with her father. She desperately wants independence and to escape, but her manipulative family keeps drawing her back in. Morrone does a fantastic job conveying the complicated mix of emotions no young person should have to go through, both acting as a daughter and mother to her father, while at the same time avoiding his menacing tendencies. The film is a simple drama at its heart, but it's Morrone's performance that brings it to a new level.
Runner-up: Jillian Bell, Brittany Runs a Marathon
I mostly recognized Jillian Bell from her work in comedies like Bridesmaids and The Night Before, so I went into Brittany Runs a Marathon thinking it would be a fun sports movie where she trains to win a race. What I didn't expect was a genuinely heartfelt, dramatic, funny, honest portrayal of someone dealing with body image issues and how we can sometimes be our own biggest roadblocks to success. Bell deserves an Oscar for this performance!
Honorable Mentions:
- Awkwafina, The Farewell
- Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story AND Jojo Rabbit
- Lupita Nyong'o, Us AND Little Monsters
- Florence Pugh, Midsommar
- Octavia Spencer, Luce AND Ma
BEST POSTER: Godzilla: King of the Monsters (Comic-Con 2018 Poster)
As you walk through the ad-laden halls of a theater, it seems as though movie poster design is becoming a lost art. So often they're just cookie-cutter, Photoshopped, unappealing excuses to fill up the frame next to theater #4. However, once in a while something comes by that looks like a work of art - usually for a film you least expect! This poster for the latest Godzilla sequel is just that - capturing in a beautiful hand-painted scene the god-like enormity of the monsters. Like a literal force of nature, Godzilla and King Ghidora fight among the clouds in what looks like a scene from classic Greek mythology.
Runner-up: Frozen II (White Woods)
Like in many fairy tales, the mysteriousness of the woods and nature plays a huge part in Frozen II. The above poster beautifully conveys the unknown wonders of the wintry woods, with the two main characters surrounded by tall trees on all sides. This is a pretty daring, artistic move considering usually it's a requirement for kids animated film posters to include smiling, big-eyed characters and bright colors.
Honorable Mentions:
- Dark Phoenix (China poster)
- Glass (Alex Ross Poster)
- Pet Sematary
- Child's Play (Toy Story parody)
- John Wick 3: Parabellum ("Paint" Poster)
BEST TRAILER: Joker
What makes the Joker trailer work so well is that it captures the contradictory tone of the titular character so well. The Joker is a bright-faced clown that laughs at the world, yet has a dark violence inside of him. The contrast between Jimmy Durante's song "Smile" with the horrors we are seeing gives us a hint at the schizophrenic, backwards worldview the Joker has. The final line of the trailer, "I used to think that my life was a tragedy, but now I realize that it's a comedy," also gives the sense of where this Joker is coming from. Plus, it doesn't hurt that the film looks gorgeous!
Runner-up: IT: Chapter Two
I find that some of the best horror trailers simply build suspense around a single scene. In this case, Beverly goes back to Derry and is invited inside the home of a seemingly warm old lady. But things slowly start to get creepy: the old lady pauses longer than necessary with a chipper smile, then we catch a glimpse of her in the background (is she... naked?), then, we finally see the connection between her and the supernatural killer clown, Pennywise, and before Bev is attacked, the film cuts away. Like a good serialized TV show, they know exactly what not to show to pique your interest in the film.
Honorable Mentions:
- A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
- Godzilla: King of the Monsters
- Frozen 2
- The Lighthouse
- Richard Jewell
BEST MUSIC SCORE: The Mandalorian, Ludwig Goransson (Series)
This is totally cheating, because I'm giving this award to a streaming TV series in place of a movie, but it's so good that it broke the rules. Ludwig Goransson broke onto the film scoring scene with his film school cohort, Ryan Coogler, working on films like Fruitvale Station, Creed, and ultimately winning Best Original Score for his work on Black Panther last year. But his work on the Disney Plus Star Wars show The Mandalorian gives him his best opportunity to shine yet. Mixing tribal warrior sounds with those classic, triumphant brassy, John Williams-inspired cues, this is one of the most badass music scores I've heard all year. At the end of every episode you bet I'm nodding my head to the main Mandalorian theme.
Runner-Up: Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Bear McCreary
Honorable Mentions:
- Downton Abbey, John Lunn
- How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, John Powell
- The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Emile Mosseri
- Us, Michael Abels
- Watchmen, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (TV Series)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Lighthouse, Jarin Blaschke
No other movie this year looks like The Lighthouse. Filmed in shadowy black and white, in a particularly boxy, claustrophobic 1.19:1 aspect ratio (most modern films are shot in widescreen 1.7:1), it perfectly captures the feel of a folksy New England nightmare.
Runner-Up: Midsommar, Pawel Pogorzelski
On the flipside of The Lighthouse, Midsommar ingeniously uses the opposite technique to convey its horror. Using a washed-out, too-bright exposure, the film feels very open and free. However, this Scandinavian paradise turns deadly once the travelers discover the village's violent customs, and the look of the film grows more and more distorted, resembling a "bad trip."
Honorable Mentions:
- Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Robert Richardson
- Joker, Lawrence Sher
- The Beach Bum, Benoît Debie
- John Wick: Chapter 3, Dan Lausten
- Rocketman, George Richmond
BEST ACTION SCENE: Shadow, Swords vs. Umbrellas
Chinese director Zhang Yimou (Hero, Raise the Red Lantern) is no stranger to beautiful, intense action sequences, but the fight scenes in Shadow may be his finest. The climax of the film involves a group of soldiers retaking their village using metal, weaponized umbrellas. Slow-motion camera techniques exquisitely capture the physicality and rain particles during the battle, and the inventive new weapon is totally badass.
Runner-Up: John Wick: Chapter 3, Antique Store
Created by two stuntmen, the John Wick series is tailor made for action-scene junkies. Chapter 3 features some of the best scenes yet, but I was particularly impressed by the fluidity and tension of the fist- and knife-fight that takes place in an antique shop. It truly feels like they channeled the likes of silent masters like Buster Keaton and the kung fu-comedy of Jackie Chan.
Honorable Mentions:
- The Aeronauts, Landing the Balloon
- Climax, Opening Dance Number
- Detective Pikachu, Ryme City Finale
- Ford v. Ferrari, 24 hour race
- Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, The Finale
BEST COSTUME: Elton's Devil Outfit, Rocketman
Making a larger-than-life entrance, Elton John is introduced in Rocketman wearing a sequined, feathered, and Maleficent-horned devil costume. It's the kind of theatrical, eye-popping outfit that he's known for wearing on stage, but he looks completely out of place in his group-counseling session. It's clear that this flamboyant persona is perhaps helping him mask his insecurities; he's his own "devil." A brilliant example of characterization through costuming!
Runner-Up: Flower dress, Midsommar
Midsommar is a horror movie that transports you to a completely different world. As the main character falls deeper and deeper into this remote village's ancient traditions, her dress accrues more and more flowers, signaling the control this warped community is having on her. The juxtaposition of the beautiful flowers with the horrific violence of their customs adds a dark sense of irony to the film.
Honorable Mentions:
- Jasmine's Dress, Aladdin
- Pretty much everything, Downton Abbey
- Joker's Suit, Joker
- "Night Monkey", Spider-Man: Far From Home
- "Tethered" Jumpsuit, Us
BEST TV SERIES - Watchmen (HBO)
I'm a huge fan of Damon Lindelof. His work on TV shows like Lost, The Leftovers, and Alien prequel Prometheus are all thought-provoking and entertaining. With Watchmen, Lindelof creates an ambitious sequel to Alan Moore's iconic graphic novel that takes a realistic, geopolitical look at superheroes. The show, like the novel, is dense with analyze-able nuggets, yet never at the expense of the drama or story. Everything works here - the new and old characters are all complex, the visuals are stunning, the music propels the story, and the themes from the 80s graphic novel are expanded upon to reflect the modern times. This is such a ballsy, intricate, rewarding show and I just shook my head each week, wondering how something this good exists!
Much like how Watchmen perfectly captures the spirit of its source material while bringing something new, so does Disney Plus's first flagship show, The Mandalorian. Borrowing from old westerns and samurai films, this show is straightforward bad-assery. I've also never seen a movie or show where we never the main character's face - it's a testament to Pedro Pascal's vocal and physical performance that we still feel for him. (Plus, a certain side character is incredibly cute).
Honorable Mentions:
- Barry, Season 2 (HBO)
- Black Mirror, Season 5 (Netflix)
- Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer (Netflix)
- Chernobyl (HBO)
- Game of Thrones, Season 8, minus that finale (HBO)
BEST STAND-UP SPECIAL: Aziz Ansari, Right Now
Directed by Spike Jonze (Her, Being John Malkovich), Aziz Ansari's latest comedy special feels much deeper than his previous work. In the wake of some sexual allegations from a disgruntled ex-, Ansari isn't afraid to expose his vulnerable side here, showing genuine regret, and ultimately, insight from his experiences. But unlike other comics discussing important cultural topics, he doesn't let too much time pass before bringing it back to the comedy. This is a thoughtful and hilarious breakdown of the PC-culture we live in today.
Runner-up: Dave Chappelle, Sticks and Stones
There are a lot of "edgy" comics out there who claim to not care what others think of them, but Dave Chappelle walks the walk. Deftly and comically touching on subjects as difficult as suicide and the believability of Michael Jackson's accusers, Sticks and Stones proves Chappelle thinks no subject is off limits. While some of his thoughts on Michael Jackson's accusers I found disconcerting, I don't really hold comedians to a very high level of morality. If they can make me laugh and reflect on society at the same time, that's what it's about!
Honorable Mentions:
- Bill Burr, Paper Tiger
- Whitney Cummings, Can I Touch It?
- Anthony Jeselnik, Fire in the Maternity Ward
- Sebastian Maniscalco, Stay Hungry
- Amy Schumer, Growing
THE WORST
WORST ACTOR: John Travolta, The Fanatic
John Travolta's career is in rough shape. After last year's belly-flop Gotti, funded by the now-defunct Moviepass, for some reason he joined this film, a thriller directed by Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst, about an obsessed fan of action star Hunter Dunbar. Travolta portrays this character as an autistic man-child, which is never less than cringeworthy. You know you're in trouble when the first line of your movie is: "I can't talk long, I gotta poo," and it's played completely straight.
WORST ACTRESS: Nico Parker, Dumbo
I feel a little bad considering how young she is, but Nico Parker's lifeless performance sort of ruins Dumbo! I mean, she's out-acted by a CGI elephant. Ms. Parker is the daughter of Westworld's Thandie Newton - but perhaps she needs a few more lessons from her mom!
WORST TRAILER: Sonic the Hedgehog
Although this movie has since been moved to early next year, I'm counting it for 2019 because had the studio not intervened, it would've come out in November.
All I have to say is: WHAT WERE THEY THINKING??? Not only is this trailer mostly unfunny and juvenile, Sonic looks... off. His iconic, cartoon-style look is changed to resemble more of a half-human hedgehog, with thick calves, spaced out eyes, and a row of weird teeth. It's incredible that the studio listened to fans and have since fixed Sonic's creepy look, but this trailer will always exist as a big "what if?"
WORST POSTER: Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase
Lazy. Only two visuals indicate a mystery - two flashlights and some footprints. And apparently there's something about a hidden staircase. Who cares? This poster is so generic and lifeless. The tagline "Mystery... has met its match" sounds like it was written by a machine. It's like Sophia Lillis's outward stare is daring you to care about this crap.
WORST MOVIE: Serenity
Serenity has to be seen to be believed. Its mid-movie twist is so baffling and nonsensical it made me question my existence (loosely, it involves a video game and tuna fish). I can not believe this film attracted the likes of Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway, two of the greatest actors working today. Was the script totally different? I just don't understand how this movie exists!
Dishonorable Mentions:
- 100%: Julian Edelman
- 47 Meters Down: Uncaged
- Anna
- The Fanatic
- Gemini Man
And that's it! Thanks for reading! I'll be posting my Top Ten of the year shortly. In the meantime, check out this playlist of music inspired by my favorite 2019 movie music, available on both Spotify and Youtube! They're worth a listen!
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