Disclaimer: This is an article long overdue. It had been half-written but with 2020 being what it has been, it was never posted in time. So, now and even though we are already half-way into another year but mostly because this cinematic year has also been postponed (there are no new movies out there, everyone) I decided to stay true to this annual list and post it anyway. Enjoy!
Luckily and considering the lack of context we have now, 2019 was one of the best cinematic years of the past decade. I found myself enjoying numerous films and I had this list on my mind almost immediately. 2019 was a success both in creation and performances because it managed to combine the big with the small and the mainstream with the independent in a very functionable way. So, let's dive into the lists after having our honorable mentions to these films that just missed the cut by a scratch: Yesterday, by Danny Boyle, a film about the impact of good music in a world where The Beatles unexpectedly cease to exist, How to Train your Dragon: The Hidden World, the quite marvellous end to an exquisite and rather under-appreciated trilogy, Dark Waters, a film that stayed with me for a long time but it didn't get in the list because I happened to watch it well into 2020, 1917, a war drama one-shot (and we know how much I adore one-shots) that lacked the emotional impact which would guarantee its place in my top-10 and finally Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, a film by one of my most favourite directors and screenwriters of all time which unfortunately did not resonate with me as much as I was hoping for.
BEST ACTOR
It goes without saying that Joaquin Phoenix gave the performance of the year - if not the decade - in Joker. His subtle mannerisms and his silent emotional breakdowns followed by explosive acts of violence in a world unjustifiably unforgiving were a treat to experience and marvel at. It was most certain that an actor of his calibre would deliver an unforgettable performance but the truth is that he exceeded every expectation. Phoenix carried a tough and quite adult film on his shoulders and made everyone bow to his talent.
Runners-Up
- Adam Driver in A Marriage Story. Driver was quite unlucky in 2019 as he did an exceptional job in one of the best films of the year but just happened to go up against the beast that is Phoenix. His heart-breaking performance will undoubtedly be remembered for a long time.
- Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems gave a performance similar in quality to his work in Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch-Drunk Love: nerve wracking, breath-taking and memorable.
- Jonathan Pryce in The Two Popes managed in a subtle and honest way to humanise Pope Francis, a person whose office makes him distant and unapproachable.
BEST ACTRESS
It has always been known since Scarlett Johannson was quite little, that she can deliver genuinely good performances and that she is rather versatile as an actress. However, in A Marriage Story she is the most vulnerable Scarlett we have ever seen. She and Driver work with as well as against each other in such a complementary way that is a joy to watch. I honestly believe that this has been Johannson's best performance to-date (highly worthy of her nomination) and I hope we get to see her in such roles which allow her to shine more often.
Runner-Up
- Renée Zellweger in Judy. The moment she steps on screen it is apparent that this is an Oscar-worthy performance in an otherwise quite forgettable film. What a way to come back to the spotlight.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
As the years go by, I appreciate more and more actors that I had not paid attention to. John Lithgow is one of those. I have always known him but for some reason I never dwelled on his performances: maybe that is the sign of a good character actor or supporting actor for that matter. He caught my eye in The Crown with his exceptional Churchill and here in Bombshell is where I really noticed the transformative abilities of his acting. Playing Roger Ailes, a Fox News head, he really manages to make you feel angry, disgusted and appalled and does so seamlessly. Bravo.
Runners-Up
- Robert Pattinson in The King. Icy, cruel, sardonic, ironic. Pattinson gives the French Dauphin he portrays all these qualities in a memorable and scene-stealing way.
- Kang-ho Song in Parasite. The patriarch of a parasite-living family is anything but one-dimensional thanks to the amazing performance delivered here by Song, whose every move and line flirts with the dramatic and overwhelms with emotion.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Margot Robbie proves year after year how good of an actress she is. From her amazing break-out role in The Wolf of Wall Street to her beautiful portrayal of Tonya Harding in I, Tonya she has been consinstent in delivering good performances. In 2019's Bombshell she is the only one who plays a completely fictional character in an otherwise true story and she steals the show. Experiencing sexual harassment and even succumbing to it, we see her as she gradually falls apart due to her guilt and her self-pity which collide with her ambitions and she manages to take the viewer with her in this trip towards devastation.
Runners-Up
- Beannie Feldstein in Booksmart. She may be a newcomer but she steals every scene she is in, in this light-hearted but quite interesting teenage drama.
- Florence Pugh in Little Women. Another teenage drama but set in another era, this may not be my favourite Little Women adaptation (the 1994 one will always be the best) but Pugh proves that she is a force to be reckoned with and we should expect great things from her in the future.
MY FAVOURITE FILMS
10. The Two Popes
Fernando Meirelles' The Two Popes is the depiction of a fictional meeting between two real people: Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins) and the future Pope Francis (Jonathan Pryce). Although it has been criticised for its fictional narrative, the film is a truly remarkable character drama led by two exceptional performances by two masters of the art. The two popes combat each other in wits and purposes but ultimately find solace in each other's presence in what seems to be the loneliest job in the world. The script as well as the actors manage to humanise these people whose job is to set the example and lead. The film succeeds in showing the burdens that choices and decisions of such magnitude can bestow upon mere humans and it is a joy to see as not only does it ask big questions about humanity but it is a rather enjoyable illustration of the humorous and innocent banter between two friends whose unique experience can only bring them closer.
9. Bombshell
Jay Roach's Bombshell is a fictionalised account of the events that took place at Fox News in 2016 when a group of women decided to speak about the sexual harassment that they were experiencing from top heads of the channel and especially Roger Ailes (John Lithgow), the chairman and executive producer of Fox News. The film is a The Big Short-like representation of the events with techniques like breaking the fourth wall as well as quick edits and alternations between dramatisation and fact presentation. It is an entertaining film which deals with a severe subject and tries to present everything as loyally as possible. It also features some of the best performances of last year with Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie as well as Lithgow bringing their a-game to the screen. Bombshell manages to enrage and make the viewer feel uncomfortable with its depiction of sexual harassment but it can also be thought-provoking without feeling too "in your face" with its theme. Last but not least, it also features some of the best make-up work in the recent years.
8. Klaus
Klaus was an unexpected surprise to me. It is an animated film with some of the most unique and original animations that I have seen in a long time. It is also extremely enjoyable and fun and it features the story of Santa Claus but with a twist. It does not fall into the usual tropes as Christmas movies usually do but it takes the Santa mythos and it gives it some fresh air. You don't need much more than a good story, a fantastic visual style and great writing to make a memorable film and Klaus has all of that.
7. Knives Out
We reach number 7 of our list with another brilliant surprise: Rian Johnson's Knives Out which not only features a huge all-star cast (Daniel Graig, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Chris Evans, Toni Collette and Christopher Plummer) but it one of the most original crime stories that have come out in a long time. You see, Knives Out is a murder mystery (a genre that has grown quite tired and uninventive) but it takes all the usual techinques (such as the classic whodunnit) and throws them out of the window: you know from the start what happened, when and who did it. So, it all takes a new turn from there and it is so refreshingly good that you'll never forget it.
6. Ford v Ferrari
Look at this. Another true story in the list. This time it is the narration of Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and Ken Miles (Christian Bale)'s effort to make the perfect car for Ford in order to defeat Ferrari at the 24-hour Le Mains race of 1966. James Mangold's Ford v Ferrari (also known as Le Mains '66 in some counties) is a film with a remarkable script, great performances (I mean, come on, it is Christian Bale and he does it again) amazing chemistry between the two leads, a tremendous score (perhaps my favourite from 2019) and one of the most engaging films from last year.
5. Les Misérables
We talked about this film here back in September 2019 and from the moment I watched it I knew it would end up having a spot in my top 10. Ladj Ly makes a modern commentary on the cynicism and brutalities of life as well as the vicious circle that violence, prejudice, racism and systemic divide create. It is a raw film, shot beautifully, featuring performances that are so realistic reminiscent of a documentary and even though it sets all the pieces and states the facts, it does not ask any questions or take sides. It leaves it up to each and every viewer to find within themselves the borders of right and wrong and thus judge modern society.
4. Joker
It was bound to happen. After all, there is a whole analysis on this movie on this blog and if you haven't read it, you can do so here. Todd Phillips's take on the infamous DC Universe villain is a film that could feature any problematic protagonist. If that were the case, maybe fewer people would have seen it but the logical deduction would have been the same: society is cruel and unforgiving; and it is much more so towards those who have nobody to turn to. Villains are not plain crazy baddies. They are people who lose control of the conscious good because they are not given the chance to be considered equals. Joker could and should be read in so many different levels but even if we look at it from a shallower point of view, it features one of the greatest performances of the past decade from an actor who only produces excellent performances, Joaquin Phoenix; it is gritty, raw and uncomfortable and it is accompanied by a fantastic soundtrack. But you've already seen it. You know why it is here.
3. Marriage Story
Noah Baumbach has always made good social stories, so when you walk into one of his films you know that something will be gained from your experience. What you don't expect with Marriage Story however, is to have your heart broken by its touching and devastating subject, its extraordinary performances given by Adam Driver, Scarlett Johannson and Laura Dern, its beautiful and easy-identifiable story. This film is about love and loss, about sacrifice and compromise, it is about marriage and divorce and ultimately it is about life and what we do to move forward and be happy without losing ourselves on our way.
2. Avengers: Endgame
The culmination of 22 movies set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes with Avengers: Endgame, the film that tries to tie any loose ends that may have been left unexplained in an otherwise rather tightly-planned and well-presented story which has been going on for a decade and it features more than 70 comic book heroes. Endgame is exactly what its title suggests: the end (or whatever end comic stories can get) and it is as epic and moving as any Marvel fan would hope. It is only fair for such a phenomenon to be part of a top 10 list, not only for its monumental scale (and tremendous production) but also for the amazing experience that it provided at the cinema (similar to the exhilaration audiences felt back in 2001-2003 with The Lord of the Rings Trilogy). Assemble!
1. Parasite
What a joy to go watch a film, completely anaware of what you are about to see, fall in love with everything it has to offer and slowly see it get universal recognition ending up at the highest pedestal at the Oscars; the first film not in the english language to do so in 92 years of Oscars' history. Parasite, Joon-ho Bong [Okja (2017), Snowpiercer (2013)] 's satire of a family who uses all possible means to survive on the backs of others is a combination of genres: comedy, horror and drama. What it does, though, is to succeed in being enjoyable and moving via its weirdness and originality in a way that only Asian cinema can. Thus, it becomes a movie you will never forget whether you love it or not.
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