Here
are the 12 films that moved me most in 2018.
The order is in impact.
The Hate U Give. They had me at the beginning with
Russell Hornsby giving “the talk” to his family about what to do when police
stop you. (He was excellent in Creed 2 as well.) Amandla Stenberg gives a
moving performance as the friend of a young man who is shot during a traffic stop.
I really think this film would have done better with a different title. It’s
one thing to read about this issue online or in the paper (yes, some of us
still do that), but to see it played out so intelligently… Wow.
Blindspotting. Again, this had me
on the edge of my small-theater seat – did it play anywhere big? – worrying about
Collin. Isn’t that the test? Do we care about the lead character? Daveed Diggs
of Hamilton fame plays him in his easygoing, affable manner. It’s his final 3
days of probation – is he going to make it? It’s not perfect, there’s some
violence, but it feels real and chlling.
The Guardians. I loved this French
film. It’s WWI and battles are being fought far from
home but resonate deeply with those tending the land. Director Xavier Beauvois (Of
Gods and Men, Le Petit Lieutenant)
puts women at the forefront of this perfect film for the #metoo movement. Iris
Bry makes a spectacular debut and Nathalie Baye never disappoints. I love that
the happy ending (spoiler alert) is the lead character alone with her child.
Green Book. Yes, it’s
formulaic but it’s mostly true! And it’s moving, and funny and touching. The
performances by Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali (can he win Oscar again?) lift the
film to best-of-year heights. The ending may feel a little contrived, but it
feels right for the film and needed for our times.
Eighth Grade. Again, it just feels
right. When Josh Hamilton gets caught spying on his daughter at the mall when
she’s out with her friends, we are all caught. The kids she’s with are mostly
normal, and the one bad egg is flushed out by the lead character on the drive
home. She’s awkward but real and her relationship with her father is touching, as his final speech.
Blackkklansman. Spike Lee returns to
top form with this great story taken from a real-life incident. John David
Washington does dad Denzel proud and Adam Driver is spot on as his police
colleague. Lee is one of the few filmmakers who can tell a story with such
passion and skill. This is timely and full-of-life work that features superb
acting and a big finish.
Shoplifters. I love Koreda’s
films. They have such interesting notions of family. We’re not quite sure of
the relationships of this Japanese family, but they exude love and caring. Isn’t
that the point? The second half takes a bit of a turn, kind of us slapping us
back to reality. But at the same time we ask if tearing the family apart is the
right thing. Koreda works great with child actors.
Free Solo. One of my favorite
documentaries of the year. The climbs are death-defying and he’s-not-doing-that-is-he?
But yes he does and lives to tell about it. Adding his girlfriend to the mix
makes it complete. (Check out how they meet cute.) Rom-com meets National Geo
meets Into This Air meets biopic.
The Rider. Chinese born Chloé Zhao directs this
stunning verité drama about a young rodeo star facing an uncertain future after
a terrible accident. It’s based partly on the life of actor Brady Jandreau (he’s
cast here with his own relatives and acquaintances in his native South Dakota).
It’s beautifully shot and right away we care about Brady and his cohorts.
Watching him train stallions is an art in itself. Can’t wait for her third
film.
Museo. I saw this by accident! The A/C
broke in AFI’s #2 theater sending me to Museo. And I couldn’t have been
happier. Two hapless art thieves steal paintings and then don’t know what to do
with them. I could have done with even more of the wonderful family scenes at the
beginning, but then the art heist is fun to watch as well. Actor Gael Garcia
Bernal never disappoints, does he? (I'll still take Y Tu Mama Tambien over Roma.)
Searching. Talk about being on the edge of your
seat. Aneesh Chaganty is the director – there’s a trivia question for you. Everyman John
Cho’s daughter disappears and he has to find her. Everything is told through
phones and social media. Hard to believe but it works. The proverbial twist may
be a little convoluted but it works as does almost everything else in this
brisk film.
Bohemian Rhapsody. Bump, bump…. Bump. Bump, bump…. Bump. So that’s How We Will Rock
You emerged. And Bohemian Rhapsody? Cool. Thank you film for sending me to the
real Live Aid performance by Freddie Mercury which was more incredible than how
the film re-created it. But that’s just natural. As most critics have said,
this was not a great film, but it’s FUN!
Good for what ails you. Galileo anyone?
Eight more that I liked: Widows (almost made my top list - I like the twists and anything Cynthia Erivo does); RBG (the documentary is better than the other film out
now); Three Identical Strangers (wow,
what a story!); Collette (really intelligent with two great lead performances
by Keira Knightly and Dominic West); Leave No Trace (beautifully done); Can You Ever Forgive Me? (thanks to Melissa McCarthy); Creed 2; First Man (for Claire Foy's performance); If Beale Street Could Talk (gorgeous and lyrical); and A
Star Is Born (the first hour is astounding).
