The Top 12 Films of 2019 That Impacted Me the Most

Here are the 12 films that moved me most in 2019.  

Little Women. Director Greta Gerwig’s plot reorganization and a breakout performance from Florence Pugh plus Saiorse Ronan’s usual likeability make this film a pleasure to watch. Amazing that it feels so much of the moment. Crazy that Gerwig hasn’t received the proper recognition so far. Let’s hope the Oscars recognize her.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. I was skeptical going into this one—not another Mr. Rogers biopic. But it was different. It wasn’t all about goodness, but more honesty and caring. Say what you will about Tom Hanks but he’s always a reassuring presence, who with the right script, gives us a safe placxe in the world. I also enjoyed the performance of Susan Kelechi Watson as the protagonist’s wife.

Harriet. I am Cynthia Erivo's biggest fan - will never forget hearing her sing in Colored Purple - and she brings it all to the underground railroad in this stirring biopic about an amazing woman most if us know hardly anything about. Add Hamilton's Leslie Odom to the mix, and Kasi Lemmons' film percolates with energy and goodness. My only complaint is that Erivo and Odom didn't break out in song. Although Erivo does get to sing a bit and then fully over the final credits. 

Honeyland. The filmmakers Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov’s spent three years to make this transporting documentary. Watching the protagonist, Hatidze Muratova, care for her mother and deal with the market vendors in the closest city are just priceless scenes. “This is really good,” she tells them in quite the understatement when you have seen what she goes through.

The Farewell. I hope this gem of a film doesn’t get forgotten for being early in the year. Who would’ve thought Awkwafina had this type of beautiful performance in her? Her 76-year-old breakout grandmother (Zhao Shuzhen) steals very scene, of course, but this is a family acting affair. Director Lulu Wang who should also be recognized in any awards talk, brings incredible depth to its exploration of the Chinese-American experience.

Mickey and the Bear. Camila Morrone has a breakout performance that reminded me a bit of Jennifer Lawrence in Winter’s Bone. She’s stuck in the scenic Anaconda Mountains of Montana tending to her troubled father, an Iraq War veteran. Watching her respond to a deadbeat boyfriend and meet an English boy who brings out some of her best is a pleasure. Kudos to Annabelle Attanasio for this touching first film.

Wild Rose and Teen Spirit. I’m going to consider these two one movie because I kept getting them confused. I loved both. In Wild Rose, Jessie Buckley plays a woman just out of prison after serving one year on a drug charge. With the great Julie Walters as her Mom, Rose reunites with her two young children—Lyle and Wynonna—still with aspirations of Nashville. When Rose does visit Nashville, the motel clerk tells her: “May all your heartbreaks be songs, and may all your songs be hits.” It all just feels real and that makes the payoff all the better.

In Teen Spirit, the singer is a teenager but her journey is just as remarkable. Elle Fanning needs someone to accompany her to a talent show. Wouldn’t you know there’s an old Croatian opera singer hanging around? It’s a smaller film than Wild Rose and its title suggests ghosts, but it delivers.

Amazing Grace. I’ve always said that the problem with measuring sports and entertainment stars of old is that we often see them past their prime. So seeing Aretha Franklin in her mid-20s singing gospel is, indeed, an amazing experience. When her father comes up to her at the piano to wipe the sweat from her brow, they had me. Mick Jagger even shows up the second day. But what music!

The Mustang. How quickly we forget any film released in January through… August really. Well, we shouldn’t forget this one. Matthias Schoenaerts gives a rugged and real performance in Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre's quietly moving debut feature about a prisoner who bonds with a wild horse. Throw in Bruce Dern, Connie Britton and a touching scene with a daughter and this movie will stay with you.

Transit. I needed one more foreign film in my list and Everybody Knows comes up a little short, despite great lead performances. This German film takes place in the present but points to the atrocities of the past as they are actually happening now. It’s based on a 1944 novel by the German-Jewish writer Anna Seghers that draws on her experience as a war refugee. Director Christian Petzold deserves all the glory here for his thrilling and thought-provoking adaptation.

Blinded by the Light. I admit this was a guilty pleasure—I grew up 10 miles from the Boss—but I just really enjoyed it and a positive story about the immigrant experience. Directed by Gurinder Chadha, best known for the wonderful Bend It Like Beckham, Blinded by the Light once again shows off her talents—this time based on a true story. For Springsteen to give his blessing for all the music, he had to see something real.

My best of the rest:

Black and Blue (not enough people saw this well-done police thriller and a great lead performance from Naomie Harris);

Little Woods (I will follow Tessa Thompson anywhere she acts post-Creed)

Ford v Ferrari (this probably is my 11^th best)

Knives Out (this surprised me – well-done);

Queen and Slim (oozing with style and a magnetic lead duo);

Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice (and what a voice that is!);

Booksmart (another good film directed by a woman that came out too early in the year);

Woman at War;

Fast Colors (hardly even played but now may be a TV show);

Rocketman (really a better film than Bohemian Rhapsody just not as rapturous);

Echo in the Canyon (we miss Tom Petty);

The Biggest Little Farm;

Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool;

Peanut Butter Falcon (not a great title);

Everybody Knows;

Birds of Passage;

Marriage Story;

The Irishman