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.
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 11th 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