Let's
get onto the good stuff finally. I am not going to do any honorable
mentions, this is it, my top 20 of 2019, and while the title of this
list states that these are the "best" films of 2019, that is not really
the case, these are my "favourite" films of 2019. Alright, enough talk,
lets begin with my:
TOP
TWENTY BEST FILMS OF 2019
20. TONE-DEAF
This is a film that I gather will be unique to my “best
of” list of 2019, as the latest film from Richard Bates Jr is one
that has been beset with unfavourable reviews. It is a film that has
been universally panned but for me, I thought “Tone-Deaf” was
absolutely hilarious and I loved every minute of it. I just seem to
“get” Richard Bates Jr and his movies, as this is the third of
his four movies that have made it to my end of year list. Only his
sophomore effort, “Suburban Gothic” failed to make an impression
on me, with his debut film “Excision” totally blowing me away.
When I say that I “get” him, I do not mean that I am superior in
intellect in any way and those that dislike the film must be void of
intelligence, rather that I just seem to be on the same wavelength as
Bates Jr, at least in a tonal and comedic sense. His latest film is
a very dark comedy about the battle between baby boomers and today's
millennials; the fact that they do not gel together and think that
the other's way of lifestyle lacks any credence. The boomers think
the millennials lack a hard work ethic, whilst the entitled
millennials believe the boomers have no sensitivity towards the
planet, people's feelings and work with racial stereotypes only.
Battle lines are drawn when young millennial Olive rents a
countryside house from a widower named Harvey, who thinking he
doesn't have a huge amount to live for, decides to tick off a certain
item from his bucket list, namely killing someone. And what better
person to kill than the representation of the world he hates today.
Amanda Crew and Robert Patrick are both hilarious as the archtypes of
their generation, each possessing killer comic timing armed with
Bates Jr's very funny script. When the film gets dark, this
impressive director does not skimp on the blood and gore either. Some
of the funniest moments in the film have to do with Harvey's dream
sequences who keeps dreaming of modern art baffled by just how it
qualifies as art in the first place. However my favourite moment
comes right near the end when Harvey forces Olive to play the piano
for him; the very piano where he witnessed his wife committing
suicide in front of. Olive, believing she is some kind of musical
prodigy, starts playing and only a couple of bars into it, is forced
to stop with him yelling “Stop! Stop It! YOU'RE JUST AWFUL!!”,
but when Olive looks at him quizzically and says “what?”, Robert
Patrick had me on the floor with his bewildered delivery of the next
line, “YOU DIDN'T KNOW???”. Oh my god, I was in hysterics!
Anyway, I know the film only has a rating of 4.8 currently on imdb,
but I say give “Tone-Deaf” a chance; you may be like me and end
up loving it!
19. A RAINY DAY IN NEW YORK
Ah, there is nothing like the political minefield of
liking a Woody Allen film. Anyway.....the latest film from Allen is
an absolute delight and my favourite film from him since “Vicky
Christina Barcelona” from 2008. It is about a young college
student, Ashleigh, who gets an interview with famous director, Roland
Pollard, that is to take place in Manhattan. Being as this is a
place they have always wanted to go together, Ashleigh and her
neurotic boyfriend, Gatsby, decide to make a weekend of it. When
Ashleigh meets up with the filmmaker, her interview expands into
something more as she finds Roland during a moment of self-doubt and
worth, even pondering retirement. She is invited to a screening of
his latest film to give her opinion, which begins a day of wacky
misadventures with a large number of people she meets from the movie
world. Meanwhile, separated from his girlfriend, Gatsby wanders the
city, bumping into old friends and finding himself on set of a modern
“film noir” movie where he does a scene with the sister of his
ex-girlfriend. Gatsby and the girl, Chan, spend some time together,
and Chan amusingly messes with Gatsby's mind, getting him to think
some “funny business” may be going on with Ashleigh and Roland.
Not only that but Gatsby remembers that his mother is having her
annual party this weekend, and he is determined not to go, and must
attempt to dodge his mother or anyone that may know her. This very
funny comedy, bordering on screwball, is one of Woody Allen's best.
He has cast the film wonderfully, and everyone gives stellar
performances. The cast is filled with stars the likes of Jude Law
(who is almost unrecognisable), Liev Schreiber, Rebecca Hall, Diego
Luna and Selena Gomez and they are all fantastic, giving light, fun,
vibrant performances. The main stars are Timothee Chalamet and Elle
Fanning, and they are so good. Chalamet performs completely
different than in any other film I've seen him in, and he is just
amazing, proving that he appears he can do know wrong (at least
onscreen), but it was Fanning that I was most surprised in due to her
brilliant comic timing. She is often at the centre of my favourite
moments in this film due to her chipping in with the silliest comment
at the perfect time. I loved her in this! Finally, Manhattan has
never looked better (in the rain), thanks to the expert
cinematography from the master Vittorio Storaro. I must admit that I
was surprised by how much I loved Woody Allen's latest film; Oh! And
I adore the poster for the film too.
18. DOCTOR SLEEP
As many people have already noted, Mike Flanagan did
himself no favours in attempting to follow-up one of the most beloved
horror films of the 1980's, “The Shining” directed by Stanley
Kubrick. It is a classic of the genre and is so well known, that you
do not have to have seen “The Shining” to know certain scenes
from it: the “Here's Johnny” axe attack being the ultimate
example. So how on Earth did Flanagan have the balls big enough to
believe he had it in him to not only deliver a worthy follow-up to
the Kubrick classic, but to also create his own film that stands on
its own two feet?? Truthfully, I do not know how he convinced
himself other than he obviously believes in his own talent, because
he succeeded in doing both those things supremely well. As big a
horror fan as I am, I have to admit that I am not a massive fan of
“The Shining”. It is an expertly made film, no doubt about it,
but I find the film a cold experience, lacking in emotion and I think
that Jack's transformation happens far too quickly without natural
progression. “Doctor Sleep” on the other hand is filled to the
brim with emotion, but this has always been a strong focus of
director Mike Flanagan's work. There is a genuine human connection
between the audience and Danny, as he struggles with being an
alcoholic and going down the same path his father did. We care about
his plight, which makes the ending of the film when he goes back to
the Overlook Hotel to fight his mental demons, that much stronger.
Away from Danny, and “Doctor Sleep” also works so well as a
horror film; it is dark, scary and mean. Early on, Flanagan lets his
audience know that he isn't messing around when he brutally kills a
child character. From this moment, you know that anyone in this
world could die. The highlight of the film is Rebecca Ferguson who
plays the film's main antagonist, Rose The Hat, the leader of the Top
Knot cult. I never suspected that Ferguson had this in her, as she
is terrifying in the role, but what I also liked was that she also
had a vulnerability within her too. There is a classic scene when
she believes that she has infiltrated the young girl's mind, only to
find the tables turned and the girl is in her mind. The terror she
feels in this moment when she realises she is not in control is
expertly played by Ferguson in this moment. And I loved her entire
look too. There is loads of praise I could heap on “Doctor Sleep”
(the recreation of the Overlook Hotel and the classic moments within
it are just spot on), but all I will say is that this is a fantastic
horror film and to give the film a chance, because you will not
regret it. The fact that this film flopped at the box office is just
the most ultimate tragedy because it is one of the smartest and
original horror films to grace cinema screens in ages, and
importantly, it is also very scary. One final note, I must say that
currently Mike Flanagan is the best horror director we have working
today.
17. MARRIAGE STORY
My favourite Ingmar Bergman film happens to be 1973's
“Scenes From A Marriage” which is about an unhappy couple engaged
in conversations about love, infidelity, loneliness, fulfilment
through marriage and identity. The extreme honesty in these
conversations and situations that Bergman presents us make it at
times a painful experience to sit through, but it is also so powerful
at the same time by how human and real it all is. Noah Baumbach's
“Marriage Story” is almost the modern equivalent to Bergman's
film, even though stylistically they are both very different and
narratively, the story's differ somewhat too. What is the same
though is that extreme honesty that permeates the film, and just how
painful it can be watching the characters going through their
divorce. Another thing that is the same is that I also loved
“Marriage Story”, despite and because of how painful it is.
Baumbach has never been the visual stylist Bergman was, but he excels
at giving his actors the space to be their characters and the
security to be so vulnerable when they break down. “Marriage
Story” is really an actor's piece and Scarlett Johansson and Adam
Driver have never been better. Despite the title, the film is really
about the divorce of Nicole and Charlie (played by the aforementioned
actors), and what I really loved about the film is that Baumbach
never favours either of the characters, representing both sides
fairly. He is not afraid to point out though that even when both
parties enter divorce wanting to be fair to the other person, it is
such a destructive process that it inevitably becomes about
“winning”. He particularly seems sour in regards to lawyers and
the law, who appear at times to focus more on their client winning
than listening to exactly what their client wants. Baumbach has
never been afraid to use autobiographical moments in his film, and
his own recent divorce from actress Jennifer Jason Leigh no doubt
helped in creating the film's honesty. Another aspect of the film
that is great is that the film isn't just about two people divorcing,
rather it is two people divorcing whilst attempting to stay together
as a family, as the two share a young son together. There is a
heartbreaking moment when Adam Driver's character expresses that by
Nicole and their son moving to another state, it will be as if he
loses the ability to ever parent his son again, and that he needs his
son to know that he fought for him. However, the greatest scene in
“Marriage Story” happens towards the end, when Nicole and Charlie
meet up away from the lawyers in an attempt to deal with their
problems fairly for each other. What starts off as a conversation
with good intent ends up descending into the most vicious name
calling with one of them exclaiming that they wished the other dead
before breaking down in tears. It is a long scene and a tour de
force from both Driver and Johansson, and again, it is so so painful.
I cannot stress just how great these actors are in “Marriage
Story”, and how good the film is itself. I wont lie to you and say
that it is a fun time at the movies, but it is definitely a film that
will make you feel. It is a stunning achievement by all involved.
16. KNIVES OUT
Rian
Johnson's latest film, the murder mystery “Knives Out” was
probably the most entertaining and out and out fun film that I saw
all year. Not once in the whole two hours was I bored, nor did my
attention ever waver, rather I was totally enthralled by this
twisting, turning murder whodunnit. Whilst I was not one of those
who hated Johnson's Star Wars outing, I must admit I was extremely
happy when I saw him commit to “Knives Out” as his next film as
it felt more in line with the kinds of films he made earlier in his
career, such as “Brick” and “The Brothers Bloom”. Johnson
has cobbled together quite the amazing cast here with big names
filling out most of the roles. What I also like is that Johnson has
used most of these actors against type, and they all excel in these
different roles. I was particularly impressed by both Jamie Lee
Curtis and Don Johnson, but really everyone is great, with Ana de
Armas being the standout, which works out well for the movie as she
is the story's main character. It is obvious that the entire cast is
having a ball making this film, especially Daniel Craig, who plays
the “Jessica Fletcher” role with a deep fried southern accent.
“Knives Out” is also quite the visual feast with Rian Johnson and
his regular cinematographer, Steve Yedlin, giving the film a bright
and stylised appearance with some impressive camera moves and angles
thrown in for good measure. These types of films are only as good as
the mystery within them, and “Knives Out” ticks that box
beautifully, whilst being as convoluted and confusing as you would
expect, but by the end it all makes sense. Lionsgate's official
synopsis of the film describes it as such: “When
renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey is found dead at his estate
just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective
Benoit Blanc is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan's
dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web
of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind
Harlan's untimely death.” As you no doubt have guessed by now,
Detective Blanc “suspects foul play”. This is just a fun time at
the movies, and I am pleased to hear that Johnson is currently
righting another instalment of Benoit Blanc's misadventures of crime.
15. THE VICE OF HOPE
One of the very last films
that I saw in 2019, I immediately fell in love with the beautiful
sadness of this Italian film from director Edoardo De Angelis. “The
Vice of Hope” is set in a seaside town just outside of Naples,
known for its lawlessness, where its inhabitants suffer in poverty
doing whatever it takes to survive. Our main character, Maria, is a
participant within the black market of selling babies, but who finds
her job increasingly difficult to do when she, herself, falls
pregnant. She starts to lose her cold edge, suddenly seeing these
mothers-to-be as real people rather than just a transaction. Things
become increasingly hard for Maria when she allows one of the
pregnant women escape to let her keep her baby, as her employers find
her decision to do so traitorous, and thus want to find Maria and
kill her. To make matters worse, is that she has fallen under the
spell of the vice of hope (hey, that's the title); believing that
perhaps things in her life could get better and have meaning if she
were to have her child. However, in the dark world of drugs,
prostitution, addiction and the trafficking of children, surely hope
is only the beginning of more pain, as the chances of escaping such a
world while deep within it, are next to none. To be honest, I have
no idea why I loved this film so much. Do not get me wrong, it is
superbly directed, well shot, has a fantastic lead performance from
Pina Turco and is chock full of emotion, so I am not blind to the
fact that this is a great movie, but sometimes you just connect to a
film and its characters right from the get-go and that is exactly
what happened to me with “The Vice of Hope”. I just loved it so
much. The film has a kind of urban fairytale quality to it too which
may be another reason it resonated with me so much, which is similar
to De Angelis's previous film “Indivisible”. I thought the
film's neon soaked cinematography was wonderful, and sometimes when
done well, sadness can also be beautiful. There is a wonderful scene
about half way through the film when Maria and friends end up at an
old amusement park and ride one of the old attractions. In this
moment we see Maria at her happiest, as she almost appears to regress
back to her childhood, forgetting the seriousness of her current life
and enjoying this one moment. And sadly, that is exactly what it is,
because even as you are watching it, you have a sense that this
moment will be as happy as Maria will ever find herself. I must make
mention of the performance of Massimiliano Rossi who plays Carlo
Pengue in the film, the only character who appears to have any human
decency within him. He is so warm and full of empathy, even though
his life is also touched with sadness. What made his performance
stand out so much though was that he was also in “Indivisible”
playing a character totally lacking in human decency; a character I
hated with a passion, and I couldn't believe it when I realised they
were both played by the same man. Anyway, there is a lot more going
on in “The Vice of Hope” that I have yet to mention too, so if
you get a chance, I recommend seeing the film. Most people do have a
problem with the film's ending, and I must admit that it was the only
part that I didn't love, mainly because it seems to go against the
tone and feeling of the rest of the film, but it is growing on me.
14. ANGEL OF MINE
I saw “Angel of Mine” at
MIFF this year, totally unprepared for how much I was going to love
it. It is an Australian film directed by Kim Farrant whose previous
film, the Nicole Kidman starring “Strangerland” I didn't really
connect with. That was not a problem with Farrant's latest film as
it hit me like an emotional gut-punch. “Angel of Mine” is a
dramatic thriller that sees a mother, Lizzie, grieving for the
daughter she lost years earlier in a hospital fire, become convinced
that the young sister of her son's friend, is actually her daughter.
Going off her meds and becoming more and more infatuated with the
idea that her daughter is still alive, Lizzie starts to lose her
grip on reality and begins to regularly stalk the family in attempt
to spend time with Lola, the little girl. As her obsession grows, it
becomes increasingly dangerous for everyone involved, including
Lizzie. While there are lots of things that I loved about “Angel
of Mine”, the main reason is because of the very intense
performance from Noomi Rapace as Lizzie. She is simply fantastic and
gives everything in this role, to the point that she is incredibly
scary at times. She is also able to convey the immense sadness a
parent must feel when they lose a child, and Rapace is truly
heartbreaking in some scenes. But really it is her intensity that is
so impressive. She is known for going deep into roles, but it has
been some time since I have seen her attack a role as aggressively as
she does that of Lizzie; amazing performance! Rapace has a worthy
foe in Yvonne Strahovski who plays Claire, the mother of Lola. There
are a number of times when they come face to face and Strahovski is
strong enough to hold her own against Rapace and command her half of
the scene. The girls are centre stage of “Angel of Mine” but are
ably supported by both Luke Evans and Richard Roxburgh who play the
husbands. I particularly liked Roxburgh's soft and sensitive
performance, and the way that he doesn't immediately demonise Lizzie,
understanding how much the poor woman must be going through after
losing her daughter. There is an unexpected empathy in him that
actually feels very real and human. Besides the performances, I also
loved the look of “Angel of Mine”; cinematographer Andrew Commis
has created a lush looking world where colours stand out, even though
they may be more on the pastel side. It is an incredibly beautiful
looking film, and an added pleasure is that the film was shot here in
Melbourne too. I must admit that I have been disappointed in the
response to “Angel of Mine” and actually expected it to make more
of a mark than it ended up doing. It came and went from cinema
screens in Australia very quickly, and when it hit home video in
America, I was dismayed by people describing the film as a “Lifetime”
type movie. It is nothing of the sort! It is deep, meaningful,
emotional, painful and very human. It deals with themes of loss, the
struggle to move on after suffering a tragedy, mental illness,
intuition, and obsession, and I recommend “Angel of Mine”
wholeheartedly. I really hope more people see this film, as not only
is it impressive as a drama, it is also a cracking thriller too.
13. KNIVES AND SKIN
This film came out of
nowhere and is totally amazing! The thing that is mentioned most
when people talk about “Knives and Skin” is David Lynch's “Twin
Peaks”, and as much as I am a fan of Lynch, over the years I have
begun to realise that anything considered a little weird or
different, often gets branded with the term “Lynchian”, although
very few of these films are even close to having the same feeling as
a David Lynch film; they are just weird. As such, I now tend to stay
away from things deemed to be “Lynchian” because they rarely are,
and yet, something kept clawing at me to give “Knives and Skin” a
chance, and boy am I glad that I did. By the time the film was over,
I thought it was something very special. And yes, it did indeed have
that David Lynch feeling to it while, importantly, also being its own
thing. The story of “Knives and Skin” is about how a midwestern
community reacts when a schoolgirl goes missing. While initially the
town appears to be the perfect place to live and bring up a family,
the truth is much less appealing as most people are lost, and just
trying to make their way through life, as we are witness to their
private moments and the darker underbelly of the town. As you can
see, the comparisons to “Twin Peaks” are apt, and yes, “Knives
and Skin” is also very weird too. The most amazing thing though is
that “Knives and Skin” is also (kind of) a musical as characters
regularly burst into song. Ok, I should note that most of these
scenes do take place during choir practice but there is one song
where all the characters of the film take part in the singing moment,
including the missing girl, and it is just sublime. It would take a
lot of guts to attempt a scene like this, because the chance of it
falling very flat are big, but writer/director Jennifer Reeder gets
it just right, making it a highlight of this great film. Like a lot
of the films on this list, “Knives and Skin” is also a very
painful film as most of the characters are going through something,
but it is the portrayal of the lost girl's mother that is just
devastating. Marika Engelhardt is shockingly good as this poor
mother barely existing in a day to day life. Her body is there, but
she is no longer present, swallowed by her enormous grief. She
dresses in her daughter's clothes (and her bra, as she tells someone)
for the whole film and appears in a daze throughout. There is
something so heartbreaking about it all. I find this film hard to
talk about because it is full of different characters and plots, and
so many weird things happen in the film, but it all feels true to the
world Jennifer Reeder has created and to her character's experiences.
This is definitely not a film for everyone, but those that like
something a little different, and not of the norm, I cannot recommend
“Knives and Skin” enough. It is a revelation and I cannot wait
to watch it again.
12. BIRDS OF PASSAGE
Going into my viewing of
“Birds of Passage”, I actually had no idea what I was walking
into. Although I hadn't seen “Embrace of the Serpent”, the
previous film by director Ciro Guerra, I was aware of it and assumed
that “Birds of Passage” was another journey through a culture I
was unaware of, like that film. I had no idea that I was about to be
witness to the most incredible gangster story I've seen in a very
long time. Set in a small village in Colombia, Rapayet and his
family inadvertently get involved in the trafficking of marijuana.
While it initially makes them all wealthy, both greed and the
corruption of wealth causes the family and the small village where
they live, to be ultimately destroyed. “Birds of Passage” blew
me away! From a filmmaking perspective, it is a sublimely made film.
Right from the opening frame, you know you are in great hands, as
the film is beautifully paced and expertly shot, but it is the story
that is just so compelling. I think the thing that I loved most
about “Birds of Passage” was the way you see the traditions and
culture of this small community begin to mean less and less to the
group as they become more corrupted by money. At the start of the
film, we are witness to this beautiful mating dance ritual that means
everything to the community, with one character being chastised just
for showing up late to it. They all look out for one another and
they are like one big family. However as soon as the drugs enter the
picture, it all changes, with paranoia setting in, no-one trusting
anyone or looking out for one another anymore. Suddenly the
beautiful old patriarch of the group becomes like the “Godmother”
willing to kill anyone threatening their new business. The film
becomes very violent but it is also filled with the most beautifully
surreal moments too, that give “Birds of Passage” a uniqueness.
While I guess you could say that the film is predictable in where the
story ends up, it is the impressive journey getting there that makes
you forgive the familiar conclusion. Not only that, but the final
shootout at the mansion in the desert is something else. It is the
exclamation point to this fantastic movie!
11. BLISS
I was a big fan of Joe
Begos's previous two films, “Almost Human” and “The Mind's
Eye”; both films were a throwback to the 80's style of genre story,
with their influences worn proudly on their sleeves. Begos's new
film, “Bliss”, is something completely different and took me
totally by surprise. The film is about a young painter, named Dezzy,
who hasn't produced a piece for months. With the bills pilling up,
and no money coming in, Dezzy turns to hallucinogenic drugs hoping
for some inspiration. She hits up a dealer friend, who supplies her
with a new strain called “Bliss” but explains to only take a
little as it is super strong. She doesn't listen and takes a massive
hit of the drug, causing her to go through some sort of trance before
blacking out. When she wakes though, she sees the beginning of a new
painting, and its good. She takes another hit in an attempt to
finish her masterpiece that then sees her descend into a hell of drug
addiction, casual sex and insanity. Except this time when she wakes
up, she is covered in blood, and very hungry for another hit. Joe
Begos has created one of the best horror films I have seen in ages.
The film is exhausting as it never slows down for an instant, with
both the camera and Dezzy constantly moving. It is so full on, that
I wasn't even sure whether or not I actually liked or hated “Bliss”.
The last time this happened to me, where I was so disturbed by a
film that I couldn't initially tell how I felt about it, was Richard
Bates Jr's debut film, “Excision”, but like that film, I also
ended up realising that I actually loved “Bliss”. While his
first two films appeared to be riffs on John Carpenter, this time
around Begos has created an experience that Gaspar Noe would be proud
of. It is raw, it is intense, it is visceral, it is gritty and it is
kinetic. There is actually a quote on the trailer that compares
“Bliss” to a marriage of the films of Noe and Abel Ferrara and I
actually think that is a spot on comparison. Speaking of the
trailer, I must admit that I am super annoyed that they give away the
type of horror film this ends up evolving into. It is a great
surprise and like everything else in this film, I was not ready for
how far Begos would go with it. “Bliss” is a ridiculously bloody
film by it's end and I freaking loved all of the practical special
effects on display here. Thankfully the film is also only 80 minutes
long because as I mentioned above, at the constant insane pace that
the film moves, it really is an exhausting experience and any longer,
I think would've worked against the film. I cannot speak highly
enough about “Bliss” and recommend it to all horror nuts. It is
certainly different from the norm, and may not be for everyone, but I
found it a hugely rewarding experience. I must also give a shout out
to actress Dora Madison who goes above and beyond in her portrayal of
Dezzy and who is in every scene of “Bliss”; just like the film
itself, she is simply outstanding.
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