TMI Thursday: I Really Love Movies. Here are My Favorites of 2019...
Something not everyone knows about me is that I go to the movies at least once a week. I go by myself, and because I have a taste for cinematic quality, I don’t go with Mr. Blades. Don’t get me wrong—I love Mr. Blades (so much that I married him!) but his favorite movie is White Chicks, which should pretty much tell you everything you need to know. As we get close to the end of the year, I find myself reflecting upon what I’ve seen.
Here’s what happens when I go to movies solo: I reserve a seat on the app so I get to sit exactly where I want, usually in one of the four corners; I go to the one of the theaters that has a full bar because, by Friday, I need a drink; I order a blackberry mojito and jalapeno poppers and a kid’s size popcorn; I love watching the previews as much as I love the actual movie—seeing what’s coming is just more cinema-porn.
We’re still in November, so I am far from done seeing movies for the year. As of today, here are my 2019 favorites. I am definitely missing some. I can’t remember what I watched on Netflix or on demand. These are just the ones I saw in the theater, for which I still have the stubs in my Apple Wallet, presented in reverse order of when I saw them. Enjoy!
Parasite (Korea - 2019)
The Basic Premise. A down-and-out family of four living in the slums of Seoul and struggling to escape poverty gradually insinuates itself into the employ of a wealthy family with a clueless matriarch. Just when they think they’ve gotten away with the con (posing as unrelated domestic workers who have forged their documentation to land them well-paying gigs in the wealthy family’s gorgeous home), an enormous twist threatens to expose them all.
What I Loved About It. It’s not often that I don’t see a twist coming. This one was ingenious and I really had no idea what was going to happen next. The cinematography was amazing as was layered and highly-effective symbolism. Finally, skillful representation of a class divide that never crossed the line into feeling preachy or overplayed.
Should You See It? If you like a movie that plays with stereotypes, and that has high stakes, mystery and tension, you will love this film. It doesn’t ever cross into horror but it goes farther than most psychological thrillers in delivering moments when you’re holding your breath.
Knives Out (USA – 2019)
The Basic Premise. A quirky, famed detective has been hired anonymously to investigate the murder of a wealthy patriarch (Christopher Plummer) that was ruled a suicide. The detective (Daniel Craig) doesn’t know the identity of the person who hired him, and the suicide certainly seems suspicious—especially since the dead patriarch was spry for his age and just changed his will.
What I Loved About It. As with any murder mystery that retraces the steps of the crime, the audience finds out whodunit. I loved that the cause of death was creative and unexpected. Apart from the fact that I really didn’t know who the killer was until close to the end, this movie kept me entertained with its wit and I stayed invested despite a character who had an obvious, involuntary physical reaction to lying—an overly-convenient detail that the story couldn’t have survived without. The casting was also amazing (e.g., Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Lakieth Stanfield, Michael Shannon, Christopher Plummer, and so many more) and it’s rare to see so many masters on screen—even Don Johnson was great)
Should You See It? This movie has a good mix of on the nose/over the head beats as well as some really great subtleties, making it a pretty entertaining pick for most anyone.
Black and Blue (USA – 2019)
The Basic Premise. A war veteran and black woman who’s returned home to become a cop walks in on a drug deal involving some crooked cops while she’s on duty. One shoots her in a moment of panic, then another realizes she’s still wearing her body cam. By the time they scramble to finish her off and get her camera so that it never makes it back to the station, she’s already on the run. Problem is, she’s a cop in a neighborhood where they don’t trust the cops, and they view her as the enemy. Not even people who know her (it’s the neighborhood she grew up in) will take her in. It explores the complicated position that black law enforcement officers are in, and why populations brutalized by the police often view being a cop as an identity that supersedes all others.
What I Loved About It. Remember that KRS One song, Black Cop? It’s about the complex roles and agendas that come into play as it pertains to black cops and black policing. This film brought up some of the same questions, but was told through the POV of the officer (played by Naomie Harris), which showed her plight. To me, this was worth exploring, and her childhood acquaintance, Milo (Tyrese Gibson), who eventually becomes her ally, dialogues these issues with her. I volunteer for my local police station (which I started doing largely because I wanted every cop in town to know my kids so my kids wouldn’t get shot) and I think there are a LOT of questions worth thinking through about the intersection between policing and communities.
Should You See It? Yes. Especially if you’re not black. It’s not a top-notch script, but it takes on tension between black communities and the police in a way that I haven’t seen explored elsewhere.
Midsommar (Sweden – 2019)
The Basic Premise. A young twenty-something mourning the tragic death of her sister and parents tags along on vacation with her reluctant boyfriend, who is headed to Sweden for a Midsummer festival with his college buddies. One buddy is Swedish and grew up on the remote commune they will visit, which celebrates Midsummer each season and which is preparing special rituals for this, it’s 90th year. Too bad the people and community take literally the symbolism of Midsummer’s, rendering its rituals a matter of life and death.
What I Loved About It. First things first: the costume design and cinematography were gorgeous. Secondly, this movie rose to the level of movies like Us, Get Out, and The Shining in terms of the credibility they lent to the characters’ predicament. The scariest movies are ones in which there is no clear escape. When it’s not just a matter of running to safety, the character choices were much juicier. This one was really chilling, but effective inasmuch as I also empathized with pieces of the lifestyle of those in the cult. Also, I loved that Josh (played by William Jackson Harper), one of the college buddies and also the token black guy in the film, was the most morally-centered and did not die first.
Should You See It? The gore is never overplayed, but it’s definitely there. You’ll like it best if you have open views about religion. And you’ll straight-up geek out on a few things if you’re an Edda-thumper, like me. There are a lot of Norse mythology references and you’ll understand additional references if you understand runes, northern mysteries and the Norse pantheon.
Wildlife (USA – 2019)
The Basic Premise. A woman (Carey Mulligan) gives up on her husband (Jake Gyllenhaal) emotionally when he can’t seem to keep a job and doesn’t seem to want her to get one, either. When he pursues a last resort—taking a dangerous job fighting wildfires that threaten the region—his absence sends his wife into deeper emotional retreat, jeopardizing her relationship with her young son as well as her son’s basic sense of stability.
What I Loved About It. First things first: the story is told through the eyes of the son and feels sadly accurate in its representation of what it feels like to be a boy whose parents are emotionally unavailable. The trick this film plays is getting you to empathize with the kid (whose parents are too busy dealing with their own crap to parent him during an era when he’s not supposed to show emotion in any case), and getting you to simultaneously empathize with the mom, who harbors all the justified frustrations of a 60s-era woman in rural Montana who is stuck in a lackluster marriage and dismal life. The final mind fuck is that it even gets you to empathize with the dad. You see how both parents are utterly failing the person who needs them most, but is too buried in their own issues to do much more.
Should You See It? Not if you’re triggered by emotionally-abandoned children and not if you’re looking for something light. But if you want a meaningful character study that explores 60s-era gender roles and how social mores are a catch-22 for all involved, this is your ticket.
It: Chapter II (USA – 2019)
The Basic Premise. Childhood friends who barely survived their attempt to defeat the child-murdering clown, Pennywise, twenty years before are all grown up and living on their own. Until the one of them who stayed behind to reach adulthood in their small, New England town summons all of them back. Pennywise is back and they need to finish what they started. But the magic that has protected Pennywise all these years has been screwing with their heads, and it’s still strong.
What I Loved About It. Jay Ryan. I’m just gonna put that right there. He’s a Kiwi actor who I love and he played the best character in this film: the grown-up version of the fat kid who was largely rejected when he was young but turns into a smoking hot millionaire. The romance sub-plot was absolute candy—he still carries a flame for the girl who was kind to him way back when and she’s among those who return. Beyond the resolution of the romance, it was a solid story—the return of Pennywise and their role and the crew’s stakes in defeating him all made sense. I also liked that the black character, Mike Hanlon (played by Isaiah Mustafa), was the one who pieced all the complexities together and was generally the smartest person in the room.
Should You See It? Trigger warning for child death, which is a theme in the entire franchise. Trigger warning also for child sexual abuse. Nothing is shown on-screen in either case but plenty is discussed and implied.
Tod@s Caen (Mexico – 2019)
The Basic Premise. Tod@s Caen (which translates roughly to “every woman falls”) bears striking resemblance to The Ugly Truth starring Gerard Butler and Katherine Heigl. An outspoken television producer who runs a show that dispenses feminist views on dating goes up against a loudmouth sensationalist with a growing following, whose dating views seem misogynist. His views come less from hatred of women than they do of cynicism from being spurned. In true Rom-Com fashion, they fall in love.
What I Loved About It. I shouldn’t have loved this move—to tell you the truth, it’s not a great movie—but I realized why I did: coming from Mexico, it felt the same, but different. It had the same tropes that you see in plenty of Rom-Coms and—again—I am pretty sure it was, literally, an adapted version of The Ugly Truth. But since the characters existed within the context of modern Mexican culture, they felt refreshingly not from the USA. It made the characterizations and interplay between the hero and heroine feel less worn out.
Should You See It? If you like latin culture and Rom-Coms and if you speak Spanish (and/or don’t mind subtitles), yes. Though, distribution may be limited and it’s not so good you should spend $10 to rent it on demand…
The Kitchen (USA – 2019)
The Basic Premise. Three women abandoned by gangmate husbands sent to prison for the same crime are supposed to be taken care of by the crime syndicate they work for. Only, the pittance the new boss gives them to live on doesn’t come close to what they need. Taking matters into their own hands, they decide to provide for themselves by infiltrating the crime operation and going behind the new leader’s back to become the new boss(es).
What I Loved About It. This was a mostly-solid exploration of how women rally when they’re failed by the men who have vowed to provide for and protect them. It’s also a mostly-solid exploration of how women are often shrewder businesspeople than men (once they take the business over, they’re much better at running it—of course). Ruby O’Carroll (played by Tiffany Haddish) as the black wife who married into the cold-to-tepid Irish mob family made for a few honest, interesting moments related to that dynamic that mainstream film rarely takes on. There is also a surprise twist relating to Haddish’s character that I absolutely loved. The movie gives the illusion that Kathy (the Melissa McCarthy character) is the brains and strategy behind the operation. 75% of the way through the movie, we find out that Ruby is the real brains. While Kathy has played a great game of checkers, she’s not as smart as she sets herself up to be. Meanwhile, Ruby’s played three-dimensional chess and—ultimately—she’s the biggest winner.
Should You See It? I’ll be honest: at times, it was overplayed and a bit bastardized by the Hollywood touch. But I liked that it was active in its challenge of gender roles and that it took on some big questions about race and culture. If you can see it for what it’s trying to say, you’ll like it. And if you forget everything else and deconstruct the relationships among the women, there’s a lot of good fodder there.
Ready or Not (US - 2019)
The Basic Premise. A woman from meager beginnings marries into a wealthy family that runs a gaming empire, and she weds at the family estate. Unbeknownst to her, every indoctrinated member of the family is bound to carry out a ritual they believe is tied to their prosperity: forcing the newest member of the family to draw a card that determines which family game they all must play on the wedding night. Most games that might be randomly drawn are benign. What almost never happens (and hasn’t happened in decades) is that the newest member of the family draws a deadly game of hide and seek, which involves every member of the family having to hunt her and kill her before sunrise. The family believes that if they don’t keep up the ritual of choosing a game and playing by the rules, they will lose their fortune—such is the deal with the devil made by their ancestor.
What I Loved About It. In case you hadn’t noticed from my writing, I love the psychology of rich people. In this film, they are caricaturized but the parts are well-acted. I love Henry Czerny as the patriarch and Nicky Guadagni as the sinister aunt steals the show. There are also some really great horror moments that balance classic vs. modern. Finally, the set design is gorgeous and the cringeworthy moments are so well set-up you can practically smell them. Adam Brody on screen is also always nice.
Should You See It? It’s gory at times. But really wonderful, visually with a lot of light moments and wit. If you like horror but stay away from deeply-disturbing horror, this one is pretty palatable.
Yesterday (UK – 2019)
The Basic Premise. A young twenty-something Brit who idolizes The Beatles wakes one day to find they’ve never existed. He Googles them. He mentions them to friends. He sings bars of their songs but no one has heard their music or knows who they are. Deciding that the world needs their music, he becomes a singer/songwriter who performs their songs, which are instant hits. He rises meteorically to international success. But they’re not his songs. And he keeps waiting for someone to discover he’s a fraud. He’s also trying to get to the bottom of his suspicion that he’s in a parallel universe.
What I Loved About It. Extremely simple premise, but excellent tension and complete enjoyment from getting to listen to Beatles songs. There were a lot of cute moments when the movie imagined what else (not just bands—other things) would not exist had The Beatles never been. This movie gave me absolute gratitude for the power of music itself and its ability to make people happy. There’s also a subplot in which Ed Sheeran plays himself and has a song battle with main character Jack (played by Himesh Patel). Ed Sheeran’s trepidation at Jack’s songwriting prowess is absolutely brilliant.
Should You See It? Yes. Unless you’re some freak who hates The Beatles. Or music. Or awesomeness.
Us (USA – 2019)
The Basic Premise. A little girl, Red (played by Lupita Nyong’o) has a traumatic experience as a child on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. She strays from her parents and gets lost in a funhouse where she sees something that she doesn’t understand but that nonetheless terrifies her. Returning to the area as an adult, when she’s married with her own children, recalls the horror of that night and confirms that there was always—and still remains—something to fear. Before they can escape the area and return home, the same threat she faced as a child returns and she and her family have to fight for their lives.
What I Loved About It. This film was utterly mind-bending and un-formulaic and it went far beyond its simple but effective horrific twist. The twist itself set up a layered allegory that created sympathy for the pursuer. Most horror movies feature crazed killers with bad reasons for terrorizing prey, but it’s more complicated when the killers act in logical reaction to their environment. Also, Winston Duke (yasssss!) singing I Got Five on It in the car was one of the top ten best moments of my year.
Should You See It? Yes. Absolutely. This is more psychological thriller than gory horror. But it’s well-balanced with some light moments that make fun of how campy horror movies can be.
Colette (UK – 2019)
The Basic Premise. The vivacious Colette (played by Kiera Knightley) is a hobbyist author who writes stories for her own pleasure—one of which is complete just in time for her husband (an established writer) to publish it under his own name and revive his languishing career. Collette willingly ghostwrites on his behalf for a time and is temporarily satisfied by the sheer knowledge that her stories are bestsellers that are lauded as genius. For a time, she’s sharing in the spoils of financial solvency earned by her hard work. But she’s in a pickle when her husband (who can’t seem to hold on to money for very long) sells the rights to her work to keep them afloat—she doesn’t want to sell but she’s never been credited as the author. Even after she establishes herself as such, she’s got early 20th Century sexism to contend with and men on the business side who aren’t committed to doing fair business with her.
What I Loved About It. This is based on the true story of Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, the French novelist who was later outed and credited for her work under the name “Colette”. I think we need to be telling more stories about real women’s accomplishments, and to tell the truth about the kinds of conditions that lead to them not getting credit for their work. I also liked that this movie explored the romance between Colette and the noblewoman Missy de Morny, who she dated and lived with for a time during and after she divorced her aforementioned husband.
Should You See It? Yes—it’s a solid film and an interesting story and it’s got a lot of great geeky candy for romance bibliophiles.
Honorable Mentions
The Girl in the Spider’s Web (USA - 2018) - Alright. I cheated. This isn’t from 2019, but I was going back through my Fandango ticket stubs and this showed up about a year ago. I’m addicted to this franchise and these movies (the English and Swedish ones) are so well-done. This one, in particular, explores a complicated relationship between sisters. It felt like the natural evolution given (justifiably) negative feelings Lisbeth has against men in prior films. Lisbeth vs. another man or Lisbeth against the world would have felt overly repetitive, and this one avoided that.
What Men Want (USA – 2019) - The movie itself was cute—a clear adaptation/reversal of the 90s-era move, What Women Want, in which Mel Gibson was the hero who could hear women’s thoughts. In this one, Taraji P. Henson is climbing the corporate ladder in a misogynist workplace and the plot setup leaves her with the same ability. The overall film is not worthy of my Top 10—except, when Erykah Badu showed up as the psychic, IT WAS EVERYTHING.
A Dog’s Journey (USA – 2019) - This movie is all about dogs and love and more dogs and more love and the ties that bind families and friends. It’s a follow up to A Dog’s Purpose, but a worthy sequel that doesn’t require you to have watched the original first. You will definitely ugly cry and get kicked right square in the feels.
Isn’t it Romantic (USA – 2019) - A movie that celebrates romance movies. I’m okay with that. I’m also okay with friends to lovers and I’m definitely okay with Rebel Wilson. Non-skinny romance protagonists are my jam.
Alright, your turn: what were your favorite movies of 2019?