Tuesday 1 January 2019

Films of the Year 2018


A super late list this year (I didn't even finalise my top 10 while still in 2018) but that was so I could use the Christmas break to cram in as many extra films as possible.

Due to spending more time watching the films, I've had far less time to write it all up and as a consequence I've had to be much more concise.  Let me know if you prefer the brevity!

As usual this is a personal look back at this year's releases, so this is not necessarily a list of the greatest movies of the past twelve months, but a collection of my recommendations. As usual any feedback and discussion is welcome.

Disclaimer! - Many other films of the year lists will contain films yet to be released in the UK. I don't include these in mine, even if I've seen them at preview screenings. We usually get these films in January and February, so there's lots to look forward to early in the year. This year those films include "
If Beale Street Could Talk" (18th January), "Vice" (25th January) and "Eighth Grade" (TBA).

11. "Cheat film" - The Favourite
 


I've added in a cheat film, as every year a film (or sometimes multiple films) are released so close to the turn of the year that there is some ambiguity about which yearly list it should be included in.

The Favourite, released on the first day of 2019, is one such film. I first saw the movie at Brighton's Cinecity film festival back in November and loved it. It's a delightful black comedy, with excellent performances throughout. Unlike director Lanthimos’ previous movies, like the stilted conversations of The Lobster, the dialogue is darting and witty, with the actors relishing the obscurity of the royal household. It's a refreshing take on the period drama, blowing away any stuffiness with incongruous modern idiosyncrasies like modern dance moves. It would have been in my top three if I wasn't counting it as a cheat, so it stands a good chance of making 2019's list.


In cinemas 1st January 2019

10. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
 


A whole lot of fun, with more geeky Spider-Man references than you can shake a web covered stick at, you’ll be hard pressed to find a more entertaining film from 2018. It skillfully manages the many different realities and characters, whilst always finding the heart of the Spider-Man character, no matter who may be under the mask. Also, the last post credit scene is my all time favourite. On top of that, it uses a phenomenal animation style that challenges animated films to move on from copying Pixar and be far more creative from now on.

Currently in cinemas

9.
First Reformed


Ethan Hawke puts in a memorable and nuanced performance as a conflicted priest struggling with the morality of the modern church. Veteran film-maker Paul Shrader has created a slow, quiet movie that takes a rare look at how religion relates to environmentalism.  It might not be to everyone's tastes, especially the finale, but it's thought provoking, tense and combative cinema.  

Available for streaming rental.

8. Shoplifters



Shoplifters challenges our concept of family with a story that continuously shifts perceptions. As the film progresses and we learn more about the family unit, we find our assumptions defied and the narrative re-framed. It's a funny, touching and at times dark movie that looks at a side of Japanese life not often depicted on the big screen.   

Currently in cinemas
 
7. First Man



Focusing on the sacrifice involved in such an undertaking, Damien Chazelle creates a nuanced and thoughtful movie that questions the motives of space travel whilst also conveying the wonder (and terror). It really brings home how dangerous space travel was (and probably still is), especially in how flimsy and seemingly basic the equipment they used was.

Not available for online rental at the time of writing.


6. Isle of Dogs

 

With Isle of Dogs you get all the usual elements you’d expect in a Wes Anderson production, but with added (and unexpected) political commentary.
Beautifully designed and animated, it both pulled at my heartstrings and made me smile. Especially potent for dog lovers.
 

Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video

5. Phantom Thread

 

Paul Thomas Anderson creates an incredibly classy movie about control that is joyously dark and twisted beneath it's beautiful veneer. With a swelling soundtrack and sumptuous costumes, it's a film to luxuriate in. Daniel Day-Lewis is of course excellent in the role he claims will be his last, but Lesley Manville and Vicky Krieps are equally worthy of praise for their stand out performances. 

Available to stream on NowTV and for rental on other streaming services. 
 
4.
BlacKKKlansman 


An engaging storytelling masterclass, which strikes the perfect tone to deliver its message. Not many movies are both consistently funny and harrowing in equal measure, or as timely. A true return to form from Spike Lee in a film that tells a true but unbelievable story.

Available for streaming rental.

3. Lady Bird

 

A simple story, told with great warmth and humour, all done in just 95 minutes. It's one of those films that immediately feels perfectly formed, with scene after scene that rings true. The casting is spot on, especially the way Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf portray the relationship between teenage daughter and mother. Greta Gerwig is a director to be very excited about.

Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

2. Sorry to Bother You



An oddball debut film from Boots Riley that consistently defies expectation. The film's furious heart rages against modern commercialism, but it's all enclosed in a curious comedy that is both visually and conceptually inventive. It's best to go into this movie knowing as little as possible, so I won't say too much more, but I do have to say that Lakeith Standfield is one of the most fascinating and watchable leading actors around today.

Limited screenings still possible, but
not yet available for streaming rental at the time of writing.

1. Mandy

 

This movie made me so, so happy. As a huge Nicolas Cage fan, this ticked all the boxes. If you want to see him crying in anguish in his underpants whilst downing a bottle of booze, it's there. If you want to see him facing down a tiger in a drug addled fever dream, it's there. If you want to see him fighting a gang of twisted gimp bikers, it's there.

It won't be to everyone's tastes, but Panos Cosmatos movie is packed with stunning vivid imagery and insane set pieces. However it also has a playful sense of humour that stops it from becoming too artistically pretentious. This is a mental, psychedelic, LSD fueled horror movie that gives Cage the opportunity 
to be both the subtle and heartfelt Oscar winner and the batshit crazy meme-generator. 

Available for streaming rental.


Worthy Mentions
Not quite on the main list...


Lean on Pete - A heartbreaking story, beautifully told.
Mary Poppins Returns - An enchanting follow up to the original featuring the wonderful Emily Blunt. Near to making the list, but I wasn't so sure about the last act.
You Were Never Really Here - A dark, brutal and intense film from Lynne Ramsay. Joaquin Phoenix is at his emotive best as he struggles with his violent past and present, to the backdrop of another excellent enveloping score from Jonny Greenwood. A quick hit of nerve jangling cinema.
Hereditary - Chilling cinema, with the most shocking moment of any film this year, but it didn’t quite stick the landing for me.
The Square - Another excellent film whose ending left me a little cold. Not quite as good as the director's previous film "Force Majeure" but still a fascinating moral study.
American Animals - An intense docu-drama that makes for engaging but uncomfortable viewing.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - A film I really enjoyed at the time that hasn't stayed with me as much as I thought it would.
Deadpool 2 - A hugely entertaining follow up that introduces some great new characters. Zazie Beetzs "Domino" steals all the scenes she's in.
Mom and Dad - My second favourite insane Nic Cage movie of the year, directed by one half of the team behind the “Crank’ series.
Roma - A stunningly beautiful film I would have loved to have seen at the cinema, rather than just on Netflix. I think I would have appreciated it more in that setting.
The Breadwinner - A beautiful animation that explores the disturbing conditions that the women of Afghanistan lived in under Taliban rule.
Avengers: Infinity War - Packed with EVERYTHING, this is pretty much as good as a film with this many intertwined franchises can be. Long but entertaining, it’s straining at the edges but it definitely has a whole lot of WHOA factor.
Leave No Trace - An excellent film exploring a unique father and daughter relationship from Debra Granik, the director of "Winter's Bone".


Films worth a watch -
The Shape of Water, Antman and the Wasp, Black Panther, Cold War, Widows, Coco, You Were Never Really Here, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, A Quiet Place, Annihilation, "I, Tonya", A Star is Born, Suspiria, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Paddington 2, Creed 2, Ready Player One, Assassination Nation, Molly’s Game, The Post, Downsizing, Game Night, Leave No Trace



Disappointments
 

Widows - Visually beautiful, but paced too slowly and plotted too loosely to create a gripping heist movie. 
A Quiet Place - I’d heard (pun intended) great things, but I couldn’t understand the praise. Frustratingly stupid characters. 
Suspiria - A stunning opening, but it was over-long and tonally messy. I'd love to see a version that was edited down by 45 minutes.
Creed II - More conventional than its predecessor and poorer for it. 
The Meg - The trailer made it look like an entertaining B-movie, but there was a frustrating lack of craziness.  
Rampage - A bit like “The Meg”, the family friendly lack of insanity holds it back. 
Solo: A Star Wars Story - Everything I feared a Han Solo prequel movie would be. Contrived and unimaginative, it’s only reason for existence is to explain throw away lines that never needed explaining (much like Rogue One). The actors are game, but they’re given exposition laden clunkers to work with. Some of the content of this movie is as cringe-worthy as it gets... numerous eyes were rolled. It’s not technically a “bad” movie, it’s entertaining in places, it’s just a long pointless one. Why oh why did they sack Lord and Miller!?  
The Post - Stoic to the point of blandness, despite its class. A stately film, with all that entails. It’s classy, well acted and has a worthy message...but it’s also slow and self-important. It’s no “Spotlight”.
Ready Player One - As a fan of the book, I was excited to see what Spielberg would do with the adaptation, but it fell flat for me. 
Disobedience - Oddly boring, which is a shame as it has a great cast. 
Lucky - Harry Dean Stanton is as captivating as ever in his last screen role, but a mostly poor cast surrounds him. While Harry Dean Stanton gives a great central performance in one of his last roles, overall I found the movie plodding and tedious.

Awful...
Cloverfield Paradox

Mute



The ones that got away...

The big misses of this year, I regret I didn't get to see... 

A Fantastic Woman, The Old Man and the Gun, 120bpm, Incredibles 2, Faces Places, The Rider, Bad Times at the El Royale, Burning, Blindspotting, Darkest Hour, Green Book, Free Solo, Wildlife, They Shall Not Grow Old

In an ideal world, I would have seen these too... 

Overlord, Pacific Rim: Uprising, "Love, Simon", Tully, Aquaman, Halloween, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Bohemian Rhapsody, Peterloo, Bumblebee


Hope you enjoyed reading my breakdown, Happy New Year!



2017 Update
The ones I caught up with that I missed last year...

I liked...
 

Call Me by Your Name, Mother!, War for the Planet of the Apes, Kong Skull Island, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, Paddington 2

I wasn't so keen on... 

Good Time, The Disaster Artist, Alien Covenant, Baywatch

The ones I didn't catch up on...  

Lion, Christine, The Space Between Us, A Cure for Wellness, Beauty and the Beast, Berlin Syndrome, Patticake$, Loving Vincent, Gods Own Country, Mudbound, Casting JonBenet, Battle of the Sexes


Last Years Top Ten
10. I am Not Your Negro
09. Death of Stalin
08. Elle
07. The Florida Project
06. Toni Erdmann
05. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
04. Thor Ragnarok
03. The Handmaiden
02. La La Land
01. The Big Sick