Mixed Metaphors

“Certain things leave you in your life and certain things stay with you. And that’s why we’re all interested in movies — those ones that make you feel, you still think about. Because it gave you such an emotional response, it’s actually part of your emotional make-up, in a way.” — Tim Burton

“A good movie can take you out of your dull funk and the hopelessness that so often goes with slipping into a theatre; a good movie can make you feel alive again, in contact, not just lost in another city. Good movies make you care, make you believe in possibilities again.” — Pauline Kael

As in other years, first, before I share A Filmgoer’s Guide to the Best Films of 2019, this is a reminder that I’m a cinephile and not a critic. I offer my thoughts and impressions on the films I saw this past year and comment on what worked for me, what didn’t, and what transported me. Movie-going is, for the most part, a solitary experience. Like other forms of art immersion, we respond intimately with the medium, emotionally, viscerally, and intellectually.

Sometimes when watching a film in a theater, the audience becomes an interactive participant, communicating in a call and response to humor or horror, surprise, or turn-your-head-away violence. I see a lot of films on my own and with filmgoing friends and family. Post-film discussions, whether in-person or on social media, enhance the experience by sharing differing points of view and insights.

I often post mini-reviews on social media to spark a dialogue. This is a shout-out to my filmgoing friends and family who join me at the movies and follow my reviews. Note: Some of the content that follows is from mini-reviews I’ve written and posted previously on social media, plus content repurposed from past Filmgoer’s Guides. This is my sixth year sharing my Best Films of the Year list for my blog, Mixed Metaphors, Oh My! 

Film content continues to be delivered in a number of ways and this year a number of films nominated for awards have premiered digitally online and in limited release in theaters. The Irishman, Marriage Story, and The Two Popes are examples of the impact streaming services like Netflix have had on the industry.  

The growing number of viewing options affected where and how we consumed content, from new film platforms, downloads, and subscription streaming services, expanding the choices and the venues, from theaters, to home, to the backseat of a car, or at work during lunch breaks on Smartphones. Online episodic series have also gained popularity and critical acclaim.

I also want to give a hat tip to the Wisconsin Film Festival and the film societies sponsored by the University of Wisconsin including Cinematheque and the WUD (Wisconsin Union Directorate), films presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Madison, Wisconsin, plus films curated and presented at Mills Folly Microcinema, and independently-produced new works by Madison Independent Filmmakers. 

This year, as in the past, there were controversies regarding the lack of award nominations for actors and filmmakers of color or women directors. Martin Scorsese and others debated on whether the comic book action franchises and special-effects box office blockbusters were in Scorsese’s opinion, “…theme parks, nor cinema,” sparking a debate on social media. Gratefully, with the growth of online content, there are ample options and opportunities to see independent and locally-produced films.

Some notes on the criteria for my list

I choose films drawn from my favorite genres. I like biographies, LGBT-themed movies, crime and suspense dramas, coming-of-age stories, dystopian future fantasies and satire, well-done romantic comedies, relationship and dysfunctional family dramedies, and documentaries. On the flip side, genres that typically don’t appeal to me are action-hero/comic book films, horror, or ultra-violent or exploitation films, especially when women and children are victims. Films that pass the Bechdel Test earn extra credit, especially stories from a woman’s point of view, even more so when produced or directed by women, or feature a strong female lead. I seek out movies made by a short list of favorite directors and writers who often work with a familiar repertoire of actors, and finally, independent films often make my annual list of best films. 

Now for the movies…

A Filmgoer’s Guide to the Best Films of 2019

(Not ranked, except as noted. All official movie posters courtesy of the film production studios.)

The first two films on the narrative film list are my favorites in this category, Parasite and Marriage Story. I’m hard-pressed to choose between them, much like a parent who loves all their children, but for different reasons. The following list is a baker’s dozen of Best Narrative Films. Add in a half-dozen Best Documentaries, plus my pick for the Best Foreign Film. Note: this year’s list does not include a Best Animated Film (I didn’t see any of the full-length features) and if my math is correct, my Filmgoer’s Guide for 2019 yields a total of my Top 20 Films.

I reprise these bonus special categories not included in the Top 20: Honorable Mention, Films I Didn’t See, and Dream Double Features.

Best Narrative Films

1. Parasite – It’s the kind of film difficult to review without revealing spoilers, and for those filmgoers who haven’t seen it yet, I’m going to keep this synopsis purposely vague and brief. First, let me just say that the film falls in a category of a hybrid genre much like recent films, Get Out, Us, The Square, and The Killing of a Sacred Deer that combine elements of a psychological thriller, social commentary satire, and dystopian horror. Parasite is about the disparity between classes, of wealth and survival resourcefulness, and much more. A quote from a leading character, “It’s metaphorical.” It is! The film is visually compelling, the characters fully developed, and the story arcs original and timely. Many critics are hailing the Cannes Palms d’Or winner as ‘The Best Film of the Year.’ It’s already received a number of nominations and award recognition during this year’s award shows. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend it. Along with Marriage Story, a very different kind of film, Parasite shares the distinction of my favorite film in this year’s A Filmgoer’s Guide to the Best Films of 2019.
2. Marriage Story – The story, and in this case the individual perspectives and lived experience of both husband and wife portrayed by Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, captured how the very traits that attract to us to someone as we fall in love can be its very undoing at the end of a relationship. It wasn’t an easy film to watch emotionally and I found myself rooting for each character, including their son, at different points in the story. Both Johansson and Driver fully inhabit their characters and give award-worthy performances, along with Laura Dern in a supporting role as a powerhouse divorce attorney. I’m a huge fan of Noah Baumbach, both of his writing and directing. His films are often focused on the complicated relations between family, friends, and loved ones.  He writes and directs intimate stories, paying close attention to the seemingly mundane moments of everyday life, which often are packed with meaning, existential choices, and the universal challenges of being human in today’s world.  Marriage Story is semi-auto-biographical about the dissolution of his first marriage between an actress (Jennifer Jason Leigh, his first wife) and a director (himself). Some of my favorite films by Baumbach include, The Squid and the Whale, Margot at the Wedding (featuring, Jennifer Jason Leigh), Frances Ha (starring Greta Gerwig who would become his second wife), While We’re Young in which Adam Driver co-stars, The Meyerowitz Stories where Adam Sandler gives one of his best dramatic performances, and lastly Mistress America another collaboration with Greta Gerwig, now also a director for Lady Bird and this year’s Little Women. Like some of my favorite directors including Robert Altman and Martin Scorsese, Baumbach works with a repertoire of actors he trusts. In my view, Baumbach’s films, both in his dramas and comedies, portray human relationships in all of their imperfections. I wish I could write stories like his. Marriage Story shares my Best Film of 2019 distinction with Parasite, two completely different takes on the human experience.
3. Little Women – I’m always happy to see the movie theaters filled with people, though I’m accustomed to often being one of a small handful of filmgoers most days. Before I review Little Women which I saw on Christmas Day, I want to provide some background. I’m generally not a fan of historical costume dramas and period romantic comedies. A recent exception was last year’s, The Favourite, which should tell you everything you need to know about my taste in movie Next, I never read Louisa May Alcott’s semi-autobiographical novel, Little Women about the March sisters and family. I also never saw any of the 12 television adaptations or 5 previous feature films. Lastly, what drew me into the theater was Greta Gerwig at the helm of this adaptation as writer and director in a film featuring actors from her previous directorial debut, Lady Bird, Saoirse Ronan as Jo March, and Timothée Chalamet, who plays the rich bad boy neighbor with the big heart, Laurie. Both actors are two of my favorites and are easy and compelling to watch. Gerwig infuses her exuberant energy into the story and characters. Gerwig’s resume as an actor is evident in this film. The camera loves the actors and the dialogue is both contemporary, yet true to the times. The themes are grounded in the period it depicts, yet the feminist threads and the March family’s commitment to creativity and nurturing spirit are woven throughout the film. Gerwig plays with the linear story arc, zig-zagging between past, present, and future. It requires the filmgoer to pay close attention. Since I was not too familiar, first-hand, with the story, it was disorienting until I embraced the convention. It’s a big-hearted story that poses all the right questions for our times on how to live an examined life, the importance of following one’s passion, and the responsibility we have, not only to care for our family and loved ones, but for our community. Ann Hornaday in her Washington Post review describes the film as follows, which totally matches my experience, “This is a big, generous-hearted movie, as smart as it is pretty; as an homage to female ambitions, appetites and irrepressible will, it feels both true to its period and entirely of the moment. It would be hard to find a Little Women more suited to its times, for love or money.” When the credits rolled It was one of those rare times that at the end of the film, the audience applauded. On Christmas Day the theater was filled with families and friends, men and women of all ages. This tells you everything you need to know about the movie’s appeal.
4. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – The title of the film is no casual choice, like most of Quentin Tarantino’s decisions as writer/director, it serves a purpose as a fairy-tale metaphor of revisionist history which is the hallmark of many of the themes of his films. It’s certainly true for this movie as Tarantino looks back nostalgically at the Hollywood of his youth and the tipping point for change. The film takes place in 1969 and features a story arc which includes Charles Manson and his ‘family’ of mostly underage girls and misfits who followed him and who he could control. They live on the Spahn Ranch, which at one-time was a movie set for Western TV series. I was 19 in 1969 and considered myself a hippie after dropping out of college. Like many of my generation it was a temporary stop along the journey as I soon became a political-activist, protesting the war in Vietnam and fighting for civil rights for all people, regardless of race, ethnic background, gender, sexual preference, religion, or class. I was, and continue to be, a cinephile so this story held much appeal for me. I’m not a fan of the violence in Tarantino’s films, yet I enter the theater “eyes wide open” knowing what to expect, though I end up turning away or closing them when the violence is too graphic to watch. To quote the film, “A lotta killing.” I’ll let Tarantino tell his story so there won’t be any spoilers in this mini-review other than the film was mesmerizingly watchable, both the leads, Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, and supporting cast, Margot Robbie, Al Pacino, Kurt Russell, and Mike Moh (from Waunakee) who plays Bruce Lee. Featured in minor roles were Bruce Dern (George Spahn), Dakota Fanning (Squeaky Fromme), Damian Lewis (Steve McQueen), and Luke Perry in his final film role. Lastly, a 3-year-old Red Pit Bull, Sayuri, plays Pitt’s dog Brandy who steals some of the scenes in the film. DiCaprio plays Rick Dalton, a former leading man whose career has taken a downturn and he’s playing cameo parts in TV series as villains after his Western series, Bounty Law is cancelled. Pitt plays his stunt double with a questionable past. He’s also Dalton’s driver and friend, who is willing to watch Dalton’s appearances on TV with him while drinking beer, eating pizza, and supporting him as Dalton has his existential crisis. Much of the film involves riding along with one or both of the leads in vintage cars in Hollywood as they talk about life and the business of making films. Not since Thelma and Louise, have I enjoyed these road trips as much. I don’t want to reveal much more about the film other than it’s one of the best of Tarantino’s career and is rumored to be his swan song. Full Disclosure: The film also includes some racism and prejudice representative of the times, including the treatment of Mexicans and portrayals of women and hippies. It’s a love letter (and critique) of Hollywood and tells a perfectly-crafted fable, “Once Upon a Time…” See this film.
5. Queen & Slim – The film posed lots of interesting questions on a number of themes, especially race, the assumptions we make about each other, how we profile others, how people can become folk heroes, and the list goes on. It’s a romance, a road trip, a crime story, a Thelma and Louise or Bonnie and Clyde inspired fable. It’s a reminder too that our life can change on a dime, how a random series of events can redirect the course of our lives. It’s a film I would recommend seeing with a filmgoing friend. I saw the movie with my cinephile friend, Julie, and the filmgoing experience was made richer by the discussions we had afterwards. Note: Spoilers follow: From the synopsis of the film, “Slim and Queen’s first date takes an unexpected turn when a policeman pulls them over for a minor traffic violation. When the situation escalates, Slim takes the officer’s gun and shoots him in self-defense. Now labelled cop killers in the media, Slim and Queen feel that they have no choice but to go on the run and evade the law. When a video of the incident goes viral, the unwitting outlaws soon become a symbol of trauma, terror, grief and pain for people all across the country.” The film is directed by, Melina Matsoukas, a first-time director based on a screenplay by Lena Waite based on a story by Lena Waite and James Frey (infamous for his controversial memoir, A Million Little Things). The leads are played by Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen) and Daniel Kaluuya (Slim) with an excellent supporting cast featuring Bokeem Woodbine, Chloë Sevigny, Flea, Sturgill Simpson and Indya Moore. Queen & Slim, in this cinephile’s view, was an overlooked film including the first-time woman director. This allegorical road trip with stopovers along the way and rendezvous with family, friends, strangers, co-conspirators, the law, and traitors will not disappoint. It’s a film deserving of more than one viewing.
6. Bombshell – Bombshell is the Fox News, Roger Ailes takedown orchestrated by Gretchen Carlson, played by Nicole Kidman, Megyn Kelly by Charlize Theron, and a composite character performed by Margot Robbie. These three performances in themselves are worth the price of admission. A bonus is Kate McKinnon who portrays a lesbian, cube-mate, and friend of Margot Robbie’s character. Considering the seriousness of the subject matter, the film is entertaining and informative in all the right ways. It’s a #MeToo versus MAGA story featuring women fighting back at sexual harassment in a toxic workplace. Roger Ailes, CEO of Fox News asks the women to “Do a little twirl for me.” When they look at him in disbelief, he follows up with, “It’s a visual medium.” This is how it all begins. From a filmmaking POV it’s an imperfect film. Some things work better than others. The introductory exposition delivered by Megyn Kelly’s character is intended to fill-in the background and set the stage. Throughout the film there are moments that break the ‘Fourth Wall’ and take you out of the narrative. Characters receive captions and when the actors playing Rudy Giuliani and Geraldo Rivera appear, it was jolting to this viewer. In the end, I became acclimated to the introduction of well-known people in the Fox universe including, Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Greta Van Susteren, Chris Wallace, Judge Jeanine Pirro, Robert Murdoch, and the list goes on. The film is directed by Jay Roach, (Recount, Game Change) and the screenplay by Charles Randolph whose credits include The Big Short. Bombshell is an important reminder on how sexual harassment in the workplace by powerful men, politics, and the culture wars, shaped our current moment. Yes, Donald Trump portrays himself in footage from the times. It’s not great filmmaking, but it’s an entertaining take on the times we live in. The film is both a history lesson and a cautionary tale. Karma will catch up to you eventually. For filmgoing friends and family, I recommend giving the film a spin (pun intended)
7. Ford v Ferrari – From the film’s website: “Academy Award®-winners Matt Damon and Christian Bale star in FORD v FERRARI, based on the remarkable true story of the visionary American car designer Carroll Shelby (Damon) and the fearless British-born driver Ken Miles (Bale), who together battled corporate interference, the laws of physics, and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford Motor Company and take on the dominating race cars of Enzo Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 1966.” I saw the film on a large UltraScreen with Dolby Sound. I sometimes suffer from motion sickness and the first racing scene was so convincingly real that momentarily I hoped I wasn’t going to get sick. The film’s opening and closing scenes were driver-POV bookends to the adrenaline thrill and risks of auto racing. There was so much to like about the film: The portrayals by Damon and Bale, plus the supporting cast, the history lesson of the reign of the Ferrari team at LeMans and Henry Ford II and Ford Motor Company’s desire to add excitement and prestige to his family car lineup, and most importantly, the heart-pounding racing scenes. The villains in this story were men in suits and the laws of physics. This was classic movie storytelling at its best. It was a heart-racing thrill ride of men and machine, with two friends at its heart along with their families, engineers, and pit crews that share a passion for car racing, not profits. It’s also a story about personal integrity and reputation. You don’t have to be a racing fan to love this film and you’ll be glad you went along for the ride.
8. Waves – First, let me go on record that I’m a fan of this up-and-coming young director, Trey Edward Shults, since his feature-length directorial debut, Krisha, starring his aunt, Krisha Fairchild. Krisha is a dysfunctional family drama chronicling the title character’s return and alcohol and drug-addicted relapse at a family Thanksgiving ten years after she abandoned her family including her son. What left an impression on me is Shults’ intense and intimate storytelling, experimental editing, mix of camera aspect ratios and close-ups, and heart-pounding music where the sound design becomes a character all of its own. Shults was an intern and studied and worked on three films under Terrence Malick, including Tree of Life. His next full-length feature was the dystopian psychological horror film, It Comes at Night, starring Joel Edgerton. All of these stylized techniques are trademarks in his current Waves, written and directed by Trey Edward Shults. From the film’s website, “Set against the vibrant landscape of South Florida, and featuring an astonishing ensemble of award-winning actors and breakouts alike, Wavestraces the epic emotional journey of a suburban African-American family—led by a well-intentioned but domineering father—as they navigate love, forgiveness and coming together in the aftermath of a loss. From acclaimed director Trey Edward Shults, Waves is a heartrending story about the universal capacity for compassion and growth even in the darkest of times.” Waves is a film not seen by enough people, including voters for the award shows. There are standout performances by Kelvin Harrison Jr., Lucas Hedges, Taylor Russell, Alexa Demie, Renée Elise Goldsberry, and Sterling K. Brown. Music by Trent Reznor and Attica Ross and cinematography by Drew Daniels, with editing by Trey Edward Shults and Isaac Hagy. See this film.  
9. The Two Popes – As a former Catholic and practicing agnostic (is that really a thing?), I experienced some ambivalence about whether I wanted to really watch the The Two Popes or not, described in a NYT’s review as, “Jonathan Pryce (as the future Pope Francis) and Anthony Hopkins (as the outgoing Pope Benedict) star in a study of faith, friendship and power.” This is NOT a review of the film so much as it features a couple of takeaways and questions about religion, spirituality, and congruence. The film asks the fundamental question, “Can we in fact, ‘practice what we preach,’ especially at the highest seat of power?” One takeaway for this viewer it’s also a theme of Hotel Bar, my episodic web series in production. It posits that we are all human, mortal beings, each of us both saint and sinner. Our journey in life, and how we are judged at the end of our life, is how we reconcile that dichotomy, make amends, and seek redemption and forgiveness. The same is true for The Two Popes. A filmmaking note, the acting is riveting and the cinematography lush. Besides being a portrayal of two spiritual adversaries who become friends, it is a behind-the-scenes look at Vatican politics and power. As a person who was raised Roman Catholic, and yes, as an agnostic, I believe in some kind of amorphous Higher Power. There were moments when the story tapped into former beliefs about the power of prayer and how God communicates with us by providing us signs in our lives. I was surprised by how this film moved me, and I suspect, as a response to most art, it’s what we bring to the experience. What makes art, religion, spirituality, even politics, so powerful, is it’s the interaction between the subject or belief and the individual.
10. Rocketman – First some disclosures before I share my mini-review. Growing up in the 1960’s, music was literally the soundtrack of our lives from the Beatles to Dylan, Rolling Stones to The Who, from folk and protest music to soul music, R & B, the blues, jazz, and the list goes on. Elton John was an icon of that time, though I don’t own a single album or CD, however I always enjoyed his music and his flamboyant costumes and perform Next, I’m not a huge fan of musicals, though I’ve enjoyed a number of Broadway productions including Fun Home, Beautiful, Motown, Kinky Boots, stories about music and the music-makers, like recent fare, Judy, and last year’s A Star Is Born, plus LGBTQ-themed stories. Movies like Grease, Bohemian Rhapsody and Saturday Night Fever that were musicals or featured great soundtracks make the list. Lastly, I’m a recovering person. Like Elton, alcohol, codependent relationships, and food are all issues I continue to work on, so the flashback story arc was especially poignant for me. Having laid that foundation, a person who normally does not consider myself a fan of musicals (though that’s changing after seeing recent Broadway shows like Hamilton and believe it, or not, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical), or a die-hard Elton John fan, I enjoyed the film and the storytelling, the music of course and Elton’s outrageous costumes. What I liked most about the film is it takes a look, a “fearless moral inventory,” to quote one of the 12-Steps of AA, of Elton’s childhood, rise to fame, abuse of alcohol and drugs and more, including his abuse of his friends, especially Bernie Taupin his lyricist and lifelong creative collaborator and friend who loved him unconditionally. Lastly, having seen the film, I admired Elton’s commitment to how his story was told and the collaboration, singing, and performance of its lead, Taron Edgerton. It’s not lost on me that the film premiered on the eve of Pride Month. I enjoyed the performances of their hits that included dance choreography, flamboyant costumes, and flashbacks of songs that could easily be adapted to the stage as a Broadway musical. I’d pay to see it.
11. Joker – Let me begin this review of Joker with a quote from the film which captures the essence of the story and the pulse of our times, “Is it just me, or is it getting crazier out there?” First, before I write about the film, I’d like to comment on my observations of the demographics of the audience, plus the tension and anticipatory anxiety that filled the air. I saw the movie at a matinee at the AMC 6 Theater at Hilldale in Madison (formerly Sundance 608). It is my preferred venue for movie-going, though the theater is due for a refresh since AMC purchased it. I was probably the oldest person in the theater for a Friday afternoon matinee which is counter to previous experiences. The gender of the audience was primarily young males in groups, or young couples. Considering how white Madison is, the audience was quite diverse. Before the movie began a young male behind me kept kicking my seat, which prompted me to first, politely request that he stop and when he ramped it up seemingly to get a rise out of me, I raised my voice assertively and asked him to cease, which captured the attention of other audience members. He stopped and he apologized. It unfortunately ramped up my anxiety. Now for my review. Warning: Some spoilers follow. Joker is an origin story from the Batman comic book superhero series. It is NOT a comic book or superhero movie. Instead, we witness the breakdown of a disenfranchised, alienated individual plummeting down the rabbit hole of mental illness after his social services become victim to Gotham City budget cuts. The depiction of mental illness and violence in this story are some of its most controversial aspects. Joachin Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck, a clown for hire. He works with a band of misfits and lives with his mother. He develops an obsession with his neighbor and begins stalking her. His life’s goal is to become a stand-up comedian and his journals are filled with jokes and rambling thoughts which chronicle his breakdown. Gotham City is the New York of the 1980’s, dark, filthy, rat-infested, with the proliferation of pornography, a garbage strike, and crime in the streets and subways. It is a city of the ‘haves and have-nots,’ who begin to turn on each other reminiscent of Bernard Goetz, the subway vigilante in 1984. Phoenix is mesmerizing as Fleck. You can’t keep your eyes off him as he implodes, then explodes. Critics vary on the merit of his performance, though this filmgoer was impressed by his all-in commitment to the role, both in his weight loss and embodiment of the character. Casting Robert De Niro as Murray Franklin, a late-night talk show host was pure genius. It hearkened back to a role reversal of De Niro as a wanna-be stand-up comedian in Martin Scorsese’s film King of Comedy. Todd Phillips, the director of Joker, said he wanted to make a film which paid homage to movies from 1973 – 1981, including Martin Scorsese’s, Taxi Driver, where De Niro played Travis Bickel, a similar character as Fleck, and King of Comedy, plus Sydney Lumet’s, Dog Day Afternoon. In addition to the performances and directorial choices, the cinematography by Lawrence Sher, production design by Mark Friedberg, art direction, Laura Ballinger, and music by Hildur Guðnadóttir are all award-worthy. For this filmgoer it was a thought-provoking, disturbing, existential experience, reflecting the tenor of the times, and not for the faint of heart. I would not recommend this film for anyone emotionally-sensitive and vulnerable. Let me restate, this is not a comic book, superhero action flick. Notwithstanding the controversy following the film and the wide-ranging critical raves AND pans, it on many ‘Best Films of 2019’ and cast and crew will garner nominations and recognition. One of the songs near the end of the film by Cream, White Room, summed up the film for this viewer. I quote: “I’ll sleep in this place with the lonely crowd, Lie in the dark where the shadows run from themselves”
12. The Irishman – Martin Scorsese’s body of work includes some of my favorite films of all time, including his early work, from Mean Streets, to Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, King of Comedy, After Hours, Goodfellas, Casino, The Departed, and the list goes on. In many of his films he uses a repertoire of some of my favorite actors, many who appeared in some of his earliest films and/or a number of crime or gangster-themed stories. Among them, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel, and Al Pacino. The leading players in The Irishman are supported by Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale, Anna Paquin, Jack Huston and Jesse Plemons. From Wikipedia, “The Irishman (also titled onscreen as I Heard You Paint Houses) is a 2019 American epic crime film directed and produced by Martin Scorsese and written by Steven Zaillian, based on the 2004 nonfiction book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt.  The film follows Frank Sheeran (De Niro), a truck driver who becomes a hitman involved with mobster Russell Bufalino (Pesci) and his crime family, including his time working for the powerful Teamster Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino).” Much has been written by the de-aging process, “Scenes were filmed with a custom three-camera rig to help facilitate the extensive de-aging digital effects that made De Niro, Pacino, and Pesci appear younger. With a production budget of $159 million and a runtime of 209 minutes, it is among the most expensive and longest films of Scorsese’s career.”  In my opinion, the film could have been trimmed. Three-plus hours is long viewing, and it didn’t lend itself to the breaks and transition typical of a limited series. I must admit however, it was a treat to see some of my favorite actors together again. There were stand-out performances, including Joe Pesci. It will be interesting to see how the film, it’s director, and actors are recognized at the Sag Awards and upcoming  
13. The Farewell – A recent theme in my life has been the relationship between grief and gratitude, how they go hand-in hand, how we are challenged to let go of loved ones, examine the myths and stories about our lives, protect our dreams and aspirations, learn who and what to hold onto, and how our family traditions both divide and connect us. Sometimes the truth may not serve us, and so we make bargains with each other. From a review in The Guardian, “Awkwafina (Billi) and Zhao Shuzhen (Nai Nai) (star) in Lulu Wang’s bittersweet The Farewell. The push and pull between the bonds of blood and the ties of culture are explored with a light touch and a perceptive eye for detail in this delightful, semi-autobiographical family drama from writer and director Lulu Wang. Chinese American Billi (Awkwafina, building on her zesty comic turn in Crazy Rich Asians) has a foot in each of the two countries. Wang introduces the idea with the same deft writing and wry insight that characterize the film in its entirety…The American tendency to freely share thoughts and feelings collides with the Chinese way of parceling up emotions. The two identities co-exist in Billi, until the moment that she learns that Nai Nai has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and that her family have decided to keep the information from the elderly lady. “Chinese people have a saying: when people get cancer, they die,” says Billi’s mother (Diana Lin). “But it’s not the cancer that kills them, it’s the fear.” Billi disagrees, arguing that Nai Nai should have the chance to confront her fate.” Awkwafina, the film, and director have been recognized by critics, though Lulu Wang was another woman director of a critically-acclaimed film, loved by audiences, overlooked by the Academy.

Best Documentaries

(Note: Not ranked)

1. American Factory
2. Hail Satan!
3. The Great Hack
4. For Sama
5. Honeyland
6. Knock Down the House

Best Foreign or International Film

(Note: I recognize The Farewell in my Best Narrative Films category)

1. Woman at War – Woman at War is one-part Icelandic travelogue, one-part suspense story of an eco-activist who is by day a choir director, and doubles as a woman warrior with archery and singular skills to undermine the grid in defense of the environment, and finally one-part whimsical fairy tale. The film is directed by Benedikt Erlingsson with breathtaking cinematography of its primary location of Reykjavik, Iceland by Bergsteinn Bjorgulfsson. Halldora Geirharosdottir portrays Halla our heroine and her yoga teacher identical twin sister. A second storyline emerges when Halla receives a letter that a Ukrainian adoption application from three years earlier has been approved, creating a dilemma and causing her to choose between her activism and desire to be a mother. Now before you begin to believe this is all too dark and serious there are whimsical touches of humor and humanity woven through the narrative that make this film a joy to watch and an uplifting story in the end.

Honorable Mentions

(Includes both narrative and documentary films)

1. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
2. The Lighthouse
3. 1917
4. Ad Astra
5. Judy
6. Diane
7. Gloria Bell
8. Booksmart
9. Dark Waters
10. Get Me My Roy Cohn (Documentary)

Films I Didn’t See

(Films I still want to see*)

1. Hidden Life*
2. Pain & Glory*
3. Harriet*
4. Just Mercy*
5. Richard Jewell
6. Jojo Rabbit
7. Knives Out

Dream Double Feature

1. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood & Won’t You be My Neighbor?

What’s on your list?

Save the Dates for the 2020 Wisconsin Film Festival

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