10 Best Movies of 2019

Happy Oscars Sunday! Tonight, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will name its 92nd Best Picture winner from a group of nine total nominees. Before they do that, for the 7th consecutive year(2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) I present my list of the 10 Best Movies of the Year. I'm also including a group of honorable mentions ranked from 20 to 11.

This year there are 4 Best Picture nominees that appear in my Top 10, including the two favorites to win Best Picture tonight: Parasite and 1917. That makes up somewhat for the past two years where the eventual Best Picture winner was not in my Top 10. I say "somewhat" because at the same time there are 4 films in my Top 10 that didn't receive a single nomination from the Academy, including 2 winners from yesterday's Film Independent Spirit Awards: Booksmart and Uncut Gems. 

That happens every year, but its okay. It's all subjective. More often than not my tastes don't align with the Academy's picks (*cough* Green Book *cough*) and this year will be another instance in which my #1 movie of the year will not match with the Academy's Best Picture pick. On that note, it's time to find out which film got that top spot, plus all the other ones too. Here's my list of the 10 Best Movies of 2019. Enjoy!

Honorable Mentions

20) Hustlers

19) Rocketman - Much better than 2018's Bohemian Rhapsody. That one got 4 Oscars, this one only got one nomination. Go figure.

18) Waves - Great breakout performances from the main cast in this emotional film

17) The Irishman 

16) Dolor y Gloria

15) The Two Popes - Surprise of the year for me. Great script and great performances!

14) Ford v Ferrari

13) Portrait of a Lady on Fire

12) Joker - After all the controversy and hype, it holds up on repeat viewings. And it'll get Joaquin Phoenix his 1st Oscar tonight, so hooray for that!

11) A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood - Cried like a baby with this one. Better than any therapy session you'll find out there, and cheaper too.

10) 1917

If there was one movie you had to see on the big screen this year, this was it. What a ride! The editing and cinematography make it seem like the action happens on one continuous take which keeps you on the edge of your seat for the whole film. It reminded me of the experience I had watching Cuaron's Gravity in 2013. After both films ended I had the same reaction: "Wow! That was awesome! I wanna get on that ride again!". Every nomination it got is absolutely well deserved.

9) Dolemite is My Name

The first of two Netflix films in my Top 10. This one connected with me and inspired me more than any other movie I saw this year. It's a film about believing in yourself and following your dreams even if everyone thinks your crazy and you have to risk everything you own to get to the finish line. Sometimes timing is everything when it comes to me loving a film, and Dolemite had that with me. But it also has Eddie Murphy in an excellent career comeback that highlights what makes him so great, plus excellent production value that got totally snubbed by the Academy. 

8) Wild Rose

The hidden gem of 2019! Also featuring *the* breakout performance of the year by Jessie Buckley in the title role of a young single mother from Glasgow, Scotland who dreams of being a country music star in Nashville. This one is also one of the most inspiring films of the year, as Rose learns to get out of her own way and take responsibility as a mother before she can achieve her lifelong dream. The soundtrack, of course, is great, featuring the beautiful original song "Glasgow(No Place Like Home)", which could be the most egregious Oscar snub of the year.

7) Parasite

Aside from Joker, this has been the most talked about movie of 2019, and for good reason. It is currently the frontrunner to win Best Picture tonight, which would make history as the 1st foreign-language film to win the Academy's top prize. The reason why that is a possibility is because of how relatable and relevant this story has become worldwide. Class divide, rich vs poor, income inequality. These are issues that have nations all over the world more divided than ever, and in Parasite they are presented in a fresh , original way that take you down a path that is impossible to predict. There is a perfect balance of humor and tension that leads to a very satisfying ending. 

6) Uncut Gems

Speaking of unpredictable films ... No other film from 2019 topped this one for sheer madness, but good madness, you know? What a performance by Adam Sandler! What a script by the Safdie brothers! The film's ending was the most shocking movie moment of the year for me, even though I was pretty sure that what happened was going to happen. That's when you know you're seeing greatness, when a movie can still surprise you even by giving you exactly what you think you're expecting to see. I don't even want to get into the plot of this one so you can you can experience the madness for yourself.

5) Little Women

Greta Gerwig does it again! I was absolutely sure that this movie was not for me when I first heard about it, but I gave Gerwig the benefit of the doubt since she wrote one of my favorite movies of the decade, and she came through once again. I was hooked from the start. The production value here is impeccable, and the performances are excellent as well, including another brilliant performance by Salirse Ronan. But the main thing that got me hooked was the story. This one has a bit to do with timing for me as well, but whatever the reason, I really enjoyed this film. Can't wait for Ms. Gerwig's next project!

4) The Lighthouse

Right off the bat, I'll say that this movie probably isn't for everyone, but it definitely works for me. Just Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe stuck in a lighthouse with a cursed seagull and not much else, and in black and white. What's not to love, right? Well, if you give this film a chance you'll find a very interesting and perfectly crafted tale about two men losing their sanity bit by bit, leading to a mysterious ending that will leave you wanting to see the film a second time almost as soon as its over.  Those are the best kinds of films for me.

3) Booksmart

I love coming-of-age films, and this one, I believe, will be the defining coming-of-age film for the current high school generation. I absolutely loved this story. So modern, so fresh, so dynamic, with a brilliant cast of up-and-comers that had me laughing from beginning to end. There are certain clichés here that are featured in every high school film, but I don't care about that. Clichés become clichés because they work, and in Booksmart they really work. Great directorial debut by Olivia Wilde!

2) Marriage Story

Any other year this film is #1 in my ranking. In my mind its technically 1A. I don't like to use the "M" word unless it truly applies, but in my view that's the case here. Noah Baumbach has directed a masterpiece with this film, perfect from the first shot to the last. Maybe not everyone out there will agree with my view, and that's okay, but this movie connected with me in a way that few movies do. Bergman's Scenes From a Marriage is one of the greatest movies I've ever seen, and Baumbach doesn't try to hide that film's direct influence on this one, and for my money he made a worthy successor. And Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson elevate the material with career-best performances. One note on this one, though: this isn't a date movie. Better to watch it without your significant other, just in case.

1) Toy Story 4

Why Toy Story 4 at #1? Simple, because I count the Toy Story franchise as one of my Top 10 Movies of All-Time, and this one did absolutely nothing to change that. In fact, it continued to take the story in an interesting and entertaining direction, after I thought they had created the perfect ending with the 3rd chapter. Silly me for doubting the geniuses at Pixar. Never again. Sign me up for Toy Story 5 please!