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!

Who I Would've Nominated - 2019 Edition

Welcome to the 6th edition of my year-end personal Oscars nominations! The previous 5 years I used this space to compare how my personal nominations matched up with the Academy's nominations, but since this year the awards season has been shortened by 3 weeks, I'm not gonna waste any time with that and I'm gonna jump straight to the nominations.

As always, you'll only see 20 of the 24 Oscars categories here since I never get to see the Live-Action, Documentary, or Animated Shorts, plus I also don't include my Best Picture nominations because I don't want to spoil my ranking of the Top 10 Movies of the year, which I'll be posting on Oscars Sunday.

With that being said, here's who I would've nominated for the movie year of 2019 ...

Best Actor in a Leading Role

5. Antonio Banderas - Dolor y Gloria

4. Adam Sandler - Uncut Gems

3. Jonathan Pryce - The Two Popes

2. Joaquin Phoenix - Joker

1. Adam Driver - Marriage Story

Best Actress in a Leading Role

5. Kaitlyn Dever - Booksmart

4. Adéle Haenel - Portrait of a Lady on Fire

3. Jessie Buckley - Wild Rose

2. Saoirse Ronan - Little Women

1. Scarlett Johansson - Marriage Story

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

5. Jamie Foxx - Just Mercy

4. Joe Pesci - The Irishman

3. Noah Jupe - Honey Boy

2. Tom Hanks - A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

1. Willem Dafoe - The Lighthouse

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

5. Jennifer Lopez - Hustlers

4. Julie Walters - Wild Rose

3. Taylor Russell - Waves

2. Julia Fox - Uncut Gems

1. Florence Pugh - Little Women

Best Achievement in Directing

5. Olivia Wilde - Booksmart

4. Sam Mendes - 1917

3. Greta Gerwig - Little Women

2. Robert Eggers - The Lighthouse

1. Noah Baumbach - Marriage Story

Best Original Screenplay

5. The Lighthouse - Robert Eggers, Max Eggers

4. Parasite - Bong Joon Ho, Jin Won Han

3. Uncut Gems - Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie

2. Booksmart - Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, Katie Silberman

1. Marriage Story - Noah Baumbach

Best Adapted Screenplay

5. Dolemite is My Name - Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski

4. The Two Popes - Anthony McCarten

3. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood - Micah Fitzerman-Blue, Noah Harpster

2. Little Women - Greta Gerwig

1. Toy Story 4 - Josh Cooley, Valerie LaPointe, Rashida Jones, Will McCormack

Best Achievement in Cinematography

5. Joker - Lawrence Sher

4. Portrait of a Lady on Fire - Claire Mathon

3. The Lighthouse - Jarin Blaschke

2. 1917 - Roger Deakins

1. Little Women - Yorick Le Saux

Best Achievement in Film Editing

5. Uncut Gems - Ronald Bronstein, Benny Safdie

4. Ford v Ferrari - Andrew Buckland, Michael McCusker

3. Parasite - Jinmo Yang

2. Marriage Story - Jennifer Lame

1. 1917 - Lee Smith

Best Achievement in Production Design

5. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood - Barbara Ling

4. Parasite - Ha-jun Lee

3. Joker - Marl Friedberg

2. 1917 - Dennis Gassner

1. The Lighthouse - Craig Lathrop

Best Achievement in Costume Design

5. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood - Arianne Phillips

4. Little Women - Jacqueline Durran

3. Dolemite is My Name - Ruth E. Carter

2. Jojo Rabbit - Mayes C. Rubeo

1. Rocketman - Julian Day

Best Achievement in Makeup & Hairstyling

5. Judy

4. Dolemite is My Name

3. 1917

2. Bombshell

1. Joker

Best Achievement in Visual Effects

5. It: Chapter Two

4. Godzilla: King of the Monsters

3. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

2. 1917

1. Ad Astra

Best Achievement in Sound Editing

5. Ad Astra

4. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

3. 1917

2. The Lighthouse

1. Ford v Ferrari

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing

5. The Lighthouse

4. Rocketman

3. Ad Astra

2. 1917

1. Ford v Ferrari

Best Original Score

5. Us - Michael Abels

4. Marriage Story - Randy Newman

3. Little Women - Alexandre Desplat

2. Joker - Hildur Guonadóttir

1. 1917 - Thomas Newman

Best Original Song

5. "Lost in the Woods" from Frozen II - Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez

4. "Speechless" from Aladdin - Alan Menken, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul

3. "Into the Unknown" from Frozen II - Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez

2. "I Can't Let You Throw Yourself Away" from Toy Story 4 - Randy Newman

1. "Glasgow (No Place Like Home)" from Wild Rose - Caitlyn Smith, Kate York & Mary Steenburgen

Best International Feature Film

5. The Farewell

4. Atlantics

3. Dolor y Gloria

2. Portrait of a Lady on Fire

1. Parasite

Best Documentary Feature

5. Apollo 11

4. Honeyland

3. American Factory

2. The Edge of Democracy

1. One Child Nation

Best Animated Feature

5. Abominable

4. Frozen II

3. I Lost My Body

2. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

1. Toy Story 4

10 Best Movies of 2018

Oscars Sunday has arrived! Tonight, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will name its 91st Best Picture winner from a group of eight total nominees. Before they do that, for the 6th consecutive year(2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017) 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 only 2 Best Picture nominees appear in my Top 10, Roma and The Favourite. Those two are actually the only films in my Top 10 to receive more than one Oscar nomination this year. There's even less crossover with my honorable mentions group, as only one of those films received multiple nominations from the Academy. This pretty much follows a pattern from the past few years, but that's okay. That's what makes these lists so fun for me. It's all subjective. My tastes haven't aligned with the Academy's picks recently, but in the first 2 installments of my Top 10 Lists my #1 movie of the year was later named Best Picture of the Year by the Academy(12 Years a Slave and Birdman). 

History won't repeat itself this year as neither Roma or The Favourite is my choice for the #1 movie of 2018. 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 2018. Enjoy!

Honorable Mentions

20) (tie) Love, Simon and To All the Boys I've Loved Before 

     - 2 great Teen Rom-Coms for a new generation, one featuring an Asian Lead character and the other an LGBTQ Lead character

19) American Animals

18) Support the Girls

     - Hidden gem featuring a solid lead performance by Regina Hall

17) Bad Times at the El Royale

16) Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

15) Hereditary

     - Very scary directorial debut from Ari Aster. Hopefully his career trajectory turns out better than Shyamalan's.

14) Leave No Trace

     - Once again: What does Ben Foster have to do to get an Oscar nomination?

13) Hearts Beat Loud

12) Can You Ever Forgive Me?

11) Private Life

     - Excellent lead performance by Kathryn Hahn, one of my favorites of the year.

10) Sorry to Bother You

I used the word "ballsy" to describe Swiss Army Man a couple of years ago, and I'm using it once again to describe this film. Writer/Director Boots Riley throws everything at the screen and most of it works. I was thoroughly entertained from the first moment to the last following this film's many twists and turns and thought provoking themes. I won't get into plot details with this one so as not to spoil it. You'll just have to trust me: it's a must watch!

9) Free Solo

What an unbelievable achievement! Alex Honnold's rope-free climb up Yosemite's El Capitan is definitely one of the best on-screen moments of the year. Watching it in IMAX made it even better. This documentary explores Alex's motivation for being a Free Solo climber leading all the way up to the moment he makes that historic climb. And the achievement in cinematography on this film is just as extraordinary. Hands down the most inspiring film of the year.

8) Eighth Grade

An instant classic in the teen movie genre. Writer/Director Bo Burnham totally nails the anxiety of being an eighth grader. The movie covers the final 2 weeks of the school year for young Kayla (Elsie Fisher), and all the awkwardness that brings for her. We've all been there, only now we're seeing how the current generation experiences their adolescence. Excited to see what Mr. Burnham does next.

7) Madeline's Madeline

This one took me completely by surprise. I didn't know much going into it so I didn't know what to expect, and what I got was one of the most unique viewing experiences of the year. This film presents the theme of mental illness in a way I hadn't seen before, using great cinematography and editing and featuring one of the best performances of the year from newcomer Helena Howard. It's a tough watch so it might not be for everyone, but it definitely worked for me.

6) The Favourite

Yorgos Lanthimos makes my Top 10 once again. He directed the #1 movie of 2015 for me, The Lobster. I enjoy his signature brand of dark humor, and I really enjoyed how he applied it in this film. All the scheming, the backstabbing, the pettiness, I loved it. The three female leads (Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz) were all terrific, and all three received Oscar nominations for their work. 

5) Roma

The first Netflix film to make it into one of my Top 10s. But this film definitely doesn't fit into what is commonly known as a "Netflix Film". I got to experience it in the theater, while on vacation in NYC, and it didn't disappoint. Alfonso Cuarón is an absolute master at work, this time wearing five different hats: producer/director/writer/cinematographer/editor. The production design and sound mix are also impeccable in this one. It does borrow a lot from Fellini, and the pacing might be considered a bit slow by some, but you just can't deny the technical brilliance you're seeing on screen. It's currently the frontrunner to win Best Picture tonight, so let's see what happens.

4) Paddington 2

What a lovely film this was. Just 100% feel-good from beginning to end. But it's not all fluff. There's a timely message here about the demonization of outsiders in our current society. And then there's all the excellent technical aspects the film has to offer: the editing, the visual effects, the production design, the original score, and more. This film's production value goes toe-to-toe with any of the best-regarded films of the year. Unfortunately the Academy didn't see it that way and totally overlooked it. Don't make that same mistake. This is an instant Children's/Family Classic.

3) The Death of Stalin

Arguably the best comedy I've seen this decade. This script was absolutely hilarious, and a bit terrifying too. Every detail felt so relevant to our political reality of today. The ensemble cast in this film was the best of 2018 for me. Standouts include Steve Buscemi, Jeffrey Tambor, Andrea Riseborough, and Simon Russell Beale. A must watch if you love political satire.

2) Minding the Gap

This documentary is truly special. Director Bing Liu presents the lives of a group of skateboarding friends, himself included, in their rust-belt hometown of Rockford, Illinois. We get to follow them for multiple years as they grow into adulthood and they have to deal with emotional baggage from domestic abuse situations from their past. This includes a moment when Liu decides to dig into his own past and interviews his mother as part of the film. Seriously, this is one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. It's that impactful and that good.

1) Shoplifters

This one hit me in my sweet spot. As a father of two kids for the past 4 years and 10 months, I know how strong that bond can be. But I also understand that families can come in all shapes and sizes. Hirokazu Kore-Eda shows us in this film that sometimes the family you choose can be as full of love or even more so than any other family. Every detail in this film feels so genuine, so alive. I was totally connected to this family, even though they weren't technically what our society would consider to be a family. Add to that the best performance I saw this year from Sakura Ando as the matriarch of the clan, and it results in one of my favorite films from this decade.

8 Top 8 Lists for 2018

Welcome to the 6th edition of my year-end 8 Top 8 Lists! This is the post where I recap everything I loved from the year in movies. This year I saw a grand total of 110 new-release movies, up from my previous high for a given year of 97, which was just last year. Exactly half of those 110 movies (55) are mentioned here. You'll see which were my favorite performances, favorite quotes, favorite scenes,  favorite funny scenes, music scenes, fight scenes, death scenes, and then 8 more random categories for other peculiar moments that I loved and couldn't leave off the lists.

From these lists you can get a pretty good idea of which 2018 films I loved the most. Later in the week I'll post my official list of the 10 Best Movies of 2018. For now, please enjoy my 8 Top 8 Lists for 2018!

*WARNING : SPOILERS*

I Best Performances

8) Ben Foster as "Will" in Leave No Trace

    Ignored by the Academy once again after another excellent performance, which is the only kind I've seen from him in the past few years.

7) Kathryn Hahn as "Rachel" in Private Life

    One of the best character actresses for so many years, Hahn finally gets to play the lead here and she knocks it out of the park.

6) Melissa McCarthy as "Lee Israel" in Can You Ever Forgive Me?

    Finally getting a lead role worthy of all her talent, McCarthy doesn't disappoint, ending up with her 2nd career Oscar nomination. We get to see a more vulnerable side to her, resulting in a couple of scenes that are pure tearjerkers.

5) Thomasin McKenzie as "Tom" in Leave No Trace

    One of the year's best breakthrough performances. McKenzie holds her own alongside Ben Foster but also carries the film on her own for a while, all done with a powerful soft-spoken gracefulness that was perfect for the role.

4) Richard E. Grant as "Jack Hock" in Can You Ever Forgive Me?

    What a great supporting role! Every time Grant left the screen I wanted him to show up again as quickly as possible. Almost steals the movie from McCarthy. He received his 1st career Oscar nomination, and I believe he's the most deserving of the 5 nominees in the category.

3) Simon Russell Beale as "Lavrenti Beria" in The Death of Stalin

    Talk about stealing a movie! Russell Beale's scheming Beria is one of the best comedic performances I've seen in quite some time. He shines brightest in what is, hands down, the best ensemble cast of the year for me.

2) Helena Howard as "Madeline" in Madeline's Madeline

    This is a powerhouse performance from a total newcomer. You cannot turn away from the screen for one second. She came pretty close to being the first female I ranked at #1 in the 6 years I've done this list, but there was another female who was just a bit better for me ...

1) Sakura Ando as "Nobuyo" in Shoplifters

    In a year full of fabulous female lead performances, this one never moved from the #1 spot for me since I first saw it back in October. This character felt 100% real. Ando brings a little bit of everything to the performance, and by the time her powerful final moments on screen come by, I was totally overwhelmed with emotions.

II Best Quotes

8) Killmonger's last words in Black Panther:

    Killmonger: "Just bury me in the ocean, with my ancestors who jumped from ships, 'cause they knew death was better than bondage."

7) "Old Doug Kenney" speaking to the recently deceased Doug Kenney at his funeral in A Futile and Stupid Gesture:

    Old Doug: "If it's any consolation, years from now people really like Caddyshack. They're kind of annoying about it, actually."

6) Environmental activist "Michael" states his case to Reverend Toller (Ethan Hawke) in First Reformed: 

    Michael: "Can God forgive us? For what we've done to this world?"

5) Stan Lee's perfect cameo in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse:

    Stan: "I'm going to miss him."

    Miles: "Yeah"

    Stan: "We were friends, you know."

    Miles: "Can I return it if it doesn't fit?"

    Stan: "It always fits, eventually."

4) "Lavrenti Beria" (Simon Russell Beale) explaining his thought process for his speech at Stalin's funeral in The Death of Stalin:

    Beria: "Yes, 'bread and peace'. I knew it would work. It was between 'peace' and 'sausages'. Both good things, but you know where you are with a sausage."

3) This exchange between "Lee Israel" (Melissa McCarthy) and "Jack Hock" (Richard E. Grant) in Can You Ever Forgive Me?:

    Lee Israel: "You were friends with Julia ..."

    Jack Hock: "Steinberg. She's not an agent anymore - she died."

    Lee Israel: "She did? So young."

    Jack Hock: "Or maybe she didn't die. Maybe she just moved to the suburbs - I always confuse those two. No, that's right. She got married and had twins."

    Lee Israel: "Better to have died."

2) "Gary the neighbor" (Jesse Plemons) spots something suspicious in "Max" (Jason Bateman) and "Annie's" (Rachel McAdams) grocery bag in Game Night: 

    Gary: "3 bags of Tostitos Scoops, I notice"

    Max: "There was a special on these tonight. Three for one."

    Gary: "Three for one?"

    Max: "Yup."

    Gary: "How can that be profitable for Frito-Lay?"

1) "Tom" (Thomasin McKenzie) says goodbye to her dad "Will" (Ben Foster) in Leave No Trace:

    Tom: "You! You need. Not me. The same thing that's wrong with you isn't wrong with me."

    Will: "I know."

    Tom: "Dad? ... I know you would stay if you could."

III Best Moments

8) "Pizza Dinner" in Set it Up

    2018 was the year of the Rom-Com rebirth, and this scene was the best of the bunch.

7) "Joe's Run" in Wildlife

    A great moment of release for 14 year old Joe as he's had enough of his parents' drama.

6) "Final Performance" in Madeline's Madeline

    The whole movie leads to this trippy performance which ends up with a bunch of masked actors in the street.

5) "Final Video" in Eighth Grade

    Not the final scene of the film. This is the moment after Kayla goes through a rough 'Truth or Dare' encounter, where she decides to record a "final video" in which she speaks of how her anxiety doesn't allow her to follow her own advice from her other videos.

4) "Climbing El Capitan" in Free Solo

    Saw this in IMAX. Unbelievable achievement, both the climb and the cinematography.

3) "Pop-Up London Trip" in Paddington 2

    This scene is pure perfection. The editing, the score, the visual effects. I could watch it a million times.

2) "Think of Someone Who has Helped You" in Won't You be My Neighbor?

    Everyone, including me, was crying in the theater.

1) "Police Interrogation" in Shoplifters

    Sakura Ando's heartbreaking performance as "Nobuyo" in this scene makes you wonder what it really means to be a mother. "I wonder" indeed.

IV Funniest Moments

8) "Brother-F*cker" in A Simple Favor
    "Hey brother-f*cker, you wanna stay over for dinner?" 
    Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick are great in what was the guilty pleasure of the year for me.
7) "Thor meets Guardians" in Avengers: Infinity War
6) "Shopping for Guns" in Widows
    Great moment of humor that exposes how easy it is to legally acquire a gun in the USA.
5) "Sad Ice Cream" in Roma
    Dessert is ruined when the kids are told by their mother that their parents are getting divorced. Jump to the entire family eating ice cream with the saddest expressions you can imagine. Plus there's a wedding celebration going on right behind them.
4) "Interrupting the Anthem" in Love, Simon
    Another divisive issue worked successfully for laughs when Simon's blackmailer "Martin" decides to declare his love for "Abby" before the start of the football game.
3) "Friendly Argument" in Sorry to Bother You
    "You smell great. What is that?" "It's on me. No, it's on me."
    There are probably societal implications here about how black people interact that I will never be able to understand, but what I do know is that this scene is hilarious.
2) "Jack Jack vs Raccoon" in The Incredibles 2
    Another hilarious fight scene, this time between a super-baby and a raccoon.
1) "Opening Concert" in The Death of Stalin
    Sets the tone perfectly for this brilliant comedy.

V Best Music Moments

8) "Final Piano Performance" in Green Book

7) "A Place Called Slaughter Race" in Ralph Breaks the Internet

    Fun "I Want" song for Princess Vanellope.

6) "Hypnotize" in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

    The Notorious B.I.G.'s hit plays just for a few brief seconds, but it was a perfect way to announce early on that this was gonna be a different type of Spider-Man movie.

5) "Rain on the Roof" in Paddington 2

    Great mid-credits scene to end a great film.

4) "This Old Heart of Mine" in Bad Times at the El Royale

    Performed by one of the breakout stars of 2018, Cynthia Erivo.

3) "LiveAid" in Bohemian Rhapsody

    I didn't like the movie that much, but this scene was undeniably entertaining.

2) "Hearts Beat Loud" and "Hearts Beat Loud" in Hearts Beat Loud

    The songwriting process will always fascinate me. If only it were as easy as the movies show it.

1) "Shallow" and "Shallow" in A Star is Born

    Probably the most talked about movie moment of 2018. It truly is a powerful scene.

VI Best Fight Scenes

8) "Husband and Wife Argument" in The Wife

7) "Thanos vs Guardians/Avengers" in Avengers: Infinity War

6) "Dinner Table Argument" in Hereditary

5) "Chainsaw Fight" in Mandy

    WTF moment of the year.

4) "Pregnancy Announcement" in If Beale Street Could Talk

    What starts as a well intentioned meeting between two families spirals out of control pretty quickly.

3) "T'Challa vs Killmonger" in Black Panther

    One of Marvel's best on-screen moments.

2) "Sidewalk Argument" in Private Life

1) "Bathroom Fight" in Mission Impossible: Fallout

    Great action as always with this franchise.

VII Best Death Scenes

8) "See the Light" in Bird Box

7) "Olga's Death Dance" in Suspiria

6) "Beau's Death" in A Quiet Place

    'Worst Parents of the Year' award goes to these two.

5) "Cantina Shootout" in The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

    Coen Brothers at their finest.

4) "Ending" in Bad Times at the El Royale

    Drew Goddard goes into full Tarantino mode here, and the results are just as entertaining.

3) "Charlie's Decapitation Death" in Hereditary

    2nd most WTF moment of the year.

2) "Bear Attack" in Annihilation 

    Scary AF.

1) "Death of Stalin" in The Death of Stalin

VIII Random Awards

1) Best Action Set-Pieces
    "Casino Fight" and "Car Chase" in Black Panther, "HALO Jump" and "Paris Motorcycle Chase" and "Helicopter Chase" in Mission Impossible: Fallout, "1st Key Race" in Ready Player One, "Stopping the Train" in The Incredibles 2, and "Sicily Chase/Fight" in Aquaman
2) Best "White Voice" Scenes
    Tie between "Sorry to Bother You" and "BlackKklansman"
3) Best Beach Scenes
    Tie between "Cleo's Confession" in Roma and "Grandma's Farewell" in Shoplifters
4) Best "Going into Labor" Scenes
    3-way tie between the "Riot Scene" in Roma, "A Quiet Birth" in A Quiet Place, and the "Water Birth" in If Beale Street Could Talk.
5) Best Sex Scenes
    1st, an almost sex scene that is actually the sexiest scene of the year: the "Hot Tub Scene" in To All the Boys I've Loved Before, then there's "Nanny Sex" in Tully, "Apartment Sex" in Burning, two beautifully shot scenes featuring heterosexual couples in Shoplifters and If Beale Street Could Talk, and 3 different films featuring lesbian couples: "24 Hours of Sex" in Duck Butter, "Pleasuring the Queen" in The Favourite, and another scene starring Rachel Weisz in Disobedience.
6) Best Dance Scenes
    "A Quiet Dance" in A Quiet Place, "Sunset Topless Dance" in Burning, "Humanoid Dance" in Annihilation, "Dance Party" in The Favourite, and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" in Love, Simon
7) Best Teen Kiss Scenes
    "Ferris Wheel Kiss" in Love, Simon, "Final Field Kiss" in To All the Boys I've Loved Before, "Blink(One Million Miles)" in Hearts Beat Loud, "We Got Time Kiss" in The Hate U Give, "Taking the Leap Kiss" in Ready Player One, and "I Got Disqualified Kiss" in Dumplin'
8) Best Parent & Son/Daughter Scenes
    Talks with Mom and Dad in Love, Simon, "Father's Sacrifice" in A Quiet Place, "Backyard Bonfire Talk" in Eighth Grade, "Moon Mourning" in First Man, "Dad, I Love You" in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, "Interview with Mom" in Minding the Gap, "The Rules Talk" in The Hate U Give, "Bus Goodbye/'Dad'" in Shoplifters, "Dad, I'm a Lesbian" in Blockers, "Father and Daughter Diner Talk" in To All the Boys I've Loved Before, "Mother and Daughter Disqualification Bonding" in Dumplin', and "Mother's Visit" in Crazy Rich Asians

    

    

    

Who I Would've Nominated - 2018 Edition

The final round of voting for the 91st Academy Awards begins today. In this post you'll get to see which films the Academy members would've been able to vote for had I been the only human being in control of selecting the nominees. Fun, right? 

This is my fifth straight year posting my personal nominations, and each time I've come to the same conclusion: the Academy is capable of getting it very right and very wrong at the same time. This year, for example, I agreed with the Academy on the film with the highest number of nominations: The Favourite. They have it at the top with 10 total nominations, and I have it as my most nominated film with 9 total nominations. On the flip side, the films tied for the 2nd most nominations on my list, The Death of Stalin and Paddington 2 (8 each), received a grand total of 0 nominations from the Academy. And vice-versa, two of their Best Picture nominees, BlackKklansman and Green Book, didn't get a single nomination from me.

Speaking of Best Picture, that is one of four categories you won't see here (Live-Action, Animated, and Documentary shorts being the others), since I like to post my list of the 10 Best Movies of the year on Oscars weekend. From the 20 remaining categories, though, you can get a pretty good idea of which movies appear in my Top 10. You can also see some of the year's best hidden gems, which get regularly overlooked by the Academy, getting plenty of love from me. Other examples of those with multiple nominations from me and zero from the Academy include: Eighth Grade, Madeline's Madeline, Sorry to Bother You, Private Life, Hearts Beat Loud, Leave No Trace, and Annihilation. 

But nobody's perfect, right? So on that note, here's who I would've nominated for the movie year of 2018 ...

Best Actor in a Leading Role

5. Christian Bale - Vice

4. Bradley Cooper - A Star is Born

3. Steve Buscemi - The Death of Stalin

2. Ben Foster - Leave No Trace

1. Simon Russell Beale - The Death of Stalin

Best Actress in a Leading Role

5. Olivia Colman - The Favourite

4. Kathryn Hahn - Private Life

3. Melissa McCarthy - Can You Ever Forgive Me?

2. Helena Howard - Madeline's Madeline

1. Sakura Ando - Shoplifters

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

5. Evan Peters - American Animals

4. Michael B. Jordan - Black Panther

3. Hugh Grant - Paddington 2

2. Nicholas Hoult - The Favourite

1. Richard E. Grant - Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

5. Elizabeth Debicki - Widows

4. Emma Stone - The Favourite

3. Regina King - If Beale Street Could Talk

2. Andrea Riseborough - The Death of Stalin

1. Thomasin McKenzie - Leave No Trace

Best Achievement in Directing

5. Josephine Decker - Madeline's Madeline

4. Yorgos Lanthimos - The Favourite

3. Armando Iannucci - The Death of Stalin

2. Alfonso Cuarón - Roma

1. Hirokazu Kore-eda - Shoplifters

Best Original Screenplay

5. Hereditary - Ari Aster

4. Eighth Grade - Bo Burnham

3. Sorry to Bother You - Boots Riley

2. The Favourite - Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara

1. Shoplifters - Hirokazu Kore-eda

Best Adapted Screenplay

5. Love, Simon - Elizabeth Berger, Isaac Aptaker

4. If Beale Street Could Talk - Barry Jenkins

3. Can You Ever Forgive Me? - Nicole Holofcener, Jeff Whitty

2. Paddington 2 - Simon Farnaby, Paul King

1. The Death of Stalin - Armando Iannucci, Ian Martin, David Schneider

Best Achievement in Cinematography

5. Cold War - Lukasz Zal

4. The Favourite - Robbie Ryan

3. If Beale Street Could Talk - James Laxton

2. Shoplifters - Ryuto Kondo

1. Roma - Alfonso Cuarón

Best Achievement in Film Editing

5. Private Life - Brian A. Kates

4. Mission Impossible: Fallout - Eddie Hamilton

3. The Death of Stalin - Peter Lambert

2. Paddington 2 - Jonathan Amos, Mark Everson

1. Madeline's Madeline - Harrison Atkins, Josephine Decker, Elizabeth Rao

Best Achievement in Production Design

5. First Man - Nathan Crowley

4. Bad Times at the El Royale - Martin Whist

3. Sorry to Bother You - Jason Kisvarday

2. Roma - Eugenio Caballero

1. Paddington 2 - Gary Williamson

Best Achievement in Costume Design

5. Mary, Queen of Scots - Alexandra Byrne

4. Paddington 2 - Lindy Hemming

3. The Favourite - Sandy Powell

2. Black Panther - Ruth E. Carter

1. If Beale Street Could Talk - Caroline Eselin

Best Achievement in Makeup & Hairstyling

5. Vice

4. Suspiria

3. Bohemian Rhapsody

2. Mary, Queen of Scots

1. The Favourite

Best Achievement in Visual Effects

5. First Man

4. Ready Player One

3. Paddington 2

2. Annihilation

1. Mary Poppins Returns

Best Achievement in Sound Editing

5. Avengers: Infinity War

4. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

3. Mary Poppins Returns

2. First Man

1. Annihilation

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing

5. Mary Poppins Returns

4. A Quiet Place

3. Bohemian Rhapsody

2. A Star is Born

1. Roma

Best Original Score

5. Eighth Grade - Anna Meredith

4. The Death of Stalin - Christopher Willis

3. If Beale Street Could Talk - Nicholas Britell

2. Paddington 2 - Dario Marianelli

1. Black Panther - Ludwig Goransson

Best Original Song

5. "Everything Must Go" from Hearts Beat Loud - Keegan DeWitt, Jeremy Bullock

4. "Shallow" from A Star is Born - Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt

3. "OYAHYTT" from Sorry to Bother You - Boots Riley, Ryan Christopher Parks, Damion Gallegos

2. "Always Remember Us This Way" from A Star is Born - Lady Gaga, Natalie Hemby, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna

1. "Hearts Beat Loud" from Hearts Beat Loud - Keegan DeWitt

Best Foreign Language Film

5. Zama

4. Burning

3. Cold War

2. Roma

1. Shoplifters

Best Documentary Feature

5. Nuyorican Basquet

4. Shirkers

3. Won't You Be My Neighbor?

2. Free Solo

1. Minding the Gap

Best Animated Feature

5. Ralph Breaks the Internet

4. The Grinch

3. Teen Titans Go! to the Movies

2. The Incredibles 2

1. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Best of 2018 (So Far)

The Oscars race is on! We're officially less than 6 months away from Oscars Sunday. With the start of the Venice Film Festival this week and the Toronto International Film Festival next week, almost all of the major awards contenders will have made their world premiere by then. I can't wait to watch those films when they hit the theaters later in the fall, but before I do that, I'm going to recap the films that have already premiered in 2018.

Somehow I keep watching more and more movies every year. So far I've seen 46 movies that premiered in 2018, way more than my previous high of 33 movies seen in the 1st half of a given year. That being said, there are a couple of highly regarded films that I didn't get to see, including: Eighth Grade, Leave No Trace, Searching, Madeline's Madeline, Hearts Beat Loud, Three Identical Strangers, and others. I'll get to those later in the year for sure, but for now I can only write about all the great films that I have seen.

As I always do in this mid-year recap, I'm cutting my year-end lists in half, doing a Top 5 Movies list instead of a Top 10, and doing 8 Top 4 Lists, instead of 8 Top 8 Lists. Those include: Best Moments, Funniest Moments, Best Quotes, Best Performances, Best Death Scenes, Best Action Set-Pieces, Best Fights, and Best Parent & Son/Daughter Moments. Before I get to those, let's get started with the Top 5 Movies of 2018 (So Far).

*WARNING : SPOILERS*

Top 5 Movies of 2018 (So Far)

5) Sorry to Bother You

An inventive tale of an alternate present day Oakland, where main character Cassius Green, played brilliantly by future star Lakeith Stanfield, has to learn to use his "white voice" in order to get a promotion in his new telemarketing job. Sounds simple enough, but nothing could be further from the truth. This movie took many twists and turns that I could never see coming, while also dealing with many timely issues in society. You won't find many films out there as risk-taking as this one, so for that reason alone I highly recommend it.

4) American Animals

Speaking of taking risks, this film is based on the true story of four college students who attempted to steal some very valuable antique books from their university's Special Collections Library. The film works as half fiction/half documentary, as the four real life perpetrators of the crime appear in interviews throughout the movie. When they don't appear as themselves, they're played by a cast of up-and-coming young stars, led by great performances from Evan Peters and Barry Keoghan. If you love heist movies, then you're probably going to enjoy this one. Just remember that even though it may look cool in the movies, stealing is bad.

3) Hereditary

An instant horror classic from first time director Ari Aster. This one is in the mold of other psychological/spiritual horror classics such as Rosemary's Baby and Don't Look Now, where the tension builds and builds until the signs you've seen throughout the film finally make sense in the end. The other strength the film has is its two lead performances from Toni Collette and Alex Wolff as a mother and son in an extremely strained relationship that only gets worse as the film goes along. If you love horror, this one is a must watch!

2) The Death of Stalin

Armando Iannucci does it again! This is easily the funniest movie of 2018 so far. It deals with the immediate aftermath of the death of Stalin (duh), specifically how the senior members of the Council of Ministers plotted against each other to see who would end up in power. They are all played by British and American actors talking in their normal accents, making it tough sometimes to distinguish between the scenario in the movie and the real world chaos we're seeing in politics today. That combination of timeliness with non-stop laughs from beginning to end makes this one the most fun moviegoing experience I've had in 2018.

1) Won't You be My Neighbor?

Death of Stalin might've been more fun, but Mr. Rogers made me cry, making Won't You be My Neighbor the best movie I've seen in 2018 so far. There's nothing flashy in this one, but the message is crystal clear: love unites us all. Learning to love yourself and to love others is the most important thing any of us could ever do. It's a shame that so many people today still can't understand that. At least we have this documentary out there now to spread Mr. Rogers's message all over the world.

8 Top 4 Lists

I Best Moments (So Far)

4) Pizza Dinner in Set it Up

   - Zoey Deutch should be in all the movies.

3) White Voice in Sorry to Bother You

   - The first sign that this movie isn't going to play it safe

2) Bathtub Scene in A Quiet Place

1) "Think of someone that has helped you" in Won't You be My Neighbor?

   - Everyone in the theater was crying, including me.

II Funniest Moments (So Far)

4) "Meeting Peik Lin's family" in Crazy Rich Asians

   - The moment Rachel finds out just how crazy rich her boyfriend is.

3) "Interrupting the National Anthem" in Love, Simon

   - It's a miracle they pulled this scene off without having half the country boycott the movie.

2) "Coaching the hockey team" in The Death of Stalin

   - Stalin's clueless son tries to coach a team of replacement players by yelling "Play better!"

1) Jack Jack vs the raccoon in The Incredibles 2

III Best Fight Scenes (So Far)

4) "Funeral Food Fight" in A Futile and Stupid Gesture

3) Thanos vs Avengers/Guardians in Avengers: Infinity War

   - The only scene that totally worked in this one for me.

2) T'Challa vs Killmonger in Black Panther

   - Michael B. Jordan absolutely owns this movie

1) Bathroom Fight in Mission Impossible: Fallout

   - Awesome action here.

IV Best Action Set-Pieces (So Far)

4) First Key Race in Ready Player One

   - Classic Spielberg here.

3) Elastigirl saves the train in The Incredibles 2

2) Car Chase in Black Panther

   - Great Lexus commercial!

1) HALO Jump and Paris Chase and Helicopter Chase in Mission Impossible: Fallout

   - All hail Tom Cruise!

V Best Death Scenes (So Far)

4) Killmonger's Death in Black Panther

   - "They knew death was better than bondage." 

3) "Charlie's Death" in Hereditary

2) Bear Attack in Annihilation

   - Creepy AF

1) "The Death of Stalin" in The Death of Stalin

VI Best Parent & Son/Daughter Moments (So Far)

4) Dad's Sacrifice in A Quiet Place

3) "Father and Daughter talks" in Blockers

2) "Father and Daughter diner talk" in To All the Boys I've Loved Before

1) Heart to Heart with Dad and Mom in Love, Simon

   - "You get to exhale now, Simon." Beautiful scene.

VII Best Quotes (So Far)

4) "If it's any consolation, years from now people really like Caddyshack. They're kind of annoying about it, actually."

   - A Futile and Stupid Gesture

3) "Can God forgive us for what we've done to this world?"

   - First Reformed

2) "With the right white man we can do anything"

   - BlacKkKlansman

1) "3 for 1? How can that be profitable for Frito Lay?"

   - Game Night

VIII Best Performances (So Far)

4) Alia Shawkat in Duck Butter

3) Evan Peters in American Animals

2) Charlize Theron in Tully

1) Toni Collette in Hereditary

   - Adds another classic horror performance to her resume, after receiving her only Academy Award nomination almost 20 years ago for The Sixth Sense.