This is an impossible exercise. I will have regrets. And I will cheat.
First, some movies that need to be mentioned, even if I can't put them in my top lists: Jack Reacher, Dredd, Source Code, Crazy Stupid Love, The Raid, The Ides of March, Gone Girl, Phantom Thread, Inside Llewyn Davis, Moonlight, Moonrise Kingdom, The Drop, The Nice Guys, The Hunt for the Wilderpeople, About Time, Sing Street, Lion, Game Night, Annihilation, Black Panther, Mission:Impossible - Fallout, and Little Women.
Deep breath.
Now for my official list runners up (I told you I would cheat):
- The Town
- Drive
- Bridesmaids
- Moneyball
- Skyfall
- Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
- The Fighter
- Edge of Tomorrow
- Hell or High Water
- Dunkirk
- Blade Runner 2049
- Once Upon A Time In... Hollywood
- Frank
And now, my top 15 favorite movies of the decade:
15. Brooklyn
14. Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse
13. The Big Short
12. Arrival
11. Ex Machina
10. Looper
9. Lady Bird
8. The Wolf of Wall Street
7. Inside Out
6. Parasite
5. La La Land
4. Mad Max: Fury Road
3. Whiplash
2. The Social Network
1. Inception
I ranked these with pure instinct and adrenaline. A big part of the criteria for what made my list was how these films impacted me the first time I saw them in theaters. Virtually all fifteen moved me in some significant way that first showing.
Inception feels like a controversial pick, but this movie was huge for me when it came out in 2010. I saw it in theaters seven times! I thought about it endlessly that summer and that sticks, even if I haven't watched it a whole lot since then.
The Social Network may be the best movie of the decade, in addition to being one of my favorites. The rare combination of Sorkin and Fincher is magic we may never see the likes of again. I'm ready for the sequel. The parallel film for me here is The Big Short, which I still find eminently rewatchable, so entertaining, and yet eye opening on the subject matter at hand. Pretty easy to draw a line from that to The Wolf of Wall Street - the movie that actually won Leo his Oscar in my head canon. It literally stretches reason that the filmmaker who made this movie, also made Silence (very good, not on my lists).
You could program a lovely Saoirse Ronan double feature with Brooklyn and Lady Bird. Both perfect in their own way. Brooklyn is so beautiful I almost can't handle it.
As far as experiencing pure adrenaline in a theater, it's hard to beat Mad Max: Fury Road, one of the greatest action movies of all time. It feels almost criminal to put Whiplash above it, but however thrilling that car chase is, I don't know if I my heart has ever beat faster than it did during the climactic scene of Whiplash. The final frame hits and I was ready to jump out of my seat and applaud. While music is the key connection, it is incredible to me that Chazelle went from Whiplash to La La Land, as they could not be more tonally different. A pure pleasure to watch, with movie star chemistry that is rare to see.
Looper, Ex Machina, and Arrival make for a sci-fi trifecta that could not be more different from each other. Three outstanding directors. Completely different tones, each going for something truly unique in the genre, while achieving something greater in the process. All three explore larger ideas, while Looper leans into the mystery and action, Ex Machina is very interested in the idea itself, while Arrival seems to be aiming more for the feeling behind the idea.
Finally the two animated entries. Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse may be the best comic book movie ever made. While Inside Out just had me crying my way through the whole thing. Both great on their own terms.
I just wrote about Parasite on my favorite movies of 2019, so I won't repeat myself here.
Babies really cut into reading time. But my son is the best so I guess that's an okay trade off.
I broke down some of my reading stats in this other post, so let's just jump into the favorites.
12. Utopia For Realists by Rutger Bregman
This book basically sets forth arguments on three topics: 1) Universal basic income, 2) Open Borders, 3) 15 hour workweek.
While I'm still not sure where I ultimately land on some of this stuff, Bregman makes great arguments and backs it up with impressive studies and data. It's a fascinating, thought provoking book, and it made me reconsider and rethink each of the topics it addresses.
If nothing else I think it's a meaningful read for that reason, but it's also hard not to read through all of the data presented and be just a little bit swayed. So read at your own risk.
11. Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane
High suburban drama. This follows two families across multiple generations. It's a love story. It's a tragedy. It's full of hope. There is something about following the same characters over a longer span that lends to depth and insight. It's easy to zoom in on a situation and think we know what's going on, but seeing how things play out over decades re-contextualizes and ultimately changes everything.
Also, pretty entertaining read.
10. The Gone World by Tom Sweterlisch
Dash of crime, dash of science-fiction, dash of police procedural, dash of time bending mind trip. I love this kind of genre mash-up.
This book was quite the ride, and then really stuck the landing for me. A little dense reading at times, but ultimately I was hooked.
9. The Chain by Adrian McKinty
So glad this man is finally getting his due. His irish crime fiction has been on my top lists before, but this seems like it will be his true breakthrough novel. A good agent really makes a difference.
The Chain refers to a series of kidnappings by parents. Someone kidnaps your child. To get them back you have to kidnap another child and come up with a large sum. Then you relay the message to the new set of parents, who continue the chain on and on. So we follow a single mother whose child is kidnapped and now finds herself in this predicament.
Basically a perfect little thriller. Loved it. And I'm still eagerly awaiting the next Sean Duffy novel.
8. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
I've seen this on a bunch of year end lists so I don't know if I have a lot to add. I'll just say that I found it moving, and was especially rocked by the ending. It put me into the experience of these boys, and it's just devastating how we treat each other. Really experiencing that, feeling that, is the power of this book.
7. Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez
Infuriating. Enlightening. Eye opening. Should be mandatory reading for everyone, especially policy makers.
I was about to attempt to explain the premise of this book, but I'm afraid I'll botch it, so here's the official description:
Data is fundamental to the modern world. From economic development, to healthcare, to education and public policy, we rely on numbers to allocate resources and make crucial decisions. But because so much data fails to take into account gender, because it treats men as the default and women as atypical, bias and discrimination are baked into our systems. And women pay tremendous costs for this bias, in time, money, and often with their lives.
Read it.
6. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyen
Fleshed out characters. Interesting world. Unique and intricate magic system. Fantasy at its best. So excited that the sequel to this book just came out.
I think this was also optioned for the movie treatment, and I'm confident this will turn out amazing.
Want goosebumps? Just check out the first part of the back cover:
They killed my mother.
They took our magic.
They tried to bury us.
Now we rise.
Come on. It's so good.
5. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
This is more adult fantasy. A little detective story sprinkled in, set on the Yale campus. Secret societies all messing with forbidden magic. The main character is part of a group that monitors and supposedly keeps in check the other houses that all have their own brand of magic and mischief. Throw a murder in the mix, and some ivy league pomp and circumstance, and a good time is had by all.
I loved the characters in this book, and I hope this becomes a long running series.
4. Fleishman Is In Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
I really loved this book. A recently separated couple in New York City. Rachel Fleishman drops off their son for the weekend and then just disappears. Toby Fleishman suddenly has to figure out how to make all of that work, while also wondering what his ex is up to.
The thing that I really appreciated about this book is how the perspective change allowed me to experience and feel the different sides of this conflict in a meaningful way. We start from Toby's perspective, and he obviously paints the situation in a particular way. One that is unsurprisingly flattering to himself. Then later when we see it from Rachel's perspective, suddenly everything is painted in a new light, and we take in Toby's version of events through the prism of Rachel's experience, and everything is different.
3. How To Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan
I borrowed the digital copy of this book from the library based on the title without really looking at the cover, assuming it was about how we caught up in rigid thinking, and that the book would present ideas and strategies for opening ones mind and seeing ideas from new angles.
It's actually about psychedelics.
None the less, I was intrigued from the start and ended up finishing the book. I found the history of psychedelics (specifically LSD and Psilocybin mushrooms) to be fascinating, and as he explored some of the research that has been done my fascination increased. I had no idea that these substances were being studied as potential treatments for depression, addiction, trauma, as well being used to deepen individual's connections and spirituality.
The neurological component, how these substances literally "change the mind" was also so interesting to read about. All in all, the book was a very enlightening experience.
2. Recursion by Blake Crouch
The premise of this story is so good. People are going crazy as they suddenly have "memories" of lives they never lived. A detective and a neuro-scientist end up on a journey to figure out what is going on and what they unravel surpassed my expectations in every way. Entertaining. Thought provoking. Mysterious. Emotional. With a killer ending.
1. The Border by Don Winslow
I love Don Winslow. I've loved every book of his that I've read, and his Cartel Trilogy is by far my favorite. I re-read The Power of the Dog and The Cartel, so that the characters and events of the first two books would be fresh when I read The Border. Not only were those re-reads just as great as the first times through, the conclusion to the trilogy was just a good, and maybe even more satisfying in how it wrapped up everything so well.
This is a true American Crime epic unlike anything else I've ever read. It deals with the war on drugs, and with this last novel, the trilogy covers a time span of almost fifty years. It's a little hard to talk about The Border without thinking about the trilogy as a whole, but I'll just say that these have been life changing books. Not only are they so well researched, so entertaining, full of rich and detailed characters, but also they inform in a way that no other fictional book experience I've had has ever done. These books have shaped the way I feel and think about the drug policies in this country, and the world. They have impacted the way I understand the different parts of this problem at every link in the chain.
If all of that isn't enough, they are also some of the most entertaining and well written novels I've ever read. The Border is especially satisfying for how it ends the stories of characters that I've come to love in the first two books. While also being relevant to the current political situation in this country (Trump enthusiasts are likely not to find a lot of joy in the conclusion to this trilogy).
I can't wait to see what they do with this on FX, although I'm a little skeptical at how they are going to realistically portray this world on a cable network. Anyway, amazing stuff.
Finito.
Any recommendations of books that you adored in 2019?
Everything in one place! Just lists, no fuss. If you want detailed breakdowns of my thoughts about my favorites I have a post for movies and for books.
Favorite Movies of 2019:
15. Booksmart
14. Long Shot
13. Fighting With My Family
12. A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood
11. The Farewell
10. Jo Jo Rabbit
9. Uncut Gems
8. Avengers: Endgame
7. The Irishman
6. Ford v. Ferrari
5. Little Women
4. Knives Out
3. Marriage Story
2. Parasite
1. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
Favorite Books of 2019:
12. Utopia For Realists by Rutger Bregman
11. Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane
10. The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch
9. The Chain by Adrian McKinty
8. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
7. Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez
6. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyen
5. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
4. Fleishman Is In Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
3. How To Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan
2. Recursion by Blake Crouch
1. The Border by Don Winslow
Favorite TV of 2019 (alphabetically):
Atlanta
Barry
The Boys
Catastrophe
Chernobyl
Fleabag
Game of Thrones
Glow
The Good Fight
Killing Eve
Mindhunter
Russian Doll
Succession
Veep
Watchmen
What We Do In The Shadows
But there is a number one, and it is...
1. I Think You Should Leave
Seriously I've watched every episode of the first season three times (maybe more?). I don't know who is reading this but you'll probably hate it? I love it so much.
*Update 1/17/20* I wrote all of this before Oscar noms were announced. Will insert post nomination blurbs in BOLD throughout.
Let's start by setting the table. As always, there are several movies that I highly anticipated but still have not seen. I don't know which of these could have changed my top fifteen, if any, but each of these has something I am still really excited to experience.
The Lighthouse - I tried desperately to see this in theaters, alas I have an 8 month old child now (fill in that excuse all throughout this thing). I bought it on iTunes and can't wait to find the time.
High Life - I'm realizing I've really failed Robert Pattinson this year.
The Goldfinch - I loved this book. Heard good things from some people, then saw the bad reviews. Still want to see it.
The Standoff at Sparrow Creek - bought this a while ago and still pretty sure I will like it.
Dark Waters - love me some Ruffalo.
Pain and Glory - This and the next few I'm guessing will play a role in the Oscar convo but I just haven't gotten a chance yet to see them. There is still time.
Honeyboy
Waves
1917 - I feel like I have to see this, but I don't really want to. War movies just generally aren't my bag.
There are two movies that come to mind that people are raving about, that I liked, but that weren't quite for me (I guess?): Midsommar and The Souvenir. I enjoyed both, loved neither.
Biggest personal disappointment... I don't really want to talk about Rise of Skywalker. Now is a good time to reflect on the greatness that was The Last Jedi. Rian Johnson is too pure for this world.
All right, let's get to it. First I will just say, another fantastic year of movies. There are so many of these that I think I will still be watching years from now. Honorable mentions:
Booksmart - I laughed. I loved the energy of this movie. The music. The editing. It felt propulsive in a way that I really enjoy. Add to that some solid characters, a pretty decent story, and a claymation sequence and we are there!
Long Shot - a rare breed. Studio romantic comedy with stars. These two actually had great chemistry, which is impressive when you look at Seth Rogen next to Charlize Theron. No offense, Seth. This movie was just fun. Great concept. Great actors. Killer execution. And of course the obligatory scene of Seth Rogen pleasuring himself.
Fighting With My Family - I was surprised how much I liked this movie. It's about wrestling. I don't care about wrestling. But Florence Pugh was amazing, and the story was actually pretty moving. I felt very invested in her journey and how it mirrored the experience of her brother and family back home. I didn't expect to be moved by this movie, but I really was. One of the most underrated movies this year I think. Easy to dismiss based on the premise and the poster, but it's really so good.
A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood - love Matthew Rhys. I actually really liked the framing device for this movie even though it wasn't what I was expecting. Basically I cried my way through it.
The Farewell - this was just a delight. Awkwafina was so great. I loved feeling immersed in another culture and family. Hopefully this doesn't get forgotten come awards season. *It did. The Academy really blew it on this one*
Without further ado, my top ten:
10. Jo Jo Rabbit
Taika Waititi is a national treasure... for New Zealand I guess. Either way, this guy makes great movies. He is on a run for the ages: What We Do In The Shadows, The Hunt For The Wilderpeople, Thor: Ragnarok, and now this? Come on people.
I don't know if I have anything meaningful to add to the discourse on this movie. It walked a tightrope of funny and sad and charming and crushing and joyous and weighty. If the little boy saying he needs to go home to his mom because he needs a cuddle doesn't warm your heart cockles then I don't know what will.
9. Uncut Gems
*Speaking of the Academy really blowing it...*
Have you ever wanted to have a panic attack? No? Then skip this one I guess. I think I might be in the minority of people who prefer Good Time to this one, but oh my goodness what a ride. You really love to see filmmakers leveling up like this. And the fact that this set some box office records for A24 hopefully bodes well for the Safdie Brothers continuing to make exhilarating/stressful movies.
I have always loved Adam Sandler. Loving Happy Gilmore is one of my formative memories as a wee lad. Seeing him flex his actual acting muscles (a la Punch Drunk Love) is really a breath of fresh air.
I don't know if I enjoyed watching this movie, though. I felt constantly amazed by what I was seeing and how things were unfolding, and then the ending punched me in the gut. At that moment my thought was, "Good, but glad that it's over." Then it continued to stick with me. I keep thinking about it. I keep reliving certain parts of the movie. I don't know if I really want to watch it again but I also know that I will. There is something powerful about a movie that can do that.
I am guessing most audience members will not like it. That's okay.
8. Avengers: Endgame
I don't know how this works as a standalone movie. I do know that as a resolution to a decade worth of films, it is one of the most satisfying movie experiences I've had this year. Endings are hard. Ask J. J. Abrams. The fact that they were able to juggle so many characters, so many story lines, and make it feel fun, surprising, emotional, and fulfilling is just an incredible magic trick.
This movie was satisfying on so many levels. So enjoyable. Basically just 2.5 hours of pay off. The experience would be impossible to replicate in any other context, so that impressed me. Kind of iffy on their slate moving forward, but they have surprised me before, so we shall see.
7. The Irishman
I was lucky enough to see this in a theater, and I think that helped shaped my experience of the film. Every time I have tried to rewatch it at home, life intervenes. There is something to be said about experiencing this movie all at once, with no interruptions or breaks. The emotional punch at the end hits that much harder.
I love Scorcese. I love Goodfellas as much as the next guy. This is something else. Come for the gangster epic, stay for the moving portrait of aging, the ravages of time, and the impact of choices on our lives. It's not what I was expecting. I expect death in a Scorcese gangster movie. I don't expect a deep meditation on death that has me pondering my whole existence.
On top of all of that, it's actually really fun to watch. So many great scenes. Pesci, DeNiro, and Pacino just going for it. The movie has stayed with me. I keep thinking about it. I keep being amazed by it. I don't think I'll ever be able to get my wife to watch it.
6. Ford v. Ferrari
A dad movie if I ever saw one. Well. Now I'm a dad so I'm allowed to love it.
Honestly I think this movie is becoming slightly underrated. In some of the awards conversations, it seems like people are forgetting just how good this movie is. Bale and Damon giving some real movie star performances. Thrilling direction by James Mangold. Some of the driving sequences are so visceral, so electric, I just couldn't believe it as I was experiencing it in the theater.
I don't care about cars. I don't care about racing. I don't care about Le Mans. But I love a process movie, about people trying to do something extraordinary. An underdog story. It's also just so fun to watch. You have to appreciate just a fun time at the movies.
5. Little Women
*Ugh... Todd Phillips over Greta? Really people? Is this what we're doing in 2020?*
God bless Greta Gerwig. This is not what I expected her to do after Lady Bird, but it's absolutely wonderful. It's a real showcase of her directing prowess and range as a filmmaker. Making a period piece feel this urgent and relevant is quite the gift. Not to mention this being the umpteenth adaptation of this source material. Basically Little Women has no business being as great as it is.
I have no relationship to the book, or previous film/tv versions of the story. All I knew about Little Women was from the episode of Friends where Rachel and Joey are reading each others favorite books. Spoiler alert Rachel. Not cool.
Anyway, I love how she bounces back and forth between the younger and older versions of the sisters. I love to see their relationships develop and unfold. I love to see each personality of the sisters play out. This is just a murderers row of great actors. Saoirse Ronan. Timothee Chalamet. Florence Pugh (again!). Laura Dern. Meryl Streep. Emma Watson. Okay, I realize I'm just writing the names of the people in this movie. You get what I'm saying though. They are all great.
Cried my way through it. Can't wait to see it again.
4. Knives Out
Rian Johnson is one of my favorite filmmakers working today. Brick and The Brothers Bloom are both solid. Looper is one of my favorites of the last decade. The Last Jedi is just a revelation.
If you think Rise of Skywalker was better than The Last Jedi then Chris Evans has a message for you:
Sorry I had to do it.
Anyway, Knives Out. I love murder mysteries. I love a good whodunit. I love a good chamber drama. Basically I will say nothing about this movie other than I loved it. It's funny. It's smart. It plays fair with what it gives the audience and the twists are satisfying and well earned. More of this please. Fewer maguffins.
*Justice for Knives Out... should have gotten a best picture nod*
3. Marriage Story
This movie was devastating. If you can get past the fact that the central conflict revolves around a guy not wanting to move to L.A. then this will blow you away. I've never been huge into Baumbach, but this really did it for me. Driver and Johansson are both electrifying.
I think what really struck me about this one is how it really is a portrait of a marriage, not just a divorce. You see how easy it is to get caught in the trappings of the legal system, even when everyone means well and wants the best for each other. I felt like I had taken a journey with these two by the end of it. Who can't relate to a story about marriage and divorce in this day and age?
2. Parasite
This is the movie Joker wishes it was. A statement on class, wealth, ambition, family, all wrapped up in this entertaining masterpiece made by one of the best filmmakers working today.
It's the kind of movie you want to go into knowing nothing, if possible. I'll just say that I've been wowed by it each time I've seen it, and can't believe what Bong accomplishes in the film. It starts off as one movie, and then slowly transforms, and then suddenly it all comes crashing together in ways that are horrifying and surprising.
*Do we live in a world where this could win Best Picture? Probably not? Also why no acting nods for this cast? What a waste. Still, good to see it recognized elsewhere.*
1. Once Upon A Time In... Hollywood
Leo and Brad in a movie together was really all I needed to know. Then add Tarantino and I'm there twice. I didn't even care what it was about. Some people were apparently bored by this movie, which I can understand, but for me this was just pure pleasure all the way through. It's this perfect intersection of so many things I'm interested in. I loved watching Rick and Cliff's relationship. I loved see Rick on set (Leo's trailer meltdown is one for the ages!). I loved watching Brad Pitt just drive around in old Hollywood. And ultimately I quite liked how it all tied things together with the Manson family bit of it.
With Tarantino there is always going to be outrage, and the last scene is over the top, but I loved all of that too. I mean if you're going to introduce Chekhov's Flamethrower in act one...
Anyway, burst of violence aside, this is one of Tarantino's most sentimental and tender movies. Not only with regards to his characters but old Hollywood itself. It's obvious how much care was taken on every detail that makes this movie such a pleasure to just live in. And I'll be there for his Bounty Law mini series, even without DiCaprio.
Well, folks, we are already deep into 2019 but I still want to share some of my favorite reading experiences of the year and throw some recommendations your way.
First of all, click here if you would like the full list of everything I read in 2018. Here is a quick summary of how my reading breaks down by genre from that post:
Genre
Count
Comics
1
Comics/Crime
1
Comics/Fantasy
1
Comics/Science Fiction
7
Fantasy
7
Legal Thriller
5
Literary Fiction
17
Mystery/Thriller
17
Non-Fiction
26
Play
1
Science Fiction
9
Spy Thriller
1
YA Fiction
1
YA Fiction/Sci-Fi/Fantasy
1
Grand Total
95
Secondly - normally my wife would take some beautiful pictures of all the books I read, but we moved and our life is pretty much chaos. So no pretty pictures this year.
Now to some honorable mentions of sort. These are some books that I highly recommend but weren't quite in my top ten. I already feel like I'm cheating because I'm including so many books on this list, but here it is.
Evicted by Matthew Desmond
I found this very moving and affecting. Really heartbreaking to read and really made me angry about how the system is set up. I think a really important read for those of us who haven't had as extreme firsthand experiences of poverty in America. Important empathy creator.
The Power by Naomi Alderman
I have seen this on countless lists since it came out so I probably don't need to belabor the point. It's good.
Crazy Rich Asians series by Kevin Kwan
I found all three of these books to be delightful. They are pure entertainment and yet I also found myself invested in the characters, even moved at times. The series has high points and low points, but ultimately I found all three very enjoyable.
It's Not Always Depression by Hilary Jacobs Hendel
A very interesting model about how we deal with emotions and how to potentially course correct. I found it to be very enlightening and helpful.
Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughan (ongoing comics series, issues #1-25 out in trade paperbacks)
It starts out in the 80's so it would be really easy to say this was "Stranger Things but all girls and with time travel" but it's so much more than that. Honestly BKV is just one of the best story tellers out there and this series has especially been a treat to read. Basically each time a new trade paperback comes out I re read the series and I love it. They really nail the time travel dynamic and I love to watch the relationships of the girls progress as the story moves along. Krystle read the first 5 issues and said it was "weird" and she is not wrong, but that doesn't mean it's not awesome.
Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker
I think I read this because Bill Gates put it on one of his year end lists. It's quite a nice dose of optimism in a world awash in doom and gloom. The book has received some criticism, I believe, for how it presents some of the arguments, but overall I still think there are a lot of facts in here that are worth learning about. It's basically a series of statistics and studies that show the world isn't quite as bad as maybe we think it is, when comparing key measures of human development and progression throughout history. Definitely worth a read to expose yourself to the arguments and then make up your mind for yourself.
A Man Called Ove by Frederick Backman
I read this because one of my favorite crime writers (Adrian McKinty) said it made him cry on an airplane. I don't think I cried on an airplane but I'm pretty sure I cried. A beautiful story, well told. Quite charming all the way around.
The Wandering Earth and Ball Lightning by Cixin Liu
I love this guy. I want to read everything he writes. Short stories, novels, whatever. I love the way he thinks and how he presents his ideas through his stories. The Wandering Earth is a collection of some of his short fiction and Ball Lightning is a novel from 2005 that just recently got an English translation. I enjoyed both immensely but still consider his Three-Body trilogy to be the best starting point. It still might be the best science fiction series I have ever read.
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
I don't have anything to add on this beast of a book, except that I read the translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, which was awesome. Slight tangent, I think they do the absolute best translations of the Russian classics into English. I love Dostoyevsky and have read The Idiot three times, with three different translations, and theirs really helped the whole thing come alive. I then reread The Brothers Karamazov with their translation and had a similar experience. I knew that if I was ever going to tackle War and Peace it would have to be their version, and I was not disappointed. A wonderful reading experience.
Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty
Great sci-fi mystery. Just entertaining the whole way through. It throws you into the action and keeps going. A lot of interesting ideas and ultimately very satisfying. I think I guessed the ending about 75% of the way through, but the experience was no worse for it.
Parenting from the Inside Out by Daniel Siegel and Mary Hartzell
A little dense, but I really love Siegel's mindfulness and parenting material. There was so much in this book that I found helpful just on a personal level, apart from my impending parenthood. I would say a must read for any human.
Creativity Inc. by Ed Catmull
Feel a bit conflicted with this after all that John Lasseter stuff but still really enjoyed this book. I loved the mix of 1) business book, 2) creativity and storytelling anecdotes, 3) behind the scenes Pixar stories, and 4) Steve Jobs biography companion piece. As someone who is only casually a fan of the Pixar movies I still really loved reading about all the behind the scenes of the writers and directors and producers bringing those stories to life.
The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis
I think this is mostly a few articles pieced together with some connective tissue, so it's short, but that just made it a quick and fun read. I always love Michael Lewis. This is a story about Trump's transition team in a sense, but that's really only the hook. As I kept reading I realized that it was much more a deep dive into how pieces of the federal government works, which is something I didn't have any insight about, and found incredibly interesting. It gave me new appreciation for the challenges that these folks have, and why their jobs are so difficult sometimes. I definitely felt less critical of the federal government after reading this book and then felt even more fear about what damage Trump may yet do before his run is over.
Okay, that was a lot, but I like to read books. Here is my "top ten" but it's even more cheating than what I did for my honorable mentions! For three of my top spots I'm giving it to the series, instead of a single book. And for another, while I own one book, it's actually a collection of five shorter novels. May the god of lists forgive my sins.
I also find I have no interest in ranking the reads this year. I loved all of these experiences for very different reasons and I don't think the comparison adds a ton of value. It really just depends on what you're looking for. SO here is my list, alphabetically sorted according to the author's last name:
The Patrick Melrose novels by Edward St. Aubyn
I guess the last name is technically St. Aubyn? Everything is confusing about what is happening right now.
Anyway, this is my first major list grievance as this is a collection of five shorter novels about the titular Patrick Melrose. This might also be the reading experience that affected me emotionally the most.
I first heard about the show with Benedict Cumberbatch from a favorite podcast about TV and pop culture (The Watch), and somewhere in their conversation about the upcoming show they mentioned that one of their co workers (Alison Herman?) loved these books and they were her absolute favorites. I left with a strong desire to read the books and then watch the show.
Then it arrived and I saw that it was almost 900 pages and I was intimidated by the length. Finally I told myself, I'll just start with the first novel (150 or so pages) and then I can read something else and come back and finish the others.
I tore through the whole thing in about a week and a half.
First off the writing is incredible. The actual prose. The sentences were often so beautiful I felt myself slowing down just so I could savor the turns of phrase. Then there are the characters. They felt completely alive. Then the conceit of the various novels themselves: showing moments in time of this one man's life and the people around him. It starts when he is five (or there about), and we see his parents and their friends. Then we see him in his twenties, and then his thirties. And then we see him married and with kids and it's just so powerful to see how he changes from each novel to the next, but also the various side characters that we meet along the way.
By the end I felt like I had lived a whole life. It was just an incredibly moving experience. It's often tough subject matter (abuse, addiction, extravagance, forgiveness, fidelity, legacy), but at the end it was a profound journey, unlike anything else I read this year.
November Road by Lou Berney
Every single great crime writer that I follow on twitter has been raving about this book for months before it was released, so I got it and read it almost right away.
It's centered on the aftermath of the Kennedy assassination and follows three main characters. What really impressed me about this book was the depth of the characters. I deeply felt like I knew each of them by the end, and all three of the main players got very satisfying and yet surprising journeys.
I think that's what made this book so good and such a standout. It's a fairly straightforward crime plot, with a few interesting tidbits thrown in, but it's virtually all driven by character. The main character had urgent and deep wants, and the real magic trick of this book is that I felt that want along with them. And yet, as things ended up surprising me, it felt right.
Highly recommend if you are a fan of crime fiction.
The Eddie Flynn Series by Steve Cavanagh
Here is my second big cheat (don't worry, there are more coming). Steve Cavanagh is a fantastic Irish crime writer, whose protagonist practices law in New York City. Except he came to the law by way of being a con man. That's one fun little piece of these great crime/legal thrillers is that Eddie is constantly using the skills of his conman days to help practice law, or deal with the shady characters who cross his path.
There are four books in this series and I read all of them last year.
The Defence
The Plea
The Liar
Thirteen
Out of those four I think The Plea ended up being my favorite, but I honestly loved each one, and I would recommend starting at the beginning and just going through the whole set.
Each book has a great hook (Thirteen perhaps the most compelling premise of the batch), and each moves like a bullet train. It's the rare mix of an incredibly well plotted page turning thrill ride, with character depth and real emotion weaved throughout.
I love these and can't wait for the new Cavanagh standalone book coming out this year.
The books of Yuval Noah Harari
My next big cheat! These are some of the best books I have ever read, and without a doubt they top my non-fiction reading list this year. The books are:
Sapiens
Homo Deus
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Sapiens is marketed as "A brief history of humankind" while Homo Deus is "A brief history of tomorrow." 21 Lessons is about the present. So the man has spanned all of time itself!
These might be the most influential books I read last year as these ultimately led me to trying a 10 day vipassana silent meditation retreat. Harari casually mentions in one of his acknowledgments how much vipassana has helped him and my thought was "whatever helps the brilliant man that wrote these books is something I want to learn more about."
There is no way I could do justice to the many topics he covers in these books, but I can say it is some of the most mind opening and enlightening reading I have ever done. He reframes topics that I thought I had some familiarity with in ways that threw me off center and made me reconsider many things I thought I knew or understood.
One thing I bumped up against was the somewhat aggressive atheism in his work, but even that was thought provoking. I believe it's always helpful to understand these types of viewpoints or beliefs that otherwise I would take for granted.
If you want to feel a little bit smarter about anything related to the past, present, or future of humankind, I would say give these books a look.
The Nix by Nathan Hill
Krystle read this one first and really liked it. This was another one I put off because of length, but then was surprised how quickly I blew through it once I actually started. I'm sensing a pattern here.
I also usually don't like flashbacks. I'm almost never as interested in what happened in the past as what was going on in the main story, and this book uses quite a few flash backs, but they really work. Each one would take me deeper into the story and characters and peeled back layers of the onion. Each time I felt like I knew the characters better, which would completely change the context of the rest of the story. It was like a little bit of a treasure hunt inside the story.
I was also completely gripped by the conflicts throughout this story. I ended up really rooting for certain characters and absolutely hating others! Only to learn more and come around to sympathy or even empathy. It's a book that constantly shifted the ground beneath my feet, disoriented and delighted in equal measures. Great stuff.
The Outsider by Stephen King
I love the slight pivot King has done over the last several years to crime novels. The Outsider retains a sense of the horror that King is known for, but at its heart this is a mystery. If you don't know that Stephen King is one of the greatest of all times by now then you haven't been paying attention.
I don't want to spoil anything about this reading experience, all I can say is that King delivers. It almost doesn't matter where the story eventually goes, the journey was so compelling and satisfying that I couldn't stop reading.
Engaging and awesome.
Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel
My final cheat, I swear! I read them one after the other and so it felt like one long novel to me.
I think both of these won the Man Booker Prize, an award I don't really have any feelings about. I was going to say this was the first winner of the prize that I've read but then decided to google that so I wouldn't be an ignoramus (I've also read The Remains of the Day and Lincoln in the Bardo).
Anyway, these novels are magnificent. The counter argument to A Man For All Seasons, these show us Thomas Cromwell in a way that I had never seen him before, not to mention all the stuff about the King and his wives.
I felt like I was taking a deep dive into history reading these, but also they are the types of books with language that you want to savor. I often found the plot and story itself to be very entertaining, but more often than not I was just enjoying the experience, sentence by sentence. It's a weird combination that I don't often experience: a book that is long, dense, and yet feels like it's moving very fast at the same time the beauty of the language is encouraging me to slow down.
Word on the street is the third book in this trilogy comes out this year, and I cannot wait.
The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis
Tevis is probably more well known for *checks notes* every other book he has written besides this one? The Hustler (that movie with Paul Newman), its sequel The Color of Money (Paul Newman and Tom Cruise), The Man Who Fell To Earth, etc. etc. etc. Okay I'm writing etc. because I don't recognize the other ones, but still.
This is the only Tevis book I've read so far, and it makes me want to read all the others. This is a book about chess. And boy oh boy, chess has never been so exciting! It follows a young girl chess prodigy, as she learns she is brilliant at the game, begins to compete and starts winning all over. The novel reads as part thriller, part sports, part coming-of-age novel.
It deals with themes of isolation, loneliness, addiction, genius, connection, all while moving at seemingly breakneck speed as she competes and the stakes keep getting higher.
It's a short novel and not only is it entertaining as all get out, it's also thought provoking and emotional. Love it.
Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (issues #1-53)
This series has been running for a while now and if you've read it you know it's pretty much the best. Sci-fi wonder with character arcs and world building like Game of Thrones (translation: very good).
I've been reading this series for years, but I took the chance to re-read from the beginning when the last issue of this last arc came out. Being able to speed read through the whole series is a wonderful experience. The story really moves, and reading all at once helped me keep all the characters and story lines straight, which is a little harder to do as a monthly release.
This has adult themes, language, violence, so reader beware, but it's probably the best comic series I've read in a long time.
Educated by Tara Westover
This book is wonderful. If you don't know the backstory, it's an Idaho girl who grows up off the grid, never really went to school or knew a lot about the outside world, who decides to leave home and ends up getting her PhD from Cambridge.
She relays her story with grace, wit and real emotion. Her experiences at home came alive for me, and I felt like I was going on the journey with her throughout each step. So many feelings!
The only piece of "feedback" I thought of as I read, is I wished for more anecdotes about her actual education experiences, and that journey instead of all the stuff with her family in Idaho. Highly recommend for a transforming reading experience.
You know what time it is, so before I get into my top ten, let’s get a few other things out of the way.
First, click here if you would like to see the full list of movies I saw in 2018.
Movies I wish I saw that I think could have made my list (UPDATED 1/12/19):
Burning
If Beale Street Could Talk - loved Moonlight. Love Barry Jenkins. Love Brian Tyree Henry. Can't wait.
Update: Saw it. Loved it. Barry Jenkins is one of the most romantic film makers working today. He shoots love and romance with such sensuality and care. Ultimately Beale Street did not change my top ten, but I really enjoyed it.
Juliet, Naked - a trusted friend has this in his top ten, so I bought this yesterday and hope to watch it this weekend to see where it lands for me.
Update: Enjoyed this very much. Love Hawke and Byrne in this. Quite charming.
Shoplifters
Wildlife - I just bought this today, so we will know soon enough.
Update: I was really struck by the firm hand on the directing side. It's not flashy but it's really competent film making in a way that helped the emotions hit home. It felt to me that each shot was very considered, with much thought given to how what was in the frame would progress the story. And there is no question that the performances in this were incredible. Carey Mulligan needs some Oscar love furr sure.
Movies I wish I saw that probably would not have made my list, but I expect that I would have enjoyed them:
Mary Poppins Returns
Mandy
Support the Girls
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
The Old Man and the Gun
Zama
Bodied
Some movies I know everyone really loved but that just weren’t for me:
Hereditary - I’m not big into horror to begin with, and this was just too much for me. Obviously so good, but just no thanks.
First Reformed - I love me some Hawke. I like a lot of what was going on in this movie. It’s a little slow, deliberate, and yet it felt like it was building to something powerful. And it kind of does, until it doesn’t. There are some incredible powerful scenes and imagery in this film, but for me the ending just failed to strike a chord, which left me feeling cold about the whole affair.
Eighth Grade - this movie might be too good. It’s too real. Too painful. I just couldn’t enjoy it. That means something, but for me it means, not on my list.
Biggest personal disappointments:
The Predator - I don’t care about The Predator franchise. I haven’t seen any of the other Predator movies, but I love Shane Black, and I was so excited about this cast. This movie isn’t awful, but it’s not as good as I knew in my heart of hearts it should be. I’m not sure what happened, whether it was studio interference, wonky editing, or things just didn’t come together, but I was sad.
Mute - I love that Jake Gyllenhall train movie (or Source Code as some people call it). I was sort of disappointed by Warcraft, but the little I had seen had me very excited for this. As much as I hate to say it, this might have been the worst movie I saw this year.
Favorite Tom Hardy performance in a kind of bad movie (previous winner: Legend):
Venom - I don’t care about any "Venom is a bad movie" takes. Yes, Upgrade was a better movie even with discount Tom Hardy, but the real Tom Hardy is a man among boys. He GOES for it with this performance. Watching him just lay it all out there for this movie was a sight to behold. I’m sure Sony will learn the wrong lessons from the box office performance, but hey, if they let Tom Hardy keep doing weird stuff in these movies, then I’ll keep buying tickets.
Best movie about a Scottish monarch fighting for power:
Outlaw King (sorry Mary Queen of Scots) - way better than it had any right to be.
Also Netflix movies that I was surprised were really good:
To All the Boys I loved Before - yeah, so good.
Set it Up - how was this so good?
Honorable Mentions:
Free Solo - my heart was racing. I legitimately thought that this could be a movie about a guy dying. “That can’t be what this is right? They wouldn’t market it like this, and release it if he died, right? Or would they…” I was inspired and ashamed all at once. It had me asking myself, do I love anything in this world the way this guy loves climbing? Is there anything I care about so passionately that I would live in a van and eat beans so often?
Sorry to Bother You - this movie was a wild ride start to finish. I saw it at a screening with a very enlightening Q&A with the writer/director, and the energy was so great. I love the actors in the film. I love how weird it is. It’s equal parts entertaining and shocking. Off putting and thought provoking. And it really goes where you don't expect. Like really don't expect.
Deadpool 2 - strong sequel that stands on its own. It was such a surprise that the first one was so good. While this could never replicate that feeling, it was still surprising that it was this good, even with that hype. Loved Ricky Baker, and that Brad Pitt cameo, almost as much as I loved Rob Delaney (also I really hope you're watching Catastrophe).
Paddington 2 - this movie is a pure delight. It is moving. It is funny. It has a delightfully arch Hugh Grant performance. There is plenty of marmalade to go around, and also it's just so well made. More kid-friendly entertainment like this, please.
Crazy Rich Asians - I love these books and I loved this movie. The wedding scene was so beautiful I literally cried. If you saw it, you get how great this one is. Bok bok b****.
Mid90s/Minding the Gap - I feel like it might be disrespectful to lump these together like this but it’s weird that these both came out this year. The former is the directorial debut of Jonah Hill. This great movie about growing up and skateboarding. The latter is this heart wrenching documentary on Hulu, that seems like it will be about skateboarders but ends up being about child abuse, and growing up, and poverty in America, race, friendship, relationships, parenthood. Oh man, it’s good.
Blindspotting - I felt really connected to this movie. I grew up just south of San Jose, about an hour from Oakland, but there was so much of this that reminded me of what it was like growing up in the Bay Area. The way people talk. The music. This movie tackles so much so well. Race. Friendship. I loved the dream sequences with the spoken word elements. The way it subverts your expectations and takes you places you didn’t think you would go. So great.
Roma - I’m seeing this high on so many people’s lists and I get it. I wish I could have seen it in a theater. The film making is incredible. The story is affecting, and the way he tells the story shows the grasp he has on cinematic language. And at the same time, watching this movie felt a little like work to me. It required my attention in a way that no other movie did and that was rewarded in huge ways, but alas, I still enjoyed others on my list more.
Won’t You Be My Neighbor - just cried my way through it. Watched it with the whole family and we had an almost religious experience just watching the life of this kind and powerful man, so open and vulnerable with his self doubt and insecurities, and at the same time being so brave in how he contributed to the world.
Avengers: Infinity War - This just barely got bumped out of my top ten, but it is deserving, perhaps not as a stand-alone film, but the overall experience. Basically 2+ hours of incredibly satisfying payoff. An investment of 10 years and 18 films. Characters and stories I care about, all coming to a head. It’s quite impressive what they were able to do, how they balanced so many competing storylines and characters, making Thanos actually seem like a real person with a somewhat logical viewpoint. Sure some of it falls apart if you put it under the microscope, but at the end of the day, it was a cinematic experience like few I’ve ever had. Seeing it for the first time unfold in an IMAX theater, full of fans was exhilarating. It was pure energy and joy. Thor coming into the battle in Wakanda and Bruce Banner’s look on his face. My guess is too that this film will rise in people’s estimation once we have Endgame. At the end of the day I don’t care that they will undo a lot of the ending. In the moment, I was invested and devastated. It may not have lasted as my brain kicked into gear in the parking lot, but for those two to three hours I was captivated and I was there. I was present and I was having an experience. That’s movie magic.
And now for the top ten!
10. Game Night
This movie isn’t just great for a comedy. It’s a great movie. It’s one of the funniest things I’ve seen all year. But it works because it’s actually telling a story with characters that I cared about very quickly.
The real case study of the year for me was this movie compared to Tag. Both looked very similar from the outside. Large studio comedies, with a pretty simple but funny premise, incredible looking casts. But Game Night is executing at a whole other level.
They set an emotional throughline for almost every character. There is some sort of growth or arc. Each pairing in the movie has an interesting dynamic or conflict that is played out throughout the events of the movie. These things all add depth to character, drive organic conflict and comedy between the characters, all while driving the main plot forward.
The main mystery plot was actually surprising, with twists that I didn’t see coming, the gags being built organically from the characters and the story, not just JOKES being TOLD, or funny lines of dialogue.
Also, in my humble opinion, this was one of the best directed movies of the year. The camera work was inventive and interesting (see the opening credits and game playing montages). The editing added to the humor (see the cuts between the party and the intense kidnapping fight at the beginning). Not to mention the great oner where they are all tossing the egg. Fantastic soundtrack. The great set-ups and pay-offs (rich people fight clubs!!) and I could never forget, one of the greatest Jesse Plemons performances of all time.
Also it’s actually kind of emotional. There is a real pay off in the relationship between the brothers, and the relationship between the husband and wife. It just all really works. So impressive on every level.
9. American Animals
This is one of my favorite trailers of the year. Go ahead and watch it. I could almost just rave this whole time about the trailer, the editing, the music, the way it all builds to a great question, and then cuts at the exact right place having you go, okay I want to see how that plays out.
I would say stop reading and just watch without knowing anything further. If the trailer does not convince you to see this movie, then I’m going to spoil a framing device that was fun to discover, but I’m hoping may convince you to give it a try.
Part of the marketing from the trailer is “This isn’t based on a true story. This happened.” The way he approaches it in the movie is to intercut the narrative with interviews and voice over from the real life people that went through this.
It was so compelling and entertaining. It made it feel almost like a weird mix between narrative film, and documentary. Like some kind of hybrid. This showed itself in interesting ways when narrators would remember events differently, the movie would often show it multiple ways, illustrating the fact that memory and history is not objective.
I enjoyed the director's first film, The Imposter (currently streaming on Amazon Prime). That film is more documentary but uses some of the same devices to a lesser extent.
However, what really blew me away was how this movie made me feel during the actual heist. My heart was beating in my throat. It made it so real. It put me there, pumping adrenaline. I forgot where I was. That kind of powerful film going experience led me to go back, and it’s what earns it a place on my list.
8. Mission: Impossible - Fallout
Tom Cruise is a national treasure. Christopher McQuarrie is a national treasure. I know he has said definitively that he is not making another M:I movie, but I hope against hope that in time he will change his mind. This has to be the best ongoing action franchise we have. Real people. Real stunts. Real Tom Cruise jumping out of things. Real Henry Cavill reloading his arms.
Can I just take a second to moan a little about how underrated I think Cavill is? I honestly think his Superman is incredible. Man of Steel is a solid movie. Then things get a little wonky but Cavill is never the problem. Look at him in The Man from UNCLE (another underrated gem)!
Cavill is fantastic in this movie. And you know what, so is everybody else.
I love this score. I love the direction they took the story. This is the first true sequel in the franchise in my opinion. It builds on Rogue Nation in a way that elevates RN. I sort of liked that movie when it first came out. I like it a LOT more after Fallout. I love Solomon Lane. I love Rebecca Ferguson. There is just so much great stuff happening.
Again, characters, conflict. Action set pieces that really build on what we know about these people and drive the story. The bathroom fight. The helicopter chase. Michelle Monaghan. Vanessa Kirby. Did I mention Rebecca Ferguson doing her leg thing? God bless Ethan Hunt. Long may he reign.
Ps. If you want the true director's commentary for this movie, check out the whole series of Empire podcasts. I believe it totals 6 hours, and they answer pretty much every conceivable question you might have about the making of this movie. I love when film makers open up about process like that.
7. Annihilation
I love Alex Garland. Ex Machina was my favorite movie of the year it came out. I’ve read several of the man’s novels. I really enjoy his collaborations with Danny Boyle. This movie is bonkers. I can’t believe they let him make it. It’s so weird. It’s so moody. I love the soundtrack. I love the theme. I love Tessa Thompson turning into a tree randomly.
It has a thin thread of a connection to the books, but honestly I feel like this is a lot better. Everything combined to create this trippy experience that is unlike anything I've seen in theaters in a while. It preserved the untethered dreamlike state of the book in this way. There are moments of genuine thrills and horror that hit me in ways other movies fail to do. I'm thinking of when they discover the tape of the previous expedition. The scene with the weird bear monster thing.
I'm also a huge fan of the framing device of the interview. It created this sense of unreliability and dread, knowing that something horrible may have happened and maybe even she doesn't know what it was. And then there is the ending. It is so incredibly weird that it's just a joy to behold. Ten something minutes of whatever you want to call it. And then finally the ambiguity of the exchange between Natalie Portman and Oscar Isaac, leaving the theater with questions and full of thought. I just love that.
6. A Quiet Place
I’m conflicted having this movie so high. Part of me feels like Annihilation or Blindspotting are more deserving, but at the end of the day, this theater going experience was so singular that it earned a spot. Krasinski really impressed me with his direction in this film. It’s amazing that it has almost no dialogue but the visual film making is so well done, that it never feels slow.
It’s an emotional story, focusing on the relationships, and is this great metaphor for how we try to protect our children from the scary things in the world.
For me the core of the movie is the father/daughter story. But in each relationship you have something meaningful happening. The son is coming into his own. The mother and father are connecting and loving each other. They are all dealing with grief and guilt.
How do we grieve as a family. How do we keep our kids safe? As children how do we deal with the emotional inheritance of our parents, and come into our own identity safe with the knowledge that we are loved and cared for, regardless of the ill we think we have done?
This movie is also a master class in how a powerful ending elevates the whole.
Also Emily Blunt and John Krasinski are the cutest.
5. Widows
Steve McQueen is definitely on my list of favorite working filmmakers right now. Gillian Flynn is also making extremely interesting choices in her career, and I love what she is doing. I will never not be sad that her adaptation of Utopia with David Fincher didn’t get fully greenlit by HBO.
Anyway, another great film driven by women. It's also a great example of how a director can elevate genre. The opening scene puts you right there. In just a few minutes of screen time we get to see every relationship in a few moments, where we feel like we know these couples and we know these women. The car driving away, the intensity of it. The sustained tension of that shot with the cop car chasing them. The way we are thrust into their lives as we see what’s left for them with their husbands gone. It’s just such stellar story telling.
This cast is also ridiculous across the board. Brian Tyree Henry is the MVP of the year, and he gives a dynamic and charismatic performance as always. Daniel Kaluuya is so scary. The way McQueen shows us who he is is incredibly effective and affecting.
And there is this shot.
Colin Farrell with his accent and being handsome and cool.
And then there are the women. Viola Davis and her dog. Elizabeth Debicki breaking your heart with how good she is. Cynthia Erivo running so fast and just exuding cool ("You need to watch how you speak to me"), and here I thought Michelle was supposed to be fast… and furious. Okay I am really sorry about that.
This movie builds to the heist and shows us something real and thrilling. It’s grounded and it’s scary and it’s real. I loved all of it.
Then there is the continuous take where you hear the conversation in the car, and you see the neighborhood change in the course of one conversation. It’s everything. That kind of choice is why McQueen is so good.
Also I loved Hunger and Shame and I do miss Michael Fassbender from this movie.
Is there any movie that wouldn’t be better with Michael Fassbender in it? I say nay.
4. A Star is Born
I don’t think I need to say much about this one. It has a chance to sweep the major categories at the Oscars. Lady Gaga is incredible. Bradley Cooper is incredible, both as an actor and as a director.
The music is (mostly) great. The musical performances are moving.
The first hour or so may be one of the best movies of the last 5 years. The second half doesn’t quite hit home, but still when this movie sings, it really sings. The highs are high.
Show me a person that doesn’t get goosebumps the first time she gets on stage to sing Shallows, and I’ll show you a person without a soul. In fact, if you want to give a robot sentience and emotion, just have them watch that scene and see them come alive. A single tear will drip down their robot cheek shorting out their circuits. You’ll say “Hey.” The robot will turn and say “What?” and of course you will respond, “I just wanted to take another look at you.” And now you and the robot are in love.
3. First Man
I have some doubts. I only got to see this movie once, and it was months ago at this point. It was a packed screening and the energy was great.
I love Damien Chazelle. La La Land and Whiplash were both my favorite movies of their respective years. I also love me some Ryan Gosling. And space. But no one is talking about this movie. I’ve hardly seen it on any lists and it barely made a splash at the box office. I guess maybe that’s because of A Star is Born?
Anyway - the movie was gone so quickly I didn’t even get a chance to catch it a second time in theaters before it left.
BUT. My experience in this movie was incredible. This movie worked on two core fronts for me. First, the directing and film making was piercing. I really felt like I was part of this space program having these experiences. It was unlike any other space movie I can recall. Put it up against Apollo 13, Interstellar, 2001, what this movie does really well is show the subjective experience of early space travel in a very visceral and impactful way. Again it got my heart beating. I felt like I was there. That’s something special.
Then on the other hand, I really was drawn into the subtlety of the emotional narrative. I read it as the story of a man trying to deal with grief, who is not good at expressing or processing his emotions, and basically throwing himself into his work as a way to cope. And yet this is such an enormous stressor on its own that it can’t be an escape or means of numbing. It just adds more pain.
The catharsis for me at the end was not about landing on the moon, it was about Neil letting go of the grief about his daughter. It was that last scene where he is separated from his wife by glass which read like a metaphor for everything their marriage had been going through since they lost their daughter. Him putting up his hand essentially saying “I’ve been gone for a while. I know it. I’m not quite back but I’m trying and I’m going to keep trying to be present with you.” And in that moment them having just a spark of connection. I just thought it was all so beautiful.
I think Ryan Gosling is getting some criticism that he can only play these two roles. Either he’s the quiet, strong, sullen man (see: Drive, Only God Forgives, The Place Beyond the Pines, or this movie), or he’s the charismatic, funny, charmer (see: La La Land, The Nice Guys, or Crazy Stupid Love). I don’t really buy it. Not only does this take require you to throw out so much of his work that doesn’t fit into either of these boxes, it also discounts the actual acting he’s doing in a movie like this. Sure, it’s not a flashy performance. It’s not going to get the kind of attention that Bradley Cooper likely will get for A Star Is Born, but that doesn’t make it less compelling, or easier to pull off. There is a precision and purpose to everything he does. There is a restraint on display that serves the character, and for this story, that really worked for me.
I am excited for this to come out on VOD so I can see it again, and I don’t know if my opinion will change, but right now this is where it lands.
2. Black Panther
Ryan Coogler is the man. This is the best MCU film. It is the best MCU villain. It has my favorite MCU score and soundtrack (sorry Guardians), and I was pretty much blown away by it from start to finish.
Sure, at the end, you still have things being resolved through a fist fight of sorts, but everything else is so good that it doesn’t diminish the whole. There is so much happening here that is powerful. Everything serves the greater story being told. T'Challa’s arc is heartbreaking and real. Each character’s experience is some variation on the theme. It’s masterful.
There was the larger theme of isolationism, and nationalism happening in Wakanda, leading to larger explorations of immigration and foreign aid (this is a Marvel movie!), but this was brought to life most powerfully in the experience of two son's relationships with their fathers. So on the one hand you have this larger question of what is Wakanda's role in the world. And almost every character relates to the others in some way around this question. And then the two main characters have to deal with this question through the lens of what their father left behind (or couldn't leave behind).
T'Challa's experience of having such reverence for his father ("Have I ever let you down?" "Never.") to realizing that in at least this area, his father was human ("You were wrong!") was a powerful way to experience the thematic thrust of the movie. Because precisely this issue is what created the villain of the film, played so well by Michael B. Jordan ("Hi, auntie."). His views on Wakanda isolationism and his father-son dynamic flows out of the very same conflict that T'Challa is working through.
This same reflection on the theme is found in virtually all of the important character relationships, and each brings a unique viewpoint that helps us see this issue in a slightly different way. The resonance of the film for me, I think, came from this thematic coherence.
And I haven't even touched on the beautifully crafted action set pieces (Hello Korea). The incredible score and soundtrack. The other weighty topics of true cultural appropriation (in one of my favorite villain introductions ever, "Don't worry, I'll take it off your hands."), or the comment about freedom and slavery as Killmonger pulls the knife out of his own chest, as he experiences his first and last real Wakandan sunset.
Then there is the stellar female characters. People riding Rhinos. The surreal dream sequence of T'Challa compared to the much more grounded dream sequence of Killmonger.
Anyway - this movie came out almost a year ago and people have been saying all of these things and more much more eloquently than I can. Suffice it to say this movie really affected me, and it was my number 1 for most of the year, until I saw...
1. Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse
This movie makes me so mad at Disney and Ron Howard for taking away Solo from Lord and Miller. These guys are story telling geniuses. I feel inadequate to express how much I loved this movie.
It's not only the best animated film this year, it may be my favorite comic-book movie ever. It's the kind of thing that only works because we have a decade of so-so Spider-Man movies, but still. I think I laughed out loud more in this movie than any other. And yet, it also genuinely moved me in several places.
You should probably just wait for the Film Crit Hulk article that breaks down why this movie is so good, but it's firing on all cylinders. The animation is unlike anything else I've seen before. The way it combined static comic-book like images, with more dynamic shots, to how it switched animation styles based on the character or scene.
I loved the characters in the film. I love Miles, I love Gwen, I love both Peter's, I love Spider-Ham, I love Nicholas Cage being awesome, I love Peni Parker, and of course BRIAN TYREE HENRY. The man is the MVP, you already know. I love how they play into the audiences origin story fatigue, especially for Spider-Man. I love how meta and self referential it is. But still, it takes its characters seriously. They have real emotions and are working through real conflict.
Also this movie is just really fun. Every scene seems to be the most inventive and interesting version of that scene. I'm thinking of the meet-cute between Miles and Gwen, or Miles walking on the walls outside of the building, Miles' first meeting Peter B. Parker, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. This movie is just great.
Also I loved the music.
So that's it! My favorite movies of 2018. What were yours?
