The Year in Film – My Favorite Films of 2019 (Part 1)

As you may have noticed from my first two posts, I can be quite verbose (maybe I need an editor?).  Predictably, I had a lot to say about my favorite films of the year, so we’re going to split this into two parts. 

Before I dive into my top 10

The main narrative in Hollywood the last few years has been the emergence of original content on streaming services, primarily on Netflix, Amazon and Hulu.  In 2019, we also saw the debuts of Disney+ and Apple TV+, with HBO Max and NBC’s Peacock to follow in 2020.  The bulk of the content has been in the form of “television” series, leading to the meteoric rise of “Peak TV,” but the production of feature length films by the streaming services has also been on the rise.

Netflix led all studios with 24 Oscar nominations this year and of the ten contenders for Golden Globe Best Picture, four (The Irishman, Marriage Story, The Two Popes and Dolemite is My Name) were produced and distributed by Netflix.  The major theater companies did not show these films as they could not come to an agreement with Netflix on how long the films would stay in the theaters before streaming on Netflix.  So, the films were run in smaller theaters for a few weeks (to be eligible for awards), before moving to streaming.  How far are we from Netflix owning their own theaters to run their films?  It’s fair to say that the distribution model for movies may be getting turned upside down.

With the streaming services expanding into content creation, the first question will be if this is good for the consumer.  The positive side of this is more content (and more choices for consumers) and will also result in more opportunities for newer writers, directors, producers and actors to create new stories.  The downside will likely be a glut of lower quality movies (and television shows) that just aren’t very good.  If you don’t believe me, go scroll through Netflix tonight and look at their original content – while there are some high-quality options, there are also a lot of dogs there.  The other consideration is the recent reliance on remakes, reboots, expanding franchises, and the development of untapped intellectual property (IP).  The content arms race is on and it will be interesting to see who focuses on quantity or quality and what the landscape looks like in five years. 

The other big narrative the last decade has been the dominance of TV quality compared to movie quality.  The creative burst was driven first by the cable industry and then the emergence of the streaming services.  It seemed that we were destined for a world where the movies would be dominated by comic book films and franchise properties and the great stories would only be found on television.  If you look at 2019’s films, it’s true that most of the top ten grossing movies were Disney / Marvel properties.  But here are the actors starring in the movies we are discussing this award season:  Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Lopez, Joaquin Phoenix, Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Saoirse Ronan, Laura Dern, Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Renee Zellweger, Anthony Hopkins, Daniel Craig, Eddie Murphy, and Adam Sandler.  That’s just a partial list and some of these actors had multiple excellent films this year.  And that list doesn’t include a number of actors who had breakout years in 2019.  Guess what?  Movies are still great!

My Favorite Films of 2019   

Honorable Mention – Dark Waters

This one was in my top 10 until the very end when it was nudged out after I saw one of the late 2019 releases in early January.  Based on a 2016 New York Times Magazine article, Dark Waters tells the story of attorney Robert Bilott (played by Mark Ruffalo) and his tireless efforts to expose chemical giant DuPont for its role in the negative health impacts of its leading product, Teflon.  The structure of the film has familiar beats to other similar stories like Erin Brockovich and A Civil Action – the hero lawyer, the villain corporation, the poor suffering victims and the injustice of America’s legal system.  What I liked about the movie was that there were a few times where you thought the case and the movie would end, but it would take a twist as Bilott faced a new challenge ahead of him.  Also, the filmmakers did a nice job of presenting the facts to make your own conclusions, without hitting you over the head.  You didn’t need Ruffalo looking at the camera and saying “These guys at DuPont did some horrible things.” (unlike Meryl Streep in The Laundromat, as I described my earlier post about my biggest disappointment this year.)

The film includes a strong supporting cast, particularly Anne Hathaway as Bilott’s wife and Tim Robbins as the head of his law firm, but the star here is Ruffalo.  You can feel the burden of the case and the suffering of the victims weigh on him (both physically and mentally) as the case drags on over many years.  In any other year, there might be a lot of award season buzz about his outstanding performance, but the field is just too crowded this year.  A strong legal suspense film worth checking out.  

#10 – Knives Out

They simply don’t make old fashioned all-star cast murder mysteries anymore, so Knives Out was a refreshing change from the usual movies we see each year.  It has a little Agatha Christie feel to it, but it’s more comedy than suspense, compared to the typical Christie mystery.  (Speaking of which, my favorite of hers is the original Murder on the Orient Express, a classic “comfort movie.”  I may need to do a top 10 comfort movie list at some point.  PS – don’t get me started on Kenneth Branagh’s remake – not good.) 

Written and directed by Rian Johnson, Knives Out starts like any good murder mystery – with the death of a wealthy family patriarch (played by Christopher Plummer) following his 85^th birthday party.  Enter private detective Benoit Blanc (played by Daniel Craig) to interview the relatives, including Chris Evans, Toni Collette, Don Johnson, Jamie Lee Curtis and Michael Shannon, as well as the victim’s nurse, played by Ana de Armas.  As each of the suspects are interviewed, we see flashbacks to the party and learn of each person’s motives through conflicting stories.  It was nice to see this movie take an approach in the second half that is different than a typical murder mystery (I won’t spoil it).  There are definitely some twists and turns you won’t see coming.  Craig and de Armas provide the best performances (both were nominated for Golden Globe Awards), although it took a few minutes to get used to listening to James Bond with a Kentucky accent! 

Knives Out performed very well at the box office and received positive critical reviews, a strong follow up to Johnson’s previous film, The Last Jedi.  It’s interesting that this movie was released about a month before The Rise of Skywalker (directed by J.J. Abrams), which received lukewarm critical reviews and had the worst opening weekend at the box office of the recent trilogy films.  The Last Jedi was divisive – it seemed people really loved it or really hated it.  There have been stories recently that the choices Johnson made with the story left Abrams in a bind to complete the trilogy in a satisfactory way that still felt connected to the previous film.  That’s resulted in a bit of a backlash to Johnson, so the success of Knives Out must feel good.  (While we’re here, I liked The Rise of Skywalker – I thought they did a nice job of presenting a stand-alone Star Wars film, while wrapping up the trilogy.  And the dynamic between Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley was outstanding.)  Closing out Knives Out, in a recent interview Johnson said he would be interested in making other films with Blanc solving new mysteries.  Count me in for that series if it happens.

#9 – Jojo Rabbit

Imagine for a moment that you are a movie studio executive, listening to the following pitch by writer / director Taika Waititi: “Jojo is a ten-year-old boy in Germany, during the last few months of World War II.  All he thinks about is growing up to be a German soldier, like his father who is off fighting for the Nazis.  Jojo lives with his Mom, who is secretly against the war and is hiding a Jewish girl named Elsa in her attic.  Also, Jojo’s imaginary friend is Adolf Hitler.  No, it’s not a war drama, but a comedy.”  Can you imagine the reaction? 

This film came on my radar when it won the People’s Choice Award (Best Picture equivalent) at the Toronto International Film Festival.  When I heard about it on The Big Picture, I was definitely intrigued, as unique stories always interest me.  The fact that this film was even made in 2019 is incredible, especially in our “cancel culture”, where the first reaction to most anything is outrage, which can lead media companies to think twice before releasing anything that could be deemed “controversial.”

Described as an “anti-hate satire,” and told from the perspective of Jojo, it is at times a comedy, a drama, and a suspense film.  But most of all, it is a heart-warming story as Jojo and Elsa get to know each other and Jojo realizes that they are more alike than different.  What makes this film work so well is a creative screenplay with a fantastic supporting cast, including Scarlett Johansson (in one of her two Oscar-nominated performances this year) as Jojo’s Mom, the great Sam Rockwell and Rebel Wilson as Hitler youth instructors and Waititi himself playing Adolf.  I recommend this one, as unconventional as it is.

#8 – Richard Jewell

Clint Eastwood’s portrait of a wrongly accused man whose life comes apart when he is accused of the Centennial Park bombing during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.  Before I dive into why I liked this movie so much, let’s dispense with the two controversies that emerged upon the release of this film in December, which may have impacted why it performed so poorly at the box office. 

The first was a scene in the film between Kathy Scruggs (played by Olivia Wilde), the reporter from the Atlanta-Journal Constitution who broke the story that Richard Jewell was considered a suspect in the bombing, and an FBI agent (a composite character, played by Jon Hamm).  The scene in question strongly implies that Scruggs offered to sleep with the FBI agent in exchange for the information about Jewell and, by all reports from those who knew Scruggs, never happened.  This was just a flat-out mistake in my opinion, discrediting the character of Scruggs, who died in 2001.  The media rightfully went into overdrive when the film was released, criticizing Eastwood and screenwriter Billy Ray for this decision.

The second controversy was the supposed bias Eastwood displayed in the film against the FBI and the media, with some writers indicating that this bias was motivated by Eastwood’s political leanings.  This one I find to be a little too far-fetched for a few reasons.  First, this film is based on a 1997 Vanity Fair article and has been in development since 2014, although Eastwood didn’t become involved until recently.  Second, unlike the Scruggs storyline, the FBI and the media did get it wrong here, falsely portraying Jewell as the bomber, who was later identified as Eric Rudolph when he was captured in 2003.  It’s hard to argue that the portrayal of the FBI and media was biased, when it represents what actually happened. 

So, let’s talk about the film.  In a breakout role, Paul Walter Hauser plays Jewell and is surrounded by some heavyweights including Sam Rockwell as his attorney and Kathy Bates as his mother, in addition to Hamm and Wilde.  Eastwood takes us all the way back before the bombing to show Jewell’s strong interest in becoming a police officer, eventually settling on entry level security jobs to get some experience.  The bombing sequence at Atlanta’s Centennial Park contains the best of suspense and nervousness, even though we know what is coming.  As we start to see the FBI circling around Jewell as a suspect and the media mob desperate for the story, Jewell is oblivious to what is transpiring, as he is just trying to help solve the case.  As his attorney, Rockwell (in another outstanding performance, continuing a very impressive streak), implores Jewell to stop being the FBI’s friend.  Sidebar:  When I first heard about this film years ago, Leonardo DiCaprio (in the Rockwell role) and Jonah Hill (in the Jewell role) were attached to play the leads.  That would have been interesting.

Although he is exonerated after 88 days, the stress has taken a heavy toll on Jewell, who died of a heart attack in 2007.  It makes you wonder what his legacy would be had Rudolph never been captured or confessed – would we still think of Jewell as the culprit in an unsolved case?  While this type of story has been told many times – the falsely accused victim fighting an establishment too big to defeat – the strong performances make this a film I really enjoyed. 

#7 – Ford v Ferrari

Sometimes it’s just nice to see movie stars come together in a compelling story that is perfectly executed with all the elements you like in a movie – drama, suspense, action, and comedy.  Ford v Ferrari is that movie.  Christian Bale and Matt Damon star as Ken Miles and Carroll Shelby, respectively, who team up create a new car for Ford to take down the dominant Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France.  This is more than a film about auto racing – it’s about friendship, relationships, power and authority, and determination. 

As I was watching this movie, I was reminded of Apollo 13 for a few reasons.  Not knowing anything about cars, the filmmakers did a great job of using the storytelling to explain the ups and downs of the Ford team in their pursuit to beat Ferrari. I didn’t need to understand how cars work to feel the suspense and drama, much like I didn’t need to know what a gimbal was in watching the Apollo 13 astronauts struggle to get home.  Also, as you are watching the team race over the 24 hours at Le Mans, they told the story by blending together the perspective of the Ford executive team, Shelby and the pit crew, Miles as he was driving, and his family back home watching the race on TV.  This felt just like Apollo 13 weaving together the perspective of the astronauts, the Mission Control team, and the families back home, watching the broadcasters explain the dangers they were facing. 

Overall, a fun, well-executed movie that has some of the typical beats you’d see in a story like this, but some unexpected twists that help keep you guessing as to what will happen next.

#6 – The Irishman

A teaser trailer during the Super Bowl in February is where most people heard about The Irishman, Martin Scorsese’s mob epic starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci.  The excitement around this group working together went through the roof and the expectations continued to increase as we approached the anticipated fall release date.  Then a few interesting events happened. 

Stories started to emerge that the release date was in jeopardy and the budget was escalating due to CGI technology being used to “de-age” De Niro and Pesci for scenes where the characters were younger.  Wait, what?  Then there were the questions about when and where you could see the film.  Given Netflix’s battle with major theater chains (as I mentioned above), the film was only released in smaller theaters for a few weeks before debuting on Netflix the day before Thanksgiving.  Around the time the movie began screenings for critics, Scorsese compared Marvel movies to theme parks and saying “that’s not cinema.”  He doubled down on his comments in an Op-Ed in the New York Times, clarifying that he accepts that the films are not for him, but is concerned that with expanding reliance on IP like comic book movies, original stories will be crowded out of theaters.  And if that wasn’t enough controversy, the film’s length (at 3 ½ hours) was criticized as too long over the Thanksgiving holiday.  There were even suggestions on social media on where to break the movie into four “episodes” as you watched it.  And all of this happened before the vast majority of the movie going public even saw the movie.  Whew!

So, let’s talk about the movie.  Is it excellent?  Yes.  Could it have been 30-45 minutes shorter and still be excellent?  Of course.  Based on the 2004 book I Heard You Paint Houses, it tells the story of Frank Sheeran (played by De Niro), a close confidant of Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa (played by Pacino) and mob boss Russell Bufalino (played by Pesci).  The film has all of the Scorsese greatest hits – the mob conflicts, the plot twists of who will turn on each other, the gory kills, the music, the food, the wine, the classic lines (“It’s what it is” in this case). 

The acting throughout the movie is very strong.  De Niro is in almost every scene and plays a relatively low-key character.  Same with Pesci – it’s a very understated performance, especially compared to his role in Goodfellas.  Pacino gives you the classic over the top tour de force Pacino, which is always fun.  The CGI effects were a little distracting at first, primarily because you know they are coming and it’s strange seeing De Niro look like he did on screen 30 years.  I wonder if Scorsese considered using younger actors to play the older scenes like Coppola did with (ironically) De Niro playing young Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II.  As far as the length, I didn’t understand the criticism about it being too long, especially with the availability on Netflix to watch in the home.  People binge watch hours of TV episodes at a time – what’s so bad about committing the same time to a movie?  Overall, a great film – considering it’s likely Scorsese’s last mob epic, it’s a nice way for this team to go out on top.

That’s it for this week – I’ll be back for my top 5 next week.  And if you like The Second Half, you can subscribe on the right side of the home page here