Top Ten Films 2019

Here are my top ten films of 2019.

10. High Life

It's really difficult to put how I feel about this film into words. It's not a film you enjoy as much as one that you just take in. It's existential dread as atmosphere, relationships as a lifeline and a curse. It's horrible and hopeful. It's human. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it

9. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum 

This has the best action of all the John Wick films, maybe even some of the best action in all of cinema. The simplicity of the storytelling helps elevate everything surrounding the film as the world around Wick gets larger and the stakes higher. It’s very creative in the way it keeps the action interesting and not repetitive. The John Wick films ooze coolness, I love that they exist and I hope this series never hits a low point.

8. Avengers: Endgame

This film truly is the culmination of 22 films, its the end of an era and Marvel knows it, closing this chapter of the MCU with a victory lap of fan service of epic proportions. If you're not a fan, you're probably going to hate it. If you are a fan, then like me, you're going to be grinning so much it will probably hurt.  I was 14 when Iron Man came out, I'm now 25, I've spent a big chunk of my life watching these films, being obsessed, being hyped. It's a very satisfying conclusion to just over ten years worth of storytelling, it has the right to pat its self on the back, though maybe at times a little too much!

 7. The Last Black Man in San Francisco

The thing that I loved most about this film was its unique story of a man and a house, which acts as the stepping stone for the portrayal of change, gentrification, generational clash, but above all, the love for the city in its title. The colours pop off the screen, the characters are extremely interesting to watch and the score might just be the best of the year with an emotional punch at every needle drop. It is a film that wholly immerses and is a completely original cinematic experience.

6. Paddelton 

I was triggered by this film. This film brought up old memories and emotions that I have not felt in a long time. I was an emotional wreck by the end of this film, what a ride it took me on. The story is simple but beautifully portrayed with two stunning performances from Mark Duplass and Ray Romano. It’s powerful, touching, manipulative and it all works together to create a very human story of friendship and heartbreak. It’s just one of those films that shows that you can do so much with so little. I can’t wait to watch it again... at some point.

5. Bait

The themes of Bait are worn in the fabric of the film stock it was made on. It's a beautiful film, depicting the cornish coast in a way that is rarely seen on film. Having lived in Cornwall for a large portion of my life, the constant struggles between the locals and the tourists is one that rings true, but also one that will resonate with audiences unaware of county's issues because the issues run deeper than Cornwall; The fight between old and new, tradition and innovation, industry and community. I loved this film, it's refreshing and original and I was constant struggles hypnotised by its style and swept up in its world.

4. Booksmart

It’s rare that a comedy film comes out that’s as consistently funny as Booksmart. Straight away you recognise the influence, its colourful cast of characters with their many comedic quirks harkens back to the likes of Fast Time at Ridgemont High and Clueless. Like them, Booksmart will transcend generations as the emotional gravitas it has will hit home with all. The characters feel human, their relationships feel real and the story of their night before graduation will make you laugh and cry all at the same time. Olivia Wilde’s feature directorial debut is an absolute surprise of a masterpiece, not merely another high school comedy, but one full to the brim of humanity, growth and love.

3. The Irishman

Hindsight is the key to everything. Martin Scorsese’s latest feel like a look to the past with all the lessons learnt from the future. Yes, it may not be as fun as Goodfellas was but it’s a more mature and sombre take on the world of Gangsters. It’s long but it’s a look at life through the eyes of the reluctantly conflicted Robert De Niro, giving one of his best performances alongside Joe Pesci and Al Pacino, who all deserve awards for their incredible performances. I can’t stop thinking about this film, that feeling of growing old and thinking back on past decisions, good or bad, it’s just a painful but fulfilling experience to watch on film. I don’t think Scorsese will ever phone in a film, the man is a master of cinema and whilst the way we watch films is changing, his attention to detail and the craft of storytelling is not. Another masterpiece.

2. Midsommar

The fact that this came from someone’s mind, made it to the page and then made it to the big screen baffles me. This film is messed up and completely disturbing and I loved it. I thought I was on the fence with Ari Aster but this has solidified him as the next big thing, I won’t be missing any of his films in the cinema from now on. So much attention to detail is put into every frame, every camera movement evokes an emotion, hypnotises or creates even more unease than the last. I feel like the film only scratched the surface of the cult but you just know if you wanted to look deeper, you wouldn’t be disappointed, this is not a film that was made with a half-arsed attempt at lore. Each character created intrigue, you loved them, you hated them, you wanted to see some of the dead and you wanted to see some of them thrive. I am in awe of this film.

1. Marriage Story

Heartbreakingly beautiful. Seriously, I’ve never seen love portrayed in such a bittersweet way. The story is so well put together, every edit feels monumental, every shift in perspective is subtly powerful, each quirk and flaw laid out bare by both lead actor’s stunning performances. I couldn’t look away, I loved every minute of it, almost like I was torturing myself, but this is an absolute masterpiece, Noah Baumbach’s best film to date. I do think it leans more into Adam Driver’s character more than Scarlett Johannsen’s despite laying out the groundwork for a 50/50 split in perspective. It doesn’t bother me though; your allegiances change throughout before realising that no one is perfect, and each character is just trying their best in their own flawed ways. It was terrifyingly relatable. We all need to take a step back at times and get through our own stubborn human nature to realise that we can hurt people without even realising it.

Keep an eye out and I will post my favourite films of the decade soon!

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Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

I love Star Wars and despite feeling disappointed by this film, I still wanted to find something to love. Unfortunately, there was not much. I have really enjoyed seeing these new characters over the last four years but here they felt distant, remnants of their former selves even. It’s partly the fault of the film's pace, it doesn’t take a breath, ever. It’s all go from the start of the film, even the opening crawl contains a plot point that I would much rather have seen unfold in real-time.

You never get a moment to let the characters breathe, to feel their pain and their struggle as they fight their way to what the film tries to make an emotional climax. I feel here like Disney got scared, scared of the loud minority of toxic fans that hated The Last Jedi with a passion and, instead of ignoring them, they pandered to them. Here JJ Abrams tries to please everyone and inevitably will probably annoy more people because of that. You can’t please them all and trying to forgive certain plot points of previous films without ever thinking about how it actually relates to the story left a sour taste in my mouth.

Here we get action for action’s sake and never any build-up to those moments that could have been epic elsewhere. I remember getting goosebumps throughout The Force Awakens as it led up to a climactic and powerful battle on Star Killer Base, same with The Last Jedi as we only see relationships develop in unique ways, making the pivoting of Kylo Ren's morality in that film even more emotional in its conclusion. Here we get lightsaber fights aplenty but they don’t have the emotional weight that we’ve seen before and they’re even mainly shot in close-ups making it difficult to follow the action.

The film feels rushed, I’m sure a lot of effort went into it but it lacks the love and affection that the previous films in the trilogy oozed. Even the special effects don’t feel so special, Leia’s part in the film feels disjointed and you can tell she’s not there. It only works to undermine her incredible performance in The Last Jedi as here she serves little to no purpose other than saying lines that feel better placed in a fortune cookie. I feel like it would have been better just to leave her out entirely than to shoehorn old footage of her into the film. They make the effort this time to turn Maz Kanata into a puppet and she feels like she’d be more at home in a theme park than a movie.

The dynamic between Kylo and Rey still remains the high point of this trilogy and there’s some fun to be had with them here. However, nothing feels as nuanced or as human as the interactions we saw in the last film. The whole film is just plain lazy at times; with its awkward dialogue, a multitude of MacGuffins and five or six death fake-outs that render any of the peril you are supposed to feel useless.

I would have happily waited longer to see a more carefully created and original closure to the Star Wars saga but instead, we get a rushed sprint to the end: a lazy attempt to link everything together and the characters we’ve seen grow throughout two films reduced to stereotypes of their former selves. Love or hate The Last Jedi it opened doors for an exciting new universe for Star Wars but instead, the studio got scared and backed away into a conclusion that takes no risks and ultimately feels bland and lifeless. I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed.

2.5/5

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Spider-Man: Far From Home

I had been cautiously optimistic in the run-up to Spider-Man: Far From Home. I had a similar reaction to the run-up to Homecoming’s release as well, where I didn’t like the trailers and thought there was too much Iron Man in my Spider-Man but then ultimately the film turned out pretty great. Same feeling with the trailers this time around but unfortunately the film pales in comparison to its processor. Read on to find out why.

CAUTION: AVENGERS: ENDGAME SPOILERS AHEAD!

After the events of Endgame and the death of Tony Stark, Peter is feeling the pressure from both the public and his family to become the next Iron Man. He’s still feeling the loss of his mentor and doesn’t really want to have to think about it too much, and with his School class about to go on a trip to Europe, he wants to take a break from Superhero-ing and just be a normal teenager for a few weeks. This doesn’t go to plan as Quentin Beck aka Mysterio, a superhero from another multiverse has teamed up with Nick Fury and Maria Hill to stop the threat of the Elementals destroying the world and they just happen to turn up on Peter’s first leg of his European trip.

My biggest problem with this film is that it’s far from (sorry) just being a Spider-Man film. It’s also an epilogue to Endgame, picking up some of the plot holes created by the Snap (now called Blip) and jokingly tries to sweep them under the rug. Any double bill with Endgame might render the emotional core of that film obsolete… It’s also a sequel to Iron Man, with the big question of who’s going to fill his shoes and despite trying to make Spider-Man his own character they keep making him do Iron Man like things, even turning his villain into one semi created by Iron Man…yet again. And then it’s a Spider-Man sequel, the supporting characters get a few more jokes, Ned probably has less to do and then there’s Michelle, seemingly the MCU’s Mary Jane; she gets fleshed out a bit more here thankfully but be warned, she still doesn’t act like her comic book origins and maybe if they didn't refer to her as MJ we wouldn't have to keep the comparison going.

Taking Spidey out of New York does a lot to establish this as something new within the many films made with him. I admire the originality, I enjoyed the fresh backdrop, but I’d be lying if I said that it still felt like Spider-Man film. You just can’t take the boy out of the concrete jungle… Still, kudos to them for attempting it, it’s still fun and the story overall is quite light and breezy and works within the high school genre it's going for. Everybody looks like they’re enjoying themselves, especially Jake Gyllenhaal who gets to ham it up as Peter’s new mentor, Mysterio. I love Gyllenhaal, he’s great in most things and he brings the spirit of Mysterio to the character despite not being the most accurate to the comics. His powerset also brings about some really stunning and trippy visuals scenes which also allow for some of the best Spider-Man action scenes.

When Peter dons the suit and heads into action, that is where this film soars. When he’s out of it that is where film misses a beat. The emotional core of this film just doesn’t land, which is odd because it doesn’t take much for me to be emotionally invested in Peter Parker, but here I just wasn’t fussed. Even the post-credit scenes on this one, as big as they are, don’t really work with what was trying to be said within the main arc of this film. Everything feels a little too far from (sorry again) the core of the character, and I could forgive it last time because the film was really well done, but here I was less charmed by it. It just never settles into its own, as I mentioned earlier, it’s just trying to do too much when it should just be a Spider-Man film. There’s an element of myself having to grow up and realise that this film wasn’t made for me, and future instalments are not going to be either. Even the audience I watched this with on opening day had a lot lower average age than other Marvel film audiences I’ve seen recently. And if they’re enjoying it then that’s great, the more Spider-Man fans the better. However, there is no doubt that my nostalgia of what Spider-Man is and means to me lowered my enjoyment of this film. Sometimes I can separate my comic book fan brain but this time evidently not.

There’s no doubt it’s a lot of fun and the characters are a joy to be around. The film itself embraces the breeziness of a high school comedy that’s mixed with the aftermath of the stakes of one of the biggest films of all time. Despite the action scenes feeling on point, the story and emotional weight just doesn’t feel like Spider-Man and I’m not particularly excited to see where they go next with it. The further we move away from Endgame and Tony Stark, hopefully, the more Spider-Man starts to settle into his own films. We’ll see but for now, Spider-Man: Far from Home is far from (this is the end I promise) what I wanted but it’s not a total disaster, I imagine most audiences will get a good kick out of it. I’m rating it a 3/5.

Let me know if you think I'm absolutely wrong in the comments below.

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Quick Reviews #23

It's been a while... So here's another round of quick reviews, this time looking at Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Bookmart and Detective Pikachu. 

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

I don’t hate the 2014 Godzilla, but it’s easy to recognise that its fault lies within its human characters and the lack of its main Kaiju for most of the film. However, King of the Monsters has a lot more Godzilla in it but hasn’t really learnt its lesson from its predecessor as its human characters, apart from maybe Kyle Chandler, are dull as dishwater. Yes, there are big Kaiju fights but they’re mainly left for the supersized final act and usually covered smoke, water and darkness making it somewhat difficult to follow the action. My fondness for Godzilla means there’s a lot still to love here and I really enjoyed the journey into ridiculousness, but I can’t help but think that if you’re going to spend this much time with the humans then you’re going to have to make them a lot more interesting.

3/5

Booksmart

It’s rare that a comedy film comes out that’s as consistently funny as Booksmart. Straight away you recognise the influence, its colourful cast of characters with their many comedic quirks harkens back to the likes of Fast Time at Ridgemont High and Clueless. Like them, Booksmart will transcend generations as the emotional gravitas it has will hit home with all. The characters feel human, their relationships feel real and the story of their night before graduation will make you laugh and cry all at the same time. Olivia Wilde’s feature directorial debut is an absolute surprise of a masterpiece, not merely another high school comedy, but one full to the brim of humanity, growth and love. It might just be my favourite film of the year so far.

5/5

Detective Pikachu

I'm surprised by just how much I enjoyed this one. I haven't cared about Pokemon since I was 10 maybe? So going in I had a very basic knowledge of the whole world, and despite the fact it just drops you straight in, I could very easily follow along. I loved the world, it was so interesting and different and it looked absolutely great, so great in fact that I can't believe this is the first time they've done this. It's such an odd/brave choice for the first live-action film into this world, a noir film without the classic characters and a Pikachu that sounds like Ryan Reynolds, yet it absolutely works. Well pretty much any way, the emotional beats don't fully land and it does away with its noir charm in the final act but overall this film works really, really well. I had such a blast with this film, I can't wait to see what they do next!

4/5

That's it for now. What did you think of these films? Let me know in the comments below.

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Avengers: Endgame

11 years in the making, the Endgame is here. After this, the Marvel Cinematic Universe will never be the same. I want to start this review by saying that it is fully SPOILER FREE, no story points, nothing. Which means it is quite vague and a bit short, maybe I'll write something about with spoilers in the future but for now I just wanted to give you my initial thoughts on Avengers: Endgame, despite knowing full well that this epic of a film is going to need a rewatch before any thought is solidified in my mind!

This film truly is the culmination of 22 films, its the end of an era and Marvel knows it, closing this chapter of the MCU with a victory lap of fan service of epic proportions. If you're not a fan, you're probably going to hate it. If you are a fan, then like me, you're going to be grinning so much it will probably hurt. However, fan service only goes so far, this film is not perfect, in fact, Infinity War was much more complete and satisfying on a story level compared to Endgame, which is more satisfying on a fan level. This film is bursting at the seams with everything it has to handle, walking the line between a sombre film about grief and a hokey superhero movie, occasionally not getting that balance 100% correct. There are some choices made with some of the characters that kind of work, but at the same time, they're quite the choices! Either way, as always it's great to see these colourful characters interact with each other no matter what the circumstances.

What I like most about the Russo Brothers direction is how they are able to get the best performances out of their actors. Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans in particular, work so well with the Russo's, really sinking their teeth into the performances and giving some of their best yet within this film. The whole ensemble cast is working hard, the original six truly showing how far they've come since 2012's first Avengers film.

This film gets nuts, like absolutely bonkers and ridiculous at times, like I said, choices are made, some odd, some that will get you punching your hand in the air out of pure geeky joy. I was 14 when Iron Man came out, I'm now 25, I've spent a big chunk of my life watching these films, being obsessed, being hyped. It's a very satisfying conclusion to just over ten years worth of storytelling, it has the right to pat its self on the back, though maybe at times a little too much!

The special effects are great, not one character seems to have been shortchanged, every single one feeling part of the world, no matter how or small the task of bringing them to life was. Other technical achievements include the music, it feels like a long time since the criticism of the MCU's melodies, I think everybody can hum The Avengers theme tune now and it is used to great and emotive effect in Endgame.

The MCU will carry on, but it won't be the same. It's an odd feeling. I 100% need to watch this film again but for now, this is how I feel. Endgame is far from perfect but it's a very satisfying conclusion and film unlike any before it and most likely after it as well. I'm rating Avengers: Endgame a 4/5. I'm going to miss being excited for this film.

Make mine Marvel!

What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

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Captain Marvel

Here we are, film 21 one of the MCU and there is no denying, it's a little bit embarrassing that this is the first film in the franchise with a sole female lead. I'm happy it's here now but there is no doubt it has been a long time coming.

Captain Marvel follows an extraterrestrial Kree warrior who finds herself caught in the middle of an intergalactic battle between her people and the Skrulls, whilst simultaneously fighting with the recurring memories of her - unknown to her -  former life as an Air Force pilot on earth.

The title character is played by Brie Larson and she is joined by Ben Mendelsohn, Jude Law, Annette Bening, Lashana Lynch and with it being set in the '90s, a digitally de-aged Samuel L Jackson and Clark Gregg reprising their roles as Nick Fury and Phil Coulson.

You can tell Marvel no longer want to do origin films but with a character like Captain Marvel, it's hard to do without one because her story is a mix of the earth and cosmic based lore, which is unlike anything we've seen before. It's also quite confusing; I didn't actually know that much about Carol Danvers going in so I can't comment on comic accuracy but I can say that it takes a little while to get your head around everything going on. You can tell the film is struggling as well, exposition is clumsy and contrived, the opening is just a little more disorderly than we're used to from a Marvel film.

When we get to Earth things are a lot smoother, it feels a lot more familiar, reminiscent of phase one of the MCU. However, I think I might be as torn as Marvel must have been on this film. I want something different, and they definitely cater to that but it's confusing and messy, but when it's familiar it feels bland and too much 'been there, done that'. It comes together in the third act, which makes the good parts of this film quite difficult to talk about without spoilers, but I will say that when certain story elements are revealed, it really elevates the film to something quite different and something a bit more poignant.

Brie Larson is a great addition to the MCU, though I think we've just seen the tip of the iceberg of her potential in her first outing. She clearly has the acting chops, but the writing did sometimes let her down (this is not Marvel's funniest film) and despite her doing a lot of training for the action the editing and camerawork does not showcase just how hard she worked. That being said, she plays the stoic hero very well and her more human moments are touching. It'll be interesting to see how the Russo brothers handle her in Endgame, as they really seem to have a handle on character, story and structure within the confines of a feature film. Not that this film handled it badly, it was just a lot of new and complex balls to juggle. With the information dump out the way, the future can only be less complicated.

One element of this film that was great to see, was the Skrulls faithfully realised on the big screen. The make-up and costuming look awesome and Ben Mendelsohn absolutely kills it as Talos, making for yet another unique and complex antagonist. Marvel really seems to have a handle on that now. They've also got a handle on the de-aging CGI process, with younger Nick Fury looking pretty flawless. Coulson looked a tad smooth at times but I'd be surprised if general audiences would even notice. It's a cool technology that's well used here.

Overall this is quite a middle of the road Marvel film, it's quite the complex story to tell and it does struggle but it's an okay start for the new Captain. The stuff it does well, which is unfortunately spolier-y, is very good; you've just got to sit through some pretty so-so stuff to get there. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it, it was okay. I'm rating Captain Marvel a 3/5. I'm still excited to see where they go next with the character.

What did you think of the film? Love it or hate it, let me know in the comments below.

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Quick Reviews #22: Oscars 2019

With the Oscars tonight, I thought I would share my thoughts on the films nominated that I've seen (and haven't already reviewed on here). So read on and enjoy my reviews of Shoplifters, The Favourite, BlackKklansman and If Beale Street Could Talk.

Shoplifters

The film's vagueness takes a moment to get used to but once you're invested you won't want to leave the beautifully layered characters portrayed on screen. This family of misfits are flawed, they make mistakes, they are human and you are completely suckered in by them. It's a slice of life film unlike any I've seen before and although it may not be action-packed, the emotions run high and really stay with you, this is also helped by an amazing final shot that still lingers in my mind.

4/5

The Favourite

It’s no doubt a Yorgos Lanthimos film with its weird offbeat tone, jarring visuals and witty comedic writing. However, this does feel a little safer than the director’s previous works, still not conventional but definitely less out there. It’s a solid film, the story works, the jokes hit and the performances are amazing but it just lacked that extra something that I was looking for from the director to make it a true masterpiece. 

4/5

BlackKklansman

One of the only things (if any!) to look forward to from the Trump presidency was the art that would be made in response to it. This is one of those stories that really needs telling right now and it really hits a nerve that I don’t think could have been hit at any other time. The film isn’t subtle about its approach but for the most part it works, it tells a very interesting story, suckers you in and then knocks you out with its ending, which is one of the best of the year for me. Great performances, cool music, a resonant story and a good balance of humour and emotion, this film is very well rounded and it’s a hell of a ride.

4/5

If Beale Street Could Talk

The film is just a mix of so many wondrous elements. I’m a romantic at heart and I absolutely loved the flashback sequences, they’re overly sentimental and gorgeously shot, fully capturing the relationship on an emotional level before pulling back the curtain to the tragic present of the story. The supporting cast truly supports the film, the characters feel real and you want to see as much of them as you do the leads, it’s a marvel on both a writing and a performance level. There’s so much great in this film it can barely contain itself, not to mention the score which is absolutely beautiful and has not left my head since the film finished. I think I actually preferred this to Moonlight, so it’s crazy to wonder how this wasn’t nominated for more Oscars.

4.5/5

What did you think of these films? Good, bad, okay, let me know in the comments below.

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