Ad Astra
19 September
I’ve already seen this film.
As such, I was contemplating whether to inscribe it on this list, especially because it is a hard recommend.
Don’t get me wrong: it is one of my favorite movies of the year, but it has a pace that will be difficult for many viewers. It is slow and meditative, and it’s very good at it. If nothing else, I would have preferred a cut of 30 minutes of action scenes and committed to its introspective rhythm.
Using adventure settings to convey metaphors about the human condition is what James Gray is good at. And since this was clearly the most expensive film this director has orchestrated in his career, one is left wondering if those action scenes were some kind of compromise to the executives financing it.
Still, don’t go expecting a “space flick with Brad Pitt”. As I said, it is a movie about legacy and loneliness and how those shape our drives, egos, and ability to empathize. It is Brad Pitt’s best career performance, not due to his charisma, but because it plays on that to show us a deeply lost person in himself.
The cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema (Interstellar and Dunkirk) and the score by Max Richter (The Leftovers) are standouts without ever losing consistency.
Joker
3 October
Just watched this one also.
It’s hard for me to decide if I should recommend this movie or not. I find that it has a serious flaw in its narrative design, which ends up hurting the pace and the strength of the message being conveyed.
The movie tries to address, in my opinion, too many important subjects without having a robust thread to hang them on. Like a person that only reads headlines and not the content. A thin necklace with heavy ingots.
On the other hand, the fact that the movie tries to showcase those and make people think and talk about them makes me consider the recommendation.
One could also argue that the bluntness and discrete nature of the narrative was intentional. Maybe, but they feel too much like on-the-nose vignettes to propel the tone of “art as real life” the movie is desperately trying to express.
Still, the score and cinematography balance out the technical flaws in the writing and editing. Hildur Guðnadóttir is both terrifying and levitative with the cello (sometimes in the same motif) and Lawrence Sher (cinematographer) saves the lack of subtlety of the director many times.
Joaquin Phoenix, unsurprisingly, is a tour de force. The way he is able to show us exteriorizations that clash with internalizations in the same expression is acting at its finest. I’ve seen better from him, though. And, for this character, there’s something special in what Heath Ledger created with an intentional lack of backstory. Ambiguity is harder to embody than sickness.
Jojo Rabbit
Another movie I bet will be very polarizing.
Like Joker, the writing will make or break its ability to support what it wants to say about difficult subjects.
For me, there are no disallowed realities in art. Film, in particular, is how our creations and impacts are reflected back at us without bias. It is vital that we see the crude of our actions, or even ability to imagine.
But, if the building block that is the screenplay isn’t robust and (secretly or not) extensive enough, the reflections feel more like lessons/mandates than shared livelihoods. And people don’t connect with them. Leading some to push back.
Roman Griffin Davis might mitigate the divisiveness with a young breakout performance, though.
Parasite
26 September
Premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Palme d’Or, becoming the first Korean film to receive the award and the first film to win with a unanimous vote since 2013’s Blue Is the Warmest Colour.
I must confess that I am yet to find a Bong Joon-ho film that sticks the landing for me – and I love Korean cinema –, but this might be it. The juxtaposition of dark comedy and thriller is my jam.
Hustlers
26 September
It’s very sad that this movie had trouble finding money to get produced because of prejudice against a team of a woman director (Lorene Scafaria), woman editor (Kayla Emter), woman production designer (Jane Musky) and woman art director (Kim Karon).
If not for the fact that it tackles subjects of corruption and Wall Street greed, facts that Adam McKay (man) loves to expose, this movie wouldn’t get made.
Ironically, the film debuted with a 40 Million dollars weekend.
Constance Wu, after Crazy Rich Asians, is starting to cement herself as someone who can carry a film as lead. And Jennifer Lopez is going for the supporting Oscar (she is an underrated actress).
Monos
This Colombian war drama film looks to be doing everything right, coupling harrowing visuals and the dense music of Mica Levi with the stressing and revolving narrative of eight kids with guns watching over a hostage on a mountaintop.
Diego Maradona
HBO
From the director of Senna and Amy, we have another character study with never before seen footage. The 7 years (most he stayed in a club) in Naples promise to be riveting, as it was a period that shaped a lot of what Maradona was as a footballer and is as a person.
I’m particularly curious to see how the documentary tackles the contrast between deification of sporting prowess and the very human behavior of substance abuse.
Judy
10 October
This looks like one of those: for Renée Zellweger fans, with great performance, but not necessarily for Judy Garland stans, since the movie unlikely renders justice to the nuance of her life.
First Love
Action, comedy and Yakuza. This looks like 2 hours of pure entertainment.
The director, Takashi Miike, is very competent and knows exactly what generates engagement in 2019 audiences.
The Death of Dick Long
Another whimsical film by Daniel Scheinert (Swiss Army Man). Besides the laughs, I expect maximized performances by the actors, since that’s one of the strong suits of this director.
Dolor y gloria
1 September
A quasi self-portrait by Pedro Almodóvar, with a lifetime performance by Antonio Banderas. AND Penélope Cruz supporting. This seems like a greatest hits album, so, let’s all enjoy these Spanish artists at the best of their game.
Zombieland: Double Tap
24 October
It doesn’t look very good, but the first one was really refreshing at the time. Maybe it will turn out ok and this is just a bad trailer. I’ll try to not hold my hopes much up.
The Lighthouse
What a weird proposition. Black and white, 4:3 aspect ratio, a cast of only three people, where two are Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson playing lighthouse keepers on a remote island.
Color me interested.
Western Stars
Live concert performance of Bruce Springsteen singing songs from his album ‘Western Stars’.
Harriet
Harriet Tubman is one of the cornerstones of the fight against slavery in the US. It says a lot that only in 2019 are we getting a major biopic on her, with a British actress.
Motherless Brooklyn
14 November
This has been a personal project by Edward Norton for a very long time. He wrote it, directed and acts on it.
It was a arduous endeavor, not only due to Norton’s juggling of different crafts, but also because this story predicates the depiction of Tourette syndrome, and I imagine that requires even more attention to detail and sensibilities.
Doctor Sleep
14 November
Sequel to The Shining. No pressure.
Honey Boy
A perspective on the life and career of Shia LaBeouf, from his point of view.
There seems to be a lot to like in this film. The performances from adults to children are looking on point and the visuals and music are making a good first impression.
Charlie’s Angels
7 November
After directing Pitch Perfect 2, Elizabeth Banks is strengthening her directorial portfolio with a more demanding IP.
This is being positioned as a reboot of the 2000 action comedy based on the 1970s television series. A lot of baggage, but Naomi Scott and Kristen Stewart are talented actresses that can withstand that weight.
Ford v Ferrari
14 November
Your father’s movie 😛
Still, it is hard to be cynical about a film with that photography, music by Marco Beltrami, directed by James Mangold and with two of the best actors of their generation.
The Good Liar
21 November
Respect thy elders, amirite?
This director doesn’t have a great track record, but Dame Helen Mirren and Sir Ian McKellen do. It might be a good movie.
Luce
Julius Onah directed what I felt was the worst movie I saw last year – The Cloverfield Paradox.
I don’t hold grudges. This one looks legitimately good, and the cast seems to be at their best level.
Waves
I am completely entranced by the emotion exuded in this trailer.
The way the director Trey Edward Shults, the DP Drew Daniels and the duo of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are composing these audiovisual surges are looking and sounding like the best possible envelopment for actors to express their craft and humanity.
My most anticipated!
Frozen II
21 November
What made the Disney Renaissance period (1989 to 1999) so special was not the fact that the studio was recapturing the magic of its golden age of the 30s-60s [Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)- The Jungle Book (1967)], but that it was doing that AND adding scale and magnitude to their cinematic storytelling. The Lion King (1994), for example, is a bona fide epic.
Frozen “I” had, undeniably, the structure of those earlier classics. In fact, it was that intentional backward step to simpler times that captivated so many people of different ages.
Frozen “II”, on the other hand, looks like it’s aiming for the grand-scale formula. I am much more intrigued about that approach, since I think that peak Walt Disney Animation Studios is precisely that run that gave us Aladdin, Lion King, Pocahontas, Hercules and Mulan. It has been more than 20 years.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
6 February 2020
Sure, Tom Hanks is an American treasure.
But, the reason why I have this biopic on my radar is the fact that he is the secondary actor here.
The film is based on the writings of journalist Tom Junod, and the journey he went through while getting to profile Fred Rogers. Junod is played by Matthew Rhys and since he gave us recently one of the best arcs in serialized TV – The Americans –, I will give this film, a genre that usually doesn’t captivate me, a chance.
21 Bridges
3 October
The first movie coming out the recently founded production company of the Russo brothers – directors of Avengers Infinity War and Endgame.
I don’t know what really think of this trailer. But the director – Brian Kirk – deserves a chance in cinema after his work on Game of Thrones, Penny Dreadful and Luther. And the cast has some really talented people in it.
Dark Waters
Every year needs a Spotlight.
I am post-this genre of movie, but the subject interests me (environmental lawsuit) and Mark Ruffalo is always worth a watch.
Knives Out
28 November
Rian Johnson, the director, loves to innovate. He even risked it in a seemingly untouchable franchise like Star Wars (The Last Jedi).
So, I can’t wait to see his take on the “whodunit” formula.
Queen & Slim
First, I thought this was a new take on a Bonnie and Clyde story. Then, I thought this was a movie about racism. Finally, I concluded this is probably both and that’s why it might have more impact, by reaching more people.
Besides, it looks extremely well shot, which is impressive, since it’s the first movie of director Melina Matsoukas, who has previous experience on TV comedies like Insecure and Master of None.
The Aeronauts
5 December
Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne simply have too much chemistry playing off of each other.
I feel like I’ve already seen this movie, but these “scientists and inventions” stories are always engaging for me, and help us not take human breakthroughs for granted.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
31 October
Probably the most beautiful film we’ll see in 2019.
Richard Jewell
Clint Eastwood is hard to follow. From his political stances to the up-and-down quality of the films he directs, there’s certainly a grandfathering in how he keeps getting a platform to speak above other more interesting voices.
I know I’m also giving another movie of his a spot, but not only am I trying to serve my readers by contextualizing this film, but also trying to highlight Paul Walter Hauser, who I think is going to be one of the best performers we have in the coming years.
Uncut Gems
New York Jewish film made by New York Jewish filmmakers, with New York Jewish A-lister as main actor.
They are not hiding, I give them that.
I like the style and boldness of the Safdie brothers, I just find their execution too erratic, especially when they are trying to deliver minimalist art-house film. This one looks to have a faster pace that gels better with their signature.
I also like Adam Sandler. There’s a great actor in there. It just gets hard to edge out the amount of mediocre productions he stars in.
On a technical side, this film is looking gorgeous. Good Time (the previous Safdies’ movie) already had a look, but they decided to change cinematographer. Darius Khondji is a legend, having worked on Se7en and The Beach, and more recently, on films like The Lost City of Z and The Immigrant.
Also, the music sounds rightly intense and tuned for this aesthetic.
A Hidden Life
I’m not a fan of Terrence Malick’s signature.
I get why some people are. There is a lot of merit in how he approaches cinema.
This time, though, he got my attention with this trailer.
Well, The Tree of Life also did that and I came out of the theater feeling naïve.
Last Christmas
5 December
Yes, one of those. But…
The director is Paul Feig. He has been responsible for some of the best comedies in recent years: A Simple Favor, Spy and Bridesmaids.
Are we finally getting a good one?
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
19 December
This new trilogy has yet to impress me and, more importantly in my relationship with Star Wars, capture my imagination.
The Last Jedi surprised me, but ended up being incoherent with the previous film.
Now that J.J. Abrams is back directing, I’m expecting it to be more in line with the first movie, but, maybe, less bold.
Star Wars should be overpowering to our senses and dreams. Fingers crossed.
Bombshell
Usually “based on true facts” are brownish and greyish movies, which really annoys me. That color palette transmits an out of place aura and disengagement that I find incongruent with the genre.
Bombshell looks vivid, looks real, and, terrifyingly, looks now. I hope the screenplay lives up to those visuals and, of course, the performances of Theron, Kidman and Robbie.
Little Women
30 January
Greta Gerwig and Saoirse Ronan are back after Lady Bird.
This time with an even bigger and better cast.
There are a lot of expectations riding on this adaptation of a beloved classic. I think Greta is more than ready for the challenge.
Midway
7 November
1917
A way to appreciate good movies, sometimes, resides in understanding how a subject can be tackled with the subtlety of a contiguous 2 hour experience, or through a spectacle of discombobulated scripted scenes trying to say something about all the subjects in the world.
Probably Midway will make a lot more money than 1917. After all, it’s a Roland Emmerich movie: Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, 2012, etc.
But shooting and editing something like 1917 to seem like a single take is, not only worthy of our money in the theater, but also of Oscars. Lee Smith won his first Academy award for trimming Dunkirk to the least presumptuous 1h 46min in a war movie. Will making several shots look like a single take earn him the second one?
And what about Roger Deakins and Thomas Newman? Probably the two audiovisual craftsmen with more nominations in their respective fields. I am not entirely sure Newman will win his first in original soundtrack, but there’s a chance that, after many years without wining, Deakins, after Blade Runner 2049, might start here a streak in cinematography history.
Clemency
A monstrous subject that has to be tackled with a virtuous and empathetic rendition.
Alfre Woodard is a strong contender for awards’ season.
Just Mercy
16 January
It doesn’t seem as poignant as other approaches to this subject.
Still, these narrations should always be present in our lives, until the day they are solved.
One Child Nation
China is, probably, the most fruitful setting for documentaries in recent and coming years.
The socioeconomic shifts that are occurring there, coupled with speed, number of people and still many remnants of dictatorship are more than enough ground to study and transmit lessons about human condition, greed and usage of power.
The Cave
No words.
Babyteeth
Eliza Scanlen has my full support to keep doing weird.
Ema
Pablo Larraín sure does know how to do a suffocating aesthetic. Jackie, for example, is one of the densest portrayals of a pristine personality in recent years.
And it’s good that Gael García Bernal continues to have roles in these character studies, because he is more than just a pretty face.
Ordinary Love
Liam Neeson and Lesley Manville.
I don’t need to know much more.
The Painted Bird
I was not expecting for this movie to have Stellan Skarsgård, Harvey Keitel and Udo Kier in its cast.
The Perfect Candidate
Haifaa Al-Mansour (writer/director) continues her mission of exposing to the world how womanhood is perceived in her country of Saudi Arabia.
The Personal History of David Copperfield
5 December
Even though The Death of Stalin was a personal disappointment last year, the main reason for that comes from my fandom of Armando Iannucci.
I bet this won’t be a streak. The creator of The Thick of It and In the Loop working with Tilda Swinton, Hugh Laurie, Ben Whishaw and Peter Capaldi? It will be hard to mess this up.
Proxima
A mother in space. Finally.
This genre has been more than explored to talk about the insatiable will to conquer of manhood. Director Alice Winocour and actresses Evan Green and Sandra Hüller will show us that space exploration is a great step of humankind and not solely for mankind.
La vérité
The director of my favorite film of last year, Hirokazu Kore-eda, is getting his feet wet on non-Japanese cinema.
And what a cast decided to collaborate with him: Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche and Ethan Hawke.
Weathering with You
A new film by Makoto Shinkai, the director of Your Name.
This movie is important on different levels:
- It is about climate change;
- If it hits again, Shinkai will start to see his name in comparisons to the legend of Miyazaki;
- It will be the first animated film being submitted by Japan to Best International Feature since Spirited Away, who won that year.
The King
Netflix
I’m being cautious about this one.
Last year, I fell for Netflix’s marketing around Outlaw King. And that movie had a better director and cast.
Dolemite Is My Name
Netflix
There was a time when Eddie Murphy was the biggest star in the world.
Here’s hoping that he is not tarnishing that legacy in search of something less important like an Oscar.
The Two Popes
Netflix
I bet a lot of people will see this movie. A LOT.
If Netflix is going for Oscar bait, at least it’s doing it with Meirelles, McCarten, Hopkins and Pryce.
The Irishman
Netflix
(Scorsese + De Niro + Al Pacino + Joe Pesci) x gangster = The only way Netflix can convince TV consumers to not divert their feeble attention spans during a 3h 29min classic.
I’m more curious to bask in Steven Zaillian’s screenplay wizardry and how Thelma Schoonmaker’s legendary editing improved the 209 minutes of visual storytelling.
I also bet that Rodrigo Prieto’s cinematography will make even the smallest screens pop in a genre that is traditionally very bleak and monochromatic.
Marriage Story
Netflix
Two of the best actors of their generation, in rooms, talking (and not talking) about divorce.
“A marriage breaking up and a family staying together” can be as cliché or as complex as the artists working on the subject deem it to be.
This one irradiates care. It will be special and leave a mark.
Opinion Seed 