Tuesday, January 14, 2020

2019 Movies To Cheer

Awards season is here.  There were many memorable films full of incredible talent on both sides of the camera.  Some got Oscar nods, some didn't--but that doesn't change the quality of the work.

I haven't seen all the 2019 films that have been lauded, but a few of the standouts for me were as follows: 


JOJO RABBIT: A surreal, utterly original tale--expertly told; as wickedly funny as is it sobering and thoughtful. It’s everything a movie should be. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BOMBSHELL: This hip and thrilling expose of the women behind the takedown of Fox News’ Roger Ailes is a masterpiece of filmmaking: the acting, writing, directing, editing, costumes, makeup—every element calibrated to perfection. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

PARASITE: A stunning piece of cinema in many ways, what begins as a delicious tale of bad manners loses credibility with each plot twist and jarring shift in tone before coming to its splashy climax and preposterous denouement. Still, it’s a fresh, engaging journey. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

JOKER: A dark meditation on society’s failure to care for the mentally ill, boosted by spectacular cinematography and Joaquin Phoenix’s superb performance. Overlong and borrowing too much from “The King of Comedy”, it still packs a powerful punch. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

ROCKETMAN: "Rocketman" proves that a biopic can be as imaginative as anything else out there. Excellent writing, directing, cinematography and acting offer surprises and delights as we float along with Taron Egon singing his way through Elton John's life.  The jukebox musical has finally grown up...and it's glorious. 
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

AVENGERS: ENDGAME: Too many recent films run over two hours and can't support their runtime, but this final chapter of the series is an exception.  It's a crowd-pleasing, eye-popping piece of old fashioned fun with all the bells and whistles.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2