Favorite Movies of 2019

Well, that just happened. 2019 is over, and we're barreling headlong into 2020. It's already time to list the favs from the past year. Here are mine, in no particular order:

Spiderman: Far From Home 

Far From Home exists under the looming shadow of the Avengers conclusion to the 2010s Marvel era. However, with humor and witty writing, Far From Home really finds its rhythm with Spiderman. I loved it far more than I thought I would, and the break from the ultra melodramatic world of the Avengers was refreshing.

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Avengers: End Game 

Presented at the end of the decade, Avengers: Endgame is more of a cutural event than a popcorn movie. Making nearly one billion dollars in America alone, and 2.8 billion dollars worldwide, those numbers speak for themselves. This is one of those rare movies that would defy any other metric of judgement typically used on movie success. Neither critical scorn or Hollywood expectations can hold this one back. It's all about creating a large piece of art that is a love letter to loyal Marvel fans. It's a final bow on a cultural institution that we've all lived with for the past 11 years. It seems so bittersweet now, looking back at dozens of Marvel movies over the past ten years. I always think about where I was in my life when they came out. Who I saw them with. Which theater I was at. And, the experience of the movies themselves. I've spent countless time discussing and debating the merits of various Marvel movies over the years. Endgame successfully brings it all to a close, and that in and of itself is very emotional. We're waving goodbye to the 2010s and embarking on new territory in the 2020s. Bye, 2010s.

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Peanut Butter Falcon 

This movie is a wonderful, charming, and heartwarming tale of a young man names Zak trying to accomplish his life goal of attending a wrestling school. Shia LaBeouf plays Tyler, a rough fisherman who is running from some bad people. Tyler and Zak meet up and join forces to get where they're going. It has some Mark Twain overtones, and some buddy comedy elements. I love that its an art film that doesn't seem to have a gigantic overbearing budget. If you haven't seen it, you should see it. It's worth a watch, and one of my favorites of the decade.

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Judy 

Many will say Judy is just too depressing to be on the best list. However, it was so darn refreshing to me that there were no super villains, giant explosions, or inter-dimensional aliens that it scored lots of points with me on those virtues alone. Again, I'm a sucker for movies about Hollywood and/or being a performer, so Judy was extra fascinating to me. It's true that Judy Garland's final years were agonizingly depressing. However, I learned so much about her by watching this that I can readily forgive how sad the whole affair was. She was super talented, and the weight of years of abuse took their toll. Renee Zelwegger should win an Oscar for this one because she totally disappears into the role.

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Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 

This movie carries on my love of Hollywood and acting. Quentin Tarantino has matured into a Hollywood legend, and this movie accentuates his strengths as a writer and director. His casts have rarely ever been this stellar, and his passion oozes out of the screen in strong vibes of vintage Hollywood. This is not really a plot driven movie, but an examination of semi-washed up tv star Rick Dalton (Leo DiCaprio) and the events surrounding a couple of days in his life. NO SPOILERS, but the ending is not what I expected and made it that much more fascinating.

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Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker (NO SPOILERS) 

This new trilogy was a disjointed and mixed bag of awkwardness. Rise of Skywalker sees JJ Abrams retake the helm with a vengeance, as he aggressively shoves the narrative forward, recklessly smashing the gas pedal to the floor through treacherous windy roads like a race car driver trying to make up for lost time. Characters and events blast your eyeballs nonstop as if Abrams was trying to impress Michael Bay. The narrative is sloppy at best, but Rise of Skywalker has enough redeeming quality to be one of my favorites of 2019. It ends this trilogy in spectacular fashion, warts and all. 

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Aladdin
Aladdin is a frolicking and creative reimagining of the legendary animated original. Will Smith exceeded my expectations as the Genie. There are times when it feels a bit encumbered by modern political causes. Like in the beautiful but completely unnecessary song, "Speechless." Otherwise, however, it is a fun revisiting of an old Disney favorite.


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Joker
A grim but entertaining take on the classic comic book character villain. Joaquin Phoenix is headed straight for an Oscar for this one. The violence rivals any cinema violence I've ever seen, which is not really a good thing. That's my only beef with it. Otherwise, the Gotham City of this world is a deep and interesting place that makes me hope future Batman movies build on this world. This one is told from the very warped but strong perspective of the main protagonist, Arthur, who happens to be the one who becomes an evil psychotic killer. Everything is tinged through his dark lens of life, and showing that is what this movie does masterfully.

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Captain Marvel
This movie ushered in the post-Thanos storyline without hesitating or whimpering. Captain Marvel heroically carries us forward into a post-Thanos story arc with flare and style. Even though it takes place in the 90s, (before Thanos in the literal timeline), it represents the new era for Marvel. The future seems pretty bright.
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Downton Abbey
The television show is wonderful, and this movie was completely enthralling. It was absolutely delightful to revisit these characters I've come to love recently. This movie was an invigorating and relatively light cinematic experience that I loved.