My 2020 Oscar's ballot

My 2020 Oscars Vote

It's pretty incredible that after seeing 100+ movies from 2019, there are movies and performances that have been nominated that I have still yet to see. I did go out of my way to see the best picture nomination when making my 'Top 13 movies of 2019” list. So basically I'll be pretending this would be my ballot. Trying to guess what the Hollywood elite would choose would not be fun. It's likely I can figure out who would win by adding up whose won the other awards but again not very fun.

Best Picture

1917

Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris, Jayne-Ann Tenggren and Callum McDougall, Producers

The competition was really tough this with almost most type of drama being covered except horror. I am fascinated at how much Midsommar is being ignored this year. Alright, no write ins. All around 1917 captured everything that is fascinating about films. I knew I had to see this in the theaters and I'm plenty happy that I did. One needed the full aspects of sounds, visuals, and adventure to capture what this movie has to express. This movie goes out of the way to make one need to go to the theater. It is not my intent to claim that an epic action movie tops a strong drama like Marriage Story or Once Upon a Time in Hollywood but Sam Mendes covers the media well. The dreary battle scenes and production design feel dirty, disgusting, tragic, and authentic. The story was simple but strong and had me connected all the way through.

The Other nominations

FORD V FERRARI

Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping and James Mangold, Producers

THE IRISHMAN

Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Producers

JOJO RABBIT

Carthew Neal, Taika Waititi and Chelsea Winstanley, Producers

JOKER

Todd Phillips, Bradley Cooper and Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Producers

LITTLE WOMEN

Amy Pascal, Producer

MARRIAGE STORY

Noah Baumbach and David Heyman, Producers

1917

Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris, Jayne-Ann Tenggren and Callum McDougall, Producers

ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD

David Heyman, Shannon McIntosh and Quentin Tarantino, Producers

PARASITE

Kwak Sin Ae and Bong Joon Ho, Producers

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

My Choice: Joaquin Phoenix – Joker

Joaquin's performance is definitely what made the movie standout. The story was great but Phoenix expressed an individual who felt authentic. There was some embelishing on the actions one with mental disabilities but this was a movie portraying an extreme situation. I felt that the Joker was expressing a few false narratives but there are folks, who truly thought his expressions were accurately showing how the mentally disabled need to be cared for. It speaks to how well Phoenix performed as a madman yet was able to come off as an individual most felt like they could relate to.

Adam Driver was a close 2^nd. Honestly seeing his performance made me mad in a good way. He wasn't really a good person in some aspects but I felt his pain how he came to making certain mistakes. He never came over the top in either direction...maybe desperate but despite the plot it's not surprising. I think it speaks to an actor more when they're able to go the mile in a simpler roll than one that's meant to be unique. Saying that I still choose Joker as he undoubtedly conquered that expressions mannerism of one who is trapped in a dire situation mentally and physically.

NOMINEES

ANTONIO BANDERAS

Pain and Glory

LEONARDO DICAPRIO

Once upon a Time...in Hollywood

ADAM DRIVER

Marriage Story

JOAQUIN PHOENIX

Joker

JONATHAN PRYCE

The Two Popes

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

My Choice: Joe Pesci – The Irishman

An actor known for his boisterous presentations, definitely took it down a notch for The Irishman. Pesci proved in this movie his strength in his flexibility. I barely even recognized him when I first started watching the film. Pesci never had to yell the take over the room like he used to. The way delivered his dialogue always meant business. He showed restraint in a means, I'm not sure most actors who have served as tough guys in the pasts. At the same time, I found that I had to lend my ears to each word as they would hold a strong message either metaphorically or change the who demeanor of the film.

Hopkins and Hanks are two I had a difficult time battle in my brain to be my choice also. Hopkins presented a pope, who was charming and enticing, while all of his goals seemed to say otherwise. It's not quite a contradiction but more of an expression of depth another may not have given us. Hanks did great too. I had my hesitations over the Mr Rogers biopic since I loved the documentary so much. Hanks was not doing an impression but transformed into Rogers. There was no need for over the top makeup like some actors get so they look like the individual they're portraying. I just straight believed Hanks was Rogers. Reason I will put Pesci over these two grand performances is that Pesci had me leaning rather than nodding to all of their delivery. Not quite a concrete distinction but I feel it's fitting. Badaboom.

Quite confused how Christian Bale was snubbed for Ford v Ferrari. Kind of feeling Matt Damon ruined everything. Folks feel like he can act so if Damon didn't get nominated than how could Bale. Bale always transforms for his positions physically and emotionally.

NOMINEES

TOM HANKS

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

ANTHONY HOPKINS

The Two Popes

AL PACINO

The Irishman

JOE PESCI

The Irishman

BRAD PITT

Once upon a Time...in Hollywood

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

My choice: Scarlett Johansson

Very similar reason as to why I enjoyed Adam Driver's performance. I really appreciate how all over Johansson is in the movie world. Rather it be in twisted indie movies like Under the Skin or a ninja super hero like Black Widow. Scarlett expressed an individual who was desperate but confident in what she possessed even if it's not something to be proud of. She showed the audience as a role model to women and others who are dealing with similar affairs.

The other roles I tossled with in my brain was Cynthia Erivo's Harriet. I truly believe she was Harriet, who historically was a badass. Cynthia showed the restraint though not to go Django in her god guided journey. I appreciated how Cynthia was okay showing that Harriet didn't have to be charismatic to make a difference. Her big lines were only limited to “I must do this” to “Put your hands up” Makes it very difficutl to compare to Scarlett's performance who was allowed and gave a fantastic range of emotions.

NOMINEES

CYNTHIA ERIVO

Harriet

SCARLETT JOHANSSON

Marriage Story

SAOIRSE RONAN

Little Women

CHARLIZE THERON

Bombshell

RENÉE ZELLWEGER

Judy

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

My Choice: Kathy Bates – Richard Jewel

This was an incredibly tough choice as all these nominees gave such solid performances. Dern played up the 'caring' yet conniving lawyer, Johansson was a charming caring mother(not quite as standout as her Marriage Story performance), Pugh was an inspiration figure who wouldn't allow her trails and tribulations of family & others hinder her. Sadly I didn't see Robbie's performance in Bombshell, which I'm sure would've gave me a bigger struggle. Bates revealed, in a somewhat corny movie, a subdued mother figure, who had no idea how to help her son. She was consistently good through the film the speech at the end when she's speaking to the President at public conference is what sold it to me. She came off as loving, desperate, and sincere. In a film where everyone came off as somewhat cartoonish, she was certainly the most grounded. Kathy always gives a solid performance and I wouldn't mind if she won more gold tonight.

NOMINEES

KATHY BATES

Richard Jewell

LAURA DERN

Marriage Story

SCARLETT JOHANSSON

Jojo Rabbit

FLORENCE PUGH

Little Women

MARGOT ROBBIE

Bombshell

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

My Choice – I Lost My Body

I just this and wish I saw it earlier. It's odd how this animated category works with all these kiddie movies and then something super existential as in I lost My Body. Really too bad that 'Ruben Brandt: Collector' was snubbed. I Lost My Body was an excellent movie that covered life and new experiences on a new front. It covered something that would look silly in a live action movie. Exactly what an animated movie should covered. It also covered a romance story that could've very well been done live action but Clapin & Pontavice did not skip a beat in covering the subject matter. This is on Netflix and I encourage all to check it out. Not for children and nor does it have to be just cause it's animated. My favorite piece of the film was how the main characters hand existed and went about it's journey to rediscover their body. Even though it was simply a hand, I recognized all it's expressions that felt familiar even though it was just a hand.

Missing Link had amazing claymation and the story wasn't bad but nothing to take home. Toy Story 4 should not be on this list. It felt like a basic episode for the Toy Story show but nothing that would enough to be a movie. Basically the same thing we got the previous movies; toys like to be played with and are sad when they're not. They idea of a spork being a toy was cute though.

NOMINEES

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD

Dean DeBlois, Bradford Lewis and Bonnie Arnold

I LOST MY BODY

Jérémy Clapin and Marc du Pontavice

KLAUS

Sergio Pablos, Jinko Gotoh and Marisa Román

MISSING LINK

Chris Butler, Arianne Sutner and Travis Knight

TOY STORY 4

Josh Cooley, Mark Nielsen and Jonas Rivera

CINEMATOGRAPHY

 

My Choice – The Lighthouse

Just loved the great contrast in how each scene was put together. Even though some of it was difficult to tell what was real and wasn't, the visuals of mermaids, tentacle, and lighting were fascinating. This movie was a pleasure to watch in black and white thanks to the cinematography. Even though the nightmare fuel was off putting as to what was actually happening in the film, I looked forward to it. Always beside the odd imagery of sea monster, a lot of the movie is DaFoe and Pattinson sitting in a room together and arguing. The way the characters and objects were framed created the disturbing emotions even before the characters deliver their dialogue. I wasn't the biggest fan of the movie's plot but I did appreciate the care put in the environment and unease the cinematography gave to its viewers.

NOMINEES

THE IRISHMAN

Rodrigo Prieto

JOKER

Lawrence Sher

THE LIGHTHOUSE

Jarin Blaschke

1917

Roger Deakins

ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD

Robert Richardson

COSTUME DESIGN

 

My Choice: Little Women – Jacqueline Durran

Hate even making a choice for a category like this but Jacqueline Durran was impressive as to what she put together. Not only was this a period piece but a lot of the characters designed their own clothes depending on their economic status or their prowess. No details were left alone. A lot of the nominations are period pieces but nothing felt as thorough and massive as the costumes setup for Little Women.

NOMINEES

THE IRISHMAN

Sandy Powell and Christopher Peterson

JOJO RABBIT

Mayes C. Rubeo

JOKER

Mark Bridges

LITTLE WOMEN

Jacqueline Durran

ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD

Arianne Phillips

DIRECTING

My Choice: Irishman – Martin Scorsese

This was an incredibly tough decision to make between Tarantino, Joon Ho, and Scorsese. Many saw The Irishman as a retirement home reunion, while Scorsese can conquer the film media even if they're in adult diapers or not. Martin makes it look so easy despite the pacing of this film. Martin gave a structure that even with three hours make the audiences craving more information. A lot of the movie the actors were only sitting and delivering dialogue but the way Scorsese had it structure, audience wanted to know each word expressed. It shows experience when a director can make the simplest situation seem so bold. He had a vision and seen it through while other films didn't feel so intentions and even lost at times.

NOMINEES

THE IRISHMAN

Martin Scorsese

JOKER

Todd Phillips

1917

Sam Mendes

ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD

Quentin Tarantino

PARASITE

Bong Joon Ho

>< From here on out, I am only going to be given just choice without much reflection due to time restraints. My I can share reasoning more later if others are interested.

DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)

My Choice – American Factory – Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert and Jeff Reichert

NOMINEES

AMERICAN FACTORY

Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert and Jeff Reichert

THE CAVE

Feras Fayyad, Kirstine Barfod and Sigrid Dyekjær

THE EDGE OF DEMOCRACY

Petra Costa, Joanna Natasegara, Shane Boris and Tiago Pavan

FOR SAMA

Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts

HONEYLAND

Ljubo Stefanov, Tamara Kotevska and Atanas Georgiev

FILM EDITING

My Choice Jojo Rabbit – Tom Eagles

NOMINEES

FORD V FERRARI

Michael McCusker and Andrew Buckland

THE IRISHMAN

Thelma Schoonmaker

JOJO RABBIT

Tom Eagles

JOKER

Jeff Groth

PARASITE

Yang Jinmo

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

My Choice: Parasite – South Korea

NOMINEES

CORPUS CHRISTI

Poland

HONEYLAND

North Macedonia

LES MISÉRABLES

France

PAIN AND GLORY

Spain

PARASITE

South Korea

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

My Choice: JOKER -Nicki Ledermann and Kay Georgiou

NOMINEES

BOMBSHELL

Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan and Vivian Baker

JOKER

Nicki Ledermann and Kay Georgiou

JUDY

Jeremy Woodhead

MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL

Paul Gooch, Arjen Tuiten and David White

1917

Naomi Donne, Tristan Versluis and Rebecca Cole

PRODUCTION DESIGN

My Choice: PARASITE -Production Design: Lee Ha Jun; Set Decoration: Cho Won Woo

NOMINEES

THE IRISHMAN

Production Design: Bob Shaw; Set Decoration: Regina Graves

JOJO RABBIT

Production Design: Ra Vincent; Set Decoration: Nora Sopková

1917

Production Design: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD

Production Design: Barbara Ling; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh

PARASITE

Production Design: Lee Ha Jun; Set Decoration: Cho Won Woo

VISUAL EFFECTS

My Choice: AVENGERS: ENDGAME -Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Matt Aitken and Dan Sudick

NOMINEES

AVENGERS: ENDGAME

Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Matt Aitken and Dan Sudick

THE IRISHMAN

Pablo Helman, Leandro Estebecorena, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser and Stephane Grabli

THE LION KING

Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones and Elliot Newman

1917

Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler and Dominic Tuohy

STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

Roger Guyett, Neal Scanlan, Patrick Tubach and Dominic Tuohy

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)

My Choice: THE TWO POPES - Written by Anthony McCarten

NOMINEES

THE IRISHMAN

Screenplay by Steven Zaillian

JOJO RABBIT

Screenplay by Taika Waititi

JOKER

Written by Todd Phillips & Scott Silver

LITTLE WOMEN

Written for the screen by Greta Gerwig

THE TWO POPES

Written by Anthony McCarten

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

My Choice: PARASITE - Screenplay by Bong Joon Ho, Han Jin Won; Story by Bong Joon Ho

NOMINEES

KNIVES OUT

Written by Rian Johnson

MARRIAGE STORY

Written by Noah Baumbach

1917

Written by Sam Mendes & Krysty Wilson-Cairns

ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD

Written by Quentin Tarantino

PARASITE

Screenplay by Bong Joon Ho, Han Jin Won; Story by Bong Joon Ho

my Top 13 movies of 2019

Back again with my 13 for the best movies of 2019. I did my best to keep these reasoning for my choices spoiler free. Now, the gimmick I have is that for the 12 movies, I choose the best movie from each month of the year. My criteria for the release date is that it's consistent is that it has to be the widest release in US. Biggest reason I do this due to seeing all these award ceremonies like Oscars or Golden Globes only choosing movies that are released from only two months of the year. For #13 it's simply wild card that may have not been the best of the month but still solid enough make it past my silly qualifier.

Would love to hear if you agree or disagree. If you're interested in witnessing these movies, let me know and I can share with you how to access them. Thanks for checking this out. 

13. US {March} directed by Jordan Peele US 

 'I got five on it!' Just cannot get the Luniz song out of my head. The literal premise didn't quite make sense litterally but the execution was very well done. Didn't know where the story was going after the home invasion but the various visuals and sequences kept me engaged. It was likely one of the most creative premise concepts of the year. Lupita Nyong'o's double performance too was also out of the park. I believed her as a caring mother but her take on the tethered was beyond creepy. She conquered the room but her creepy voice made the viewer want to leave the room. Really great concept as long as you don't take it too literal. A lot of riveting ways to take it metaphorically but Peele just like with Get Out doesn't hammer the audience in the head with the themes attempting to make a guilt trip like a worse filmaker would. Afterwards, my friend and I were talking for a good hour trying to explore what really could've been going on between slavery, class warfare, or duality of human nature. Now, I don't think this is a deep movie but it's fun to have these ideas with some great creepy visuals and sequences to go with it. Ended up being last on the list due to the whole idea being too ridiculous to look past. Can't wait to see Peele's next Twilight Zone concept.

12. John Wick 3: Parabellum {May} directed by Chad Stahelski US

 Not sure how many chapters are going to be presented from the 'John Wick' book but as long as Stahelski, the former stunts coordinator, I'll likely be coming back for more. Keanu Reeves is still definitely convincing as a man, who is at the end of his wits yet relentless. Just the creative means he executes his enemies keeps this chapter engrossing. The story does not vary incredibly from Ch2 but the execution of the fights, dialogue and peril everyone is attempting to overcome is excellent. The fight after fight style was not tiring like it was in a movie like Ip Man 4. New struggles were given while Wick tried to play checkers while everyone else was playing chess. Usually a comment like this would be a burn but the battle of simplicity vs the unnecessary complicated pretty fascinating. Reeves gripping performance, amongst the innovative fight sequences certainly give Wick a place on my list for the May slot. Being a 3^rd in a series gives it a slight disadvantage as the plot overall doesn't bring anything new to the table compared to the rest of my picks for the list.  

11. Freaks {September} directed by Zach Lipovsky, Adam B. Stein can/us 

 I do have to confess this is likely my guilty pleasure of the year. There used to be this trend of movies from Jumpers to Chronicle that would have some kind of take on the X-Men concept that would tease a sequel, which we wouldn't get. This movie does a great job of locking the audience into the mystery of trying to figure out what is happening. Not just that but fully understanding their powers is a slight journey too. The characters are great too. They're not all just sympathy factors that we must feel guilty for. Almost all of them are fairly scummy but Freaks give us reasons to find them relatable. It was neat to discover the political climate of this fictional world and the ridiculous means these troubled characters escape their arduous situation. I put above the previous two due to the fact I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure what was going on. It was great to see Emile Hirsch back and Bruce Dern does his thing as a crazy old man. The effects at times bordered on something one would see on the sci-fi channel seriously were not that distracting, I was taken out of the film by any means. I was invest and wanted to learn more. The story does have some shlocky elements when enough information is given out but I was still hooked for the journey and I feel this will do the same for most who can open themselves up to this drama action film. Don't think this got a big enough wide release so I hope my recommendation gets folks to check it out.

10. Netflix's Fyre {January} directed by Chris Smith US 

 Recently I've gained this fascination in failures on a grand scale. The Fyre Festival was such an epic failure on so many different measures. Around the same time Netflix released their documentary on the miscarried event. The topic itself was riveting but the Hulu version was so frustrating to watch. Like most documentaries, I was frustrated the whole time due to the documentary trying to tell me how to feel about the matter without release the supportive information to get me to that information. Now Chris Smith pieced together something that was a lot less manipulative and gave the information in the right order so I understood what was going on. The topic iteself is incredible. So many people, high profile, celebrities, and money was looking to come together to create a once in the life time experience. This void of expectation is something we've all come across but not on this scale. Usually when mistakes this grand are made, folks at the top still find a way to shrug and act like they errors were unforeseen but they're still the individuals we need to trust to continue making decisions. Ja Rule after the fact was still declaring there will be another attempt the following year and Billy McFarland was scamming folks with VIP tickets, that didn't exist. This film did an excellent job at examining how the fail Fyre Festival was marketing, put together, who was affected, and how it was perceived. The documentary did an amazing job showing what go wrong without trying to shortcut the audience as a means to be manipulative. Certainly recommend this interview and I guess it's lower on the list due to the topic not being as philosophically being important as others but still entertaining in the means it explores this car crash of a concert. 

9. Shazam {April} directed by David F. Sandberg US 

 Uh oh, here are the comic book movies. Don't worry only two made the list this year. Was a bit nervous about how this film would turn out due to the advertising as being fun like Marvel movies. Also, have not been a big fan of Sandberg's film. Between Annable Beginnings and Lights Out, the stories were so blah, I never had a reason to be invest but the execution was well done so it could've just been the scripts that were given to Sandberg. Well, my hesitations were proven to be unjustified as this movie had exhilarating action, characters that had faults, charm & depth, an interesting perspective on the foster home life and dare I even say was fun. Sandberg captured a lot of visuals that stand out compared to many comic book movies let alone action movies especially when Billy Batson jumps off the roof to transform to Shazam. What I found great about the film was the arch the loner high schooler has to deal with in the film. It is silly but it doesn't just still to snapping one's finger to solve issues or punching the bad guy in the face. Billy has to keep with ideas like denial, obligation, and trust/loyalty. I'm always a sucker for the last theme. Lastly, Mark Strong is always a strong choice for a villain. He has such a strong presence that doesn't come off goofy no matter what tropes he gets squeezed into. Still dissapointed we can't see him go forward as Sinestro. Great themes and execution put Shazam in front of the last 4. Just on the lower end due to the overall story not being the most innovative of plots. 

8. Atlantics {November} directed by Mati Diop Fr

 Here is the first foreign film to make the list. Before watching this, just by the name, I thought this was going to be the east coast of US instead of the Bahamas. A simple yet a tale that most can relate too. It's a romance but a means of expressing how the working class can cheated. It almost becomes a fairytale, which demands your suspension of belief. Truly I wouldn't have relished the movie so much. It took me a few moments to realived what was happening as far as the revenge goes for the work class but when it did click I was excited to figure out the mystery and the forces behind said actions. The camera work is fairly ground but what needed to be expressed was presented. It's not very political but the theme is executed well through a personal story one would like to see end with a happy ending. This is Diop's vision is shown through this film with no committee holding it back. Not afraid to say this film is the crossing of the masterpiece barrier of this list. It does start slow but there's a purpose for it as things get jarring very quickly.  

7. Joker{October} directed by Todd Philips us 

 The 2^nd and last comic book movie to make the list. Actually have a difficult time just cementing this as a comic book movie. Sure there were a figure names but those could've been easily replaced. This is an authentic example of mental illness but the story still expresses real problem and not in a demeaning way. Joaquin Phoenix's performance is excellent. His disability is not treated as silly. Seeing the reactions to the film many believe the opinions given by the Joker character are accurate. Feel like these are false narrative, meaning that Joker may believe them to be true but that does not make them accurate. It's fantastic that Philips created a world where different viewers can take away a different perspective. Joaquin's downfall or uprising as Joker was quite thrilling. The journey wasn't quite unpredictable but it still had its shocks which I appreciate. Also, not only did Phoenix kill it but Robert DeNiro gave a strong performance too. I actually think he didn't better as the talk show host then he did as the IrishMan (not to say his performance was bad by any means). Excellent visuals, riveting story, great performances, and intriguing approach on the class warfare theme, which usually I'm not too keen on. Guess the reason it's not upper tier is due to some executions from the story that felt unnecessary. Still with the DCEU on the move and the over saturation of characters like Batman and Joker, this was definitely worth the risk. I will not be a little more excited when I see Philips name connected to future films.

6. 1917 {Wild} directed by Sam Mendes UK

 Quite the ravishing adventure. To slight extent this almost felt like a takeoff from Lord of the Rings. The setting takes place during WWI and these two ambivalent friends go on a journey. The gimmick for the film is pieced together by a few one shot clips. The feature almost felt like an action video game similar to that of Last of Us. It took a sec to catch on how the film was handling the time transition but once it clicked the flow of the time transcended seemed super unique. This made the movie standout even more. The conflicts and motivations the characters carried throughout their journey felt genuine. It made the film even more interesting in how these factors transitioned as the movie carried on. Sam Mendes knows how to draw such simple themes to grander scale yet make them feel so personal. The one shot angle wasn't the only factor to carry the films. The cinematagraphy placed the viewers in WWI, the performances made the viewer believe the characters' journey was worth the trepidation and action kicked one's butt into gear when you thought you were safe. This film is one that is needed to see on the big screen to capture the full tilt of what is happening. 

5. Two Popes {December} directed by  Anthony McCarten NZ 

Definitely was shocked at what this movie was about. Going in only knowing about the high praise, I expected this was another chance for Hollywood to take its shot at the church some more. There were some debatable slights made in the film but it wasn't what the feature was about. Frankly, the core of the film was simply two old men sitting down and bickering. Now, that may be a slight exaggeration. Wasn't even a 100% about putting this film on my list due to fact the folks I was watching were slightly checking out while watching it. Doesn't matter though because I was tuned in. The script was obviously the best part. Being religious is of any dominion is shown to live one's life among very conservative guideline with little wiggle room. The interactions show quite the contrary as both Pope Benedict and Pope Francis have a verbal battle. Their ideas in the handling of the bible and the beliefs of God are vastly different but their goals were still the same for the church. It was simply enlightening to hear these sentiments express in a highly intellectual back and forth. The film was an amazing means to get into the heads of two of the wisest and most powerful men in the world. Several times the coin flips up who is making demands from and it never quite feels like the either Pope have the upper hand. Even thought the content deals with the morality of humanity and the need to protect principles or evolves sounds very serious; the film does indulge in a lighter tone. Jonathon Pryce and Anthony Hopkins present two relatable holy men. Game of Thrones fans should recognize Pryce as another holy figure playing the High Sparrow. Hopkins has the more difficult job of making Benedict an individual. audience can connect with, due to his disconnected approach to leadership. Anthony Hopkins comes across as very charming in his performance. Unsure if many other actors could've presented Pope Benedict in the same light. It easily could've gone the other direction and made Benedict out to be Emperor Palpatine. Not sure of Anthony McCarten's religious beliefs but one can certainly tell he did his research by the attention to detail. Between the history we are shown for Frances, the election process for the new pope, and even the several languages that were expressed by the pope & cardinals. If you have the attention span, this movies delves into some very interesting concept and gives enlightenment in how the church thinks and operates. Script, direction, performances, and even cinematography are very immaculate making this film a top 5 for 2019. Cause the only thing I can hold against the film is there were times I stopped and thought they're just talking but really I loved the dialogue so I truly didn't care that's what the core of the movie was and neither should you!

4. Article 15 {June} directed by Anubhav Sinha Indi 

Such an illuminating yet dark & deviant tale. Anubhav Sinha presents a story where a character of privilege uses his solve this SVU case. The Caste Sytem is a well known factor for the India & its surrounding states. The movies shined a light to how certain individual are discarded due to names or families they belong in. While the Ayushmann Khurrana's character attempts to breaks the case, he also breaks traditional taboos. This film had great performances with characters, who did have some mustache twirlers but also those that are placed in their situation due to circumstances. Not that it excuses certain actions. This is an incredibly powerful that carries heavy subject matters. Even with the arduous politics, it never becomes manipulative. Anhubhav Sinha creates a grounded world while exposing a possible alternative that can happen if the people stand up Sadly, it seems like it's being overlooked. I was lucky a co-worker recommended it too me. Can't recommend this much more.

3. Love, Antosha {August} directed by Garret Price US 

 This is a little documentary about a great actor, Anton Yelchin. Usually I am annoyed when Hollywood feels the need to pat himself on their back. This tribute to a natural dedicated well rounded actor. Definitely a sleeper for an actor, that I didn't realize how much I enjoyed from innocent role as the victim in Alpha Dog to individual, who fought back in Green Room. It was too bad to know he went away but the placement of this film on my list wasn't just due to my enjoyment of his performance but the way Garret Price expresses Yelchen's take on like and strive to be the best actor. Biggest reason why the film so high on the list was that it was simply inspirational. Hearing his parents and other actor share testimony about how Yelchen approach performing brought excitement to me in hopes that I can aspire to accomplish the goals similar to that of Yelchen. The film presents him as an individual, who paired well with others due to aspirations to get better at his craft. The documentary presented the information in an easy to follow format. So when Yelchen is declared as being adamant when it comes to doing research, it will show a talking head of his mom explaining how Anton asked her how to do a bad Russian accent for Star Trek. Although it didn't attribute to his death, Yelchen was dealing with cystic fibrosis. The film didn't use this to garner sympathy cause the goal was to show Anton's push to be better and not use excuses. This will likely be a film I'll hold whenever I'm stuck on a project. Seems not many know about Yelchen since he isn't as prevalent as Chris Pratt but that doesn't mean he's a talent that should be ignored even posthumously.  

2. Ruben Brandt, Collector {February} directed by Milorad KrstiĆ Slovenia

 Such a stellar Hungarian animation. Not quite sure why this film is also being overlooked. Looking at the animated category for Oscar or Golden Globes, just seems pathetic(except How To Train Your Dragon) knowing this movie got snubbed if the voters even know this film exist. The plot itself is batsh*t crazy. Simply it's about a psychologist, who has nightmares that famous painting are trying to kill him. Miloard Krstic is not exactly a filmaker, which is why I feel the animation and the tone this movie presents is like nothing I've seen before. This was done in 2^nd animation but the characters designed from 1 dimension to 3. In a world relying so much on art as its support, it was a great way to present the worst. Not only was the design of the characters riveting but the environment was always living. There plenty of easter eggs that one could catch if they were an art connoisseur. This picture isn't all a visual pick me up. The plot is unique and the action sequences were mua. A style that would remind me of Kill Bill. The core story that kicks everything into gear is the psychologist attempting to gain help. To get his help a group of patients, who happen to be con-men, think it best to steal art to have the doctor conquer these nightmares. In a lot of the heist conducted, the viewer is given very creative action, that I've not seen in an animation. Fun cheeky characters, great action, and an unique premise. Easily a standout sleeper for 2019 that sadly is not getting the notoriety is deserves.

1. Midsommar {July} directed by Ari Aster US 

 Just an amazing horror movie that comes off almost like a documentary. It may be somewhat hyberbolic but that's how well Aster does creating this world between the framing of cinematography to the way he blocks his sets. The story was dark and the events dragging these characters forward was nothing but grievous. Florence Pugh does a stellar job of giving the audience hope when all is going wrong. She portrays a victim of family tragedy, who certainly needs aid but boyfriend cannot find the right way to approach the situation. Unlike Hereditary, everything that happens to these characters is due to their character traits, which demands the audience to be reading these character traits to understand the decisions they make later on. A ghost just doesn't take them over just cause. There are plenty of shades of Wicker Man but this time if everything was done right. While Pugh's character get accepted into the Swedish community, I to become empathetic to her trepidation and was hooked. The creepy yet surreal environment was executed so well that I could feel like I could go there myself and witness these events. Characters all have to deal with consequences for their actions and the revelation of information kept me on my toes as I was trying to piece the purpose of the ceremony together. It's sad due to this movies genre that it's not gain more Oscar notice. Technically everything was done near perfect, the characters all had purpose and the tone fulfilled its intention.

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Thanks for reading. There's a few other things I want to add later. I didn't want to add a honorable mentions list due to it feeling like a cop out but I can share more recommend movies which I have if requested. Like mentioned in the header, if you need a guide to how to see certain movies on the list let me know.

Past list: 2009 X 2010 X 2011 X 2012  X 2013 X 2014 X 2015 X 2016 X 2017 x 2018