Yesterday, I knew my worth,
Which wasn’t much, I must admit,
But now today, of all on Earth,
I see a hole in which I fit.
It seems that I alone can see,
Can know, can do what others can’t,
And filling such a role, for me,
Is quite a gift for God to grant.
I cannot help but feel at times
That I’m perhaps a hypocrite,
But won’t it be the worst of crimes
To take a gift and stifle it?
_____________________
MPAA rating: PG-13
I’m rarely the type of moviegoer who has to see a movie as soon as it comes out, unless it’s some hype-heavy series like Marvel or Star Wars, but I do wish I could have seen Yesterday in the theater, not because it’s that great and wonderful but because I could have seen it with my dad while he was still alive. Ever since the first trailer for Yesterday came out a year ago, I had high hopes for its brilliant premise of a musician waking up in a world where no one knows of the Beatles, especially since my dad was a huge Beatles fan. Yet as with most movies, we subconsciously decided to wait and see it on DVD, giving my dad’s cancer a chance to take him before he got the opportunity. “Yesterday came suddenly,” indeed.
It’s hard for me not to associate this movie with the missed opportunity with my dad, but what of the film itself and its own merits? Well, it’s quite a decent charmer, made better by its celebrated soundtrack. There’s a popular Japanese genre called isekai, in which someone from our world is somehow transported to another, usually some fantasy realm with magic. In the case of struggling singer/songwriter Jack Malik (Himesh Patel), he awakens from a bike accident in an alternate world where significant bits of pop culture are missing, most notably the music of the Beatles. Seeing a morally gray opportunity, he passes off their songs as his own, becoming an overnight sensation and sparking mixed feelings in his long-time manager/crush Ellie (the always lovely Lily James).
Yesterday is pretty much exactly the British isekai that was promised in the trailers, but it didn’t exceed my expectations much or dive as deeply into its premise as it could have. Patel and James have good chemistry, and there are plenty of occasions for unexpected humor, such as the feedback from Jack’s producers about the more eccentric names from the Beatles’ discography. Ed Sheeran also puts in a good-natured cameo as himself, and there’s an unexpected moment toward the end that was surprisingly touching. There’s just something missing, and not just that they never play “Get Back” or “Drive My Car,” despite a good excuse to use the latter. It’s one of those puzzling films that feels like it should be better based on its brilliant premise, yet I can’t say I know how to improve it myself.
One weakness is that the songs suffer somewhat from Patel’s solo covers. He’s a proper singer, but without the four-person harmonies and multiple instruments, it’s harder to see the strength of the songs alone rocketing Jack to the status of an overnight sensation. Nevertheless, I feel like my dad would have really enjoyed Yesterday. The strength of its core idea, likable actors and classic music are enough to make it an enjoyable, feel-good watch. There’s just a lingering sense that it could have been more.
Best line: “You want a good life? It’s not complicated. Tell the girl you love that you love her. And tell the truth to everyone whenever you can.”
There once were two cops on the street
Who riled the bad guys they’d meet.
As crime would unfold
In their city so cold,
They quite enjoyed bringing the heat.
______________________
MPAA rating: R (mainly for language and brief nudity, a light R overall)
It’s shameful, absolutely shameful, that it’s been nearly three months since a movie chosen by my dear VC got the limelight it deserves in the form of an obscure blog post by me. I have no excuse, but I do have this review. Running Scared probably isn’t high on anyone’s list of films from the ‘80s, but it’s a funny and underrated member of the buddy cop genre to which I’m glad my VC introduced me.
Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines are in fine form as a pair of Chicago cops named Danny and Ray, the kind of movie cops who are charming when they bend the rules in a way that ought to get them fired in the real world. But they get results, including bagging notorious drug lord Julio Gonzales (Jimmy Smits), only to be put on leave for their recklessness. Enjoying the time off down in Key West, the two decide they like the non-police life, and after learning that Gonzales was set free, they decide to bring him in before retiring for good.
Crystal and Hines were probably unlikely choices to play streetwise cops back in 1986, early in their film careers as it was, but they both excel, channeling the same kind of black-and-white buddy chemistry as Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor did. Their bickering and wisecracks are the biggest draw, complementing action scenes that likewise balance humor and danger. Joe Pantoliano is also great as Snake, one of those small-time weasels he plays so well. Running Scared doesn’t revolutionize anything about its genre, but it doesn’t need to when its leads are able to capture its sense of fun with their toothy grins alone.
Best line: (Captain Logan, referring to a suicide jumper) “You two weren’t, uh, interrogating a suspect up on the roof, were you?” (Ray) “We got an alibi, Captain. Snake, tell him where we were or we’ll kill you, too.”
Marriage is a second skin
That settles overtop the first,
And those who’ve worn it many years
Would hate it if reversed.
Yet many chafe beneath the weight
And wish their freedom to obtain,
And when their other half dissents,
The aftermath is pain.
To shed your skin, to slough it off,
Will sting regardless of rapport
And leave you feeling raw and naked,
Two-in-one no more.
When wholes made halves are commonplace,
Mere products of the great divorce,
We cannot help but be impressed
By those who stay the course.
________________________
MPAA rating: R (for much profanity)
It’s finally time to dive into the Oscar nominees for Best Picture! I plan to see most of them in the theater leading up to the ceremony on February 9, but luckily I was able to watch Marriage Story from the comfort of my couch. Thanks, Netflix! Marriage Story may be the most potent of films focusing on divorce, hard-hitting and honest about the strain it inflicts on two people who once loved each other and still may, if not for the divisiveness of the situation.
Writer-director Noah Baumbach does something brilliant right from the start: from the very first sequence, he gets the audience to like both Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) and Charlie Barber (Adam Driver), thanks to a counseling exercise where they describe the best aspects of each other. They both feel like real, kind, hard-working people and good parents to their son Henry (Azhy Robertson). Naturally, it goes downhill from there, since the two are already in the midst of a separation, Nicole taking Henry to L.A. for a TV role she landed while Charlie must divide his time between visits to L.A. and managing his Broadway play in New York. The introduction of lawyers (Laura Dern, Ray Liotta), who personify the “it’s not personal, it’s just business” mindset, only deepens the couple’s divide, sharpening their wills while breaking their hearts.
Like Fences back in 2016, Marriage Story is a film that I marveled at simply by the power of its acting, further strengthened by the incisiveness of Baumbach’s dialogue. Driver and Johansson prove they’re both masters of their craft, and it astounds me that they’re not the frontrunners in their respective award categories because I would just hand them the Oscar personally. The good will engendered for their characters right from the beginning goes a long way, especially since they both stoop to being petty and vindictive at times. The script does well to not choose sides, blaming the situation rather than only one party. At certain points, I felt more deeply for Charlie, yet he was the one who had an affair that led to all this. It’s a well-played balancing act and a heartrending one at that.
I’ve never been through the pain of divorce, though the film made me think of when my parents had to live several states away from each other for a time and I’m grateful it didn’t lead to what Charlie and Nicole go through. Divorce is a messy business, and when neither side is a monster, it’s sad for everyone. Certain scenes are stand-outs, showcases for those eloquent emotional fireworks that earn Oscar buzz, including a surprising musical opportunity for Driver. The divorce themes also bring to mind 1979’s Kramer vs. Kramer, though with more focus on the adults rather than the father-son pair in that film. Marriage Story doesn’t offer much closure or a solution to its tale of relationship ruin, but it’s a candid, sometimes funny, often poignant story that many will find painfully relatable.
Best line: (Ted, a lawyer Charlie visits) “Criminal lawyers see bad people at their best. Divorce lawyers see good people at their worst.”
The world’s getting louder and meaner and prouder,
Content to be less than the best it can be.
Our good angels shrivel when others aren’t civil,
And we follow suit with acute savagery.
The worst in a person can come out and worsen,
And wrong leads to wrong for as long as we let it.
Yet kindness courageous is also contagious.
The bar is as low or high, though, as we set it.
What good can be started by all the kindhearted
Can spread just as quickly as wickedness can.
Right actions and choices speak more than raised voices,
For goodness expressed frees the best part of man.
____________________
MPAA rating: PG
It might be too late for Christmas, but Netflix’s Klaus isn’t just a great Christmas movie; it’s a great movie. I wasn’t expecting much from Netflix’s first original animated film, but good word-of-mouth convinced me to give it a look-see, and now I’m happy to contribute to its positive buzz. Being nominated for a Best Animated Feature Oscar doesn’t hurt either.
Does anyone else recall a 2000 animated film called The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus? I remember it nostalgically as a sweet origin story for Santa, and Klaus is similar in that regard. Whereas the other film featured extensive magical elements, Klaus is far more down-to-earth, gradually developing the myths and trappings surrounding Santa in a way that could feasibly happen, albeit still with some cartoonish absurdity and a dark undercurrent.
However, the titular Klaus is not the main character. Instead, it is the vain and spoiled Jesper (Jason Schwartzman), whose father, exasperated by his son’s laziness, makes him the postman for the remote and desolate island village of Smeerensburg, where a family feud has raged for generations. In a town where no one is eager to send letters to each other, Jesper concocts a plan to get the children to send letters for toys, a plan that might eventually get him transferred back to his well-to-do life. Essential to the plan is Klaus (J.K. Simmons), a mysterious woodsman with a wealth of toys, and, while Jesper’s goals begin as self-serving, he eventually starts to see the good that can come from an act of kindness.
The most noteworthy aspect of Klaus is its unique animation. In an age where most of the 2D hand-drawn animation around originates in Japan, director Sergio Pablos (creator of the Despicable Me franchise and character designer for several Disney Renaissance films) and other former Disney animators wanted to show how 2D animation might have evolved if it hadn’t been abandoned by the industry in the West. The result is gorgeously rendered and looks somewhere in between 2D and 3D, thanks to meticulous attention to shadow and shading.
If Klaus had come out twenty years ago, I know it would have become a classic annual watch in my home, and I’d like to think it will be for this generation as well, despite its exclusivity to Netflix. The last decade has seen 2D animation flourish on the small screen, and Klaus gives me hope that it’s not dead for feature-length films as well. Despite some predictable elements, it’s filled with humor, sweetness, and a stellar voice cast (also including Rashida Jones, Norm MacDonald, and Joan Cusack) and carries the perfect heartwarming Christmas spirit that reminds us how much better it is when kindness guides our choices.
Best line: (Klaus) “A true selfless act always sparks another.”
Another year, another Blindspot series! Once again, I tried to find a balance between movies that I’ve been meaning to see and a mixture of years, genres, and critical acclaim. Comedies are the most represented genre, but there’s also a musical, a film noir, an anime, a foreign zombie film, and a heavy sci-fi. I can’t wait to see what I think of these films as I watch and review one a month, but here’s hoping 2020’s Blindspots will be the best group yet!
And, in alphabetical order, the movies are:
Annie Hall (1977)
Double Indemnity (1944)
Fargo (1996)
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2013)
Heathers (1988)
Make Way for Tomorrow (1937)
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
One Cut of the Dead (2017)
Pom Poko (1994)
Primer (2004)
Short Cuts (1993)
What a Way to Go (1964)
What do you think of this selection? Is anyone else tackling their own Blindspot series? Feel free to let me know in the comments!
One aspect of this whole blog experience that I’ve enjoyed is the Blindspot series, which I’ve done for the last three years. Everyone has those films that critics and fans laud, yet you’ve never quite gotten around to seeing them. Picking twelve such films at the beginning of the year and watching one a month is a great way to catch up on movies I keep putting off.
Despite falling behind throughout the year, I finished before the new year began, which is more than I can say for 2018’s picks. It was a nice mix of genres, and since I’m a nut for lists, here is my ranking of my 2019 Blindspots. While none of 2018’s picks dented my Top 365 list, three films from last year’s selection made the cut. The rest were uniformly good, though my bottom two felt lacking, considering their “classic” status. I’ll be posting my Blindspots for 2020 tomorrow but thought I should give a quick retrospective to bring last year’s Blindspot series to a close.
A long time ago, in a galaxy far,
A popular story began
Of sand-covered planets and creatures bizarre,
And ships that can travel from star unto star,
Of heroes and scoundrels who meet in a bar,
Of princesses, sages, and even Jar Jar,
And rebels who battle the way that things are.
Of such stories, I am a fan.
Yet stories must finish to make room for more.
All tales, great and small, say good-bye.
They thrill us with action and romance and war;
They shock and amaze with sights not seen before;
They spark controversy and trigger uproar;
They grant us new worlds with their mythos and lore
That lovers and haters alike can explore.
Their endings do not mean they die.
__________________
MPAA rating: PG-13
At long last! I had wanted to post this review before the New Year, but instead it gets to be my first review of 2020. Star Wars fans everywhere were eagerly anticipating the final installment in the Skywalker Saga, and the return of J.J. Abrams as director reassured many that it would be ended by a sure hand. Yet I was one of the few who really enjoyed Rian Johnson’s work on The Last Jedi and was hopeful that Abrams wouldn’t retcon it just because some fans were dissatisfied. Thus, I approached The Rise of Skywalker with hopeful but mixed feelings, and I walked away with satisfaction that has yielded somewhat to similarly mixed feelings.
Since it was no secret in the trailers, posters, or the film’s opening crawl, I don’t mind revealing that Emperor Palpatine has returned. (Collective non-gasp!) With Supreme Leader Snoke dead and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) still wavering in his villainy, they had to bring back the original Big Bad, no matter how unlikely his survival seemed at the end of Return of the Jedi. Faced with an evil armada, Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), and Poe (Oscar Isaac) team up for the first time to track down a Sith planet and stop the un-dead Emperor.
The Rise of Skywalker is an unusual beast. I thoroughly enjoyed it in the theater and left satisfied, yet I knew then that I still liked The Last Jedi better. This latest film is an exercise in all things Star Wars – alien critters, good-at-heart criminals, explosive action, the redemption of bloodlines – all things I love, yet it also felt safe in a way The Last Jedi didn’t, with fewer laughs and impactful moments too. Not that I minded any of this while watching it, but as the Internet has since pointed out its flaws to me, somehow they annoy me more here than all the complaints over The Last Jedi did, perhaps because the previous film had the hope of a sequel making sense of things while this bears the weight of being a grand finale.
I think J.J. Abrams was the right person for this job, but it sometimes felt like he was trying to “redeem” the previous film, for instance sidelining Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) almost completely. It was interesting, though, how it doubled down on the “new” things the Force was capable of; if you didn’t like that aspect of The Last Jedi, watch out. With Abrams at the helm, there’s much to appeal to fans, but every time something unexpected happens, it’s walked back to prevent offending those fans too much, you know, like that last movie. I am one of those fans, so I’m not sure if I should be relieved or bothered at being patronized like this. (However, Lost alert! I did appreciate a certain cameo from my favorite show.)
Boy, I sound like all those whiners over The Last Jedi. Yet unlike them, I can still say it was a great movie, warts and all, and a worthy conclusion to the Skywalker Saga. All the actors are in fine form, with the original cast (Mark Hamill, Billy Dee Williams, etc.) provided a fitting send-off for their characters, including the late Carrie Fisher. It’s easily the messiest of the new trilogy, raising questions that are never answered and wearing its plot holes on its sleeve, and the storyline is all over the place. At one point, the main characters are searching for an object that has a clue to locate another object that will help them find a planet, yet the brisk pace and chemistry among the actors always sustain the fun of a good space adventure. There’s just something about Star Wars. It’s what made people turn out in droves for this movie despite the public disappointment in the previous one.
I suppose the main problem with The Rise of Skywalker for me is how it changes the arc of the series as a whole, due to the return of the Emperor. The first two trilogies were about the fall and rise of Anakin Skywalker, but this trilogy makes it all seem more like the rise and fall of Palpatine. Perhaps that’s not so bad, but I doubt it’s what George Lucas had in mind. Even so, The Rise of Skywalker caps off an uneven but still thoroughly entertaining chapter of the Star Wars story, with impressive visuals and rousing action. Despite my gripes, I stand by my assertion that there has never been a Star Wars movie I haven’t enjoyed. Now we just need to wait twenty years or so for a new trilogy with an older Rey training a new generation of Jedi to fight another evil empire. In the meantime, may the Force be with you.
Best line: (Zorii Bliss, played by a masked Keri Russell) “That’s how they win… by making you think you’re alone.”
Rank: List-Worthy (joining The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi in my Top 100)
Happy New Year! It took a little longer than I anticipated, but here at last is the update for my Top 365 Movie List, the one that started it all back in 2014 as I counted down one a day. As I said in my 6th Blogiversary post, only 20 films I saw in 2019 made the cut, and you can see the additions in bold below.
However, through the magic of cheating on my part, only ten films actually got painfully booted off the list. This is thanks to the sheer number of sequels, such as Toy Story 4, Avengers: Endgame, and The Rise of Skywalker, as well as my tendency to group similar films together, such as pairing The Longest Day with Saving Private Ryan and The Magnificent Seven (both versions) with its originator Seven Samurai. Aside from the three series sequels I mentioned, nothing was able to crack the Top 100, though Mr. Church came close at #101, and most of the other additions were relegated to the latter half of the List. The main tweak to the Top 100 was an eight-place rise for The Avengers and its equals, which was bolstered by the satisfying conclusion that was Endgame.
Only the hawk-sighted would notice, but there were some rises and falls among the films already on the List. Spider-Man: Homecoming was the biggest gainer thanks to its pairing with Far from Home, jumping from #288 to #210, whereas The Nativity Story was the biggest loser, dropping from #165 to #310, likely suffering from lower rewatchability, as did United 93 (falling from #158 to #206).
All this is strictly personal preference, list mania, and total favoritism on my part, which obviously changes over the years, so you’re welcome to disagree or, better yet, suggest a film I may not have seen that you think deserves placement here. This is a living List that is meant to change over time, and I can’t wait to see what films 2020 will offer up to potentially join their celebrated brethren here on my humble blog (even if it sadly means taking some off to make room).
What a year 2019 has been! It’s hard to believe it was 6 years ago today that I published my first blog post, an introduction before I started counting down my top 365 movies back in 2014. I’ve come a long way since then, and 2019 has been quite the catalyst year, for good and ill. This was the year I finally managed to change careers, transitioning from food service to an IT job at a major company, a dream I’ve long awaited.
Yet it’s also been a year of endings. Besides ending the decade, 2019 marked an end/turning point for multiple fandoms, only some of which I belong to: the conclusions of the MCU’s Infinity Saga and the Star Wars Skywalker Saga, as well as the series finales for Game of Thrones, Gotham, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, The Big Bang Theory, Orange Is the New Black, Star vs. the Forces of Evil, Steven Universe, Mr. Robot, and many others.
Worst of all, it’s the year I had to say goodbye to both my cat and my father in the same month, which has struck my family hard recently.
Yet through the highs and lows of the past year, there have always been movies to raise or crush our spirits as needed. And as with every year, it’s time to tally up the best I’ve seen over the last 365 days and rank the heck out of them! I’ve seen quite a lot of good movies over that time, but not as many great ones as in years past, so this list of 20 seems smaller than in the past. I don’t know if I’m becoming more discerning in my film tastes or just not seeing as many good ones, but at least I had the movies listed below to get me excited about cinema.
Please keep in mind that this is not a ranking of strictly 2019 movies, as I’ve never been one to see every movie as it comes out, but you can expect such a ranking later in 2020 once I’ve had time to catch up. Instead, this list is for all my favorite movies I’ve watched in 2019, whether in the theater or at home, and of course it is strictly my personal opinion and ranking. A special mention also for those List Runner-Ups that barely missed the cut this time, including Beautiful Boy, Game Night, Alita: Battle Angel, Odd Thomas, Detective Pikachu, Amadeus, I Am Mother, Anna and the Apocalypse, Baby Driver, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, and A Few Good Men (which was meant to be List-Worthy but was knocked down by the competition).
I’d love to hear your opinion, though, as well as any recommendations, perhaps of the best movies you saw in the past year as well. Anyway, on to the list!
Based on its reviews, this is a movie that probably doesn’t deserve to be on a top movie list, yet I couldn’t help but love this Rain Man-inflected drama of an autistic girl (Dakota Fanning) making a quest to enter a Star Trek fan writing contest. Fanning offers a sensitive, human performance, and the Trek references kept this fan happy while leading to an encouraging and honest conclusion. Some movies appeal to certain people more than others, and this one appealed to me.
It’s hard to say I loved Dancer in the Dark, just as it’s hard to say I loved Grave of the Fireflies. Can you really love something that destroys you emotionally? Lars von Trier’s hope-crushing tone and naturalistic camerawork are also far from my usual cup of tea, yet there’s something about the earnestness of Bjork’s character in this strange musical melodrama that drew me in and broke my heart as few films have.
From its gloomy lows, DC has made somewhat of a comeback in recent years, but I still was surprised at how much I enjoyed Shazam! While it’s basically a superhero version of Big, the filmmakers found a good blend of action and humor to make this film stand on its own, and while its tone veers too dark at times, contrasting the warmth of the main character’s adopted family, it’s still among the DCEU’s best offerings.
The best film of 2018? Debatable but still deserving, in my opinion. Green Book is one of those unlikely friendship movies that I’m just naturally inclined to like, and Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali play off each other wonderfully, the former a New York bouncer-turned-chauffeur and the latter an acclaimed pianist going on tour through the South in 1962. Critics can complain all they want, but Green Book was an entertaining delight about two flawed individuals finding friendship.
I can’t quite decide if I enjoyed Ralph Breaks the Internet more than its predecessor, but that’s a good sign in my book. Ralph and Vanellope’s journey into the World Wide Web offers both exuberant animation and comedy gold, particularly surrounding the plethora of properties Disney now owns. Its central conflict, devoid of villains, is also unique in how it addresses the real-life pain of friends separating. Disney’s first official sequel was luckily a slam dunk.
Blinded by the Light (2019)
I’ve never been the biggest Bruce Springsteen fan, but in the words of La La Land, “people love what other people are passionate about.” This true story of a teenage Pakistani Brit in the ‘80s discovering the Boss for the first time spoke to me as a poet and music lover and proved to be one of the best feel-good films of the year.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Some might recall that The Last Jedi was my favorite film of 2017, so the placement of Rise of Skywalker should indicate my more mixed but still largely positive opinion of it. Its plot holes are legion, yet I still enjoyed this final chapter of the Skywalker Saga, as I’ve enjoyed every Star Wars episode so far. The world, the action, and the characters make all (or at least most) of its flaws forgivable and don’t detract from the entertainment value of that galaxy far, far away.
Homecoming was neither the best nor the worst Spider-Man outing, and in the wake of Endgame, I wasn’t expecting much from Far from Home. Yet this turned out to be a lovably fun palate cleanser after the high stakes of Endgame. It was not only a funny European road trip but also a way for Peter Parker and the audience to move beyond the loss of Tony Stark. (Oh, uh, spoiler alert?) With twists both predictable and surprising, it was an entertaining way to end the MCU’s Phase 3.
I don’t know why it took so long for me to see this Martin Luther King, Jr. biopic, but luckily my Blindspot series gave me the opportunity I needed. Powered by a tour de force performance by David Oyelowo (who was robbed for an Oscar nomination), it focused exclusively on one key chapter of King’s life. Even for those who already knew the story of the Selma march, this near-perfect biopic manages to raise the tension as events play out, and it praises King while also showing him at his lowest moments.
Taika Waititi’s humor is an acquired taste that I hadn’t fully acquired until this hilarious but heartfelt Nazi satire. Young Roman Griffin Davis shines as a Nazi Youth wannabe with an imaginary Hitler for a best friend (Waititi himself), and it has a lot to say about prejudice while delivering some of the funniest lines of the year.
Another film I’ve put off watching for far too long, it didn’t take long while watching Mr. Church for me to realize that I loved it. The based-on-truth story of an in-home cook growing into a genuine member of the family he cares for was just too sweet to resist and gave Eddie Murphy his best role in years. Despite the mixed reviews surrounding it, I loved this film dearly.
Nothing could top the grand finale of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Infinity Saga. After the gut-punch of Infinity War, everything hinged on Endgame, and the Russos delivered the biggest, coolest, most satisfying entry of the franchise to date. It’s a rare case of sky-high expectations being handily met. Plot holes be darned; this was a great way to end a decade of superhero awesomeness.
So ends the top twelve, but the films below also earned the rank of List-Worthy this year and will be added to my Top 365 list along with the ones above.
Thus, another year of movie-watching comes to a close. If you’re still reading this, here are a few awards I dole out to the List-Worthy films every year.
Best opening scene: Marriage Story
Best final scene: Avengers: Endgame
Coolest scene: Avengers: Endgame
Biggest emotional impact: Dancer in the Dark
Oldest film: The Magnificent Seven (1960)
Most recent film: Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Longest film: Avengers: Endgame (181 minutes)
Shortest film: Please Stand By (93 minutes)
Best soundtrack: Blinded by the Light
Best score: The Magnificent Seven (1960)
Best special effects: Avengers: Endgame
Most mind-bending: Spider-Man: Far from Home
Most family-friendly: Toy Story 4
Most mature: Marriage Story
Scariest: N/A
Funniest: Jojo Rabbit
Best VC Pick: A Few Good Men
Best male performance: Adam Driver in Marriage Story
Best female performance: Bjork in Dancer in the Dark
I’ll be posting my updated Top 365 list with these additions in the days ahead, but I want to thank everyone who has read, liked, followed, and commented over the past year. I use this blog as simply a creative outlet for my writing and love of film, but the fact that others find it worth reading is a constant encouragement for me. Thank you all, and I wish everyone the best 2020 possible!
To finish things off, here’s a little look-back at the movies 2019 had to offer, for a little short-term nostalgia.
Rhyme and Reason 