Best of 2018: Film

I had high hopes for this movie year as four of my ten favorite films were released by early April but the summer and fall didn't quite live up to the bar that was set by those early releases. That being said, there are several movies on my honorable mention that could have easily been in the top ten list.

10) Black Panther

What is good is not always popular and what is popular is not always good but occasionally those two intersect- as was the case with Black Panther which was not only the the highest grossing film of 2018 but also one of the best. From director Ryan Coogler (Creed, Fruitvale Station) came one of the most interesting and entertaining movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sometimes what holds back a comic book movie is that the stakes seem frivolous and the motivation of the antagonist seem manufactured just to propel the plot but that's absolutely not the case with Black Panther who's antagonist Killmonger has genuine motives. It also features a star-making performance from Letetia Wright who was subsequently the best character in Avengers: Infinity War.

9) Annihilation

Annihilation is a movie that I have had a difficult time describing since watching it. Writer-director Alex Garland in his follow up to the stunning debut Ex Machina adapted Jeff VanderMeer's novel. Not much information is given to the audience in the opening act of the movie which is intentional but the story structure plays with time flashing forward and back as what happens to the characters as they enter "The Shimmer" unfolds. Garland has a cinematic eye as he demonstrated in Ex Machina and Annihilation is also buoyed by a great cast, outstanding visual effects and a terrific score.

8) Green Book

There has been some recent criticism of Green Book and while acknowledging that it isn't without some flaws it's still a very entertaining movie that has an inspiring message. Viggo Mortensen gained around 40-50 pounds to embody Tony Lip while Mahershala Ali spent several months taking piano lessons to portray Dr. Don Shirley. It's very much an odd couple road trip movie but it has severely elevated stakes as it tells the story of world class African-American pianist Dr. Don Shirley embarking on a concert tour of the Mid-West and Deep South in 1962 which was just before the Civil Right Act was passed. Shirley enlists the help of Tony Lip to be his chauffeur and bodyguard as he completes the tour. Peter Farrell who is primarily known for his comedies like There's Something About Mary and Dumb and Dumber definitely injects a good amount of humor into the film but it's grounded by the two excellent performances of Ali and Mortensen.

7) Eighth Grade

First time writer-director Bo Burnham nails the awkward angst of a young girl trying to find herself who is expertly played by newcomer Elsie Fisher. Burnham gain notoriety as a YouTube performer at the age of 16 and then transitioned into stand-up comedy. It was clear in his Netflix special Make Happy that he had a unique voice but he's solidified that position with Eighth Grade. The story follows Kayla Day (Fisher) who makes motivational videos and like many young people has valuable advise to dispense even though she's not necessarily able to follow it. It's a heartwarming story about friendship, father-daughter relationships and finding yourself in the world that will make you laugh and cringe along the way.

6) Isle of Dogs

I was and still am an enormous fan of Fantastic Mr. Fox which I think is one of the best animated films of the last 20 years so I was very excited when it was announced Wes Anderson would be returning to the medium of stop-motion animation. Isle of Dogs tells the story of a young boy from Japan who wants to get his dog back after an evil mayor banished all the city's dogs to Trash Island. The voice cast is star studded and amazing. Anderson has even outdone the visually stunning achievement of Fantastic Mr. Fox.






5) A Quiet Place

If you had told me five years ago that two of the best and most inventive horror movies of the last decade would be made from Jim from The Office and one of the guys from Key & Peele, I would have had a hard time believing you but that's exactly what has happened. First time director John Krasinski stars with Emily Blunt in a post apocalyptic world where monsters roam the world that are drawn to you by noise. The premise sounds far fetched but the execution of the idea and the acting is so excellent that within the first few minutes you are fully invested. Most of the time when you think about sound design and effects in a film you think about added sound but A Quiet Place shows just how effective a lack of sound can be in ratcheting up the tension.

4) BlacKkKlansman

Spike Lee has made some truly great movies (Do The Right Thing, Malcolm X, 25th Hour) but he had been in a bit of a dry spell that officially feels over after BlacKkKlansman. It chronicles the true story of the African-American police officer from Colorado Springs, CO Ron Stallworth as he infiltrates the Ku Klux Klan. John David Washington who portrays Stallworth and Adam Driver as his partner Flip Zimmerman are both excellent. It's unfortunate that the story of racism has any degree of resonance today but it feels very of the moment especially with the way Lee ties together the story with recent events.

3) Mandy

Mandy is not going to be a movie for everyone. It's deliberately paced, ultra violent and extremely bizarre but damn if I didn't love it. It's a beautiful shot film and has a terrific haunting score by the late great Jóhann Jóhannson. Nicolas Cage has made some questionable choices over the past decade but he's still one of the most interesting actors working today and his full array of ability is on display in Mandy. I won't spoil the plot because like most films the less you know going in, the better but it's a movie that has a very basic structure but is told in a way that is wholly unique. This feels like the kind of movie that if it hasn't already will soon develop a cult following and I'm already on board.

2) Roma

I have a weird theory that almost all great directors eventually make a movie in black and white. Of course, the early masters made films in black and white but even when color films became prevalent most of the great directors have made films in black and white (Kubrick, Scorsese, Spielberg, Nolan, Coppola, Lynch, Lee, Stone, Burton, Aronofsky, Soderbergh, Baumbach, Payne). Cuarón has now added his name to that list. Roma is not only beautiful to look at but it tells the story of Cuarón's childhood from the point of view of his nanny. Cuarón is such a talented director that he can make parking a car more tense than most action sequences in blockbuster summer movies. It's not a film that is action packed but it's so grounded in reality that when the stakes are raised in dramatic scenes the result is some of the most harrowing filmmaking of 2018 or any year.

1) A Star is Born

It has happened before but I can't recall the last time I saw a movie in the theater more than twice before seeing A Star is Born three times. It's not an original idea- in fact, it's the 4th time the movie has been made. That said, the reason it's been done so often is that the story arc is classic and that's one of the things that draws in. Bradley Cooper as a first-time director does an amazing job injecting new life into the story and the original music written for the film is far better than it needs to be for a movie like this. Cooper along with cinematographer Matthew Libatique also create a fantastic visual look. Cooper, Lady Gaga and Sam Elliott all give tremendous grounded performances. The final act is heartbreaking and stayed with me for a long time after the initial viewing.



Honorable mention:

Boy Erased
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Cold War
Deadpool 2
mid90s
Mission: Impossible - Fallout
Game Night
The Sisters Brothers
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
Vice
Widows

Won't You Be My Neighbor

Best of 2018: Albums

Some years my lists has a bunch of returning favorites making appearances which is logical because my favorite bands are favorites for a reason. However, this year there is a lot of new artists crashing the list of my favorite albums of the year.

10) Typhoon - Offerings

Their first album of new music since 2013's brilliant White Lighter was worth the wait. I was hooked on the single 'Rorschach' which came out a couple months before the album. The album was released in January so it got a little lost in the shuffle for me as I was still catching up on 2017 albums. However, when I came back to it later in the year, I was struck by how rich it was and what a complete album it feels like instead of just a collection of songs.

Listen to Empiricist

9) Bob Moses - Battles Lines

I knew very little about Bob Moses when I saw them open for Miike Snow a few years ago but I enjoyed their set enough to start keeping tabs on them. From the two songs they released in advance of Battle Lines, I was fully on board with this release. The opening track 'Heaven Only Knows' sets the tone and the rest of the album follows the lead for 48 minutes of great songs which ooze cool.

Listen to Heaven Only Knows

8) The 1975 - A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships

The highlights from A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships are spectacular. However, not all of the 15 tracks completely work for me as the front half of the album stands out more than the last. The 1975 first came to my attention with a series of EPs released in 2012 which became the basis for their self-titled debut album. Their second album i like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it (yes, that's the actual title), confirmed they weren't just a flash in the pan but A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships is their most complete album to date.

7) Wye Oak - The Louder I Call The Faster It Runs

Wye Oak has been one of my favorite bands since I first heard Civilian in 2011 and saw them live for the first time shortly thereafter. Jenn Wasner's voice to me is otherworldly and brings me a calm like just about no one else making music today. I also appreciate that Wye Oak never wants to make the same record twice despite the success of their prior work. Shriek was a complete departure Civilian and after releasing Tween in 2016, the latest effort The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs is very clearly a Wye Oak album but has soundscapes that are completely unique from their prior work.

Listen to Lifer

6) The Decemberists - I'll Be Your Girl

I'll Be Your Girl is a truly interesting album because it jumps around from song to song with wildly different tempos and instrumentation. It works for me as a whole but it's an album of high highs and some tracks which don't quite click for me. 'Once In My Life', 'Severed', 'Everything Is Awful' and 'Sucker's Prayer' are all highlights that were excellent to see live in March when they kicked off touring the album.

Listen to Once In My Life

5) Janelle Monáe - Dirty Computer

Janelle Monáe didn't release an album for nearly five years as she was pursuing a budding acting career that included roles in Hidden Figures and Moonlight. This album was well worth the wait. Within the opening moments of Dirty Computer, her vocals harmonized with Brian Wilson let you know that this album is something special (full disclaimer: I'm a sucker for anything that Brian Wilson lends his voice to). The album has all kinds of influences and soundscapes but there are some heavy homages to Monáe's mentor Prince.

Listen to Make Me Feel

4) Mac Miller - Swimming

For some unknown reason I had lumped Mac Miller into a group of young rappers that I didn't think I would enjoy. I was recommended Swimming shortly after it was released in early August and was an instant fan. Sadly, Mac Miller passed away just a few weeks later and I'll never know how that album would have affected me had he not passed away but it does carry a bit more gravitas knowing just how personal his music as he openly and frankly talked about his addiction and depression. It's also incredibly well produced as he enlisted musicians Jon Brion, J. Cole, Dev Hynes, Thundercat and John Mayer among others to help write and produce the album.

Listen to Ladders

3) boygenius - boygenius

Clocking in at just 21 minutes, this is probably the shortest album (technically EP) to ever make one of my year end lists but it's quality over quantity. boygenius is the moniker for three extraordinary singer-songwriters (Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus)  who collaborated to make these gorgeous six songs. Individually, all three of them have tremendous voices but working together they make a beautiful angelic chorus.

Listen to Souvenir

2) Vacations - Changes

It's strange to hear music some heavily influenced from artists of the past that somehow comes out sounding fresh and vital. Changes feels like it was buried in a time capsule from 30 years ago and it might be the closest thing we ever get to a new album from The Smiths. I stumbled across 'Steady' before the album was released and fell in love with that song but worried the album might let me down. Changes did not disappoint me and I listened it probably as much as any other new release in 2018.

Listen to Steady

1) Foxing - Nearer My God

I was only vaguely familiar with Foxing from their previous album Dealer. Nearer My God is their opus. Like most truly great albums, my favorite song changes with almost every listen and when I start the album, I almost always listen to the entire thing. Foxing incorporates a lot of unique instrumentation and dabbles in so many sounds it's difficult to pinpoint the album as a genre but that what I love about it.

Listen to Heartbeats

Honorable mention:

Car Seat Headrest - Twin Fantasy

Hammock - Universalis

Hippo Campus - Bambi

Hop Along - Bark Your Head Off, Dog

Kimbra - Primal Heart

Lord Huron - Vide Noir

Mitski - Be the Cowboy

Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats - Tearing at the Seams

Panic! At The Disco - Pray For The Wicked

Pusha T - DAYTONA