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