It’s that time of year again, my top ten movies of the year. The criteria for selection: All films to have been released in the UK during 2019, and seen by me in a cinema.
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood – The film I was most concerned about turned out to be my favourite of the year. I didn’t particularly enjoy Quentin Tarantino’s last film, The Hateful Eight, do we really need another movie about Charles Manson, and most significantly, is he capable of the sensitivity needed to tell the story of the horrendous murder of actress Sharon Tate?
The Irishman – Martin Scorsese’s epic tale of mob hitman Frank Sheeran based on the novel I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt. This is not Goodfellas part 2, it is more thoughtful and sombre film than Scorsese’s previous entries into the gangster genre. A masterpiece by a true master of cinema, the three and a half hour runtime is justified! 
Styx – Unbelievably this is just Wolfgang Fischer second feature, and more than a decade after his debut. If All Is Lost is an existential crisis, Styx is a commentary on one of the biggest world issues today. The title tells you all you need to know: In Greek mythology Styx is the river between the land of the living and the land of the dead. Passengers must pay the ferryman, if they have no money they must remain on the river for 100 years.
Midsommar – I visited rural Sweden for midsummer a few years ago, while I’m pleased to report there was no murder or mutilation, it is a really big deal. If you hated Hereditary, you will really hate Midsommar! I was mixed on Hereditary but loved Midsommar. The film looks amazing and is disturbing rather than scary, the near two and a half hour runtime flew by. Once again Florence Pugh proves she is the most exciting and talented young actor working today.
Apollo 11 – The rare inclusion of a documentary on my bets of year list. Made up of NASA footage shot at the time of the moon landings. Much of it on 65mm. With no voiceover and no talking heads, it’s a wonder the film can hold the attention for its 93 minute runtime. The key word here is wonder, because the film is filled with wonder, it is nothing short of stunning.
Burning – Its best to go into Chang-dong Lee’s Korean thriller with as little background information as possible. Wonderfully ambiguous that keeps you guessing until the end and ultimately asks a lot more questions than it answers.
Can You Ever Forgive Me? – True story of celebrity biographer Lee Israel based on her own memoir detailing her decent to rock bottom. Written and directed by Marielle Heller with both flair, and humanity. Melissa McCarthy’s gives her best performance to date, Richard E. Grant is as brilliant as ever.
If Beale Street Could Talk – Barry Jenkins adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel. Brilliantly conveying a novels internal monologue in a way that last years On Chesil Beach failed to do. The acting is first rate throughout, but the true triumph of the film comes in its direction and construction.
The Nightingale – I have been waiting five years Jennifer Kent’s follow up to The Babadook, it was worth the wait. What has been tagged as a revenge thriller, but it is so much more than that, a damning indictment of colonialism it is brutal but never gratuitous.
Under the Silver Lake – The downside to David Robert Mitchell’s follow-up to It Follows is that it has a feel someone trying to emulate David Lynch or the Coen brothers. The plus side, is that it looks amazing and has some great moments of flair. It doesn’t always work but it so bold it deserves to be seen.
Be careful what you wish for! There was a small but very vocal group of fans who called for The Last Jedi to be remade, and, or expunged from Star Wars canon. To a certain extent, The Rise Of Skywalker does that, winding back on some plot points, and conveniently forgetting others. It is certainly a film that doesn’t seem to like Rian Johnson’s entry into the series. Chances are if you are reading this you have seen both The Last Jedi, and Rise of Skywalker, if you haven’t be warned there are SPOILERS ahead. For the record I really like The Last Jedi, it is bold, brave, and my favourite of the three sequels. The Rise of Skywalker is probably the weakest, that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it. It is largely a fun watch. To begin, here is a brief synopsis:
As the promotion of next spring’s No Time To Die, the 25 James Bond movie gets underway, the merry go round of who will replace Daniel Craig as 007. The first thing I would say is that I am only talking about male actors, Bond is a man, and as M (Judi Dench) says in GoldenEye “a sexist, misogynist dinosaur. A relic of the Cold War”. There have been many suggestions that Ian Fleming’s character was actually a closeted or repressed homosexual. This isn’t as outlandish as it sounds. The books were written at a time when it was illegal to be gay. A gay friend, who knows a lot more than me on the subject once told me that the secret services actively recruited gay men at this time. Putting all this aside, the character would change too much if a woman were cast. That’s not to say there isn’t room for a female 00 agent. I would love to see a different film within the same universe. That said, EON Productions are making a rare departure from Bond with The Rhythm Section due for release early next year, before No Time To Die. Based on Mark Burnell novel of the same name the film promises to be a more gritty and realistic take on the genre. Blake Lively stars as Stephanie Patrick an accidental/reluctant spy. The film has an estimated $50 million budget, as a new property, this is considered a big risk, Bond 25 however cost five times that and will be expecting to smash $1billion in ticket sales. I hope the film does well for two reasons, the second book is the best in the series, I would love it to see it adapted. Secondly it would help the idea of a female 00. 
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