My Top 10 Movies of 2019

For awhile I wasn’t sure I would have enough movies to fill my top 10. Luckily right around October things started to pick up, especially during the film festival I always go to. 

This year I decided to go back to my original format and list each movie from 10 to 1 and give some quick thoughts. Enjoy! 

DISCLAIMER: This is MY top 10 list and therefore MY opinion on the movies I consider to be the best. You might not agree with me on the movies I chose or the order I put them in and that’s fine. I just ask that you be respectful about it. 

•10.  Midsommar 

This may make some people’s worst of list and I can totally understand why. But for me, Midsommar was one of the most bizarre and fascinating things I saw in theaters this year. I’ll always give a movie extra credit for being unique. 

•9. Les Miserables (2019)

No, this isn’t a modern retelling of the musical/novel. The only thing it has in common is it’s set in France and mentions Victor Hugo’s name once. I saw this at a film festival back in October and was totally blown away. Well made and sadly all too relevant story dealing with police brutality that is so tense it’ll have you on the edge of your seat the whole time. 

•8. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood 

What I really appreciated about this movie is that it’s not just a straight up Mr. Rogers  biopic. It did something different. Instead, it played out like a long episode of the beloved show and focused on the man who interviewed Mr. Rogers for an article and the impact this had on his life. Be sure to have tissues handy because this movie will hit you right in the feels. 

•7. Clemency

I haven’t felt this emotionally gutted watching a movie since 12 Years a Slave. Alfre Woodard gives a powerful (and in my opinion her best) performance as a prison warden whose job includes overseeing executions and the toll it takes on her. Wish this movie was getting more attention because it needs to be seen by everyone. 

•6. Sorry We Missed You

Very raw and honest British drama about a man named Ricky (Kris Hitchen) who is working for an Amazon like company and struggling to provide for his family. What I love about director Ken Loach (who also directed I, Daniel Blake, another great film) is he’s able to create very relatable characters that you actually care about. And he doesn’t shy away from important economic issues facing many people today. 

•5. Parasite

Brilliant Korean movie that has something for everyone- comedy, drama, thriller, and even some horror elements. It’s definitely one of those movies you should go into knowing as little as possible. Be sure to see it if you haven’t already done so. 

•4. Joker

Even if you take the Joker aspect out of it this is still a very well made character study about a man (Joaquin Phoenix, giving yet another award worthy performance) who keeps getting beaten down by life until he finally snaps. Would love to see director Todd Phillips do more movies like this instead of the raunchy comedies he’s known for. 

•3. Avengers: Endgame

For the longest time this was my number one movie of the year and I didn’t think anything would be able to top it. Still, this was one of the best theater experiences I’ve ever had. 10 years and many movies all built up to this and boy does it pay off. I still get chills watching the final battle scene. There will never be another movie like this. 

•2. The Last Black Man in San Francisco 

I saw this movie several months ago and I still find myself thinking about it a lot. Powerful, well acted, and well made story about a young man trying to find a sense of home in the changing city of San Francisco. A city that seems to have left him behind. 

•1. Marriage Story 

Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson give two of the best performances I’ve seen this year as a couple going through a divorce. One of the many things I love about this movie is that it doesn’t try to vilify one character over the other the way many

other movies of this type might. They each make very valid points and I found myself routing for both of them. Emotional and very intense with a surprising amount of humor. The more I thought about it the more I realized just how much I loved this movie. Of course I had to put this as number one. 

Honorable Mentions:

•The Farewell

•Downtown Abbey

•Ford v. Ferrari 

•Waves

•Knives Out

•Little Women

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

I literally just got out of the movie a few minutes ago and boy am I an emotional mess. Seriously. I’m not sure I can compose myself enough to write a full review so I’ll just give a couple of quick thoughts. Plus with a big movie like this I don’t want to accidentally spoil anything. 

Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver were absolutely amazing in this. Their story arc was, in my opinion, the best part and the strongest. 

It’s also visually stunning for the most part (minus those damn lense flares JJ Abrams loves to use. Thankfully they're kept to a minimum.). Definitely check this out in IMAX if you can. 

That being said, it’s not without it’s flaws. For one, it felt very rushed in spots and there were several things that would be revealed that had me saying, “Are you fucking serious? Really?!?!” I totally understand people not liking it. 

Do I recommend it though? Hell yeah I do! I know the fandom drives me crazy sometimes but I’m proud to be a Star Wars fan. 

Sorry guys.  I wish I could say more but I don’t want to ruin anything. 

My Rating: 8/10

Knives Out

Pros:

•This movie was a lot of fun. If you’re into good old fashioned murder mysteries you’ll definitely enjoy this. 

•Incredible cast. I especially enjoyed Ana De Armas and Daniel Craig’s (who looked like he was having a blast the whole time) performances. 

•Great writing and direction by Rian Johnson. I know people give him a lot of hell for The Last Jedi (which I enjoy a lot despite its flaws) but I still think he’s very talented. Would love to see him do more original things like this.

•Will this movie make my top 10? Maybe, maybe not. Still I highly recommend everyone go out and support it. You’ll have a good time. 

Cons:

•It did drag a bit towards the end. Don’t get me wrong, I was never bored. Not for one second. But it got to the point where I was saying to myself, “Okay, time to wrap things up.”

My Rating: 9/10

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Pros:

•This isn’t a Mr. Rodgers biopic like many thought it would be. If you’re looking for that I highly recommend checking out the amazing documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor. Instead, the movie mainly focuses on Lloyd and how after meeting Mr. Rodgers it had a huge impact on his life. 

•Tom Hanks really captures the spirit of Mr. Rodgers. He even nailed down the looks and mannerisms. I can see him getting nominated for Best Supporting Actor. 

•The rest of the cast was amazing, especially the actor who plays Lloyd. 

•Plays out like one long episode of the classic tv show which I thought was cool. It even looks like it right on down to the sets and props. So much attention to detail. 

•This movie emotionally resonated with me as I’m sure it will with many people. I was in tears by the end. Definitely bring tissues. 

•If we had more kind and loving people like Mr. Rodgers the world would be a MUCH better place. 

Cons:

•I honestly can’t think of any. This movie is pretty flawless and I highly recommend everyone see it. 

My Rating: 10/10

Frozen 2

Pros:

•When they announced they were making this movie I wasn’t so sure about it. Why mess with perfection? I absolutely adore the first movie. Still, I knew I wanted to check this out. I’m happy to report that Frozen 2, in my opinion does not suffer from sequelitis. 

•I really enjoyed the darker story line they went with. This is still a kids movie yes, but adults can get a lot out of it as well. 

•The animation is absolutely gorgeous! Definitely worth shelling out the extra money to see this in IMAX. You see just how MUCH effort was put into it right down to the tiniest detail. 

•Most of the songs were catchy and memorable. 

Cons:

•The big reveal I could see coming from a mile awhile. Wish it had given me a few more surprises. 

•I can’t remember the name of the song but it’s one of Kristoff’s and it was so cheesy it had me cringing in my seat. 

My Rating: 8.5/10

Ford v Ferrari

Pros:

•I’ll admit, I’ve never been a fan of racing. It’s just not my thing. But this movie was entertaining and managed to do the impossible- make me give a shit about it. 

•Amazing performances by pretty much the entire cast, mainly Christian Bale (who was definitely my favorite) and Matt Damon. 

•Don’t be intimidated by the fact that this is two and a half hours long. They time just flew by. I was engaged the entire time and it kept me on the edge of my seat. 

•Wasn’t nearly as predictable as I thought it might be. 

•Do I recommend it? Hell yeah I do! It certainly stands a good chance of making my top 10 list. 

Cons:

•The only complaint I have is VERY minor but I didn’t Josh Lucas’ performance. I know this whole thing is based on a true story but I’m not all that familiar with it. Not sure if his character was a real person or if they just made it up for the movie. But the way he plays it is just your standard sports movie villain. Still, it’s nothing that should stop you from seeing it. 

My Rating: 9.5/10

Last Christmas

Plot:

Kate’s (Emilia Clarke) life is a series of bad decisions, including working as Santa’s Elf at a department store. Things begin to change for the better when she meets Tom (Henry Golding). 

Pros:

•The bright spots of the movie were definitely Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding. I felt like they had really good chemistry and their scenes together were pretty adorable. 

•I’ve never been a big fan of Paul Fieg, but this was definitely one of his better movies. 

•It’s a perfectly sweet holiday movie with a nice message. 

•Loved the George Michael soundtrack. 

•If you’re looking for a movie to take your Mom or Grandma to I’m sure they’d like this. 

Cons:

•The script/writing was very weak with some downright awful/cheesy dialog. Honestly this was just a step or two above a Hallmark Channel movie. 

•After I first saw the trailer I knew the twist was going to be either one of two things. And I was right. I really wish they hadn’t gone there. It didn’t ruin the movie for me completely but it did bring my rating WAY down. 

•The trailer pretty much shows you the whole movie. I hate when they do that. 

My Rating: 6.5/10

Terminator: Dark Fate

Pros:

•It was great seeing Linda Hamilton reprise her iconic role again. Sarah Connor to this day is one of my favorite movie characters ever. 

•Some really good action scenes. 

•There’s a twist with new character Dani that I thought was interesting. 

Cons:

•One of the laziest scripts I’ve seen in awhile. 

•Aside from a few moments, most of the cgi/special effects were awful. 

•Even though I liked the twist, Dani is no Sarah. I found myself not caring about her or any of the other characters. 

•When there wasn’t any action there were a lot of times were I was bored. 

•The movie never made me mad but it’s really forgettable. There’s really no need to see this in theaters. If you’re a Terminator fan and you’re curious, wait until it’s on Netflix. Better yet just watch the first two movies. 

My Rating: 6/10

Film Columbia 2019

Another year another festival complete. 43 movies in 10 days... wow! Once again, I had an amazing time. There we so many great movies and only a handful that were not so great. As always, because there were so many movies I just don’t have the time to write a whole review for each. So I just gave a few quick thoughts and my rating. Enjoy :) 

Adam

While the lead actor in my opinion was bad and not charismatic, the supporting cast was pretty good for the most part and is the main reason I’m not giving this movie a lower rating. The story itself is really messed up and honestly insulting to the LGBTQ community. My Rating: 5.5/10

The Ice Storm

This was such a bizarre movie that I’m still trying to process what I just saw. Directed by Ang Lee back in 1997, it features an impressive cast including Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, and Christina Ricci. Yes it’s very dull at times in the beginning and yes most of the characters are extremely unlikeable. But at the same time I found it oddly fascinating. My Rating: 7/10

Driveways

What a sweet, touching little movie about a 9 year old boy who, while cleaning out the home of his recently deceased aunt with his mom, develops a friendship with an elderly neighbor. Amazing performances, especially by Lucas Jaye and Brian Dennehy. And it was filmed locally which is always cool to see. My Rating : 10/10

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

This was my first time seeing this in its entirety (I know I know). Wow! I can definitely see what all the fuss was about. Everything about it is damn near flawless- the acting, gorgeous cinematography, and bad ass fight scenes just to name a few. My only regret is not seeing this sooner. My Rating: 10/10

Queen of Hearts: Audrey Flack

Documentary about artist Audrey Flack, a very interesting and talented woman. There really isn’t any major flaws in this film, I just feel like it was a bit dry at times and could’ve benefited from being longer (it’s only about 75 minutes). Still, if you’re into art definitely check it out. My Rating: 7.5/10

Give Me Liberty

Well, this wasn’t what I expected. Not that that’s a bad thing. The movie started out as sort of this light hearted dramedy and then suddenly in the last 20-30 it gets really dark and deals with racial tensions and police brutality. Some very bizarre editing and style choices. Still I enjoyed it for the most part. My Rating: 7.5/10

The Vast of Night

This was certainly a well made sci fi thriller from a first time director. I liked the look of it and it certainly felt like the 50s. I got a Twilight Zone vibe from it as well. But it’s very dialog heavy and while that doesn’t necessarily bother me in movies, here it did. I can see what they were going for but it wasn’t executed well. The last 30 minutes are interesting but not worth sitting through the first hour, which moves at an EXTREMELY slow pace. If you’re into the whole Area 51 conspiracy you may enjoy this. I just didn’t care for it that much. My Rating: 5.5/10

Zombi Child

Definitely NOT your typical horror movie. This Haitian/French production has a very different take on the zombie genre. I don’t want to say much more than at. Highly recommended. My Rating: 8.5/10

Frankie

It just wouldn’t be a film festival without at least one Isabelle Huppert movie. Out of all of her movies, Frankie is one of the better ones. Not that that’s saying much. There’s a lot to like- beautiful locations and cinematography, and a really good cast that does their best with the material they’re given. There is very little plot here. Even though it’s only about an hour and a half it felt much longer. My Rating: 6/10

The Trouble With You

Most of the movies at the festival tend to be a bit depressing, so this was very refreshing. I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time. This is a brilliantly made French comedy that I highly recommend if you ever come across it. My Rating: 8/10

Synonyms

Awful. Just awful. Where do I even start? It’s bizarre, weirdly edited, has extremely unlikeable characters, and one of the most pretentious pieces of garbage I’ve seen all year. And has one of my biggest movie pet peeves- shaky cam. The only nice thing I have to say is the lead actor looks like a discount Tom Hardy, is  except without any of Tom’s talent of charisma. Avoid. My Rating: 3/10

Varda By Agnès

While I think this director/artist was an interesting person, this documentary (while not terrible) was very dry and I had to fight the urge to fall asleep. There was another movie about her that came out maybe two years ago that was far superior. My Rating: 5/10

Sorry We Missed You

A very moving British drama about a man struggling to provide for his family by working for an Amazon like delivery company. From the director of I, Daniel Blake (one of my favorite movies the year it came out) whose does an amazing job creating very realistic characters and a story that sadly a lot of working class people can relate to. One of the best I’ve seen this year and highly recommend everyone see it. Keep the tissues handy though. My Rating: 10/10

Parasite 

The hype is real with this one. It’s one of those movies I think is best going into knowing as little as possible. All I’ll say is it’s a little of everything- comedy, drama, horror, thriller.... you name it. A must see. My Rating: 9/10

Ice On Fire

Environmental documentary produced and narrated by Leondaro DiCaprio which talks about possible solutions to help combat climate change. Very well made an informative. My Rating: 8/10

South Mountain

Small indie drama about a marriage in crisis (and that’s putting it mildly). Very honest and real characters. Beautifully shot especially considering the ultra low budget. My Rating: 6.5/10

Cunningham

A documentary about a dance choreographer... in 3D. You read that right. Now I remember why I usually don’t see movies in that format anymore. Aside from one or two moments the 3D was awful and gave me a headache. Even putting that aside the movie came off as very pretentious and dull. I may have found the cure for insomnia. My Rating: 4/10

The Chambermaid

Wonderful movie about a young woman working at a luxury hotel in Mexico City. There isn’t much in way of a plot (it takes place entirely in the hotel and shows her going about her daily tasks as a hardworking housekeeper ) but it worked here. Outstanding performance by the lead actress. The director did a great job, especially considering it was her first time directing. My Rating: 8/10

The Song of Names

This movie deals with the Holocaust and the aftermath and while it is sad of course, I found it very moving as well. Good acting and a beautiful, haunting score. Felt a bit rushed at times though. My Rating: 7.5/10

Sew The Winter To My Skin

Wow! This is the first movie I’ve seen from director Jahmil X.T. Qubeka, but I can already tell he’s a very talented visual storyteller. Takes place in the 40’s/early 50’s and tells the story of John Kepe, the South African Robin Hood (who stole from rich white racists and gave to the poor). A lot of people will probably be put off by the fact that this movie has very little dialogue but I was fine with it. The only thing that stops this from being perfect is it does this one thing movies sometimes do that I hate- basically shows you the ending first and then goes back to a few years earlier to show you how it got to that point. My Rating: 8.5/10

Mickey & the Bear

Well made movie about a teenage girl struggling to take care of her father, a former Marine suffering from severe PTSD. Very honest and realistic. Stand out performance by the girl playing the daughter. While I enjoyed this movie a lot, I feel like Leave No Trace did the concept just slightly better. My Rating: 8/10

Clemency

I haven’t had a movie effect me this much in a long time. I was seriously sobbing by the end. Alfre Woodard gives an incredibly powerful performance as a prison warden whose job also includes overseeing executions. They may as well give her the Best Actress award now. Aldis Hodge deserves recognition as well for his portrayal as a man wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to death. This movie comes out officially in about two months and I STRONGLY suggest everyone see it. My Rating: 10/10

The Marion Stokes Project

Fascinating documentary about Marion Stokes, a woman who for 35 years recorded television (news, shows, etc.) 24 hours a day everyday using several televisions and vcrs. My Rating: 7/10

Waves

Gut wrenching drama about an African American family in South Florida who try and cope after a devastating event. Well made and acted. A24 has another hit on their hands. My Rating: 9/10

A Faithful Man

Surprisingly decent French dramedy about a man involved with two women, one of them being Lily Rose Depp. When she’s not in a Kevin Smith movie she’s actually a pretty good actress. My only big complaint was there was a lot of unnecessary narration. My Rating: 7/10

Genesis 

Canadian drama about a brother and sister each trying to deal with their complicated love lives. While I thought all of that was okay(although I didn’t care for most of the characters), the movie could’ve used some MAJOR editing. It went on about 30 minutes too long. After the main stories are pretty much wrapped up they suddenly introduce a new subplot in the last act that doesn’t connect at all as far as I can tell. If they had just cut that part out I might’ve given it a higher rating. My Rating: 5/10

Dinner Rush

Digital restoration of this 2000 movie taking place over the course of one night at a Manhattan restaurant. Well written story and characters. Does a good job at showing what it’s like to work at a restaurant. Amazing looking food. Definitely don’t watch this on an empty stomach. My Rating: 8/10

Citizen K

Documentary about Mikhail Khodotkovsky, once said to be the wealthiest man in Russia, who spent ten years in a Siberian prison and eventually flees to London. Very fascinating and at the same time disturbing. While some documentaries tend to be dry and dull, this kept my attention the whole time and played out like a political thriller (which it is). My Rating: 8.5/10

Portrait of a Lady On Fire

Gorgeous period piece featuring outstanding performances by the two lead actresses. They have amazing chemistry and keep this from being just another average art house Oscar bait movie. My Rating: 8/10

WBCN & the American Revolution

If you’re a fan of 60’s and 70’s music you’ll definitely enjoy this documentary about WBCN, a radio station in Boston that had a HUGE impact on the industry at that time. Was a tad too long and follows a lot of the same things you see in a typical documentary but overall I liked it. My Rating: 7/10

The Traitor

Based on the true story of Tommaso Buscetto, who became the first mafia informant in Sicily in the 1980’s. Very interesting and well acted. It dragged a lot in the second half though. They could’ve trimmed it down a bit. Is it the best mafia movie out there? Far from it. But it’s worth a watch if you come across it on Netflix. My Rating: 6.5/10

By the Grace of God

Powerful French drama dealing with the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal. This movie focuses more on the affect the abuse has on the victims even years later. If you liked Spotlight you’ll definitely like this. My Rating: 9/10

Marriage Story

This was the movie I was looking forward to the most and I’m very happy to say it didn’t disappoint. Both Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson give Oscar worthy performances.  You’ll both laugh and cry. Easily one of the best movies I’ve seen this year. My Rating: 10/10

The Wild Goose Lake

Chinese crime thriller. Although I use that in the loosest of terms. A lot of it is people walking and talking, sitting and talking... a lot of talking! And occasionally they’ll be a fight and/or someone gets shot (I’ll admit those scenes are pretty bad ass). I can’t really recommend it. My Rating: 5/10

Song Without a Name

Heartbreaking story about a young woman who goes to a “clinic” to give birth and when she wakes up she discovers that her baby daughter has been stolen. A journalist investigates the case. The story is interesting and the actress playing the young woman was amazing. But I feel like had it been a more competent director it would’ve been much better. It’s not really all that well made and it’s short in black and white for no reason. Also, it ends rather abruptly. My Rating: 6/10

Young Ahmed

Overall, there wasn’t anything really wrong with the movie. It’s decent in terms of direction and acting. But I felt like the character develop wasn’t there. My Rating: 6.5/10

Les Miserables

No, this isn’t the musical. In fact the only things it has in common are the title, it’s set in France, and they mention the name Victor Hugo. This so was not what I was expecting. I mean that in a good way. Wow! I won’t spoil it for you except to say this was such a well made movie on every level. Thrilling and keeps you on the edge of your seat. A must watch. My Rating: 10/10

The Truth

This was the Saturday night surprise movie. A French dramedy about a mother and daughter starring Catherine Deneuve and Juliette Binoche. This movie, while featuring many actors I like, was just okay. I’ve seen this concept done many times before and way better. Nothing stood out. My Rating: 6.5/10

A Hidden Life

According to some big guys in suits from the studio that were at the screening, I’m not allowed to go into details about this movie. All I’ll say is I actually liked it for the most part minus the three hour run time. When Terrence Malick has an actual plot he’s done. My Rating: 7/10

Driven to Abstraction

Dull, very dry art documentary. I’m sure some people might like it, but this nearly put me to sleep. My Rating: 5/10

The Infiltrators

Docudrama about a group of undocumented activists who allow themselves to get arrested by ICE in order to help fellow immigrants. Very powerful and I think everyone should see it. My only complaint is the actors for the re-enactment were not that great. My Rating: 7/10

The Current War

This was suppose to be released two years ago but because it was a Weinstein Company movie at the time when everything went down, they pulled it. Now that I’ve seen it... this, while far from bad, really wasn’t worth the wait. I feel like the only one really putting in any effort was Benedict Cumberbatch. The rest were just playing dress up and weren’t all that convincing. At least it moved at a good pace. My Rating: 7/10

Joker

Pros:

•Everything you’ve heard about Joaquin Phoenix’s performance is true. He is absolutely amazing and put everything into this. Definitely Oscar worthy. 

•Even taking the Joker aspect out of it (honestly throughout a lot of it I forgot it was a Joker origin story), it’s still a brilliant character study about a guy who keeps getting beat down by life so bad until finally he snaps. Great writing. 

•Never in a million years did I think Todd Phillips would direct a movie like this. He did an great job and I would love to see continue to venture out and do other things besides raunchy comedies (not that I didn’t enjoy some of those). 

•Gorgeously shot. Looks even better on an IMAX screen so if you get a chance definitely see it in this format. 

•The editing was really good. The movie flowed well. Those two hours just flew by. 

•So much tension I can’t still feel the anxiety in my chest. This is a movie that will make you very nervous and uncomfortable. I mean that in a good way. I was just mesmerized and on the edge of my seat, especially in the last act. 

•One of the things that really sticks out to me is the score. So powerful and well done. I’m definitely putting it on my Spotify playlist. 

Cons:

•There’s only one and it’s VERY minor. There’s a brief scene at the end that kind of made me roll my eyes a bit. It’s not a badly made scene but it wasn’t needed at all. If that had just not included it (it’s really only about a minute or two long) this would’ve been a perfect movie to me. Still, it’s easily one of the best I’ve seen this year and I highly recommend it. 

My Rating: 9.5/10

Downton Abbey (2019)

Like so many people, I fell in love with the Downton Abbey tv show. So as you can imagine I’ve been looking forward to this movie for a long time. I’m happy to say it did not disappoint. 

This is definitely a movie for the fans. Not that people who’ve never seen the show wouldn’t like it. But there’s something really special about seeing the characters that you’ve invested so much time in and what they’re up to now. 

The show was always gorgeous wether it be the cinematography or the costumes. But now that it’s a movie and has a bigger budget it’s even more so. Definitely see this on the big screen. It gave me chills seeing it along with hearing the classic theme. 

Is the story simple? Yes. But there’s nothing wrong with that if done well. 

With all the sadness and hate going on in the world, it’s nice to have a movie like this where you can escape. Even if it’s just for a few hours. I walked out of this feeling really good and with a huge smile on my face. This is definitely one of my favorite movies this year. 

My Rating: 10/10

Hustlers

Pros:

•If you go into this expecting nothing but two hours of stripping and poll dancing then you’re going to be disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, all of that is there. But it’s only a VERY small part of it. At the heart of this is a fascinating and well made crime drama that’s “inspired by a true story”. I’m not sure what really happened and what they made up but honestly? It didn’t matter. I was throughly entertained the whole time. 

•For the longest time I’ve been hearing a lot of Oscar buzz for Jennifer Lopez and now I see why. She was great in this! I had forgotten how good of an actress she can be. 

•I enjoyed Constance Wu’s performance as well. 

•Moved at a decent pace. 

•Fun soundtrack 

•Good direction and cinematography. 

Cons:

•Aside from Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu, the other characters weren’t all that well developed. That’s my only major complaint. I definitely recommend everyone check this movie out. 

My Rating: 8/10

It Chapter Two

Plot:

Twenty seven years after their first encounter with Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård), The Losers Club returns to Derry as adults and tries to stop him once and for all. 

2017’s It was a surprise for me. I went into the movie (having not watched the original mini series since I was a kid) expecting it to be good and ended up being one of my favorites that year. One of the few horror movies in recent years to truly terrify me. So I’ve been very much looking forward to Chapter Two. So is it as good as the first one? Well.... not quite. But I still enjoyed it quite a bit. 

One of the best things about both movies is the casting. They were pretty spot on and I enjoyed the older actors just as much as the younger ones (who you get to see again through use of flashbacks). I actually gave a shit about these characters. 

I also thought the scares were very effective.  Even though there is plenty of blood and gore, it doesn’t depend on that the way a lot of horror movies do. It’s mostly a lot of disturbing images that mess with your head which I think is way more effective. 

The movie is not without its faults, however. For one, even though the movie kept me mostly engaged, it didn’t need to be almost three hours long. There were times especially in the first hour or so where I felt the length. Some of that could’ve been trimmed down a bit. Also, the ending felt anticlimactic and a little cheesy. I definitely rolled my eyes a few times. 

Oh and don’t bother seeing this in IMAX. It adds nothing to the experience other than really noticing a few scenes that had some terrible cgi. See it on a regular screen and you’ll be fine. 

If you liked Chapter One I think you’ll like this as well. This was certainly better than most horror movies you’ll see these days. 

My Rating: 7.5/10

Angel Has Fallen

Plot:

Secret Service Agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) is framed for the attempted assassination of the President (Morgan Freeman) and sets out to clear his name. 

Pros:

• Much like Olympus Has Fallen (which I went into not expecting anything and was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it) this movie was entertaining as fuck. Was it dumb? Absolutely. But there’s nothing wrong with a good dumb action/popcorn film. It certainly helps you take you mind off things. 

•The action scenes were brutal and for the most part well choreographed. 

•President Morgan Freeman

•Gerard Butler was good

•Nick Nolte stole every scene he was in. 

•I even got some laughs out of this. 

Cons:

•Extremely predictable. As soon as certain characters appeared on screen I was like, “Yup, these are going to turn out to be the bad guys.” And I was right. 

•Several moments of horrible green screen effects. I’ve seen movies with half their budget look better. 

My Rating: 7.5/10

The Last Black Man in San Francisco

Pros:

•Powerful and well written story/social commentary that, while definitely slow paced, kept me engaged the entire time. 

•Jimmie Fails and Jonathan Majors give two of the best performances you’ll see this year. 

•The supporting cast is very strong as well. 

•Gorgeously shot. 

•Haunting score/soundtrack

•Considering this is Joe Talbot’s first time directing a feature length film (the only other directing credit I could find was a short film he did in 2017) I think he did an amazing job. I look forward to seeing more of his work. 

Cons:

•None! This is definitely one of the best movies I’ve seen this year and I highly recommended it to everyone. 

My Rating: 10/10

All Is True

Plot:

The final days of the life of William Shakespeare (Kenneth Branagh, who also directs). 

Pros:

•I’ll give Kenneth Branagh this much, he knows how to make a gorgeous looking movie. The cinematography in here is amazing. Also, you can tell he’s very passionate about this subject matter. 

•It was interesting to see a side of Shakespeare you never really see depicted in movies. 

•Strong performances, especially Kenneth Branagh and Kathryn Wilder (who plays his daughter Judith). I enjoyed seeing how their relationship developed. 

•If you’re a fan of Shakespeare or of this time period I definitely think you’ll enjoy this. 

Cons:

•Take a shot every time a scene is filmed using Dutch angles. You’ll be dead of alcohol poisoning by the time the movie is over. 

•Could’ve used another round of editing. Certain scenes went on just a bit too long. While the movie is only about an hour and forty minutes at times it felt much longer. 

My Rating: 7.5/10

The Farewell

Plot:

A Chinese family discovers that their grandmother has terminal cancer and decides to keep her in the dark. 

Pros:

•When it comes to A24 movies I love them more of than not. I’m happy to say that The Farewell is definitely one that I love. 

•Strong performances by the entire cast, especially Awkwafina. 

•I tend to avoid movies that deal with this subject matter since they can be depressing as fuck and leave me in a bad mood for days. That’s not the case here. While I did tear up a few times, this was very heartwarming and had a surprising amount of humor. 

•Well directed and written. 

•Easily one of the best movies you’ll see this year. 

Cons:

•Nothing major. Some people may not care for the slow pacing of it. It didn’t bother me though. 

•A few of the characters could’ve used some more development. 

My Rating: 9/10

Hobbs & Shaw

Being a fan of the Fast & Furious franchise, I pretty much knew what to expect- a movie that’s dumb as fuck but lots of fun. And for the most part that’s exactly what I got. 

Normally when I do a review I would talk about the plot but come on... this is a Fast & Furious spin off- there really isn’t one. It’s nearly two and a half hours of Jason Statham and The Rock (who have really good chemistry and play off each other well) beating people up and tons of explosions. Oh and Idris Elba is the bad guy. 

I gotta admit while this may be one of the dumbest movies I’ve seen in a long time, I enjoyed it. 

That’s not to say it’s without it’s flaws. For one, it’s a tad too long. I was never bored but towards the end I was feeling the length. Second, while most of the fight scenes were well choreographed a few were very sloppy. 

Finally, and I know this is me just nitpicking, there’s a cameo here by a certain actor that when he appeared made me groan. Totally took me out of the movie for a minute and caused me to lower my rating slightly. 

So do I recommend the movie? Sure, why not. Get a group of friends together and see a matinee showing of this. You’ll have a good time. 

My Rating: 7.5/10