Jojo Rabbit

Pros:

•I can see why Scarlett Johansson got a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role in this. She was amazing. Definitely the heart of this movie. 

•I also liked the actress that played the young Jewish girl hiding in their home. I can’t think of the actress’s name at the moment but she played the daughter in Leave No Trace (which if you haven’t seen already I highly recommend). 

•The movie was, in my opinion, at its best during the serious moments. 

•It’s really nicely shot and directed. 

•Moved at a good pace. 

Cons:

•I’ll be honest, I really wasn’t feeling this movie at first. Mainly, the humor just wasn’t working for me. I don’t think I laughed once, just a few chuckles here and there. 

•As much as I like Taika Waititi as a director, his portrayal of Jojo’s imaginary friend version of Hitler got on my damn nerves. If it weren’t for this I’d be giving this movie a higher rating. 

My Rating: 7.5/10

Bad Boys For Life

The first two Bad Boys movies are probably some of the only Michael Bay movies I actually like. So I’ve been looking forward to this one ever since they first announced it years ago. And I’m happy to report that it didn’t disappoint. 

It was great seeing Will Smith and Martin Lawrence back together again. They still have really good chemistry and looked like they were having a blast filming this. 

I had so much fun watching this movie. Is it dumb as fuck? Absolutely! But there’s nothing wrong with a dumb action movie if done right. 

My only complaints are very minor. First, while most of the humor worked for me (I got several genuine laughs) some of the jokes fell flat. And second, the movie did drag a bit in the last act. Still, it’s nothing that should stop you from seeing the movie. Definitely give it a chance. 

My Rating: 8/10

1917

Pros:

•Where do I even begin? Wow!! I can definitely see why this has been so much attention this awards season. This was one of the best war movies I’ve seen in a long time. 

•I love the way it was filmed to make it appear the entire movie was one long shot. You really feel like you’re there with these two soldiers on their journey. 

•So much tension and it never lets up. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Those nearly two hours just flew by. 

•Outstanding direction by Sam Mendez. 

•Amazing performances by the two main leads. 

•There’s some great cameos as well. Some you’ve already seen in the trailers and some were a surprise. 

•Beautiful cinematography and music score. 

Cons:

•I honestly can’t think of a single one. This was everything you could ever want in a war movie and so much more. I just wish I had seen it earlier. Definitely would’ve made my top 10 list. 

My Rating: 10/10 

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