The Invisible Man

I’ll be honest, I really wasn’t planning on seeing this at all. I had seen the trailer for it several times before a lot of movies the last couple of months and it just looked stupid. But after the decent reviews it’s been getting I figured I’d give it a chance. I’m so glad I did. This is one of those cases where you shouldn’t judge a movie by its trailer. The Invisible Man was actually really good. 

Hats off to director Leigh Whannell (who also directed Upgrade, a movie everyone keeps telling me to watch and I’m definitely going to make it a point to now) for creating  this really well made psychological thriller that doesn’t rely on big special effects, jump scares or tons of action. I mean there was definitely more action towards the end but it wasn’t overkill. Instead he uses the cinematography, score, etc. to really set the tone. It’s also a slow burn which I know some people won’t like but I was totally fine with. 

Elisabeth Moss once again gives another brilliant performance. She was very believable as an abuse victim. I know it’s very early but this is one of my favorite performances of the year so far. 

My only complaint is the twists I could see coming from a mile away. I wish it had given me a few more surprises. Other than that it’s a great movie that I highly recommend. Go see it. 

My Rating: 8.5/10

Bombshell

Pros:

•One of the things that really stood out to me was the writing. I was hooked  right from the beginning. While I thought I knew a lot about this story, there was also things I didn’t. It really sheds more light on an important issue. The dialog was very sharp as well. 

•Outstanding performances by Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, and Margot Robbie. 

•I can see why this movie won the Best Makeup Oscar. If I hadn’t known ahead of time I never would’ve guessed that was Charlize Theron as Megan Kelly. 

Cons:

•There really isn’t anything major I can think of. I highly recommend this movie to everyone. If I had any complaints I guess it would be that the ending felt a bit rushed. 

My Rating: 9/10

Birds of Prey

Pros:

•It was way better than Suicide Squad. Not that that’s saying much. 

•Margot Robbie was great as Harley Quinn. She looked like she was having a blast. 

•The fight scenes were well done for the most part. 

•There’s a lot of cool visuals. 

•I thought the four main characters worked really well together. 

•The soundtrack was badass. Will definitely add it to my Spotify list. 

•Would I rush out to see this? No. But it’s definitely worth checking out. Get some friends together and go see a matinee. You’ll have fun. 

Cons:

•Maybe it could be because I’m exhausted today, but the movie dragged a bit for me at the beginning. 

•A few of the characters could’ve been a little better developed. 

•As much as I like Ewan McGregor, I didn’t care for him as the main villain here. 

My Rating: 7/10 

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