1.
Monos - Incredible film about child soldiers who are also going through typical teenager issues. From the get go, the language is odd, their tasks are odd, and their interactions gives this a vibe of a different surreal world. In that way, it reminded me of how recontextualised the world was in
Dogtooth and
The Lobster. The cinematography is breathtaking, almost on the level of
Embrace Of The Serpent. It's been compared to
Lords of the Flies,
Aguirre, and
Apocalypse Now, but has its own bucolic/hellish take on war being inescapable strengthened by the ending.
2.
Portrait Of A Lady On Fire
"I feel something new. Regret."
"Don't regret. Remember."
Noemie and Adele are stunning, going from suspicion and tension to trust, passion, and regret effortlessly. While lesbian romances on film are abound especially on streaming platforms, Celine Sciamma provides a gentle and respectful eye compared to the exploitative and gratuitous eye in other French films of recent. Unlike the pop-influenced frenzy of her previous film
Girlhood, there is only one critical song here and barely any score probably in an effort to focus squarely on the duo's performances. There's something filmic about green dresses that directors are pouncing on as I noticed when I saw
Long Day's Journey Into Night, another arthouse film about memories. The climax is stirring and bittersweet, bearing on callbacks and a line of dialogue with the final painting and the final zoom shot into a face's transformation that is bound to be one of the most unforgettable final shots. Don't miss this splendour.
3.
Parasite
Perfect blend of high-brow metaphorical cinematography, class politics, and satisfying thriller genre exercise of twists. Best ensemble cast of the year. Along with
Moonlight, made for rare years where the best nominated films won.
4.
Uncut Gems
Brilliant, often laugh out loud hilarious, and anxiety-inducing thrill ride throughout with even fewer moments of respite than the previous
Good Time. Characters shouting at each other, the overwhelming Daniel Lopatin music returns, and Adam Sandler's Howard Ratner who's a NY jeweller is just booking it everywhere to get away from his debt collectors.
Adam Sandler is in peak restless mode and though his range isn't as wide as in
Punch Drunk Love, this is one of his best performances even if he's an unreliable asshole who deserves MOST of what he's getting. All the other characters telling him to calm down becomes a running gag and it feels like almost a homage to all the other rage monsters he's played before.
Socially and thematically, this is different from previous Safdie joints in the way that it's more about the rich and famous rather than the working class but there's still a lot of class intersection which exemplifies New York City itself. Despite Howard not being a good person, since most of the running screen time is focused on him, I couldn't help but pity and then even root for him. These are all really well realised, lived-in characters and the verisimilitude is so good that just following this Machiavellian world is fascinating.
Safdie bros are 3 for 3 now!
5.
Ad Astra
Deeply intimate, beautiful, and humanistic space science fiction focused on the strained relationship between a father and son and taking cues from
Apocalypse Now, solidifying the best of what this genre can do. Brad Pitt's character letting go is one of the most poignant and heart-wrenching moments of a film in 2019.
6.
I Lost My Body
An initially silly and surreal premise gives way to the best animated film of 2019. The magic realism of a disembodied hand going on tiny adventures ends up being more satisfying as a film about loss and subversion of the meet cute between a poor French Arab boy and a punk-looking librarian girl. There are visually poetic moments and my favourite is when the hand is flying via an umbrella and the chaotic traffic's lights make it spin enough to transition to stars and astronaut aspirations. The connection between the hand and the owner and then the separation is sold very vividly, very much like a sentimental pets movie if they focused on the tactile nature of the relationship. There are many shots of Naoufel's hands either holding sand, playing the piano, or in general opening and closing. When the magic of a living hand is given the opportunity to reconnect, the tragic reality is gut-wrenching.
7.
The Farewell
Achingly relatable study of family dynamics and structures with the theme of denial around illness. Nora Lum (Awkwafina) and director Lulu Wang deserve way more recognition for their work here.
8.
The Lighthouse
Stunningly shot, darkly funny, horror about boredom with career best performances from Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson which will leave you with unforgettably surreal and haunting images.
9.
Long Day's Journey Into Night
"Living in the past is what's scary, not mudslides."
For fans of slow, sleepy cinema like Andrei Tarkovsky, Lav Diaz, Bela Tarr, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul or even stunning cinematography like Wong Kar Wai films, this sleepy non-linear noir can still be a daunting challenge. Abandon all ye who enter with hopes of coherent plots, character motivations, or continuity. Majority of the shots before the infamous hour-long one-take range from 30s to 5min. Most of the characters aside from the mains are in sleepy states, much like Apichatpong's
Cemetery Of Splendour. Going to sleep during this film at a cinema would actually be appropriate since that's what literally happens to the main character at the 79min mark, which leads to the late title drop (as if signifying this is when the film truly begins) and him going into his dream world for the hour-long, surreal and playful odyssey. The non-linearity doesn't help viewing comprehension either, with sometimes the main character being shown at different ages or two characters looking very similar, so you're not sure exactly who you're following now, which is probably why comparisons have been made to another Apichatpong feature,
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, and it brought to my mind
Last Year At Marienbad,
Certified Copy, and
3 Women where character identity is fluid and dream-like.
If there was a more engaging first half, I could fully recommend this trippy, sleepy odyssey to anyone but the film truly wakes up in the second half so bear that in mind. Even if you end up hating it or label it as pretentious, don't sleep on it. Or do, just while you're watching it.
10.
High Life
Claire Denis' psychosexual space science fiction really goes places thanks to Juliette Binoche's mad doctor character which is juxtaposed with Robert Pattinson's sweet-natured fatherhood in the worst of circumstances. Not to be missed if you're a fan of Cronenberg.
Special mentions:
High Flying Bird
Soderbergh put out this basketball drama with little fanfare but it deserves recognition for its naturalistic dialogue thanks to Tarell Alvin McCraney's razor-sharp screenplay, truth to power in relation to NBA's strained racial politics, and Andre Holland (
The Knick, Moonlight) getting to shine all out. His recent efforts have been spotty but this alongside
Logan Lucky is his best films since the incredible dilogy
Che.
Knives Out
The most fun film of the year.
Bait
Much like
The Lighthouse, this black and white film set in a Cornwall fishing village about gentrification really commits to the silent era with artefacts on the screen and stilted editing for post-synched dialogue. For how much of a Bressonian technical throwback this is, it's very much a contemporary and relevant British story that was rightfully awarded the best debut by BAFTA for Mark Jenkin.
Marriage Story
Despite Laura Dern's distractingly similar character from her role in
Big Little Lies, this is Noah Baumbach back on his best form with his panache for dysfunctional, argumentative domesticity.
