Stay Home, Watch Movies: a Retrospective 2019 Movie Guide pt. 1
As much as I love the theater-experience, it’s not the time to be moviegoing. Luckily, 2019 was a great movie year. Why not catch up at home?
⚠️ Warning: there’s a lot ahead. This wasn’t written to be read all in one sitting. Skim through, settle where you like, watch a movie and come back to see if you agree, then repeat. No spoilers, so no worries. It’s a guide! ⚠️
I love movies. And I love watching movies at the theater. Obviously, it’s probably not the best time to be moviegoing. Movie theaters are not the most sanitary spaces anyway but confined spaces and big groups are not what you want with fears of COVID-19 outbreaks. Here in the United States, like many places around the world, theaters are closed down for the time being. (save for a few drive in theaters!)
So if you’re going to stream something at home, I think it’s a time as good as any to catch up on movies from last year. The thing is, 2019 was an excellent year for movies. Seriously. Not only did the actual best movie get Best Picture (yes, ironically, this happens to be a surprising occurrence) but all major award nominations had crowded fields of easily deserving masterpieces. Even then, there were still serious snubs!
We got great films from masters at their twilight and from young visionaries. And it’s not just the ‘high-brow’ stuff. We still had an era-closing Marvel movie and a (thankfully) good Pixar movie. 2019 in cinema also had great (and more) stories told by and about people who are not white-hetero-males. There were also still great stories about white-hetero-males!
So as a small public service project, I’m proud to present to you, my personal top-15 list for 2019.
Sure, there’s no shortage of lists for best movies of the year. Admittedly, the movies on my list may not be especially radical. But I think these lists sometimes do a poor job of being convincing. Some are too esoteric or pretentious. Some barely offer a solid hook outside of, “look, famous actor, nominations, buzz!” I’m going to try to be a little more helpful. Here are the three things I’m going to do for you differently:
- Some notes on why you should consider it and what to look out for, and a TL;DR bottom line.
- A review breakdown based on my somewhat novel 12-point rating system.
- Where and when you can stream, rent or buy said movie. For the next month, I’ll try to keep it updated.
My R̶e̶v̶o̶l̶u̶t̶i̶o̶n̶a̶r̶y̶ 12-Point Rating System
If you will humor me for a moment, let me explain the method to the madness. If you’d rather jump to the list, feel free to do so. I think it’s intuitive but in case you want to make sense of it all, here it is. I graded movies that were released in 2019 that I watched based on 6 factors:
- 🎥 Filmmaking: This really has to do with how well-made the movie is. Basically, it involves how good the movie looks and feels, largely thanks to behind-the-camera talent. Cinematography and directing, obviously, but also stunt choreography (criminally overlooked), visual effects, production design, costuming, music and sound may all fall into this.
- 🕺💃 Performances: How good or important was the acting?Sometimes, the performers carry a movie. Other times, a story could transcend its interchangeable role players.
- ✍️ Storytelling: This is about the quality of writing underlying the film’s realization and delivery. How inventive was the story? How gripping or tightly threaded was the plot? Could I keep track of what’s going on? How interesting are the characters? How memorable was the dialog? Was there too much or too little?
- 🤩 Feeling: Was I moved? Did I simply have a good time? Did I feel something dammit!? Some “bad” movies I have a hell of an entertaining time. Some “good” movies, I check my watch. This is where simple gut feeling counts.
- 🔄 Rewatchability: Did I or will I go see it again? Would I own a copy?
Some movies offer more upon second viewing; others lose their luster or are just hard to watch despite their initial impact. - 🤔 Thinking: This one is about my reaction after a movie, sometimes with some distance. There have been several occasions where an initial gut feeling was not great but something about the ideas, decisions, and themes hooked into me. Resonant and expansive ideas triggered by a story can make a movie worth beyond its flaws.
Each of these six factors is a 0–2 point scale. No points mean bad to just average. 1-point is pretty good. 2-points is outstanding.
To put the totals roughly into context:
- 6–7 points: Worth watching but mileage may vary depending on what you are personally into.
- 8–9 points: Generally a solid movie worth anyone’s time.
- 10–11 points: Excellent stuff — you will see me actively campaign for this shit.
- 12 points: Fucking special. Essential viewing.
As you may notice, I think half the points here are concerned with the snooty stuff the critics and hipsters love to harp on. The latter three factors are more subjective but hopefully a little more grounded in simpler but nonetheless real pleasures of watching movies or just stories in general. This way, a thoroughly entertaining yet ostensibly “stupid” movies, pretentious snore-fests and weird risky ventures all have a chance against each other.
Perhaps to illustrate how subjective and unorthodox my list may be, here’s a few that were just shy of making my list and a brief take for each.
- “The Irishman” (7/12): No doubt a work of a master and a treat to see Pacino, Pesci and De Niro together. But I felt the 3.5 hours and don’t imagine myself seeing it again. I would easily recommend seeing “Goodfellas” instead.
- “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” (7/12): I don’t know if this will resonate with anyone who hasn’t grown up with Mr. Rogers. It’s made like a “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” both literally and meta-textually. It’s an episode for today’s jaded adults and makes you miss having wholesome public figures like Fred Rogers.
- “Us” (6/12): There are really awesome parts of Jordan Peele’s sophomore film. It’s so original in its concept and there are wonderful performances. But the ideas were headscratching in not the best way for me. I look forward to his next effort.
- “Toy Story 4” (6/12): Didn’t want it to happen until I saw it and was convinced otherwise. I liked it; it was a good conclusion (like let’s keep it that way). But let’s be real, it was good enough but not the best in the quadrilogy.
- “Ford v. Ferrari” (6/12): What a “dad” movie… but in a good way! If you think cars are cool, I think it’s a minimal-fuss good time. A good sound system will help. Pretty run-of-the-mill sports story but with the charms of Damon and Bale.
- “Joker” (6/12): I personally think it was neither so good nor so bad to warrant the controversy it got. I think its strength is in its brute wild force it channels. However, it is not as smart and controlled as it thinks it is. Still worth a watch.
Also, mind that I’ve not seen every movie. So this is by no means an exhaustive rundown.
Below, you will find a descending list. In this article I present my picks 15–11. You can find the Top 10, here. Now, without further ado, on to the list!
[Skip to the Top 10.]
15. “Jojo Rabbit” (7/12)
What you need to know
Brought to you by the guy that made probably one of the best MCU movies and definitely the funniest: Taika Waititi of “Thor: Ragnarok.” There seems to be a one-franchise-hit-for-you-one-pet-project-for-me deal in Hollywood. Waititi got his blank check and cashed it in for a… Hitler movie with Wes Anderson vibes? There was curious excitement and anxious pitchfork-gripping leading up to this. It all turned out ok.
Notably, Scarlett Johansson deservedly got a supporting actress Oscar nomination on this and Waititi won Best Adapted Screenplay. Jojo and his best friend are also just as incredibly adorable as they seem in the trailer. If you have a moment, check them out having a golly ol’ time at the Oscars. (Good boys just damn well glad to be there. Heartwarming stuff.)
Director+Screenwriter: Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok, Hunt for the Wilderpeople)
Starring: Roman Griffin Davis, Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow of MCU, Marriage Story, Lucy, Her, Lost in Translation), Taika Waititi, Archie Yates, Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Vice, Iron Man 2), Thomasin McKenzie
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Coming-of-age
Ratings:
- 🎥 Filmmaking: I think the Wes-Andersonesque whimsy in a Hitler Youth setting worried people but overall I think it goes over pretty well. Waititi’s tonal control makes distinctions about what he’s satirizing and what he’s calling sympathy for pretty clear. There’s some quirky choices here and there and some work and some don’t. These attempts may be imperfect but he’s trying and I think it’s what makes Waititi interesting to see. (1/2)
- 🕺💃 Performances: Jojo (Davis), especially when he’s with his pal Yorki (Yates) is a joy. It’s nice getting charming young actors. Scarlet Johansson is the real star here I think. She’s enchantingly charming and has one of my most memorable single scenes of the year. The ridiculous bombast works for some but not all, however. Rockwell, good. Rebel Wilson, not good. Waititi as Hitler, 🤷🏻♂️. Mixed bag but great where it counts. (1/2)
- ✍️ Storytelling: Not to be a big knock on this but I don’t know if it deserved to win Best Adapted Screenplay given the competition. Nonetheless, I do think it succeeds in balancing a childlike innocence with a grimmer more worn eye. The gags were a mixed bag but a few were really good. (1/2)
- 🤩 Feeling: Despite what I said above, I’m a bit of a sucker for a good amount of whimsy. And just when I was settled in, a major gut punch struck out of nowhere. And, man, I felt it. (2/2)
- 🔄 Rewatchability: Not sure if I’m looking to revisit the entire movie. However, a few key scenes I could come back to again and again. Also, Jojo and Yorki compilations, I’m all for. (1/2)
- 🤔 Thinking: Beyond the obvious after-school-special type moral here, I do think Waititi wants to implore a certain sympathy for the ordinary impressionable young. Despite the ostentatious Nazis, I believe he also seeks to illustrate the sheer banality of evil. (1/2)
Bottom Line:
It’s sweet and charming, just a little ludicrous and at times heart-jerking. All around it’s approachable and a fun time. You’ll be glad you came for Scarlett stopping by to show she’s here to own 2019 again, and Archie Yates is a bonafide scene stealer of fatal adorability.
Stream/Buy/Rent:
Rent or buy at Amazon, iTunes, YouTube, Google Play, and Vudu.
14. “Dolemite is My Name” (7/12)
What you need to know
This biopic is based on the life of the larger-than-life blaxploitation icon Rudy Ray Moore. I’m not fully equipped to explain the history. But for reference, a simplified explanation: First, exploitation movies refer to basically low-budget B-movies made hastily to “exploit” passing trends and niche genres and will often be simplistically provocative to garner attention. Blaxploitation is essentially a subgenre of this, where “low-quality” films are made for the “niche” (as it was considered at the time) of black moviegoers. While there’s issues in its history like perpetuating negative stereotypes or sexual violence, it was significant in being some of the first opportunities for minorities to be protagonists or to make films. Moore’s films were among the most celebrated and definitive.
One other key thing is this is somewhat of a major return for the living legend comedian Eddie Murphy. An American icon and once a prolific performer with roles in the 80s and 90s especially that defined a generation, he had been living a low key life in this past decade. This movie seemed to signal a return to form and was highly anticipated.
Director: Craig Brewer
Starring: Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls, Shrek, Dr. Dolittle, Mulan, Coming to America, Beverly Hills Cop, Trading Places), Wesley Snipes (Blade, White Men Can’t Jump), Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele, Toy Story 4, Keanu)
Genre: Biopic, Comedy
Ratings:
- 🎥 Filmmaking: For the most part, the shooting of the movie is pretty standard stuff but I give that extra point for the costuming. The talent behind it is none other than Oscar winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter who was behind Black Panther. Fantastically colorful and fun to see. (1/2)
- 🕺💃 Performances: Eddie Murphy is back! And man is he so gloriously himself! He as a character somehow simultaneously almost overpowers but also impressionistically exudes the character of Rudy Ray Moore. It’s a curious thing but an unmitigated delight to behold. There’s a colorful assortment of supporting characters and several funny cameo bit parts (e.g. Snoop Dogg!) and most notable is the hilariously exasperated straight-man Wesley Snipes. (2/2)
- ✍️ Storytelling: Structurally and thematically, it’s pretty straightforward and not particularly special. Nonetheless, the real life source material is so larger-than-life, and almost too crazy to be made up that going by the manual is enough to let the audaciousness fly free. I learned later that the one movie they shoot in the film takes moments from two of Moore’s films and I think that was executed well to good effect. (1/2)
- 🤩 Feeling: I was vaguely aware of blaxploitation as a genre and of the character Dolemite. But it’s practically foreign to me so it was a fascinating and hilarious journey to learn about Rudy Ray Moore. You sort of wonder where the edge between reality and interpretation is, but they could hardly be making all this up. (2/2)
- 🔄 Rewatchability: Some scenes with Murphy are just comedy gold. So if it’s on I don’t doubt I’ll stick around for those. A good pick-up movie to have in the back pocket some day. (1/2)
- 🤔 Thinking: There was some wonder about where the adpatation and true history lies but that’s as far as the thinking went for me. (0/2)
Bottom Line:
There’s a pure wow factor to stories that are all about real life that was stranger than fiction and there’s plenty here. Eddie Murphy with his charms at full blast is an unbridled pleasure and the humor in the sheer ludicrousness of bringing Dolemite to life is a testament to Moore’s powerful legacy.
Stream/Buy/Rent:
Stream exclusively on Netflix.
13. “Extreme Job (극한직업)” (7/12)
What you need to know
In case it isn’t obvious to you, it’s a Korean movie. It’s a pretty wild police comedy and I really don’t want to divulge much else about it. I would even encourage that you completely ignore the trailer if you can. If you don’t understand Korean, I can’t speak for how the verbal jokes will land to you in all cases (especially if they downplay the cussing). I don’t recall the quality of the subtitles either. However, I think if you give it chance it will nonetheless be rewarding. I think there’s enough here that doesn’t need a lot of contextual translating and anyone could enjoy the ludicrousness. A lot of the gags are situational and visual, anyway. If you like the new Jump Street movie, I think you’ll enjoy this one.
Director: Lee Byeong-heon (Twenty[스물], Be Melodramatic [멜로가 체질])
Starring: Ryu Seung-ryong (Kingdom, Miracle in Cell №7 [7번방의 선물], The Admiral: Roaring Currents [명량], Masquerade [광해, 왕이 된 남자]), Lee Hanee, Jin Sun-kyu, Lee Dong-hwi (Reply, 1988 [응답하라 1988]), Gong Myung
Genre: Comedy, Action
Ratings:
- 🎥 Filmmaking: Director Lee has developed an identifiable style at this point and I think it’s fairly unique in the Korean scene. It’s energetic, stylized and unafraid to be ridiculous. I think even in the silliness there’s occasionally signs of ingenuity and sense for timing. There’s also such a crazy blend of genres. There’s an undeniable brilliance to Lee. (1/2)
- 🕺💃 Performances: The main narcotics team has great chemistry, and while a bit overboard at times, I think they really just own it. Main star Ryu Seung-ryong is the bumbling leader here but, if you’ve seen other things from him like the Netflix series “Kingdom” you know the man has got range. In a way I think he uses extreme contrasts in his image to play up the comedy. Jin Sun-kyu as the inadvertent cook is just great the whole way through. (1/2)
- ✍️ Storytelling: Yo, the premise to this story is WILD. I found it and its execution absolutely hilarious. Especially since I did not see it coming. It’s some SNL sketch level situational comedy. You get the right sort of “WTF?”s for the most part and it’s a manic delight. The end is a bit contrived and gimmicky, but by that point you’ll forgive it. (1/2)
- 🤩 Feeling: I went into this not knowing a goddamn thing about this movie, other than that it starred Ryu Seung-ryong and maybe had something to do with cops. Again, that dude is also mostly known for his imposing dramatic roles. I was in for one hell of a surprise. And oh my god, I genuinely lost it a couple times in this. Just wild. Wild! I had a good time. (2/2)
- 🔄 Rewatchability: I’m just waiting to see this again. I know it won’t be as good the second time but some gags just worked for me. I(2/2)
- 🤔 Thinking: NGL, it’s mostly a well-executed but not challenging comedy. Although, the cop movie/show convention of the “front” being played in glorious double-whammy irony was just nicely done and I think about that some times lol. (0/2)
Bottom Line:
How can I sell this to a potentially reluctant audience without divulging its most critical jokes! UGH! Look, I only have two straight-up comedies on this list. I can only hope that means something. Think of it this way: it’s the Jump Street sequel you wanted except this is the “Korean shit” Korean Jesus was busy with.
Stream/Buy/Rent:
Buy/rent on Amazon, YouTube, Google Play, iTunes and OnDemandKorea.
12. “The Farewell” (7/12)
What you need to know
This story is loosely based off of director and screenwriter Lulu Wang’s own IRL experiences lying to her terminally ill grandmother. In fact, they shot this in her real grandmother’s town and her great-aunt actually played “herself.” They tried to keep it a secret from the grandmother in question, too. The story first took form as an episode of celebrated radio show and podcast “This American Life” on WBEZ/NPR before being picked up to get turned into a movie and riding a wave of praise from Sundance Film Festival. The coming together of this film itself is a delightful story… but I digress.
Anyway, many of us in the Asian American community have been waiting for something to follow “Crazy Rich Asians.” Who would’ve thought a mostly-Mandarin indie comedy-drama featuring Awkwafina in a dramatic Golden Globe winning role would be a major second stride? In some ways it speaks more to a genuine facet of Asian Americanness than CRA ever delved into. Also, ultimately it’s nice to get “high-brow” acclaim to follow the pop extravagance of the last landmark.
Director+Screenwriter: Lulu Wang
Starring: Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians, Ocean’s 8), Tzi Ma, Shuzhen Zhao
Genre: Comedy-Drama
Ratings:
- 🎥 Filmmaking: For the most part, the cinematography and visual tone does well to delicately handle both the somber and idiosyncratic. However there were also a few noticeably intentioned choices that fell short for me. (1/2)
- 🕺💃 Performances: If you thought Awkwafina was little beyond her brash and sassy Queens persona, she presents a nice surprise here. I think she brings authenticity to the role and she bounces off well with Zhao (Nai Nai) but I wish she was allowed to play a little more. Speaking of, Shuzhen Zhao is an absolute delight. You’ll feel her warmth and kindness beyond the subtitles.(1/2)
- ✍️ Storytelling: The premise from the get-go is refreshing and compelling. Having once seen the world with whether something would be a good feature story, a get why the story fell well into This American Life. The quiet and tender family moments, not only around Nai Nai but between different family members were lovely. I wish I saw more of Billi’s identity before these events, though. Also the intergenerational tensions seemed subdued and retrained to the point of borderline suppression and hesitation from the writer. I wish it was a little bolder with the intergenerational tensions in the family, even if staying mum is a part of the premise. (1/2)
- 🤩 Feeling: I expected to have a nice catharthic bawl in this. I know many who got hit straight in the feels in this movie. I wasn’t one of them. In retrospect, I think my expectations were unfairly set. I think it didn’t quite strike me as hard as I wanted it to because of cultural specificity. More on this later. What I did relate to was the second-generation American experience and perspective when it comes to relating to the motherland and extended family. (1/2)
- 🤔 Thinking: Back to being underwhelmed. It got me thinking about why. I come to conclusion that because we get so few Asian American stories in movie theaters that I treasure any morsel of Pan-Asian experience. It’s partially why the Asian American community championed “Crazy Rich Asians” sooo hard. We finally got a pretty good one, and we want to make that one fucking count. Well, maybe we can afford a bit of luxury of cultural specificity. I must have not gotten the memo. Was it on Subtle Asian Traits? I kid, but realizing that maybe I don’t have to cling and hope to be spoken to with every damn Asian American story. Maybe I chill out a bit and can relate to the Chinese American experience like I might another immigrant movie, like the first and second “Godfather.” Maybe I can see an Asian face and enjoy the fascination of authentic perspective instead of hoping to spoken to.(2/2)
- 🔄 Rewatchability: And so despite not having gotten the experience I wanted seeing this first time, I look forward to the second time I come around to this. Not in a huge rush, but when it presents itself, I’ll go in to it the right way. (1/2)
Bottom Line:
There are some rough edges to this but I think it is generally a delightful, unique story. I think either as an observer or as someone with some intersectionality with the film’s perspective you’ll all find the specific and the universal to be invested in.
Stream/Buy/Rent:
Currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video (also available for rent or purchase).
Buy or rent on iTunes, YouTube, Google Play, and Vudu.
11. “Avengers: Endgame” (7/12)
What you need to know
Is there really anything here to explain? If you didn’t keep up with the MCU, the hype may likely not resonate. If you did, I’m preaching to the choir. Assuming you haven’t, I don’t think it’s too late to try, and now is a good time as any, right? That’ll make a Disney+ subscription worth it, that’s for sure. Join us on the journey. It’s a marvelous (😜) end of an era.
Director: Anthony Russo & Joe Russo (aka Russo Bros.: Avengers Infinity War, Captain America: Civil War, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Community, Arrested Development)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd, Karen Gillan… and more
Genre: Action-Adventure, Sci-fi, Superhero/Comic
Ratings:
- 🎥 Filmmaking: We rarely talk about producers but let’s hand it to the masterminds behind getting and keeping top-billing actors to build the killer squad to go on a championship run. It’s like how great pop songs have its own stroke of genius that become clear in the face of dizzying failures, not only in Marvel’s competitor DC but it’s House of Mouse mate Star Wars. Even GoT fumbled a landing and forever tarnished its grand legacy. This shit ain’t easy! The house Kevin Feige and his people made deserves props, even if it’s not “cinema” per se. (1/2)
- 🕺💃 Performances: It’s a distributed effort but the core founding members fill their decade-long roles like a glove (👀) now. There’s some great great moments they fucking sell and let’s not diminish that just because it’s not high-brow drama. (1/2)
- ✍️ Storytelling: Lest we forget this is actually a post-apocalytic film. As much as we can be flippant about these genre flicks, there’s a number of genres (sci-fi, time-travel, heist, action epic, dystopian/disaster) being interwoven and immense amounts of universe canon to juggle. And the payoff moments (🔨)are some of the franchise’s best. It’s a feat, man. (1/2)
- 🤩 Feeling: I literally said “fuck yeah” during the movie. People cheered and clapped. It’s real. (2/2)
- 🔄 Rewatchability: I saw this twice. I’ll come back. In fact, writing about it makes me want to go back, maybe double-feature it straight from Infinity War. (2/2)
- 🤔 Thinking: There’s low key a culmination of the crisscrossing personal character arcs of Steve Rogers and Tony Stark. But aside from that, we’re not really here to think too much especially when there’s timetravel shenanigans. (0/2)
Bottom Line:
If you’re one to see it, I bet you already have. If not, maybe give the MCU binge a shot. A satisfying ending is a rarity these days.
Stream/Buy/Rent:
Streaming on Disney+
Rent or buy on Amazon, Apple TV, YouTube, Google Play, and Vudu
That’s it for now. Please continue browsing through the rest of my list, here. A few you can look forward to: “1917,” “Booksmart,” “Little Women,” and of course, “Parasite.”
