2018 Top
Listing personal favourites from the year 2018
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- DirectorAlfonso CuarónStarsYalitza AparicioMarina de TaviraDiego Cortina AutreyA year in the life of a middle-class family's maid in Mexico City in the early 1970s.Beautiful in the every sense of it. A modern classic. // Absolutely gorgeous in every sense of it. I love the observatory camera and the lack of cuts so that the actors are given room to perform. I simply can not fathom that this is Yalitza Aparicios debut as an actress as her performance is one of the most personally impactful performances I have ever witnessed.
- DirectorAlex GarlandStarsNatalie PortmanJennifer Jason LeighTessa ThompsonA biologist signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition into a mysterious zone where the laws of nature don't apply.A truly masterful script with great directing. There are some flaws like awkward dialogue but the wonderful tone and ideas make it an unforgettable experience.
- DirectorBo HuStarsYu ZhangYuchang PengUvin WangFour people in a Chinese city live through a complicated day as their lives intersect.An Elephant Sitting Still proved to be a really difficult film for me to approach. After seeing the film, I decided to sleep on it before writing down my thoughts in case my mind would have cleared a bit regarding the film. For those that don't know, the director of the film committed suicide shortly after finishing the film. I was aware of this before seeing the film and this certainly affected my viewing experience. Constantly throughout the film I found myself subconsciously trying to draw parallels between the film and its director. The issue is that I couldn't distance the film from the context surrounding the film and as an effect, I have no idea how this film would have worked on me without the context. Saying this feels disrespectful for the film and its makers but that's how I feel.
About the film then. It's the bleakest 4 hours I have gone through. Tonally it's exactly as miserable from minute one to minute 234. The pacing of the film is slow and the film takes place over the course of one day (I think). It's a color film but 90% of the colors are different shades of gray. The camera is relentlessly following the characters close behind them from a low angle. As an effect, most of the outdoor shots are backlit by the sky. Usually the sky feels liberating. In Elephant Sitting Still, the foggy sky feels like an oppressive dome that extends into the horizon: there is no escaping. There are barely any cuts in the film and when the film cuts, it usually moves to another scene. As an effect, following the characters so relentlessly from close behind and with a low depth of field ensuring that the background is more or less unfocused, it started feeling rather suffocating and claustrophobic. I'm not sure if there are any moments in which one of the main characters is not on screen, there can't be many anyways. Even when there is significant action happening around the characters, the camera refuses to move away from them. This gives the main characters a lot of responsibility as they have to reflect the emotion to the viewer. And I think all of the main actors/actress do a great job. As I said earlier, it's a 4 hour film with nothing but misery. Conceptually that sounds almost unbearable. But maybe the absolute commitment to this one tone in all aspects of the film is the reason why I was mostly engaged throughout. It feels ridiculous to say, but the misery starts feeling oddly comfortable(?) as the film goes on. Maybe what's comforting about it is the idea of a shared experience, something that the film portrays with its four main characters, everyone suffers no matter who you are. Everyone, at some point of their lives, has the desire to go and see the elephant sitting still. - DirectorBi GanStarsTang WeiJue HuangSylvia ChangA man went back to Guizhou, found the tracks of a mysterious woman. He recalls the summer he spent with her twenty years ago.
- DirectorRyûsuke HamaguchiStarsMasahiro HigashideErika KarataSairi ItôAsako lives in Osaka. She falls in love with Baku, a free-spirit. One day, Baku suddenly disappears. Two years later, Asako now lives in Tokyo and meets Ryohei. He looks just like Baku, but has a completely different personality.I'm not sure if any other scene has surprised me like that scene. And I'm not entirely sure what to think about that scene because it's so absurd compared to the rest of the film. I wasn't quite sure of the implications of that scene either, but thankfully Sean Burdett's fantastic write-up shed some light onto it. Yeah, I don't have anything else to say, I feel quite exhausted
- DirectorJosephine DeckerStarsHelena HowardMolly ParkerMiranda JulyA theatre director's latest project takes on a life of its own when her young star takes her performance too seriously.What an experience. There was not a single moment where I was not invested. The performances are so incredible, especially Helena Howard and I CAN NOT believe it’s her first movie. The whole thing has this awkward energy to it and it just made me realize that I’m way too insecure to ever do acting, it made me respect the art so much more. I also love the vibrant editing, the super intimate and blurry cinematography and also the directing for making it all feel so dynamic and oddly realistic. I’m not entirely sure about the ending yet, so that’s why it’s not a 10/10 yet.
- DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsTim Blake NelsonWillie WatsonClancy BrownSix tales of life and violence in the Old West, following a singing gunslinger, a bank robber, a traveling impresario, an elderly prospector, a wagon train, and a perverse pair of bounty hunters.Multiple short stories, some more interesting than others but the way the all relate to one another is great. //
Some stories are more interesting than others, but all of them are certainly entertaining. The directing is so good that pretty much every character is relatable or entertaining with minimal exposition. I think the filmmakers used the narrative decision to have plenty of seemingly unrelated stories very well by all of them handling similar themes in drastic tones. It's also just very nice to look and listen to as the technical qualities are top notch. - DirectorBarry JenkinsStarsKiKi LayneStephan JamesRegina KingA young woman embraces her pregnancy while she and her family set out to prove her childhood friend and lover innocent of a crime he didn't commit.So spectacular visually. My own expectations held it down a bit, but I'm sure i'll enjoy it even more on a re-watch. /// Everything about it is just so incredibly beautiful: The score, the cinematography, the acting and perhaps above all, the editing. So many of the scenes are just so beautifully put together. I found it interesting and admirable how a story like this could have been very aggressive tonally but instead, is quite quiet and calm.
- DirectorBoots RileyStarsLaKeith StanfieldTessa ThompsonJermaine FowlerIn an alternate present-day version of Oakland, telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success, propelling him into a universe of greed.The idea behind it is wonderful and entertaining throughout. I feel like it was slightly under lit as the colors were really beautiful and even more quirky style would have benefited it even more. I feel like some important scenes may have been edited out and as a consequence the narrative doesn't feel like it flows smoothly. The performances were great.
- DirectorBo BurnhamStarsElsie FisherJosh HamiltonEmily RobinsonAn introverted teenage girl tries to survive the last week of her disastrous eighth grade year before leaving to start high school.What this movie does extremely well is understand its main character and portray her in a way that I felt was mostly incredibly authentic. Mostly, because some of the more comedic scenes involving her did feel slightly disingenuous to me. This is due to the script and more than anything, Elsie Fishers performance. That being said, I was feeling extremely anxious throughout the film and the sense of slight relief at the end felt deserved. The only parts I disliked were the attempts at comedy.
- DirectorBob PersichettiPeter RamseyRodney RothmanStarsShameik MooreJake JohnsonHailee SteinfeldTeen Miles Morales becomes the Spider-Man of his universe and must join with five spider-powered individuals from other dimensions to stop a threat for all realities.Superb animating. The characters are funny and the idea of having multiple versions of the same characters is smart. // Audio-visual splendor, especially in the action scenes. Some of the scenes I find very funny, others not funny at all.
- DirectorDamien ChazelleStarsRyan GoslingClaire FoyJason ClarkeA look at the life of the astronaut, Neil Armstrong, and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969.I don't watch a lot of biopic's because from what I have seen, most of them are safe and calculated and their sole purpose is to milk money under the name of a famous person. When First Man was released, it received heaps of criticism for the decision not to include the planting of the flag of USA. The reason for this omission was not political, but because the film decided to take an unusual approach for such a film.
First Man is an odd film considering just how deeply personal it feels while being about a real man not involved in the production of the film. The film is not at all interested in just recounting events that happened in the life of Armstrong, but uses Armstrong as a vehicle to explore themes of tragedy, reason and obsession as a coping mechanism. I understand if this approach is seen as pretentious, but to me, on a conceptual level, the approach is extremely novel. And luckily the film doesn't only fascinate me on a conceptual level as the craft behind the film is just marvelous. In the scenes taking place at earth, I love how the lighting and set design contribute to the slightly melancholy mood. And in space, how the contrast in sound design and editing allows me to feel what the characters are going through. The scenes that take place in moon stunned me on the first viewing and nothing changed on the second viewing.
As I mentioned earlier, the film doesn't include the planting of the flag. That is because the planting of the flag has nothing to do with what the film is attempting to explore. However, especially in the first act, there are some scenes that are to be expected from films such as this, but which add little to none in terms of the narrative of the film. Such scenes naturally make me enjoy the film less. But the film is concise enough for me to enjoy it. - DirectorPeter FarrellyStarsViggo MortensenMahershala AliLinda CardelliniA working-class Italian-American bouncer becomes the driver for an African-American classical pianist on a tour of venues through the 1960s American South.Both main characters are enjoyable and the humour is great. Predictable plot holds it down a bit. // Viggo Mortensen especially is so enjoyable for me in this role. I also really liked the vintage look and pastelcolors of it. It's a bit too preachy and unoriginal in the way it delivers its message.
- DirectorJimmy ChinElizabeth Chai VasarhelyiStarsAlex HonnoldTommy CaldwellJimmy ChinAlex Honnold faces the biggest challenge of his career, climbing El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. He pursues it Free Solo, which means climbing without a rope and alone.The opening shot of this film was pretty spectacular. And so is the whole concept of what he is doing. He seems to treat his girlfriend quite poorly and there doesn’t seem to be much indication why Sanni likes him so much apart from his honesty and weirdness. I think some opinions are repeated too many times when we already know enouh about what they think about a particular thing and some other topics could have been discussed more. I really like how it was clear how dangerous and absurd and groundbreaking the climb was. In the end, I didn’t really connect with Alex although I could understand him but the absurdity and the glimpses into the mind of someone voluntarily facing death and those around him made it a good watch.
- DirectorÁlvaro BrechnerStarsAntonio de la TorreChino DarínAlfonso Tort1973. Uruguay is governed by a military dictatorship. One autumn night, three Tupamaro prisoners are taken from their jail cells in a secret military operation. The order is precise: "As we can't kill them, let's drive them mad."It experiments a lot to make the movie feel interesting which I appreciate a lot. The performances are great and so is the cinematography. The lenght of it was a bit too much for me on the first viewing.
- DirectorMarja-Lewis RyanStarsAbbi JacobsonDave FrancoCharlotte CarelA woman (Jacobson) learns her brother (Franco) has relapsed on heroin.Super difficult to find anything to enjoy about it. It is so raw and feels so disgusting that it really has a punch. The visualization of the drowning perhaps felt a bit unnecessary.
- DirectorTamara JenkinsStarsKathryn HahnPaul GiamattiGabrielle ReidAn author is undergoing multiple fertility therapies to get pregnant, putting her relationship with her husband on edge.A movie that I could appreciate even though the subject matter made it hard to relate to. Suberbly acted and very funny.
- DirectorJulian SchnabelStarsWillem DafoeRupert FriendOscar IsaacA look at the life of painter Vincent van Gogh during the time he lived in Arles and Auvers-sur-Oise, France.Quite unique visually and great performance from Dafoe, ultimately left me wanting for more.
- DirectorJun'ichi FujiseTomoyuki ItamuraMasaharu TomodaStarsMahiro TakasugiLynnYukiyo FujiiA high school student discovers one of his classmates, Sakura Yamauchi, is suffering from a terminal illness. This secret brings the two together, as she lives out her final moments.
- DirectorMorgan NevilleStarsAlan CummingPeter BogdanovichOja KodarIn the final fifteen years of the life of legendary director Orson Welles, he pins his Hollywood comeback hopes on a film, The Other Side of the Wind (2018), in itself a film about an aging film director trying to finish his last great movie.Interesting documentary about a very interesting man and his interesting project.
- DirectorRyan CooglerStarsChadwick BosemanMichael B. JordanLupita Nyong'oT'Challa, heir to the hidden but advanced kingdom of Wakanda, must step forward to lead his people into a new future and must confront a challenger from his country's past.Pretty decent superhero movie that gives the viewer *something* to chew on. Still quite cliched and some awful CGI in some scenes.
- DirectorLee Chang-dongStarsYoo Ah-inSteven YeunJeon Jong-seoJong-su bumps into a girl who used to live in the same neighborhood, who asks him to look after her cat while she's on a trip to Africa. When back, she introduces Ben, a mysterious guy she met there, who confesses his secret hobby.Burning is unlike any of the other three films from director Lee Chang-Dong I’ve seen. In fact, it’s quite unlike from anything I’ve seen. Going in by not really knowing anything about it, it was an interesting experience to say the least.
The first half of the film is a romantic drama of sorts. Lee Jong-su begins a relationship with a woman, Shin Hae-mi, whom he knew growing up. Then she goes for a trip to Africa where she meets Ben and when they return to Korea, the three of them have a complicated relationship. This part of the film was edited so smoothly and the slight sense of mystery made it feel almost ethereal. I was really enjoying it and I was extremely curious where the film would go. Quite suddenly, after Shin Hae-mi disappears, the film turns into a mystery thriller. The film focuses a lot more on Lee Jong-su alone as he tries to unravel the mystery and I think this made the film lose a lot of momentum, because my connection to Lee Jong-su wasn’t strong enough. The mystery itself is fine, although the last part of the film didn’t resonate with me on an emotional level, which was a shame. My thoughts about the themes of the film are too scattered and vague to come up with anything cohesive. - DirectorChristopher McQuarrieStarsTom CruiseHenry CavillVing RhamesEthan Hunt and his IMF team, along with some familiar allies, race against time after a mission gone wrong.Simply put: The action scenes are incredible, the rest of it is dull. Why does this movie have to be so long? The characters are all shallow and the whole movie incredibly formulaic. Some of the twists are actually surprising but not all. Also, the viewer is forced let go of their suspension of disbelief in a way that is not rewarding. As I said, the action scenes are superb, although the constant aspect ratio switching is quite annoying.
- DirectorYorgos LanthimosStarsOlivia ColmanEmma StoneRachel WeiszIn early 18th-century England, the status quo at the court is upset when a new servant arrives and endears herself to a frail Queen Anne.The cinematography is quite interesting and draws attention to itself but after first viewing, I didn’t attach any meaning to it. The movie looks very nice, however. The use of music is rather interesting and experimental. The performances of the three woman leads are all excellent. I found the Queen’s character incredibly interesting and relatable and would have wanted to like the movie more than I did.
- DirectorSteven Caple Jr.StarsMichael B. JordanSylvester StalloneTessa ThompsonUnder the tutelage of Rocky Balboa, newly crowned heavyweight champion Adonis Creed faces off against Viktor Drago, the son of Ivan Drago.Quite formulaic fighting movie that makes the viewer feel the punches.