Top 5 2019 Films
By Austin Johnson
Of course, I have to do a Top 5 for the past year in film. I’m very pleased with how many films I enjoyed in 2019. We saw some legendary directors release timeless films and the quality of superhero films has never been higher. I have enjoyed the balance of big budget films and smaller unique films. It’s nice to see both coexist and it’s nice to have the artists that we do making new things whether it be Todd Philips take on one of the most legendary fictional characters to ever exist or Lulu Wang making a film that combines Chinese and American cultures in the most heartfelt way. 2019 was good to us, so let’s talk about a few.
5.) Uncut Gems
“Jews and colon cancer. What's up with that?
I thought we were the chosen people.” |
Uncut Gems is literally built for fans like myself. We got Adam Sandler starring as Howard Ratner and Kevin Garnett playing himself in an intense gambling film involving a rare stone that contains all the colors under the sun. Adam Sandler had a run in the 90’s that still stands today, cementing him into the Hall of Fame of comedy. Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, The Wedding Singer, The Waterboy, and Big Daddy all came out from '95 to '99. He was an SNL genius and has worked with some directors I adore like Paul Thomas Anderson and Noah Baumbach. He was born for this role right here though. Kevin Garnett on the other hand has never been in a film and he doesn’t just get by in Uncut Gems, he’s really acting. The first basketball jersey I ever got as a kid was the Minnesota Timberwolves away Kevin Garnett jersey. He’s one of my favorite athletes of all time and to see him in a creative project like Uncut Gems puts a permanent smile on my face. His passion on the court translated so well to the big screen. I saw Uncut Gems with my dad and younger brother at Santikos Embassy Theater in San Antonio on Christmas Eve. My little brother hardly ever goes out to any theatre, but Sandler and KG drew him in. My dad likes to see a good film, so this was just a normal day for him and I. It was a packed house for the new Sandler film, which is expected but it’s definitely not the Sandler the general public knows. Most folks probably expected a nice holiday Sandler flick. Shit, Connor said people walked out of the showing he went to, so it’s not that. Instead, it’s two hours of pure ambition and stress at a very high level. Josh Safdie is 35 and Benny Safdie is 33 and this is their fifth feature length film. They specialize in tempo, but Uncut Gems is by far and away their biggest project on all scales. I think it’s their best so far, but that can always change with multiple viewings. This film will only get better though because the ending is so jaw dropping that a second viewing is damn near necessary. I’ve found myself listening to Daniel Lopatins wonderfully constructed score a lot while I’m driving to and from work. I can’t stop thinking about Darius Khondjis cinematography in Uncut Gems, which I see as his finest work yet when compared to my other favorites of his like Se7en, Panic Room, Midnight in Paris, Amour, The Immigrant, and Okja. Every member of the cast and crew fucking nailed it. I think we got Sandler’s best performance ever as Howard Ratner and then a great effort from KG as himself. This dude, Lakeith Stanfield has appeared in 13 films in the past two years while also working on the FX television show, Atlanta. He disappears into the New York City that the Safdies presented to us. Newcomer, Julia Fox is so beautiful that she completely changes the tone when she’s on the screen and her outcome in the film just sits with you long after if ends. I love her storyline because she really has control over a lot of things when you think about it. She’s Howard’s girlfriend, but Howard’s wife, Dinah is played by Idina Menzel who says some of the things that we as the audience would like to say to Howie. She’s a goddamn rock star and still looks amazing. Frozen II and Uncut Gems, what a year for Idina.
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4.) Marriage Story
“People don't accept mothers who drink too much wine and yell at their child and call him an asshole. I get it. I do it too. We can accept an imperfect dad. Let's face it, the idea of a good father was only invented like 30 years ago. Before that, fathers were expected to be silent and absent and unreliable and selfish, and can all say we want them to be different. But on some basic level, we accept them. We love them for their fallibilities, but people absolutely don't accept those same failings in mothers. We don't accept it structurally and we don't accept it spiritually. Because the basis of our Judeo-Christian whatever is Mary, Mother of Jesus, and she's perfect. She's a virgin who gives birth, unwaveringly supports her child and holds his dead body when he's gone. And the dad isn't there. He didn't even do the fucking. God is in heaven. God is the father and God didn't show up. So, you have to be perfect, and Charlie can be a fuck up and it doesn't matter. You will always be held to a different, higher standard. And it's fucked up, but that's the way it is.”
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If I made a Top 5 for last year, I would have Roma in there for sure. It’s pretty wonderful to have such incredible content go straight to Netflix. I love going to the theater and seeing a film on the big screen, but life can get a little expensive these days. Even if you’re rich, it’s nice to save some time and watch a new film at home. For certain films, my anticipation is so grand that I could be watching it on a portable DVD player and still be the happiest dude around. Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story is one of those films. He’s an auteur in the middle of his prime, working with actors that I adore. When I found out that this was going straight to Netflix, I knew exactly what I was going to do on December 6th. I got off work, went home, made some supper, and sat down with my girlfriend to watch this devastating, yet somehow hopeful film. Adam Driver plays Charlie, a stage director who embodies New York City. Scarlett Johansson plays Nicole, an actress from LA but moved to NYC to be with her husband, Charlie. They are married at the beginning of the film and then not early on. I’ve never seen a film showcase divorce in such a realistic and personal way. The film is known to be based upon Noah Baumbach’s own marriage with Jennifer Jason Leigh. The masks are off in Marriage Story with Driver and Scar Jo acting so intensely that it feels like a boxing match at times. When you are boxing, you need people in your corner, so Driver gets Alan Alda and then Ray Liotta while Scar Jo gets a very strong Laura Dern throughout the whole film. When I say very strong, I mean in fucking vincible. At one point Laura Dern takes her heels off and gets comfy on a couch. I’ve never felt more welcome/intimidated in my whole life. Adam Driver is textbook great to a point that scares me. Scar Jo will forever get shit, but I am a huge fan of her work and her performance in Marriage Story just validated that for me. I knew I liked Noah Baumbach, but I didn’t know he had an absolute classic up his sleeve.
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3.) Parasite
“You know what kind of plan never fails? No plan. No plan at all. You know why? Because life cannot be planned. Look around you. Did you think these people made a plan to sleep in the sports hall with you? But here we are now, sleeping together on the floor. So, there's no need for a plan. You can't go wrong with no plans. We don't need to make a plan for anything. It doesn't matter what will happen next. Even if the country gets destroyed or sold out, nobody cares. Got it?”
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I have a pretty cool older brother who wanted to see Parasite on his birthday, so me, him, and our dad went to the Regal Alamo Quarry to watch this chunk of genius work from writer/director Bong Joon Ho. It felt like a special event because Bong always delivers but we never really know where he is going to take it. We do know that big picture themes will ring throughout and imagery will stick with you long after watching any of his films. Parasite is my favorite so far, but my goodness The Host and Snowpiercer are fucking awesome. He breaks language barriers by making films that keep your eyes moving all over the screen even if you have to read subtitles. Parasite is simply too good for only one culture to enjoy. The cast is refreshing, because we don’t typically have Korean films break into the mainstream here in the States. After you see it, all of the actors immediately become people you want to be a fan of. There’s essentially three families in the film that all represent something different in the modern social landscape. The main perspective we are given is from the Kim’s, a poor family living outside of Seoul in a basement level apartment. The banter between them is like something out of Seinfeld but then their course of action turns into undeniably thrilling entertainment. I found Kang-ho Song’s performance as the father of the Kim family to be quite moving. That scene when his smell almost gives him away to the rich is something else. Bong Joon Ho likes to bring up extremely relevant subjects without actually giving a solution, because some societal issues are so bad that we don’t have a solution anymore. We tell ourselves over and over that we have to survive, which can cause some people to do some pretty selfish things. Parasite takes that and pushes it to great lengths with endless grace and style.
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2.) Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
“When you come to the end of the line, with a buddy who is more than a brother and a little less than a wife, getting blind drunk together is really the only way to say farewell.”
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Connor and I were both fucking amped for this one. We saw it at the Drafthouse that we used to work together at here in San Antonio. My girlfriend, Brianna had to join us as she is also a big Tarantino fan. One of my very best friends, Kelley, goes to a few films per year. He’s not as into them as I am, but Tarantino is a different beast. He also had to join us. The anticipation was real and we got to our seats early for the wonderful pre-show that Drafthouse put together. I got chips and queso, a Philly cheesesteak, and a big ol' Coca Cola. As the film begins, you get this sense of belonging as you always do when Tarantino releases something. Once Upon a Time is a film for film lovers. It’s set in the vibrant late 1960’s Los Angeles with Quentin totally fucking with history. We saw this before in Inglourious Basterds on an extremely high level and it’s become another thing that he’s mastered in cinema. I still can’t believe I got to watch Leo and Pitt shoot the shit in a Tarantino film on the big screen. Our 5th episode on the Filmgazm podcast discusses Tarantino’s filmography, except this one because it came out after we recorded. I also wrote a Top 5 list for my favorite Tarantino films before it came out, so I need to update that because it totally has a spot in there. Connor and I also recorded an episode on each of our 10 favorite films of the decade and we both had this on there. It became an instant classic for us when the credits started rolling and we walked to Target to see if the soundtrack was there. It wasn’t, but I think we needed that little walk to properly process what we had just seen. Connor and I looked at one another and just smiled because we knew a classic was just given to us. I still don’t have the physical soundtrack, but I listen to it on Spotify religiously now. I just picture Cliff Booth and Rick fucking Dalton in the car with me, ready to take on the world. I think Leo’s performance as Dalton seems to be getting overlooked already while Pitt’s performance as Booth is praised everywhere you look. This is arguably Leo’s best performance of all time! He’s doing so much acting in Once Upon a Time. The layers to his character are genius and executed to perfection on the screen. Pitt has taken on the supporting role and I think he will win his first acting Oscar in February. Margot Robbie has this wonderfully subtle performance as Sharon Tate, who brings that fictional-nonfiction shit into play. I just kept smiling ear to ear as these characters came across real life Hollywood icons from the 60’s and 70’s. It’s a brilliant showcase of a certain turning point in our culture that Tarantino clearly poured his soul into. He’s guiding us through a Los Angeles that is exiting Old Hollywood and entering New Hollywood. The end of an era and the start of a new wave that Tarantino clearly has a love for. The attention to detail is always exquisite in his films, but this one feels like he reached a new notch in filmmaking. We say that every time a Tarantino film comes out, rightly so. He’s the fucking man and it was terribly difficult to admit to myself that I liked something better than the masterpiece we got in July.
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1.) Waves
“Lord knows, I’ve held onto way too much hate in my life.
But all we have is now. All we have is now.” |
I saw Waves here in San Antonio at Santikos Embassy theater. I sat in the fourth row next to the aisle and right up until the last trailer, I was the only person in the theater. This 40 something year old woman sat in the row in front of me, also by herself. Right at the super intense halfway mark, she got up and left the theater and never came back haha. 8 dollars down the drain. Not for me! To say I was locked into this experience is a severe understatement. Experience is the key word there. I watch a lot of films and can get used to the tropes and plot devices that we see so often. Waves opens you up and actually takes a look inside. The emotions are all out on the table and we as the audience are sort of responsible for walking away with hope, if we can. Waves was written and directed by Trey Edward Schults who already had Krisha and It Comes at Night on his resume. All three films were distributed by A24, a company that I have totally fallen in love with. Waves is divided up into two sections. The first half is from the perspective of Tyler, a high school wrestler with the intentions of getting a scholarship and the second half is from the perspective of Emily, his younger sister who is very shy and not nearly as certain about her future. Kelvin Harrison Jr. worked with Schults in It Comes at Night and in Waves as Tyler. Taylor Russell has been in a handful of TV shows that I haven’t heard of, so Waves was my introduction to her. Sterling K. Brown is someone I love, but I don’t totally know why. He’s been in a shit ton of TV shows, but as far as films go, there isn’t a lot there. His role as Tyler and Emily’s father in Waves is by far my favorite of his career. There’s so much said in just his fucking jaw bones. To say that he is captivating is honestly unfair to him. He’s exactly what Trey needed to sort of commandeer this ship without being the main character. Sterling was fully aware of what was written down on the script and I think he deserves a spot in the Best Supporting Actor category at the upcoming Oscars. His wife is played by Renee Elise Goldsberry. Renee has also been in a lot of shows, but nothing I have seen her in. She brought me to uncontrollable tears at one point in Waves and for that I will never forget her. Tyler and Emily both have significant others named Alexis and Luke in the film and they are portrayed by Euphoria Goddess, Alexa Demie and one of the most talented young actors in America, Lucas Hedges. Alexa Demie is a striking figure because of her ability to become completely absorbed in each setting she is in. I’m so convinced that she belongs in this world that Trey created. I totally buy every fucking move she makes. Lucas Hedges is getting his own Top 5 soon. He is the actor that I saw in the trailer and immediately knew I had to see it. The whole A24 thing usually sells me, but Hedges is a fucking superstar. Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Manchester by the Sea, Lady Bird, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Boy Erased, Ben is Back, Mid90’s, Honey Boy, and Waves. He just turned 23 and that’s not even all the films he’s been in. Hedges has a resume that speaks for itself, but as far as the eye test goes, Waves contains a performance by him that will steal your heart. The story told in Waves centers around the characters that I have mentioned quite heavily. It’s a very focused film that feels open and free. All the emotions are out there and it can seem like a lot, but never too much. Trey honed in on the main characters and had them ask each other the big questions. I haven’t even brought up the music which is so advanced and meticulous. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross constructed the score, but there’s also this super diverse soundtrack happening that engulfs you. We got Animal Collective, Kendrick Lamar, Radiohead, Tame Impala, A$AP Rocky, SZA, Isaiah Rashad, H.E.R., Tyler, the Creator, Amy Winehouse, Alabama Shakes, Tony K, and Frank Ocean. It’s like a playlist from my brain. I couldn’t be more grateful for this film to have been made and presented on the big screen. I will never forget that first time experience and I am 100% going to buy it when it comes out on DVD. Waves ranks at number one for many reasons, but the main one is that it inspired me to love the people I love more.
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