Top 22 of 2018

— Here are my 22 favorite films from 2018:

• "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs"
• "BlacKkKlansman"
• "Boy Erased"
• "Can You Ever Forgive Me?"
• ”Cold War"
• ”Eighth Grade"
• ”The Favourite"
• "First Man"
• ”First Reformed"
• "Green Book"
• "The Hate U Give"
• "Hereditary"
• ”Lean on Pete"
• ”Leave No Trace"
• "A Quiet Place"
• ”Roma"
• ”A Star Is Born"
• ”Vice"
• "Western"
• ”Widows"
• "The Wife"
• "Wildlife"

Had I included documentaries, ”Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” would definitely have made the list, and five more documentaries and quasi-documentaries would also have been in or almost in the list:

• ”McQueen"
• ”The Price of Everything"
• ”RBG"
• ”The Rider"
• ”Three Identical Strangers"

Six other films just missed the list:

• ”Black Panther"
• ”If Beale Street Could Talk"
• "Isle of Dogs"
• ”Mission Impossible—Fallout"
• ”The Old Man & the Gun"
• ”The Sisters Brothers”

Juliet, Naked

— Ethan Hawke often finds parts in smaller, quirky films where his sort of scrappy voice and ability to perfectly underplay a role with a twinkle in his eye always win me over. "Juliet, Naked" [DVD] fits right in and it's a very pleasant experience, focusing on the story line with nicely interwoven, low-key moments to create an interesting romantic dramedy, instead of painfully referencing current events or trying to work on too many allegorical levels. It's a touching, sometimes bittersweet look at life, family, and love with a fairly realistic slant. I liked it a lot.

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[2018. 97 min. Directed by Jesse Peretz. Starring Ethan Hawke, Chris O'Dowd, and Rose Byrne.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/juliet-naked-2018

Vice

— “Vice” is an incendiary device for liberals, sort of a retelling of what I believe are fairly factual events in a comedic, satirical, pseudo-documentary style using good actors and tried and true propaganda techniques here and there as needed. It’s easy to watch and probably informative for some, but it’s hard to pinpoint the purpose. For a while it’s enough to have our current fears about presidential power reinforced until it sinks in that “alternative facts” and a more authoritarian presidency arrived fifteen years ago. Just as that’s sinking in, you begin to sense the writer-director’s indecisiveness. Should we be horrified or impressed by Cheney’s place in history? Is this a comedy or a drama? (Remember, the director was previously responsible for “Anchorman,” but also for “The Big Short.”) After more than two hours and four decades at a lively pace with a narrator whose link to the story is something of a surprise, it seems the only explanation for why the shift in freedoms happened lies at the feet of a rather emotionless, sharp and righteous man, or with his wife who made him promise to make something of himself before they were married, or with the American people who just weren’t paying attention. Worse, the film ends on a note of disdain for the audience! Although it's easy to cheer or jeer at its conspiratorial nature and it's an interesting viewing experience, its just not focused enough in tone or purpose to be satisfying after viewing.
[1/5/2019 Addendum: The more I talked with other people about this film and the more I thought about it, I decided my somewhat visceral initial reaction was too harsh. I judged it not on what it is but on what I wanted it to be and that’s not fair to any film. It’s a very well done film that’s definitely worth seeing. It’s even better if you leave before the credits roll.]

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[2018. 132 min. Written and directed by Adam McKay. Starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Steve Carell, and Sam Rockwell.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/vice-2018

Mary Queen of Scots

— “Mary Queen of Scots” is a fine film as period dramas go, but not anything extraordinary. It has the lush landscapes and vibrant colors and costumes, as well as a fair share of scheming by treacherous men and sly women. Margo Robbie and Saoirse Ronan do more than an adequate job as Elizabeth and Mary, in spite of a script that spends a lot of time telling us what’s happening instead of letting us see the events. This may be because the film falls into today’s black hole of depicting men as conniving, back-stabbing, buffoons and dandies, in a world where women are sisters with sharp minds and forgiving hearts who would change the world if only the men weren’t in the way. I will say that the film is at its best when focused on the two Queens’ motivations and constraints. What can I say, it may actually be, as one critic suggested, the film for people who didn’t like the less conventional and more outrageous “The Favourite.”

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[2018. 124 min. Directed by Josie Rourke. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie, and Jack Lowden.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/mary-queen-of-scots-2018

Roma

— Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma” is a remembrance of his own life growing up in Mexico City in the early ‘70s. Focusing on a middle-class family—a doctor, his biochemist wife who takes care of the home, their four children and two servants—the story is told from the perspective of one of the servants, Cleo, who is also the nanny. It's an interesting story in its own way, but it is the feel of the film that stays with you. The scenes are more like carefully staged tableaux than moving images, in photo-like black and white with clean lines and a crispness that’s hard to describe. None of the characters are really fully formed, or at least we aren’t privy to their past and the experiences that make them what they are, but while being a little unsatisfying, it also adds a murkiness of sort to the feeling of recollection. For a while it seems like nothing more than a beautiful and interesting slice of life but eventually a parallel becomes clear, between the mother’s life and Cleo’s life, where both women are abandoned by their men and need to move forward with their lives. This is an incredible film from an artistic perspective, but I wish we could have lived inside the characters a little more. Even so, it’s a lovingly, carefully crafted work of art. (In theaters and streaming on Netflix.)

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[2018. 135 min. Written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón. Starring Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Diego Cortina Autrey, and Carlos Peralta.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/roma-2018

The Favourite

— “The Favourite” is a wonderful romp that may not be for everyone. If you liked “The Lobster,” you’ll probably like “The Favourite.” It’s a good deal more bawdy than I expected, maybe even a little vulgar, but it’s deliciously served up by three scheming women—Queen Anne herself, her closest friend, the Duchess of Marlborough, and the duchess’ cousin, Abigail. They are something of a political and erotic triumvirate in a world where women depend on men for titles and status and smart women know how to make use of men…and women. Their stories inside the palace touch on pride, loneliness, defeat, flattery, loss, humiliation, greed, envy, lust, and almost any other emotion imaginable. The film moves at a dizzying speed, then slows to savor a moment, and the person who has the upper hand keeps changing. It’s a world where men throw fruit as some poor, naked schmuck, there for their entertainment, or cheer at indoor goose races for fun. Women use their sexuality matter-of-factly, as just another charm in their arsenal, and the line between the affairs of state and of the heart is faint. The three women—Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, and Emma Stone—are outstanding and the pace and editing and music all are perfectly thought out. This is an odd film, but a very good one about the cost of going after power. It’s also one of the best films this year.

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[2018. 119 min. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. Starring Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, Robert Harley, Joe Alwyn, and Mark Gatiss.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-favourite-2018

Mary Poppins Returns

— A surprisingly steadfast sequel with a measured blend of whimsy, merriment, nostalgia, and magic, that still isn’t quite right. I went in doubting Disney could pull it off, but a half hour into it I admit I was enjoying myself, realizing what an uncommon experience the original had been. The problem with the new film may be with the music which just doesn’t measure up, and the choreography sometimes is more “Moulin Rouge!” than “Mary Poppins.” I don’t think I’ve seen the original since 1964, but it’s clear the sequel takes care to mimic the story as much as possible; unfortunately, some variation might have been a better choice. The film is technically polished in every way, mostly enjoyable, and has a rousing finish, but it’s just missing the twinkle the original had. I am grateful Emily Blunt was chosen to ever-so-slightly morph Mary into the next generation, although I am less certain about Lin-Manuel Miranda as the lamplighter replacement for Dick Van Dyke’s chimney sweep. Meryl Streep’s song is a stand-out and the cameos by Van Dyke and Angela Lansbury reminded us the old folks still can charm an audience. I got my money’s worth, mostly thanks to Blunt.

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[2018. 120 min. Directed by Rob Marshall. Starring Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, and Emily Mortimer.]
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/02/movies/lin-manuel-miranda-mary-poppins-returns.html

Dumplin'

— Another film to premiere on a streaming service (Netflix) with limited theatrical release. Willowdean (Danielle Macdonald) is the plus-sized daughter of Rosie (Jennifer Aniston), a former pageant queen who now runs the Miss Teen Bluebonnet pageant. Willowdean decides to enter the pageant in protest, creating a springboard for forming new bonds and gaining new understandings. Danielle Macdonald is perfect as the rebellious daughter and Aniston’s certainly up to the nuances of her role. There aren’t many surprises in the story, but the film is carefully done, touching on every lesson to be learned with a mix of humor and compassion. In the end, it’s an uplifting comedy that sounds a little sappy and almost is. It’s definitely a cut above the Lifetime and Hallmark channels. The Dolly Parton trope and songs are also an added bonus.

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[2018. 111 min. Directed by Anne Fletcher. Starring Danielle Macdonald, Jennifer Aniston, Odeya Rush, Maddie Baillio, and Bex Taylor-Klaus.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dumplin-2018