Arts & Entertainment
The Best Movies Of 2019 You'll Want To Catch Up On
From "1917" to "Uncut Gems," these 2019 cinematic gems brim with Oscar-caliber performances, brilliant direction and awesome cinematography.
“The Irishman” dazzled with brilliance; "Little Women” mesmerized with endearing charm; and “Ford v Ferrari” revved up with high-octane delight. As we bid our fond farewells to 2019, we wanted to look back at some of cinema’s tours de force that captivated our hearts.
From hilarious comedies to tear-jerking dramas and from murder mysteries to action adventures, here are our favorite films of 2019.
The Best Movies of 2019
“1917” — Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay; directed by Sam Mendes
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Sam Mendes’ epic war drama captures the horrors of World War I as told through the eyes of two young British soldiers, Lance Cpl. Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Lance Cpl. Schofield (George MacKay).
The two innocent men, barely out of boyhood, are given the orders to cross the enemy lines before dawn. On foot, by hook or by crook, they will have to reach the British troops at the front lines and deliver a message from their commanding officers to call off a planned attack on the Germans. Otherwise, all 1,600 British men, including Blake’s brother, will walk straight into an ambush.
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Final word: Mendes’ “1917” captures the haunting, harrowing landscape of war with extremely long takes that are truly visceral and poignant to the core, allowing viewers to feel every strand of chaos and every ounce of the cross the two heroes must bear.
“The Irishman” — Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci; directed by Martin Scorsese
Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci reunite with their “Goodfellas” director, Martin Scorsese, in the biographical crime drama about one man’s long, deep introspection to reflect on his life as he nears death. That man is Frank Sheeran (De Niro), the titular “Irishman,” a truck-driver-turned-mobster who becomes an enforcer for mob boss Russ Bufalino (Pesci).
Based on Charles Brandt’s book, “I Heard You Painted Houses,” the film adaptation chronicles Sheeran’s involvement with the killing of mob boss Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino) through a series of flashbacks within flashbacks. In the end, the crux of the matter lies in the question: Can we see one man’s humanity in the face of his despicable acts?
Final word: A gangster movie for the ages, “The Irishman” is Scorsese’s best movie yet. His genius is in full display, further elevated by his leads’ tremendous acting gravitas.
“Jojo Rabbit” — Roman Griffin Davis, Scarlett Johansson; directed by Taika Waititi
Meet Jojo Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis), a precocious young boy in World War II Germany, who is a proud member of the Hitler Youth. For the most part, to pass time, the German kid plays with his imaginary best friend and confidant named Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi), who has become his voice of reason.
One day, when he uncovers that his mother (Scarlett Johansson) is working for the resistance movement and is hiding a young Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in their attic, Jojo’s life is suddenly upended. His discovery will challenge his deep-seated Nazi beliefs, setting in motion a heart-to-heart with Adolf.
Final word: With Waititi’s deft direction and convincing performance, the writer-director’s brilliance shines in his whimsical anti-hate satire.
“Marriage Story” — Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver; directed by Noah Baumbach
Noah Baumbach takes an in-depth look at divorce and its consequences in “Marriage Story,” a film that chronicles the unraveling of one couple’s perfect marriage under mounting irreconcilable differences.
In the film, Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson play Charlie and Nicole, the married couple who have grown apart. He is a New York theater director whose off-Broadway play is about to make its Broadway debut, while Nicole is an actress shooting a TV pilot in her hometown Los Angeles. The two have been trying to iron out their marital issues; but much to Charlie’s dismay, divorce papers already await when he arrives in California to see Nicole and their 8-year-old son.
And so begins their custody battle that further corrodes their marriage.
Final word: What emerges is an emotionally charged portrait of a couple in war. But Baumbach imbues it with humor, compassion and empathy, immersing audiences in the duality of the couple’s fractured relationship, which Driver and Johansson embody with exceptional performances.
“Uncut Gems” — Adam Sandler, Julia Fox; directed by Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie
Directing duo/brothers Benny and Josh Safdie’s frenetic crime comedy stars Adam Sandler as a charismatic and slippery diamond dealer named Howard Ratner. Set in 2012’s New York City, the story follows the ever-scheming Ratner, who is faced with an impending divorce and submerged under a mountain of debt owed to mobsters. Luckily, he might just have the perfect solution to all of his problems in life — to auction off a mined chunk of an uncut opal, which he smuggled out of Ethiopia.
But like any other deals he makes, he will run into complications that will make Ratner’s life hang in the balance, as he treads a tightrope.
Final word: The Safdie brothers have created a pulse-pounding movie that breathes humanity and empathy through Sandler’s vibrant performance.
“Parasite” — Kang-ho Song, Sun-kyun Lee; directed by Bong Joon Ho
Winner of the prestigious Palme d’Or award at the 2019 Cannes Film festival, Bong Joon Ho’s latest cinematic wonder tells a tale of two families with different socioeconomic backgrounds — one is ultra-rich, the other plain and simple — who forge a symbiotic relationship.
Meet the wealthy Parks, who live with their teenage daughter, Da-hye, and their son, Da-song, in a majestic house situated in a sprawling, lush family compound. To the Parks, money is no object, especially when it comes to the needs and wants of their children.
Meanwhile, the poor, unemployed Kims live with their 20-something daughter, Ki-jung, and their college-age son, Ki-woo, in a tiny, rancid, dilapidated apartment in a run-down Seoul neighborhood.
At some point, the opportunity comes for the lives of the two families to intersect when the Parks offer Ki-woo a job to be an English tutor for Da-hye. In an incredible twist of fate, the Kim family soon all gets in the fold— but under false pretenses to defraud the Park family.
Final word: Writer-director Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” is filled with plot lines that are metaphorical in relation to the entire ecosystem. In the end, the provocative and well-crafted movie leaves viewers pondering as to who the real parasites are — the Kim family or the Park family, or something/someone else.
"Little Women" — Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Timothee Chalamet; directed by Greta Gerwig
Greta Gerwig's film adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's 19th century novel captures the beauty and driving tensions of sisterhood through the prism of the March sisters' youth. What comes to life is a portrait of four adult women looking back with tenderness on the memories and experiences that embody who they are.
The first among equals is the strong-willed aspiring writer Jo March (Saoirse Ronan), who takes her stories to a fastidious publisher, Mr. Dashwood (Tracy Letts). He edits as he reads and finally gives a verdict, advising her to write more sensationally. This sets the tone for the myriad of challenges that lie ahead of Jo.
Meanwhile, the fashionable, aspiring painter Amy (Florence Pugh) is in Paris with the sisters' wealthy Aunt March (Meryl Streep). The maternal and headstrong Meg (Emma Watson) is married back in New England, while the open-hearted musician Beth (Eliza Scanlen) is at home with their mother, Marmee (Laura Dern).
As the screenplay takes us back and forth from the March sisters' childhood to present, it immerses audiences in the stark realities of adulthood with incisive questions on love, money, ambitions and sacrifices.
Final word: Well-crafted and well-acted, Gerwig's "Little Women" is no "little" feat, as it is bound for greatness in the years to come, delighting audiences with its indelible sensitivity and endearing charm.
"Ford v Ferrari" — Christian Bale, Matt Damon; directed by James Mangold
From James Mangold, the director of "Walk the Line" and "Logan," comes a true-life-inspired drama about two resolute men — the visionary American car designer Carroll Shelby and the lionhearted British driver Ken Miles — whose indomitable friendship changed the course of the motorsports racing history.
It is 1963, and Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts), president of Ford Motor Co., makes headway in his bid to acquire the famous Italian auto manufacturer Ferrari. But when Enzo Ferrari (Remo Girone) sees a contractual clause stipulating that the Ferrari founder would be surrendering control of his product, Enzo withdraws from the negotiations. In turn, Henry wages war on Enzo, vowing that Ford is "gonna bury Ferrari at Le Mans."
Enter Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon), winner of the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans — an annual event dubbed as the most difficult race in all of motorsports. However, due to a grave heart condition, the Texas native has altogether abandoned the racing world. Instead, he has long since re-invented himself as a successful car designer.
Eventually, Ford hires the gifted Shelby to design the ultimate race car, a driving machine that can potentially beat a supreme Ferrari on the unforgiving French racetrack. Soon, Shelby assembles his own crew of engineers and mechanics including his old pal, the fearless and eccentric test driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale).
Over the next couple of years, Shelby and Miles set their sights on the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. But the road to victory will come at a steep price as the best pals try to pursue the next-to-impossible.
Final word: The high-octane film has a resilient heart that beats as fast as 200 mph and an unshakable soul that revs up 7,000 rpm of pure entertainment delight.
"Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" — Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie; directed by Quentin Tarantino
A love letter to 1969 Los Angeles, Quentin Tarantino's latest film turns the spotlight to the dawn of a new Hollywood era, where icons must face their looming irrelevance.
At the center of the storyline is Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), a fading Western TV star who is struggling to maintain his leading-man status in Hollywood. To save his languishing career, he is now even contemplating moving to Rome to star in spaghetti Westerns. However, in spite of it all, Rick manages to maintain a carefree lifestyle with a predilection for lavishness and luxury, complete with pop culture coolness and delight.
As for Rick's lifelong relationships, his best pal is his former stunt-double, Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), who now chauffeurs the actor all over LA in an incredible Cadillac land yacht. Like his buddy's misfortune, Cliff's big-screen career is also on a downward spiral.
By contrast, Rick's next-door neighbors, director Roman Polanski (Rafal Zawierucha) and his wife, Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), are basking in their newfound celebrity status, thanks to the director's much-hyped new film, "Rosemary's Baby."
It will just be a matter of time before Rick's happy-go-lucky world collides with Polanski's sensational world.
Final word: "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" shines with the leads' exceptional performances, intimate cinematography and Tarantino's mesmerizing and freewheeling style.
"Joker" — Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro; directed by Todd Phillips
A gritty, allegorical character study and a wide-ranging cautionary tale, "Joker" is writer-director Todd Phillips' original vision of the infamous DC Comics antihero. In other words, it is a standalone origins story that owes no allegiance to the character's traditional mythologies.
So, comics fans, beware! This is not your typical Joker film. Rather, it is an exploration of one man's personal struggles to belong and fit in. And when he finally does find his rightful place, he becomes the "Joker," the clown prince of darkness and violence.
Embodied by Joaquin Phoenix, that man is Arthur Fleck, a clown for hire who loves to make people laugh — and who aspires to become a successful stand-up comic like his idol, Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro).
Arthur's best friend is his mom (Frances Conroy), who always tells him to "smile and put on a happy face." And he does it with great bravado, despite his struggles with mental illness — and his bouts with uncontrollable laugh syndrome, which can erupt anytime, anywhere.
As Arthur tries to forge his own destiny in 1980s Gotham City, he will cross paths with bullies who lack empathy and compassion, leaving him in the throes of despair. Then, one day, the man in crisis snaps. It appears Arthur has finally found his crowning — albeit dark — moment.
Final word: Phoenix deserves an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. His "Joker" is hypnotic from beginning to end. If you think you knew the Joker, think again.
"Knives Out" — Daniel Craig, Chris Evans; directed by Rian Johnson
From Rian Johnson, the writer-director of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," comes a modern-day murder mystery surrounding the premature death of a wealthy patriarch. Infused with Agatha Christie's whodunit tropes, "Knives Out" entices audiences to put on their detective hats and solve the burning question at hand: Was it suicide or murder?
At the center of the story is the victim, Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), a peevish old man who has amassed a fortune from his career as a world-renowned crime novelist. In the early morning hours following his 85th birthday celebration, Harlan is found dead in his study. Seemingly, with a knife in his cold hands, it appears the octogenarian has killed himself. But wait! What could be the motive for his suicide?
Enter Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), a world-famous private detective who just doesn't buy it. In fact, the Southern gumshoe's first inkling is "foul play." As he delves deeper into the case, he is thrust into the Thrombey dynasty that is full of grifters and charmers (Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Toni Collette and Don Johnson). Luckily, there's Marta (Ana de Armas), Harlan's good-natured caregiver and confidante who soon becomes an ally for Blanc.
In the end, Blanc sums it up: "I have eliminated no suspects." Does this mean Harlan Thrombey is also a suspect? How about the kind-hearted Marta — is she a suspect, too? Well, it's certainly a labyrinth of intrigue, deceit and deception.
Final word: Well-acted and well-crafted, Johnson's mystery film is full of delectable surprises in every nook and cranny and in every twist and turn. If you think you've finally solved the mystery, think again.
Other Entertainment News:
- What's New On Netflix: December 2019
- Terrence Malick's 'A Hidden Life': An Exclusive Look
- Terrence Malick's 'A Hidden Life': An Exclusive Look With Valerie Pachner
- Reviews of 'Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker' and 'Cats'
- Reviews of 'Jumanji: The Next Level,' 'Bombshell' and 'Richard Jewell'
- Reviews of 'Dark Waters' and 'The Aeronauts'
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