Despite all the changes in my life, the changes in streaming entertainment and movie theatrical distribution, I still somehow manage to maintain a steady average of movie viewing both in and out of the theatre for the past 19 years of maintaining this blog. This year I managed to view 35 films, most of those on 26 trips to the theatre (I rewatched 4 films). The others are either streaming platforms like Netflix or Disney+ or renting through Cineplex Store or premieres on Crave. I also managed to watch 3 on the two cross country flights I took early in the year.
I find that my new film viewing suffers from using my entertainment time on mostly rewatching previously viewed films (so easy to do in this day and age) or taking in the quality television series (notably, I enjoyed Living with Yourself, Dickinson and Kidding as binge worthy shows). That, and my Plants v. Zombies Heroes addiction.
This year's list is presented in alphabetical order, as none stood tall above the others. Overall it was a year overpopulated with Disney tentpole films, enjoyable, entertaining, but not all that surprising.
10. Aladdin; I was seriously worried about this film. The original Disney animated film is among my favourites and I'm not a huge Will Smith fan. However, I was happy that he took it in his own direction and more than pleased with the chemistry between the new Aladdin and Jasmine actors. Guy Ritchie added some of his craft at combining comedy and action sequences and Disney spent lavishly on the sets and design. The result is a Prince Ali number that seems grander than the animated version, simply because it appears to be real. This works in favour of the film at times and against it at others, as the animated fire and look of the Cave of Wonders held more menace in animated form. Still, I'm accepting of the fact that both versions exist and can find fans for both versions, allowing younger people to rediscover these friends like no other.
9. Avengers: Endgame/Captain Marvel; It's no small feat to shepherd a decade's worth of films towards both an epic culmination of character arcs while simultaneously ushering in a new era of superheroes, led by the most powerful hero who happens to be a woman in a genre overrun with male leads. Yet Marvel Studios nailed the landing on both, mere months apart, setting box office records in the process. The heart of these movies lies in the talent they cast, and with Brie Larson, they've found themselves another actor bold and brazen enough to have us follow her through the next decade of Marvel madness. It's a testament to the entire filmmaking team that these actors and characters get used so effectively in the minimal amount of screen time they have in a film this huge. Which is why I'm sandwiching them together in order to make more room for more films in this top 10, as tradition calls for.
8. Frozen II; No, not Frozen "eleven", as it appears to be (though I'm not surprised if this continues to spawn that many instalments). A sequel that challenges its audience to grow a little bit older with the characters (it's in the first song, people!!) and reveal a darker past. The animation is insanely good, even if the story line jumps around a bit, conveniently so as to speed things along. I have a confession to make; I've seen this three times in the theatre. Granted, I was called upon to chaperone so that's my excuse. A second viewing was to see what the new 4D theatre experience is like. Seemed like a perfect fit, given the elemental nature of the film. It makes movie going more akin to a theme park ride, and since this was THE year of Disney for my family and I, it seems fitting that our first foray into 4D was Frozen II. I may actually prefer this one over the original, even if the songs aren't as catchy.
7. The Great Buster; Perhaps what I love most about seeing this documentary this year was having seen it in a restored 105 year old cinema with my daughter. Sharing the love of cinema by viewing a showcase of silent film's greatest visionary in a movie house not unlike the original setting for his original audiences was truly magnificent. It gives me great joy to know that there are philanthropists out there willing to sacrifice the time and money to maintain a movie going experience similar to what the art form launched itself with. Here's to the love of cinema that places like the Playhouse, the Westdale, the Elora Gorge, the Film House, the Alamo Drafthouse and other art house theatres across the globe offer to the movie going public. Buster Keaton would be proud to know his legendary oeuvre continues to be screened in restored palaces of cinema.
6. The Grizzlies; In a year that continued to push representation of under served communities, it was refreshing to see the mainstream distribution and long release window for a film about (and starring) Inuit youth. Running as counter programming to Avengers: Endgame, this tiny film offered plenty of heartbreaking moments and uplifting scenes to rival the box office behemoth. With a 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes (based on 94 ratings on the day of writing this) and a critical consensus of 79%, this is certainly a crowd pleasing film that will open up some awareness about several issues in the north. More importantly, it displays the beauty of the culture and Indigenous acting community, ready for more showcasing in cinematic circles. It will remain one of Canada's better home grown sports films and hopefully offer more opportunities for the cast and crew involved in its storytelling.
5. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum; The final film I saw this year, ringing in 2020 with a violence level I forgot existed in movies. There was a time when I'd watch a ton of action films, as they dominated the box office and video stores. Having not really seen my share in some time, and then falling right smack dab into the middle of the brutal hand-to-hand combat killing machine that Keanu Reeves has perfected in this trilogy of chapters was a real eye opener (and for those that have already seen this, you know what I mean by using that term). The reason these films stand out is the level of style and verisimilitude combined. As the box office has drifted towards fantasy violence and space alien disintegration of bodies, the extremely high body count of actual human on human violence comes across as quite shocking.
4. Jumanji: The Next Level; As you can tell, this list is purely fun and certainly not filled with heady, thoughtful artistic cinema found on most year end top 10 lists. So, it was a pleasure to watch these four return to promote this film. Honestly, I enjoy watching this group interact off camera more than I do seeing them on camera. Jack Black's Jablinski Games videos during the filming and promotion are a hoot and make me want to see a third edition, just for the Behind the Scenes content it will create. Gillan is highly underrated for her comedic and action ability and adding DeVito and Glover brought about a poignancy I didn't think imaginable for this franchise. The typical body switching premise gets great mileage from this group, as growing old and even bestial offers plenty of comedic fodder to play around with. Sure, it's premise is nonsense, but once you let go it takes you for a great ride.
3. Klaus; One of the shames of the streaming era is how quality entertainment can get overlooked underneath the plethora of content that's out there. With little fanfare or promotion (especially compared to the Disney+ counterpart, Noelle), Klaus came along and crafted a Christmas tale that looked so original in its animation style, yet timeless in its exploration of Christmas traditions. It's a real hidden gem, with a wonderful voice cast that serves the story with their comedic sensibility and timing. There's pathos underlining the narrative, and any good Christmas movie worth annual repeated viewings knows how to mix humour, heart and hijinx. Much like Elf did over a decade ago, Klaus enters itself into the Christmas season pantheon and deserves a place on the mantle alongside perennial classics for years to come for its unique and refreshing approach to the season's classic retellings of discovering Christmas spirit.
2. The Lion King; This reimagining of the original animated film isn't so much on this list for reasons similar to what Disney did with the Aladdin live action remake, as this doesn't try to tread new ground or offer anything but an almost shot for shot retelling of a beloved classic. What it lacks in storytelling changes or updates (why try to improve on perceived perfection?) it more than makes up for in advancing a photorealistic animation process so true to life that it's going to be hard to distinguish between reality and artistry. Calling it a "live action" version is a disservice to the animators, or maybe it's a more accurate description of how visually stunning and detailed this is. Having the characters be embodied as realistic looking animals changes the narrative somewhat, making some scenes more powerful in their realism. Just one of Disney's hits from 2019 that I could have included on this list.
and the number one film, that despite the alphabetical presentation of this list, truly was my favourite film I saw in 2019...
1. The New Romantic; I truly adored this film. Probably more than I should have. I love a fresh take on old tropes, (see other entries on this list) and I especially love me a romantic lead that banters in that quirky manner of old screwball comedies or like Anna Kendrick in Pitch Perfect. Much like that film, which was a real star making turn for Kendrick, Jessica Barden deserves recognition for her exuberant performance. The film is fun, frisky and flippant towards romance, yet attempts to hang on to the old notions of romance after all. At first I thought viewing it on an airplane was the source of my extreme fondness but I've found myself catching it on Crave TV and having to sit and watch it through to the end each time. Barden and her co-stars just have a loveable quality to them, as the film caught lightning in a bottle with the cast, many of whom got noticed around the same time as this film's release.
Honourable Mentions: Aquaman, Booksmart, Kayak to Klemtu, Mary Poppins Returns, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Toy Story 4. Any of these could be swapped out with similar entries on the top 10 and on any given day, I certainly would consider one of these to be superior to its counterpart on the list. I would certainly claim all these entries to be rewatchable and equally enjoyable.
Which can't be said for the following five films. Ladies and gentlemen, the Top 5 Worst Films of 2019...
5. Invisible Essence: The Little Prince; I love this book too much to have an hour and a half exploration of the text be so boring and drawn out. Despite the documentary's title, this study fails to get at the essence of what makes the Little Prince such a beloved novel. It certainly tries, and mines some interesting individuals to tie together to demonstrate the invisible essence but it ultimately comes up empty in the end. It should feel more profound but instead falls flat on its face. As I stated in my original review, a second or third reading or viewing of the animated film would do plenty more to unpack the themes and philosophy contained within. It didn't help that we saw this in that 105 year old theatre I mentioned above in the middle of a summer heat wave BEFORE the theatre was outfitted with air conditioning. Context is everything.
4. Missing Link; This was a real let down. Normally a studio's track record of success and imagination (see Pixar) has me running to the theatre in blind faith for the trust built by the studio. I have constantly sung the praises of Laika Studios and their one of a kind craft of stop motion animation wizardry. However, the initial previews for this movie had an off putting aroma to them that shocked me when Laika's name was attached. I held out for subsequent previews and things only appeared worse. I skipped out on rushing to the cinema, and ultimately extremely thankful that I didn't waste any money on this dismal entry that I wish could be struck from the list of innovative and creative work from Pixar's best challenger. From top to bottom, there's little to no redeeming qualities. We can only hope it's a small misstep for this great studio.
3. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms; Whatever the heck this was trying to be is a mystery to me. There's so much to be blamed for its financial failure, including the employment of two directors, an ill timed release date and a story devoid of character or action that is more stunning to look at than to follow along to. The highlights are dance sequences that are head scratchingly surrounded by opulent and lavish production that bears no weight or interest, as though half of this was a Narnia movie sandwiched around a Christmas ballet set in Alice's Wonderland. It's difficult to figure out exactly what the point of it all is, while simultaneously wondering if you care enough to make the mental effort to even try and piece it all together. The answer is no.
2. Men in Black: International; This film is proof that after Thor: Ragnarok, I would watch Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth in anything. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. I would still watch these two in another film worthy of their humour, wit, and attitude. It's just sad to see them languish in a franchise that deserves better. The Men in Black series has a great premise and a history of amazing alien design courtesy of Rick Baker. So why this film falls so flat and is so abysmal is beyond me. It's like having all the ingredients to make the perfect dessert and concocting a twinkie. Sure, it's a dessert, but it belongs sitting on a shelf in some studio until the end of all times and not presented on a plate for our viewing (dis)pleasure. Half-baked, fully deformed, it may sadly be the demise of what could have been a lovely resurrected franchise.
and the worst film I saw in the year 2019...
1. Room for Rent; Ever feel trapped on an airplane and forced to watch something akin to a slow motion train wreck for longer than you could possibly endure? That's what this film felt like. I was invested, having made my airplane movie selection. There was no turning back. Starting another movie would mean it wouldn't finish before my flight landed. I had to see it through to the end. And to the end I did. Every painstaking minute. I tried to look away. I tried seeking reading material but I already read the in-flight magazine. Plus, I had to see what would happen with this creepy context and the comedic actors I recognized from better material elsewhere. Turns out, it doesn't pay off. The laughs never come. The story never plays out to reveal any interesting twists, turns or truths. This room shall remain vacant forever.
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