2019’s Cinematic Highlights
As regular readers will know, I don’t rush into choosing my favourite films of any given year until a few months into the next one – partly because a film’s staying power is a key factor for me when picking my favourites, and partly because there are still some films left to catch up on. But that said, as we’re approaching Hollywood’s awards season at the moment, I do like to hand out a few light-hearted prizes of my own!
So without further ado, here are some of my highlights from 2019’s cinematic releases.
Best Original Film of 2019 – Knives Out. Working as both a tribute to the great Agatha Christie whodunits, and an inventive reimagining of that genre, Rian Johnson’s all-star murder mystery was inventive, intelligent, fun and funny, and undoubtedly one of the cinematic highlights of my year. It also boasted arguably the best ensemble cast of 2019. The news that Johnson’s working on a script for a second Benoit Blanc mystery is fantastic news! Runner up in this category was Us, a horror film for people who don’t necessarily like horror films. Jordan Peale’s follow up to his Oscar-winning Get Out, this high concept thriller is expertly directed and tightly written, and gives you plenty to think about long after the end credits roll.
Family Film of 2019 – Toy Story 4. While it seemed at the time that Toy Story 3 wrapped everything up perfectly, this film actually feels like a more complete ending to the characters’ journeys. Packed full of heart and humour, Toy Story 4 could certainly make a case for being the best instalment since the original, and has lost none of its comedic or emotional impact. Frozen 2 also deserves an honourable mention for arguably being even better than the first film, and certainly could have taken the title in another year.
Best Villain of 2019 – Joaquin Phoenix in Joker. I thought this film was a terrible idea when it was first announced (the character of the Joker should never have a definitive origin story, and director/co-writer Todd Phillips has a “patchy” back catalogue at best), but if you treat it as its own thing, completely separate from any other comic-book or film continuity, then it’s a mesmerising character study carried by Joaquin Phoenix’ transformative performance. Taking you right to the brink of sympathising for the character before shocking you with his appalling violence, this psychological thriller has more in common with Taxi Driver or Nightcrawler than it does with any “superhero movie”.
Best Stunts of 2019 – John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum. Although I think the pacing and plot in Chapter 2 were slightly better, there’s no denying that the stunt work and fight choreography in Chapter 3 are absolutely breath-taking. Long takes and wide shots show off just how accomplished the actors, and in particular Keanu Reeves and Halle Berry, really are, and this film has some of the most inventive fight scenes I’ve seen. When I re-watched this recent, I practically felt breathless by the end of the movie.
Best Score of 2019 – Alan Silvestri for Avengers: Endgame. This score is a fantastic melding of classic motifs from the earlier Avengers movies with new themes that seamlessly flow between haunting, poignant and triumphant moments. A great score that directly contributes to the emotional impact of many of the key scenes in the film. The runners up in this category were John Williams’ score for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which was effectively a “best of” medley from the whole Star Wars saga, and Michael Giacchino’s score for Spider-Man: Far From Home, which is endlessly inventive and a lot of fun.
Best Soundtrack of 2019 – Frozen 2. This took the top spot as it contains a collection of original songs which are every bit as good as the first film’s soundtrack, featuring everything from emotional ballads to comedic ditties. An honourable mention goes to The Lego Movie 2 which also contains a number of memorably “catchy” new original songs. In terms of “jukebox” soundtracks, my favourites were probably Captain Marvel’s 90s rock-themed collection, and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood for its evocative 60s soundtrack. I also want to mention the brilliant reworking of “I Got 5 On It” in Us which was wonderfully atmospheric.
Most Incomplete Film of 2019 – Alita: Battle Angel. It’s really hard to judge this movie as a standalone film. On the one hand, it’s a fantastic piece of world-building, and if there are future instalments in the series, this will have set everything up perfectly. On the other hand, if (because of a disappointing box office) there are no further instalments, then this feels like a film that ends just as the story’s beginning, leaving it frustratingly unsatisfying in isolation.
Biggest Disappointment of 2019 – Hellboy. I was a fan of Guillermo del Toro’s two Hellboy films, and I really rate David Harbour as an actor, so I was hoping that this reboot would prove to be a worthy successor. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the cast, the script, plot and dialogue are so bad, this feels like a direct-to-DVD B-movie … but not in a good way. Last Christmas is the running up for biggest disappointment of the year, as I was really expecting more from it given the talent involved in front and behind the camera – but I’d happy re-watch it again with lowered expectations, which I can’t say for Hellboy.
Biggest Surprise of 2019 – Dora And The Lost City of Gold. I had less-than-no interest in seeing this film, but it ended up being an absolute delight! Subverting expectations and packed full of self-aware meta-humour, I don’t know why the advertising didn’t make more of the fact that this is from the writing/directing team behind the recent Muppets movies. A great family-friendly comedy, with humour that can be enjoyed on several different levels. Runner up in this category is Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, which I also thought would be an abomination when it was first announced, but which actually turned out to be a pretty enjoyable, family-friendly action/comedy.
Guilty Pleasure of 2019 – Glass. This may be one aimed squarely (and only) at fans of Unbreakable and Split, but as a fan of both the earlier films, I loved this subversive conclusion to M. Night Shyamalan’s “real-life” superhero trilogy. My runner up in this category is probably Zombieland:Double Tap for similar reasons – it's probably impenetrable unless you’re a fan of the original film, but if (like me) you are, there’s plenty to enjoy in this belated sequel.
Hidden Gem(s) of 2019 – There are a few films that you may have missed on their original releases that are worth tracking down; Fighting With My Family is a feel-good real-life sporting comedy/drama for people who don’t like sporting comedy/dramas, while Long Shot is an underrated rom-com with a political twist. And while big Netflix premiers like Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman got a lot of publicity, all-star action thriller Triple Frontier is well worth tracking down if you fancy a tense, character-driven drama.
Biggest Return of 2019 – Linda Hamilton in Terminator: Dark Fate. 2019 was littered with examples of high-profile films that underperformed at the box office, and this surprisingly good Terminator threequel was one of the worst hit. Like many others (X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Men In Black: International, Godzilla: King of the Monsters etc) it deserved to do better commercially, and it was actually a very enjoyable film, but the poor financial performance means the proposed trilogy of films is unlikely to materialise. Still, we’ll always have Linda Hamilton’s long-awaited return to the iconic role of Sarah Connor to cherish, even if this is the last time we’ll see this character on the big screen.
Lifetime Achievement Award of 2019 – Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. It was arguably impossible to find an ending for the entire 42-year, 9-film, generation-defining Skywalker Saga that would please everyone, but this gave the series a very respectable send-off. While I don’t necessarily agree with all of the creative choices made, this was even better on my second viewing – when I could judge it for what it was rather than what I thought I could have been – and it provides a good mix of nostalgia and emotional resolution. (Incidentally, another film that was definitely better on a second viewing, when I didn’t have any preconceptions about what I hoped it would be, was Once Upon A Time In Hollywood which worked better as a mood piece second time around).
Person of the Year 2019 – Dwayne Johnson for Hobbs & Shaw, Jumanji: The Next Level and Fighting With My Family. Every year I like to nominate one person who’s had a good year and made a real impact in more than one film. 2019 was definitely Dwayne Johnson’s year, as he starred in both the first standalone spin-off from the Fast & Furious series (which became the tenth highest grossing film of 2019), and the next family adventure in the rejuvenated Jumanji franchise (which was arguably one of, if not the, funniest films I saw this year), as well as producing and cameoing in Fighting With My Family as an entertaining version of himself. Is he the hardest working person in Hollywood? Quite possibly...
Favourite Cinematic Moment of 2019 – Avengers: Endgame. Let’s face it, if you’re a fan of the MCU, then Endgame probably contains about half a dozen of your favourite cinematic moments from 2019 – but the one that stands out from all the rest is the so-called “portals scene” (I’m being vague to avoid spoilers for the one person who hasn’t yet seen the biggest film of all time). Perhaps the biggest “punch the air” moment since Neo stood up to Agent Smith in 1999’s The Matrix, the portals scene is a landmark in modern pop-culture history.
All in all, it was a good year for the MCU, with Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home and Captain Marvel finishing the year as the first, fourth and fifth highest grossing films of 2019...
Obviously, these aren’t all of my favourite films from 2019, but they are some of the highlights!
Watch this space for my Top Ten of 2019 in a couple of months, but for now, you might want to check out some of the above highlights if you’ve not seen them already.
