Friday 1 February 2019

My favourite films of 2018

For me, 2018 was a year where my favourite movies were overwhelmingly comedies or action flicks. While there were many pure dramas I enjoyed this year - two just barely missed the list, and one would be very high if I ranked the top 10 - I was much more interested by those movies which combined surface pleasures with something deeper. I'd prefer not to make a big point of it: most likely, it had more to do with my own tastes than with any reaction to politics or even the kind of movies which were critical darlings in prior years.

What I am glad for, though, is that it allowed a lot more diversity in my top 10. Half of these films feature non-white leads, and almost half were made by non-white directors. This was a year where prestige pictures like Widows and pop phenomena like Crazy Rich Asians represented people who might not have occupied as much of the cultural landscape in the past, and I can only see this as a positive development. A more inclusive cinema at the most public level could get us one step closer to a more inclusive society.

Regardless, here's my own list of the movies that I liked most this year, and here's to more great movies in 2019.




First, some runners-up:

Eighth Grade, directed by Bo Burnham, a coming-of-age comedy which presents the awkwardness and anxiety of modern teenagers with wit and insight.

Leave No Trace, directed by Debra Granik, a devastating and beautiful drama about a family torn apart by the need to move forward.

Sorry to Bother You, directed by Boots Riley a completely nuts dark comedy which combines left-wing politics with surrealism.

Thoroughbreds, directed by Corey Finley, a funny and incredibly compelling dark comedy which shows impressive formal control.

Revenge, directed by Coralie Fargeat, an exciting and deliberately campy exploitation film which inverts the male gaze to empowering ends.

The Rider, directed by Chloé Zhao, a simple, patient drama which gains authenticity from a cast of non-actors essentially playing themselves.

Now, the top 10:



Black Panther
dir. by Ryan Coogler
written by Joe Robert Cole and Ryan Coogler

Short:
Superhero film with a unique setting and unusually complex morality. Strong character work and action imagery.

Long: At this point, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) brand is a license to print money, so perhaps it shouldn't be surprising that the past few years have seen it explore unusual themes and aesthetics. These movies are still identifiable as Marvel films, but the variations that have always existed within the formula have become weirder and more interesting over the years, and nowhere is that better seen than in Black Panther. Traditionally, superhero films are popular because they provide an uncomplicated power fantasy in a complicated world, and Panther stands out partially because it puts a different face on that power fantasy. The fictional setting of Wakanda is as significant for promoting a vision of black empowerment as it is for providing a unique aesthetic, but this is among the most morally complicated of the Marvel films, a story which not only recognizes the drawbacks of its constructed society but also acknowledges not only how its villain has a point, but also how he was created by the racism of the outside world. Combine that with taut plotting and some of the best action imagery to ever come from the MCU, and Black Panther stands tall as the franchise's most compelling dramatic effort.




Blindspotting
dir. by Carlos López Estrada
written by Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs

Short:
Comedy-drama which takes on various angles of American race relations to both satirical and dramatic ends. Very insightful and witty.

Long: Alongside the aforementioned Sorry to Bother You, Blindspotting serves as a powerful example of how effective comedy is as a tool for social commentary. It's a story about gentrification, privilege, police brutality, and the challenges facing ex-prisoners, and yet it finds significant avenues for levity without reducing the seriousness of those themes. Most of all, the film thrives in its nuanced central relationship, between a black ex-con trying to keep a low profile and his white friend who just can't keep himself out of trouble. The film thrives on witty banter and observational humour, but it also acknowledges the difference in racial privilege between the protagonists, and it further shows such a strongly rooted sense of place that its themes are all the more provocative. Most of all, though, what sets Blindspotting apart is its deft tonal control: there's a wide gulf between the funny scenes and the dark ones, and yet the film never feels awkward when transitioning from one to the other. Its surface pleasures are significant, but they never hide the film's scathing indictment of racial inequality.



Can You Ever Forgive Me?
dir. by Marielle Heller
written by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty

Short:
Relaxed biopic presents a detailed and empathetic portrait of its subject, and features an interesting subtext of social commentary.

Long: As far as this year's conventional biopics go, this one's easily my favourite, deliberately flattening a traditional rise-and-fall narrative into something softer and lighter while still conveying socioeconomic themes. It's partially an actors' movie: McCarthy is wonderful in the central role, presenting a more melancholic character than her usual abrasive persona, and Richard E. Grant is equally lovely as her dumbass partner in crime. Mostly, it's just such a patient character portrait, slowly revealing Lee Israel's insecurities over the course of a series of dramatic events while also revelling in the significant improvements that forging letters has brought to her life. At its best it's warm and endearing, a portrait of a woman who finally found a world which fits her, but it's also just so empathetic in portraying how the world around her consistently reinforces her misanthropy. It's a film which doesn't hide from all the things which led Israel down her path, from the uncaring nature of capitalism to her own neuroses, and it never passes judgment.



The Favourite
dir. by Yorgos Lanthimos
written by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara

Short:
Wild and unpredictable dark comedy which takes the broad strokes of history and makes a weird, thrilling spectacle out of them.

Long: The Favourite, set in a politically fraught period of British history, deserves much praise for its layered themes about the nature of power, relationships, and political rivalry, but it's also a funny and unpredictable comedy which revels in intrigue for its own sake, and is exactly the kind of irreverent madness which ought to disrupt the awards season more often. Yorgos Lanthimos, the weirdo behind movies like 2016's The Lobster, blows the whole thing up with a combination of low angle shots and wide angle lenses, but most of the thrill comes from the combination of a witty and inventive script combined with the veritable talents of Emma Stone, Olivia Colman, and Rachel Weisz, all of whom are having the time of their lives. Add in a twisty, intrigue-filled plot, and it's a reminder that prestige pictures like this can be genuinely fun when they want to be. Whatever extra bite current politics gives this farce is as irrelevant as the specifics of the characters' political positions - all that is hilarious and thrilling and weird about the film needs no context to come through.



If Beale Street Could Talk
dir. and written by Barry Jenkins

Short:
Beautiful, heartbreaking drama about an African-American couple screwed over by a broken system. Very poetic in its presentation and nuanced in its story.

Long: Anger can be an important tool for social commentary, and can add a lot to a film's power, but it's not the only way to deal with themes of injustice. In If Beale Street Could Talk, Oscar-winner Barry Jenkins instead conveys an overwhelming sense of resignation and tragedy. Every unfortunate turn here is played as inevitable and milked for maximum empathy, generating an overwhelming atmosphere of sadness not only for a young couple whose lives were ruined, but also for the other people equally harmed by this incident. An angry movie doesn't quite convey the same sense of history, as focused as they tend to be on immediate problems. Instead, If Beale Street Could Talk combines a deeply sad romance with a portrait of a broken system, which degrades people on both sides and has been doing so for quite some time. Jenkins brings the same impressionistic aesthetic that he utilized in Moonlight, crafting visual poetry through a combination of audiovisual beauty, quiet performances, and a wide range of small details, but what makes this new film most powerful is the juxtaposition of past and present, and how it keeps focus solely on the reactions of individuals even as it condemns the system which oppresses them.



Mission: Impossible - Fallout
dir. by Christopher McQuarrie
written by Christopher McQuarrie and Bruce Geller

Short:
Incredibly well-crafted action movie filled with creative stunts, genuine danger, and slick pacing.

Long: Tom Cruise is current cinema's greatest action star. It's an unfortunate truth, and the latest Mission: Impossible only confirms his status with an action movie so imaginative, so propulsive, so precisely crafted that it enhances all of his craziest impulses. Whatever narrative baggage is brought along from the previous film pales next to the seemingly endless barrage of shocking twists and exquisite action scenes, all paced for just the right amount of tension. Its greatest feat is somehow managing to balance Cruise's escalating series of absurd stunts with a persistent sense of vulnerability, which is perhaps as much down to Cruise's performance as to the direction. But this is the absolute best kind of action film, where the script provides exactly what is needed, no more and no less, and allows the visceral joys of cinema to take centre stage. At this point, the Mission: Impossible film series makes no pretense to be anything other than a showcase for crazy stunts and crazier setpieces, and nearly every sequence in Fallout is a contender for the most memorable and exciting of the entire decade.



Paddington 2
dir. by Paul King
written by Paul King and Simon Farnaby

Short: Joyously optimistic family adventure filled with excellent slapstick and exciting spectacle. Also notable for its themes of empathy and inclusion.

Paddington 2, which opened so early this year that I could have put it on last year's list, may seem like an outlier among the other movies here, but it has more in common with them than you may think. Its precise comedic setpieces are as inspired as any this year, its faux-Wes Anderson aesthetic is as inviting as the venerable director's best works, and in its own way it says as much about modern society as any number of race dramas. It conveys a heartwarming message about kindness and understanding, coinciding with a portrait of London which is gloriously inclusive and multicultural. Its utter lack of cynicism is a worthy tonic to the serious issues raised by other great movies of recent years, but it's also a towering spectacle with incredible stylistic control, as impressive as any of the decade's best action films - none of which are nearly this cute. And in a year where superhero movies have become more nuanced and complex, it's Paddington 2 which perfects the ideal of goodness which underlines many of that genre's most enduring characters. Paddington's only super powers are his politeness and empathy - and those just might be the powers the world needs right now.



Shoplifters
dir. and written by Hirokazu Kore-eda

Short:
Adorable domestic drama about a poor family in Tokyo who all take menial or disreputable jobs to get by. Lots of empathy which allows for surprising social commentary.

Long: Similarly adorable is the Japanese drama Shoplifters, which diverts its own empathetic perspective to a makeshift family living on the margins of Japanese society. Much of this film's appeal is centred around surface charm - director Hirokazu Kore-eda has made a name for himself by crafting warm, inviting examples of people getting by despite their hardships, and this particular story combines that with the question of what makes a family, with lovely results. It's a detailed, consistently charming slice-of-life which derives significant emotional effect from the complexities of its character relationships, but it also boasts unusually pointed social commentary: these people all have their problems, but they're trying their best to get by, and Kore-eda increasingly reveals how little the outside world cares about them. This low-key, insightful domestic drama eventually reveals itself to be a condemnation of how society treats its most underprivileged members, and it's in the way that the anger slowly emerges from underneath the sweet charm and family drama which makes Shoplifters so special.



Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
dir. by bob Perischetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rotham
written by Phil Lord and Rodney Rotham

Short:
Animated superhero film has one of the most distinctive visual styles seen in mainstream animation in a while, as well as a polished and emotional story.

Long: As dominant as superheroes are in the current cinematic landscape, they've made surprisingly little impact on the world of big-budget animation. Excepting Big Hero 6 all the way back in 2014, superhero animation has largely avoided the big screen, excepting the occasional one-day screening of a direct-to-video movie. That alone makes Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse an exciting prospect, but it's also an incredibly refined superhero narrative, with a healthy collection of surprises and a strong emotional core. Its story may not innovate in the same ways as Black Panther or The Dark Knight, but it has all the necessary ingredients of the genre and then some. More than that, though, it stands apart for its wild aesthetic experimentation, building upon the conventional style of mainstream animation with a surreal colour palette and heavy influence from old comic books. It's also incredibly kinetic and fluid, featuring exquisite fight choreography and frequently dazzling breaks from reality, not to mention some really clever employment of its virtual camera. If it's not enough to encourage other animation studios to explore new styles, it really deserves to be.




Support the Girls
dir. and written by Andrew Bujalski

Short: Low-key, bittersweet comedy presents a vision of solidarity among workers in a sleazy sports bar. Frequently hilarious but also features a realistic and downbeat story.

Long: The term "comedy" arguably brings overly restrictive expectations. Support the Girls, although often very funny, also includes long stretches of relative seriousness, and is all the better for it. This film, a portrait of women working in a local "sports bar" (essentially Hooters but local), combines emotional sincerity with a wide range of both visual and verbal gags to engender empathy for these women. Bujalski makes great use of the cinematic form in crafting jokes: some visual gags last onscreen for only a second, whereas others employ a well-timed cut to underline something absurd said by one of the characters. But it's hardly a feel-good movie, and its focus on day-to-day frustrations and worker solidarity creates a grounded, realistic atmosphere despite how silly the jokes can get. It's a very funny movie which becomes very sad, but it does so because its characters are so endearing and their pains are so relatable. Family troubles, technical issues at work, a general atmosphere of sexism - all are presented as simple facts of life for these women, and it's that unglamorized portrait of service work combined with the clever, intimate script which makes Support the Girls stand out.

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