I listened to the first 30 minutes on my way to work and I love the variety of your picks! :) I know you guys mentioned worrying that this year everyone has the same favorite movies, but so far it definitely does not seem that way. You even named a few I had never heard of!
Looking forward to the rest of the episode, and great work as always gents!
Yep, I was expecting more similarities than I got on the guys' Top 10's. Which is good. Even when their No. 1 favorite film was unanimous (and match my own favorite film of 2019), there were enough great flicks last year to make their rankings different. :-)
I really liked The Lighthouse! I'm not much of a list person, and tbh haven't seen enough 2019 movies to really make one, but it would be on there. I could watch him shovelling coal for hours.
It probably won't make my top ten, but I want to back JB on All Is True; I saw it in the theater and that was a real pleasant surprise. I especially liked Kathryn Wilder as Judith Shakespeare.
I suppose I need to watch Once Upon a Time in Hollywood again. I did certainly like it, and it would probably make my top 20 of the year, but after hearing the level of praise it's getting I must have missed something. Although I tend have the same experience with Tarantino films that Patrick mentioned, in that I usually like them better on rewatch.
I didn’t get to see quite as many movies at the theater this year as in 2018 (RIP Movie Pass). Still, I thought it was a really good year at the movies, especially at the top—my top two are in a tier of their own, and I think both are in my top 20-30 movies of all time.
Honorable Mentions: Ad Astra had a lot of stuff I liked; I thought Avengers: Endgame stuck the landing about as well as could be hoped for, an impressive wrap-up of a 20-30 movie build; I don’t think Joker is as great as its biggest fans do, but I think it’s pretty good (a bit better than where median public opinion landed after some understandable pushback against its “best movie ever” fans); Long Shot was a lot of fun; Uncut Gems is not my favorite type of movie, but it had me on the edge of my seat all the way, and I thought it was impressively made.
The List: 10. Little Women - This is the first version of Little Women I’ve seen, so I don’t have anything to compare it to, but I thought Ronan/Watson/Pugh/Scanlen all gave awesome performances. I found the timeline-hopping neither essential nor unnecessary—I thought it was effective for comparing the ways the characters changed (seeing contrasting scenes back-to-back rather than separated by the middle of the movie). The meta-ish ending was interesting even if it didn’t land for me 100%.
9. Midsommar – I didn’t totally connect with it thematically, but it was entertaining as heck and the cinematography was fantastic. I’m interested to see if I “get it” more after a second viewing.
8. Toy Story 4 – Basically a re-hashing of the preceding movies in the series, but I’m on board for that.
7. The Irishman – I don’t love this movie yet, but it could certainly grow on me over time. Pesci is awesome, Hoffa’s character is a perfect match for late-career “Showy Pacino,” and De Niro is great, too.
6. Us – I think Midsommar is an objectively better movie than Us. Us is much sloppier, but I also had more fun with it.
5. Knives Out – A real throwback treat. I hope we get more murder mysteries after its success!
4. The Art of Self Defense – This one flew a little under the radar, but it’s a terrific black comedy.
3. Jojo Rabbit – I can understand the views of those who have trouble with this movie’s tone. Mining Nazism for comedy is a fine line to walk, and I see how the “some Nazis are redeemable” concept could be problematic. But I thought its mockery of hateful attitudes was funny and effective (again, for me).
2. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – On first watch, I really, really liked it. On second watch, knowing where the story was going (and perhaps more importantly, where it WASN’T going), I think I was able to relax more and grow to love it. It’s top-half Tarantino, which is pretty lofty territory.
1. Parasite – The first time I saw it, I thought it was the best movie I had seen in a few years. The second time I saw it didn’t do anything to change my mind. Funny, suspenseful, surprising, sad. It’s so metaphorical!
Still need to see: 1917, Alita: Battle Angel, The Beach Bum, Brittany Runs a Marathon, Captain Marvel, Doctor Sleep (need to read the book first!), Dolemite Is My Name, Fighting with My Family, Hustlers, John Wick 3, The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Missing Link, One Cut of the Dead, The Peanut Butter Falcon, The Perfection, Queen & Slim, Satanic Panic, The Souvenir, Triple Frontier, Waves
I liked "Ad Astra" a lot more than I expected (#12 in my 2019 ranking of all movies I saw theatrically), and I think Tarantino's "OUATIH" had a lot to do with it. Cliff Booth and Roy McBridde couldn't be more different characters, but Pitt effortlessly makes them relatable to vastly different audiences. In one movie he's a goofy sidekick that has more charm and charisma than the leading man (and part of a massive ensemble cast), and in the other he's the star carrying the whole movie on his broad shoulders.
If Tarantino's flick hadn't come out in the summer I think I would have liked "Ad Astra" a lot less than I did. Coming a couple of months after the Cliff Booth and Rick Dalton show, though, it blew my mind to see Brad Pitt's range on back-to-back Hollywood epics. Go figure. :-D
I listened to the first 30 minutes on my way to work and I love the variety of your picks! :) I know you guys mentioned worrying that this year everyone has the same favorite movies, but so far it definitely does not seem that way. You even named a few I had never heard of!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to the rest of the episode, and great work as always gents!
Yep, I was expecting more similarities than I got on the guys' Top 10's. Which is good. Even when their No. 1 favorite film was unanimous (and match my own favorite film of 2019), there were enough great flicks last year to make their rankings different. :-)
DeleteI agree with the above comment, but nobody liked "The Lighthouse"?
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't for me unfortunately
DeleteI really liked The Lighthouse! I'm not much of a list person, and tbh haven't seen enough 2019 movies to really make one, but it would be on there. I could watch him shovelling coal for hours.
DeleteI can only agree with the peeps here - hard to believe how the Lighthouse doesn't fall into top 10s of this year. But thanks for the podcast.
DeleteAvengers: Endgame didn't even make the honorable mentions! JK.
ReplyDeleteI had it written down as an honorable mention but was too lazy to say it aloud if that helps
DeleteGreat show! I agree with JB that, while I like 2019's movies more, 2018 had a deeper bench of great movies.
ReplyDeleteI would say that 2019 feels more top-heavy, for sure.
DeleteCan my top 10 list include Adam's "regular guy from the midwest who loves movies" joke?
ReplyDeleteIt probably won't make my top ten, but I want to back JB on All Is True; I saw it in the theater and that was a real pleasant surprise. I especially liked Kathryn Wilder as Judith Shakespeare.
ReplyDeleteI suppose I need to watch Once Upon a Time in Hollywood again. I did certainly like it, and it would probably make my top 20 of the year, but after hearing the level of praise it's getting I must have missed something. Although I tend have the same experience with Tarantino films that Patrick mentioned, in that I usually like them better on rewatch.
ReplyDeleteI didn’t get to see quite as many movies at the theater this year as in 2018 (RIP Movie Pass). Still, I thought it was a really good year at the movies, especially at the top—my top two are in a tier of their own, and I think both are in my top 20-30 movies of all time.
ReplyDeleteHonorable Mentions: Ad Astra had a lot of stuff I liked; I thought Avengers: Endgame stuck the landing about as well as could be hoped for, an impressive wrap-up of a 20-30 movie build; I don’t think Joker is as great as its biggest fans do, but I think it’s pretty good (a bit better than where median public opinion landed after some understandable pushback against its “best movie ever” fans); Long Shot was a lot of fun; Uncut Gems is not my favorite type of movie, but it had me on the edge of my seat all the way, and I thought it was impressively made.
The List:
10. Little Women - This is the first version of Little Women I’ve seen, so I don’t have anything to compare it to, but I thought Ronan/Watson/Pugh/Scanlen all gave awesome performances. I found the timeline-hopping neither essential nor unnecessary—I thought it was effective for comparing the ways the characters changed (seeing contrasting scenes back-to-back rather than separated by the middle of the movie). The meta-ish ending was interesting even if it didn’t land for me 100%.
9. Midsommar – I didn’t totally connect with it thematically, but it was entertaining as heck and the cinematography was fantastic. I’m interested to see if I “get it” more after a second viewing.
8. Toy Story 4 – Basically a re-hashing of the preceding movies in the series, but I’m on board for that.
7. The Irishman – I don’t love this movie yet, but it could certainly grow on me over time. Pesci is awesome, Hoffa’s character is a perfect match for late-career “Showy Pacino,” and De Niro is great, too.
6. Us – I think Midsommar is an objectively better movie than Us. Us is much sloppier, but I also had more fun with it.
5. Knives Out – A real throwback treat. I hope we get more murder mysteries after its success!
4. The Art of Self Defense – This one flew a little under the radar, but it’s a terrific black comedy.
3. Jojo Rabbit – I can understand the views of those who have trouble with this movie’s tone. Mining Nazism for comedy is a fine line to walk, and I see how the “some Nazis are redeemable” concept could be problematic. But I thought its mockery of hateful attitudes was funny and effective (again, for me).
2. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – On first watch, I really, really liked it. On second watch, knowing where the story was going (and perhaps more importantly, where it WASN’T going), I think I was able to relax more and grow to love it. It’s top-half Tarantino, which is pretty lofty territory.
1. Parasite – The first time I saw it, I thought it was the best movie I had seen in a few years. The second time I saw it didn’t do anything to change my mind. Funny, suspenseful, surprising, sad. It’s so metaphorical!
Still need to see: 1917, Alita: Battle Angel, The Beach Bum, Brittany Runs a Marathon, Captain Marvel, Doctor Sleep (need to read the book first!), Dolemite Is My Name, Fighting with My Family, Hustlers, John Wick 3, The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Missing Link, One Cut of the Dead, The Peanut Butter Falcon, The Perfection, Queen & Slim, Satanic Panic, The Souvenir, Triple Frontier, Waves
I liked "Ad Astra" a lot more than I expected (#12 in my 2019 ranking of all movies I saw theatrically), and I think Tarantino's "OUATIH" had a lot to do with it. Cliff Booth and Roy McBridde couldn't be more different characters, but Pitt effortlessly makes them relatable to vastly different audiences. In one movie he's a goofy sidekick that has more charm and charisma than the leading man (and part of a massive ensemble cast), and in the other he's the star carrying the whole movie on his broad shoulders.
DeleteIf Tarantino's flick hadn't come out in the summer I think I would have liked "Ad Astra" a lot less than I did. Coming a couple of months after the Cliff Booth and Rick Dalton show, though, it blew my mind to see Brad Pitt's range on back-to-back Hollywood epics. Go figure. :-D