The 6th Annual 'Bamboo' Awards: Panda's Top 20 of 2019 (List is COMPLETE!)

[Ethan Hunt]

Just now, The Panda said:

 

All hail Rick Dalton

[The Panda]

 

Knives Out

Directed by Rian Johnson

 

"I suspect foul play. I have eliminated no suspects."

 

Most Valuable Player: The Ensemble as whole

Box Office: 110.2m+

Metascore: 82

Synopsis: When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan's dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan's untimely death.

Critic Opinion: "Johnson has since his 2005 neo-noir debut “Brick” shown a rare cunning for enlivening old genres with densely plotted deconstruction. He makes very clever movies (“Looper,” “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”) that sometimes, like in the madcap caper “The Brothers Bloom,” verge on showy overelaboration, of being too much.  But in the whodunit, too much is usually a good thing. Give us all the movie stars, plot twists and murder weapons you can find. When done well, there is almost nothing better. And “Knives Out,” while it takes a little while to find its stride, sticks the landing, right up to its doozy of a last shot. The whodunit turns out not only to still have a few moves left but to be downright acrobatic." - Jake Coyle, Associated Press

User Opinion: "I want to say that was brilliant.  I loved it, loved everything." - @Force Ghost Cap

Reasoning: Rian Johnson does it again, with yet another brilliant movie.  Knives Out is perhaps the most purely entertaining film released this year, and not only that it is expertly crafted in such a way that it turns the "Who dunnit" genre right on its head.  The high profile ensemble of the film brings everything to life, and it works wonderfully as a parable about 2019 White America.  It's an enthralling ride that keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire way.  There's not much for me to say here that hasn't already been said about this film.

 

 

 

[The Panda]

 

[Ethan Hunt]

Knives out for ensemble  

 

Greta for director

 

 

 

[Rorschach]

Ad Astra huh 🤔

[The Panda]

 

Little Women

Directed by Greta Gerwig

 

"It's like the tide going out. It goes out slowly, but it can't be stopped."

 

Most Valuable Player: Greta Gerwig's Direction

Box Office: 29m+ DOM

Metascore: 91

Synopsis: Four sisters come of age in America in the aftermath of the Civil War.

Critic Opinion: "In her screenplay, Gerwig carefully laid out where dialogue should overlap, so that the film effortlessly eases in and out of the March’s various mischiefs and disagreements. Their conversations only feel modern because we’re so unused to seeing young people from the past act this vibrant and alive. The casting here (by Kathy Driscoll and Francine Maisler) feels heaven-sent, teasing out the very best sides of its actors: Ronan bristles with suppressed desires, Watson is gentle but correct, Dern glows with kindness, and Scanlen finds new depths to the oh-so tragic Beth. Timothée Chalamet gives Laurie, Jo’s infamous love interest, the soul of a poet. It makes it a little easier to swallow his journey from sweetheart to tyrannical flirt. It’s Pugh, however, who manages to steal the show. She indulges in Amy’s vanity and selfishness, but emphasises equally her intelligence and resilience – she’s the sister most aware of her place in the world, however constricted that may be.  Thanks to Gerwig and her cast, we see familiar characters in a new light and are asked to show empathy towards their imperfections. It’s Little Women’s deep generosity that cements it as a cinematic achievement. Not only that, it ensures that this won’t be the last adaptation we see – I know it left me aching to return to the March household as soon as possible." - Clarisse Loughrey, The Independent

User Opinion: "The world may or may not have needed yet another adaptation of Little Women, but it certainly needed this one if we were to have any. Greta Gerwig has created a follow-up to Lady Bird that not only surpasses her previous effort, but also might be the best adaptation of this story yet (surpassing even the terrific 1994 version with its own equally talented cast of big names). This isn't some boring period piece: Gerwig has updated the material with the right amount of flair and contemporary relevance, while also remaining very much true to the time period of the story and retaining its essence. Acting was one of the biggest strengths about her previous film, and it's just as much so here. Saoirse Ronan has given us the definitive Jo March in a spirited performance that is among her very best. The other March sisters have never been as compelling but Florence Pugh (can't wait to see her become an A-lister in the next year or two), Emma Watson (not a great performance since Meg has always been the least interesting of the four but better than I thought she would be based on the early buzz), and Eliza Scanlen all contribute fine work in her orbit. There really isn't a single bad performance to be found here, as Gerwig has filled the supporting cast with talented names who add to the movie (Timothee Chalamet continues to prove he can do no wrong in what is also the best portrayal of Laurie yet). This proves that remakes/new adaptations deserve to be welcomed rather than met with disapproval when they turn out to be as rewarding as this." - @filmlover

Reasoning: Absolutely invigorating and powerful stuff from Gerwig with this one.  After having gone quite a while without crying in the movies, I began to feel invulnerable to the emotion they could reek, and then two films from 2019 happened (one of them being this one).  When I first saw the trailer for this, I wondered why on Earth we were going to need yet another adaption of Little Women, and then I saw the movie.  Greta Gerwig managed to craft what I'd consider the essential adaption of the source material.  She lovingly adds a few modern flairs, while keeping the majority of Alcott's work as it is.  The seamless weaving through time and warm wit throughout the film keep you engaged in what's a rather simple story.  Little Women is a rewarding film that should definitely be given a shot by those potentially skeptical to the idea of yet another remake of a classic novel.

 

 

 

 

[The Panda]

Before I reveal the top two, here were five honorable mentions that barely missed out on the list

 

The Irishman

Ford v Ferrari

Marriage Story

Uncut Gems

High Life

[The Panda]

I pretty much had to flip a coin for these next two, I don't like that I had to rank them!  I wish could give them both number 1!  (I literally had a version of this post where they were both in alternative positions and kept flip flopping, couldn't decide!)

 

 

 

Gisaengchung (Parasite)

Directed by Bong Joon-Ho

 

"Jessica. Only child. Illinois, Chicago"

 

Most Valuable Player: Bong Joon-Ho for his Direction

Box Office: 22.3m+

Metascore: 96

Synopsis: Jobless, penniless, and, above all, hopeless, the unmotivated patriarch, Ki-taek, and his equally unambitious family--his supportive wife, Chung-sook; his cynical twentysomething daughter, Ki-jung, and his college-age son, Ki-woo--occupy themselves by working for peanuts in their squalid basement-level apartment. Then, by sheer luck, a lucrative business proposition will pave the way for an insidiously subtle scheme, as Ki-woo summons up the courage to pose as an English tutor for the teenage daughter of the affluent Park family. Now, the stage seems set for an unceasing winner-take-all class war. How does one get rid of a parasite?

Critic Opinion: "It’s best to go into “Parasite,” the Cannes Film Festival grand-prize winner by Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho (“Snowpiercer”), not knowing too much about what you’re about to see; the better to let its sly power sneak up on you. A dark satire of the class divide in contemporary South Korea, it’s the story of two families of four. One of them — we never learn their last name — lives in a squalid basement apartment, dank and cluttered; all four members, including the grown son and daughter, are out of work, causing them to take desperation jobs like folding pizza boxes. The other family, the Parks, are wealthy, living in a vast, elegant home with green lawns and gleaming floors and a basement stocked with every imaginable need." - Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

User Opinion: "This might be the movie of the decade honestly, I can't stop with this movie." - @Jandrew

Reasoning: Absolutely brilliant dark satire on South Korean social classes.  The movie sets itself up as a lighter comedy and then flips the switch on you.  This is Bong Joon-Ho's masterpiece, a top 5 movie of the decade and I really am left without much to say except that it's something that needs to be seen.  Hail Bong!  It was pretty tough choosing not to put this film at number 1, but there was one other movie that effected me just a bit more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Farewell

Directed by Lulu Wang

 

"Chinese people have a saying: When people get cancer they die."

 

Most Valuable Player: Lulu Wang for her Direction

Box Office: 17.7m DOM

Metascore: 89

Synopsis: A headstrong Chinese-American woman returns to China when her beloved grandmother is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Billi struggles with her family's decision to keep grandma in the dark about her own illness as they all stage an impromptu wedding to see grandma one last time.

Critic Opinion: "“The Farewell” immerses us in a family; sweeping us into their embrace, their quirks, their factions (Billi and her parents, who immigrated to America when Billi was a small child, are to an extent outsiders), their food, their stories. At the center of this whirl of aunties and uncles and cousins is bossy, beloved Nai Nai, who greets a trying-to-hold-it-together Billi with “You’re not that skinny” and enjoys stage-managing everyone’s business; she’s so busy holding court she doesn’t seem to notice that nearly everyone’s eyes are wet. You can look at this family and see, whoever you are, a warm shadow of your own. Wang has, through a portrait of a very specific clan (at one point, they slowly march toward the camera, like a sad army), crafted a universal story of family love." - Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

User Opinion: "Grief doesn’t feel like just one simple emotion, but rather a collision of emotions vying for control during a vulnerable time. This idea is something that writer-director Lulu Wang captures strikingly, painfully, and ultimately beautifully in The Farewell. The film’s premise – that a family reunites in China to say goodbye to a dying matriarch, but they cannot tell her of her grim prognosis – is ripe with dramatic and emotional potential, and Wang capitalizes on just about all of it. A hint of sadness lingers over many of the scenes in which family members interact with their blissfully unaware matriarch, yet the sorrow that springs from the dramatic irony is also tempered with her sense of joy and passion for life; while the feeling of anticipatory grief is powerful, so is the happiness we see from the grandmother and her family as they enjoy the present moment. Moving viewers to tears is tough enough for any film, but occasionally getting viewers to smile or chuckle through those tears? It’s a tough task, but the filmmakers nail it on numerous occasions (most notably the wedding reception, which is by turns laugh-out-loud funny and sad enough to make even a hardened viewer get at least a little misty-eyed). In the lead role as a granddaughter who struggles to keep the secret, Awkwafina delivers a revelatory performance. Her wit and comic timing were always evident in her music and her supporting roles in Ocean’s 8 and Crazy Rich Asians last year, but she executes an array of more dramatic scenes with grace and precision, communicating her character’s love for her grandmother and difficulty in coping with her imminent death in such a clear, human manner that it’s all too easy to identify with her experience. Shuzen Zhao is absolutely delightful as the grandmother. Zhao portrays Nai Nai with such warmth, feistiness, and passion that it’s all too easy to understand why she means so much to her family. Awkwafina and Zhao share splendid, entirely believable chemistry with one another, making their last few scenes together resonate with some of the strongest emotional payoff I’ve seen in a movie in some time. The Farewell cuts deep and feels true to life in such a way that it’s tough not to connect on a deep level with the highs and lows it depicts. I cannot recommend this movie highly enough." - @Webslinger

Reasoning: Absolutely rips your heart out.  Jeez, you aren't supposed to get this emotional when watching a movie, especially one that's as natural and unsentimental as this one.  It's a perfectly crafted quiet film that's best to be just experienced for all that it is.  A fresh director from Sundance has no right making a movie this good.  It's a life affirming picture that left me floored by the end of it.  Everyone has a Nai Nai in their life at some point, go give her a call and a long hug.

 

 

 

 

 

[The Panda]

Here's the full list!

 

Picture

1.    The Farewell
2.    Parasite
3.    Little Women
4.    Knives Out
5.    Midsommar
6.    Us
7.    Ad Astra
8.    Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
9.    1917
10.    Honey Boy
11.    I Lost My Body
12.    Rocketman
13.    The Two Popes
14.    A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
15.    Always Be My Maybe
16.    Hustlers
17.    The Peanut Butter Falcon
18.    Booksmart
19.    Her Smell
20.    El Camino

Director
1.    Greta Gerwig, Little Women
2.    Lulu Wang, The Farewell
3.    Bong Joon-Ho, Parasite
4.    Ari Aster, Midsommar
5.    Alma Ha’rel, Honey Boy
6.    Rian Johnson, Knives Out

Ensemble
1.    Knives Out
2.    Little Women
3.    The Farewell
4.    Parasite
5.    Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
6.    The Irishman

Actor
1.    Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
2.    Robert DeNiro, The Irishman
3.    Adam Driver, Marriage Story
4.    Taron Edgerton, Rocketman
5.    Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes
6.    Daniel Craig, Knives Out

Actress
1.    Lupita N’yongo, Us
2.    Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
3.    Awkwafina, The Farewell
4.    Florence Pugh, Midsommar
5.    Ana de Armas, Knives Out
6.    Constance Wu, Hustlers

Supporting Actress
1.    Shuzhen Zhou, The Farewell
2.    Florence Pugh, Little Women (and Midsommar)
3.    Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
4.    Yeo-jeong Jo, Parasite
5.    So-dam Park, Parasite
6.    Thomasin McKenzie, Jojo Rabbit

 

Supporting Actor
1.    Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (and Ad Astra)
2.    Kang-ho Song, Parasite
3.    Shia Labaeuf, Honey Boy
4.    Al Pacino, The Irishman
5.    Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes
6.    Chris Evans, Knives Out

Original Screenplay
1.    The Farewell
2.    Parasite
3.    Knives Out
4.    Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
5.    Midsommar
6.    Honey Boy

 

Adapted Screenplay
1.    Little Women
2.    I Lost My Body
3.    The Two Popes
4.    The Irishman
5.    Hustlers
6.    A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Cinematography
1.    Little Women
2.    Ad Astra
3.    1917
4.    Parasite
5.    Midsommar
6.    Joker

Editing
1.    Parasite
2.    Little Women
3.    The Farewell
4.    Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
5.    Honey Boy
6.    Ford v Ferrari

Score
1.    1917
2.    Us
3.    Parasite
4.    Little Women
5.    The Farewell
6.    Knives Out

Soundtrack
1.    Rocketman
2.    The Farewell
3.    Always Be My Maybe
4.    Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
5.    A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
6.    Yesterday

 

Production Design
1.    Parasite
2.    Knives Out
3.    Ad Astra
4.    Midsommar
5.    Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
6.    Little Women

Costume, Hair and Makeup Design
1.    Rocketman
2.    Us
3.    Little Women
4.    Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
5.    Jojo Rabbit
6.    Hustlers

Sound Design
1.    1917
2.    Ford v Ferrari
3.    Rocketman
4.    Ad Astra
5.    John Wick: Chapter 3
6.    Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Visual Effects and Stunt Design
1.    Ad Astra
2.    1917
3.    John Wick: Chapter 3
4.    Godzilla: King of the Monsters
5.    Detective Pikachu
6.    The Irishman

 

Album
1.    My Finest Work Yet, Andrew Bird
2.    Chrysaline, Josh Garrels
3.    i,i , Bon Iver

TV Show
1.    Watchmen
2.    The Good Place
3.    Chernobyl
 

[Tower]

Nice work. I enjoyed reading this thread even when I disagreed with you, as I did with the mediocre film you chose in your top spot.

[The Panda]

2 hours ago, Tower said:

Nice work. I enjoyed reading this thread even when I disagreed with you, as I did with the mediocre film you chose in your top spot.

[YM!]

On 12/29/2019 at 11:25 PM, Plain Old Tele said:

It’s bad, Ethan. Almost as bad as my performance today. 

Ok.

Ancient Boomer.

[The Panda]

1 hour ago, YourMother the Edgelord said:

Ok.

Ancient Boomer.

Okay Neanderthal*