Water Bottle's Top 25 Movies of the Year and Other Awards (2019)

[Water Bottle]

On 2/24/2020 at 9:49 AM, Plain Old Tele said:

I’m disturbed by some of the other entries. 🤔

 

I don't know which one lol.

[Water Bottle]

Sorry for the delay. This week has been a bit crazy. Should try to continue the list this weekend!

[Water Bottle]

#9

Judy

 

Renee Zellweger makes this movie. She perfectly captures Judy Garland, her public persona, and her private life. She carries this movie and makes it carry weight emotionally. Without her, this movie wouldn't be in my top 25 much less my top 10 despite some nice direction. After all, it's just another biopic. But it's a biopic that succeeds at bringing its subject to life. 

 

#8

Booksmart

 

Smart, funny, and it has a lot of heart. Booksmart simply works. It takes a simple premise that's been done before but it adds a unique female voice to it that makes it seem fresh. The jokes though? They are hilarious. There were some gags in there that really made me laugh as hard as possible. But without the core relationship between the two best friends, this movie wouldn't have it's real power. It's a great coming of age story. It's a pity we live in a day and age where it didn't do more at the box office.

 

#7

Avengers: Endgame

 

For some reason, Marvel gets lots of hate but when they make a movie like Avengers: Endgame...I mean come on. It's a three hour movie that when it ends you are like "really? there isn't more?" It flies by and that's a HUGE accomplishment. I actually like the time travel element of it. It really does feel like the end of the MCU (even though we are getting more movies) as it finishes three "phases" of film storytelling. It resolves the story of two of the three core heroes in the MCU up to this point in a very satisfying, natural way. The only real problem? The third act battle sucks. It's too short, doesn't have it's own mini-structure, and it's just not epic enough. Seriously this is the biggest Marvel movie of all time but the final battle is rushed? 

 

#6

Midsommar

 

Guys, Ari Aster might be the king of wide shots and tracking wide shots. Such beautiful cinematography. A lot of directors use wide shots and even tracking wide shots but Aster manages to always use them to reveal new visual information. Like you don't just get vistas or an expanded view: of what you are already seeing: you learn more about the community, the people, or whatever subject it's about. Midsommar is fantastic that keeps you on your seat.

[The Panda]

1 hour ago, Water Bottle said:

#9

Judy

 

Renee Zellweger makes this movie. She perfectly captures Judy Garland, her public persona, and her private life. She carries this movie and makes it carry weight emotionally. Without her, this movie wouldn't be in my top 25 much less my top 10 despite some nice direction. After all, it's just another biopic. But it's a biopic that succeeds at bringing its subject to life. 

 

#8

Booksmart

 

Smart, funny, and it has a lot of heart. Booksmart simply works. It takes a simple premise that's been done before but it adds a unique female voice to it that makes it seem fresh. The jokes though? They are hilarious. There were some gags in there that really made me laugh as hard as possible. But without the core relationship between the two best friends, this movie wouldn't have it's real power. It's a great coming of age story. It's a pity we live in a day and age where it didn't do more at the box office.

 

#7

Avengers: Endgame

 

For some reason, Marvel gets lots of hate but when they make a movie like Avengers: Endgame...I mean come on. It's a three hour movie that when it ends you are like "really? there isn't more?" It flies by and that's a HUGE accomplishment. I actually like the time travel element of it. It really does feel like the end of the MCU (even though we are getting more movies) as it finishes three "phases" of film storytelling. It resolves the story of two of the three core heroes in the MCU up to this point in a very satisfying, natural way. The only real problem? The third act battle sucks. It's too short, doesn't have it's own mini-structure, and it's just not epic enough. Seriously this is the biggest Marvel movie of all time but the final battle is rushed? 

 

#6

Midsommar

 

Guys, Ari Aster might be the king of wide shots and tracking wide shots. Such beautiful cinematography. A lot of directors use wide shots and even tracking wide shots but Aster manages to always use them to reveal new visual information. Like you don't just get vistas or an expanded view: of what you are already seeing: you learn more about the community, the people, or whatever subject it's about. Midsommar is fantastic that keeps you on your seat.

 

Do I like this for Midsommar or WTF this for Endgame?

 

Difficult choice but have to commend a proper ranking of Ari Aster

[Water Bottle]

#5

Jojo Rabbit

 

The coming of age story of a young boy brainwashed into being a Nazi and the Jewish girl his mom is hiding in the house. It's been met with it's own share of criticism, some of it merited, but for me it worked. I laughed at some of the jokes, I cared during the more emotional moments, and overall I thought it was a pretty good movie. Good enough to make my top five! The cast does a good job, including the kid, and it's message that the way to beat prejudice is a proven one.

[Water Bottle]

#4

Parasite

 

Yeah, obviously Parasite is pretty good. It managed to break barriers and win Best Picture and a whole bunch of other categories! It's a brilliant little movie where you don't really know where it's going to go until you get there. While it may explore issues of class in South Korea, it remains universal because it's also very much about family and it's dynamics. I really liked this movie!

[Water Bottle]

#3

1917

 

Frankly, Sam Mendes should have won Best Director even if 1917 wasn't the best picture. I mean, come on, he shot the movie in a few long takes all made to look like one long take...and succeeded. And this wasn't some romantic comedy: this was a freakin' war movie with action scenes. Even if you don't think it made for a good movie, that's impressive directing. For me, it was a good movie. It was intense, never boring, and tension-filled. It was really a triumph of filmmaking that pushed what you could do with the medium forward.

[Water Bottle]

#2

Honey Boy

 

I'm a sucker for coming-of-age stories so a real one based on Shia Labeof's life? Count me in. Raw, honest, it was also meant to be therapeutic for him as he played his own father and relived his experiences. Gives you a whole new perspective to his shenanigans. It's also very well done, Noah Jupe delivers an amazing performance that feels real. The only thing holding this back from being the best movie of the year? I don't feel like the Lucas Hedges part of the movie was as strong. 

 

(Hopefully tomorrow I can reveal my #1)

[Water Bottle]

#1

Marriage Story

 

This was probably very predictable. But yeah, I'd say Marriage Story is the best movie of the year. At times funny, moving, powerful, and compelling, Marriage Story is simply a movie done right. I fell in love with it from the first minute on and I wanted to stay in the universe a bit longer by the time it ended. Noah Baumbuch tells a story based on his own divorce which gives it a very real feeling that most movies only try to capture. The kid was a bit of a brat but the actor who played him did a great job too. Like, really, in giving us the story of this divorce it really did feel like we got the story of the marriage. 

[kitik]

Uncut Gems didn't even make the list?

[Water Bottle]

15 hours ago, kitik said:

Uncut Gems didn't even make the list?

 

It was an okay movie.