Since the first half of 2019 has come to a close, it’s now a good time to reflect on the best that cinema has offered thus far. While it’s been an underwhelming year for reboots and also sequels that aren’t named Avengers: Endgame, there have been some terrific gems that haven’t caught on the way they should have. From hidden gems to documentaries, this list contains the ten best films of the year so far.
Before the top ten is revealed, here’s a list of honorable mentions that just missed out:
Always Be My Maybe
The Chambermaid
Charlie Says
John Wick- Chapter 3: Parabellum
Late Night
Little Woods
Long Shot
The Perfection
Shazam!
Toy Story 4
Now, onto the actual top ten:
10. The Last Black Man in San Francisco:
Aside from being a profound story about two lifelong friends, The Last Black Man in San Francisco is a depiction of race and gentrification done with such virtuosity. Even the slow motion editing on the opening sequence perfectly illustrates the film’s thematic material. In addition, the picture’s emotional impact stems heavily from the central performances by Jimmie Fails and Jonathan Majors as the two best friends. Meanwhile, Tichina Arnold, who plays Jimmie Fails’ aunt, has one of the most well-acted scenes of the year. She gets a small monologue that perfectly sums up the conflicted sense of home felt by our main characters.
9. Homecoming:
When Beyonce opened the 2018 Coachella festival, she became the first African-American woman to do so. However, this documentary special shows that for her, this opening act was truly something more. Her performance, at a festival that typically acknowledges white culture, was a tribute to historically black colleges and universities and Homecoming digs deep into the sweat and tears that she and her countless crew members put into a performance that became a cultural movement. Homecoming is another exemplary piece of work from an artist who keeps pushing the envelope and never rests on her laurels. They don’t call her Queen Bey for nothing.
8. Sauvage:
In Sauvage, lead actor Felix Maritaud plays Leo, a gay street hustler who tries to find love and compassion. Although, he abandons love in the right places and tries to find it in the wrong places. Leo goes on a journey of continuous tragedy yet Maritaud still guides it with a peculiar charisma even when the film becomes hard to watch at times. Aside from being a portrait of the struggles sex workers face, Sauvage manages to illustrate the tribulations that come with pursuing a love that isn’t meant to be.
7. Rocketman:
Taron Egerton gives the best male performance of the year thus far as the iconic Elton John. Whether he’s acting out his singing or just plain acting, Egerton is an immense whirlwind of emotion throughout the entire movie. He’s the strong center of a film that admirably and unapologetically rewrites the rules of making a biopic. It’s staged like a glitzy movie musical thanks to its extravagant song-and-dance sequences while packing plenty of substantial feeling. Simply put, Rocketman soars.
6. Gloria Bell:
Sometimes, when doing an English language remake of a foreign film, it’s best to let the original director take charge. Sebastian Lelio, who helmed the 2013 Chilean film that Gloria Bell is based on, presents a similar filmmaking aesthetic while letting his lead actress offer her own interpretation of the title character, As opposed to Paulina Garcia’s more demure portrait, Julianne Moore is expressively seismic. Whether she’s feeling heartbreak or aching to burst onto the dance floor, Moore never fails to let her eyes provide insight into Gloria’s rampant feelings. She’s the heart and soul of Gloria Bell and does some of the finest work of her career.
5. Sorry Angel:
Typically, narratives revolving around the AIDS crisis tend to be politically urgent. Sorry Angel is a slight derision of that narrative as it focuses on an AIDS victim (Pierre Deladonchamps) trying to cherish whatever days he has left. In the process, he falls for the young Arthur (Vincent Lacoste). Together, they experience love’s harsh complications and both actors wonderfully bring their chemistry to life. Sorry Angel might not be about the fight for justice but it still illustrates the importance of living for today because who knows if tomorrow is promised.
4. Us:
Us is an incredibly bold sophomore effort from director Jordan Peele. As opposed to Get Out which was a horror comedy, Us is straightforward horror. What seems like a simple home invasion thriller is a psychological confrontation of the darkness within our souls. The film’s doppelgangers, known as the Tethered, may be antagonistic yet they aren’t exactly the villains of the story. They symbolize the worst enemy from within that we avoid confronting and try desperately to keep hidden. The caustic, confrontational nature of Us is ultimately what gives it a heavy fright factor.
3. The Mustang:
The Mustang shows that besides dogs, horses can be a man’s best friend. It’s hard to know why but their calm demeanor can somehow help heal the most troubled of souls. Souls like Roman (Matthias Schoenaerts), a prisoner who takes part in a rehabilitation program involving horse training. Roman is a man of few words with a short temper and is a character that plays into the strengths of actor Matthias Schoenaerts. Fingers crossed there’s a Best Actor drum being beaten for him.
2. Her Smell:
Her Smell is a film that people will either find rewarding or exhausting and pretentious. This reviewer is certainly on the former side of the spectrum. Told in five extended sequences that play out as interconnected short films, this musical drama is handled with intrepid ferocity and is carried by a completely brazen leading performance from Elisabeth Moss. As fiery as the filmmaking is, Moss is both fire and brimstone as Becky Something, a cruel and self-destructive rock star.
1. Booksmart:
Booksmart is many things. It’s a marvelous directing debut from Olivia Wilde, a sincere depiction of a close friendship, an unapologetically queer coming-of-age story, and an analysis of clique generalizations. It seems like a raunchy comedy about two overachievers looking to end their senior year with a bang, but it’s so much more and thrives thanks to its humor and heart. Plus, Billie Lourd.
What films do you think are the best this year so far? Please share your thoughts in the comments section!
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