Once Upon a Time in 2019

    By Mark Pukalo

     Whether you watched on the big screen, on your computer or in the comfort of your living room, 2019 provided many compelling and entertaining films.

     They took you around the world, tackled big issues, made you laugh, caused you to sing along and made you cry. This amateur critic went to the movies almost every week last year and consumed enough popcorn to fill a dump truck. I ended up viewing a new personal-record 209 films - at the time - in all and still didn't see everything I wanted.
   
     It was a great year at the theater without a real major theme, although some of the best movies were more than two and half hours long. Much like in 2018, it was difficult to pick the best film of the year because any of the top 12 probably could have been placed on top.

    In the end, I could not pick something off the board like in 2018. The best film of 2019 had incredible acting and dialogue. It had plenty of humor. It told the story of a period in time in LaLa Land. You can call it a character study or just a series of entertaining scenes, but by the end it becomes a full movie with Quentin Tarantino steering the ship.

    "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" was the most entertaining and the best film of 2019. Brad Pitt most certainly deserved his best supporting actor Oscar, Andie McDowell's daughter Margaret Qualley dominated the screen in her scenes, Leo was great as usual, Margot Robbie couldn't have been more likable as the real life Sharon Tate, the hippies were darn creepy and Cliff's pit bull Brandy might have been the biggest star of all.

     There were so many great moments this year, from the simple like Emma Nelson and Cate Blanchett singing Cyndi Lauper's "Time after Time" in the car during "Where'd You Go Bernadette?," to the cute as JoJo Betzler reads a fake letter to his new friend inside the wall during "JoJo Rabbit," to the fascinating as the new pontiff is picked in "The Two Popes," to the shocking conclusion of "Parasite," to the emotion of Mister Rodgers visiting a dying man in "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood," to the humorous when Enzo the dog sarcastically comments on the cats frolicking on TV in "The Art of Racing in the Rain," to "Alita; Battle Angel" kicking ass, to Maya Erskine's quick wit in "Plus One" and to Elton John (Taron Egerton) beginning his first show at the Troubadour with Crocodile Rock in "Rocketman." Those are just a few. I could go on and on.

    I don't have the ability to see every movie. There are several limited-release films, very well reviewed, that did not even get out on Red Box. .

   I really don't want to be a professional critic.  I prefer not to think of structure and whether the plot works 100 percent. Some movies might be technically sound, but just don't work for me (The Favourite). I want to be entertained, whether that is making me think, laugh and maybe even cry. Or all of the above. The old Jim Valvano test.

   More than 70 films passed that exam in 2019. Here's my list of the Best of the final year in the decade:

     25. Apollo 11 - Because I was just 6 at the time, I barely remember watching the first moon landing on television, so it was very interesting to be able to watch the story unfold again in this well-constructed documentary.

    24. The Rise of Skywalker - While it might sit sixth or seventh best among the films in the Star Wars trilogy, it was still an entertaining final journey. It's weaknesses were far outweighed by its strengths, led by Daisy Ridley's presence.

     23. Joker - The much-deserved Academy Award performance from Joaquin Phoenix drives the film that is about as dark as it gets, but in a good way. I don't believe that director Todd Phillips made the Joker a sympathetic figure like many critics do. I did not take it that way. Phoenix just makes you want to know what will happen to the mad man next.

     22. Rocketman - This movie about the life of Sir Elton John was more of a musical than I expected, but it is quite entertaining. Egerton was terrific - and snubbed unfairly for an Oscar nomination - as the amazing performer and Jamie Bell is strong as Bernie Taupin, the songwriter behind the star.

    21. Official Secrets - Keira Knightley stars as Katharine Gun, the famous English whistleblower who uncovered an illegal United States spying operation in the lead up to the invasion of Iraq. Knightley's powerful, conflicted but righteous, performance was outstanding.

    20. Wild Rose - A troubled young woman (Jessie Buckley) from Glasgow, Scotland has dreams of being a country singer in Nashville. Her journey is both heartbreaking and exhilarating.

    19. Just Mercy - Michael B. Jordan gives a very strong performance as a Harvard law graduate who moves to Alabama to help provide representation for people on death row in the 1980s. He turns his attention to Walter "Johnny D" McMillian (Jamie Foxx), who was unjustly incarcerated for murder.

     18. Plus One - A very likable romantic comedy about a pair of friends who decide to accompany each other to a long list of weddings on their calendar while putting their own disappointing love lives on hold.. Alice (Maya Erskine) is one of my favorite 2019 characters.

    17. Knives Out - An enjoyable mystery with Daniel Craig and the beautiful Ana de Armas leading an outstanding ensemble cast. Took me a while before I decided to see this at the theater, but it was smart and fun from start to finish.

    16. The Farewell - Awkwafina fully deserved her Golden Globe for playing Billi, a Chinese-American who joins her family for a gathering in China to visit her grandmother, who is dying of cancer but has not been told of her disease. The family deals with the traditional decision of keeping the illness from lovable Nai Nai.

    15. 1917 - Director Sam Mendes hits it out of the park with this compelling war film that builds slowly to an amazing final 30 minutes or so. It's a story of perseverance, duty, honor, family and friendship along with the horrors of war. Yes, I have it a little lower than many critics, but that doesn't take away anything from the epic film.

    14. Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of my Voice - A documentary about the woman behind one of the greatest voices in music history. There was a lot I learned in this film, especially about the end of her singing career, that I did not know and the rest just brought back fond memories of Linda - every man's crush in my generation.

    13. Little Women - The seventh film adaptation of the 1868 novel by Louisa May Alcott is done with expertise by director Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird), and includes some brilliant acting led by Saoirse (say it right, Sirsha) Ronan and Florence Pugh. Bouncing between past and present early in the film got slightly confusing, but it was long forgotten by the end.

    12. Booksmart - Olivia Wilde provides a very likable comedy in her directorial debut about two bookworms who decide to begin partying in their last days of high school. Beanie Feldstein (Molly) was great, but I especially enjoyed Kaitlyn Dever's vulnerable Amy and not just because she had an Elizabeth Warren bumper sticker on her car.

    11. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood - A unique and well-executed take on the greatness of Mister Rodgers, inspired by an article about him titled "Can You Say. ... Hero?" written by Tom Junod that was published in Esquire magazine in the late 1990s. Tom Hanks does Fred proud and the main closing scene is one of the most emotional of the year.


     10. Bombshell - The biographical film centers on the development of a sexual harassment case against Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, and does it with credibility - without extra political sentiment. Margot Robbie, Charlize Theron and Nicole Kidman all take on their characters with grace and class.

     9. Yesterday - I saw one critic actually name this as the worst film of the year and that the main characters had no chemistry. That is incredibly ridiculous. While it had a few moments that people can criticize, when you like the subject matter, the characters and the ending it doesn't matter to me. Loved it from start to finish, and it may have had the line of the year: "Bloody Ed Sheeran."

     8. Parasite - Wasn't sure what to expect when I saw this South Korean, subtitled film, but it sure packed a punch and had you glued to the screen throughout. It wasn't my pick for the Academy Award, but director Bong Joon-ho did a masterful job with this story of family, class warfare and wealth disparity in the world.

     7. Marriage Story - Director and writer Noah Baumbach uses an amazing cast to tell a story of the perils of the early end to a marriage and the heartbreaking process of divorce with a young child. Laura Dern deserved her supporting actress Oscar for playing Nora Fanshaw, Scarlett Johansson's lawyer, while Adam Driver and Scarlett also shine.

      6. The Two Popes - For some, this might be a boring movie, but I was riveted by the dialogue as Pope Francis and Pope Benedict fictitiously (but believably) meet to speak on two sides of the Catholic faith. The imagery and pacing is strong and Jonathan Pryce is so good as Francis, you do not know he is acting. Some say it favored Francis a bit and it did, but it also brought life to Benedict.

     5. Blinded by the Light - The true story of a young Pakistani teenager living in a small town in England, who is introduced to Bruce Springsteen music and it changes his prospective on life. It is directed by Gurinder Chadha (Bend it Like Beckham) and includes a wonderful speech at the end by lead character Javed (Viveik Kalra) along with a trip to Asbury Park.

     4. The Irishman - Director Martin Scorsese brings Charles Brandt's book "I Heard You Paint Houses" to the screen in a pulsating 3 1/2 hour film that centers on Frank Sheeran, a truck driver who becomes a hit man for the mob. Al Pacino (Jimmy Hoffa) and Joe Pesci (Russell Bufalino) are pitch perfect in their roles and Anna Paquin (Sheeran's daughter) has one of the best small roles of the year.

    3. Avengers: Endgame - Yeah, it's Marvel and it's about cartoonish superheroes, but this three-hour action film had more heart than most of the similar movies put together. It begins with our heroes splintered and beaten, and ends with an uprising to remember. The last scene is both heartbreaking and heartwarming.

     2. JoJo Rabbit - A cheeky comedy-drama which both loudly and in subtle ways shows the lunacy of hate and fascism. Taika Waititi writes, directs and stars in the film while amazing 12-year-old Roman Griffin Davis plays the Hitler Youth "JoJo" Betzler, who must deal with finding out his mother (Scarlett Johansson) is a member of the resistance and is hiding a young Jewish woman (Thomasin McKenzie) in the wall at the end of World War II. One of the best endings of the year.

     1. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - A movie about movies. That doesn't sound that great, but Tarantino uses all his talent to create compelling characters who weave a story about a period of time in the Hotel California. Leonardo DiCaprio is actor Rick Dalton on the downside of his career, Pitt is his driver and former stunt man and Robbie is the girl next door - sort of. Then, there's the hippies from the beginnings of Charles Manson's cult, Jackie Chan's fight with Pitt and Al Pacino lauding Dalton's performance in "The 14 Fists of McCluskey." Once again, it's Tarantino changing history as the Manson crazies are sidetracked on the way to murder Robbie's Tate. It's off the wall. Crazy. It's just fun. That's entertainment.

     Joe Lunardi's first six out:

     The Art of Racing in the Rain - Many critics didn't like it, but how could you not love Enzo? And the story was just fine to me.

     Atlantics - A romantic drama with a supernatural element that slowly draws you in with a backdrop of Dakar, Senegal. Lead character Mame Bineta Sane (Ada) provides an amazing performance in her first major film.

     Dark Waters - Mark Ruffalo plays Robert Bilott, the man who took down DuPont for their irresponsible business practices with chemicals.

     Harriet - Cynthia Erivo is brilliant as Harriet Tubman, who helped free as many as 70 slaves through the Underground Railroad.
     Uncut Gems - Adam Sandler is a force of nature as a Jewish jeweler with a gambling addiction.

     Waves - The unique and heartbreaking story of a African-American family in the suburbs of an east coast Florida city that takes an emotional journey through important issues to tragedy to dealing with loss. 
          
    On-Line Gems

    Between Two Ferns: The Movie - Laughed more than any movie this year.
    Knock Down the House - Get to know AOC a little better. Interesting documentary about grass roots campaigns.
    El Camino - Breaking Bad sequel does not disappoint.

    High Honorable Mention (41): 

    AD Astra - Solid, but expected more of the plot

    A Dog's Journey - Cute story

    Alita: Battle Angel - Cartoonish Alita is one of the best characters of the year

    Amazing Grace - Some great music from the Queen of Soul

    American Woman - Sienna Miller was fantastic, Should have been nominated

    Angel Has Fallen - Lots of action and intrigue, though formulaic

    Brian Banks - Heartwarming story, but a bit too tame

    Brittany Runs a Marathon - A woman takes the long journey toward finding her true self

    Captain Marvel - Brie Larson shines as a super hero

    Dolemite is my Name - Eddie Murphy is back, but just not enough humor for top 25

    Downton Abbey - Better than expected. Characters are rich

    Dumbo - I enjoyed the big Elephant story. Better than critics say

    Falling Inn Love - Netflix rom-com is likable

    Fighting with My Family - Wrestling fun

    Ford v. Ferrari - Strong acting from Damon and Bale, just a bit over-rated

    Good Boys - Some funny kid stuff

    The Great Hack - Fascinating, scary documentary

    Jumanji: The Next Level - Liked it a lot more than I expected

    High Life - Erotic, outside the box, science fiction film with convicted criminals used as Guinea Pigs to explore a black hole in space.

    Hotel Mumbai - Intense film that is well done

    Hustlers - Jen and Constance were terrific as strippers

    The Last Black Man in San Francisco - Very unique, abstract and interesting story by the end

    Last Christmas - Emilia Clarke can be adorable when not riding a dragon

    Late Night - Emma Thompson plays an iconic TV show host

    The Lion King - Thought they did a nice job bringing back this story

    Long Shot - Kinda dumb in parts, but plenty of humor

    Jexi - I laughed a lot, sorry

    John Wick 3 - Parabellum - Some overdone action, although the script is not bad

    Miracle in Cell No. 7 - Heartwarming and heartbreaking story about a father with a mental disability trying to reunite with his child

    Playing With Fire - Sweet firefighter story, along with some laughs

    The Public - Civil disobedience at a public library with Emilio Estevez

    Queen & Slim - Disappointing, but still enough intrigue to place it here

    The Report - Intense drama about the uncovering of the CIA's 9/11 detention program

    Richard Jewell - Strong film about the jump to conclusion in the Atlanta Olympic bombing

    Spiderman: Far from Home - Peter Parker meets Zendaya

    Toy Story 4 - Another fun film in the series

    The Two Killings of Sam Cooke - Documentary about of the greatest singers of all time

    Under the Silver Lake - Weirdest movie of the year. Not quite sure how to take it, but it is compelling

    Us - Chilling horror film from Jordan Peele

    Western Stars - Bruce Springsteen's documentary that followed his new album by the same name is well done and sounds very good.

    Where'd you go Bernadette? - Cate Blanchett rocks

    Who Killed Garrett Phillips? - Displays the worst kind of cops

    Zombieland: Double Tap - Lots of fun in this sequel

    Middle Honorable mention (53) (Had good elements, but also some weaknesses): 

   The Addams Family 

   After

   Aladdin

   Always Be My Maybe - Sweet netflix film

   American Factory - Won Documentary Academy Award

   An Acceptable Loss - Government conspiracy

   Anna  - Don't mess with Sasha Luss

   Miss Bala

   Bennett's War - Disabled war hero returns to the motocross circuit

   The Best of Enemies - Racism in the deep south

   Black Christmas - Bad kids in scream outfits terrorize a sorority

   Black and Blue - Very bad cops, Naomie Harris is very good

   Breakthrough - A bit too religious

   Clemency

   David Bowie: Finding Fame - Interesting documentary about the superstar.

   Dora & the Lost City of Gold - Young Isabela Merced is gorgeous and talented

   Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile - Zac Efron as Ted Bundy?

   Fast Color - Mystical story

   Fast and Furious: Hobbs & Shaw - Lots of action. Not bad

   Five Feet Apart - Haley Lu Richardson is quite appealing in an otherwise formulaic story

   Frozen II - Anna is awesome in the sequel

   Gloria Bell - Julianne Moore as a dating divorcee

   Good Sam - A good Hallmark-type movie

   Happy Death Day 2

   Her Smell - Elisabeth Moss as a druggy rock star

   A Hidden Life - Beautifully shot and acted, but a bit boring

   Homecoming - Beyonce!

   How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

   The Last Summer - Decent Netflix film

   Light of my Life - Apocalyptic story with Casey Affleck trying to protect his daughter

   Judy - Renee Zellweger was good, but she should not have won the oscar

   Justine

   Midway - War movie

   Motherless Brooklyn - Ed Norton in a well acted, but dull city drama

   The Mustang - A convict finds some purpose breaking wild horses

   Otherhood

   Overcomer

   Pain and Glory - Well acted, but not real compelling to me

   The Peanut Butter Falcon - Story is missing something

   Poms - Seniors do some cheerleading

   Portrait of a Lady on Fire - Artsy movie with beautiful Noemie Merlet in the lead

   Ready of Not - Better than expected horror film, with some laughs

   The Red Sea Diving Resort

   Rim of the World

   Screwball - Expose of the cheating A-Rod

   The Secret Life of Pets 2

   Someone Great - Gina Rodriguez and Brittney Snow.

   Stuber - Don't beat me up for rating it this low Dave Bautista. It is not unlikable, though

   The Sun is also a Star - Chance love story could be the best of this section

   Trial By Fire - Laura Dern defends man on death-row

   6 Underground - Ryan Reynolds is a wacky action movie

   The Upside - Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart bring some humor

   See you Yesterday - OK, but poor ending in my opinion

    Some Redeeming Value (51) (Or just not bad enough to make the worst of the year list):

   The Aftermath

   American Son

   An Easy Girl

   Annabelle Comes Home

   Backdraft2

   Beyond the Law

   Can you keep a secret?

   Cats - Francesca Hayward was likable as the lead cat Victoria, allowing it to reach this level.

   Charlie's Angels

   The Coldest Game

   Coma - Russian Sci-Fi

   The Current War - Dull

   The Dead Don't Die - Surprisingly bad with a great cast

   The Dirt - The Motley Crue story

   Doctor Sleep

   Freaks

   Fyre: The Story of the Greatest Party That Never Happened - Interesting, but makes you mad

   Gemini Man

   Godzilla: King of the Monsters

   The Goldfinch - Incredibly disappointing

   The Good Liar

   Greta - I like Chloe Grace Moretz. That saved it

   The Highwaymen

   The Hummingbird Project

   The Hustle - A few isolated laughs from Rebel Wilson

   I am Mother

   Inside Man Most Wanted

   I See You - bad netflix horror/mystery

   Isn't it Romantic? - No.

   The Kid Who Would be King

   The Kitchen

   The Laundromat

   Little

   Men in Black International

   MidSommer - The kids were so dumb. Just get outta there!

   Murder Mystery

   Paddleton

   The Perfection - Very creepy

   Pokemon Detective Pikachu

   Rambo: Last Blood

   Replicas

   Run the Race - Tebow cameo!

   Shaft - Was expecting worse

   Shazam!

   The Souvenir

   Strange But True - Pregnant Margaret Qualley in a chilling film

   Tolkien

   Triple Frontier

   Unicorn Store

   What Men Want

   Wine Country

   X Men: Dark Phoenix

   21 Bridges - RIP Chadwick. He couldn't save a bad plot here, though

   Most Over-rated: MidSommer, The Beach Bum, Ford v. Ferrari, High-Flying Bird

    Can't recommend at all (26): The Art of Self Defense, The Beach Bum, Bottom of the 9th, Captive State, Cold Pursuit, Corporate Animals, Countdown, Crawl, The Curse of La Llorona, Drunk Parents, Fractured, Glass, Hellboy, High-Flying Bird, In the Shadow of the Moon, The Intruder, Io, It Chapter Two, The Lighthouse, Lucy in the Sky, The Platform, Point Blank, Ma, Serenity, Terminator: Dark Fate, 3022

   Worst of the year: Cold Pursuit

   Could not find or haven't gotten to: Transit, Ash is Purest White, 3 Faces, Long Day's Journey into Night, Diane, David Crosby: Remember My Name, Honeyland, Honey Boy

    Did not care to see: Abominable, Adopt a Highway, A Dog's Way Home, The Angry Birds Movie 2, Arctic Dogs, Brightburn, Division 19, Don't Let Go, The Driver, Driven, Ecco, Escape Plan, Escape Room, The Fanatic, Housfull 4, Jacob's Ladder, The Lego Movie 2, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Mayday, Missing Link, Ophelia, Peel, Pet Semetary, The Prodigy, The Professor and the Madman, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, UglyDolls, Unplanned, Where's my Roy Cohn?, Wonder Park, 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, 10 Minutes Gone.

PREVIOUS PICKS FOR BEST OF THE YEAR

2018:  The Hate U Give

2017 - The Big Sick

2016 - Lion

2015 - Spotlight

2014 - Birdman

2013 - Nebraska

2012  - Silver Linings Playbook

2011  - The Descendants

2010 - The Social Network

2009 - Inglourious Basterds

2008 - Frost/Nixon-The Wrestler (tie)

2007 - Once

Best of All Time - Almost Famous