Best of 2018

2018 was a decent year in film, but lacked a real strong front-runner despite several very diverse films. I had high hopes for "Beautiful Boy," "The Favourite," "Roma," and "Boy Erased" but all were a bit lackluster. Lucas Hedges, Stephan James, Joe Alwyn, and Timothee Chalamet showed that they are the faces of the future in film, but nothing really stood out in terms of a cinematic masterpiece.

Top Ten (in alphabetical order)
A Star is Born
Avengers: Infinity War
Blackkklansman
Eighth Grade
Green Book
Hearts Beat Loud
If Beale Street Could Talk
Leave No Trace
Mary Poppins Returns
Vice

Best Film of the Year
My pick for Best Picture would have to be "Vice". "Green Book" is a close second and is my prediction to win the Oscar this year, but for my money, I thought Adam McKay's satirical dark-comedy-biopic was the most satisfying.

Best Action Film
"Avengers: Infinity War" was by far the most exciting film experience of the year, and the only film I felt compelled to see multiple times in the theatre. To see "Black Panther" given such an array of awards and recognition over the massive ensemble that the brothers Russo masterfully orchestrated is a bit of a shame. I would expect that if "Avengers: Endgame" is the film that everyone expects it to be, it should get some 2019 recognition.

Scariest Film
"Hereditary" haunted me. There were several scenes that seared their way into my brain, and Toni Collette's performance in particular was legendary, and worthy of Oscar nomination.

Most Overrated
"The Favourite" was an overhyped piece of mediocrity. Great acting by the three leading women, but the story was a bloated period piece that had desperate "Barry Lyndon" nuances. Yorgos Lanthimos is quirky and talented, but this wasn't the best film of the year, much less top ten.

Most Underrated
It is challenging to choose between three independent films that really moved me. "Hearts Beat Loud," "Eighth Grade," and "Leave No Trace" were all breaths of fresh air. Worthwhile viewing experiences filled with an emotional spectrum that a true cinephile would applaud. All driven by strong, young leading ladies, keep an eye on Kiersey Clemons, Thomasin McKenzie, and Elsie Fisher in the future. They are all terrific actresses.

Best Animated
I was a bit surprised by how weak "Ralph Breaks the Internet" ended up being (my son was disappointed as well), and "Incredibles 2" was certainly strong as a sequel, but the best animated film of the year was "Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse." It was clever, fresh, and a visual feast. I'm hoping Marvel capitalizes on its dual success and keeps projects like it in the pipeline to make a parallel universe for us to enjoy.

Biggest Surprise
The decimation at the end of "Avengers: Infinity War" aside, the biggest surprise in film this year had to be that 7 of the 11 highest grossing films of the year are superhero flicks. When will audiences tire of the familiar tropes? Rhetorical question. The answer seems to be never, although DC needs to step up their game and has the opportunity with this year's "Shazam!" and next year's "Birds of Prey," "Wonder Woman 1984," and "Flash." I've said it before, and I'll say it again - DC needs to expand with a film that will move out of Gotham or Metropolis. Something that will rival what Marvel did with the "Guardians of the Galaxy" and the upcoming "Captain Marvel" arc. But alas, DC won't listen to me. Yet...

Biggest Disappointment
I'm not sure anyone expected "Solo" to be an instant classic, but it was destined to fail when the directors were canned mid-way through production. Alden Ehrenreich is an incredible actor, but perhaps wasn't the right pick to play the young Han Solo. Firmly placing doubt in my mind as to the future of the revered Star Wars universe, I think Episode 9 may be the end of the line (critically, not fiscally).

Must-See
Since everyone has already seen "Avengers: Infinity War" I would recommend none other than "Won't You Be My Neighbor." It was left out of the Best Documentary category in what is the biggest snub of the year, and the message is as timely as ever in today's challenging climate. It's beautiful and nostalgic and although you'll be sad to watch Mr. Rogers go again at the end, there is a ray of hope in his legacy. It's not the last we'll see of the Mr. Rogers story either, as Tom Hanks and Marielle Heller ("Can You Ever Forgive Me?") team up for 2019's Oscar hopeful "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood."

Always looking forward, 2019 promises to be even bigger and better than 2018. Here's hoping.

Golden Globes 2019

This upcoming weekend will officially set the pecking order for Oscar favorites in the film community, as the Golden Globes are often (but not always) indicators of who will take home the coveted statue. This year's list of Globe nominees left a few notable names and films off the list this year, which was surprising but not unexpected; after all, there are only five slots, and they haven't put me fully in charge of nominations (yet), so my projections aren't always reflected on the big evening. Anyhow, I'm sticking with film, and with the big categories only, so here are my predictions and corrections for next weekend:

Best Picture: Drama - "A Star Is Born" seems to be the favorite at this point, and given the company, I tend to agree that it deserves the win. I might argue that along with "Bohemian Rhapsody," they might be in the wrong category given their strong reliance on music for effect. Moving toward the big show, I don't see the Best Picture Oscar coming from any of these nominees. I would have liked to have seen some of the stronger independent films represented ("Leave No Trace," "First Reformed," "Eighth Grade," "Sorry to Bother You.")

Best Picture: Comedy/Musical - "Vice" was my favorite film of the year, but this category is stacked and will produce the Best Picture winner at the Oscars. "Green Book" and "The Favourite" are worthy adversaries, but the political dramedy is too timely and clever to be overlooked. It should and will win.

Best Actor: Drama - Ryan Gosling and Ethan Hawke were snubbed this year, but Rami Malek had the ripest role of the year, and should deservedly win. "Bohemian Rhapsody" was a bit too optimistic for a true biopic, but there was a remarkable transformation and Malek became Freddy Mercury, which is always a challenging proposition. Expect him to battle another biopic behemoth for Best Actor at the Oscars.

Best Actress: Drama - Full disclosure, I didn't see "The Wife" and I hear Glenn Close's performance is tremendous, but I am coming around on Nicole Kidman. "Destroyer" is the best performance of her long and distinguished career, and I'm a sucker for police dramas. I predict Close gets the award unless "A Star is Born" steamrolls all competition, but I would choose Kidman.

Best Actor: Comedy/Musical - Christian Bale will take this one, but if he doesn't, it will be the upset of the night. Anything can happen when you're dealing with the Hollywood Foreign Press. His portrayal of Dick Cheney in a not-quite-comedy portrayal should challenge all-comers on Oscar night for writing, picture, and multiple acting performances.

Best Actress: Comedy/Musical - I would love to see Elsie Fisher take home the gold, as her performance was heartbreaking and genuine (although there may not have been a considerable amount of "acting" going on) but I'm choosing Emily Blunt for resurrecting one of the most iconic roles in film history and actually doing it well. Not only was "Mary Poppins Returns" satisfying as a sequel 54 years in the making, but it was truly one of the best films of the year as well.

Best Supporting Actor - always my favorite category, and one that yields the most captivating performances, I am torn between Ali and Chalamet on this one. Although I suspect Ali will win because "Green Book" deserves some recognition and all the other nominations are overshadowed a bit, I am absolutely in awe of Timothy Chalamet. His summer film "Hot Summer Nights" was severely underrated, nearly making my top-10 list of the year, and I have yet to see him in a bad film, or in a poorly done role. He is the face of the next generation, and his work in "Beautiful Boy" is stellar, even if the film wasn't quite up to par. On an aside, Steve Carell was mis-cast, and the film could have really exploded on the awards scene if the father was played by someone a bit less known for humor.

Best Supporting Actress - an incredibly strong category this year, Weisz and Stone will cancel each other out, which leaves powerful biopic wives (Adams and Foy) as the front-runners in my book. Both were outstanding and deserving, but the edge has to go to Amy Adams for her portrayal of Lynne Cheney. "First Man" suffered from ultra-realism, and the Armstrongs just didn't have the drama in their lives or to their personalities that the Cheneys did, and for that reason, the acting seems stronger even if it truly wasn't. Watch closely at the acting of "First Man" and you will probably appreciate it more than at first glance. However, this is Amy Adams' year.

Best Foreign Film: The only one I saw was "Roma" but it was beautiful. Not particularly exciting, but the detail in the set and cinematography is remarkable. It should win best Foreign film, and absolutely deserves Best Director as well.

Best Animated Film - "Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse" was absurd, but visually beautiful. You've never seen a film done quite this way, and I suspect that with the critical and box office success, Marvel (and DC) will venture more deliberately into this market with more offerings as soon as next year.

Best Director - McKay and Cooper do a fine job, and should be honored to be nominated, but Alfonso Cuaron is on another level with his vision and execution. "Roma" wins and should continue to earn honors through the Academy Awards.

Best Screenplay - I'm going with Adam McKay on this one. "Vice" certainly took liberties on the factual aspect (due conveniently to the secrecy of the subject matter) but much like "The Big Short," the film was intellectual, entertaining, funny, and more than anything else, a frightening commentary on history. The screenplay deserves recognition based on its execution.