I feel that 2018 was a fantastic year for movies. I am still catching up on all of the ones that I wanted to see but I think I can write a decent list at this point.
- Cold War. This film was an epic and those don’t come along that much anymore. Maybe the awful 1941 scared Hollywood away?
- The Rider. This may not be the best film of the year but it is certainly the most extraordinary and the most original. The director made a genre where one had not previously existed. I can’t wait for her next film.
- First Reformed. Ethan Hawke’s masterpiece (Boyhood is fantastic but that was not really his vehicle).
- Sunday’s Illness. The hidden gem of the year. A movie that starts out as a bit of a mystery evolves into something so beautiful. As I said in my review, this is why I watch movies.
- Three Identical Strangers. When was the last time a documentary had you on the edge of your seat and left you thinking for days? Extraordinary.
- Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction. This documentary was subtle and extremely personal for me. I was blown away by it.
- Madeline’s Madeline. As with The Rider the thing that makes this film so unique is the completely unique storytelling.
- The Wife. What do you get when you match an amazing slow-burning script with superior actors?
- My Happy Life. As someone who is rather introverted and enjoys alone time in a world where nobody wants to be alone this film really spoke to me.
- The Favourite. For about the first two thirds of the film I had this rates as the best film of the year. The last third (and probably the ending) left me wanting a little bit. I read more about the last scene – I don’t thinhttps://ihatebadmovies.com/movies/my-happy-family/k that I interpreted it correctly at time of viewing.
- THE BILL MURRAY STORIES: LIFE LESSONS LEARNED FROM A MYTHICAL MAN. Is there anyone on the planet having more fun than Bill Murray? This documentary(?) shows there is more.
- The Sisters Brothers. Another example of a fantastic script and a great cast. Who knew John C. Reilly had this in him?
- What They Had. I love me some good dialog so it probably shouldn’t be a surprise that some of my favorite films feel like plays. This is one of them.
- The Tale. A fascinating and at times heartbreaking tale of a woman (the director of the film) who had “forgotten” abuse from her teen years only to start to remember them as an adult.
- Blaze. This movie is what “A Star is Born” should have been. Grittier and told in a very unique way. In a sense it reminded me of Blue Valentine.
- Oh Lucy. At different times sweet, funny and heartbreaking. The lead is amazing.
- Shoplifters. A fascinating analysis of morality and the interaction of people with questionable morality.
- Keep the Change. A rather sweet and funny movie about a man who doesn’t see himself as disabled and what ‘disabled’ really means.
- All These Small Moments. A sneaky good drama about a boy who falls for a woman that he sees on the bus. Bonus: Molly Ringwald is in it!
- Ready Player One. I don’t think people saw this for what it was – a new and creative way to tell a story about the human condition. The 80’s references were just a bonus.
Overrated
Hey, they can’t all be good.
1. Roma. It’s a fine film and very beautiful to look at. Other than that… it was a decent film watching experience and nothing more.
2. Thunder Road. I saw this on a lot of “best of” lists and I can’t understand why. The first ten minutes are amazing and then it was like a completely different movie. The reason, I believe, is that the first ten minutes is the short and the rest of the film was written later on.
3. Eighth Grade. Not unlike Ladybird the year before I have to think that I watched an alternate version of what everyone else saw. It wasn’t even the best coming-of-age movie this year. Why the hype?
4. Love After Love. Andie Mcdowell’s best film since Four Wedddings… which isn’t saying much. This was way overrated.
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