The Oscars are totally meaningless. They can, however, be a good way to find out which films are worth checking out, as they bring attention to some of the year’s hidden (although not Uncut) gems. I always enjoy checking out as many of the nominees as I can and picking favourites in each category. In a shocking twist, I really like 8/9 films in this year’s Best Picture category, so I decided to write about them all, ranking them from worst to best. I’m not sure how to wrap up this preamble section and get to the actual films, so I’ll just do a colon:
Joker
Joker is the only film out of this year’s nominations that I don’t really like. I don’t hate it at all, but it didn’t do for me what it clearly did for so many. There were aspects I did enjoy- Hildur Guðnadóttirwas’ score was probably my favourite of 2019 and the production design was gorgeous. However, I was really disappointed with almost every other aspect of this film. For a film marketed as an in-depth character study, I found it to be very superficial. I felt like it was trying its best to appear deep and meaningful, without having anything to say or any competence when it came to saying it. The script and the direction really held this film back from reaching its potential, which is a shame because Joaquin Phoenix did a pretty great job. If he were to win the award for best actor (which he will), I wouldn’t complain. It’s not my favourite Joaquin Phoenix performance (that would be Walk the Line) but I think he does his best to bring Arthur to life and elevates the film from “terribly disappointing”, to “fine”. I wish I liked this film more, but I doubt I’ll be revisiting it any time soon.
Ford v Ferrari
I have a lot less to say about Ford v Ferrari (or Le Mans ’66 as it was called in the UK), but I did enjoy it far more than Joker. This seems to be the film in the category that no one has any strong feelings about, for or against. I saw it when it came out and I haven’t really thought about it much until now. I thought the cast were great, with Matt Damon carrying the heart of the whole film and managing to get us on his side so quickly and become one of the most likeable lead characters this year. I had a bit of trouble with Christian Bale’s character, as his accent was inconsistent enough to bring me out of the film more than once or twice. The directing was fantastic, and the film made me feel as excited and invested in the racing scenes as I did for the wrestling in Fighting With My Family, although I don’t care at all about either sport. It’s not my favourite James Mangold film (that would be Walk the Line) but I think the sense of speed and energy that he portrays throughout is what made this film something worth seeing. Overall, it was a fun film that I enjoyed for its full runtime but one that didn’t leave any lasting emotional impact on me or give me much to think about. There was a lot to like about this one, but not much to love.
1917
This is where ranking became tricky, as I think every remaining film on the list is great and think all of them are must-sees. 1917 is a spectacular achievement, and one that makes for a great cinematic experience. The one-take framing is something I thought might feel gimmicky or forced, but I felt it was used perfectly. It went a long way in adding to my immersion in this horrifying, authentically realised setting and the fact the camera (and, by extension, the audience) never left the side of these two characters meant that the ticking-clock time limit aspect of their mission felt all the more tense. I can’t fault much about the film, the score and sound design are anxiety-inducing, the script is empathetic, the story is tense, and it has wonderful, emotional moments of quiet and calm to contrast the bombastic battles. The only reason it’s so low on my list is because there have been so many incredible films in the last year, and I personally get more from films when the focus is on characters. This is not a passive-aggressive way to insult 1917’s two leads (they’re really fantastic and they help keep the story grounded and human) but the nature of the genre and the plot means that we don’t spend much time getting to know them. Still, I can’t recommend this film highly enough.
The Irishman
If you want a film about characters, Martin Scorsese has the film for you- The Irishman is almost nothing BUT characters. Talking about the film’s length feels like something that has been done to death, but it really is so long that you almost forget you’re watching a film. By the end of it, you just feel like you’ve lived a long life with these characters and experienced these multiple decades with them. The cast is absolutely flawless and (with the exception of some slightly Polar Express looking de-aging at the start), they did a great job convincing me that they were their character’s ages. The plot kept me engaged for the whole film, in spite of its length. In fact, it was partially engaging because of its length. Each character was written so well, performed so authentically and given enough screen-time to make them feel like real people who you could root for (or against). I only watched this film yesterday, as it was the one film in this category that I had not already seen, and it was difficult to find 3 ½ hours that I could dedicate to watching it uninterrupted. Perhaps I would have put this film higher on the list if I’d been given more time to let it sit with me, but I think I’m fairly confident with where it sits right now. It’s a great film that I think is 100% worth watching in one sitting, but it also doesn’t make me feel much beyond exhaustion. I really like the characters, but the fact they’re all stoic and horrible means I’m not sure I particularly care about any of them. It has funny moments, but it’s not a comedy and never made me feel particularly sad or angry or happy. I think this emotional indifference is intentional, it makes the decades we spend with Frank feel arduous and unfulfilling- Scorsese doesn’t make being a gangster look like much fun and I’ve taken it off my “potential future jobs” list. As much as I admire the film’s ability to give me a level of fatigue that rivals my five years with M.E., The Irishman is lower than the remaining five films because I personally prefer being made to feel.
Jojo Rabbit
Jojo Rabbit is delightful. I’m such a huge fan of Taika Waititi and couldn’t wait for this film to be released in the UK (about a hundred years after the rest of the world saw it). Unfortunately, the trailer gave more information than I would have liked about the emotional core of the film, but I still managed to be moved and surprised by the events that unfolded. I really appreciated how the Waititi’s script and direction struck the perfect tonal balance, considering how dark the subject matter was. I know some people have taken issue with it, but I thought the transitions from comedy to devastation (and back to comedy) were done very successfully. I think he’s made films that are funnier (Thor Ragnarok, What We Do in the Shadows) and he’s made films that are more emotionally resonant (Hunt for the Wilderpeople), but this is the one which juggles the two the best. The cast is fantastic, with Roman Griffin Davis giving one of the best child performances I’ve seen in a long time and supporting actors Sam Rockwell and Scarlett Johansson stealing every scene they featured in. The film’s message about love and fighting hate isn’t revolutionary, but it’s powerful and so well presented that I feel it’s exactly the type of film we need right now (perhaps we could have done with it about four years ago…) Overall, it’s one of the funniest comedies from the last twelve months and absolutely the most heart-warming films one this list. It hasn’t changed my life, but it’s one that I really look forward to revisiting.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
I am a young baby child boy. I only turned 18 last summer and had not seen many films with an 18 certificate. Because of this, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was the first Tarantino film I’d ever seen. I obviously knew he was a big deal, but I had no idea what to expect, so when I received two hours and 40 minutes of a stylish, suspenseful and hilarious love letter to 1960s Hollywood, I was thrilled. I decided as I was watching it that I needed to go back and educate myself on this “Quentin Tarantino” man. The crafting of such an engaging story, a beautifully realised setting and exhilaratingly snappy dialogue is a real feet of filmmaking. Leonardo Di Caprio is captivating in what would have been a career-defining portrayal for anyone less accomplished. It’s a testament to the quality of this year’s acting that a performance this outstanding isn’t going to win Best Actor. The exact same can be said for Brad Pitt, except more enthusiastically- he shines in every single moment he is on screen, which is a lot of moments (the fact he’s up for Best Supporting Actor makes me laugh). I don’t usually enjoy gory violence in films- I’m not put off by it, but it doesn’t usually do much for me. However, the violence at the end of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is some of the most satisfying and hilarious I’ve ever seen and seeing it play out in the cinema for the first time was one of the big-screen highlights of 2019. Writing about this one has made me want to re-watch it very soon, and it just goes to show how much I love the remaining films on this list for this to be in 4th place.
Marriage Story
Deciding between Parasite and Marriage Story for 2nd place was the most challenging aspect of writing this list. I love them both, so please imagine they’re both my second favourite. Marriage Story is heartwarming, funny and tragic and I love it a lot. It’s probably the simplest film on this list, and that makes it all the more beautiful. Compared with its peers, Marriage Story’s plot is less complex, its cinematography is less breathtaking and its political commentary is non-existent. The film is just a story about love, wrapped up in a plot about divorce. It is a magnificent and heartbreaking portrait of two characters who are unbelievably well written and performed. If I was in charge of who received Oscars, Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson would be going home tonight with the awards for best performances in leading roles. The chemistry they have, the warmth they show and the love they share is incomparably realistic and it makes their situation so much sadder. If I needed to have one complaint, it’s that it fails to be impartial. Whether a deliberate choice by Noah Baumbach or not, I found myself rooting for Charlie over Nicole (perhaps it’s unsurprising, given that the film is partially based on his own experience). I would have preferred the film had presented the two entirely equally and honestly, emphasising the fact that neither are heroes or villains of the story. I also appreciated the fact it didn’t leave me feeling disheartened. Despite the subject matter, the real focus of the film is the importance of love and that’s the feeling it leaves you with. Overall, Marriage Story was one of my favourite films of 2019 and I can see myself revisiting it very soon and very often.
Parasite
I saw Parasite last Monday at a preview screening with a livestreamed Q&A with Bong Joon Ho and haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. Despite the vast difference in tone, the focus on families and the class divide reminded me of Knives Out (my favourite film of last year). It also shared that film’s attention to detail, with every moment being so perfectly set up and foreshadowed. But comparing Parasite to other films does it a disservice, because it is phenomenal and original and unlike anything else I’ve seen this year. It’s hard to write about a film I love so much because it would be easy to just fall into listing all of the aspects I think are great, so I need to show some restraint. I really enjoyed the film’s sense of geography: the contrast between the open and wasted space the rich family had in their mansion powerfully contrasting the claustrophobia of the residences of the poor. There was also a particular emphasis on verticality, with the lower classes essentially being kept underground and far below the more “important” wealthy characters. For a film that instils such palpable feelings of dread and anxiety, it is also funnier than the majority of comedies. The cast do such a stellar job of bringing to life an already magnificent script and I very quickly forgot I was even reading subtitles. Parasite is comparable to an orchestral performance, with Bong Joon Ho playing the dual role of composer and conductor, beautifully bringing each instrument together in perfect harmony to produce a true masterpiece.
Little Women
Little Women is perfect. I went along to see it with my mum, sister and grandma on Boxing Day and I can’t describe what a delightful, moving experience it was. My name is Joe (which is rather similar to the name of Saoirse Ronan’s character, Jo) and my sister’s name is Amy (a name shared by Florence Pugh’s character, Amy) so the story and the focus on family, siblings and love worked on an extra personal level for me. The use of the two time periods running simultaneously elevated the film from a conventional (but very competent) adaptation into a true work of art. The way Greta Gerwig uses colour and lighting to separate the present with the events that took place seven years prior works to magical effect, and the decision to put certain similar moments alongside each other was genius. I can’t understand the people (some of whom are Academy members) who found the double-narrative to be confusing or muddled, I have to put it down to them not paying enough attention. I will now do what I tried so hard to avoid when reviewing Parasite: list the good things. The cast are SUPERB (Florence Pugh deserves every award). The directing is PHENOMENAL (Greta was snubbed). The script was JOYOUS (I’m glad it’s an adapted screenplay because it means I don’t have to root against it for Knives Out). The music was MAGICAL (it has elevated many of my walks to university). The costumes were COOL. I have run out of adjectives but there isn’t a single aspect of Little Women that I didn’t adore, and I can’t recommend it enough to anyone with a chance to watch it. I didn’t think I was the target audience but was so pleasantly surprised by this absolute gem. My fingers will be very tightly crossed for it tonight, but I don’t have much faith in the Academy making the right decision. But if its nomination has convinced at least one person to go and see it in the cinemas, then I suppose it will have been worth it.