2019 was a year famed for the fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, the first impeachment of Donald Trump, and Clarity on Brexit. It was also arguably, and most significantly, the year that symbolized the end of the world as we know it when the first case of COVID-19 was reported in China.
2019 was the last pre-pandemic year when the film industry’s releases weren’t delayed, and the industry wasn’t left with a gargantuan backlog of upcoming movies awaiting cinematic release that had to be rescheduled as a direct consequence. While 2020 was a dour year for film, 2019 more than compensated for the year prior, these are some of the films that made the year so special for the film industry…
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
8 1917
DreamWorks Pictures
Heralded the “Great War,” the First World War was one of the bloodiest conflicts in the 20th century. In director Sam Mendes’ film 1917, we are taken, via a simulated one-shot take, through the treacherous WWI wilderness. With the help of legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins, we follow two British soldiers, Lance Corporals Blake and Schofield (Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay), who are sent on a life-saving mission.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
In a permanent, lucid frenzy, the pair are tasked with delivering a message to a fellow British battalion who are poised to inadvertently walk into a German trap. In a race against time, Blake and Schofield tread precarious ground, venturing behind enemy lines risking their own lives in pursuit of the greater good. 1917 is a piece of cinematic art that embodies the themes of love, loss, and duty of WWI.
7 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Sony Pictures Releasing
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood signified Quentin Tarantino’s punchy-penultimate, having previously stated he wanted to quit filmmaking following his tenth film. Movie number nine, the hazy ’50s romp Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is set against the backdrop of the Manson murders, and stars previous Tarantino collaborators Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt in the main roles.
The film concerns the story of aging acting has-been Rick Dalton (DiCaprio), and his stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt), who attempt to navigate the ever-changing Hollywood scene in a desperate attempt to maintain relevance. Despite their rapidly diminishing notoriety, the pair battle to keep their names aloft in the gleaming Hollywood sun.
6 Little Women
The screen adaptation of 19th-century author Louisa May Alcott’s novel of the same name, written and directed by Greta Gerwig, is a charming romantic drama that explores the tale of the March sisters; Jo, Amy, Meg, and Beth (Saorise Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, and Eliza Scanlen respectively). Little Women is a coming-of-age story that encapsulates the quintessence of womanhood and the pressured search for love in 1800s Britain.
5 The Favourite
Searchlight Pictures
Olivia Colman scooped the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her hilariously peculiar illustration of Queen Anne in Yorgos Lanthimos’ period comedy-drama, The Favourite. As one of the best dark comedies of the 2010s, the film depicts the truly absurd and utterly profane in typical Lanthimos fashion, but combines it with these comically grandiose characters.
After an increasingly unwell Queen Anne (Colman) becomes essentially bed-bound, she enlists the help of her aide and lover, Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz), to oversee the country’s current affairs, and war in France. This relationship is jeopardized when the conniving Abigail (Emma Stone) comes between the pair.
4 Marriage Story
Netflix
In Noah Baumbach’s exquisitely composed family drama, Marriage Story we are given a lively demonstration of warring parents during a turbulent divorce. Married couple Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole Driver’s (Scarlett Johansson) relationship hits the rocks, and the pair decide it best to cut marital ties in a dignified and initially selfless fashion.
Unfortunately, they soon encounter troubled waters, and their split turns from an act of love to protect their son and an expression of their respect for one another, to acrimonious, self-interested tragedy.
3 Uncut Gems
A24Netflix
Adam Sandler stars as a Jewish jeweler, and gambling addict in the Safdie Brothers’ Uncut Gems. Following up from 2017’s critically acclaimed Good Time, Josh and Bennie Safdie brought the equally anxiety-inducing Uncut Gems, a frenetic, breathless portrayal of New Yorker Howard Ratner as he deals with a fractious personal life, eye-watering debts, and a gambling problem that has him on the verge of accumulating a life-changing fortune.
2 The Irishman
Netflix
In what could feasibly be the last time the celebrated three collaborators of director Martin Scorsese (Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci) team up, The Irishman is a true farewell of epic proportions, both in scale and in narrative. The film is based on the true story of unionist Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), who gets involved with Frank Sheeran (De Niro), a truck driver-turned-hit man and employee of Russell Bufalino (Pesci) of the Bufalino Crime Family. In its three-and-a-half-hour runtime, The Irishman traverses the corrupt political landscape of America and the inextricable link between crime and power.
1 Parasite
CJ Entertainment
With films like The Host, Memories of Murder, and Okja, Bong Joon-Ho was a director with an already-distinguished pedigree. Yet, it is fair to say that his 2019 movie Parasite far surpassed expectations. The South Korean auteur’s film, set in Seoul, initially follows the story of two families from different ends of the socioeconomic spectrum in East Asia.
When the Kim family, an impoverished clan living in squalor gradually infiltrates the wealthy household of the wealthy Parks, their occupation inadvertently leads to torment, panic, and death. Parasite romped home at the Academy Awards with four wins, including Best Director and Best Picture – the first non-English film to win the prestigious prize.
