2019 Film Thread!

[GeorgeandDot]

I didn't care for Ford V Ferrari. I just didn't get the appeal. It's just kind of about... idk... cars? I guess if you're passionate about cars you might like this.

Waves was phenomenal. I'm not a fan of Sterling K Brown in This is Us (in fact, I'm not a fan of This is Us period), but he was Oscar worthy here. As was Kelvin Harrison Jr, Taylor Russel, and our very own Renee Elise Goldsbury. A truly great portrait of a modern family and the pressures put on Gen Zs. One of the best acted films of the year and I actually liked it's odd structuring that critics have pointed out as a flaw. It's certainly divisive but I loved it.

[rosscoe(au)]

Believe me you don’t need to finish watching The Goldfinch, it was dull, boring and ultimately pointless film.

[Mike Barrett]

Knives Out was so so much fun. Hoping to catch Jojo and The Irishmen this weekend.

[hork]

My favorites this year have been Under the Silver Lake and The Last Black Man in San Francisco. I caught both of them on Amazon and regret not seeing them in theaters because they're both amazing films. I keep telling my friends to see UTSL and their response is always, "Never heard of it. What is it? Okay, I'll check it out," and then they never do.

[MaddieBB12]

Anyone else excited for Greta Gerwig's "Little Women". It's my most anticipated film that's left this year!

[FindingNamo]

Me. I'll see anything she directs.

[TheGingerBreadMan]

After the masterpiece that is Lady Bird, I’ll also see anything that Gerwig is involved in. I can’t wait for Little Women.

[javero]

The most memorable movies I've seen this year have been Official Secrets, RocketMan, The Art of Self Defense, and Hustlers.  Honorable mention goes to John Wick3:Chap 3 despite Keanu & Halle both appearing a bit long in the tooth throughout.

[bear88]

I may be in the minority on this one, but I found Marriage Story very disappointing. It often felt too much like an overwrought play, including in the one big fight scene between the divorcing couple, played by Adam Driver and Scarlett Johannsen. That scene compares very unfavorably to the lacerating argument between Ethan Hawke and Jullie Delpy's characters in Before Midnight. This one was just a yelling fest.

And it felt very obvious early on the outcome that happened is the outcome that should have happened. For a movie that tries to be somewhat sophisticated about family law, it takes many artistic licenses to drive the plot. No, she couldn't just move to California and file for divorce in a few weeks on the logic that they were married and had their son there. No, hotshot divorce lawyers don't criticize their clients in front of a judge. 

I could have forgiven that if the characters and their relationship were more interesting, but they started boring me after about an hour. The child is portrayed as having a learning disability, given his age, but no one ever mentions it as a factor in the custody dispute. The climactic scene, a callback to the first scene, is lazy writing. The film wasn't a disaster, but the praise it's received feels puzzling to me.

Laura Dern is a lot of fun to watch, even though she - like many of the characters - tends to give speeches. (If she wins an Academy Award for this, I'm not going to complain. At least it's an actual supporting role, not category fraud. and she steals every scene.) Driver is a very talented actor and has some good moments, but he and Johannsen didn't have much chemistry.. I didn't care about these rich, successful people and their problems - which are actually resolved pretty easily and might boost the Driver character's career.

[spiderdj82]

I saw "Knives Out" this weekend and even though I figured out the culprit towards the very beginning (it was VERY obvious even though some the "how" caught me off guard), I don't think  you should go for the mystery aspect of the movie but for the ensemble of great actors and the pure fun of the movie. 

[Miles2Go2]

Watched Marriage Story recently. It’s now my favorite movie of the year. Admittedly, I’m really behind on movies with awards buzz.

[inception]

I just saw Knives Out last night, & it was very fun. A very old-fashioned movie. But, I didn't love Daniel Craig's accent, & wonder if he was listening to Liza's version of "Losing My Mind" from her late 80's album Results?

Tonight I went & saw Marriage Story as it was playing one night in a local indy theatre. I like Adam Driver a lot, & also director Baumbach. Had its moments but overall a pretty lousy film. Interesting comments above about the legal holes in the plot. Seeing it on a big screen, a lot of flaws show up in the physical production that you may not notice watching it streaming. The titles were atrocious, worse than on one of those 70's shows on videotape. Also, when it comes to storytelling, I wonder if there is a lack of discipline since this is made for streaming, & most people who end up watching probably won't watch it in one go, but will watch a bit then pause & come back to it. I've heard so many bad things about The Irishman as well in the same regard, that it just drones on tediously going no where.

Speaking about Adam Driver, my little brother is a die hard Star Wars nut, & has filled me in on all the spoilers re the new film, as well as all the drama from the disasterous test screenings & reshoots to desperately try to salvage something. It seems so strange that Disney couldn't get someone to come up with some kind of over arching plot for 3 movies, similar to how they plotted out all the Marvel things before filming. Instead with Star Wars they seem to just fly by the seat of their pants with no clue.

Before I went out, TCM was playing a couple versions of Little Women tonight, & while making dinner (on West Coast) I watched some of the Katherine Hepburn version - which I've never seen before. It doesn't seem to matter which version I watch, I always end up balling my eyes out. And not just over the big things. I was crying when Katherine Hepburn had to tell Laurie at the ball that her dress had a patch in it & he danced with her in the other room. But honestly there is zero reason to make another version of this. I would rather Gerwig had done another original script.

[inception]

Just realized after googling this morning that Marriage Story is based on Baumbach's divorce ftom Jennifer Jason Leigh. I wondered if he had split from Gerwig, since Johansson's look in the film seems to be based upon Gerwig so much.

[TotallyEffed]

Parasite is WILD.