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Best film of 2019

This year off the top of my head i enjoyed lazzaro felice / happy as lazarus from rohrwacher, double vies / non-fiction from assayas, cold case hammarskjöld from brügger and god only knows from mijke de jong in the cinema
 
Film everyone should see: For Sama

Films I've recommended to most people: Border, Hail Satan?

Another 10 films I've enjoyed this year:

Beanpole
Araby (Actually a 2017 film but I didn't know about it til this year and hasn't been mentioned on urban anywhere else)
Bait
Minding the Gap
Monos
The Rider
Mid 90s
In Fabric
Midsommar
Eighth Grade
 
I don't think I've seen a single film this year...any recommendations for something recent and genuinely very good? I get more in the mood for films during winter months

I've heard the Lighthouse was great...same director as The Witch (Robert Eggers), which I did rate.
I've done a count and I've seen 77 from this year going more or less by their release dates but some end of year lists include ones I saw in 2018. The guardian has Foxtrot and One Cut of The Dead n their top 50 for example. Whittled down list with top 10 bolded. If there are any glaring omissions it's probably because I haven't seen them yet (eg Bait) or thought they were overhyped and/or shit.

Drama:
--------
An Elephant Sitting Still An Elephant Sitting Still (2018) - IMDb
The Chambermaid The Chambermaid (2018) - IMDb
Long Day's Journey Into Night Long Day's Journey into Night (2018) - IMDb
Everybody Knows Everybody Knows (2018) - IMDb
Swing Kids Seuwingkizeu (2018) - IMDb
Parasite Parasite (2019) - IMDb
Beanpole Beanpole (2019) - IMDb
Exit Eksiteu (2019) - IMDb
The Gangster The Cop The Devil The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil (2019) - IMDb
Transit (2018) Transit (2018) - IMDb
Little Woods (2018) Crossing the Line (2018) - IMDb
Happy As Lazzaro Happy as Lazzaro (2018) - IMDb
Standoff At Sparrow Creek The Standoff at Sparrow Creek (2018) - IMDb/
Svaha The Sixth Finger Svaha: The Sixth Finger (2019) - IMDb/
Rust Creek Rust Creek (2018) - IMDb/
If Beale Street Could Talk If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) - IMDb/
The Traitor Il traditore (2019) - IMDb/

Horror:
--------
Velvet Buzzsaw Velvet Buzzsaw (2019) - IMDb/
The Golem The Golem (2018) - IMDb/
Don't Leave Home Don't Leave Home (2018) - IMDb
The Wind The Wind (2018) - IMDb
Us (2019) Us (2019) - IMDb
Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) - IMDb/
Harpoon (2019) Harpoon (2019) - IMDb/
Zombi Child Zombi Child (2019) - IMDb/
Krasue: Inhuman Kiss Krasue: Inhuman Kiss (2019) - IMDb

Comedy:
--------
Extra Ordinary Extra Ordinary (2019) - IMDb/
Plus One Plus One (2019) - IMDb/
Sword Of Trust Sword of Trust (2019) - IMDb/
Booksmart Booksmart (2019) - IMDb/
Extreme Job Extreme Job (2019) - IMDb/
Odd Family Zombie on Sale The Odd Family: Zombie on Sale (2019) - IMDb
The Dude In Me The Dude in Me (2019) - IMDb

Scifi:
------
Prospect Prospect (2018) - IMDb
I Am Mother https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6292852
Fast Colour Fast Colour (2018) - IMDb
Freaks https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8781414

Documentary:
------
For Sama For Sama (2019) - IMDb
 
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I've done a count and I've seen 77 from this year going more or less by their release dates but some end of year lists include ones I saw in 2018. The guardian has Foxtrot and One Cut of The Dead n their top 50 for example. Whittled down list with top 10 bolded. If there are any glaring omissions it's probably because I haven't seen them yet (eg Bait) or thought they were overhyped and/or shit.

Drama:
--------
An Elephant Sitting Still An Elephant Sitting Still (2018) - IMDb
The Chambermaid The Chambermaid (2018) - IMDb
Long Day's Journey Into Night Long Day's Journey into Night (2018) - IMDb
Everybody Knows Everybody Knows (2018) - IMDb
Swing Kids Seuwingkizeu (2018) - IMDb
Parasite Parasite (2019) - IMDb
Beanpole Beanpole (2019) - IMDb
Exit Eksiteu (2019) - IMDb
The Gangster The Cop The Devil The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil (2019) - IMDb
Transit (2018) Transit (2018) - IMDb
Little Woods (2018) Crossing the Line (2018) - IMDb
Happy As Lazzaro Happy as Lazzaro (2018) - IMDb
Standoff At Sparrow Creek The Standoff at Sparrow Creek (2018) - IMDb/
Svaha The Sixth Finger Svaha: The Sixth Finger (2019) - IMDb/
Rust Creek Rust Creek (2018) - IMDb/
If Beale Street Could Talk If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) - IMDb/
The Traitor Il traditore (2019) - IMDb/

Horror:
--------
Velvet Buzzsaw Velvet Buzzsaw (2019) - IMDb/
The Golem The Golem (2018) - IMDb/
Don't Leave Home Don't Leave Home (2018) - IMDb
The Wind The Wind (2018) - IMDb
Us (2019) Us (2019) - IMDb
Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) - IMDb/
Harpoon (2019) Harpoon (2019) - IMDb/
Zombi Child Zombi Child (2019) - IMDb/
Krasue: Inhuman Kiss Krasue: Inhuman Kiss (2019) - IMDb

Comedy:
--------
Extra Ordinary Extra Ordinary (2019) - IMDb/
Plus One Plus One (2019) - IMDb/
Sword Of Trust Sword of Trust (2019) - IMDb/
Booksmart Booksmart (2019) - IMDb/
Extreme Job Extreme Job (2019) - IMDb/
Odd Family Zombie on Sale The Odd Family: Zombie on Sale (2019) - IMDb
The Dude In Me The Dude in Me (2019) - IMDb

Scifi:
------
Prospect Prospect (2018) - IMDb
I Am Mother https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6292852/
Fast Colour https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6418778
Freaks https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8781414/

Documentary:
------
For Sama https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9617456
Well done for Sword of Trust . No doubt it’ll turn up on Netflix at some point but it’s a great little film that needs watching
 
I've done a count and I've seen 77 from this year going more or less by their release dates but some end of year lists include ones I saw in 2018. The guardian has Foxtrot and One Cut of The Dead n their top 50 for example. Whittled down list with top 10 bolded. If there are any glaring omissions it's probably because I haven't seen them yet (eg Bait) or thought they were overhyped and/or shit.

Drama:
--------
An Elephant Sitting Still An Elephant Sitting Still (2018) - IMDb
The Chambermaid The Chambermaid (2018) - IMDb
Long Day's Journey Into Night Long Day's Journey into Night (2018) - IMDb
Everybody Knows Everybody Knows (2018) - IMDb
Swing Kids Seuwingkizeu (2018) - IMDb
Parasite Parasite (2019) - IMDb
Beanpole Beanpole (2019) - IMDb
Exit Eksiteu (2019) - IMDb
The Gangster The Cop The Devil The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil (2019) - IMDb
Transit (2018) Transit (2018) - IMDb
Little Woods (2018) Crossing the Line (2018) - IMDb
Happy As Lazzaro Happy as Lazzaro (2018) - IMDb
Standoff At Sparrow Creek The Standoff at Sparrow Creek (2018) - IMDb/
Svaha The Sixth Finger Svaha: The Sixth Finger (2019) - IMDb/
Rust Creek Rust Creek (2018) - IMDb/
If Beale Street Could Talk If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) - IMDb/
The Traitor Il traditore (2019) - IMDb/

Horror:
--------
Velvet Buzzsaw Velvet Buzzsaw (2019) - IMDb/
The Golem The Golem (2018) - IMDb/
Don't Leave Home Don't Leave Home (2018) - IMDb
The Wind The Wind (2018) - IMDb
Us (2019) Us (2019) - IMDb
Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) - IMDb/
Harpoon (2019) Harpoon (2019) - IMDb/
Zombi Child Zombi Child (2019) - IMDb/
Krasue: Inhuman Kiss Krasue: Inhuman Kiss (2019) - IMDb

Comedy:
--------
Extra Ordinary Extra Ordinary (2019) - IMDb/
Plus One Plus One (2019) - IMDb/
Sword Of Trust Sword of Trust (2019) - IMDb/
Booksmart Booksmart (2019) - IMDb/
Extreme Job Extreme Job (2019) - IMDb/
Odd Family Zombie on Sale The Odd Family: Zombie on Sale (2019) - IMDb
The Dude In Me The Dude in Me (2019) - IMDb

Scifi:
------
Prospect Prospect (2018) - IMDb
I Am Mother https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6292852
Fast Colour Fast Colour (2018) - IMDb
Freaks https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8781414

Documentary:
------
For Sama For Sama (2019) - IMDb
I'm guessing you went to the Korean FIlm Festival :hmm:

But yeah out of that long list anything that particularly stood out?
 
I'm guessing you went to the Korean FIlm Festival :hmm:

But yeah out of that long list anything that particularly stood out?
It's not my fault Koreans keep banging out solid fillums is it. I bolded the 'top' 10. Something for everyone in there but perhaps something like The Farewell is a more appropriate festive season choice than An Elephant Standing Still, a glacial 4 hours of grittiness written and directed by a young man who killed himself after he finished it.
 
I don't think I've seen a single film this year...any recommendations for something recent and genuinely very good? I get more in the mood for films during winter months

I've heard the Lighthouse was great...same director as The Witch (Robert Eggers), which I did rate.

Film-Review-The-Lighthous-e1571273524462.jpg


I remember people liking that other black and white one set in Cornwall - googled it - Bait. That would make a good double bill with the Lighthouse perhaps. Simliar look at least

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Finally saw The Lighhouse, which I loved. I found it the most beautiful looking film of the year. Films about characters going insane in isolated locations can become claustrophobic and repetitive, but this gets around it by being surprisingly funny, always visually inventive and the performances by the two leads are great.

Also watched Marriage Story last week on Netflix, which is excellent and one of the best of the year.
 
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The 50 best films of 2019 in the UK: the full list
The 50 best films of 2019 in the US: the full list

No Joker thankfully but no I Lost My Body either which is regrettable unless it's something to do with release dates. It was on some horror fillum list so I thought it'd be something along the lines of The Beast With Five Fingers but it's about loss and displacement. Uncut Gems deserves its place.
Quite a lot to disagree with there -- The Irishman #1 and The Souvenir and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in the top 10. :hmm:
 
Quite a lot to disagree with there -- The Irishman #1 and The Souvenir and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in the top 10. :hmm:
As long as Joker isn't rated I'll forgive just about any eyebrow raisers apart from US no.30 Her Smell the unintentionally hilarious 'grunge' fillum.
 
My faves:
Burning
Ash Is Purest White
Sauvage
Hustlers
The Chambermaid
Mid 90's
Transit
Capernaum
Midsommar
The Irishman

Docs:
Apollo 11
Maradonna
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection
Being Frank

The worst:
Kindergarden Teacher
The Dead Don't Die
 
The 50 best films of 2019 in the UK: the full list
The 50 best films of 2019 in the US: the full list

No Joker thankfully but no I Lost My Body either which is regrettable unless it's something to do with release dates. It was on some horror fillum list so I thought it'd be something along the lines of The Beast With Five Fingers but it's about loss and displacement. Uncut Gems deserves its place.
I clicked the link and immediately saw The Irishman at #1 spot. They're 'avin' a larf. It would have to be a top 500 list to even stand a chance of getting in, IMHO.
 
Top two film
Stan and Ollie, a great love story, between two great comedians, their partners and their audience.
Sorry we missed you. Great Ken Loach documentary, moving real life drama.
 
Watched the German-Austrian film Styx tonight and found it incredibly tense and upsetting. It’s about a woman who sails across the ocean and comes across an overloaded and leaking ship of refugees. One of the best of the year.

 
I'm looking through a list on Wikipedia...

Velvet Buzzsaw - was on Netflix, loved it, so bad that it's good, Jake Gyllenhaal and René Russo were brilliant in it, total send up of the art scene.

ETA: If Beale Street Could Talk - at the cinema, the soundtrack was superb, should win awards for music or something.

Us - at the cinema. Absolutely terrifying. (From the director of Get Out, Jordan Peele, and he didn't disappoint.)

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - at the cinema. Loved the vintage vibe. Wasn't expecting the Sharon Tate storyline, I must admit, and I came out and started Googling to find out which bits were based on reality and which were artistic licence.

I haven't yet seen but really want to see:

Zombieland: Double Tap, partly because the original had the best ever movie cameo, by Bill Murray.

The Lighthouse: It's been well-reviewed, I like the premise and the actors, I'm intrigued.

Bait: I was gutted to miss this at the cinema as it had a limited release and I was working late/had other commitments. It's being screened by a local film club in the new year, so I'm planning to go to that.
 
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The more I think about it, the more I feel Marriage Story is the film I’ve admired and enjoyed the most this year. It has stayed with me and I can’t wait to watch it again. It’s the type of movie Hollywood used to make but doesn’t anymore, so now Netflix has filled that void. It’s a drama about a divorce and more specifically, how involving lawyers ruins the best intentions of keeping things amicable.

The film was personal for Noah Baumbach as it was inspired by his divorce from Jennifer Jason Leigh and I think it’s admirable how evenhanded he is in looking at the story from the male and the female perspective. I’ve read opinions which claim that the film favours Adam Driver‘s husband, because Johansson‘s wife gets a lawyer first, but the film also makes it clear that she has sacrificed far more for this marriage and she has more to lose. I was always slightly more on her side.

The way the two main characters go back and forth between loving and hating each other feels truthful and heart wrenching. Yet the film is no downer, it’s often surprisingly funny. The two leads give career best performances and they are surrounded by the best supporting cast of the year (including Julie Hagerty from Airplane!, playing Scarlett Johansson‘s loopy mum).

Best of all, there are no villains in this film, everybody has their reasons. Even Laura Dern‘s high powered lawyer, who appears to be the closest to an antagonist, gets a scene where it becomes clear that there is a rationale is rooted in feminism and she gets to make her point.

2FDC022A-B2CB-4C24-BEBA-3A51714B4308.jpeg
 
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Quite a lot to disagree with there -- The Irishman #1 and The Souvenir and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in the top 10. :hmm:
Kermode has Souvenir in his top 10 as well. A posh languid junkie chuffing fags for 2 hours before doing everyone a favour and oding. A washed out Antonioni imitation that not even the 'RA blowing things up bits can perk up.

Mark Kermode’s best films of 2019

He does have Monos which didn't make the forrin oscar nomination shortlist.

List of submissions to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film - Wikipedia
 
I watched JoJo Rabbit last week and it is absolutely brilliant. I don't think it got released in the UK until today so it might have to be the best film for 2020.
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