1917
1917 is a marvel. The construction and production are a clear labour of love and dedication to the craft of film-making. Simply put, 1917 is a unique cinematic experience. It’s immersive, compelling, never yielding or giving room to breathe. Jumping from astonishing set piece to set piece, Sam Mendes has achieved something truly special with 1917 and it’s unlikely we’ll see anything even remotely similar anytime soon. If you can, see it on a big screen; it's unmissable.
Ford v Ferrari (a.k.a. Le Mans 66)
Ford v Ferrari may not contain any groundbreaking story telling and it may be predictable (or so you might seem), littered with caricatures and cliches but whatever it does, by golly does it do it well. It’s roaring fun anchored around two solid central performances in Matt Damon and Christian Bale. It races along (sorry) with unapologetic pace and delivers everything you might want in a film. It's funny, emotive, suspenseful, easy-to-watch and a treat for the eyes at the same time. The race sequences alone are worth the ticket price. If nothing else, Ford v Ferrari is an excellently edited, effective piece of cinema. Besides, sometimes it's nice to know who the good guys and bad guys are in a best picture race that is smacked in shades of grey.
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Once you settle with the slightly off accents, Jojo Rabbit really takes off. Some have complained it's not meaningful enough, or isn't critical enough of the Nazi regime. But this is not that film and that's okay; in fact, Jojo Rabbit expects the audience to have an understanding of the atrocities committed by both sides as they create the implicit threats for all weighing down on the characters. But we are seeing Jojo's perspective. Jojo is ignorant of the Nazi's evil (an ignorance that leads to one of the films most effective moments) and so it's not central to the film. We, the audience, are aware so it need not spell it out. In the meantime, it tells a touching story of human connection overcoming the worst evils imaginable. Yes it's funny, but the comedy is (mostly) used to then highlight the danger, fear, and evil that exists. And it delivers both the comedy and the tragedy in buckets. It's great.
Joker
To take a comic book icon and redefine him in an age of the dominant Marvel Cinematic Universe is a risky business. To be successful is an achievement in itself. To be as good as Joker is almost unbelievable. Now, understand, Joker is not a masterpiece. It's not particularly special. But it is a good film. It tries to hinge too much of its narrative on underdeveloped social issues (absent fathers, depression, underfunded social care) but leaves them hanging in a misleading way. But is beautifully shot, the score is glorious, and the performance from Joaquin Phoenix is spell-binding. It's no King of Comedy or Taxi Driver, two close comparisons, but it holds its own.
Little Women
Director Greta Gerwig can do no wrong. Lady Bird, her debut in 2017, was one of the best films of the last ten years, and now she is adapting a book that’s already had seven film adaptations, several TV adaptations, and even an anime adaptation. It's fair to say there are no better hands to deal with such a task. With a great ensemble cast, Gerwig breathes fresh, exciting life into a classic piece of fiction. Using multiple timelines running alongside one another, the narrative ploughs along, never dragging and never dropping. It’s not only a beautiful piece of cinema, but a triumphant one in every single regard. It's pretty close to flawless, and that's saying something.
Marriage Story
Unlike many films on this list, Marriage Story seems unimpressive on the surface but its simplicity allows it to shine. Chocked full of great, career best performances from Driver, Johansson and cast, Marriage Story is effectively emotive and heartbreaking, bringing the pain of even the nicest divorces to the surface, letting it boil over into anguish, hatred, and resentment. But where Noah Baumbach really makes his mark is in the lines that are crossed. The words said that can never be taken back, the actions that can never be undone, the regret that can never be overcome. It’s in these moments, in how they’re handled, that Marriage Story demonstrates its emotional weight. It’s perfectly crafted, beautifully acted, and flawless in every way. It’s understated and straight forward and shows that you can do simple things really well and boy howdy does this do it well.
Once upon a time... in Hollywood
Quentin Tarantino's latest film is classic Tarantino, though not in the way we might expect. It is born out of pop-culture, dripping in nostalgia, and slowly taking us through a fairy tale version of Hollywood. Despite clocking in at nearly 2 hours 40, it doesn't feel like a chore to get through, which is a great testament to what's on show here. There's no major set-pieces (like, say, Inglorious Basterds), until the end. It just kind of floats through events, but the drifting is all purposeful and leads to a heart-stopping, adrenaline pumped climax. It is great filmmaking with great performances. It's not Tarantino at his best, but it is him at his most relaxed.
Parasite
Parasite is a unique piece of cinema, refusing to be confined to any single genre and carving its own, previously untrodden path onto the filmic landscape. It dances from Hitchcockian thriller, to black comedy, to heist movie with no effort under the careful guidance of Bong Joon Ho. He delicately weaves his tapestry with precision, not wasting a shot or a cut or a word, holding in tension a damning condemnation of capitalism whilst trying (and succeeding) to be entertaining. It's a masterpiece, plain and simple; it's in a league of its own and is something special.
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