By: Cherlene J. Williams
As 2019 winds down, let’s take a peek at the year’s best movies. Despite fierce competition with Netflix and televised performances, 2019 saw a comeback for the cinema. As reported by the NY Post, this past year was the best year for movies in the past decade. The improvement can be attributed to popular streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime becoming major producers of hailed original films, in a new ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’ Hollywood mentality. The traditional Hollywood studio system corrected its course, tapping into streaming services to give people what they want to see in the big screens.
Here is the line up for the top ten movies of the year, as compiled by the NY Post.
The best movie of the year was “1917”, in a personal tale of two British soldiers on a crucial mission in a World War I epic. The film was praised for editing that made it seem like a continuous shot, which gave viewers an intimate feel. Director Sam Mendes has been nominated for the best director, at the AACTA international Award ceremony, which will take place on January 3rd.
Next on the list was “Blinded By The Light”. Released in August, this story about a Pakistani teen who finds his own voice after struggling with intolerance and stubborn views. Set to the music of Bruce Springsteen, the film sold $17.6 million at the box office.
The third best movie was “The Irishman”, a movie about organized crime in the 1950s, starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino. The movie has been nominated for six AACTA awards including best actor, best supporting actor, best direction, best screen play, and best film.
“Parasite” was next on the top movie list. Directed and co-written by Bong Joon Ho, this psychological comedy-drama-thriller was original and shocking. The Korean movie raked in $126.3 million at the box office.
Rounding off the top five, was “Honey Boy”, written by and starring Shia LaBeouf. The sad semi-autobiographical storyline about an abusive, alcoholic father was a Sundance premiere, which highlighted LaBeouf’s +raw talent.
“Little Women” made it to sixth place on the list. The classic novel-based story directed by Greta Gerwig was a holiday treat with a modern twist.
“The Farewell”, written and directed by Lulu Wang, was next on the list. From the Sundance Film Festival this uplifting heart-warmer is based on Wang’s own true story, and stars best actress nominee Awkwafina.
“Booksmart”, the teen comedy about coming-of-age by new director Olivia Wilde, was ranked eighth best.
“Uncut Gems” was next on the list, with a crime mystery about a jeweler. Adam Sandler, Julia Fox and Kevin Garnett starred in this box-office thriller released last week.
The last movie for 2019 to make the top ten list according to the Post’s ranking was “Child’s Play”. The frightful Chucky reboot, released in June, sold $44.9 million at the box office with a budget of $10 million.
Entering the year 2020 also affords the opportunity to pick the best movie of the decade. The Post gave this honor to “The Social Network”, released in 2010. Director David Fincher and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin delivered a prophetic film that familiarized us with Mark Zuckerberg, a headstrong young genius who would consider a run for president, and exercise immeasurable control over all of our lives.
