Doug's Favorite Movies of 2018

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
The Incredibles 2
Mary Poppins Returns
Green Book
Bad Times at the El Royale
Can You Ever Forgive Me? 
Game Night
RBG

Honorable mention: 

Mission Impossible: Fallout
Ready Player One

BlacKkKlansman

Watching the first half of this, I was really impressed. Despite some typical Spike Lee weirdness (i.e. scenes going on too long, weird camera angles, etc.), it was an emotional and gripping biopic. But during the second half, I began to roll my eyes. Embellishments to the true story seemed preposterous. The story falls away, the hero’s journey peters out, and the movie becomes just a preachy essay. Too bad. It started out really good.

Vice

Poor Dick Cheney. Poor, poor Dick! His daughter is gay! GAY! That must have been SOOOO difficult for him. How conflicted he and his wife must have been when they found out.

Please.

The filmmaking is expert. The acting is superb. But this is an ugly, off-putting movie about ugly, off-putting people. There’s not a single redeemable, likeable character throughout the whole thing. It’s just about a bunch of assholes. Granted, some of the best actors in the business play these assholes, which makes it watchable in a dumpster-fire, train-wreck kind of way. But heroes they are NOT. Hard to recommend because it might just make you angry, rather than make you marvel in the Richard III, Shakespearean way that America was taken over by assholes.

The Favourite

What starts out as a corset farce skillfully evolves into a corset thriller, which is neat. But the resolution to this is more about the farce and less about the thriller, which is completely dissatisfying. Nevertheless, all of the acting is top-notch, even if the plot is as muddy as the castle moat.

Bumblebee

Use E.T. as a template. Replace E.T. with the lovable robot/car and Elliot with a teenage girl, and voila! You got yourself a toy advertisement. Hailee Steinfeld does a great job here, acting effectively on her own but pretending to care about and hug and love a CG car/robot. It can’t be easy. This movie benefits considerably by not being directed by Michael Bay, so it doesn’t have an unnecessarily macho vibe. It’s sweet, and it works for what it is. Herbie: 2018.

Bohemian Rhapsody

Publicity about the fired director and the historical inaccuracy could have sunk this project before it ever hit theaters. But Rami Malek, Dexter Fletcher, the rest of the cast, as well as the guardianship of the members of Queen, bring a “fake-it-til-you-make-it” rock-and-roll enthusiasm to this, which makes it fine and watchable. It strikes all of the necessary notes of the music bio-pic subgenre and features a rousing finale. But I can see how the gay community and the AIDS awareness advocates might be put off by this. It’s clearly trying to rush through that stuff quickly so that they can arrive at the next musical number. This movie will help sell a lot of records for years to come, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I just wish they had said SOME-thing about Flash Gordon.

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

This short film compilation by the Coens is tied together with one common theme: death. It’s always a treat to get a new film from the Coens, although admittedly the Netflix release makes this a more muted affair. While the entire thing takes place in the “old west”, it doesn’t feel like a western. It’s not fun or action-filled and is more of a measurement of existential wrangling than it is about shoot-em-ups in the OK corral. I like the Tom Waits segment the most, perhaps because it’s the most optimistic? Typically of the brothers, it’s technically flawless and visually innovative, and strikes its creepy and silly chords with snappy timing. But you’ll mosey away from this feeling gloomy -- it’s not a day at the carnival, just like the old west, I suppose.

First Man

Opening minutes of this biopic of Neil Armstrong are exhilarating. One of the best action sequences of the year. A lot of this reminded me of The Right Stuff, to the point where it almost feels like a sequel. The filmmaking and technique here is perfect, but efforts to pepper in an emotional quest for Armstrong to find some kind of closure for himself and his deceased daughter feel forced. The finale was in IMAX and beautiful to behold, so again the whole thing is technically awesome, despite misbegotten, character-driven internal strife.

Bad Times at the El Royale

Nifty thriller from the sci-fi TV whiz and Cabin in the Woods director Drew Goddard. All the performances are excellent and the Agatha Christie/Alfred Hitchcock plot is full of genuine surprises. It’s one of those “What the Hell is going on?” kind of movies in which one of the twists is what genre the movie will eventually be (like genre hybrids Buffy, Lost, etc.). While everyone in the cast is in top form, one actor stands out: Cynthia Erivo, who I’ve never seen before, and is the glue that keeps the whole labyrinthian mystery grounded and engaging. Many times in the “what the Hell is going on?” sub-genre the resolution can be cheap or lame. “It was all a dream” or whatever. That’s not the case here. The finale is dark and fantastic and totally thrilling.

The Predator

This feels like it was edited with a crowbar. Lengthy sequences seem to be missing and the result is a disorienting hodge-podge. Shane Black’s chippy dialogue, blue humor, and cartoony action is fun. But as a whole story? It’s a mess.

A Star is Born

Too much Bradley Cooper. Not enough Gaga. This is a pretty ham-fisted musical, attempting to update the dusty “aging star discovering a new star” trope by adding drag queens and pop music. I think that Bradley Cooper has been in one to many Clint Eastwood movies and has adapted his sentimental, melodramatic style. It feels like it’s trying too hard, and it didn’t really resonate for me.

Mandy

What if Hunter S. Thompson wrote a horror movie? Would it even BE a horror movie, or would it be something else entirely? Story-wise, and structurally speaking this is a pretty traditional revenge tale. But that’s where the conventional part ends. Because when your revenge-thirsty hero is Nicholas Cage and he’s tripping on acid, and he’s killing multiple, cult-member, acid-trip bikers, things get really bonkers really quick. It’s difficult to recommend because it’s so weird and very slow. But if you’re into that sort of thing…

Kin

What if Elmore Leonard wrote a gritty, hard-boiled sci-fi movie? Kin is filled with gangsters, murderers, scumbags, and strippers from the hardest of hardboiled pulp novels, and, oh-by-the-way, a laser gun from the future. The cast is all strong and play along with the wild conceit well, except for James Franco who plays his villain too cartoony; only mimicking the great slimy movie baddies of the past. Filmmakers (including Dan Casey!) make a crazy unpredictable mash-up; a new genre with no precedent. Elmore Leonard meets Douglas Adams. Buckle up.

Mission Impossible: Fallout

Yep. Saw it again. Admission possible.

Mission Impossible: Fallout

Ethan Hunt is having bad dreams. We should be worried about him. He’s not the operative he used to be. As much as the filmmakers intend to entertain (and they succeed spectacularly) they also intend to open a window and explore Ethan Hunt’s psyche. But because Tom Cruise is such a… mysterious fellow, these explorations into his love life and motives leave us more confused than we already were. The supporting cast, including Rebecca Ferguson, are all top notch. But we’re not sure if Ethan really loves Ilsa. They’ve never even kissed! Sequences and stunts are, as always, incomparable. Twists are well-crafted. There is never any doubt that you’re getting your money’s worth, despite the fogginess of Ethan’s love life.

Sorry to Bother You

This bites off a lot. It’s a satire of whitewashing, American greed, income inequality, telemarketers, guerrilla artists, and office politics. It’s very funny at times, but as these sci-fi satires go, it culminates in chaos. Story-wise there’s really no other place to go. We’re headed to an ugly future. But kudos to the filmmakers for swinging for the fences.

Ant Man and the Wasp

Gravitas-less. Everything about this is light and little. The characters. The plot. The stakes. It’s almost like a kid’s movie – a Sid and Marty Krofft, Saturday morning adventure. Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, et al have a really light, fun rapport with a quick and easy delivery. So it’s fine for what it is: featherweight fun. But these people don’t stand a chance against Thanos.

RBG

Good-natured doc about the Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. What stands out is her background facing the courts as an advocate for civil rights. It’s amazing to think about how many pivital cases she took to the court and how, in many ways, she transformed America by winning those arguments. But her body and mind seem frail and this movie makes you worry that she may not have very long to go.

The Incredibles 2

A beautifully animated and dazzling adventure from Brad Bird. It a shame about John Lassiter and all of the unwanted hugs, because it’s feeling like the end of an amazing era from Pixar. The quality and the entertainment could NOT be higher.

As for the story itself, you can guess who the villain is by how intricately their hair is animated. A secondary character would NEVER have hair this cool. It must have taken thousands of people thousands of hours. There are lots of ideas about brain-washing the masses, which, because of the nature of super-strong super-heroes, can only be stopped with lots of chasing and fighting. Nevertheless, it’s a gorgeous achievement in animation.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

This is like a "Jurassic" greatest hits. Throw in some of the Michael Crichton novels, throw in some stuff from the Spielberg movies, throw in a little Congo, a little bit of Frankenstein, a piece or two from King Kong… That doesn’t mean it isn’t entertaining. It just feels like a rehash. Much of this movie is filmed on soundstages in very controlled environments. Instead of moving around in the natural world with plants and rocks and bugs and birds, the dinos are interacting with cages and hallways and furniture and stuff. Easier to control and probably a lot cheaper to animate. Which means there’s a lot of cool camera moves and geography, but don’t stop and think about a guy fighting an evil dinosaur in a library.

Solo

One of Ron Howard’s best movies, which means: lower those expectations, folks! If you do, it’s a fun but light Star Wars prologue. It might have worked better as one of those animated things like Clone Wars or Rebels. The introduction and bromance of Han and Chewy works really well, and it’s the best part of this. But other subplots: failed heists, double crosses, and Casablanca-lifted thematic elements are less dazzling, even though they do eventually work. The cast is strong, especially Alden Ehrenreich, who delivers the right balance of youthful swagger and emotional inexperience. The stakes just feel… low. The fate of the galaxy isn’t on the line. There’s no real love lost. It’s just kind of a slapdash adventure. There’s nothing wrong with that. But if you need to make a billion dollars, some planets need to explode.

Avengers: Infinity War - Part 1

** INFINITE SPOILERS!! **

More of a prelude of things to come than an actual movie. It’s so crowded that most of the characters only get cursory appearances. Often there will be four or five super-people in the frame at the same time, as one character doles out ominous exposition. The other super-people in the scene don’t seem to be listening and look bored. The Russos neglect to block the scenes, maybe because none of the actors were there at the same time and they were all superimposed together in post? That being said, there are a couple of pairings filmmakers spend a little more time on: Vision and Scarlet Witch, which could have been a whole movie by itself, and Gamora and Thanos, a nicely-expanded backstory for Zoe Saldana. Again and again, the biggest problem with these superhero movies is there’s no suspense because you know there’s sequels and franchises coming. And the thrill of cg just isn’t enough anymore. So if you can’t have any death, where else do you find conflict? Love, maybe?

A Quiet Place

** SPOILERS AHEAD **

More of a series of sequences than a whole movie. The sequences are suspenseful but the big picture is lacking. Efforts to play with story structure by eliminating the intro and the climax are valiant but gimmicky. Who are the aliens? What do they want? Who else is building signal fires at night? There’s no context. No sense of a larger world. That being said, a hugely successful debut for John Kraszinski, who made a lot of money for somebody, and now he’ll get to do what he wants.

Ready Player One

Spielberg and company summarily change the novel, for the better I suppose, even though that’s always considered a high-crime. The story weaknesses in the novel, of which there are many, are torched all together and a new plot emerges from the ashes. The novelist’s affinity for certain, very specific 80’s pop-culture treasures falls by the wayside, which is why we don’t see War Games clips in this, but instead it’s… I’m not spoiling it. Filmmakers drastically improve on the motives of “Halliday” -- the Willy Wonka of this adventure, peppering in a taste of Spielbergian sentimentality. It’s a pleasure to watch and purely entertaining, even if it’s not the purely 80’s trip down memory lane that audiences were expecting.

Red Sparrow

“Jennifer Lawrence is a hilarious, Academy Award-winning ray of sunshine. I know: let’s put her in a movie where she pouts the entire time.”

Academy Award Nominated Animated Short Films

DEAR BASKETBALL

With music by John Williams, this essay about how much Kobe Bryant loves basketball is nicely animated, but thematically shallow and obvious.

GARDEN PARTY

Beautifully animated, with a dark-comedy twist at the end.

LOU

Not that animated films HAVE to be logical. But this doesn’t make a lot of sense. Sentiment supersedes inner logic, I suppose.

NEGATIVE SPACE

Thematically strong short about a narrator’s relationship with his father based on how he learned from his father how to pack a suitcase.

REVOLTING RHYMES

A twist on the old red-riding hood fable. Felt long.

Game Night

We laughed all the way through this; a comedy version of the Fincher movie The Game. And it's not like the premise is all that original, but it's the delivery of the actors -- the perfectly timed jazz of Bateman, McAdams, and Jesse Plemons is so smooth it could settle your stomach. Lots really funny riffs on twist-endings, too. A blue-chip farce. Huzzah, etc.

Black Panther

Beautifully imagined and rendered comic-book saga with all of the necessary ingredients. African and racial politics work their way in occasionally, but they don’t really drive the plot and they don’t get resolved in any kind of interesting way. The cast is great but the action feels par-for-the course. It’s the typical running and driving and chasing and fighting stuff. What this movie lacks (and what all the super-hero movies really lack now days) is suspense, because you know that Black Panther can’t really die. This is a dilemma for all the comic-book, superhero movie-makers I suppose. How do you ratchet up the stakes?? Be that as it may, it’s a great, big feline leap for black heroes, no longer relegated to being supporting characters or starring in b-movies.

The Darkest Hour

Gary Oldman is undoubtedly impressive in this. His technique, along with the great makeup, makes this performance muy authentic. But this is not a very personal or emotional movie. It’s all about important speeches and Churchill screaming at the minions. There’s very little insight into who Churchill was as a person. As a history it’s fine, but as a drama, it’s a lot like British food: it needs a little salt.

Call Me By Your Name

What if Brokeback Mountain had turned out well? Well, not “well” but better? Here you have a love story about acceptance. The stakes are low, mainly because the setting is isolated; away from the hate speech and the AIDS crisis of the era. When you strip away all of the socio-political hullaballoo, what’s left is a nice, warm-hearted travelogue through the small towns and swimming holes of Northern Italy. While the pace is meandering, the main character makes several interesting choices in his assent to manhood.

I, Tonya

A well-made but violent dark-comedy about that well-covered incident before the 1994 Olympics. Robbie (who also produced) is excellent and Janney will probably win an Oscar. In the 90’s, the media portrayed Tonya Harding as a master-manipulator; a femme fatale who tricked her husband into carrying out her evil bidding. But in this depiction, there is a brutal cycle of abuse. Harding gets smacked around A LOT by her husband, and for many complicated reasons, she can’t shake him off. When the story is told in a different way, you can see that she was a victim of circumstance, and didn’t have the support system to overcome the rotten people in her life. In some ways, it’s the perfect, juicy film noir. In other ways, it’s an American tragedy.

Paddington 2

We regretted not seeing the first movie in the theater since it was better than we thought it would be and skillfully sentimental. This behaves more like an action movie (albeit one for toddlers), in which the action culminates on a speeding train. It’s very well-done, big-budget, family fare with some charming word-play and Britishy shenanigans. Kudos to Hugh Grant for delivering, full-bore, his hilariously narcissistic but non-threatening antagonist.

All the Money in the World

This is a true docudrama, unfolding realistically and never stopping for any emotional reflection. Michelle Williams, the best (as always), must deliver any emotion with her eyes, her body language, her “instrument”, because it’s not on the page. Sir Ridley seems determined to keep the pace moving, which makes this a somewhat dry, impersonal experience. The Mark Wahlberg part could have been played by any macho leading man, which brings an extra level of irony to the whole public squabble about the pay difference. Nevertheless, Christopher Plummer as J. Paul Getty is electric. What a historically rotten prick, and a great performance from Plummer. The facts about this incident and how it all unfolded are the best thing about this movie, and add new context during your next drive by the Getty Center. It’s very watchable, but tissues will not be needed.