I didn't see the The Wife, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Tully, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, or Phantom Thread which I know cracked a lot of people's top films of 2018 lists.
I also have quite a few special mentions who slimly missed out on top 15 and yes once again it is a sneaky top 16 as number 15 is tied.
Just a few weeks ago I declared it a bad year for film but when I look at the below I think maybe I spoke too soon as there are tonnes of great films that were released this year (four of my top 10 were only released in the last few weeks of 2018) and it was one of the hardest top 15s to reach in a while. I will say it is a bad year for films anchored on white English speaking dudes...as that is what the below will show out...
15. (tied) Isle of Dogs and Juliet, Naked
Let's start with the animated film that snuck in from a story POV even if I think on the basis of animation alone, another film will beat it at the Oscars (more on that later but not in the top 15). That is to say, let's start with Isle of Dogs. In the dystopian near future, a flu has been introduced to Japan which is spread by dogs. The government undertakes a pro cat agenda, and even though scientists are close to cure, decides to ship all dogs to an island that previously functioned as a dump. The first dog shipped is Spots who is the guard dog for mayor's nephew and ward, Atari Kobayashi (voiced by Kofu Rankin). Six months after Spots is sent to the island, Atari pilots a plane on his own to the island to look for his dog. When he crashes he is rescued by a pack of dogs- Chief (voiced by Bryan Cranston), Rex (Edward Norton), King (Bob Balaban), Boss (Bill Murray), and Duke (Jeff Goldblum). Chief does not want to help Atari as he harbours a deep anger towards humans but the other four dogs keenly lobby him to join them in helping the boy find Spots. Chief's reluctance is enhanced by the violence shown by the "rescue" team sent to get Atari but ultimately he is convinced by a mysterious female dog, Nutmeg (Scarlett Johansson) , to help the boy. The dogs and the boy then embark on a journey to find Spots pursued by the "rescue" team, aided to other dogs, and towards a possible group of cannibal dogs.
Much like Wes Anderson's earlier Fantastic Mr Fox, the stop motion is used to brilliant effect in this film. The story is fairly simple rescue mission and is predictable at times but there is something so overwhelming charming about the presentation of it that you are sucked in regardless. The voice work is solid from actors who are normally not voice actors (I thought Greta Gerwig as an American exchange student was particularly good of the people not mentioned above and also chuckled a bit at the fact Yoko Ono voices a character called Yoko Ono) and I like that in this year where many of the actors who are regularly in my top 15 didn't make the cut, Tilda Swinton snuck in with her voice work on Isle of Dogs. Is it the best Wes Anderson film? No, if you flick back a few years, you'll see Great Budapest ranked much higher in my top 15 when it came out and even that is not my favourite Anderson film. Is it delightful though? Yes and that is why there was no top 15 without it especially as it allowed me to mention both Bill Murray and Jeff Goldblum.
Now the film it is tied with which has as yet got limited to no release in Australia properly but which I saw at the Sydney Film Festival, Juliet, Naked. Annie (Rose Bryne) is a museum curator living in a sleepy English seaside town where she is bored and increasing unhappy in her relationship with Duncan (Chris O'Dowd). Duncan is a cultural studies lecturer at the local university and spends all his spare time vlogging about, maintaining websites on, and generally being obsessed over Tucker Crowe an American alt rock musician who had a few big hits in the 90s. The main of the community of Tucker Crowe obsessives that Duncan is part of is what happened to the singer. Crowe disappeared mysteriously two decades ago at the height of his fame, and then suddenly an acoustic recording of Crowe's biggest album, Juliet, shows up in the post and Duncan and co dub it Juliet, Naked and begin discussing it online. Annie having heard it believes it lesser quality than the original album contrary to Duncan's views and she publishes an anonymous critical review on Duncan's website. Soon after posting the review, Annie is messaged by a man claiming to be Tucker Crowe and suddenly she has an in to Duncan's idol which he is unaware of. Annie and Tucker build a relationship, and soon it is revealed that Tucker (Ethan Hawke) now lives in the garage of his ex partner so that he can be close to his son with her so that he can help raise the boy after he had limited to no involvement in the raising of several other children he has fathered. Tucker's eldest daughter is pregnant and his partner is English so the child will be born in London, and he flies to England with his youngest son and uses the opportunity to meet Annie.
Juliet, Naked is based on my favourite Nick Hornby novel and I was a little concerned when he was not writing the script as he has done for previous films based on his work, but it turns out I shouldn't have been as the writers captured the spirit of the novel perfectly. The biggest pro of this film is the casting which is perfect. Ethan Hawke having been the perfect alt dude in many 90s movies means that there are tonnes of images of him that are perfect for fake rock posters from that era and also the nostalgia for his earlier films makes him all the more perfect for the role even if I did not imagine Tucker looking like him when I read the book. Duncan may not be Irish in the book but I cannot think of a person who could better capture the role than Chris O'Dowd. Rose Bryne has the perfect temperament for Annie even if she is a little too obviously pretty and a little too young. It is more than perfect casting as you can have that and have those actors deliver dreadful performance. All of the performances are spot on and there is a tenderness to the film that mirrors that in the books especially as for a romantic comedy (technically but not really) it touches on some darker topics.
14. The Spy Who Dumped Me
Audrey (Mila Kunis) is miserable on her birthday after she is dumped by text by her boyfriend, Drew (Justin Theroux). Her flighty best friend/ flat mate Morgan (Kate McKinnon) tries to cheer her up by encouraging Audrey to burn everything Drew left at their place. Audrey texts Drew about this and as you see Drew's side of this conversation, you see that he is a spy and left her due his spying commitments. The next day, Audrey strikes up a conversation with an attractive man (Sam Heughan) at the grocery store at which she works, but after talking to him on the way his car, she finds herself kidnapped by him and his colleague who are now revealed to be CIA agents. Audrey assures the agents that she has not seen Drew but she now knows he is a spy. Audrey returns home to tell Morgan about this only for Drew to appear, only for Drew to be shoot by some random dude (also a spy) who Morgan has brought home. With his dying breath, Drew asks Audrey to deliver a fantasy football trophy to a contact in Vienna. Morgan accidentally kills the random spy, and the two women flee with the trophy. They fly to Vienna where they end up in a shootout involving Sebastian (Sam Heughan's character) and on a hint, they grab the USB revealed to be in the bottom of the trophy, steal passports from Australian tourists, and jump a train to a supposed safe house in Prague.
I flippin' loved this film when I saw it. It might be because it stars two of my favourite comedic actresses...add Kristen Bell and I'd be in absolute heaven . It might be Sam Heughan in a suit for most of film...I still prefer the kilts from Outlander but damn that boy pretty! It might be general queen of world Gillian Anderson as Sebastian's boss. Granted it is likely a bit more guilty pleasure than legit quality film but one of those does sneak in every year. Seriously super enjoyable! I'm a bit sad there likely won't be a sequel because I want one.
13. Black Panther
Many generations ago, the African nation of Wakanda was hit with a meteor partly made of vibranium and as well as bringing the wealthy of the are metal, it leads to the growth of a magical herb that when eaten by the leader of the nation gives that person enhanced strength and physical abilities. That leader is given the title of the "Black Panther". Under the leadership of many generations of Black Panthers and with access to the vibranium, the nation has grown in wealth and technology faster than the rest of the world. In the early 90s, the current Black Panther, T'Chaka, travels to California to visit his brother who has stolen vibranium and his brother dies in the exchange leaving a son on his own. Cut forward to just after the events of Captain America: Civil War to see T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) returning to Wakanda following T'Chaka's death to take up his father's mantle as leader. T'Challa and the leader of one of Wakanda's military forces, Okoye (Danai Gurira) extract his ex-partner Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) from a rescue mission in another nation to bring her to the leadership ceremony. In Wakanda, T'Challa meets with his mother, Ramonda (Angela Bassett), and his teenage sister who is a brilliant scientist, Shuri (Letitia Wright). T'Challa wins the hand to hand combat for the leadership and becomes the Black Panther. Meanwhile Uyysses Klaue (Andy Serkis), a mercenary who was the person T'Chaka was selling vibranium to, and Erik Stevens (Michael B. Jordan) break into a museum in London and steal Wakandan artefacts.
There were few comic book movies this year and this was far and away the best. Much like The Dark Knight and Captain America: Winter Soldier, it treats the source material with a degree of seriousness that is rarely seen in the comic book movie genre. This film for a while was higher up the list but there were some excellent films that crept it down the list. It is well scripted, well shoot, and well performed (two performers from recent number ones in my countdown made appearances in Lupita Nyong'o (The Force Awakens) and Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out) who plays W'Kabi). Add to that gorgeous set design and costumes, some super tidy action sequences, and deeply awesome soundtrack which was compiled by Kendrick Lamar. Aside from the fact that it is one of the best made comic book movies ever, the reason it drew more attention than a lot of other recent comic book movies is the fact that this is first comic film with a majority not white cast. There are two white characters in the film- Ulysses Klaue who is a villain and Everrett K. Ross (Martin Freeman) who essentially takes up the sidekick role that often would be the role for a person of colour in an all white film. There was a lot of concern about whether it would be able to make money without the white people and damn did it prove those people wrong as it is now the ninth highest earning film of all time (not adjusted for inflation). As well as giving a great treatment to black superhero without making it awkward or unintentionally racist which is almost certainly because it has a black writer/director, it also did not shy away from the complexity that the nation of Wakanda would create if it existed. There is a through line about what responsibility, if any, the rich and advanced nation of Wakanda has to other African nations especially as they have taken the option of hiding their technology and wealth from the world. The beauty of Killmonger (the main villain and straight up there with Heath Ledger's Joker, Tom Hiddleston's Loki, Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin, and David Tennant's Kilgrave as one of the best live action comic villains) is that character's complexity and the impact of his having grown up black and disadvantaged in America despite being the cousin of the leader of Wakanda. Also for the questions of black identity that the film raises, it doesn't seek to resolve them- this isn't really a spoiler but just to flag that the end of the film, even despite some actions by T'Challa you still sit in an awkward place about Wakanda and its practice of being closed to the outside world and you feel a great degree of sympathy for the situation of Killmonger.
Also to end, this film might have got a tonne of attention because of its representation of people of colour but also its representation of women, so much applause! You have a queen, several warriors, and a teenage scientist just being boss!
12. Annihilation
The film opens as Lena, a cellular biologist (Natalie Portman), is being debriefed in quarantine at a military installation in "Area X". It is revealed that something has happened in a small section of southern America which has created a scientific anomaly making it hard to enter and deeply dangerous- people enter via an electro magnetic field known as "The Shimmer". The US military has been sending team of soldiers and scientists to investigate and the teams do not return. The films back from Lena's interrogation/ debrief, to Kane (Oscar Isaac) who was a soldier who was sent through "The Shimmer" disappeared with his team only to mysteriously show up months later that the house he shares with his wife, shown to be Lena. Lena is not just a biology academic but she was also a former soldier. Upon Kane's return, military personnel appear and take Kane and Lena to "Area X". When they arrive, Kane is taken to the hospital ward and Lena is taken to speak to Dr Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a military psychiatrist, who explains what has been happening with teams sent through "The Shimmer" and recruits Lena to join the next team leveraging the illness that Kane is now showing to convince her. It is revealed that Lena will be joined on the trip through "The Shimmer" by Dr Ventress as well as Anya (Gina Rodriguez) (a paramedic), Cass (Tuva Novelty) (an anthropologist), and Josie (Tessa Thompson) (a physicist). They enter "The Shimmer" and soon they realise something is deeply wrong in the area, the plants and animals look different and Lena soon notes that there is likely a parallel version of evolution occurring.
There is a reason I listed the occupations of all the characters above as the film is based on a novel by Jeff van der Meer in which the characters are not named. The main character in the book is simply "the biologist", and the other characters are "the anthropologist", "the psychologist", and "the surveyor" (there is no physicist or paramedic and the anthropologist is actually very different to Cass in the movie). I've read some of the book (it is very short, but I just haven't finished it) and I know that Alex Garland had only read the first of the trilogy when he wrote the film so the film and book don't neatly line up (for example, there were concerns raised about the changes to the races of Natalie Portman and Jennifer Jason Leigh's characters who are both mixed race in the book but this isn't mentioned in the first book). Moving along from the book adaption of it all, this is first of Netflix films on my list and I'm deeply sadden by the fact that I didn't get to see it on the big screen. You might recall a few years ago I wrote about my love of the first film as director by writer, Alex Garland, the beautiful Ex Machina (which also featured the brilliant Oscar Isaac who might be taking up Mark Ruffalo's spot as a yearly inclusion- spoiler for the count down, he was only in one film this year, this is my first year without a Ruffalo film in my top 15) and this is his follow up to that. It is deeply beautiful and that is why I wish I'd had the chance to see it in a cinema instead of an iPad. The plot is quite complex at times and yet you don't get lost at all as it draws you in so well. It is also amazingly acted by all involved, especially Rodriguez and Thompson. Issues with the changes to race in translation aside, it gets major points in terms of representation as Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Tuva Novotny are the only white people in the film, and for bulk of the film, there are only women on screen. The representation isn't a novelty as the performance are so solid and from both a gender and race point of view, it acts in a place where experience is worth more than the prejudice.
11. Searching
Margot Kim (Michelle La), a teenager in California, goes one night to her friend's house for a study group. During the night, her father, David (John Cho), misses three calls from her. David is widowed as Margot's mother died from lymphoma recently. David wakes the next morning and assumes Margot has left early for school. When Margot doesn't come home after the piano lesson she is supposed attend after school, David rings her piano teacher only to discuss that Margot cancelled her piano lessons six months earlier. Margot has been stockpiling the money that she was supposed to be used for her lessons in a now deleted Venmo account. David realises that Margot must be missing and calls the police and Detective Rosemary Vick (Debra Messing) is assigned to the case. When Vick asks David about Margot's friends, he gets into her Facebook account and starts reaching out to her friends only to discover that Margot dropped contact with many of them after her mother's death. Vick discovers that Margot had a false ID and that she is on a street camera leaving the city, and combined with the money Margot stockpiled convince Vic that Margot has run away. David refuses to believe this and devotes his time to going deeper and deeper into his daughter's online presence.
This had tight competition from the next film for thriller of the year which it just lost- I actually swapped their rankings a few times before settling on this. Searching has a super novel execution in that the entire film takes place on screens- be it social media, face time, security footage, or the just the background screens of computers, tablets, and phones. You might think that this ever would tire easily or wouldn't also for the build of adequate suspense or would be too gimmicky and you would solidly be wrong primarily due to the acting. I know John Cho mainly as a comic sidekick from 90s teen comedies (and yes also the first Harold and Kumar) and Debra Messing obviously I know from Will & Grace. People often say that drama is easier than comedy but when you naturally associate someone from comedy, it can take awhile to get used to them in a dramatic role. I did take a while to get used to a serious Debra Messing but John Cho had me sold from minute one and considering he is the only person on screen for much of the film, it is an insanely good performance. Despite quite an early release, John Cho has landed a nomination for an Independent Spirit Award which is testament to just how amazing his performance is. The thing that ultimately landed the film above this one place higher is the ending which I didn't find completely satisfying but that doesn't lessen the quality of acting or the originality of the execution which both make this still one of the best films of the year.
10. A Quiet Place
In 2020, vicious creatures appear on Earth and kill most of the people and animals. The creatures are hyper sensitive to sound so to avoid being attacked, people have to keep completely silent to survive. A family of survivors- Lee (John Krasinski), Evelyn (Emily Blunt), Regan (Millicent Simmonds), Marcus (Noah Jupe), and Beau (Cade Woodward)- scavenge for food in an abandoned town. The family communicates using sign language as Regan is hearing impaired- her disability has likely become the advantage that allowed her family to survive. Beau picks up a toy that makes noise and his father tries to get him to leave it but Regan picks it up for her brother. Beau actively the toy on the family's walk home which leads to his death. Cut forward a year, Evelyn is now heavily pregnant, Regan suffers from extreme guilt over her brother's death, and the family continues to eek out a silent existence on their farm. Lee is trying to set up radio contact with other people in a sound proofed basement and he also tries to repair Regan's hearing aide which is failing. One day, Regan does to visit the spot where Beau died, and Lee and Marcus go on a fishing trip . On the fishing trip, Lee reveals to his son that the creatures cannot hear them if their sound is masked by a natural sound (in this case a waterfall) and Marcus reveals to his father that Regan continues to blame herself for Beau's death. Meanwhile alone on the farm, Evelyn goes into labour and starts her plan for a silent birth. On the way home, Lee and Marcus meet a man alone in the wood, and despite Lee signalling him to see silent, the man screams and the creature is summoned.
Written and directed by John Krasinski, this is the tensest and tightest film of the year. It isn't very long but you are on the edge of your seat for the entire film. The silence of the film heightens the suspense and sound design is amazing as you hear every incidental noise. The sequence in which Evelyn is trying to give birth without making noise (not a spoiler it is in the trailer) is insane and the most suspenseful scene I've seen in years. Also anchoring the film on just four actors is a heavy weight for them to carry especially as two of them are children. Krasinski and Blunt are amazing as the parents (buoyed by their charming chemistry as a couple in real life), and Jupe is very solid for such a young actor. The three of them learnt sign language for the film, and I remember reading when I first saw it that they endeavoured to learn sign language as it is actually used and that each character had their own way of signing and it was praised for the use of sign language. Then you get to Simmonds who is outstanding in the film and gives far and away the strongest performance. The producers insisted on casting a hearing impaired actor as Regan particular as she would be able to understand Regan's situation and Simmonds is hearing impaired. She even helped other actors learn the sign language of the film. She deserves many awards but I think the film was released too early in the year for her to get any- that said Blunt is nominated for a few and her performance is definitely second to Simmonds. I think this will go down with horror/thriller classics such Alien and Rosemary's Baby.
And have to say, this marks the last film with an English speaking white dude in a leading role in this year's countdown- there are some supporting white dudes and one leading white dude who doesn't speak English...yep I'm just hitting the top 10.
8. (tied) BlacKkKlansman and Sorry to Bother You
I'll start with the film I saw first of these two, BlacKkKlansman. In the early 1970s, Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) is hired as the first black police officer in his town. The 70s being the 70s, he is faced with racism from his colleagues. He is granted his request to go undercover and his first major job is to attend the speech by a former black panther (the real group of black people fighting for civil rights and associated with Malcolm X NOT the previously mentioned comic book character). At this rally, he meets Patrice (Laura Harrier) who later in the evening is targeted by a racist officer from Stallworth's station and sexually assaulted by him. Soon after this night, Stallworth is reassigned to the intelligence division. He finds an advert for the Klan in his local newspaper. He calls the number and asking about joining. He convince his colleagues to help him go undercover with the Klan wherein he will speak to them on the phone and his colleague Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver) will meet with them in person. They infiltrate the local Klan chapter and climb the ranks to the point where they are put in touch with David Duke (Topher Grace) and Stallworth ends up having multiple conversations with David Duke as he prepares to visit their town. Meanwhile some of the local Klan chapter does have suspicions about Zimmerman potentially being Jewish (which he actually is).
Have a make a confession, this is first Spike Lee film that I have ever seen. That is right I haven't seen Do The Right Thing and you are welcome to heap judgment on me for this. This is based on a near unbelievable true story- the big changes being that the actual events took place in the late 70s, the identity of the white face of the operation is unknown so Driver's character is largely fictionalised and in all likelihood this individual was not Jewish (not that Driver is either, it was Lee's choice for the character), and the last about a quarter of the film is a completely fictional operation- but otherwise the first three quarters are largely what happened as in there was an actual police investigation into the KKK led by a black man in the 70s which even had him interacting with David Duke. The script is brilliantly sharp and at times deeply hilarious, with several tongue in cheek comments that are all about 2016. It is also an interesting treatment of the Klan member who are fully fleshed out characters. This is the first film I've seen John David Washington (son of Denzel) in and he is appropriately stoic throughout. Topher Grace is amazing as David Duke which is outstanding as he is still Eric Foreman to me, and Adam Driver delivers as he always does (nice to see him as not Kylo Ren). The editing in this film is insanely on point and is the tidiest editing in 2018. The end of the film, which I won't give away and which I know some took issue with, made me cried intensely. It is a super hard-hitting ending.
Now speaking of black people putting on "white voice" on the phone, let's move to Sorry to Bother You. In Oakland California, the streets are lined with adverts for WorryFree that gives people the opportunity to sign lifetime work contracts that include food and accommodation in their factories in place of a salary. There are rumbling of a group called "Left Eye" that opposes WorryFree and hopes to take them down. Cassius "Cash" Green (LaKeith Stanfield) lives with his girlfriend Detroit (Tessa Thompson) in the garage of his uncle (Terry Crews). Cash needs to quickly make some cash so on the advice of his friend, Sal (Jermaine Fowler), Cash applies for a job at a telemarketer. Having got the job, Cash befriends Squeeze (Steven Yuen) who wants to unionise their workplace and Langston (Danny Glover) an elder black colleague who encourages Cash to embrace the use of "white voice" on the phone. Cash starts using "white voice" (the character's white voice is supplied by David Cross) and he begins being very successful, meanwhile Sal, Squeeze, and Detroit (who now works with them) start to organise strikes. Cash is promoted to a Power Caller and on the first day, he is welcomed by Mr _______ (played by Omari Hardwick- the characters's name is always bleeped) who introduces Cash to the Power Caller world where they sell bigger items such as arms and human labour and where black worker always speak in "white voice" (you don't hear Mr _______'s normal voice until quite late in the film and you just hear Patton Oswald who voices the white voice). The strikes and protests of the staff in the telemarketing centre in the basement escalate whilst Cash daily crosses the picket line to ascend to the higher level offices of Power Callers. Cash is hit in the head with a soft drink can when crossing the picket and becomes a meme which leads to his being invited to the house of Steve Lift (Armie Harmer), the founder of WorryFree.
This film is super surreal (I didn't get to the bulk of it in the above) and super darkly funny. It is likely ties with my number 3 film as my script of the year in fact. It is sharp knifed attack in comedy format to race relations in modern America, to work place relations, and to late stage capitalism in general. As you can see above, it is also jam packed with actors who I love- Tessa Thompson is in two films in this year's countdown and one last, Steve Yuen just missed out of on a second film this year (it is an honourable mention) and was in one last, Armie Harmer was in a film last year, Terry Crews I love in Brooklyn 99, and Patton Oswald I love generally. I also love the conceit of actually having white actors do the "white voice" and was slightly sickened by the implication that black people cannot get ahead without one, it comes up not only at the call centre but also later in the film when Detroit speaks at her art show using "white voice" (supplied by Lily James). It is terrifying that the call centre sections are based on Boots Riley's own experience of needing another voice when he worked in telemarketing. Riley has put together an amazing film. The score which was put together by TuneYards is also amazing as is the soundtrack by Boot's own band, Coup.
7. Manbiki kazoku (or Shoplifters)
In Tokyo, a father, Osamu, (Lily Franky) and son, Shota (Jyo Kairi), shoplift from a grocery store. As they head home on a very cold night, they pass an apartment building where there is a five year old girl alone on a balcony with no parents at home. The girl, Yuri (Miyu Sasaki), looks thin and hungry so they sneak her off the balcony and bring her home with them with plans of returning her before her parents are home. On reaching their house, she settles in for dinner with Osamu and Shota, and the other residents of the house, Osamu's wife (Nobuyo played by Sakura Andô), his wife's sister (Aki played by Mayu Matsuoka), and his wife's grandmother (Hatsue played by Kirin Kiki). During dinner, the family discover burns on the girl's arms and then when Osamu and Nobuyo go to take the sleeping Yuri home, they find her parents drunkenly arguing and declaring they don't want the girl. On Nobuyo's urging, they don't return the girl and take her back to them home. The next day, Osamu goes to his job as a day labourer, Nobuyo to hers at a laundry, and Aki to her job (not revealed until later in the film), leaving the children with Hatsue. When Hatsue's landlord shows up, the children run to hide and Yuri witnesses Shota shoplifting items that he missed the day before. Osamu returns home injured and unable to work meaning the family will increasingly rely on shoplifting. Osamu whilst at home encourages Shota to teach Yuri to shoplift and to call Yuri his sister. He also asks Shota to call him "father" which starts to create a question mark over their established relationship. One night a few month after Yuri moves in with the family, there is a news report about a missing girl called Juri (the family has been mispronouncing her name). The family give Yuri the option of returning home to her parents or staying with them. She opts to stay with them and they cut her hair and start calling her "Lin" to stop her being found.
This film took home the Palme D'Or at Cannes this year and it is one of the most beautifully heartfelt films of the year. Driven by themes of family (I won't divulge the actual family relationships beyond what they appear to be at the start of the film but be prepared to be guessing a lot) and poverty, it grips for all of its over two hour length. It also shows the fact that you don't need sound to be compelling as it is generally a very quiet film. The thread of family that weaves throughout the film leads also to questions of goodness in the face of poverty- there is something deeply beautiful about the relationship between the family in the film that raises them above being condemned for acts such as shoplifting or the kidnapping of Juri or other acts shown latter in the film. The film isn't all serious as there are moments of true levity and humour throughout. The performances, especially those of Kairi and Andô, are outstanding, and Miyu Sasaki is completely adorable as Yuri/Juri/Lin. The ending of the film is both uplifting and deeply heartbreaking and I challenge people not to cry. A low-key masterpiece.
You might be thinking I just called my one foreign language film for the year but no there are two more to come as 2018 was a better year for international cinema than English language cinema in someways.
6. Zimna Wojna (or Cold War)
Wiktor Warski (Tomasz Kot), a pianist, and composer, tours the Polish countryside with co-producers in 1949 to find folk performers (singers and dancers) for a show that they are setting up. At one of their big bulk auditions, Zula (Joanna Kulig) shows up without having prepared anything. She gets talking with another young girl in the line and convinces her that they should sing a duet. After performing the duet, she is asked to sing alone and both girls wind up in the show. The other producers feel that Zula is not as talented as some of the other girls they have seen but that she has something that draws people to her, Wiktor on the other hand is completely entranced by her and he and Zula soon start a relationship. After initial performance of the folk show, government officials visit and ask that the show come more supportive of communism and soon despite objections by Wiktor and one of the other producers, the show soon includes odes to Stalin among other things. The show is a success and soon they end up touring the Eastern Bloc. When they get to Berlin (in the early 50s so pre Wall), Wiktor tries to convince Zula to flee with him to Eastern Europe. He waits for her near the checkpoint but she is waylaid by one of the other producers who introduces her to government officials. A few years later, Wiktor is working as Jazz pianist in a class and a conductor of session musicians in Paris. Zula gets to Paris on a temporary visa and the two meet again and despite the fact that they are both in relationships with other people, they share a kiss in the streets before she returns to the tour for the folk music group back in the East. A year later, Wiktor travels to Yugoslavia to see the folk group (the closest he can get to the Eastern Bloc as a deserter) and sees the group is increasingly spreading propaganda. Before he can meet with Zula, his old colleague (the one who was the reason Zula could not leave in Berlin) pushes him aside and tells him that he is putting himself at risk by being there. Wiktor speedily boards the train back to Paris and having seen him in the audience the night before, the next night Zula sadly looks at the empty seat he had been in. Another year later, Zula has married an Italian which allows her to leave the Eastern Bloc and come on her own to Paris to be with Wiktor.
Now foreign language and black and white isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea (warning I'm not done with that combo) but this film is insanely beautiful. It only just gets beaten for best cinematography of the year and there is something deep and painful and gorgeous portrayed in its insanely short running time (it is only an hour and a half long and seriously I would have happily sat through another hour of it). The poignancy of the seeing the lost majesty of traditional folk performance which has now been lost from many countries and which you see getting gradually destroyed in the changes to the show that Zula is a part of. The emotional powerhouse performances by both leads which enthral the viewer and capture wonderfully the pain of the separation of the two lovers and the depths of their passion for each other even though neither pain nor passion is actively highlighted. It is a film that harken back to an earlier era of film making perfectly whilst also still being very much a film for today.
5. Lady Bird
Christine McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) is in her final year of high school at a Catholic school in Sacramento in 2002. She has decided that she prefers to be known as "Lady Bird" and she longs for the day where she can leave and go to college in a big city, New York being her preference. Lady Bird's family aren't particularly wealthy, and she and her mother (Laurie Metcalf) frequently clash. Lady Bird and her best friend, Julie (Beanie Feldstein), join the school theatre program where Lady Bird falls for and starts dating Danny (Lucas Hedges) however Lady Bird quickly discovers that Danny is in fact gay. She and Danny break up but later become friends. Lady Bird then, on the advice of her mother, gets a job at a local cafe where she meets Kyle (Timothee Chalamet) who she develops a crush on and soon starts dating. Lady Bird bounds with Kyle's wealthier friends and starts to pretend that she is also wealthy, and to neglect her friendship with Julie. She loses her virginity to Kyle who later reveals that he lied to her about also being a virgin, and her relationship with her mother worsens even after she discovers that her father has lost his job and is suffering from depression.
Now I know what you are thinking any non Australians out there, this is a 2017, film but no not in Australia it wasn't. We didn't get it until APRIL of 2018...that's right APRIL! It was my most anticipated film of 2018 and considering all the buzz about it after its global release my anticipation only grew. Thankfully it delivered! Many people said it was a film for those who had been teenage daughters in the last few decades or those who mothered teenaged daughters in that window. As someone who fits firmly in the former category and more so having been someone who finished school with only a few years before Lady Bird at a Catholic school in a town that I planned to leave as soon as I could, I don't think there has been a film that has personally resonated with me as much as this did in quite a while. I know that Greta Gerwig (I previously mentioned was great in her voice acting role in Isle of Dogs this year, and who also penned one of my favourite films of 2012 in Frances Ha, and whose Little Women adaptation is one of my two most anticipated 2019 films) based this a lot of her own teen years so it seems there were a lot of us grumpy if naive teens out there in the late 90s/early 2000s. I definitely feel Gerwig should have won many more awards for her writing and directing here as I don't think anyone has captured the complexity of the mother/teen daughter relationship and its ups and downs as beautifully as she does in this script and she gets wonderful performances from all of her cast. Ronan is delightfully unaffected as Lady Bird and Laurie Metcalf gives one of the performances of her career as Lady Bird's mother. Also great are the other younger actors in Chalamet (I predicted that he would continue strong after Call Me By Your Name and I was right), Hedges, and Feldstein. The film could easily tiptoe into the land of too much drama that often mars coming of age drama but it masterfully avoids that and its hopefully ending is just what one would wish for.
In 1970 in Mexico City, Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio) works a maid to Sofia (Marina de Tavira), a biochemist, and Antonio (Fernando Grediaga), a doctor, and their four children. Antonio leaves for a conference in Quebec and Sofia reacts very emotionally to this showing the cracks in their marriage- as do Cleo's daily tasks around the house. Antonio briefly returns only to leave again. On their day off, Cleo and her fellow maid, Adela (Nancy Garcia Garcia), make plans to go to the movies with Adela's boyfriend, Ramon, and his friend, Fermin (Jorge Antonio Guerrero) who has been flirting with Cleo. Cleo and Fermin ditch the film and end up at a hotel. A few weeks later, the girls go with the boys to the movies again and towards the end of film, Cleo tells Fermin that she believes she may be pregnant and he responds by leaving to go to the bathroom and then disappearing completely. Cleo goes to tell Sofia that she may be pregnant and overhears Sofia re-planning the family's Christmas due to the fact that Antonio is not on a conference but has actually left her and is living with another woman. Sofia supports Cleo when she hears of the pregnancy and takes Cleo to the hospital to confirm it which they do- whilst at the hospital Sofia also begs colleagues of Antonio's to tell him to re-establish contact with his children. Cleo accompanies the family on their Christmas trip to a family friend's holiday home and whilst there she hears of growing discontent of those of the farmers and service workers with the wealthier families. On returning to the city, Cleo and Sofia's mother take the children to the cinema where Cleo and the friend of one of the children sees Antonio with his new lover. Sofia is still trying to hide her husband leaving from her children but the second eldest son overhears a phone call finds out. Meanwhile, Cleo seeks out Fermin who is at what appears to be a paramilitary training course, he threatens her and refuses to accept the child as his.
See I said there was another black and white foreign language film coming and also another Netflix film (I saw it on my TV at home as I couldn't make the sessions at my local cinema work- see it on the big screen if you can). This film is breathtaking with the most astounding cinematography of the year. It is a masterclass in direction and cinematography and it could not be more beautiful if it tried- the beach section of the film is gloriously shot and also so heartbreaking (yes another film I cried in this year). It isn't a plot heavy film but its small vignettes of the life of this girl and the family she works for are perfect. Cuaron was a well deserved winner at the Globes (in and among some down right loony other winners) and I would expect that he will also win big at the Oscars if the know what is good for them. Aparicio who has no acting training giving a stunningly unaffected performance in her first acting role as Cleo. Basically if you want a class in directing or cinematography just watch this film.
3. The Favourite
It is 1708 and England is at war with French. The widowed Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) suffers from gout and takes little notice or interest in governing. The parliament spend a lot of their time on frivolities such as racing ducks. The Queen's closest adviser is her long time friend, Lady Sarah Churchill the Duchess of Marlborough (Rachel Weisz), so steers her in the direction of supporting the current government and increasing the taxes on land holders to support the war effect much to the annoyance of Robert Harley the leader of the Opposition (Nicholas Hoult). Ultimately Lady Sarah's initial advice prevails and more funding for the war is secured which also sends Lady Sarah's husband (Mark Gatiss) to the frontline as the Duke of Marlborough is the current commander of the military. Meanwhile, Lady Sarah's cousin, Abigail (Emma Stone), shows up at court. Abigail's family has fallen on hard times which led to her being sold in marriage by her father but that is now over and she is seeking employment by her influential cousin. Initially bullied by the other servants, Abigail takes early opportunities to curry favour with the Queen and which first backfire and then lead to her promotion in Sarah's household. Abigail starts flirting with the Baron of Marsham (Joe Alwyn) and is spotted as a possible useful insider by Harley. Then one night when looking for a book in Sarah's library, Abigail witnesses the Queen and Sarah having sex and thereby uncovers the biggest secret at court. As Sarah busies herself with the political machinations surrounding the war effort, Abigail takes the opportunity to spend time with Queen and soon finds her way into the Queen's bed.
The script for this film just wow. Fast paced absolute hilarity delivered perfected by an outstanding cast. It is the type of intelligent bawdy farce that we need more of combined with the period drama and it is too long since we have anything approaching it. For fans of largely unlikeable characters, The Favourite offers a buffet. I am one of these and I found each of them beautifully drawn and delightfully hate-able. With all the serious man at the front (nice to see Mark Gatiss outside of the world of Sherlock/Dr Who if only briefly), we are left with the fops and I have to point out particularly Nicholas Hoult, who in a very female dominated film, still leaves a solid impression as machiavellian Harley. That said the film belongs to the women. It is a long time since I've seen Rachel Weisz in anything- I missed Disobedience and all of her recent good quality films and most my memories of her are from the trashy fare she was in many years ago- and there is a staunchness to her portrayal of Sarah that draws the viewer in. Emma Stone had a big question mark over her head as the American in this otherwise British film- would she carry off the accent along with the performance? She easily overcomes that question with a delightfully fun performance and a solid accent as the charmingly charismatic Abigail she put me in mind of the scheming of that queen of ladder climbers, Vanity Fair's Becky Sharp (who happens to be one of my favourite literary characters from one of my favourite books so any reminder of her is always a plus). Then there is the lead woman who is the least known to an international audience, Olivia Colman. Soon I'm sure that those outside the UK will soon be very familiar with her due to her upcoming role in the new season of The Crown but this was a solid introduction for those who didn't get a chance to see the amazing Broadchurch or The Night Manager. After the recent things I've seen her in (thrillers mainly), this was a nice reminder the Colman initially was mainly known as a comedic actress and she makes solid use of those comedy skills. As the slightly unhinged Queen Anne, she steals every scene her appears in and gives the strongest performances in a cast full of standout performances. Though I was surprised to see her nominated in the lead category instead of the supporting at the Globes (Both Weisz and Stone are in more scenes at my estimation), there isn't another performance this year by a woman that gets near it so I wouldn't be shocked if she took home all of the lead female performance awards this season. A delightfully intelligent romp that surely everyone should love...
2. Widows
A popcorn thriller with brains, depth, and strong women...just what the doctor ordered. It is an ideal combo of director, writer, and actors. Steve McQueen delivers the directorial prowess that
made 12 Years a Slave one of the most gripping films of 2013 (shamefully (pun not intended), I've seen neither Hunger or Shame but both are on my must see list when I get the chance). Scripted by McQueen and Gillian Flynn (good to have a woman contributing to this particular script), Flynn brings the knack for thriller that made Gone Girl one of the most compelling novels of recent years not to mention Flynn's great work in adapting it for David Fincher's film and scripting the brilliant miniseries of her novel Sharp Objects (one of my favourite TV shows of 2018 even though I have not read the original. The cast is jam packed with some of the best actors in Hollywood- Daniel Kaluuya makes his second appearance in this year's countdown and I have a soft soft for Colin Farrell and Liam Neeson (maybe it is my Irish blood speaking)- and that is just the men and they don't really matter here. Much like The Favourite, this is a film that belongs to the women. Viola Davis pretty much can do no wrong and there is just her doing her best again and anchoring the strong performances by those around her. Michelle Rodriguez I have only seen in one thing that I would describe as good, Lost, and otherwise trash be it enjoyable trash (The Fast and the Furious) or straight up trash that I hated (Avatar). She is the heart of the heist and I can see now that she has much more skill than my previous experience of her indication. Elizabeth Debicki inherited her role when Jennifer Lawrence played on it and I think Hollywood needs to catch up as Debicki both perfectly delivers this role and also is much better suited to it than Lawrence. Ever since I saw her steal scenes from Cate Blanchett in a Sydney Theatre Company play a few years ago, I have been waiting for everyone to wake up to the fact that Debicki is the best actor to come out of Australia in quite a while. Heists, explosions, and also no spoilers but car chases, and led by women instead of men...winning all the way...
1. RBG
Going to forgo a lengthy description on this one as it is obvious. Maybe I needed an antidote to the world since the election of Trump, maybe it is just that Ruth Bader Ginsberg is a bit of a hero of mine but this gave me hope even if it is hope. An amazingly well made documentary about the live and career of the most well known member of the US Supreme Court. Overcoming sexism and discrimination throughout her live, and then fighting to help others do the same. Still going strong in early 80s, RBG truly is a global treasure and just the amazing strength of her character and her delight at the world make you believe that the world can be better than it is. It might be a film for the converted but you still worth the watch whoever you are, and far and away my favourite film of 2018 for all the hope and inspiration it gave me.
Honourable mentions...
As I said there were films that were just pushed out of the top 15 and just as shout out to those.
- A Star is Born I expected to hate as it remake and has singers acting and actors singing, and yet I loved it especially Lady Gaga's performance as Ali which was charmingly naive.
- The Miseducation of Cameron Post was one of two 2018 films about gay conversion "therapy" and especially for the lead performances it is great- that said warning as there is a sequence that both made me cry and also got me the closest I've ever been to vomiting in a cinema as it goes straight to the core of the horrors of this practice.
- Three Billboard Outside Ebbing Missouri was one of the 2018 Oscars contenders that became out later in Australia than elsewhere and it is solidly great even if I did take slight issue with the redemption arc that is hinted at for Sam Rockwell's character- I don't think it is as overt as others do but I do think it is there.
- Burning is yet another great non in English film I saw in 2018 and along with Roma, Cold War, and Shoplifters the foreign language category at the Oscars in 2019 is going to be insane- assuming they all got noms as I've heard good things about some other 2018 foreign language films that I missed this year.
- As I said in the above I think Isle of Dogs won't take out the animation Oscar (I'm sure it will get a nom). This is because of the straight up amazing animation of Spiderman: Into the Spider Verse. Aside from 1990s X-Men, animated comic territory has been squarely owned by DC with Marvel essentially letting them own the space until now. The Globes got this one right. Amazing animation that leans heavily to a mirroring a comic in its style and good voice acting.
- Matangi/Maya/M.I.A won't technically be out in Australia until 2019 so I was tempted to leave it as a 2019 inclusion but I saw it at the 2018 Sydney Film Festival so it would break my rules if I did that. Solidly awesome documentary about M.I.A which would be interesting both to fans of her music and even those who haven't even heard of her.
- Half the Picture again I don't think is out in Australia officially yet (another festival film) but another brilliant doc, this time on women working in Hollywood. Terrifying at times but also as you only see women on screen and the bulk of the crew is female, there is hope in this film ultimately.
As always I have an Australian film of the year for everyone and unfortunately it didn't make the top 15. My top Australian film was The Second which was a Stan produced thriller about a author working on her second novel whilst at her father's old country house accompanied by her publisher/lover and her childhood friend who has mysteriously joined them. Sadly I have no trailer as it isn't easily available online but hey it is on Stan so the film is easy to find.
Performances that needed better films
One of my new for 2018 categories as there are two films that I saw this year that had insanely great performances in them but which as films were never going to crack my top 15- last year, this would have gone to James McAvoy in the otherwise not at all good Split (my least anticipated film of 2019 is definitely Glass). Basically these will be the story of the male acting categories at the award season as the Globes proved (I did type this pre Globes I will flag).
Firstly, there is Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody. The film was enjoyable but a disappointment as it was too sanitised to a proper Freddie Mercury biopic and had insufficient detail to be a film about all of Queen. However Rami Malek needs ALL the awards for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury which needed a better less sanitised film. It is the best performance of the year even if the film was not worthy of it (how this film won best film at the Globes though...BEYOND me).
Then there is Christian Bale and Sam Rockwell in Vice. Not that Vice is a bad film but McKay's style of storytelling worked much better for The Big Short then it does here. Christian Bale's performance is helped by the make up/costuming but is spot on Cheney- I think Malek has him beat for the awards season. Sam Rockwell has no make up/costuming to make him more like George W Bush but he nails the role and he is my strong beat for best supporting actor at many awards shows.
Firstly, there is Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody. The film was enjoyable but a disappointment as it was too sanitised to a proper Freddie Mercury biopic and had insufficient detail to be a film about all of Queen. However Rami Malek needs ALL the awards for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury which needed a better less sanitised film. It is the best performance of the year even if the film was not worthy of it (how this film won best film at the Globes though...BEYOND me).
Then there is Christian Bale and Sam Rockwell in Vice. Not that Vice is a bad film but McKay's style of storytelling worked much better for The Big Short then it does here. Christian Bale's performance is helped by the make up/costuming but is spot on Cheney- I think Malek has him beat for the awards season. Sam Rockwell has no make up/costuming to make him more like George W Bush but he nails the role and he is my strong beat for best supporting actor at many awards shows.
Films to make you happy
There are three films that I saw in 2018 (one of which is technically a 2019 release) that just left me feeling super happy as I left the cinema and so I added this category for two of them (The Spy Who Dumped Me being the third) as they need recognition for if people need cheering up.
Mary Poppins Returns
It is super familiar- my initial comment on it was that it is The Force Awakens for Mary Poppins. It is the technical 2019 release but I saw it at a preview screening in late 2018. Emily Blunt is perfectly Julie Andrews-isque and for all the "how is there someone Latino in early 20th century London" of it all, Lin-Manuel Miranda is outstanding. Just watch it for joy...
Crazy Rich Asians
I was hoping this would sneak into the top 15 but yeah it was not near enough. Loved the soundtrack, loved the pomp and circumstance, loved the clothes, loved the performances, and yes Henry Golding can be in all the things (he was a high point of A Simple Favour too). Also like Black Panther, enough film proving that you don't need white people to be a box office success....
It is super familiar- my initial comment on it was that it is The Force Awakens for Mary Poppins. It is the technical 2019 release but I saw it at a preview screening in late 2018. Emily Blunt is perfectly Julie Andrews-isque and for all the "how is there someone Latino in early 20th century London" of it all, Lin-Manuel Miranda is outstanding. Just watch it for joy...
Crazy Rich Asians
I was hoping this would sneak into the top 15 but yeah it was not near enough. Loved the soundtrack, loved the pomp and circumstance, loved the clothes, loved the performances, and yes Henry Golding can be in all the things (he was a high point of A Simple Favour too). Also like Black Panther, enough film proving that you don't need white people to be a box office success....
Also special mention to two teen romantic comedies which would also super delightful in Love, Simon and To All the Boys I've Loved Before.
Worst film of 2018
There were few contenders for this. Firstly there was Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, I didn't have high hopes and it may my very low expectations. Then there is the hot mess that was Ready Player One.
You might see I didn't mention this year's DC fare and surely you are waiting for me to declare Aquaman the worst film of the year but sorry you'd be wrong. It ain't Wonder Woman but some solid performances by Amber Heard and Nicole Kidman, the charisma of an often shirtless Jason Mamoa, some great visuals, and Aquaman actually speaking to fish made it better even than one of Marvel's offerings this year (Ant Man and the Wasp) and solidly enjoyable to boot.
No the worst comes from a franchise that I'm loath to speak ill of but must...no not Marvel I did just declare one of their films less than amazing, but the normally enjoyable world of Harry Potter... that's right worst film of the film goes to Fantastic Beasts: The Crime of Grindelwald....
There were few contenders for this. Firstly there was Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, I didn't have high hopes and it may my very low expectations. Then there is the hot mess that was Ready Player One.
You might see I didn't mention this year's DC fare and surely you are waiting for me to declare Aquaman the worst film of the year but sorry you'd be wrong. It ain't Wonder Woman but some solid performances by Amber Heard and Nicole Kidman, the charisma of an often shirtless Jason Mamoa, some great visuals, and Aquaman actually speaking to fish made it better even than one of Marvel's offerings this year (Ant Man and the Wasp) and solidly enjoyable to boot.
No the worst comes from a franchise that I'm loath to speak ill of but must...no not Marvel I did just declare one of their films less than amazing, but the normally enjoyable world of Harry Potter... that's right worst film of the film goes to Fantastic Beasts: The Crime of Grindelwald....
I enjoyed the first Fantastic Beasts film but I was sure wary about this from the jump. Firstly there is the involvement of Johnny Depp post domestic violence allegations....you could have kept Colin Farrell in the role and I'd have been fine. Then the mess on every front. The plot is convoluted and yet also insanely slow. It is the familial version of the galactic senate in the Star Wars prequels with magic thrown in. Then there is its treatment of gender and sexuality (not helped by Depp's involvement). It almost ruins the best character of the first film by having Queenie gaslight Jacob but more so because she is using magic. It doesn't have the foggiest what to do with Dumbledore's sexuality despite the fact everyone knows he is gay. It doesn't bother to name Grindelwald's main henchwoman in the script. It isn't kind to women of colour. Finally the end...no spoilers but like many other points in film, it completely breaks the established mythology of the Harry Potter verse and it is mind bogglingly ridiculous. Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Zoe Kravitz, and especially Jude Law....you are worth so much more than this. As are the characters from the first film...
An end...
So that is it for 2018...except to acknowledge that this is first year in which I have written a countdown that has not included a Mark Ruffalo film. So I leave you will the trailer for his only film of the year which I did enjoy but was never going to make the countdown, Avengers: Infinity War. Hopefully next year is strong for him...
An end...
So that is it for 2018...except to acknowledge that this is first year in which I have written a countdown that has not included a Mark Ruffalo film. So I leave you will the trailer for his only film of the year which I did enjoy but was never going to make the countdown, Avengers: Infinity War. Hopefully next year is strong for him...
