The Best (and Worst) of 2019

Best Movie: Marriage Story

(2. Avengers: Endgame 3. Knives Out 4. Uncut Gems 5. Ready or Not 6. Midsommar 7. The Lighthouse 8. 1917 9. Parasite 10. Fighting with my Family)

2019 brought us many wonderful films and the truth is the first four of my top 10 were so great either one of them would be worthy of the title of the best movie of the year. Curiously, Marriage Story is the only movie out of my top 5 I didn't rewatch. Maybe it's because it's heavier than others but it only makes it more special. The Academy didn't really give it its due but it's the kind of a film that will age very well because it conveys themes and tells a story that is so timeless.

Best Actor: 

Adam Driver as Charlie in Marriage Story

(2. Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems 3. Robert Pattinson, The Lighthouse 4. George MacKay, 1917 5. Robert De Niro, The Irishman)

Driver is a tremendous actor. I have never seen a bad performance from him - regardless of the overall quality of the movie he always brings his A game. And his work in Marriage Story is exceptional - he plays a character who isn't someone we should root for or even like - he is selfish, arrogant, he cheated on his wife. But Driver infuses that character with so much humanity and at times even childlike naivete with his belief that things will turn out all right just because he wants them to. It's a beautiful performance, one that makes you laugh and makes you cry.

Best Actress: 

Florence Pugh as Dani in Midsommar

(2. Lupita Nyongo, Us 3. Saoirse Ronan, Little Women 4. Samara Weaving, Ready or Not 5. Charlize Theron, Bombshell)

This has been Florence's year and I'm so happy about that. I don't think I ever had one actress take more than one spot on that list. Florence is such a talented, exciting young actress and it's wonderful that she is getting cast left and right these days. She has anchored this manic dream of a movie so brilliantly, flawlessly portraying Dani's isolation, sadness, insecurity and the pain of feeling like she doesn't belong anywhere. Without her, the movie would have collapsed but she instantly makes us care about this lost, lonely person and we feel the terror and the joy along with her. We want her to be all right and in the end we hope that even in the prison she found herself in, the madness will set her free and she finally finds happiness.

Best Supporting Actor: 

Bill Hader as Richie Tozier in It: Chapter Two

(2. Daniel Craig, Knives Out 3. Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 4. Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy 5. Willem Dafoe, The Lighthouse)

It's always the most impressive thing when the actor manages to give an amazing performance in a mess of a movie. I an still stunned by the choices director Andy Muschietti made when it comes to this film, none stranger than using inferior, less dramatic takes when it came to Hader's performance. But even with the insane choices and poor script, Hader managed to create one of the most memorable and moving performances of the year. His Ritchie is heartbreaking and you really feel his pain and loneliness, but Hader also provides the movie (with the help of great James Ransone) with fantastic moments of humor and fun. It's a brilliant performance, one that deserved a much better movie surrounding it.

Best Supporting Actress: 

Rebecca Ferguson as Rose the Hat in Doctor Sleep

(2. Florence Pugh, Little Women 3. Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers 4. Laura Dern, Marriage Story 5. Julia Fox, Uncut Gems)

While the movie itself isn't the greatest, I genuinely believe that Ferguson's performance will manage to make it into a cult classic all on its own. Her Rose is pure evil and Ferguson plays her like an addict - addicted to the shine that gives her her life-force, her youth and her high. It's an absolutely delicious performance that makes the movie all around her worth seeing just to witness her. She is so fun to watch and the whole look of the character is incredible - the messy braids, the grunge shirts - the hat is the least of it all. If I were to choose my one favorite cinematic thing in 2019, it would be that performance.

(10 best performances of the year)

Brokeback Mountain Award for the Most Important Movie of the Year: Hustlers
Best Ensemble: Parasite (2. Knives Out 3. Marriage Story 4. Bombshell 5. 1917)
Best director: Ari Aster, Midsommar (2. Joon-ho Bong, Parasite 3. Lorene Scafaria, Hustlers 4. Sam Mendes, 1917 5. Robert Eggers, The Lighthouse)
Best adapted screenplay: Hustlers (2. Jojo Rabbit 3. Little Women 4. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood 5. Doctor Sleep)
Best original screenplay: Uncut Gems (2.Parasite 3. Fighting with my Family 4. Knives Out 5. Marriage Story)
Best music: John Wick 3 (2. Midsommar 3. Uncut Gems 4. 1917 5. Honey Boy)
Best use of song: Sail, Always Be My Maybe (2. Better as One, Hobbs and Shaw 3.Good Vibrations, Us 4. Celebrity Skin, Captain Marvel 5. Royals, Hustlers)
Best track: Fire Temple, Midsommar (2. Glass House, John Wick 3 3. Pas de Deux, Us 4. Winter at the Continental, John Wick 3 5. Portals, Avengers: Endgame)
Best sound: John Wick 3 (2. Midsommar 3. Us 4. The Lighthouse 5. 1917)
Best costumes: Midsommar (2. Us 3. Doctor Sleep 4. Hustlers 5. Knives Out)
Best production design: John Wick 3 (2. Knives Out 3. Midsommar 4. Us 5.Doctor Sleep) 
Best cinematography:  1917 (2. The Lighthouse 3. Midsommar 4. John Wick 3 5. Doctor Sleep)
Best editing: John Wick 3 (2. Uncut Gems 3. Knives Out 4. Parasite 5. Doctor Sleep)
Best shot of the year: 1. The Ghost, Parasite (2. Butterflies, Jojo Rabbit 3. The Flight, Doctor Sleep 4. Captive, Us 5. Whatever it Takes, Avengers: Endgame 6. Water, 1917 7. Free, Midsommar 8. The Winner, Knives Out 9. The Light, The Lighthouse 10. Turn Around, Portrait of a Lady on Fire) (full post)
Best visual effects: John Wick 3 (2. Doctor Sleep 3. Avengers: Endgame 4. 1917 5. Ad Astra)
Best make up: Bombshell (2. Midsommar 3. It: Chapter Two 4. Avengers: Endgame 5. 1917)
Biggest Disappointment: The script for Us (2. The Rise of Skywalker)
Worst Performance by an Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, Dark Phoenix
Worst Performance by an Actor:  Jason Derulo, Cats  
Most Overhyped: Joker (2. Booksmart 3. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)
Worst Movie of the Year: The Curse of La Llrona
Most underrated: Ready or Not (2. The Beach Bum 3. The Perfection)
Best Scene of the year: Avengers! Assemble, Avengers: Endgame (2. The Explanation, Knives Out  3.The ending, Midsommar 4. "God is in Heaven!", Marriage Story 5. The quarry, It: Chapter Two 6. The Shootout at the Continental, John Wick 3 7. The Ending, Ready or Not 8. The Ending, the Lighthouse 9. Apologize, The Irishman 10. Red's monologue, Us). (full post)
Funniest scene: Richie and Eddie choosing the door, It: Chapter Two (2. Eddie and Bowers, It: Chapter Two 3. The diner scene, It: Chapter Two 4. Thor talks about Aether, Avengers: Endgame 5. Plane argument, Hobbs and Shaw 6. Rocket slaps Thor, Avengers: Endgame 7. Dolphins, The Beach Bum 8. The Knife, Marriage Story 9.Winston dodging calls, John Wick 3 10. Apology standoff, The Irishman)
The most unintentionally funny scene: The whole movie, Cats (2.The kiss and the death, The Rise of Skywalker 3. "Rey Skywalker", The Rise of Skywalker 4. "X-Women:", Dark Phoenix 5. Magneto and Jean trying to control the chopper, Dark Phoenix)
"You Never Can Tell" award for the best dance scene:  Criminal, Hustlers (2. Long Shot)
The most I cried during the movie: Richie tears up, It: Chapter Two (2. Tony dies, Avengers: Endgame 3. Blake dies, 1917)
Best Kiss: The Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Best Fight: The entire film, John Wick 3 (2. Cap vs Thanos, Avengers: Endgame 3. Final fight, Us 4. Paige wins, Fighting with my Family 5. London chase, Hobbs & Shaw)
Best performance under 30 minutes of screentime: Sam Rockwell, Jojo Rabbit (2. Elizabeth Moss, Us 3. Richard Madden, 1917)
Best Quote: People don't accept mothers who drink too much wine and yell at their child and call him an asshole. I get it. I do it too. We can accept an imperfect dad. Let's face it, the idea of a good father was only invented like 30 years ago. Before that, fathers were expected to be silent and absent and unreliable and selfish, and can all say we want them to be different. But on some basic level, we accept them. We love them for their fallibilities, but people absolutely don't accept those same failings in mothers. We don't accept it structurally and we don't accept it spiritually. Because the basis of our Judeo-Christian whatever is Mary, Mother of Jesus, and she's perfect. She's a virgin who gives birth, unwaveringly supports her child and holds his dead body when he's gone. And the dad isn't there. He didn't even do the fucking. God is in

heaven. God is the father and God didn't show up. So, you have to be perfect, and Charlie can be a fuck up and it doesn't matter. You will always be held to a different, higher standard. And it'sfucked up, but that's the way it is, Marriage Story (2. Criminal lawyers see bad people at their best, divorce lawyers see good people at their worst, Marriage Story 3. Whatever it takes, Avengers: Endgame 4. I have nothing to prove to you, Captain Marvel 5. Dick me dead, bury me pregnant, Fighting with my Family 6. Do you feel held by him? Does he feel like home to you?, Midsommar 7. What were the overheard words by the Nazi child masturbating in the bathroom?, Knives Out 8. Did you think what your silence would mean ? For the rest of us?, Bombshell 9. Women, they have minds and they have souls as well as just hearts. And they've got ambition and they've got talent as well as just beauty, and I'm so sick of people saying that love is just all a woman is fit for. I'm so sick of it! But... I am so lonely, Little Women 10. You can put things from the Overlook away in boxes, but not memories. Never those. They’re the real ghosts. You take them with you, Doctor Sleep)

Best Line delivery: Can he see us?, It: Chapter Two (2. Thank you. I don't know who you people are because I lost my glasses, It: Chapter Two 3. I know your moves, you little bitch, It: Chapter Two 4. You should cut that mullet, it's been like 30 years, man, It: Chapter Two 5. I've got dates in fucking Reno, man, It: Chapter Two 6. I want a divorce, Ready or Not 7. Avengers! Assemble, Avengers: Endgame 8. And I am....Iron Man, Avengers: Endgame 9. All right, BITCH CHILD, Doctor Sleep 10. You can't even get buried with me now, Uncut Gems)
Best Opening: It: Chapter Two (2. John Wick 3 3. Us 4. Midsommar 5. The Lighthouse)
Best Ending: Midsommar (2. Ready or Not 3. The Lighthouse 4. Marriage Story 5. The Perfection)
The Lisbeth Salander favorite hero award goes to: Grace, Ready or Not (2. Avengers, Avengers: Endgame 3. John, John Wick 3 4. Carol, Captain Marvel 5. Paige, Fighting with my Family)
The Joker favorite villain award goes to: Rose the Hat, Doctor Sleep (2. Doppelganger Kitty, Us 3. The seagull, The Lighthouse 4. Pennywise, It: Chapter Two 5. The family, Ready or Not)
Best comedy performance of the year:  Daniel Craig, Knives Out (2. Bill Hader, It: Chapter Two 3. James Ransone, It: Chapter Two 4. Ben Mendelsohn, Captain Marvel 5. Matthew McConaughey, The Beach Bum)
Oscar Isaac in Suburbicon award for best performance in a terrible movie: Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2. Adam Driver, The Rise of Skywalker 3. Oscar Isaac, The Rise of Skywalker 4. Keanu Reeves, Always be my Maybe)
Best character entrance: Ramona, Hustlers (2. Red, Us 3. Hobbs and Shaw, Hobbs & Shaw 4. Mothra, Godzilla: King of the Monsters 5. Doctor Strange, Avengers: Endgame)
Sweetest scene of the year: Losers comforting Richie, It: Chapter Two (2.The dog licking John, John Wick 3 3. Shoelace, Marriage Story 4. Tony and Howard, Avengers: Endgame 5. Frigga and Thor, Avengers: Endgame)
The Fly award for the single most disgusting thing in a movie goes to: Roger Ailles, Bombshell (2. The hand, Doctor Sleep 3. The toenail, John Wick 3 4. The eye, Brightburn 5.The nail, Ready or Not)
Go off, QUEEN! Wonder Woman award for the best kickass moment delivered by a lady in a movie goes to: Laura Dern's monologue, Marriage Story (2. Grace laughs, Ready or Not 3. She has help, Avengers: Endgame 4. Carol unleashing her powers, Captain Marvel 5. Dani in the end, Midsommar)
Uggie's award for the best dog goes to: The dogs in John Wick 3 (2. Brandy, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 3. Sugar, Crawl 4. Mister Bruce, Hustlers)
Logan award for the hottest character of the year goes to: Poe Dameron, The Rise of Skywalker (2. John Wick, John Wick 3 3. Santiago, Triple Frontier 4. Daddy Thor with that beard, Avengers: Endgame 5. Richie, It: Chapter Two)

Nudge Nudge Wink Wink award for the best fangirl service: The close ups of Oscar Isaac's face, The Rise of Skywalker (2. Acknowledging Ben Mendelsohn's beautiful blue eyes, Captain Marvel 3. Having Keanu take off his belt twice, John Wick 3 4. Filming Oscar from behind in the beginning and then the close ups, Triple Frontier)
Amy Dunne award for the most influential hairstyle goes to: Rebecca Ferguson, Doctor Sleep (2. Vanessa Kirby, Hobbs & Shaw)
Best Chemistry: Richie and Eddie, It: Chapter Two (2. Heliose and Marianne, Portrait of a Lady on Fire 3. Thor and Rocket, Avengers: Endgame 4. Hobbs and Shaw, Hobbs and Shaw 5.The dog and the concierge, John Wick 3)
"Bitch please" sassy diva award goes to: Richie, It: Chapter Two (2. Daniel Craig, Knives Out 3. Hattie, Hobbs and Shaw 4. Carol, Captain Marvel 5. Poe Dameron, The Rise of Skywalker)
Tub Scene award for the hottest sexy scene of the year goes to:  The belt, John Wick 3 (2.The belt again, John Wick 3 3, Riding the horse, John Wick 3 4.His entrance, Always be my Maybe 5. Criminal, Hustlers)
Pussy Wagon travel in style award goes to: Rose and her astral projection, Doctor Sleep (2. John Wick on a horse, John Wick 3)
J.J. Abrams award for most shattering moment in film hereby renamed to Another Brokeback Mountain award because J.J. Abrams no longer deserves rights goes to: Richie breaks down, It: Chapter Two (2. Tony dies, Avengers: Endgame 3. Beth dies, Little Women)
Best Trailer: Us (2. The Rise of Skywalker 3. John Wick 3 4. It: Chapter Two 5. Little Women)
Most rewatched: Triple Frontier (2. Avengers: Endgame 3. It: Chapter Two 4. Captain Marvel 5. Knives Out)
"Am I high or did it actually happen?" question for the most ridiculous movie moment goes to: Every single thing in Cats (2. The entire movie but especially Zori turning down Poe, The Rise of Skywalker 2. The fridge scene, Joker 3. The twist, Serenity 4. "X-Women", Dark Phoenix 5. Bullying Pennywise to death, It: Chapter Two)
The Jar Jar binks facepalm gesture statute for the most annoying character of the year goes to: Joker, Joker (2. Mystique, Dark Phoenix 3.Whoever the hell James Corden was playing, Cats)
Matthias Schoenaerts' characters in 2015 (in the films people actually saw) RUN award goes to:  Every single woman around this dude, Joker (2. The female audience, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 3.Oscar Isaac and Adam Driver, The Star Wars franchise)
The shirt with the scarlet H letter for the Hypocrite of the year goes to: LucasFilm and Disney for pandering to incels who harassed Kelly Marie Tran and giving the audience yet another pathetic 5 seconds to check off gay representation off their list
"I wish it was a dream" award for the single dumbest plot maneuver goes to: Palpatine takes Skywalker name, The Rise of Skywalker (2. Bringing Palpatine back, The Rise of Skywalker 3. The imperial fleet out of nowhere, The Rise of Skywalker 4.The people's fleet out of nowhere, The Rise of Skywalker 5. Reanimating Church, Pet Semetary)
How the mighty have fallen award goes to: The Star Wars franchise
Flaming dog poo and eternal shame goes to: People giving Joker a billion dollars and The Academy giving it 11 nominations
Lars Von Trier award for the biggest piece of misogynistic shit goes to: Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Tree of Life bucket of coffee award for the most boring movie of the year goes to: The Rise of Skywalker

Highest number of positive mentions:
John Wick 3 = 25, wins = 9
It: Chapter Two: 24 (-1) = 23, wins = 9
Avengers: Endgame = 23, wins = 1
Midsommar = 16, wins = 4
Doctor Sleep = 15, wins = 4
Knives Out = 13, wins = 1
Marriage Story = 12, wins = 4
The Lighthouse = 11, wins = 0
1917 = 11, wins = 1
Hustlers =10, wins = 4

2019 films I've seen:

Marriage Story, 96/100
Avengers; Endgame, 95/100
Knives Out, 94/100

Uncut Gems, 93/100

Ready or Not, 93/100
Midsommar, 92/100
The Lighthouse, 87/100
1917, 86/100
Parasite, 83/100
Fighting with my Family, 82/100
John Wick 3, 82/100
Hustlers, 82/100
Little Women, 82/100
Honey Boy, 82/100
Portrait of a Lady on Fire, 81/100
Doctor sleep (Director's Cut), 81/100
Jojo Rabbit, 81/100
Dark Waters, 81/100
Good boys, 81/100
The Beach Bum, 80//100
It: Chapter Two, 80/100
Crawl, 79/100
Bombshell, 78/100
Toy Story 4, 78/100
Us, 77/100
The Irishman, 76/100
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, 76/100
American Woman, 76/100
Official Secrets, 76/100
Just Mercy, 75/100
Long Shot, 75/100
Noelle, 75/100
Captain Marvel, 74/100
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile 74/100
Shazam, 73/100
Dolemite is my Name, 73/100
Ford v Ferrari, 73/100
Hobbs & Shaw, 73/100
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, 73/100
Annabelle Comes Homes, 73/100
The Perfection, 73/100
Godzilla: King of the Monsters, 73/100
Ma, 72/100
Doctor Sleep, 71/100
In the Shadow of the Moon, 70/100
Downton Abbey, 70/100
Happy Death Day 2U, 70/10
Frozen 2, 69/100
The Peanut Butter Falcon, 68/100
Pokemon, 67/100
Anna, 66/100
Her Smell, 65/100
Triple Frontier, 64/100
The King, 63/100
Villains, 62/100

Rocketman, 62/100

Aladdin,  61/100

Late Night, 61/100

Isn't it Romantic?, 61/100

Greta, 60/100

Eli, 59/100
Richard Jewell, 55/100

Ad Astra, 55/100

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, 54/100
Murder Mystery, 54/100

Glass, 54/100
The Addams Family, 54/100
Zombieland: Double Tap, 53/100
The Report, 53/100
Scary Stories to tell in the Dark, 53/100
Alita: Battle Angel, 53/100
Cold Pursuit, 53/100
The Dirt, 52/100
Child's Play, 52/100

Brightburn/50/100

Velvet Buzzsaw, 50/100
Judy, 47/100
Pet Semetary, 46/100
SpiderMan: Homecoming, 42/100
Booksmart,, 41/100
The Lion King, 38/100
6 Underground, 34/100
Lucy in the Sky, 33/100
Always be my Maybe, 33/100
Dark Phoenix, 32/100
Men in Black: International: 30/100

Joker, 30/100

The Wind, 27/100
Serenity, 25/100
Last Christmas, 25/100
Cats, 24/100

The Rise of Skywalker 23/100

We Have Always Lived in the Castle, 22/100
Escape Room, 21/100
Wounds, 18/100
In the Tall Grass, 17/100
Helboy, 12/100
The Curse of La Lrona, 11/100