My Number 1 Film Of 2018!!

Number 1 Film Of 2018!!
But first lets look back at last years top ten films


10-Brad's Status
9-Thor Ragnarok
8-Beauty And The Beast
7-Lady Bird
6-Greatest Showman
5-Get Out
4-Battle of The Sexes
3-Baby Driver
2-Wonder
1-THE BIG SICK
 I look back at that ten thinking it was not a very good year for movies. I do not think I would change anything looking back. I just watched The Big Sick recently and it is still very good.


Well to review this years top 10 so far:
10- Bad Times At The El Royal
  9- Juliet Naked
  8- Ready Player One
  7-American Animals
  6-Isle Of Dogs
  5-Leave No Trace
  4-Won't You Be My Neighbor
  3-A Quiet Place
  2-Deadpool 2


So we come to my number 1 film of the year............



GREEN BOOK



The film follows a trip into the south by musician Dr Don Shirley (Ali) and Tony Lip (Mortensen), who was Shirley's driver and sometimes body guard.
When I first went to a screening of Green Book (A green book is a book showing places blacks can eat or sleep while traveling through the south) I left the theater excited that I saw something special. It is special from beginning....middle...and end. I learned a lot and laughed a lot. It is enjoyable.
The road trip in reality lasted a couple years on and off. The relationship between them lasted for many years until Shirley's death in 2013.
I saw some people complain that this film does not highlight enough the struggles of African Americans in the south. This is why I do this, the anti film critic...critic. That is not what this film is about!!! This film is about 2 people, from different races, learning from each other, who become friends despite their differences!!!! If you want something else, this is not the picture for you because this is not what the film is about!!!!!!!!!!!! This is what it is, a true story!!!!!
Perfectly paced by Director Peter Farrelly, with humor; sadness; and sadly there is violence.
I have read articles trying to put a dent in this true story. All the stories seem pretty lame...including Shirley's family members upset about some parts. I see what they are upset about but...maybe they are in denial. They even went after the director and his past. It may not follow a certain agenda out there. I think the agenda is to knock the film out of award season. Hollywood politics.
Ali (With this and True Detctive; and Hidden Figures; and Moonlight, he may be in the top 5 of great actors working now) and Mortensen get Oscar Nominations for this. Let us not forget a pretty good performance by Linda Cardillini as Dolores, Tony's wife.

Well I am getting long. Obviously I loved this story.

My number 1 film of 2018 is Green Book. It is out now for digital download!!

Oscar Picks coming next!!!

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.

My Top Ten Films Of 2018: 4-3-and 2

Getting closer to my number 1 here on Oscar week.

Then later in the week my Oscar picks will be revealed.

4
WON'T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR





Just a wonderful Doc. Why was there no Oscar Nomination? What happened here? It was a given it would get a nod, and also people expected it to win Best Doc. Was it too soft for Hollywood? Or..we hate to think that in this climate...was it to Christian for Hollywood? We will never know, but I do know it is one of the best films I saw 2018! I loved it.
Everyone should see this film. In a time where people are pointing fingers and attacking each other on line or face to face or on the TV, here comes a reminder of what just being kind can do.
He just walked the earth with peace and love in his heart. It follows Fred Rogers from his start in Pittsburgh to his rise nationally. Amazingly the rise of popularity did not change him....it almost worried him.
I was also happy it also touched on something I note often in this blog: Be careful about what type of entertainment you expose to your children....it may end up being the norm. Shoot up game or videos that are not age appropriate to see or play for example. He was a gentle soul who was oddly ahead of his time for someone who had a show that was sort of basic and stranded a bit in the past under small budget constraints. He was a radical in some sense of the word.
You have to see this, if you have not yet treat yourself. "Love is the root of everything".
It will be interesting to see how the Mister Rogers film staring Tom Hanks ends up.


3
A QUIET PLACE





I am not really a horror film guy, nor monster film guy. I was surprised how much I enjoyed this.
The film did soooo much right.
-Starting with first time film director Krasinski, who stuck to his guns with the "Quiet" idea. You can imagine the producers thoughts when they saw the script with no lines on the script!!
-Hiring of his talented wife Emily Blunt to play Evelyn his, well, talented wife. Just watch the scene of her giving birth......enough said.
-Then throw in Millicent Simmonds as Regan the deaf daughter. Who is actually a deaf actress. She is wonderful!!
-They pulled a Spielberg move by hiding the creatures until around the middle part of the film. You don't see..you just hear up to that point...it is frightening.
The film is tense all the way through. Coming in at 90 minutes it does not overstay its welcome. It does almost everything right ( the open ending, I wanted more).
It is common now to put down this film. It came out in January, awhile back, and maybe it does not play as well at home as it does in theater. It could be one of those movies that works as an event film in the theater. However think about it...you were scared; and you cared about the characters, so there you go. It is just different, and it works. I guess it is one of these films that you either love it or hate it, no in-between.
To me it is a fun scary film.


2
DEADPOOL 2





I know!!
Who would have thought!!!
The guy who really thought the first Deadpool was just okay.
The guy who is tired of over loaded ....never ending...30 minute ending fight scenes...just put a superhero film at number 2.
I have watched it 3 times...it is close to a perfect superhero film or an anti-superhero film.

I starts with the characters. It has a likable...or maybe intentionally not likeable hero in Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds). It has a great couple bad guys in Cable (Josh Brolin) and The Headmaster (Eddie Marsan). The film has kid who is in trouble Firefist (Julian Dennison) which as a little peril.
Some great team members highlighted by Zazie Beetz as Domino. Domino's super power is luck. Yes luck..
The writing!! I looooooove quick writing, and Rhett Reese with Paul Wernick delivered. So fast that I caught some lines on the second viewing that I missed on the first.  They mix in a lot of action with a little bit of heart. Throw in just odd some things like Deadpool losing his legs; to Peter just a guy with no superpowers who answered an advertisement. Still it is the comedy that pushes this film through and differentiates it from other superhero films.
Lines like:
Deadpool looking at the camera and saying: "This is just lazy writing".
"Cable has not killed as many people as melanoma".
"And that is why Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants is pure pornography".
To Cable "Zip it Thanos".
"We need a team, one that can carry this franchise for 10-12 years".
"Is it me or does Do You Want To Build a Snowman sound like Papa from Yentl".
"You are my Kristen Dunst. Kristen or Kirsten...fuck it".
While dying "I hope the Academy is watching".
Looks at the screen "Tell me you got that in slow motion".
"Fuck Wolverine, he rode my coattails with an R rated film".
The writing separates it from all the other super hero films. Everything works. Oh and yes this film clearly and often earns its R rating. It is not afraid of it what-so-ever.

People keep saying Black Panther is the best superhero of the year. Heck I liked it, I gave it 4 stars. However when you step away from it, after time, and when you see it again...you realize it follows a similar narrative as other Marvel films. Black Panther is good, but not as good as Deadpool 2.
Oh, one more thing, great scenes during the credits. I mean he kills Ryan Reynolds!! Classic.
So good!!!!!!!!!!!


My number 1 film of 2018 is coming next!!!!!!!!

My Top Ten Films Of 2018 7-6-and 5

TOP TEN FILMS OF 2018!!
We are now officially into Oscar Week!!!

NUMBERS 7-6-and 5!!!

7

AMERICAN ANIMALS

Not based on a true story...........it is a true story.
These young students decide to steal a valuable book worth millions.
Its crazy.
And in the end you wonder what was real...in the eyes of these students, and what was an orchestrated heist by a puppet master.
Well acted.
Interesting editing decisions made by director Bart Layton....to have the real characters narrate throughout the film. So different....so real...kinda crazy heist film. Definitely the most under the radar, under rated film of the year.

6
ISLE OF DOGS

"Because he is a 12 year old boy, dogs love those"!!
It is Wes Anderson. So as usual, like his other films, it is oddly wonderful. Filled with dry humor that is hit or miss. This Anderson film comes off a little long, but like many of his movies it has a lot of heart and "feels". Also it also sneaks in a backhanded story about government control and belief in all you hear...what is true and what is not.
He brings his usual troop of actors....this time doing great voice work:
Ed Norton
Jeff Goldblum
Bill Murray
Harvey Keitel
F Murray Abraham
Tilda Swinton
Anjelica Huston
And he adds this time:
Scarlett Johansson
Francess McDormand
Bryan Cranston
Greta Gertwig
Ken Watanabe
and yes Yoko Ono!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My vote as best animated film of the year (sometimes I question stop-motion classified as animated movies).
As with all Wes Anderson films...it's an acquired taste.

5
LEAVE NO TRACE










Damn this is quiet good.
Would someone give Ben Foster an Oscar at some point!!!What else does he have to do?!!
While you are at it give one to this amazing newcomer Thomasin McKenzie..amazing here.
This movie stays with you. Sad. Heartfelt. Sweet.
Two people watching and caring over each other as they search for a place to be...or running from the real world.... or what is in Will's mind.
This film says so much and you want more!! You want to know if they both will be okay after the movie ends.
It says alot about the family of veterans, how they have to watch over our heroes trying to decide when to be soft and when to be hard on these family members. Also, it touches on how hard it is for our heroes to assimilate in our society after coming back to the States.
It sounds like a downer I know but I found it to be interesting, and oddly sweet how this father and daughter interact. Leave No Trace is available on Amazon Prime.

Still to come 2-3-and 4!!!

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.