The Good and Bad Films of 2019

I’ve always been interested in the Movies. Going to see a movie at the cinema, experiencing it with others and just generally having a good time watching what we want to watch. What also fascinates me is the Business aspect. Watching Disney climb higher than ever before, while other studios are constantly fighting to hold their ground.
While the Politics of it all does interest me, it’s not what I’m talking about here. I’d like to share the highs and lows of this year for me in terms of films. Now there’s a couple of things to note before you keep reading:
- This is all my biased opinions
- There’s plenty of movies that I didn’t get to see this year, but would have loved to. For example, Joker, Knives Out, Toy Story 4, Dumbo and more. (And yes, Joker is a big one, but I’ll get to it someday soon)
- I generally only choose to watch movies that look/sound decent to me. I won’t pick to see a movie if I don’t roughly know what to expect
- Potential spoilers ahead
The Bad
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
I’m considering re-watching this movie at some point in the future as I suspect I’ll enjoy it more on a second viewing, however I was totally bored throughout the majority of this movie. The first act peaked my interest so I felt quite engaged to begin with, however as time went on, I’d say I looked at my watch at least 6 times throughout the movies run time.
I’m not sure why, but Quentin Tarantino films never have jelled with me that well. I can appreciate the artistry and the detail put into all of his films, as well as the skills he has to offer that make these films ‘legendary’ to some people. But for me the story wasn’t interesting – at all. On a more positive note, the acting was absolutely outstanding and certain moments from the film do stick in my mind. Some examples include the scene in the caravan, where DiCaprio’s character sits down with Brad Pitt’s to watch a TV Show that DiCaprio’s character is featured in. Also the final scene with a Flamethrower (of course).
Overall, it’s one I didn’t really care for, but I’d like to give another go someday.
Rocketman
I have mixed feelings on this film. On a first viewing in the cinema, I didn’t love it, but I also didn’t hate it. It was somewhere in between for me.
First off, I’d like to say, I LOVE the soundtrack. Taron Egerton is extremely talented and I never get bored of him covering Elton John’s famous songs.
After dwelling on it a little more, I think the issue is that the film is stuck in between being a musical, and not. I’d rather that they swung one way or the other and not tried to balance both. Various songs have great dance numbers, and once again the music is top notch (of course it is, it’s Elton John!), but I didn’t find myself caring about the character as much as I’d like to of done. This film coming off the back of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, and having the same director(ish) must of been difficult for the film, so I respect that they had a tricky job on their hands.
Overall, mixed feelings, but I’ll never not enjoy the soundtrack.
Cats
…
As much as I’d like to leave it there, I can’t. It wouldn’t feel right to avoid justifying why it’s in the bad section, but I’ll keep it short. I’ve never enjoyed the musical itself before the film came out, so for me, this was a film I didn’t want and didn’t enjoy.
The Good
Aladdin (2019)
Fun fact about me if you didn’t already know, I love Musicals. They are a huge part of my life and can never get enough of them, apart from Cats (you should have already read that part). Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed Aladdin.
The original is obviously amazing, but for me, this film put it’s own twist on it, and added more layers to the characters, plot and more. It’s one of those films that you can easily sit on the sofa and watch with the whole family.
The soundtrack has it’s ups and downs but overall I really like it. On most tracks I definitely prefer the originals, but once again, they are a nice ‘fresh’ take on the Disney classic. A couple of the tracks were actually written by Ben Pasek and Justin Paul, the duo behind ‘The Greatest Showman’, ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ and more. I enjoy most of their work, but unfortunately one of the tracks that features, ‘Speechless’ that Princess Jasmine sings is one of their weakest. It also feels out of place from the rest of the soundtrack, but maybe that’s me still clinging onto the original at the back of my mind.
Overall, an exciting nostalgia trip with some interesting takes on some very familiar but revitalised characters.
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
What a silly film this was. But not in a negative way. The laws of physics were thrown out the window during the writing process of this film, and I couldn’t care less. It was an absolute blast. Now granted, I didn’t get to see this film in the cinema unfortunately, but I managed to catch it at home once it came out digitally. I imagine this was a great spectacle to see in the cinema.
I have to be upfront and honest and say, I’ve never seen a Fast & Furious film before 😵. I know. But I knew going into this, that it was nothing like the previous films. Idris Elba smashes it as what his character describes himself as, the ‘Bad Guy’. Jason Statham has great chemistry with Dwayne Johnston. My only criticism is less about the film but I’m all Dwayned out, if you’ll excuse the pun. As an actor at the moment, for me, he feels so over saturated and overused.
Anyway, overall a fun packed, silly film that is fully aware of how stupid and silly it is.
Avengers: Endgame
I couldn’t finish my list without mentioning this film. For me, this wins the award for ‘Best Cinematic Experience of 2019’. 10 Years in the making, all wrapped up in this film. What made the film even more enjoyable for me was that the midnight viewing was sold out, so having a full audience to experience a film with is always a treat.
Hearing everyone else’s reaction while you experience the film just reaffirms your desire to ‘Oo’ and ‘Ah’ throughout. Of course, the most prominent of those moments was Captain America wielding ‘Mjölnir’.
Overall, a great experience which was well directed, shot and acted, all to wrap up in one big finale. Incredible.
My Favourite Movie – 2019
Ford VS Ferrari / Le Mans 66
I have to be honest, I was not expecting this. Funnily enough, on the way to this screening, I actually wanted to see a different movie, but I ended up watching this because my Dad liked the sound of it. I’m so glad I did.
This masterpiece of a film is exactly what I’d like to see from every ‘based on a true-story’ films. I would love to provide more detailed thoughts, but unfortunately I’ve only seen the film once and I don’t think it’s available to stream yet, so I’ll have to wait till then but I have a couple of key notes for now.
I’ve never seen Christian Bale in a better role. He absolutely shone in this movie. As did Matt Damon. Both their chemistry worked so well and made them more human so the audience could easily empathise. This film is primarily about Business interest VS personal artistic choices, not just a car film. Anyone that has done any sort of personal artistry or anything from the Arts genre and can easily relate to this film.
Also, the race sequences were shot so incredibly well, it keeps the intensity focused and constant throughout.
Overall, an extremely enjoyable film that just landed perfectly for me. Both Christian Bale and Matt Damon deserve to be at least nominated for ‘Best Leading Actor’ Oscar. No doubt.
Thanks for reading. Hope you all had a fantastic 2019. Here’s to 2020! 🥂🎉