by Brielle Diskin
In the newly minted #MeToo era, Hollywood rode a massive wave of transition this year breaking box office records and racial barriers. With the holidays on the horizon and some well-deserved freetime it’s worth looking back at some of the cinematic moments of 2018.
What we’ve seen so far (not necessarily in this order)
A Star is Born
Minding the fact that I’d already seen the first two out of three versions of this same film, I wish no one told me anything about A Star is Born before I went to see it myself. All of the hype over inflated my expectations and set the bar higher than it needed to be. Don’t get me wrong it was a great movie I don’t regret seeing, but I wouldn’t say my life has changed.
Bradley Cooper is undeniable talent who gave himself a seat at every table this award season. I mean the man doesn’t just sing and dance; he wrote, directed, starred in, and produced the very moving motion picture he performed in. Lady Gaga is undeniably ‘born’ a star through the talents she showcases through this role, and I doubt anyone in Hollywood will ever look at her the same. While the plot is unrelatable to most, the vulnerability that prevails in this film is what shines through the most.
Crazy Rich Asians
Take it from a die hard romantic comedy fan, this movie is great. While much of the film’s acclaim was because of its achievement for Asian representation and the war against Hollywood whitewashing, there is a great story underneath all of its clout. What made Crazy Rich Asians different is ultimately what makes it special: it was a narrative I wasn’t aware of before. It stepped outside the rom-com trope and brought a vastly rich culture to life onto the big screen. I wouldn’t be surprised if an Oscar nod came filmmaker Jon M. Chu’s way.
Sorry To Bother You
This movie was like a really good sandwich with a bad aftertaste. The first bite had you praising the sandwich gods but halfway through you’re suddenly not sure what was in there, but by the end all you know is that you’re left uncertain about it.
First time filmmaker Boot Riley’s racial allegory was reminiscent of Get Out but ventured into obscure territory when people morphed into horses (semi spoiler alert). Visually and intellectually it was stunning. It was an epic statement on American capitalism and Lakeith Stanfield is a name everyone should learn if you haven’t already.
Black Panther
Aside from the fact that the cast was 90% black, there wasn’t anything drastically different in this superhero movie than any other. I really wanted to like it more than I did but it was too predictable for that to happen. It was a good movie but not great.
If you haven’t seen it already, you should simply for the attention it’s gotten. The Marvel universe has all but taken over our own so it’s important (and enjoyable) to keep up with it.
Bohemian Rhapsody
If you’re looking to be incredibly surprised by this film don’t be. Instead enjoy a meticulously marvelous biopic of a man and his band that helped change the world.
Bohemian Rhapsody is about a couple of misfits playing for a bunch of other misfits so that they can belong together. Freddie Mercury was a genius and a character all his own. This the heart of the film and it does a great job portraying it. Rami Malek reincarnated the rock legend on the silver screen and it’s quite a sight to see. One thing’s for sure, you’ll want to go to a Karaoke bar right after.
Eighth Grade
Prepare to see your prepubescent middle school self-actualized. This movie is raw, honest, and touching—something you don’t see very often.
BlacKkKlansman
Spike Lee’s new joint is some of his best work from the last decade and we needed it. Based on incredibly true story, Lee tells an old story while commenting on a current one. If the film achieves anything, it’s that it forces its viewers to reconsider our current climate of intolerance and our responsibility to refrain from repeating history.
The performances by Denzel Washington’s son John David, Topher Grace (Eric from That 70’s Show believe it or not) and Adam Driver are visceral and felt.
A Quiet Place
I didn’t see this one but I heard enough to believe in it. As horror films are increasingly gaining stronger narrative structures, certain films are setting the bar high. Power couple John Krasinski and Emily Blunt created something captivating, orignal, apparently horrifying.
The Favourite
A little bit more on the quirky sitStory incredible, quick witted, cinematography-wide shots, beautiful production design, vast sets no cheating the image.
A Few Honorable Mentions
Green Book
A vintage road movie with stand out performances but a few racial cliches.
Incredibles 2
I liked feeling like an eight year old kid again.
Creed II
Yes Michael B. Jordan but let’s just talk about Tessa Thompson…
The Sisters Brothers
Nothing wildly original but it’s without a doubt funny and adventurous. Joaquin Phoenix is prime.
Widows
A female heist movie with epic performances. Daniel Kaluuya is beautifully difficult to ignore.
Beautiful Boy
An important story told well about how addiction can tear apart families.
First Man
Wunderkind Damien Chazelle’s historical biopic got iffy reviews but still landed itself two Golden Globe nominations for original score and Claire Foy was nominated for best supporting actress.
Movies Worth Anticipating
Vice
Okay… Christian Bale is playing Dick Cheney and Sam Rockwell is playing George W. Bush, that’s reason enough to get excited. If you still need more know that Steve Carell and Amy Adams are amongst the cast led by Adam McKay, director of Anchorman and The Big Short.
Mary Queen of Scots
The tragedy of Mary Queen of Scots is a story that’s always fascinated me and apparently I’m not alone if you consider all of the biopics along with the CW series based off her life. The formidable Saoirse Ronan plays Mary and the comparably fantastic Margot Robbie plays her rivalrous cousin, Queen Elizabeth.
On the Basis of Sex
If you thought you were tired of watching anything made about Ruth Bader Ginsburg think again.
If Beale Street Could Talk
My mouth low key waters over the idea of a Barry Jenkins film based off of a James Baldwin novel.
This year’s batch of movie gems saw a lot of thematic similarities, from race to addiction to politics there was a running thread of social consciousness on the silver screen. The red carpet will be sprawling with crazy rich asians, eighth graders, queens, black panthers, and Oscar hungry celebrities this awards season. Movies can put you in another man’s shoes and hopefully evoke some sort of empathy, I’d say 2018 has done so in full stride so far.