{"id":22984,"date":"2019-12-16T22:44:51","date_gmt":"2019-12-16T12:44:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?p=22984"},"modified":"2019-12-20T18:42:02","modified_gmt":"2019-12-20T08:42:02","slug":"top-ten-films-of-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?p=22984","title":{"rendered":"Top Ten Films of 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"toptenmovies2019thumb\"<\/a><\/p>\n

How do you like to watch movies?<\/p>\n

My favourite film critic of all time is the late Roger Ebert and I often wonder what he would make of the state of the film industry today.\u00a0 Reports about the potential demise of movie theatres which were written after the initial Netflix boom appear to be greatly exaggerated.\u00a0 This year Disney alone had seven movies that made more than a billion dollars at the box office (!).\u00a0 But its also true that the variety of films on offer is shrinking and a night out at the movies is getting more and more expensive.<\/p>\n

There has never been a greater selection of streaming services – Netflix, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney Plus\u00a0etc. – and yet paradoxically, they offer a far smaller and more limited selection of movies than your local Blockbuster ever did.\u00a0 All these services do a good job of covering the exact same thing: mainstream, contemporary movies.\u00a0 Other than Disney Plus, the rest of the services offer an absolutely miserable selection of classic films and they’re also pretty terrible with animated and foreigns films too while we’re at it.<\/p>\n

It’s also a pretty lousy time if you’re interested in learning more about the movies you love.\u00a0 At the height of the DVD boom 10 to 15 years ago, studios were release incredible multi-disc DVD packages that would include generous amounts of content such as director commentaries, deleted scenes, extended editions and making of documentaries.\u00a0 Nowadays, Blu Ray releases of movies are almost all bare bones and streaming services generally offer no extra content.\u00a0 Somehow, in the age of high speed internet, we’re getting\u00a0less<\/em> information about our favourite films.<\/p>\n

That’s the bad stuff.<\/p>\n

On the positive side, I also believe that social media and other technology trends have helped give a voice to a whole new generation of film makers that might have struggled in the past to find the opportunities they deserve.\u00a0 One of my favourite films of 2019 was\u00a0The Nightingale<\/em>, made by Australian director Jennifer Kent.\u00a0 Kent crowdfunded her first film\u00a0<\/em>The Babadook<\/em> on Kickstarter and when it failed to find an audience at the movies, it had a new lease on life when it landed on Netflix and was championed by film critics and horror movie enthusiasts.\u00a0 She’s one of my favourite directors working today and I absolutely would not have seen any of her work if it wasn’t for these changes to the modern movie-making landscape.<\/p>\n

Generally speaking, the breadth and diversity of film makers having the spotlight shined on them is vastly improved from where we were ten years ago.\u00a0\u00a0Avengers<\/em> is still obviously the biggest show in town but its pleasing to see how much exposure film makers such as Jordan Peele and Bong Joon-Ho have received.<\/p>\n

In 2019 I was fortunate to watch over fifty films and almost all of them were good to great.\u00a0 Some I felt were instant classics.\u00a0 It was tough narrowing down my favourites to a list of just ten.\u00a0 But after some final cuts (sorry\u00a0Ready or Not, Crawl<\/em> and\u00a0Apollo 11<\/em>), this is it.<\/p>\n

My ten favourite films of 2019 were:<\/p>\n

\"parasitethumb\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Parasite<\/strong><\/h2>\n

FILM OF THE YEAR<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Director:\u00a0 <\/strong>Bong Joon Ho
\nWriter:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Bong Joon Ho
\nCast:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Kang-ho Song, Sun-kyun Lee, Yeo-jeong Ho<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know what kind of plan never fails? No plan. No plan at all. You know why? Because life cannot be planned\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

After the credits rolled on\u00a0Parasite<\/em>, I was ready to start over and watch it all again.<\/p>\n

Parasite<\/em>\u00a0is an embarrassment of cinematic riches.\u00a0 Not only is the film spoiled with an intricate screenplay and fine all round acting performances, it is also very handsomely shot, with eye-catching cinematography that elevates the look and feel of the film to that of a modern urban fairy tale.\u00a0 Without ever being too showy or distracting, the camera-work gives\u00a0Parasite<\/em>\u00a0a certain mythic quality, despite the contemporary trappings.<\/p>\n

Films of this quality are generally labours of love that take a long time to come to fruition.\u00a0 In interviews, Bong has stated that\u00a0Parasite<\/em>\u00a0was roughly four to five years in the making.\u00a0 But in a serendipitous twist, not only is the final product an outstanding one,\u00a0Parasite<\/em>\u00a0also feels like an incredibly timely film, capturing perfectly the mood and sentiments of audiences worldwide.\u00a0 There\u2019s a scene in the film where a character mimics a North Korean news presenter announcing a nuclear attack on South Korea.\u00a0 Everything about it \u2013 the gallows humour, the bleakness of what is being described \u2013 feels exactly as it should in 2019.\u00a0\u00a0Parasite<\/em>\u00a0is not just a great film, it is a film that is very much of our time.<\/p>\n

I was absolutely taken with\u00a0Parasite<\/em>.\u00a0 It felt special right from the word go.\u00a0 I loved the direct and darkly humorous way it skewers capitalism and classism, through the lens of this droll, opportunistic family.\u00a0 I\u2019ve admired Joon-ho Bong\u2019s films ever since I saw the brilliant (and also politically-charged) monster movie\u00a0The Host<\/em>\u00a0back in 2006.\u00a0 But this is the one.\u00a0 He\u2019s made other great films like\u00a0Snowpiercer.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>He\u2019ll make more great movies in the future I\u2019m sure.\u00a0 But I\u2019d be surprised if anything else he does comes together as beautifully as it does with\u00a0Parasite<\/em>.<\/p>\n

FULL REVIEW<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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The Irishman<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Director:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Martin Scorcese
\nWriter:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Steven Zaillian
\nCast:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel, Bobby Canavale<\/p>\n

\u201cBut nobody threatens Hoffa\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

Martin Scorcese has something to say.<\/p>\n

At\u00a077,\u00a0Scorcese\u00a0has assembled some of the most famous and beloved actors from his past \u2013 Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, a returning Joe Pesci who came out of retirement \u2013 to tell a sprawling, epic\u00a0tale of the life and times of Frank Sheeran, a World War II veteran who toils without reward in his job as a delivery truck driver, until a meeting with mob boss Russel Bufalino propels him into a life of crime.<\/p>\n

The Irishman<\/em>\u00a0is a farewell letter from a legendary generation of actors and a director who made their names in the Seventies.\u00a0 De Niro, Pacino and Pesci are a pleasure to watch, slipping into old gangster roles like a well worn glove.\u00a0 De Niro and Pacino have stayed in the public eye over the years but its both a thrill and a shock to see Pesci after decades in retirement return and play such a soft-spoken part after making his name playing such a\u00a0bombastic human tornado in\u00a0Casino<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Goodfellas<\/em>.<\/p>\n

This is classic Scorcese fare.\u00a0\u00a0The Irishman<\/em>\u00a0is a film that explores the complicated and often contradictory nature of crime families and how the people within them interact with one another.\u00a0 Sheeran and Hoffa have a dry wit and a genuine bond with one another but are prepared to kill at a moments notice when the bloody business calls for it.\u00a0 These men are career criminals and contract killers but their lives are seemingly steeped in religious traditions.\u00a0 Part of what makes Sheeran so compelling (and confounding) is that we are never really sure who he really is and which emotions and actions represent his true nature.<\/p>\n

The Irishman<\/em>\u00a0is a finely made and thoroughly enjoyable crime drama.\u00a0 Scorcese is working in very familiar territory but he has lost none of his finesse or craftsmanship.\u00a0 This is a production that he has clearly poured every last ounce of his energy and\u00a0passion into.\u00a0 If this is to be one of his final films, he is going out on a high.<\/p>\n

FULL REVIEW<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Once Upon A Time In Hollywood<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Director:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Quentin Tarantino
\nWriter:\u00a0 <\/strong>Quentin Tarantino
\nCast:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Brad Pitt, Leonardo Di Caprio, Margot Robbie, Margaret Qualley<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m the Devil. And I’m here to do the Devil’s business.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

When considering the style, language and tone of Quentin Tarantino\u2019s films and how much they wear the influence of Sixties and Seventies exploitation films on their sleeve, its surprising to realize that its taken this, Tarantino\u2019s ninth film, to actually set a story in that actual era.<\/p>\n

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood<\/em>\u00a0is one of Tarantino\u2019s most disciplined films in recent memory.\u00a0 A lot of Taratino\u2019s\u00a0cinematic indulgences \u2013 lengthy\u00a0monologues from characters discussing popular culture, gratuitous use of racial slurs, random acts of violence \u2013 are noticeably absent or scaled back in this production.\u00a0 In that sense, I think a lot of people have favourably compared the film to\u00a0Jackie Brown<\/em>\u00a0which I think is fair and reasonable.<\/p>\n

There is an enjoyable centre to\u00a0Once Upon A Time<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 the friendship between Dalton and Booth \u2013 and swirling around that are countless themes about aging, media portrayals of violence, the cultural revolution taking place in the Sixties to name a few.\u00a0 It is a film of considerable heft with plenty of ideas you can sink your teeth into.<\/p>\n

Tarantino has heavily implied he is close to wrapping up his film career.\u00a0 He has previously said he would like to retire at 60 and the man is now 56 which suggests he might have just one last production left in the tank.\u00a0 Whether that ends up being true or not,\u00a0Once Upon A Time In Hollywood<\/em>\u00a0represents a high point in the late stage of his career.\u00a0 It is easily his best work since\u00a0Inglorious Basterds<\/em>.<\/p>\n

FULL REVIEW<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Knives Out<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Director:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Rian Johnson
\nWriter:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Rian Johnson
\nCast:\u00a0 <\/strong>Ana De Armas,\u00a0Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans, Daniel Craig<\/p>\n

\u201cI suspect foul play. I have eliminated no suspects\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

Are you up for\u00a0Knives Out<\/em>?\u00a0 You\u2019ll know within the opening few minutes of the film whether you\u2019re game for Rian Johnson\u2019s satirical whodunnit when Daniel Craig begins to talk in the most ridiculous, OTT, Foghorn Leghorn accent I\u2019ve ever heard for his character Benoit Blanc.\u00a0\u00a0Knives Out<\/em>\u00a0proudly wears its Agatha Christie inspiration on its sleeve with its country manor setting,\u00a0tweed jackets, feuding families and the presence of a sharp-witted private detective.<\/p>\n

I loved\u00a0Knives Out<\/em>.\u00a0 It is a cleverly and intricately plotted whodunnit that tips the hat to Christie\u2019s formula but is bursting at the seams with fresh ideas of its own.\u00a0 I like that Johnson cheerfully sprinkles the film with his political ideology and makes the film very much a product of the current climate in 2019 with topics about refugees, the Trump presidency and the alt-right movement all fair game.<\/p>\n

The cast look like their having a ball and although its difficult to pick out any one star, I think credit must go to Ana de Armas who manages to shine amongst an array of famous faces.\u00a0 Her\u00a0performance as Marta \u2013 strong, resourceful, resilient \u2013 is a significant part of what makes the film so enjoyable.<\/p>\n

FULL REVIEW<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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The Nightingale<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Director:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Jennifer Kent
\nWriter:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Jennifer Kent
\nCast:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Aisling Franciosi, Sam Claflin, Baykali Ganambarr<\/p>\n

\u201cThat’s just the way isn’t it? You don’t want trouble but sometimes trouble wants you.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

The Nightingale<\/em>\u00a0is one of the year\u2019s most divisive movies.\u00a0 It has seen mass walkouts at festivals in Europe and in Australia.\u00a0 Some audiences have veraciously taken against the film and jeered during screenings.\u00a0 Although I don\u2019t agree with the detractors, I can understand the source of their ire.\u00a0 I would place\u00a0The Nightingale<\/em>\u00a0in a category of cinematic brutality and mental anguish that is only occupied by a handful of films such as\u00a012 Years A Slave<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0The Passion of the Christ<\/em>.\u00a0 The opening half hour of this film is emotionally gruelling and makes\u00a0The Nightingale<\/em>\u00a0a film that I would be extremely\u00a0cautious about who I would recommend it to.\u00a0 It requires a fortitude that I think very, very, very few people sign up for when they watch a film.<\/p>\n

For those who can stomach it, there is a powerful and affective drama to absorb.\u00a0 Aisling Franciosi and Baykali Ganambarr are both exceptional and utterly convincing in their performances.\u00a0 There is a grounded realism that anchors\u00a0The Nightingale<\/em>\u00a0and that means it is a revenge film that cannot and does not\u00a0dabble in the sensationalism and blood lust commonly associated with the genre.\u00a0 Franciosi’s character Clare is bent on getting her revenge but we suspect it will cost her her soul and probably more.\u00a0 Likewise, its heartening to see the growing bond between\u00a0the two leads but there is an understanding by the audience that their time together is limited and they exist in a\u00a0world that offers no chance of a peaceful conclusion.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s incredible to think what Jennifer Kent has achieved in her career to date.\u00a0\u00a0The Babadook<\/em>\u00a0was crowd funded on Kickstarter.\u00a0 I think everyone was expecting another horror film for her follow up.\u00a0\u00a0The Nightingale<\/em>\u00a0confounds expectations and is a bold and\u00a0jaw-dropping production of a totally different genre and scope.\u00a0 It\u00a0is made with astonishing conviction\u00a0and\u00a0assuredness considering it is just Kent\u2019s second feature.\u00a0 And crucially it shines a light on a dark passage of Australian history that few other filmmakers dare to tread.\u00a0 Though extremely difficult to watch, it has its rewards for those willing to persevere.<\/p>\n

FULL REVIEW<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Midsommar<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Director:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Ari Aster
\nWriter:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Ari Aster
\nCast:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor<\/p>\n

\u201cNow it’s traditional for the May Queen to bless our crops and livestock.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

Ari Aster made his mark in 2018 with his directorial debut \u2013 the stunning and frightful\u00a0Hereditary<\/i>\u00a0\u2013 and just twelve months later, he\u2019s returned with another striking and memorably strange sophomore effort\u00a0Midsommar<\/i>.<\/p>\n

As anyone who has seen\u00a0Hereditary<\/i>\u00a0will anticipate, once the big reveal is made about the nature of the commune in Midsommar<\/em>, you are in for a ride and Aster\u2019s imagination is able to conjure up some truly disturbing and mentally scarring material.\u00a0 What makes his films such a unique experience is the way he disorients the viewer and draws them in. The lengthy running time, the cinematography that draws your eyes to strange little details on the edge of the frame, and the off-kilter dialogue all set you up to be bowled over once the madness takes over.<\/p>\n

It took me quite a long time to process exactly what I saw after the credits rolled for\u00a0Midsommar<\/i>.\u00a0 It\u2019s so strange and fucked up.\u00a0 If I\u2019m honest, I\u2019d be hard pressed to say\u00a0what<\/i>\u00a0the film is about exactly.\u00a0 I guess you could describe it as the most unpleasant break up movie of all time?<\/p>\n

FULL REVIEW<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Us<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Director:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Jordan Peele
\nWriter:\u00a0 <\/strong>Jordan Peele
\nCast:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Lupita N’yongo, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce upon a time, there was a girl and the girl had a shadow.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s quite extraordinary that in the space of three short years, Jordan Peele has transformed himself from being\u00a0one half of a Comedy Central sketch show duo to becoming the pre-eminent horror genre director of his time.<\/p>\n

There is so much to enjoy about Us<\/em>.\u00a0 Taken at face value, it is a wildly imaginative and enjoyable horror romp.\u00a0 Heading into the final act, I was totally absorbed with what I was watching but I literally had no idea where the film was headed.\u00a0\u00a0Us<\/em>\u00a0is also full of same comedic barbs and one liners that\u00a0Get Out<\/em>\u00a0had, so you\u2019re often switching between frights and fits of laughter.\u00a0 For the handful of directors and writers who have the skill to pull off horror-comedy, its one of my favourite types of cinematic experiences to share with others.<\/p>\n

In just two films Jordan Peele has established himself as an accomplished director with an incredible eye for detail\u00a0and with\u00a0Us<\/em>, he injects the film with plenty of double-meanings, clever allegories and interesting symbolism, which makes it a film that can be studied, pulled apart and rewards multiple viewings.\u00a0 Even from the first trailers, it was apparent that the title could be taken as a double meaning for either the family or the country.\u00a0 There are countless shots in the film that\u00a0serve as visual metaphors for the \u201cduality\u201d theme such as the long shadows of the family members when they walk along the beach and the bisecting blades of the scissors in the holiday home.\u00a0 Its possible to extrapolate all sorts of meanings about what the Tethered could represent and I think Peele gives the audience just enough rope to make up their own minds about what the film is a representation of.<\/p>\n

The horror genre is one of my favourites and what I admire most about Jordan Peele is that he clearly has an affection for it too but he is never too reverential in his film-making or overly familiar with a reliance on tropes.\u00a0\u00a0Get Out\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0Us<\/em>\u00a0feel refreshingly unique in a genre that is generally happy to revisit the same material over and over again.\u00a0 I love the casting choices of his films.\u00a0 The soundtrack.\u00a0 The style of dialogue. It makes his films stand apart in a very crowded field.<\/p>\n

FULL REVIEW<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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It Chapter Two<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Director:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Andy Muschietti
\nWriter:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Gary Dauberman
\nCast:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, Bill Skarsgard<\/p>\n

\u201cFor 27 years, I’ve dreamt of you. I craved you. Oh I’ve missed you! Waiting for this very moment!\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

Set twenty seven years after the events of the original film, the Losers Club reunite in\u00a0It Chapter Two<\/em>\u00a0when Mike Hanlon, the only one of the Losers to remain in Derry, examines a crime scene where a young man has been killed after a homophobic gang attack and determines that Pennywise the Clown has returned.<\/p>\n

Although ostensibly a horror, I think\u00a0It Chapter Two<\/em>\u00a0isn\u2019t a particularly scary film.\u00a0 Not as scary as the original and not compared to other horror films in the market today.\u00a0 But I don\u2019t necessarily see that as a short-coming.\u00a0 As each of the Losers has their own encounter with Pennywise when they go looking for their personal items, they each revisit some type of childhood trauma.\u00a0 A lot of these aren\u2019t the type that are particularly suited to jump-scares to frighten the audience but they are interesting insights into the psyche of the characters and also a lot of the nightmares facing the Losers are universal concepts that the audience can relate to (relationships with parents, highschool crushes, understanding your sexuality etc).<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth noting that\u00a0It Chapter Two<\/em>\u00a0is one of the longest mainstream horror films ever created, clocking in at an eyebrow-raising 170 minutes.\u00a0 I understand that for those that aren\u2019t as enamoured with\u00a0It<\/em>\u00a0as much as I am, this is actually a pretty big knock against the film.\u00a0 When it comes to horror, usually shorter and sharper is better.\u00a0 For me personally, I was completely comfortable with the running time as I enjoyed the company of the characters so much (I have a similar feeling about the Extended Editions of\u00a0Lord of the Rings<\/em>) and where some people saw bloat or plot misdirection, I saw more opportunities to learn about the town of Derry and the people who inhabit it.\u00a0\u00a0It Chapter One and Two<\/em>\u00a0can basically be duct-taped together as a single five hour long production and I think when viewed that way, it is a generous and faithful adaptation of Stephen King\u2019s novel and mana from the heavens for anyone who enjoys Kings works as I do.<\/p>\n

FULL REVIEW<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Book Smart<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Director:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Olivia Wilde
\nWriters:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins
\nCast:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein<\/p>\n

\u201cI call Malala\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

There is nothing revelatory about the framework of\u00a0Booksmart<\/i>.\u00a0 Nerds trying to fit in at parties, asking out that high school crush and working out what happens to friendships after high school are all well-worn teen comedy movie tropes.\u00a0 What makes\u00a0Booksmart<\/i>\u00a0such a breath of fresh air, is the inspired casting choices of Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever who are both immensely likeable and definitely not your typical leads for this sort of film.<\/p>\n

Molly and Amy are just wonderful.\u00a0 What\u2019s not to like about a pair of idealistic kids who idolise Elizabeth Warren and call \u2018Malala\u2019 on one another when they really need something important?\u00a0 If Feldstein has a slight air of familiarity about her, I learned after watching\u00a0Booksmart<\/em>\u00a0that she is in-fact the younger sibling of Jonah Hill.\u00a0 Her feisty, earnest performance as Molly shows both a flair for physical comedy and incredible timing with her one liners.\u00a0 Kaitlyn Dever is also outstanding as Amy, the film\u2019s heart and soul.\u00a0 Dever initially plays the straight man to Feldstein but she actually ends up delivering some of the film\u2019s best lines by the end of the party (\u201cShotgun!\u00a0 Just kidding, I don\u2019t have one\u201d).<\/p>\n

Despite the film failing to fire at the box office,\u00a0Booksmart<\/em>\u00a0seems destined for cult classic status.\u00a0 It is easily one of the best films of its genre in years, is endlessly quotable and frequently laugh out loud funny.\u00a0 Watch it!<\/p>\n

FULL REVIEW<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Hustlers<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Director:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Lorene Scarafia
\nWriter:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Lorene Scarafia
\nCast:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, Lizzo, Cardi B<\/p>\n

\u201cThis city, this whole country, is a strip club. You’ve got people tossing the money, and people doing the dance.\u201d<\/em><\/h3>\n

The Wolf of Wall Street<\/em> is a memorable film about greed and corruption, released a few short years after the global financial crisis of the late 2000s.\u00a0 It’s also kind of bullshit.\u00a0 Let’s face it – 97% of that film’s three hour running time makes the life of a corrupt Wall Street banker look like a barrel of laughs and it only really turns towards introspection in the final few minutes.\u00a0 As BBC film critic Mark Kermode astutely observed – it’s a boast, not a confession.<\/p>\n

Lorene Scarafia’s\u00a0Hustlers<\/em> is a fine companion piece to\u00a0Wolf of Wall Street\u00a0<\/em>that actually tells a story from the perspective of people affected by the GFC.\u00a0 Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu play Destiny and Ramona, strippers who find their livelihoods upended when the financial crisis hits and suddenly their clients don’t have the sort of money they used to burn through at the clubs.\u00a0 Worse still, the business begin hiring desperate immigrants who go beyond stripping and perform sex acts for their clients.<\/p>\n

To rebel against these new circumstances, Destiny and Ramona begin to systematically drug and steal from the stock traders and CEOs at the club.\u00a0 The venture becomes so successful they even begin to ‘outsource’ their work and hire more women for their scheme.<\/p>\n

Hustlers<\/em> is a fascinating true story and a surprising backdrop for what turns out to be a tale of sisterhood and female empowerment.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Honourable Mentions<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Ready Or Not\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 on her wedding night, a bride discovers her psychotic new in-laws intend to play a game with her where she is sport to be hunted down.\u00a0\u00a0Ready or Not<\/em> is a fantastic horror-comedy and the poster of Samara Weaving rocking an ammo belt and shotgun over her bridal gown is one of my favourites of the year.<\/p>\n

Apollo 11\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 an incredible documentary about the Apollo 11 moon landing that uses tons of never before scene archival footage.\u00a0 It kills me that I didn’t get to see this in the cinema.\u00a0 A beautifully made doco that stirs the imagination.<\/p>\n

Doctor Sleep<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Honestly, there\u2019s no way this movie should work as well as it does.\u00a0 Horror director Mike Flanagan has been\u00a0doing some amazing work in the last few years and this sequel to\u00a0The Shining<\/em> is one of his best yet.\u00a0 A terrific film that marries the once divergent visions of author Stephen King and director Stanley Kubrick.<\/p>\n

Crawl<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0a super intense and highly entertaining thriller about a family caught in a Florida superstorm where they get set upon by alligators.\u00a0 Simple but effective.<\/p>\n

Marriage Story\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson take us through an emotional ringer as a husband and wife who have a failing marriage and find the ugly proceedings of the divorce take things to another level.\u00a0 It’s terribly depressing but you’ll marvel at the fine performances from both leads.<\/p>\n

Toy Story 4<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 it avoids going down the same thematic path of its predecessors and explores the interesting notion of what happens to toys when they outlast their usefulness to children.\u00a0 The end result is a surprisingly effective allegory for parents about empty nest syndrome.<\/p>\n

Avengers: End Game<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 don’t listen to Scorcese, he’s just a grump.\u00a0\u00a0Avengers End Game<\/em> is a highly entertaining concluding chapter to a storyline that is seventeen (!) films in the making.<\/p>\n

Archives<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"blackKklansman\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Top Ten Films of 2018<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Film of the Year \u2013\u00a0BlackKklansman<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Top Ten Films of 2017<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Film of the Year \u2013\u00a0Get Out<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Top Ten Films of 2016<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0<\/strong>Film of the Year\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Hunt For The Wilder People<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Top Ten Films of 2015<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0| \u00a0Film of the Year \u2013\u00a0Mad Max Fury Road<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Top Fifty Films of 2014<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0| \u00a0Film of the Year \u2013\u00a0Grand Budapest Hotel<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n

Top Ten Films of 2013<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0| \u00a0Film of the Year \u2013\u00a0Gravity<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n

Top Ten Films of 2012<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Film of the Year \u2013\u00a0The Descendants<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Top Ten Films of 2011<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0|\u00a0 Film of the Year \u2013\u00a0True Grit<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Top Ten Films of 2010<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0| Film of the Year \u2013\u00a0The Social Network<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Top Ten Films of 2009<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0| Film of the Year \u2013\u00a0In The Loop<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My ten favourite films of 2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":22999,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1802],"tags":[1875,62,2842,2677,1653,874,565,614],"class_list":["post-22984","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-best-of-the-year-movies","tag-avengers","tag-disney","tag-florence-pugh","tag-jordan-peele","tag-leonardo-di-caprio","tag-marvel","tag-pixar","tag-stephen-king"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22984","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22984"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22984\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23020,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22984\/revisions\/23020"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/22999"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22984"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22984"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22984"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}