With another year coming to an end, it’s always fun to look back at which films caught my eye. Early in the calendar year tends to be a bit soft with momentum building up as the fourth quarter rolls around. Obviously the strategy behind this tried and true formula is, in large part, for award consideration. After all, the most recent memories are the freshest and this year did very little to buck that trend. With so many talented actors participating in these films, it should come as no surprise to see these on top. Here are ten of The Reel Godfather’s top films of 2019 with a few honorable mentions at the very bottom of the page that could have easily landed their way into the main list.
Dolemite Is My Name
Performer Rudy Ray Moore (Eddie Murphy) develops an outrageous character named Dolemite, who becomes an underground sensation and star of a kung-fu, anti-establisment film that could make or break Moore.
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
After gunning down a member of the High Table — the shadowy international assassin’s guild — legendary hit man John Wick (Keanu Reeves) finds himself stripped of the organization’s protective services. Now stuck with a $14 million bounty on his head, Wick must fight his way through the streets of New York as he becomes the target of the world’s most ruthless killers.
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) gained fame and fortune by starring in a 1950s television Western, but is now struggling to find meaningful work in a Hollywood that he doesn’t recognize anymore. He spends most of his time drinking and palling around with Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), his easygoing best friend and longtime stunt double. Rick also happens to live next door to Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate — the filmmaker and budding actress whose futures will forever be altered by members of the Manson Family.
Joker
Forever alone in a crowd, failed comedian Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) seeks connection as he walks the streets of Gotham City. Arthur wears two masks — the one he paints for his day job as a clown, and the guise he projects in a futile attempt to feel like he’s part of the world around him. Isolated, bullied and disregarded by society, Fleck begins a slow descent into madness as he transforms into the criminal mastermind known as the Joker.
Ford v Ferrari
American automotive designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and fearless British race car driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) battle corporate interference, the laws of physics and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary vehicle for the Ford Motor Co. Together, they plan to compete against the race cars of Enzo Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 1966.
Parasite
Greed and class discrimination threaten the newly formed symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kim clan.
The Irishman
In the 1950s, truck driver Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) gets involved with Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci) and his Pennsylvania crime family. As Sheeran climbs the ranks to become a top hit man, he also goes to work for Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino) — a powerful Teamster tied to organized crime.
Knives Out
When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) dies just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) arrives at his estate to investigate. From Harlan’s dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Thrombey’s untimely demise.
Marriage Story
A stage director (Adam Driver) and his actor wife (Scarlett Johansson) struggle through a grueling, coast-to-coast divorce that pushes them to their personal and creative extremes.
Richard Jewell
During the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, security guard Richard Jewell (aul Walter Hauser) discovers a suspicious backpack under a bench in Centennial Park. With little time to spare, he helps to evacuate the area until the incendiary device inside the bag explodes. Hailed as a hero who saved lives, Jewell’s own life starts to unravel when the FBI names him the prime suspect in the bombing.
**”Oh so close” films that just missed out on making the cut: Bombshell, Harriet, Fighting with My Family, 1917 and Uncut Gems.**
