Best Films of 2018
This my list, please feel free to criticize it and state your own opinion.
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- DirectorPawel PawlikowskiStarsJoanna KuligTomasz KotBorys SzycIn the 1950s, a music director falls in love with a singer and tries to persuade her to flee communist Poland for France.
- DirectorAlfonso CuarónStarsYalitza AparicioMarina de TaviraDiego Cortina AutreyA year in the life of a middle-class family's maid in Mexico City in the early 1970s.
- DirectorLynne RamsayStarsJoaquin PhoenixJudith RobertsEkaterina SamsonovA traumatized veteran unafraid of violence tracks down missing girls for a living. When a job spins out of control, Joe's nightmares overtake him as a conspiracy is uncovered leading to what could be his death trip or his awakening.
- DirectorJacques AudiardStarsJohn C. ReillyJoaquin PhoenixJake GyllenhaalEli and Charlie Sisters, an infamous duo of gunslinging assassins, chase a gold prospector and his unexpected ally in 1850s Oregon.My friends and I call this "The Anti-Western", as it somehow gives a very ironic take on the Western genre.
- DirectorYorgos LanthimosStarsOlivia ColmanEmma StoneRachel WeiszIn early 18th-century England, the status quo at the court is upset when a new servant arrives and endears herself to a frail Queen Anne.Probably Yorgos Lanthimos' most accessible movie as it lacks the acting style he usually gives his actors, and that it focuses on a more grounded story compared to his other films. This comedy/drama is great in its directing, cinematography, visuals, set design, performances, script, and basically every other factor that makes an excellent movie. The comedy in the movie is very subtle and engaging where it hits all the right marks in creating a fun yet intelligent film. The meat of the movie comes in the performers, who are fantastic to say the least. Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz, give out great and convincing performances that is seen throughout the whole movie who give out comedy, drama, and tension, when they are needed to. But the best performer has to be Olivia Coleman, who is just excellent in her role as she gives out an array of emotions in her acting and takes the spotlight in each scene.
- DirectorLee Chang-dongStarsYoo Ah-inSteven YeunJeon Jong-seoJong-su bumps into a girl who used to live in the same neighborhood, who asks him to look after her cat while she's on a trip to Africa. When back, she introduces Ben, a mysterious guy she met there, who confesses his secret hobby.Burning is probably one of the smartest movies of the year, as it persuades the audience to think deeper into the movie to learn the overall gist and theme that it's trying to portray. The screenplay and the movie itself is executed so subtly and ambiguously that it creates a very visceral and thought-provoking movie experience. All the performers were also great in the movie, especially Steven Yeun who gives out a standout performance even with the large amount of ambiguity in the script. The only part I'm not sold on has to be the score of the movie, which overplays in a lot of parts, I would've preferred a new or better score in such parts, but I guess that's just a personal preference.
- DirectorKore-eda HirokazuStarsLily FrankySakura AndôKirin KikiOn the margins of Tokyo, a dysfunctional band of outsiders are united by loyalty, a penchant for petty theft and playful grifting. When the young son is arrested, secrets are exposed that upend their tenuous, below-the-radar existence.Hirokazu Kore-eda, creates a wonderful movie about a very mysterious and fun family living in the lower-class regions of Japan. Watching the movie gives you a very immersive experience as the set design, characters, cinematography, and overall directing of the movie drags you into this small home that they're living in. Performance wise, everyone in the movie was great, even the child actors who were very convincing in their roles. My only complaint would have to be the story, since I think I've seen a movie with this type of story, but executed badly, directing and writing-wise, compared to this one; it may be a personal thing, but thinking about the originality of the script may have affected my experience.
- DirectorBo BurnhamStarsElsie FisherJosh HamiltonEmily RobinsonAn introverted teenage girl tries to survive the last week of her disastrous eighth grade year before leaving to start high school.No pun intended. This is the best American film of the year and an amazing directorial debut by comedian, Bo Burnham. He managed to create the most realistic screenplay about the modern day teen, with amazing dialogue and performances spread throughout the movie (that should've won an Oscar). Elsie Fisher delivers an Oscar-worth performance in the movie, delivering lines and performing scenes that seem so genuine and real. Josh Hamilton also delivers a noteworthy performance for his role as a very convincing and empathetic father. Majorly though, the movie lacks great visuals and cinematography and relies way too much on the magnificent screenplay to carry it along. It would've been higher if there was a great amount of flare in the overall cinematography of the movie.
- DirectorArmando IannucciStarsSteve BuscemiSimon Russell BealeJeffrey TamborMoscow, 1953. After being in power for nearly 30 years, Soviet dictator, Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, takes ill and quickly dies. Now the members of the Council of Ministers scramble for power.Possibly one of the best and clever comedies in the past decade or so. Armando Iannucci & co. managed to create one of the most intelligent screenplays of the year, mixing politics with comedy on a very clever and subtle level. Simon Russell Beale delivers a great performance in his supporting role and honestly deserves an Oscar nod for his performance. The movie isn't visually interesting however, with many shots and scenes looking bland and just fits in with the rest of the movie. This may be the style the movie was going for, so I guess it may be a personal thing to ask for more creativity in the cinematography and visuals in a movie that has such an excellent script.
- DirectorBarry JenkinsStarsKiKi LayneStephan JamesRegina KingA young woman embraces her pregnancy while she and her family set out to prove her childhood friend and lover innocent of a crime he didn't commit.Although a step down from his previous film, Barry Jenkins delivers another beautiful movie that focuses on a story about race and love. The movie itself is visually fantastic, from the cinematography and set design, to the execution of each scene. Regina King had the most notable performance in the movie as she plays a very great and powerful mother. The best part about the film would have to be the amazing score by Nicholas Britell which mashes classy violins and jazz music together in a great score that I could listen to a lot. However, the screenplay does drag the movie along in different parts, thematically and dialogue-wise, making it seem uneven and clunky at times.