A little late, but here we go. These are the films I liked best in 2019, in alphabetical order. This only includes films I saw and were released in the 2019 Calendar year. There are some movies that I certainly wanted to see, but never got around to. Note: not all of these were films I reviewed on the site.

1. The Art of Racing in the Rain – A Boy, A Dog, and the boy’s car make up this story. Told from the perspective of the dog, who’s voiced by Kevin Costner.
2. Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché – A great documentary about a movie pioneer you’ve probably never even heard of! A true Original.
3. The Biggest Little Farm – A couple breaks out of their city lives to create a farm, using old-school techniques. It follows their trials and tribulations. The farm was crowdfunded, and staffed by volunteers. It helps that the husband’s a cameraman, as are a few of the volunteers. The whole thing is a learning process.
4. The Current War: The Director’s Cut – a story about the electrification of the US. It explains a lot, and involves Nokola Tesla, Thomas Edison, and George Westinghouse. It shows Edison as the kind of man he really was – entirely self-centered, and self-assured that his was was best. Good performances all around
5. Downton Abbey – Well, what can I say? I was always a fan of the show, and this film has a bigger scope than the TV episodes. Entertaining and satisfying.
6. Ford V Ferrari – IMO, one of the best action movies of the year. You get a real sense for the passion of driving, but you can make the connection with anything people can be passionate about.
7. Jojo Rabbit – one messed up movie. Towards the end of WWII, a boy tries to do his part in the German war effort, with the help of his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler. It’s partially a farcical comedy, but it has a very serious side that gives it depth.
8. Knives Out – The best whodunit in years, if not the ONLY whodunit in years. A large cast that’s properly fleshed out made this entertaining and delightful.
9. Shazam! – What a superhero movie should be. It’s a fun story, where a young teenage boy becomes a superhero when he needs to be one. Told from his perspective, the story is fun, and the action is scary enough for a kid. It properly maintains the kid’s maturity level, which should make it a template for future superhero films.
10. The Two Popes – The story of Papal succession, seen from the perspective of two people who went through it. An unlikely pair, these two men, of opposing viewpoints, form a bond that was quite surprising. Based on the true stories of two who would be Pope. The film has excellent casting, with Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce really working well together.

This was a year of superhero, science fiction, and monster films. Most of them were acceptable, and not exceptional. Avengers: Endgame and Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker were finales with such buildup and such high hopes that they failed to impress me greatly. Oh they were satisfying, but perhaps not enough that I went gaga over them. A few other films were overhyped and just didn’t live up to the image they were given. In any case, I’m always trying to keep an open mind, and you should, too.

Thanks for reading. Enjoy your 2020 film year!!!