2019 was the year of diarrhea of the hard drive. Like Fredrick Wiseman who seems to have forgotten everything he learned about editing as he has aged, the franchises (Marvel, Star Wars) and elder statesmen of Hollywood (Martin Scorsese, Terrence Malick) are following suit with their lofty “epics.” All of them need he who shall not be named to rev up his chainsaw and start snipping away. If they were including Bollywood song & dance numbers I may give them a little slack.
Speaking of Indian cinema, when is Hollywood going to start teaming up the likes of Salman Khan with the Dwayne Johnsons? (I have a great script idea for that pairing.) Speaking of international talent not yet on Tinsel Town’s radar, I offer up Aislinn Derbez (who they gave a thankless role in the middling MISS BALA remake) who I’ve been paying attention to since discovering her in A LA MALA. That film should get an American remake as I doubt most people who didn’t speak Spanish saw it.
If they churn out yet another remake, reboot, reimagining…I’m going to throw up. Are there any creative ideas left in Hollywood? My Top 10 list below shows there are (even though most of the fiction films on my list are not American made). I hated the book “Motherless Brooklyn” and was pleasantly surprised to thoroughly enjoy Edward Norton’s adaptation. Alas, it bombed.
Top 10 Films Of 2019
(653 Films)
Motherless Brooklyn
The Fall Of The American Empire [Canada]
Pig [Iran]
SHe [China] [Animation]
Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi [India]
Who Will Write Our History [Documentary]
Wonders Of The Sea 3D [Documentary]
Hesburgh [Documentary]
The Current War: Director’s Cut
Blue Note Records: Beyond The Notes [Switzerland] [Documentary]
Best Actor – Edward Norton (Motherless Brooklyn)
Best Actress – Kangana Ranaut (Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi)
Best Supporting Actor – Asier Etxeandia (Pain & Glory)
Best Supporting Actress – Salma Hayek (The Hummingbird Project)
Best Director – Tom Hooper (Cats)
Best Screenplay – Denis Arcand (Fall Of The American Empire)
Best Cinematography – Viktor Kossakovsky & Ben Bernhard (Aquarela)