jojo rabbit

My Favorite Films of 2019

December 28, 2019 By Jonathan McNeal

Hello Dayton MostMetro!

When asked to write a “Best of ” list about movies, it’s hard to decide what to write. First off, it’s so subjective…do people really want to read about my personal tastes or should I look at films scholastically and determine what is the “best” in regards to craft? In addition, what should I include – only films that got picked up for distribution? only films that screened in this market? only films that got a release this year?

Here’s what I’ve decided. The following list is a collection of films that I saw and loved this year. (Though some films didn’t play until 2019 in Dayton, movies like CAPERNAUM and IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK and THE FAVOURITE are not on the list because I saw them in 2018.) And contrary to popular belief, not all the films on the list screened at THE NEON!

I should make it known that I have not seen every film that got a release this year…once in a while, a film even plays at THE NEON that I can’t fit into my schedule. I tend to shy away from science fiction (though not always), most horror movies and films with gratuitous violence and/or machismo-driven male plot lines (a la Tarantino). (I have not yet seen THE IRISHMAN – as I intend to see it on our big screen on NYE.)

Here they are. 15 Favorite Films of 2019 (in alphabetical order):

AMERICAN FACTORY – Julia Reichert & Steve Bognar’s masterful documentary is stunningly heartfelt and equally scary. It’s a call to action from and regarding America’s workforce (which also happens to be filmed in our own backyard). I’m so happy for Julia & Steve’s success with this film!

BELLE EPOQUE – This little French gem with Daniel Auteuil and Fanny Ardant has not yet found a distributor in the US, but its existential ETERNAL SUNSHINE vibe is so much fun…I hope it makes its way to the States soon. Here’s a trailer:

THE BLONDE ONE – I love a good, slow-paced, foreign film that’s beautifully shot and fraught with honest sexual tension…especially when I can empathize on some level. This film is a slow burn, and I love it. (It played at The Dayton LGBT Film Festival.)

BOOKSMART – This generation’s CLUELESS is smart, fresh and so endearing…the best teen comedy in years! I watched this film on a flight to Germany…and again on the flight back. Beanie is a treasure! (trailer is for mature audiences)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhd3lo_IWJc

CIRCUS OF BOOKS – This endearing doc about a straight Jewish couple who ran one of the most famous gay adult bookstores in the US while raising three children is poignant, personal and a great history lesson. (This film screened as part of The Dayton LGBT Film Festival – there is no trailer yet.)

THE FAREWELL – This runaway hit is billed as a comedy, but it’s so much more.

JOJO RABBIT – My feelings about this film ebb and flow…today it happened to make the list. The child performances are extraordinary, and the production design is flawless. This film has a lot to say about how our children are often taught to hate – and how easy it is to spread misinformation.

THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO – This poetic film isn’t getting much year-end discussion, but I absolutely loved it – from the performances to the score to the cinematography.

LITTLE WOMEN – Thoughtful and exquisite! I complain about movie runtimes a lot. (I wish MARRIAGE STORY and WAVES were both 15-20 minutes shorter.) But this film seemed rushed at times…I think it would be stronger with a slightly slower pace and perhaps a runtime of 20 minutes more. Regardless, this is a gorgeous film with a beautiful structure.

PAIN & GLORY – Almodovar’s best film in over a decade…and that’s quite a feat (JULIETA and THE SKIN I LIVE IN are also quite strong from the last several years). This quiet film is full of rich performances, inventive storytelling and fantastic production design.

PARASITE – Must be seen. This film changes genres on a dime and has so much to say about class. Full of surprises and beautiful to look at – even when dark and disturbing.

PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE – This film will get a release in early 2020, and it is sublime. I can’t wait to see it again.

ROCKS – This film has not yet been picked up for distribution. It’s a gorgeous and heartbreaking story about a young girl trying to take care of her younger brother and herself after her mother has disappeared (again). There is sadly no trailer for this – just a clip.

THE TWO POPES – This film isn’t just a chamber piece – though simple moments between these two brilliant actors are certainly worth studying.

UNSETTLED – Winner of this year’s Audience Award at The Dayton LGBT Film Festival, this story about LGBT refugees in America is touching, timely, thought-provoking and powerful.

Don’t get me wrong. There are many more solid films from this year. There are movies with standout performances (like HARRIET) or incredible cinematography (like HONEYLAND) or great messages (like BIGGEST LITTLE FARM) or fascinating central subjects (like SOUND OF MY VOICE or PAVAROTTI) – but it’s the “Top 15” that really spoke to me in their entirety. That said, these other films are certainly worth mentioning (also in alphabetical order): A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BOMBSHELL, CLEMENCY, DARK WATERS, GLORIA BELL, HONEY BOY, HOPE GAP, HOW TO BUILD A GIRL (here’s Beanie again!!), THE KINGMAKER, MARRIAGE STORY (sometimes I want to switch this with JOJO RABBIT), STRAIGHT UP, VARDA BY AGNES, and WAVES.

For the sake of trivia, here are the top 3 highest grossing films of 2019 at THE NEON:

#1 – JOJO RABBIT. #2 – DOWNTON ABBEY. #3 – HARRIET. (LITTLE WOMEN could possibly join the list, but it will be split between 2019 and 2020.)

Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous New Year.

See you at the movies,

Jonathan

TIFF 2019 – Day #4

September 9, 2019 By Jonathan McNeal

Hello NEON Fans,

A lot came together today. Tickets for tomorrow fell into line and I squeezed in a film that I wasn’t anticipating.

My first film of day #4 was A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. “A jaded journalist (Matthew Rhys) reluctantly accepts an Esquire assignment to profile the children’s television host Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks), and encounters a profoundly empathetic world view that changes his life forever.” (taken from TIFF catalog) This film, though a little uneven, works in mysterious ways. I found the opening to be rather upsetting – as though there was a tongue-in-cheek approach to the reverence of Mister Rogers. Were they praising him while slightly mocking him? My initial thought was “this isn’t working”…and then the film strikes. I saw this film with a jaded press/industry audience, and there were numerous signs of sniffles and crying…and even a splattering of applause at the end (something that almost never happens at industry screenings). Tom Hanks is wonderful, and Heller (DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL and CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? both played at THE NEON) works some magic (though it certainly lacks some of the edginess that her earlier indies displayed). One really nice touch was a cameo (blink and you might miss it) of Fred’s wife in a restaurant scene…she arrives at just the right moment. Even though the Focus documentary about Rogers was our highest grossing film last year, being a big studio film, this one likely won’t make it to THE NEON.

Next up, I managed to wiggle in a screening of GREED. “Festival favourite Michael Winterbottom skewers the fast-fashion industry in this scathing farce about the grotesque inequality between a retail billionaire (Steve Coogan) and the female garment workers who toil on his trendy clothing line.” (taken from TIFF catalog) This film is problematic. It’s a farce. The set-up is comedy, and the writing is scathingly good…perhaps too good. Instead of laughs, I found most of it cringe-worthy. The main character’s true lack of compassion seemed a little too probable – and thus quite hard to laugh at. That said, the film supplied a great deal of education as to how someone in this particular industry can make money – all legally (though drenched with moral irresponsibility). Title cards at the end of the film provided statistics as to how much money people in the textile industry make…and how the rich keep getting richer. It’s such an interesting piece on so many levels – and perhaps the only way to get people to see the statistics is to lure them with a comedy…but I was hardly laughing. (That said, there are some really great moments and material here.) There’s no trailer yet, but here’s a clip.

1982 “During the 1982 invasion of Lebanon at a private school on the outskirts of Beirut, 11-year-old Wissam tries to tell a classmate about his crush on her, while his teachers — on different sides of the political divide — try to mask their fears, in this poignant debut feature from Oualid Mouaness.” (taken from TIFF catalog) I went to this film namely because it stars Nadine Labaki – a director and actress I greatly admire. (We’ve shown three films she has directed, including last year’s Oscar nominee CAPERNAUM.) This film is a slow burn, but when the war keeps creeping closer and closer, it becomes rather terrifying. There’s a strange device regarding Wissam and his drawings that I didn’t really feel was needed, but the performances and tone are strong.

Before my last film, I came back to the apartment and caught up on some NEON-related items and then I stopped by a gathering for The Art House Convergence. I ran into a couple friends there, but I had to quickly scurry to the Princess of Wales Theatre.

JOJO RABBIT was my last film of the day. This was the world premiere, and many people from the cast and crew were there. “Taika Waititi (WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS) directs a riotous cast — including Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, Rebel Wilson, Thomasin McKenzie, and newcomer Roman Griffin Davis — in this daring, touching, and comedic satire about a young German boy who discovers a Jewish girl hiding in his home and consults with his imaginary best friend, Adolf Hitler (Waititi).” (taken from TIFF catalog) This film has raised a lot of eyebrows. I’ve heard numerous people chatting about how this film shouldn’t be working…it’s irresponsible…with sentiments the likes of “How can we have a comedy about Hitler Youth?” “How can Hitler be funny?” “This is sacred ground and we shouldn’t be laughing.” But satire about Hitler has been around for decades – from Chaplin’s GREAT DICTATOR to Mel Brooks’ THE PRODUCERS. And one interesting fact is that Waititi (the director) is Jewish, and he’s the one playing the absurd imaginary Hitler. This film does tread a very risky line, and some may find it in poor taste. But ultimately, it’s a film about family and realizing that hate is a learned behavior. Waititi talked about how in 1933, Hitler came to power and little by little, he made changes. People realized the changes weren’t good…but they didn’t seem “that bad.” But he continued to make more and more changes…and citizens never revolted – they allowed the changes to happen until it was too late. Waititi believes that we have to find different ways to tell these cautionary tales – because we need to learn from mistakes. The production design, costumes, photography and performances are all fantastic, and this little film is an off-color gem.

Tomorrow is quite a full day.

Thanks for checking in,

Jonathan

Preparing for The Toronto International Film Festival

September 3, 2019 By Jonathan McNeal

Hello Dayton Most Metro!

I’m leaving early tomorrow morning for Toronto…a favorite part of my job.

I’m so glad I can use this platform to once again report back home (as well as sort my thoughts) regarding my time and screenings at The Toronto International Film Festival. There are over 300 films to chose from over the next several days, and I have secured several tickets for films that I’m greatly anticipating.

Though my screening schedule is never 100% locked down, here are trailers for a handful of films that I’m excited to see:
PAIN AND GLORY – the new film from my favorite director, Pedro Almodovar

JOJO RABBIT – the new film from the director of HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE, Taika Waititi

VARDA BY AGNES – the last film from one of my favorite artists ever, Agnes Varda

Starting Thursday night, I’ll jot down notes about all the films I’m screening (and the stars I’m spotting).

Thanks for checking in!
Jonathan