January 7, 2020

AnksReview - Top 10 Hollywood Movies of 2019

I thank everyone for their responses and highest views of my blog on 2019 Top 10 Hindi films and now it's time to list out my Top 10 Hollywood Films of 2019. I am sure there are plenty of good movies beyond this list and once Oscar nomination comes out we will have more movies that can be put on the watch list. I have made this list based on nearly 100s of movies released in 2019, I might have seen this year so please excuse me if I missed any great ones. The list below is in order of its ranking and one special mention of Korean movie "Parasite" which is beyond ranking and deserves special mention over here.

1. Joker



Joker is a movie based on the famous character of DC Comics written and directed by Todd Phillips where the lead role played by Joaquin Phoenix. The movie deep dives into the building of Joker's personality by delving into it's past. I have seen this movie around 6 times now and each time I watch it, I find beauty and perfection in every frame. I am sure this movie will be the front runner in Oscar for Best Film and Best Acting and indeed this is the best movie of 2019 from all the aspects.

2. 1917

1917 is an epic war movie directed by Sam Mendes based on a true event set up during World War I where two soldiers were given a mission to deliver a message about warning of an ambush by Germans to save lives of 1600 British soldiers. There are several war movies made but this one stands out on top of all just the way this movie was made in a form of a continuous shot from beginning to the end. It will keep you on edge and this one certainly class apart on all aspect of movies making.

3. Ford Vs. Ferrari


Ford vs. Ferrari is a movie directed by James Mangold, based on true events when Henry Ford II was trying to acquire Ferrari but lost the deal to Fiat and decided to take on Ferrari in the race circuit by its GT40 model designed by Ford's ace design engineer. The story is thrilling where it convinces us how passion and teamwork can take on the best racing team in the world. Amazing direction, action, editing and not to miss the acting performance by Matt Damon and Christina Bale.


4. The Irishman



What happens when you have great talents like Al Pacino, Rober De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Martin Scorsese teams up together? The result is- another great timeless Masterpiece. The Irishman is three and a half hours a crime drama based on the true story of a politician Jimmy Hoffa and his disappearance. It's a slow-paced movie that takes you through the life of three friends back in time in a backdrop of mob crime and politics. It's a perfect cinematic experience with a strong performance by all great actors and another gem from Martin Scorsese who is best at such crime dramas.


5. Togo
Togo is a true story based on the remarkable journey also known as the "Great Race of Mercy" of breeder Leonard and his snow dog Togo set in 1925, in which dog-sled teams relayed to transport serum through harsh conditions over nearly 700 miles to save the children of Alaskan town of Nome suffering from deadly epidemic. It was Togo and his survival spirit who leads the team of Dogs and his master through deadliest terrain on harsh winter to get the drugs on time. This is a hell of an adventure and an amazing performance by Willem Dafoe and of course a Siberian husky "Togo".

6. The Two Popes
The Two Popes is a Netflix film based on the biographical tale of two popes- Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis of recent times, directed by Fernando Meirelles. The story starts with the election of Pope Benedict XVI and moves further in time and covers conversation between Pope Benedict and Cardinal Bergoglio (later Pope Francis). It's a beautifully made movie with a superb acting performance by Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce backed by amazing dialogs setup in the background of charismatic Vitacan City, Rome. 

7. Knives Out


Knives out is a mystery-thriller directed by Rian Johnson with an awesome set of the cast filled with lots of twist n turns which always keeps you on the edge guessing where the movie is going. The story is based on how a family gathering goes awry after the mysterious suicidal death of family patriarchal which calls for a famous detective to investigate the possibility of murder and motive. This is one of those spy thriller where the cause of death is out in open but still carries mystery till the end. The beauty of the movie is its the screenplay and several characters backed with perfect direction.

8. Marriage Story
Marriage Story is a Netflix film directed by Noah Baumbach, a story about a Modern Couple going through a divorce. The beauty of this movie is its story, a realistic treatment of the relationship between a couple who are estranged however has love and respect for each other. It's a well-directed movie backed by the super performance of Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson.

9. John Wick 3: Parabellum
Ok, John Wick has already achieved its cult status but its John Wick 3 - Parabellum which makes it further perfect to carry the story to its conclusion (if there is any). There is no logic here but just a swag of Keanu Reeves and awesome action to relive the experience of it's earlier two installments. If you like an action flick, watch this one again and again and you will love it more each time.

10. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a ninth movie of Quentin Tarantino loosely based on the famous murder of Sharon Tate by Charlie Hanson family in Beverly Hills setup in backdrop way back in the 60s/70s, a Golden Era of Hollywood. It's Quentin tribute to Hollywood's Golden Era with two fictional characters and a real murder incidence by hippies which was again fictionalized as per Tarantino's Vision. What a shame that the 9th film of Quentin Tarantino is appearing at no. 10 in my list and this ranking is also because I loved the styling the movie especially my fanboy moments after seeing top-notch performances by Leonardo Di Caprio and Brad Pitt. The movie failed to deliver as a good story however in parts through some scenes and sequences, it's really out of the world.

Special Mentions

Parasite
A Parasite is a Korean drama-thriller directed by Bong Joon-ho which is most talked about Foreign language movie of the year. The movie is about two families- Park Family, the picture of aspirational wealth and the Kim Family, an underprivileged who are street smarts but not much else. The movie is about how their lives come together and turn after an extraordinary event.

There is always a time when you hit the movie which is a class apart and have such a unique story well packaged with its direction, acting performance that it just simply stand out from any movies you have ever seen. This is one such movie which you can't compare with anyone and keep it in your collection as one the most special movie. The least this movie deserves is an Oscar Award for Best Foreign Film.

Another Hollywood Movies which were great but somehow couldn't make it to Top 10

The Laundromat
The Laundromat is another Netflix film directed by Steven Soderbergh based on true events related to the Panama scandal. This is another Netflix film in my Top 10 list which has not received good ratings but I simply love the way movie was made with various incidences, its narration, characters, its dark humor treatment and not to miss the acting performance of Meryl Streep.


El Camino : A Breaking Bad Movie
El Camino - A Breaking Bad Movie, a crime thriller made in the form of the movie showing sequel of Breaking Bad, telling the story of Jesse Pinkman which needed a closure when the series ended. Of course, it can't beat the TV Series and interestingly it doesn't want itself to; but complement it in the best manner. You will only love this movie if you have completed watching the series.

Ad Astra
Ad Astra is a SciFi thriller directed by James Gray about an astronaut who in near future travels up to Venus to protect cosmic surge caused by his astronaut father who goes missing on the same mission 26 years back. It's a simple story but with deep emotion and amazing acting performance by Brad Pitt.

Toy Story 4
What more to write about this great Franchise, isn't it a must-watch, like other Toy Story movies this one also justifies the beautiful adventure of Woody.

The Last Black Man in San Francisco
The Last Black Man of San Francisco is The Last Black Man in San Francisco is a drama film directed by Joe Talbot, centers on the futile efforts of a Black man to reclaim his childhood home, a Victorian house which, following renovation, is now valued at $4 million. It's a heart-touching story about friendship, legacy and skewed one-sided corrupt system of today's time.

Some of the Movies which I need to yet to watch...

The Lighthouse
Uncut Gems

* Image Sources - All images are taken from Google Image Search and from a website such as IMDB.com and Wikipedia and belong to its respective owners.

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