Best Of 2018 - Movies

As we say goodbye to 2018 I thought I would share my top ten list of the best movies I saw in 2018. I kept this to movies that came out this year to help narrow it down.

These are in no particular order (as that would be impossible). There are also some movies that have come out in 2018 that I haven't had a chance to see yet (like If Beale Street Could Talk, Vice, On The Basis of Sex to name a few).

Here is my Best Movies of 2018 list:

1. A Star Is Born

My gushy review (or the fact that I saw this four times in theatres) probably already indicated this movie would be on this list. I love this movie and I will totally be rooting for it to do well this awards season. It was a critical and commercial success and is filled with a stunning, career best performance from Bradley Cooper, a fantastic supporting turn for Sam Elliott, and introduces Lady Gaga as an actress to watch.

2.The Favourite

Three powerhouse performances from Olivia Coleman, Rachel Weisz, and Emma Stone are the heart of this movie. It's a darkly humourous, feminist look at the ways in which these ladies use and are used. It flips the genre of period drama on its head and offers up a refreshing take. Watch out for Coleman to clean up during awards season!

3. BlacKkKlansman

An important movie whose gut punch ending is the stuff that stays with you. This movie has lots of humour, but it is the more serious elements that make you realize the message of this movie. Things, sadly, have not changed all that much in the years since this movie was set. All this combined with solid performances from the whole cast make this an easy one to put on this list.

4. A Simple Favor

Possibly the most fun I had at the movies this year in terms of sheer enjoyment. Blake Lively gives a career best performance as the 'bad girl' to Anna Kendrick's equally well done 'good girl'. This movie has more twists than I could count, ensures that Henry Golding will continue to see his star rise, and is more funny than you're expecting.

5. Love, Simon

This movie is a joy to watch. It's a sweet, heartfelt rom-com that also has some great family stuff at its core. Nick Robinson charms as Simon and you'll easily be rooting for him to get his happy ending.

6. Crazy Rich Asians

This movie not only had cultural significance but was another movie that offered a fun night out at the movies. Constance Wu shines as Rachel Wu. Henry Golding charms as Nick Young. The romance is sweet and filled with just enough angst. The movie itself is gorgeous to look at with a bright colour palette and beautiful Singapore setting.

7. Spiderman: Into The Spiderverse

My personal pick for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars this year. If you're a fan of Spiderman, superhero movies, or just good animation I highly recommend this one. It's a classic origin story, complete with epic moments, and it hits all of the right notes.

8. Boy Erased

A powerful movie filled with solid performances. This one may not have been a 'fun' time at the movies, but it was one that lingered with me long after I had finished watching it. It is one that I wish would be seen by those who most need to see it (which sadly will not happen).

9. Avengers: Infinity War

This one is on my list for the experience of seeing it alone. There is nothing like experiencing a huge pop cultural moment with a theatre full of fellow fans. The movie was big, loud, and pretty much everything I wanted it to be. The humour was pitch perfect, and the characters and the bonds built between them were used to great impact. This was a hard movie to pull off and Marvel not only did it, but they nailed it. The heartbreaking ending ensure that everyone will be just as eager to see Endgame and I cannot wait.

10. Black Panther 

Michael B Jordan's villainous turn as Killmonger is only one of the stand out elements of this excellent superhero movie. Ryan Coogler's directing makes this feel both familiar and unique with his attention to the little details that set this apart from the other Marvel movies. 

A Glass Of Wine At The Movies - Boy Erased

Boy Erased

Rating: 14A (Canada) / R (USA)

Director: Joel Edgerton

Language: English

Length:  114 minutes

Cast: Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe

Viewing Method: Regular Screening

Release Date: November 2, 2018 (limited)

Synopsis: Jared Eamons, the son of a small-town Baptist pastor, must overcome the fallout after being outed as gay to his parents. His father and mother struggle to reconcile their love for their son with their beliefs. Fearing a loss of family, friends and community, Jared is pressured into attending a conversion therapy program. While there, Jared comes into conflict with its leader and begins his journey to finding his own voice and accepting his true self.

********

Lucas Hedges was, once again, an award season darling last year. He was, along with Timothee Chalamet, one of the 'it boys' to grace the awards trail. He offers up another solid performance in Boy Erased. A movie that you know is going to be a tough viewing experience before you even enter the theater. A story of a young man sent to conversion therapy should ignite some strong emotions. Those emotions are there, along with some great performances, but I was also surprised at the amount of hope it instills as well.

Hedges, as mentioned previously, shines as Jared. He ensures that every emotion Jared is feeling registers with the audience. The hurt, the anger, the moments of happiness, and the eventual healing are all display. It's a performance that adds to a resume that is already pretty impressive for his age.

Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe play Jared's parents. Two religious people who are struggling with the fact that their son is gay and what it means in relation to their faith. This movie could have made them monsters. It could have made them be nothing more than a punchline or a joke. Instead this movie takes a more subtle, thoughtful approach. Kidman's Nancy is a mother struggling with what her faith says and the love she has for her son. She, much sooner than Crowe's Marshall, offers the hope this movie needs. Her love for her son shines through even when you're angry at the choices she is making. It's a more nuanced approached to this type of character that I think works for the story being told. Crowe's character never questions things the way Nancy does. He is steadfast in his belief, even as it impacts his relationships with his wife and son. The complexity of the family dynamics was welcome and well developed.

Joe Alwyn has a memorable, and very brief, turn as Henry, a young man Jared befriends at his college. There is, in particular, one scene featuring his character that lingered with me long after I finished the movie. In a movie filled with hard scenes it stands out. It's a brutal, gut punch that I wasn't expecting in the slightest. It is unsettling and is something that exists outside of the conversion therapy center Jared attends, but adds to the theme and greater story being told.

The pain and far reaching consequences of conversion therapy, and the culture that embraces it, are a large part of the message of this movie. We see what it does to people to have it drilled into them that they are 'wrong' or 'unworthy'. We see the self loathing it can lead to and what that pain can drive someone to do. We see the fractures it creates not just in the people experiencing it but those around them. The marriage of Jared's parents is one example of a relationship drastically altered because of Jared's experience and their role in it.

This movie, at times, feels less like Jared's story and more like it is trying to tell everyone's story. It makes the emotional beats hit just a little less deeply than they should have. It means that the audience is not as invested in his story. I was plenty angry about the overall situation, but it makes the characters themselves seem secondary to the over arching plot of the movie. It, for me, ultimately made this a good movie instead of a great one.

I left Boy Erased filled with rage and that is obviously what this movie intended. I was angry for all of the Jared's out there. I was heartbroken for all of the people who have lived this experience. This movie adeptly showcases the damage these conversion therapy programs cause and showcases how none of the people put through it come out without scars. If only the people who most needed to see it were actually the ones watching it. 

My Sinemia Experiment: Month 4

Month four of my 'Year of Sinemia' experiment was mostly enjoyable. It was another great month at the movies but one filled with tech glitches. The payment details that Sinemia provides to purchase the ticket don't often work right away. It can often take multiple tries to get the ticket to confirm which is beyond frustrating (even if it does eventually work). Anyone thinking of signing up should be aware that this has been an issue that mainly seems to be impacting Cineplex theatres from what I can tell (which happens to be my theatre chain of choice). 

The three movies I saw in November with my Sinemia account were Boy Erased, Ralph Breaks The Internet, and Widows. 

The movie I liked the most out of the three was Boy Erased. It's a tough watch but worth it in my opinion (review coming soon on the blog). Ralph Breaks The Internet was a fun time and the Disney Princess stuff was by far my favourite part of the movie. Widows left me wanting more in a lot of ways. It was not as good as I hoped it would be even as I recognize how others could really love it.

My savings for this month was $19.34 after taking the convenience fees into consideration. This brings my grand total savings up to $94.68 (last month's total was $75.34). I saw Ralph Breaks The Internet in 3D.

Four months in and I feel like a pro at going to the movies by myself. The inner voice that told me everyone in the theatre was judging me for being by myself has pretty much disappeared. This experiment is showing me how to like my own company in a way that I didn't really expect when I started it. I may even say that I LIKE going to the movies by myself now. I get to pick when and where I see it. I can travel halfway across the city to the one theatre that is showing the movie that I want to see if I want. I don't have to think about anyone else's schedule. It's still great to go with friends and I miss talking to people about the movies after I see them but I don't hate going alone anywhere near what I did previously.

The other exciting thing in movie news is that I'll soon have more options of where I can go watch movies using Sinemia. ByTowne Cinema, a theatre that often showcases movies that are not available in other theatres including harder to find Oscar contenders, will soon have online ticket sales. It was cash only previously which meant it was not an option under Sinemia (as they provide a credit card number for you to book the ticket online). This change will happen in the early part of the new year and I am so excited. I am going to contact Sinemia to get them to add it as soon as it is available.

As I begin seeing my three December movies I can't help but think of all the amazing sounding movie offerings the new year will bring. This experiment has definitely ensured I have seen more movies than I ever have before and I think it is going to be hard to go back to not having it. We still have eight months so we'll see but, even with the hiccups I have had, this program has already proven it's worth (or at least a program like it).

I'll end this was a plea for suggestions. January is looking pretty empty in terms of movies I want to see. This does not include any of the Oscar movies that Ottawa inevitably gets later than everywhere else with some of them being limited release at first. I may struggle to find three that I want to see (possibly) so, dear blog readers, what movies are you excited for in January? Let me know in the comments.

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

BOOKS

The Girls Podcast

Sadie by Courtney Summers is one of the most buzzed about books of the fall season. It's been compared to the wildly popular Serial podcast and is hitting right in the middle of this wave of popularity true crime based media is having right now.

This is, from what I understand, the podcast portion of the novel. The novel has different perspectives and one of them is this podcast that a guy is hosting. I love the idea of getting to hear it as well as reading it as part of the book. It's another way to layer the story. I am lucky enough to have a copy of this and I cannot wait to dive in. The podcast starts August 1st but you can subscribe now at Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

TV/MOVIE

American Horror Story Season 8 Theme

I always look forward to the theme reveal for the upcoming American Horror Story season. This one is supposed to be a Murder House/Coven crossover and I am so into it.

The official theme is Apocalypse and the first teaser image is TERRIFYING!

Excited that it is starting a little earlier this year. I cannot wait to see what cast members are returning and to learn more about how this image might relate to the plot of the season.

Stranger Things Season 3 Teaser

Anything Stranger Things is immediately going to get me excited and this teaser is no exception. It teases a new location, a new job for everyone's favourite babysitter, and perhaps even a release date for the new season.

I really hope the mention of the new mall opening 'next summer' is not a clue to the release date of the third season. I am already pining for this show to return and another year wait would be rough.

Boy Erased Trailer

The trailers for all of the Oscar bait movies just keep coming. This one looks like it could have some real potential as well.

It filled me with a lot of rage but also made me think about the fact that places this like still exist in parts of the world.

Bohemian Rhapsody Trailer #2

"Ready, Freddie?" I liked the first trailer for Bohemian Rhapsody enough but this second one is incredible. I got chills a few times during this second one. I didn't know a mix of multiple Queen songs was something I wanted but apparently it is.

Goosebumps, right? Rami Malek looks stunning in this and I predict he'll be solid. I am still a little concerned because of all the directing drama that happened during the filming of this but I have a little more faith now that I've seen this trailer. The scene at the very end? You see the thrall Freddie Mercury and Queen put on the audience.

OTHER

Murder With Friends Youtube Show (link)

My friend mentioned this Youtube show to me because of my interest in true crime and I immediately needed to check it out. It's an interesting show that feels like a discuss I would have with my friends.

The quick (most episodes are less than 20 minutes) make them perfect for binge watching. You'll fly through them pretty fast. The good thing is that there are quite a few to catch up on if you're just starting to watch.

One thing to note: They do tend to show crime scene photos during their episodes (with helpful warnings before) so just be aware of that if you do decide to check it out.

What are you obsessed with this week? Let me know in the comments.