With 2018 in the books, let’s take a look back at my favorite films from last year. As you probably can tell, films with music – but not necessarily musicals – had a huge impact on me this year.
So, here’s the list, and whether you agree or disagree with the picks, I hope you can agree with me that 2018 was a very good year for feature films. Happy New Year – see you at the movies in 2019!
10. “Incredibles 2″/”Ralph Breaks the Internet” (tie) – Pixar and Disney packed a solid one-two punch with these two animated giants that were every bit as good if not better than their predecessors.
9. Black KkKlansman – Spike Lee’s searing look at at true-life African-American detective (John David Washington) who infiltrates the KKK strikes an amazing balance of humor and drama, despite the film’s deathly serious subject matter. John David Washington (the son of Denzel Washington) is a revelation in the lead and Adam Driver is terrific as his undercover partner.
8. “Vice” – Adam McKay’s dazzling look at the adult life of Vice President Dick Cheney escapes the biopic doldrums with inventive storytelling that rivals his brilliant “The Big Short.” Christian Bale amazes once again as he channels Dick Cheney and Amy Adams is looking at her first Oscar (finally!) as his force-of-nature wife and political partner Lynne Cheney.
7. “Deadpool 2” – Writer-star Ryan Reynolds amazingly ups the ante with this outrageously funny sequel to the 2016 blockbuster – and succeeds.
6. “Mary Poppins Returns” – Emily Blunt makes the impossible possible by stepping into the gargantuan shoes of Julie Andrews and making the iconic character of Mary Poppins her own. Director Rob Marshall also proves once again why he’s the go-to filmmaker when it comes to filming elaborately-staged movie musicals.
5. “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” – Even though the film was a miss financially, the stranger-than-fiction true-life story of serial forger Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy) was one of the great, previously undiscovered stories of 2018. McCarthy is brilliant in an uncharacteristic dramatic turn, and veteran actor Richard E. Grant is finally getting his due with a memorable role as Lee’s partner-in-crime.
4. “Green Book” – Peter Farrelly, one-half of the Farrelly brothers slapstick comedy writing-directing duo shows his chops for directing drama with this moving story set amid a volatile racial climate in the 1960s. Viggo Mortensen gives a career performance as an ignorant driver of an African-American pianist (Mahershala Ali) on a tour of the Deep South.
3. “A Star is Born” – Just when you think you’ve seen it all from Lady Gaga, the singer/songwriter/musician delivers a stunning performance in the third remake about a falling star (co-writer/director Bradley Cooper) and the subsequent rise of his wife’s career. The film also marks the best performance Cooper has ever given, and his direction, like his acting, could very well earn him an Oscar. Also, film’s signature song “Shallow” has become the first sure-thing Oscar since Adele’s “Skyfall.”
2. “Bohemian Rhapsody” – Rami Malek gives a transcending performance singer/songwriter/musician Freddie Mercury in what is easily the year’s best biopic about the rise to stardom of classic rockers Queen. Despite the fact that the messes around with the band’s timeline, there’s no question packs an emotional wallop throughout, capped by Queen’s landmark performance at Live Aid in 1986.
1. “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” – A deeply heartfelt look at the career of Fred Rogers and his PBS show “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood,” Morgan Neville’s documentary takes us back to a time not long ago where positivity and love triumphed over negativity and hate. Despite the proliferation of superhero movies in the marketplace, Fred Rogers shows us what a true-life superhero is. The movie could not has come at a better time in country so deeply divided.
Honorable mentions: “The Mule,” “Hereditary,” “Black Panther,” “Christopher Robin,” “A Quiet Place,” “Chappaquiddick,” “Stan & Ollie,” “Ben is Back,” “Boy Erased,” “Mission: Impossible – Fallout.”
Most overrated movies of 2018: “Roma” and “The Favourite”
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for The KQ92 Morning Show,” “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC), WCCO Radio, WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere.
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