NNPA News Wire Film Critic

In 2018, the stories told, talent on view, compelling characters, emotions expressed, and genres stretched were just amazing. It was more than enough to make viewers track films from the theaters to streaming services. Or vice versa.

Check out the year in movies. Enjoy.

     Ben Is Back–The plague of drug addiction hits the tony suburbs and writer/director Peter Hedges takes his audience to the front door of a home that is bearing the brunt. Julia Roberts soars as the distraught mom trying to save the life of a duplicitous son, expertly played by Lucas Hedges. Courtney B. Vance co-stars in this compelling and cautionary family/drama.

     Black Panther– The late Stan Lee left behind a key to the future. That key was Black Panther, as envisioned by the very intuitive director/writer Ryan Coogler. The African nation of Wakanda became the world’s #1 tourist destination ($1.3B at the box office). It’s supermen (Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Daniel Kaluuya) and superwomen (Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright) were artfully displayed (cinematographer Rachel Morrison) as they embodied Black power and pride.

Blindspotting– Of all the films that tackled racism and the PSTD a black man experiences as a result, this very grassroots indie captured that feeling the best. Set in gentrifying Oakland, CA, the ambitious script by lead actors Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal chronicles a time and place when inner city black neighborhoods are disappearing and the inhabitants are stressed—every day. Wonderful direction by Carlos López Estrada.

BlacKkKlansman– Leave it to filmmaker Spike Lee to find the most hard to believe but true story about a black cop (John David Washington) who infiltrates the KKK with the aid of a Jewish police officer (Adam Driver). The undercover brother even hoodwinks David Duke! A nervy and very informative look at the dimwits who joined the Klan and the brave policemen who thwarted their moves. Considering the times we live in, the 1970s subject matter has a very contemporary appeal.

Crazy Rich Asians– This jolly film is the first Asian/American movie to get a major release in 25 years! A stellar cast—Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh and Awkwafina—turn a rags-to-riches love story into the best romantic comedy of 2018. Director Jon M. Chu with writers Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim turn a golden opportunity into solid gold entertainment.

The Favourite– The stodgy English period genre gets whacked by this demented take on an 18^thcentury triad of deceitful women: Queen Anne (Olivia Colman), Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) and a very ambitious and cunning palace interloper Abigail (Emma Stone). Eccentric director Yorgos Lanthimos finally gets a project that can withstand his very demented style of direction. Evocative cinematography (Robbie Ryan) and production design (Fiona Crombie) paint an astonishing portrait of palace intrigue.

Green Book– A very unlikely story, based on true events, features the best acting duo of the year. The brilliant scholarly actor Mahershala Ali plays a concert pianist who is driven around The South, in 1962, by a burly Italian chauffeur/bodyguard played hysterically by Viggo Mortensen. The most unlikely director in the world, Peter Farrelly (Dumb and Dumber), tells the tale with a nod and a wink and peppers it with social and racial themes, real drama and historical facts. An organic crowd pleaser.

Night Comes On–Kids separated from their parents and relegated to foster homes and institutions should have their stories told. New actor-turned-director Jordana Spiro uses a script she co-wrote with Angelica Nwandu as a basis for her poignant ode to troubled youth. Dominique Fishback plays the train wreck of an 18-year-old older sibling in the process of leading her 10-year-old sister (Tatum Marilyn Hall) down the wrong path. Vulnerable characters you have to love.

Private Life– Every 10 years, writer/director Tamara Jenkins makes a feature film. It’s worth the wait. A neurotic couple, nearing middle age, tries to have a child. Previously, they were so caught up in their lives that by the time they decided to have offspring, they had to scramble and hope IVF would pay off . Tough challenge for them. Great laughs for the audience. Kathryn Hahn plays the fretful wife with anxious humor and Paul Giamatti is the put-upon husband. A sweet, delicious adult comedy.

A Quiet Place– This is the absolute best use of sound effects ever devised for a horror film. A very innovative but scary take on a post-apocalypse world where demons’ attacks are instigated by the slightest sound. Ingeniously concepted by actor/writer/director John Krasinski who guides his wife Emily Blunt into the performance of her career as the protective mom.

Best Directors

Ryan Cooler – Black Panther

Peter Farrelly – Green Book

Tamara Jenkins = Private Life

Yorgos Lanthimos = The Favourite

Best First Films

All About Nina = Eve Vives

Blindspotting = Carlos López Estrada

I Am Not a Witch = Rungano Nyoni

Night Comes On = Jordana Spiro

A Star Is Born = Bradley Cooper

Best Foreign Language Films

Capernaum

Dogman

The Guilty

I Am Not a Witch

Roma

Best Documentaries

Amazing Grace

Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat

Free Solo

Minding the Gap

Studio 54

Best Actors

Christian Bale = Vice

Chadwick Boseman = Black Panther

John Cho = Searching

Bradley Cooper = A Star is Born

Daveed Diggs = Blindspotting

Best Actresses

Emily Blunt = A Quiet Place

Kathryn Hahn = Private Life

Regina Hall = Support the Girls

Rosamund Pike = A Private War

Julia Roberts = Ben Is Back

Best Supporting Actors

Mahershala Ali = Green Book

Rafael Casal = Blindspotting

Lucas Hedges = Ben Is Back

Michael B. Jordan = Black Panther

David Zaldivar = Ben Is Back

Best Supporting Actresses

Awkwafina = Crazy Rich Asians

Claire Foy = First Man

Danai Gurira = Black Panther

Regina King = If Beale Street Could Talk

Michelle Rodriguez = Widows

Best Screenplays

Ben Is Back = Peter Hedges

Black Panther = Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole

The Favourite = Debra Davis, Tony McNamara

The Green Book = Nick Vallelonga, Brian Hayes Currie, Peter Farrelly

Private Life = Tamara Jenkins

Best Cinematography

Jimmy Chin = Free Solo

Alfonso Cuarón = Roma

James Laxton = If Beale Street Could Talk

Rachel Morrison = Black Panther

Linus Sandgren = First Man

Best Animation/CGI

The Incredibles 2

Isle of Dogs

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse

Other Great Films

22 July, Alpha, Creed II, Eighth Grade, First Man, Halloween, Leave No Trace, Love, Simon, Mission Impossible – Fallout, Mobile Homes, On the Basis of Sex, A Private War, Searching, A Star is Born, A Prayer Before Dawn, Uncle Drew, Vice, What They Had, The Wife

Worst Movies

Acrimony, Loving Pablo, Red Sparrow, Robin Hood, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Suspiria, Tomb Raider, White Boy Rick

HAPPY HOLIDAYS.