Matt's Blog

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 20 February 2020

The Invisible Man is the latest movie from Australian director Leigh Whannell (Insidious: Chapter 3, Upgrade).  He was recently in Sydney as part of a publicity tour and I had a chance to chat with him for 10 minute about the project…

Matt:  You’ve been writing movies for a long time with your good friend James Wan.  How have you found the transition to directing over the last few years with Insidious: Chapter 3, Upgrade and now The Invisible Man?

Leigh:  I’ve loved it but I was terrified about directing for a while.  In hindsight, I’ve now released that directors deliberately tell their worst war stories to discourage people from taking up directing so they don’t have as much competition (laughs).  Director friends would tell me how hard and stressful it was.  When I finally did direct, I found it stressful at times but it’s also really fun and I’d love to keep going with it.

Matt:  You have a lot of experience in the horror-thriller genre and for me, it’s one of the toughest to create movies that feel original and don’t rely too heavily on clichés.  Do you have a secret that you apply?

Leigh:  There’s no real secret.  If there was, it’d be too easy.  It’s more abstract.  The only rule… if I have one at all… is to just follow my gut.  You have these creative instincts and sometimes you distrust them.  You’ll have a good idea and then you’ll agonise for days thinking you can make it better.  I often find that the first ideas I have are the ones I come back to.   

Matt:  Correct me if I’m wrong but is the first movie where you’ve adapted a source material as opposed to coming up with something original.  How was that challenge?

Leigh:  Yeah, it is.  It’s been an interesting movie because while it’s based on the classic character, I diverted a lot from the original novel so it still feels new.  I wanted to modernize the character and make a film that was unpleasant and suffocating to watch.  Something that would make the audience so tense that they’d want to leave the theatre.  That was my goal for the film.

Matt:  I often wonder how directors settle on a first scene.  Do you ease audiences into the movie or do you go with a big start?  The first scene here is incredibly tense and tells us this isn’t going to be a goofy, lightweight monster movie.  How’d you settle on that approach?

Leigh:  I decided to drop the audience right in the middle of the story.  As you said, films will often spend time establishing characters but for this particular film, I wanted the audience to be tense without necessarily knowing why they were tense.  Horror films often have a couple of scenes that are scary and the filmmakers will let you off the hook for a little while.  I didn’t want to do that.  I wanted every scene to be relentlessly suffocating in some way.  I’m not sure if I achieved it but that’s what I was going for.

Matt:  One thing that’s obvious with The Invisible Man is the great use of sound… or perhaps the lack thereof.  When are you making those decisions?  Is it while you’re shooting or is something refined with sound effects in the editing room?

Leigh:  I think it’s all of the above.  When I decide to write a screenplay, I spend a lot of time just coming up with ideas.  It’s my favourite part of screenwriting – the part when you’re not writing and you spend a couple of months just jotting down ideas, going for walks, and watching other movies for inspiration.  You build a collage of what the film should be.  During that time, it’s usually when I decide what I want the film to sound like and look like.

As you make the film and bring in talented crew members, you start to refine that.  I was working here with a sound mixer named Will Files.  He’s worked on countless Hollywood blockbusters and I found he was very receptive to doing something different and outside the box.  I’m glad you noticed the sound design of the film.

Matt:  Another interesting element here is the visual effects – you have a character being hit and thrown around by someone who is completely invisible.  How do you pull that off?  Is it stunts, special effects, great acting?

Leigh:  It’s a little mixture of everything.  I’m a real fan of practical effects where you do something on the set with a real object.  I’m not big on green screen and CGI.  Yes, I use computer driven effects when needed and they’re a great tool but I don’t want everything to be like that.  I want to use real locations, real people and real props whenever I can.

We had a stunt man wearing a green suit who was fighting with Elisabeth Moss and we then had the difficult task of removing him from the shot.  In amongst that, we’ve got really old school practical effects from 100 years ago like using rope to pull objects out of frame.  When you mix it all together, the end result is effective.

Matt:  Elisabeth Moss is outstanding in the lead role.  She’s a very credible character.  How do you create that as a director?  Is there a lot of instruction that you provide or is something that an actress like Elisabeth instinctively gets?

Leigh:  It stars with the screenplay.  I’m alone in a room and I have to be able to imagine this person.  I often use someone I know in my real life as a base for the character.  It makes it easier than creating someone out of thin air.  When I met Elisabeth, she had lots of ideas and thoughts which I was welcoming of.  I took the approach of collaborating with her.  She’s a producer on The Handmaid’s Tale and so she’s used to having her input heard.  Between the two of us, we created this flesh and blood human and hopefully when people see the movie, they feel like they know the person.  You used the word “credible” and that’s about as big a compliment as I can get.

Matt:  I don’t want to give too much away but the door has been left open for more movies in this franchise.  Is it something you might be involved with?

Leigh:  I’m not really sure.  I’m very superstitious when it comes to filmmaking.  So much of it is gambling.  You can try to pretend you have control but at the end of the day, it’s totally up to the universe as to whether it’s a success.  I have no control over whether people go and see it.  I try not to think about a sequel because I’m worried about jinxing it.  I guess we’ll just see what happens when the film comes out.

Matt:  I’ll finish up by asking what you’re working on at the moment.  What will we see from you next?

Leigh:  I’ve had my name attached to a few projects but there’s nothing locked in for now.  I’m looking forward to taking a break and spending time with the family.  I like to let films hit me.  It’s when you’re in the shower or sitting in the back yard… it’s the moments you least expect when an idea comes along.  You’ve got to make time for that.  If I want to be sitting on a beach somewhere and letting a movie idea hit me… then I’ve got to make time to sit on a beach.  I’m looking forward to the break.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 11 February 2020

History has been made at the 2020 Academy Awards!  Parasite has become the first subtitled movie to win the Oscar for best picture in the 92 year history of the ceremony.  There have been times when I thought that streak would break (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Babel, Roma) but it’s taken until 2020 for it to finally happen.

Most categories played out as expected (favourite backers were happy).  The acting winners were all locks going in for example.  However, it all went wild when Bong Joon Ho won best director (breaking a run of 15 out of 16 DGA winners who have won the Oscar) and then Parasite itself taking best picture (breaking a run of 12 out of 14 PGA winners who have won the Oscar).

Here are the major winners…

Best Picture – Parasite

Best Director – Bong Joon Ho (Parasite)

Best Actor – Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)

Best Actress – Renee Zellweger (Judy)

Best Supporting Actor – Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)

Best Supporting Actress – Laura Dern (Marriage Story)

Best Original Screenplay – Parasite

Best Adapted Screenplay – Jojo Rabbit

Best International Feature – Parasite

Best Animated Feature – Toy Story 4

Best Documentary Feature – American Factory

 

Oscars gambling

I outlined my Oscars bets last week and I am therefore pumped for Parasite’s win.  I had $100 on it at $10 back in early December and I tipped it as the winner in my e-newsletter from 19 November 2019.  It’s on a par with Susan Sarandon, Halle Berry, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Mark Rylance and Spotlight as one of my great Oscar wins.  Coupled with my Jojo Rabbit screenplay win and my Globes win, it’s another healthy year of profit (my 5^th straight).  Here’s my latest tally…

1996 – profit of $750 – won on Susan Sarandon

1997 – profit of $300 (cumulative profit $1,050) – won on Frances McDormand

1998 – loss of $250 (cumulative profit $800)

1999 – loss of $250 (cumulative profit $550)

2000 – profit of $620 (cumulative profit $1,170) – won on Kevin Spacey and Michael Caine

2001 – loss of $190 (cumulative profit $980) – won on director Steven Soderbergh

2002 – profit of $480 (cumulative profit $1,460) – won on Halle Berry

2003 – profit of $275 (cumulative profit $1,735) – won on Catherine Zeta-Jones and Adrien Brody

2004 – profit of $150 (cumulative profit $1,875) – won on Sean Penn

2005 – profit of $214 (cumulative profit $2,089) – won on Hilary Swank

2006 – profit of $350 (cumulative profit $2,439) – won on Reese Witherspoon

2007 – profit of $1,463 (cumulative profit $3,912) – won on Eddie Murphy at Globes, Alan Arkin & West Bank Story at Oscars

2008 – profit of $268 (cumulative profit of $4,280) – won on Tilda Swinton and the Coen brothers

2009 – profit of $253 (cumulative profit of $4,533) – won on Mickey Rourke & Kate Winslet at Globes, Kate Winslet at Oscars

2010 – loss of $830 (cumulative profit of $3,703)

2011 – profit of $30 (cumulative profit of $3,733) – won on Social Network at Globes, Tom Hooper & King’s Speech at Oscars

2012 – loss of $640 (cumulative profit of $3,093) – won on Jean Dujardin at Oscars

2013 – loss of $850 (cumulative profit of $2,243) – won on Ang Lee at Oscars

2014 – loss of $72 (cumulative profit of $2,171) – won on Matthew McConaughey at Globes and Oscars

2015 – loss of $50 (cumulative profit of $2,121) – won on Eddie Redmayne at Oscars

2016 – profit of $1,325 (cumulative profit of $3,446) – won on Mark Rylance and Spotlight at Oscars

2017 – profit of $870 (cumulative profit of $4,316) – won on Damien Chazelle, Casey Affleck, Emma Stone and Mahershala Ali at Oscars

2018 – profit of $330 (cumulative profit of $4,646) – won on Frances McDormand and Three Billboards at Globes and Frances McDormand at Oscars

2019 – profit of $1,022 (cumulative profit of $5,668) – won on Rami Malek and Green Book at Globes and Green Book at Oscars

2020 – profit of $1,042 (cumulative profit of $6,710) – won on Taron Egerton at Globes, and Jojo Rabbit (screenplay) and Parasite at Oscars

May the good times continue!

 

Oscars competition

A huge congratulations to Rob Eddy who has won my 20^th Annual Pick the Oscars competition.  No one managed 6 out of 6 (many came unstuck with Parasite winning picture) but we had 6 entrants coming close with 5 out of 6.  It therefore came down to the tie-breaker question – the best picture presenter was Jane Fonda who is 82 years of age.  Rob was spot on with his age prediction.  Others to get 5 out of 6 were Sam Dagan, Peter Wickins, Jenny Goodman, Katie Read and Jimmy Orsag.

Make sure you enter again next year!

Well, that’s it for me.  I’m off to enjoy a drink!

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 02 January 2020

Since 2011, I have been pulling together a list of the best movies of the year according to the Brisbane-based critics who I run into regularly at preview screenings.  Those films to have topped prior year lists have been Drive in 2011, Argo in 2012, Gravity in 2013, Boyhood in 2014, Mad Max: Fury Road in 2015, La La Land in 2016, Get Out in 2017 and The Favourite in 2018.

To come up with an overall top 10, I’ve used a simple points system and applied it to the list of each critic. It is as follows:
 - 3 points for the top film on each list.
 - 2 points for the films ranked between 2nd and 5th on each list.
 - 1 point for the films ranked between 6th and 10th on each list.

If two films finished on the same score, the film that appeared on the most number of top 10 lists is ranked higher (as an indication of wider approval).

In the 9 years that I’ve putting together this list, we’ve never had such a comprehensive winner.  Parasite is the clear choice of Brisbane critics as the best film of 2019.  The Palme d’Or winner from South Korean director Bong Joon-ho was ranked in the “top 10” by 11 of 12 critics (it was only my list where it was missing!) and 6 critics had it as their top movie of the year.

Parasite finished 14 points ahead of the second place getter, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (the previous record winning margin was La La Land by 10 points in 2016).  The other two films to appear on more than 50% of the critics’ respective “top 10” lists were Knives Out in 3^rd place and Us in 4^th place.

Another milestone this year was the inclusion of 3 foreign language films in the top 10.  In addition to Parasite, both Portrait of a Lady on Fire and Pain and Glory made the cut with 3 critics naming Antonio Banderas (the star of Pain and Glory) as giving the year’s best performance.

The remaining films on the list included two Netflix dramas, The Irishman and Marriage Story, and two comedies, Jojo Rabbit and Booksmart.

 

On that note, here are the top 10 movies of 2019 according to Brisbane critics…

Brisbane Film Critics - Top 10 of 2019
1.  Parasite
2.  Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
3.  Knives Out
4.  Us
5.  Portrait of a Lady on Fire
6.  The Irishman
7.  Jojo Rabbit
8.  Marriage Story
9.  Booksmart
10.  Pain and Glory

You can view a table of all the votes and final scores by clicking here.

A big thanks to all the critics who were able to contribute. Hopefully we'll do it again next year!

You can check out information on all the Brisbane critics (along with their choices for the best and worst of 2019) below.
 

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Matthew Toomey Born in Brisbane, Matt Toomey was introduced to the world of cinema when he landed a job at a video store fresh out of high school in 1995. A few years later, he started his own website and reviewed movies regularly on a community radio station. In 2005, he joined the team at 612ABC and can be heard reviewing the latest releases every Thursday morning. He can also be heard weekly on regional ABC throughout Queensland. Website: thefilmpie.com Twitter: @ToomeyMatt

Top 10 Released Films:
1.	If Beale Street Could Talk
2.	Eighth Grade
3.	The Guilty
4.	The Nightingale
5.	Portrait of a Lady on Fire
6.	The Report
7.	The Australian Dream
8.	Toy Story 4
9.	Dogman
10.	Burning

Best Australian Film:

The Nightingale

Best Animated Film:

Toy Story 4

Best Documentary:

The Australian Dream

Best Performance:

Elsie Fisher (Eighth Grade)

Worst Film:

After

Most Surprised To Enjoy:

Cold Pursuit

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Sarah Ward Sarah Ward is a freelance film critic, arts and culture writer, and film festival organiser. She is the Australia-based critic for Screen International, the film and weekend editor for Concrete Playground, a writer for the Goethe-Institut Australien’s Kino in Oz, and a contributor to Flicks Australia, SBS, SBS Movies and ScreenHub. Her work has been published by the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, AACTA, Birth.Movies.Death, Junkee, FilmInk, Lumina, Senses of Cinema, Broadsheet, Televised Revolution, ArtsHub, Metro Magazine, Screen Education and the World Film Locations book series. She is also the editor of Trespass Magazine, a film and TV critic for ABC radio Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, and has worked with the Brisbane International Film Festival, Queensland Film Festival, Sydney Underground Film Festival and Melbourne International Film Festival. Websites: concreteplayground.com screendaily.com/sarah-ward/1100859.contributor goethe.de/ins/au/en/kul/sup/kio.html flicks.com.au/author/sarah-ward/ sbs.com.au/guide/person/sarah-ward sbs.com.au/movies/person/sarah-ward birthmoviesdeath.com/author/sarah.ward trespassmag.com Twitter: @swardplay

Top 10 Released Films:
1.	Parasite
2.	The Nightingale
3.	Portrait of a Lady on Fire
4.	Pain and Glory
5.	Us
6.	High Life
7.	Burning
8.	Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
9.	Marriage Story
10.	The Irishman

Top Unreleased Films:
1.	Little Joe
2.	Synonyms
3.	True History of the Kelly Gang
4.	I Lost My Body
5.	Atlantics

Best Australian Film:

The Nightingale

Best Animated Film:

Weathering with You

Best Documentary:

Varda by Agnes

Best Performance:

Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory)

Worst Film:

Cats

Most Surprised To Enjoy:

Crawl

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Garry Williams Garry Williams is a reviewer for Film Club, a radio program broadcast on 4ZZZ-FM (102.1FM) each Thursday from 6-7pm. Website: 4zzz.org.au/program/film-club Twitter: @thegeegenie

Top 10 Released Films:
1.	Woman at War
2.	Parasite
3.	Sorry We Missed You
4.	Joker
5.	Us
6.	Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
7.	The Irishman
8.	Pain and Glory
9.	Official Secrets
10.	The Report

Top Unreleased Films:
1.	Capital in the 20th Century
2.	The Spy Gone North
3.	Memory: The Origins of Alien
4.	Untouchable
5.	Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Best Australian Film:

Acute Misfortune

Best Animated Film:

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

Best Documentary:

2040

Best Performance:

Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory)

Worst Film:

The Nightingale

Most Surprised To Enjoy:

Rocketman

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Peter Gray Peter Gray is a Brisbane based freelance entertainment writer specialising in film. Currently the entertainment reporter/film reviewer for QNews, Queensland’s largest LGBT publication, and regular contributor to Brisbanista, The AU Reviews and This is Film. Website: rottentomatoes.com/critic/peter-gray/movies brisbanista.com.au thisisfilm.com qnews.com.au Twitter: @ratedPDG

Top 10 Released Films:
1.	Parasite
2.	Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
3.	Pain and Glory
4.	Marriage Story
5.	Booksmart
6.	Us
7.	Destroyer
8.	Midsommar
9.	The Farewell
10.	Hustlers

Top Unreleased Films:
1.	Dolemite Is My Name
2.	The Day Shall Come
3.	Little Monsters
4.	The Perfection
5.	In Fabric

Best Australian Film:

The Nightingale

Best Animated Film:

Toy Story 4

Best Documentary:

The Australian Dream

Best Performance:

Florence Pugh (Midsommar)

Worst Film:

Cats

Most Surprised To Enjoy:

Child's Play

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Ella Donald Ella is a journalist, writer, and academic. She teaches at the University of Queensland, she's a regular contributor to GQ magazine, also she writes profiles, features, and interviews for publications like Vanity Fair, The Guardian, The Saturday Paper, ABC, and The Sydney Morning Herald. Website: elladonaldwriter.wordpress.com Twitter: @ellafdonald

Top 10 Released Films:
1.	Portrait of a Lady on Fire
2.	Mystify: Michael Hutchence
3.	Parasite
4.	Knives Out
5.	Jojo Rabbit
6.	Woman at War
7.	Booksmart
8.	Little Woods
9.	Ford v Ferrari
10.	Vox Lux

Top Unreleased Films:
1.	Little Women
2.	Dark Waters
3.	Matthias et Maxime
4.	Homecoming
5.	A Hidden Life

Best Australian Film:

Mystify: Michael Hutchence

Best Animated Film:

Toy Story 4

Best Documentary:

Mystify: Michael Hutchence

Best Performance:

Brad Pitt (Ad Astra)

Worst Film:

Joker

Most Surprised To Enjoy:

Charlie's Angels

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David Edwards David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb Magazine and writes about film and television. Website: www.theblurb.com.au Twitter: @TheBlurbMag

Top 10 Released Films:
1.	Parasite
2.	Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
3.	The Farewell
4.	Birds of Passage
5.	Booksmart
6.	Knives Out
7.	Jojo Rabbit
8.	If Beale Street Could Talk
9.	The White Crow
10.	Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché

Top Unreleased Films:
1.	1917
2.	The Sound of Silence
3.	The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Best Australian Film:

Judy and Punch

Best Animated Film:

Toy Story 4

Best Documentary:

Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché

Best Performance:

Awkwafina (The Farewell)

Worst Film:

Promised

Most Surprised To Enjoy:

Zombieland: Double Tap

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Dave Crewe Freelance film critic with a fondness for arthouse and grindhouse films in roughly equal measure. Obsessed with David Lynch. Founding editor of ccpopculture, and freelances for SBS Movies, Junkee, The Brag, Metro Magazine and Screen Education, amongst others. Website: ccpopculture.com Twitter: @dacrewe

Top 10 Released Films:
1.	Ad Astra
2.	Parasite
3.	Pain and Glory
4.	The Irishman
5.	Portrait of a Lady on Fire
6.	Hustlers
7.	Avengers: Endgame
8.	If Beale Street Could Talk
9.	Rocketman
10.	Us

Top Unreleased Films:
1.	Knife + Heart
2.	Under the Silver Lake
3.	Colour Out of Space
4.	El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
5.	So Long, My Son

Best Australian Film:

The Furies

Best Animated Film:

Toy Story 4

Best Documentary:

Travis Scott: Look Mom I Can Fly

Best Performance:

Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory)

Worst Film:

Secret Obsession

Most Surprised To Enjoy:

Terminator: Dark Fate

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Rob Hudson Rob Hudson is the editor of popular culture website modmove.com and reviews film, theatre and music. Website: modmove.com Twitter: @modmove

Top 10 Released Films:
1.	Parasite
2.	Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
3.	The Irishman
4.	Knives Out
5.	Jojo Rabbit
6.	Hotel Mumbai
7.	Booksmart
8.	Avengers: Endgame
9.	The Nightingale
10.	Us

Top Unreleased Films:
1.	Dolemite Is My Name
2.	El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
3.	Love, Antosha
4.	Hail Satan?
5.	Velvet Buzzsaw

Best Australian Film:

The Nightingale

Best Animated Film:

Toy Story 4

Best Documentary:

Apollo 11

Best Performance:

Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)

Worst Film:

Playing with Fire

Most Surprised To Enjoy:

Ready or Not

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Baz McAlister Walkley Award finalist Baz McAlister is a writer and deputy night editor at The Courier-Mail and The Sunday Mail, and co-hosts 'Force Material', a podcast about the secrets, history and influences of Star Wars. Website: bazmcalister.wordpress.com www.forcematerial.com Twitter: @bazmcalister

Top 10 Released Films:
1.	Jojo Rabbit
2.	Us
3.	Parasite
4.	Knives Out
5.	Midsommar
6.	Avengers: Endgame
7.	Booksmart
8.	Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
9.	The Kid Who Would Be King
10.	Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best Australian Film:

The Nightingale

Best Animated Film:

Toy Story 4

Best Documentary:

Free Solo

Best Performance:

Lupita Nyong'o (Us)

Worst Film:

Rambo: Last Blood

Most Surprised To Enjoy:

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

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Adam Roboczi Adam Raboczi is a reviewer for 4ZZZ’s Film Club (Thursdays @ 6pm) and manages the show’s Facebook page.  He can currently be blamed for adding the dreaded CGI to movies. Website: 4zzzfm.org.au/program/film-club facebook.com/4zzzFilmClub/ Twitter: n/a

Top 10 Released Films:
1.	Parasite
2.	Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
3.	Burning
4.	Knives Out
5.	Marriage Story
6.	Midsommar
7.	The House That Jack Built
8.	The Farewell
9.	Woman at War
10.	Dragged Across Concrete

Top Unreleased Films:
1.	In Fabric
2.	Her Smell
3.	Dolemite Is My Name
4.	Dogs Don't Wear Pants
5.	The Art of Self-Defense

Best Australian Film:

The Nightingale

Best Animated Film:

Frozen 2

Best Documentary:

The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley

Best Performance:

Elizabeth Moss (Her Smell)

Worst Film:

Cats

Most Surprised To Enjoy:

Wild Rose

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Nick L'Barrow Talking about all the latest releases via 60 second video reviews on Instagram! Also, a contributing writer for Novastream and panellist on various podcasts for the Finely Taylored YouTube channel. Website: instagram.com/nicksflicksfix novastreamnetwork.com Twitter: n/a

Top 10 Released Films:
1.	Parasite
2.	The Irishman
3.	Marriage Story
4.	Knives Out
5.	Portrait of a Lady on Fire
6.	Jojo Rabbit
7.	Ford v Ferrari
8.	Joker
9.	Ad Astra
10.	John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum

Top Unreleased Films:
1.	Monos
2.	El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
3.	Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened
4.	Paddleton
5.	Dolemite Is My Name

Best Australian Film:

Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan

Best Animated Film:

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

Best Documentary:

The Australian Dream

Best Performance:

Adam Driver (Marriage Story)

Worst Film:

Playing with Fire

Most Surprised To Enjoy:

Good Boys

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Shayne Grieve Shayne currently teaches Film and TV at Grace Lutheran College and tries to justify all his cinema visits as professional development. Website: thisisfilm.com Twitter: @ShayneTIF

Top 10 Released Films:
1.	Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
2.	The Irishman
3.	Parasite
4.	Avengers: Endgame
5.	Us
6.	Marriage Story
7.	Ad Astra
8.	Knives Out
9.	If Beale Street Could Talk
10.	John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum

Best Animated Film:

Toy Story 4

Best Performance:

Adam Driver (Marriage Story)

Worst Film:

Hellboy

Most Surprised To Enjoy:

Hustlers

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 18 December 2019

As is tradition, I like to finish up each year by unveiling my top 10 movies.  I had the chance to see and review just over 200 films in 2019.

A quick (unfortunate) shout-out to my worst films of the year – After, Swimming with Men, The Kitchen, The Trouble with You, Promised, The House That Jack Built, 47 Metres Down: Uncaged, Angel Has Fallen and Rambo: Last Blood.  I’m sure those films will have their fans… but I’m not one of them.

In terms of the best, excellent films I couldn’t squeeze into my top 10 list this year include Cold Pursuit, Mary Poppins Returns, Free Solo, Woman at War, Pain and Glory, Booksmart, Wild Rose, Avengers: Endgame, The Farewell, Official Secrets, Pavarotti and Parasite.

On that note though, here are my top 10 films of 2019 in reverse order…

10. Burning (out Apr 18) is an absorbing drama-thriller from South Korea. It's the tale of an introverted young man who bumps into a girl he knew from school but hasn't seen in years. This is a film with some great conversations and plenty of twists and turns. Lots to think about afterwards.

9. Dogman (out Aug 29) is a gut-wrenching, sad Italian drama about a kind-hearted dog groomer who, in trying to make a better life for his young daughter, falls in with the wrong crowd. Great performances. Powerful themes.

8. Toy Story 4 (out Jun 20) is another funny, intelligent, sentimental movie within this successful franchise that will appeal to audiences of all ages. The terrific script is filled with great dialogue, cool new characters and exquisite metaphors. If you’re looking for a reason to smile, Toy Story 4 will provide.

7. The Australian Dream (out Aug 22) is an affecting documentary that delves into the racial abuse endured by AFL footballer Adam Goodes during the final years of his playing career and the reasons it left such an impact. With a wide range of interviewees, my wish is that every Australian see this film.

6. The Report (out Nov 14) is centred on a former FBI employee asked to lead a Senate investigation into the CIA's “enhanced interrogation” techniques in the years following the September 11 attacks. There’s a lot to take away from this movie. It has something to say about the use of torture, the mental strain of being an investigator, and the role of government and subsequent accountability. Great performances from Adam Driver and Annette Bening.

5. Portrait of a Lady on Fire (out Dec 26) is a beautiful French drama about a female artist engaged to paint the portrait of a woman who is soon to be wed.  This is a patient drama that builds to a powerful, moving climax.  As the artist studies her subject matter, so too do we as the audience.  It’s a movie that relies more on eye movement and less on dialogue.

4. The Nightingale (out Aug 29) is a confronting, powerful drama that is not easily forgotten. Set in 1820s Tasmania, it's the tale of a flawed, strong-willed woman (Aisling Franciosi) who seeks vengeance against an abusive British soldier (Sam Claflin). Filled with exceptional performances, this is both an absorbing character study and a gripping history lesson.

3. The Guilty (out Feb 28) is a Danish film about a guy who sits at a desk in an office and talks on the phone for 80 minutes. It may sound dreadfully dull but this is one of the best releases of the year. I was hooked from the opening scene to the closing credits. The less you know going in, the better. Trust me.

2. Eighth Grade (out Jan 24) is an outstanding debut feature from first-time director Bo Burnham. It's the story of a shy, nervous, anxious girl trying to make friends and navigate her way through the final week of middle school. Newcomer Elsie Fisher has created a fascinating leading character. I was cringing (in a good way) at some of the dialogue..

1. If Beale Street Could Talk (out Feb 14) is from director Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) and is adapted from the 1974 novel by James Baldwin. Part of the film is a beautiful, poetic love story and part of the film is a sad, anger-inducing tale of racism in America. Winner of the best supporting actress Oscar for star Regina King.