CinemaInternational Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike started the year with A United Kingdom, the saga of a marriage facing opposition in both England and Africa. It was quite good. The offbeat horror film A Cure for Wellness came in right on its heels. Logan was Hugh Jackman's last turn as an X-Man. The Boss Baby was another serving of animation. The poster looks like an internet post, but Table 19 was an actual film, an offbeat comedy. Wilson with Woody harrellson and Laura Dern continued the offbeat trend. Gifted was a charmer, a moving comedy-drama over the ability to be a guardian of a child prodigy. Chris Evans made a good lead and Octavia Spenser is always welcome, but British actress Lindsay Duncan stole the film with a much more nuanced and warmer take on her unsympathetic character than might be expected. Snatched, an R rated cross between Romancing the Stone and outrageous Fortune just studded with more 4 letter words and violence, returned Goldie Hawn to the big screen. She was the best reason to watch it. Indeed it was only because of her and Joan Cusack (who has a small part as a mute) that I even watched it.... Fox tried to reboot the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series for families, but this didn't lead to more. Also trying to continue a series was the brooding Alien Covenant. Captain Underpants was another kid book series to film. It closed DreamWorks animated tenure at Fox. They have since moved to Universal. Rachel Weisz climbed into Olivia De Havilland's shoes in a remake of My Cousin Rachel. the apes continued on their path of world domination. Step was the saga of an inner city dancing team. And Patti Cake$ was the saga of an aspiring rapper, with Cathy Moriarty under heavy makeup as a 70-something grandmother. Battle of the Sexes was a dramatization of the famed 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Andrea Risebourough, Elisabeth Shue, and Bill Pullman starred. The tough, violent Kingsmen: The Golden Circle, again with Taron Egerton in the lead had a truly eclectic supporting cast: Colin Firth, Halle Berry, Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore, Elton John Although it was barely released and unfortunately only received mixed reviews, Goodbye Christopher Robin might just be one of the most interesting Fox films of recent years thanks to the Disney merger. Winnie the pooh is big business for Disney; this film tells the real life tale behind it all... very unflinchingly. This is a sad tale of neglect, of exploitation, of a lack of love. Sure it gets a bit soft at the end, but this is a very brave film to deconstruct something so beloved, and I have a feeling this film might become suppressed sometime.... Domhnall Gleeson, Margot Robbie, and Kelly mcDonald (especially good) starred. Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell headed off to Oscar glory with Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, missouri Meanwhile, Kate Winslet and Idris Elba were stranded on a mountaintop. Agatha christie returned to the big screen with Murder on the Orient Express. Not as effective as the 1974 film, but a solid effort with a much appreciated undercurrent of deep emotion, a handsome production (filmed completely on 70 MM film, Fox's first this way since Patton), and Michelle Pfeiffer's best performance in years, in the old Lauren Bacall role. The Shape of Water won Best Picture for the year. It was most distinguished by sterling work from Sally Hawkins and Richard Jenkins. A little late and a little loose, but the children's saga of Ferdinand the bull begcame a full-length film..... 79 years after Disney did a short. The Greatest Showman turned out to be that rarity of modern Hollywood: a word of mouth hit that started small, but held on as the weeks passed. The year closed with Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in The Post, at the time of the Pentagon Papers. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceA Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 My top picks: Logan Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri War for the Planet of the Apes The Shape of Water Battle of the Sexes I've also seen A Cure for Wellness, Alien: Covenant, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Murder on the Orient Express, The Greatest Showman, and The Post. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 An interesting year in terms of output. GIFTED is my favorite. It was also nice to see Goldie Hawn back on screen. The Christie remake was fine. I like anything with Kenneth Branagh in it. STEP is a worthwhile film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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