2018 is almost over, so I thought I'd give extremely brief thoughts on my favorites of last year. While there was more of a clear demarcation in movies I loved and those below, I can't think of another year that had as strong of a top 8 as this year. My top 3 movies are literally 3 of my favorite movies ever.
Runners-Up (Alphabetical Order):
Columbus: Like Before Sunrise, with architecture. Lovingly shot, charming, and moving.
Faces Places: Speaking of charming... Best documentary of the year.
A Ghost Story: Mysterious and (ahem) haunting. Slow, but beautiful and filled with amazing motifs.
I, Tonya: A hell of a fun ride. The first half (pre-Nancy Kerrigan) is a bit better than the second.
Personal Shopper: Another ghost story of sorts, this one by European director Olivier Assayas.
10. Blade Runner 2049: Just as good as the original, and finally got Roger Deakins his cinematography Oscar!
9. mother!: Sure it's nut-so, messy, and I would only recommend it to about 5% of my friends. But, if you're in for a provocative allegory concerning religion/environmentalism/toxic masculinity, watch it.
8. The Big Sick: Beautifully written and performed, especially by Ray Romano and Holly Hunter. The best romantic comedy I've seen in a long time.
7. Coco: You haven't seen it? What? Go to Netflix, watch it, and smile/cry for the rest of the night.
6. Call Me By Your Name: The mood, the emotions, the Italian countryside, the Sufjan on the soundtrack. Exquisite.
5. Dunkirk: War movies aren't usually my favorites, but this one is perfectly constructed and is probably Nolan's best movie. Probably my favorite one ever made.
4. Get Out: All-time classic. What other movie has entered the cultural conversation in the same way.
3. Phantom Thread: Since Paul Thomas Anderson movies usually creep to the top of my list as the years pass, I should probably just move this to #1 now. So strange and entrancing, with one of the most fascinating on-screen relationships I've seen.
2. Lady Bird: I could watch this movie every month and never get sick of it. Just perfect.
1. The Florida Project: Astonishing from start to visit. Sad but bursting with life. Director Sean Baker is a true artist.
