1. Joker
spare me the talk that the treatment is irresponsible and it's empty at the core. you can tell a great, powerful story without unnecessary burden. this film takes a difficult topic (mental health) and an impossible character (Joker) and somehow blended something that makes sense. then there's Joaquin Phoenix's performance, which alone is worth the entry price. then there's the stairs scene.
2. Parasite
some films are all style no substance; some films have a lot to say and trip over themselves. Parasite lands at the perfect centre. it's slick, intelligent, tight and a heavy social critique.
3. Midsommar
like Shyamalan and Villeneuve, Ari Aster is a master of tension, and by my criteria, I'm half sold. the other half is maybe how carefully the characters were written and directed. and I haven't even mentioned the insane plot. you know where it's headed, but still you cannot prepare for it.
4. Avengers: Endgame
I guess this is what they call a monumental cinematic experience. I'm not a big Marvel fan and certainly wasn't an Avengers fan, but this two-part conclusion to The Infinity Saga is as good as movies get. not forgetting I'm usually quite critical of blockbusters.
5. 犯罪现场
a cookie-cutter movie to some, I admired the complex-yet-not-convoluted story, the pacing, and how the large cast is considerably fleshed out. a rarity in Hong Kong cinema these days.
6. 热带雨
Anthony Chen makes such simple films you wonder why he takes years to make one. yet consider how sensitive he is to his material and you realise a lifetime for a lesser director would not have produced the same work. taking a path vastly different from Ilo Ilo and more discomforting for Singaporeans, Chen nevertheless displays masterful control. not to mention the genius marketing.
7. Verdict
sure, Raymund Ribay Gutierrez basically imitated his mentor Brillante Mendoza. but any decent imitation of the brilliant Brillante will be a good film. capturing so many Filipino issues, this has such a raw quality it can be mistaken for a documentary. and as a courtroom movie, I haven't seen anything like it.
8. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
I love Tarantino and initially this felt draggy and I didn't know where it was heading. but I'm a sucker for alternative history (Inglourious Basterds) and it all wraps up nicely.
9. 送我上青云
a decidedly female vehicle. a single, not-getting-young Chinese woman with an independent streak finds out she has cancer. with some lush cinematography, the film explores what it means to be unmarried in China and death while weaving in gender politics and money politics.
10. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
it's cringey, it makes little sense in the wider canon, and it makes me question the point of the sequel trilogy. but it's also fan service and emotional, and sometimes that's all cinema needs to do.
Best twist:
Bacurau
Worst conclusion to a series:
Dark Phoenix or Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Most fun:
Knives Out
Most progressive:
Captain Marvel
Most quotable:
银河补习班
Most tearjerking:
小Q
Most underwhelming:
The Dead Don't Die
spare me the talk that the treatment is irresponsible and it's empty at the core. you can tell a great, powerful story without unnecessary burden. this film takes a difficult topic (mental health) and an impossible character (Joker) and somehow blended something that makes sense. then there's Joaquin Phoenix's performance, which alone is worth the entry price. then there's the stairs scene.
2. Parasite
some films are all style no substance; some films have a lot to say and trip over themselves. Parasite lands at the perfect centre. it's slick, intelligent, tight and a heavy social critique.
3. Midsommar
like Shyamalan and Villeneuve, Ari Aster is a master of tension, and by my criteria, I'm half sold. the other half is maybe how carefully the characters were written and directed. and I haven't even mentioned the insane plot. you know where it's headed, but still you cannot prepare for it.
4. Avengers: Endgame
I guess this is what they call a monumental cinematic experience. I'm not a big Marvel fan and certainly wasn't an Avengers fan, but this two-part conclusion to The Infinity Saga is as good as movies get. not forgetting I'm usually quite critical of blockbusters.
5. 犯罪现场
a cookie-cutter movie to some, I admired the complex-yet-not-convoluted story, the pacing, and how the large cast is considerably fleshed out. a rarity in Hong Kong cinema these days.
6. 热带雨
Anthony Chen makes such simple films you wonder why he takes years to make one. yet consider how sensitive he is to his material and you realise a lifetime for a lesser director would not have produced the same work. taking a path vastly different from Ilo Ilo and more discomforting for Singaporeans, Chen nevertheless displays masterful control. not to mention the genius marketing.
7. Verdict
sure, Raymund Ribay Gutierrez basically imitated his mentor Brillante Mendoza. but any decent imitation of the brilliant Brillante will be a good film. capturing so many Filipino issues, this has such a raw quality it can be mistaken for a documentary. and as a courtroom movie, I haven't seen anything like it.
8. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
I love Tarantino and initially this felt draggy and I didn't know where it was heading. but I'm a sucker for alternative history (Inglourious Basterds) and it all wraps up nicely.
9. 送我上青云
a decidedly female vehicle. a single, not-getting-young Chinese woman with an independent streak finds out she has cancer. with some lush cinematography, the film explores what it means to be unmarried in China and death while weaving in gender politics and money politics.
10. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
it's cringey, it makes little sense in the wider canon, and it makes me question the point of the sequel trilogy. but it's also fan service and emotional, and sometimes that's all cinema needs to do.
Best twist:
Bacurau
Worst conclusion to a series:
Dark Phoenix or Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Most fun:
Knives Out
Most progressive:
Captain Marvel
Most quotable:
银河补习班
Most tearjerking:
小Q
Most underwhelming:
The Dead Don't Die
