MY TOP 10 FILMS OF 2018

By LL Soares

 With no further to do, here is my list of my favorite films of 2018, in order:

1. ANNIHILATION– I was already impressed with Alex Garland after his 2014 film EX MACHINA. ANNIHILATION was even better. Based on the novel by Jeff VanderMeer, and starring Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Tessa Thompson, it’s about a group of women who explore a patch of land that has been altered by a meteorite and has evolved into something more extraterrestrial than earthbound. The look and feel of the movie, combined with the strong story and fine acting, made this one to beat in 2018 when it came out last February. Despite some strong contenders, I didn’t see anything else that was as good. With an ending that reminded me of Kubrick, in a good way. And that’s high praise..
2. MANDY– Directed by Panos Cosmatos, who also gave us 2010’s BEYOND THE BLACK RAINBOW, how much you’ll enjoy MANDY may depend, in part, on how much you like actor Nicolas Cage. He’s appeared in some pretty awful movies over the years, but 2018 saw something of a renaissance in Cage’s career, with this one, MOM AND DAD and LOOKING GLASS. Cage plays a lumberjack whose wife Mandy (Andrea Riseborough) is kidnapped and killed by a weird-ass cult led by a thoroughly creepy dude named Jeremiah Sand (Linus Roache). Cage’s Red Miller suffers greatly before getting his revenge. A completely insane movie that redeems Cage for his cinematic sins.
3. SUSPIRIA – I’m a big fan of the original 1977 movie by Dario Argento. It’s one of his best – if not the very best. But the first thing to do when seeing Luca Guadagnino’s “remake” is to consider this a completely different film. Except for the title and some plot similarities, the two films are separate entities. Compared to Argento, this film will come up short, but on its own, it’s a thrilling, visually-stunning flick, with the underrated Dakota Johnson as Susie Bannion, who arrives in  Berlin in 1977 to join the modern dance school where Madame Blanc (the always amazing Tilda Swinton) teaches. I actually didn’t care for the very first scene between a muddled Chloe Grace Moretz and her psychiatrist played by Lutz Ebersdorf (Swinton in disguise as a man, but the trick isn’t as astounding as everyone involved thinks it is), but once that scene is over, it kicks into full gear, and, despite its flaws, turns out to be a thrilling experience. With some gruesome scenes (including a terrific final 30 minutes), some amazing modern dance sequences, and a terrific score by Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, this was one of the best times I had in a theater in 2018. The fact that it is number 3 on my list, despite my complaints, means what’s good about this movie is very good indeed.
4. THE FAVOURITE & THE TALE (tie)– Director Yorgos Lanthimos, who previously gave us some surreal (and terrific) films like THE LOBSTER (2015) and THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER (2017) , gave us his most accessible film in 2018, a period drama about England’s Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) and her relationships with Lady Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz) and Sarah’s cousin, Abigail (Emma Stone), two women competing to be the Queen’s advisor and confidante. But Lanthimos, being who he is, doesn’t’ just give us a dry episode of MASTERPIECE THEATER. His film has its bizarre moments, but it also is a lot of fun, with three amazing performances at its heart by Colman, Weisz and Stone. A wonderful film. ///THE TALE – Jennifer Fox’s amazing film (based on real aspects from her childhood) didn’t get a real theatrical release, instead airing on HBO in May 2018. It stars Laura Dern as a woman who looks back on an “affair” she had with an older guy (Jason Ritter) when she was an underage teenager, and her slow realization that it was actually molestation, and has deeply damaged her as an adult. Probably the most disturbing movie I saw in 2018, this one has real power.
5. FIRST REFORMED and YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE (tie). Paul Schraeder, who has written some true classics (TAXI DRIVER, 1976, RAGING BULL, 1980), and directed some as well (HARDCORE, 1979, AFFLICTION, 1997, AUTO FOCUS, 2002), has seemed a little adrift the past decade or so, but FIRST REFORMED is a return to greatness. About a Protestant minister who has a crisis of faith while trying to help a trouble vet obsessed with climate change—who undergoes a transformation of his own—with a killer last scene that transcends everything that came before it. With an amazing central performance by Ethan Hawke, possibly his career best, and great supporting work by Amanda Seyfried and the (criminally underrated) Cedric the Entertainer./// YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE gives us Joaquin Phoenix as Joe, a man who is hired to liberate kidnapped children who are being used in sex trafficking. He’s a troubled vet who is struggling to keep his sanity and who lives primarily to save other people’s lives, and a veritable violence machine bent on righting wrongs, no matter what the cost, even it’s his own soul. With another mesmerizing performance by Phoenix, and excellent direction by Lynne Ramsay, who also wrote the screenplay, based on the book by Jonathan Ames.
6. HEREDITARY and SORRY TO BOTHER YOU (tie) – When HEREDITARY came off of some festival showings, the buzz was deafening. This was the horror movie to see in 2018. When I finally saw it, I have to admit, I was a tiny bit disappointed. But this is the kind of movie that grows on you. We’ve seen some of this kind of story before, but here it’s presented in a fresh, vibrant new coat of paint. With a terrific performance by Toni Collette as Annie, a mother dealing with grief as she builds fascinating tableaus featuring miniatures. Collette really deserves more praise for an impressive career. With strong supporting work from Gabriel Byrne as her husband, Steve; Alex Wolff as her troubled son, Peter; and Ann Dowd as a creepy lady named Joan. And a truly chilling performance by Milly Shapiro as Annie’s daughter, Charlie. Even more impressive, this was Ari Aster’s feature movie debut. /// SORRY TO BOTHER YOU offers Lakeith Stanfield (Darius on the FX series ATLANTA) in an effective lead performance as Cassius Green, a down-on-his-luck telemarketer who finds fame (of a sort) and fortune once he learns to tap into his inner “white voice.” With great supporting roles by Tessa Thompson, Steven Yeun and Armie Hammer (and some strange horse creatures), this was a rare thoroughly surreal adventure (when’s the last time we had one of those?), directed by another first-timer, rapper Boots Reilly.
7. BLACK PANTHER – the best superhero movie of the year is brought to us via Marvel and director Ryan Coogler, and features T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), a super-powered costumed crimefighter who also happens to be the king of a small (technologically advanced) African nation. This was like no superhero movie before it, with a focus on the traditions and culture of a fictional nation that made it seem completely real, right down to the ritual battles to claim the crown. With terrific supporting work from Danai Gurira (Michonne from The Walking Dead), Letitia Wright as T’Challa’s genius sister, Shuri, and Michael B. Jordon as the bitter (and sympathetic) bad guy, Erik Killmonger. It has its flaws: including completely wasting potential bad guy Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) who becomes the very cool baddie Klaw in the comics (but not here), and Martin Freeman as the bland (and sometimes annoying) S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Everett K. Ross (who seemed completely unnecessary to the story to me). Despite that, this one offered a really refreshing spin on the superhero genre. And was an awful lot of fun.
8. UPGRADE – I went into this one with no expectations. It features Logan Marshall-Green (from THE INIVITATION, 2015) as a guy who is paralyzed (and his wife is murdered) in a violent attack, and who is given a second chance when a chip with an Artificial Intelligence called Stem (voiced by Simon Maiden) is implanted in his spine, giving him his mobility back, and a whole new set of skill sets, some specifically made for killing. Not really a totally new idea, but Green sells it and the movie does a good job making it a very entertaining joy ride. The best parts are the conversations between Green and Stem, who wants to take over his body. Kind of an internal buddy movie. The superhero movie VENOM reminded me of this one, with Tom Hardy talking to the alien symbiote that has invaded his body. Except Hardy (and Michelle Williams) were the only good things in the otherwise awful (script-wise) VENOM. In UPGRADE, it all worked, and the story was equally compelling. Written and directed by Leigh Whannell, who previously directed INSIDIOUS, CHAPTER 3 (where he also played Specs) and wrote the first three SAW movies. I enjoyed this one much more than I should have.
9. ROMA/THE APOSTLE (tie) – ROMA is currently streaming on Netflix (and having a limited theatrical run) and offers a beautiful black and white look back at director Alfonso Cuaron’s childhood. It’s more interested in characters than plot, and focuses mostly on a servant named Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio) who takes care of a wealthy family in a section of Mexico City called Roma, and is a mother figure to the kids (while their real mother can’t be bothered most of the time). It’s about everyday life and even though it is a bit slow paced, it really works as a remembrance of things past. /// In Gareth Evans’ THE APOSTLE, Dan Stevens (who seems to be having a lot of fun since leaving Downton Abbey) plays a man who goes to a weird island that is home to a pagan cult. He’s there to find his kidnapped sister and bring her home. But nothing goes according to plan, and things get a lot worse (and violent) before they get any better. Stevens is terrific, as is Michael Sheen as the Prophet Malcolm. Written and directed by Gareth Evans, who previously gave us THE RAID movies.
10. A QUIET PLACE – director/actor John Krasinski and his co-star (and real life wife) Emily Blunt give us a small film about a big event: the destruction of earth by creatures that kill whatever they can hear. Throughout the film, the main characters—a couple and their kids—have to keep it quiet to stay alive, but that doesn’t take anything away from the riveting story. While I also enjoyed the (similarly themed) recent Netflix film BIRD BOX (starring Sandra Bullock and based on the novel by Josh Malerman), A QUIET PLACE is the one that makes my list.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR—Just about every hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (except for a few missing faces like Hawkeye and Ant-Man) goes up against the formidable bad guy Thanos, who wants to wipe out half of the universe. And yet, even though the movie juggles an absurd amount of characters, you never once get lost or wonder what’s going on (if you’ve been following the Marvel movies). For this juggling act alone, I thought INFINITY WAR was impressive. But the fact that Thanos is a worthy bad guy (this isn’t always the case in Marvel movies) and the story actually has some decent heft, made it shine so much more than the last Avengers movie, AGE OF ULTRON (2015).

THOROUGHBREDS—Anya Taylor-Joy (THE WITCH, 2015) is Lily, a rich girl who hates her creepy stepfather. Olivia Cooke (ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL, 2015, and the TV series BATES MOTEL) is Amanda, a girl she used to be friends with when they were younger—who she reunites with for a tutoring gig. Amanda can’t feel emotions and is prone to violence, and has spent her life pretending to be normal all her life. When Amanda suggests they kill Lily’s asshole stepfather (Paul Sparks, BOARDWALK EMPIRE), things get weird. With Anton Yelchin (GREEN ROOM, 2015) in his last role, as a scuzzy drug dealer named Tim. This was the feature debut of director Cory Finley.

A STAR IS BORN—yet another remake of this classic story of a successful man having a romance with a newcomer who he helps become a star, just as his own star is falling. Star/director Bradley Cooper is really good in this, and makes for a pretty believable rock star. Lady Gaga is equally as good, coming a long way from the stiff acting she did back on AMERICAN HORROR STORY. The music is good, too. Good movie, but not enough to make my top 10 list.

STRANGERS: PREY AT NIGHT—I’m not really sure why I love these movies. PREY AT NIGHT is a sequel, coming a decade after the original THE STRANGERS (2008). The three masked weirdos from the original film return to terrorize a family in a trailer park and knock them off one by one. I really enjoyed the original, and I enjoyed the bleakness of this one as well. Directed by Johannes Roberts.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF 2018

I really wanted to like THE HAPPYTOWN MURDERS. It stars Melissa McCarthy as a human detective who investigates a murder among puppets, who now live among us. Featuring puppets that swear constantly and have sex. Sounds like it could be hilarious. But the one thing this movie didn’t have was laughs. I didn’t laugh once. It was just depressing.

© Copyright 2019 by LL Soares

 

If you liked this and you want to check out another “Best of 2018” List, go here to check out Dan Keohane’s favorite films of 2018.

 

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THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS (2018)

Review by LL Soares

So who is the target audience for a movie about dirty puppets? I guess that would be me. So I went to see the new Melissa McCarthy/foul-mouthed puppets movie THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS (2018), directed by Brian Henson (son of the revered Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets).

The thing is, though, puppets who talk dirty and have sex aren’t anything new. There have been several movies and TV shows to take this concept and run with it, including Peter Jackson’s early film MEET THE FEEBLES (1989), which pretty much sent the standard, along with movies like Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE (2004) and Seth MacFarlane’s TED (2012), and TV shows like GREG THE BUNNY (2002 – 2004), CRANK YANKERS (2002 – 2007) and the wonderfully subversive WONDER SHOWZEN (2005 – 2006). And we can throw in Robert Smigel’s Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and his many appearances, just for the hell of it.

Since the idea of putting silly puppets in more adult-oriented comedy situations isn’t new, then, if you’re going to attempt it, it’s probably a good idea to bring something new to the table. HAPPYTIME doesn’t really up the ante at all. There are a couple of supposedly “shocking” scenes, involving a puppet ejaculating silly string (which, if you saw the trailer, was spoiled for you before you even saw the movie) and a female puppet re-enacting the leg-crossing scene from BASIC INSTINCT (1992). And that’s about it for surprises. Otherwise, it’s just a lot of puppets swearing, which loses its charm pretty quickly.

This isn’t just a puppet movie, though. It’s also the new Melissa McCarthy comedy, and frankly she’s one of the few things that works. She’s doing a more superficial version of her character from THE HEAT (2013) here, and while her performance isn’t shake-the-rafters-hilarious, she at least remains likeable enough.

In this one, McCarthy plays Detective Connie Edwards, who tries to come off as gruff, but who, beneath the exterior, is a softie. She used to be partnered with Phil Philips (performed by puppeteer Bill Barretta), the first puppet allowed to serve on the human police force, but something went wrong in a hostage situation and Philips was stripped of his badge, bringing dishonor to puppetkind, as well as Edwards.

Nowadays, Philips is a tough-talking private eye. One of his most recent case involves the murders of members of The Happytime Gang, a group of puppets (and one human) who had a hit TV sitcom. One of the stars is Phil’s brother, Larry (Victor Yerrid). Both Phil and Larry look like generic Muppet characters, but Phil is blue and his brother has used his cash to bleach himself white. This isn’t the only reference to race in the movie, as puppets are presented as the new minority to be routinely discriminated against in the world of our film.

Remember I mentioned one human who was in the Happytime Gang? That was Jenny (Elizabeth Banks), who is also Phil’s ex. She’s a stripper in a club that caters mostly to puppets, rabbits especially.

So someone is knocking off the Happytime Gang, just as their show is about to be bought for syndication. The contract everyone signed says that if cast members die, but don’t have heirs, then the money will be split among the survivors, so it’s clear someone is looking for a big payday.

Also part of the Phil storyline are Sandra (Dorien Davies), a sultry puppet who hires Phil early on to help her with a blackmail situation, and Bubbles (a funny Maya Rudolph), his human secretary who secretly has a crush on him.

Connie answers to her human boss, Lieutenant Banning (Leslie David Baker), but also has to contend with a gung-ho FBI guy named Agent Campbell (Joel McHale), who keeps getting in the way of her investigation. Yep, she’s investigating the same murders that claimed Phil’s brother, so the two ex-partners are more or less partnering up again.

There’s also a lot of drug use in the film, except, since these are puppets, the drug of choice is pure sugar. Due to a medical secret of her own, Detective Edwards has taken to swigging maple syrup by the jug-ful and there’s a scene where she snorts high-grade sugar through a licorice straw that is good for a chuckle or two.

But a few chuckles is likely all you’re going to get. In the movie theater where I saw the film, the audience, for the most part, was pretty quiet. If you judge a comedy by the amount of laughs it gets, THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS is a bit of a dud. However, though I didn’t hurt myself laughing, I have to admit that I didn’t hate the movie. I still find McCarthy likeable enough (and this isn’t the first time she’s been in a comedy that wasn’t all that funny – remember 2014’s TAMMY?), and the plot kept me interested. I liked Phil Phillips, too, even if he was kind of bland (it would have been funnier if they had made him a lot more aggressive, a la Mike Hammer), and Maya Rudolph is maybe the best thing in the movie as loyal secretary Bubbles. The rest of the human cast is okay, but this isn’t going to be at the top of their resumes, and most of the puppets are kind of forgettable.

Since this dirty puppet concept has been done before, you really need to up your game if you’re going to do something new and memorable with the genre, and Brian Henson hasn’t done that. He’s a capable enough director (most of his directing credits are episodes of TV shows like THE SKRUMPS, 2007, and SID THE SCIENCE KID, 2008 -2015, and he was also an executive producer of the Syfy Channel show FARSCAPE, 1999 – 2003, which I liked a lot)  and his heart’s in the right place (the idea of Jim Henson’s son making something subversive like this is funnier as an idea than as the actual film). The real culprit though is screenwriter Todd Berger (his script is based on a “story” by himself and Dee Austin Robertson). Berger’s credits include writing THE SMURFS: THE LEGEND OF SMURFY HOLLOW (2013) and KUNG FU PANDA: SECRETS OF THE MASTERS (2011), so he has a background in kids’ entertainment; he just doesn’t know how to write a script that’s funny for adults, too, I guess. The plot’s okay, but the laughs are rare.

Like the TED movies, I thought that the idea of this one was funnier than what we see onscreen, and I really wish Mr. Henson and his team had REALLY gone all the way with the R-rating. It’s a lot wimpier than I expected, but while it’s a failure as a comedy, I still had an okay time watching it, so I’ll give it one and a half knives. You won’t hurt yourself laughing at this one, but I didn’t think it’s completely horrible, either.

© Copyright 2018 by LL Soares

 

LL Soares gives THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS – one and a half knives