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Lisa Iannucci’s Top Ten Films of 2019
It’s the most wonderful time of the year and no, that’s not just all holiday talk. It’s the time of year where I look back at the long list of movies I’ve watched this year and reflect. Some were masterpieces, in my opinion, and others that I anticipated would be a complete flop pleasantly surprised me. There were also a few (The Hustle) that made me wonder why the actors even signed on for such a disaster (Anne Hathaway I’m talking to you — where was your agent?) and gave me hope that someday I would sell a movie like I want to if rubbish like that can make it to the big screen.
These movies that appealed to me for various reasons — the writing was impeccable, the characters were riveting and had such an arc to their development, or because the movie simply made laugh or cry. A note: I do not watch horror movies and I love animated movies, so my list might differ radically from yours. Keep in mind, however, that as the year winds down there are still movies on my list that I haven’t yet seen yet, including Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Bombshell, Just Mercy, Little Women, and Uncut Gems. I have a feeling that a few of those would have made my list.
Lisa Iannucci’s Top Ten Films of 2019
- Stuber
Stuber? Yes, Stuber. Stuber stars former WWE star Dave Bautista, known for his role as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, and Kumail Nanjiani. Bautista plays a detective who recruits an Uber driver after he is called onto a case but just had his eyes dilated. Bautista showed more of his acting chops in Stuber compared to Guardians and he was a pleasant surprise.
Stuber was the first R-rated film released by 20th Century Fox since its acquisition by The Walt Disney Company. It isn’t Oscar worthy, but it was one of the funniest movies I saw all year. Honestly, I had set the bar low for this one walking in, but it ended up setting the bar pretty high for any other comedy movies I saw this year.
- Toy Story 4
What a way to close out (maybe?) Pixar’s Toy Story tetralogy. The much-anticipated (an almost 20-year wait) fourth film featuring Woody, Buzz, the rest of the gang and the lovable newcomer Forky, was an absolute delight. This was, to me, what the much darker Toy Story 3 should have been. Although (spoiler alert), I went through my own angst as Woody happily reunited with Bo Peep only to choose to be separated from the entire gang at the end of the movie, this is one franchise that I wish didn’t end.
- Avengers: End Game
After Avengers: Age of Ultron left so many unanswered questions in what seemed to be one of Marvel Studios most controversial films, there was a lot of anticipation for End Game, the last movie in Marvel’s Phase Three. It didn’t disappoint. It wrapped up the storyline of Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet in their typical action-packed way, but also gave us one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the Avengers franchise.
- Blinded by the Light
From the moment I saw this trailer, I wanted to see this movie and I’m not even an avid Bruce Springsteen fan. It is based on Sarfraz Manzoor’s memoir Greetings from Bury Park: Race, Religion and Rock N’ Roll and centers on Javed Khan and his family, including his Pakistani immigrant parents Malik and Noor, and sisters Yasmeen and Shazia. The family lives in Luton, England where Javed doesn’t seem to fit into the Pakistani traditions of his family, even more so once he discovers Springsteen’s music. What I loved most about this movie is that it poignantly showed how coming of age means finding that balance of who you want to become and not losing who you are.
- Yesterday
Yesterday stars Himesh Patel as struggling musician Jack Malik, who, after a bicycle accident caused by a power outage, finds that he’s the only person who remembers who The Beatles are. Taking advantage of this twist, he embarks on a successful music career taking credit for the Beatles music. The movie’s ending was mildly disappointing to me as it left a few unanswered questions about the effect of the power outage on everyone’s memory but it was otherwise a solid, entertaining story.
- Where’d You Go Bernadette
Critics panned this adaptation of the best-seller, but I loved it. One of my favorite types of movies to watch are those where women use travel to uncover their power and confidence which was there all along. For example, Under the Tuscan Sun is one of my favorite movies for that very reason. Truthfully, Where’d You Go Bernadette could have been better and both Cate Blanchett and Kristen Wiig could have benefited from more developed characters, but even still, I kept rooting alongside Bernadette to stand up for herself.
- Frozen 2
Simply put, Frozen 2 was beautifully done and so much better than the original. Interestingly, the trailer made this Disney sequel seem like it was going to be much darker than it actually was. Olaf’s humor stole the show for me (and many of those in the audience), but the animation was stunning and Disney gave audiences a movie for both adults and children to enjoy for years to come.
- Rocketman
I love musicals, but the fun thing about Rocketman is that I didn’t know it was a musical until I was sitting in the audience. Many compared the movie about Elton John’s life to Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody movie blockbuster the year before, but to me it was apples and oranges. Rocketman exploded as a musical on the big screen, with dancing and singing intertwined with a well-written story of Elton’s life and struggle with drugs and alcohol.
- Harriet
The biographical movie about heroic abolitionist Harriet Tubman which starred Cynthia Erivo as Tubman is, to me, Oscar worthy. Tubman’s performance was riveting and the movie included an incredible cast. Gregory Allen Howard and Kasi Lemmons wrote and directed Harriet and the portrayal of Tubman from a slave to a hero was emotional, thought-provoking and an incredible tribute that should get more recognition than it has.
- El Camino
Netflix gets credit for my number one movie of the year, El Camino, a sequel to the brilliant Breaking Bad television show. Even though Walter White died in the finale of Breaking Bad, fans ached for more of him and Jesse Pinkman and El Camino gave fans everything they wanted and more. In my opinion, Breaking Bad is one of the most well-written shows of the last two decades and thanks to the genius and talents of producer/director Vince Gilligan and the incredible acting of Aaron Paul, El Camino carried on what Breaking Bad gave to their audiences for five years.
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