20. “The Death of Stalin”
Armando Iannucci, the Jonathan Swift of our times, has already slapped the baloney out of British and American politics on screens big and small, but with “The Death of Stalin, set in 1953 in the Soviet Union, and following the power struggle that unfolds as soon as Joseph Stalin (Adrian McLoughlin) croaks, he’s made an anecdotal spectacle that’s also spectacularly topical. Central Committee members are presented as paranoid, backstabbing, fork-tongued, narcissistic brats who bicker over hilariously trivial matters (familiar much?) while the real victims of the Communist Party never get caught in the satirical crossfire. Once the (Iron) curtain falls, it’s impossible to single out a highlight (the lamb painting? The funeral? The committee meetings?) or an MVP, though candidates include Steve Buscemi’s finagling Khrushchev, Andrea Riseborough’s histrionic Svetlana, Simon Russell Beale’s callous Beria and Jeffrey Tambor’s amoebalike Malenkov. Using satirical devices perfected through “Veep” and “In the Loop,” Ianucci creates a hot-button comedic anachronism that is both animated by and scathing towards today’s politics of hyperbole, teaching us a valuable lesson about laughing at the political ruling class, while never forgetting how dangerously drunk it gets when basic freedoms are suppressed –Nikola Grozdanovic [our review]
19. “Wildlife”
There are echoes of Douglas Sirk’s genius in this ‘50s-set marriage movie, but in his directorial debut, actor Paul Dano somehow skirts melodrama to provide an authentic, empathetic film that will break your heart. All the characters and emotions in “Wildlife” feel so true to the real world, and credit certainly goes to Dano and his screenwriting partner Zoe Kazan for their graceful, gracious adaptation of Richard Ford’s novel. However, what ultimately makes “Wildlife” work is Dano’s cast and their subtle performances that turn on a split-second look or the perfect pitch of a line. There’s real nuance here; the marriage between the couple played by Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal begins with genuine affection, but his lost job and the changing opportunities for women in the 1950s tip their relationship into the red. All is seen through the eyes of their 14-year-old son (newcomer and brilliant find Ed Oxenbould, who bears more than a passing resemblance to Dano…), whose love and affection for his parents helps us identify with them, despite their flaws. – Kimber Myers [our review]
18. “Sorry to Bother You”
Landing his debut like a bolt from the blue, musician/director Boots Riley gives us his genuinely subversive perspective and delivers a proudly anti-capitalist message — one of the most effective ever smuggled into a mainstream movie because it’s so seductively fun and entertaining. Following the ascent of Cassius Green at a hellish telemarketing company, “Sorry to Bother You” paints the modern economy as a literally dehumanizing machine, yet it never loses a humanist sympathy for the workers forced to take part. This movie is positively overflowing with attitude and ideas, including the fearlessly weird performances of Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Armie Hammer, and others. But it only works because Riley knows his enemy so well — the absurdities of corporate-speak, the dislocation of racial code switching, and the insidious internal bargaining that we use to justify taking a higher place in the pecking order. Riley is clearly a close observer of the modern moment, yet his political fury is old-school: an ambitious, pro-labor, take-no-prisoners attack on capitalism that makes other filmmakers look ideologically timid by comparison. – Joe Blessing [review]
17. “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
In an era of unparalleled cynicism and uncertainty, Morgan Neville’s Mister Rogers documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” is not only refreshing, but necessary. As a staple in generations of children’s home viewing, Fred Rogers stood alone in his ability to educate the nation’s youth without being cloying or condescending. The documentary provides a deeper look at the man behind the cardigan, and how driven he was to achieve goals in relation to children’s education and improving television as a medium. What makes this documentary special, and provides depth to the beloved figure, is a glimpse at his doubts and insecurities, despite which he is still held up as the gold standard for practicing what you preach and focusing on doing good for others. By turns funny, poignant, and uplifting, the film builds to a moment near the end when viewers are asked to take a minute to think about someone close to them. In the silence, it’s hard not to tear up in appreciation of those people in our lives, including Mister Rogers, who continues to mean so much to us. – Karl Schleider [our review]
16. “A Quiet Place”
Is there a better argument for the continued viability of the collective moviegoing experience than the dark satisfaction that comes with feeling skin-crawling dread at the same time as dozens of people in close proximity to you? John Krasinski’s shiver-inducing post-apocalyptic horror fable was the closest thing we got to public-viewing necessity in 2018. The high-concept story verges on the ridiculous: after a civilization-annihilating invasion of aliens, one family on a remote farm has to thread the needle between the rapacious outer-space beasts’ strengths (blinding speed and ferocity, keen hearing) and great weakness (lack of sight). With Krasinski’s deft handling the plot’s parameters allow for far more than just a survival story. Though punctuated with long, taut stretches of silence, the film’s true heart is located in a deeply sincere rendering of fierce familial bonds which is all the more impressive given the scarcity of dialogue. And in the midst of all the scarifying hugger-mugger, spaced with neatly delivered jolts of electric fear, Emily Blunt is excellent but the true standout is Millicent Simmons, the deaf actress playing the young daughter who might just have the key to their survival. Here’s the hoping that the already-announced sequel won’t be the letdown horror sequels so often are, because this is one quiet place we’d very happily revisit. – Chris Barsanti [our review]
