Great list Walter! I’ve seen 33 films in theaters last year. Here’s my top 10 favorite films of 2019: 1: Avengers: Endgame 2: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood 3: Joker 4: Rocketman 5: Knives Out 6: Spider-Man: Far From Home 7: Toy Story 4 8: Brightburn 9: Shazam! 10: Yesterday Here’s some honorable mentions: Detective Pikachu, Captain Marvel, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, Abominable
Hi Walter! I’m glad you had the opportunity to experience many of the preeminent films released this year, and, in general, I always appreciate hearing the summation of your perspectives on the overall quality and execution of the various media you’ve seen! Though I personally haven’t been to the movies as often as I had aspired to, I was at least able to view a few of the top contenders you listed and, consequently, spend some time reflecting on the narrative and compositional decisions that were most prominent to me. (Spoilers!) In particular, I definitely agree with your thoughts on Uncut Gems as a humanizing, yet uncompromisingly honest depiction of how gambling or any addictive, risk-taking propensity can potently manifest and corrosively permeate every facet and every passing moment of an individual’s life. It therefore does seem as if the imperturbable tension and freneticism present in the film’s dialogue and pacing were intentionally imposed upon the audience in order to replicate the sensation of frantic inconstancy and anxiety which characterize the speculative lifestyle of a gambler. After all, in an odd way, the overarching experience of watching a film, especially a thriller, arguably shares some metaphorical similarities with certain forms of gambling; like a passive observer sat beside an animated participant in an ongoing game of cards, the audience, privy to the hand their protagonist has been dealt, apprehensively views each move that character makes, betting upon their eventual success and investing, emotionally, in the outcome of their endeavors. In essence, the Safdies effectively capitalized off of this intrinsic relationship established between an audience and their given protagonist in order to cultivate a more pronounced sense of understanding and pity for the interminable stress Howard endures throughout the film, even if his impetuosity, self-centrism, and general disreputability as a person are underlying contributors to the origination or protraction of his tribulations. Conceptually, it somewhat seems as if films helmed by characters who are intentionally defined by their innate moral ambiguity and persistent acts of mounting depravity, such as Uncut Gems or Joker, will elicit subconscious deliberations in the audience concerning the extent to which their individual sympathies will continue to defend or justify the compounded behaviors of these aforementioned protagonists as their rationality progressively devolves. For a subject of introspection and discussion, I think it’s rather fascinating to attempt to personally ascertain the specific moment in these sorts of narratives which serve as the point of transcendence beyond this arbitrary, nebulous boundary of ethical permissibility, whereby even the initial empathy for the character can no longer temper the severity of their subsequent actions or decisions. With respect to Howard, I found there to be a perceptible junction in the story that irrevocably demonstrated the true depth and profundity of his compulsive gambling proclivities through a single, impulsive decision. Essentially, the structure of Howard’s narrative arc was seemingly contingent upon the reclamation of his gem and the consequential attainment of sufficient funds to finally placate the truculent loan sharks who ruthlessly and threateningly pursued him throughout the film. And yet, when the opportunity to bring about a satisfactory resolution to the overarching predicament plaguing him arises, he inexplicably and selfishly rejects it, once again capitulating to his destructive obsessions. In other, more categorical thrillers, the meeting between Howard and the loan sharks to transfer the money would likely represent the immediate dissipation of the prolonged tension overhanging the film, as the primary conflict would ostensibly be concluded. Uncut Gems, however, as a character study anatomizing the devastation wrought by a dominant, unmitigated gambling addiction, succeeded in its intent by showcasing the cyclic behavioral patterns of individuals who thrive on statistical speculation and subjecting themselves to the unpredictable caprices of chance. To these sorts of people, the innate risk of testing the tenuity of the line dividing financial solvency and complete bankruptcy provides an addictive thrill incapable of being replicated through merely leading an average existence. As a result, no form of stability or success will ever be enough. I did find the film’s actual culmination a bit ceremonious contextually, though it was arguably necessary from a moralistic standpoint to disallow Howard from attaining happiness and success at the end of the movie as a result of his destructive endeavors, and instead conclusively reiterate how deeply pernicious it is to sustain such a naturally tempestuous and unstable lifestyle. A brilliantly written, constructed, and performed film overall! I’ve been wanting to see 1917 since I first saw the initial trailer, so hopefully I’ll get the chance to do so while it’s still in theaters! I always appreciate your continued Twitter recommendations for films that I definitely shouldn’t miss out on experiencing. I’m looking forward to hearing your compiled list of top movies from this past decade, as it certainly must be a daunting and difficult task with the number of amazing films that had been released throughout the 2010s! I have a few in mind for my personal list, and I think it’ll be interesting to see if we happen to overlap on any of them haha
-FORD V FERRARI; DOLEMITE IS MY NAMY; THE IRISHMAN - 6/10 -AD ASTRA; MARRIAGE STORY; MIDSOMMAR; READY OR NOT - 7/10 -AVENGERS PART 4: ENDGAME; THE FAREWELL; ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD; US - 8/10 -1982; AMERICAN SON; I LOST MY BODY; JOKER; PARASITE; SHARE; SONI - 9/10 -LITTLE WOMEN - 10/10
My top five movies of 2019 1) Avergers endgame 2) Ready or not 3) Marriage story 4) Pokemon detective pikachu 5) Always be maybe the one with keanu reeves
avengers end game and joker is on my list too. avengers end game is the only avengers movie I have seen. have seen the stand alone movies like iron man and antman though.
a great list my dude I love your reasoning for every movie it all gelled and made complete sense I can't wait to see the ones I haven't seen
Great list Walter! I’ve seen 33 films in theaters last year. Here’s my top 10 favorite films of 2019:
1: Avengers: Endgame
2: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
3: Joker
4: Rocketman
5: Knives Out
6: Spider-Man: Far From Home
7: Toy Story 4
8: Brightburn
9: Shazam!
10: Yesterday
Here’s some honorable mentions: Detective Pikachu, Captain Marvel, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, Abominable
Beautiful Day was my favorite. But I also enjoyed Jumangi.
awesome vid dude!
Hi Walter! I’m glad you had the opportunity to experience many of the preeminent films released this year, and, in general, I always appreciate hearing the summation of your perspectives on the overall quality and execution of the various media you’ve seen! Though I personally haven’t been to the movies as often as I had aspired to, I was at least able to view a few of the top contenders you listed and, consequently, spend some time reflecting on the narrative and compositional decisions that were most prominent to me. (Spoilers!)
In particular, I definitely agree with your thoughts on Uncut Gems as a humanizing, yet uncompromisingly honest depiction of how gambling or any addictive, risk-taking propensity can potently manifest and corrosively permeate every facet and every passing moment of an individual’s life. It therefore does seem as if the imperturbable tension and freneticism present in the film’s dialogue and pacing were intentionally imposed upon the audience in order to replicate the sensation of frantic inconstancy and anxiety which characterize the speculative lifestyle of a gambler. After all, in an odd way, the overarching experience of watching a film, especially a thriller, arguably shares some metaphorical similarities with certain forms of gambling; like a passive observer sat beside an animated participant in an ongoing game of cards, the audience, privy to the hand their protagonist has been dealt, apprehensively views each move that character makes, betting upon their eventual success and investing, emotionally, in the outcome of their endeavors. In essence, the Safdies effectively capitalized off of this intrinsic relationship established between an audience and their given protagonist in order to cultivate a more pronounced sense of understanding and pity for the interminable stress Howard endures throughout the film, even if his impetuosity, self-centrism, and general disreputability as a person are underlying contributors to the origination or protraction of his tribulations. Conceptually, it somewhat seems as if films helmed by characters who are intentionally defined by their innate moral ambiguity and persistent acts of mounting depravity, such as Uncut Gems or Joker, will elicit subconscious deliberations in the audience concerning the extent to which their individual sympathies will continue to defend or justify the compounded behaviors of these aforementioned protagonists as their rationality progressively devolves. For a subject of introspection and discussion, I think it’s rather fascinating to attempt to personally ascertain the specific moment in these sorts of narratives which serve as the point of transcendence beyond this arbitrary, nebulous boundary of ethical permissibility, whereby even the initial empathy for the character can no longer temper the severity of their subsequent actions or decisions.
With respect to Howard, I found there to be a perceptible junction in the story that irrevocably demonstrated the true depth and profundity of his compulsive gambling proclivities through a single, impulsive decision. Essentially, the structure of Howard’s narrative arc was seemingly contingent upon the reclamation of his gem and the consequential attainment of sufficient funds to finally placate the truculent loan sharks who ruthlessly and threateningly pursued him throughout the film. And yet, when the opportunity to bring about a satisfactory resolution to the overarching predicament plaguing him arises, he inexplicably and selfishly rejects it, once again capitulating to his destructive obsessions. In other, more categorical thrillers, the meeting between Howard and the loan sharks to transfer the money would likely represent the immediate dissipation of the prolonged tension overhanging the film, as the primary conflict would ostensibly be concluded. Uncut Gems, however, as a character study anatomizing the devastation wrought by a dominant, unmitigated gambling addiction, succeeded in its intent by showcasing the cyclic behavioral patterns of individuals who thrive on statistical speculation and subjecting themselves to the unpredictable caprices of chance. To these sorts of people, the innate risk of testing the tenuity of the line dividing financial solvency and complete bankruptcy provides an addictive thrill incapable of being replicated through merely leading an average existence. As a result, no form of stability or success will ever be enough.
I did find the film’s actual culmination a bit ceremonious contextually, though it was arguably necessary from a moralistic standpoint to disallow Howard from attaining happiness and success at the end of the movie as a result of his destructive endeavors, and instead conclusively reiterate how deeply pernicious it is to sustain such a naturally tempestuous and unstable lifestyle. A brilliantly written, constructed, and performed film overall!
I’ve been wanting to see 1917 since I first saw the initial trailer, so hopefully I’ll get the chance to do so while it’s still in theaters! I always appreciate your continued Twitter recommendations for films that I definitely shouldn’t miss out on experiencing.
I’m looking forward to hearing your compiled list of top movies from this past decade, as it certainly must be a daunting and difficult task with the number of amazing films that had been released throughout the 2010s! I have a few in mind for my personal list, and I think it’ll be interesting to see if we happen to overlap on any of them haha
-FORD V FERRARI; DOLEMITE IS MY NAMY; THE IRISHMAN - 6/10
-AD ASTRA; MARRIAGE STORY; MIDSOMMAR; READY OR NOT - 7/10
-AVENGERS PART 4: ENDGAME; THE FAREWELL; ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD; US - 8/10
-1982; AMERICAN SON; I LOST MY BODY; JOKER; PARASITE; SHARE; SONI - 9/10
-LITTLE WOMEN - 10/10
My 2019 favorite movies are:
1. Joker
2. Avengers Endgame
3. Knives Out
4. Yesterday
5. Fighting with my Family
My top five movies of 2019
1) Avergers endgame
2) Ready or not
3) Marriage story
4) Pokemon detective pikachu
5) Always be maybe the one with keanu reeves
avengers end game and joker is on my list too. avengers end game is the only avengers movie I have seen. have seen the stand alone movies like iron man and antman though.
Missed opportunity to say controversy creates cash
I enjoy watching your own work detached from the Doug Walker show.