2019 Watch List
Movies I watched for the first time in 2019
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- DirectorRian JohnsonStarsDaisy RidleyJohn BoyegaMark HamillRey develops her abilities with the help of Luke Skywalker, as the Resistance prepares for battle against the First Order.I'm not sure why I keep watching the Star Wars movies. Since The Empire Strikes Back, they've gradually gotten less and less worth seeing. And now that Han is gone, why bother, right? Sort of felt like they were really making another version of The Last Air Bender.
- DirectorJean-Pierre IsboutsStarsAlessandro DemcenkoIn this thriller-like quest, a National Geographic bestselling author and historian goes in search of a mysterious second version of the famous 'Last Supper' fresco, reportedly painted by Leonardo da Vinci and his workshop for the King of France, Louis XII. Shot on location throughout Europe, the film features rich dramatizations starring Alessandro Demcenko as Leonardo da Vinci heading a cast of 60+, as well as top Leonardo experts from the Louvre, the London National Gallery, the Royal Academy of Arts, the Vatican Museums and the New York Metropolitan Museum. The film is produced by Pantheon Studios, producers of the 2016 Disney feature 'Walt: The Man Behind the Myth.' The film also includes a detailed animated reconstruction of the Last Supper hall in Milan in 1499. The host is Prof. Jean-Pierre Isbouts, co-author of 'Young Leonardo' (St. Martin's Press, 2017) and the author of several bestselling National Geographic books.
- DirectorWalter SummersStarsBela LugosiHugh WilliamsGreta GyntInsurance agent-physician collects on policies of men murdered by a disfigured resident of the home for the blind where he acts as doctor-on-call.Some day I hope to be able to say I've seen every movie Bela Lugosi made, and this is one more checked off the list. He was, as usual, worth watching in this one. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast was less memorable.
- DirectorRoy William NeillStarsLon Chaney Jr.Ilona MasseyPatric KnowlesThe resurrected Wolf Man, seeking a cure for his malady, enlists the aid of a mad scientist, who claims he will not only rid the Wolf Man of his nocturnal metamorphosis, but also revive the frozen body of Frankenstein's inhuman creation.
- DirectorFreddie FrancisStarsPeter CushingPeter WoodthorpeDuncan LamontUpon returning to his home village to continue his experimental research, the destitute Dr. Frankenstein revives his old creature, but a hypnotist wants the monster to control for himself.Another film I thought I'd already seen, but nothing seemed familiar. Decent entry in Hammer's Frankenstein series, although not terribly exciting. Certainly a hideous version of the Creature this time, but also a very moving portrayal. Definitely worth seeing.
- DirectorPaolo SorrentinoStarsMichael CaineHarvey KeitelRachel WeiszRetired orchestra conductor Fred Ballinger is on vacation with his daughter Lena and his film director best friend Mick Boyle in the Alps when he receives an invitation from Queen Elizabeth II to perform for Prince Philip's birthday.Gosh, I wanted to love this film. Such a great cast and they all turned in wonderful performances -- even Rachel Weisz. Even so, I found the whole thing pretty boring. And sort of confusing. Why was Paul Dano dressing up as Hitler? I must have missed something there. But I felt that way about most of the movie. I'm assuming the director was trying his hand at Fellini-esque satire, but it really didn't work for me.
- DirectorJay RoachStarsBryan CranstonDiane LaneHelen MirrenIn 1947, Dalton Trumbo was Hollywood's top screenwriter, until he and other artists were jailed and blacklisted for their political beliefs.
- DirectorAlfonso CuarónStarsYalitza AparicioMarina de TaviraDiego Cortina AutreyA year in the life of a middle-class family's maid in Mexico City in the early 1970s.
- DirectorRobert RossenStarsDick PowellEvelyn KeyesLee J. CobbA high-class crook gets in trouble with the law.Thought I'd seen all of Dick Powell's noir mysteries from the late '40s, but this one got by me until now. Robert Rossen wrote the screenplay for this, his debut as a feature film director. Very entertaining crime story, with some wonderfully Chandler-esque dialogue. When Powell's Johnny wants a piano-player to give it a rest, he yells "Hey, you with the hands!" And I loved it when the tipsy Ellen Drew says "I choked on a piece of scotch!" This is one I could see again.
- DirectorRouben MamoulianStarsFredric MarchMiriam HopkinsRose HobartDr. Jekyll faces horrible consequences when he lets his dark side run wild with a potion that transforms him into the animalistic Mr. Hyde.Seems like I must have seen this one at some time or other -- surely one of those Late Late Movie shows I used to watch, growing up in the '50s, must have shown it. But I didn't recognize anything about the production, so I'm including it on this list. I think I still like the Spencer Tracy version better, but March delivers an amazing performance (in spite of those Jerry Lewis teeth). And Miriam Hopkins was absolutely radiant. Entertaining movie with some really great cinematography.
- DirectorHaifaa Al-MansourStarsElle FanningBel PowleyOwen RichardsLife and facts of Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, who at 16 met 21 year old poet Percy Shelley, resulting in the writing of Frankenstein.Here we have Percy and Mary and Byron and their entourage as 21st Century teenagers. Just didn't really work. But the photography and set designs were gorgeous, and I was really surprisingly impressed by Elle Fanning's performance as the young Mary. If the other characters were as well-rounded, this one could have been more than tolerable.
- DirectorAmy GlazerStarsTailinh AgoyoIsabella Blake-ThomasRyan Jason CookWhile her mom undergoes chemotherapy, an 11-year-old city girl searches for answers in a rare book at her reclusive grandmother's New Mexico ranch.
- DirectorM. Night ShyamalanStarsOlivia DeJongeEd OxenbouldDeanna DunaganTwo siblings become increasingly frightened by their grandparents' disturbing behavior while visiting them on vacation.So much wasted potential here! When will filmmakers learn disgusting is just not scary?
- DirectorDanny BoyleStarsCillian MurphyRose ByrneChris EvansA team of international astronauts is sent on a dangerous mission to reignite the dying Sun with a nuclear fission bomb in 2057.
- DirectorSimon KaijserStarsGuy PearcePierce BrosnanMinnie DriverA happily married professor, known for having many affairs with students, becomes the prime suspect when a young woman has gone missing.
- DirectorDon McCutcheonStarsLacey ChabertBrennan ElliottJohn KapelosA crossword is found on the murdered owner of a burglarized art gallery. Tess, a Sentinel crossword editor, finds clues in crosswords. Eventually, detective Logan accepts her clues and help. Tess is also running a crossword tournament.I love these Hallmark channel movies. The young women leads are totally interchangeable and there must be some network law that Brennan Elliott has to be in every one of them. I find them wonderfully relaxing.
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsBrad PittMarion CotillardJared HarrisIn 1942, a Canadian intelligence officer in North Africa encounters a female French Resistance fighter on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. When they reunite in London, their relationship is tested by the pressures of war.
- DirectorVincenzo NataliStarsAbigail BreslinPeter OuterbridgeMichelle NoldenA teenager is stuck in a time loop that is not quite the same each time. She must uncover the truth, but her actions have consequences for herself and others.Moderately entertaining haunted house / haunted family tale. I liked the time loop element and the super-spooky basement scenes. And it had a great cast. Confusing ending, though -- who was dead, who was alive?
- DirectorDaniel CohenStarsJean RenoMichaël YounRaphaëlle AgoguéA veteran chef faces off against his restaurant group's new CEO, who wants to the establishment to lose a star from its rating in order to bring in a younger chef who specializes in molecular gastronomy.
- DirectorYasujirô OzuStarsTatsuo SaitôTomio AokiMitsuko YoshikawaTwo young brothers throw a tantrum when they discover that their father isn't the most important man in his workplace.Another wonderful film from Ozu's early work. I'm only giving it six stars, simply because I really just dislike seeing bratty kids in movies. But I will say these two young actors were excellent at being bratty!
- DirectorManoel de OliveiraStarsCatherine DeneuveJohn MalkovichLuís Miguel CintraThe journey of Michael Padovic, an American professor who arrives with his wife, Helene, at a Portuguese convent where he expects to find the documents needed to prove his theory: Shakespeare was born in Spain; not in England.What? I'm really not even sure what was going on in this one. Definitely a waste of some fine acting talent. It had a nice mysterious vibe - just not much story there.
- DirectorLone ScherfigStarsGemma ArtertonSam ClaflinBill NighyA former secretary, newly appointed as a scriptwriter for propaganda films, joins the cast and crew of a major production while the Blitz rages around them.
- DirectorIsabel CoixetStarsEmily MortimerBill NighyHunter TremayneEngland 1959. In a small East Anglian town, Florence Green decides, against polite but ruthless local opposition, to open a bookshop.Much less depressing than the book! Which is good, because the book is one of the most depressing I've ever read. Watched this one mainly because I try to see everything Bill Nighy does, and he didn't disappoint. The rest of the cast were decent, too. Totally watchable.
- DirectorJeff PrughStarsMeegan WarnerSondra BlakeSean MartiniA young woman returns home to care for her gravely ill grandmother, only to begin sleepwalking, envisioning spirits and uncovering dark secrets in her family's past.Another example of a fairly decent little horror film spoiled by a really dumb ending.
- DirectorDouglas McGrathStarsToby JonesDaniel CraigSandra BullockWhile researching his novel "In Cold Blood", Truman Capote develops a close relationship with convicted murderers Dick Hickock and Perry Smith.