Any Top 10 movie list shouldn't pretend to be authoritative because each is a necessarily subjective reflection of the reviewer's tastes, obsessions and aesthetic sensibility.
That's precisely what makes these lists fun and interesting - their humanity. They're conversation and thought pieces, these lists.
Movies don't exist in a vacuum; we love them for the human stories they tell, and each of us is drawn to different sorts of stories.
And apparently, this movie reviewer didn't get to the cinema enough because this roundup of 10 favorites from 2019, an excellent year for movies, is decidedly friendly to streaming platform options, even more so than last year. Logistically, home viewing held a strong allure this past year. That's the story I'm sticking with.
Another caveat: I have yet to see "Parasite," "1917" and "Little Women," each of which stand a strong chance of landing on a future, revised version of this list. But time is of the essence, as it should be, so as it stands now at year's end here are my 10 favorites from 2019, in order:
1. "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" - I wrestled between this latest Quentin Tarantino movie (his ninth) and "Marriage Story" for the top honors. Both affected me in such radically different ways, but aesthetically and emotionally "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" was thoroughly engaging and entirely fulfilling as comedy and drama from start to finish with a glorious, violent homage to a bygone Hollywood. Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt have never been better, and Tarantino's artistry shows both poise and anarchic glee at just the right moments. A special experience.
2. "Marriage Story" - Many folks may know Adam Driver best from his turn as Kylo Ren in the Star Wars films, but that's not as it should be. Driver is an intense, driven actor capable of emotional depths, here seen in Noah Baumbach's heart-wrenching but astutely observed examination of a dissolving marriage. Opposite Driver is the equally capable Scarlett Johansson. Together, they bring us a couple we grow to love, even as the limits of their character are tested mightily and they make mistake after mistake, only to bring some semblance of honesty and order to their lives by the closing credits. A tough, beautiful film, pretty close to perfection.
3. "The Two Popes" - As I told a friend after watching this film, I am "0% Catholic" and, to be honest, agnostic, but that doesn't lessen the impact of this exploration in faith, a sort of spiritual dialogue between powerful men in the Catholic church hierarchy - Pope Benedict and the man who'd become Pope Francis. Anthony Hopkins (Benedict) and Jonathan Pryce (Francis) emphasize their humility and humanity. The drama of the movie rests almost entirely in conversation, so in that sense it reminds me, in a strange way, of a personal favorite from decades ago, "My Dinner with Andre."
4. "Dolemite is My Name" - "Dolemite" easily stands as the most outrageous movie I saw this year and also the one film that plastered a smile on my face from beginning to end. Eddie Murphy has a comeback for the ages as consummate entertainer Rudy Ray Moore turned irrepressible blaxploitation success story. It's a role Murphy was born to play as much as any of the other characters he's brought to life. Along the way, there are sharp observations about being black in the entertainment business and a fantastic supporting ensemble to enjoy.
5. "Atlantics" - A Senegalese ghost story, a love story and political commentary all wrapped into one mesmerizing film, "Atlantics" ("Atlantique" in French) blossoms as the feature length directorial debut of Mati Diop, whose movie here was shortlisted for the Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards. Diop elicits great performances from her cast and sets them against compelling, poetic visuals in a promising film that feels utterly unique, first frame to last. A haunting beauty.
6. "The Irishman" - Martin Scorsese trods familiar ground in his mobster epic, here with familiar faces like Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci. Fortunately, what is equally familiar is Scorsese's meticulous love for this insane milieu and ability to mine it with attentive, rhapsodic artistry. He says something real about characters who are simultaneously compelling and repellent, including De Niro's turn as hitman Frank Sheeran.
7. "Us" - A California seaside getaway gives the Wilson family much more than they desire in this mega-creepy, terror-filled foray into horror from Jordan Peele, whose "Get Out" two years ago was one of the most unnerving films imaginable and announced a director with real vision. In "Us," Peele cranks up the pressure with Lupita Nyong'o giving a tremendous performance. A memorable film in many ways - like a bad dream with imagery you just can't shake.
8. "American Factory" - The dicey status of American manufacturing in this century falls under the cinematic microscope of directors Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert in this documentary film about Fuyao Glass America's plant in Ohio with the China-based Fuyao repurposing a former General Motors plant. The film works because of its commitment to telling various sides of this cross-cultural story. The film wisely captures the real hopes, fears and ideas of workers, both blue collar and white collar.
9. "The Edge of Democracy" - A thoroughly absorbing look at how Brazil got to where it is now with far-right strongman Jair Bolsonaro at the helm as president following the tenures of wildly popular Luiz Incio Lula da Silva and impeached Dilma Rousseff in that role. The documentary melds political observations with subjective, personal concerns as it explores this sad, enraging backstory to the present. It's very different than "American Factory," but Petra Costa gives this film fantastic direction and style.
10. "High Flying Bird" - This Steven Soderbergh-directed gem offers an incisive examination of the NBA industry and sports commerce in general, courtesy of the quick-flying, sharp-witted ideas and moves from sports agent Ray Burke (played by André Holland), who's trying to keep it all together during a hoops lockout. It arrived early in 2019 but deserves respect this awards season.