A Person's Life Is Part Of A Whole
BEST OF STUFFS 2019
By Ernest M Whiteman III
Every year I try to put out a list of the Top Ten Things that I enjoyed or impacted me. However, I found that many people don’t really care what I think, so I keep putting up these lists for my own edification.
Let’s get right into the lists:
MUSIC OF 2019:
U2 – Songs of Experience: This is from 2017 but I had to buy it new again in 2019. One of only two new music purchases I made. This is the second half of a two-album release in addition to “Songs of Innocence” (2014). For me, this is a great album. As U2 ages, they are looking at the path behind them while still moving forward. Of the two, I find myself listening to “Songs of Experience” more than the others. Of course, I have stated before, that my favorite U2 album is what ever the current one is.
Opening song “Love is All We Have Left” is very much a different type of opener than U2 has put up before. Produced by Andy Barlow (of Lamb), it simmers in with a low electro-rumble reminiscent of a video game menu screen. Then, in the bridge, Bono’s auto-tuned voice squawks in high tones and just cooks the song to perfection. I am by no means a music critic, as you just read, but this is a very strong opener to a really great album. It is solemn and atmospheric and when the opening riff of “Lights of Home” kicks in right after it, you know you are in for a ride.
In addition to there being few weak songs on the album, another aspect I appreciated where the sonic the callbacks to songs from “Songs of Innocence”, the album that preceded this and serves as an Act One to this. “The Lights of Homes” coda is a refrain from SOI’s “Iris”; You got to free yourself to be yourself. “13 (There is a Light)” is the beautiful closer and it is a reworking of “Song for Someone” which remains one of their best songs ever.
There are many solid songs that have catchy hooks and lyrics that capture you. One of my more favorite songs on the album is “The Little Things That Give You Away” that starts with a slow heart beat rhythm and crescendos in a wave of emotion. It is a very good song. Probably my most favorite on the album. U2 gets a lot of flack for being hypocritical super stars. I get it. But every artist is making money from their works, so, we really have no grounds to complain….
The National – I Am Easy to Find: I have not listened to this once since I got it. Sorry. I saw the film that they made to coincide with the release. Pretty good but have not been able to get into it. I don’t know why.
I only bought two new CD’s.
BOOKS OF 2019:
Here is the list of the books I bought last year:
If Beale Street Could Talk (finished) – James Baldwin: A beautiful and poetic read. It is amazing how much Barry Jenkins captured of this book. But also remarkable on how it still stands alone in what Jenkins could not recreate. One of my favorite books this year.
I Am Not You Negro (finished) – James Baldwin, Raoul Peck: A basic transcript of the documentary but, invaluable in keeping the words of Baldwin near. If you have not seen the documentary, do.
Dune (Reading) – Frank Herbert: I heard it was one of the “Great Bores of Literature”. I am over two hundred pages into the book so far and everyone in the story is just talking to each other or thinking about what to plan next. So far, it’s living up to that moniker. Oh, I am sure folks will tell me I do not get the existential concepts. But what is existential about a boy messiah mired in a standard “good guys versus bad guys” sci-fi plot with space monks and an evil empire? I mean, haven’t we lived 2020 years with that nonsense? Will return to it at some point.
Takes of the Samurai Illustrated – A.B Mitford (Reading): Very interesting. They start off with the tale of the 47 ronin. But there are horror stories too. Will get back to it soon. The samurai are sometimes bad guys in these stories. Neat.
Empress Dowager Cixi – Jung Chang (Reading): This is very interesting and about someone I never even knew existed. But what she began to do to modernize China should never be over looked. I have yet to complete this book and from what I understand, it is the first “balanced” depiction of her. She is usually shown to be a tyrannical nymphomaniac, mainly due to the fact that rival factions composed most biographies of her. I’ll write more once I finish this.
The Five Rings Illustrated – Myamoto Musashi: I read another illustrated original text-only version before and this looks the same. The other version was a Barnes and Noble coffee table book. This one offers yet another non-Japanese introduction that makes it all about business and getting ahead when these were supposed to be used for self-improvement. I’ll crack this open one day. I bought it because I am a collector and this is a neat addition to my Asian texts.
Curious Hours – Casey Cep (Uncorrected advanced edition – finished): About the murder case that Harper Lee wanted to write about but never completed. It is never stated why. It begins with dams. Then an explanation of how insurance used to work. Then into the many murders, then the trial of the man who killed the number one suspect. It mentions Harper Lee being there before exploring Lee’s demons, and never really gets into why she did not write about the case other than stating she never got around to it. Pretty interesting when it goes into how much Harper Lee had to do with Capote’s “In Cold Blood”.
Sacred Smokes (Stopped) – Theo Van Elst Jr.: I have read these types of stories before. I find them boring. This is set in Chicago, where I live now, but I never connected to the characters. I never smoked, drank, or joined a gang. Where are stories that reflect me? I put it down when the gang members lit up smokes and drank beers for the seventeenth time. (I hear you: What about “There There”? Same review for that one. I gave away every copy I had of that. I’m going to write a novel titled “Hey, I Had Some Good Experiences Too!”)
The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee (Reading) – David Treuer: I only just started this. By that I mean that I am still on page one.
George Lucas A Life – Brian Jay Jones (finished): It is a funny thing the conjecture one makes in creating an un-authorized biography (Will get more into this with the Bruce Lee write-up). It tries to mask a biased view as being “balanced”. It contains information that interested me as a fan of Lucas. Yet, there is this slight portrayal of a sniveling little man who just wanted to use everyone to make his art. This treats Francis Coppela horribly. I don’t know. Those were the aspect I disliked but enjoyed how he made his films and the story of his early life.
The Founding Myth: How Christian Nationalism is Un-American (finished) – Andrew Siedel: This is a very important read, no matter your religious beliefs. I am now writing this portion well into 2020 and having discovered Mark Charles (Diné) and his look at the Constitution, I am very interested in what Siedel would think of that. I agree with the premise of this book. This country is NOT a christian Nation. I see how religion has been weaponized. This book is a great primer in learning about the constitution.
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States – Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (finished): Finishing this, I never look at historical writings in the same way. All I see are the missing Native peoples in them.
What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker – Damon Young (Reading): This is a series of essays Young wrote. For some reason, they have been pretty easy to read for other people, but I am barely through the first essay because it barely holds my interest. I don’t know why.
Original Fire – Louise Erdrich: I read this, years ago, checking out from the library. It is inspiring and helped me construct mythical characters in my own writing. This and Adrian Louis’ “Indians and Other Wild Creatures” are instrumental in the creation of Blue Woman. It is the main reason I combine short story and poetry in my stories. Erdrich deserve more credit that she has gotten. Everytime a Native man author fails us, we overlook Erdrich and her sister-authors like Harjo, Marnon-Silko and more who have been writing longer than these new pups arriving on the scene, yet we as Native people have been condition to solve the problem by replacing the emperor with just another emperor. We need to do better.
The Guin Saga: The Leopard Mask – Kaoru Kurimoto (Reading): I finally went ahead and bought the first book of the Guin Saga. I have read the firs six book called “The Marches Episode”. This has been a very enjoyable series for me. I love the main character Guin, a leopard-headed warrior with amnesia, who finds himself defended a pair of royal twins exile after the fall of their kingdom. It reads like Howard’s “Conan” melded with Tolkien’s Middle Earth saga. Yet, there are hints of vast technologies. In a way, it is the opposite of George RR Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” wherein the setting is a medieval world where magic suddenly appears; here there are creatures and ghosts and all sort of magical things afoot, yet, the secret of how the Twins traveled so far so fast bewilders many of the antagonists. The five books end with the conclusion of the Marches episodes but this was a series that had over 100 parts and none of the greater questions were answered. I can only hope that the US prints the rest.
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People – Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, with Jean Mendoza, Debbie Reese (Reading -stopped): I read the original first. That one gave me doubts about the next book I read “The Founding Myth”. Then, when I began reading this version, I stopped. Something didn’t fit well. These books support the idea that the US IS a christian nation and that the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution support this, and that is used to try to destroy Native peoples. I need to disagree with that. That perpetuating this idea lends credence to those nationalists that are working to subvert the constitution as a christian nation. The last thing we need is white christian nationalist stating that Native American agree with them. The real reason the Constitution is used to destroy Native peoples is not because it is inherently christian, but because it is structured support rich, white, landowning men. This needs to work at making he distinction. I think. I still recommend these books to folks, because, you need to start somewhere.
Mamaskatch – Darrel J. McLeod: Have not read yet. I will admit.
Bruce Lee: A Life – Matthew Polly (finished): This is a problematic biography. There appears to be a rash of troublesome portrayals of Bruce Lee of late. Here Polly tries his best to attribute all of Lee’s achievements to white men. The author works hard to try to attribute Lee’s success to a myriad of white men. It leans heavily into Lee’s philandering and places too much sock in hearsay when it deals with that. It also paints Lee and an arrogant, egotistical man so enamored of the white stars around him.
In comparisons to Steve McQueen, the attributes such as being egotistical, a bully on the set, angry at not being a big star, while presented as merits for McQueen, are presented as weaknesses for Lee. McQueen’s bullying and egotistical behavior are now being rehabbed; take the sensitive soul portrayal in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and the sensitive Christian depiction of the recent documentary.
It even tries to attribute Lee’s famous “Be water” monologue to the writers of the “Longstreet” TV show, when Lee was pronouncing this as early as his first studio screen test. This has its merits in the depiction of Lee’s early life in China and great info on his film career as a child and teen. But the shortfalls outweigh any enjoyment I could glean from it. Look, I know that Lee was a fallible human being. This book never tries to paint him as one, unfortunately. I am more sorry that the Criterion Collection put Polly in its documentary on Lee for the boxed set they are set to release soon. Unfortunate.
A Hero Born: Book One of the Condor Heroes – Jin Yong (finished): This is an awesome series! The only thing that comes close to “Three Kingdoms” in my mind is the Condor Heroes! The Saga of the Condor Heroes is a long-running wuxia series and is one of the most-beloved stories in modern China. This first book is about two martial friends who befriend a monk and make a pact that they will be bound a a family when their wives give birth, if two girls, they will make a bond of sisterhood, if boys, of brotherhood, if a boy and a girl, a bond of marriage, with the monk serving as the guarantor. But when tragedy strikes, the children are separated and live two different lives and the monk sets out in search of them to make sure their promise is kept. This sets a series of stunning events, set against the backdrop of the rise of Genghis Khan. It is exciting, touching, and such a great story. I will need to buy all of the US prints.
Code Talker – Joseph Bruchac: Have not read yet, though I heard this book is problematic. Once again, why approve the stories if they are not supposed to be told?
#Not Your Princess – ed. Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale (finished): Heartbreaking in its use of voice. I encourage everyone to get a copy.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms – Penguin Edition 2018 – Guanzhong Luo: I lost my two frequent copies, the UC ’91 print and the ’94 four-volume in the move. I am always on the lookout for new editions or copies of editions I have. This is the Penguin Classics edition I found in Barnes and Noble. I did not have this edition yet and was surprised to find it there. I bought it and was slightly disappointed that this is a condensed edition. It keeps a lot of the story but parses down everything. Complex political dealings are rendered a simple single sentences, “so-and-so wanted this and it happened.” Disappointing. But, this is an edition I did not have yet. The last book purchase of 2019.
Now, we move on to the movies I saw last year. I saw plenty, so I will break them down into the usual categories before hitting you up with what I thought were the best films of 2019.
SPECIAL EVENTS & RE-SCREENINGS OF 2019:
Citizen Kane: the greatest American film ever made. I see it on the big screen whenever I can.
F for Fake: Again, one of my favorite Welles film, most likely my most favorite. This has informed me, and my views of Native American art, the most of any piece out there.
Rifftrax Live: Space Raiders/Rifftrax Live: Giant Spider Invasion: I enjoy Rifftrax very much. But sometimes, the worst movies often overshadow the jokes for me. I am a middle-fan of Mystery Science Theater 3000, the Mike, Bill, and Kevin years on the SciFi Channel. I enjoy the live shows. And I hope I can support them for years to come.
Millennium Actress: Considered a masterpiece in Japanese anime, Satoshi Kon’s film is about the life of a famed Japanese actress who has gone into seclusion for many decades and the camera crew that seeks her out to interview her, to find out why. The visuals and editing and transitions between time are so elegantly used. This is based in part on the lives of Japanese actresses Hideko Takamine and Setsuko Hara; Takamine, having started as a child actress and Hara, who retired at the peak of her fame and went into seclusion for 30 years plus, until her death.
As the crew learns more about her life, they are literally and visually pulled into the events of her life as she recounts her quest to find an artist that she met as a child and wants to connect with again.
I remember watching this a while ago when I checked it out from the library, being on an anime kick. I did enjoy it at the time but was not really learned in Japanese cinema then. Of course, now, I got a lot more of the film references and it was an all-together different experience. Setsuko Hara is one of, if not, my favorite actress and it was cool to see a contemporary anime based partly on her life.
This screened as part of an anniversary restoration. I missed out seeing the subtitled version, which I would have preferred but the dubbed version was just as compelling with the voice actors doing a great job. Plus, the style of Satoshi Kon comes through and it moved along at a very crisp pace, which I did not remember it being so the first time I viewed it. But, if you are into Japanese animated drama, not of the high school teenybopper type, check this out. It has become one of my favorite animated movies.
Princess Mononoke: I finally got to see one of the most-revered Studio Ghibli Miyazaki films on the big screen. “Princess Mononoke” is not actually about Princess Mononoke, but about Prince Ashitaka and his leaving his Emishi village and his involvement in a struggle between the gods of a forest and the humans who consume its resources during the Muromachi Period of Japan.
The Gods are planning to attack Lady Eboshi, a character highlight of the film, and her stronghold that processes sand into steel, giving her a military advantage over local shoguns and lords. Then, there is the young woman Princess Mononoke, a child raised by the Wolf God Moro as a part of her pack. San, Mononoke’s given name, is keen on making the humans pay and sets her sights on Lady Eboshi. The story is great and animation the best I have seen in some time. This is old school hand-animation, I believe.
I guess the one weakness is the trope that the strong independent woman needs to fall in love by the end to make a tragic parting. It could have ended like “Mad Max: Fury Road” and I would have counted this among the great animated masterpieces of our time.
THE OTHER FILMS OF 2019:
I saw so many movies this past year, which is a rare treat for me, that I decided that the films that did not make the Best of… list will be given single word review. So, enjoy:
The Favourite: Boring.
Captain Marvel: Fun.
The Mustang: Dumb.
Avengers: Endgame: Stoopid.
Men in Black International: Meh.
Toy Story 4: Good.
Spider-man: Far from Home: repetitive.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: shit.
Good Boys: funny.
Blinded by the Light: Neat
It: Chapter Two: tame.
Jojo Rabbit: blah.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: fine.
MY 2018 EXPECTATIONS OF 2019:
Every year, I add a list of film that I am looking forward to the next year. Here is where I write out how they lived up to the expectations:
GLASS – What I wrote: I already have my ticket bought for this. I hope it live up to expectations. I really think “Unbreakable” never needed a sequel. I hope this doesn’t do callbacks (See Top Ten List Below)
CAPTAIN MARVEL – Just to see all the anti-SWJ heads explode because “devoomin”. I did enjoy this one. It is a simple buddy cop film. Sort of. I loved the message for women and girls. They get so little movies about them and for them, I am glad this is out there. Enjoyable.
US – the trailer for Jordan Peele’s latest looks really creepy! (See Top Ten List Below)
JOHN WICK 3 – Chapter Two was not as good as the first, nothing really is. (See Top Ten List Below)
JOKER – I am very interested in the direction they seem to be taking this. Could be “The Dark Knight” for the Joker. If that makes sense. In the end, I just was not interested enough to see it. There were enough fan boys to put this over the top and enough dudes in the industry to carry it into multiple awards and big bank. To me, the Joker should always be a mystery. You should never know were he comes from, that way you can project your greatest fear on him, like the greatest of villains. This read like a white guy does not get what he wants, so he kills people. Dumb. Char told me, yep, that’s basically what it is. I hate that it tried to tie mental issues to gun violence. Basically making excuses for white shooters. Like I said: Dumb.
THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER, THEN THE BIGFOOT – Finally saw this on DVD and it was good. Sam Elliot has found a niche I think.
The “Maybe’s” of 2019
Avengers: Endgame - Was so bored with the last one. Time travel solutions are kind of dumb.
Dark Phoenix – Never got to see it. So, maybe not?
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – This movie is bad and stupid. One of the worst movies ever. Like “The Room” level bad. You expose your biases in liking this movie.
The “Why Bother” of 2019
Star Wars Episode IX – Saw it. Enjoyed most of it.
Shazam! – I am sooo tired of the DC Universe films. Schlocky action-ers that fans think are improving. I stand by that.
In comparisons to Steve McQueen, the attributes such as being egotistical, a bully on the set, angry at not being a big star, while presented as merits for McQueen, are presented as weaknesses for Lee. McQueen’s bullying and egotistical behavior are now being rehabbed; take the sensitive soul portrayal in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and the sensitive Christian depiction of the recent documentary.
It even tries to attribute Lee’s famous “Be water” monologue to the writers of the “Longstreet” TV show, when Lee was pronouncing this as early as his first studio screen test. This has its merits in the depiction of Lee’s early life in China and great info on his film career as a child and teen. But the shortfalls outweigh any enjoyment I could glean from it. Look, I know that Lee was a fallible human being. This book never tries to paint him as one, unfortunately. I am more sorry that the Criterion Collection put Polly in its documentary on Lee for the boxed set they are set to release soon. Unfortunate.
A Hero Born: Book One of the Condor Heroes – Jin Yong (finished): This is an awesome series! The only thing that comes close to “Three Kingdoms” in my mind is the Condor Heroes! The Saga of the Condor Heroes is a long-running wuxia series and is one of the most-beloved stories in modern China. This first book is about two martial friends who befriend a monk and make a pact that they will be bound a a family when their wives give birth, if two girls, they will make a bond of sisterhood, if boys, of brotherhood, if a boy and a girl, a bond of marriage, with the monk serving as the guarantor. But when tragedy strikes, the children are separated and live two different lives and the monk sets out in search of them to make sure their promise is kept. This sets a series of stunning events, set against the backdrop of the rise of Genghis Khan. It is exciting, touching, and such a great story. I will need to buy all of the US prints.
Code Talker – Joseph Bruchac: Have not read yet, though I heard this book is problematic. Once again, why approve the stories if they are not supposed to be told?
#Not Your Princess – ed. Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale (finished): Heartbreaking in its use of voice. I encourage everyone to get a copy.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms – Penguin Edition 2018 – Guanzhong Luo: I lost my two frequent copies, the UC ’91 print and the ’94 four-volume in the move. I am always on the lookout for new editions or copies of editions I have. This is the Penguin Classics edition I found in Barnes and Noble. I did not have this edition yet and was surprised to find it there. I bought it and was slightly disappointed that this is a condensed edition. It keeps a lot of the story but parses down everything. Complex political dealings are rendered a simple single sentences, “so-and-so wanted this and it happened.” Disappointing. But, this is an edition I did not have yet. The last book purchase of 2019.
Now, we move on to the movies I saw last year. I saw plenty, so I will break them down into the usual categories before hitting you up with what I thought were the best films of 2019.
SPECIAL EVENTS & RE-SCREENINGS OF 2019:
Citizen Kane: the greatest American film ever made. I see it on the big screen whenever I can.
F for Fake: Again, one of my favorite Welles film, most likely my most favorite. This has informed me, and my views of Native American art, the most of any piece out there.
Rifftrax Live: Space Raiders/Rifftrax Live: Giant Spider Invasion: I enjoy Rifftrax very much. But sometimes, the worst movies often overshadow the jokes for me. I am a middle-fan of Mystery Science Theater 3000, the Mike, Bill, and Kevin years on the SciFi Channel. I enjoy the live shows. And I hope I can support them for years to come.
Millennium Actress: Considered a masterpiece in Japanese anime, Satoshi Kon’s film is about the life of a famed Japanese actress who has gone into seclusion for many decades and the camera crew that seeks her out to interview her, to find out why. The visuals and editing and transitions between time are so elegantly used. This is based in part on the lives of Japanese actresses Hideko Takamine and Setsuko Hara; Takamine, having started as a child actress and Hara, who retired at the peak of her fame and went into seclusion for 30 years plus, until her death.
As the crew learns more about her life, they are literally and visually pulled into the events of her life as she recounts her quest to find an artist that she met as a child and wants to connect with again.
I remember watching this a while ago when I checked it out from the library, being on an anime kick. I did enjoy it at the time but was not really learned in Japanese cinema then. Of course, now, I got a lot more of the film references and it was an all-together different experience. Setsuko Hara is one of, if not, my favorite actress and it was cool to see a contemporary anime based partly on her life.
This screened as part of an anniversary restoration. I missed out seeing the subtitled version, which I would have preferred but the dubbed version was just as compelling with the voice actors doing a great job. Plus, the style of Satoshi Kon comes through and it moved along at a very crisp pace, which I did not remember it being so the first time I viewed it. But, if you are into Japanese animated drama, not of the high school teenybopper type, check this out. It has become one of my favorite animated movies.
Princess Mononoke: I finally got to see one of the most-revered Studio Ghibli Miyazaki films on the big screen. “Princess Mononoke” is not actually about Princess Mononoke, but about Prince Ashitaka and his leaving his Emishi village and his involvement in a struggle between the gods of a forest and the humans who consume its resources during the Muromachi Period of Japan.
The Gods are planning to attack Lady Eboshi, a character highlight of the film, and her stronghold that processes sand into steel, giving her a military advantage over local shoguns and lords. Then, there is the young woman Princess Mononoke, a child raised by the Wolf God Moro as a part of her pack. San, Mononoke’s given name, is keen on making the humans pay and sets her sights on Lady Eboshi. The story is great and animation the best I have seen in some time. This is old school hand-animation, I believe.
I guess the one weakness is the trope that the strong independent woman needs to fall in love by the end to make a tragic parting. It could have ended like “Mad Max: Fury Road” and I would have counted this among the great animated masterpieces of our time.
THE OTHER FILMS OF 2019:
I saw so many movies this past year, which is a rare treat for me, that I decided that the films that did not make the Best of… list will be given single word review. So, enjoy:
The Favourite: Boring.
Captain Marvel: Fun.
The Mustang: Dumb.
Avengers: Endgame: Stoopid.
Men in Black International: Meh.
Toy Story 4: Good.
Spider-man: Far from Home: repetitive.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: shit.
Good Boys: funny.
Blinded by the Light: Neat
It: Chapter Two: tame.
Jojo Rabbit: blah.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: fine.
MY 2018 EXPECTATIONS OF 2019:
Every year, I add a list of film that I am looking forward to the next year. Here is where I write out how they lived up to the expectations:
GLASS – What I wrote: I already have my ticket bought for this. I hope it live up to expectations. I really think “Unbreakable” never needed a sequel. I hope this doesn’t do callbacks (See Top Ten List Below)
CAPTAIN MARVEL – Just to see all the anti-SWJ heads explode because “devoomin”. I did enjoy this one. It is a simple buddy cop film. Sort of. I loved the message for women and girls. They get so little movies about them and for them, I am glad this is out there. Enjoyable.
US – the trailer for Jordan Peele’s latest looks really creepy! (See Top Ten List Below)
JOHN WICK 3 – Chapter Two was not as good as the first, nothing really is. (See Top Ten List Below)
JOKER – I am very interested in the direction they seem to be taking this. Could be “The Dark Knight” for the Joker. If that makes sense. In the end, I just was not interested enough to see it. There were enough fan boys to put this over the top and enough dudes in the industry to carry it into multiple awards and big bank. To me, the Joker should always be a mystery. You should never know were he comes from, that way you can project your greatest fear on him, like the greatest of villains. This read like a white guy does not get what he wants, so he kills people. Dumb. Char told me, yep, that’s basically what it is. I hate that it tried to tie mental issues to gun violence. Basically making excuses for white shooters. Like I said: Dumb.
THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER, THEN THE BIGFOOT – Finally saw this on DVD and it was good. Sam Elliot has found a niche I think.
The “Maybe’s” of 2019
Avengers: Endgame - Was so bored with the last one. Time travel solutions are kind of dumb.
Dark Phoenix – Never got to see it. So, maybe not?
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – This movie is bad and stupid. One of the worst movies ever. Like “The Room” level bad. You expose your biases in liking this movie.
The “Why Bother” of 2019
Star Wars Episode IX – Saw it. Enjoyed most of it.
Shazam! – I am sooo tired of the DC Universe films. Schlocky action-ers that fans think are improving. I stand by that.
FILMS I WANT TO SEE IN 2020:
Tenet, dir. Christopher Nolan (You know already) – I am down for any movie Nolan makes. This looks trippy with a POC hero lead.
Mulan dir. Nikki Caro (Whale Rider) – the live action remake looks pretty good, with an estimable cast. They are going in differing directions in the right spots.
No Time to Die dir I Forget – Always look forward to the next 007 movie. Craig has been a good one. Brought some gravitas to the series. The last two looked like things were heading for late-Connery/Moore status quo cheese though. I’ll give this one a chance.
The Maybe’s of 2020:
Woman in the Window – Amy Adams. Enough said.
Pixar’s Soul – Interested in their dive into spirituality.
Respect – Aretha Franklin biopic, with Jennifer Hudson? Maybe.
Bill & Ted Face the Music – Maybe. There is only some much you can do with this premise. This looks like a good attempt.
Death on the Nile – Branagh Fan. Loved “Murder on the Orient Express”.
The Why Bother? of 2020:
WW84 - I’m getting real tired of the whole 80’s aesthetic in movies today. And I grew up in the 80’s! Grow up and move on people.
Top Gun: Maverick - Same for this one. I have a sneaking suspicion that Tom Cruise wants to die.
EW3’S TOP TEN FILMS OF 2019:
The moment you waited far too long for!
This is another cheated list. There were so many, some not even in theaters long, or in theaters at all. I stacked it the best I could. Here are the honorable mentions first:
Honorable Mentions:
John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum dir. Chad Stahelski – I liked this better than Part Two. They made it a comedy. Which I thought was refreshing. Though the major weakness, is how John Wick grows weaker the larger the World of the Continental grows. Every one is as good as he was in the first. Too bad.
Harriet dir. Kai Lemmons – Directed by Kasi Lemons, who played Clarice Starling’s classmate in “Silence of the Lambs” and has a considerable directing career, “Eve’s Bayou” and “Talk to Me”. Here, she brings to the screen the life of escaped slave and abolitionist Harriet Tubman played by Cynthia Erivo (Widows) whom plays the role with earnestness and beauty. I have a crush on her, I believe.
I had not heard of any film adaptation of Tubman’s life before this one. I have not really studied her life, though she is well-known enough for someone as ignorant as I am about her life, to know who she is. That is a testament to her life and legacy I believe.
The movie follows her exploits, and the performances are good and so are the supporting characters. Erivo is great as Tubman. My favorite bit is when she returns to retrieve her husband after she escapes, believing because she is now free, so her family should be too, only to find he remarried, believing she died, simply decides that she has no more time for him and decides to rescue other slaves instead. Perfect.
While, this is a very good movie, it is probably not an exact biography. But I think this is an important film due to it being one of the first films on Tubman. I hope there are more to come. The only weakness of the film is that they sort of give her superpowers. The real Tubman suffered from brain seizures stemming from a head injury but the film paints it as if she is suddenly ensued with superpowers. Strange choice.
10. TIE: Knives Out dir. Ryan Johnston – A murder mystery. Plain and Simple. The director of “Brick” and “The Last Jedi”, two exemplars of the mystery genre, directs this “Clue”-inspired romp with Daniel Craig as a southern private eye trying to solve the death of a family patriarch/mystery novelist, whose entire family have an interest in inheriting his fortune.
I found this to be thoroughly enjoyable. The characters, the scenarios, and Daniel Craig is staking his flag to the goofy, “southern” gentleman (See “Logan Lucky”.) trope. It had me guessing who could have done it and the outcome was, while not a total surprise (I sort of guessed it once the character begin to be helpful.), still had me in suspense.
But the character of Benoit Blanc is such a charmer that it was such fun to see him unravel the whole thing. It is a great little and charming film with all the characters being played to perfection by the veteran cast. The only weak points are the broad caricature of the “Nazi” and the “Liberal Snowflake”. (Again with making the Nazi Sympathizers cuddly. this. must. stop.)
All in all, a good story, well done by a director who is slowly earning my respect. I mean, let’s face it - “Looper” is STOOOOPID! You CAN'T be late with a time machine!. But with “Brick” and now this, Johnson is apt at crafting mystery and suspense in a variety of tones.
“Our donut is not a ‘hole’ at all!” I honestly like this more than “Parasite” but in a way, they are both kind of about the same things.
10. TIE: Parasite dir. Bong Joon-ho – This year’s winner of Best Picture, which set some heads to explode. It is about a family of lower class as they infiltrate the staff of a rich family by pretending to be unrelated workers. Things soon begin to unravel in this so-labeled comedy-thriller.
Now, I have never been a big fan of Joon-ho. I thought "Snowpiercer" was not as great as everyone said. It is sad that it becomes more compelling as a "Willy Wonka" sequel. This one sticks with me because I am still processing it. The themes on class are not hard to fathom, but the idea of whom is really the parasite in this situation is compelling. You need to see this. What more can I say about this? It is getting killer reviews, even now as I post this finally.
10. TIE: The Last Black Man in San Francisco dir. Joe Talbot (DVD) – a VASTLY overlooked film about gentrification and the marginalizing of African-American neighborhoods. This struck me in a deep way. Two young men whom wander the city come upon a house that one of their grandfathers built. The young man decided to maintain it for the couple that lives there, despite their rejection of this. Once the couple moves out, the two reclaim the house and move in. This is a great story about gentrification and reclaiming of space. There are plenty of side characters that interact with the two men. The second of the two is a playwright and is workshopping a play with members of the community, despite their rejection of this. When one of the community is killed, the funeral provides the basis of the play. Such a great story and acting. Check it out if you haven’t.
9. Dolemite is My Name dir. Craig Brewer (Netflix) – Eddie Murphy shines as the lead in this biopic. I love movies about making movies. They’re my jam – as Char would hate for me to say. This is about the director Rudy Ray Moore who directed such films as “Dolemite”, “Petey Wheatstraw” and “Disco Godfather”. This is such a sincere and earnest film that is funny and gives Eddie Murphy a role that he can relish. It traces Moore’s rise from music, to stand up comedy, to producing his own films that rose at the time of blaxploitation. It is a great movie. Check it out.
8. In Times of Rain dir. Itandehui Jansen (FNFVF) – Heartbreaking and real. This is about a young Indigenous boy living with his grandmother, and learning the way of healing. Angels Cruz is awesome as the grandmother. The boy’s mmother, who has moved to Mexico City to make a better life, falls in with her boyfriend, whom she does not tell that she has a son. This was one of the entries of the film festival I run and it moved me.
7. Us dir. Jordan Peele – Not even one nomination. Lupita Ny’ngo should have been nominated TWICE! I can only imagine it would be so tough to follow up a debut feature like “Get Out”; it really would. But Jordan Peele shows us his talent for contemporary urban horror and avoids the old “sophomore curse”. Whereas, “Get Out” feels, by comparison, overt in its subtextual messaging, “Us” is far more subtle and deeper in its own messaging. Where “Get Out” dealt with race relations, “Us” deals with class.
Adelaide Wilson, (Lupita Nyong’o) returns to the beachfront home she grew up in. Once there with her husband, daughter, and son (Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright, Evan Alex) Adelaide begins to experience trauma from an event that happened in her childhood. As this happens, the family is accosted in their home by a family of strange doubles. (You have seen the trailer). Then a fight for survival ensues as the doubles begin to attack.
The more I think about this, the more I like it more than “Get Out”, and “Get Out” is one of my Top Ten films of 2017. The main theme I took away is how, when we move up in class, we seem to forget, or try to forget, those that are still in the underground of societal class struggles. The film is a subtle message about: as we gain and seek to gain more, we become the monsters.
Lupine Nyong’o is fantastic in a stellar performance as both the traumatized Adelaide and her double Red. When I was in the theater watching, when Red first speaks, you could hear folks around the theater being creeped out. It was awesome. I walked out of the theater thinking about this one, which is a sign of a good movie to me. There is just so much to unpack and it is all done neatly so inside a scary, violent, at times funny, horror film. Kudos to Peele for this.
6. Warrior Women dir’s Christina D. King, Elizabeth Castle – a fantastic documentary about one of the women I look up to the most, whom isn’t a family member. This is about the unseen activist of the American Indian Movement, Madonna Thunder Hawk and her daughter as they struggle through the years of Indigenous advocacy and how Madonna never gives up. Her story is told of the sacrifices she has made and the accomplishments she has done. It culminates in a touching passing of the torch to her daughter. Great documentary.
5. One Cut of the Dead dir. Shinichirou Ueda (YouTube rental) – As stated, I LOVE movies about making movies. This one is about a director and making a zombie films. I do not want to give anymore away than that. It is special to me. I hate zombie films. Zombies are the dumbest creature in film and make no sense. But this is about more than that. Watch it.
4. Glass dir. M Night Shyamalan – a great cap to a very well done trilogy of films. am sure of so very few things in life. One of them being this: that “Unbreakable” does not need a sequel. I still believe this. Yet, I enjoyed this movie very much. I pre-paid my ticket at the movie theater I work at, reserving VIP seats in the large Atmos capable theaters, just, for, this…
“Glass” is the third part of M Night Shyamalan’s trilogy of super hero films, after “Unbreakable” (2000), what I consider to be his masterpiece, and 2016’s “Split”, which I thought was all right. I was spoiled when I saw “Split”. I thought the connection to “Unbreakable” would be more organic but instead felt tacked on. While the clues were there, I could see myself not really caring about the story despite MacAvoy’s performance.
Here, 19 years after “Unbreakable” and only weeks after the events in “Spilt”, David Dunn (Bruce Willis kind of awake this time) has settled into his role as “The Overseer”, a protector of the city, with his now-grown son. They have set up a security business that they use to patrol the city looking for crimes to stop. The Horde (James MacAvoy) is still on the loose and it is up to the Overseer to stop him. Yet, in a twist, they are both captured and taken to same asylum that houses the now catatonic Elijah Price AKA Mr. Glass (Samuel L Jackson).
One of the main things that really appealed to me about “Unbreakable” was its homage to the comic book form. Not the characters or stories, which are archetypical, but homage to the form of comic books itself. So much so, that Shyamalan constructs “Unbreakable” to be a comic book given motion picture form. In it, Elijah believes that comic books are a continuance of an ancient form of communication that pictorially depicted humans doing great feats. The pacing, the dialogue, and cinematography bore this out in one of my Top Ten Films of All-time. (yes.) The world is real and David Dunn is someone with extraordinary abilities that exists within it.
While in the asylum, Kevin (The Horde) and David are subjected to tests and psychological examinations that begin to make them doubt their abilities and wonder if they are just un-well. It is here that Mr. Glass makes his reappearance.
I think folks wanted a Marvel Action movie. I think folks either mis-remember the style and pacing of “Unbreakable” or completely misunderstand Shyamalan’s intent. Remember, all of this was supposed to be one movie. But, I suppose that the comic book convention kept piling up, from the connections of the hero to the villain, to the connection of the villain creating the new villain. These are even structured as a comic book - where character speak aloud their thoughts.
It is because folk did not understand what this was supped to be, they did not like it. They wanted the big showdown - the epic battle. What they got was a fistfight in the hospital parking lot. The three main characters are killed. David’s death was especially anticlimactic. It is meant to be. This is the real world. In a real world, “heroes don't die like that. Regular people do.” Again, Elijah spells this out plainly for those who did even want to see it. They can exist, but “There are limits”, they can die, even pathetically and sadly, they can die.
No matter how much we praise our heroes, we live in a real world where they can die.
For those who did not seem to get it. Seriously, Elijah explained everything, how can anyone be confused about what this story was? It was not the “EPIC CONCLUSION of the classic trilogy”. No, it is actually the final part of an origin story; not Mr. Glass’, or the Horde’s, nor the Overseer’s, instead it was the origin story of the universe in which they exist and are allowed to exist in. It even subtly introduced the main villain - the Shamrock Group, at the story’s end; much like “Unbreakable” introduced Mr. Glass. Plus, the villain was not destoyed, only temporarily defeated. Another thing many reviewers did not understand. They are still a threat to this world.
After I walked out of the theater, instead of getting on the train to go home - I walked the streets to the middle of downtown. My mind filled with everything I seen and how it is impacting me as a storyteller and filmmaker. It made me think of new and exciting avenues to take. And it made me want to be in the downtown of Chicago City, to be in the real world I now live in, what has become a home to me. To interact with fellow humans and to inspire me to reach my own potential. I am allowed that in this world.
“We give each other permission to be superheroes. We will never awaken otherwise.”
2. TIE: Fast Color dir. Julia Hart (DVD) – a FANTASTIC film about women with “superpowers”. As a daughter returns home after years of hiding, her mother and her daughter must adjust to her return. It is revealed that every woman in their family have special abilities and the main character is loathe to perform hers for fear of the earth tremors it triggers. It is such a beautifully told story. I was in tears by the end.
2. TIE: The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open dir’s Elle-Maija Tailfeathers, Kathleen Hepburn (Netflix) – heartrending in its depiction of abuse. (And it does so without resorting to showing the woman get beaten.) Done in one continuous shot, a Native woman must take custody and try to help a young pregnant Native woman after finding her on the street. What follows is such a heartbreaking story and a pay-off that is stunningly true to life.
It seems I have little to say about the #2 picks but believe me, their emotional impacts are far deeper reaching than any words I can bring to them.
1. The Farewell dir. Lulu Wang – My pick for the BEST PICTURE of 2019 that got not. ONE. SINGLE. NOMINATION! I saw this four times in the theater and bought it as soon as it came available on home video. Young Billi must navigate an emotional minefield when her beloved grandmother is diagnosed with lung cancer and given a few months to live, but the family decides to keep the prognosis from her. Billie’s family goes to China for a wedding that is just an excuse for the family to see grandmother before she passes. Here, Billi must learn that one life does not belong to a single person, but to a community and that in their not telling, they are taking on the heavy emotional responsibility for the person. Billi soon sees that her grandmother’s life is significant and Billi finds that she is indeed a part of a community – family.
The cast is so good in this. Every roles was great and contributed mightily to the story. It is Akwafina who holds the film as the emotional core in a great performance that I hope gets the recognition it deserves. This is the best picture I saw in 2019. It is such a crime that it was never nominated for anything from the Academy. Such a crime.
That’s it. I hope it was worth it.
Looking forward to what happened in 2020!
Respectfully submitted,
Ernest M Whiteman III
2020 Ernest M Whiteman III
