Glass (2019)

Director: M. Night Shyamalan. Cast: James McAvoy, Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Sarah Paulson, Spencer Treat Clark. 129 min. Rated PG-13. Sci-fi.

Imagine the potential: the (super)hero and (super)villain of one of the best sci-fis of the 2000s, together with the villain of the sequel, here to complete a trilogy. Then imagine how that potential falls flat on the face. More than half the movie goes by in preamble, for it to end in a boring anticlimactic final battle ... in an asylum's front yard? And finally a Shyamalan twist at the end which is supposed to lead to more sequels but nobody really cares about. This is "the curse of the threequel" in full force.

Mo says:

My Top 10 Movies of 2018

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I consider 2018 a somewhat boring year for movies. It was good for musicals (Bohemian Rhapsody, A Star is Born), and unbelievable for superheroes (Aquaman, Spider-Man: Spider-verse, Black Panther, Ant-Man 2, Deadpool 2, and of course, Infinity War - to the extent that nobody asked: what's going on with Episode IX?).

And in essence, all this means ... it was a boring year for movies. Like other years, it was full of sequels and prequels and remakes (a major Oscar contender is a third remake!) - but that's nothing new. We rarely got anything new or exciting or thought-provoking like Annihilation.

So as usual, right before the Oscar nominees are announced, let's just cut to the chase. My top 10 movies of 2018, in alphabetical order:

1. Annihilation

2. Avengers: Infinity War

3. BlacKkKlansman

4. Crazy Rich Asians

5. Fahrenheit 11/9

6. First Man

7. Green Book

8. Hereditary

9. Mission: Impossible - Fallout

10. Roma

Best Movie of the Year: I've seen this twice already, and I want to see it again. The layers of meaning this film hurls you into (what was it about anyway?), keeps you thinking for a loooooong time after it's over. I've heard sequels are in the works. I hope that doesn't happen.

MoMagic!

Annihilation

Worst Movie of the Year: Never thought this day would come. Well ... I did, just not this fast. They made a Star Wars movie with a story that made no sense, with flimsy characters that had no logic, and resurrected a dead villain from the past that should've stayed dead. Summarily, they made a spin-off that was never needed in the first place. Other than filling some fat pockets.

MoCrap!

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Discovery of the Year: This will be strange for film aficionados, but I found two classic movies by a French director that blew me away: Les diaboliques (The Devils), and The Wages of Fear. You can't make exciting black-and-white movies that'll grip the audience on the edge of their seat very easily -even by today's standards.

Discovery of the Year: 

Henri-Georges Clouzot

If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

Director: Barry Jenkins. Cast: KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Diego Luna, Pedro Pascal, Dave Franco. 119 min. Rated R. Drama/Romance.

I was never impressed by Moonlight, but watching Jenkins' latest, everything started to fall into place. The idea of using a slow rhythm, a very slow rhythm, to project pure emotions. Not only love. Any emotion. Look at If Beale Street Could Talk through that lens, and suddenly everything makes sense: a young couple in love could be any couple; not a couple defined by their skin color. And that's what makes the cruelty of racism that's unleashed upon them, so disturbing. You're forced to contemplate: what if a white couple was treated exactly the same way? Intrusive film.

Mo says:

Vice (2018)

Director: Adam McKay. Cast: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, Eddie Marsan, Jesse Plemons, Bill Camp, Lily Rabe, Tyler Perry. 132 min. Rated R. Biography/Comedy.

We already knew Dick Cheney was an historically despicable entity. So when you make a movie about a despicable concept, you better make him interesting - not just something as abhorrent as expected. Otherwise, you're just displaying your inner masochism. Undoubtedly, the viewer will be blown away on how closely Bale, Carell and Rockwell resemble Cheney, Rumsfeld and Bush, respectively, but there's nothing conceptually interesting in their resemblance. And Cheney breaking the fourth wall at the end to talk to us, as supposed proof on the movie's fair approach, only adds to confusion on the director's stance on the subject.

Mo says:

Green Book (2018)

Director: Peter Farrelly. Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini. 130 min. Rated PG-13. Biography/Drama.

This film will be accused of sentimentality, or even being "charming". Or being merely a road movie about the oddest of odd couples ... like all road movies. But the story of a racist Italian-American working as the chauffeur of an African-American classical pianist on a concert tour in the Deep South, is a movie brave enough to instigate difficult conversations - thanks to its superb screenplay, showing an impossible relationship confronting racist situation after racist situation after racist situation. Mortensen and Ali's unforgettable acting aside, you'll fall in love with the two characters, and want to watch them interacting forever.

- “Dignity always prevails.”

Mo says:

MoMagic!

Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)

Director: Drew Goddard. Cast: Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Chris Hemsworth. 141 min. Rated R. Crime.

What's worse than a Tarantino wannabe ... is a weak Tarantino wannabe. With all its overlapping timelines, its big budget and big stars notwithstanding, this is the movie that Tarantino wouldn't have made even as a student project. What makes Tarantino special, is the mesmerizing dialogue that flows out of his characters, not gimmicky timeline games - and this movie lacks that dialogue entirely. Not even the violence here is "fun" the way Tarantino does it. I am so enticed to give this a NoMo. You know what? I will.

Mo says:

The Favourite (2018)

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos. Cast: Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, Nicholas Hoult. 119 min. Rated R. Ireland/UK/USA. Comedy/Drama.

Two women compete for the attention of their queen. This 18th century British royal dramedy has all the familiar elements of a Yorgos Lanthimos (Dogtooth, The Lobster) film: comically grotesque characters, self-inflicted injuries, and a strong presence of animals. And there are a few laughs in between, but ... I just started looking at my watch way too early. Critics are hailing this as one of the best (or the best) movie of the year, and I'm sure it'll snatch a few Oscars - but you'll walk out of the theater, wondering: which planet are these critics living on?

Mo says:

Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)

Director(s): Phil Johnston, Rich Moore. Voices: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Gal Gadot, Taraji P. Henson, Jane Lynch, Alan Tudyk, Alfred Molina, Ed O'Neill. 112 min. Rated PG. Animation.

Interesting how on both Wreck-It Ralph movies, I started out with low expectations, but on both was terrifically surprised by the end - more so on this sequel. With Ralph and Vanellope leaving the arcade and entering the internet, showing us an artist's animated rendition of a different world (à la Inside Out), there are a few minor messages for minors about surfing the internet and ignoring trolls, but one huge message about friendship, dealing with insecurities in a relationship, and ... having the ability to let go. That, will fly right over the kids heads.

Mo says:

The Old Man & the Gun (2018)

Director: David Lowery. Cast: Robert Redford, Sissy Spacek, Casey Affleck, Danny Glover, Tom Waits. 93 min. Rated PG-13.  Comedy/Crime.

Redford's (reportedly) last acting credit, is a satire on his entire career. An old bank-robber, a gentleman with a heart of gold, keeps on robbing banks and breaking out of prison, just for the adrenaline rush. Because if you don't live your life, what's it worth? Even the opening credits title font is the same as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The film does have its moments, glimpsing into old age, lingering on missing the chance of doing what you always really wanted to do. But if this is truly the walking legend's last act, I'm somewhat disappointed.

- Favorite line, voiced by the Sissy Spacek character:

"You can kinda lose track of yourself, you know? At least I did. And it's so easy to assume everything's fine and this is fine and this is the way things are supposed to be. You spend so much time thinking you're happy and one day you wake up and you realize, oh, ... maybe you aren't? Maybe you never were in the first place. Maybe you don't even know what that means. And then something happens, like, you lose someone or, even your kids grow up and leave home and you think ... what do I have left? Yeah, I'll miss him, there'll always be a part of me that will. But now, I think, ... now it's okay to be selfish."

Mo says:

Bird Box (2018)

Director: Susanne Bier. Cast: Sandra Bullock, Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich, Sarah Paulson, Jacki Weaver, Tom Hollander. 124 min. Rated R. Sci-fi/Horror.

Unspecified entity causes people to commit suicide when they see it, leading to a post-apocalyptic world where they walk around blindfolded. The corollaries to the other 2018 sci-fi/horror, A Quiet Place, are undeniable: that movie had an auditory ban at its center, this one is visual. But that film was so gripping, you wised up to its discrepancies after it was over; with Bird Box, the plot doesn't make sense as you're watching it. Reason? The movie's long duration provides ample time to assess its logic (or lack thereof). Maybe it's intentionally confusing to make room for a sequel.

PS: Available on Netflix.

Mo says: