Marie can’t resist joining the throng and compiling her top films of the year. Spoiler alert – some of them aren’t in English …
Writing for The Movie Isle during 2018 allowed me the privilege of attending the London Film Festival in a professional capacity this year. As a result, I was able to see a whole host of films which haven’t even been released in the UK yet, which was a real bonus. Conversely, as UK release dates are often well after those in the US, then don’t be surprised to see a couple of films on this list which some may class as 2017 releases, but which didn’t get to these shores until this year.
As usual, I managed to miss a couple of films which I really wanted to see, top of the list being Cold War and Zama. They did get UK releases this year, but I just couldn’t quite get round to seeing them.
A complete collection of my 2018 viewing can be found here on Letterboxd where you’ll see the whole list of 2018 releases which I saw this year. Rankings in the middle are subject to a bit of movement, but the top (and bottom) are pretty much set!
10 – The Old Man and the Gun
If this is truly going to be Robert Redford’s final film, then what a fitting end. It’s charming, funny and entertaining, and in addition to a great use of Redford, has some sparkling on-screen chemistry between him and Sissy Spacek.
9 – Gholam
Shahab Hosseini walks a lot in the London rain as he mulls over his options. Hosseini may be better known to audiences from Iranian director Asghar Farhani’s work such as A Separation or The Salesman. Gholam transplants Hosseini to the London suburbs as he tries to escape from something in his past and ends up driving a taxi cab around the city’s streets. It’s a film that has stayed with me all year and has an ending that comes out of nowhere.
8 – Loveless
In Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Academy Award-nominated film we see that love – and the ensuing failed relationships – are complicated. Complicated enough for the adults at their centre. But in one short devastating shot, we see just how traumatic the breakup is for the couples’ son. Wrapped in some beautiful, glacial cinematography, Loveless is a personal story with a political undertone which haunts long after the final image.
7 – First Reformed
When I left the cinema I had no idea whether I even liked this. But it continues to be on my mind, particularly the final scene, and Ethan Hawke’s performance is something else.
6 – If Beale Street Could Talk
Soaring camerawork, a luscious score – Barry Jenkins and James Baldwin are a match made in heaven. It’s a story of love, of family support, of getting by in trying circumstances. It’s also a commentary on race relations and the US legal system, with all the gentleness of a Wong Kar-Wai film.
5 – BlacKkKlansman
Films that make you laugh, then make you feel uncomfortable that you’re laughing, then stun you into silence all within a few minutes must surely be doing something right. The anger driving the narrative is couched in comedic touches, drawing the audience in, until just the moments when we need to be horrified to appreciate the fury. A reminder to us all that as we go about our privileged lives, someone, somewhere, is fighting against injustice. Perhaps we need to be with them instead of clapping along from the sidelines.
4 – First Man
A terrifying opening sequence and a memorable, silent, end shot – with a lot of beautiful action happening in between. Damien Chazelle has crafted a compelling film featuring a taciturn man, which seems to defy logic.
3 – A Fantastic Woman
Daniela Vega imbues Marina with such dignity. Sebastián Lelio has woven a beautiful, fantastic tale about a very fantastic woman. It was an honour to meet her.
2 – Capernaum
A young runaway takes the spotlight in Nadine Labaki’s film, and as a portrait of resilience, it’s stunning – and then you remember that this should not be happening to a 12-year-old. The small kindnesses which are exchanged along the way are magnified among the hardships which are endured. Not an easy watch, but remarkable and challenging with a final shot that steals your heart.
1 – Shoplifters
Kore-eda has already proven himself to be an expert at portraying family dynamics and unusual relationships. Shoplifters introduces us to three generations living together who, it turns out, are linked by a need to belong and be loved rather than by blood. A sublime portrayal of how a family can become a loving and supportive unit when both society and blood ties let it down.