Who watches films at the theaters anymore? Apparently, I do.

The year is almost over, but I am likely not going to watch any new films before the new year arrives. I have already seen some discussion about what might be nominated for awards and whatnot, and what already has been. This is not about that. This is me reflecting on what brought me out to the theater, and what I thought of the experiences.

The Big Action Adventure Films
Avengers: Endgame
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Captain Marvel
Spider-Man: Far from Home

Endgame and Skywalker were satisfying conclusions to universes & characters I have been following somewhat closely. Captain Marvel was fun and Far from Home was mixed for me but still entertaining. But the Marvel/Avengers and Star Wars franchise conclusions brought the fanboy out of me. Endgame was one of the best theater experiences for me this year. It may just take the cake.

Films About Real Heroes
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Harriet

These two films were the two that I walked out of and wanted to be a better human being. They have stuck with me in their own ways, and I hope for more films like these two.

Darker films with subtext and social commentary
Parasite
Joker

The funny things about these two is that I watched Joker in Korea and Parasite in the USA. Joker's not a film I necessarily recommend to everyone, but it was a stirring and fascinating (and intense) character study. I do not consider it a comic book film, and the character name is only loosely tied to what works about the film. Parasite is probably the best directed film I watched all year, and the social commentary floored me. In many respects, it was the best film (or cinema, as Martin Scorcese would say) I saw this year. Both of these were crafted to speak to the intersection in society between the social classes, and I believe the dark intense moments are intended to reveal what is often a hidden (spiritually) darker side of society. 

Entertaining Surprises from Directors I have enjoyed in the past
Knives Out
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Rian Johnson did a nice job with Knives Out, and the film reminded me that most of his work is about detectives and intriguing crime stories. Tarantino is a director whose work has puzzled me recently, but for this film he was able to mature, finally, in a way that I have been waiting for him to mature for a long time. Some of his fans likely walked out of the film enjoying most the parts of the film that I did not need. But what I liked was DiCaprio filming that western (on and off the set), and a stuntman trying to do his best even when stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place.

Films for Children / Adults who used to be children
Toy Story 4
Aladdin
The Lion King

Before I watched the film, I did not know that Woody deserved the goodbye and send-off that he got at the end of the film, but I am so thankful I got to see it. And that Forky, too, and what he represented was a wonderfully new way for Pixar to return to the psychology of children and toys that the franchise originally did so well. The Lion King special effects looked amazing. Absolutely amazing. Still, the film only worked to a certain extent, and much of what was done well was done better in the original animated version. For some reason, though, Aladdin mostly worked for me, and I ended up appreciating a bit of what the live action version added to the story.

Released on Netflix
Always Be My Maybe
The Irishman

Okay, for these two films, I actually watched them on my computer. But, the thing is, I'm kinda glad they were released straight to streaming. Otherwise, I might not have gotten around to seeing them. Always... has a silly title, and I didn't like everything about the characters, but it was a great romantic comedy that felt real to me. The representation of Asian Americans was, of course, good to see. And I liked the talk about kimchi jjiggae early on in the film. I want more films like this. The Irishman is difficult for me to evaluate. On the one hand, it's one of Martin Scorcese's best films, and it is especially the best film he's done in a long time (certainly better than The Departed). But, it has some issues, and it's loooooong. Netflix probably thinks I watched this two and a half times. I did not. I fell asleep during at least one attempt to watch it (granted, I started it late at night) but the film kept playing. In actuality, I think it took me three or four sittings to get through it. It is good, and I am glad Scorcese and his cast figured out how to complete this. I just think it's a tad overrated in the Oscar buzz, and I preferred other films. Plus, Scorcese's assertion about Marvel and cinema was ridiculous, especially because if you compare some of way Scorcese has filmed violence with several moments in Infinity War, Endgame, and earlier films like The Winter Soldier and Black Panther, you see that there is plenty of weight given to deaths in Marvel films that Scorcese films sometimes treat a bit more cavalierly or matter of fact.

Still want to watch (but my budget...): Ford v. Ferrari, 1917, and a few others.

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