Please read carefully: I’m not saying that these are the 10 greatest films from 2019. I’m only saying that they are 10 great films that opened in Milwaukee this year. Notice: Opened in Milwaukee; there have been great films screened in New York, LA and elsewhere that have not yet arrived in town and might never get their run here on a big screen.
One other thing: I don’t like calling these the “best” of the year. Instead, they are favorites of 2019—for whose greatness I’m happy to argue.
1. Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood
Quentin Tarantino has an excellent eye for the sights and sounds of pop culture history—even when he’s rewriting for a happier ending. Read my full review here.
2. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Tom Hanks fully inhabits the cardigan-wearing figure familiar to millions who grew up with him and sidesteps unintentional parody. Read my full review here.
3. Midsommar
A New Age hippie commune gradually reveals its roots in the Dark Ages in this artful horror film by a director, Ari Aster, with a promising future. Read my full review here.
4. Joker
Joaquin Phoenix reinvents the Joker in a film that isn’t just an origin story for a comic book character but an imaginative exploration of social problems. Read my full review here.
5. Yesterday
The time-travel may be silly but British director Danny Boyle brings the ear of a music fan to this fascinating twist on how we consume and remember pop culture. Read my full review here.
6. All is True
Kenneth Branagh directs and plays William Shakespeare in this cinematically exquisite (and beautifully written) exploration of the great author in retirement. Read my full review here.
7. The White Crow
Ralph Fiennes directs the biography of dancer Rudolf Nureyev covering his birth through his dramatic defection from the Soviets at the Paris airport. Read my full review here.
8. Gloria Bell
Julianne Moore is memorable (her best role ever?) as a woman midway through middle age with an uncertain present and a less certain future. Read my full review here.
9. Stan & Ollie
Seek out this overlooked picture on the last days of the comedy duo Laurel & Hardy, played endearingly by Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly. Read my full review here.
10. Rocketman
Enjoyable despite shuffling the history like a deck of cards, Rocketman dramatizes the major themes of stardom, excess and addiction. Read my full review here.
