Bohemian Rhapsody
The fall Oscar season got off to a slow start for film releases, but things picked up with costume productions from very different eras, Bohemian Rhapsody and The Favourite, and continued with the re-release of The Wife. Come to think of it, most of my favorites from this year are set in the past, which might be a commentary on a desire shared by many to escape what the present has turned into.
Three selections on my top list are documentaries, all of them about inspiring people who rose beyond the expectations of their time. It’s good to know that two of the subjects—Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Itzhak Perlman—are still alive and active in their fields.
The list below is in no special order and refers only to 2018 films shown on big screens in Milwaukee. As for my personal worst releases of 2018, they are not only stupid and cliché-ridden but fall into an ugly genre best described as softcore violence porn. Let’s hope for a better 2019.
Favorite Feature Films
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
The Wife
Widows
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Disobedience
Blackkklansman
Death of Stalin
Favorite Documentaries
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Itzhak
RBG
Special Mention
Black Panther
I used to enjoy superhero films more than I do lately. I’m getting tired of them. However, Black Panther is outstanding not only for putting Africans in the lead, but for its sense that community can be just as important as a small band of heroes with superpowers.
Worst
Peppermint
Mile 22
Sicario: Day of the Soldato
