70 new york | december 23, 2019–january 5, 2020
year in culture / the critics1.
Once Upon a Time
in Hollywood
In this gorgeously meandering
farrago, two aging, increasingly
irrelevant white males from ’50s
cowboy TV recover their mojo
enough to defend themselves against
dirty hippie girls and thereby save
a blonde, pregnant movie princess
from being butchered. On paper,
it sounds a tad ... reactionary. But
Quentin Tarantino’s tenth film—star-
ring Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad
Pitt—is more wistful pipe dream than
manifesto. Above all, it’s a fetishis-
tic collage of ’60s bric-a-brac that
transcends its inspirations, building
to a denouement at once euphoric
and heartbreaking. Yet again, Tar-
antino has created a unique frame
in which to examine (or maybe just
to live inside) the movie world that,
for better or worse, made him.
2.
The Irishman
Shaped around the 1975 (presumed)
killing of erstwhile Teamsters
president Jimmy Hoffa, Martin
Scorsese’s three-and-a-half-hour
film is notable for what it doesn’t
have: flashy set pieces, whip pans to
carnage, or Rolling Stones songs to
pump up the adrenaline. It’s a work
of self-abnegation that’s set where
Scorsese normally showboats, cast
with aging Scorsese vets Robert De
Niro and Joe Pesci (who’s sublime),
plus a guest star, Al Pacino, from the
other landmark gangster film of the
director’s era. Narrated by the elderly
title character, a sometime hit man,from a wheelchair in a Catholic
convalescent home, the movie is
steeped in regret, not so much for
what was done as for what was
done but not felt. Scorsese all but
acknowledges that this is an old
man’s movie: Taking his cue from
his increasingly infirm characters,
he won’t let himself hide behind
motion. The paralysis becomes him.
3.
Diane
Critic, documentarian, and
former festival director Kent
Jones’s first fiction film centers
on the exquisitely expressive
Mary Kay Place as a compulsive
do-gooder out to expiate her sins
while everyone in her little town
is either dying or on the brink
(though we’re all on the brink).
This naturalistic drama with the
odd Expressionist flourish is a
candidate for the most depressing
ever made, but once you accept
its untranscendent, death-centric
baseline, it’s strangely exhilarat-
ing. Sequences are broken by
shots of passing rural landscapes
through a windshield, the pro-
tagonist going—like all of us—
from someplace to someplace on
the road to who knows where.
4.
Little Women
You can feel the giddy, slightly
galumphing Greta Gerwig of
Frances Ha in her breathtaking
adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s
classic 19th-century weeper, in
which Jo March (Saoirse Ronan)
struggles to find her voice as aTHE TEN
BEST
MOV IES
OF THE
YEAR
By david edelsteinPHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY OF STUDIOSPHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY OF STUDIOS
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december 23, 2019–january 5, 2020 | new york 71
1.
Antonio Banderas,
Pain and Glory
Decked out to look
like his director, Pedro
Almodóvar, Banderas
beautifully changes with
each interaction—from
taskmaster to scorned
lover to regretful child.
2.
Zhao Tao, Ash Is
Purest White
In director Jia Zhangke’s
historical epic, Zhao
embodies a woman
who weathers personal
and national betrayals,
a figure of battered,
poignant nobility.
3.
Scarlett Johansson,
Marriage Story
She has been doing
action movies for so
long we forget what an
incredible actress she is.
4.
Adèle Haenel,
Portrait of a
Lady on Fire
A young woman tries to
avoid having her portrait
painted while falling for
the woman doing the
painting. We watch her
and watch her ... until we
realize she’s watching us.
5.
Zhao Shuzhen,
The Farewell
As a grandmother who
doesn’t know she’s
terminally ill, she brought
a welcome levity and
lived-in brusqueness to
a part that could have
so easily become a one-
note pathos factory.
6.
Wesley Snipes,
Dolemite Is My Name
As a charmingly
pretentious auteur, Snipes
nearly steals the whole
thing out from under
star Eddie Murphy.
7.
Brad Pitt, Once Upon
a Time in Hollywood
A laid-back stud with a
slow-burning capacity
for violence, his is
the most hypnotic of
the Tarantino epic’s
remarkable trio of leads.
8.
Adam Sandler,
Uncut Gems
Watching Sandler’s
corrosive relentlessness
in this Diamond District
tragicomedy, it’s hard
to imagine him doing
more dopey comedies.
9.
Lupita Nyong’o, Us
She is both the Final
Girl and the Big Bad
of Jordan Peele’s
mesmerizing horror hit.
10.
Jennifer Lopez,
Hustlers
This stripper-scam saga
provides Lopez with her
best role since Out of
Sight and incorporates
her star qualities into
what’s essentially a
platonic romance. Even
when she’s exuding
warmth, Lopez maintains
a sense of mystique.writer without forsaking love and
to find love without giving up her
spiky female perspective. Gerwig’s
overflowing humanism could have
swamped a story with less texture,
but the screenplay (which moves
back and forth between a plush past
and a denuded present) is packed
with revelations. The film is all
but stolen by its Amy, the petite,
husky-voiced Florence Pugh.
5.
Parasite
A down-and-out South Korean fam-
ily insinuates itself into the household
of a rich one in Bong Joon Ho’s wildly
entertaining tragicomedy, which has
an original metaphor for income
inequality: The haves live—oblivi-
ously—above the have-lesses, who live
above the have-even-lesses. Who are
the title parasites? The poor who attach
themselves to the rich, or the rich who
suck the marrow of the poor? Or is the
system itself the parasite, drawing its
energy from the turbulent interaction
between rich and poor? By rights, all
this should keep you up at night.
6.
American Factory
Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert’s
expansive documentary is set largely
in Dayton, Ohio, where a closed GM
plant is reborn as a Chinese-owned
auto-glass factory. The film is hilari-
ous in depicting the culture clash
between stubbornly individualistic
Americans (slow, with “fat fingers,”
according to Chinese executives)
and disciplined, anything-for-the-
company Chinese workers, but the
underlying trajectory is grim. TheChinese regard their workers as
machine parts—and soon they’ll
have actual machines doing all the
labor. So we’re seeing the worst
of communism (become a cog, a
zombie drone) combined with the
worst of free-market capitalism
(you’re expendable in all ways).
7.
Honeyland
Disney princesses should bow
before Hatidze Muratova, the
rough-hewn Turkish woman
who presides over a fragile eco-
system of bees in an isolated,
windswept Macedonian valley in
Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir
Stefanov’s transporting docu-
mentary. Her connection to this
vanishing world seems inversely
proportional to her estrangement
from humankind, and her loneli-
ness acquires the luminousness
of myth. A magnificent work.
8.
Dolemite Is My Name
Everything clicks in this breezy,
ironic biopic starring Eddie Murphy
as comedian Rudy Ray Moore, who
arrested a mid-career fade-out in
the 1970s by developing an alter
ego called “Dolemite,” a pimp,
libertine, and fabulist with roots
in African-American folklore.
Directed by Craig Brewer from
a script by Scott Alexander and
Larry Karaszewski, the movie has
the let’s-put-on-a-show feel of the
writing duo’s Ed Wood, which also
celebrates self-actualization over
actual talent. In this universe, dig-
nity is well lost for the sake of fame.9.
Uncut Gems
Adam Sandler finds his bizarrely
abrasive sweet spot as a termi-
nally self-destructive jeweler and
gambler in this feverish New York
drama by the Safdie brothers, set
in the world of grubby Diamond
District salesmen and Jewish gang-
sters. The film, like the character,
is in constant, nausea-inducing
motion, which the Safdies sug-
gest is the existential condition
in a world with no moral center
of gravity. It’s unclear what all
this adds up to, but you might
not stop shaking for hours.
10.
For Sama
The 2016 siege of Aleppo (and the
attendant war crimes of Syria and
Russia) have produced indelible
records of heroism and horror,
but Waad al-Kateab and Edward
Watts’s first-person documentary
captures most vividly both the
specifics of this struggle and the
larger tragedy. Sama is al-Kateab’s
baby daughter, whose existence
haunts the young woman as
she films her husband, Hamza
(one of the few doctors remain-
ing), in his at tempts to save
another and another and another
bomb-mangled child. Much of
the film takes place inside the
hospital where Hamza will do
890 operations in 20 days, but
the footage doesn’t feel raw—it
has been shaped to compel
you to bear witness to even the
most grisly and tragic sights.Top Ten
Movie
Performances
By
bilge ebiri
and
alison willmorePHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY OF STUDIOSPHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY OF STUDIOSY ___ DD ___ AD ___ PD ___ EICADVANCED FORM
TRANSMITTED
________ COPY ___ DD ___ AD ___ PD ___ EIC2619CR_YIC_section_lay [Print]_36372551.indd 71 12/17/19 2:31 PMdecember23,2019–january5, 2020 | newyork 711.
AntonioBanderas,
PainandGlory
Deckedouttolook
likehisdirector,Pedro
Almodóvar, Banderas
beautifullychangeswith
eachinteraction—from
taskmastertoscorned
lovertoregretfulchild.
2.
ZhaoTao,AshIs
PurestWhite
In directorJiaZhangke’s
historicalepic,Zhao
embodiesa woman
whoweatherspersonal
andnationalbetrayals,
a figureofbattered,
poignantnobility.
3.
ScarlettJohansson,
MarriageStory
She has beendoing
action moviesforso
long we forgetwhatan
incredibleactresssheis.
4.
AdèleHaenel,
Portraitof a
LadyonFire
A young womantriesto
avoid havingherportrait
painted whilefallingfor
thewomandoingthe
painting.We watchher
andwatchher... untilwe
realizeshe’s watchingus.
5.
ZhaoShuzhen,
TheFarewell
Asa grandmotherwho
doesn’tknowshe’s
terminallyill,shebrought
a welcomelevityand
lived-inbrusquenessto
a partthatcouldhave
soeasilybecomea one-
notepathosfactory.
6.
WesleySnipes,
Dolemite IsMyName
Asa charmingly
pretentiousauteur, Snipes
nearlystealsthewhole
thingoutfromunder
starEddieMurphy.
7.
BradPitt,Once Upon
a TimeinHollywood
A laid-backstudwitha
slow-burningcapacity
forviolence,hisis
themosthypnoticof
theTarantinoepic’s
remarkabletrioofleads.
8.
AdamSandler,
UncutGems
WatchingSandler’s
corrosive relentlessness
inthisDiamondDistrict
tragicomedy, it’s hard
toimaginehimdoing
moredopeycomedies.
9.
LupitaNyong’o,Us
Sheis boththeFinal
GirlandtheBigBad
ofJordanPeele’s
mesmerizinghorrorhit.
10.
JenniferLopez,
Hustlers
Thisstripper-scamsaga
providesLopezwithher
bestrolesinceOutof
Sightandincorporates
herstarqualitiesinto
what’sessentiallya
platonicromance. Even
whenshe’s exuding
warmth,Lopezmaintains
a senseofmystique.writer without forsaking love and
to find love without giving up her
spiky female perspective. Gerwig’s
overflowing humanism could have
swamped a story with less texture,
but the screenplay (which moves
back and forth between a plush past
and a denuded present) is packed
with revelations. The film is all
but stolen by its Amy, the petite,
husky-voiced Florence Pugh.
5.
Parasite
A down-and-out South Korean fam-
ily insinuates itself into the household
of a rich one in Bong Joon Ho’s wildly
entertaining tragicomedy, which has
an original metaphor for income
inequality: The haves live—oblivi-
ously—above the have-lesses, who live
above the have-even-lesses. Who are
the title parasites? The poor who attach
themselves to the rich, or the rich who
suck the marrow of the poor? Or is the
system itself the parasite, drawing its
energy from the turbulent interaction
between rich and poor? By rights, all
thisshouldkeepyouupat night.
6.
AmericanFactory
StevenBognarandJuliaReichert’s
expansivedocumentaryis set largely
inDayton,Ohio,where a closedGM
plantis rebornasa Chinese-owned
auto-glassfactory. Thefilmis hilari-
ousindepictingthecultureclash
betweenstubbornlyindividualistic
Americans(slow,with“fat fingers,”
accordingtoChineseexecutives)
anddisciplined,anything-for-the-
company Chineseworkers,butthe
underlyingtrajectoryis grim.TheChinese regard their workers as
machine parts—and soon they’ll
have actual machines doing all the
labor. So we’re seeing the worst
of communism (become a cog, a
zombie drone) combined with the
worst of free-market capitalism
(you’re expendable in all ways).
7.
Honeyland
Disney princesses should bow
before Hatidze Muratova, the
rough-hewn Turkish woman
who presides over a fragile eco-
system of bees in an isolated,
windswept Macedonian valley in
Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir
Stefanov’s transporting docu-
mentary. Her connection to this
vanishing world seems inversely
proportional to her estrangement
from humankind, and her loneli-
ness acquires the luminousness
of myth. A magnificent work.
8.
Dolemite Is My Name
Everything clicks in this breezy,
ironicbiopicstarringEddieMurphy
ascomedianRudyRay Moore,who
arresteda mid-careerfade-outin
the1970sbydevelopinganalter
egocalled“Dolemite,” a pimp,
libertine,andfabulist withroots
inAfrican-Americanfolklore.
DirectedbyCraigBrewerfrom
a scriptbyScott Alexanderand
Larry Karaszewski,themoviehas
thelet’s-put-on-a-showfeelofthe
writingduo’sEdWood,whichalso
celebratesself-actualizationover
actualtalent.In thisuniverse,dig-
nity is welllost forthesake offame.9.
Uncut Gems
Adam Sandler finds his bizarrely
abrasive sweet spot as a termi-
nally self-destructive jeweler and
gambler in this feverish New York
drama by the Safdie brothers, set
in the world of grubby Diamond
District salesmen and Jewish gang-
sters. The film, like the character,
is in constant, nausea-inducing
motion, which the Safdies sug-
gest is the existential condition
in a world with no moral center
of gravity. It’s unclear what all
this adds up to, but you might
not stop shaking for hours.
10.
For Sama
The 2016 siege of Aleppo (and the
attendant war crimes of Syria and
Russia) have produced indelible
records of heroism and horror,
but Waad al-Kateab and Edward
Watts’s first-person documentary
captures most vividly both the
specifics of this struggle and the
largertragedy.Samaisal-Kateab’s
babydaughter,whoseexistence
hauntstheyoungwomanas
shefilmsherhusband,Hamza
(oneofthefewdoctorsremain-
ing),inhisat temptstosave
anotherandanotherandanother
bomb-mangledchild.Muchof
thefilmtakesplaceinsidethe
hospitalwhereHamzawilldo
890 operationsin 20 days,but
thefootagedoesn’t feelraw—it
hasbeenshapedtocompel
youtobearwitnesstoeventhe
mostgrislyandtragicsights.Top Ten
Movie
Performances
By
bilge ebiri
and
alison willmorePHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY OF STUDIOS