Artificial Intelligence in Pharmaceutical Device Development

13 million patient records, millions of preclinical screening data points, and billions upon billions of recorded chemical structural connections: the sheer amount of data available gives us the…

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My 25 Favorite Movies of 2019

“That was the best acting I’ve ever seen in my whole life.”

It has probably been said every single year that movies have been around that the previous year was such a great one for movies. Over time, there are many years that prove the prognosticators correct. 1939, 1946, 1975, 1980, 1994, 2007, 2017. But when I say that 2019 was one of the best years in the history of film, I mean it. My top twenty-five is filled with films that could have been top five contenders in most other years. The top fifty is packed solid with extreme quality! There were no half-stars for me in 2019, even if there were some distasteful films. There were five movies I thought were entirely perfect.

We had new films from Greta Gerwig, Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, Noah Baumbach, Rian Johnson, the Safdie Brothers, Jonathan Levine, Jordan Peele, Richard Curtis, Danny Boyle, Marielle Heller, Sam Mendes, Mike Flanagan, Taika Waititi, Bong Joon-ho, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, Jon Favreau, Tim Burton, Robert Eggers, James Gray, M. Night Shyamalan, Todd Haynes, and more.

A ton of beloved film series came to a conclusion. Many different television series received high quality film adaptations. Fantastic documentaries and superhero epics and film debuts and coming-of-age stories and on and on and on. 2019 had it all. The film industry is barreling towards an uncertain future, but at the very least, we had 2019. It’s one of my favorite years for movies that I’ve ever seen in my whole life, as Trudi Fraser might say. It blew me away how the movies of the year just kept getting better and better. The knives went out, but they didn’t cut any gems. Little women showed they might be more worthy than just about anyone. And whether we were transported to the 1960s, to London, to a magical circus, to Arendelle, to a world where Seth Rogen might date Charlize Theron, to a universe without The Beatles, it always felt like we were going somewhere exciting, thrilling, unknown. And wouldn’t it just be nice to stay there a little while longer?

So many of these movies are going to stick with me for the rest of my life. But before we get into the top twenty-five, I wanted to share some superlatives for films that just missed the cut.

Best Continuation of a Beloved Television Series That Could Have Been Abysmal and Was Actually Dope: El Camino

Best Foreign Language Film: Parasite

Best of the Four Disney Live-Action Remakes, in Terms of Film and of Soundtrack: Aladdin

Best Extended Riff on “Mac and Dennis Move to the Suburbs”: The Lighthouse

Best Movie That Brought the Good Version of Matt Damon Back into Our Lives Again: Ford v. Ferrari

Best Conclusion to a Beloved Series That Starred Kit Harrington: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

Best Sequels We Never Expected to Have and Were Pretty Decent: Zombieland: Double Tap and Glass

Best Version of the New Coming-of-Age Indie Film We Get Every Year: Booksmart

Best Movies Where a Beloved and Hot Actor Takes on a Role That Is a Departure for Him and Kills a Ton of People: Ad Astra and Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile

I now present the list to you!

25. Between Two Ferns: The Movie

2019 was filled with movies that were built from television shows. Deadwood, Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones. But my personal favorite of these came from the universe of Between Two Ferns. Directed by Scott Aukerman, the Netflix movie based on the show sees Zach Galifianakis forced to conduct a number of celebrity interviews as penance for almost killing Matthew McConaughey. It’s one of the funniest pure comedies of the year and it’s short enough that it doesn’t overstay its welcome.

24. It: Chapter Two

Bill Hader, Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, and James Ransone

I know this is probably a controversial selection, but I didn’t really have too many problems with the sequel to 2017’s It remake. Yes, it was quite long and messy and a bit cyclical, but I think it all came together to achieve a massive impact on me by the end. I never knew how this story culminated and while it’s not what I expected, some compelling performances by Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy and a ton of laughs from the great Bill Hader along the way made it all worthwhile.

23. Frozen II

The trailers for the hotly-anticipated sequel to 2013’s Disney mega-hit, Frozen, were incredible. I received goosebumps every time I saw them. Frozen II did not quite live up to that promise, but it was still an entertaining ride along the way. Convoluted? Sure. Anticlimactic? A bit. But the first half is strong, the soundtrack deserves to be played on repeat right along with the first, and I love spending time with the characters who populate this world. Besides, Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, and Josh Gad make for one of the best casts of any animated movie.

22. Noelle

The first Disney Plooos original film to make a Best of the Year list is Noelle! It remains to be seen if this will be more of an anomaly than a harbinger (I wasn’t crazy about Lady and the Tramp or Togo), but no matter what, at least we had Noelle! A movie with great performances (even if it’s just a modern update on Elf, to an extent) and stellar producton design, it will make you happy as it fills the world with its infectious Christmas spirit. I can see this becoming a rewatchable holiday classic for me!

21. Honey Boy

Talk about a movie that is the polar opposite of Noelle! Honey Boy is no easy hang. It’s the story of Shia LaBeouf as a child actor and a struggling young adult actor from a screenplay that he wrote while in rehab and therapy. In the movie, LaBeouf portrays his own father and gives us a lens into what life was like for him and what he had to grow up with. It’s not easy to watch, but it seems like some sort of catharsis for LaBeouf. That’s kind of the point of writing, isn’t it? To work through feelings? I feel for him, man. I really do. That being said, he’s a great actor and Alma Har’el was masterful in her direction for the movie. Editor Monica Salazar and cinematographer Natasha Braier are also working at a high level in Honey Boy.

20. Rocketman

Last year, Bohemian Rhapsody was undeniable in how it let down the stories of Queen and Freddie Mercury with a rote, lame biopic. But Rocketman is not that. It tells a more honest story of Elton John and infuses a ton of fantasy elements that bring us to the heart of the Elton story rather than trying to bring a Wikipedia page to life and color in the lines with cliches. I love when stories use surrealism to get at emotional truths and Rocketman does it well. Yes, the ending is way too pat, but Taron Egerton’s musical ability carries the movie throughout.

19. Jojo Rabbit

There’s been a ton of controversy surrounding Jojo Rabbit and the criticisms of it are quite valid. I actually agree with some of them. But I really believe in the heart and intention of the story Taika Waititi is trying to tell here, as a little German boy is indoctrinated into Nazi ideologies. It’s more in line with something like Moonrise Kingdom than it is with Taika’s previous work like What We Do in the Shadows. But it still results in a moving, unquestionably worthwhile experience. For all its faults, there are still a ton of great laughs.

18. Marriage Story

Noah Baumbach’s heartbreaking tale of what happens to the love that was when a marriage splits apart. Ignore the memes on Twitter, this is an actors’ movie and Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson have never been better. The supporting cast of Alan Alda, Laura Dern, and Ray Liotta is just the icing on top. If Netflix can keep up the output of auteurs like this, then we have nothing to worry about in the future of emotional creativity.

17. Doctor Sleep

There’s no reason why a sequel to The Shining should be any good. Not when the goal is to appease the fans of Stephen King’s original novel and the fans of Stanley Kubrick’s warped 1980 adaptation. And yet, with a beautiful performance by Ewan McGregor at the center (he sings!) and the best horror director working right now, Mike Flanagan, at the helm, we should’ve known there was nothing to worry about. Doctor Sleep is a worthy follow-up to the greatest horror movie ever made.

16. Spider-Man: Far From Home

For the first time in a Spider-Man movie for me, the arc of the superhero action was the least of my concerns. I was all in on the relationship between Peter and MJ. Zendaya and Tom Holland are so charming and they have such amazing chemistry together. Their relationship is aces in the MCU! It serves as a worthy epilogue to Avengers: Endgame, but the beating heart of romance is what I took away from the second Holland Spider-Man movie. Jake Gyllenhaal is great, but how can I pay attention to drones when Peter and MJ are going on a moonlit European stroll?

15. Us

Jordan Peele now belongs to the echelon of filmmakers who you just can’t wait to see what they do next. Between Get Out and Us, the future is bright for Peele. I didn’t like Us quite as much as Get Out, but I still found it to be a riveting horror story. Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke both give some of the most believable (and in a few cases, terrifying) performances I’ve ever seen in a horror movie. But the symbolism is what draws me back to this. The many layers upon which the story operates is what I’ve delighted in. Hearing and reading scholarship about it only makes the whole movie experience more fulfilling.

14. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Marielle Heller crafted pure sweetness with this latest take on Mr. Rogers, from the perfectly cast Tom Hanks and his counterpart in Matthew Rhys. There is a moment where Rogers asks us to remember all the people whose love and support brought us to where we are now in our lives. Hanks as Rogers then looks into the camera, encouraging us to follow suit. That’s what life should be about. The love we have and the love we give.

13. Late Night

Heading into 2019, I made a list of my most anticipated films of the year. Late Night came in very high. But just because it finished in thirteenth place, that doesn’t mean I didn’t like it. I promise you: 2019 was an all-time great year for movies. To even make the top thirteen is a true honor. I mean that sincerely. Late Night, written by Mindy Kaling and directed by Nisha Ganatra, is the perfect cinematic match for the sensibilities and comedy stylings of Kaling, which we have come to love over the years. It’s like if The Mindy Project was set at a late night television show instead of an OBGYN office. What’s not to love?

12. 1917

There is a moment in 1917, a war film which is directed to appear as if it was shot in one take, when a character is forced to cross a body of water on a thin rod. Somehow, the camera continues to follow him. I don’t understand how it happens and I don’t want to. That’s what movie magic is all about. To anyone who will claim that this is a lame potential Best Picture winner, ignore them. It wouldn’t be my choice, but it’s undoubtedly worthy as the story of two soldiers sent into no man’s land to relay a message that could save lives in World War I. Sam Mendes and Roger Deakins have crafted something truly death-defying here and it deserves our attention. One of the best war films in recent memory.

11. Yesterday

A man gets into a bicycle crash when the electricity around the world goes out. He wakes up as the only man alive who remembers The Beatles. The catch? The man happens to be a musician who remembers the songs of The Beatles. There is so much fun to be had with the idea, collaborated upon by Richard Curtis and Danny Boyle, and a number of the scenes from it have become well-etched into my memory. It hurt to leave out the sweet story of music and of Lily James and Himesh Patel from my top ten, but it was just such a great year! It’s a top ten entrant in my heart.

10. Last Christmas

This one got savaged by the critics, but I think they were missing what was meant to be more of a Scrooge story. There are rom-com elements to be sure, but the arc of the story rests almost entirely on the growth we see from Kate (Emilia Clarke). But on top of that, it’s charming, Clarke is fantastic, it’s set during Christmastime, most of the scenes are in the evening, and the characters are wholesome and fun to watch. Throw in an incredible scene oriented entirely around George Michael’s music and what was I going to do? Not love it? Yeah, right.

9. Toy Story 4

There should’ve been no reason to continue the Toy Story series after the beautiful ending that was Toy Story 3. It should’ve ended there. Pixar could have gone out on top with the greatest trilogy ever made. But there was something more that needed to be said. Something more about Woody’s arc that the Pixar braintrust demanded to return to. And so it was that Pixar flexed their muscles and created the greatest quadrilogy of all-time, too. There are hilarious moments throughout, but there are also some devastating ones. I’m still not sure I’ve properly processed them.

8. Long Shot

I’m a sucker for Jonathan Levine’s movies. The man knows how to appeal to my comedic sensibilities! And he always pairs well with Seth Rogen, with whom he previously collaborated to produce 50/50 and The Night Before. Long Shot definitely operates in the rom-com realm as it tells the story of Rogen’s character who used to be babysat by Charlize Theron’s character, who is now a high-ranking political figure. It’s an unlikely pairing, but the two sell it beautifully. It’s funny and warm and romantic and sweet and they just have such winning chemistry. I ride for Long Shot!

7. The Irishman

On that list of my most anticipated films of 2019, I slotted The Irishman in at number two. The drop down five positions doesn’t mean I didn’t like it. Of course I liked it! I loved it! Yes, there’s the obvious reason to love it. (Martin Scorsese reuniting with Robert De Niro and the long-thought-to-be-retired Joe Pesci and adding Al Pacino into the mix for the first time.) But there’s also so much here. It’s an American opus that brings the arc of Mean Streets, Goodfellas, Casino, and The Departed to its natural conclusion. Marty does for gangster epics what Clint Eastwood once did for westerns with Unforgiven. It’s the other side of the “fun” coin with Scorsese and gangsters, showing us the pointlessness that gets left behind in the wake of such crimes.

6. Chasing Happiness

It seems like every year, a documentary about beloved figure manages to work its way into my “best of” ranking. In 2017, it was Jane, the story of Jane Goodall. In 2018, it was Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, the story of Mr. Rogers. And this year, it’s Chasing Happiness, the story of the Jonas Brothers. The documentary is as raw as it as uplifting, as forward-thinking as it is reflective. It also has some of the best tunes of any movie released in 2019. It gave me a new perspective on celebrity and a grander one on empathy.

5. Uncut Gems

Kevin Garnett, Lakeith Stanfield, and Adam Sandler

It’s well-established how much I love Adam Sandler in roles outside of his comfort zone. He’s an incredible actor and he proved this in spades throughout Uncut Gems, which might be the most tense and stressful movie I’ve seen in my entire life. Sandler plays Howard Ratner, who is addicted to gambling and pushing his luck in the diamond district of New York. And when he starts gambling with thing she shouldn’t, never once relenting, there’s no turning back. You’re strapped in, forced to watch Ratner take horrible risks. And you can do nothing about it. You just have to buckle up and try not to get an ulcer.

4. Knives Out

Knives Out is a bit easier to buckle up for. Uncut Gems is an infuriating stress-heap of a masterpiece, to be sure. But Knives Out allows you to put all your faith in Rian Johnson to buckle up for the story he strives to tell. Nothing is better than coasting along with a movie, knowing the ending is coming and trusting it’s going to be satisfying because you just trust the creator. Time and again, this is called into question, but you can never doubt it. The script is air tight, the mystery is perfect, the pay-offs are wholly completed. And the cast (Ana de Armas, Daniel Craig, and Chris Evans being the highlights) is having the time of their lives.

3. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Quentin Tarantino’s ode to a time long gone by was far sweeter than anyone could have expected. This is because Tarantino rarely has movies that are sweet. But the ending of Hollywood is so poignant, beautiful, eerie, and perfect that one cannot help but feel as if it makes for a perfect cap to Tarantino’s career. In that sense, anything more is denouement. But Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, for all its day-in-the-life, out-of-time beauty, is a perfect climax. And the climax within the climax? It might just be catharsis for fifty years of pent up loss.

2. Little Women

I love Little Women! If I was able to see it before releasing my Best of the Decade list, it would have come into the top ten on that ranking. I think, even the top seven! It’s just so perfect. Greta Gerwig might just have become my favorite filmmaker with the perfect back-to-back dazzling displays of Lady Bird and Little Women. Every choice throughout Little Women, from the Louisa May Alcott homages to the chronology shake-up, is the perfect choice and the smartest choice. That’s because Gerwig is the smartest person in the room at all times, it seems. Her connection with Saoirse Ronan is one that I hope lasts forever. Because Ronan is flawless here as Jo March. Her delivery of, “I’m so lonely” is one only she could give. Dare I say that she deserves an Oscar? Of course! But the argument could be made for all of them. Emma Watson’s perfect Meg, Florence Pugh’s game-changing Amy, Eliza Scanlen’s sweet Beth, Timothee Chalamet’s revelatory Laurie, Laura Dern’s this-might-as-well-happen Marmee. It’s everything I could have ever wanted. Brimming with love! A move I realized would be a lifelong favorite during my first viewing of it. I can’t wait for the next hundred.

1. Avengers: Endgame

As devoted as I am to Gems, Knives, Hollywood, and Women, Avengers: Endgame was a runaway freight train of a movie that was destined to be my number one. Not only am I a sucker for a perfect, satisfying ending and a daring movie that makes me feel every emotion on the spectrum, but I am also a sucker for experiences. And the experience of Endgame was like no other. I’ve written enough about the movie itself. But it’s the experience that puts it at number one. The years of anticipation, the poring over trailers and theories, the excited bus ride to the theater, the unbelievable moments in the screening that were brought to the forefront the very next day. It all makes it so amazing. It all makes it define what 2019 meant to me. It’s a movie that is everything I could have ever wanted and everything I never knew could be possible. It was more than an adventure. It was a journey. But part of the journey is the end. I’ll love it forever.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for following along with the past four months of “Best of the Decade” and “Best of 2019” content. It was so much fun to do! And as much as I love lists, I am going to hibernate from this online journal for a little bit (save for the Oscars). I need to recharge my writing energy. May you find the stories you love.

Artificial Intelligence in Pharmaceutical Device Development

My 25 Favorite Movies of 2019

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