This week on Episode 363 of the InSession Film Podcast, we discussed our Top 10 Movies of the 2010s! It was a fantastic decade for film, so narrowing down this list to just 10 films, or even 20 if we’re including honorable mentions, was no easy task. We spent countless hours dissecting our year-end lists attempting to piece together the perfect Top 10 for the 2010s. Hopefully we didn’t disappoint!

Here are the movies that made our lists. Be sure to listen to the show to hear more about our love for these films and why they ultimately made the cut.

JD

1) The Tree of Life
2) Inside Llewyn Davis
3) The Master
4) The Social Network
5) Her
6) Inside Out
7) Boyhood
8) Midnight Special
9) First Man
10) Lady Bird

11) The Wind Rises
12) Little Women
13) La La Land
14) Get Out
15) Arrival
16) Ex Machina
17) Parasite
18) The Florida Project
19) Moonlight
20) Roma

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Brendan

1) The Master
2) Her
3) The Tale of Princess Kaguya
4) Everybody Wants Some!!
5) Amour
6) The Handmaiden
7) The Florida Project
8) Drive
9) The Social Network
10) Faces Places

11) Spring Breakers
12) Boyhood
13) The Tree of Life
14) The Wind Rises
15) The Witch
16) Ex Machina
17) Inside Out
18) Before Midnight
19) The Grand Budapest Hotel
20) Inherent Vice

Hopefully you guys enjoyed our lists and if you agree or disagree with us, let us know in the comment section below. Clearly there are tons of other contenders that battled for our lists, that just missed out. That being said, what would be your Top 10? Leave a comment in the comment section or email us at [email protected].

For the entire podcast, click here or listen below.

For more lists done by the InSession Film crew and other guests, be sure see our Top 3 Movie Lists page.

This week on Episode 362 of the InSession Film Podcast, in preparation for next week’s big show, we decided to talk about our Top 5 scenes of the 2010s. Wow. Where does one begin when trying to narrow down all of the great scenes from 10 years of great movies? This seemed like an impossible task, but we did our best to narrow down the moments from film in the 2010s that moved us the most. Whether it be artistically, emotionally, comedically or intellectually, or a combination of all those aspects, these are the scenes that provoked us in the deepest ways in the last decade. It may have been stressful conjuring our lists, but it was so much fun to finally reveal them. That said, here are our lists:

(Note: Please keep in mind that we each had different criteria for our selections)

JD

1) Roy’s Goodbye – Midnight Special
2) Processing Scene – The Master
3) Audition in Chicago – Inside Llewyn Davis
4) Creation of the Universe – The Tree of Life
5) Joy’s Epiphany – Inside Out

Brendan

1) Speak Low – Phoenix
2) Piano / Everytime Scene – Spring Breakers
3) Drive It Like You Stole It – Sing Street
4) Dance Scene – Ex Machina
5) Please Mr. Kennedy – Inside Llewyn Davis

Honorable Mentions (Combined)

Brothers Ending – Warrior
Ending Scene – Inception
Rooftop Scene – Her
Theodore’s Final Letter – Her
Carnival Scene – Her
Opening Scene – The Social Network
Confrontation at Facebook Offices – The Social Network
“Magic in the Mundane” Scene – Boyhood
Docking Scene – Interstellar
Crater Scene – First Man
Airport Scene – Lady Bird
Beach Scene(s) – Little Women
Ending Embrace – Marriage Story
“I can’t beat it” – Manchester By the Sea
Opening Title Card – Roma
Beach Scene – Roma
Ending Twist – Ex Machina
Observatory Scene – La La Land
TS Motherf***ing A – Get Out
Ending – The Wind Rises
Final Reveals – Arrival
Richard Parker Leaving the Boat – Life of Pi
Escaping the House – Parasite
The Raid – Zero Dark Thirty
Maya chastises Boss – Zero Dark Thirty
Third Act Rivalry – Whiplash
Piano Scene – Her Smell
Diner Scene – You Were Never Really Here
Party Scene – Eighth Grade
Ending – Call Me By Your Name
Hospital Scene – A Monster Calls
Cop Car Scene – Room
Chase Sequence – Mad Max: Fury Road
Bear Attack – The Revenant
Arm Amputation – 127 Hours
First Flight – How to Train Your Dragon
Toothless / Hiccup Defeat Alpha – How to Train Your Dragon 2
Ending – Toy Story 3
Bear Attack – Annihilation
Flying Sequence – The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
Opening Drive – Drive
“You’re a Creed and I love ya kid” – Creed
I Want It That Way – Magic Mike XXL
Coal Miners Pasting Job – Faces Places
Camera Widens – Mommy
Ending – White God
Ending – Blue is the Warmest Color
Han’s Death – Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Rapper’s Delight – Everybody Wants Some!!
Bath Scene – The Handmaiden
The Beach Kiss – Moonlight
Diners Scene – Moonlight
“Would that it were so simple” – Hail, Caesar
Spitfire Saving the Day / Plane On Fire – Dunkirk
Parking Lot Argument – Blindspotting
Poetic Confrontation – Blindspotting
Ending Scene – Leave No Trace
Interrogation Scene – Shoplifters
Happy Birthday Aunt Lucy – Paddington 2

Hopefully you guys enjoyed our lists and if you agree or disagree with us, let us know in the comment section below. There are obviously many more scenes from the last decade that we didn’t have time to mention. That is to say, your list could look very different than ours given the amount of great films we saw during the 2010s. That being said, what would be your Top 5? Leave a comment in the comment section or email us at [email protected].

For the entire podcast, click here or listen below.

For more lists done by the InSession Film crew and other guests, be sure see our Top 3 Movie Lists page.

The year in film was a rocky road. In July, I was convinced we were in one of the absolute worst movie years of the decade. Going to the theater felt like a chore. But, boy, did the year turn itself around in dramatic fashion. The last three months of the year were some of the best times at the movies I have ever had. There was a spring in my step that had been missing during blockbuster season. I was constantly being moved and challenged. It was a year dominated by films about the way the power structures of the world set us up for failure. Things may seem a little dour, but the great filmmakers were able to steal a degree of hope from the darkness that seems to be surrounding us, now, and I am very grateful for it.

We do encourage you to listen to Episode 360 to hear more about our picks, but as we do every year, listed here are my Top 10 Movies of 2019.

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RELATED: JD’s Top 10 Movies of 2019

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10. Parasite

When I first saw Bong Joon-ho’s latest, I was blown away by the direction but a little befuddled by the messaging of the film. It is a film of incredible nuance with a great degree of trust in its audience. Bong’s masterful control of the craft, however, was undeniable. From the production design (that house!) to the delicate tonal balances (that kick!), it is a film that could be broken down for hours. It took me a second watch to fully get behind what the film wanted to say about the state of the world, but when it clicked, boy, did that sense of clarity reveal a wonderful film. It treats all its characters so evenhandedly, refusing to give in to the “good guys vs. bad guys” impulses. It is a film about not only how the gears of society out the rich against the poor, but, honestly, *everyone against everyone*. Parasite is a tragedy, at its core, a movie about the inherent competition in the world today. In a year dominated by films very directly about class struggle, Parasite is the cream of the crop. You couldn’t certainly make the argument that it is the film that best defines the world in 2019. Click here to listen to our full review.

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9. Transit

Based on a novel set during the German occupation of France, Christian Petzold cleverly abandons the period setting, creating a setting that almost feels out of time. It is a world with advanced military technology, but mostly devoid of the handheld technology that we use to communicate with the rest of the world (which can make some plots, especially ones with any degree of espionage, impossible to believe). Immigration issues across Europe and even in America frequently spring to mind watching the film, testing the viewer on how far they would go and the lies they would be willing to tell to pursue a life of safety and comfort. Transit is a film about the unease of staying put, especially in the face of a fascist regime. But it is also about the unease of not really knowing where to go. Franz Rogowski and Paula Beer ground the film with performances that always reflect a sense of heartache, never giving us a sense that everything will be alright. The story winds in ways that you won’t see coming and ends with the best, most unexpected end credits needle drop of the year. Petzold continues to establish himself as one of the world’s premiere filmmakers. Click here to listen to our full review.

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8. The Irishman

Yes, the 210-minute runtime can be a bit daunting, but The Irishman, especially the film’s final 45 minutes, features some of the boldest filmmaking of Martin Scorsese’s career. The film’s opening shot, a haunting tracking shot inside a senior care facility, immediately brings to mind the famous Copacabana sequence from Goodfellas and immediately establishes what kind of film this is. Scorsese, now 77 years old, is reflecting on his career and his legacy. This movie does not have the sleek, cool sequences of Goodfellas or The Wolf of Wall Street, films that, in certain circles, have the (incorrectly applied) reputation of condoning the actions of despicable characters. All of that is nixed here, giving Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) a great degree of pathos, throughout. More important to Scorsese than Frank’s career as a killer is his relationship with his family. This is not a man who loves his job or lives a life of excess with his earnings. It’s a living, and one that earns without a sense of pride. The inclusions of Al Pacino and Joe Pesci in the film five the entire affair a weight, making it feel like a cinematic event the likes of which you rarely see. Some of the trappings may feel a bit familiar for parts of the film, but when it turns the tables on itself in the final 45 minutes, it is unlike anything I saw this year. Rarely are Scorsese films hard to watch, but Frank coming to terms with what has become of his life and the people he surrounded himself with sent chills down my spine. And those chills turned to frostbite with a haunting final shot that encapsulates everything that the film is about. Click here to listen to our full review.

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7. Pain and Glory

Any conversation about Pain and Glory has to begin with Antonio Banderas, who gave my favorite performance of 2019. Banderas plays the Pedro Almodóvar stand-in in the director’s latest, a work of auto-fiction that shows the creation of art as form of physical and mental therapy. Banderas’ Salvador is a broken man, unable to do the thing he loves because of the constant pain he suffers from. In addition, he has a knack for pushing away those that he loves and is confronted by his past in unexpected ways. Almodóvar’s color palate is as striking as ever, adding to the themes of the film in powerful ways, especially when it comes to the contrasting designs of the present-day sequences with Banderas and the flashbacks featuring Penélope Cruz as young Salvador’s mother. This is a film that could be played on mute and be fully understood through Banderas’ performance and the visuals; some of the most effective visual storytelling of the year. The meta nature of both the storytelling and the filmmaking is unforgettable. Click here to listen to our full review.

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6. Dark Waters

To watch Dark Waters is to watch a man run into a wall for two hours. Based on the true story of lawyer Matthew Michael Carnahan’s battle against DuPont, the film’s sense of inevitable disappointment is potent. A corporation is knowingly poisoning people, running the numbers, and treating the penalties, including the cost of human life, as an investment. History is written by the victors and, time and time again, the victors are enormous corporations with seemingly limitless resources. The film’s digital photography looks as sickly as the system it depicts, a yellow haze shrouding the events of the film. It was the most frustrating viewing experience I had in 2019, and that is exactly what Haynes wanted it to be. Mark Ruffalo, one of the most environmentally-conscious celebrities in the world, viewed this as somewhat of a passion project. His enthusiasm clearly rubbed off on the rest of the crew, because, in the hands of someone who did not believe in the material, this could have been an utterly forgettable film. Instead, Haynes and co. gave us one of the best surprises of the year. It will leave you gasping for air and making you question everything in your kitchen. Click here to listen to our full review.

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5. Ad Astra

Look, making Apocalypse Now… in Space is kind of a slam dunk. It seems we usually get one quality, high-minded sci-fi film each year, and this was 2019’s edition. With his last two films, James Gray has shown that he has a deft hand with large-scale filmmaking. While the scope of Ad Astra’s story and geography are massive, the themes are extremely intimate. Yes, there are moon pirates and space baboons, but the stuff that stays with you are things like the look on Brad Pitt’s face when he sends a message to his dad and Hoyte van Hoytema’s gorgeous cinematography. The narration may feel a little extraneous, but the prose is potent, adding to the weight on Roy’s shoulders. And that scene with Pitt and Tommy Lee Jones coming face-to-face? Just perfection. Don’t be fooled by the marketing, this is not the intergalactic adventure it is sold as. Rather, it is a journey inward; a journey to find Roy’s soul in the heart of darkness. Click here to listen to our full review.

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4. Little Women

Prior to watching Greta Gerwig’s adaptation, I had absolutely no relationship with Little Women. It was a property I scoffed at as a young boy, because that is what young boys do, and a property I simply never got around to as an adult. Now, I’m almost worried about experiencing any other version of the story, because I don’t know how it could possibly be any better. Gerwig has found her muse in Saoirse Ronan, who has become one of the best actresses of this, or any generation. The two can seemingly do not wrong together. I look forward to their collaborations for years to come. But the real star of the film is Gerwig’s screenplay, that weaves through emotions as effectively as it weaves through time. There is a joy to Gerwig’s films, even when sadness is not far away, that is unmatched. The unbridled enthusiasm of the film is overwhelming. I laughed, I cried, and I felt the familial love of the March family. The filmmaking on display is a marvel, as well, with the flashbacks being shot warmly and fondly, while the times of Jo as an adult are shot with a blue hue casting doubt on the idea that the family can ever return to the happiness captured by the March children. Times change, people change, dreams are altered. But, 2019’s Little Women argues, there will always be people to help you through times of strife. The finale of the film is a triumph, combining the beauties of creativity, craftsmanship and compromise. You may not always get what you think will make you happy, but there is always happiness to be found. It’s a beautiful sentiment in a film I never wanted to end. Click here to listen to our full review.

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3. Once Upon A Time in Hollywood

I have always liked the films of Quentin Tarantino, but Once Upon A Time in Hollywood was the first time I ever left a Tarantino film and thought, ‘I need to see that again to fully wrap my head around it.’ He is a master technician and writer of crackling dialogue, certainly, but I don’t think I would call any of his prior films particularly nuanced or complicated. Hollywood was something new. It was shaggy, lived in and, dare I say it, kind of sweet. You feel Rick’s self-doubt and Cliff’s apathy. The Sharon Tate’s joy is infectious. It is Tarantino’s most emotionally-charged film. Tarantino, like Scorsese and Almodóvar, is starting to reflect on his career. He views himself as a Rick Dalton, in the twilight of his career, seeing the Sharon Tates of the world ascending around him. The film is relentlessly entertaining, showcasing some of the funniest, most cathartic and even most terrifying moments of the year. DiCaprio may never have been better and Brad Pitt more than earns his Oscar. It is a story of innocence lost and how we might have preserved it. Movies, Tarantino posits, have the power to save the world and he makes you consider their power. Click here to listen to our full review.

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2. Uncut Gems

The Safdie Brothers thrive in worlds of grit and grime. The New York duo effortlessly establishes worlds without needing any exposition or flashbacks. New York’s Diamond District immediately feels familiar and you somehow understand everything that drives Howard after just a few sentences. Adam Sandler’s performance as Howard is a career best. But it is everything outside of Howard that makes the film truly special. Former NBA superstar Kevin Garnett makes his acting debut as some version of himself, capturing everything that made him such a compelling figure in the world of sports. Newcomer Julia Fox goes toe to toe with Sandler, matching his flip-of-the-switch mania and his confounding charisma. Every character in the background feels like they could have a movie of their own. The Safdies have a knack for casting that reminds you of someone like Robert Altman. That comparison becomes even more apt when you see how they direct dialogue. Characters talk over each other. A lot. It can be overwhelming. But that’s the point. The film is two hours of anxiety. The choices made by Howard are inexplicable and, yet, they all make sense in the context of the movie. Howard wants to win. He wants to win at capitalism. He thinks of himself the same way he thinks of Kevin Garnett. No lead is big enough. He wants multiple championships. No margin is great enough. Somehow, things always seem to work out for him. But, eventually, everyone’s luck runs out. The Safdies imbue Uncut Gems with so much style and character. It is a movie you experience and live in. Only the Safdies can make a movie like this. Click here to listen to our full review.

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1. Portrait of a Lady on Fire

If ever someone says that the idea of the female gaze has no merit, immediately show them Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire. When I was contemplating whether this or Uncut Gems was my favorite film of the year, I brought myself back to our Extra Film discussion on Portrait, during which I had a period of about 45 seconds where I simply lost all control of my thoughts. I could not put together a coherent sentence because of how overwhelmed I was by the film. The film features a handful of images the likes of which I have never seen on film. Moments of intimacy in the film deliberately defy the traditional (male-driven) imagery we are accustomed to. Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel are electric, conveying intense levels of sensuality just by looking at each other. It is not a sexually explicit film, but it is one of the sexiest films of the year. The yearning oozes through the screen, but the relationship eventually goes far beyond that. The evolution to truly caring for each other feels entirely organic and the fact that these women know that a long-term relationship is impossible is heartbreaking. Seeds are planted throughout the film to make the film’s final scene shake you to your very core. It is a scene that I will never forget, and it is one that embodies everything that is great about the film. It has top notch performances. It has patient, striking camerawork. Everything has a purpose. No hair is out of place. Vivaldi’s Four Seasons will never be the same. And honestly, neither will I. It is a film I could watch over and over again. Click here to listen to our full review.

To round out my Top 20, here is the rest of my list:
11) Under the Silver Lake
12) Ford v Ferrari
13) Knives Out
14) Hustlers
15) Ash Is Purest White
16) A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
17) A Hidden Life
18) John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum
19) High Life
20) Marriage Story

Let us know what you think. Do you agree or disagree? We’d like to know why. Leave a comment in the comment section below or tweet us @InSessionFilm.

To hear us discuss our InSession Film Awards and our Top 10 Best Movies of 2019, subscribe to us on iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud or you can listen below.

Part 1

Part 2

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InSession Film Podcast – Episode 360 (Part 1)
InSession Film Podcast – Episode 360 (Part 2)

The year 2019 was a year of self-examination and reflection, by actors and filmmakers alike. This only makes sense, given that 2019 marks the close of a decade, and this is that time for all of us (Hollywood or otherwise) to take a look back and reflect on what we’ve experienced, what we’ve learned, and most importantly, what we can do better. In short, 2019 was a very personal year, but how did that translate to the quality of films we got? Many have already designated 2019 as one of the best cinematic years of the decade, and I will offer no arguments against that. The year may not have been as consistent as some years past (specifically 2018), but the back half of 2019 marks what may be the best cinematic back half of any year this decade; so much so, that the quality of some individual films became overwhelming to the point of frustrating, able to dethrone the majority of my top favorites from multiple years past. Perhaps those aforementioned themes of self-reflection had something to do with it, because this was just such a soul-searching year for film, and all my favorites are complimentary to that idea.

Episode 360 (Part 2) was our chance to get a little personal and reflect on the cinematic year that was 2019. Perhaps we all got a little too personal, as it did lead to yet another three-and-a-half-hour conversation. So, for those who prefer a briefer form of reflection, below you’ll find my Top 10 favorite movies of 2019.

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RELATED: Brendan’s Top 10 Movies of 2018

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10. Midsommar

No other film this year compliments my own self-reflection more than Ari Aster’s follow-up to Hereditary. In fact, I think Midsommar blows the festival doors off of Hereditary; if this were a fight to the death, Chekhov’s Bear defeats King Paimon. Perhaps that may be due to Midsommar being a more tonally and thematically consistent experience (it doesn’t fall off the rails like the final act of Hereditary did for me), or it may be more personal than that. From the perspective that this is a “breakup” movie, the way Aster deals in the need for empathy, community, vocal transparency, and sacrifice within romantic relationships (specifically after the death of a family member) is a notion I can directly relate to. I was once on Christian’s (Jack Reynor) end of the spectrum during a past relationship, and Midsommar made me think about the mistakes I may have made during said relationship, helping me let go of any lingering resentment I may have. Granted, some of that resentment will always remain, but both Ari Aster and Florence Pugh’s panic-enducing performance gave me the ability to acknowledge my own faults in the matter, and let go of my pride. Sure, it has just as much to say about our ignorance toward other cultural rituals (using Swedish folklore), but as a horror film about a failing relationship, Midsommar kind of broke me. Click here to listen to our full review.

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9. Dragged Across Concrete

Only three feature films deep, S. Craig Zahler makes his second appearance on a Top 10 list of mine; before that it was Brawl in Cell Block 99 in 2017. Zahler has a style I gravitate toward – pulpy, grindhouse-like films with strong social commentaries; and while Dragged Across Concrete isn’t quite as emotionally stimulating as his last effort with Vince Vaughn, it is certainly his most provocative, and arguably just as thrilling. In short, Dragged Across Concrete does what I hope more films had the bravery to do – challenge our beliefs, and make us challenge ourselves in the process. Sometimes, it’s actually better to make a film where its themes are ones you may not even agree with, and that itself shouldn’t be something to fear, even if it is incredibly uncomfortable to confront. Here, Zahler illustrates racism and bigotry from all sides, coloring in the grey lines of a black and white backdrop; it does not conform or take the easy way out (heck, even the mere casting of Mel Gibson is symbolic of that). As such, this movie will offend a lot of people, and I won’t say that you’re wrong in feeling that way; but I will say that the film did its job. Click here to listen to our full review.

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8. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

I still keep trying to justify why Marielle Heller’s latest A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood made me tear up every five minutes, but that’s enough to make any list of mine. Based on Tom Junod’s Esquire piece on Fred Rogers, some viewers may call Heller’s approach here a bit hokey and manipulative, specifically in its obvious framing device, essentially turning the film into a 109-minute episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood (complete with miniatures and all). But I responded to how Heller went with the most simplified version of its themes, creating this universality in how anyone can relate to the notion of embracing sadness and your vulnerabilities; and I love how Heller, as a female, was able to portray this so well from the male perspective in our hero Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys). That universality is further channeled in Tom Hanks’ wonderful performance as Fred Rogers himself, an almost meta interpretation in how Rogers’ teachings can still remain embodied in people today; and who better in depicting that than the world’s kindest actor working today? That would be Tom Hanks, duh. If there’s one film I can recommend to literally everyone, it’s this. Click here to listen to our full review.

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7. A Hidden Life

Perhaps Terrence Malick should continue working among the trees and the mountains rather than skyscrapers. A Hidden Life is a return to form for Malick; not only does nature once again play a pivotal and spiritual role, but there’s also a complex human affection for our main characters, instead of the nihilism that permeated Malick’s offerings post The Tree of Life. Based on a true story of Austrian conscientious objector Franz Jägerstätter, A Hidden Life is a complex look at a good man’s battle between his spiritual convictions and the needs of his family, begging the question whether he was a hero or a coward for making the choices he does, and the great irony of that is how you could still make the same hero vs. coward argument should Franz have hypothetically made the opposite choices in the end. Even if these complexities didn’t work, there’s still Malick’s approach to romance, and A Hidden Life may be the best love story he has ever given us; I just want a woman in my life to look at me and embrace me the same way that Valerie Pachner does to her husband, as they make for the most powerfully human gestures I’ve seen all year. Click here to listen to our full review.

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6. Her Smell

Her Smell is not a music biopic, and yet it is a better music biopic than the majority of most actual music biopics. After the insufferable narcissism of films like Queen of Earth, it’s hard to believe that Her Smell was written and directed by Alex Ross Perry, who for the first time finds a way to crystalize the negativity of his films into something profound, hopeful, and redemptive (almost Spielbergian by comparison). Her Smell wonderfully illustrates why many musicians resort to drug use and alcoholism as a precedent for their famed lives, as if being loved by fans is a way of subsiding loneliness – or in the case of Her Smell, failed motherhood. And in the middle of it all is Elisabeth Moss in a decade-defining performance, simultaneously just as unhinged as it is beautiful. A moment at a piano featuring a rendition of Bryan Adams’ power ballad “Heaven” just might turn you into mush. Click here to listen to our full review.

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5. Parasite

Parasite is everyone’s favorite film of 2019, and I’ll admit that it took me two viewings to finally be able to taste the peaches. Whatever reservations I had about its surface-level mean-spiritedness quickly gave way to the sadness underneath, hidden just as deeply as the Kim family’s own household. Bong Joon-ho, who already has a history of depicting class warfare, doesn’t simply antagonize the rich and pity the poor; he instead balances tragedy and cruelty with every choice both families make, forcing your allegiance to align with everyone and no one simultaneously. It’s a tricky balancing act, much like Bong’s abrupt shifts in tone, as Parasite is arguably the best film of the year at genre manipulation; all at once a situational comedy, a social drama on class, and a horror film. To quote Martin Scorsese, this is cinema. Click here to listen to our full review.

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4. Pain and Glory

Did I already mention that 2019 was the year of self-reflection? No other film in 2019 took on that notion as literally as Pedro Almodóvar’s Pain and Glory, the year’s most meta, introspective, and reflective film. Pain and Glory is a snapshot in Almodóvar’s own life, and a brave admittance of his own insecurities, specifically around his health, his age, and his relationship with his actors, most notably his historic falling out with one Antonio Banderas. Naturally, who better than Banderas himself to play Almodóvar in Almodóvar’s own film? But Pain and Glory is just as reflective for Banderas as it is for Almodóvar; Banderas has revealed how much his real-life priorities have changed since having his heart attack, and it shows in his beautifully restrained performance; the best male lead performance of 2019 in my book. Pain and Glory is the year’s most powerful depiction of reconciliation, and a commentary on the art of moviemaking as a portrait of one’s soul, all summarized in what may be the best final shot of the entire year. Click here to listen to our full review.

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3. Little Women

Little Women, or: How I Was Unable to Stop Smiling and Crying After Watching Little Women. For those already familiar with Greta Gerwig, especially after her wonderful directorial debut Lady Bird, won’t be shocked to get all her typical trademarks here in this latest adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel; Little Women is peppy, charming, sarcastically witty (almost contemporary), and just as heartwarming as it is heartbreaking. But as a depiction of one incredibly creative writer seeking independence, rather than this Civil-War-set era’s conformity on women and marriage, this adaptation is incredibly moving regardless of gender. Rather than tell the classic story again, Gerwig deviates from the source material in meta ways, essentially turning Jo March (a wonderful Saoirse Ronan) in a metaphor for Alcott herself, and the real-life struggles she had with her own publisher regarding the novel’s ending. As already noted, you don’t have to be a woman to relate to this story, as Gerwig does not condemn nor condone love and marriage; every character has their own viewpoints and opinions, and their respective struggles make this one of the most moving movie experiences of 2019. Florence Pugh is also everything. Click here to listen to our full review.

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2. Uncut Gems

Uncut Gems is a film I had the audacity to watch twice; apparently, I like giving myself panic attacks. Up until this point, I was not the biggest fan of Benny and Josh Safdie, but it only took one new film of theirs to make me a fan, and the biggest difference came down to one word – nuance. For a film this pulsating and with this much nervous energy, the Safdie brothers’ latest is a surprisingly nuanced exercise in consumerism and Jewish stereotyping; the Safdie’s have stated that the Jewish people were historically given the “gift” of working with money because no one else wanted it, and as such their film angrily deconstructs the stereotypes that were birthed from that, showing Howard (Adam Sandler) as a victim of consumerism. It’s a two-way street though, and Julia (wonderful newcomer Julia Fox) is the embodiment of us all as potential victims of consumerism, and it makes for a frightening (and panic attack inducing) world. This film also features the transition from the inside of a beautiful opal to the inside of our lead character’s colonoscopy; that’s definitely a first. Click here to listen to our full review.

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1. The Last Black Man in San Francisco

Gentrification is a cinematic hot topic, but never has it been depicted with such nostalgia, relatability, and open-mindedness as Joe Talbot’s directorial debut; our childhood homes seem to have spirits of their own, constantly beckoning us not to leave, and it’s that same spirit that embodies The Last Black Man in San Francisco. The film has a real sense of place, and you can just feel how much this city has changed, how any city changes through gentrification, whether it be the rich vs. the poor or the subject of black identity (and kudos to Joe Talbot who, as a white man, is willing to openly learn from a race and culture that is different from his own and portray it with seeming authenticity). We as the audience feel bad for the displaced, but that doesn’t make them off the hook either; Jimmie (played by Jimmie Fails in a semi-autobiographical performance) is both our hero and villain here, desperate to stay home but arguably possessed by his entitlement. It takes a good friend in Montgomery (Jonathan Majors, in the year’s most heroic performance) to help him realize that he is more than just his childhood home, and that “people aren’t one thing”, arguably the most important lesson of 2019. It’s as if the wooden walls of our homes are speaking to us, echoed by Emile Mosseri’s gorgeous woodwind-driven score (one of the best scores of the entire decade); we all should be listening. Click here to listen to our full review.

To round out my Top 20, here is the rest of my list:
11) The Lighthouse
12) Portrait of a Lady on Fire
13) The Irishman
14) Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
15) Long Day’s Journey Into Night
16) The Nightingale
17) Apollo 11
18) The Beach Bum
19) Wild Rose
20) Paddleton

Let us know what you think. Do you agree or disagree? We’d like to know why. Leave a comment in the comment section below or tweet us @InSessionFilm.

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InSession Film Podcast – Episode 360 (Part 1)
InSession Film Podcast – Episode 360 (Part 2)