ReelBob: 2018’s top 10 movies

By Bob Bloom

In 2018, it seems small-budget movies were the ones that made the biggest impact; not so much at the box office, but with critics and erudite moviegoers who wanted more than big-budget noisy extravaganzas, sequels, remakes and reboots.

Movies with quieter moments seem to have resonated with audiences — and with me as well.

So, here’s a look back at the year in movies with my top 10, 10 additional honorable mentions and 10 movies that greatly missed the mark.

Top 10

• “Leave No Trace”: A movie, that in hushed tones, speak volumes about family. The feature centers on a father and daughter who live off the grid, not asking anything from anyone.

Their lives change when they get caught up in the system — bureaucracy and red tape force them to adapt — or at least try.

Director Debra Cranik has created a fragile and poetic piece that you can savor and embrace.

• “The Hate U Give”: A major asset of this movie, based on Angie Thomas’ best-selling novel, is that it refuses to offer simplistic solutions or easy answers.

It is a story that resonates at a time when #BlackLivesMatter is part of the national discussion.

The movie centers on a teenage girl named Starr, who narrates the movie, and becomes the center of a tragedy when an unarmed childhood friend — taking her home from a party — is shot and killed by a police officer during a traffic stop.

Starr is under immense pressure from all sides and must decide which path to take to remain true to herself. “The Hate U Give” will spark discussions and debate — which is a tribute to this complex movie.

• “If Beale Street Could Talk”: This adaptation of the James Baldwin novel is poignant and wistful, even sad. Yet it also is a paean to the power of love and how it survives the direst of obstacles.

It also is a criticism about the judicial system and how it targets young black men, who are easiest to incarcerate and link to crimes — even if they are innocent.

The movie makes its point without raising its voice or thundering its indignation.

Strong performances and the politics of family dynamics make this a movie that should not be missed.

• “A Quiet Place”: A science-fiction thriller in which sound — or the lack of it — plays a very important role. The movie is not so much about an alien invasion and its post-apocalyptic aftermath, as it is about survival, family. sacrifice and learning to adapt under the most catastrophic of circumstances.

John Krasinski, who directed and costars along with his wife, Emily Blunt, has fashioned a nail-biting and suspenseful feature that, despite all that goes on, retains its humanity.

• “Roma”: Director Alfonso Cuarón wrote and directed this memory piece — a tribute to the women who raised him. It is not so much a plot-driven feature as it is a series of vignettes about class distinction, domestic upheaval and political unrest, set against the backdrop of a middle-class Mexico City neighborhood.

The movie’s foundation is Cleo, the domestic worker, who takes care of the family, making her own life secondary to the family she embraces.

The film, which is available on Netflix, features exquisite black-and-white photography. It is a deeply touching movie that overflows with beauty and emotion. It is slow and takes patience to watch. But it is a film you can savor and embrace.

• “Boy Erased”: Conversion therapy is a process based on faith, not science. It’s the belief that being gay is a defect of some sort, and that embracing God and Jesus can get a person back on the right road to salvation.

That is the frightening aspect of this movie, directed by actor Joel Edgerton. The movie has no real villains, just misguided people who sincerely believe they are helping others and doing the Lord’s work.
They see homosexuality as a sin, and that their calling is to “cure” those who are afflicted.

The tragedy of “Boy Erased” is that young men and women must suffer as they are coerced into denying their true selves.

The movie features an outstanding performance by Lucas Hedges as the young man who, to please his overbearing father, agrees to attend a facility that will set him on the path to so-called normalcy.

The film is dramatically effective and, perhaps, can serve a larger purpose by changing the minds of those in power who support these dangerous centers.

• “Green Book”: The movie does not break any new ground or offer new insights on race relations.

Rather, it should be viewed as a story about two men from diverse backgrounds who, thrown together through necessity, find common ground and friendship as they travel through the Midwest and Deep South in 1962 America.

The backbone of the film are the performances of Viggo Mortensen as Tony Vallelonga and Mahershala Ali as Dr. Don Shirley, a world-famous pianist who is performing in these venues and hires Tony as his driver and helper.

The film’s main problem is that, despite its good intentions, it is not as hard-hitting as it could have been. True, it is an engaging and feel-good experience, but it would have served moviegoers better if it had made them feel a bit uncomfortable.

• “The Rider”: This movie snuck in and out of theaters, without making much impact, yet it is one of the most melancholy and poetic features of the year. Writer-director Chloe Zhao’s character study follows a former rodeo performer in the aftermath of a head injury that basically ends his bronco-riding career.

Most of the performers are nonactors, which adds to the movie’s heightened sense of truth and honesty. You feel as if you were eavesdropping on real people rather than watching actors recite lines.

Zhao tells her story at a leisurely pace, with lots of silent sequences, that let you absorb the relationship between the people and the landscape.

‘The Rider” is a sensitive and original movie that introduces viewers to a small piece of America they hardly knew existed.

• “Eighth Grade”: A young girl on the cusp of high school works hard to fit in and make herself feel part of the group in this delicate and heartfelt movie that makes anyone who has seen it remember the joys, terrors and challenges of those formative years.

For a young teenager, being accepted is a priority — and doing whatever it takes to reach that goal is the centerpiece of “Eighth Grade.”

The movie is one every parent of a child in this age group should watch to better understand the mindset of a young person and maybe to find some hints to help them navigate this taxing time in their lives.

• “Black Panther”: This Marvel superhero feature made the most cultural impact of the year. It’s Afro-centric storyline and powerful characters — male and female — struck a sense of pride in black audiences while simultaneously entertaining fans of all colors and of the superhero genre.

Director Ryan Coogler formulated an action movie that is spectacle and personal as well as timely and timeless.

“Black Panther” is a film that can be watched more than once; its themes about responsibility — not only to those you govern, but to the world, in general — are needed in times such as these with its geo-political transformations and chaos.

Like the fictional nation of Wakanda, it is what is under he surface that makes “Black Panther” memorable and deserving of recognition.

Honorable mention:

(In alphabetical order)

“A Star Is Born”

“Avengers: Infinity War”

“BlacKkKlansman”

“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

“Juliet, Naked”

“Love, Simon”

“RBG”

“Sorry to Bother You”

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”

“Won’t You Be My Neighbor”

Ten to forget:
Below are 10 clunkers that failed to live up to their hype or expectations, were very disappointing, should not have been foisted on an unsuspecting public or make studios rethink their constant reliance on sequels.

(In alphabetical order)

“Aquaman”

“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald”

“The Girl in the Spider’s Web”

“The Happytime Murders”

“The House with a Clock in the Walls”

“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”

“Pacific Rim: Uprising”

“Peppermint”

“The Predator”

“Sicario: Day of the Soldado”

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My reviews appear at ReelBob (reelbob.com) and Rottentomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com). I also review Blu-rays and DVDs. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Links to my reviews can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.