1) Jeannette the Childhood of Joan of Arc
Director-Bruno Dumont (France/Italy)
Bruno Dumont’s irreverent, subversive, and unusually surprising historical biopic/musical focuses on a young Joan before she went to battle (played by two capable actresses). It was based on “The Mystery of the Charity of Joan of Arc,” a dramatic text by a socialist mystical poet, Charles Péguy, and the background music is a jarring mixture of rock, rap, metal, synth pop and hip-hop. The film does an excellent job of combining the everyday with the divine, and has scenes of people praying or singing to God while doing banal things such as plucking chickens. It makes fine use of nonprofessional actors with ordinary voices who get by with their charisma and apparent sincerity (it’s the opposite approach used in the slick, professional Glee show.) Bruno Dumont, who also did the hard to categorize, Li’l Quinquin clearly is on a hot streak. He has developed into a weirdly wonderful, avant-garde film genius. Lars Von Trier and David Lynch may need to watch their backs. This was also John Waters’ favorite film of the year (the man has good taste.) In French with English subtitles.
 

2) First Reformed
Director-Paul Schrader
Shocking and emotionally volatile drama about a dedicated minister who goes through a crisis of faith after he counsels a traumatized ex-army person who just may be an eco-terrorist. The lead performances by Ethan Hawke and Amanda Seyfried are magnificent and moving (perhaps too good and true for the Oscar voters) and the devastating ending is hard to shake off. Director/screenplay writer Paul Schrader reworks some thematic motifs from Taxi Driver and Robert Bresson’s films and comes up with his best film in decades. Like Bresson’’s films (Schrader devoted part of his best book, “Transcendental Style in Film” on him), the film masterfully explores the theme of gaining enlightenment through suffering. This also has one of the most erotic nonexpicit sex scenes in the history of cinema.
 

3) Blindspotting
Director-Carlos Lopez Estrada
An intense and challenging urban buddy comedy that shifts into a disturbing drama in the second half. It courageously deals with many serious social issues such as classism, police violence, and racism. The film’s talented stars, Rafael Casal (known for his performance poetry) and Daveed Diggs (known for his rapping) wrote the semi-autobiographical screenplay over a period of nine years. Daveed and Rafael grew up in the same vicinity in the San Francisco Bay Area, and they wrote the film as a corrective because they felt most cinematic portrayals of Oakland did not get it right.
 

4) At Eternity’s Gate
Director-Julian Schnabel
The usually underrated Willem Dafoe shines in this melancholy biopic about the mentally unbalanced art genius Vincent Van Gogh. The film has marvelous direction by Julian Schnabel, a very successful and well-known painter (ironically, he has made infinitely more money for his neoexpressionist plate paintings than Van Gogh ever did). At Eternity’s Gate benefits greatly from the artist’s sensibility that Julian Schnabel (who is a painter in real life) brings to the film, and many individual shots look like paintings. The cinematographer, Benoît Delhomme often uses handheld cameras, and the roving tracking shots plus occasionally weird camera angles always kept my interest. Often Delhomme lets Van Gogh’s paintings speak for themselves.
 

5) On Body and Soul/A Teströl és Lélekröl
Director-Idiko Enyedi
A terrific, involving and decidedly odd film about a man and woman that dream they are romantically involved deer every night even though they never met. It turns out they have the same analysist, and he thinks it is all an elaborate joke. If you liked The Lobster (which was on my top 10 list a few years ago), you should love this quirky, surreal love story. In Hungarian with English subtitles (on Netflix)
 

6) Godard Mon Amour/Le Redoutable
Director-Michel Hazanavicius
Hilarious and intellectual period piece about a subversive film maker who encourages his young disciples to rebel against everything until he is shocked when they turn against him ( a similar thing happened to the situationist professors in France when the students started destroying furniture during protests). This film which is based on the life of the cinematic Enfant Terrible. Jean-Luc Godard, also manages to expertly mimic and send up his unique directing style complete with his trademark jump cuts. I had such a good time watching this!! In French with English subtitles
 

7) Hereditary
Director-Ari Aster
Well written and shocking horror film about a couple with a troubled family history who find out that they are part of a sinister supernatural conspiracy. This sharp, shocking, and suspenseful film had me on the edge of my seat until the final surprise twist. This terrifying Polanski influenced film is sort of a modern twist on Rosemary’s Baby with elements of The Seventh Victim thrown in. The intensity builds to a crescendo and the stuff the film suggests is much more horrific than anything they can show us on screen. Toni Collette is uncommonly good in the lead, and this may actually be superior to her earlier, Sixth Sense. The more I think about this film the higher it goes on my list. One of the best horror films of the decade.
 

8) You Were Never Really Here
Director- Lynne Ramsay
Joaquin Phoenix stars in this Taxi Driver influenced non-linear, experimental film about a troubled, emotionally scarred war veteran who goes on a mission to rescue captive underage prostitutes. The film scenes are sometimes out of order, and since it is narrated from the point of view of a PTSD narrator, we don’t always know if every scene is actually happening the way we see it, so this is sort of like the film equivalent of Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury novel.
 

9) The Favourite
Director-Yorgos Lanthimos
A quirky, intellectual and often bawdy comedy about a female rivalry for power in the court of Queen Anne. This delightful romp does a superb job at exploring the connection between sexual politics and power as it wickedly mocks royal excess and eccentricity. The film has generated near unanimous critical acclaim and multiple Golden Globe nominations including Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Best Supporting Actress (Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz). Olivia Coleman’s performance in the film got the Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy.
 

10) If Beale Street Could Talk
Director-Barry Jenkins
This film based on a James Baldwin novel (I taught his novel Giovanni’s Room but I never read this one) is about a couple in Harlem who seem slated to have a happy future until the man is accused of a crime by the police who just seem to be looking for a convenient minority man to pin it on. The director, Barry Jenkins (who also did Moonlight) convincingly uses great period detail to establish that we are we are watching a particular time and place. It effectively captures people fighting nobly against racial and class barriers and poverty. Uncommonly well written and acted. Regina King could get an Oscar for this, but the whole cast is perfect.
 

Also for your consideration....
11.) Three Identical Strangers
Director: Tim Wardle
The year’s most potent doc is about three identical men that discover they were secretly part of a government experiment. The films teaches us that the government often sees its citizens as less than human. This film is set to premiere on CNN in January but it had a limited run in the theatres.

12.) Blade of the Immortal.
Director-Takashi Miikie
Takashi Miike’s ultra-violent action film about a warrior with eternal life who reluctantly agrees to avenge a murder has some of the most wonderfully staged ballet-like battle scenes in recent memory (since Kill Bill). Based on the great comic series by Hiroaki Smura (I believe the American reprints came out on Dark Horse.). Sorry Marvel fans, but this slightly edged out Black Panther for best comic based film of the year. Some of Miike’s previous films, including 13 Assassins and Audition are also genre masterpieces. In Japanese with English subtitles

13.) Tully
Director-Ivan Reitman
A nanny is hired to help a troubled woman who previously suffered from postpartum depression after she has a baby. The husband hires a mysterious house keeper who has an uncanny understanding of the mom. This is kind of like a feminist version of Fight Club. The relationship between the two main female characters is complex and multilayered; the script by Diablo Cody (one of the best of the year) is thought provoking; and the underrated Charlize Theron gives another deep, winning performance.

14) Lover for a Day
Director- Philippe Garrel
A philosophy professor lives in hedonistic bliss with his much younger student/lover until his distraught daughter complicates things by moving in with them after a bad breakup. The two women’s adversarial relationship eventually becomes a friendship. This relationship based film has endlessly witty dialogue and it is almost as impressive as peak era Woody Allen or Eric Rohmer film from the 70’s. This was one of the highlights of the Philippe Garrel retrospective series at the Gene Siskel Center (I also greatly admired his Andy Warhol influenced Crystal Cradle with Nico). In French with English subtitles.

15.) The Phantom Thread
Director-Paul Thomas Anderson
Coldly captivating film about a mentally off/perfectionist fashion designer who makes his much younger wife suffer countless indignities with his self-centered callousness. Daniel Day-Lewis delivers a performance for the ages, but his co-star’s (Vicky Krieps from Gutland) fine supporting contributions should not be underestimated. The film’s look and style are far more important than the plot, and director Paul Thomas Anderson’s gorgeous shot compositions show once again that he has the eye of a master painter. The terrific, evocative soundtrack is by one of Radiohead’s resident rock guitar gods, Jonny Greenwood. This film did not immediately hit me quite as hard as some of Anderson’s other films (I loved Magnolia), but his movies always get better with multiple viewings (the same is also true of Kubrick’s works). This screened in LA. Last year, but I am pretty sure it opened in Chicago in 2018, so I am including it here.
 

16.) Happy as Lazzaro
Director: Alice Rohrwacher
Haunting and atmospheric Netflix drama combines elements of Italian neo realism and magical realism. The films depicts tobacco farm hands tolling in slave like conditions for the selfish landowner (played by Roberto Benigni’s wife, Nicholette Braschi in one of her few unsympathetic roles.) Featuring wonderful naturalistic acting and a good use of scenery plus local color. In Italian with English sub-tiles

17.) The Other Side of Hope
Director: Aki Kaurismaki
Aki Kaurismaki’s bittersweet and topical film is about a restaurant owner who befriends and helps a Syrian refugee. A great antidote for the anti-immigrant hysteria that is gripping the globe. In Finnish with English subtitles

18.) Sorry to Bother You
Director: Boots Riley
Wonderfully inventive socially conscious comedy about an African American man who gives up his ethnic identity in order to make it in a white dominated evil corporation. If it were not for the disappointing ending this would be in my top 10. The director (who also raps) Boots Riley is a promising talent to watch.

19.) Don’t Worry He Won’t Get Far on Foot
Director: Gus Van Sandt
 Engaging biopic about a paralyzed artist who channels his sarcastic and biting wit into his cartoons. The characterization of curmudgeon like lead character make this reminiscent of American Splendor, the top notch Harvey Pekar biopic. You won’t know whether to laugh or cry.

20.) Parallel Planes
Director: Nicole Weber
 A fascinating, exciting, and informative documentary that played at the Chicago Underground Film Festival. This film which can also be seen as a visual mixtape takes us across the country and depicts participants in various American indie music milieus (many of the musicians were influenced by Noise music or no wave (not new wave). The struggling artists in the film come off like noble, tragic heroes because they preserve and they are stubbornly committed to their art even though they have little chance of commercial success. . Much more significant and memorable than the year’s big music films (such as A Star is Born, Mamma Mia 2 and Bohemian Rhapsody.
 

21.) Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Director: Morgan Neville
Inspirational and revelatory documentary about Mr. Rogers a popular PBS Children’s show whose influence went beyond his sphere. The film shows that the man was much more complex and influential than anyone thought.

22.) Black Panther
Director: Ryan Coogler
Exciting afro futurist superhero film about the trials of T’challa, an African monarch who faces off against a very multi-dimensional and sympathetic villain. Believe it or not this actually improves on Lee’s and Kirby’s wondrous creation. The soundtrack by Kendrick Lamar (who wrote songs from the points of view of the characters) adds immeasurably to the film. Not just an action film but an exquisite celebration of African culture.

23.) Eighth Grade
Director: Bo Burham
An introverted and socially dysfunctional grade student does a podcast (get this) which gives listeners advice on how to interact better. This film does a better job of getting into a postmillennial person’s mindset than any other film in recent memory. A big theme in the film is how new technology often gets in the way of personal interaction. It is exasperating to see her dad try and fail repeatedly in actually communicating with her, and when she tries to make friends at school the other girls can’t even bother to put down their cell phones and give her their undivided attention.

24.) Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Director: Marielle Heller
Well acted biopic about a woman forging letters attributed to famous people and her criminal, drug dealing buddy. Melissa McCarthy who has never impressed me that much has never given any indication she could be so brilliant, and Richard E. Grant (Hugh’s brother) is almost as good.

25.) Mary and the Witch's Flower
Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi
Terrific and colorful Asian animated film based on folklore is about a quest for a magical plant. Not as good as a Miyazacki film but it comes close. Available In Japanese with English subtitles or dubbed in English.