2019 DOCUMENTARIES

2019 Documentary Films

For Sama

For Sama is the story documented by director Waad Al-Kateeb about her marriage and the birth of her son under the unimaginably horrific circumstances of the uprisng in Aleppo, Syria during the last few years. It's a first person view of the consequences of war with children often the innocent victims. For Sama was nominated for the Best Documentary Oscar for 2019.

The Edge of Democracy

Another type of first person documentary shows what has happened to Brazil over the last couple of decades. The country has gone from a spirited democracy to basically being taken over by what is basically a Fascist regime. Petra Costa, daughter of prominent political activists, is the recorder of the unfolding story here. The Edge of Democracy was nominated for Best Documentary for 2019. .

Honeyland

Honeyland depicts a small community in North Macedonia whose villagers depend on honeycombs and beekeeping to earn a living. The film focuses especially on one woman and her elderly mother. Honeyland definitely shows a world that I've never seen before as only a good documentary can.

Honeyland is nominated for Best Documentary and Best International Film for 2019.

Apollo 11

Apollo 11 is a documentary using only archival footage of the first trip to the moon. It was listed as one of the Oscar favorites going in, but didn't even get nominated. Speculation is that it may have been seen more as a triumph of editing rather than as a documentary in the traditional sense.

American Factory

American Factory shows what happens when a large Chinese car glass manufacturer takes over a previously shut down plant in Ohio. It is fascinating to watch the culture clashes, the work ethic and the fight over unionization. I didn't realize the film was produced by Barack and Michelle Obama until the closing credits. American Factory was nominated for Best Documentary Oscar for 2019. 

Knock Down the House

Knock Down the House is the inspirational (at least to me) of four Justice Democrats who ran for congress during the 2018 election. The odds were against them as they didn't take corporate donations and had the establishment fighting them all the way. I like all the women here, though the breakout star of this vehicle is clearly future president* Alexadria Ocasio-Cortez. The film won a prize at the Sundance film festival, but did not get an Oscar nomination.

*On a 2009 entry on this blog I said (jokingly!!) that Donald Trump was going to one day be the President. Let's see if I can prognosticate someone more positive for the future on this entry!

LITTLE WOMEN (2019), LADY BIRD (2017)

Saoirse Ronan as Lady Bird

Nice coming of age film that I've actually seen twice now-and it does gain through a second viewing. Saoirse Ronan got a well deserved Oscar nomination for her role as the titular Lady Bird and it might be my favorite performance of all the nominees (from two years ago). This is director Greta Gerwig's first major motion picture as a director. But is she going to be a one-hit wonder???

Emma Watson (Meg), Florence Pugh (Amy),

Saoirse Ronan (Jo) and Eliza Scanlen (Beth)

are Little Women

The answer to that is obviously no. Gerwig's new adaptation of Little Women has been been praised greatly and many think it is the best film adaptation yet of Louisa May Alcott's famous novel. I did go with a friend who is an expert on all things Little Women and though she liked it, she still didn't like it as much as the 90's version with Wyonna Ryder.

I haven't read the book in awhile and did find the jumping around with the timeline a bit confusing at times. I did like the meta take in that the character of Jo is actually trying to write the book Little Women about their lives!

Gerwig did bring back a couple of her Lady Bird stars to be in Little Women: Saoirse Ronan (Jo) and Timothee Chalamet (Laurie).

Random Little Women question: Of the sisters, Jo is clearly the star, Amy is the one with all the emotional problems and Beth is the tragic figure. But what about Meg? I can't figure out her deal exactly. Is she basically the Zeppo of the Little Women quartet?

Little Women has been nominated for six Oscars, including: Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay. Gerwig did not get a nomination for Best Director.

Timothee Chalamet and Saoirse Ronan
in Lady Bird

Saoirse Ronan and Timothee Chalamet
in Little Women

WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS (2014), HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE (2016), JOJO RABBIT (2019)

The vampire crew in What We Do in the Shadows

New Zealand director Taika Waititi's cult film What We Do in the Shadows is a most amusing mockumentary about vampires. These vampires aren't particularly menacing, in fact, the vamps in the film are living together and mostly have to do humdrum thing like doing the dishes or deciding what to cook for dinner. They also experience difficulty with getting into clubs because vampires can't go into places unless they are asked and have trouble dressing because they can't see themselves in a mirror! It's a fun film.

Sam Neill and Julian Dennison
 in Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Another Waititi film that is quite charming is Hunt for the Wilderpeople. The film begins with an older couple, Bella and Hector Faulkner (Sam Neill, Rima Te Diata) who live near the bush in New Zealand that adopt a largely unwanted 13-year-old orphan named Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison). Things seem to be just starting to work with the three of them when Bella suddenly drops dead. Hector tells Ricky that it was Bella and not him that wanted to adopt him and this leads to Ricky running away into the bush. Hector goes after him, but the their journey into the bush becomes quite an adventure when they get lost and Hector is suspected of kidnapping Ricky. They meet several interesting creatures and people in the woods, my favorite of which is a woodsman named Psycho Sam. This is a very charming and likable film. Two for two so far.

Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson and Roman Griffin Davis
in Jojo Rabbit

Jojo Rabbit is Waititi's first film to get a Best Picture Oscar nomination. The black comedy is about a young boy named Jojo in World War II Germany who learns to be a good Nazi by having the imaginary presence of Hitler encouraging him along the way. Jojo's Nazi ways are challenged by the fact that his mother (Scarlett Johansson) is a collaborator with the enemy who keeps a Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) hidden in their house. Jojo comes to like the girl and the film has a lot of moving moments, as well as some pretty funny ones.

Jojo Rabbit has been nominated for six Oscars, including: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Screenplay.

Taika Waiti the Actor

Waititi plays the leader of the vampire house
in What We Do in the Shadows

Waititi has one scene as the minister in 

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

And finally, Waititi cast himself as the menacing
and more than a bit goofy imaginary version
of Hitler in Jojo Rabbit

THE SQUID AND THE WHALE (2005), MARRIAGE STORY (2019)

 Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney at counseling

in The Squid and the Whale

Noah Bambauch's The Squid and the Whale tells the story of Bernard Berkman (Jeff Daniels) and his wife Joan (Laura Linney), a couple going through a divorce in 1986 Brooklyn. The Berkman's are an academically minded couple, with Bernard being a writer and professor and Joan being an aspiring novelist. They both love their kids, Walt and Frank, but express this love in odd ways at times exacerbated by the fact that they are now living in different houses. 

This is an interesting character study of all four of the main leads. Bernard is a bit of a stuffy academic, who looks down on people like Ivan (William Baldwin), the local tennis pro, who he refers to as a philistine. Joan's disconnect with Bernard led to her having affairs (including Ivan) which is explored here also. Walt Berkman (Jesse Eisenberg) admires his dad-He has a poster of one of his dad's favorite films, The Mother and the Whore on his wall for Heaven's sake! Walt seems to blame his mom for their troubles more than dad. He has trouble finding a girl that he considers good enough and openly plagiarizes Pink Floyd at the school talent show. The younger brother Frank (Owen Kline) is starting to have troubles of his own involving his own relationships and experimentation with drinking and masturbation...the latter of which wouldn't be a problem if he wasn't doing it in the library!

This is an intellectual and fascinating story of the dissolution of a marriage and family. 

Jesse Eisenberg and Owen Kline in

The Squid and The Whale

Didn't every 80's kid have a poster of  Jean Eustache's

The Mother and the Whore on their wall?

Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver

in Marriage Story

Noah Baumbach goes to the broken family well again in 2019's much praised Marriage Story. I was at first a little taken aback by the fact that the couple are both in show business, but this is later an important plot point in that Charlie directs plays in New York and Nicole has moved to Los Angles to further her professional career in television. Their son Henry (Azhy Robertson) is caught in the middle. One of the most interesting aspects of the film is legally. Divorce isn't cheap, financially or emotionally. Nicole finds a lawyer (Laura Dern) that takes no prisoners. Charlie finds a older but caring lawyer (Alan Alda) at first, but then realizes he's got to get his own "asshole" lawyer (Ray Liotta).

The film is very well acted and is a strong emotional piece. Adam Driver is especially solid and his performance of the song Being Alive at the end of the film is a fitting catharsis to the film.

Noah Baumbach and his wife Greta Gerwig (Little Women) both have films nominated for Best Picture this year...I hope that doesn't cause them any problems at home...

Marriage Story has been nominated for six Oscars, including: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Original Screenplay.

Lawyering up...Alan Alda assists Adam Driver

in Marriage Story

Lawyering up...Laura Dern advocates for

Scarlett Johannson in Marriage Story