Author’s Note: This
list is a list of the most sociologically interesting films I have
seen this year so far. It is not a list of my favorite films (though
the higher the film is on the list the more overlap there will be) but of films
that sparked sociological analysis in my head. I have not seen all of the films
released this year. This list is subjective.
This list will have three sections:
1) The Top Ten in
descending order.
2) Honorable mentions (Great film’s that just didn’t
make the cut)
3)
The films I have yet to see released in 2019 that I am looking
forward to.
This film
wins for the most provocative title of 2019, and it is an apt description of
the basic spine of the plot. Sam Elliot shines here as an old grizzled (and
possibly immortal) former soldier who was tasked with the titular death of
Hitler, and in the present (1970’s – 1980’s), is tasked with the killing of The
Bigfoot that is causing a plague. More contemplative than its title suggests, this
is a film that asks questions about duty, loyalty, love, loss, romance and
regret. There is a great scene in a convenience store where Sam Elliot’s
character pulls out a nearly unrecognizable dollar bill from his wallet and asks
“Wonder how this one never got caught, to be destroyed so that new crisp legal
tender could circulate.” The young man behind the counter smiles and responds “Sometimes,
these old ones just hang on.” It is an interesting commentary on aging in a
society and what happens when you reach an age where society has forgotten you.
This film has a perfect opening shot and anthem for what it wants to be. Gorgeous.
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9) Her Smell
Directed
by Alex Ross Perry Her Smell tells the story of Becky Something
(Elizabeth Moss) and her Punk Band, Something She. Told in a series of vignettes,
the film drops the audience into various situations throughout Becky’s life.
The real star here is Elizabeth Moss who wears the pain and struggle of Becky’s
past and current issues with addiction on her face. The strain that Becky’s
antics places on her other band members is slowly revealed through dialogue and
actions. Sociologically, this movie gives us a glimpse at the music industry from
the vantage point of an all-girl punk band. There are interesting gender codes,
messages and stereotypes that come out of that that feel fresh and unique
because we rarely get to experience it.
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8) The Farewell
Lulu Wang’s The
Farewell is a philosophical meditation on western vs. eastern ideas on the
concept of death and dying. The film posits, that from the eastern (specifically
Chinese) perspective, the realization of illness impacts the soul and psyche so
much that it is a direct route to death. The plot centers around a Chinese
American family who go to China under the guise of a wedding to pay their last
respects to the family matriarch; who was just diagnosed with terminal cancer without
her knowledge. Sociologically, the cultural differences between the Chinese American
family, the Chinese members of the family and the Chinese members of the family
that immigrated to Japan are really interesting to watch, as is the culture
shock of the family’s decision to keep up the lie for most western viewers. Simply
great.
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7) Parasite
Korean
Filmmaker Bong Joon ho for the last few years has been interested in social class
dynamics. His previous film SnowPiercer
and this year’s Parasite discusses the class stratification between
the rich and the poor. Whereas Snowpiercer organized social class levels within
certain train cars, Parasite does something similar with housing. What is interesting about this film is the way
that the title is a double entendre for all individuals within this film. Every
character is living off each other in order to survive. For some, that survival
is a literal removal from abject poverty, and for the other it is in order to
maintain a established lifestyle. The parasites in this film are created either
by desperation or by entitlement.
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6) Midsommar
Ari
Aster’s sophomore outing after Hereditary, he wrote after a breakup. I
think that a sociologist more well versed in marriage, family, and intimate
partnerships would have a lot to say about this film. Since, that is not my
area of research or emphasis I will try not to do a disservice in this brief
analysis. Told from the perspective of a grieving college student Dani (Florence
Pugh) who is invited to witness a Scandinavian commune while she is trying to
navigate a toxic and gaslighting relationship with her boyfriend Christian (Jack
Reynor). What proceeds is a slow revelation of archaic rituals that involve the
torture and slaughter of the individuals brought to the community. Not only is
this film asking interesting questions about relationships, gendered
expectations and social more’s of relationships in the face of crisis, it also
slips in a commentary about the importance of collective grief as a coping
strategy. Which, when depicted on film, is a striking image of collectivist
thinking that is more welcomed now than in the past. As a bonus, several of the
characters in the film are cultural anthropologist doing research. This hits a little too close to home and
makes me want to never do fieldwork again. 😊
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5) Maiden
“The ocean is always trying
to kill you, and it never stops.” These are the words that open director Alex
Homes film about the first all-female sailing team to enter and succeed in the
Whitbread Round the World Race. The film is the resident documentary on this
years list that also acts as a semi biography of Tracy Edwards, the young
skipper and navigator of “The Maiden” This, like a lot of “glass ceiling
breaking” films has the important task of expressing why these women were
trailblazes of the ocean, how the deck was stacked against them, and how they became
sailing icons . This film also goes the extra mile to dive into the specific relationships
of each crew member and the gambles they took, choices they made and the
rewards/criticism they got for those choices and decisions. This documentary is
well worth your time.
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4) Uncut Gems
This film takes you in the culture of the
New York diamond district. It is a film that addresses a lot of different social
issues such as blood diamonds, class stratification, and addiction; albeit
indirectly. This is a film the directors, the Safdie brothers, have been trying
to make for ten years. What is sociologically interesting about this film is
the way that it places the audience in the shoes of gambling addict and jeweler,
Howard Ratner (played to perfection by Adam Sandler). The film is so quickly
paced we experience the stages of addiction along with Howard. We see him as he
is needing a fix, the rising tension of wondering of the bet is going to payoff
the utter elation that comes with winning big, and the horror when it doesn’t.
The directors’ strap you in, and do
not let up on the tension until the very end. Sandler should at least get an Oscar
nod.
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A road
trip film that invokes Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Fin, The Peanut Butter Falcon
tells the story of Zak (Played by Zack Gottsagen), a man with down syndrome
who escapes his living facility in order to go to a wrestling school to become
a professional wrestler. Along the way
he is aided by Tyler a vagabond fisherman (Shia LeBeouf) and pursued by his volunteer caregiver
Elanor (Dakota Johnson). Full of heart,
warmth and genuineness that is unique in our current socio-political climate,
this is both the film that we need right now and the film we deserve.
This film would not exist without Gottsagen,
(a down syndrome actor) who met the directors Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz
at an acting camp. He asked if they had a
part for him in their next movie. To which the directors said that there weren’t
a lot of roles for people with down syndrome (and they are often played by non
owns actors when they are). An undeterred Gottsagen responded, “You just have
to write a part for me.” And that is what they did. This film is a testament to the importance of
symbolic representation in film for people with disabilities. We need to be able
to see all of ourselves on screen.
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2) Honey Boy
I
was not prepared to have two films on my list that star Shia LeBeouf. I have
been such a critic of LeBeouf in the past that if you told me last year that
this would happen, I would have been very skeptical. However, like Nicolas Cage,
LeBeouf has been redeemed through his role in the aforementioned The Peanut
Butter Falcon and now Honey Boy. Honey Boy is a thinly veiled autobiography
that came out of court mandated rehab LeBeouf had to endure to avoid a 7 year
prison sentence. It follows him from his Even Steven’s days through Transformers.
LeBeouf takes a soberingly raw introspection of his life that is full of contemplation
and deep catharsis. LeBeouf actually takes on the role of his father, adding to
the authenticity of the script and the film itself. He does not pull any
punches here especially those directed at himself or his father. A summation of
the kind of breakthrough this film must have been comes towards the end of the
film. Lucas Hass (as the LeBeouf proxy “Otis”) is in rehab and he says to his psychiatrist
“ The only thing good my dad ever gave me was pain. And now you’re trying to take
that away from me.” LeBeouf should at least get an Oscar nod for writing.
Added Bonus: Shia LeBeouf being Interesting
The Songs:
The Interviews:
This is my perfect film
of 2019. Not only is this film beautifully shot with stellar performances by
the leads of Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson, the sound design is both crucial
and amazing. This film is allegorical and mythic; drawing upon Norwegian myths
and the Greek myth of Prometheus. Sociologically, this film talks about
isolation its correlation with mental illness which can be exacerbated by both
alcohol and gaslighting. However, the strongest
sociological theme here is masculinity. This film is very male, in the
sense that the cultural norms and values that we socialize men into, and how
those very things can lead to the development of mental illness and violence. There is an analysis of male sexuality that
is raw and uncomfortable, punctuated by homoerotic tension that is released
with violence. This film indicates yet again the correlation that many scholars
have made between masculine toxicity and violence. A brilliant, wonderfully
interesting film that should be seen by everyone. Even though it may not be for
everyone. This is the kind and the quality of cinema that we should strive for
in 2020.
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II. Honorable Mentions:
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III. Films
Yet to See:
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