It’s hard to believe another year’s passed by! 2018 certainly was a stand-out year for Cinema and Team Mr. Will true to tradition, share with you their best of 2018. If you haven’t seen some of these, it’s time to start adding to your Must-See Lists this winter!
AMANDA GILMORE (@gilmoreamanda)
It was such a great year for Film that it’s near impossible for me to choose the Top Ten. I could have easily made a Top 30 list (if it was allowed). However, I managed to squeeze in ten films, which are in alphabetical order rather than being ranked. I’ve included films from a range of genres and narratives that I’ve thought about since my first viewing.
A Star Is Born
A Quiet Place
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Black Panther
Eighth Grade
Mission Impossible: Fallout
Roma
Shoplifters
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-verse
The Favourite
JONATHAN GODFREY (@Skot_Somers)
Annihilation
First Man
Ready Player One
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
A Quiet Place
Green Book
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Legend of the Demon Cat
Mary Poppins Returns
As usual, my list consists of movies I saw on the Silver Screen within the calendar year. They’re organized according to release date, and are thus relieved of any hierarchy. Annihilation is the dark Sci-Fi wizardry I live for; Ready Player One is my kind of Spielberg cinema; and A Quiet Place is my top scare of 2018. Solo gave me more Star Wars; Demon Cat made this year’s TIFF magical; and First Man is the brand of brooding Drama I adore. Fantastic Beasts 2 is dope AF; Green Book is a beautiful performance piece; and Spider-Man is the Comic Movie I’ve been waiting forever for. To wrap it all up… Mary Poppins Returns! She has, and it warms my heart.
DAVID BALDWIN (@DaveMABaldwin)
2018 was an incredible year for Cinema. Full stop. If anyone tells you otherwise, they did not see enough movies. Every genre fired on all cylinders, and the mid-budget and independent scenes were filled with positively exquisite Filmmaking that will go down as some of the best of the decade. And even better than that, 2018 proved the power and importance of diversity and gender in Cinema. The number of movies I genuinely liked and loved that missed my Top Ten can attest to how outstanding a year this was. But I can say with confidence that the list of films below shook me right through to my bones whether through fear, laughter, wonder, charm, thrills, or genuine emotion. And yes, I know I cheated with including a tie — but it would be a disservice to not include all of these titles on my list.
Hereditary
Assassination Nation
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Incredibles 2
Blindspotting
Paddington 2
Eighth Grade
Mission: Impossible – Fallout
The Hate U Give
[tie] Can You Ever Forgive Me? / Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
GEORGE KOZERA (@PartyG)
I saw 164 movies this year. It took a long time to whittle the list down to 26 movies that I considered to be the best of 2018. This was a year that brought fantastic highs that had me gasping with wonder and admiration or so bad that they had me rolling my eyes in disbelief! Whether it was one of the most original Horror movies in a long time (A Quiet Place) or a Superhero, Comic Book movie so innovative and supremely well-acted that it validated a genre many were hoping would just go away (Black Panther). It was a banner year for documentary features, musicals and an LGBTQ movie was released for the first time ever by a major Hollywood studio (Love, Simon). Dramas were rampant with stories that touched one’s soul, though there was a lack of Comedies that were consistently funny throughout (with the exception of “Game Night”). All that said, I submit my pick for the best film of the year and the next nine movies (in alphabetical order) that moved, enthralled and will stay with me for years to come.
Roma
BlacKkKlansman
Cold War
The Favourite
Green Book
If Beale Street Could Talk
Lean on Pete
Leave No Trace
Mary Poppins Returns
Three Identical Strangers
JUSTIN WALDMAN (@DubsReviews)
It is time for the annual Top Ten movies I saw that I absolutely adored and loved this year. Some are best of the year, while others are the movies I had the most fun watching this year. There have been some truly incredible movies this year, and dare I say the ‘blockbusters’ for the most part have been fine, nothing really spectacular outside of a few gems. If you haven’t seen something on this list, go out and see it. Most of these movies will appeal to the masses, enjoy yourselves. Here’s to a 2019 with some hot titles coming out over the next few weeks, Glass anyone, and next few months, US am I right? 2019 is sure to be a stellar year
Anna and the Apocalypse
A Quiet Place
Black Panther
BlacKkKlansman
Blindspotting
Eighth Grade
Sorry to Bother You
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse
The Favourite
Widows
Click here to read Mr. Will’s Best of 2018.
(Photo credit: Elevation Pictures/Warner Bros. Canada/VVS Films/Fox Searchlight)
Fox Searchlight x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to see acclaimed TIFF ’18 selection, CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?
Screenings take place as follows:
TORONTO
Monday, October 22
7:00PM
Cineplex Varsity
VANCOUVER
Monday, October 29
7:00PM
Fifth Avenue
One lucky winner even wins a Prize Pack!
Synopsis:
Best-selling author Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy), who wrote biographies of celebrities such as Tallulah Bankhead, Estée Lauder and Dorothy Kilgallen in the 1970s and ’80s, and profiles of other stars such as Katharine Hepburn, has fallen on hard times.
Turning to criminal life, she begins a lucrative scam with her loyal friend Jack (Richard E. Grant) by forging hundreds of letters purportedly written by luminaries as Dorothy Parker, Noël Coward and Lillian Hellman, then selling her “memorabilia” to dealers across the country.
See the Trailer:
Artwork:
To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and indicate your City.
Fox Searchlight release CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? Friday, October 26, 2018.
(Photo/video credit: Fox Searchlight)
Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
After receiving critical acclaim at its premiere in Telluride last week, Can You Ever Forgive Me? lands in Toronto and hopes to keep the momentum going. Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy) is a Biography Writer desperately seeking a new book deal. She is behind on all of her payments, and is running out of ideas. After having some luck selling historical letters on the black market, Israel gets the idea to start fabricating some of her own.
Lengthy title aside, Can You Ever Forgive Me? is a wonderful character study that remains compelling at all times. We want to see Lee succeed whatever way she can (even if she’s self-destructive), and we feel her every struggle. Most of this is due to McCarthy’s fearless performance. She still maintains her vulgar wit, but she is more subdued that what we are used to, going deeper than she ever has before. Her work here is some of the best of her career, showing off an emotional side she has only hinted at in the past. And if that was not enough, the Film also packs a delightful turn from character actor Richard E. Grant as her friend Jack Hock. I sense future Oscar nominations.
Can You Ever Forgive Me? screens Saturday, September 8 at 12:15 PM at Winter Garden Theatre, Sunday, September 9 at 3:00 PM at Scotiabank Theatre and Saturday, September 15 at 12:00 PM at Princess of Wales Theatre.
Melissa McCarthy AND deception together in one Film? Sign us up! We love everything about upcoming Dark Comedy CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? This is the other side of McCarthy we’ve waited so long to see!
SYNOPSIS:
Melissa McCarthy stars in the adaptation of the memoir CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?, the true story of best-selling celebrity biographer (and friend to cats) Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy) who made her living in the 1970’s and 80’s profiling the likes of Katharine Hepburn, Tallulah Bankhead, Estee Lauder and journalist Dorothy Kilgallen. When Lee is no longer able to get published because she has fallen out of step with current tastes, she turns her art form to deception, abetted by her loyal friend Jack (Richard E. Grant).
Fox Searchlight release CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME Friday, October 19, 2018.
TIFF ’18, anyone?
(Photo credit: Fox Searchlight)
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