2019 was a remarkable year in Cinema. More than ever are we seeing Netflix and female Directors at the forefront and you will see this in the Team’s year’s best. Once again we are thrilled to share our favourites with you and would love to see how these align with your own personal faves. If you haven’t caught-up yet on your 2019 viewing, we hope the Team gives you some inspiration for your Holiday viewing!

Enjoy the rest of your Holidays and to an even more amazing 2020!

Team Mr. Will

L to R: Jonathan Godfrey, David & Alyssa Baldwin, George Kozera, Justin Waldman x Mr. Will

(There in spirit: Amanda Gilmore, Siobhán Rich)

A farewell to beloved Thompson Diner, where we held our 2019 Holiday Brunch.

In my opinion, this year has been one of the strongest years in Film for a VERY long time. We had amazing diverse creative talents in front and behind the camera who have worked together to make outstanding work, which is precisely why making this Top Ten list has been extremely difficult for me. I would love to write a Top 30 list if I was allowed, but sadly I’m not. Because of this, I have made my list according to my favourite films of the year that I could also re-watch multiple times for years to come. I have also added some honourable mentions because let’s face it, this year was flipping awesome!

DISCLAIMER: I have yet to see 1917 at the time of writing this list.

The Films below are listed in alphabetical order, they are not ranked.

Booksmart
Honey Boy
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Knives Out
Late Night
Little Women
Marriage Story
Parasite
Us

Honourable Mentions:
The Peanut Butter Falcon: an extremely touching and unique coming-of-age story.
Ready Or Not: an inventive thriller with one wickedly funny and badass female lead.
Rocketman: I LOVE Elton John and this film was a knockout!

Written in order the release, the following are my faves for 2019: winter began with If Beale Street Could Talk, a tale of struggle set to a mesmerizing score. Next, Alita: Battle Angel, a great anime adaptation with mesmerizing MOCAP (Motion Capture) work. Spring brought Toy Story 4, a 3D spectacle for the ages; and Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood, another spectacular Script from Tarantino. IT Chapter 2 scared me silly this summer, and A Hidden Life was my TIFF ’19 darling. Fall brought with it a Trilogy of favorites: the powerful performance piece, Joker; the breathtaking animation of Frozen 2; and of course, a forever favorite, Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. Winter has returned, and with it, Little Women, a wondrous adaption to warm this holiday season. I have high hopes for 2020, including: Dune, Tenet, Mulan, No Time to Die and Bill & Ted Face the Music.

GEORGE KOZERA (@PartyG on Twitter)

2019 was a banner year for me, watching movies in a darkened theatre. I saw many impressive features from either first-time Directors or from established awards winners. Netflix, the little distribution company that could, released movies that were eclectic in genres and superior in quality and for the second year in a row, one of its offerings made my list as Number One. I saw movies that bored deeply into my skin and heart and mind and soul. It is with apologies to the Christmas releases that I have yet to see (Little Women, Bombshell, 1917, Uncut Gems) and too many Honorable Mentions to list that I submit my Top Ten of 2019:

1. Marriage Story
2. Jojo Rabbit
3. Waves
4. Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
5. Parasite
6. The Irishman
7. Knives Out
8. The Last Black Man in San Francisco
9. Joker
10. Rocketman

JUSTIN WALDMAN (@DubsReviews on Twitter)

2019 has certainly been an interesting year for movies. We saw the end of The Skywalker Saga, the warfare between Netflix and Distributors continues to grow increasingly-tense, Scorsese and Iger are teasing a conversation. Movies had more surprises this year, and there have been some genuinely heartwarming and enlightening movies this year. In alphabetical order here are my top 10 movies to end out the decade.

Booksmart
Olivia Wilde directing Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever may have been the most unexpected, most hilarious thing I have seen all year but this Movie is endlessly-fantastic. It is the only Movie I have seen countless times this year, it became an instant classic for myself, that will be adored for the ages.

Jojo Rabbit
Taika Waititi in my mind can do no wrong when it comes to filmmaking. Ragnarok, What We Do In The Shadows,and Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Waititi constantly delivers genuinely heartwarming and hilarious movies. Jojo Rabbit is no exception to that, the WWII satire is everything I expected of it and more.

Joker
I love some brilliant Joaquin. I love me some Joker. I just love this Movie. It is haunting and ingenious, but please for everything that makes this great, do not make a Sequel.

Knives Out
This Whodunit was one of the biggest questions from this Agatha Christie-esque film. It was marvelously-acted, packs a punch, and let’s face it, were all obsessing about knitted sweaters now.

The Lighthouse
I couldn’t begin to tell you what I thought I was getting myself into when I went to see this. All I can tell you is that it is one of the strangest, brilliant movies I’ve seen all year and I still think about it all these months later.

Little Women
Moment of truth, this was my first Little Women and what Greta Gerwig manages to do with it is nothing short of inspiring. However when you have Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Timothée Chalamet, Meryl Streep and Saoirse Ronan its also hard not to be delighted the entire time.

Midsommar
This was horrifying. Ari Aster still manages to haunt me with his brilliant Horror Film. The Director’s Cut is significantly better than the theatrical cut as well, as well as more haunting when you pay attention to the background. There is nothing else to say.

Parasite
If you’ve seen it, you know EXACTLY why its on the list. If you have not, why are you waiting? Stop reading immediately and go see the Movie. There is literally no reason not to. It is brilliant and deserves all the acclaim.

Uncut Gems
Give Sandman everything. This Movie is neurotic, anxiety-inducing acid and you cannot look away. I felt dirty after watching the Movie, but I can’t shake it. Adam Sandler has never delivered a better performance.

Waves
This Movie broke me, is the easiest way to put it. It is beautiful, it is tragic, it is heartwarming, it is heartbreaking. This Movie launches a rocket right into the feelings and explodes on impact.

2020, you’re the start of a new decade, you better deliver as well as if not better than 2019.

DAVID BALDWIN (@DaveMABaldwin on Twitter)

1. Parasite
2. Jojo Rabbit
3. Marriage Story
4. The Farewell
5. Us
6. Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood
7. Honey Boy
8. Blinded By The Light
9. 1917
10. Booksmart

2019 will go down as one of the best years for Film this decade – maybe even the singular best one. There is so much to say about these ten brilliant Films, and even more to say about the multitude of films that did not make this list. Yes, many will remember this year for the end of The Avengers and Star Wars Sagas. But others will remember it for the magnificent new discoveries that were made, for the masters making some of their best work to date and for the actors we completely wrote-off giving us plenty of reasons to remember them again. I lived, breathed and loved so many movies this year. And know that with the impending birth of my first child, that so much about next year and the next decade of my filmgoing life is going to be so drastically different. So it might just be the nostalgia talking, but I doubt I will ever see another exquisite year of Cinema like this ever again.

Mr. Will’s 2019 Best-Of List is here.

(Photo credit: Netflix/Fox Searchlight/MK2/Mongrel Media/Sony Pictures/Mr. Will Wong)

TIFF x Mr. Will want to give Readers in Toronto a chance to win Run-of-Engagement Passes to see TIFF ’19 selection, MARRIAGE STORY.

Synopsis:
Revisiting some of the themes that made his Oscar-nominated TIFF 2005 selection The Squid and the Whale so resonant, writer-director Noah Baumbach digs deep into divorce with Marriage Story. Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson deliver some of their richest work as a couple whose once enviable union crumbles under the weight of mounting resentments and divergent needs.

Charlie (Driver) is a playwright who wants to stay in New York. Nicole (Johansson) is an actor who’s landed a coveted television role that requires her to relocate to Los Angeles. Their geographical dispute tests an already strained relationship. As Marriage Story begins, the couple’s divorce is already underway, with each enlisting legal squads deploying various tactics.

Yet Baumbach’s elegant narrative goes back and forth through time, showing how Charlie and Nicole fell in love and built a life together alongside a detailed, blow-by-blow chronicle of their marital dismantling.

Baumbach‘s wise script goes from Bergmanesque drama, to dark comedy, to surges of suspense, and is complemented by the intimate 35mm camerawork of Robbie Ryan (who also shot Baumbach‘s The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)), and by the precise, lived-in performances not only of Driver and Johansson, but also of Laura Dern, Alan Alda, and Ray Liotta.

Marriage Story may have an ironic title, but its divorce proceedings double as a moving post-mortem. Sometimes our most profound life choices begin to cohere only in retrospect.

See a Trailer:

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will on Facebook.

Contest rules and regulations here.

MARRIAGE STORY opens at TIFF Bell Lightbox Friday, November 22, 2019.

(Photo credit: Netflix)

TIFF ’19 was one for the books and we dare you to disagree! Meryl, Tom, Natalie, J-Lo, Constance, Renée, Joaquin. Toronto played host to an explosive mass of starpower at the Toronto International Film Festival and we were right there! We celebrated our tenth anniversary, which happened to coincide with TIFF ’19 and fittingly it was our biggest year yet! It was amazing seeing so many of your friendly faces and taking Selfies with many of you in our travels and adventures and we love that Mr. Will has made a difference in your day for the past decade. We have always been about sharing our excitement with you and it touches us you are experiencing this with us! A huge thanks to Dave Baldwin and Amanda Gilmore on our Team who delivered us all the hits with their reviews, keeping savvy Festival Goers informed!

See the stars we spotted. Our favourite moments:

1. Renée Zellweger

2. Meryl Streep

3. Tom Hanks

4. Jennifer Lopez

5. Kristen Stewart

6. Joaquin Phoenix

7. Eddie Murphy

8. Bruce Springsteen

9. Taika Waititi

10. The Cast of Knives Out

Our Dave Baldwin had the honour of reviewing the official TIFF ’19 People’s Choice Award winner, JOJO RABBIT. Read his thoughts here.

See all our sightings and reviews here.

A huge thank you goes out to our official partners whom we couldn’t do it without.

CP24 – we loved being paired with our new BFF, Kelly Linehan in our contributions to CP24 this TIFF! We know you tuned in because more than ever so many of you shouted at me, “You’re the guy on TV! Good job!”.

ACURA CANADA – We adored our 2019 Acura TLX Elite in Performance Red Pearl which had us travelling in luxury and style this TIFF. Acura also happens to be  an official sponsor, with a set-up at Roy Thomson Hall.  Drives were smooth and anyone who does the Festival like us will know the importance of mobility. We are in love with its gorgeous interior and spacious interior. Its superb audio system and array of charging options (including a wireless plate), plus the fact that it has a CD player says that this is a car after my heart!  Seat heaters and warmers are perfect for unpredictable Toronto weather and let’s not forget its array of safety features like lane departure and a hyper-aware collision warning and parking assist (which was a mega-help in all those underground parking lots). We love the array of displays you can scroll through on its steering wheel, including also a tire pressure monitor which tells you to a T exactly what your tire pressure is at. For anyone who’s ever had a flat tire, you will appreciate the value in this. We drove assured and enlightened. It was like driving a race car with its fast acceleration, but also like a luxury Sedan in one.

HUAWEI CANADA – The Huawei P30 Pro was our MVP this TIFF! 32MP photos, 256GB memory and an amazing Kirin 980 Octa-core Processor! Our snaps speak for themselves. And its efficiency enabled us to blog, edit  content on-the-go and share our photos with viewers right away. This put several hours back into our day and we are grateful for the best phone in the market.

H&M CANADA – We got many compliments about our H&M Fall/Winter Collection 2019 looks. In Shia LaBeouf‘s own words when we took our Selfie,  he proclaimed “Dude, you are style as f*ck!”.

WESLODGE SALOON – Celebs can’t get enough of this TIFF go-to’s classic and inspired Canadian fare and cocktails.  Several names like Bruce Springsteen, Dev Patel and Hugh Laurie enjoyed the amazing grub and drink here TIFF ’19. We told you it was gonna be a hotspot, and it did not disappoint!

STARBUCKS CANADA – We need our Americanos TIFF badly and we may have had a few Pumpkin Spice Lattes as a treat. The beverage has become synonymous with the Festival and Fall for us. And we loved giving our Readers a chance to win $20 Starbucks Canada Gift Cards too!

DUFFLET PASTRIES  – The Queen of Cake’s® Queen Street location is the perfect spot for a treat between movies during TIFF and yes, I stopped by more than once because cake is necessary always. We loved rewarding one of our Readers with a free cake as well!

MARY BROWN’S – Celebrating their 50th anniversary, with locations allover the GTA including Mississauga, Pickering, North York, Scarborough and more, Mary Brown’s is a legend. With all this craze about chicken sandwiches of late, let the Big Mary silence the competition!

CHATIME CANADA – The Bubble Tea giant’s Queen Street location is right in the heart of TIFF and we loved popping by for a refreshing midday treat and also giving our Readers a chance to win some free drinks as well!

Congrats to Mike who won our Tenth Anniversary Prize Pack, loaded with goodies from our partners and more!

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) is a jeweller and compulsive gambler. He cannot seem to keep any of the money or collateral he has, frequently selling it for bet money – even if the collateral does not belong to him. And after Howard acquires a rock filled with precious gemstones, things quickly go from bad to worse.

Uncut Gems is not for everyone and is easily one of the most divisive films at the Festival. Directing duo Benny and Josh Safdie have a distinct style, and they infuse this one with the same look, feel and tone of their Robert Pattinson vehicle, Good Time. What they create is a film that runs over two hours, but somehow only manages to feel 45-minutes long. It moves chaotically and recklessly from scene to scene, gradually ratcheting up the tension to unbearable levels. Just watching the shenanigans and situations Sandler’s character Howard finds himself in is ridiculously-exhausting, but somehow just as wildly exhilarating. The Supporting Cast is solid (inexplicably including NBA star Kevin Garnett), but Sandler is in his own other world here. He plays into some of his classic archetypes but also grounds himself in a totally foreign space, bringing out nuances you would never think possible. I just wish the film had a bit more substance to it.

UNCUT GEMS screens during TIFF at the following times:

Monday September 9, 9:15pm @ Princess of Wales
Tuesday September 10, 10:30am @ Elgin Theatre
Saturday September 14, 1:00pm @ Ryerson Theatre
Sunday September 15, 6:00pm @ Ryerson Theatre

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

Rudy Ray Moore (Eddie Murphy) is a struggling musician and comedian working at a record store in the 1970s. After interacting and recording conversations with homeless hustlers, he creates an on-stage persona he calls Dolemite and proceeds to become insanely popular. And after making it big with a handful of records, Moore sets his sights on making his own movie.

Dolemite is My Name is profane, rude and always hysterical. While the Film’s structure is your typical slice of life rags to riches biopic format, Director Craig Brewer infuses Dolemite with soul, style, a wicked soundtrack and a wildly eclectic assortment of characters that always keep the film moving and genuinely entertaining. The Film tends to run a bit too long, but you likely will not notice over your laughter. The Film’s look is terrific and the Costume Design from Oscar-winner Ruth E. Carter is downright outstanding. The Cast is fabulous no matter the length of their role, with Wesley Snipes stealing every single one of his scenes. But everyone pales in comparison to Murphy, who sets each of his moments on-screen on fire with his raw charisma and sheer will. He is outrageously funny and subtly heartbreaking. They aren’t calling this role a comeback for nothing!

DOLEMITE IS MY NAME screens during TIFF at the following times:

Saturday September 7, 9:30pm @ Princess of Wales [World Premiere]
Sunday September 8, 12:00pm @ Princess of Wales
Saturday September 14, 5:30pm @ Elgin Theatre
Sunday September 15, 12:00pm @ TIFF Bell Lightbox

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

A Yeti has escaped from a secret lab and is hiding on a rooftop in Shanghai. One evening, he encounters Yi (Chloe Bennet), a young girl trying desperately to make enough money to go on the vacations her dad always promised her they would take. When it becomes clear that the Yeti is in trouble, Yi and two friends set out on an adventure to bring him home to Mount Everest.

In a year of stellar animated films, Abominable stands out as one of the best. It tells a predictable story, but does so in a way that is heartwarming, charming and genuinely moving. The animation is splendid and the imagination on display here is magical, both figuratively and literally. It has the familiar goofy beats that kids will eat up, but still manages to be really funny for adults as well. It goes surprisingly deeper than most animated films with its focus on family and cultural elements (a major portion of the delightful Cast is voiced by Asian-Americans), and feels all the stronger for it. There are some darker ideas at play in Abominable that I wish were explored better, but the Film seems to deliberately pivot away from them just as quickly as they are introduced. Nonetheless, I was smiling and laughing (and yes, crying) the entire time.

ABOMINABLE screens during TIFF at the following times:

Saturday September 7, 3:00pm @ Roy Thomson Hall [World Premiere]
Sunday September 8, 10:30am @ Winter Garden Theatre
Saturday September 14, 12:00pm @ Scotiabank Theatre

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

It’s the 1940s and Europe is at war. Franz (August Diehl) is an Austrian farmer living with his wife Fani (Valerie Pachner) and three children. He undergoes military training but refuses to pledge allegiance to Adolf Hitler. And while this does not go over well with the people of his village, it becomes even more problematic when he is conscripted to fight in the war.

In a word, A Hidden Life is breathtaking. From the opening frame to the very last, the Film is a sensuous display of exquisite and absolutely stunning visuals. Being a film from legendary enigmatic Writer/Director Terrence Malick, I fully expected this to be the case. What I did not expect was a functioning narrative that is wonderfully expressive, even when we are just watching people chopping wheat. Diehl and Pachner are fantastic together or apart. The have great chemistry and their narration is vividly passionate, saying everything the visuals cannot. James Newton Howard’s Score is simply marvelous and one of the best of the year. Fair warning though – the structure of A Hidden Life is loose and free-flowing, testing the limits of its nearly three-hour running time. But rather thankfully, each minute is more rewarding than the last.

A HIDDEN LIFE screens during TIFF at the following times:

Monday September 9, 1:00pm @ Elgin Theatre
Wednesday September 11, 2:30pm @ Scotiabank Theatre
Friday September 13, 3:00pm @ Scotiabank Theatre
Saturday September 14, 9:00am @ Scotiabank Theatre

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

The Roslyn School District in Long Island has become substantially more prestigious due to the tireless work of Superintendent Frank Tassone (Hugh Jackman) and his team. But everything starts falling apart when it is discovered that his Assistant Superintendent Pam Gluckin (Oscar-winner Allison Janney) has been embezzling money from the school. And as one student journalist begins digging deeper, it becomes clear that Frank may be involved as well.

Bad Education is equal parts Comedy and Tragedy, made all the more eye-opening by it being inspired by a true story. In only his second Feature, Director Cory Finley has proven himself a terrific young talent with a keen eye for detail and structure. While I would have preferred a less meticulous pace, it allows Finley the opportunity to really explore all of the nuances of Mike Makowsky’s spectacular Script. It is impeccably designed, brilliantly connected and easily one of the strongest at this year’s festival. The Script feels especially authentic given that Makowsky was a student at the school during the real-life timeline of the Film. While the performances are strong across the board, Jackman is the clear standout with his magnificently layered and weathered performance. We all love him as Wolverine, but this may just be his finest hour.

BAD EDUCATION screens during TIFF at the following times:

Sunday September 8, 6:15pm @ Princess of Wales [World Premiere]
Monday September 9, 3:00pm @ Princess of Wales
Thursday September 12, 9:00pm @ Scotiabank Theatre
Friday September 13, 7:00pm @ Scotiabank Theatre
Saturday September 14, 1:00pm @ Winter Garden Theatre

We’ve made it! TIFF ’19 closes with a bang and Priyanka Chopra-Jonas gave us a dash of starpower. Now she was here last weekend but flew-in to join Director Shonali Bose, plus Co-Stars Farhan Akhtar, Rohit Saraf for The Sky is Pink, premiering at both Elgin Theatre and Roy Thomson Hall.

See our Snaps. Hover cursor right to navigate slideshow.

While Closing Night Gala Radioactive takes place tomorrow night, we are wrapped! We hope you had a blast in our adventures and enjoyed our reviews and coverage as well! This definitely was one of our favourite TIFFs of all time. TIFF ’20 certainly has big shoes to fill!

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

When Johanna Morrigan (Beanie Feldstein) gets hired as a Critic for a London music magazine she beings changing who she is.

Director Coky Giedroyc and Screenwriter Caitlin Moran have made a quirky coming-of-age film about a loveable and flawed girl. The Film succeeds due to Moran’s Script which is full of hilarious British quips, heartbreaking reality and candid lessons. The most impressive and refreshing aspect as the Film is the character progression of Johanna. She is responsible for unleashing her worst self and she is solely responsible for building herself back up. Moran and Giedronyc have allotted enough time and essential reasoning to Johanna’s transformation and because of this everything Johanna does, no matter how cruel, has a purpose in her journey. It’s because of this and the perfect casting of Feldstein that causes the audience to sympathize and route for her. By now we know Feldstein is a force on the big screen and she brings her ever-charming presence once again. And joining her on-screen are memorable cameos from Chris O’Dowd, Emma Thompson and Alfie Allen.

How To Build A Girl screens at TIFF on the following days:

Saturday, September 7 at Ryerson Theatre at 12 PM

Sunday, September 8 at Scotiabank Theatre at 7:15 PM

Friday, September 13 at Scotiabank Theatre at 6 PM