……………………………………………………….

Best and Worst Films from October 2019

Best Films from October 2019:

3. Allegro Non Troppo

Allegro Non Troppo is one of those little seen movies that really need more love. It actually trumps ‘Fantasia’ in quality and especially in terms of its entertainment values as all of its segments are very engaging to follow. It is also very varied with a terrific mix of comedic segments and those more serious, even tragic stories. The humor is great, the emotion is evident and in particular the animation is spectacular and very artistic. Thus, it got this month’s coveted third spot.

2. Sleuth

Sleuth may be technically weaker, but everything else is pure gem territory. This is a film that basically only has two actors for the majority of its runtime, and just one location, and yet it never felt boring in any way. That’s because the script is fantastic, the dialogue is magnificent and both Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier delivered two of their greatest performances. It’s such a witty flick.

1. Open Your Eyes

Abre los ojos is one of Spanish cinema’s masterpieces. This is a film that influenced so many other SF movies in its wake with its incredibly original premise superbly executed. It succeeds both as a fine SF tale and as a chilling psychological thriller. The performances are strong across the board, the direction from Amenabar is phenomenal and it’s both technically strong and very cinematic. It’s one of the ultimate films when it comes to the subject of dreams and reality, and it’s a deserved winner for this month.

Honorable Mentions: Balkanski špijun, Jackie Brown and The Way He Looks.

Yes, for the first time ever, this list gets an honorable mentions section. I’ve had an incredibly difficult time choosing the best films owing to the fact that I’ve seen a record number of great films in October. So the special mentions belong to one of the best Serbian films ever made, Tarantino’s most underrated gem and a very endearing Brazilian gay romance.

Worst Films from October 2019:

3. A Prophet

While I do appreciate the intent of this movie, it still failed to properly explore these important themes. Instead, it focused on a very typical rising through the ranks of prison storyline that made it just another tiresome gangster flick and nothing more than that.

2. Anthony Adverse

As for Anthony Adverse, it’s your standard epic book adaptation of yesteryear that received Oscar nominations with no good reason whatsoever. It’s overlong, sluggishly paced, lacking momentum to it and simply put forgettable.

1. The Emoji Movie

The Emoji Movie isn’t as terrible as many have said, but it is very mediocre for sure. It has fine animation in it, but the humor is so incredibly juvenile to the point of making the whole film more obnoxious than necessary. The story is also ripping off other much better animated films.