Movies Update: The Best Movies of 2019

Plus, the high and low notes of movie musical sequels.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story December 6, 2019

By Kyle Buchanan

Hey, movie fans!

Over the next week, a lot of big Oscar bellwethers are going to ring: On Sunday, the Los Angeles Film Critics will release their best-of-the-year picks, followed the next day by the announcement of the Golden Globe nominations. Then, on Wednesday, the Screen Actors Guild will weigh in. I’m eager to see what they’ll choose, although I’ll miss the anything-could-happen optimism of the phase we’re leaving.

Big studio-blockbusters are on pause this weekend — this is a brief lull between the Thanksgiving holiday and the December onslaught of major movies — but that’s all the more reason to check out some of the smaller films coming out this weekend, especially since one of them is the fabulous French romance “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” one of the best movies of the year. Other new releases include the Felicity Jones/Eddie Redmayne ballooning adventure “The Aeronauts,” the knowing horror film “In Fabric” and the documentary about emergency medical workers, “Midnight Family.”

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Clockwise from bottom left: Netflix, via Associated Press; Sony Pictures; Neon   Best Movies of 2019 These titles prove that while the streaming arguments rage and the medium may be a mess, the art form is as healthy as ever. By A.O. Scott and Manohla Dargis

MOVIE REVIEWS critic’s pick ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ Review: A Brush With Passion In Céline Sciamma’s new film, Adèle Haenel and Noémie Merlant play an aristocrat and an artist falling in love in 18th-century France. by a.o. scott critic’s pick ‘Midnight Family’ Review: The Night Stalkers of Mexico City In this outstanding documentary, a family of emergency medical workers struggles both to save lives and to make a living. by manohla dargis critic’s pick ‘The Aeronauts’ Review: High Anxiety Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne reach for the skies in this charming Victorian ballooning adventure. by jeannette catsoulis critic’s pick ‘In Fabric’ Review: The Dress Is Possessed. But It Was on Sale. Peter Strickland’s fourth feature is a horror story about, yes, a garment, but it’s his most engrossing work yet. by glenn kenny ‘A Million Little Pieces’ Review: Cracking Up A committed lead performance and some eloquent visuals aren’t enough to save this hackneyed tale of a rehab-resisting addict. by jeannette catsoulis ‘Daniel Isn’t Real’ Review: Even an Imaginary Friend Can Hurt You Young Luke was happy to find a friend in Daniel. Luke’s mother couldn’t see Daniel, but accepted him nonetheless, until he went too far. by teo bugbee critic’s pick ‘The Disappearance of My Mother’ Review: Son’s View of a Model Parent Benedetta Barzini, couture star and cultural critic, reluctantly faces her son’s camera in a tender and harsh documentary. by a.o. scott ‘A German Youth’ Review: Lights, Camera, Guerrilla Tactics? The documentary traces the origins of the Red Army Faction with a dizzying assemblage of archival footage. by ben kenigsberg

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NEWS & FEATURES Amy Harrity for The New York Times   The Carpetbagger Charlize Theron on ‘Bombshell,’ Fox News and Harvey Weinstein The Oscar winner transformed herself to play the anchor Megyn Kelly, even though she had misgivings about the role. By Kyle Buchanan Disney   Here We (Let It) Go Again: ‘Frozen 2’ and Movie Musical Sequels A look back at what has worked, and what has not, in the continuation of musical stories. By Alexander Huls Ike Edeani for The New York Times   Lena Waithe’s Art of Protest The “Queen & Slim” writer on mixing art and politics, the key to collaboration and those infamous comments about Will Smith and Denzel Washington. By Reggie Ugwu Joel Saget/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images   The Saturday Profile A Movie Torn From the Pages of His Life Ladj Ly started with videos of police confrontations with his friends in Paris’s immigrant suburbs. Now, his wrenching film “Les Misérables” is up for an Oscar. By Adam Nossiter Michael Loccisano/Getty Images   The Carpetbagger Even at the Indie-Leaning Gotham Awards, Netflix Is a Juggernaut The streaming service, expected to be a major Oscar player, won more than half of the awards presented at the New York ceremony on Monday. By Kyle Buchanan Photo Illustration by Ben Grandgenett. Source photograph from Everett Collection.   Letter Of Recommendation Letter of Recommendation: Badly Dubbed Movies When I decided to binge watch several dozen spaghetti westerns, I didn’t expect the dubbing to be one of the best parts. It was. By Mark Binelli DANJAQ LLC and MGM   ‘No Time to Die’ First Trailer: Daniel Craig Is Bond in the #MeToo Era The newest entry in the series is directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga and features Lashana Lynch. By Bruce Fretts

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STREAMING streaming movie review ‘A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby’ Review: The Title Says It All This holiday film on Netflix, the third in a series, is both flimsy and flat, but if royal romance is what you crave, you’ve found it. by helen t. verongos streaming movie review ‘Dead Kids’ Review: A Flashy Portrait of Teen Angst Gone Awry This thriller from Netflix follows four teenage misfits in the Philippines who plot to kidnap the school bully for ransom. by natalia winkelman

CRITICS’ PICKS Universal Pictures   Critic’s Pick ‘Queen & Slim’ Review: Love on the Run Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith star in Melina Matsoukas’s dreamy but intense outlaw romance. By A.O. Scott Amazon Studios   Critic’s Pick ‘Les Misérables’ Review: Injustice Still Stalks the Poor of Paris In modern-day Montfermeil, the setting of Victor Hugo’s novel, the filmmaker Ladj Ly stages his own impassioned cry against oppression. By Glenn Kenny

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