Page C-2 • michiganchronicle.com • December 19-25, 2018
BEST FILMS OF
Michael B Jordan and Chadwick Boseman By Dwight Brown NNPA News Wire Film Critic
In 2018, the stories told, talent on view, compelling characters, emotions expressed, and genres stretched were just amazing. It was more than enough to make viewers track films from the theaters to streaming services. Or vice versa. Check out the year in movies. Enjoy.
Best Films Ben Is Back – The plague of drug addiction hits the tony suburbs and writer/director Peter Hedges takes his audience to the front door of a home that is bearing the brunt. Julia Roberts soars as the distraught mom trying to save the life of a duplicitous son, expertly played by Lucas Hedges. Courtney B. Vance co-stars in this compelling and cautionary family/drama. Black Panther – The late Stan Lee left behind a key to the future. That key was Black Panther, as envisioned by the very intuitive director/ writer Ryan Coogler. The African nation of Wakanda became the world’s #1 tourist destination ($1.3B at the box office). It’s supermen (Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Daniel Kaluuya) and superwomen (Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright) were artfully displayed (cinematographer Rachel Morrison) as they embodied Black power and pride.
2018
Yeoh and Awkwafina—turn a rags-to-riches love story into the best romantic comedy of 2018. Director Jon M. Chu with writers Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim turn a golden opportunity into solid gold entertainment. The Favourite – The stodgy English period genre gets whacked by this demented take on an 18th century triad of deceitful women: Queen Anne (Olivia Colman), Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) and a very ambitious and cunning palace interloper Abigail (Emma Stone). Eccentric director Yorgos Lanthimos finally gets a project that can withstand his very demented style of direction. Evocative cinematography (Robbie Ryan) and production design (Fiona Crombie) paint an astonishing portrait of palace intrigue.
Green Book – A very unlikely story, based on true events, features the best acting duo of the year. The brilliant scholarly actor Mahershala Ali plays a concert pianist who is driven around The South, in 1962, by a burly Italian chauffeur/bodyguard played hysterically by Viggo Mortensen. The most unlikely director in the world, Peter Farrelly (Dumb and Dumber), tells the tale with a nod and a wink and peppers it with social and racial themes, real drama and historical facts. An organic crowd pleaser.
Night Comes On – Kids separated from their parents and relegated to foster homes and institutions should have their stories told. New actor-turned-director Jordana Spiro uses a script she co-wrote with Angelica Nwandu as a basis for her poignant ode to Blindspotting – Of all the troubled youth. Dominique films that tackled racism Fishback plays the train and the PSTD a black man wreck of an 18-year-old oldexperiences as a result, this BlacKkKlansman Adam Driver and John David er sibling in the process of Washington very grassroots indie capleading her 10-year-old sister tured that feeling the best. (Tatum Marilyn Hall) down Set in gentrifying Oakland, CA, the ambitious script by the wrong path. Vulnerable characters you have to love. lead actors Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal chronicles a Private Life – Every 10 years, writer/director Tamara Jentime and place when inner city black neighborhoods are disappearing and the inhabitants are stressed—every day. kins makes a feature film. It’s worth the wait. A neurotic couple, nearing middle age, tries to have a child. PreviWonderful direction by Carlos López Estrada. ously, they were so caught up in their lives that by the BlacKkKlansman – Leave it to filmmaker Spike Lee to time they decided to have offspring, they had to scramble find the most hard to believe but true story about a black and hope IVF would pay off . Tough challenge for them. cop (John David Washington) who infiltrates the KKK Great laughs for the audience. Kathryn Hahn plays the with the aid of a Jewish police officer (Adam Driver). The fretful wife with anxious humor and Paul Giamatti is the undercover brother even hoodwinks David Duke! A nervy put-upon husband. A sweet, delicious adult comedy. and very informative look at the dimwits who joined the A Quiet Place – This is the absolute best use of sound Klan and the brave policemen who thwarted their moves. Considering the times we live in, the 1970s subject matter effects ever devised for a horror film. A very innovative but scary take on a post-apocalypse world where demons’ has a very contemporary appeal. attacks are instigated by the slightest sound. Ingeniously Crazy Rich Asians – This jolly film is the first Asian/ concepted by actor/writer/director John Krasinski who American movie to get a major release in 25 years! A guides his wife Emily Blunt into the performance of her stellar cast—Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle career as the protective mom.
BEST DIRECTORS Ryan Coogler = Black Panther Peter Farrelly = Green Book John Krasinski = A Quiet Place Tamara Jenkins = Private Life Yorgos Lanthimos = The Favourite
BEST FIRST FILMS All About Nina = Eve Vives Blindspotting = Carlos López Estrada I Am Not a Witch = Rungano Nyoni Night Comes On = Jordana Spiro A Star Is Born = Bradley Cooper BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILMS Capernaum Dogman The Guilty I Am Not a Witch Roma BEST DOCUMENTARIES Amazing Grace Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat Free Solo Minding the Gap Studio 54 BEST ACTORS Christian Bale = Vice Chadwick Boseman = Black Panther John Cho = Searching Bradley Cooper = A Star is Born Daveed Diggs = Blindspotting BEST ACTRESSES Emily Blunt = A Quiet Place Kathryn Hahn = Private Life Regina Hall = Support the Girls Rosamund Pike = A Private War Julia Roberts = Ben Is Back BEST SUPPORTING ACTORS Mahershala Ali = Green Book Rafael Casal = Blindspotting Lucas Hedges = Ben Is Back Michael B. Jordan = Black Panther David Zaldivar = Ben Is Back BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESSES Awkwafina = Crazy Rich Asians Claire Foy = First Man Danai Gurira = Black Panther Regina King = If Beale Street Could Talk Michelle Rodriguez = Widows BEST SCREENPLAYS Ben Is Back = Peter Hedges Black Panther = Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole The Favourite = Debra Davis, Tony McNamara The Green Book = Nick Vallelonga, Brian Hayes Currie, Peter Farrelly Private Life = Tamara Jenkins BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Jimmy Chin = Free Solo Alfonso Cuarón = Roma James Laxton = If Beale Street Could Talk Rachel Morrison = Black Panther Linus Sandgren = First Man Best Animation/CGI The Incredibles 2 Isle of Dogs Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse OTHER GREAT FILMS 22 July, Alpha, Creed II, Eighth Grade, First Man, Halloween, Leave No Trace, Love, Simon, Mission Impossible – Fallout, Mobile Homes, On the Basis of Sex, A Private War, Searching, A Star is Born, A Prayer Before Dawn, Uncle Drew, Vice, What They Had, The Wife WORST MOVIES Acrimony, Loving Pablo, Red Sparrow, Robin Hood, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Suspiria, Tomb Raider, White Boy Rick
Green Book Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali.
Hip-Hop Awards From page C-1
all timeall-time high, which means the awards have been garnering major attention.
Industry professionals Ced Louie @handzupmgmt and Floss A Lot @flossalot presenting award as host djbj @djbj3525 looks on
Unfortunately, with every win, also comes some controversythat follows directly after. When asked about the situation where an unnamed artist solicited offered to cash app money to fans in exchange for their votevotes for cash, DJ, Uncle P is earnest with his response. “ImI’m going to take the person at their word,“” he says. “How it was explained to me was that they were just showing love to the fans that supported them. They didn’t look at what they were doing as soliciting buying votes or bribery.” The With the help of social media the news allegations spread rapid around the cityof Detroit, and DJ Uncle P was
faced with a dilemma of handing the matter before it reached a tipping point. “I had no choice but to treat it as [soliciting]”, DJ Uncle Phe says, before adding: “I didn’t want to lose the integrity of our brand. SoSo, I sent them a message from my bed at 7:50 in the morning, and told the person they were I had to disqualifieddisqualify the artist.” Aside from the negativityDespite brief controversy, there is much here to celebrate. DJ Uncle P is confident that the 5th installment of the UHHA will be Detroit’s version of the Grammys. “This will be the first time we have a live band at the awards,” he says with much excitement. Popular journalist Krissy, from Inside the Grind will is scheduled to hostthe upcoming show, with and attendees can look forward to performancesto performances by Big Gov, Pierre Anthony, Malcolm Elliott, Aztek the BarFly, Standing
Team Money Hungry @teammoneyhungry delivers a memorable performance on the stage at Saint Rappers Sino @sino313 and T Villa @tvillaofficial Andrews.
O, Team Money Hungry, and DJ DTT DDT will be providing the sounds for the special night. As this article went to presspress time, presenters for the UHHA weren’t have yet to be announced. The UHHA is bridging the gap for many generations of fans who know and love Hip-Hop. It’s highlightingThe show highlight talents in the city, andcity and giving them provides a platform to be honored and celebrated for their craft. Most But most importantly, the UHHA it’s bringing the city of Detroit back to the musical forefront. The 5th annual Underground Hip-Hop Awards will take place at 4pm on January 6, 2019, at the Charles H. Wright Museum. Tickets are on sale now and be purchased online at https://undergroundhiphopawards.com/product/general-admission-ticket-to-uhha-2019/ Show time starts 4pm-8pm.
Dj DDT @djddt1 super producer Nick Speed @nickspeedent and Entrepreneur Donny Armstrong @therealdonveto