2019 was a turbulent year in film, both on the large and small screens. Streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video established themselves with more quality breakout works than ever before, while the year saw the end of an era with the release of the final installments of blockbuster franchises with the closing chapter of the Star Wars sequel trilogy and Marvel’s Infinity Saga.
It is with great pride that InReview would like to announce the first annual Revvies: InReview’s annual awards, selected by its writers and editors.
Best Special Effects in a Feature Film
Nominees:
- Avengers: Endgame
- Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
- The Lion King
And the Revvie goes to …
Avengers: Endgame
“Avengers: Endgame” closed off a narrative that has been woven through 20 something Marvel Cinematic Universe films, and the film does so by bringing together all relevant characters from their respective blockbuster franchises. That is no small fete. “Avengers: Endgame” gets the Revvie for pushing the boundaries of special effects through innovative and ambitious storytelling.
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Best Soundtrack in a Feature Film
Nominees:
- Frozen 2
- Klaus
- Yesterday
And the Revvie goes to …
Frozen 2
The first film’s soundtrack was iconic, and helped establish the film as a cultural icon. It’s follow-up’s soundtrack is arguably better in some areas, and even though it did not have a solid film to support it this time around, “Frozen 2″‘s soundtrack stands on its own as a solid selection of music.
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Best Documentary
Nominees:
- One Child Nation
- Knock Down the House
And the Revvie goes to …
One Child Nation
“One Child Nation” documents the heartbreaking consequences of China’s one child policy, bringing to lights atrocities that might unnerve some viewers, but are nevertheless important for modern audiences to experience.
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Best Director of a Feature Film
Nominees:
- Quentin Tarantino “Once Upon A Time … In Hollywood”
- Noah Baumbach “Marriage Story”
- Martin Scorcese “The Irishman”
- Danny Boyle “Yesterday”
And the Revvie goes to …
Noah Baumbach
Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story” is one of the most powerful films of the year, tightly crafted in a way that does justice to its two leads, while never telling the viewer more than they need to know.
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Best Art Direction in a Feature Film
Nominees:
- Klaus
- The Addams Family
- Cats
And the Revvie goes to …
Klaus
“Klaus” is one of the most gorgeous films made this decade, employing a revolutionary marriage of traditional animation and CG that give each frame a wallpaper-like quality to it. Each character and location in the film sticks out and has its own personality, leaving a lasting impression you won’t soon forget.
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Best Supporting Actress in a Feature Film
Nominees:
- Laura Dern, “Marriage Story”
- Anette Bening, “The Report”
And the Revvie goes to …
Laura Dern
Laura Dern portrays a divorce lawyers who is the perfect combination of charm and poison, highlighting how estranged couples are easily taken advantage of by a messy legal system and for-profit legal experts.
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Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film
Nominees:
- Al Pacino “The Irishman”
- Roberto De Niro “Joker”
- J.K. Simmons “Klaus”
- Brad Pitt “Once Upon A Time … In Hollywood”
And the Revvie goes to …
Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt is a great character actor, and his talent is on full display in Quentin Tarantino’s latest film. While his character, Clint Booth, might play second fiddle to the film’s lead, Pitt allows him to have arguably more resonance and impact than any other character in the film. That is no small fete when you star opposite of Leonardo DiCaprio.
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Best Leading Actress in a Feature Film
Nominees:
- Scarlett Johansson “Marriage Story”
- Lupita Nyong’o, “Us”
- Kristen Stewart “Charlie’s Angels”
And the Revvie goes to …
Lupita Nyong’o
Lupita Nyong’o plays both protagonist and antagonist in this science fiction horror film, and both of her characters not only stand on their own, but are great in their own right.
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Best Leading Actor in a Feature Film
Nominees:
- Robert De Niro, “The Irishman.”
- Adam Driver, “Marriage Story”
- Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker.”
- Jharrel Jerome “When They See Us”
- Zac Gottsagen “The Peanut Butter Falcon”
And the Revvie goes to …
Adam Driver
Adam Driver’s performance easily stands out as the best of the year. Driver portrays an estranged husband and theater director whose selfishness and toxicity serve as a driving factor to destroying his marriage. As such, Driver is able to walk a fine line, portraying a character who is both fatally flawed, but still likable, giving us a performance viscerally human.
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Best Blockbuster Feature Film
Nominees:
- Avengers: Endgame
- Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
- Jumanji: The Next Level
- Spider-Man: Far From Home
- Captain Marvel
And the Revvie goes to …
Avengers: Endgame
As mentioned before, “Avengers: Endgame” had a task no other blockbuster has had, or might ever have in closing off the 20-something Infinity Sage of films, and it hit it out of the park.
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Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Feature Film
Nominees:
- Ad Astra
- Alita: Battle Angel
- Godzilla: King of the Monsters
- Gemini Man
- Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
And the Revvie goes to …
Ad Astra
“Ad Astra” provides us a glimpse in the not-so-distant future, giving us a tale in an interesting world of space colonization and bureaucracy we might see something like in our lifetimes.
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Best Independent Feature Film
Nominees:
- The Peanut Butter Falcon
- The Farewell
And the Revvie goes to …
The Peanut Butter Falcon
In an era where it is hard to distinguish what is indie and what is not, “The Peanut Butter Falcon” employs the talents of has-been actor Shia LaBeouf and relative-unknown Zack Gottsagen, and crafts one of the sweetest tales in recent memory.
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Best Animated Feature Film
Nominees:
- Klaus
- The Addams Family
- Toy Story 4
And the Revvie goes to …
Klaus
“Klaus” is a film that makes you care about Santa Claus, by focusing on the man behind the tales through a serious, character-driven lens. It is thoughtful, it is heartwarming, and it has more to say than any other animated film this year.
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Best Horror Feature Film
Nominees:
- Zombieland: Double Tap
- Midsommar
- It: Chapter 2
- Us
And the Revvie goes to …
Midsommar
While horror had no shortage of titles, few stood out or had anything original to say, with the exception of “Midsommar”. Exploring the horrors and manipulation of a pagan cult, it has more in common with “The Lobster” than it does with “Friday the 13th”.
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Best Dramatic Feature Film
Nominees:
- When They See Us
- Joker
- Marriage Story
And the Revvie goes to …
Marriage Story
“Marriage Story” primary portrays conflict between two former partners who still love each others, are required to be in each other’s lives because of their child, but realize they can’t be together because of their unwillingness to change who they are. It’s one of the most heartbreaking and thoughtful films of the year, with conflict and regret woven through every frames of it.
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Best Biopic
Nominees:
- Dolemite Is My Name
- When They See Us
- A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
- Rocketman
And the Revvie goes to …
When They See Us
“When They See Us” is an honest, uncomfortable film about the Central Park Five that has long been overdue. The film follows the stories of the five wrongfully-convicted people of color who went to prison when they were children, documenting their lives well after the their trial, and the challenges they went through in prison. The film has some of the best performances by child actors this decade, and easily deserves a place as one of the best films of the year.
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Best Comedic Feature Film
Nominees:
- Dolemite Is My Name
- Stuber
- Jumanji: The Next Level
And the Revvie goes to …
Dolemite Is My Name
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Eddie Murphy portrays comedic icon and rap pioneer Rudy Ray Moore, and it is apparent that everyone involved was oozing with love for this project. It serves to be not only a good, honest biopic of someone who was a very funny man, but an extremely hilarious film in its own right.
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Overall Film of the Year
Nominees:
- The Irishman
- Marriage Story
- The Peanut Butter Falcon
- When They See Us
- Avengers: Endgame
And the Revvie goes to …
The Irishman
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2019 really was the year of Netflix, and no film epitomizes this than “The Irishman,” which is a film traditional studios told Martin Scorcese he couldn’t make. “The Irishman” ranks among on of the best mob epics, and it is pure, unadulterated Scorcese. It’s a film with a lot to say, and it takes its time saying it, establishing itself as an epic we really could only get in 2019.
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