Best Movies of 2019 - Best of the Techs

Continuing to look at the best movies and performances of 2019, here is a look at the technical awards. These are the awards I think we take for granted. The editing, costumes, and production, to name a few, are some of the most important aspects of a films greatness. I also added a few new categories for this year at the end for fun. Here are my picks for the best from 2019.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY – KNIVES OUT

Runner Up – Parasite

Rian Johnson reinvented the whodunit genre with his smart, hilarious, twisted, masterfully crafted script.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY – THE IRISHMAN

Runner Up – Little Women

An epic, beautiful, haunting look at friendship, loyalty, and loneliness.

BEST ENSEMBLE – AVENGERS: ENDGAME

Runner Up – Knives Out

I loved everyone in Knives Out, but seeing the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe on screen at one time was something to behold.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – 1917

Runner Up – Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Some might call it a gimmick, but Roger Deakins made this “one-take” movie into a work of art.

BEST EDITING – THE IRISHMAN

Runner Up – Uncut Gems

The legendary Thelma Schoonmaker made Scorsese’s three-and-a-half-hour long epic fly by and made me wanting more.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN – DOLEMITE IS MY NAME

Runner Up – Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood

Both films put us in a time and place, but the flash and style of Dolemite edges out Hollywood.

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – ONCE UPON A TIME…IN HOLLYWOOD

Runner Up – Parasite

Tarantino gave us a bright, thriving, authentic 1969 Los Angeles, hitting everything from the cars to the restaurants.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS – 1917

Runner Up – The Irishman

The invisible edits in 1917 give the “single-take” film a truly immersive experience.

BEST MAKE-UP – BOMBSHELL

Runner Up – The Irishman

Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly alone makes Bombshell the worth winner of this prize.

BEST SCORE – US

Runner Up – 1917

Michael Abel’s score to Jordan Peele’s Us has haunted my dreams since I saw the movie back in March. Also, the “Tethered Mix” of “I Got 5 On It” is masterful and completely skewered my view of that song.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG – “GLASGOW” from WILD ROSE

Runner Up – “Lost in the Woods”from Frozen II

The heart and soul of Wild Rose comes from Jessie Buckley’s stunning performance of show-stopping “Glasgow”.

BEST NEEDLE DROP – “ROYALS” from HUSTLERS

Runner Up – “Ghost” from WAVES

Both songs are perfectly placed in their respective movies, but hearing “Royals” as Romona (Jennifer Lopez) slowly walks to an ATM and then gets arrested is symbolic of so much of what Hustlers is about.