Melinda's Movie Marvels - Top Ten Picks this Year

My top 10 favorite films I've seen this the new year are listed in ALPHABETICAL ORDER by title.They comprise a pastiche of animation, comedy, documentary, drama, foreign language, horror and a new genre; true depiction.  THE RIDER by Amer. dir. Chloe Zhao (b China 1974) carved a unique genre in filmmaking; true depiction.  Zhao's majestic film enlightens most Americans to a dying indigenous culture; American cowboys of the frontier.  THE RIDER is NOT a documentary.  It flows seamlessly into an epic story of grace, dignity and heroism.  This film is my favorite movie of the year and should garner every award bestowed upon great filmmaking.  My 2nd favorite movie is the Lebanese film THE INSULT directed by Ziad Doueri (b Lebanon 1963).  THE INSULT is a French/Arabic language film.  It deserves a Nobel Peace Prize.  Two of the films on my list are by the same director, Sebastian Leilo, a Chilean filmmaker (b Argentina 1974).  These divergent films (Spanish & English languages) are set in Chili and Britain.  They're both LGBT love stories.  The films demonstrate a broad spectrum of humanity's compassion and cruelty.

Top Ten Films Seen so Far in 2018:

1.   A FANTASTIC WOMAN by Chilean director Sebastian Leilo (Spanish language).  Oscar nominated for Best Foreign film
2.   DISOBEDIENCE by Chilean director Sebastian Leilo (English language).
3.   HEREDITARY a psychosocial horror thriller starring Toni Collette and Gabriel Byrne
4.   ISLE of DOGS an animated masterpiece by Wes Anderson.
5.   LEANING into the WIND a doc. on British installation artist Andy Goldsworthy.
6.   The INSULT by Lebanese filmmaker Ziad Doueri (French/Arabic language) Oscar nominated for best Foreign film.
7.    The PHANTOM THREAD - (Hopefully not Daniel Day Lewis' last film). Oscar nominated for best film.
8.    The POST - Meryl Streep as Katherine Graham during a major news cover-up crisis.  Oscar nominated for best film.
9.   The RIDER -True depiction by American filmmaker Chloe Zhao (b China 1974).
10.  THOROUGHBREDS -  Young adult suspense, cat & mouse psychological game.

I'm planning on seeing LEAVE NO TRACE and the doc. WON'T YOU be my NEIGHBOR.