Portland observer., February 20, 2019, Page 19, Image 19

February 20, 2019
Page 19
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Margot Robbie as Queen Elizabeth I in ‘Mary Queen of Scots.’
My Picks for Best Films of 2018
C ontinueD from p age 15
watch it again. Director Christo-
pher Quinn, working from and
extending Jonathan Safran Foer’s
book of the same name, provides
a far-reaching and clear analysis
of systemic evil inside the produc-
tion of meat in the U.S., focusing
his gaze on factory farming. Al-
though Quinn doesn’t offer any
solutions, I wouldn’t trust easy
solutions in this context. What he
does instead is to connect the dots
of greed and dishonesty, and to
sight. As someone who knows the
world of evangelical Christianity
from the inside, I was amazed to
watch this film avoid the cheap
shots and shortcuts that tend to
happen with stories like this one;
instead, the story is told with com-
passion and real insight, and far
surpasses other, similar material.
And Lukas Hedges in the lead
role is an absolute marvel. [Rated
R for sexual content including an
assault, some language, and brief
drug use; deserved Oscar nomi-
nations for Best Lead Actor (Lu-
Chadwick Boseman in a scene from Black Panther. (Marvel
Studios/Disney)
help viewers learn a host of ques-
tions we should be asking. (Not
rated; deserved an Oscar nomina-
tion for Best Documentary Fea-
ture.)
9. “Boy Erased” likewise has
not received the critical notice
that it deserves. Based on a mem-
oir by Gerrard Conley, whose
loving Christian parents sent him
to conversion therapy when he
was a teenager, this film manages
a very honest look at how such a
horrific thing could happen. It’s
an exceedingly important story,
and also an exceedingly difficult
one to tell; director Joel Edger-
ton co-wrote the screenplay with
Conley and they have managed
to tell it with compassion and in-
kas Hedges) and Best Adapted
Screenplay (Gerrard Conley and
Joel Edgerton).]
10. Finally, no list of 2018’s
best films is complete without
“Black Panther,” which dazzled
with black fierceness and beauty
and creativity that put the lie to
Hollywood’s long years of ne-
glect and racism and delivered
an actually interesting superhe-
ro story. Although I did wish for
more complexity in the portrayal
of the film’s essential conflict, the
film nevertheless realizes a vision
of black dominance and power
that inspired and that changed
the cultural conversation in pro-
found ways (“Not today, coloniz-
er!”). Even though it has garnered
some awards notice, where are
the awards for hair and makeup?
Nowhere has there ever been this
much black beauty shown to full
advantage. It must be celebrated!
[Rated PG-13 for prolonged se-
quences of action, violence, and
a brief rude gesture; nominated
for, and should win, Academy
Awards for Costume Design; also
nominated for Best Picture, Pro-
duction Design, Sound Editing,
Sound Mixing, Original Song
(“All the Stars”), and Original
Score; deserved nominations for
Best Director (Ryan Coogler) and
Best Supporting Actor (Michael
B. Jordan).]
Darleen Ortega is a judge on
the Oregon Court of Appeals and
the first woman of color to serve
in that capacity. Her movie review
column Opinionated Judge ap-
pears regularly in The Portland
Observer. Find her movie blog at
opinionatedjudge.blogspot.com.
I would like to thank the community
for putting their trust in me.
If you or someone you know needs a New or Used Vehicle
Contact Ken Scott
503-442-5089 (Direct)
55 NE Broadway, Portland, OR 97232
kscott@toyotaofportland.com