1. Silver Linings Playbook. (2012) This movie has, as they say, “all the feels.” Bradley Cooper and J-Law as damaged individuals who muddle through. Script by David O. Russell who also directed.
2. The Descendants. (2011) George Clooney at his best. Shailene Woodley’s debut. Alexander Payne directed and co-wrote.
3. The Grand Budapest Hotel. (2014) A zany Wes Anderson classic. If the Marx Brothers were still making movies they might’ve made one like this. Features Ralph Fiennes and Edward Norton among a stellar cast.
4. Skyfall. (2012) The best Bond movie since Goldfinger. Javier Bardem is a great villain and Judi Dench as M delivers an emotional performance. Director is Sam Mendes.
5. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. (2019) The best pacing of any recent Quentin Tarantino film with tons of entertaining scenes. Leo and Brad are given memorable characters and they make the most of the opportunity.
6. Ex Machina. (2015) Thoughtful sci-fi. The old “robot who looks and acts human” bit. But beautifully written and acted. Oscar Isaac as a tech guru, Alicia Vikander as the robot. With Domhnall Gleason.
7. Snowpiercer. (2013) Aboard a train in a dystopian future, this movie is full of surprises around every bend. From Korean director Bong Joon-ho.
8. Inside Llewyn Davis. (2013) The Coen brothers tale of an early 60’s hard luck folk singer. Oscar Isaac in the lead.
9. Argo. (2012) Mostly true story of effort to remove diplomats from Iran during the hostage crisis. Ben Affleck directed and starred.
10. Drive. (2011) Ryan Gosling is a moody guy who drives getaway cars and stunt cars. Great supporting work from Albert Brooks, Bryan Cranston, Carey Mulligan and Christina Hendricks.
11. Deadpool. (2016) Way more entertaining than the films and characters it makes fun of. Best opening credits ever! Ryan Reynolds makes it work.
12. Get Out. (2017) Jordan Peele’s debut as a writer and director. Weirdness, screams and a message, too.
13. Incredibles 2. (2018) Pixar’s best characters in a great story with cool mid-century modern settings.
14. Birdman. (2014) Creative, mind-blowing film. Michael Keaton should’ve won the Oscar.
15. The Revenant. (2015) Leonardo Di Caprio in a stunning performance. This film’s cinematography is among the best ever.
16. Steve Jobs. (2015) Not a biopic but a slice of his life. Michael Fassbender as the Apple leader. Script by Aaron Sorkin. Directed by Danny Boyle
17. The Big Sick. (2017) Kumail Nanjiani delivers the funniest line of the decade when he replies to Ray Romano’s question about 9/11. Film is funny and touching.
18. Bladerunner 2049. (2017) The long-awaited sequel to the 1982 classic. Amazing images and a story with many layers to unfold.
19. Whiplash. (2014) J.K. Simmons is an unforgiving, abusive music teacher. Miles Teller is good, too. Director Damien Chazelle’s breakout.
20. The Social Network. (2010) The story of the beginning of Facebook, released before the platform became the behemoth it is today. Great script from Aaron Sorkin with strong acting throughout.

There are two kinds of people in America: those who’ve seen Cats performed live on stage and those who haven’t. Despite numerous roadshow performances across the U.S. since the 1980’s and its nearly two decade run on Broadway, most Americans have not seen Cats performed live.

If you have seen it on stage, you likely recall the songs, the costumes, the sets and general vibe of the show. Many embraced it for its creativity. Others found it cheesy.

If you have never seen Cats on stage, you need to know this about Cats the movie: It’s a musical. Not much of a plot. Songs with lyrics by St. Louis’s own T.S. Eliot and melodies by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Several cool cat costumes. A variety of fun, clever sets.

The new Cats movie from director Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech, Les Misérables, The Danish Girl) combines the show’s catchy tunes with flashy dance numbers performed by a talented cast. Some of the stars you know: Idris Elba, Judi Dench, James Corden, Ian McKellan, Jennifer Hudson, Rebel Wilson and Taylor Swift.

One performer who you don’t know is one of the film’s dance stars, Francesca Hayward from London’s Royal Ballet. Not only is she a joy to watch as a dancer, her elfin appearance is a reason the camera so often focuses on her face.

As with most musicals, some songs are better than others and the energy of the show fluctuates throughout. Highlights include Taylor Swift’s Macavity (Elba is Macavity the cat; Swift sings the song) and the Fosse-like dance bit that goes with it. Jennifer Hudson’s performance of the show’s “hit” tune Memory is the most moving version I’ve ever heard of this emotional song.

Judi Dench as Old Deuteronomy provides an enjoyable endnote as she recites How To Ad-Dress A Cat. The amazing Dench, who just turned 85, is a beloved presence who adds class to most everything she’s in. (In all the stage versions I’ve seen and soundtrack albums I’ve heard, Old Deuteronomy was a male cat. Now OD is a female.)

Cats the movie is a fun, mostly lightweight amusement that the whole family (except maybe the young squirmers) can enjoy. And a movie ticket at your local cinema will set you back quite a bit less that the inevitable roadshow revival ticket at the Fox in a few years.

Action! Of course, there’s action in a Star Wars movie but in Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker the action is plentiful without ever bogging down. The kinetic action to standing around talking ratio is high. The pacing is swift, allowing many things to happen in the two hours and fifteen minutes between John Williams’s famous opening fanfare and the start of the end credits.

The anticipated faceoff between the good guy (woman) Rey (Daisy Ridley) and the bad guy Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is complicated by the return of the baddest of the bad Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid).

Rey is the brightest light in the galaxy. She’s fierce. She’s smart. She can levitate. Her swordplay (well, light saber play) is skillful. She flies and flips in ways that recall the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. She can communicate telepathically. And, although she does not flaunt her sexuality, it’s obvious that pilots Poe (Oscar Isaac) and Finn (John Boyega) have their eyes on her.

Considering that The Rise Of Skywalker is said to be the conclusion of the nine Star Wars episodes George Lucas originally envisioned, it’s appropriate that this film includes a good amount of “fan service.” That’s a term from the anime community that refers to elements of a movie or book which may not be vital to the narrative but might provide a thrill or two to viewers or readers. In the anime world, fan service is often racy or suggestive, but in SW:TROS it is mainly nods to prior Star Wars films.

Not mere fan service but a major presence in the film is Lando Calrissian, played by 82-year-old Billy Dee Williams who appears to be having a blast in the role.

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker hits all the right notes and should make fans of the series quite happy. That includes those of us who saw the first film 42-and-a-half years ago as well as relative newcomers who are just now catching up.

It is, however, hard to believe that Disney and Lucasfilms will, after establishing Rey as a major player in the Star Wars universe, abandon the character and move on to totally different Star Wars scenarios. Especially after the success of strong females in the Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel movies—and with a Black Widow movie coming in just over four months—it’s easy to imagine a Rey-centered feature popping up a few years down the road. Quoting a James Bond title, “Never say ‘never again.’”

Tread carefully as you bound about the interwebs during the next few days, keeping a careful eye out for spoilers and leaks about this film. Even the best reviewers sometimes share vague hints which, when churned through the mind of a series fan, can lead to conclusions that are often accurate. If you don’t want to know what happens in the movie, stay off Twitter and Facebook.

1. Chef. (2014) Jon Favreau wrote, directed and starred. He delivers a tirade to a restaurant critic (like many chefs have probably fantasized about doing) and the video of his rant goes viral. This movie hits Miami and Austin as well as L.A. and addresses the value of social media in the food business.
2. Jiro Dreams Of Sushi. (2011) This documentary shows the great care Jiro puts into each meal at his tiny restaurant in Tokyo and how he addresses succession issues with his son.
3. City Of Gold. (2015) Jonathan Gold (who died last year) widens the scope of food writing in Los Angeles beyond fine dining by going into parts of town and the sorts of eating places that have been historically overlooked. This documentary allows him to share his love for the food of L.A.
4. The Hundred-Foot Journey. (2014) Helen Mirren stars as the owner of a Michelin-starred restaurant in the French countryside. A family of émigrés from India sets up their own place right across the street. You might be able to guess what happens. The beauty shots of the food are gorgeous.
5. Step Up To The Plate. (2012) This leisurely-paced documentary focuses on chef Michel Bras and his plans to hand over his restaurant in rural France to his son.
6. Burnt. (2015) Bradley Cooper stars as a chef whose flame burned out in Paris. After getting clean and sober, he attempts a comeback in London. He is a perfectionist and bit of a jerk. As with some of the other films on this list, the food porn beauty shots are stunning.
7. A Place At The Table. (2013) This documentary focuses on families in rural Colorado and Mississippi and in Philadelphia and their efforts to put nutritious food on their tables. Jeff Bridges and Tom Colicchio (whose wife co-directed) appear on screen to offer their thoughts.
8. Spinning Plates. (2012) A documentary that visits the extraordinary Grant Achatz and his creative meals at Alinea in Chicago. Less interesting are visits to a family restaurant in Iowa and a Mexican spot in Tuscon.
9. Eat Pray Love. (2010) The “eat” part is the best of the three segments. The pasta that Julia Roberts eats in Rome looks delicious. The movie has its moments but the general verdict is the book was much better.
10. Sausage Party. (2016) I did not see this film about animated food items but heard that it is very funny and very dirty.

1. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Leonardo Di Caprio and Brad Pitt are at their best with wonderful characters from the mind of Quentin Tarantino. The music of the late 60’s with audio clips from the KHJ boss jocks is infused throughout this story of a washed-up actor and his loyal stuntman and sidekick. QT’s best since Pulp Fiction.
2. Parasite. What a story! And such terrific acting! This tale of modern day class structure and envy is set in Seoul but could be told in any large city in the U.S. Writer/Director Bong Joon-ho keeps the surprises coming from start to finish in this comedy/drama/horror/suspense film.
3. The Lighthouse. This looks like some Bergman film I might’ve seen in film class in college 50 years ago. It’s in black-and-white with an almost 1:1 aspect ratio. Two men working together in a remote, isolated lighthouse in the late 1800’s. Willem Dafoe should be up for acting awards. Robert Pattinson is good, too.
4. The Irishman. Martin Scorcese’s epic seems familiar but also fresh at the same time. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino are top notch, as usual. But Joe Pesci steals the show by low keying it.
5. Toy Story 4. How many times can Disney/Pixar go to the well with this setup? As long as they deliver new stories and new characters, there’s no limit, really. Number 4 is a delight.
6. Linda Ronstadt: The Sound Of My Voice. Not just another biographical documentary. Yes, it employs the standard pattern of clips and talking heads but this film has more music than most similar films. And it does a good job of showing us how Linda is living life now.
7. Us. In addition to being one of the funniest men alive, Jordan Peele is an immensely talented filmmaker. Us is a horror movie that is imaginative and outrageous but also relatable to our modern lives. Peele wrote and directed Us, which lends itself to multiple interpretations.
8. A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood. Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers in a feel-good film. Can he really be this nice? This film shows the positive effect Mr. Rogers had on one specific adult. Which jibes perfectly with what we’ve seen of the real Fred Rogers on TV.
9. Marriage Story. It’s not exactly Kramer Vs Kramer redux, but Marriage Story follows a similar path 40 years later. The script by director Noah Baumbach and the performances by Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver and Laura Dern are all awards worthy.
10. Richard Jewell. This film is embroiled in controversy over its depiction of a newspaper reporter. But the real reason this film soars is the performance by relative unknown Paul Walter Hauser in the title role. He’s great. The always dependable Kathy Bates and Sam Rockwell are strong in their supporting roles.

Some other movies I liked this year:

Stuber. It was funny! The fight scene in the sporting goods store is classic stuff.

Yesterday. Fantasy rom-com with Beatles music. Nostalgic fun.

1917. This WWI movie’s gimmick (subjective camera with long takes a la Birdman) is impressive but sometimes distracting. (Opens in STL in January.)

Judy. Renee Zellweger is excellent as a strung-out Judy Garland.

The Current War. Edison versus Westinghouse. Well-told with several nice directorial flourishes.

The Mustang. Prisoners in Nevada find value in breaking wild horses.

Penguins. My favorite animals. Beautiful footage of their lives in Antarctica.

The Addams Family. Silly fun with all the familiar characters.

Long Shot. Ridiculous romcom with Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron. Nice to see Andy “Gollum” Serkis in his natural human form!

Captain Marvel. Yes, a woman can be the main star of a Marvel movie. Brie Larson was more than up to the task. And the 90’s nostalgia was cool.

When the fate of your movie depends on the talents of one single actor—a relative unknown in the title role, no less—he (or she) had better be up to the task.

Paul Walter Hauser was director Clint Eastwood’s choice to play Richard Jewell, the man falsely accused of placing a deadly bomb at Centennial Park in Atlanta during the 1996 Olympics. Houser delivers a stunning performance.

The ordeal Jewell endured that summer at the hands of the FBI and local and national media outlets was brutal. He and his mother Barbara (Kathy Bates) managed to survive the intense pressure.

More than just the story about Jewell being named the FBI’s prime suspect and the media attention that followed, Richard Jewell presents a close look at Richard Jewell the man.

As I watched this movie, I felt a special connection to Jewell because he reminded me of my brother who died in 2013. Jim was heavy. Okay, obese. He lived his entire life in the South (Birmingham). He had worked security jobs. He had law enforcement ambitions. He got an associates degree in criminal justice several years after obtaining his BA degree. And he died at an early age. (Jewell’s passing is noted in the film’s end notes.)

Much like Jewell is portrayed in the film, my brother was a nice guy with a good nature. Overly trusting, sometimes gullible. But despite all the crap life threw at him, he maintained an upbeat attitude.

The culprits in Richard Jewell are FBI agent Tom Shaw (Jon Hamm) and Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Kathy Scruggs (Olivia Wilde). The FBI pegs Jewell as the possible bomber based on profiling and Shaw leaks to Scruggs that Jewell is the prime suspect. The paper breaks the story in a page one headline that transforms Jewell from hero to accused terrorist.

(There is controversy about the role of Scruggs, a real life journalist who is now deceased. The movie indicates she may have traded sexual favors to Shaw for his tip about Jewell. The newspaper denies this. Much has been written and more will be written about the movie’s accuracy and about the media’s obsession with the Jewell case. Does this possible embellishment call other details of the story into question? Not necessarily.)

The hero of the story is attorney Watson Bryant (Sam Rockwell) whose efforts to keep Jewell from talking to the FBI are futile. Because Jewell feels that he, too, as a security guard is a sort of law enforcement brother to the FBI guys.

This movie will be attacked by numerous media outlets because it portrays news media as vultures who are eager to convict based on hearsay. But if you enjoy a story about heroism and humanity, don’t skip this film.

One more note about Hauser. As a native Southerner, I’ve heard actors—Oscar winners, even—try to replicate an authentic Southern accent and fail miserably. Hauser, who was raised in Michigan, sounds like a native son of the South. Good job, buddy!

One more note about Clint Eastwood. The man turned 89 in May and keeps turning out quality work. He is a true national treasure.