Is it that time of the year already? Your favorite movie nerd’s finest ten films are fresh and ready to be delivered to your screen. This was a tough year for me to make this list, as I was mostly disappointed with what came out, more or less. Even a couple of this year’s top favorites from a lot of critics didn’t really catch my interest and as per usual a couple I thought stood out were seemingly forgotten. That’s what makes this merry-go-round called movie fandom so much fun though right…everyone is affected differently from one to the other. As always, these are the ones that left an effect on me the most. Albeit I didn’t truly have that standout WOW THIS IS IT film to hit me like in years past (i.e. La La Land, Mad Max, Revenant, Birdman, Departed…) that doesn’t mean there weren’t plenty of really good ones to choose from. Without further adu…
THE HONORABLES
(The ones that were on the outside looking in)
Shape of Water – Oh you can lead the Oscars with 13
nominations, but Del Toro’s wonderful story of woMAN and fish didn’t quite blow
me away. Liked it, didn’t love it.
John Wick 2 – by far the best guilty pleasure popcorn
entertainment of 2017. Never can
get bored watching these first two films.
This is how you make a GOOD action film.
Split – Underrated film. James McAvoy kills the role. M. Knight is back, out of his slump. And the twist of TWISTS that literally
had yell out in the theater (haven’t experienced that in quite some time). Can’t wait for Glass…
Thor Ragnarok – probably marvel’s best film since the first
Guardians of the Galaxy. And blows
away the first two of the Thor films by a mile. Hilarious.
Nostalgic. Solid popcorn
entertainment that is one of the better blockbusters to actually exceed
expectations.
Baby Driver – Edgar Wright’s action comedy musical
rollercoaster was one of the more original experiences to say the least. With an all star cast behind it, I
called it Drive meets La La Land, which should mean I adored it (two of my
favorite films ever). The closing
moments kind of sent it to typical third act action movie status, regardless
the film was fun to watch and without a doubt deserving to be mentioned.
Mother! – Really wanted to give this top 10 love, but
couldn’t remove any of the ones that made the list. Amazing film in its own weird disturbing way. Beautiful actually. A film that warrants two watches almost
immediately after seeing it once.
THE TOP 10
#10 – COCO
Pixar hasn’t had a movie in my top 10 since Toy Story 3
almost ten years ago. Coco was a
breath of fresh air out of the big mouse.
Using the famous Mexican holiday Day of the Dead as its backdrop, Coco
tells the story about a young boy who aspires to be a musician in a family that
refuses to listen to any music whatsoever. During the course of the story as the boy learns why he is a
gifted guitar player, we are taken down the usual sub metaphor road that most
Pixar films articulate through their child plot. What separates Coco from the recent flock of Pixar releases
for me was how it used a rather singular cultural fairytale to transcend its
story that any culture truly can relate to. Especially using the love of music and the powerful love
that family can have.
#9 – BLADE RUNNER 2049
This was by far the film I was most hyped for all 2017. Cult Sci-Fi 80s classic (check). Harrison Ford and Ryan the Godling
(check check). Hottest Director
right now Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners, Sicario, Arrival, all films have made my
top 10). Hanz Zimmer score and
perhaps the best visuals of the year at the movies (check and check). How could this movie disappoint? Well even at #9 and as good of a movie
as it was, the letdown had to come somewhere. The story didn’t really “excite” audiences as one might have
suspected from the trailers. As one
critic correctly put it, 2049 will go down as the most expensive sci fi
arthouse film ever made. The film
felt like a 3 hour black mirror episode with a payoff that put a lot of people
off. Does any of this sound
familiar? Maybe because that is
exactly how the 1982 original was perceived. Not until many years later did it find a cult
following and is now widely considered one of the all time greatest sci fi
films. Don’t come here looking for
Independence Day is all I will say.
If for nothing else, watch it for the eye candy visuals that will have
your eyes dazzling for 3 hours.
#8 - WIND RIVER
One of the those films I mentioned earlier that seemingly
came and went without any recognition, Wind River was from the same writers of
last year’s terrific Hell or High Water.
Although not nearly as great, Wind River does kind of have the same
“western feel” as High Water did, but in a snowy cold Indian reserve setting. A murder mystery about a dead Indian
girl found basically frozen to death in the snow, Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth
Olsen share a nice chemistry together in determining to get to the bottom of
the whodunit case. And why this
girl had to die such an agonizing death in the cold. Another beautifully shot film, Wind River stuck with me more
than I initially expected and I have grown to like it the more I think back on
it. Not many murder mystery films
garner praise lately in the wake of more politically correct dramas, and
although Wind River isn’t innocent of doing the same, it’s not as over the
head. Solid storytelling and
strong acting from its main two stars carries this film enough to make it far
worth the watch.
#7 – THE FLORIDA PROJECT
The coming of age story of the year comes in this amazing
film about life’s not so bright side through the eyes of children growing up in
a housing project in Orlando, on the outskirts of the big mouse. Whether parents are junkies, whores,
working in shitty jobs, or just ignorant all together, the Florida Project
focuses its attention on the children that are forced to grow up living on the
brink of having little to nothing, yet still finding that innocence that only a
child can find. William Dafoe
gives a knockout performance as the manager who deals with his tenants almost
like a manager in a baseball dugout.
Observing, listening, being a parent sometimes when necessary and a
guardian protector, all the while managing the many delicate personalities
living under his project housing. It’s
a wonderfully tragic story that happens all too often in America. The film kind of feels like this year’s
Moonlight in the way it was shot (gorgeous by the way) and displays the ugly
beauty of the world.
#6 – MOLLY’S GAME
One of the most enjoyable to watch films I saw of 2017,
Molly’s Game is terrific, fun and captivating. I was enthralled by its story from almost start to
finish. And this is a 140 minute
movie, not an easy task. Thank
Aaron Sorkin for that achievement, the Oscar winning screenwriter of the Social
Network who also help pen the excellent Moneyball, as well as Steve Jobs. Molly’s Game is his first crack behind
the lens and he excels wonderfully.
Great pacing and editing to keep the story energized, there’s barely a
dull moment in the film. And with
two absolutely great performances out of Jessica Chastin and Idris Elba, the
film never lets you down. Based on
the true story about Molly Bloom, ex winter Olympic skier turned underground
poker queen. If that doesn’t peak
your interest enough, the details certainly will. Especially for those that love a great poker film, this one already
deserves to be in the conversation with any of them.
#5 – THE BIG SICK
There’s always that one “feel good movie of the year”
candidate and for 2017 that award belongs to the Big Sick. For all my favorite dark brooding
stories that typically encapsulate my attention, there’s always a few bright
spots that find a way to shine just bright enough to make it on my top
ten. The Big Sick is loosely based
on the real life romance that brought the two writers of the film together,
Emily Gordon and real life comedian Kumail Nanjiani (who is actually
hilarious). Kumail plays basically
himself in the film that tells the story of how they met and went through one
of the toughest ordeals one can ever experience when Emily has to be put into a
coma. Ray Romano and Holly Hunter
are excellent as Emily’s parents and seeing the cultural differences between
Kumail’s Pakistani family and Emily’s showcases the beauty behind the film. When movies can make you laugh
hysterically, all the while make you feel something emotionally and stirring,
those are some of the best tricks any film can pull off. I hate the term “rom-com” when it comes
to the really really good ones, because they tend to get lost in translation,
but the Big Sick is one of the rare ones that truly stick out and worth your
two hours.
(Amazon Prime)
#4 – GET OUT
If the Big Sick was the feel good movie of the year, then
Get Out has to be the most pulverizing film of the year. No one knew what they were getting into
(see what I did there) when they came to Get Out (I’m here all week). No but seriously, Jordan Peele of the
comedy duo Kenan and Peele, directorial debut, not even a comedy but a
horror/thriller mystery? Well, by
now we all know the result of this, a terrific modern thriller and cultural
phenomenon with social undertones that explore the depths of white America’s
obsession with African Americans in a very dark tone taken to extreme
measures. Peele handles the lens
with a Hitchcockian eye, (Alfred Hitchcock is considered the Grandfather of
horror) many scenes fill up with such tension and dread, the best type of true
“horror.” Helplessness, fear and
the human will of survival.
Something that no matter how dire or bleak a situation one finds himself
(as the star of the film does), a simple two words can emit so many feelings…
Get….OUT!!!
#3 – DUNKIRK
Were getting to the nitty gritty top three as we wind down
this year’s best. It has been
awhile since the great Dark Knight director has seen inside my top three, but
Dunkirk has halted that trend. In
what many other critics have hailed his best work as a director to date (it’s
close), Dunkirk was by far and away THE MOVIE EXPERIENCE in the theater of the
year. A must to be seen on a large
scale screen and powerful sound system, Nolan tells the epic story of the
perilous 400,000 British and French soldiers stuck on the beaches of Dunkirk
trying desperately to get home before the Nazi’s shoot them like fish in a
barrel. With the action being told
from three points of view…land, sea and by air. Nolan purposely used very little dialogue in the film,
instead using great cinematography and a pounding musical score from Hanz
Zimmer, as to portray the bleakness of the situation those men faced. He didn’t want to you just to hear
about it, he made you FEEL IT. And
feel it did you ever. A 100 minute
rollercoaster that literally doesn’t stop moving until the final minute fades
to black. It doesn’t have to be
considered his best work when you have the catalog of Christopher Nolan…but
it’s definitely up there for consideration.
Both these next two movies left me feeling the most
emotionally invested to their characters and stories. It was a tough call between the two, but coming in here at
#2 is the powerful middle white America drama Three Billboards, with the best
ensombled cast of the year.
Francis McDorment gives an incredible performance as the take-no-bullshit
angry mom Mildred Hayes, who purchases three billboards in her little small
town Ebbing, Missouri to bring back attention to her daughter’s awful rape and
murder. It’s been almost a year
and as most cold cases go, the murder has faded from the town’s memory and thus
the police department as well. Led
by the Sheriff (an equally incredible performance from the great Woody
Harrelson) who is beloved by the community and his fellow officers like Dixon
(the other standout performance hailed by Sam Rockwell), Mildred is faced by
backlash from the town and police for calling the sheriff out personally. Even though deep down she cares and
respects him, the loss of her child has pushed her over the edge of no going
back and she is a reckoning tore de force until she gets justice of some
sort. The not so subtle racial
undertones in the story left some people feeling uneasy, especially in the
state were currently in the world, but to ignore the fact that much of that
middle white America still exist exactly as its portrayed is to be naïve. Three Billboards story is one of the
more creative and original plots that came out of 2017 and definitely played a
big part as to why I enjoyed it so extensively. A powerful story that resonates much of what were trying to
fix in our current state of living, that people can change, ugly and bad, and
good can still conquer evil even when the most evil act forces you to be
something you hate. Sometimes love
and hate can learn to co exist.
-
LOGAN
And here we are.
Logan was released fairly early in the year and even though I was blown
away by it, I expected something else to top it by the end of the year. One by one every movie I saw this year
was good to really good, but nothing ever stood out nearly as much as Logan did
for me. A transcendent superhero action-western
drama that calling it a “marvel film” almost feels cheap. There is nothing marvel about this film
outside of the fact there’s a man with metal claws moping around hating himself
and everyone around his miserable life, trying to get a boat to save his ill
long time friend Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart turns in the performance of
his Xmen career here and shame he wasn’t at the least nominated for supporting
role). It isn't until a little girl comes along named Laura that changes the course of the rest of their lives, who may or may not be related in some way to Logan. Stewart and Hugh Jackman
have been playing these characters for nearly 20 years, as both stated this
would be their final film playing these iconic characters, they gave audiences
and fans the film we been dying for from the beginning. With the studio no longer holding back
a pg13 family friendly rating and ticket sale dreams, we at last got the
Wolverine story we wanted. A Dark
Knight level drama that belongs right up there with what is considered the
Godfather of superhero films, Logan very well in the long run might even surpass
it. It’s the only film I saw 4
times in the past year and every watch captivates me more and more. The action is stirring, the emotions
are raging (literally) and there’s a beautiful mid way scene when Logan,
Professor and Laura share dinner with a family that takes them in. The moment takes a step back out of the
madness of the series to give a thoughtful hope of what life could be if these
were just normal human people without special powers. As long been the narrative of these Xmen stories, people
shouldn’t be judged hated or feared because one is different than another. Like we need anymore wake up calls to
our cultural issues in society, however Logan truly found a great segway in its
story to perfectly craft an action adventure while pushing audiences to thought
and moving them all the while not barreling them over the head with its
message. A terrific movie I look
forward to watching again and again over the years.
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