Oscar Predictions 2017 - summary

You ready for your cheat sheet? Here y'are:

Best Animated Feature

My Pick and Dark Horse: The Breadwinner - Nora Twomey and Anthony Leo
Winner: Coco - Lee Unkrich and Darla K. Anderson

Best Animated Short Film

Winner: Garden Party - Victor Caire and Gabriel Grapperon
Dark Horse: Dear Basketball - Glen Keane and Kobe Bryant

Best Documentary Feature

My Pick and Dark Horse: Icarus - Bryan Fogel and Dan Cogan
Winner: Faces Places - Agnès Varda, JR and Rosalie Varda

Best Documentary (Short Subject)

Winner: Edith+Eddie - Laura Checkoway and Thomas Lee Wright

Dark Horse: Heroin(e) - Elaine McMillion Sheldon and Kerrin Sheldon

Best Foreign Language Film

My Pick and Dark Horse: The Square - Sweden

Winner: A Fantastic Woman - Chile

Best Live-Action Short Film

Winner: DeKalb Elementary - Reed Van Dyk

Dark Horse: Everything else

Best Cinematography

My Pick and Winner: Roger Deakins - Blade Runner 2049

Dark Horse: Hoyte van Hoytema - Dunkirk

Best Costume Design

My Pick and Winner: Mark Bridges - Phantom Thread

Dark Horses: Jacqueline Durran - Beauty and the Beast

Best Film Editing

My Pick and Winner: Lee Smith - Dunkirk

Dark Horse: Paul Machliss and Jonathan Amos - Baby Driver

Best Makeup and Hair Styling

My Pick and Winner: Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski and Lucy Siddick - Darkest Hour

Dark Horse: Arjen Tuiten - Wonder

Best Original Score

My Pick and Dark Horse: Jonny Greenwood - Phantom Thread

Winner: Alexandre Desplat - The Shape of Water

Best Original Song

My Pick and Dark Horse: "Mighty River" - Mudbound - Music and Lyrics by Mary J. Blige, Raphael Saadiq and Taura Stinson
Winner: "This is Me" - The Greatest Showman - Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

Best Production Design

My Pick and Winner: Paul Denham Austerberry, Shane Vieau and Jeff Melvin - The Shape of Water

Dark Horse: Dennis Gassner and Alessandra Querzola - Blade Runner 2049

Best Sound Editing

My Pick and Winner: Nathan Robitaille and Nelson Ferreira - The Shape of Water

Dark Horse: Richard King and Alex Gibson - Dunkirk

Best Sound Mixing

My Pick and Winner: Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker and Gary A Rizzo - Dunkirk

Dark Horse: Julian Slater, Tim Cave-in and Mary H. Ellis - Baby Driver

Best Visual Effects

My Pick and Winner: Joe Letteri, Daniel Barrett, Dan Lemmon and Joel Whist - War for the Planet of the Apes

Dark Horse: Ben Morris, Mike Mulholland, Neal Scanlan and Chris Corbould - Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Best Writing - Original Screenplay

My Pick and Dark Horse: Greta Gerwig - Lady Bird

Winner: Martin McDonagh - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Writing - Adapted Screeplay

My Pick and Winner: James Ivory - Call Me by Your Name

Dark Horse: Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber - The Disaster Artist

Best Supporting Actress

My Pick and Secondary Dark Horse: Lesley Manville - Phantom Thread
Winner: Allison Janney - I, Tonya

Dark Horse: Laurie Metcalf - Lady Bird

Best Supporting Actor

My Pick and Winner: Willem Dafoe - The Florida Project

Dark Horse: Sam Rockwell - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Actor

My Pick and Dark Horse: Daniel Day-Lewis - Phantom Thread

Winner: Gary Oldman - Darkest Hour

Best Actress

My Pick and Dark Horse: Sally Hawkins - The Shape of Water

My Other Pick and Secondary Dark Horse: Margot Robbie - I, Tonya
Winner: Frances McDormand - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Director

My Pick: Paul Thomas Anderson - Phantom Thread

Winner: Guillermo del Toro - The Shape of Water
Dark Horse: Christopher Nolan - Dunkirk

Best Picture

My Pick: Phantom Thread - JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson, Megan Ellison and Daniel Lupi

Winner: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin and Martin McDonagh
Dark Horse: The Shape of Water - Guillermo del Toro and J. Miles Dale


Your final tally (bold for major releases):
The Shape of Water - 4
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - 3
Darkest Hour - 2
Dunkirk - 2
Blade Runner 2049 - 1
Call Me by Your Name - 1
Coco - 1
DeKalb Elementary - 1
Edith+Eddie - 1
Faces Places - 1
A Fantastic Woman - 1
The Florida Project - 1
Garden Party - 1
The Greatest Showman - 1
I, Tonya - 1
Phantom Thread - 1
War for the Planet of the Apes - 1

There doesn't seem to be any real massive success out of this lot, but I don't think it's that kind of year. The most that could happen is that Three Billboards and The Shape of Water could swap spots on the tally above, which I will try to remain calm about, because people do like both of them, I just like one of them less than most people.

I ultimately did land on Three Billboards winning Best Picture, because for the last seven years, with the exception of Birdman and The Artist, the winner in this category has not been the frontrunner in terms of nominations, nor has it won the most awards of that given year, nor has it won Best Director. It would actually be joining Argo as the winner without a nomination, which is really weirdly consistent for it to happen twice in one decade. As I said last year, the Academy does seem to favour the message movie these days, even at the expense of patting themselves on the back; Three Billboards definitely has the most blatantly modern message of all the films nominated, so it's a pretty safe bet at this point. The Shape of Water is its obvious competition, and people seem fairly evenly split on which one of those two will win. Dunkirk has the closest chance of upsetting the established order, which I would actually approve of, considering the artistic feat that it is.

Is this a year that really favours my personal opinion? I don't think so. I want it to, but it's not likely. At this point, just take what ya can. I know exactly which films I'm adding to my Blu-Ray collection - since I'm the only person in Canada who still buys those things, 'cuz I like physical property. I'm sure everyone else will know which of each of these films appeals to them. More power to them.

Have a lovely night!

Oscar Predictions 2017 - major categories

Quick update before we move on to this section:

I'm going to be live tweeting throughout the entire Oscar Ceremony. Follow me @daskyethor for my very opinionated opinions about each win... Okay, I'll try to be fair if they pick someone I disagree with.

Now, moving on.

Best Foreign Language Film

1. The Square

2. On Body and Soul

Winner: A Fantastic Woman

I've heard a lot of praise heaped onto A Fantastic Woman, one of the latest films to feature LGBT subject matter which the Academy is prone to admire. It will probably be a toss up between that and The Square, which I already mentioned as a runner-up for my favourite films of the year. That film has so much traction in this race because of its Palme d'Or win at Cannes... and I don't have any other comment at all. Moving on...

Best Documentary Feature

1. The first half of Icarus
2. Last Men in Aleppo

3. Strong Island

Winner: Face Places

It's a bit weird, but I haven't finished watching Icarus yet. That's entirely on me, because of late, I have found feature-length documentaries in general to be less than my cup of tea. I should be more interested in them because of my education, but I often feel like I don't want to spend two hours reminding myself of reality. What I have seen of Icarus, however, is very engaging, especially when it focuses on the very literal 'character' of Grigory Rodchenkov, the former anti-doping expert turned whistleblower. I could have done without the fake Orwell quote at the beginning, but that's just one problem. (I will update this post once I've seen the entire film.) Last Men in Aleppo does have one thing going for it, which is the controversy of the producers just barely getting a travel visa just to attend the Oscars because of current U.S. policies. The film follows in the footsteps of last year's Documentary Short winner The White Helmets, but it benefits from being directed by a Syrian, Feras Fayyad, and it does not shy away from showing very graphic imagery for the sake of realism. Two very worthy films, two fine dark horses... pitted against my biggest regretful miss of the year! I really wanted to see Faces Places before now, but the fates would not have it be so. I hope that Agnès Varda and JR will tolerate my insolence for one more week as I sing their praises when they win this award.

Best Animated Feature

1. The Breadwinner

2. Loving Vincent

3. Coco

Winner: Coco

No, I'm not a heartless bastard... I'm merely very tough to please. Coco is a lovely, heartfelt, visually wondrous and emotionally moving animated film about family legacy, respect for your ancestors and embracing of a very different aspect of Mexican culture... for about 80% of its runtime. The other 20% - the 20% at the front of the film - is the most formula animated movie I've seen all year. The kid wants something. The family does not want him to have that something. The kid tries to do that something anyway. The family punishes him for doing that something by some blatant act of violence that severs his tie to that something. The kid runs away to pursue that something... and then finally ends up in the afterlife, where the real greatness of this film abides. I apologize if I insulted the fans of this film ever so slightly, your love for it is entirely justified... Just let me have my under-appreciated animated masterpieces, okay!? Loving Vincent is astounding on a technical level, and its art may sell the film more than the narrative or staging, but at least for me, its visual beauty also translated to emotional beauty. It felt so right to tell the story of Van Gogh through his art style, and it's a spectacular film I hope to see many times again. And The Breadwinner, obviously, is one of my favourite films from 2017 and is easily one of the most thematically challenging with its depiction of Afghan culture, the Taliban, and the innocents who try to live in their midst. Both of these are just as worthy of this as Coco is, and I certainly won't begrudge Coco winning, at least for the other 80% that I loved. I would love a surprise here, but I'm not banking on it.

Best Writing - Original Screenplay

1. Lady Bird

2. Get Out

3. The Big Sick

4. The Shape of Water
5. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Winner: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Hmm... Which script should I say I admire the least? The one that takes more than a few hints from the director's previous masterpieces... or the one that's so obviously trying to be a Coen Brothers movie, but only comes across as a lesser film because of it? I really wanted to say that any other film was going to win in this category, but speaking with one of my friends ultimately made me nut up to the probability that Three Billboards is going to win. It is socially relevant, if rather messy in its approach, and it may not be a film that I am personally inclined toward, but I'll take one for the team. I really do think that the other three nominees are superior in this category. I appreciate The Big Sick for presenting an extremely unconventional rom-com story with a lot of heart and some pretty satisfying laughs. I've raved about Get Out's blending of genre and equally relevant social commentary/satire. And Lady Bird, my initial predicted winner for this category, is a film that speaks to a wide range of teenage experiences without being hokey, twee, or light; it's the most sincere and well realized teen drama I've seen in... forever. I will say this: given that she's not likely to win Best Director, the Writers' branch may decide to give this award to Greta Gerwig as compensation. She definitely deserves it, she made a lovely movie, I hope they can upset me, because if they do, there's still a chance that Three Billboards will get less traction in the end race.

Best Writing - Adapted Screenplay

1. Call Me By Your Name
2. The Disaster Artist
3. Mudbound

4. Logan
5. Molly's Game

Winner: Call Me By Your Name

Now do not let my ranking convince you that I dislike any one of these screenplays. These are all well written scripts and given their competition, it's the best line-up you could get in a pretty weak year for adaptations. I have quibbles with each one of the lower ones on this list: Molly's Game and Mudbound have more narration than I would have liked, and Logan as boundry-breaking as it is, I only find the protagonists to be really compelling while the villains, save for a certain clone of someone, feel like they're just kinda there. That said, I've bounced around the major contenders so often in this category, especially in regards to The Disaster Artist. So on top of the accusations made against Franco, now there's a new lawsuit in place where the original screenwriter for that film may have been underpaid, which seems decidedly unfair. Is the script that we now have great? I would say so, but I'm torn on whether I would give it to the film when that kind of an accusation is made against it. I think we can all agree that it's not very likely to win anyway. The Academy loves James Ivory; his period dramas were wild successes in the 80s and 90s, now he's actually written the script for Call Me By Your Name and it really is a fine piece. It deserves to win almost solely because of the speech given by Michael Stuhlbarg near the end of the film, a speech that should speak to every person of every orientation. I may not have related to the movie as a whole, but I admire that aspect of it more than anything else.

Best Supporting Actress

1. Lesley Manville

2. Laurie Metcalf

3. Alison Janney

4. Mary J. Blige

5. Octavia Spencer

Winner: Alison Janney for I, Tonya

Oh, I would love to see an upset here... then again, I won't be disappointed if any of my top three picks won this award. The only performer that seems a little out of place here is Octavia Spencer; although I liked her in The Shape of Water, she is still playing into a type that she does well enough in, but is not really building on anything she's done before. Janney is the current frontrunner, for very good reason; what a marvellously despicable character is LaVona Fay Golden, while also being incredibly lively and sardonically funny. Metcalf has probably the most varied performance in terms of how she interacts with Saoirse Ronan's Lady Bird, whether it be doting, condescending, loving, agitated, understanding or heartbroken. Of course, you know by now that I can't get enough of Manville; her quiet command of every scene in Phantom Thread is marvellous. Even when faced with such a self-centred ass of a brother, she's somehow always in control. She has the authority and the foresight to know everything that needs to be said at the absolute opportune time, which is more than awesome and GOD, why wasn't this movie nominated for Original Screenplay!? Just give it to Janney... or Manville, if I haven't annoyed you enough.

Best Supporting Actor

1. Willem Dafoe

2. Christopher Plummer

3. Richard Jenkins

4. Woody Harrelson

5. Sam Rockwell

Winner: Willem Dafoe for The Florida Project

I'm goin' against the grain, people! I know most are betting on Rockwell in Three Billboards, a performance that is not undeserving of a nomination, but is far and away the least interesting of the lot, in my opinion. He has the one scene that everyone remembers in the form of an unbroken shot, but I don't see as much depth to the character or the performance. Harrelson is a great deal more nuanced, for reasons that you learn about around the midpoint in the film. If I was to rewatch the film, I would probably want to keep my eyes squarely on Harrelson and be content with it. To be fair, my 2-4 could have been in any order and it would have been pretty accurate. I'm tempted to go on a diatribe about the casting process in All the Money in the World, but for now, I'll just settle on Plummer's presence here not being a stunt nomination, but a really worthy and spectacular example of his work. We really do need more Christopher Plummer in everything. But you know me: I love Dafoe, he's been nominated twice before, he should have won something by now, plus he's in his 60s,  so this would count as both a legacy win and an absolutely worthy win for his work in The Florida Project. Once again, it's a varied performance on an emotional level, especially in his interaction with the children, whom he cares for despite being an absolute nuisance and just so difficult to control. I remember so many of his scenes based on the emotions I felt for his character. He deserves to win, he should win... he will win. Fight me!

Best Actor

1. Daniel Day-Lewis

2. Daniel Kaluuya

3. Gary Oldman

4. Timothée Chalamet

Winner: Gary Oldman for Darkest Hour

I know. He doesn't need a fourth one. I don't care, because he's the best, and it's presumably his last role, and I like saying is name over and over and over again. Daniel Day-Lewis, Daniel Day-Lewis, Daniel Kaluuya- whoops, happy accident! There are a lot of thing that put each of these performances at something of an advantage in this category; Kaluuya has the audience's empathy throughout the entire movie, Chalamet does fine work as a kind of male counterpart to Ronan's performance in Lady Bird - ironic, since he actually appeared in both films - and Daniel Day-Lewis... see, I couldn't help myself. There's no need for an excuse. Let's be real here: This category was locked once they wrote up the cast list on Darkest Hour's Wikipedia page. Initially, I had Oldman at the bottom of my list, but I ended up switching because I still remember Oldman's Churchill more and was arguably more impressed by it. Just because Chalamet gives a quieter performance does not mean I remember him as much as Oldman's somewhat flashy but still nearly seamless performance. The one scene that is dividing people the most, the subway scene, is actually the point where I turned around to appreciating the film and Oldman's performance more. It's the one scene in a bombastic film about old men shouting at Oldman - only slightly accidental joke there - where we get to see Churchill settle into a certain mood and feel like someone that the audience could connect with and admire. It may not be his most subdued performance, nor the one that people will remember the most, but it is fine work to earn him a very fine legacy award.

Best Actress

1. Sally Hawkins & Margot Robbie

3. Saiorse Ronan

4. Frances McDormand & Meryl Streep

Winner: Frances McDormand for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

I want that tie so damn much! No, not the one at #4, they've got what they deserved for playing much better characters in much better movies - I'll give you my review of The Post sooner or later, I promise. Let's be real here: as cliché as it is to give this award to the young rising star because they're young and their star is rising... any of the three actresses who have not won an Oscar yet deserve to win one this year because they're great and awesome and they deserve the career boost. (By the way, yes, Hawkins is an established actress with a diverse career, I'm just using that statement to make a point.) Frances McDormand may be a favourite to win this year and she gives a good performance as a steely determined woman in a good movie, but that's nothing compared to her great performance as an energetic but emotionally diverse character in a great movie that I think this good movie is trying so hard to be. Hawkins did so much more in five minutes of her physical performance than most other actresses do in two hours of straight up talking. Robbie imbued Tonya Harding with a sense of empathy that was unexpected without sacrificing any of her talents as a comedienne. And I've nattered about Ronan a fair bit already; thanks to Gerwig's very heartfelt writing and her own versatility, she proves once again that she gets better with every new performance. If any of those three actresses wins this award, I'll stand and applaud for them because they deserve it. If McDormand wins, which she is likely to, I'll shrug it off. If Streep wins... I'll let you imagine what my response is.

Best Director

1. Paul Thomas Anderson

2. Christopher Nolan

3. Guillermo del Toro

4. Jordan Peele

5. Greta Gerwig

Winner: Guillermo del Toro for The Shape of Water

So, I love this entire line-up. I've already established that. They're either ingenious auteurs with great work behind them or some of the most exciting first-time directors of our current era. It seems obvious that I'm showing some bias based on how well established these directors are, but keep in mind I am coming at this category based on how much I think the director's style helps tell the story and how confident that style is at this time in their career. Gerwig, I would give a writing award to, Peele I would give an Oscar for Best Directorial Debut. But now, with the three veterans, you may notice something weird: if Dunkirk's not on my Top Ten of 2017, why is Nolan above del Toro on this stand? Because Dunkirk is perhaps the boldest statement of Nolan's career and the greatest deviation from his typical style. The sparse dialogue, the sound design, the cinematography, the editing, it's all meticulous and so vasty different from anything Nolan has done before without becoming alienating. I love del Toro's work as a director, he did an exceptional job with The Shape of Water, and when he wins that Oscar, finally bringing the Three Amigos together in Oscar glory, I will be very happy. I'll probably be just slightly happier, however, if he gets nominated again for a different film that's even more of a stretch for him as a filmmaker. I guess that's why Anderson becomes more impressive with every new film, and why I personally think he should win. If he does, I would probably die of the shock, but maybe don't count on that happening. I intend to live a long time so that I can make my own films, each one different from the next... except probably featuring a majority of female leads. I do like those...


I shall return promptly with my ranking of the Best Picture nominees, with my final summary of each category following soon after that.

My Favourite Movies of 2017

There is no need for a preamble at this point, although I have to say I am glad I took the time to compile this list after a certain amount of time. I got to see more of my anticipated and important films - with one exception, but that couldn't be helped... sorry, Agnès Varda - but the rest of this list has been prepared to the best of my abilities and for the sake of your enjoyment.

My absentee list still includes ten titles, but they'll be finished eventually, I'm sure.

A Fantastic Woman
Dawson City: Frozen Time
Faces Places
Foxtrot
Loveless
Mary and the Witch's Flower
Obit
Patti Cake$
A Silent Voice
Thelma


And the honourable mentions... I was really tempted to just list all my other options, considering how when I compiled my shortlist of all the films I gave 4 1/2 to 5 stars from 2017, I had 24. But since I'm drawing this out long enough, I'll just give you these ones which I feel 'mattered' most... in a particular order, but not necessarily one that's due to ranking:

Logan Lucky
This was a riotously fun heist to watch in theatres, and it deserved more of an audience than it got. At the same time, rather bizarrely, every time I thought about movies that I gave five-stars to, this one always came ups last. Maybe it's a great entertaining time while watching it, but not life-changing.

Loving Vincent
I consider it a privilege to have seen this film in the cinema and to be overwhelmed its artistry as the first ever hand-painted animated film. What a beautiful film and a very sincere tribute to one of the most influential artists of the 19th century. I had the smallest hint of a tear as the end credits played.

The Square
Once again, we have a five star film that didn't quite make it because I don't have as personal a connection to it. That said, this savage satire of the high and mighty art community is so hilarious that it needs to be seen. Terry Notary alone should earns this film a win for Best Foreign Language Film.

Wonder Woman
I want all of you to revisit this film, and consider how important it is for our time. To have Diana Prince be brought to life after decades of waiting and to have the final product be one that respects her as a character and as an inspiration for men and women, that needs to be honoured. We need a hero like Wonder Woman now more than ever. Is it a perfect movie? No. But I love it regardless. Gal Gadot, Patty Jenkins, I salute you both.

And... Hhh...

Dunkirk
I'm as shocked as you are. Dunkirk is an astounding film; thrilling, tense, brutal, masterfully shot, edited and scored, and stunning to watch on an IMAX screen. However, more than any of Nolan's other recent films... I've nitpicked this film the most. There are small technical things that bother me that don't make the film a Dark Knight Rises, but also prevent it from being an Inception. I'm talking stuff like the simple characters, Kenneth Branagh's limited dialogue, and a sunset that defies continuity. These are more mild distractions than anything else. Dunkirk is still Nolan's most visceral film in terms of a theatre going experience, if not quite his most challenging or emotionally strong.


And now:

My Top Ten Favourite Films of 2017


10. The Shape of Water



This is weird, right? This film? This director? These actors? This many Oscar nominations? This 'low' on my list!? I can't deny what I've already said in my review for this film; I still find a lot of similarities between this film and Guillermo del Toro's previous masterpiece Pan's Labyrinth. I was a little more lenient on Crimson Peak when I recognized elements from The Devil's Backbone, but when I'm this much a fanboy of del Toro when he does something new, seeing things pop up so consistently in his films does wear down the excitement a little bit. Where everyone is absolutely right about The Shape of Water, however, and where I have the strongest emotional connection to it is in the relationships between its characters, especially those who are outcasts from their society. Each of them is a distinct personality that is true to del Toro's sensibilities, and they all live their own very sincere and very beautiful lives. There's no question that the true stars of this film are those that don't even speak at all. Sally Hawkins as Eliza and Doug Jones as the Asset are absolutely flawless, flawless in their design, flawless in their physicality, and flawless in their emotionality. Their romance is beautifully realized, and you feel as they feel every second they are together. It's a gorgeously mounted and respectfully written tale of desire and reliance among people of all backgrounds, orientations and species; I may nit-pick it to death, but I shall never disrespect it.


9. A Ghost Story



I struggled to decide whether or not to include certain films on this list. We're facing a challenge in our current atmosphere: how much credit do we give to one person for a film's success, and how much does their current reputation changes your perception of the film? I cannot, however, leave A Ghost Story off his list and denounce the incredible work by everyone else involved in this production. This is not Casey Affleck's film; he is a player in it, but for the majority of the film, his rudimentary but honestly very effective costume does his emoting for him. This is David Lowery's film, and for a particular 20 minutes, it's Rooney Mara's film. That film is remarkable. No other film from 2017 looks and feels so cosmic and so intimate at the same time. While the soaring musical score by Daniel Hart immerses you in the ornate web of time, the film's visual presentation, shot in the style of an old-fashioned home video, give it a sense of simple authenticity. Actually, those two words summarize this film beautifully: simple and authentic. With these virtues supporting it, you don't need any kind of dialogue to explain theme or character, you just need a mood. In fact, when there is a particularly long speech set in the middle of the film, it's actually jarring and is probably not that necessary. That still doesn't detract from how much my emotions welled up in me during the entire experience; by the end of this film, I was legitimately tearing up. Please seek out this simple and authentic film for yourself. David Lowery deserves an audience. He will make you feel things for a spirit you never expected to feel.


8. My Cousin Rachel



I am literally the only person who has this film on their list! And I am damn well defending that! There is very little reason why I would expect anything spectacular from My Cousin Rachel. I had never read the original novel by 'Rebecca' scribe Daphne du Maurier, nor had I seen the original adaptation staring Olivia de Havilland. Directed by Roger Michell, who at the time I saw this film I had forgotten had directed Peter O'Toole in Venus, the only thing that this film had going for it was that Rachel Weisz could do no wrong. So what made me turn around? Probably all of those things combined! With no previous exposure to the material, I allowed myself to be riveted by the suspense at the centre of this film, which starts out as a tense murder mystery and then evolves into a very intriguing deconstruction of very modern perceptions of masculinity, supported by elegant cinematography, costume design and score. And just so I can say so one more time for affectation, Rachel Weisz can do no wrong! She's wonderful as ever, as are Iain Glen of Game of Thrones fame and Holliday Grainger, whom more people should know about except nobody else watched The Borgias before it was very rudely cancelled. This would be my pick for the most underrated film of 2017, but I'll get back to that in a second. In the meantime, I implore you to give this a chance. If you're like me and know nothing about this before hand, I promise this is one mystery that will not stop nagging at you.


7. The Breadwinner



We must now appoint Studio Ghibli's successor. And there is only one traditional animation studio with a 3-for-3 track record of animated masterpieces. An Irish-Canadian coproduction that's also nominated for several Canadian Screen Awards this year, The Breadwinner is the latest from Cartoon Saloon, who also created the magnificent Song of the Sea and The Secret of Kells. If you haven't seen either of those films, that must swiftly be remedied. The Breadwinner takes their aesthetic and applies it to the story of Deborah Ellis's acclaimed children's novel about a young girl trying to support her family while evading the gaze of the Taliban. The result is the most thematically mature children's films to be released by any studio in this decade. This kind of film has not been done successfully since the early 1980s, when films like Watership Down and the early Don Bluth films challenged what it meant to be a family oriented animated film. The Breadwinner is also incredibly honourable for giving a nuanced depiction of the culture at its centre, showing both the brutality of the Taliban, but also the innocent Afghan people trying to earn their living in their midst. The film is not overtly graphic, but its thematic material, the often frightening atmosphere and the acts of violence are probably best suited for audiences of about eight-years-old and above. It's up to parents to decide how much they think their children should experience this, but if I had any say in it, this should be required viewing; it deserves to be taught in schools, just as the original novel is. No other animated film has earned this kind of praise for being this thought-provoking and challenging. There will always be a place for the big animated studio films that people will go to see in the theatre more readily; The Breadwinner stands on a very different ground, and for that, it deserves to be seen by many more people.


6. Lady Bird



I have comparatively less to say about Lady Bird, not because I think less of it, but because I feel like its near universal appeal speaks for itself. Greta Gerwig's directorial debut has swept innumerable people off their feet, giving them a female main character whom any teenager can understand and connect to in some way regardless of background. However, she also manages to subvert a lot of clichés associated with the teen dramedy, especially the disagreeable parents trope. The way the film presents the mother-daughter relationship, you can clearly see where each of them can speak very sincerely to each other while also showing their rough edges; you can see where each of them draws the line when discussing very personal and very volatile emotions. Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf have been awarded their fair share of praise already for their portrayal of that relationship, and playwright Tracy Letts should also be mentioned for playing the more well-meaning father. This script finds the absolute right balance in depicting the kind of angst, enthusiasm, disappointment and sincerity all associated with teenage-hood. All of it is funny, endearing, frank, and thoroughly entertaining.


5. Get Out



Yes... It really has been that good... for this long. What's remarkable about Get Out is how much people connected with all of its genre bending style. I saw this movie twice in theatres in very different contexts. At both screenings, the film was a wild success, with people laughing riotously at its very potent satire and squirming at all its tensest moments of horror. There was even audible applause at the exact same moment during both screenings. That said, the second time I watched it, I also saw a panel discussion hosted by Black Space Winnipeg immediately afterwards, where the panelists discussed how the film reflects a lot of the black experience. Spoilers: the discussion was not very funny. I can't claim to know anything about the emotions of that experience, but hearing that kind of discussion from very honest panelists gave Jordon Peele's movie a lot of context. You've heard enough discussion about how thrilling, entertaining and provocative this film is, and I'd be surprised if you hadn't seen it by now. It's a brilliant, creepy and powerful ride down into the Sunken Place, whatever that may mean to you.


4. The Florida Project



I shouldn't say anything about this movie... I should and I shouldn't... All that matters is I should have seen it sooner so that I could have complained that it wasn't nominated for more Oscars. After Sean Baker surprised many with Tangerine - the feature film shot entirely on an iPhone, for those of you unawares - he surprised and invigorated many more with the release of this heartfelt and often beautiful portrayal of unconventional people living on the fringes outside Disney World. Throughout the film, I could not help but draw parallels to the kind of heightened realism associated with early Federico Fellini. My emotional experience practically mirrored that of seeing Nights of Cabiria for the first time, as The Florida Project meshes elements of childhood whimsy, adult harshness, a lot of sarcastic wit, and a very profound honesty. The film is beautiful to look at even when the locations in the film look more broken and tattered than the city of Detroit. Brooklyn Prince is ingenious as the precocious 6-year-old protagonist Moonee, and Bria Vinaite is just so lively and unpredictable as her mother Halley. Willem Dafoe has outdone himself. The motel manager Bobby Hicks is an amazing character and Dafoe captures every subtle nuance to him; he loves and cares for the female leads, but is always on the verge of cracking under so much pressure on every front. I will protest if he does not win the Oscar this year... very, very quietly protest... without even going outside my house... but I will protest nonetheless. If you're not sold on this film by this statement or by the trailer... I don't care, watch it anyway. It is as wondrous as it is real.


3. It Comes At Night

Man, A24 had a boss year!  And no, I'm still not posting the trailer for this film, because I am assuming that most people who hated this film did because they saw the trailer first and did not go into the film blind and with an open mind! I still see angry responses everywhere to this film, which contrary to popular belief is not a horror film in the typical sense. It Comes At Night relies on the absence of a physical threat to truly build tension, as a family of survivors attempt to live by the set rules of their household in a vaguely apocalyptic world. Even my review of it, where I tried to give my personal take on what I thought the titular 'It' was, I couldn't really capture how awesome, tense, and raw this film was if viewed without any prior knowledge. Everyone involved with this film is completely committed to keeping the real source of fear in this film a secret, and the film succeeds because of it. Trey Edward Shults' writing and direction, Drew Daniels' cinematography, the performances by Carmen Ejogo, Joel Edgerton and Kelvin Harrison Jr., they all burrow into your brain and gnaw away at it as the film continues to disturb and intimidate you days afterwards. That's how it made me feel anyway, and I hope that more of you take the chance to see it with unprepared eyes. You will not want to go out at night for a long time afterwards.


2. I, Tonya



I went wild during this movie! In fact, everyone in the theatre went wild during the movie! I, Tonya is the best hyper-active biopic that has followed in the wake of The Wolf of Wall Street, which seems only fitting, since it was produced by and stars the real breakout of that film. Give Margot Robbie an Oscar! Give her an Oscar now! She is, as always, a genius comedien, but her transformative performance as Tonya Harding goes beyond being wildly funny and comes to encapsulate every tricky, weird and determined quirk people associate with the character. But the script is much smarter than to simply indulge one specific perceptive on Harding's life, giving a very powerful case for her defence while simultaneously reminding you that you can't take everything the film shows you at face value either. There are so many ironies and so many moments that are bewildering in how insane each characters' perceptive could get. The casting in general is ingenious, including Allison Janney in a role that will likely win Best Supporting Actress this year as Harding's mother, as well as Sebastian Stan as her husband and Paul Walter Hauser as her bodyguard, characters who are often brilliant in their idiocy. If your opinion of Tonya Harding as a public figure is set in stone, I'm not sure if this film will change your mind. What it does provide, however, is a wildly inventive, potent and spectacular interpretation of the events and certainly one that I want to see again. The discussion that can come from this film is just as exciting as the film itself.


1. Phantom Thread



What were you expecting? Anything else? I said the moment I finished watching Phantom Thread for the first time that I wanted to see it four more times in the cinema... Sadly, the underperforming box office was of a different mind... I'm ever so slightly disappointed in everyone who did not heed my advice. That said, even though I only saw it once more before it disappeared, that one time was enough to confirm that nothing from 2017 compares to Paul Thomas Anderson's latest masterpiece. This gorgeously designed, impeccably written, flawlessly acted, masterfully directed film enveloped me from its opening shot all the way through its methodical 130-minute runtime. The incredibly artful and cinematic fashion by which Anderson deconstructs and critiques a one-sided relationship between artist and muse is unlike any other romance I've seen, and earns it all of my respect and appreciation. No doubt people will remember this as the last film that Daniel Day-Lewis made before his retirement - assuming that it will be - and this performance is more than worthy of that honour. He may not transform his voice as many people expect him to, but as he always does, he finds the character in dialogue, posture and expression, and thus becomes the character of fashion designer Reynolds Woodcock - yes, that name is meant to be funny, as are a lot of things in this film. Vicky Krieps meanwhile earns her star making role as said muse Alma, and Lesley Manville may just give my favourite performance of 2017 as the fashion designer's soft-spoken but all-seeing sister Cyril. By the time the film was finished, all I could do was sit in stunned silence, listening to Jonny Greenwood's elegant score and allowing all of its elements to wash over me one more time. I went so far as to use the word 'transcendental' in my initial review, and I'm about to break that ground again. This film managed to reach a tier that no recent film has reached since the release of Inception: Phantom Thread is in my Top 20 of All Time!

You may not agree with me, and if you can defend your opinions well, I shall respect them. But to quote Cyril: "Don't pick a fight with me, you certainly won't come out alive. I'll go right through you, and it'll be you who ends up on the floor. Understood?"


Thank you all for your patience.  I'll speak to you all about my predictions soon.