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I won't preamble anymore than I need to, a lot of stuff has consumed my life. This blog to a distant backseat to my new podcast, 'Echo'. However, I am loyal to this one tradition, and I've done my best to watch as many movies as I can prior to the Oscars, as usual. I've missed some stuff, but at this point, they're comparatively smaller titles. I'm content with this list being as it is while I continue to plough through the rest of the year's films. I love cinema now just as much as I did when I last posted, so if you're at all curious anymore, I feel it's only right to present to you this epic list of masterpieces.
Here, therefore, are my blindspots for 2018, the films I have yet to see but most desperately want to:
Blindspotting
Burning
Cold War
The Hate U Give
Mid90s
Minding the Gap
Rafiki
Shoplifters
Support the Girls
The Tale
And here for the briefest moment are my honourable mentions, in alphabetical order:
Black Panther
I understand a lot of the more legitimate criticisms directed toward the rushed finale and iffy special effects, but the film itself deserves so much credit for being so thrilling, thought-provoking and empowering for people the world over. Ryan Coogler, Michael B. Jordan and the rest of the cast and crew deserve every laurel they've earned so far. Marvel's game only got stronger for this film existing.
Eighth Grade
I wonder if I empathize with teenagers a bit more easily as an adult than I ever did as an actual teen. Either way, Eighth Grade is a wonderfully sincere film that captures the awkwardness of early high school while also being very funny, and tugging at your heart strings. Elsie Fisher is an actress to treasure.
The Favourite
Yorgos Lanthimos only becomes more fascinating with every film, and The Favourite is certainly his most grandiose statement of his aesthetic. Sharply written, bizarrely shot and acted to perfection by stars Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone and Olivia Coleman, this is one costume drama that's hard to forget.
The Old Man and the Gun
This marks the end of Robert Redford's acting career, and while director David Lowery insists that it wasn't made as a swan song, the film feels so sincere as a tribute to Redford's astounding legacy. Redford is charming as ever, and it's refreshing to watch a film that is both artful and optimistic.
They Shall Not Grow Old
Peter Jackson's documentary featuring restorations of film footage from the Great War is just as fascinating as a technical feat as it is heartfelt as a tribute to the soldiers who fought and died. It creates a potent image of life in the war, and leaves you in stunned silence afterwards.
Thus begins:
My 10 Favourite Films of 2018
10. First Reformed
It's very easy to draw parallels between First Reformed and any number of films from writer-director Paul Schrader's past. Most other critics have emphasized his seminal work as a writer on Scorsese's Taxi Driver. I myself have drawn parallels to his other Scorsese project The Last Temptation of Christ. It's an interesting comparison, for sure, but I wonder if that takes away from how truly powerful Schrader's latest masterwork is on its own terms. Schrader has captured in microcosm the perspective of people who make themselves live in constant doubt, questioning of their faith and their humanity, which makes for one of the most powerful religious dramas in recent memory, better even than Scorsese's own Silence. Ethan Hawke stands front and centre in this film and gives a career-defining performance, my personal favourite by an actor in 2018. Without even raising his voice, he conveys so much inner turmoil as he has to confront the questions of people in his community and the demons that his mind won't release, no matter how much everyone around him insists he must. The whole of First Reformed is stark, subdued and visceral, and it should be discussed just as much as a career highlight for both its star and its director as it has been discussed as a small chapter in their stories.
9. The Other Side of the Wind
It took more than 40 years to release Orson Welles' last feature film to the public, let alone in the theatre. The Other Side of the Wind could not have been more worth the wait. With a restoration of sorts overseen by producer Frank Marshall and director Peter Bogdonavich, Welles' wild and bizarre mesh of arthouse pretension and scathing satire of the 70s film industry comes vividly to life, whether on the small screen or the large. Welles and Oja Kodar's writing is so clever, whip-smart, and relevant in its critique of the audacious, controlling film director - played by the irreplaceable John Huston - that you would swear the two of them had a crystal ball to see the state of the industry today. What's perhaps more impressive for a film that stayed incomplete for so long is the editing is so tight, sharp and aggressive. The whole thing is such a rush, jumping between two separate styles of filmmaking, each presented masterfully in their own way, and I was locked to the screen throughout the entire movie; even in its moments of odd continuity errors, it feels so effective as a critique of the films of the French New Wave or Federico Felinni. I have yet to watch the companion documentary for this film, They'll Love Me When I'm Dead, although I most definitely plan to after experiencing the film for the marvel that it is all its own.
8. Won't You Be My Neighbor?
It's been said by more than one person that Won't You Be My Neighbor? will restore your faith in humanity just ever so slightly... I won't presume anything... But even as someone who did not grow up watching Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, I needed this movie to remind me that there are caring people in this world who want us to see ourselves in the very best light. Morgan Neville, who also made the previously mentioned They'll Love Me When I'm Dead, does not shy away from being sentimental with this new documentary, and in this context, that's absolutely the best thing you could do. The show overflows with a feeling of nostalgia and love, but not simply because the show made children happy. It's looking back on an era when a man like Fred Rogers would do everything he could to speak to every child as an intelligent human being and convey to them what they ought to know about the world, in both bright and dark times. This is the type of communication that is seriously lacking not merely in children's programming, but in so many fields the world over. There was one moment alone that proved to me that this movie mattered more than any other documentary I saw this year, a scene where I could not help but think to myself, 'I wish someone had said this to me as a kid.' I will only give you one word: duet... now excuse me while I cry. Watch this movie. Just do it. It may just be the best medicine you could ask for.
7. Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse
WHAT IS GOING OOOOON!!!??? If any of you out there still remembers my Marvel movie marathon from about two years ago, you should know that I do not have a fond relationship with Spider-Man; I did not watch the Tobey Maguire movies as a teenager, I could not connect with them when I finally watched them in my University days, and I have been continuously underwhelmed by his other films since then. I was therefore skeptical of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse basically from the get-go, aside from the possibility that the animation would look cool. Well, not only does it look cool, it's also well written, well acted, well structured, and basically a masterpiece of both the animation field and the superhero genre. The film is vibrant from head to toe, with colour, style and attitude flying at you left and right. The voice cast is off-the-charts, featuring Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Lily Tomlin, and the best ever use of Nicholas Cage in a superhero movie (which may not be saying a lot, but still!) So much care clearly went into the creation of this film, from the directors to the writers to the entire animation crew, and in a year where we lost an icon like Stan Lee, it feels so right to see one of his most iconic creations given such a - pardon the pun - Amazing film. I can finally say this unironically: Into the Spider-Verse is the best Spider-Man movie that has ever been made. Try to argue otherwise; you will lose.
6. Widows
You may disagree with me if you have a much shorter attention span, but Widows may just be the single strongest piece of pure entertainment I saw in 2018. Steve McQueen's follow up to the 2013 masterpiece 12 Years a Slave is not short on social commentary in its own right, pressing on issues like inter-racial marriage, the economic divide, and of course, its heavy emphasis on the struggles of its female leads. Even if it didn't have those things, however, I feel like I could not have been more utterly engrossed in this masterful slow-burn of a heist movie. Co-written by Gone Girl's Gillian Flynn, McQueen's film is presented so confidently and is so expertly crafted that you savour every second of the ladies planning their stakeout, taking their enemies' names and doing everything they can to survive for the sake of their families, their livelihoods and their dignity. Everyone in this movie is perfectly cast, with Viola Davis owning every scene she's in and yet still having to compete with the likes of Cynthia Erivo, Elizabeth Debicki and Danial Kaluuya. Widows left me riveted in every way. It may not be the most traditionally entertaining film of the year, but it's the kind of entertainment that I absolutely relish.
5. The Rider
Chloé Zhao's The Rider is the most unassuming film on this list. It does not strive to overwhelm you with spectacle or make you feel big grand emotions, and it's not driven by star power. In fact, none of the cast members are even professionally trained actors, just a rodeo rider, his family, and his friends. But it's that same quiet simplicity that made it so touching and so beautiful while I was watching it. Brady Jandreau's leading performance works so well because there aren't any actorly inflections in it. The words that he says hit so much harder because he says them like any ordinary person would. The film leaves you heartbroken at his desire to ride in the rodeo again, just as much as it makes you feel uplifted by the way he interacts with his horses or with another severely injured rider. All the while, the film draws you nearer to it with beautiful photography by Joshua James Richards. I was surprised to find myself watching this movie with an aunt, and we both had the same reaction to it. This was possibly the movie going experience that I was most touched by, and that unexpected company made it all the better as well.
4. Sorry to Bother You
Sorry to Bother You is the most insane movie to come out of 2018, which is both a blessing and a curse. I attended a screening of this film where there were maybe just seven people in attendance, and I'm not really surprised by that. In his directorial debut, Boots Riley has thrown everything into his savage takedown of corporate and racial inequality in the world of... telemarketing!? You know what, I'm not gonna question that. I hate talking on the phone for a living as much as anybody does, why not make a movie that takes it down a peg but with way more style and a lot more visual insanity!? Nearly every scene in this film features some kind of subtext, something in the background you may not notice the first time. Out of all of these, I most look forward to revisiting this film and picking up on all of its disparate ideas. Much like Get Out last year, the film is sharp in its commentary while also being riotously funny. Also, I just want to say this: I'm so glad that Tessa Thompson had a huge year. She was in so many features this year. Between this movie, my #3 movie, Season 2 of Westworld, even in just an average film like Creed II, she's such a talented actress and she deserves this kind of attention from studios. Sorry to Bother You is not the most accessible of those films, but it deserves to be seen for its audacity. Boots Riley clearly went all out with his debut, and in spite all of the crazy things that bombard the viewer at every moment, it absolutely, unquestionably works. I can't wait to see what he does next.
3. Annihilation
Existentialism... Do I really need to explain my love for this movie anymore than that? Alex Garland has followed up Ex Machina with yet another science fiction masterpiece, this time bringing a heavy dosage of Andrei Tarkovsky with him for safe measure. Annihilation's meaning has been debated by more than a few people the world over, whether it be symbolic of depression, disease, or just how significant humans truly are in the universe. I have my own idea of what concept it is trying to convey, but even before you start questioning what its meaning is, you have to see the film for yourself. This movie is filled with some of the most stunning imagery I've seen all year, with beautiful visual effects, art direction and creature designs peppered throughout. It features the heaviest atmosphere of any movie this year, some of the finest subdued performances from Natalie Portman and (yep) Tessa Thompson, and it contains the single scariest scene of any movie in years, better than any horror movie could even try to match. It does make me somewhat sad that so few people got to see this movie on the big screen before it was rushed to Netflix; the film works best when you let it envelop you with its majesty, its ideas and its complex emotions. Hopefully, the wider distribution on Netflix has benefited the film slightly more than the box office returns would indicated. The movie deserves to be discussed in the same conversation as other recent thinking-mans sci-fi like Under the Skin and Arrival. I also look forward to finding someone who will have that conversation with me, but one step at a time.
2. BlacKkKlansman
It's about goddamn time for another great Spike Lee joint. From Do the Right Thing to Malcolm X to 25th Hour, Spike Lee owns a place on my list of all time favourite directors. His filmography is not perfect, but when he has absolute control over a film, it is something to behold. BlacKkKlansman is his sharpest, funniest, most provocative and most complete film of this decade, and one of his very finest films. People can take the historical account of this film as they will, but the style, presentation, writing and acting are more than enough to make this stand out above any need for absolute accuracy. John David Washington and Adam Driver are amazing both separately and together, giving the audience an amazing dynamic that makes you laugh at one point and sear with rage the next. The photography and editing are beautiful, and the ending left me absolutely stunned in the absolute right way. The second that this movie began all the way until it ended, I was convinced that this was the year the Spike Lee was going to win Best Director. At this point, it only makes sense. No other director who released a film in 2018 has the same kind of legacy as Spike Lee, and it's about time that he was acknowledged for it. This is the year that he most deserves this kind of award, and this is the movie he deserves it for.
And then it happened.
1. Roma
I tried to think of whether or not I could give this position to BlacKkKlansman. For a long time after I saw it, I just wanted the year to end so that I could name it the best of the year. But how can I complain when the film that takes its place is Alfonso Cuarón's Roma!? No other film took me off-guard the way that this movie did. I joked on Twitter before seeing it, asking if I was ready for what Cuarón was going to throw at me... That's a very subjective question. I was ready to see what perspective Cuarón would present the film from, but I wasn't ready for where that film was going to take that character. Yalitza Aparicio gives a performance that I don't want to ruin by describing it in too many superfluous words. Like Hawke and Jandreau did in First Reformed and The Rider, she draws you in without asking you to pay attention to her. She just carries you through the life of this housemaid living in Mexico City as she watches her life and the family she works for slowly come apart at the seams, lifting your spirit and breaking your heart all the way through. Cuarón likewise does so much without imposing anything on the audience, shooting the film himself with simple set-ups and long takes, employing no musical score, and just letting you watch this lady and this family live. He does not manipulate, he does not compromise, and he does not take the easy way out of any of these situations. I can think of a number of films that this film reminds me of, but at this point, none of them matter so much as how Roma made me feel in the moment on its own. These are feelings that I had never expected to feel, but often felt like I ought to. No other film in 2018 has made me feel so empathetic to its main characters. No other film succeeds like it does in every single way. Welcome to Roma.
In the tradition of the person who started this blog long ago, here are my predictions for who will be nominated for Best Picture before the nominations are announced in the morning:
The top five, in alphabetical order:
BlacKkKlansman
The Favourite
Green Book
Roma
A Star is Born
The next most likely:
Black Panther
Bohemian Rhapsody
If Beale Street Could Talk
Vice
More than any other race in the last few years, I feel the need to emphasize that I'm only saying I expect these films to get nominated, not that I want them to. I wish Widows was in the conversation as I had initially expected, but I can't bank on my indulgence picks anymore. I've grown wise to that problem.
I'll see you in the morning.
Showing posts with label Top Ten. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Top Ten. Show all posts
Tuesday, 22 January 2019
Saturday, 24 February 2018
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.
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.
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