It’s now July, and that means that the first half of the year is over. That also means that it’s time to look back at the movies I’ve seen so far and pick my favorites based on the main categories that I enjoy to award. I’ve only seen 15 movies, which is a pretty low number compared to this time last year. The difference has been that, 1, there haven’t been as many this year that I’ve really tried to see based on how they looked, and 2, I haven’t had as much time to see movies the way I used to because of my job that takes so much of my time and energy. But of the 15 I’ve seen, I’ve liked all of them, so at least my selectiveness has paid off. How much I’ve liked them has of course varied, and some will remain classics that I will go back to a lot, and others will eventually fall back into obscurity no doubt. I mean, really, there’s only so much time to watch movies, and I’d rather spend my time watching the ones I really like and love instead of going back to ones that I thought were okay, but no great.
This year for me has been dominated by action movies, as 11 of the 15 qualify. It’s been a great year so far for action, and by year’s end it will be very hard to choose which ones are my favorites.
My winners so far this year are from 4 movies. Kong: Skull Island wins my awards for Movie, Cinematography, and Visual Effects because the movie is beautiful to look at, and it’s so zany in my kind of way that it makes me want to keep watching. I love its humor and its set pieces. Kong himself is so badass and by the end I am rooting for him. Edgar Wright wins my Director award for Baby Driver because that movie is impeccably directed. Every shot you can tell was meticulously mapped out and he nailed especially all the scenes of Baby driving away from the cops. It was a nail bitter for sure. Daniel Kaluuya wins my Actor award for Get Out because of his portrayal of a fish out of water kind of setting. He’s surrounded by all these creepy white people and it’s so uncomfortable. Kaluuya pulls it off wonderfully as he shows every possible emotion imaginable, and does it in a way that keeps surprising. I loved him in Sicario, and I will definitely be keeping my eye out for him. Get Out also wins my Screenplay award because it’s such a smart script with mystery, horror, and humor all mixed together to create a ton of tension throughout the entire movie. I hope in real life there are not people like this who do the things these characters did. Finally, Gal Gadot wins my Actress award for Wonder Woman. Gadot plays a character who thinks only of others and is willing to fight for what’s right, which in turn literally helps save the world. Wonder Woman is a role model for women everywhere who want to act with confidence and strength. She’s so much fun to watch, even when she’s not kicking ass.
