Now that 2017 has come to a close, it is time to reflect on the best that the year in cinema had to offer. And it has been quite a year. 2017 was a rich year for diversity in terms of not just the stories being told, but also the people that have made them. Female directors like Greta Gerwig and Patty Jenkins broke critical and box office records. While Jordan Peele’s Get Out became the highest grossing debut film of all time based on an original screenplay. And the year’s most profitable film. Also, Tiffany Haddish emerged a breakout star in Girls Trip, the year’s most successful comedy.
Meanwhile, Christopher Nolan transported us to the harsh battlefields of Dunkirk. Blade Runner 2049 proved how blockbusters can be cinematic art. Logan reinvigorated the superhero genre with its Western elements. The record-breaking It proved that not all remakes are terrible. And lots more.
First off are some honorable mentions that just missed my list (in alphabetical order):
Baby Driver
Battle Of The Sexes
The Beguiled
Blade Runner 2049
Coco
Colossal
Dunkirk
The Florida Project
It
Lady Macbeth
Logan
mother!
Okja
Raw
Wonder Woman
10. Beach Rats
A quietly devastating portrait of repressed sexuality, Beach Rats is still alluring to watch thanks to the lyrical cinematography by Helene Louvart and lead actor Harris Dickinson. With Dickinson, we’re watching a star being born as he carries the picture on his shoulders and lets his expressive face demonstrate the spectrum of emotions his character goes through. You want his Frankie to find his happy ending even if he might not since the people in his life, like his friends and mother, don’t make his journey of finding himself any easier. Will Frankie ever find love? Will there ever be a sparkle in his life like the fireworks that go off in the film’s opening and closing? Frankie may be a fictional character but this film makes us hope that those who are as scared and confused as he is become at peace with themselves.
9. Ingrid Goes West
Ingrid Goes West is like Young Adult meets “Nosedive” from Black Mirror. It’s a humanistic portrait of mental illness that demonstrates the perils of being obsessed with social media in a frenetic and offbeat manner. But the one actress that handles the film’s tragicomic tone with ease is Aubrey Plaza who gives the year’s most overlooked performance as Ingrid Thorburn. As somebody who has been a fan of Aubrey Plaza, even I didn’t know she had this kind of performance in her. Even in the opening scene where she tearfully goes through a series of happy Instagram photos before angrily spraying a bride with mace, it’s become clear that April Ludgate from Parks And Recreation is nowhere to be found in her performance. Matching Plaza tit for tat is Elizabeth Olsen as Taylor, Ingrid’s latest obsession who appears to be everybody’s best friend yet isn’t as wholesome as she lets on.
8. Columbus
Going into Columbus, I didn’t know much about it other than the fact that it stars the highly underrated John Cho and Parker Posey. But ever since I saw it back in September, I couldn’t get it out of my head. What makes this film so memorable is the cinematography by Elisha Christian which is breathtaking and of course, the spectacular performances. But while Cho amazing as well as Posey in her smaller role, the film belongs to breakout star Haley Lu Richardson as Casey, a girl who’s comfortable with her small town bubble yet yearns for something more. Her final scene is easily one of the best scenes of the year.
7. The Killing Of A Sacred Deer
The horror of The Killing Of A Sacred Deer never comes in the form of jump scares or gratuitous violence. It’s techniques like showing a drop of blood from one’s eye or the singing of a light Ellie Goulding song that elicit paralyzing fear. Also, the emotionally detached characters never react to certain situations in ways one would expect, amping up the ambiguity of this labyrinthian nightmare. Director Yorgos Lanthimos may be known for his gonzo imagination thanks to films like The Lobster and Dogtooth. But this is his most gonzo film yet in the best possible ways.
6. Get Out
While the topic of race relations in America has been dealt with in film before, Get Out does a great job at keeping the conversation going and writer/director Jordan Peele does it in an innovative manner. It depicts the fears that African-Americans feel in modern society and demonstrates how chilling squeaky clean, white suburbia can be in a Stepford Wives-type fashion. It even has moments of dark humor despite it not being a “Best Motion Picture-Musical Or Comedy” type of comedy. It’s a seriocomic horror film that sharply taps into our cultural zeitgeist.
5. The Big Sick
Romantic comedies don’t get as honest and heartfelt as The Big Sick. It isn’t just authentic because it’s based on the real life romance of co-writers Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon. But it shows that people who fall in love will realize how much they love someone by how much hurt they feel over causing them pain. The Big Sick shows the perks of falling in love thanks to the winning chemistry between Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan. Yet it isn’t afraid to show how hard love is and Hollywood romances usually don’t dare to be as honest as this film.
NEXT: Films 4 – 2
4. Mudbound
With Mudbound, director Dee Rees has crafted a cinematic masterpiece that shows how powerful and alive filmmaking can be. It’s a gritty, historical portrait of racism and PTSD that is shot as if it is a moving painting thanks to the Malick-esque cinematography by Rachel Morrison. It also boasts one of the best ensembles of the year with actors like Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, Mary J. Blige, Carey Mulligan, Rob Morgan, and Jonathan Banks showcasing their respectively unique characterizations. While cinema is used as a form of escapism, films like Mudbound serve as a reminder that cinema should also be used to make us feel and be perceptive.
3. The Shape Of Water
The Shape Of Water is many things. It’s a love letter to classic cinema, a poetic demonstration of forbidden love, and an ode to the oppressed. In an era of tentpoles and tired reboots, director Guillermo Del Toro reminds us that the magic of creative, original storytelling is still out there with his latest venture. Romantic, funny, horrific, and heartbreaking all at once, The Shape Of Water is a transcendent masterpiece.
2. Lady Bird
I’ve never seen a film that I wanted to give a giant hug by the time it was over until I saw Lady Bird. We may have seen coming of age tales done before but writer/director Greta Gerwig crafts the film with such warmth and earnesty. The screenplay never feels scripted and none of the characters that she writes feel like movie characters. They all feel like real people and while Lady Bird may be a showcase for Saoirse Ronan (who’s never been better), the supporting actors get to have their moment in the sun as well. Lady Bird is a flawless, well-acted gem that proves that Greta Gerwig is already one of the most humanistic filmmaking voices in cinema today.
1. Call Me By Your Name
Much like how Call Me By Your Name is about the struggle to find words to express passion, it’s hard to say what it is that is so great about it that hasn’t been said already. As the lyrics in one song that plays in the film suggest, “words don’t come easy.” But thanks to the direction of Luca Guadagnino, the love shared between Elio and Oliver doesn’t need to be expressed in words. It is shown in the form of shoulder rubs and hands with a lit cigarette that symbolizes their passion as hot as the boiling summer sun. It’s also a film about first love and how it can be exuberant yet confusing.
Both of those feelings are perfectly realized through the leading performance of Timothee Chalamet as Elio. Armie Hammer is equally as impressive as Oliver, the sweet yet vulnerable object of Elio’s affection. The chemistry between the two actors helps give the film a lot of heart along with Michael Stuhlbarg as Elio’s father. Despite Stuhlbarg being mostly in the background, his monologue near the end is one for the ages. The film is like a cherished memory with fragments that allow me to reflect upon it ranging from the beautiful songs by Sufjan Stevens to the film’s heartbreaking final shot.
To Luca Guadagnino, I say Grazie for this masterpiece!!!
Here’s to the New Year!!!!