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Favorite Movies of 2017 - Christmas Update
8 years ago
Taking a load off.
Hey, I haven't posted a journal in awhile, so I figured I'd tell you all how my favorite films of 2017 are stacking up thus far. There are still a lot of prestige films I'll need to catch before the Golden Globes and Oscars (hence why there are so many blockbuster and franchise films in my current list).
10. John Wick: Chapter 2 - Nothing can match the revelation that was Keanu Reeves' comeback in the first John Wick, but Chapter 2 is still a damn good action movie that moves from killer set piece to set piece, with Reeves once again showing he's a force of nature as the titular lead.
9. The Disaster Artist - Making a good movie about the behind the scenes story of one of the most notoriously bad movies of all-time is no easy task, but James Franco and crew pull it off. In the pantheon of movies about bad movies The Disaster Artist doesn't reach the highs of Tim Burton's Ed Wood, as I doubt many people who aren't already familiar with its subject matter could appreciate it, but fans of The Room will have a ball.
8. Get Out - The breakout film from writer/director Jordan Peele is certain to be a staple in film schools for decades to come when it comes to discussing culture and race in the 2010s. I don’t think its a perfect film; some of the comedy didn’t work for me, and the direction was weak at times - but the film is well-deserving of the attention it’s gotten.
7. Wonder Woman - In a year where there hasn’t been much to cheer about, and after three abyssmal films from DC, Wonder Woman’s optimistic heroine felt like a return to the spirit of Richard Donner’s Superman the Movie (1978). Director Patty Jenkins and star Gal Gadot deliver the super heroine movie audiences have been waiting to see for decades.
6. Dunkirk - Christopher Nolan delivers one of the years great technical marvels in his stunning depiction of evacuation of Dunkirk during WWII. Nolan is a supremely talented technical filmmaker, and, clocking in at 100 minutes, Dunkirk is his tightest production to-date (no speeches summarizing chapters of Philosophy 101 here).
5. Logan - If Wonder Woman was the dash of optimism we all needed in a comic film in 2017, Logan was the gritty and bleak R-rated descent into fantasy nihilism I didn’t know we needed. High Jackman and Sir Patrick Stewart give superb -one assumes- final performances in their roles as Logan/Wolverine and Professor Charles Xavier, and newcomer Dafne Keene as X-23 is a revelation.
4. War for the Planet of the Apes - It’s funny to think we spend so much time talking about how prequels are a bad idea, but hardly anytime talking about the Planet of the Apes prequels, which have been some of the best franchise films of the last decade. Once again, Andy Serkis as Ape leader (and future religious figure) Caesar is an amazing blend of acting and cutting edge motion capture. I’m still not sure which I prefer, War or Dawn, but, suffice to say, this trilogy ends on a strong note.
3. Star Wars: The Last Jedi - For the first time in my life I was surprised by the decisions made in a Star Wars film. The Last Jedi takes risks (controversial ones, given some fans’ reaction) and I think they really pay off. The movie isn’t without its flaws, but none of the Star Wars films are flawless. When the dust has settled, I suspect this will be remembered as one of the franchise’s best.
2. Blade Runner 2049 - How does one make a sequel to one of the greatest science fiction films of all-time? By just making a damn good science fiction movie, it turns out. Blade Runner 2049 builds upon the iconic visual style of the 1982 original, but focuses on telling its own story, unlike most late-sequels and reboots that are more reboot/remake than sequel. Some of the scenes planting sequel bait feel forced, but, putting those aside, this is the best science fiction film of 2017.
1. The Shape of Water - Guillermo del Toro brings the tale of a mute woman falling in love with a fish man to life in 1960s America the way only this maestro of monster filmmaking can. Quite simply, The Shape of Water is one of the greatest cinematic fairy tales ever produced. Wonderfully acted, and visually sumptuous, this is easily Guillermo del Toro’s best movie since Pan’s Labyrinth, and my pick for best film of 2017.
10. John Wick: Chapter 2 - Nothing can match the revelation that was Keanu Reeves' comeback in the first John Wick, but Chapter 2 is still a damn good action movie that moves from killer set piece to set piece, with Reeves once again showing he's a force of nature as the titular lead.
9. The Disaster Artist - Making a good movie about the behind the scenes story of one of the most notoriously bad movies of all-time is no easy task, but James Franco and crew pull it off. In the pantheon of movies about bad movies The Disaster Artist doesn't reach the highs of Tim Burton's Ed Wood, as I doubt many people who aren't already familiar with its subject matter could appreciate it, but fans of The Room will have a ball.
8. Get Out - The breakout film from writer/director Jordan Peele is certain to be a staple in film schools for decades to come when it comes to discussing culture and race in the 2010s. I don’t think its a perfect film; some of the comedy didn’t work for me, and the direction was weak at times - but the film is well-deserving of the attention it’s gotten.
7. Wonder Woman - In a year where there hasn’t been much to cheer about, and after three abyssmal films from DC, Wonder Woman’s optimistic heroine felt like a return to the spirit of Richard Donner’s Superman the Movie (1978). Director Patty Jenkins and star Gal Gadot deliver the super heroine movie audiences have been waiting to see for decades.
6. Dunkirk - Christopher Nolan delivers one of the years great technical marvels in his stunning depiction of evacuation of Dunkirk during WWII. Nolan is a supremely talented technical filmmaker, and, clocking in at 100 minutes, Dunkirk is his tightest production to-date (no speeches summarizing chapters of Philosophy 101 here).
5. Logan - If Wonder Woman was the dash of optimism we all needed in a comic film in 2017, Logan was the gritty and bleak R-rated descent into fantasy nihilism I didn’t know we needed. High Jackman and Sir Patrick Stewart give superb -one assumes- final performances in their roles as Logan/Wolverine and Professor Charles Xavier, and newcomer Dafne Keene as X-23 is a revelation.
4. War for the Planet of the Apes - It’s funny to think we spend so much time talking about how prequels are a bad idea, but hardly anytime talking about the Planet of the Apes prequels, which have been some of the best franchise films of the last decade. Once again, Andy Serkis as Ape leader (and future religious figure) Caesar is an amazing blend of acting and cutting edge motion capture. I’m still not sure which I prefer, War or Dawn, but, suffice to say, this trilogy ends on a strong note.
3. Star Wars: The Last Jedi - For the first time in my life I was surprised by the decisions made in a Star Wars film. The Last Jedi takes risks (controversial ones, given some fans’ reaction) and I think they really pay off. The movie isn’t without its flaws, but none of the Star Wars films are flawless. When the dust has settled, I suspect this will be remembered as one of the franchise’s best.
2. Blade Runner 2049 - How does one make a sequel to one of the greatest science fiction films of all-time? By just making a damn good science fiction movie, it turns out. Blade Runner 2049 builds upon the iconic visual style of the 1982 original, but focuses on telling its own story, unlike most late-sequels and reboots that are more reboot/remake than sequel. Some of the scenes planting sequel bait feel forced, but, putting those aside, this is the best science fiction film of 2017.
1. The Shape of Water - Guillermo del Toro brings the tale of a mute woman falling in love with a fish man to life in 1960s America the way only this maestro of monster filmmaking can. Quite simply, The Shape of Water is one of the greatest cinematic fairy tales ever produced. Wonderfully acted, and visually sumptuous, this is easily Guillermo del Toro’s best movie since Pan’s Labyrinth, and my pick for best film of 2017.
