My Favorite Films of 2017
I started writing this at the beginning of 2018, like I do every year. However, I never actually finished writing it and, as time went by, it completely fell off my radar. As I prepared my list for 2018 I figured I might as well go back and finish my list for 2017. So here it is, just over a year late:
Call Me By Your Name
Luca Guadagnino's coming-of-age romantic drama was one of the more beautiful films I saw from 2017. Based on Andre Aciman's acclaimed novel of the same name, the story concerns a summer romance set in Italy between 17-year-old Elio (Timothee Chalamet, 'Interstellar') and his father's 24-year-old research assistant Oliver (Armie Hammer, 'The Social Network'). The cinematography's dreamy-like quality, matched with its equally dream-like score by various artists (notably Sufjan Stevens), makes the film feel like we're watching a cherished memory - probably by the film's main character Elio. Chalamet gives us a heartbreaking performance as someone experiencing the highs and lows of first love. Michael Stuhlbarg ('A Serious Man') as Eliot's father gives us a profound speech in the film's third act. As much as I, and everyone else, loves Hammer, he feels mis-casted because he appears so much older than his character should be. But alas, that's just a minor complaint. Here's hoping the recently-announce sequel comes to fruition because it'd be interesting to see the sequel revisit Eliot and Oliver when they're older, like the book does.
Baby Driver
Edgar Wright is one of the most creative and talented directors in Hollywood, and he's directed one of my favorite movies. Alsel Elgort ('The Fault in Our Stars') is the titular Baby, who works as a getaway driver for the kingpin Doc (Kevin Spacey, 'House of Cards'). Baby has tinnitus due to a childhood accident, and listens to music 24/7 in order to block out the noise. What follows is a fun and energetic adventure with practical stunts and tight driving choreography that syncs with the music we're hearing. The film's so good Wright is considering making his first sequel!
Beauty and the Beast
I reeeeally didn't like Disney's live-action 'Maleficent', and their new 'Alice in Wonderland' was okay. The problem with both films is that they relied more on spectacle and CGI than story or character development. Then Disney released live-action adaptations of 'Cinderella' and 'The Jungle Book', which were really well-made. And now this - Disney's crown jewel and probably their most prestigious film (yes, even more so than 'The Lion King'). 'Beauty and the Beast' (2017) is pretty much a straight-forward adaptation of the original animated version, but it benefits from giving backstory and added depth to certain characters, namely Belle (Emma Watson). All of our favorite songs are back, including a beautiful new rendition of the titular "Beauty and the Beast" (the Emma Thompson one, not the Ariana Grande and John Legend one). I also really liked the new songs "Days in the Sun" and "How Does a Moment Last Forever?" One hopes Disney's long roster of upcoming live-action version of their beloved animated hits continues the winning formula that's appeared in these last three.
Coco
Pixar's first original feature after back-to-back sequels 'Cars 3' and 'Finding Dory' features the studios's first all-Latino cast and characters! The film follows 12-year-old Miguel (voiced by Anthony Gonzalez), who accidentally gets transported into The Land of the Dead and tries to help a trickster named Hector (Gael Garcia Bernal) return to the land of the living. Like the best of Pixar, 'Coco' is another tear-jerker because it's familial themes of respecting and remembering those who came before us strikes a chord with me and similar traditions my Vietnamese culture shares with Mexican culture. "Remember Me," another memorable tune from the 'Frozen' hitmakers Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, will make you cry at the end. I'm excited to see what Pixar has in store for us with its future non-sequel films!
Dunkirk
I don't know when Christopher Nolan will release a film that won't end up on my year-end list, but it probably won't be any time soon. As much as I thought, and still think, 'Inception' is Nolan's magnum opus, many consider 'Dunkirk' to be his best film yet. It's certainly his most experimental. As with many of his films, 'Dunkirk' experiments with time and its structure. The film depicts the evacuation of Dunkirk in World War II, and I love the way he splits the story between three narratives: land, air, and sea. Everything depicted within the "Land" narrative takes place across one week; everything in the "Sea" narrative takes place within one day; and everything in "Air" is just one hour. All three culminate into an epic climactic scene that's one of the most memorable of the year. And Hans Zimmer's nail-biting score helps make the film even more intense. 'Dunkirk' is Nolan's first film to garner a Best Film nomination at the Academy Awards, and deservingly so.
Get Out
Who would have thought one half of the comedy duo ‘Key & Peele’ would create one of the most original and thought-provoking horror films ever made? Jordan Peele goes above and beyond in his directorial debut, filled not just with jump scares and traditional horror tropes, but also biting commentary on being Black in America. I’m so happy to see Peele nominated for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards, as well as Daniel Kaluuya for Best Actor, and the film for Best Picture!
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
The most divisive Star Wars film happens to be, in my opinion, the best. Director and writer Rian Johnson (‘Looper’) gives us a Star Wars film that defies expectations. Sure, fanboys may not like this fact, considering all their fan theories from the past two years have been thrown out the window. Johnson’s film gave us new and more interesting characters, went deeper into the characters already established, and depicts the gray areas of war. What we get is the Star Wars film we deserve, not the one we thought we wanted. And, to be honest, it was probably the most pleasant surprise I’ve experienced in a Hollywood blockbuster like this. Johnson shows us how unproductive fan theories can be, as well as how toxic fan culture can be (look at the sexist backlash against new female characters played by Kelly Marie Tran and Laura Dern). With all the cinematic progress ‘The Last Jedi’ makes, it’s unfortunate to see the series end with JJ Abrams coming back in the directors chair. Here’s hoping he doesn’t just rehash old plot elements and actually takes bold risks in concluding this trilogy!
Honorable Mentions: ‘Molly’s Game’, ‘It’, ‘I, Tonya’, ‘Power Rangers’, ‘The Shape of Water’
