I made it a year
before I fell behind on my idea for monthly top 10s. Sorry about that. The
lists were starting to get repetative, which wasn't helping anyone. I'm in the
process of finding some better ways of doing things on the site. One place that
doesn't need any work though is December.
Before I start
breaking down everything from 2018, I'd like to take one last look at 2017.
Since I'm not a credentialed critic and don't live in New York or LA, I get
behind on a lost of movie that are technically released in a calendar year, but
don't make their wair to my top 30 city until the new year. That means, my 2017
list was missing a lot of contenders. Here's my chance to see where they fit
into my view of 2017.
While I stand by
my top movies of 2017 list from the end of last year (technically very early
this year), I do have some changes from that list. That was a snapshot of my
opnion then. This is my opinion now. I've had a chance to reconsider some
movies. Outside of the awards hype, some movies how proven themselves more
resiliant in my mind while others have faded away.
As is tradition,
let me go through my cuts. I started with 128 movies. I got it down to 10.
Here's how.
1st Cut (11 movies)
November Criminals
The Layover
I have written
posts about why all of these movies are awful. Please don't make me revisit
them. I disliked these movies in a variety of ways. Perhaps I misunderstood
them and they are better than I thought. Too bad. I hated these movies and have
no desire to give them another chance. They are dead to me.
2nd Cut (77)
LA 92
The Trip to Spain
Psych: The Movie
Breathe (2017)
Temple (2017)
Spielberg
Girls Trip
Jane
Rings
After Porn Ends 2
That's a group of
77 movies I couldn't muster a strong opinion about. I don't like them all
equally, but I am close enough to indifferent about them that I'm happy to lump
them together. A number of these are worth reconsideration. Goodbye Christoher
Robin has stuck with me more than I expected. There's a lot of fine
documentaries in the list like Jane and Icarus. Columbus has a nice look to it.
Don't look for me to go out of my way to recommend any of them.
3rd Cut (20)
This is where is
already starts to hurt. Wonder was a pleasant surprise. Wonder Woman is the
best DC Universe effort to date. Only the Brave and Stronger were solid films
about real life events. Even Valerian has its charms once you look past how
much of a box office bomb it was.
The Nearly Top 10
These are arranged
alphabetically, not ranked. It's a thin margin regardless. These are all movies
worth watching. Some I'm surprised to see fall out of my top 10.
Top 10
10. I, Tonya
I love how the
movie embraces all the conflicting accounts of the events Margot Robbie really
sank her teeth into the role. Allison Janney is a hoot. The movie rehibilates
(for a lack of a better word) Tonya Harding's reputation in a way that I didn't
think was possible while not painting her as innocent.
I don't remember
the story at all. I don't care. I love the visuals of this world so much. I The
cinematography and production design are beautiful. More than any movie in
2017, I just wanted to be absorbed into this world for several hours. You'll
see with a few of my picks, my love of them is more about feel than most years.
This movie took a
bit of a hit upon rewatching it. Without the surprise factor, I wasn't nearly
as enthusiastic about it. Still, Frances McDormand is a complete badass, and I
loved watching every second she was on screen. Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson
give terrific supporting perfornances too. I like watching these characters
bounce off each other and the pitch black sense of humor still works for me.
7. Lady Bird
I'm still a little
surprised by the critical adoration of this movie over all the good teen coming
of age dramas out there. I love it though, so I won't get too worked up trying
to figure that out. Saoirse Ronan is an excellent Greta Gerwig stand-in. Laurie
Metcalf was robbed of an Oscar (not to say I didn't love Allison Janney too).
Upon rewatch, I'm so damn impressed by the efficiency of that screenplay; the
way it fleshes out so many characters in so little time. It reminds me of
Clueless in that way.
Like Blade Runner
2049 but on a much smaller scale, I just like hanging out with Moonee and the
gag as the go on their misadventures around the Magic Castle hotel. What
initially struck me as a WTF ending seems perfect and moving now.
5. Dunkirk
I get why some
people don't care for this. It's a cold movie that barely builds up any
characters and makes you work to understand what the hell is happening. I'm
mesmerized though by how technically sound it is. I love how the three
different stories and timeslines converge. It's the only war movie I can
describe as a "mood piece" which makes it unique.
4. Free Fire
For pure
enjoyment, I'm not sure any movie in 2017 was better. It's just a 90 minute
shootout between a lot of unsavory people with big personalities in a confined
space. It tickled me in such a specific way that I can't even explain it.
3. The Big Sick
This was my
default top movie when I did this last year. Nothing has changed. I still love
it. The screenplay is funny and deeply personal. I love how it balances a
number of stories at once. Ray Romano and Holly Hunter and excellend and
understated. If a random person asked me "what's a good movie from
2017?", The Big Sick is probably the first movie that would come to mind.
Look, I love Star
Wars. I have a massive weak spot for it. I love The Last Jedi for the exact
opposite reason that I loved The Force Awakens. The Force Awakens recaptures
the spirit of the original trilogy and works as an extended homage to them. The
Last Jedi goes in a new directions and takes risks. I'm not sure it's possible
to make a Star Wars movie that I wouldn't defend. Thankfully, The Last Jedi
doesn't need me to defend it. It's good all on its own.
I really didn't
think this movie would stick around so long. I can't shake it and I'm still no
closer to figuring out why. The cyclical story. The random muses about loss and
memory. The pie eating. It all works for me. Watching it is like meditation. It's
really not a movie for everyone. I'm surprised that it's a movie for me. But,
damn, do I like it.
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