Christopher Nolan has been the driving force behind some of the most truly inventive movies of the last twenty years with Memento, The Prestige, Inception and The Dark Knight trilogy. With Dunkirk he succeeded in trying his hand at a film based on historical events. The story based on the evacuation of over 300,000 allied soldiers from Dunkirk, France is told in such a compelling and gripping way that you may find yourself watching with intense focus despite knowing the outcome of the historical event.
Writer and director Taylor Sheridan announced his arrival by penning the screenplay to Sicario which was directed Denis Villeneuve and one of the very best films of 2015. He followed that up with a screenplay for 2016's Hell or High Water. Sheridan has now shown he's also a capable director as evidenced by Wind River which another one of his films that are being dubbed as neo-western. Wind River is a deliberately paced and beautifully shot thriller that has a climax as good as about any movie from 2017.
Writer-director Edgar Wright had the seeds of the idea for Baby Driver in his head for over a decade and after attaining success with Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, he was able to make it a reality. Baby Driver is a difficult film to describe as it is one cohesive story told with the backdrop of songs played by the protagonist Baby who is a getaway driver. There is tremendous music and fantastic stunt driving.
I was not a big fan of the first film in the Thor franchise despite my affinity for a large portion of the cast and I skipped the sequel Thor: The Dark World because it seemed like more of the same. However, from the moment I saw the trailer for Thor: Ragnarok, I had a feeling that this was going to be different. Director Taika Waititi who one-half of the creative team behind the terrific mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows was at the helm and his unique sense of humor has fingerprints all over the movie including the character Korg who is voiced by Waititi. The action sequences aren't groundbreaking but they're done well and entire movie is about as fun as anything Marvel has done save for maybe Guardians of the Galaxy.
To me, film is first and foremost a visual medium. Director Denis Villeneuve and cinematographer Roger Deakins accomplished an absolutely stunning feat with Blade Runner 2049. They managed to maintain the visual style of the original Blade Runner from 1982 but expand the visual palate and the universe. The film moves at a very methodical pace but if you let yourself absorb the imagery it can be a remarkable experience.
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri is not a movie without flaws including it's unwieldy title but it is a tremendously well acted and very original film. Writer-director Martin McDonagh first came up with the idea more than 20 years ago when he was on a bus tour of the southern United States when he saw two billboards making a plea for an unsolved crime. What the film does very well is slowly peel back the layers to let the audience know the exact circumstances surrounding the crime and its investigation or lack thereof. Frances McDormand is magnetic as the grieving mother desperately seeking resolution.
Craig Gillespie, the director of I, Tonya, had directed a handful of interesting films in the past but he was known as an award winning director of commercials. Which makes it no surprise that I, Tonya which chronicles the life of disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding moves at a breakneck pace. Gillespie makes no secret that he was influenced by the films of Martin Scorsese, particularly Goodfellas, but it's an homage which feels unique and not like a carbon copy. The entire cast is brilliant in portraying some truly unlikable and vapid characters but maintaining just enough humanity that you stay invested in the outcome.
There's often been an unfair disadvantage to comedies and action films when it comes to being judged for awards and best of the year lists. Logan is most certainly not a comedy though it has comedic elements and I wouldn't classify it as an action film even though it has plenty of very well choreographed action sequences. Logan elevated itself above the comic book movie genre for what was an excellent family allegory and surprising moving film.
This year it was really to choose my number one movie because Lady Bird toggled back and forth as my favorite movie of the year to the point where I almost considered a tie. Lady Bird is such a distinct point of view from a clear voice that it doesn't matter the story is told from the perspective of a young woman in her senior year of high school. There is not one false note in the film which is a semi-autobiographical perspective from writer-director Greta Gerwig who grew up in Sacramento, CA. It's a phenomenal movie with excellent performances from the entire cast.
Sometimes a film comes along at the exact right moment and becomes a part of the zeitgeist. It's possible that audiences and critics had been waiting years for Get Out and the timing wouldn't have played a huge role but it seemed to me that it came along at the exact right time. Get Out was made for a modest $5 million although it doesn't feel low budget in any way and it went on to make over a quarter of a billion dollars worldwide. First time writer-director Jordan Peele, known primarily for making up one half of the comedy sketch duo Key & Peele, had been a long time horror fan and Get Out was his passion project. Get Out is not your standard horror film as it turns the genre on its head playing very much likely a darkly humorous episode of The Twilight Zone. My description is purposefully vague because if you haven't seen Get Out, you should go in knowing as little as possible and it's one of the more enjoyable films to watch in subsequent viewings than any in recent history.
Honorable mention:
Atomic Blonde
The Big Sick
The Darkest Hour
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
The Lego Batman Movie
Logan Lucky
Phantom Thread
The Post
The Shape of Water
Split
Wonder Woman
