7. “God’s Own Country”
“Call Me by Your Name” is getting most of the end-of-the-year attention when it comes to gay romances, but this quiet, honest film is just as deserving of praise. In northern England, Johnny (Josh O’Connor) is initially abrasive, spending his hours not minding the family sheep farm at the local bar, drinking and finding random hookups. Gheorghe (Alec Secareanu) arrives to help out with the sheep, but he ends up inspiring love and growth in Johnny. “God’s Own Country” is detailed in its depiction of both farm life and Johnny and Gheorghe’s relationship, demonstrating an affection for both place and its characters. This isn’t a film solely about grand romantic gestures; it’s the small moments between them that are the most moving.
6. “The Shape of Water”
From its color-coded cinematography to its dark fairy tale elements, this is a film that could only come from the mind – and heart – of Guillermo del Toro. There’s love evident in every frame, both in its making and in the story on screen. Sally Hawkins stars as Elisa, a mute woman who falls for a humanoid creature (Doug Jones) in the lab where she works. Supporting efforts from Richard Jenkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon and Michael Stuhlbarg add even more texture and characters to latch on to. “The Shape of Water” includes recurring themes from del Toro’s past films, including the plight of outcasts and the idea that villains aren’t always monsters and monsters aren’t always villains, but this is the director working at the height of his talents, surpassing even “Pan’s Labyrinth.”
5. “The Florida Project”
Set in the shadow of Cinderella’s castle, Sean Baker’s vibrant, joyous and ultimately devastating film explores the experience of poverty in America from the perspective of one feisty little Orlando girl who isn’t aware of her family’s situation. We get a few scenes focusing on her mother Halley (Bria Vinaite) and hotel manager Bobby (Willem Dafoe), but “The Florida Project” belongs to young Moonee – and an absolute revelation of a performance from Brooklynn Prince. She seesaws between innocence and devilry, and the actress avoids any of the pitfalls that normally trap child actors. After shooting his last film “Tangerine” solely via iPhone, Baker employs Alexis Zabe’s alternately intimate and expansive cinematography here, capturing the beauty and disintegration of the vacation spot in a way that will make it impossible to see Orlando in the same light.
