10. “The Disaster Artist”
Oh hai Oscar! James Franco may have just given the best performance of his entire career with his role as the man, the myth, the legend, Tommy Wiseau. Franco looks, walks, chuckles and “oh hai” exactly like Wiseau. It got to the point that it felt as if Wiseau himself was actually in the movie rather than Franco. While it’ll be hard to top the likes of Daniel Day-Lewis (“Phantom Thread”) and Gary Oldman (“Darkest Hour”) for the top honor, I hope the Academy recognizes Franco’s performance with a Best Actor nomination. Aside from Franco’s spot on emulation of Wiseau, “The Disaster Artist” as a whole, wows with both hilarity and emotional complexity, as it swings the pendulum between tragedy and a lighthearted, humanizing portrait of friendship and the love of filmmaking. Above all, “The Disaster Artist” is a feel-good celebration of being unique and doing it what it takes to achieve your “all-American” dreams, as cliche as it may sound.
9. “Good Time”
An acid trip spiked with neon colors, an electrifying atmosphere and quick tempo, the Safdie Brothers’ “Good Time” injects pure fuel into viewers’ veins. Despite an almost two-hour runtime, the film’s unhinged pacing hits like a freight train and contributes to an incredibly visceral experience. Nonetheless, there’s honestly no precise way to describe the film’s essence and the flurry of emotions that rush through you when sitting through “Good Time,” except that it sucks you in and doesn’t let go. With the help of a spellbindingly synthesized score from electronic music pioneer Oneohtrix Point Never, it’s clear why critics at Cannes showered “Good Time” with praise. Amidst this neon-drenched joy ride, we finally witness the acting prowess of Robert Pattinson. With an engaging and nail-biting storyline to play off of, Pattinson takes his acting to a whole new level with a role that will recall Al Pacino in “Dog Day Afternoon.” If it was ever in question before, Pattinson’s performance as a sleazy criminal on the run with an undying love for his mentally challenged brother (Ben Safdie) should put such doubts about his talent to rest.
8. “Call Me by Your Name”
There is an immense difficulty when attempting to grasp the affecting nature of Luca Guadagnino’s “Call Me By Your Name” but I will try considering how high it is on my list. During one of the film’s dinner scenes, a guest of the Perlman’s’ remarks: “Cinema is not a reflection of reality, but a filter for it.” These words suit Guadagnino’s film nicely, as “Call Me By Your Name” resonates as an idealistic yet heart-wrenching memory, but actualized by verdant Mediterranean scenery postured just right against a charming story of a burgeoning first love. With that being said, “Call Me By Your Name” is a magical coming of age drama that reflects first-time experiences and what it means to be alive, free and simply in love. But the type of romance prescribed to this film is not a sad or tragic one, it’s a rather peaceful one, as the smoldering dynamic between Oliver (Armie Hammer) and Elio (Timothée Chalamet) is all about the initial feeling of falling in love — tethered to the moment and ignorant of what the future may hold for them. This beautiful portrait of first love and queer sexual awakening, married perfectly to the sensual Mediterranean summer is an instant modern classic.
7. “mother!”
Back in September, I, like many others, grew excited and admittedly a little scared of what Darren Aronofsky had in store with his latest project. After seeing “mother!,” I came away with all expectations fulfilled and quite frankly, surpassed. I must say, Aronofsky is definitely back to his old discomforting self with a masterpiece heavily defined by its character dynamics, subtle escalation, shocking tone shift and an indescribable visceral power. Having said that, I almost succumbed to a full-on anxiety attack at the film’s climax. Before experiencing “mother!” I never knew of a movie that could ever do that. As I write this, I find difficulty in discussing the film’s merit given its overtly offensive and unsettling nature. While this may sound like the film is devoid of meaning, it’s quite the opposite. It is a film that was so deeply unsettling and upsetting, it accomplished exactly what good art tends to do — it challenges the norm. Aronofsky’s latest divided the masses and will continue to do so down the line, but there’s no denying how monumental of an achievement this film really is. If Aronofsky’s intent was to strip all comfort from viewers who dared to embark this challenging film, he certainly succeeded as he submerges his audience in a bloodbath of daring imagery and philosophy. “mother!” is a film that will forever leave audiences haunted in a state of disrepair.
6. “World of Tomorrow Episode Two: The Burden of Other People’s Thoughts”
“There is an unparalleled, existential magnitude to Don Hertzfeldt‘s storytelling ability, a striking force that is once again experienced through a brief yet piercing time frame of 22 minutes in Don Hertzfeldt’s short animation, “World of Tomorrow Episode Two: The Burden of Other People’s Thoughts.” Hertzfeldt’s latest outing is yet another marvelous endeavor brimming with unadulterated visual poetry and philosophical ponderance. Bolder visually and more thematically abstract than the first episode, Herzfeldt this time around, experiments with the pains of dwelling in the past and the necessity of moving forward and creating new memories — a more optimistic philosophical musing compared to the morose underpinnings of its predecessor.” — From my full review
5. “Lucky”
“Lucky“ is a film perfectly nuanced for Stanton but executed in its full potential by none other — it’s a sobering portrait dedicated to one of cinema’s greatest actors. With a role as ordinary as it may appear on the surface, Stanton manages to transmit an entire career built upon levity and a downtrodden appearance into this ornery old cynic nicknamed Lucky. Stanton frames this existential experience by infusing his pronounced stoic grace. Yet behind his stamped ice-cold impassivity, Stanton presents more than who he was as a performer. He reveals the human being he became, enlightened and ready for his time to pass while exemplifying emotions associated with solitude and the compulsory anxiety of confronting the end of existence.” — From my full review
4. “Lady Bird”
Greta Gerwig’s dramedy, “Lady Bird” is a hilarious and equally touching portrait of humanity. It celebrates what it looks like to accept the worst version of yourself, but also what it looks like to strive for the best version. Along the way, Gerwig’s solo directorial debut acknowledges the unconditional love of those who accept you through these extremes. With this in mind, “Lady Bird” undoubtedly possesses the biggest heart of any film released in 2017. Saoirse Ronan, with unfettered conviction and a fiery display of humor, represents the misfit toy within all of us, the rebel without a cause, that one square peg trying to fit its way into an overwhelmingly round hole. Through the discovery of love, sex, popularity, rejection and the anticipation of college, Ronan’s impassioned character embraces the essence of a typical coming-of-age journey — yet, simultaneously supersedes these coming-of-age banalities with one of the most unique but ultimately resonant expressions of emotion encountered on the silver screen in 2017. Christine ‘Lady Bird’ McPherson is that someone nobody thought would amount to anything, but in reality, extraordinary. Extraordinary by just being who they are and unafraid of what others will think of them in doing so.
3. “The Killing of a Sacred Deer”
Aside from the abhorrent presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” prevails as one of the most twisted experiences of 2017 — except, in a good way. A grisly dark comedy, a nail-biting thriller and a compelling tale of morality, the Greek auteur’s third film takes time to process. Purposefully absent of emotion, it’s hard to grasp exactly why the absurd events on screen unfold in such a discomforting manner, as Lanthimos, in his typically disquieting demeanor, swarms our moral compasses with a brooding and inescapable dilemma. With this to say, Lanthimos presents his viewers with a display of beautiful yet lingering shots of eeriness that contrast perfectly with the film’s tangible, suffering aura. Within this foreboding atmosphere, “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” occupies this fascinating and bizarre space between irony, horror and tragedy. It’s a sickening pleasure to watch, as the film’s initial sense of commonplace etiquette crumbles with inhumane rationale and a despairing ultimatum at hand. For these reasons and many more, “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” is Yorgos Lanthimos’ most remarkable and disconcerting project yet, one that presents the director as a progressing talent as he, alongside his viewers, attempts to recognize the veiled absurdity of society, one we fail to realize on a day-to-day basis.
2. “A Ghost Story”
Despite experiencing its magnetism over six months ago, “A Ghost Story” directed by David Lowery stood the test of time and came away as what I consider to be, one of the best films of 2017. Now, if you have seen “A Ghost Story” for yourselves, you would know that it’s an incredibly acquired taste. For starters, Rooney Mara eats an entire pie for what seems like forever and Casey Affleck’s ghostly presence strolls around with a bed sheet ladened over his body for almost the entirety of 92 minutes. Of course, the film is very slow and it’s difficult to grasp exactly why this is the case. But as the film lingers along, you soon realize that this is not a traditional film, but more of an ethereal performance art piece. In this regard, the cosmic, untethered energy brimming from the film’s 4:3 framing initially challenges, but eventually eases its way into your heart and floors your emotions once you realize its thematic balladry. Keeping this in mind, “A Ghost Story” is not only about mourning, but is about human existence, time and genuine love that transcends it all. “A Ghost Story” embraces its own absurdity, demands the patience of its viewers, yet rewards with sublimity, and if you can endure a slow yet meditative paced atmosphere and existentialism, you will come to realize why “A Ghost Story” is such a necessary viewing. While it may be small in budget, lacking in substantial dialogue and in plot conventionality, David Lowery’s indie success makes up for it in emotive power. It tests one’s patience, but rewards with an earth-shattering resolution to the plot’s cosmic deliberation, resulting in an experience detached from the confines of reality, a feeling few films gave me in 2017.
1. “Twin Peaks: The Return”
“Bonsai!” Go ahead, rush to the comment section with your hate-filled rants, because this folks, is the single greatest form of artistic expression from 2017. While “Twin Peaks: The Return” is a prescribed continuation of the TV series that ended over 25 years ago, ‘The Return’ does not conform to any previous mode of television, including its two prior seasons. With that being said, ever since Cahiers du Cinéma named David Lynch’s latest masterpiece the best film of 2017, it made me really reconsider whether ‘The Return’ was more of a show or film. On that basis, it is my belief that the latest installment of “Twin Peaks” transcends both modes of visual expression at a pioneering level of intricacy and execution. Many will crucify me for demeaning the medium of television as an art form equitable to film, but with this amount of depth, the sophistication of character development, non-linear storytelling and the level of patience required for the numerous dialogue-less segments, what is experienced during the episodes’ 18 hours is hardly just television, it is quite the cinematic experience actually. Aside from being an anomaly to what is considered television or even film, ‘The Return’ is unique in that it is the apex of an unparalleled artistic vision that has spanned decades — it’s everything that Lynch has been working towards his entire career — his magnum opus. ‘The Return’ recalls the surreal, almost absurd aura of “Eraserhead,” the sense of middle-class suburbia of “Blue Velvet” and then last but not least, the flashing images of twisting roads and nightmarish dream sequences synonymous with “Mulholland Drive” and “Lost Highway.” What Lynch has bestowed upon us is not a rehash nor a nostalgic trip into the sleepy town of Twin Peaks circa 1990 — this is a different beast entirely. It’s dark, it’s meditative, it’s everything that makes Lynch the greatest artistic mind of our time. When critics and art historians look back on “Twin Peaks: The Return” decades from now, it will be remembered as a visual spectacle that challenged the definition of both film and TV. It will be remembered as an offensive, but beautiful masterwork — an ambitious endeavor unlike anything of its time. Thank you David Lynch, “for not going soft where it counts” and gifting us your most bold and single greatest work yet.
