My Top 10 Films of the Year 2017

 

     So here we have it - my Top 10 Films of 2017!

     To check out my preview of this article (which lists all the films I watched last year) click HERE.

10. Dunkirk

Directed by: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, Fionn Whitehead

     Nolan finally realises his long awaited passion project on the big screen with his take on the events of the Dunkirk evacuations.

      It’s loud, visceral and at times harrowing - but much of it is also presented in a very matter of fact way. The performances and action is presented as more naturalistic and subdued which fosters the feeling of authenticity rather than overly dramatising the events.

      This tends to slow down some of the movie, despite the unsettling never-ending rising notes and ticking clock of the Hans Zimmer score – and some people may be underwhelmed by the fact that this isn’t really an action blockbuster. In fact, a lot of it is slow moving and ponderous and consists of people just waiting around – but that only adds to the lingering sense of doom and desperation hanging over the whole thing.

      The production and cinematography are fantastic – the realistic looking dog fights, hoards of soldiers scrambling to evacuate, a lone figure motionless on the hull of an upturned boat – so many beautiful and haunting images that linger long after viewing.

      I’m not sure how well it will stand up on repeat viewings but it’s definitely an experience - especially on the big screen.

Favourite Bit: So many impressive shots and technical wizardry expected of Nolan, but Tom Hardy’s final glide through the sunset is simply beautiful.

9. Blade Runner 2049

Directed by: Denis Villeneuve

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas

     I get why people think the original Blade Runner film is a masterpiece and its influence on so much of the modern sci-fi genre is undisputable. However I personally don’t regard it as an all time classic – for every awesome moment (‘tears in the rain’) there are scenes of Harrison Ford getting a touch rapey, Rutger Hauer stripping down to his boxers and howling like a wolf and the infamous ‘zoom… enhance’ coma-inducing photo analysis scene that seems to go on forever.

      Now compare that to Denis Villeneuve’s follow up. Sure, it’s rather lengthy and ponderous – but it has some of the most breathtaking visuals seen this year (courtesy of Roger Deakins), a compelling mystery and great performances. Being marketed as an action film, it’s inevitable that some would come away disappointed, but I personally dug it, though didn’t necessarily love it on first viewing. It is definitely one to enjoy once on the big screen and then again at home to pick apart the finer details - of which there are many.

      It’s a rare example of a film sequel taking the ball and running with it – opening up the world and themes established in the original – not just rehashing or only slightly adding to it.

There is so much more going on in this film in terms of theme and story, which makes the 'human vs replicant' debate of the first seem laughably simplistic by comparison. Admittedly, this is two and a half decades later so has much more in terms of material to draw from - but 2049 is so much more interesting on a thematic and even philosophical level.

      Criticisms? I also think the Blade Runner 2049 had a little too much Harrison Ford. It would have been better was if his part was just a small surprise cameo (much like another character from the original that pops up in one scene) but unfortunately the necessary evil of marketing scuppered any sense of surprise that may have had. It also could have been a tad shorter.

      Denis Villeneuve continues to impress with each outing however, his ambition and scope continually expanding with each film. This is by far his biggest and boldest vision yet.

Favourite Bit: In the nicest possible way, Ryan Gosling’s blank face is particularly suited for being a synthetic human. That being said, those strange ‘establishing baseline’ scenes where they shout at him and get him to repeat words back to them are both weird and wonderful.

8. Baby Driver

Directed by: Edgar Wright

Starring: Ansel Elgort, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx

     Baby Driver is an undeniably a stylish film. It’s confident and colourful and Ansel Elgort is great casting as the fresh faced Baby. The actual driving scenes are terrific (I just wish there were a few more of them) and also (somewhat surprisingly) there are some great choreographed musical numbers in there as well: both subtle (a gunfight edited to ‘Tequila’) and some that are almost music video like in their execution (Baby’s walk for coffee).

      The use of music is very central to the film – only at the briefest of moments does it threaten to overpower the film a little as it tends to be very loud in the sound mix. It’s a good thing most of it is made up of funkier classics rather than more recent music as it helps give the film a more timeless quality.

      The dangerously unhinged characters are fun to watch too - most notably Jamie Foxx’s ‘Bats’ - who gives certain scenes a tense Tarantino-like feel – a simple conversation can often be teetering on a knife-edge with the threat of violence.

      There are some surprises too - the whole final act is largely unexpected – which definitely keeps things interesting, just when you think you have worked out where the story is going.

      I am a big Edgar Wright fan but if I’m being honest though, Baby Driver doesn't quite hit the emotional highs of his ‘Cornetto trilogy’ - perhaps his then writing partner Pegg helped bring some extra humanity to the central characters - which we could have done with a smidgen more of here.

Favourite Bit: The awesome complexity of the ‘Baby goes to get coffee’ sequence. It’s mindbogglingly good even if it’s impossible to catch all the clever details packed in there in just one viewing.

7. Spider-Man Homecoming

Directed by: Jon Watts

Starring: Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr.

     What a nice surprise – a superhero movie that functions competently as such despite being one that is dialled right back. Homecoming is more modestly budgeted and is set on a smaller scale but actually benefits so much more because of it. Forget the action scenes and spectacle of the film – these moments are decent enough – but it’s not really the area in which this film excels.

      Tom Holland’s take on Peter Parker is endearing right from the off, which means you share in his enthusiasm and end up actually being invested in his trials and tribulations rather than the overly mopey Maguire and Garfield incarnations before him. It’s probably the first Spider-Man film where I’ve actually given a damn about what happens.

      Thankfully there is not another unnecessary origin story retrot to get out the way, and Homecoming serves to dovetail neatly into the existing Avengers stories without feeling overshadowed by them – similar to how the appearance of Tony Stark serves to compliment the film (and bolster the plot) more than overpower it – and that’s no mean feat.

      And I haven’t even mentioned yet how Homecoming is genuinely funny, how the cast is diverse, likeable and feels real – and that the high school actually feels like a high school and not just a collection of fresh faced adults lazily re-enacting clichés. Everyone’s motive is relatable (even the villain’s) which makes the whole thing - especially within this genre - so refreshing.

      Best superhero movie of the year? Perhaps not. Best teen high school movie of the year? Absolutely.

Favourite Bit: The surprise twist toward the end of the movie that’s both well disguised and legitimately adds greater conflict to the plot at the crucial moment.

6. Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Directed by: Rian Johnson

Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver

     So you must have heard just how divisive this film has been. I think most of the criticisms levelled at this film have stemmed from various avenues that have all strangely collided together: nostalgia, over reliance on classic story tropes of good vs evil and the hero’s journey, the unresolved framework set up by Episode VII, internet fanboyism and even shades of toxic masculinity.

      I neither have the time or inclination here to get into a detailed defence of the film, but here is one thing that’s true: this film is really subversive. It actively plays against so many things that people expect a Star Wars sequel to be and do, and as a result this has displeased a lot of people - more often than not as a kneejerk reaction to the sudden change - especially the hardcore Star Wars fans. And I totally understand this.

      But personally, I think it’s great. We've had a retread of the familiar already in Episode VII (which people also complained about at the time) and now that the franchise is genuinely branching out and doing something different and *gasp* progressive with its story and themes it’s actually exciting – and this is coming from a lifelong Star Wars fan.

      This whole debate that still seems to be raging on the internet even at the time of writing is endlessly fascinating to me but I haven’t even talked about the actual contents of The Last Jedi yet – so after three viewings, here’s a quick summary. The occasional odd moment of humour and the Canto Bight excursion seem far less bothersome on repeat viewings, the execution (but not necessarily the inclusion) of Leia’s 'flight' scene still sits a bit funny with me (given the passing of Carrie Fisher last year), the shortchanging of Phasma and Admiral Akbar is inexcusable; and the somewhat contrived nature of how Holdo’s character is presented in terms of serving the narrative could have used a touch more finesse. And there is one particular needless cut away edit in the throne room scene that kills some of the momentum. But that is literally it with my gripes of the film. The rest of it is lengthy, but pretty damn good.

      As for all the changes the film makes that have caused people to profess: 'well it's not my Star Wars!' I can only shake my head. Change is good for this franchise. Episode VII played it really safe. Did you really want the same thing over and over again? A retread of The Empire Strikes Back? How introspective and well written The Last Jedi is (though so many enraged 'fans' might argue otherwise) is perhaps the biggest surprise of the year. The force has become mystical and philosophical once again, rather than the just monochrome good vs evil concepts. Luke Skywalker's arc is fascinating as it works within not just the confines of this film, but ties in with the old trilogy as well as bolstering the themes and character arcs of the rest of The Last Jedi so well.

     It's not a perfect film, there are always going to be a fair few questionable moments - but Star Wars is finally getting to go off into a an unknown direction and has become truly exciting again because of it. Just like Kylo Ren said: "It's time to let the past die..."

Favourite Bit: The culmination of the throne room scene. Up there as being one of the ‘jump out of your seats’ cinematic moments of the year.

5. Guardians Of The Galaxy: Vol. 2

Directed by: James Gunn

Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista

     Ok, time to be controversial once again. I think Vol.2 is a better film than the original GOTG. It has a more interesting antagonist, great themes of fatherhood/family running through it, it’s consistently funnier; and let’s face it - baby Groot is way more fun than adult Groot. The darker moments can be really dark (the airlock scene for example), but the uplifting moments are upliftingier. It’s basically giving you more of what was great in the first film (more Drax, more Yondu) as well as introducing new characters such as Mantis - whose childlike naiveté is sweet and funny in equal measure. They even manage to make Nebula endearing at times – a character that was pretty one-note in the original.

      Aside from moments like the Taserface joke wearing a bit thin after a while, Stallone’s somewhat wobbly acting in his cameo and the CG fest that is the final showdown; it’s all really great stuff. It’s a touch more brash and confident than the first outing, seemingly enjoying being less tied (for the moment at least) to the Marvel Universe's wider story of Thanos and the Infinity Stones. And it's still got those wonderful sequences set to great tunes.

Favourite Bit: I’m a sucker for great father and son moments so the ‘playing catch’ scene made me well up the first time. But of course the best moment has to be ‘I’m Mary Poppins, y’all!’. It manages to be humorous, tension-breaking and heart-warming all at once before seamlessly transitioning into that awesome circling hero shot of the whole gang as the music swells triumphantly. Cinematic perfection.

4. The Lego Batman Movie

Directed by: Chris McKay

Starring: Will Arnet, Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson

     So what may initially have seemed like just a lazy cash-in after Lego Batman (a minor character popping up in the 2014’s The LEGO movie) proved to be the break out hit - is actually anything but. This film isn’t just for fans of LEGO – I would say it’s more for fans of Batman: it just happens to be told through the medium of LEGO.

      There has never been a showcase for Batman so stuffed full of references and call-backs to a whole host of his different guises over the year – from his previous films, comics, cartoons and TV Series. This film is made by Batfans for Batfans.

      Of course kids will love the colours and the action and all things on a superficial level, but there is so much more going on under the hood. The story is very different from any Batman story you've seen before and yet it fits thematically with the core of who the character of Batman is: his loss of his parents at such a young age not only causes him to become a crime fighter with great abs, but also one who is incapable of connecting emotionally with anyone around him. Hence his relationship with newly adopted son Dick Grayson (played with perfect wide eyed camp by Michael Cera), his bromance with The Joker, his adopted father-figure Alfred and how he views those in positions of authority (Barbara Gordon and the GCPD). It’s largely played for jokes but manages to be really heartfelt at times too.

      Will Arnett has quite possibly become one of my favourite interpretations of Batman – a narcissistic gloryhog who still manages to be a hell of a lot of fun to be around despite constantly pushing everyone away.

      Also a host of other Warner villains making their surprise appearances are a real treat that I did not see coming.

Favourite Bit: The look on joker’s face when Batman lays it out for him is heartbreaking. “You mean nothing to me…”

3. Thor: Ragnarok

Directed by: Taika Waititi

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett

     Following last year’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople (which has quickly become one of my favourite films of all time) – when director Taika Waititi was announced to take the reigns of a big budget Marvel property – I knew we were in for something special.

      Ragnarok miraculously manages to breathe new life into characters that were – let’s face it – some of the most dull of the Avengers. Thor has become a genuinely likeable goof now (compared to his comparatively straightforward first and second outing). And even Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo in fine nervy form) is made hilariously appealing in this.

      But the best part is that it doesn't all come as a jarring transition – the seeds were certainly there in Joss Wheadon’s earlier Avengers films - those aspects just seem to be naturally magnified, as if the character has (shock!) actually grown and matured since then. The Thor and Loki dynamic is wonderfully developed too – again it doesn't seem to come from nowhere – a genuine extension of what we have seen from them before – and it works so well here. You believe the history between the two not just because of how great they bounce off of each other here – but also because you have already witnessed their development across all these films.

      Elsewhere, Ragnarok is colourful, has a great synth-laden score and satisfying in its action set pieces. Cate Blanchett wonderfully camps it up as the villain – though her subplot tends to be a bit wafer thin when Thor isn’t around - and Karl Urban manages to steal the show again in his intro (and exit) to the film.

      In fact, the humour plays such a big part that it very occasionally threatens to derail any sense of seriousness and stakes - but when we are having this much fun does it really matter? Oh, and I haven’t even mentioned Jeff Goldblum at his Goldblumiest and everyone’s favourite rock monster Korg – voiced by Waititi himself.

Favourite Bit: The surprise showdown with the Hulk in the arena. If only they had managed to keep that quiet (yet again the marketing of the film made that impossible), that would have been one hell of a reveal.

2. La La Land

Directed by: Damien Chazelle

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone

     Woah - another divisive one. The backlash this film got was also incredible. I know many people who downright loathe this film. But guess what? I don't care. This film has heart – and the hard work and passion put in by Chazelle and the two leads are self-evident. I guess it has just been another victim of the awards season hype machine and people being let down because of unreasonable expectations of what they thought they were getting.

      Sure there are some throwbacks to the golden age of musicals – but that’s all they are: throwbacks and homages – it’s not the sole blueprint of the film on which it’s to be judged on. La La Land is actually a weird postmodern rom-com which just happens to feature some musical numbers, some fantasy elements, excellent chemistry between the two leads and an unexpected and bittersweet ending. I guess people seem to hate what they can’t put in a box.

      It’s no doubt ambitious: the single take scenes are astonishing, the music by Justin Hurwitz is excellent – and it’s all done on a comparatively small budget and production – but because of all the awards attention I guess people were expecting this to be some huge blockbuster musical event movie – it definitely isn’t. After the one-two of Whiplash and this, Chazelle continues to be a director to watch.

Favourite Bit: So many awesome moments. The ending montage sequence, Sebastian’s jazz solo, Mia’s audition song... But for me the opening musical sequence is what sets the bar high right from the off. Technically impressive, especially given the location (in the middle of the day on a busy Los Angeles freeway!) and the fact that it’s presented as a single take with dozens of choreographed extras – such a joyous opening to a film.

1. Get Out

Directed by: Jordan Peele

Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford

     I’m a fan of Key and Peele’s comedy sketches. Though this is written and directed by one half of that duo Jordan Peele – it is of course a different beast. However the DNA remains evident: a normal-ish premise, flipped onto its head to bizarre extremes, and then sent barrelling into the horrifying absurd. A lot of the joy of the film is just watching Daniel Kaluuya’s reaction to things happening around him. It’s nice to see old Tealeaf getting bigger parts now – he certainly deserves it.

      Though the race angle is innately politically charged, it also plays on other fears – the awkwardness of meeting your partner’s parents for the first time, the feeling that people are not quite being themselves, repressed traumas being dragged to the surface. Everything boils slowly up to the next level before revealing its hand to show something else entirely has been going on.

      It's a film with such great details that warrants several repeat viewings to spot them all. The first time you are just along for the ride (the best way to watch this movie is to go in not knowing anything about it at all) - and it's the subsequent viewings thta help you pick apart the myriad of ways it’s so beautifully put together. The foreshadowing, the overarching themes, the embedded symbolism, understanding with the benefit of hindsight why people were acting so strangly the way they did.

      There is plenty of dark humour – but also just enough lighter comedy moments to help lift the whole thing – mostly coming from best friend and TSA champion Rod.

      On paper this whole thing might look absolutely bonkers, but in Jordan Peele’s deft hands he simply makes it work. Get Out is a scary, funny, politically relevant, absurd, tense, mysterious and a fantastically acted and wonderfully written film. It's unlike anything else I have seen this year.

Favourite Bit: In terms of being a moment of sheer terror, beauty and then simply ‘oh shit’: The whole scene building up to “Now you’re in the sunken place…”

Honourable mentions

      These are films that didn't quite make the Top 10 but really do deserve a shout out. In alphabetic order these are:

A Monster Calls – A nice mix of fantasy and heartbreaking family drama. Great performances and great CG – it’s especially gorgeously animated during the ‘storytelling’ segments. It’s a shame this didn't get the attention it deserved on release.

The Handmaiden – Another twisty-turny psychosexual drama from the masterful Chan-Wook Park. Doesn't quite reach the heights of Oldboy and Stoker in my opinion but the production is top notch and the way language is used (half in Korean and half in Japanese) is clever.

Logan – Finally doing the character some justice in just how visceral and downright feral Wolverine should have been portrayed since the beginning. That being said this is not really a superhero movie but a straight up western. As a result it often languishes in its pace and feels strangely out of odds when the more traditional superhero film elements start to creep back in toward the end. But it's a great final performance from Hugh Jackman and the young girl in it (Dafne Keen) is astounding.

War For The Planet Of The Apes – A great continuation of this new Apes saga that manages to continue thematically as well as story wise, whilst also managing to reinvent itself yet again – this time as a post apocalyptic war movie.

Wonder Woman – Finally, DC make a good superhero film! Wonder Woman takes its time to show its humanity and despite the occasional miss-step (notably the final showdown) it is a great watch, with Gal Gadot easily winning us over both as selfless hero and naive fish out of water. Chris Pine is great too.

      Well, that’s it for my Top 10. Agree? Disagree? Let me hear your opinions!

      Stay tuned for The Alternative Awards for 2017 films – coming soon!

You can also check out Top 10 film lists for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 by clicking the relevant date!

27th Dec 2017