I only wished I had seen all the great films people are talking about, from the historical drama Mudbound, (available only on Netflix) the animated foreign film The Breadwinner, Gary Oldman at his best in Darkest Hour, the indomitable Christopher Plummer in All the Money in the World, Darren Aronofsky's controversial mother! and the last hurrah for Daniel-Day Lewis in Phantom Thread. As with my previous list despite the low theater attendance there were five fantastic flicks that proved to be the best of the best.
In case you missed it, check out what made my Honorable Mentions and Worst List.
"I want my films to be life-affirming, even a film like Trainspotting (1996), which is very dark in many ways. I want people to leave the cinema feeling that something's been confirmed for them about life"
-Danny Boyle
Old habits die hard, even after twenty years. Many look at Blade Runner 2049 as the long awaited sequel but for me that movie is T2: Trainspotting. This should not have worked, the original Trainspotting from 1996 is a masterpiece even with Danny Boyle back as the director along with the same cast and crew. What more could be said? Surprisingly, a lot. Just like the song "Semi-Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind, amidst the lies, sex, violence, and drugs is a sense of trying to find meaning. Even after making a right decision can old wounds ever heal? Is redemption far out of reach? What's the point of changing if life only gets worse? T2 does not sugarcoat the ugly side of life and admittedly is a lot to take in. Human nature can be cruel, repulsive, and pessimistic, but given the chance, atonement, even if it can't fix everything, can still be within reach.
4). The Post
"I want to tell stories that will, in years to come, be of some value and be a kind of marker - not in the history of me as a filmmaker, but in the history of the subjects I'm interested in."
-Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg is truly one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. Expanding in various genres from action (Indiana Jones), science fiction (Minority Report), thrillers (Jaws), drama (Schindler's List) or just for kids (Tiny Toons) the man has done it all. When it comes to historical drama they are no exception with Amistad, Schindler's List, Munich, Lincoln, Bridge of Spies and his latest The Post prove it. A captivating political thriller on the publishing the Pentagon Papers that detail the government's involvement in the Vietnam War. A timely story reminding the power and freedom of the press. Meryl Streep as publisher Kay Graham and Tom Hanks as head editor Ben Bradlee give the performance of a lifetime. Special shout-out to Bob Odenkrik as journalist Ben Bagdikian who collected the pentagon papers for The Washington Post. A great companion piece to All the President's Men and with Hollywood obsessed with making a cinematic universe, a historical one doesn't sound like a bad idea.
3). Get Out
"The scariest monster in the world is human beings and what we are capable of, especially when we get together."
–Jordan Peele
Every year we have that movie that deals with race and equality; stories that continue and need to be told but who would have thought that the most powerful one would come from a Blumhouse production (the same company that brought us Paranormal Activity, The Purge, and Insidious). The Horror genre never ceases to amaze me; we had not one but two frightfully fantastic films that offered more than just scares. Whereas IT succeeds on a supernatural level, Jordan Peele’s Get Out takes a different approach with the genre showing how man itself can be more terrifying than a dancing clown, a killer doll or a behemoth wearing a hockey mask. This Horror/Satire takes what looks to be a familiar premise and flips it on its head, all while retaining the theme of the horrifying lengths of the human mind; upon re-watch there are layers that I noticed are creepily realistic. A modern day parable worthy of Alfred Hitchcock; not bad for a comedian in his directorial debut.
2). Paterson
"The beauty of life is in small details, not in big events."
-Jim Jarmusch
How can one describe life? Beautiful, depressing, even agonizing. Paterson is that rare movie that captures it. The day-to-day life of a bus driver from rising every morning to work, hearing the conversations of his passengers, being with his girlfriend, walking the dog at night and writing poetry in his spare time. There are no aliens, explosions, superheroes, soap opera drama, or a secret villain here. Maybe that is why audiences didn't check into it since it doesn't follow the standard movie formula even for an indie. This would have made it it number one but like A Monster Calls it's technically a 2016 movie that didn't get a wider release til early 2017. Regardless, it makes my list as one the best films of the year. Paterson is a true masterpiece and Adam Driver proves to be one of the best actors of this generation.
1). Dunkirk
"Reality is messy, nothing is as simple as fishermen jumping in rowboats and picking up troops, but the reality of what actually happened on that beach and across the channel is one of the great stories."
-Christopher Nolan
What is it that I look in movies? Entertainment? A means of distraction? A moment to turn off my brain? Absolutely, but I also look at movies that go beyond that. Movies that have something to say other than to entertain. Movies that make me think. No other movie stuck with me than Christopher Nolan's war epic Dunkirk. What happened that fateful day on Dunkirk beach was truly miraculous. A true cinematic experience that put's you in the movie from the score, cinematography, visual and sound effects you feel that you are there; dodging enemy fire, flying through the skies and sailing through the shivering sea. In many respects each of these films portray life from a different angle whether fact or fiction: dazed nostalgia (T2: Trainspotting), a code of ethics (The Post), downright horror (Get Out) and appreciation of the small things (Paterson). With Dunkirk I see hope amidst the cruelty and chaos that occurs in this world. Is it painful? Yes. Frustrating? Definitely, but like life, it is not without inspiration. Dunkirk is a celebration of the human spirit working together for survival, victory and future. An uplifting tale needed in this day in age.
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