Top 15 Best Films of 2017

I know we're two month into 2018 at this point, and I'm sorry for being late on this, but you have to understand something...making this years list was hard.  There were so many quality movies that I seriously considered stretching my list by another five.  I ultimately decided against that because to do that two years in a row would cheapen the whole point of occasionally expanding it (and make it so I'd hate to make a Top 15 worst list next year), so I heed and hawed, brainstormed, and agonized over what had to eventually be bumped from the number 10 slot too the number 11 when a last minute addition had to be made (Spoiler: "The Big Sick" sadly lost that battle).  Then, I saw a couple of last years releases late, had to redo the list, and couldn't bring myself to leave certain movies off it.  So, here we are at fifteen again.

Also, another slight saving grace is that a movie that I had one point included on the list was discovered to NOT be a 2017 movie, but rather a 2016 release that most theaters just happened to get very late.  Had I seen it in time it would have been on last years list, but I also understand why it can't technically be on this one.  So we're going to give it a special mention so that it gets some recognition on this list.  Before that though, here are the movies that just didn't quite make the cut:

Coco
Dunkirk
In This Corner of the World
War for the Planet of the Apes

Note: Many of the reviews for these movies have not been written due to major writers block.  The list will be updated with the reviews as I catch up over the next few weeks!

I loved this film so much, that when I discovered it technically didn't qualify for inclusion of this list, I bent over backwards just to make sure I could put it on here.  Foreign and independent animation really but up all the American films we got this year (sans "Coco"), and I was reminded over and over just how deep animated films could be.  "Your Name" was not only one of the most heartbreaking and emotional experiences of the year, it was one of the most beautiful as well.  Since MoviePass only allows us to see a movie once, I find myself doing just that for most everything I see.  With "Your Name" I not only saw it a second time in theaters, I saw it a few days after I saw it the first time.  It really bothers me that I can't give this a numbered spot, but that speaks more to studios who don't know how to handle a release of something really good (probably because the movie market is extremely unforgiving to unique experiences like this).

10. Baby Driver
Director: Edgar Wright

Who would have thought that the musical would evolve into a high stakes, acid trip crime thriller?  Only Edgar Wright would be that forward thinking.  Everything about this movie is a blast to witness.  From the excellent soundtrack, to perfectly directed action scenes, to editing is beyond brilliant.  Cap it all off with a universally excellent cast (and yes, that includes Kevin Spacey), and we have a movie that is delightful and fun on every level I can think of (maybe some levels I haven't [ho ho]).

9. The Shape of Water
Director: Guillermo del Toro

Guillermo del Toro has always had a fascination with monsters.  He has claimed many times that monsters are good to him.  They were his friends when he had none, and he couldn't understand why so many people hated stories of them.  I believe his goal in making "The Shape of Water" was to make a movie that could be embraced by the very people who hate monsters.  By giving us a love story where a human woman finds a connection with a monster, he may have just accomplished that goal.  While on the surface this looks like a horror movie, it is actually a tender love story about two outcasts that society has deemed "broken."  The movie may have caught audiences attention because of the stunning visuals, but it has stayed with them because of it's heart.

8. The Breadwinner
Director: Nora Twomey

7. I, Tonya
Director: Craig Gillespie

The Tanya Harding scandal is one of the most famous in figure skating history, but potentially may be one of the most misunderstood.  Or, maybe it isn't, as the movie is certain to point out that the people in question make for inconsistent storytellers.  What is very consistent is a movie that uses dark humor, violence, and just a bit of truth to remain fascinating to watch and wildly entertaining.  It may not be the most objective biopic you are going to see, but it proves just how much fun subjectivity can be.

6. Phantom Thread
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

5. Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi
Director: Rian Johnson

4. Lady Bird
Director: Gretta Gerwig

"Lady Bird" is an interesting choice for me to put on this list, because in retrospect it is practically a care free movie.  It is about a teenage girl who has a good life and seems to secretly resent it, looking outside of her hometown of Sacramento, CA (a city near and dear to my heart) for a bigger life.  What makes it so great is that it has a great understand of how teenagers view the world, how they seem to misunderstand their own situation, and how they find out quickly that the real world does not mesh with their idealized perception of what it will be.  That is does so with instantly likable characters that are usually funny in the most human way you can imagine.

3. Blade Runner 2049
Director: Denis Villeneuve

In a world where studios dig up any old movie that has even a whiff of a cult following, I think I speak for many that I was waiting for the day for one of these shameless cash ins to utterly flop at the box office, sink like a stone, and make all the studio heads realize that dusting off an old IP is not going to guarantee you box office success.  And this year it finally happened.  Audiences stood up and said "NO!  We will stop shilling out money for movie sequels that are thirty years too late!  Enough is enough!"  The only problem with this now is, well...they picked the wrong movie to stand up to.  Because "Blade Runner 2049" is not only the sort of sequel we need in theaters, but it is the rare science fiction film that is intelligent and thoughtful.  It is also a rare movie where special effects are used in service to the story and setting, not just the action scenes (of which there are few). 

I still can't figure out what went wrong.  It makes one's head spin to know that "Justice League" made a lot more money than this (and that was considered a box office bomb...imagine the returns on this).  What is most disappointing is not only are we unlikely to see a sequel like this, but after the fans turned their heads on the equally daring (if not quite as brilliant) "Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi," I think its safe to say we will NOT be seeing anymore ground breaking science fiction films for a LONG time!  I mean, seriously folks, just look at both these movies.  They aren't cheap to make, so if you don't embrace them the studios won't make more like them.

2. Three Billboards of Ebbing, Missouri
Director: Martin McDonagh
Starring: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Genre(s): Drama
Rated: R (For violence, language throughout, and some sexual references)

"Three Billboards of Ebbing, Missouri" is a movie that first makes you angry.  Then it makes you frustrated.  Finally, it makes you sympathetic.  There was much made about the supposed politics of the film.  Was it about racism?  Was it about an unsolved murder?  Was it about a woman who felt powerless and misheard in a male dominated world?  I think it touches upon most of these themes, but ultimately, this feels like a film about people who are trying to make sense of the world the best way they know how.  The abrupt ending left many people leaving the theater asking "what's was that about?"  The funny thing is if you really stop and think about it, I think it has more to say in its silence than any words could say.

1. The Insult
Director: Ziad Doueiri
Studio: Diaphana Films
Genre(s): Drama
Rated: R (For language and some violent images)

"The Insult" might use the setting of a conventional courtroom drama, but it's story rings more true today as more and more people let their prejudice dictate who they are and aren't friends with.  It is also a powerful statement that words both have tremendous power, yet also only have the power you give them.  All while giving us a script worthy of those words.  Unlike any other film I've seen this year, "The Insult" is the one movie to truly understand that people may be similar in many ways, but hold onto past sins to an unhealthy level.  In America we have those issues, but no one seems ready to admit that yet.  Thankfully, foreign countries are starting to do some serious soul searching, and I actually feel honored that some of those countries are making movies seriously tackling the issues in ways that are thought provoking and accessible to everyone.

And that is 2017. Will 2018 result in me going beyond ten films again?  We'll just have to wait and see!