Top 10 Films of 2017
Met with incisor flashing rage, 2017 in film was a kaleidoscope of havoc. Features were challenging, uncompromising, and investigative of the human condition.
Atomic Blonde
The film leans heavily on Charlize’s charisma, director David Leitch’s action chops and its killer soundtrack (David Bowie, Depeche Mode, Queen, George Michael, etc.) to keep the fuel going.
Dunkirk
It is without a doubt his most accessible work — blending in his jumbling narrative style with a traditional, though unrelenting plot. Still, in places it is surprisingly intimate, something most Nolan fans likely haven’t seen since Memento (2000) well over a decade ago. This is paired with a tone of total chaos and terror that inevitably falls to sentiment.
Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary
Trane’s career was short, but the influence is still felt today. Scheinfeld worked overtime to put together a documentary that has the blessings of the Coltrane family, but does not soft-pedal the mercurial saxophonist.
Doomsday Films: A Compendium
The end of the world may or may not come. That Mayan calendar thing turned out to be nothing, Y2K did not cause planes to fall from the sky. Television and tent revival preachers have been predicting the end of days for generations. It may be the second coming, a rogue comet hurtling toward Earth, nuclear annihilation,
or any of many other options.
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is not the absolute feminist dream–no Hollywood blockbuster could be–but it’s what we’ve been waiting for. It’s devilishly witty, sexy, fierce and passionate. Superheros always stand for something–it’s what most of the DC films have been missing and, on some level, something the Marvel films have overdone.
Churchill
Much has been said about British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. From his articulate and fiery maxims to his dogged strategies and tortured reluctance during World War II. Giant, voluminous biographies have been written about the man.
The Wedding Plan
Here, the narrative speaks boldly: Without someone giving you adoration, you are without reason. This is sort of regressive belief system plagues the movie’s rather frustrating 110 minute run-time.
Obit
What is an obit? Director Vanessa Gould lets the writers speak for themselves. Though the answer is not as divisive as others, there are still misconceptions related to the field.