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I watched two-hundred and forty seven movies this year. Here are my top 19 and bottom 7 picks for the year. This is based simply on the movies I watched this year, not on what was released this year.
Check out the previous year-end reviews.
I frequently forget to catalog the best scenes, but The Conjuring 2 nun scene stands out.
The Top 19 of 2017:
Atonement (2007)
Written by: Ian McEwan (novel), Christopher Hampton (screenplay)
Directed by: Joe Wright
Starring: Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Saoirse Ronan, Romola Garai, Vanessa Redgrave, Juno Temple, Brenda Blethyn, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alfie Allen,
Rated: R
Plot
Thirteen year Briony changes the course of several lives when she falsely accuses the son of her family's servant and her sister's lover of rape.
Verdict
This is one of those movies that does everything right. It's an incredible movie, everything one should be. It tells a sweeping story that makes you feel something, while being completely engrossing and deserving of all praise. It's bleak and depressing but powerful, aided by brilliant cinematography. Each frame, each shot is framed with purpose.
It's the opposite of a romance movie, in this two lovers are continually separated while Briony lives with the guilt of one fateful decision.
Beauty and the Beast (1946)
La Belle et la Bête
Directed by: Jean Cocteau, René Clément (uncredited)
Starring: Jean Marais, Josette Day, Mila Parély
Rated: --
Plot
A young woman is kept prisoner by a mysterious beast that wants to marry her.
Verdict
This may be the best example of a fairy tale translated to a live action film. It's a beautiful black and white film that's well made despite the low budget and social unrest of the time.
The Ice Storm (1997)
Directed by: Ang Lee
Starring: Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood
Rated: R
Plot
Set in the 1970s, two dysfunctional upper-class Connecticut families escape their lives through alcohol, adultery, and sexual experimentation.
Verdict
While it's a dour movie, it captures people phenomenally well. Great direction and writing draw parallels between adults and children. They're both trapped, searching for an escape. The difference is that adults don't have anyone to admonish them. This has a distinct charm and great imagery set against an incoming ice storm. Why can't these characters find happiness?
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)
Directed by: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
Starring: Roger Livesey, Deborah Kerr, Anton Walbrook
Rated:--
Plot
The story of Major-General Clive Wynne-Candy as he rises up the ranks of the British military.
Verdict
It's an amazing movie, indeed a classic. We start with a blustery old general and the movie shows us how he became as such through his military service, friendships, and loves. It's quite a transformation that brings the movie full circle. It's a sprawling and sentimental story featuring great acting and direction. This is how you tell a story.
Sully (2016)
Written by: Todd Komarnicki (screenplay), Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger and Jeffrey Zaslow (book)
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Laura Linney
Rated: PG-13
Plot
Based on the true story, pilot 'Sully' Sullenberger became a hero after landing a plane with two blown engines on the Hudson River, saving all passengers and crew.
Verdict
A great script that knows exactly what to do and when. It focuses on the event and the Captain, Sully, without getting bogged down. It's intense, heartfelt, and vindicates Sully from the suits that weren't there, that think you can simulate a life or death situation. It's an incredible movie that hits the right notes.
Children of Men (2006)
Written by: Alfonso Cuarón & Timothy J. Sexton and David Arata and Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby (screenplay), P.D. James (novel)
Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón
Starring: Julianne Moore, Clive Owen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Caine, Charlie Hunnam, Danny Huston
Rated: R
Plot
In 2027, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman in a chaotic world where women are infertile
Verdict
What a great movie. It's got a dystopian story with a unique twist. Everything else builds on the story, with amazing sequences of war, tense chases, and great story arcs. It's a movie I wanted to watch again as soon as it ended due to the depth. It explores war, immigration, and religious symbolism without intruding upon the main story.
The Godfather (1972)
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton
Rated: R
Plot
Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) assumes control of his family's organized crime syndicate from his aging father Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), the Godfather.
Verdict
Is this the greatest movie ever made? Yes.
It's the epitome of film. It does everything a movie should while exploring an unknown world. It's expansive & sprawling, creating riveting characters with a smart script, and the dialog is sharp.
We delve into this world of crime and it feels real because it focuses on the characters. It's a family drama with high stakes.
There's a reason it's become ingrained in popular culture. It presents some of the best anti-heroes ever to grace the screen and nearly all the lines of dialog are worth quoting.
From the story to the acting and directing, it doesn't miss a beat. It's incredible.
Werckmeister Harmonies (2000)
Werckmeister harmóniák
Directed by: Béla Tarr, Ágnes Hranitzky
Starring: Lars Rudolph, Peter Fitz, Hanna Schygulla
Rated: --/PG-13
Plot
A circus featuring a giant whale and a mysterious man named "The Prince" arrive at an isolated village and incite violence.
Verdict
This is a film buff type movie because it's not typical by any means. Scenes start before the action and often continue after. It's in black and white and looks like a movie from the fifties. Scenes with a single character and a giant stuffed whale achieve depths that movies with two humans can't reach. It's haunting and mesmerizing, depicting a city and it's inhabitants where frustration erupts in violent fashion. We see this through the eyes of János. The movie is imbued with a tenderness, an amount of care you rarely see. The score by Mihály Vig is amazing, I couldn't help but continue listening to the main song throughout the credits and after. It's an amazing movie and I can only try to explain why.
Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
Directed by: Mel Gibson
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Hugo Weaving, Luke Bracey, Vince Vaughn
Rated: R
Plot
WWII American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss became the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot. He refused to touch a weapon, serving during the Battle of Okinawa.
Verdict
A great war movie that borders on too visceral for the violence, but the courage and constitution of Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) is nothing short of impressive. With a fair amount of setup, the payoff at Hacksaw Ridge is a riveting experience. It's a grand scale and it looks good with some neat cinematography. Filled with more than a few great scenes, a solid performance from Garfield doesn't hurt.
Moonlight (2016)
Written by: Barry Jenkins (screenplay), Tarell Alvin McCraney (story by)
Directed by: Barry Jenkins
Starring: Mahershala Ali, Trevante Rhodes, André Holland, Janelle Monáe, Ashton Sanders, Naomie Harris
Rated: R
Plot
Moments in the childhood, adolescence, and adulthood of an African-American, gay man growing up in a rough neighborhood of Miami.
Verdict
Few movies capture such emotion and introspection. It's a small movie with a big impact. Conversations that are little more than a few words, hold your interest hostage. This movie trusts the viewer to pay attention and the actors to convey emotion. This leaves a lot to speculation, but doesn't leave anything unanswered.It's about a guy just trying to find his way in the world, and how small moments feed larger ones, dictating the trajectory of one's life.
Silence (2016)
Written by: Jay Cocks & Martin Scorsese (screenplay), Shûsaku Endô (based on the novel by)
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Liam Neeson, Ciarán Hinds
Rated: R
Plot
In the 17th century, two Portuguese Jesuit priests travel to Japan in an attempt to locate their mentor, who is rumored to have committed apostasy, and to propagate Catholicism.
Verdict
This movie is absolutely incredible, not to mention this is a Scorsese movie. The story explores religion and what it means to be merciful. The paradox faced by the characters is whether it's right to deny your religion to save others, and yourself, from pain and torture.
The imagery is stunning, and while it could be called slow, this is a movie that pushes you to ask questions instead of watching moving images.
Lone Star (1996)
Written by: John Sayles
Directed by: John Sayles
Starring: Chris Cooper, Elizabeth Peña, Matthew McConaughey, Kris Kristofferson, Ron Canada, Joe Morton, Frances McDormand
Rated: R
Plot
When the skeleton of a former sheriff is found, Sheriff Sam Deeds unearths secrets about his father and others in this Texas border town.
Verdict
Slick editing and structure reinforce concurrent stories that span two generations, intertwined but fully developed. The writing is impressive. A mystery ties everything together, but this also explores legacies from one generation to the next. The mystery is the spark that reveals the past and forces characters to confront it. Every action comes back around by the end. Every scene has meaning and purpose, and that's rare even in good movies.
The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)
Written by: Seth Grahame-Smith and Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers and Jared Stern & John Whittington (screenplay), Seth Grahame-Smith (story by), Bob Kane & Bill Finger (Batman created by), Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster (Superman created by), William Moulton Marston (Wonder Woman created by)
Directed by: Chris McKay
Starring: Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson, Ralph Fiennes, Zach Galifianakis, Jason Mantzoukas, Conan O'Brien, Zoë Kravitz
Rated: PG
Plot
Batman vows to solely vanquish the Joker once and for all, but ends up adopting a son in the process and learning a little bit about family.
Verdict
With an incredibly clever script, it's fully entertaining for kids, but meticulously crafted to entertain adults. The script exploits the common Batman and Joker foibles, breaking down who Batman is and his character flaws. The movie is insightful, but always entertaining. It's rare for a movie to work so effectively on multiple levels. The LEGO Batman Movie does it effortlessly.
Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)
Written by: Marc Haimes and Chris Butler (screenplay), Shannon Tindle and Marc Haimes (story by)
Directed by: Travis Knight
Starring: Charlize Theron, Art Parkinson, Matthew McConaughey, Ralph Fiennes, George Takei, Rooney Mara
Rated: PG
Plot
A young boy named Kubo must locate a magical suit of armour worn by his late father in order to defeat the vengeful spirit of his grandfather.
Verdict
The stop motion animation is beautiful. It's an absolute work of art. Coupled with the intimate story, the quality of this movie is off the charts. The way the conclusion handles the bad guy is unlike anything I've seen and very touching. This is a great movie that crafts each scene to create a visual and emotional experience.
Snowden (2016)
Directed by: Oliver Stone
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Melissa Leo, Zachary Quinto, Nicolas Cage, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Olyphant, Lakeith Stanfield
Rated: R
Plot
The NSA's illegal surveillance techniques are leaked to the public by one of the agencies' employees, Edward Snowden, in the form of distributed documents to the press.
Verdict
It's an amazing movie. The story alone is staggering and the film is expertly crafted. I'm sure its dramatized to a large degree, but I've watched Citizenfour and the big plot points are all correct. This provides a great sense of the dots connecting even if Snowden doesn't realize it's all building to the end.
Blade Runner (1982)
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Starring: S Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos, Daryl Hannah
Rating: R
Plot
A former L.A. cop takes on a job as a blade runner, pursuing and terminating four cybernetic replicants who stole a ship in space and have returned to Earth to find their creator.
Verdict
This is an undeniable classic. From it's portrayal of futuristic L.A. and noir style to the ultimate question of what it means to be human, the success of this sci-fi movie relies on all the parts coming together perfectly. The cast is excellent and the visuals remain striking. The question that remains, is Deckard a human or replicant?
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Written by: Hampton Fancher and Michael Green (screenplay by), Hampton Fancher (story by), Philip K. Dick (based on characters from the novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?")
Directed by: Denis Villeneuve
Starring: Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas, Robin Wright, Wood Harris, Jared Leto, Mackenzie Davis
Rating: R
Plot
A young blade runner's discovery of a long-buried secret leads him to track down former blade runner Rick Deckard, who's been missing for thirty years.
Verdict
This an engrossing movie that builds upon every thing Blade Runner (1982) did. While it completely stands on it's own, seeing the original adds a lot of value. I like the way the mystery and revelations unfold better in this as it focuses on what purpose and meaning add to life. This isn't just asking what it means to be human, but what it means to be alive.
You could freeze any frame and have a gorgeous image. Care and detail is apparent in every aspect of this film, and the world just feels bigger as we explore outside of L.A. too. As I watched this I thought surely it can't be better than the original, but I have to conclude it is. I did just see the original too so this isn't recency bias. 2049 is a fantastic movie that manages to expand on the themes of the original while not being a copy. It's approach is completely engrossing and unique.
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Directed by: Irvin Kershner
Starring: Mark Hamill , Harrison Ford , Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, David Prowse, Frank Oz, Jeremy Bulloch
Rated: PG
Plot
After the rebels are overpowered by the Empire on their newly established base, Luke Skywalker begins Jedi training with Master Yoda. His friends accept shelter from a questionable ally as Darth Vader hunts them in a plan to capture Luke.
Verdict
Episode V is much darker than Episode IV, but it has a focus on action that keeps the pacing tight. I like it more than IV because it also firmly establishes the characters and their motivations while correcting some of the shortcomings. The characters have a real sense of fear and the tension remains high.
There are more than a few iconic scenes and lines of dialog. The creativity and craft of Star Wars is always impressive. The designs of the machines and characters endure as does the imprint of this series. This is the rare sequel that surpasses the original. It also looks good, the cinematography is a step above, and it should be. There are some great sets to see.
It's been many years since I've seen this, and I didn't realize just how good it is.
Coco (2017)
Watch the trailer
Written by: Lee Unkrich & Jason Katz & Matthew Aldrich & Adrian Molina (original story by), Adrian Molina & Matthew Aldrich (screenplay by)
Directed by: Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina (co-director)
Starring: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt
Rated: PG
Plot
Stymied by his family's ancestral ban on music, aspiring musician Miguel ends up in the Land of the Dead, searching for a way out and a means to play music.
Verdict
An incredible movie that's packs an emotional punch and a well crafted story that explores fame, family, and ambition. Pixar is a master at imbuing scenes with feeling and emotion. That and making a movie that entertains adults and children simultaneously. Miguel is chasing his dreams inspired by a celebrity, but he discovers the celebrity unscrupulously got to the top. It's a story that kept me engrossed, but this has enough humor and impact to entertain everyone.
The Bottom 7 of 2017:
Coin Heist (2017)
Written by: Emily Hagins, Elisa Ludwig (based on a novel by)
Directed by: Emily Hagins
Starring: Sasha Pieterse, Alex Saxon, Alexis G. Zall
Rated: TV-14
Plot
Four teens plan to break into the U.S. mint and steal $10 million dollars in an effort to save their high school.
Verdict
The premise is thin, as are the clichéd characters. There's never any urgency or fear of failure, despite a few feeble attempts. This isn't a movie, it's an outline for a movie. Someone forgot to fill in the details for the character development and the twists in the plot. There's nothing driving this movie.
The Girl on the Train (2016)
Directed by: Tate Taylor
Starring: Emily Blunt, Haley Bennett, Rebecca Ferguson, Justin Theroux
Rated: R
Plot
Rachel, still recovering from a divorce, becomes entangled in a missing persons investigation, the neighbor of her ex-husband and his new wife.
Verdict
While Emily Blunt does a great job in the role, the story falls rather quickly. It set's up her character as potentially crazy then provides a silly explanation as a lackluster conclusion that makes very little sense if you think about it at all.
Sleepless (2017)
Directed by: Baran bo Odar
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Michelle Monaghan, Dermot Mulroney, Scoot McNairy, David Harbor, Gabrielle Union
Rated: R
Plot
A cop playing both sides of the law makes a deal with a nightclub owner to recover his kidnapped son.
Verdict
This feels a lot like a Jean Claude Van Damme '90s action movie with the poor plot and thin characters, but Sleepless has fewer splits and leg kicks. This follows the rule of cool whether it makes sense or not, but it's not even that exciting. It completely fails at being cool. The consistent lack of logic is agitating.
It keeps a quick pace at the lack of building Jamie Foxx's character. A few scenes that provided insight into the protagonist would have helped build tension, but this is a shallow film with stupid characters that make illogical choices.
Lucid Dream (2017)
Loosideu Deurim
Watch Lucid Dream on Netflix
Written by: Kim Joon-Sung
Directed by: Kim Joon-Sung
Starring: Ho-jin Chun, Soo Go, Suk-ho Jun
Rated: TV-MA
Plot
In this Korean language film, an investigative journalist tracks his son, abducted three years ago, through the use of lucid dreaming techniques.
Verdict
While the dream sequences make this unique, it also makes me wish this had the fantastic design and scale of the dreams from Inception (2010). Stripping the dreams from this make it more logical, but also robs it of any attempt at excitement. This is a bland mystery movie dressed up with sci-fi.
The Leisure Class (2015)
Watch The Leisure Class on Amazon Video with a free HBO 7-day trial
Written by: Pete Jones, Jason Mann
Directed by: Jason Mann
Starring: Ed Weeks, Tom Bell, Bridget Regan
Rated: TV-MA
Plot
Debonair Englishman William is about to marry Fiona, an East coast senator's daughter, but William is really a con man and his ruse begins to unravel when his brother shows up at the wedding.
Verdict
The story is terrible. Imagine Wedding Crashers (2005), but take away the comedy, charismatic actors, interesting plot points, and anything else you consider good about Wedding Crashers, and you'd be left with this. It's incredibly derivative, and you'll swear you've seen a movie just like this before. Pairing a slick con-man with his obnoxious brother is a tired concept and made worse when that's all this movie has to offer.
All of the big production arguments were inconsequential. The directing is adequate, which is a surprise.
Naked (2017)
Watch Naked on Netflix
Written by: Rick Alvarez, Cory Koller, Marlon Wayans, Mårten Knutsson & Torkel Knutsson (based on an original story by)
Directed by: Michael Tiddes
Starring: Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans, Neil Brown Jr., Dennis Haysbert
Rated: TV-MA
Plot
Marlon Wayans plays man-child Rob who wakes up naked in an elevator an hour before his wedding. He scrambles to reach his destination only to discover that he's reliving that same hour over and over again.
Verdict
It's incredibly derivative. Naked has no ambition, content to recycle tired jokes and pull out random sub-plots as needed to prop up the story. It's Groundhog Day (1993) stripped of nuance, feeling, and intelligent writing. It's bad on it's own right, but being a lazy rip off makes it all the worse. There are many, many time loop properties done so much better.
The Comedian (2016)
Directed by: Taylor Hackford
Starring: Robert De Niro, Leslie Mann, Danny DeVito, Harvey Keitel, Edie Falco, Cloris Leachman, Billy Crystal, Charles Grodin
Rated: R
Plot
Aging insult comic Jackie Burke (Robert De Niro), best known for his role as Eddie decades ago on 'Eddie's Home' books middling gigs trying to make ends meet.
Verdict
There is no reason for this movie to exist. You could take it in so many directions, a comedian that's been left behind by life and technology, an out of work actor trying to shed his typecast image, or even how stars are exploited and forgotten. Instead, this movie does nothing. Jackie isn't after something, and he doesn't want anything. Jackie has no point other than fill space on the screen and to deliver roasts that are not worth the words used.
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