Sunday 4 March 2018

Top 17 Film Moments of 2017

I suddenly had the idea to do a top film moments post like I once did a few years ago, in order to keep a record of some other films I liked outside of my top 10. For some reason I felt the need to do it before the Oscars, so I've rushed through the list in one evening.

Spoilers, obviously (I tried not to include spoilers in the pictures):


17. Split: Ending

Split would’ve been a perfectly entertaining film without the ending, but that ending made it just that extra bit special. We find out that James McAvoy’s character, nicknamed The Horde, has escaped and is on the loose. First we hear the familiar music. Then we see a news report about him in a diner, where someone talks about a similar case from 15 years ago – the “funny guy in a wheelchair. What was his name?” “Mr. Glass” says a voice behind her – it’s none other than Bruce Willis! And for the first time we realise we’ve been watching a sequel to Unbreakable.


16. Coco: Remember Me

Terrified of losing Hector to the ‘final death’, Miguel rushes to his great grandmother’s side, begging her to remember him. But Mama Coco can barely make out what he’s talking about, let alone remember anything. His family surround him, demanding he explain himself and apologise, when he picks up his guitar and, voice trembling, begins to sing Remember Me, the song Hector had written for her. Mama Coco’s face lights up, and she starts to sing along. It suddenly got very dusty in the cinema for the people sitting around me.




15. Lady Bird: Cafe Hug

When Lady Bird barges into her boyfriend Danny making out with a guy in the bathroom and crosses his name off the wall in her room, we don’t think we’ll see him again. Onto the next guy, probably. But he comes back to the cafe that she works at, and awkwardly starts talking about how his grandma missed her at Thanksgiving. She cuts to the chase and blurts out, “You’re gay!” In a panic, he begs her to not tell anyone, explaining that his parents don’t know and he needs time to figure out how to tell them. Her expression switches to a compassionate one in an instant and they embrace as he starts to cry. In a film with plenty of beautiful little moments, this one stood out to me the most.



14. Killing of a Sacred Deer: Sacrifice

Unable to choose which one of his family members to sacrifice, Colin Farrell’s character seats his wife, daughter and son in the living room, covers his face with a beanie and spins around, randomly firing his rifle until someone is killed. I was enjoying the unfolding horror (quite satisfying after watching them speak in such a robotic, monotone manner throughout the whole film), but this scene was bananas.





13. A Fantastic Woman: Through the Wind

Marina, a transgender woman, loses her lover to a sudden seizure and is unable to even attend his funeral because of the family’s unacceptance of her. It’s a powerful film with a mesmerising performance by Daniela Vega who plays Marina with strength and dignity that trumps the cruelty of the people around her. In one of several surreal, dream-like scenes, the wind blows with such intensity as she walks down the street, and in fighting against it she tilts practically paralleled to the ground. It’s a beautiful moment that briefly puts us into her shoes.


12. Logan: Opening Massacre

There are several touching and also shocking moments in Logan, but I’m going to pick the opening scene. Logan, drunk and tired-looking, wakes up to a group of thugs attempting to steal parts from his car. He tries to speak to them but they shoot him. Of course, he gets back up and those claws come out like we’ve seen so many times before. But it’s nothing like we’ve ever seen before. He tears them apart – literally, limbs are torn off – and we’re treated to claws piercing skulls and graphic sounds of blood squirting.




11. The Last Jedi: Throne Room Fight

There were many moments I particularly enjoyed in The Last Jedi, from the opening bombing sequence to the battle of Crait, but my favourite has to be the fight in Snoke’s throne room where Rey and Kylo fight the Praetorian Guards. Against a crimson red backdrop reminiscent of Kurosawa’s Kagemusha, Rey and Kylo, on the same side and standing back to back, engage in a gorgeously choreographed battle ending with Kylo using Rey’s lightsaber to burning a hole through the head of one of the guards.



10. Wonder Woman: No Man’s Land

“This is no man’s land. It means no one can cross it”, explains Steve Trevor. The battalion has been there for a year and they’ve barely moved an inch. “We can’t save everyone in this war”, he tells her. But of course, that’s not Diana. In a surprisingly moving moment, she throws off her jacket and storms across no man's land. The music soars as she defects bullets in slow motion, and the rest of the soldiers start to follow. It’s the birth of Wonder Woman.



9. I, Tonya: Did You Do It?

We’ve been watching Tonya Harding go through shitstorm after shitstorm, so when her abusive mother, who has never shown an ounce of anything resembling love towards her daughter, comes knocking on her door offering a hug while the press have surrounded her home, we’re genuinely moved. “Did you do it?” she asks just as she’s leaving. Our hearts drop as she reveals the tape recorder strapped to her. It’s the moment you realise it really is her vs the world.



8. Dunkirk: Gliding Spitfire

In one of the film’s most moving moments, Farrier’s (played by Tom Hardy) spitfire runs out of fuel and floats across the sky waiting for the engine to give out. Down below the soldiers are ecstatic as the evacuation has begun. Then everyone’s joy turns to dread as a German plane descends on them. But Farrier isn’t done yet. He shoots the plane down with the last of his ammunition and cheers erupt. He glides across the beach, window open and propellers still, until he is inevitably captured.



7. Blade Runner 2049: Casino Fight 

Blade Runner 2049 is filled with iconic shots, but my favourite scene is the fight between K and Deckard in the abandoned casino. They throw punches at each other (actually it’s pretty one-sided) surrounded by flashing strobe lights and glitchy holograms of Elvis and bright yellow feather-costumed dancers. It’s a strange and beautiful scene.






6. Baby Driver: Opening

The final third of Baby Driver got a little out of hand, but it boasts the best opening sequence of 2017. Baby boogies to Bellbottoms while the rest of his crew rob a bank. It’s followed by a thrilling car chase sequence, introducing us to the world of the world of Baby Driver with a bang. The opening sequence that follows of Baby walking through the city and grabbing a coffee, perfectly in sync with Harlem Shuffle, is pretty amazing too.





5. Personal Shopper: Texting

Who knew text messaging could be so thrilling? As Maureen boards the Eurostar from Paris to London, she starts receiving mysterious texts from an unknown sender and the conversation continuing throughout the entire journey. The sender knows she’s going to London, so she has cause to be alarmed. The film has already established that ghosts are a thing, so it could be her dead brother. Watching her hesitate to press send and stare at the “…” in anticipation while the sender types, we're completely engrossed as we don’t know what to expect.



4. A Ghost Story: I Get Overwhelmed

In a film full of beautiful moments, one that stands out is the scene where Rooney Mara’s character listens to I Get Overwhelmed, the song her husband had written for her. The scene flashes back and forth from she first hears it to her listening to it now, laying on the floor alone. She almost touches the bed sheet of her husband’s ghost standing there right behind her. I quite like the song itself, and I found this to be a beautiful sequence connecting past and present, dead and alive.





3. The Florida Project: Ending

As Moonee goes about her day, she’s suddenly thrown into a chaotic situation which rapidly escalates. She’s about to be taken away from her mother and of course she doesn’t understand why. Desperate, she runs to her friend’s apartment to say goodbye and for the first time, she struggles to find the words and breaks down in tears. Then, her friend grabs her hand and together they run, run, run until they are in the heart of Disneyland. I already commented on the similarity it shares with The 400 Blows in my previous post. It’s a magical moment which also broke my heart. Shot on an iPhone like in Tangerine, you could even interpret it as a dream sequence that never really happened.


 2. Get Out: The Sunken Place

In my previous post I said that Get Out was the most iconic film of 2017. Well, this scene is the most iconic scene of 2017. Rose’s mother lures Chris into hypnosis with the soothing sound of her voice and the gentle tinkling of a teaspoon against a teacup while under the guise of helping him quit smoking. She subjugates him, sending him to the sunken place. It’s more terrifying than any ghost or monster I’ve ever seen. I’m going to cheat and include the film’s ending as one of my favourite moments as well. After surviving a barrage of attacks, Chris thinks it’s finally over as he lies collapsed on the street. Just then, a police car approaches and we’re all thinking the same thing. Until we find that it’s Rod, Chris’ best friend. It’s a clever scene which subverts out expectations.


1. Call Me By Your Name: Speech

I’m going to cheat again and include 2 moments from Call Me By Your Name, my favourite 2017 film. The first is when Elio’s father, played by Michael Stuhlbarg, gives the monologue all parents should print out and memorise. Heartbroken after having said goodbye to Oliver, his father sees Elio’s pain and gives a moving speech about being open, treasuring love if you are lucky enough to find it, and to embrace the sorrow that comes with it. The other moment is the final shot of the film when Elio, after learning via a telephone call from Oliver that he is getting married, sits by the fire and stares into it, just…feeling. His parents are in the background setting the table, letting him be. There are no words, we just watch his face as he goes through a million emotions while the end credits roll to Sufjan Stevens’ Visions of Gideon. Left me stunned in my seat.



Honourable mention: every scene in Mother!

Thursday 1 March 2018

Top 10 Films of 2017


Last year I gave up, but this year I’ve mustered up the energy to squeeze in as many 2017 films as I can before the Oscars, which is pretty tricky when you live here. I haven’t been able to see as many animations or foreign language films as I would have liked to, but I’m pretty happy with my list. So without further ado, here is my top 10:

No spoilers!


10. Brigsby Bear


This was a weird but wonderful little gem that should be a treat for anyone who loves films, or being creative in general. It’s hard to describe the plot without giving too much away, and I think the less you know, the better the experience will be. James is a young man obsessed with a kids’ TV show starring Brigsby the bear. Brigsby posters fill every inch of his room, and he records himself giving his latest Brigsby theories after each new episode. But isn’t James a little too old to be obsessed with this kind of thing? What’s going on? The lead character is sympathetic and kooky in an authentic way, and the film goes down its own unique, unpredictable path with confidence. A highly original film, funny with a tinge of sadness and a surprising amount of heart.


9. Good Time


Good Time is a high-energy urban noir film which makes you feel like you’re right in the middle of the action on the gritty, neon-lit streets of New York City, close up in the face of Connie Niklas, our highly incompetent protagonist who hastily drags you from one bad idea to the next as he tries to rescue his brother who is in prison after a heist gone wrong. The heist takes place at the beginning of the film, and the rest of the story takes place more or less over the course of a single night. It’s shot on 35mm film with a deliberate rough texture, punctured by quick camera movements and a pulsating score – all which add to the sense of panic and claustrophobia. So if that’s your idea of a good time, you’ll love this film. Robert Pattinson completely loses himself in the role of Connie, giving us the best performance of his career so far.


8. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri


It’s been 7 months since Mildred’s daughter was brutally raped and murdered, and the local police - “too busy torturing black folks” - have made no progress in their investigation. One day she comes across 3 empty billboards and decides to take matters into her own hands. The film is about anger and revenge, as well as finding peace in this cruel world. It feels like the most fully fleshed-out of Martin McDonagh’s three films with his trademark foul-mouthed, razor-sharp dialogue on full display. Somehow he manages to balance the dark subject matters with humour, and shows that no one is simply good or bad, that everyone has their demons. Frances McDormand is fantastic, making you feel the grief that is eating her up under her deadpan delivery, saying so much with few words. Wearing a jumpsuit, a bandana and accompanied by a spaghetti western soundtrack, this is a woman at war.


7. Personal Shopper


Olivier Assayas and Kristen Stewart have teamed up again after Clouds of Sils Maria, my number one pick of 2015, to create a mysterious and haunting portrait of a woman dealing with grief and loneliness. Maureen, a bereaved spiritual medium, is in Paris trying to contact her twin brother who recently passed away. They’d promised each other that whoever died first would send the other a sign. She works as a personal shopper to Kyra, a film star, picking up fancy clothes and running errands. Unlike in Clouds of Sils Maria where she shared the screen with legendary Juliette Binoche, this time she carries the film on her own, playing Maureen with subtlety and vulnerability. The camera fixates on her as she waits for a sign from her brother who may or may not be there, getting summoned to pick up some high end dress whenever Kyra pleases and tip-toeing into her empty house to leave it behind without a trace, all the while repressing her longing to try it on. At one point in the film while on a train she starts receiving eerie text messages from an unknown number. Is it from her brother? Is it a stalker? Is her imagination playing tricks on her? It’s a thrilling scene in which she acts alone. An intimate and fascinating film which has stayed with me since I saw it in early 2017.


6. Blade Runner 2049


30 years after the original Blade Runner the world is even more bleak, devastated by industrialisation and environmental collapse. The streets are overcrowded with people wearing masks because the air has become so polluted. Our protagonist, Officer K (and later, Joe) – a reference to Kafka’s The Trial – is a lonesome hero who belongs nowhere. The film honours the original, expanding on its themes of what it means to be human and the significance of memories, as well as introducing entirely new ideas of artificial intelligence that are relevant today. The film is a breathtaking work of art – with legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins at the helm - that really takes its time to soak into its visuals. It’s kind of a miracle that this film exists at all. There are so many iconic shots, from rain-soaked rooftops to dusty orange landscapes. Like in Arrival which was one of my favourite films last year, Denis Villeneuve is able to bring a sense of deep emotional truth to the visual spectacle, making this one of my favourite Sci-Fi films ever.


5. I, Tonya


I, Tonya is an unusual biopic based on multiple accounts of events that often conflict with each other. Uninterested in the one and only truth, it becomes an entertaining portrait of Tonya Harding which somehow manages to balance its dark themes of domestic violence with its lighter tones. Characters break the fourth wall for both comedic effect, and also during its toughest scenes to challenge us directly: what do YOU think? While the film depicts its many points of views and doesn’t ask us to take sides, it clearly has a soft spot for Tonya and we root for her as we watch her unable to escape the onslaught of violence, classism and tabloid frenzy, and yet refuse to see herself as a victim. The film is both funny and tragic, and also shows ice skating in a dramatic, up and close way that we don’t normally get to see. But even if you have no interest in ice skating or have never heard of Tonya Harding before, the film is a thoroughly entertaining ride with excellent performances by Margot Robbie and Alison Janney.


4. The Florida Project


While his previous film Tangerine (in my top 10 of 2015) told the story of transgender sex workers in Los Angeles, The Florida Project explores a community struggling to make ends meets, living in extended stay motels just outside the boundaries of the most magical place in the world. Like Tangerine this film is vivid and dripping with sun. But unlike Tangerine, here there is no narrative at all. We spend time with a group of kids led by Moonee during their summer holiday, running riot and mostly getting up to no good. They don’t need any Disneyland; to them, this poverty-stricken area is paradise. The film is heartbreaking and tragic, but there is also so much joy. Halley isn’t a great mother, but you can clearly see the love that she and Moonee share. It reaches an emotional climax towards the end (one of my top film moments of the year), and then closes with a scene reminiscent of the ending to The 400 Blows. Like Truffaut, Sean Baker is a humanist who finds beauty in the little details of people’s lives. He manages to draw out a stunning performance from then-6 year old Brooklynn Prince, who hilariously owns all of her R-rated dialogue. Willem Dafoe, who plays Bobby the motel manager who looks out for Moonee and co, is the only seasoned actor in the film and blends in just perfectly.


3. A Ghost Story


A Ghost Story is unlike any film I’ve ever seen and difficult to describe without sounding a bit silly. The protagonist is a (dead) man covered in a white sheet with eye holes designed to look like a child’s ghost costume for Halloween… Just as I was beginning to think it was ridiculous, it turned into a beautiful and profound experience that has stayed with me since. The title is somewhat misleading; it’s not so much a ghost story as it is a story with a ghost in it. It’s about life, death, love, loss, time, fear of change… With minimal dialogue and no facial expressions for us to deduce, it relies on its haunting soundtrack to convey the ghost’s lonely emotions.


2. Get Out


THE defining film of 2017, Get Out was released in early 2017 and the hype never died down. Jordan Peele uses the story of a black man meeting his girlfriend’s parents as a platform for a delightfully clever satire on race relations in the United States, but it’s also a hilarious, thrilling and terrifying mishmash that bends the rules of genre. As soon as Chris (a brilliantly nuanced performance by Daniel Kaluuya) and Rose arrive at the house, something is clearly off. The parents seem nice but…too nice. Something is wrong with the housekeeper but we aren’t sure what. When you finally get the twist, from there on it’s pure entertainment that never gets out of hand the way many films do, culminating in a brilliant ending. It’s scary, funny, and says something important in a truly unique way.


1. Call Me By Your Name


It’s the summer of 1983, “somewhere in northern Italy”. 17 year old Elio is staying at his family’s summer home with his academic parents. Every summer they host a graduate student who assists Elio’s father on his research; this year it’s Oliver, a 24 year old American who exudes effortless charm and leaves the room with a breezy “later!” His confidence and openness fascinates Elio and takes over his life. Elio is himself open and free, raised by his parents to explore life and discover its fruit as he pleases. He’s well-versed in literature and transcribes classical music, but he’s convinced he doesn’t know anything. They spend their days in lush, sun-drenched gardens, lounging by the pool discussing art and plucking peaches from the trees. It’s summertime and there’s no hurry to get anywhere. Elio and Oliver have instant chemistry though they’re hesitant to admit it at first. Oliver asks Elio to play something on the piano, but Elio won’t play it the way he wants him to. Without realising it, they’re flirting. All these little details build up to the moment when they finally consummate their love, and it makes you hold your breath. And with it there’s a sadness as we know it can’t last. It’s been there from the moment he arrived, in the unspoken words, the rustling leaves and spaces between them that the camera lingers on. The film is a pure and sensual masterpiece accompanied by a beautiful soundtrack. I only need to hear the first couple of seconds of Sufjan Stevens’ Mystery of Love or Visions of Gideon to start welling up. Michael Stuhlbarg, who plays Elio’s father, gives a powerful speech towards the end of the film which destroyed me. And the final shot! Timothée Chalamet should win all the awards for that scene alone. He gives a tour-de-force performance, switching from child-like and playful to wise beyond his years as smoothly as he transitions from French to English to Italian. It’s the most romantic film I’ve seen in recent years, and will resonate with anyone who’s ever been in love.