Oscars weekend is finally here! Tomorrow night the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences will crown its 90th Best Picture of the year out of a group of nine nominees, but before they do that, for the 5th consecutive year(2013, 2014, 2015, 2016) my brother Andrés and I present our lists of the 10 Best Movies of the Year. Once again we're including a group of honorable mentions, unranked in my brother's case, and ranked from 11-20 in my case.
From our Top 10 lists this year, we agreed on five films, and in a repeat of last year, only one of those is a Best Picture nominee, Get Out. Again like last year, my brother has one additional Best Picture nominee in his Top 10, Lady Bird, and I have two more, Call Me by Your Name and Dunkirk. Continuing the 2016 repeat theme, this year I also have seven movies on my Top 10 list that received at least one Oscar nomination, and my brother once again has five such films.
From the group of snubs, there is one film that we both included in our Top 10s, and that was Brigsby Bear. My brother has another film that got totally snubbed by the Academy in his Top 5, I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore, and I have two such cases in my Top 5, with A Ghost Story and Columbus. But in another repeat from last year, those same films that the Academy snubbed but one of us championed were also left off from the other's list here. At least I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore made my list of honorable mentions. Where's the love for A Ghost Story and/or Columbus, my brother?
That's why doing these lists is so much fun for me. Even among brothers who might share some similar tastes you'll find some major disagreements as to what the best films of the year were. For example, this is the 3rd year in a row where the #1 movie on my list doesn't even make it into his Top 10(all his #1s have made my Top 10s for now). But it's also great when we agree on a certain film that deserves more attention than the Academy or the general public gave it throughout the year. Examples of that include Short Term 12 in 2013, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in 2014, and Sing Street just last year. This year the one film that made both our Top 5s is The Florida Project, which only received one Academy Award nomination, but we both agree deserved a lot more. It just came out on Blu-Ray, so check it out.
On that note, why don't you check out our lists for the 10 Best Movies of 2017, starting with my brother's group and then mine so you can see with which one of us you agree/disagree the most. Enjoy!
Andres's picks ...
Honorable Mentions
- Call Me by Your Name
The scene near the end when Michael Stuhlbarg lectures his son on love and life was a personal favorite of mine this year.
- Molly's Game
Aaron Sorkin just knows how to entertain us by simply talking, a remarkable skill in and of itself.
- The Shape of Water
Solid overall movie that checks off the most boxes this year, which is why it has so many Oscar nominations, but will it win in the big categories? I personally think there are better picks in each of those categories.
- The Glass Castle
Better Woody Harrelson performance this year, yet he got nominated for Three Billboards.
- Battle of the Sexes
Better Emma Stone performance than last year’s Oscar winning La La Land.
- Brad's Status
Ben stiller gives perhaps his best performance in underrated writer/director Mike White’s movie.
10) Ingrid Goes West
One of the better dark comedies in a while that cuts through today’s obsession with social media like a freshly sharpened knife.
9) Logan Lucky
Ocean’s Eleven meets Nascar. One of the funnest movies of the year and the better heist movie compared to (ended up being overrated) Baby Driver.
8) Brigsby Bear
Brigsby Bear is a movie that taps into everybody’s creativity and makes you want to go out and do something (whatever you’re passion may be). But more importantly, I think it stresses being yourself and not seeing anything wrong with it.
7) The Big Sick
Great supporting performances by Ray Romano and Holly Hunter (Hunter a particularly bullshitty Oscar snub) took this already funny, smart, and witty romantic comedy with great heart to a whole new level.
6) Dina
This movie (I call it that, cause it doesn’t matter whether you think it’s a documentary or a feature) had me laughing, crying, smiling and giving me all the feels from start to end. It won the Grand Jury prize at Sundance for Best Documentary for a reason. Dina is the best romantic comedy of the year.
5) I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore.
There’s a trend for Sundance winners as this film won the Grand Jury prize for feature films. We have all been Ruth (Melanie Lynskey) at some point in our lives, the Charlie Brown-esque character that’s been picked on so much she eventually snaps and fights back and gives the finger to all the a-holes in the world. Madness ensues and the final 20-30 min are the most entertaining of almost any movie this year. Macon Blair is an up and coming storyteller to watch!
4) The Florida Project
The best coming of age movies don’t necessarily need to about anything or need something big to happen, just show people BEING. The Florida Project gets this, and its beauty is simply in showing us the lives of the residents of this motel.
3) I, Tonya
Propelled by a superb leading performance (seriously Margot Robbie gives the best performance of any actor this year) and great supporting work by Allison Janney and Sebastian Stan, I Tonya delivers on all levels. Like something out of the Scorsese Goodfellas/Wolf of Wall Street playbook, with the narration of our leading man/woman executed perfectly to navigate us through the sad yet captivating life story of Tonya Harding.
2) Lady Bird
If Margot Robbie gives the best performance of any actor this year then maybe Saoirse Ronan comes in 2nd (Holly Hunter 3rd). I’m trying to remember the last time I saw a mother/daughter relationship better executed on film, and I couldn’t think of one. Lady Bird is not just another teen movie, it shows amazing depth in all the right places of the everyday lives of teenagers.
1) Get Out
Lady Bird and Get Out were really 1A and 1B in my book, but i’m putting Get Out at my top spot for the fact that it feels like a movie more pertinent with the times and the fact that it was released in February and we’re still talking about it today. That’s awesome! More of this Academy. Stop rewarding a movie just cause it got released closer to Oscar season! Get Out as a movie I believe hits all the right uncomfortable buttons that trigger discussions across social media everyday in our current Trump-ish climate, but it’s also brilliantly done by Jordan Peele, and all the little easter eggs he hides that can be found on repeat viewings speak to his mastery of the subject matter.
And now, my picks ...
Honorable Mentions
20) I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore.
19) Raw - giving a whole new meaning to the term "finger food"
18) Marjorie Prime
17) Coco - Pixar does it again!
16) Princess Cyd - hidden gem that's not-so-hidden anymore since it's now on Netflix
15) Mudbound - Dee Rees is definitely one to watch!
14) The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
13) The Shape of Water
12) Professor Marston and the Wonder Women - much better Wonder Woman film than that other one that everybody saw
11) Lady Bird
10) Dunkirk
Another IMAX stunner from Christopher Nolan! This movie puts you right in the middle of the action with top-notch filmmaking on every level. The score, the sound, the editing, the production design, the visual effects, the cinematography. I mean, everything. Nolan's unique vision is on full display here, and for that he was finally rewarded with his first career Best Director nomination. Can't wait to see what he comes up with next.
9) Brigsby Bear
The most inspiring movie of 2017. A simple story about a guy following his dreams. In this case that dream is to make a movie about the main character from a fake TV show that was produced solely for him by the couple who abducted him when he was just a child. Once James (Kyle Mooney) is freed from captivity, he has trouble adapting to the real world without his favorite show, "Brigsby Bear Adventures". So he decides he's gonna take matters into his own hands and make a "Brigsby Bear" movie himself. Because anyone can do it. It's that simple, folks. This movie couldn't have come at a more perfect time for me.
8) Get Out
A brilliant blend of horror, comedy, and social commentary from first-time director Jordan Peele. It became a pop culture phenomenon almost instantly, and remained that way for the entire year. It now has a chance to pull off a shocking win for Best Picture at the Academy Awards tomorrow night, becoming only the 2nd horror film ever to do so if it happens. Who would've thought that was possible all the way back in February 2017? Even if that doesn't happen, this film's place in history is secure. It is the #1 ranked film from the consensus of year-end critics Top 10 lists.
7) The Big Sick
A delightful romantic comedy based on the true story of how its writers, Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani, met and fell in love. There's lots of laughs, unique family dynamics, and medically-induced comas. You know, something for everyone. The cast does a great job, particularly Ray Romano and Holly Hunter as Emily's parents, who first appear at the half-way point of the film and after that are the best thing about every scene they're in.
6) I, Tonya
There are certain films that I know I'm gonna love just from watching the first trailer. I, Tonya was one of those films. The thing is, it surpassed the lofty expectations that I had going in. The script, the editing, the costumes, hair & makeup, the performances, all phenomenal! This one had me laughing as hard as I ever did in any 2017 film, but by the end it had me in tears. Margot Robbie is the real deal folks. Hers was the best female performance I saw in 2017. Well deserved Oscar nomination. Too bad the film got overlooked for Best Picture.
5) The Florida Project
Speaking of the real deal ... Sean Baker. He's the visionary director behind this wonderful film. A bare-bones, no frills look at the "hidden homeless", the folks who are struggling to keep a roof over their heads and food in their kids' mouths on a weekly basis. We see this world through the eyes of 6-year old "Moonee"(Brooklynn Prince in an instant classic child performance), who spends the summer break causing trouble for residents of the Magic Castle motel, and its manager "Bobby"(perfectly played by Willem Dafoe), who always has everyone's best interests at heart.
4) Logan
On the 1-year anniversary of its premiere, here I am writing about this brilliant film. This one immediately goes to the top tier of the Superhero genre. What a perfect send-off for Hugh Jackman, and Patrick Stewart as well, as they wrap up their 17 year run in the X-Men franchise. But this film goes way beyond anything that the franchise had previously accomplished. This film's screenplay is terrific, dealing with heavy subjects such as time, our mortality, our violent natures, father & son/daughter relationships, and timely subjects such as immigration as well. It definitely deserved the nomination it received for Best Adapted Screenplay, the first ever for a Superhero comic book adaptation. Too bad that that was the only nomination it got, as this film's production value was on par with all the best films of the year.
3) Columbus
And the award for Best Debut film, in the "Year of the Debut Director", goes to Kogonada for his masterful work on Columbus. On the surface this is a very simple film, but every frame, every shot, every second of this film is the most beautiful it could've possibly been. This one has staying power. As more and more people discover it it will only grow in esteem. The main characters(played beautifully by John Cho and Haley Lu Richardson) are regular people, flawed individuals even who happen to make a connection with one another, something that everybody can relate to. Except the members of the Academy I guess. It's a shame that they always arrive at nominating visionary directors about 10-15 years after they already did their best work(Christopher Nolan and Guillermo Del Toro this year, for example). I'll be excited to see how Kogonada manages to top this excellent debut, and I'm willing to bet right here and now that in less than 10-15 years he'll be a Best Director Nominee.
2) Call Me by Your Name
Speaking of directors with a singular vision, no one does Italian-set, erotically-charged romances better than Luca Guadagnino. This film transported me into its setting more than any other in 2017. The cinematography, the design of that villa, the 80's wardrobe, the score, the sound. Every aspect of that production felt fully alive. Then on top of that you add some great performances, especially from Timothée Chalamet as "Elio", who falls in love with his father's assistant, "Oliver"(Armie Hammer), and you get one of the best films of the year. That ending by the fireplace, after "Elio" and "Oliver" say goodbye over the phone, is the closest thing I've seen to the Heath Ledger "Jack, I swear" ending in Brokeback Mountain. But just like that film, Call Me by Your Name is gonna fall just short of winning Best Picture tomorrow night.
1) A Ghost Story
For a while there I wasn't sure about this pick. I certainly didn't expect that this film was gonna become my favorite film of the year when I sat down to watch it the first time. But then by the end credits I couldn't move out of my seat. I was completely entranced. This movie either grabs you, or it doesn't. I get that it might not be for everyone, but it definitely was for me. I watched it a second time to confirm my initial reaction, and it got even better. I noticed a few details I had missed on the first viewing. The third time was even better than that. Director David Lowery has created a simple, yet powerful meditation on mortality, time, and the connection to those we love and the things in life we just can't leave behind. It's The Tree of Life meets The Sixth Sense. It's a perfect film. The Academy totally ignored it, but the critics sure didn't. It finished at the #10 spot from the consensus of year-end critics Top 10 Lists. Listen to the critics on this one. Listen to me. Give this movie a chance
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