We have finally emerged from the doldrums of life to write this long, long, long delayed piece, six months in the making by the print date. But hey, the long lead time just gives us more time to sample the many films 2017 had to offer, and isn't it always better not rush into rash decision-making (noted by non other than... Jay-Z)? To note, one of our top 5 picks got the sweet end of this deal, as curating this year's list was a hard nut to crack! To get things going, honourable mentions for the year have to go to James Mangold's Logan and Denis Villeneuve's Blade Runner 2049.
For Logan, the loose adaptation of the famous 'Old Man Logan' stroyline would never have had the emotional impact it delivered without the long continuing lore of the X-Men film franchise and the virtuoso performance of Hugh Jackman in his ninth and swansong(?) appearance as Wolverine. Meanwhile, it's been mentioned around here before that we weren't a big fan of Ridley Scott's original Blade Runner, and while Villeneuve sequel is still bogged down by the similar slow-moving story and 163 minutes runtime, 2049 is a superior film than its predecessor in action and spectacle alone, while I can confidently say that it is the most visually stunning film we have ever set eyes on in a cinema screen.
Without further ado, let's get on with the show!
Baby Driver
"He's done it again. Edgar Wright's latest is the perfect marriage of choreographed song and action, as it shifts to a high gear right away in its opening scene, and rarely finds the need to ever slow down. Its infectious soundtrack will have your foot thumping and your shoulders strutting, as you'll now associate each of these classic funky beats to Baby Driver's numerous memorable scenes. Heck, Bellbottoms will never be the same again. Baby Driver is a rare original cinematic gem that is bound to be a future cult classic on its own." [REVIEW]
Get Out
The concept of Get Out, about an African American who visits his Caucasian girlfriend's family, may initially sound like an extended Key & Peele skit on paper, but unlike Keanu, director Jordan Peele was able to take advantage of today's social stigma to deliver a thriller that is equally heavy on the scares and the laughs. The horror is derived from Peele's creative use of imagery and technical prowess, with normal scenes becoming increasingly unsettling as the camera continues rolling.
This is helped by a standout performance from Daniel Kaluuya (Black Panther), who was the perfect foil to bring out humour on the face of some very tense and violent moments. Whether Get Out will be as universally praised as it is now, only time will tell, but it's a darn well-directed and scripted horror masterpiece from a first time director previously known for his sketch comedies.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
To paraphrase another sci-fi franchise, the latest mainline Star Wars entry boldly went where no man has gone before. It may be dividing opinion on among die-hards alike, but kudos to Rian Johnson (Looper) for sparsely relying on throwbacks as much as The Force Awakens did, not only further fleshing out the new characters of Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), but also with how he gave a memorable swansong to original trilogy favourites Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and General Leia (Carrie Fisher).
Like our next entry in the list, The Last Jedi is a sequel that dares to stray away from the conventions set by those before it, and the result is a darker Star Wars take than perhaps even The Empire Strikes Back, as the line between good and bad are much less defined than simply the 'Light' or the 'Dark' side. A great story with even greater visuals (you know the one), The Last Jedi is a natural evolution of the 40 year old franchise, and it's all for the better moving forward.
T2: Trainspotting
The Trainspotting sequel is a wholly different beast from the 1996 original, albeit the same engine on a different chassis. The longer you digest the movie, the more you'll appreciate why director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) did not just take the easier sequel route by just retreading on old themes, and instead crafted a film that has grown up with its audience, and for fans, Trainspotting 2 is a great companion piece to the original two decades later.
We see these same characters having changed little in the new age of the 21st century, and the film cleverly changes tone from the glorification and subsequent damnation of heroin which presided over the original, and instead focusing on the joy and harsh realities of overdosing nostalgia. Trainspotting 2 may not offer the same carefree thrills of the original, but it's ultimately a movie about growing up and moving on with the times, even if Scotland's most famous addicts had not done the same.
From remixes of the original's classics such as Born Slippy and Lust for Life, to new tracks from the likes of Wolf Alice and Young Fathers, T2: Trainspotting also has one of the best film soundtracks in a year with Guardians of the Galaxy and Baby Driver.
The Big Sick
I have a genuine soft spot for romantic comedies that strays away from the cliches and usual conventions, especially ones that makes full use of the naturally funny actors that it casts. Hence, I was pleasantly entranced by this Sundance favourite co-written by husband-wife duo Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley) and Emily V. Gordon, which interestingly, is loosely based on the early stages their relationship. In simpler terms, it's a better take on the basic 'Meet the Parents' premise with added cross-cultural themes, as Nanjiani hails from a Pakistani background rooted in arranged marriages, but the film doesn't allow it to be its sole punchline.
Nanjiani is a great leading man playing a version of himself, as is Zoe Kazan (Ruby Sparks) who plays Emily, but the MVPs of this piece are Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond) and Holly Hunter (The Incredibles) as Emily's parents, who lap up every scene they appear in. Without spoiling the plot, but despite much of the film being set in hospital waiting rooms, the interactions between Nanjiani, Romano and Hunter bounce off each other like a rigged pinball machine. For such a personal and heartfelt film on twostar 'culture'-crossed lovers, The Big Sick serves as a piece of great comfort food for when you just want to tune into something wholesome.
Nanjiani is a great leading man playing a version of himself, as is Zoe Kazan (Ruby Sparks) who plays Emily, but the MVPs of this piece are Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond) and Holly Hunter (The Incredibles) as Emily's parents, who lap up every scene they appear in. Without spoiling the plot, but despite much of the film being set in hospital waiting rooms, the interactions between Nanjiani, Romano and Hunter bounce off each other like a rigged pinball machine. For such a personal and heartfelt film on two
