As a working professional in the film business, a dabbling video director and producer, app developer, handyman, workout dude and a full-time Dad, I don’t have too much time left over to watch movies – which really is something I love. When the holidays hit, I did some binge watching and caught up on what the critics consider the “best movies of 2017”; mind you, when I follow these lists, I’m often left asking “what the hell were those critics smoking?”
Here now is MY list of the best movies I’d missed and caught up on over the 2017/18 Holiday Season:
3. DUNKIRK
Dunkirk, in beautiful style, reminds us that war sucks, big time.
I’m pretty sick of war films, but I’m a huge fan of Christopher Nolan and my homeboy Tom Hardy, especially having had the pleasure of working with them during my time on Inception. Dunkirk mixes some non-linear storytelling with some really solid performances and some entertaining, if jarring air, land and sea battle/survival sequences. The film does a great job of showing us war, without getting carried away with tales of glory. Some really nice performances are turned in, and it looks spectacular.
Because who doesn’t love tales of cocaine and American corruption?
Unlike most of the movies I watched over the 2017 holidays, this bastard MOVED FAST. Tom Cruise and director Doug Liman team up once again (the last time was Edge Of Tomorrow, which was great) Despite its breakneck pace, however, the story is completely entertaining, and the performances are solid. As long as the idea of the powers that be in America being incredibly corrupt doesn’t make you squeamish (and why should it, these days?!) this is a solid show.
1. GET OUT
Was Get Out the best movie of 2017? This dude sure doesn’t seem to think so.
Well, the critics got it right this time, almost.
First off, this is not a horror movie, so don’t let the other reviews that say so confuse you. It is solidly a thriller, and a really good one at that – very posiblly the best movie I’ve watched of 2017 so far (I’m including Star Wars, Wonder Woman, and Logan , here, though the latter was really good). This writing/directing debute of Jordan Peele (of Key & Peele) takes a hilariously twisted look at society, through the lens of a young black man who’s invited to spend the weekend at his wealthy white girlfirend’s family’s country estate. Some incredibly messed up motivations for the invite are unvailed as the story moves forward, and it’s got some hilarious dialogue. Hats off to Mr. Peele for this beauty. My 70 year old, white, Scottish mother sat and watched it with us, and she loved it, too.
That’s it. Remember, this isn’t a list of the best movies of 2017, it’s just the best ones I watched over the past two weeks.
Did you see ‘em? What did you think? Anything else I should check out?
