20/ Split
A return to form for M. night Shyamalan with a taut, lean, high concept thriller.
McAvoy is fully engaged, Taylor Joy has the acting chops to match him, plus the ending is icing on the cake.
A return to form for M. night Shyamalan with a taut, lean, high concept thriller.
McAvoy is fully engaged, Taylor Joy has the acting chops to match him, plus the ending is icing on the cake.
19/ La La
Land
At last a modern movie musical with all the cogs working. Songs, direction, tone, direction, design leading to a perfect conclusion. Deserving of all the accolades it attracted.
At last a modern movie musical with all the cogs working. Songs, direction, tone, direction, design leading to a perfect conclusion. Deserving of all the accolades it attracted.
18/ Lion
A simple story that allows the viewer to emphasise with its lead character.
Emotional with a heart-wrenching performance from Nicole Kidman.
A simple story that allows the viewer to emphasise with its lead character.
Emotional with a heart-wrenching performance from Nicole Kidman.
17/ A Monster
Calls
A powerful Gilliamesque fantasy about finding acceptance & forgiveness in escapism.
Despite its child's point of view narrative, this is a profound & moving.
A powerful Gilliamesque fantasy about finding acceptance & forgiveness in escapism.
Despite its child's point of view narrative, this is a profound & moving.
16/ Gerald’s
Game
The simple 'how's she gonna get out of that?' premise is engaging enough, but mix in some Stephen King twists, Gugino & Greenwood's strong work & a director who favors character work over cheap jump scare & you have yourself a horror classic.
The simple 'how's she gonna get out of that?' premise is engaging enough, but mix in some Stephen King twists, Gugino & Greenwood's strong work & a director who favors character work over cheap jump scare & you have yourself a horror classic.
15/ To The
Bone
This honest, un-Hollywood-ised portrayal of anorexia has a cynical yet sympathetic performance by Lily Collins & a fantastically raw, yet quirky & warm script by Marti Noxon., who also directs.
This honest, un-Hollywood-ised portrayal of anorexia has a cynical yet sympathetic performance by Lily Collins & a fantastically raw, yet quirky & warm script by Marti Noxon., who also directs.
14/ Wonder
Woman
It's shortcomings in originality & climactic bombast is overcome by a perfectly cast lead in Gal Gadot and Patty Jenkin's confident storytelling which emphasizes girl-power while not undervaluing boy-power. Great, old fashioned fun.
It's shortcomings in originality & climactic bombast is overcome by a perfectly cast lead in Gal Gadot and Patty Jenkin's confident storytelling which emphasizes girl-power while not undervaluing boy-power. Great, old fashioned fun.
13/ Logan
James Mangold's mature, slow-burn superhero western is strong on character work, melancholy & violence in a story & central performace that is built on the nerarly two decades of franchise that preceded it. The Disney/Fox merger puts this kind of future risk-taking blockbuster in jeopardy; here's hoping that doesn't happen.
James Mangold's mature, slow-burn superhero western is strong on character work, melancholy & violence in a story & central performace that is built on the nerarly two decades of franchise that preceded it. The Disney/Fox merger puts this kind of future risk-taking blockbuster in jeopardy; here's hoping that doesn't happen.
12/ Spider-man
Homecoming
The best comedy of 2017, Spider-man's MCU standalone introduction was a gloriously fun high school comedy, with a superhero twist. Holland gave us the best screen portrayal of Spidey yet & Michael Keaton delivered a villain that finally was beyond surface level interesting. Plus there's the best 'didn't see that one coming' twist of the year.
The best comedy of 2017, Spider-man's MCU standalone introduction was a gloriously fun high school comedy, with a superhero twist. Holland gave us the best screen portrayal of Spidey yet & Michael Keaton delivered a villain that finally was beyond surface level interesting. Plus there's the best 'didn't see that one coming' twist of the year.
11/ Guardians
Of The Galaxy Vol.2
While not as fresh as Vol.1, part two gave us a corker of a James Gunn script (lots going on but streamlined to perfection), great new characters like Mantis & Kurt Russel's charisma-bomb big-daddy Ego, Michael Rooker stealing the show & being moved by a crying raccoon.
While not as fresh as Vol.1, part two gave us a corker of a James Gunn script (lots going on but streamlined to perfection), great new characters like Mantis & Kurt Russel's charisma-bomb big-daddy Ego, Michael Rooker stealing the show & being moved by a crying raccoon.
10/ Raw
Unsettling French coming of age horror/drama as two sisters reunite at veterinary school.
Garance Marillier ably carries the who disturbing endeavour on her shoulders, the femine perspective lends originality & insight, and it leads to a strong conclusion.
Unsettling French coming of age horror/drama as two sisters reunite at veterinary school.
Garance Marillier ably carries the who disturbing endeavour on her shoulders, the femine perspective lends originality & insight, and it leads to a strong conclusion.
9/ Sing
Street
Beautiful Irish coming of age musical drama. The music is a mixture of 70's/80's classics and catchy new compositions, the young leads impress (Lucy Boynton's star is on the rise), plus it's tonally pitch perfect. The feel good film of the year.
Beautiful Irish coming of age musical drama. The music is a mixture of 70's/80's classics and catchy new compositions, the young leads impress (Lucy Boynton's star is on the rise), plus it's tonally pitch perfect. The feel good film of the year.
8/ John Wick
Chapter 2
Action film making has never been this beautiful. Stunning production design, vivid cinematography and relentless, graceful yet brutal fight choreography and the calm, quietly charismatic presence of Mr Reeves at the storm's centre.
Action film making has never been this beautiful. Stunning production design, vivid cinematography and relentless, graceful yet brutal fight choreography and the calm, quietly charismatic presence of Mr Reeves at the storm's centre.
7/ Mother!
Insanity on a stick. Aronofsky's unique allegorical horror deserves plaudits just for taking chances, but the storytelling succeeds. Arguably JLaws finest work in an increasingly bizarre thriller that deserves repeat viewing, despite the wonderfully traumatic arthouse experience.
6/ Thor
Ragnarok
It's derivative plot is rendered irrelevant by it's monumental larger than life characters, production design ripped straight from the classic comic source material, bonkers tone that leans heavily on 1980's Flash Gordon and all filtered Taika Waititi's skewed sense of humour. Plus genius rock monster Korg. Logan's equal but opposite; brave but bonkers.
It's derivative plot is rendered irrelevant by it's monumental larger than life characters, production design ripped straight from the classic comic source material, bonkers tone that leans heavily on 1980's Flash Gordon and all filtered Taika Waititi's skewed sense of humour. Plus genius rock monster Korg. Logan's equal but opposite; brave but bonkers.
5/ War For
The Planet Of The Apes
A surprisingly grim & mature science fiction western that is as perfectly produced as it is performed. Serkis is on awards worthy form & Harrelson deserves praise as his adversary.
Once again, Fox taking risks on uncompromisingly intelligent and dark blockbuster fare.
A surprisingly grim & mature science fiction western that is as perfectly produced as it is performed. Serkis is on awards worthy form & Harrelson deserves praise as his adversary.
Once again, Fox taking risks on uncompromisingly intelligent and dark blockbuster fare.
4/ Blade
Runner 2049
It's very long, very slow and very cold...and that's just fine. The 1982 original wasn't audience embracing blockbuster either, but that didn't stop it being a smart, multi-layered, science-fiction, noir masterpiece...just like this sequel.
Score, design & direction all serve a follow up that never undermines the original but builds on it's ideas, characters and multiply themes. Atmospheric, thought provoking & riveting.
It's very long, very slow and very cold...and that's just fine. The 1982 original wasn't audience embracing blockbuster either, but that didn't stop it being a smart, multi-layered, science-fiction, noir masterpiece...just like this sequel.
Score, design & direction all serve a follow up that never undermines the original but builds on it's ideas, characters and multiply themes. Atmospheric, thought provoking & riveting.
3/ Baby
Driver
A story set & edited to music, Edgar Wright's crime musical is a pure cinematic blast. Great tunes (as experienced through the ears of our heroic lead), inventive scenes, fantastic cast (Lily james is Adorable and Jamie Foxx a great antagonist) with two of the best action sequences of the year.
A story set & edited to music, Edgar Wright's crime musical is a pure cinematic blast. Great tunes (as experienced through the ears of our heroic lead), inventive scenes, fantastic cast (Lily james is Adorable and Jamie Foxx a great antagonist) with two of the best action sequences of the year.
2/ Dunkirk
Christopher Nolan is probably the best film maker working right now and Dunkirk doesn't disappoint. Three interweaving narratives means Nolan sustain suspense and action for nearly 90 minutes leading to a profoundly moving conclusion. This is cinematic craftsmanship on a premiership level.
Christopher Nolan is probably the best film maker working right now and Dunkirk doesn't disappoint. Three interweaving narratives means Nolan sustain suspense and action for nearly 90 minutes leading to a profoundly moving conclusion. This is cinematic craftsmanship on a premiership level.
1/ Star Wars
The Last Jedi
I'm biased. I love Star Wars. But having a new franchise entry that has a clear, undiluted voice in writer/director Rian Johnson gives the work some much needed character, it's cheekily subversive script steers the saga in a genuinely exciting direction, and it cleverly uses familiarity to surprise, to provoke and to expand the mythos in exciting new directions.
It's a Star Wars that made me think, and that's worth a few points in my book.
Plus SPACESHIPS!
I'm biased. I love Star Wars. But having a new franchise entry that has a clear, undiluted voice in writer/director Rian Johnson gives the work some much needed character, it's cheekily subversive script steers the saga in a genuinely exciting direction, and it cleverly uses familiarity to surprise, to provoke and to expand the mythos in exciting new directions.
It's a Star Wars that made me think, and that's worth a few points in my book.
Plus SPACESHIPS!
Bubbling
Under; Prevenge, Moana, Edge of Seventeen, It, Lego Batman Movie, Get Out, The
Beguiled, Jim & Andy.
