The global best (and worst) of 2017
Again, it was a pretty good film year internationally, and a pretty dull one in the US owing to Netflix's ever-increasing dominance. As before, it's a personal choice based on viewing 440 titles from 76 countries.
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44 titles
- DirectorNitesh TiwariStarsAamir KhanSakshi TanwarFatima Sana ShaikhFormer wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat and his two wrestler daughters struggle towards glory at the Commonwealth Games in the face of societal oppression.Not so much a movie as a phenomenon. Most successful Indian film of all time. Has been seen by more people than any Hollywood production this year. Of Aamir Khan's many great roles, this is his masterpiece. Has revolutionized and internationalized Indian cinema like none before.
- DirectorRajko GrlicStarsNebojsa GlogovacDejan AcimovicKsenija MarinkovicA gay Croatian professor confronts his own xenophobia after agreeing to help his Serbian neighbor prepare for a citizenship exam, while the neighbor's wife cares for the professor's elderly homophobic invalid father.My 2nd favorite film of the year. Among many excellent performances I've seen this year, Nebojša Glogovac as a cross-dressing teacher stands out, and the ensemble exchange with Ksenija Marinković and Dejan Aćimović makes this the best ex-Yugoslav film of the decade.
- DirectorBong Joon HoStarsTilda SwintonPaul DanoAhn Seo-hyunA young girl risks everything to prevent a powerful, multinational company from kidnapping her best friend - a fascinating beast named Okja.messy but still my 3rd most favorite film of the year. The ending will probably haunt me forever. Once again shows that Joon-ho Bong is the world's most innovative director. And that Netflix will increasingly dominate creative film-making, changing the entire industry in the process.
- DirectorAlejandro JodorowskyStarsAdan JodorowskyBrontis JodorowskyLeandro TaubSurrealist filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky tells the story of himself as a young man becoming a poet in Chile, befriending other artists, and freeing himself from the limits of his youth.Best photography work of Christopher Doyle since "In the Mood for Love". This is an unforgettable artistic chaos, yet still Jodorowsky's most accessible work. Perhaps too bombastic for a younger audience, but a must-see for any cineast of any age.
- DirectorLuca GuadagninoStarsTimothée ChalametArmie HammerMichael StuhlbargIn 1980s Italy, romance blossoms between a seventeen-year-old student and the older man hired as his father's research assistant.The high ranking indicates it - this may very well be the most beautiful gay romance ever filmed, based on a much-loved novel. Breakout role for Timothée Chalamet. The age difference may bother some, but I grew up in the 80s and this is totally what we all dreamed of back then (even though reality doesn't live up to this).
- DirectorSang-il LeeStarsKen WatanabeMirai MoriyamaAoi MiyazakiA grisly unsolved murder links three seemingly unrelated stories in three different Japanese cities.An even better written adaptation. What starts out as a serial killer mystery becomes a complex array of relationships, but it's especially memorable for a rape scene by US military, as this has never been brought up before.
- DirectorMariano CohnGastón DupratStarsOscar MartínezDady BrievaAndrea FrigerioA winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, who has been living in Europe for decades, accepts an invitation to receive another award. In Argentina he finds both similarities and irreconcilable differences with the people of his hometown.Well-written satire with a memorable performance by Oscar Martinez. Latin American cinema often has severe budget restraints which are clearly visible here, but makes the best of its means.
- DirectorMohamed DiabStarsNilli KarimHany AdelMuhammad El-SebaiSet entirely in an 8m police truck, a number of detainees from different political and social backgrounds are brought together by fate, during the turmoil that followed the ousting of former president Morsi from power.Mostly real-time and within the confines of a police truck, this is a masterpiece of scenography and conveys much more than the straightforward story seems to tell.
- DirectorAki KaurismäkiStarsSherwan HajiSakari KuosmanenKaija PakarinenA poker-playing restaurateur and former traveling salesman befriends a group of refugees newly arrived to Finland.First major feature film to tackle the Syrian refugee crisis - the biggest European challenge in decades. Kaurismäki's script tones down his famous sense for laconic irony, but his style is as sharp as ever.
- DirectorAniruddha Roy ChowdhuryStarsAmitabh BachchanTaapsee PannuKirti KulhariWhen three young women are implicated in a crime, a retired lawyer steps forward to help them clear their names.Best part for Amitabh Bachchan in years - his delivery and vocalization is truly unmatched by just about any actor anywhere. Another women's rights film which mercilessly exposes conflicting social standards.
- DirectorSaket ChaudharyStarsIrrfan KhanSaba QamarDishita SehgalA couple from Chandni Chowk aspire to give their daughter the best education and thus be a part of and accepted by the elite of Delhi.Shows why Irrfan Khan is about the only Indian actor who has managed to break into the US market, as his versatility carries a scathing social satire with a sometimes hard to believe script.
- DirectorNana EkvtimishviliSimon GroßStarsIa ShugliashviliMerab NinidzeBerta KhapavaA woman separates from her family after 52 years in a multi-generational Georgian household to begin her own adventure. To the shock of her relatives, she leaves everything behind to start again.My favorite female performance of the year would be Ia Shugliashvili's stoic teacher who decides to start to live by herself. Excellent script by Nana Ekvtimishvili who also co-directed, and started a renaissance of Georgian cinema with "In Bloom".
- DirectorYorgos LanthimosStarsBarry G. BernsonHerb CaillouetBill CampSteven, a charismatic surgeon, is forced to make an unthinkable sacrifice after his life starts to fall apart, when the behavior of a teenage boy he has taken under his wing turns sinister.So far I've not been a fan of this director, but this one takes psychological horror into the realm of classic Greek tragedy. Barry Keoghan could be the next Edward Norton given how intense he comes across.
- DirectorGilles Paquet-BrennerStarsMax IronsStefanie MartiniGlenn CloseIn Agatha Christie's most twisted tale, a spy-turned-private-detective is lured by his former lover to catch her grandfather's murderer before Scotland Yard exposes dark family secrets.Don't miss Glenn Close in this admittedly old-fashioned mystery with an elite ensemble class. It's delicious to see her play all these famous faces against the wall.
- DirectorAmanda KernellStarsMaj-Doris RimpiOlle SarriÁnne Biret SombyA reindeer-breeding Sámi girl who is exposed to the racism of the 1930's at her boarding school, starts dreaming of another life. But to achieve it, she has to become someone else and break all ties with her family and culture.Another remarkable performance is Lene Cecilia Sparrok's in this period drama, which could show American viewers that race is an international dilemma and not quite reduced to black and white.
- DirectorTarik SalehStarsFares FaresMari MalekYasser Ali MaherA maid witnesses a murder at an upscale hotel and a policeman is assigned to the case, but it soon becomes clear that important people don't want the case solved.Memorable for the ambitious effort to create a Cairo neo-noir and Fares Fares' straight-faced performance, as he's famous for comedy. Too bad that Scandinavian mysteries have become so common that one cannot help but notice the similarity to many other plots.
- DirectorKathryn BigelowStarsJohn BoyegaAnthony MackieAlgee SmithFact-based drama set during the 1967 Detroit riots in which a group of rogue police officers respond to a complaint with retribution rather than justice on their minds.Best US film I saw this year, buried underneath yet another avalanche of repetitive superhero franchises. Bigelow's directing is extraordinary, but the film didn't rattle me as much as it would have 5 years ago - the race theme has simply become too ubiquitous, so it feels a bit like a piggyback ride.
- DirectorAndrey ZvyagintsevStarsMaryana SpivakAleksey RozinMatvey NovikovA couple going through a divorce must team up to find their son who has disappeared during one of their bitter arguments.If it wasn't for Okja, Zvyagintsev would be my director of choice this year. He has a unique pictorial language, and Oleg Negin' concise script makes this his most accessible film. Like most Russian cinema it's bleak beyond hope and not for the socially faint of heart.
- DirectorNicholas VersoStarsToby WallaceGulliver McGrathMitzi RuhlmannOn Halloween 1997, two estranged teen skaters embark on a surreal journey through their memories, dreams and fears.Stranger Things for gays perhaps, but stylish to the hilt. Best soundtrack of the year for me (by Shinjuku Thief). Not an easy watch - you got to be alone and far away from any light source
- DirectorM. Night ShyamalanStarsJames McAvoyAnya Taylor-JoyHaley Lu RichardsonThree girls are kidnapped by a man with a diagnosed 23 distinct personalities. They must try to escape before the apparent emergence of a frightful new 24th.Who would have thought that M. Night Shyalaman would once again serve horror gold? Not me but McAvoy's performance and nifty light and sound effects did the trick. Let's hope it's not going to be sequeled to death.
- DirectorLuc BessonStarsDane DeHaanCara DelevingneClive OwenA dark force threatens Alpha, a vast metropolis and home to species from a thousand planets. Special operatives Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe.As I wrote in my review, it's not a masterpiece but the FX was brilliant and a welcome change from ever more identical superhero drivels.
- DirectorChad StahelskiStarsKeanu ReevesRiccardo ScamarcioIan McShaneAfter returning to the criminal underworld to repay a debt, John Wick discovers that a large bounty has been put on his life.Action flicks have it hard these days, so this rare better-than-the-original sequel felt like an adrenaline boost of style over substance.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsFionn WhiteheadBarry KeoghanMark RylanceAllied soldiers from Belgium, the British Commonwealth and Empire, and France are surrounded by the German Army and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.Boring for me apart from the impressive sound design, which was a first and merited the experience. Not on a par with Nolan's best though.
- DirectorTaichi IshidateNaoko YamadaStarsMiyu IrinoSaori HayamiAoi YûkiA young man is ostracized by his classmates after he bullies a deaf girl to the point where she moves away. Years later, he sets off on a path for redemption.Best animated feature for me as it tackles a serious theme (bullying) in a vast variety of consequences, and yet manages to be light and engaging.
- DirectorLee UnkrichAdrian MolinaStarsAnthony GonzalezGael García BernalBenjamin BrattAspiring musician Miguel, confronted with his family's ancestral ban on music, enters the Land of the Dead to find his great-great-grandfather, a legendary singer.Best CGI feature (of course), but as everything Disney too heavy on the stereotypes and too predictable in the script. A visual delight apart from the dreary "Frozen" short it starts with.
- DirectorClaude BarrasStarsGaspard SchlatterSixtine MuratPaulin JaccoudAfter losing his mother, a young boy is sent to an orphanage with other orphans his age where he begins to learn the meaning of trust and true love.Best European animation with a pretty good story, very watchable for kids (which I think most Disney features these days are not, if you don't want them to grow up with a heavily edited view of the world).
- DirectorCassie JayeStarsCassie JayePaul ElamAttila VinczerThe Red Pill chronicles filmmaker Cassie Jaye's journey following the mysterious and polarizing Men's Rights Movement. The Red Pill explores today's gender war and asks the question "what is the future of gender equality?"It's always courageous to go against the grain, and perhaps at a time when women's rights are so much in focus, it's most necessary to point out the problematic aspects feminism can have.
- DirectorBrad BarberScott ChristophersonStarsRadley BalkoWilliam 'Dub' LawrenceA look at the increasingly militarized state of American police told through the story of "Dub" Lawrence, a former sheriff who established his state's first SWAT team only to see it kill his son-in-law in a standoff 30 years later.My Youtube discovery of the year. Shows that police brutality is a problem beyond race - as necessary that discussion is, it clouds the fact that anybody in the US can be affected by an excessively militarized gung-ho police force. (That was what made me leave, in fact).
- DirectorFeras FayyadSteen JohannessenStarsKhaled Umar HarahBatulMahmoudKhaled, Mahmoud and Subhi volunteer with the White Helmets trying to save lives of hundreds of victims in the besieged city of Aleppo during the Syrian Civil War.Manages to capture the Syrian civil war in all its brutality by focusing on a limited group of people and leaving most to the viewer's imagination.
- DirectorSaeed RoustayiStarsPayman MaadiNavid MohammadzadehParinaz IzadyarSomaieh, the youngest daughter of an indigent family, is getting married and fear is overwhelming each and every member of the family regarding how to overcome their difficulties after she's gone.Most audacious film of the year for me. Conveys a social tension that is becoming apparent these days. Tackles one of the most difficult subjects in Iran as I've known it. Deserves far more viewers.
- DirectorMahmoud al MassadStarsAhmad ThaherMaher KhammashOdai HijaziAhmad a construction worker gets tangled up in an unfortunate business deal leading him to prison. He meets fraudster Ibrahim who ruins his last hope to prove his innocence. Ahmad is awakened by the realisation that life in prison might be better than the one he has on the outside.Netflix discovery of the year for me. Simple story in a realistic setting conveys more about Arab society than the politically charged tropes we're used to.
- DirectorJohnny MaStarsGang ChenNai AnHongwei WangA psychological thriller about a taxi driver battling bureaucracy and legal manipulation in China.In-flight surprise of the year for me. As with most interesting Chinese films these days, the money came from abroad, and it wasn't screened outside the festival circuit.
- DirectorBaz PoonpiriyaStarsChutimon ChuengcharoensukyingEisaya HosuwanTeeradon SupapunpinyoLynn, a genius high school student who makes money by cheating tests, receives a new task that leads her to set foot on Sydney, Australia. In order to complete the millions-Baht task, Lynn and her classmates have to finish the international STIC(SAT) exam and deliver the answers back to her friends in Thailand before the exam takes place once again in her home country.Comedy of the year for me. It wasn't a domestic hit but went viral in China after a festival screening.
- DirectorWojciech SmarzowskiStarsMichalina LabaczArkadiusz JakubikWasyl WasylikDespite being in love with a Ukrainian boy from the same village, Polish girl named Zosia is forced into marrying a wealthy widower. Soon World War II begins and ethnic tensions arise. Amidst the war chaos Zosia tries to survive.Tragedy of the year for me. Doesn't land the blame in one camp, focuses on a convincing lead performance. Polish film has improved over the last couple of years but keeps being unjustly ignored.
- DirectorJan HrebejkStarsZuzana MauréryZuzana KonecnáCsongor KassaiThe arrival of Maria Drazdechova, associated with the Communist party, to a school in Bratislava in 1983 worries parents, students, and colleagues.Another Easteuro film well worth mentioning. Uses a small local social conflict to illustrate how life under Socialism was.
- DirectorPaul NegoescuStarsDorian BogutaDragos BucurAlexandru PapadopolThree men from a provincial town are in urgent need of money and decide to buy a lottery ticket. They win the lottery, but soon after their ticket gets stolen.Low-budget film of the year for me (but then again, I'm Romanian). Small short story, much lighter than Romanian cinema usually is.
- CreatorBryan FullerMichael GreenStarsRicky WhittleEmily BrowningYetide BadakiA recently released ex-convict named Shadow meets a mysterious man who calls himself "Wednesday" and who knows more than he first seems to about Shadow's life and past.At this point, ignoring streaming TV in a best films list could be justly called snobbish. This one was the most stylish (and violent) I've seen this year - from the US that is.
- CreatorBaran bo OdarJantje FrieseStarsLouis HofmannKaroline EichhornLisa VicariA family saga with a supernatural twist, set in a German town where the disappearance of two young children exposes the relationships among four families.On an international basis, Netflix's first German production sets a couple of new bars and has state broadcasting throwing a fit - this could force them to finally change their dated content. Also best theme song this year.
- StarsLuci ChristianBrittany LaudaMiyu TomitaA girl and her robot companion search for her mother, who's lost within a vast chasm.And given how huge the anime market has become, this one made the biggest splash this year. A simple design for a huge and shocking story. If you watch this you'll understand why anime fans dislike Disney.
- DirectorBill CondonStarsEmma WatsonDan StevensLuke EvansA selfish Prince is cursed to become a monster for the rest of his life, unless he learns to fall in love with a beautiful young woman he keeps prisoner.Speaking of which, this was the worst film of the year for me. I like musicals, but it's unforgivable to cast someone who cannot sing at all as the lead. And Disney's PC obsession is off the mark in a story set in 18th century France. Plus I loved the 1991 original, which has much better music, singing and writing.
- DirectorJordan PeeleStarsDaniel KaluuyaAllison WilliamsBradley WhitfordA young African-American visits his white girlfriend's parents for the weekend, where his simmering uneasiness about their reception of him eventually reaches a boiling point.Most over-hyped film of the year for me. It's a Stepford Wives remake - which has a feminist theme. That makes the anti-Lesbian misogyny unforgivable. Also I don't see how two wrongs make a right, and how black racism should possibly resolve white racism - on the contrary.
- DirectorJoseph RubenStarsMichiel HuismanHera HilmarJosh HartnettThis movie is a love story between an idealistic American nurse and a Turkish officer in World War I.Most annoying propaganda movie ever tries to even out the perception of the Armenian genocide by giving the impression that the Turkish aggression was justified by Armenian rebellion. It's not so much pretending that nothing happened, it's rather shifting the interpretation of events. For a Jewish director like Ruben, a revisionist stance like this is truly unforgivable.
- DirectorAndy MuschiettiStarsBill SkarsgårdJaeden MartellFinn WolfhardIn the summer of 1989, a group of bullied kids band together to destroy a shape-shifting monster, which disguises itself as a clown and preys on the children of Derry, their small Maine town.Most boring film which is supposed to be anything but boring. What's wrong with everybody? This is not scary. This is a ridiculous clown screaming "boo" all the time. Any Trump tweet is scarier. The 1990 version also drags but at least it had Tim Curry.
- DirectorGore VerbinskiStarsDane DeHaanJason IsaacsMia GothAn ambitious young executive is sent to retrieve his company's CEO from an idyllic but mysterious "wellness center" at a remote location in the Swiss Alps, but soon suspects that the spa's treatments are not what they seem.Bomb of the year. With a budget of 40 mill, couldn't they've hired a scriptwriter? Oh wait, they did - the guy who wrote "The Lone Ranger". Also directed by Verbinski. Also a massive bomb. And Dane de Haan is the anti-star of the year - no charisma, no looks, no delivery, like watching wallpaper dry while blowing in the wind.