In alphabetical order: Blade Runner 2049, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, Thor: Ragnarok
Now some Honorable Mentions!
Colossal - I love wacky independent flicks. This film is the definition of "wacky". Anne Hathaway is perfect as the 30s party girl who discovers she has an odd connection with a Kaiju destroying Seoul. Like I said it's wacky. And I loved every second of it!
Wonder Woman - Please don't hate for me not including this in my Top 10. I love everything about it. Director Patty Jenkins defied all nay-sayers and made an almost perfect superhero film. I just can't let go of that last block, which falls right back into superhero CGI awfulness. Everything else is, excuse the pun, wonderful.
Finally:
JOE MOORE'S TOP 10 FILMS of 2017
10) War for the Planet of the Apes
The latest Apes trilogy blew everybody away by how great it is. This entry is a terrific prisoner of war film with absolutely mind-blowing special effects. As usual Andy Serkis's motion-capture performance is sensational. I wish the Academy would finally give him the respect he deserves.
9) The Disaster Artist
I love trashy cinema so when I heard James Franco was filming a behind-the-scenes film about the making of The Room, I was hooked! You don't have to see one of the worst films of all time to be in on the joke, but it does help. It'd be great to see Franco and the screenwriters get Oscar nods for their work here. Hilarious!
8) Logan
James Mangold and Hugh Jackman get it RIGHT! Jackman, Stewart, and neewcomer Keen are all fantastic here. It's a superhero movie that keeps the powers to a minimum and the characters and their interactions at the forefront. Powerful stuff!
7) Get Out
What can I say about this astounding piece of work that hasn't already been said? Writer/director Jordan Peele has created a terrific genre mashup. Yes its roots are in horror, but the film has so much more to say. Hopefully the Academy will recognize one of the best films of the year.
6) Dunkirk
War films are not my favorite, but there's no denying Christopher Nolan has created an exceptional piece of work here. Telling three different stories and giving each time to breathe in less than two hours is nothing short of amazing.
5) The Big Sick
Writers Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon take the true story of how they met and turn it into one of the most heart-warming films of the year. All the work here is exceptional, but Holly Hunter gives one of her best performances ever as Emily's spitball mother.
4) Baby Driver
Edgar Wright's latest (and greatest? I'm biased) had to make my Top 10. Every heart-pounding moment is terrific. The performances are great, the action is non-stop, and that soundtrack is everything! The editing here is also top-notch. I would scream if it got an Oscar nod.
3) Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
Martin McDonagh (writer/director of In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths) has created a darkly comic look at the tale of a heartbroken mother who turns a midcountry town upside-down and found its broken-down soul. The writing is nothing short of extraordinary, as are the three central performances by McDormand, Harrelson, and especially Rockwell. Bravo!
2) Lady Bird
Of course the best coming-of-age story in years has found its way on my Top 10 list. Of course it's written and directed by Greta Gerwig, one of Hollywood's brightest and most off-kilter stars. Of course it has top-notch performances from its cast but especially Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf, who take the central mother-daughter relationship and give the film its beating heart.
1) The Shape of Water
I love Guillermo del Toro. I even enjoyed his recent lesser works (Pacific Rim, Crimson Peak) more than the average movie-goer. But THIS is del Toro at his finest. Another eccentric fable a la Pan's Labyrinth, del Toro sucks you into this beautiful film and never lets go. It's thrilling, heart-warming, and absoutely perfect. It may not be for everybody, but if you have the least bit of a soul, please go see this amazing film.
Well there you have it! As I said before, there were a few films that I still have yet to see. I'm sure if I had checked out Call Me By Your Name and I, Tonya they would've made this list too. But alas what can you do?
I hope everybody out there had a amazing holiday season. Here's to 2018 and making it bigger and better than ever! Let's do this.
The latest Apes trilogy blew everybody away by how great it is. This entry is a terrific prisoner of war film with absolutely mind-blowing special effects. As usual Andy Serkis's motion-capture performance is sensational. I wish the Academy would finally give him the respect he deserves.
9) The Disaster Artist
I love trashy cinema so when I heard James Franco was filming a behind-the-scenes film about the making of The Room, I was hooked! You don't have to see one of the worst films of all time to be in on the joke, but it does help. It'd be great to see Franco and the screenwriters get Oscar nods for their work here. Hilarious!
8) Logan
James Mangold and Hugh Jackman get it RIGHT! Jackman, Stewart, and neewcomer Keen are all fantastic here. It's a superhero movie that keeps the powers to a minimum and the characters and their interactions at the forefront. Powerful stuff!
7) Get Out
What can I say about this astounding piece of work that hasn't already been said? Writer/director Jordan Peele has created a terrific genre mashup. Yes its roots are in horror, but the film has so much more to say. Hopefully the Academy will recognize one of the best films of the year.
6) Dunkirk
War films are not my favorite, but there's no denying Christopher Nolan has created an exceptional piece of work here. Telling three different stories and giving each time to breathe in less than two hours is nothing short of amazing.
5) The Big Sick
Writers Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon take the true story of how they met and turn it into one of the most heart-warming films of the year. All the work here is exceptional, but Holly Hunter gives one of her best performances ever as Emily's spitball mother.
4) Baby Driver
Edgar Wright's latest (and greatest? I'm biased) had to make my Top 10. Every heart-pounding moment is terrific. The performances are great, the action is non-stop, and that soundtrack is everything! The editing here is also top-notch. I would scream if it got an Oscar nod.
3) Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
Martin McDonagh (writer/director of In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths) has created a darkly comic look at the tale of a heartbroken mother who turns a midcountry town upside-down and found its broken-down soul. The writing is nothing short of extraordinary, as are the three central performances by McDormand, Harrelson, and especially Rockwell. Bravo!
2) Lady Bird
Of course the best coming-of-age story in years has found its way on my Top 10 list. Of course it's written and directed by Greta Gerwig, one of Hollywood's brightest and most off-kilter stars. Of course it has top-notch performances from its cast but especially Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf, who take the central mother-daughter relationship and give the film its beating heart.
1) The Shape of Water
I love Guillermo del Toro. I even enjoyed his recent lesser works (Pacific Rim, Crimson Peak) more than the average movie-goer. But THIS is del Toro at his finest. Another eccentric fable a la Pan's Labyrinth, del Toro sucks you into this beautiful film and never lets go. It's thrilling, heart-warming, and absoutely perfect. It may not be for everybody, but if you have the least bit of a soul, please go see this amazing film.
Well there you have it! As I said before, there were a few films that I still have yet to see. I'm sure if I had checked out Call Me By Your Name and I, Tonya they would've made this list too. But alas what can you do?
I hope everybody out there had a amazing holiday season. Here's to 2018 and making it bigger and better than ever! Let's do this.
