THE REEL CINEVIEWS 2017 YEAR-END REVIEW SPECIAL

2017 was an amazing and surprising year for movies and while I couldn't make it to every excellent movie that came out during the year either due to missing them in the cinema or certain films not getting a full wide-release until January, I did manage to see and experience a lot of great films so here is my annual yearly round-up of honorable mentions, my favorite films of the year and movies which I hope get left behind in the dust as we venture forth into the new year. 

Most Surprising Movie of 2017

HAPPY DEATH DAY

Initially, after seeing the trailer in the theater about a million times, I had doubts and a very condescending attitude towards Christopher Landon's genre-blending slasher film but I was pleasantly surprised as Happy Death Day is a fun, thrilling and, at times, terrifying roller coaster of a film that is smarter than it looks and let's us the audience not only care about the story and characters but also have fun with it's insane premise at the same time. One of the most underrated films from last year and is one of the best to come out of

Blumhouse Productions. 

Best Theatrical Film Experience of 2017

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND 

40th Anniversary Re-Release

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND is one of my favorite Spielberg films (and one of my favorites in general) and to be able to see the director's cut of this science-fiction masterwork on the biggest screen possible was an awe-inducing and jaw dropping experience. Movies like this were made to be seen with the best screen picture and sound possible and here's hoping that more studios put out more theatrical re-releases like this in 2018. 

MY FAVORITE MOVIES OF 2017

BABY DRIVER

This is easily one of the best genre films of recent memory with intense and heart-pumping action sequences, a soundtrack that almost puts Guardians Of The Galaxy to shame, and fantastic and memorable performances from all involved especially Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx and Ansel Elgort who steal their scenes and run. If you haven't seen Baby Driver yet, give yourself a treat and see it immediately.  

DESPICABLE ME 3

While some may think that this series is now "tiring" itself out, This installment is the most funny since the original with the inclusion of Gru's Twin Brother Dru, having some more antics from the cute and lovable Minions and basing it's plot around a villain (voiced by Trey Parker of South Park) that is both a loving tribute and also pokes fun at 80s nostalgia. 

THE DISASTER ARTIST 

THE DISASTER ARTIST is a hilariously inspiring film that gives a voice to the artistic outsiders who make art their own way despite what others may think and it also gives a balanced portrait to Greg Sestero and Tommy Wiseau without iconizing them or turning them into villains/antagonists. It's this generation's version of Tim Burton's ED WOOD and considering ED WOOD is one of my favorite movies of all time, that is high praise for a film based around one of the "worst" films ever made

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, VOL. 2

2017 was an fantastically amazing year for superhero films and this second volume in this sci-fi franchise was one of the best. MARVEL's GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY film franchise continues to keep me emotionally glued and tuned in to the further adventures of Star-Lord and the rest of the GUARDIANS crew and isn't also afraid to go into new territories and story arcs with it's characters.

IT

It's not only one of the best Stephen King adaptations in recent memory, it's also one of the scariest as Director Andy Muschietti perfectly shapes this classic tale of fear and horror for new audiences to "float" and connect with. 

LOGAN

While it's safe to say that we will all miss Hugh Jackman's iconic presence as the X-Men warrior, he finished his turn as Wolverine on the highest of notes giving myself and audiences one of the most well-written, brilliantly acted and emotionally charged superhero films of all time. 

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

Kenneth Branagh's adaptation of Agatha Christie's murder mystery is a excellent example of how to adapt great and classic literature for today's audiences by including an all-star cast and keeping who did it and where close to it's chest without revealing its highly charged revelation in the finale. Hopefully, this will be the start of a great film series and it wont be the last time we see Mr. Branagh's vision and portrayal of Hercule Poirot.

THE SHACK

THE SHACK is one of those rare films that touches your heart and soul with it's elegant cinematic poetry. Some may consider it preachy or too emotional, but for me, this adaptation of the best selling novel by W.M. Paul Young is a perfect example of faith-based cinema at it's finest with excellent story-telling and performances.

SPLIT

M. Night Shyamalan returns to his thrilling roots by giving us something truly original, frightening and mind-bending and also may have given birth to a new sub-genre entirely as by the film's end you'll realize what this movie truly is:

A Villain's Origin Story 

WONDER WOMAN

Wonder Woman finally gets her long overdue blockbuster origin story and it shows that while DC Comics have made some missteps into their big cinematic universe, they made a great decision to make this film it's own story and in the process made a superhero film that treats its audience with respect and gives them what they deserve. 

Most Disappointing Film of 2017

ALIEN: COVENANT

I was one of the few who actually like Ridley Scott's Alien-Universe set prequel, PROMETHEUS, when it was released back in 2012 and I wanted this to not only satisfy what was set up in that film along with bringing back some more of the traditional Alien franchise staples. Instead, we get a confused and wandering film that doesn't please either audience and feels like it was only pieced together to try and keep this franchise in motion and in the public eye.  

Dumbest Movie Idea of 2017

SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT'S "CLEAN VERSION"

Who at SONY really thought that this was a good idea? The concept of offering "clean versions" of films isn't anything new (I highly recommend the documentary "Cleanflix" to see why this is such a bone-headed action) but having a studio like SONY PICTURES offering these sanitized versions along with purchasing the original is like something out of the Twilight Zone. Luckily, this was phased out of existence faster than you can say

"We Came, We Saw, We Kicked Its Ass"

THE WORST FILMS OF 2017

LBJ

With the right team, a film like this, which tells the story of the political career of Lyndon B. Johnson, could be great and intriguing. Unfortunately, This isn't that film as Rob Reiner and Woody Harrelson phone it in with bad direction and writing that treats it's audience as if they have never read, seen, or even heard of LBJ, Kennedy and his Assassination or Government Politics in general. It's like a boring 10-hour miniseries crammed into 90 minutes but it feels just as long and tedious as if you decided to binge watch that same series.

Such a disappointment from talent that can

and should do much better than this tripe

THE MUMMY

The first (and most likely, Last) installment in Universal's "Dark Universe" is the best example of how NOT to start a Universal Monsters based series of films. Between the shifts in tone and style, you get bland heroes and villains, no "monsters", no "scares" and so much franchise teasing that it feels more like an overlong trailer than an actual movie. Do audiences a favor, Universal Pictures, and either take a cue from Warner Bros. and their "CONJURING" Universe of films or just give the creative reigns over to Blumhouse Productions. Either way, your "Dark Universe" deserves so much better than this idiotic patchwork of a franchise launcher. 

WISH UPON

While LBJ and THE MUMMY were really bad, WISH UPON is the Cherry on the Top of the Cinematic Trash Sundae. Between the horrible writing, poor acting, and bland premise, it makes me wonder why this was even greenlit and released in the summer of a landmark year for horror cinema. The characters are stupid, the "scares" are non-existent, and everything else about it just makes you question why you're wasting your time watching this.

However, this movie did grant me one wish: It ended quickly. 

'Tonya' Delicately Balances Hybrid Genre

I, Tonya
dir. Craig Gillespie 

   Growing up as a youngling in the 1990s, you couldn't go very far without hearing something about either OJ Simpson or Tonya Harding. You'd hear a joke on a sketch show or another development on their constant rotations on the nightly news. When I first heard that a film based on her life, skating career, and "the incident" was announced, I only assumed that it would either be a Lifetime-like over the top campfest or a by-the-numbers biopic with the ups and downs and skimming everything in-between. We get neither though and instead get dark comedy/mockumentary/sports/crime caper genre hybrid that pulls no punches and doesn't sugarcoat anything or anyone.
     Margot Robbie gives a commanding (and awards worthy) performance as Tonya Harding. She portrays her with a balance which keeps the story from diving her character into a parody or martyr figure. The rest of the cast do so as well with Sebastian Stan and Allison Janney giving humanistic balance to the portrayals of Jeff Gillooly and Tonya's Mother respectively. One of the great and maybe maddening qualities of the film is it's constant tonal shifting as the film makes you laugh and giggle one moment, shocked and appalled the next, and then being sympathetic, and then randomizing between all those feelings like a pulsing Simon game machine.
   Underneath all of the insane and inane antics that make the film feel like The Coen Brothers' Fargo, there is an underlying theme of fleeting fame and acceptance and what societal standards of fame and behavior due to its subject matter. It makes you look at the darker side of news media and what they do or don't cover at times especially when news and gossip is available on a twenty-four seven basis. That may be reading a bit too deep into it but how else do you cinematically tell a crazy pop art true life story like this without morphing it into a nostalgic caricature. Luckily for the audience, this film doesn't do that in the slightest.

I, Tonya is Rated R for Pervasive Language, Violence,
and Some Sexual Content/Nudity

A Beautiful and Haunting 'Shape'

The Shape Of Water
dir. Guillermo del Toro 

    One of the many joys of watching a Guillermo del Toro film is that you never know what tone, style or feel that his visionary eye will show you. He has a penchant for taking the genres he grew up on and making it even more relevant for today's audiences but with his latest masterwork he has certainly outdone himself as he's managed to make a romantic fable about a mute woman who falls for a mysterious amphibian creature into a universal cinematic masterwork about tolerance, societal norms, and most important of all, acceptance. 

    Set during the early 60s, we follow Elisa (Sally Hawkins), a mute woman who lives her life above a movie theater and goes about her mundane routine working at governmental facility. She has her two best friends (Richard Jenkins and Octavia Spencer) and her usual day to day activities which bring her peace but her heart still longs for more. She encounters a mysterious creature (Doug Jones) whom she connects with and has to protect from the government agent (Michael Shannon) who only sees the creature as an "asset".

   If the story sounds a bit familiar, that is because it draws a lot from fairy-tale fables like Beauty And The Beast and Cinderella albeit on a more graphic and adult level than a certain mouse house. Del Toro also uses a lot of other genre and filmic stylings but that has always been his strength as he doesn't directly copy or pastiche like some other filmmakers have done recently and in the past.It's almost as if he took the mold of a Universal Monsters movie and crossed it with French New Wave and Old School Hollywood genres. His directing also manages to bring some amazing performances from not only the leads but also the supporting characters as well and all of whom get equal screen time and have their own motivations and stories.

   From the screenplay to the cinematography to Alexandre Desplat's orchestral score, everything flows and nothing feels like it doesn't fit with the characters or story. The Shape Of Water is a fantastically beautiful and haunting cinematic celebration of fantasy, romance, fables and the stuff that we dream when we are younger. It has a lot of graphic moments but in the end, it's a grown up fairy tale that speaks to us all.

The Shape of Water is Rated R for Sexual Content, Graphic Nudity,
Violence and Language