1.Logan:
Logan is a family drama, an action adventure & an epic
superhero journey all rolled into one. It's the perfect culmination to 17 years
of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. We see a brooding loner, a man at the end of his
line who was always the most tortured and psychologically interesting of all
the mutants, stumbling into somebody else’s fight (has always been an
interesting aspect of westerns) and then fighting for them. James Mangold uses
the story to comment on some extremely contemporary issues, including the
refugee/immigration crisis and the persecution of minorities. It’s difficult to
believe that this is the last time we’ll see Jackman's Wolverine on the big
screen. Bidding farewell definitely is a bittersweet affair.
2. Baby Driver:
The most fun I have had in a theatre this year! Edgar
Wright's 'Baby Driver' was a jaw-shattering spectacle of sight and sound that
keeps you on the edge from start to finish. Easily one of the most original,
unique, technically brilliant, intricately detailed & meticulously crafted
films of this year.
"This shit was bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S"
3. Get Out:
'A sociopolitical thriller from the comedic mind of Jordan
Peele', now this one-liner itself is enough to make my filmy-senses tingling! With 'Get Out', Peele successfully delivers a
searing razor-sharp satirical critique of systemic racism that's
prevailing in the United States.
4. Blade Runner 2049:
From the opening shots, we know we are in the presence of a
masterful storyteller & a visual tactician. Coming 35 years after the
iconic original, Denis Villeneuve's sequel is filled with spellbinding visuals
& profound themes. It's an investigative thriller that successfully
transcends boundaries, evokes emotions, and becomes a transformative
experience.
5. The Big Sick:
One of the funniest movies of 2017! And it has one of my
favourite dialogues of this year, a conversation that happens between Kumail
Nanjiani and Ray Romano, who's playing Nanjiani's girlfriend's dad. Romano's
dad character fumbily asks Kumail who's awkwardly having chips “So what’s your
stance on 9/11?”, the Pakistani American replies, “My stance on 9/11?” he says,
blinking slowly. “It was a tragedy,” he replies. “We lost 19 of our best guys.”
'The Big Sick' is delightful, extremely charming & has a
big heart.
6. War for the Planet
of the Apes:
There isn't a War as much as it's a battle, but it sure is a
technical marvel by director Matt Reeves & Andy Serkis, who plays Caesar in
the trilogy. Matt Reeves ends the trilogy in perfect fashion, making us feel
extremely emotional, connected, and content with Caesar. Just like the old
'Apes' movies, this trilogy too is filled with allegorical tales that are full
of symbolism, adventure, satire, political intrigue and philosophy. Every
single close-up shot of Caesar's face made me want to give a standing ovation
to the genius of Andy Serkis. This is one of those rare trilogies that got
better with each passing movie, and has one of the best endings of a film
trilogy.
7. Dunkirk:
'Dunkirk' truly is an original & unique take on war. It
is definitely not a character driven war movie, but a technically flawless war
movie by Christopher Nolan. The intensity from the very first scene, is at such
an insane level, that at times you'll feel you have been transported
straightaway to the climax of a great war movie/documentary.
It's said that you need to first care about the characters,
so that you can relate to their actions, but with Dunkirk, it's the 'War' that
is the character, the one & only character. You might not remember any
names or actors, but you are bound to remember the spectacle & the
experience, that is Dunkirk. Dunkirk is a minimalist art film that Nolan
successfully dressed in a suspenseful set-piece war-machine garb. To sum it up,
I would say Dunkirk is like a bomb, you hear the ticking from the very first
second, and you know, shit is about to hit the ceiling & something big is
about to happen very soon.
8. Wind River:
Taylor Sheridan, the writer who gave us last year’s socially
conscious crime-drama 'Hell or High Water' & 'Sicario' before that, proves us
with 'Wind River' that he's undeniably a strong director. 'Wind River' is a
chilling thriller that deals with the investigation of a murder of a local girl on a remote Native American Reservation known as Wind
River, a vast, snowy area of land in central Wyoming.
9. Split:
What can I say, M Night Shyamalan is back! And this time he
had a great script & 24 different personalities of James McAvoys by his
side. McAvoy’s impressive range is on full display in 'Split', in which he
stars as Kevin, a man with dissociative identity disorder. 'Split'
is Shyamalan's most entertaining film in years, and a great return to form.
10. Mother!:
Easily the most polarizing film of 2017, even more than 'The
Last Jedi' & 'Bright'. If you are a fan of Darren Aronofsky's kind of
psychological thrillers which have deeper meaning in them, then you are sure to
love this one. 'Mother!' is jam-packed with symbolism, metaphor and allegory,
and it plays like a visual poem & leaves a searing impression.
Honourable Mentions:
Call Me By Your Name, T2 Trainspotting, IT, Gerald's Game, Bright,
Brigsby Bear, Coco, Brad's Status, Columbus, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri,
Lady Bird, Thor: Ragnarok, Colossal, Don't Think Twice, Okja, Lego Batman,
Gifted & John Wick 2.
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