My Favorite Films of 2017

Logan - (directed by James Mangold) A mediation of a hard life long-lived, and the wear and tear of being a superhero and saving the world over and over again. It is a powerful Western that was stunning to watch, and it felt as if the audience had lived this journey with Logan.

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women - (directed by Angela Robinson) A sexy, funny, and emotionally rich film about an unconventional poly relationship between three people, and the inspiration that led to the creation of Wonder Woman. I was very touched by this film, and believe it is one of the underrated gems of the year.

The Big Sick - (directed by Michael Showalter) While I didn’t like how this film portrayed Pakistani women in a very old fashioned “foreign” way compared to the liberal white girl lead, I still really enjoyed this film for its humor and its character development of Kumail and Emily’s complex relationship and shared chemistry, and their families as they struggled with sudden life changes and shifting views of their adult children. Holly Hunter was fantastic as a blunt mother determined to save her daughter’s life from a deadly illness, and Ray Romano showed more growth in drama as a caring and sympathetic father.

Spider-Man: Homecoming - (directed by Jon Watts) This movie was such a bright joy to watch. I loved how they portrayed Queens as a multicultural neighborhood of regular people, and it felt very warm. Michael Keaton was great as a villain, and incredibly chilling in one particular scene. I loved how Tom Holland portrayed this boyish excitement at being Spider-Man, he reminded me of a young Michael J. Fox. Along with an adorably hippie Marisa Tomei in granny glasses as Aunt May, it was just a wonderful film.

Good Time - (directed by Ben and Josh Safdie) A crazy night adventure of a film that felt like a scuzzy 80’s low-budget movie. I loved how bonkers it was, and its portrayal of a seedy underworld of Queens at night. It was just a really wild movie to watch.

Blade Runner 2049 - (directed by Denis Villeneuve) A stunning and gorgeous film that carried on the story as if there hadn’t been a 35-year old gap between films. I found the film fascinating and very engrossing in its mediations on humanity of “real” humans and androids. I loved how much the visuals brought so much atmosphere to the film, whether it was an expansive dry desert or a rainy dark city. It truly felt like a magnificent cinematic experience to watch this film.

Maudie - (directed by Aisling Walsh) This is a tough movie to recommend because it portrays domestic violence in a time where it wasn’t questioned, but I liked that the film was in part a portrayal of a marriage that came out of convenience and slowly grew into love. That unfortunately was a lot of women’s realities, when they had to marry for economic stability. Sally Hawkins was fantastic in this film, portraying Maudie with a sense of dignity and strength, and a determination to let her artistry shine through and not be held back by any limitations in life.

Paris Can Wait - (directed by Eleanor Coppola) This isn’t a great movie, but I enjoyed watching the charming and delightful Diane Lane traipse across France while drinking wine and eating cheese, so this was a lovely movie for me to watch.

I know there are tons of other movies that got great reviews and are on best-of lists, but I didn’t see them. I liked It, Wonder Woman, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Girls Trip, Mudbound, Wind River, Okja, Ingrid Goes West, and Three Billboards Across Missouri. So my list isn’t going to be as big as a professional film critic’s is, but I can’t afford to see tons of movies in theaters, so I likely missed a lot. So these were my favorites, though I may like more as I see them later on.