MY TOP 5 MOVIES of 2017

Here are my top 5 movies for 2017 (of the 102 I saw at the cinema). What are yours?

DON’T TELL - With help from a local lawyer, a young abuse survivor finds the courage to speak out when having a voice is her only option. *****

GET OUT - It's time for a young African-American to meet with his white girlfriend's parents for a weekend in their secluded estate in the woods, but before long, the friendly and polite ambience will give way to a nightmare. *****

THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE - The Zookeeper's Wife tells the account of keepers of the Warsaw Zoo, Antonina and Jan Zabinski, who helped save hundreds of people and animals during the German invasion. *****

CALL ME BY YOUR NAME - In Northern Italy in 1983, seventeen-year-old Elio begins a relationship with visiting Oliver, his father's research assistant, with whom he bonds over his emerging sexuality, their Jewish heritage, and the beguiling Italian landscape. ****½

DETROIT - Fact-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. ****½

JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

Four teenagers discover an old video game console. The tables are turned as they are sucked into Jumanji's world - pitted against rhinos, black mambas and an endless variety of jungle traps and puzzles. To survive, they'll play as characters from the game.
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Great fun with lots of action and humour. Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan all approach their characters with tongues firmly in their cheeks and there’s great chemistry between them all. The story is fast-paced with the action laid on thick. The whole thing is a great piece of family escapism. Thoroughly entertaining.

CALL ME BY YOUR NAME

In Northern Italy in 1983, seventeen-year-old Elio begins a relationship with visiting Oliver, his father's research assistant, with whom he bonds over his emerging sexuality, their Jewish heritage, and the beguiling Italian landscape.
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This is a beautiful, nuanced, profound movie. It feels a little slow at times, but it rewards patience. The acting by Timothée Chalamet (who plays Elio) is exceptional as is the rest of the cast. The chemistry between Oliver and Elio is strong. The script is richly textured and remains focused on the emotional journeys of the main protagonists rather than the inevitable sex scenes (which are tastefully done). The story comes across as authentic and entirely believable. The cinematography of Italy is beautiful and one can imagine tourism becoming popular in the locations where filming occurred. Apart from, perhaps, a bit faster pace in some places, the direction is masterful and the final scene between the father and son has got to be one of the best I have ever seen in a movie. At the New York Film Festival, when the movie opened, it received a 10 standing ovation — apparently, the longest ever standing ovation at the Festival. Make sure you see this one.

COCO

Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colourful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector, and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history.
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A delightful, vibrant story from Pixar — their best for some time — which strongly pushes the principle that family is more important than anything else. There are lots of other themes, too — culture, life, death, and the seductive nature of celebrity. The characters are rich, the animation is superb, and the story, drawing on themes from Mexico’s Day of the Dead celebrations, is engaging even if it is pretty much a template plot — until the climax which is unexpected. It’s also excellent to see a non-white character front and centre in a Pixar movie. A movie for the whole family. (Given some of the themes, I’d recommend for ages 7+.)

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN

Inspired by the imagination of P.T. Barnum, The Greatest Showman is an original musical that celebrates the birth of show business and tells of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.
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The music and the dancing is good and, sometimes, spectacular with music that is uplifting if laid on a bit too thick. The whole thing is very pretty, but the story is surprisingly superficial. The style of the music and the stunts have very little, if any, relationship to the 1800s that the story is set in. And it is hard to believe that the original Barnum wasn’t exploiting “freaks” for his own gain — but, of course, none of that is explored in this sweet movie. If you just want to see something with some nice, uplifting song and dance, then you’ll enjoy this. If you are looking for a realistic biopic of PT Barnum — which is far more interesting than this version, then give it a miss.

BREATHE (2017)

The inspiring true love story of Robin and Diana Cavendish, an adventurous couple who refuse to give up in the face of a devastating disease. Their heartwarming celebration of human possibility marks the directorial debut of Andy Serkis.
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A saccharine, sanitised story that doesn’t go anywhere near the reality of what it would be like to care for a person who is totally dependent and living at home. The acting is good, the cinematography is beautiful, and there is an inherently good story about love, perseverance, courage, and the deep desire to live life to the full. The problem is the script which tries to do, for Robin Cavendish, what The Theory of Everything did for Stephen Hawking, but Breathe is nowhere near as good as that movie. It is for the powerful performances that I have given the score I have despite its romanticised storytelling.

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI

Rey develops her newly discovered abilities with the guidance of Luke Skywalker, who is unsettled by the strength of her powers. Meanwhile, the Resistance prepares to do battle with the First Order.
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Yes! It’s a good movie! If you are a Star Wars fan, you won’t be disappointed. This episode, under the control of Disney and with a new director, is fresh, exciting, and innovative while remaining faithful to all that’s gone before. There are great action sequences, delightful characters, intriguing developments, spectacular cinematography, and the story takes some surprising directions. The main characters have become more complex and, therefore, more interesting than they were before. The Last Jedi is as good, if not better, than the original Star Wars and the Empire Strikes Back. It’s a long movie (2½ hours!) but worth every minute and every cent to see it. Don’t miss it — and make sure you see it on the big screen! Bring on Episode IX!

WONDER WHEEL

The story of four characters whose lives intertwine amid the hustle and bustle of the Coney Island amusement park in the 1950s: Ginny, an emotionally volatile former actress now working as a waitress in a clam house; Humpty, Ginny’s rough-hewn carousel operator husband; Mickey, a handsome young lifeguard who dreams of becoming a playwright; and Carolina, Humpty’s long-estranged daughter, who is now hiding out from gangsters at her father’s apartment.
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Typical Woody Allen movie. Lots of dialogue. Complicated relationships. Kate Winslet is excellent. The problem is that it is all very contrived and artificial and comes across as an earnest stage play that doesn’t engage with what is an incredible tragedy. I guess some will want to see Justin Timberlake — he’s ok. Not one of Allen’s best, in my opinion. Too by-the-numbers.

DETROIT

Fact-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.
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A gruelling, gut-wrenching, powerful story of incredible police brutality against black people in 1967 Detroit. Starts with a broad view of the events and gradually narrows down to what happened in one hotel room. It’s a compelling story that parallels how racism is still embedded in modern America.

ONLY THE BRAVE

Based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a group of elite firefighters who risk everything to protect a town from a historic wildfire.
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It is hard to criticise a movie based on a true story where so many people die for their community. But ONLY THE BRAVE is way too long and boring. There just isn’t enough tension in the way the story is told so that the complex work these firefighters do, and the danger they often face, is portrayed on screen. It all seems pretty bland until the final act. As the story develops, so do the characters. And it is good that the story is not over sensationalised like so many Hollywood “disaster” movies. That is refreshing. And there is a great cast. But it is just not enough to make for an interesting and, what should be, suspenseful movie with a real sense of danger.