2B — Thursday, January 4, 2018
the b-side
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Writer, director and supreme
leader Greta Gerwig’s semi-
autobiographical,
coming-of-
age masterpiece “Lady Bird” is
the film of the year — perhaps
the
decade.
“Lady
Bird”
encapsulates the high school
experience, filled with crushes,
heartbreak,
controlling
mothers and everything in
between with expert timing,
quick
wit
and
undeniable
heart. Following the quirky
and ambitious Christine “Lady
Bird”
McPherson
(Saoirse
Ronan, “Brooklyn”) through
her tumultuous senior year
of Catholic high school in
Sacramento, Cali., the film
questions the relationships we
cherish and the way we define
home.
Despite
the
seemingly
conventional narrative, “Lady
Bird” is as original as its titular
character, infusing the classic
bildungsroman with a much
needed
fresh
perspective.
The fraught mother-daughter
relationship in the film is a
relatable one, reminding the
audience of their own angst-
filled teenage restlessness and
the mothers that dealt with it
the best they could. Instead of
taking a magnifying glass to
the transitory infatuations of
high school hormones like the
coming-of-age films of yore,
“Lady Bird” emphasizes the
significance of the mother-
daughter bond while touching
on the power and love of female
friendship. The film not only
gives fresh life to the coming-
of-age genre defined by John
Hughes and Richard Linklater,
but also makes room for the
new wave of female power
in Hollywood in the form of
actress-turned-auteur
Greta
Gerwig. If 2017 is the year of
the woman, that woman in
Greta Gerwig.
— Becky Portman, Senior
Arts Editor
Best Films 2017: Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut
A24
FILM
1. “Lady Bird”
“The Florida Project” is the
year’s most heart-wrenching
drama, but it’s also 2017’s
most heart-warming comedy.
How did writer-director Sean
Baker, who has demonstrated a
penchant for exploring ignored
communities and sub-cultures
with a deft eye with previous
notable
films
“Tangerine”
and “Starlet,” create such a
powerful picture? Credit is due
first to his cast of actors, both
experienced and acting for
the first time. The legendary
Willem Dafoe (“Murder on
the Orient Express”) blends in
perfectly against newcomers
Bria Vinaite and Brooklynn
Prince,
the
two
of
which
demonstrate
enough
energy
and spark on screen to power
an engine.
Baker’s
passionate
and
honest
portrayal
of
the
hidden homeless living next
to Disneyworld is dotted by
the vivid oranges and purples
of “Orange World,” “Twistee
Treat” and “Futureland Inn.”
Cinematographer Alexis Zabe
trains the camera on the world
of the children, and Kissimmee,
Flor. is seen through their
eyes. The result is a dystopian,
albeit often very, very funny,
sort of “Little Rascals,” with
the adventures of the young
children of the hotel guiding
the film. It provides a welcome
refuge from the truly disturbing
other storylines that weave
their way through the film.
“The
Florida
Project”
is
an engaging and often brutal
watch, but it’s poignant and
unforgettable.
And,
dare
I
say it, no other film this year,
maybe this century, and maybe
ever, has such a glorious final
shot.
— Daniel Hensel, Daily Arts
Writer
2. “Call Me By Your Name”
3. “The Florida Project”
As
an
avid
rom-com
enthusiast, I have seen my fair
share of incredibly beautiful
and incredibly terrible movies
featuring quirky young adults
who fall in love. After watching
“The Big Sick,” I can easily say
this movie stands as one of
the best and most compelling
romantic comedies, and movies
in general, that I have ever seen.
Written by and starring Kumail
Nanjiani
(“Silicon
Valley”),
“The Big Sick” sparkles with
sharp humor and a bubbly
effervescence that can only
come from the mind of deeply
talented comedians.
Zoe
Kazan
(“My
Blind
Brother”)
is
the
perfect
counterpart
for
Nanjiani’s
brand of dry, poignant humor;
she is witty, playful and sincere
in an infectious way that makes
Nanjiani’s love for her wholly
believable. The film’s brilliance
lies in Nanjiani learning to love
Emily through his interactions
with
her
parents,
played
expertly by Holly Hunter
(“Batman v Superman: Dawn
of Justice”) and Ray Romano
(“Vinyl”). Nanjiani’s story is a
fresh take on the formulaic rom-
com narrative that explores
the process of love. “The Big
Sick” is more than the classic
story of a rebellion against
the cultural expectations of
one’s immigrant family; it is a
deeply human story about the
importance of one’s cultural
roots, the dynamics of family
and the perseverance of love
against all odds.
— Sydney Cohen, Daily Arts
Writer
4. “The Big Sick”
Martin McDonagh’s “Three
Billboards
Outside
Ebbing,
Missouri,” a story about a
mother’s devotion to solving
her daughter’s murder in her
own way, takes a fresh and
unusual perspective on the
subjects of tragedy and loss. It
never falls into the convention
of
maudlin
sentimentality,
but
rather,
treats
it
with
unforgiving bite and strength.
Mildred
Hayes
(Frances
McDormand, “Hail, Caesar!”),
a renegade and intimidating
force of nature, is driven by the
purity of a mother’s love and
loyalty to her daughter, only
carried out by McDormand’s
performative tour de force,
something only a seasoned
and gifted professional could
produce.
Woody
Harrelson
(“The Glass Castle”) rivets
as
usual
in
his
portrayal
of Sheriff Willoughby, the
cancer-stricken hard-ass with
a hidden heart of gold. Lucas
Hedges (“Lady Bird”) plays
Frances’s son, Robbie, and
he proves yet again, that he
masters the role of the angsty
teen and reminds us that he
is among young Hollywood’s
finest.
“Three
Billboards”
returns us to an unforgiving,
unpolished reality and above
all else, reminds us of the value
of loyalty.
— Sophia White, Daily Arts
Writer
Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
6. “Three Billboards
“Columbus,”
helmed
by
writer-director Kogonada, is a
beautifully-paced
movie
that
leaves a lot to contemplate.
Meditative cinematography and
strong acting from John Cho
(“Harold and Kumar”) and Haley
Lu Richardson (“The Edge of
Seventeen”) drive this film as it
addresses the complicated nature
of
parent-child
relationships.
When
Jin
(Cho)
rushes
to
suburban Indiana to tend to his
comatose father, he must come
to terms with his duty as a son
with help from the thoughtful
Casey (Lu-Richardson). Their
unexpected friendship is one full
of introspective conversations,
stunning
architecture
and
arguments on the responsibilities
of family.
The wide shots and well-
chosen
settings
display
the
artistic genius of Kogonada and
promise more to come from this
newcomer. The script lends a
fresh voice from a minority group
often passed over on screen
as Korean family values are
compared to those of Americans
across
generational
lines.
“Columbus” also gives a region
of the United States considered
“fly-over country” a moment in
the spotlight, lending a reprieve
from the countless stories set
in New York and Los Angeles.
Although snubbed at the Golden
Globes this year, “Columbus” is
well-deserving of all the praise
and accolades.
— Meghan Chou, Daily Arts
Writer
7. “Columbus”
8. “The Shape of Water”
The elevator pitch for “Good
Time” would’ve felt out of
place on a top 10 list just a few
years ago. Two brothers — one
mentally disabled and the other
profoundly slimy — botch a
bank robbery and set in motion
a plot that sprints through a
clammy urban environment:
the visual equivalent of cold
sweats. But thank god we’ve
moved past the days where
“The Post” would’ve been a
shoe-in for top billing so genre
films like “Good Time” can
finally get their due.
But the Safdie Brothers take
a tired genre (crime thriller)
and an over-shot city (New
York) and extract and amplify
their strongest characteristics:
their grit, speed and neon
glow. The result is a heart-
racing emotional rollercoaster
that doesn’t twist, but swerves
from one extreme to another.
Robert
Pattinson’s
(“The
Lost City of Z”) performance
as Connie, the slimy older
brother who masterminds the
robbery, is set to be the most
tragically overlooked of the
year. His eyes scan the world he
barrels through with so much
desperation and fear I catch
myself almost feeling sorry
for him. Connie is destructive,
selfish and tragic and as him,
Pattison
sheds
any
doubts
left over from his “Twilight”
days. All this and a score by
Daniel Lopatin (who records
as Oneohtrix Point Never) with
an original song featuring Iggy
Pop make “Good Time” one
of the most relentlessly paced
and unexpectedly compelling
movies of the year.
—
Madeleine
Gaudin,
Managing Arts Editor
9. “Good Time”
Like every film on this list,
“Blade Runner 2049” is what
cinema is all about. From
a technical standpoint, it’s
a masterpiece of sight and
sound,
nearly
unparalleled
in
film
this
century.
It’s
perfectly shot by living legend
Roger
Deakins
(“Sicario”),
and the daunting production
design
combines
with
his
cinematography to create one
of the most gorgeous movies
in recent memory. The score
by Hans Zimmer (“Dunkirk”)
and Benjamin Wallfisch (“It”)
works as a tribute to Vangelis’s
iconic work on the original,
but stands just as well on its
own as the beautiful, eerie,
pulse-pounding backbone to
the film. Even when it isn’t
playing,
the
sound
design
— the cacophony of 2049
Los Angeles — provides a
soundtrack all its own.
The story Denis Villeneuve
(“Arrival”)
crafts
is
what
makes “2049” what it is: a
moving tale of love, loss and
what it means to be human
set against the backdrop of
revolution. There’s a sense
that
Villeneuve’s
already
impressive career has been
leading to this. In addition
to
the
film’s
technical
achievements, he directs his
ensemble
to
unanimously
superb
performances,
from
Ryan Gosling’s (“La La Land”)
commanding work in the lead
role to what is hopefully a
star-making turn from Ana
de Armas (“War Dogs”), even
down through Dave Bautista
(“Guardians of the Galaxy”)
and
Lennie
James
(“The
Walking Dead”) in more minor
roles. The original “Blade
Runner” was a great film, but
“2049” exceeds it as a flat-out
masterwork on the part of all
involved.
— Jeremiah Vanderhelm,
Daily Arts Writer
10. “Blade Runner 2049”
Read more online at
michigandaily.com
The joy and agony that
follow the arc of first love were
best explored this year in the
summer
romance
between
Elio
(Timothée
Chalamet,
“Lady Bird”) and Oliver (Armie
Hammer,
“The
Man
from
U.N.C.L.E.”). First love is a
genre that is prone to cliché,
but, like Gerwig’s handling
of “Lady Bird,” director Luca
Guadagnino (“I Am Love”)
approaches his subject with
the utmost care and craft. “Call
Me by Your Name” is a patient
film, revealing the characters’
thoughts and feelings through
subtle visual storytelling rather
than clear narration or dialogue.
Each shot in the gorgeous
Italian
countryside
lingers
with purpose, from the warm
stone of the town square to the
earthy richness of the Perlman’s
villa.
Guadagnino’s
classical
approach to filmmaking feels
both timeless and contemporary,
introducing
the
style
to
new audiences that may be
unfamiliar. Chalamet delivers a
breakout performance, tapping
into the fragility and sensitivity
of a young heart. The battle
between his eagerness and
reserve is palpable. It’s easy to
want to ignore internal wishes
for tender love, a kind of love
that protects and nurtures,
but “Call Me by Your Name”
invites the audience to indulge
in these feelings and realize
that,
perhaps,
there
is
no
indulgence in submitting to
these wants. “Call Me by Your
Name” underscores the passion
and pleasure of love, but never
idealizes the condition in which
it is experienced.
— Jack Brandon, Daily Film
Editor
5. “Get Out”
Earlier this year, director
Jordan Peele wryly tweeted,
“‘Get Out’ is a documentary.”
He’s right, of course. Like the best
of its genre, “Get Out” derives
its power from the visceral
panic of reality’s stark truths.
It’s a movie about the theft
of Blackness, the disquieting
anxiety of what it means to live
in a body that’s simultaneously
feared and coveted. The scariest
aspects of “Get Out” aren’t in
any gore or bloody murder, but
rather the horror of racism itself,
and the way it builds toward
an
unfathomable
violence.
It’s a masterclass in suspense:
every smile is off somehow,
every conversation stilted and
uncomfortable.
From the very first moment, we
know in our gut that something
is deeply wrong. The result is a
movie crackling with tension,
buzzing like a live wire full of
nervous energy. There’s a reason
it was the number one movie in
America for weeks on end. “Get
Out” is masterful, through and
through, with a rallying cry at its
heart. It’s summarized perfectly
by the song that opens the film:
“Stay woke / Don’t you close your
eyes.” It’s a warning we’d do well
to remember.
— Asif Becher, Daily Books
Editor
“The Shape of Water” is
Guillermo Del Toro’s (“Crimson
Peak”) “Beauty and the Beast,”
telling a love story between a
mute woman named Elisa (Sally
Hawkins, “Maudie”) and a fish-
creature (Doug Jones, “Ouija:
Origin of Evil”). Despite the
tried and true thematic content,
the film bursts at the seams with
creativity and creates a world
that truly feels like a modern
fairytale, featuring Del Toro’s
signature dark brand of magical
realism. Set in the 1960s, the
film tells a story of tolerance
and
overcoming
differences
against the backdrop of a time
period characterized for its
intolerance:
Illustrated
in
the film is prejudice based on
sexual orientation, race, gender
and national identity.
What’s
more,
Hawkins’s
performance as the mute Elisa
is one of the most compelling
of the year. While she does
communicate
through
sign
language, the bulk of her
characterization is nonverbal.
This challenge is no match for
Hawkins, however, who can
speak volumes with a single
glance.
Elisa
is
positively
charming
and
manages
to
be so without ever speaking
a word. She is someone who
spends much of her time in
her own head, and Del Toro
and Hawkins work in perfect
tandem to bring the viewer
there as well.
— Max Michalsky, Daily Arts
Writer