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