And with that, these will be my last 2017 reviews bfore I finally call the year quits (or at least for now). It's been a very crazy experience the whole way through,and I hope you've enjoyed following my write-ups as much as I did forming them. Stay tuned for my picks for the best and worst films of the year very soon,but for now, thank you, and enjoy.
Downsizing:
Director Alexander Payne once prefaced that Downsizing was a film not for everyone. And I agree, but that is less to do with it being inaccessible, and more that the film is very uneven to the most scrutinizing of viewers. The topics that Payne is working in are interesting, going from topics of overpopulation, man's effect on the environment, wealthy men taking shortcuts to become wealthier, dwindling health of the underprivileged, and contemplation over humanity's attempt to "start over" potentially just following the same mistakes. The problem is that just as quickly as Payne introduces these issues, he just as easily drops them, and doesn't return to them for a long time, if at all. What it results in is a film that just feels like a series of events thrown together to facilitate deep thinking, without the thinking, or coming together as a cohesive whole. Matt Damon may have the big starring role, but it's mostly the supporting cast, particularly Hong Chau as an idealistic former activist, that carry the movie through the finish line.
*** / *****
The Florida Project:
A significant improvement over his previous film Tangerine, Sean Baker's latest is a bittersweet, very poignant slice of childhood life. Much of the film, surrounding the pretend-adventures of young Moonee, keenly taps into the sense of escapism adopted by children of broken and struggling homes. Attempting to make the most artificial and cheap of experiences somehow feel grand and earth-shattering, the film is not shy about directly shattering that smokescreen of imagination. I've no idea if Baker personally experienced such struggles, but the way he presents them feels all too real, knowing that no matter how grand the smokescreen, with the adults sometimes cutting in to shield those children from harsh reality - a standout and supremely tender Willem Dafoe among them, it is still a smokescreen that only puts off unpleasant fallouts than stops them, and for a film such as this, and knowing central Florida culture like I do, such a setting was a perfect complement to that sense of artificiality. It's still not a perfect film, and at times can be quite messy and loose, but it's a richly emotional experience nevertheless.
**** / *****
Get Out:
2017 has been a banner year for horror, with successes such as It, Split, Raw, and It Comes at Night to name a few. But I doubt any of them are as unique as Jordan Peele's darkly comic take on the genre, a film that boldly takes down issues of so-called forward-thinking progression and racial acceptance, which in actuality act as a mask overcompensating with a faux PC attitude, treating African-American men and women as easily destructible snowflakes, and those seemingly noble intents instead feels as counterproductive as outright bigotry. Peele's grasp of horror and psychological terror are incredibly on point, using the hypnosis based side of the film to delve deep into subconscious repression, and all the unpleasant confusion, rage, and violence that comes bubbling to the top alongside it, all superbly realized by Daniel Kaluuya's fantastic leading turn. The rare horror film that manages idealism and genuine scares without resorting to any cheap tricks, it's truly one in a million.
**** / *****
I, Tonya:
I'll give it this. I, Tonya features one of the most fearlessly biting scripts of any movie to come out in 2017, even if a far cry from among the best, and certainly deserves points for directly confronting issues of abuse and assault in all their ugly forms, as well as adopting these very meta-ideas about the fickle love/hate mentality of the general public. Unfortunately, director Craig Gillespie too often proves a distraction taking away from the strengths of the script. He knows what a Martin Scorsese movie looks like, but not how it feels as he tries to emulate that spirit, its blacker and meatier satire hampered by overly goofy fits, fourth wall breaks, and oddly placed Frost/Nixon style interviews (which includes an inexplicable Bobby Cannavale), but also this attempt at conveying sincerity so thick in areas where it shouldn't be. The editing is also not as tightly wound as it jumps oddly between scenes, and features a catchy soundtrack that nevertheless feels like background noise rather than scene enhancement. At least Margot Robbie does splendid as Harding, giving legitimacy and sympathy to such a controversial figure, alas, Alison Janney doesn't shine nearly as brightly, her turn as Tonya's abusive mother a thoroughly one-dimensional caricature. It's a film whose intentions are in the right place, but this is a movie that feels closer to American Hustle than it does Goodfellas.
**1/2 / *****
Mudbound:
Lee Daniels could learn a thing or two from Dee Rees. A snapshot-esque tableau of rural-life in the wartime of the 1940's, Mudbound is an affecting epic covering a multitude of timely topics of the era. Succeeding first and foremost as an intimate character piece, the film is sensitive, yet uncompromising in approaching the interweaving lives of the multi-racial cast. Covering a wide bevy of issues from PTSD in a time unprepared for it, the polar opposition of class and basic human rights, undying dedication and obligation to family, and always clashing barriers of racial-fueled hatred, things of which still haunt us to this very day. Harsh and bleak without sacrificing its beauty, Rees is truly gifted in the realm of visual filmmaking, and also has an incredible ensemble cast to bring her material to life. It's not an easy sit, making for some brutal and upsetting viewing at times, but it's a rich and striking film that will linger with you for a long time.
****1/2 / *****
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