Before I begin, let me salute Bill Paxton and Harry Dean Stanton, two vastly underrated actors that appeared in one of my favorite shows, 'Big Love'. I'm glad the DIFF (Dallas International Film Festival) honored Paxton, after all he grew up in Fort Worth. Stanton was a superb character actor, as his recent cameo in 'Twin Peaks' proved. They will be missed...
2017 was an average year for Independent cinema. I blame the dumbing down of society, where the aim is to keep your head down via plastic gadgets, watching inane clips or god forbid tweeting out racist drool, instead of leaving the house to appreciate the arts. When society attacks critical thinking and craves the quick fix it become a race to the bottom of humanity.
In all the doom and gloom, there were 10 gems that restored my faith in film making. Maybe one day I will find a spot for them in my all-time favorite list (refer below).
A Ghost Story - one of the greatest eating scenes in cinematic history. Shot locally in the DFW area on a $100,000 budget (a rarity in today's money hungry climate).
Buster's Mal Heart (Sarah Adina Smith) - I'm not embarrassed to say it: I have a man crush on Rami Malek.
Call Me by Your Name (Luca Guadagnino) - three languages, sublime cinematography and peaches (you'll never look at this fruit the same way), what more do you need!
Get Out (Jordan Peele) - darkly comic tale exposing racism. The film America desperately needed in the wake of bigots crawling out of their bunkers.
Good Time (Benny and Josh Safdie) - teen heartthrob Robert Pattinson makes the indie transition and it works. Take a bow Safdie brothers, true definition of what it means to work outside the studio system.
Hjartasteinn/Heartstone (Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson) - as an avid supporter of Icelandic film this film doesn't disappoint. I was fortunate to see this at the 2017 DIFF, goes to show that the bond between Texas and Iceland is booming! Come May, 2018 it will grow even more when Icelandair and WOW air begin direct flights between Reykjavik and DFW.
Lady Bird (Greta Gerwig) - no, it's not about Lyndon Johnson's better half. Nothing Hollywood about this film, it's directed and written by a Sacramento native, loosely based on her coming-of-age experiences in California's capital.
The Florida Project (Sean Baker) - Willem Dafoe automatically makes any film better, but he's overshadowed in this one by amazing novice child actors. Powerful portrayal of what it means to live on the poverty line (in the shadows of Disney World), it perfectly encapsulates that the American Dream for many is just that, a dream.
The Shape of Water (Guillermo del Toro) - del Toro comes close to topping his masterpiece, Pan's Labyrinth. Together with Alejandro González Iñárritu, both are showcasing the rich tapestry of creativity coming out of Mexico.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Martin McDonagh)- Frances McDormand is a national treasure, very few can match her ability as a character actor. She has not sold-out for a paycheck or succumbed to the surgeons knife to appease sleazy executives. If she doesn't win the 2018 Oscar for Best Actress, than the Academy should dissolve.
*For those that missed it the first time around.
https://globaleditorial.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-best-films-according-to-yours-truly.html
2017 was an average year for Independent cinema. I blame the dumbing down of society, where the aim is to keep your head down via plastic gadgets, watching inane clips or god forbid tweeting out racist drool, instead of leaving the house to appreciate the arts. When society attacks critical thinking and craves the quick fix it become a race to the bottom of humanity.
In all the doom and gloom, there were 10 gems that restored my faith in film making. Maybe one day I will find a spot for them in my all-time favorite list (refer below).
A Ghost Story - one of the greatest eating scenes in cinematic history. Shot locally in the DFW area on a $100,000 budget (a rarity in today's money hungry climate).
Buster's Mal Heart (Sarah Adina Smith) - I'm not embarrassed to say it: I have a man crush on Rami Malek.
Call Me by Your Name (Luca Guadagnino) - three languages, sublime cinematography and peaches (you'll never look at this fruit the same way), what more do you need!
Get Out (Jordan Peele) - darkly comic tale exposing racism. The film America desperately needed in the wake of bigots crawling out of their bunkers.
Good Time (Benny and Josh Safdie) - teen heartthrob Robert Pattinson makes the indie transition and it works. Take a bow Safdie brothers, true definition of what it means to work outside the studio system.
Hjartasteinn/Heartstone (Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson) - as an avid supporter of Icelandic film this film doesn't disappoint. I was fortunate to see this at the 2017 DIFF, goes to show that the bond between Texas and Iceland is booming! Come May, 2018 it will grow even more when Icelandair and WOW air begin direct flights between Reykjavik and DFW.
Lady Bird (Greta Gerwig) - no, it's not about Lyndon Johnson's better half. Nothing Hollywood about this film, it's directed and written by a Sacramento native, loosely based on her coming-of-age experiences in California's capital.
The Florida Project (Sean Baker) - Willem Dafoe automatically makes any film better, but he's overshadowed in this one by amazing novice child actors. Powerful portrayal of what it means to live on the poverty line (in the shadows of Disney World), it perfectly encapsulates that the American Dream for many is just that, a dream.
The Shape of Water (Guillermo del Toro) - del Toro comes close to topping his masterpiece, Pan's Labyrinth. Together with Alejandro González Iñárritu, both are showcasing the rich tapestry of creativity coming out of Mexico.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Martin McDonagh)- Frances McDormand is a national treasure, very few can match her ability as a character actor. She has not sold-out for a paycheck or succumbed to the surgeons knife to appease sleazy executives. If she doesn't win the 2018 Oscar for Best Actress, than the Academy should dissolve.
*For those that missed it the first time around.
https://globaleditorial.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-best-films-according-to-yours-truly.html
