Gemma Reviews’ Best of 2017: Film

As another year comes to a close and award season approaches, I think it’s only appropriate I take a look back at the 2017 films that made the biggest impact on me. Before I jump into the list, I’d like to say that of course there may be a variety of films I haven’t seen, whether because I missed them in cinemas or if I’m only exposed to Western, mostly Anglo-centric films. Please do let me know in the comments or via social media what your favorite films of 2017 were. The following list is in no particular order – you can check out a ranked list here.

Get Out (dir. Jordan Peele)

From the mind of comedian Jordan Peele, Get Out was without a doubt one of the year’s most anticipated and applauded films. Beautifully teetering the boundary between horror and comedy, Get Out is a satirical spin on contemporary race-relations in the United States. Despite its low-budget ($4.5 million), Peele’s directorial debut grossed a whopping $254 million in box-office as well as snagging two Golden Globe nominations including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. You can see the trailer for Get Out here.

Call Me By Your Name (dir. Luca Guadagnino)

By far my favorite film of 2017, Call Me By Your Name is a beautiful love story set in Italy in the early 1980’s. Following the romance between two young men, Luca Guadagnino’s LGBT masterpiece is as visually stunning as it is emotionally. Shot in chronological order on 35-mm film, it’s no surprise that the film has been both a commercial and critical success, earning three Golden Globe nominations as well as six Independent Spirit Award nominations. You can read a full review of Call Me By Your Name here.

Loving Vincent (dir. Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman)

The first fully painted feature-film, Loving Vincent is a testament to creative filmmaking. The film, which gives a voice to the epic characters within Van Gogh’s famous paintings. The film, which contains 65,000 hand-painted frames, took a long time to complete due to financing and the creative team’s desire to use classically trained painters rather than traditional animators. Visually impeccable and narratively intriguing, this animated biopic is as entertaining as it is inventive. The film recently won the Best Animated Feature Film Award at the 2017 European Film Awards and is nominated for a Golden Globe in the Best Motion Picture (Animated) category. Besides the film’s favorable critical response, Loving Vincent also managed to make $21 million in box office against its $5.5 million budget. You can check out the trailer for Loving Vincent here.

Lady Bird (dir. Greta Gerwig)

While coming of age stories have been plentiful in recent years, few manage to so perfectly capture being a teenage girl. Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut stars Saoirse Ronan as a teenage girl coming to terms with love and identity while also balancing a complicated and often hectic home-life. Perfectly balancing between comedy and drama, Lady Bird offers a wonderful take on an often cliché film genre thanks to its talented cast, organic writing and refreshing mother-daughter relationship. The film was selected as one of the AFI’s Top 10 films of 2017. You can see the full trailer for Lady Bird here.

The Square (dir. Ruben Östlund)

While Scandinavian humor is not for everyone, this beautiful art-satire by Force Majeur director Ruben Östlund has received universal critical acclaim, winning not only the Palme d’Or at last year’s Cannes Film Festival as well as all six European Film Awards it was nominated for. The Square has gone on to earn a Golden Globe nomination as well as being rumored to be a frontrunner for the Best Foreign Language Feature Academy Award. For a full review of The Square, click here.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (dir. Rian Johnson)

While I love commercial blockbusters just as much as the next gal (and tend to see more big Hollywood productions than indie flicks), few of 2017’s big name films actually won me over. The exception: Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Rian Johnson’s awaited sequel to the 2015 J.J. Abram’s Star Wars reboot beautifully mixed the heart-stopping action the franchise has become known for with genuine heartfelt relationships and stunning cinematography. The film, which was released in mid-December, has already grossed over $1 billion worldwide. It’s hard to see how Abram’s will be able to top The Last Jedi when this new Star Wars trilogy comes to a close in 2019. You can watch the film’s trailer here.

Journey’s End (dir. Saul Dibb)

Based on the 1928 play, Journey’s End tells the emotional tale of a British infantry company in the trenches of the Spring Offensive. With an incredible cast including Sam Claflin, Paul Bettany and Toby Jones, Journey’s End is a dramatic whirlwind that soars above most other stage to screen adaptations. Unlike other films depicting the First World War, Journey’s End focuses on the emotional effects of war, relying on wonderful writing and on-stage chemistry instead of explosions and battle sequences. While the film has yet to open in cinemas (it will receive a wide release in the Spring of 2018), it has already received favorable reviews from critics and blows films like Dunkirk out of the water thanks to its sophisticated treatment of war (at least in my opinion.) Stay tuned for a full review of Journey’s End on its release, and for now enjoy the trailer here.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (dir. Martin McDonagh)

Written, directed and produced by In Bruges and Seven Pyschopaths filmmaker Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a sickeningly humorous black-comedy-crime-drama starring Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell. Premiering at the Venice International Film Festival, the film is still awaiting release in the UK. Pain-stakingly original and genuinely funny, it’s no surprise Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is considered a front runner for the 2018 Academy Awards and has receives six Golden Globe nominations including Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Screenplay and Best Director.

Did I miss your favorite movie? Let me know in a comment or get in touch with me on Twitter (@gempecorini) or Instagram (@gemmareviews)