TOP TEN FILMS OF 2017
Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman
L
et ’ s be honest , we all have subjective opinions about what we like and what moves us . While compiling a list of my favorite films of the year , I decided to go with the ones that stuck with me , that I found the most interesting and touched me in some way rather than the films I thought I was supposed to choose . Ironically , most of the films I liked best also made the top tens lists of some of my favorite critics . There is something to be said about the caliber of films that were released this year , and though we may not
By Lori Vernon
all agree , there were a lot of great movies to enjoy in 2017 . You ’ ll find my top picks here , how do they measure up to your favorites ?
1 ) PHANTOM THREAD - Combine complicated relationships , a darkly funny script , beautifully designed cinematography and an amazing score – not to mention Daniel Day Lewis ’ magnificently intense performance in his final film role - and Paul Thomas Anderson ’ s Phantom Thread becomes an instant classic .
2 ) GOOD TIME - Robert Pattinson gives the performance of his career in this cinematic thriller / comedic rollercoaster tale of a chaotic New York bank robbery gone wrong that keeps you on the edge of your seat in this Safdie Brothers film .
3 ) PERSONAL SHOPPER - French director Olivier Assayas ’ second film with Kristen Stewart ( she won a Caesar Award for Clouds of Sils Maria ) probably wasn ’ t on everyone ’ s favorites list , but if you ’ ve ever lost someone close to you it may have touched you . Stewart plays a personal stylist / wardrobe assistant to a woman she never actually sees and she ’ s also receiving spooky text messages from the ghost of her dead brother … or so she thinks .
4 ) GET OUT - Jordan Peele ’ s directorial debut is a horror / comedy / satire / mystery and racial commentary all rolled into one . Allison Williams is the waspy white girl from the suburbs who brings her black city boyfriend ( Daniel Kaluuya ) home to meet the parents , where rich white folks are creating a Stepford Wives-type experience using unwilling black bodies . Lil Rel Howery steals the show as the TSA agent best friend who saves the day !
5 ) THE SHAPE OF WATER - Guillermo del Toro ’ s Cold War fantasy / love story features Sally Hawkins as the wordless Elisa who falls in love with and rescues a mysterious sea creature being held and tortured by the government . Michael Shannon plays the sadistic villain / government agent who wants to dissect the creature , and Octavia Spencer and Richard Jenkins are the sympathetic friends who help Elisa in a film that gloriously restores the viewer ' s faith in humanity .
6 ) LADY BIRD - This funny , touching , simple and genuine coming of age comedy from Greta Gerwig in her directorial debut features excellent performances by Saoirse Ronan , Laurie Metcalf and the entire supporting cast .
7 ) CALL ME BY YOUR NAME - The fantastic cast , beautiful settings and the genuine , sensual love story of two young people ( Timothee Chalamet and Armie Hammer ) falling in love in the early 80 ’ s make this film completely unforgettable .
8 ) DUNKIRK - Christopher Nolan ’ s retelling of the crucial World War II evacuation of British soldiers from the French beaches of Dunkirk as Hitler ’ s army advances is told from land , sea and air in three separate time frames . The musical score by Hans Zimmer adds tension to every scene and the cinematography is amazing .
9 ) WONDER WOMAN - Patty Jenkins brought girl power to the superhero world and made a kick-ass movie with a kick-ass heroine in Gal Gadot ’ s Wonder Woman .
10 ) THE FLORIDA PROJECT - Sean Baker showcases what poverty is like through the eyes of children living in cheap , payby-the-week motels near Disney World in this sometimes funny , incredibly warm , yet disturbing tale of what amounts to child endangerment and showcases the lengths people will go to provide for their kids .
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14 illinoisentertainer . com january 2018
FRI JAN 5 Riok
Billy Martin Band
and Trouble Ahead
SUN JAN 14
Daytime Showcase
School of Rock
Arlington Heights
JAN 12 BANANA BASH JAN 20 ROCK SHOW FEB 3 WORLD WAR ME
SAT JAN 6 Rock
SamaSama Project
with Barnes & Co .
and Jason Kluss
FRI JAN 19
Blues , R & B , Horns
Rhythm and Blues Brothers Show
FRI JAN 12 BANANA BASH - Hard Rock A Silent Truth also Burned In Effigy
with On My Six
plus Bareknuckle Bullseye
and CD Release show Genotype
SAT JAN 20 Rock
The Hoodlums
with Jimi Hendrix Tribute Electric Gypsy
and Judas Priest Tribute Hellion Chicago
SAT JAN 13
Daytime Showcase
School of Rock
Arlington Heights
SAT JAN 26 Rock
Rough Draft
with Recently Paroled
and Deadman ' s Hand
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