C O N S I D E R - Favorites of 2017, 3rd Qtr

by Nathaniel R

Blade Runner 2049 is our current prediction for "Most Nominations Without Best Picture" though maybe it'll snag that, too.Here at The Film Experience I like to keep track of favorites all year long for two reasons. The first is to not to be unduly influenced by the studio shenanigans of backloading the film year with their intended Oscar hopefuls. The second is to prevent forgetfullness when it comes time to give out the Film Bitch Awards, my own virtual awards fest to close out each film year.  When I don't keep careful track it's much harder to wrap things up at year's end.

Being a bit late this quarter, here are Best ofs per Oscar category from films released from July through October 6th (an extra week added on because we're running late). This list does not include films with known release dates from now until the end of the year. We'll save those films till we get there. Unreleased films without a future date are marked with an asterisk. Got it?

Key movies I missed this quarter  (that I'll try and catch up with on screeners hopefully): It, Valerian, Logan Lucky, Patti Cake$, Tulip Fever, Good Time, Lady MacBeth, and A Ghost Story

PICTURE and/or DIRECTOR and/or SCREENPLAY
(i couldn't decide which to cut so this first grouped selection is 8 wide)

     released
ATOMIC BLONDE (David Leitch) The lack of audience turn out for this uber-stylish, inventive actioner, with Charlize Theron showing all the other movie stars how to do action hero performances  (again!) was one of the bummers of summer '17.
BATTLE OF THE SEXES (Jonathan Drayton & Valerie Faris) Such a surprisingly strong history lesson and funny resonant drama, too
BLADE RUNNER 2049 (Denis Villeneuve) Hypnotic if already overrated (calm down! If you're claiming that it's better than the original if it's not your #1 of 2017 with ease you'll have to explain why you've dissed one of the greatest and most influential movies ever made)
DUNKIRK (Christopher Nolan)
THE FLORIDA PROJECT (Sean Baker) The new criticism that I keep seeing online that this film romanticizes poverty is a head-scratcher as it's an exceedingly dark movie that merely looks like candy (due to all that color). The imagined future of virtually all the characters is outstandingly bleak and politically aware for those who are willing to see it. Sean Baker's recent (also terrific) movies Starlet and Tangerine are similarly focused / staged / and tonally nimble with gallows humor, character specificity, and socioeconomic concerns. If having this much empathy for marginalized people is romanticizing poverty, I say bring it on!
mother! (Darren Aronofsky) Sorry not sorry.

more after the jump including best unreleased pics, highlights in cinematography, costumes, and the like...

      unreleased
GOD'S OWN COUNTRY (Francis Lee)* This was earmarked for late October and hopefully that will come to pass. Together with Battle of the Sexes and Call Me By Your Name and BPM this year is shaping up to be a rather grand year for quality LGBT cinema. 
MADEMOISELLE PARADIS (Barbara Albert)*
ON BODY AND SOUL (Ildikó Enyedi)* Hungary's Oscar submission
THE SEEN AND UNSEEN (Kamila Andini)* This Indonesia film, which we raved about at TIFF, was just nominated for Best Youth Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Congratulations. We hope its reputation continues to grow since so few people have yet heard of it.

Previous Bests from 1st & 2nd Qtr

• BABY DRIVER (Edgar Wright)
• THE BIG SICK (Michael Showalter)
• FRANTZ (François Ozon)
• FUTURE PERFECT* (Nele Wohlatz)
• GET OUT (Jordan Peele)
• THE LOVERS (Azazel Jacobs)
• LOST CITY OF Z (James Gray)
• PERSONAL SHOPPER (Olivier Assayas)
• THE WEDDING PLAN (Rama Burshtein)
• WONDER WOMAN (Patty Jenkins)

CINEMATOGRAPHY

BATTLE OF THE SEXES (Linus Sandgren)
BLADE RUNNER 2049 (Roger Deakins) If Roger Deakins loses the Oscar again, they'll just need to hand him an Honorary because it will be clear that he cannot win no matter how extravagantly many of his movies are essentially Star Vehicles for Their Cinematographer.
BEACH RATS (Helene Louvart) Beautiful and ugly simultaneously, which is a nice thematically correct feat.
DUNKIRK (Hoyt Van Hoytema)
ON BODY AND SOUL (Maté Herbai)*

Previous bests from 1st & 2nd Qtr

• BABY DRIVER (Bill Pope)
• THE BAD BATCH (Lyle Vincent)
• THE BEGUILED (Philippe le Sourd)
• FRANTZ (Pascal Marti)
• THE HERO (Rob Givens)
• LIFE (Seamus McGarvey)
• THE LOST CITY OF Z (Darius Khondji)
• TOM OF FINLAND* (Lasse Frank Johannesen) 

COSTUME DESIGN

ATOMIC BLONDE (Cindy Evans)
BATTLE OF THE SEXES (Mary Zophres)
BLADE RUNNER 2049 (Renee April)
GIRLS TRIP (Dahielle Hollowell)
MARY SHELLEY (Caroline Koener)*
VICTORIA & ABDUL (Consolate Boyle)

Previous bests from 1st & 2nd Qtr

• BEAUTY & THE BEAST (Jacqueline Durran)
• THE BEGUILED (Stacey Battat)
• BLAME* (Celeste Montalvo)
• GHOST IN THE SHELL (Kurt & Bart)
• MY COUSIN RACHEL (Dinah Collin)
• TOM OF FINLAND* (Anna Vilppunen)
• WONDER WOMAN (Lindy Hemming)
• THE ZOOKEEPER'S WIFE (Bina Daigeler)

PRODUCTION DESIGN 

BLADE RUNNER 2049 (Dennis Gassner)
DETROIT (Jeremy Hindle)
GLASS CASTLE (Sharon Seymour)
WAR OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (James Chinlund)
WIND RIVER (Neil Spisak)

Previous bests from 1st & 2nd Qtr

• ALIEN COVENANT (Chris Seagers)
• THE BEGUILED (Anne Ross)
• THE COMMUNE (Niels Sejer)
• GHOST IN THE SHELL (Jan Roelfs)
• LOST CITY OF Z (Jean-Vincent Puzos)
• MY COUSIN RACHEL (Alice Normington)
• SPLIT (Mara LePere-Schloop)
• WONDER WOMAN (Aline Bonetto)
• THE ZOOKEEPER'S WIFE (Suzie Davies)

VISUAL EFFECTS 

BLADE RUNNER 2049
DUNKIRK
SPIDER-MAN HOMECOMING
WAR OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Previously in 1st & 2nd Qtr

• ALIEN COVENANT 
• BABY DRIVER
• GHOST IN THE SHELL
• GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 
• KONG: SKULL ISLAND
• LIFE
• WONDER WOMAN

MAKEUP AND HAIR 

ATOMIC BLONDE
BATTLE OF THE SEXES
BLADE RUNNER 2049
GIRL'S TRIP
VICTORIA & ABDUL

Previously in 1st & 2nd Qtr

• THE BAD BATCH
• THE BEGUILED
• GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 2
• KONG: SKULL ISLAND
• LOGAN
• THE LOST CITY OF Z
• MY COUSIN RACHEL
• POWER RANGERS
• WONDER WOMAN

SOUND 

ATOMIC BLONDE
BLADE RUNNER 2049
DUNKIRK
mother!
WAR OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Previously in 1st & 2nd Qtr

• BABY DRIVER
• THE BEGUILED
• GET OUT
• GHOST IN THE SHELL
• GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 2
• LOGAN
• PERSONAL SHOPPER
• THE WALL 

EDITING 

ATOMIC BLONDE (Elisabet Ronaldsdottir)
BLADE RUNNER 2049 (Joe Walker)
DUNKIRK (Lee Smith)
GOD'S OWN COUNTRY (Chris Wyatt)
mother! (Andrew Weisblum)
WAR OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (William Hoy & Stan Salfas)

Previously in 1st & 2nd Qtr 

• ALIEN COVENANT (Pietro Scalia)
• BABY DRIVER (Jonathan Amos & Paul Machliss)
• GET OUT (Gregory Plotkin)
• GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL 2 (Fred Raskin & Craig Wood)
• LAND OF MINE (Per Sandholt & Molly Marlene Stensgaard)
• LOGAN (Michael McCusker & Dirk Westerveldt)
• THE LOVERS (Darrin Navarro)
• SWEET VIRGINIA* (Duff Smith)

ORIGINAL SCORE 

BATTLE OF THE SEXES (Nicholas Britell) Britell will be honored at the upcoming Middleburg Film Festival. He was recently Oscar nominated for scoring Moonlight.
BLADE RUNNER 2049 (Benjamin Wallfisch & Hans Zimmer)
DETROIT (James Newton Howard)
DUNKIRK (Hans Zimmer)
WAR OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (Michael Giacchino)

Previously in 1st & 2nd Qtr

• FRANTZ (Philippe Rombi)
• GHOST IN THE SHELL (Lorne Balfe & Clint Mansell)
• LOST CITY OF Z (Christopher Spellman)
• THE LOVERS (Mandy Hoffman)
• SATURDAY CHURCH* (Nathan Larson) 
• WONDER WOMAN (Rupert Gregson-Williams)
• THE ZOOKEEEPER'S WIFE (Harry Gregson-Williams)
  ... and yes Harry & Rupert are related, they're brothers. Harry is 5 years older

Do you have any favorite visuals or film music from the past three months? Do you think any of your favorites from the year's first half will make your top ten at year's end? 

LIST OF FILMS SCREENED FOR THOSE WHO ARE CURIOUS 

• RELEASED
• ATOMIC BLONDE (David Leitch)
• BATTLE OF THE SEXES (Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris)
• BEACH RATS (Eliza Hittman)
• BLADE RUNNER 2049 (Denis Villeneuve)
• DETROIT (Katherine Bigelow)
• DUNKIRK (Christopher Nolan)
• THE FLORIDA PROJECT (Sean Baker)
• GIRL'S TRIP (Malcolm D Lee)
• THE GLASS CASTLE (Destin Cretton)
• MOTHER! (Darren Aronofsky)
• THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US (Hany Abdu-Assad)
• SPIDER-MAN HOMECOMING (Jon Watts)
• STRONGER (David Gordon Green)
• VICTORIA & ABDUL (Stephen Frears)
• WAR OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (Matt Reeves)
• WIND RIVER (Taylor Sheridan) 
• UNRELEASED WITH UNCLEAR DISTRIBUTION FATE/PLANS
• EUPHORIA (Lisa Langseth)
• GOD'S COUNTRY (Francis Lee)
• MADEMOISELLE PARADIS (Barbara Albert)
• MARY SHELLEY (Haifaa Al-Mansour)
• ON BODY AND SOUL (Ildikó Enyedi)
• THE SEEN AND UNSEEN (Kamila Andini)
• SHEIKH JACKSON (Amr Salama)
• SPOOR (Agnieska Holland)
• ZAMA (Lucretia Martel)
• FILMS ALREADY SCREENED THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS LIST DUE TO FUTURE FIRM RELEASE DATES OR 2018 TBA SLOT
• October Release: Beats Per Minute
• November Release: Call Me By Your Name, Darkest Hour
• December: Downsizing, I Tonya, The Shape of Water
• Marked for 2018:  The Wife, Western

Comments

[Joseph]

Love that you included God's Own Country! And agree - with CMBYN, BPM and Beach Rats - it's been a great year!

Re: Music - I think Truth To Power from Inconvenient Sequel is beautiful and powerful. A Ghost Story and Good Time had interesting scores as well.

[adri]

Yes, okay, I admit I saw "Atomic Blonde" 4 times. But it was better every time! I didn't understand the level of technical craft at first. For me, Editing, Production Design, Cinematography, Best Actress.

"Valerian" had the most eye-popping, delightful, colourful Production Design and Visual Effects of this or any other year.

Two other films really impressed me and stayed with me in their visual representation of war.

"Meagan Leavey" had one of the best action scenes this year. The story of human and partner dogs working in bomb defusion, the scene in the desert was startling in its clarity and understandability and its gut-clenching tension. Beautifully directed and edited.

"Their Finest" was subtle and snuck up on you. We kept seeing the same scenes of the neighbourhood where Gemma Arterton lived, going home, leaving for work, etc. Then one morning, there was a shot of some unknown neighbourhood, destroyed by bombs. Then we realize it's "our" neighbourhood. Our eyes try to pick out the things we've seen before. There's a sense of shock that what's familiar to us is destroyed.

[STinG]

Team Atomic Blonde up in here.

[Andrew]

Justice for Mother!

[chofer]

¡mother! is the most ridiculous and tacky film I've seen this year. That's for sure.

Best of what I've seen so far. TOP 5

The Other Side of Hope: Aki Kaurismaki (why in hell Americans underrate this gem? Sheez!)
Zama, Lucrecia Martel (unlike mother, risky but NOT AT ALL pretentious)
A Fantastic Woman, Sebastián Lelio ( a film, I'm confident, we all will agree on. So will the Academy!)
BPM, Robin Campillo (I don't mind if it meanders a little and cinematically it's no wonder; its sheer power and passion will make your heart beat faster and faster -see what I did here?)
Get Out!, Jordan Peele (sorry if this is too "unreal" for you! you clearly are missing its humor and simbolism. The Surprise of the year for me)
Un beau soleil intérieur, Clair Denis (because I love Denis! Even "normal" Denis. We love her, don't we?)

That's it. Greetings from Argentina.

[chofer]

Sorry, that was "my quarter". South of Ecuador.

[Mike in Canada]

I hope you get to see Good Time and Ghost Story, they're both pretty great!

And I think I might be madly, crazy in love with mother! (which I was not expecting.)

[Evan]

Nathaniel, I'd love to hear what you think of A Ghost Story when you finally see it. It was my most anticipated film of the year before it came out and so I was shocked when it turned out that I *hated* it. As in, with a burning passion.

I need someone I trust to back me up or tell me why I'm wrong. Cuz ick- it was horrid.

[Claran]

Nat i thot u r gonna review Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool?

Sad tt Bening is losing steam among those who saw it...really hope she'll score a nom

[Bee]

Question: While BJK is indeed a prominent member of the LGBT community, Battle of the Sexes isn't really about her sexuality. Is there any reason why it's tagged as a LGBT movie? Genuinely curious, not being snarky.

[DJDeeJay]

I'm surprised that I keep hearing how disappointed everyone is that Atomic Blonde didn't perform better at the box office, and yet when it came out I swore that most people - even its biggest fans - kept saying things like "amazing action scenes but empty overall" or 'technically well done but that's it or "Theron is the only reason to see it." I never read any flat out raves although I see the review here was almost all positive and even then it gets a B+ which is really good but not in the A range. I'll have to check it out since I missed it in theaters.

[Suzanne]

I've plugged A Ghost Story here on TFE a few times, but Logan Lucky is heartfelt and has some great performances. Both will definitely be among my top 10 of the year.

[Ulrich]

Yeah, Blade Runner 2049 is wildly overrated.
As overrated as Baby Driver -- right, Nathaniel?!
At least the RT score for BR 2049 has dropped to 88 percent.

[NATHANIEL R]

Bee -- i have to say that's an interesting reaction. Because to me it definitely was about her sexuality. Her character arc is as much defined as her realization that she's a lesbian as it is her desire to show that women should be treated the same as men.

DJDeeDay -- B+ is a very high grade around here. It usually means you can compete for the top ten list (or at least the top 20) of that year.

Claran -- i ended up in this place where i got so busy and hadn't written the review that i was like "should i wait until it opens?" at any rate it will be discussed at some point. Eager to see it again.