December
28
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Favourites 2017
Below are some of my personal favourite films of 2017. They are not ranked but grouped into the key cinema trends of the past year.
- Call Me by Your Name
- God’s Own Country
- Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
- Goodbye Christopher Robin
- Maudie
- Gifted
- A Ghost Story
- The Killing of a Sacred Deer
- Mother!
- My Cousin Rachel
- Mary Shelley
- Churchill
Call Me by Your Name and God’s Own Country are outstanding love stories in the loosely labelled gay-love genre. They illustrate the great strides being taken in the cinematic representation and normalisation of non-heterosexual relationship stories. Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri stands alone for its powerhouse depiction of anger and disempowerment in America today. Goodbye Christopher Robin and Maudie are my standout bio-pics of the year, and Gifted is a delightful feel-good story. A Ghost Story, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, and Mother are highly original works from the chaotic absurdist genre that push the boundaries of conservative filmmaking. Finally, My Cousin Rachel and Mary Shelley stand tall in the period drama field and Churchill is one of the finest historical dramas of the year.
What are your standout films of 2017?
CineMuseFilms 
Thanks for your great reviews throughout the year. Out of all of your favorites that I have seen, I would agree with. The others are on my list to watch in the future. Other favorites of mine were Prevenge and The Red Turtle (from 2016 I think). Check out our blog for a ‘similar tastes’ end of year review – https://momentarycinema.com/blog/.
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Thanks for the link to your interesting and wide-ranging discussion guys. We overlap on so many films. Look forward to staying in touch.
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Great list. It is interesting that My Cousin Rachel made your list, and my favourites were also A Ghost Story and The Killing of a Sacred Deer. I am still to watch Maudie, I don’t know how that film just passed me by.
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Thanks for your comment. Cousin Rachel may not be popular with many, but its production values are top shelf and the way it maintained erotic and dramatic tension had me enthralled. Maudie is a sleeper that had little fanfare but a pure delight. Have a great New Year dbmoviesblog; look forward to keeping contact next year.
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Nice list, Richard. I’ve read your reviews over the past year regarding most all of them. I haven’t seen “My Cousin Rachel” or “Maudie” or “Mary Shelley” but would like to. We shared “A Ghost Story”. I hope you had a nice holiday and looking forward to reading your 2018 reviews.
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Thanks for commenting Cindy; I value your insightful comments and enjoy our occasional disagreements. Favourite lists are weird creatures; they are inevitably idiosyncratic and more about the person than anything else. At the end of the day, and ignoring the rules of objectivity, these films gave me pleasure and thats what cinema is for. Have a great New Year; I look forward to staying in touch.
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Yes, for sure!
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New Year resolution; get stronger glasses and proof-read more carefully.
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Great to see some love for 3 Billboards and mother!
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They are really out of the box Steve; original, reative and powerful. Love your regular visits my friend; have a great New Year.
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Love your list, it’s full of interesting picks for sure. I love that you gave “Gifted” and “A Ghost Story” some recognition, I also loved both of those films for different reasons.
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Thanks for the comment. Its hard to define the pleasure one gets from film but you know when you feel it. Great keeping in touch with your site this year. Love your work Screen Zealots.
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Yep, like all great art, you’ll “know it when you see it.” Thanks for reading as always, and I can’t wait to read more of your reviews in 2018.
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I watched a lot of movies this year and there were some good ones. 20th Century Women and Queen of the Desert are among those I thought were good. Others were Wakefield and Why Him? I know some if not all of them came out in 2016, but I go by when I saw the movies. ☺️
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I really wanted to squeeze 20th Century Women into the list. Loved that film. I’m not convinced that 2017 was a really great year for film compared to others. Thanks for commenting Karina.
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Wonderful picks! Most of these films are scheduled for a 2018 release where I live, so I can’t wait to finally watch them. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing is the one I’m most excited for, given how much I loved Martin McDonagh’s previous films. And of course, Sam Rockwell is always a joy to watch. Happy 2018 to you! 🙂
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Thank you Jade. Hope you see every one of them and many more in 2018.
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Great to see God’s Own Country listed. It made my top 10 British films of 2017.
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LGBT love stories and horror mysteries seem to both be trending for 2017!
Sacred Deer is my #1 of the year although could change
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Phantom Thread needs to be squeezed into this list; its very impressive. thanks for commenting Chris.
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