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Cinema Fanatic’s Favorite Fifteen Films of 2017
In 2017 I watched 72 new releases, mostly in movie theaters (I am a junkie) and while there were a few films I really hated, mostly I saw a lot of films I really enjoyed. I discovered a love for documentary cinema (I saw fourteen documentaries this year!). I watched 32 new release films directed by women (with my total new-to-me directed by women clocking in at 79 this year; more on that when I do my year-end review tomorrow). For the second year in a row my favorite film of the year was not directed by a woman, but as per tradition it was also a queer romance. I am pretty easy to please. As a final reminder, I am not a fan of the term best. Film is an art that allows the viewer to bring themselves in conversation with it, and therefore what each person sees in a film will be different from what anyone else sees. This is a list of favorites and why these films resonated so with me. There are some spoilers, so beware.
September 2017 in Films
I didn’t actually watch very many films in September. It was partially from post-SUTS overload, but also because I got sucked into a terrible tv show (CW’s Beauty and the Beast reboot. I watched all 70 episodes in two weeks!) Also, I am posting early this month because I will be heading back out to the Pordenone Silent Film Festival tomorrow. More on that when I recap October! Anyways, as always everything I watched plus some favorites can be found after the cut.
Movie Quote of the Day – By The Sea, 2015 (dir. Angelina Jolie Pitt)
Michel: If you really love someone, you want more for them than you want for yourself. Do you understand?
Movie Quote of the Day – Beyond Borders, 2003 (dir. Martin Campbell)
Nick Callahan: If you’re going to throw up, close your eyes. Think of ponies and ice cream. Is that. . .perfume? You’re wearing perfume in the middle of the fucking desert?
Movie Quote of the Day – Mr. & Mrs. Smith, 2005 (dir. Doug Liman)
John Smith: Come to Daddy.
Jane Smith: [after she bashes him with a teapot, headbutts and kicks him into a china cabinet him] Who’s your Daddy now?
Why Maleficent Matters (Spoilers!)
I saw Maleficent on Monday after reading various critic reviews, audience comments, etc. I was unsure what I was going to think about the film as a whole. I knew I would at least love the cast (Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley and Sharlto Copley – what did they do, cast this based on my Tumblr?!). I’ve been thinking about the film ever since and have decided that despite its muddled construction, there are aspects of the film that are very important to today’s film landscape and I think important for little girls to see, and for their parents to (hopefully) discuss with them. It’ll be interesting to see what a generation of women who grew up with this movie will be like. I discuss my take on few very specific aspects of the film after the cut, but if you haven’t seen it yet, there are plot spoilers a-plenty.
Movie Quote of the Day – The Tourist, 2010 (dir. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck)
Frank Taylor: Fuck!. . .you’re ravenous.
Elise: Do you mean ‘ravishing’?
Frank Taylor: I do.
Elise: You’re ravenous.
Frank Taylor: I am.
Movie Quote of the Day – Salt, 2010 (dir. Phillip Noyce)
Peabody: If I did believed you, and I’m not saying for a second that I do. But if I did, nobody else would.
Evelyn Salt: Well, maybe you can think of a way around that.
Movie Quote of the Day – The Bone Collector, 1999 (dir. Phillip Noyce)
Rhyme: Do you know who I am?
Amelia: I read your manual at the academy.
Rhyme: Yeah? What did you think of it?
Amelia: I’m not a book critic, sir.
Movie Quote of the Day – Playing By Heart, 1998 (dir. Willard Carroll)
Max: I uh… I like your tight body. It looks like it would do what I tell it.
Joan: What?
Max: I said. . .
Joan: No, I heard what you said. And I’ll admit ‘What?’ was a rather banal, cliché, noncolorful response. What I really meant to say was: ‘Why don’t you do the world a big fat fucking favor and crawl back into your mother’s womb?’
the diary of a film history fanatic 