Top Ten Films for 2017

Coming up with a list of the best films of the year is something one usually looks forward to.  For me, this is never easy.  Especially for 2017.  There were so many important and worthy films to celebrate that as I have contemplated the list, I’ve almost considered its creation impossible.  To narrow down the top five had me literally beating my head on the desk.  There was an abundance of talented directors getting us lost in fascinating stories, stellar performances allowing us an escape into their world, highly skilled cinematographers constructing gorgeous landscapes for us to disappear into and very accomplished composers designing touching scores that invoked more feeling from us than we could have imagined.

Within these films were battles, heartbreaks, laughs and thrills all brought to us from beguiling and incredibly well-crafted screenplays and I wouldn’t trade my time having seen the words come to life for anything.  Presented for us was a great showman, a split personality, a personal shopper, a girl’s trip and another war in the stars.  Each of these stories deserved to be written and I’m glad that they were.

I was perfectly mesmerized nearly every time I sat before a screen, especially having the honor of witnessing the last performance of Carrie Fisher. 

For the reasons I’ve illustrated for you, I put this off as long as possible, simply because of it being so difficult but here, finally, is my Top Ten List.  I guess some movies were better than others, but I did enjoy so many.  I feel you will, too.  By the way, I couldn’t help myself and added some honorable mentions, as well. 

For the reasons I’ve illustrated for you, I put this off as long as possible, simply because of it being so difficult but here, finally, is my Top Ten List.  I guess some movies were better than others, but I did enjoy so many.  I feel you will, too.  By the way, I couldn’t help myself and added some honorable mentions, as well. 

10. Blade Runner 2049
9.  Killing of a Sacred Deer
8.  Detroit
7.  Hostiles
6.  Darkest Hour
5.  A Ghost Story
4.  Call Me By Your Name
3.  Dunkirk
2.  Loving Vincent
1.  Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri

Honorable Mention:  Wind River, Split, Patti Cake$, Raw, Molly’s Game, Buster’s Mal Heart, Baby Driver, The Hero, Roman J. Israel, Esq. and I, Daniel Blake AND I, Tonya!  Can I add more?!?!  Fine!  Okay.  There they are.  It’s not without a struggle that I offer you this list.  I recommend that you see each and every one of these films and I hope you do.