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Ivy Pottinger-Glass’ Top Ten Films of 2018

2018 was a pretty spectacular year for film. This past year I particularly enjoyed some films that came from outside of the US and UK — as you’ll see, half of my top 10 favorite films are in languages other than English. It was hard to narrow it down and there are plenty of terrific films that just didn’t quite make the list. My method for choosing these particular films was to ask myself whether, and to what extent, I would implore people to go out of their way to watch the specific film I had in mind. With that being said, here are the 10 films of 2018 that I would very strongly encourage everyone to make time to see…

10. BlacKkKlansman (Spike Lee, 2018)

Cannes Grand Prix 2018 winner BlacKkKlansman comes in at number 10 on my list. Set in the 70s and based on some “fo’real, fo’real sh*t,” the film depicts the unbelievable tale of the first African American police officer in Colorado Springs, Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), as he infiltrates the Ku Klux Klan over the phone whilst using his co-worker, Flip Zimmerman, (Adam Driver) for face-to-face interactions. With an expert blend of dark humor and relevance to the present day — especially in light of the film’s release coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the Charlottesville Rally — BlacKkKlansman delivers on all fronts.

9. You Were Never Really Here (Lynne Ramsay, 2018)

With one of the most brilliant and intense soundtracks in recent memory, courtesy of maestro Jonny Greenwood, You Were Never Really Here is a psychological thriller that keeps you on edge for the entirety of its short but not-so-sweet 90-minute run time. In her first feature since We Need to Talk about Kevin (2011), Ramsay triumphs again with this equally dark story in which psychologically tortured hitman, Joe (Joaquin Pheonix), rescues the victims of trafficking and inflicts gruesome punishment onto those behind the crimes.

8. Isle of Dogs (Wes Anderson, 2018)

Wes Anderson did it again in 2018 with another charming and witty stop-motion animation, with an all-star cast to boot. I thought that any other Anderson-led animation would pale in comparison to Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), and while I don’t think that Isle of Dogs quite lives up to its predecessor, I can safely say that I extremely enjoyed this canine-packed adventure set within a dystopian vision of the Japanese archipelago 20 years in the future.

7. Eighth Grade (Bo Burnham, 2018)

Not only is Bo Burnham a successful comedian and musician but he’s proven this past year that he’s also a filmmaker to be reckoned with. His directorial debut is more of a horror film than a comedy in that it forces us all to relive the cringe-worthy and downright painful reality of being a young teenager through the trials and tribulations of socially awkward teen Kayla Day (Elsie Fisher), but it’s so endearing and hilarious that it’s definitely worth the trauma of being transported back to early adolescence. Elsie Fisher delivers a veritable masterclass in authentic, natural performance and is so utterly relatable and genuine it’s impossible not to fall in love with her. Sitting through Eighth Grade is pretty agonizing, but it’s worth it . . . I promise.

6. Loveless (Andrey Zvyagintsev, 2018)

Bleak and beautifully tragic, Loveless tells the story of a fractured family in an unforgiving, unnamed city in the Leningrad region of Russia. The film centers around the search for a missing child who vanishes whilst his parents are in the throes of a hostile separation. Their son’s disappearance forces the pair to work together in a desperate attempt to find him. It’s a tough watch, and I can’t say it’s a particularly fulfilling one at that, but it is really a tour de force of filmmaking.

5. Shoplifters (Hirokazu Kore-eda, 2018)

From here on in my list, you’ll see some of the nominees for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards. One of the hottest names is Shoplifters. A Palme d’Or winner at Cannes 2018, it certainly lives up to the hype that’s been building up around it for the past few months. Set in Tokyo, the film focuses on an unconventional family that — as you can guess from the title ­— steals and embezzles to make ends meet. It’s a complex tale that takes you on an unexpected emotional journey, especially at the film’s climax, and the performances from the film’s actors, both young and old, are superb all ’round.

4. The Favourite (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2018)

Yorgos Lanthimos, the king of the “Greek Weird Wave” strikes again and this time he’s struck gold. With a spectacular cast including Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, and Nicholas Hoult, it’d be a crime if this film was anything less than brilliant. Though based on the life of Queen Anne — the ruling monarch of Great Britain for a short period in the 18th century — this is not a period drama like one might expect. With wacky cinematography and Lanthimos’ signature dark comedy, The Favourite is possibly the most entertaining films in my top 5 and it’s definitely my “favourite” Lanthimos film thus far.

3. Burning (Lee Chang-dong, 2018)

A surprising snub in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Academy Awards, this film adaptation captures the sense of mystery and magic of the Haruki Murakami short story on which it is based. Jong-su (Ah-in Yoo) randomly meets Hae-mi (Jong-seo Jun), a girl from his past, and he agrees to look after her cat whilst she is in Africa. She returns alongside Ben (Steven Yeun), an enigmatic stranger, who quickly becomes the object of Jong-su’s fascination after discovering his favorite pastime. This film expertly delivers a sense of magical realism that will keep you bewildered, yet completely transfixed.

2. Cold War (Paweł Pawlikowski, 2018)

Both this and the number 1 film on my list are up for top prizes in Best Foreign Language Film, Best Director and Best Cinematography at the Academy Awards. I had a hard time choosing which one to place first in my own ranking. Paweł Pawlikowski is a formidable filmmaker, and in this cinematic masterpiece, he tells a love story that spans many years and locations, following the turbulent and tragically beautiful course of a relationship between two people who, despite the harshest of conditions, are fated to be together. Shot black and white in “Academy Ratio,” Cold War had some of the most beautiful cinematography I’ve ever seen, so watch it on a big screen if you can.

1. Roma (Alfonso Cuarón, 2018)

There’s a reason why everyone has been talking about Roma. It’s one of those films that will stay with you long after the credits have finished rolling, and that’s why I’ve chosen it as my top film of 2018. It’s a story about family — based on Cuarón’s own childhood in the titular neighborhood of Roma in Mexico City — it follows the story of Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio), a live-in nanny for a middle-class family. The film beautifully depicts the complex relationship between Cleo and the family with whom she is so close to, and yet will never truly be one of. The film’s cinematography is unobtrusive and yet skilfully artistic, allowing the authenticity and raw emotion of the story to remain the central focus. You can really tell that Cuarón put his heart into this film, and the effects are simply breath-taking.

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Greg Arietta’s Top Ten Films of 2018

The past two years that I’ve made top tens, I found the compilation process much easier than it was this year. This is perhaps because I saw more films this year, but I think the difficulty can be attributed to the sheer amount of great films that were released. And I mean really great. Of the 111 theatrical releases I saw, I would say my top 20 are all really strong films that I would go to bat for any time, and 20 through 30 are great in their own right. It was really hard to whittle this list down to just ten films, so before we get into those select few, I think it best if we pay our dues to the honorable mentions that would be right up there in the top ten if they were released in a different year.

Morgan Neville’s overshadowed doc of the year, They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead, serves as an excellent companion piece to Orson Welles’s The Other Side of the Wind, providing necessary context to the film and its director in his final years. Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse is without a doubt the best superhero film in years and one I welcome with open arms. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a wonderful anthology film that lets the Coens tell six moral tales in a Western sandbox that becomes a quintessential western in the process. Roma is a graceful love letter film that evokes the Italian neorealist aesthetic of the 1950s. Thoroughbreds serves as a great example of wealth and privilege run amuck. And I can’t even condense my love for Hereditary, Isle of Dogs, Support the Girls, Shirkers, or Disobedience without making this intro longer than the list itself.

From a wide variety of genres, directors, and studios, there was a film for everyone in 2018. I look at this list and often have difficulty justifying my picks’ positioning above the honorable mentions, and as I said last year, any day of the week or mood will cause me to shift some of these around, but as it stands, this is my top ten, and to me, these are as good as it gets for 2018, so let’s begin.

10. First Man (Damien Chazelle, 2018)

Damien Chazelle’s follow-up to La La Land may be a straight-laced biopic, but First Man certainly lands with assured reverence for its subject matter. Telling the story of Neil Armstrong’s accent to the moon, First Man effectively sets the intimate and personal struggles of one man against one of the most historic moments in human history. Aided by superb camera work from Linus Sandgren and a celestial score from Justin Hurwitz, First Man gets up close and personal with danger, presenting the uncertainty and doubt that surrounded the space program from the start. Perhaps Chazelle’s greatest feat with this biopic is his ability to balance the grand with the minute to create a truly theatrical experience. We may have seen space before on the big screen, but never has the odyssey to the moon been so personal, dangerous, and dazzling. 

9. First Reformed (Paul Schrader, 2018)

On the surface, Paul Schrader’s latest, First Reformed, is your classic environmental political statement film about society’s inability to solve one of the most pressing issues of our time. But more importantly and more poignantly, beneath that you have a film that dives deep into questions of faith and existence. The indomitable anxiety derived from impending demise and the subsequent notion that you can do nothing about it is a sinister idea, and it is precisely what makes First Reformed so thought-provoking. What can we do to combat challenges to our faith? What is there to believe in when society is unwavering in its decline? Can we ever find salvation in the belief that things will get better? These existential questions (and many more) elevate First Reformed into a contemplative piece about our very being, and while there is a general sense of reckoning with the end of days in the film, there is a tinge of hope: in the end, we all may be doomed, but it is that which is pure that can make us keep on living. 

8. Annihilation (Alex Garland, 2018)

Annihilation came out in early 2018, and Paramount literally sent it out to die. Like Silence before it, Paramount had little faith in this psychological thinkpiece and even wanted to change the euphoric ending, but I don’t think they knew what they had on their hands. Alex Garland of Ex Machina and 28 Days Later fame made the best science fiction film of the year and it just came and went. At the heart of the film is how our choices can lead us to our . . . well, annihilation. A team investigating something called “the Shimmer” has a progressive battle with themselves as their DNA is constantly rewritten by alien forces, but this science fiction element is only the external layer for something much deeper. Upon closer inspection, it’s also a remarkable allegory for our own self-destructive behavior, and how we try to break the cycle for the sake of self-betterment, but constantly find ourselves at odds with that desire. Symbolic, hypnotic, and captivating, Annihilation proves that there’s more to it than meets the eye. If anything, the film needs to be seen for the ending alone. It’s one of the most illustrious, artistic, and thought-provoking endings of the genre that I can name.

7. Burning (Lee Chang-dong, 2018)

The most eloquent film on this list, Lee Chang-dong’s Burning is a slow-paced psychological thriller about the obsessions that form from intimate infatuations. What I find so appealing about this film is its disciplined nature and what we can derive from it. Implied meaning, subtle character reactions, and reading between the lines are ways in which the viewer can get the most mileage out of the film. The saying, “the devil is in the details” has never been truer, as Lee uses every ounce of his film to set up future revelations and actions. The film thoroughly develops the irrationality that comes with obsession and anchors it with contemporary themes of social isolation and dissatisfaction of younger generations. Steven Yeun gives a chilling performance as a privileged Gatsby-type and Jun Jong-seo enchants as the object of affection. Like most films on this list, the film demands a rewatch to get the most out of it but only takes one to realize the expert-level artistry on display. 

You can read my complete thoughts on the fiery obsessions of Burning here.

6. Maniac (Cary Fukunaga, 2018) 

I’ve already explained why I classify a serial such as this as a film in my review, but consider its species akin to Twin Peaks: The Return. This ten-part series is the brainchild of Cary Fukunaga (True Detective, Beasts of No Nation) and it carries the thematic sophistication of his prior work, but this time with a humorous, often quirky edge to it. At the heart of the work is its dissection of mental illness and the importance of meaningful human connections. The length of the series allows Fukunaga to psychoanalyze assorted mental ailments in nuanced, sincere, and tactful ways that can be otherwise difficult in a shorter form. Plus, the reuniting of Jonah Hill and Emma Stone (Superbad) as Owen and Annie results in two strong performances that compliment the material. It’s one of the few multi-part series that I actually want to watch again, and with so many other films, new and old, out there right now that I need to catch up on, wanting to rewatch an eight-hour series says a lot. 

5. Ready Player One (Steven Spielberg, 2018)

My hottest take on this list is Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One. It’s not a particular favorite of many, but what makes this film shine is its leanness and ability to construct an economical hero’s journey. It has peripheral themes of culture and gatekeeping, but I think the self-labeled “movie” is not concerned with that. It wants to tell a straightforward narrative that is an action blockbuster first and foremost, and that’s the most compelling part. In the sea of superhero films that have come to shape public opinion on what the blockbuster should be (which I would argue is harmful), audiences have seemingly been conditioned to reject something like this. It’s superhero or bust, and Spielberg is getting a raw deal. The motion capture sequences make great use of volume and space, and Spielberg’s sensibilities for staging and camera placement are as strong as ever. Ready Player One is a great blockbuster from the man who birthed the genre, and thirty-three years after Jaws, I think he’s still got it.

4. Suspiria (Luca Guadagnino, 2018)

Luca Guadagnino had a lot of clout coming off of 2017’s Call Me By Your Name, so when he announced he would be doing a remake of Dario Argento’s 1977 cult original, there was more than a little intrigue. The original is by no means a sacred text. In fact, it’s probably a film that lends itself to being remade, and what we got was one of the most provocative art horror films in recent years that delineates itself from the original in radical ways. A reinvented visual flare, irregular editing patterns, and an eerie Cold War atmosphere are some of the more notable additions to this remake about a coven of dancing witches. Its pacing is slow, prolonging the runtime, but the contrast with the hyperkinetic dance sequence and demonic moments of horror is so potent in building an overall product. It was met with mixed reviews at release, but I believe as time goes on, we’ll be looking back at Guadagnino’s Suspiria in a more positive, artistic light.

You can read my full thoughts about Suspiria in my review here.

3. The Miseducation of Cameron Post (Desiree Akhavan, 2018)

Before Boy Erased there was Desiree Akhavan’s adaptation of The Miseducation of Cameron Post. While they both take aim at gay conversion camps, the later does it in a much more meaningful, potent, and nuanced way that tells a much richer and emotionally conflicted narrative. Following the titular Cameron Post (Chloë Grace Moretz) who is sent to a conversion camp after being caught with the prom queen, the film deconstructs the problematic nature of these camps by showing the hypocrisy of it all. Its greatest strength comes in its subtlety, showing the camp’s problematic nature through personal strife, governmental acceptance, and ironic humor. The weight of judgment isn’t a hammer but a scale that slowly shifts as more and more examples of abuse pile up. And perhaps most importantly it shows that everyone is in this together, never condemning the attendees and always pushing towards their communal resistance of these camps. It’s a profound and emotional film about a very relevant, contemporary issue, and shows that there is no reason to change who you are.

2. You Were Never Really Here (Lynne Ramsay, 2018)

Lynne Ramsay is a director that only makes a film every couple years, but when she does, people should really take notice. She makes delicately crafted and incredibly impactful films that really grab you, and her latest feature, You Were Never Really Here, is no different. Taking the form of a dark and brooding character study, the film is about the physical manifestation of internal demons and the effects it can have of day-to-day life. It’s is incredibly invasive in the way it builds these ideas, using sharp editing, course sound, and visceral imagery to convey the destructive nature of post-traumatic stress in such a tactile way. Joaquin Phoenix’s performance as the lead, Joe, is further proof that he’s one of the greatest working actors today. He delivers a remarkably weighty and empathetic tour de force performance. On the auditory end of it, Johnny Greenwood, who made one of the best scores from last year with Phantom Thread, gives another award-worthy score that perfectly complements the distraught and troubled nature central to our protagonist, and Ramsay knocks it out of the park with a superbly directed feature that reveals new layered meaning with each watch. The film is dark and disturbing, but that is entirely necessary for what is trying to achieve. Oh, and the film’s ending will hit you like a brick. It is so immensely profound and potent. 

You can read my full thoughts about this masterpiece in my review here.

1. Mission: Impossible – Fallout (Christopher McQuarrie, 2018) 

Without hyperbole, exaggeration, or myth-making, Mission: Impossible — Fallout is unequivocally one of the greatest action films ever made. Soaring to new heights for the franchise and raising the watermark for action stunts, writer/director Christopher McQuarrie has concocted a film that blows everything else out of the water. As noted in my review, the film fires on all cylinders in every aspect. The subversive nature of failure and success has the audience barreling blindly through the film, never knowing for certain what will happen next, if victory is assured, or if failure awaits. In a landscape where blockbusters are cookie-cutter and everything falls into line, Fallout excels at breaking norms, tropes, and expectations by giving the film true, tangible tension that makes the stakes feel real. It also helps that Tom Cruise, who is 56 might I add, dances with the devil as he carries out mind-boggling stunts that will leave you speechless once you learn that they were all done practically and without a double, bringing you even closer to action and danger that presents itself. Everything about this film makes it one of the most refined action films ever produced. Unmatched in theatrical experience and equally as potent upon rewatch, Mission: Impossible — Fallout is not only one of the best action films ever made, but it also just so happens to be my favorite film of the year.

If you’re interesting in seeing a full breakdown of all the films I saw in 2018, you can check out my Letterboxd list here.

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Mid90s Cast Interview

We recently had the opportunity to interview the stars of Mid90s, a coming of age film that tracks the trials and tribulations of a rebellious young skateboarder. Headlining Jonah Hill’s directorial debut, is a band of real life skateboarders turned first time actors: Sunny Suljic, Olan Prenatt, Ryder McLaughlin, and Gio Galicia who play Stevie, Fuckshit, Fourth Grade, and Ruben respectively. We sat down and discussed what it was like on set, their personal takeaways from the film, and what it was like to be acting for the first time under a first time director.

This interview has been edited for clarity and readability. Interview was conducted by Greg Arietta and Megan Bernovich.

From left to right: Na-Kel Smith, Olan Prenatt, Gio Galicia, Ryder McLaughlin, Sunny Suljic.

Greg: How did you guys get cast in the film?

Ryder: Mikey Alfred?

Sunny: Yah, Mikey Alfred.

Olan: Mikey got 70 kids that he knew from L.A.. All of them were skateboarders like Jonah asked. He wanted to teach skatborders how to act rather than the other way around because you can’t teach anybody how to be a skateboarder… it takes being apart of the culture to know. From there we were the chosen ones.

Sunny: I went to Stoner [Skatepark] and Mikey Alfred introduced me to Lucas [Hedges] and Jonah [Hill]. I didn’t even know that Jonah was making a movie or anything [ at the time]. I thought he was just stopping by Stoner with Lucas, who I didn’t even know back then. Now, he has three films out this year which is crazy. We all just started talking and he asked me if I had any acting experience, and from that, [he knew] there’s gotta be something. [Jonah] didn’t even know I acted before. I went in for an audition. Got a call back and . . .

Greg: Now you’re here…

Megan: …drinking Starbucks in Seattle.

Sunny: Yo, that’s a good-ass slogan! [laughter]

Greg: So Sunny, you had acted before right?

Sunny: Yah.

Greg: I had looked at your IMDB and I didn’t even know you were in God of War which I had played earlier this year. But for you other three, what was it like being on set [acting] for the first time?

Olan: Every single day on set I didn’t know what level professional actors study [their parts]. Everyday, even if i had one line for that whole day, I practiced that one part literally all day. I’d be nervous up until the cameras started rolling. That was my approach to it. Dedicate every second [on set] I have to it. It was a great environment that was created on set by Jonah… to the point where we can all just have fun with each other and bring it out on film.

Megan: Yah, I was gonna say he’s been directed by some of the greats and he’s on his way to being a director now.

Olan: I can’t believe this was his first time directing. He’s like a genius at this. He choreographed my brain without me even knowing, and it helped my performance.

Sunny: Yah, I think he definitely got the role of the director because he’s really really good at it. He taught me a lot of things with regard to acting too. He’s just a good dude.

Greg: It helps that he’s an actor too. We’re both university students and we took a screen writing course where the teacher told us that if you want to be a director you should probably be an actor first. His logic was if you want to direct actors you have to know what they’re going through and what they’re thinking. I got caught on to Jonah Hill in 2011 with Moneyball, and up until that point I had just known him as the kid from Superbad. Then he went on to do projects like Wolf of Wall Street, work with the Coen brothers, and now he’s directing which is crazy to think about.

Sunny: He has a diverse acting career.

Olan: I’m stoked to see him direct, and [think],”Oh, shit! i’m apart of it.” 

Megan: So you guys were previously familiar with him? You had seen him in some of his other stuff…

Olan, Sunny: Oh yah, definitely.

Greg: Any favorite Jonah Hill film?

Olan: The Sitter [laughter]

Sunny: Actually, I like all of them. I’m still watching Maniac right now. You know what’s funny about watching Maniac is that since we’re all close to Jonah, it feels like he’s never acted before… as if he’s a good friend [you know] who does something big, [and makes you] go, “Woah! He’s in this show!” I’m watching it as if I see Olan in a big video or something.

Megan: Just like your friend?

Sunny: Yah. But, I really really really like him in Wolf of Wall Street and War Dogs. I literally just watch little clips of him laughing [in that movie].

Greg: That laugh is so good. When he gets out of the car [in that one scene] because someone insulted him and he pulls out the AK-47…

Olan, Sunny: Oh yah yah yah…

Sunny: …where he gave them money for weed and they didn’t give it to him, so he comes out with the AK. Bro, that [part is so good]. 

Photo by A24

Greg: He’s just so good. I’m kinda jealous… Did you have a favorite day on set? How long was the shooting process?

Olan: Let’s see… well everyone shot for two and a half months, but Sunny, Lucas, and Catherine [Waterston] shot a little bit before us.

Sunny: My favorite day on set was when we shot the party scenes or when we were outside the [Motor] skate shop and we skated because all the extras were my friends, so it was cool to watch everybody [have a good time].

Megan: Yah, it felt very authentic seeing you guys hang out with your actual friends.

Sunny: And with Jonah he has OCD too, so he’s was very specific with [how the] trash [was displayed] and everything.

Olan: Everyday on set was my favorite day. Another day another person to meet.

Greg: It helps to have a nice working environment too. Most of the time you hear rumors coming out of sets where everything is pure chaos…

Olan: Yah, I think it’s typical to not have a dope environment like ours was. Like, this was crazy.

Sunny: I think it’s also cool that we’re all really close. And I’m not just saying that because I’ve filmed before and it’s been really fun, but I’ve never … ummm, like we all skate and we all hang out outside of shooting so it’s so cool to be going on press and traveling because it just feels like we’re just going on a skate trip. Like we’re going on a plane or we’re going on a train [together], and it’s just so tight. 

Megan: Did either of you, Gio or  Ryder, have a particularly favorite experience?

Ryder: I was just a chaperone. 

Gio: Everyday was just something new to learn by everyone on set That’s how it was for me at least.

Megan: I guess for everyone except for Sunny, you guys didn’t get to see alot of the filming of [Stevie’s] home life. What was your guys’ reaction to seeing the finished, full film and all the parts that you weren’t in?

Ryder: I wish there was more because there was a lot of that sort of stuff. I feel like it was supposed to be a bigger chunk of the movie. 

Greg: Did it get cut?

Sunny: Yah they cut like a lot.

Gio: The movie was like three hours long…

Sunny: … And now it’s like 80 minutes with credits. I think what Jonah’s goal  when editing was that he realized that some scenes just didn’t have to go in. 

Ryder: He took out all the stuff that didn’t add to the story if that makes sense. It’s literally just enough stuff to get the point across without having parts where we’re just messing around.  I also have like no clue [since i didn’t cut it].

Olan: I agree with him, that’s not my check either. I don’t know why he chose the decisions that he did, but I heard him state that it’s so great great to over write and over shoot in the editing places.

Greg: I bet having that in the editing process really helps cause then you can pick and choose what you want… All these characters feel genuine and true to life, do you guys see yourself in any of these characters or have any take aways from them? Obviously they’re your performances, but when I saw the film, I look back and see something different than someone like yourselves who are currently living those lives.

Sunny: What I took away and what I really enjoyed about my character is the subtle facial expression I would make. I watch them, and I would have a little smirk or . . .

Ryder: So you’re just a really good actor [laughter]

Olan: Yah. Pretty much.

Ryder: “Yah so I was watching it and I did a really good job. I killed it…”

Sunny: Yah, I was watching it and I was like, “Damn, I’m the best actor ever and I should just keep going. It’s so crazy!” [Laughter] But actually, I think Jonah wouldn’t “make a meal out of it,” especially with the cameos too. Alot of the violent scenes he would just keep it on wide shot and let it just play out…

Olan: Let it be what it is.

Greg: You guys did all your own stunts right?

Sunny: Yah…

Ryder: That’s crazy that that’s even considered stunts.

Sunny: Yah that’s tight though.

Ryder: The only stunt in that movie is falling off the roof. That’s the only thing I would consider to be a stunt.

Sunny: I did have to bring in a stunt person because of liability, but they still used me. I actually did jump off the roof for one of them. I just jumped on a pad. They brought in a lady [to do another take], but I guess they ended up going with my take because you can kinda tell [if it wasn’t me].

Greg: Yah, I thought it was cool that they just let you guys do your own things. It’s not the most dangerous stuff out there…

Sunny: With skating though, it would be weird if there were stunt doubles doing our skating. Na-Kel [Smith] is pro. Ryder is Am. Olan is one of the fucking best skaters. And Gio is really good too.

Greg: Did you have to fake or act when you had to learn how to ride a skateboard for that one scene?

Sunny: Yah.

Gio: Like Sunny is really good. He’s a talented skateboarder. He needed to play someone who couldn’t skate. But like, that was pretty hard for him. 

Sunny: I’ve had people tell me, “Oh so did you have to learn how to skate before the film?” And then I get really happy because I know it looks realistic then. 

Ryder: You’re just a really good actor.

A24

Megan: One of the integral parts of Ryder’s character is that you’re the one who is filming all this and going along with all everyone and documenting everything, how was that in addition to skating and playing this character, but also holing a camera? How did that feel for you while you were shooting? 

Ryder: I enjoyed filming on set. I really liked my character just from the script because his whole thing he doesn’t talk, and [how] filming and documenting everything is his role. That’s what he can contribute because he doesn’t make jokes. He’s the scapegoat for tense situations… when things get serious and then it’s like, “Oh, yah lets just make fun of Fourth Grade,” and then it goes back to normal and continues on.

Greg: Just out of curiosity, do you know what were you shooting on the handheld? Was that microtape?

Ryder: Yah, it was like a Sony Hi-8. I’m not sure exactly what kind of Sony camera, but I went through alot of tapes.

Megan: Did you get to be apart of the editing process at the editing, putting together your little film?

Ryder: Uhhh, no that was all Jonah. I got sent a couple rough versions and then I didn’t see it for a while. Then later they said, “Hey can you do all these title [cards] for it,” so I did all that stuff for it.

Greg: We’re almost out of time, so final question. You guys do all these junkets, but what is the one thing wish someone would ask about you or just something no one knows?

Sunny: That I skate. I want people to know that.

Ryder: I like to keep it vague so no one really knows. Especially if you’re gonna act, you don’t want people to know too much about you.

Gio: For me at least, [I want people to know] that I’m not like Ruben is in the movie. I’m not a dick I guess [laughter]…

Sunny: Alright, that’s enough. That’s enough. That’s all they need.

Gio: Alright fuck you Sunny. [Laughter]

Megan: That’s a great note to end on, I think. Thanks for your time and we hope the rest of press day goes well!

Mid90s is in theaters now. You can read our full review here.

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SIFF 2018: Gus Van Sant and Beth Ditto Interview for Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far On Foot

During the Closing Night Screening of Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot, we were able to get a few questions in with director Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Milk) and actress Beth Ditto. The interview was conducted in tandem with Darlene Graham from SIFF News and Greg Arietta. As Van Sant snacked on some Skittles before the show, we were able to ask why this film was so relevant for today and how Van Sant was able to illicit so many stellar  performances in the film. DWHWGFOF comes out on July 13th, but you can check out our interview below.

This interview has been edited for clarity and readability.

DG: I wanted to ask how you relate to your character?

BD: Well, I think it’s the only character that I could really do because I don’t think [Reba — her character] is that far remove from who I really am. I live in the South, and the whole description [of the role] was worth it. I feel like it just makes sense for me. She was a redneck and I grew up with rednecks [who were] women with really big hearts that just love to talk, but also really brutal. I thought that life wasn’t really that serious. We were really religious. We thought there would be this reward some where else, so dying young wasn’t a big deal. It was just basically, “Smoke until you fucking die.” The person I was thinking about when I was reading the description of Reba was this woman named Jamie who smoked in a hospital room, had lung cancer, and died at 47. 

GA: So Gus, there are so many great performances in this film, how did you as a director illicit so many great performances from a broad cast?

GVS: I try to make everything seem like its not that important so that it’s not…

BD: A burden?

GVS: … a burden, yah. I want the actors to feel comfortable and they just go. Right? *Looks at Ditto*

BD: For me, yah. I only worked with you for like three days to a week, so I can’t say that for everyone else. 

GVS: You know, just stay out of their way, and hopefully they’ll get into it. If I get too involved… They usually have their own thing they want to do [with the character], so I usually try to stay out of the way. Did I did that with you? *Looks at Ditto*

BD: Yah, you finally got out of my way. I think that’s the only reason I could do it because I could just do what I wanted to do and it was encouraged. Also, there is something also about the other people that were in it that it felt like a good group of people who got along. That makes things feel a lot easier. I think the curation of the actors are a huge part of it. If we didn’t have people that meshed together, I don’t think it would of been that easy. I felt encouraged to be myself… maybe too much! I felt really comfortable and I’ve never done it before.  Sometimes I felt like I was gonna throw up. I get nervous, but never like that. I don’t get performance anxiety really, but [acting] made me scared to death. I had to have a phone call before because I needed to talk about it. I don’t even know what it was about. 

GVS: But then when we did it, was it easy? The next day did you have anxiety?

BD: Oh so easy. But the next day I did also, because I don’t want to [look bad] in front of professionals in the moment. I don’t want to put them off if I don’t talk at the right time. Which is hard for me… not to talk. So silence is a good key [with acting]. But yah, I got comfortable really easily. But you *looking at Van Sant* really set people at ease.

DG: Can you tell why you felt the story of Jon Callahan was important to tell right now? 

GVS: We started the project in the 90s. It was a good story to tell in the 90s, for the 2000s, the 2010s, or today. It’s a timeless story, so it’s always current. 

BD: I’ll add to that. We need a Jon Callahan story right now. That’s a good reason!

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SIFF 2018 : Eighth Grade Interview with Bo Burnham and Elsie Fisher

At the tail end of SIFF 2018, we were lucky enough to interview Bo Burnham and Elsie Fisher about their latest endeavor: EIGHTH GRADE. In it, guest interviewer Delaney Fry asked Burnham how he incorporated his own career into the film as well as how Fisher so naturally portrayed such a relatable character. The film comes out July 13th, but you can read the transcript below or listen to our interview now, complete with Pogs, Dungeons & Dragons, and defining the term ‘Yeet’.

This interview has been edited for clarity and readability.

D: So if you want to get started, we have a couple questions for each of you, and we can just go back and forth. You’ve probably been asked this one a lot, but we were wondering how did your own Youtube experience…

B: Am I blue? [referring to highlighter on our question sheet]

D: No, actually the blue questions are our primary questions and pink ones are our secondaries if we get to them.

B: Oh good, I was gonna say, “Boy we’re really living in a retro gendered world. Blue for me and pink for her!”

D: Well you get all the questions and we get two questions for the girls. So how did your younger Youtube experience impact Kayla’s experience in the film with regards to her own Youtube channel?

B: It certainly did. Obviously it engrained some sense of being meaningful to me, but I really did draw more on my current experience with the internet than I did then. I just didn’t think the internet asked that deep of questions of us in 2006. It was, “You have a funny thing? Post it,” and now it’s like, “Who are you as a person on a deep level.” There was definitely some of me in there for sure, but I really set out to explore what I was feeling at the time I wrote it when I was 25 or 24. It wasn’t a story of my past more than it was about my present, so of course it set me on a course of life that was really caring about the internet because it provided me with a lot of success and pain and all that stuff.

D: Elsie, being as young as you are and with your experience on YouTube, how has this movie reflected your own experiences? 

E: I like the way the internet is portrayed through Kayla because it just shows it as it is. It’s just her scrolling on her phone at at 3am and what not. Another part I like is that when I was in sixth grade I had my own really shitty YouTube channel. I didn’t put as much effort into it as Kayla’s did. It was just like Minecraft, but it was really cool for me to portray a character who had their own [channel] and see them struggle in their own way that I could weirdly relate to: to make things and not be cared about. But they’re good for yourself. I cared a lot. I use to post my art on the internet and no one would care, but I would still felt good about it.

B: That should keep going. Leonardo DiVinci probably had most fun painting. It should be for you. Even this [film] should be for us first. Like it shouldn’t matter if it’s seen or not.

E: Yah I don’t care if it’s seen. I use to and I think Kayla cares a little bit if it’s seen because that’s what she wants to do, but in my personal life right now, I stopped caring. I’m like, “Whatever. I’m having fun making it.”

D: And between the two of you who came up with “Gucci”?

E: Me

D: How’d you come up with that? Were you like, “Let me just throw this in?”

E: So I’m a naturally anxious person. This was my first lead and I all the way over in New York [where we filmed], I just had this nervous tick, so I would end conversations with “Gucci.” And then [Bo] started doing it to embarrass me, and then it caught on on set. When we filmed the videos way later, [Bo] wanted me to have a sign off, so it became “Gucci.”

D: I love how it starts so ironically and then it just infects yourself with it.

B: Yah exactly. The thing people don’t realize with inside jokes that kids do is that the they don’t even get them. Just just like doing it. 

E: Yah, people ask me what Gucci means and I’m like, “I don’t know.”

D: One of the best things my parents have asked me is, “What does ‘Yeet’ mean?” and I don’t know how to explain it to them. I can’t stop saying it, but I don’t know… YEET!

B: Is that Y-I-T?

D: It’s Y-E-E-T. It’s from a Vine.

E: Yah it’s from this vine where this kid has a Mountain Dew bottle, he throws it, and he goes, “YEET.” It’s like his brother or mom or something. 

D: And it’s just caught on so whole heartedly. It’s a thing that we’ve seen a lot in college.

B: I’m gonna have to check that out. 

E: It’s so stupid.

D: Yah, but’s so beautiful. It was what the internet was meant to do. 

B: The internet is meant to be indescribable.

D: So next, kind of from both of you: when you look out into the audience, it’s a huge age range. We had people standing up and talking yesterday [at the SIFF screening] who were in seventh and eighth grade themselves, both boys and girls. And then we had people who were 70 years old.

B: These two [screenings] were particularly good. I think the festival had a really good range. 

D: Even with this huge age span, we’ve seen a huge positive response to it, Obviously, [Elsie] has won the Best Actress award and the Gold Space Needle [for Best Feature], so when you two were making this film, were you trying to make it applicable or were you gearing it more towards a heartfelt story that ended up being so applicable to all of us?

B: I had a vision board that just said “Golden Space Needle” and I was like, “How do I get here?” *laughter* Our approach was not to be relatable for the sake of being relatable. The hope is that the more specific, the more universal it will be, but I just wanted to be honest, truthful, not manipulative, just portray things as they are, and hopefully it will resonate with people. I felt that [Elsie] resonated with me and I’m not her. If I’m feeling connected to this story and I’m not circumstantially like her, then other people can too. I think the feelings of anxiety, how you view yourself, how the world views you, and then going from how you perceive your own self versus how you articulate them are common [sentiments]. Everyone’s pretty awkward, but I’m so glad I’m not that awkward anymore. Every social situation is incredibly loaded, and awkward things are happening all the time. Like, have you been in an elevator? Everyone spends half their day blushing, so for me as an audience member, I wanted to make a movie I want to see. When I feel that someone is trying to relate to me, which a lot of things recently have been trying to occupy that nostalgia space, I’m like “Ugh, I get it.” POGS, RIGHT?! I don’t really give shit, I just want it to feel real. [Looks over to Elsie] Pogs were an old thing.

E: I know what Pogs are.

B: You know what Pogs are?!

E: I vaguely do. I mean I grew up in a very dated town. I grew up with VHS and no internet. I didn’t get internet until I was like…

B: She would not have been of age. She was born in 2003. Yah you should not have [known about Pogs].

E: Yah but I are grew up with VHS, and I was like, “[An entire movie] fits on this [tape]?”

D: Craziest thing for me was trying to explain how CDs and DVDs work because I still don’t get it. I think it’s magic. 

B: Well vinyl is really confusing because you scratch it and then it makes the sound? Huuuuh? Literally makes no sense.

E: I remember though at my school we didn’t even have projectors. We had the light thing [transparency projector]. That was weird. I sometimes have weird dreams about where did it come from because no else my age knows what I’m talking about. 

D: So Elsie, the film ends really beautifully with that hug [from her dad played by Josh Hamilton] because the whole time watching it I too wanted to reach in for a hug. How did you begin to connect with Hamilton and develop that authentic relationship?

E: We hung out off of set with Josh, myself, and my own father…

B: Did you go to the Statue of Liberty or Museum of Modern Art with Josh?

E: Well we got ice cream and then Josh kind of left us there at MOMA. Like he walked with [me and my father] there and was like, “YEET.” Yah, but it was basically hanging out with him and we did a little bit of stuff like that. Then we had rehearsals of the scenes we were in, and those were the only scenes we really did because that relationship is so familiar and boring to Kayla.

B: Everything else we wanted to capture [in the film was] the nerves, but with [Kayla’s] dad, she was so comfortable to begin with so that had to feel super bored [at the dinner scene]. 

E: But with the fire pit scene it had to feel different. It’s not all boring, so maybe boring isn’t the right word. It was just about getting the scene to feel right with him by doing it over and over again. Like we did the dinner scene a hundred million times? Four billion? 

D: And it was so perfect. I just saw my sister in you.

B: You have a younger sister? 

D: Yah I have three siblings, so for my younger sister, I saw the most of her in you. 

B: And she’s how old now? 

D: Now she’s eight-teen. She just graduated high school yesterday, so very exciting. I had her grad party right after the movie, so I had to ditch setting it up, but I was back for the fun part… But Bo, being that you’re so musically inclined with you music and comedy, how involved were you with choosing the film’s music, specifically for Aiden’s? 

B: Oh yah. For Aiden’s [music], it was this band called ‘Hurter Baiter’ which is this Swedish, weird techno music…

E: I am Swedish. My family is very Swedish. 

B: Perfect, that is incredibly fascinating *sarcastically*. You look very Swedish. Anyway, back to my question, I wrote a temp score for the movie that I didn’t want to use, but I was just trying to feel out the film. I had a few months before the movie had started to think about things and I wrote a lot of music just to explore the movie in a different way. Then I stumbled upon Anna Meredith’s music who was an incredible electronic music composer. She was a classically trained composer out of London and she’s just amazing, theatrical, and big. We wanted the music to be visceral and feel like foreground music that made Kayla’s experience bigger than it is rather than this mandolin, staccato string, indie tween score that makes everything cute and small because the movie is not cute to [Kayla]. It’s not small to her. Music is just a great subconscious way to make things more visceral and intense. 

D: I would say I totally felt [those emotions] in the movie where it may not be a big deal to us because we are just watching it, but the part where the music got louder and louder made me feel it more and more. Along with the music, Kayla has a lot of mannerisms that are really noticeable such as the crossing of the arms or slouching and I was wondering if you just know how to do that naturally or was it something you two had to coach a little?

E: Nah, it was just good old Fisher anxiety mannerisms. That’s just me. That’s just how I do stuff or at least how I use to. I’m trying to be confident with thing like… power posing.

D: Do you do power posing? 

E: No, but i probably should. 

B: Posture is good. Walk down the street with your chest puffed out and it feels good. I try to do that because I’m so tall and I don’t want to slouch. It’s very psychosomatic to have good posture. But yah the mannerisms shouldn’t be conscious. We didn’t want her to be like Winston Churchill [all frumpy like], and be like, *Churchill impression* “I’m Kayla” because it would be less effective. 

E: The only one that felt a little bit conscious was when I held my arm [across my chest], but I just kept doing that because when Fred, who plays one of the high schoolers, pointed it out [as something from a different generation], I decided to stick with it. But everything else was just natural. 

D: Well we are almost out of time. I just wanted to leave you with a general question at the end. Sometimes we ask very specific questions, and you don’t get to talk about something you’re very passionate about, so is there a story from the film, any fun fact about yourself, or thing you’ve just been dying to share that no one has asked you a question about that you wish someone had? 

E: Ummm, I don’t know. I like playing Dungeons and Dragons.

D: We’re [pointing to Megan] in a D&D team together! What do you play? 

E: I play a tiefling bard.

D: What’s your instrument?

E: I have a ukulele and an electric guitar. It’s super exciting. I’ve been playing with my friends for about a month now and we’re actually making a podcast out of it now. It’s really exciting. 

D: Oh that’s so beautiful. Well, hopefully we’ll find it when it comes out. Do you have a name for it?

E: Yes, it’s called “X-Treme D&D.” I’ve been writing a bunch of music for it. It’s very fun. 

D: See that’s the kind of stuff people never get to hear about. 

B: Yah, I can’t top that shit. Um, I don’t know…

D: How’s your dog doing? We were told by a friend to check on your dog.

B: He’s doing great. He’s doing real good. Bruce is a good guy. He turned three. He’s chilling out. He got in a little fight with his sister and he had to get staples in his head, so he’s a little staple head right now, but those are coming out soon.

D: Does he have a little cone? 

B: Oh no, they’re on the top of his head so he literally can’t get there. He’s just a little staple head boy right now. 

D: Very cute. Well we could keep going, but we won’t waste your time. So I think we’re good from here. We appreciate you guys talking to us. 

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SIFF’s VR Zone Offers a Glimpse of Virtual Reality’s Cinematic Future

Before stepping into SIFF’s VR Zone, staffers are quick to warn attendees that the festival’s virtual reality showcase is not an arcade arena à la Ready Player One, but rather, a peek at the future of interactive and immersive filmmaking. While cinema has had over 100 years to refine itself and create a general formula for success, VR is just now entering the scene and very much experimental. The techniques and elements included in the VR experiences vary incredibly as each filmmaker choses to integrate different ideas and levels of interactivity into their films. This diverse development is evident in how each film handles space, interplay, and style, and with each experience demonstrating something new.

Even though a trip to the VR Zone lasts 90 minutes, it is not nearly enough time to cover all the booths, even with two people. There are 28 experiences to be had, and they range from narrative based filmmaking to dance routines, avant-garde art collections to interactive games, and music videos to news segments. With that being said, we will give a run down of what we saw, our impressions, the highlights, and our takeaways.

To preface, this was our first experience with VR and both of us walked away impressed. At each booth, it is difficult not to get caught up in VR’s potential, but that is not to say that the works shown in the VR Zone don’t feel complete or artistically fulfilled. If you can look past the color fringing, screen door effect, occasional motion sickness, or scuba-goggle field of view, you find yourself in worlds unlike your own. The most impressive films featured high end headsets that have higher pixel densities for clarity and more processing power to render the worlds, but regardless of hardware, every station offered an experience that was unique and different from current cinema.

One of our favorite shorts was titled “Queerskins: A Love Story” created by Illya Szilak and Cyril Tsiboulski. The viewer rides in a Cadillac alongside the Missouri parents of a young man who has died of HIV/AIDS in the 1980’s. Before entering the virtual reality space, there is a physical room curated with the man’s items and mementos, pictured below. The car ride is an opportunity to view his personal possessions, reflect on a life taken too young, and experience grief alongside a confused and challenged mom and dad. VR is aptly used as a tool to make the narrative more compelling and substantial.

The set of “Queerskins: A Love Story.”

Another fascinating narrative piece was “The Visigoths”, which through camera perspective and use of technology created sentimental nuance in an examination of a romantic relationship.  “Where Thoughts Go” was one of the most interesting interactive pieces. It uses the contributions of hundreds of prior viewers to bolster the experience of the viewer. In the real world, the viewer is placed  in a quiet, personal setting that creates a sense of serenity, much like your room or a place of comfort. In the virtual reality world, one hears the answers to five intimate questions from previous visitors, before being prompted to share their own responses as well. Responses are saved, and passed on for the next participant. “Where Thoughts Go” is a communal piece that candidly and naturally grows over time, effectively eliciting meaningful emotional reactions.

In terms of music, we experienced two music videos: The Posies’ “Unlikely Places” and Billy Corgan’s “Aeronauts”. The former was a stationary camera that had various band members overlaid at different opacities wandering about a game room. The viewer’s position doesn’t move, but is instead confined to a single stationary position that evokes Zbigniew Rybczynski’s Tango.  The later had Corgan playing on a piano as various digital sets flew by and transformed into various artistic locales. Both offered passive experiences for VR, but showcased how music videos could be made within the medium. They are simple concepts for a VR film, but make one curious about what a group like OKGO has been working on in the VR space.

Jamie interacting with thoughts inside of “Where Thoughts Go.”

In terms of effectiveness, Al Jazeera’s “7 Stories for 7 Years” news piece transports the viewer to a Syrian refugee camp and gives a glimpse of the hopes and dreams of seven young people living there. Films like this generate a sense of empathy when virtually transported into their world and give the viewer a sense of their lives, environment, and living situation. Al Jazeera’s melding of news and virtual reality has the potential to prompt viewers to be more understanding of conflicts and issues foreign to them.

We also enjoyed “Homecoming: Seduction” which explored addiction through dance, “Everything Flows” which created an enhanced artistic and abstract world, and “The Other Dakar” which used experimental film making and production design to depict Dakar community. VR has so far been most prominent in gaming, and “Mono: Blackwater” gave us a glimpse of VR gameplay with three interactive mini-games, while “Maiden Flight” gave us the feeling of vertigo as we took a ballon ride above a medieval village.

The variety on display is fascinating, and perhaps inspirational as one considers how VR and cinema may merge. SIFF staff are passionate about the amazing new ways ideas can be illustrated, and how that will empower a new generation of filmmakers from every background to create new stories. After just a short 90 minute visit and a handful of demos, it’s hard not to share their enthusiasm.

Over the course of the festival you can check out the VR Zone at AMC Pacific Place. Each session last 90 minutes and costs $20 for members ($25 for non members). Use code UWVR18 at checkout and your ticket will be reduced to $15.

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SIFF 2018 Capsule Reviews

The 2018 Seattle International Film Festival takes place from May 17th to June 10th and UW Film Club is covering as many films as possible so you know which films you should see or might peak your interest! Below will be a regularly updated feed of our capsule reviews from festival films with the newest ones at the top. Check back regularly to see whats new!

UPDATE: As films are released, this article will be updated with links to their full reviews.

Thunder Road

Thunder Road expands on the humor, message, and heartbreak explored in the magnificent original short film through the force of writer, director, and star Jim Cummings. Legitimately laugh out loud funny, Thunder Road greets the viewer with an onslaught of jokes from start to finish, while still effectively conveying themes of grief and inadequacy. The film’s conclusion feels rushed narratively, but also in part because Thunder Road is so funny the end comes too soon. Hilarious, hysterical, and heartrending, Thunder Road is among the best SIFF 2018 has to offer.

4.5/5 Stars

– Jamie Housen

Thunder Road will play on Friday, June 8th at 3:45pm at the SIFF Cinema Uptown.

Three Identical Strangers

Three Identical Strangers is the type of documentary that could easily go viral. It is riveting from start to finish, with gripping twists and turns driven by a true, larger than life story. Three Identical Strangers is well crafted, bringing together historical news footage, home videos, and uncompromising interviews with many involved parties, and repurposing them throughout the film for varying effects. The viewer should enter with as little background knowledge as possible, as the film will launch them on an emotional and revelatory rollercoaster.

4/5 Stars

-Jamie Housen

Three Identical Strangers will have a limited release on June 29th, and will be broadcast on CNN later this year.

Tyrel

Tyrel disorients the viewer in style and in subversion of expectations. Featuring an excellent performance from Jason Mitchell as the sole black man vacationing with a group of white friends the weekend of Donald Trump’s inauguration, viewers will enter with bated breath anticipating the scenario’s potential disasters. The film’s theme is steered by character interaction, atmosphere, and erratic camerawork. This style creates extended sequences with little activity, making the 86 minute film feel long. Tyrel may not develop a concise, transcendent conclusion, but leaves a lasting and effective impression.

3/5 Stars

-Jamie Housen

Tyrel will have a limited release later this year.  

Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot

Gus Van Sant’s latest tells the tale of recovery and redemption through the life of John Callahan, a real life cartoonist who becomes a paraplegic after a drunken car accident. The film’s biggest enemy is its construction as it goes for a narrative that hops around and often wrangles with itself over consistency, but luckily it’s biggest strength is its tentpole performances from Joaquin Phoenix, Jonah Hill, and (a very minor) Jack Black who bring strong meaning to life even after being dealt a shitty hand.

3.75/5 Stars

Read our full review here.

-Greg Arietta

You can catch DWHWGFOF at SIFF’s Closing Night Gala on Sunday, June 10 at 6pm at the SIFF Egyptian, though it is currently on Standby. 

Brewmaster

Brewmaster is a documentary that covers every college student’s favorite drink: beer. While weaving in interviews with industry professionals, the doc mainly follows Drew Kostic, a former lawyer who is now pursuing his career as a brewer, and Brian Reed, an educator trying to become a Master Cicerone, as they try to realize their dreams. Even though the film isn’t revolutionary in terms of profound meaning, it is still fascinating to watch people achieve a sense of craftsmanship for something they truly love in a blossoming industry.

3/5 Stars

-Greg Arietta

You can catch screenings for Brewmaster on Friday, June 8 at the SIFF Uptown at 6:30pm and Sunday, June 10 at AMC Pacific Place at 1:45pm.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post

The Miseducation of Cameron Post brings pitch black humor that transitions seamlessly into heartache. It follows a teenage lesbian Cameron, who is sent to an evangelical gay conversion camp, growing resilient and self-determined with the company of two friends, played by Forrest Goodluck and Sahsa Lane. The film engages with painful subject matter through a thoughtful and memorable coming of age narrative. With a powerhouse cast of teens, it walks the line between hope and devastation.

4.5/5 Stars

-Megan Bernovich

There are no more screenings for this film, but you can catch it in Seattle when it releases on August 3, 2018.

The Devil’s Doorway

In The Devil’s Doorway, director Aislinn Clarke manages to breathe a little freshness into the exhausted tropes of the found footage genre. Set in Northern Ireland the 60s, the footage is meant to be that of a young Catholic Father John Thornton sent with his elder Father Thomas Riley to a Magdalene Laundry to investigate and document a supposed miracle. The film is thoroughly postmodern horror, with thinly veiled social critique at play. Clarke taps into the societal anxieties that gives horror film power over us, particularly a biting critique of the religious authority and institutional policing of bodies. As a whole, The Devil’s Doorway makes competent use of the found footage style while provoking a larger conversation about women’s rights while packing in a couple gut wrenching sequences along the way.

Read our full review here.

4/5 Stars

-Megan Bernovich

All screenings of The Devil’s Doorway have past, but you can find it in limited release later this year.

Mutafukaz

Mutafukaz is a Japanese anime inspired, Shakespearean animated French film that takes place in a dystopian version of Los Angelos. If that sounds like one of the most wildest pitches you’ve heard of, that’s because it sort of is. Drawing inspirations from many mediums, Mutafukaz uses a variety of designs and techniques to depict the frantic and zany hero’s journey of Angelino. While the plot is by the numbers, its style is so unique because it borrows from Japanese, French, and American influences, creating a visually stunning film that always surprises you with how clever it can be. If anything, the kooky world of Dark Meat City lends itself to even crazier antics, but for part one, it exhibits a great deal of swagger. 

3.5/5 Stars

-Greg Arietta

You can catch screenings of Mutafukaz  on Tuesday May 29 at 9:30pm at the SIFF Egyptian and Thursday, May 31 at 9:30pm at the SIFF Uptown.

Blaze

Blaze is Ethan Hawke’s directorial debut biopic that follows famed country singer Blaze Foley. Told via three inter stitched timelines, the film has an easy going nature to it that matches the carefree artistic nature of Foley himself. The film uses the Foley’s life as a vessel for life’s trials and tribulations; as Foley tries to be a country legend, he faces challenges that occupy everyday life such as love, drinking, and career struggles, but the way in which the film carries itself is too often long in the tooth.

3/5 Stars

-Greg Arietta

You can catch screenings of Blaze on Saturday, June 9 at SIFF Uptown at 3:15pm or at the Tribute to Ethan Hawke event on Friday, June 8 at the SIFF Egyptian at 7:30pm.

Sorry to Bother You

Sorry to Bother You tackles an array of social issues such race, labor, colonialism, capitalism, and inequality in a science fiction comedy package. The result is a very clever film that often spreads itself too thin, but paints a hyperbolized version of society as a whole that underscores the injustice in our own. The film’s broad strokes can leave it feeling unfocused and mirky especially by the end when the film gets progressively weirder and weirder, but I can say I enjoyed the social reflection of it all.

Read our full review here.

3.5/5 Stars

-Greg Arietta

You can catch this film at SIFF’s Centerpiece Gala at the SIFF Egyptian on Saturday, June 2 at 5:30pm, but it is currently on standby.

Nancy

Nancy is small film with intricate notions of what it means to connect with others. At its heart, we have Nancy who feels alienated from the world, but also compelled to connect emotionally in the shadow of her rejection, and to do so, she creates fake personas. Director Christina Choe dials in on the longing for emotional bonds and writes a narrative that is empathetic while also disturbing. Part drama and part mystery thriller, Nancy depicts the necessity for human connections through lies that become reality for the titular character.

Read our full review here.

3.5/5 Stars

-Greg Arietta

Both screenings of Nancy have past, but you can catch it in Seattle later this year.

Hearts Beat Loud

Hearts Beat Loud follows Frank Fisher (Nick Offerman) and his daughter Sam (Kiersey Clemons) as one of their songs becomes famous. As Sam prepares for college, Frank must learn to let go of the past or hold onto it. The film’s biggest issue is how contentious the father-daughter relationship can be. Nothing is really learned by Frank and only consolations are made, making for some unsatisfactory outcomes. There’s nothing that completely derails the film, but it’s also nothing to write home about either.

3/5 Stars

Read our full review here.

-Greg Arietta

Both screenings of Hearts Beat Loud have past, but you can catch it in Seattle on June 15th.

Godard Mon Amour

Godard Mon Amour is a romance story depicting the infamous Jean-Luc Godard and Anne Wiazemsky. As someone with no experience with Godard, I found the film function as an interesting depiction of a “false revolutionary” struggling to find acceptance in a rapidly changing landscape while balancing his romance with Anne. However, while talking with someone who has a knowledge of the director, I was told it was quite inaccurate and unrepresentative of the films Godard made. If you’re like me, this will best serve as a passable romance film.

2.5/5 Stars

-Greg Arietta

Screenings of Godard Mon Amour played at SIFF on Sunday, May 20 at 7pm at  AMC Pacific Place and Tuesday, May 22 at 9pm at Majestic Bay.

Blindspotting

In Blindspotting, Rafael Casal’s Miles says something along the lines of “people listen more when you make it pretty.” Casal and co-star/co-writer Daveed Diggs prove this in a rap driven film that is substantively fascinating and stylistically rich. Blindspotting succeeds in visuals, comedy, and tension. Some won’t like the bluntness with which it explains its symbolism, but that doesn’t detract from the film’s message. In true Hip-Hop fashion, the film feels postmodern; it’s one part Dope, one part Get Out, and one part Hamilton, yet still completely its own work.

4/5 Stars

-Jamie Housen

Blindspotting played on Saturday, May 19th at 6:30pm and Sunday May, 20th at 4:15pm at the SIFF Cinema Egyptian.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post

The Miseducation of Cameron Post follows Cameron who is sent away to a gay conversion therapy camp after being caught having sex in the back of the car with her friend. While there she meets Jane and Adam who collectively resent the practices going on at the camp. Stylistically assured and narratively strong, Desiree Akhavan’s sophomore film deconstructs the topically relevant institutional failing of these centers while going the emotional distance to generate tear jerking empathy. It’s a coming of age film that will sure to leave a lingering impression.

4.5/5 Stars

-Greg Arietta

You can catch screenings on Friday, May 25th at 6:30pm at SIFF Uptown and Saturday, May 26th at 3:00pm at SIFF Uptown. Actor Forrest Goodluck will be in attendance at both screenings.

Eighth Grade

Bo Burnham’s directorial debut follows Kayla during her final week of middle school as she tries to shake her pariah status. From start to finish, Eighth Grade is an incredibly authentic look at our tween years with all their quirks and oddities. It’ll make you cringe, but only because the scenes are all too relatable as the film holds a mirror to the audience and shows them how awkward and painful these years were while at the same time underscoring how seminal they were to who we are now.

4/5 Stars

Read our full review here.

-Greg Arietta

You can catch screenings for Eighth Grade on Saturday, June 9th at 6:30pm at SIFF Egyptian and Sunday, June 10th at 12:30pm at SIFF Uptown. Both director Bo Burnham and Elsie Fisher will be in attendance at both screenings.

On Chesli Beach

Harkening back to Elia Kazan’s Splendor in the Grass, On Chesli Beach tries to discuss the social pressures of love and marriage within a flash back narrative that is full of sexual tension and repression. The emotional tenants that connect major moments don’t always congeal and you’re often left wondering why certain characters act the way they do, so while the ending tries to play up your emotions, it fails to reconcile why characters end up where they are in the first place. 

2.5/5 Stars

-Greg Arietta

You can catch screenings on Friday, May 25 at Shorline Community College at 7:30pm or on Saturday, June 2 at SIFF Uptown at 3:00pm.

Catwalk: Tales from the Cat Show Circuit

Catwalk: Tales from the Cat Show Circuit depicts the unbelievable but true competition that takes place in the Cat Show Circuit. Full of gorgeous felines, this doc shows just how much people adore cats, and in spite of the desire to win, how owners put their love for cats above all else, resulting in a bondage between competitors. You’ll be surprised at just how obsessed but passionately caring the subjects of the film are, and if you love cats, this is made just for you. 

3.5/5 Stars

-Greg Arietta

You can catch screenings of Catwalk on Saturday May 19th at 3:30pm at SIFF Uptown, Sunday May 20th at 1:00pm at SIFF Uptown, and Saturday June 2nd at 3:30pm at the Shoreline. Director Michael McNamara will be there for the 5/19 and 5/20 screenings.

Ruin Me

Ruin Me follows a couple who go on a weekend trip called Slasher Sleepout, a murder mystery-esk puzzle game that mimics a slasher film. As the game progresses, the lines between the game and reality blur when an actual escaped murderer crosses their path. The film’s strongest element is its gaslighting effect, playing with what is and isn’t apart of the game, but there is nothing you haven’t seen before as it lives well within the shadow of its influences, but services as some passive entertainment.

2/5 Stars

-Greg Arietta

You can catch screenings of this film on Friday, June 8 at 11:55pm at SIFF Egyptian and Saturday, June 9 at SIFF Uptown. Producer Trysta A. Bissett and David Hendleman and Director Robert O’Twomney will be in attendance at both screenings.

The Bookshop

Sixteen years after the death of her husband, Florence Green decides to open a local bookshop and fulfill her dream. However, she encounters a series of hurdles as powerful locals try to shut the store down to protect its historical value. What is admirable about the film is Green’s integrity in the face of circumstance, especially considering that she is a female entrepreneur in the 1950s. However, the film’s positive message is wrapped in a very ordinary narrative that too often plays it safe and lacking something more daring.

3/5 Stars

-Greg Arietta

You can catch this film at SIFF’s Opening Night Gala on Thursday, May 17 at 7:00pm at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall.

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Won’t You Be My Neighbor? is a documentary that tells the story of everyone’s favorite neighbor: Fred Rogers. What this documentary does so well is shine light on how Fred Rogers influenced generations of kids to be the best version of our self. Director Morgan Neville is able to illicit an array of timeless emotions that’ll have you in tears throughout, and you really get the sense of how important Rogers was to not only children, but also to society at large.

4.5/5 Stars

Read our full review here.

-Greg Arietta

You can catch screenings of it on Saturday, May 26 at 6pm and Sunday, May 27 at 1:30pm. Both screenings are at SIFF Uptown and will have director Morgan Neville in attendance.

First Reformed

Written and directed by Paul Scrader (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull), First Reformed is a two hour Ethan Hawke spotlight. Hawke plays the pastor at a small, historic church in upstate New York. There he meets Mary (Amanda Seyfried) and her husband (Phillip Ettinger) forlorn by climate change. The film’s slow, methodical pace, static camerawork, and candid plot drive toward an escalating hum contrasting galvanization and despondency. Thematic elements are thought provoking, but the audience must suffer alongside First Reformed’s characters to fully grasp their significance and implication.

3/5 Stars

-Jamie Housen

See First Reformed at SIFF Cinema Egyptian on Friday, May 18th at 4:00pm or at SIFF Cinema Uptown on Tuesday, May 22nd at 7:00pm. 

We the Animals

We the Animals, from the Justin Torres novel of the same name, lets the viewer into the world of three young boys from a poor New York state family. Between small, meaningful moments the audience witnesses their developmental impact through visceral animation. Occasionally suffering from overly symbolic dialogue attempting to evoke the film’s literary origin, performances from Evan Rosado (Jonah) and Raúl Castillo (Paps) are otherwise powerful and authentic. We the Animals is intersectional, analyzing identity through a focus on poverty but considerate of its relationship to race and sexuality.

3.5/5 Stars

-Jamie Housen

See We the Animals on Friday, May 25th at AMC Pacific Place at 7:00pm with screenwriter Daniel Kitrosser in attendance or at SIFF Cinema Uptown on Saturday, May 26th at 12:30pm.

Boundaries

Boundaries is a comedic examination of strained familial relationships and the challenges of reconciliation. Christopher Plummer plays father Jack Jaconi to Vera Farmiga’s daughter Laura, and they are joined by Lewis MacDougall who plays Laura’s son Henry. Some jokes fall flat and there are moments of triteness, but the film succeeds by highlighting its performers. Plummer as a marijuana dealing 85-year-old is a unique premise that gives its leads plenty to work with on their road trip from Seattle to Los Angeles.

2.5/5 Stars

-Jamie Housen

See Boundaries on Friday, May 18th at Lincoln Square at 6:30pm or at SIFF Cinema Uptown on Sunday, May 27th at 5:30pm with director Shana Feste and star Vera Farmiga in attendance.

Waru

Waru is a truly unique piece. It is the combination of 8 short films directed by 8 female Māori directors and gives a voice to a population essentially unseen in cinema. The quality of these shorts varies significantly from vignette to vignette, but they respond to the same prompt through extended takes featuring devoted, hardworking, and fatigued Māori women. Standouts include Kiritapu and Mere. Ultimately these directors demonstrate the wide reach of tragedy on community and draw attention to compelling social issues that are likely very foreign to the viewer.

3/5 Stars

-Jamie Housen

See Waru on Friday, May 25th at AMC Pacific Place at 9:30pm, on Sunday, May 27th at Lincoln Square at 1:00pm, or at SIFF Film Center on Friday, June 1st at 6:15pm. Director Chelsea Winstanley is expected to attend the May 25th and May 27th screenings.

American Animals

American Animals depicts the true to life story of Spencer Reinhard and Warren Lipka who plan to break into the Special Collections Library at Transylvania University when they realize $14 million worth of rare books are guarded by one librarian. The film wears its influences on its sleeve and utilizes a variety of techniques, but creates an inconsistent styling because of it. That being said, when the heist begins, American Animals finds its footing as it explores the moral quandaries of the gang’s actions within a cohesive tone and structure.

3/5 Stars

Read our full review here.

-Greg Arietta

You can catch screenings of it on Saturday, May 19 at 9:00 PM at SIFF Cinema Uptown and Sunday, May 20 at 1:30 PM at AMC Pacific Place .

Disobedience

Disobedience is Sebastián Lelio’s  (A Fantastic Woman) latest that  follows Ronit (Rachael Weisz) as she returns home to England and she reconnects with Esti (Rachel McAdams), a now married woman she had a relationship with in the past. The story is set within an Orthodox Jewish community and explores the relationship between Ronit and Esti in the face of institutional and social norms that aim to keep them apart and stifle their affection. It’s a powerful film that asks us how we balance belonging and freedom in our personal lives.

3.75/5 Stars

Read our full review here.

-Greg Arietta

You can catch screenings of it on Sunday, May 20 at 6:45 PM at SIFF Cinema Egyptian or Monday, May 21 at 6:30 PM at Ark Lodge Cinemas. 

 

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Love, Simon Cast Interviews: Nick Robinson and Alexandra Shipp

Last week we were given the incredible opportunity to interview the cast of the upcoming movie Love, Simon, a new coming of age film that follows the titular character as he navigates high school while keeping one major secret: he’s gay. The film is adapted from the book Simon Versus the Homo Sapiens Agenda and tackles the same themes of self discovery you would come to expect for the films of the genre, but tells a story often omitted from mainstream cinema.

We sat down with stars Nick Robinson and Alexandra Shipp to talk about the impact of the Love, Simon and what it means for LGBTQ+ youth to have a film that depicts their own experiences. Robinson is a Seattle local who you may have seen in the indie hit Kings of Summer or the blockbuster juggernaut that was Jurassic World and plays main character Simon Spier. Alexandra Shipp plays Abby Suso, one of Simon’s best friends and closest confidants; she is best known for playing Storm in X-Men: Apocalypse and will star in the upcoming Shaft reboot.

Nick Robinson

Sierra Stella:  Hi, Nick, nice to meet you. Welcome home by the way.

Nick Robinson: Thank you so much.

SS: I know you’re from here. So am I, born and raised.

NR: Hell yeah. I use to come to movies here [at AMC Pacific Place 11] all the time. Used to sneak into R-rated films.

SS: Oh, you were a much worse kid than I was. I was a goody two-shoes. I always paid for my tickets, went to the correct movie.

NR: Yeah, you and I probably wouldn’t have gotten along.

SS: Yeah, I doubt we would have hung out.

NR: I was definitely a bad influence.

SS: So what attracted you to this role?

NR: I feel like this film, the message behind it is just so positive, and that was kind of the motivating factor. And speaking with Greg [Berlanti] beforehand, before we actually started actually working on it, you sort of got to understand the potential of a film like this. It was kind of filling a void, I think, that maybe people didn’t even know needed filling. It was addressing and promoting the journey of coming out of the closet and in a way that was very palatable to audiences, so I think that…it’s kind of subversive in that way. It’s basically defying people’s expectations and I’m excited for people to actually experience it for themselves.

SS: So on a related note, what do you hope audiences take from this film?

NR: I hope they walk away feeling included and represented, and hopefully have gained or shared a perspective that maybe they hadn’t seen before. Again, I think one of the strengths of the film is that it is going down well-worn territory. It’s high school coming of age, but it’s told from this new perspective that most of the time is sort of a cursory character. They’re bringing that person to the forefront, and I think that’s exciting. And it’s time, I think it’s long overdue.

Alexandra Shipp

Sierra Stella: What do you hope audiences take away from this film?

Alexandra Shipp: I really want this film to have an impact on the LGBTQ community. I wank kids to know that they’re valued, that they can have love, that they deserve love, that they’re able to have those types of things. Because a lot of the time I think they think, “Oh man, I’m such a weirdo, you know…who’s gonna want me?” and the reality is that someone does, and some one can show you the love that you deserve on this earth. And every human being deserves it.

SS: It’s been so gratifying to be reading these messages [on the wall behind us], and see so many young kids writing “I’m part of the LGBTQ community—”

AS: Right?

SS: “—and this movie makes me so happy.”

AS: Isn’t it so great? I think if there was a movie like this when I was growing up I would have been less likely to be honest about who I am and how I love—

SS: You mean more likely?

AS: More likely, yeah, sorry, sorry, sorry.

SS: No problem.

AS: [Sarcastically] “I would be less likely…”

SS: [Laughs] Keep it inside.

AS: [Laughs] This movie would keep me in the closet. No, this movie would have helped me to be more honest with not only myself, but my friends and family, and to know that just because I’m different doesn’t make me any less than anybody else.

SS: So speaking of coming of age films, I think everyone sort of has a coming of age film that they relate to. For me, mine was Ferris Bueller’s Day Off—

AS: Love it.

SS: —which, I’m not at all like Ferris Bueller…But what was your coming of age film growing up that you really connected to?

AS: For some reason it was Grease.

SS: Grease, huh?

AS: It was! It was! Not Grease 2! It was Grease.

SS: Well, of course. Michelle Pfeiffer’s version is a nightmare.

AS: It’s not that great, it’s not that great. Love Michelle, not that movie.

SS: Unfortunate pairing.

AS: It was just, I would run home after school. I don’t know what it was. I loved musicals, I think that definitely had an aspect to it, but there was not very much from this 50s, all-white cast that I could have really taken away from as an individual, but what was really great about it was that it made me happy and it made me feel like I could be apart of it. I wanted to be a Pink Lady. I don’t know, I’d run home after school every day and I’d put this tape in and rewind it—you know, when we had to rewind things just to watch a movie from the beginning. That just meant so much to me as a kid just to be able to watch Grease over and over and over again.

_______________________________________________________________

We didn’t get a chance to interview director Greg Berlanti, but we were able to get his take from a Q&A he participated in before the screening of the film. He expressed how this work reflected his experience as a teen, and hopes Love, Simon will give gay teens a voice in a medium where their story rarely gets told.

Love, Simon arrives in theaters on March 16th, but make sure to read our review today to preview a film that has commendable heart and a resounding message.

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Louie Ghalib’s Top Ten of 2017

Louie is a regular at Film Club who has an odd fascination with Jake Gyllenhaal.   Over the last year he has leveraged his Movie Pass like no one else and seen dozens of films. With that being said, it was a little tough for him to narrow it down to a top ten. If he could, he would make a top 20, but for the sake of being concise, these films were selected as his favorite and what he considers the best of the best.

10. Stronger (David Gordon Green, 2017)

Based on the real story of Jeff Bauman, a Bostonian New Englander who lost both legs during the Boston Marathon bombing, Jake Gyllenhaal transforms perfectly into Bauman. In a classic ‘Jake Gyllenhaal-performance’ I could only see Bauman and not an actor playing a role. As a Jake Gyllenhaal super fan, I might be a little biased, but I love the film from his performance alone and I encourage all to see it in Stronger. That alone is worth it.

9. Lady Bird (Greta Gerwig, 2017)

I really enjoyed Greta Gerwig’s coming of age film Lady Bird. Even though I couldn’t relate to every moment (I didn’t grow up in the United States), it is to the film’s credit how captivating I found Lady Bird’s every move. Saoirse Ronan gives one of the best performances of the year, and if not for Frances McDormand, I’d root for Ronan to win the Oscar. Timothee Chalamet and Lucas Hedges are well utilized in their supporting roles. Greta Gerwig’s direction is a triumph, and serves as a reminder of the need for more women in the director’s chair. The coming of age story is great, but it is through the main character of Lady Bird that the story succeeds. All in all, a superb coming of age story.

8. Columbus (Kogonada, 2017)

A wonderful movie about the city of Columbus, Indiana. Columbus is known for its modern architecture and public art, allowing Kogonada’s Columbus to authentically showcase this urban artwork. The film excels by dazzling cinematography and always on point framing. John Cho and Haley Lu Richardson give superb performances. They have amazing chemistry together due in large part to the parallels between characters. They’re both people who have emotional baggage and when they’re together they connect naturally. I’m happy to see John Cho in a leading role in such a good film, and I am excited to see what he does next. Surprisingly, this is Kogonada’s debut film, and is up on the list of best directorial debut films in my opinion.

7. Phantom Thread (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2017)

It’s a movie directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Enough said.

6. Blade Runner 2049 (Denis Villeneuve, 2017)

I’m a huge Blade Runner fan. I am also a huge Denis Villeneuve fan. However, when I heard a Blade Runner sequel was to be directed by Villeneuve I was underwhelmed. Generally reboots and sequels released many years after the original are terrible. Notable exceptions like Mad Max Fury Road and Dredd gave me hope, but I still had reservations. After seeing the film, I am ecstatic to report that Blade Runner 2049 lives up to the name of the original. It is a shame that its box office success didn’t match the film’s quality which is nothing short of a must watch. As usual, Roger Deakins’ cinematography is a beautiful sight, and Ryan Gosling serves as a perfect spiritual successor to Harrison Ford who is a badass cool dude who shows emotion when necessary. Villeneuve’s direction is mesmerizing, leading to a great film through and through.

5. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri (Martin McDonagh, 2017)

I am a huge fan of Martin McDonagh. Seven Psychopaths is one of my all-time favorite films, so needless to say, I had high hopes for Three Billboards. The film exceeded my sky-high expectations and left me speechless. Frances McDormand gives probably arguably the best performance this of the year, and Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson give fantastic performances as usual. They all play incredibly broken characters and  portray it realistically. The powerful cast is elevated by a great and timely script about trauma that we needed in 2017. If you haven’t seen it already, go see this film.

4. Get Out (Jordan Peele, 2017)

When I heard Jordan Peele was directing a horror film I wasn’t expecting much, and the release of the trailer made me think it would be an okay film, but ultimately it was one of the surprise hits of the year!  Much better than what I expected, Get Out boasts a fantastic script (probably my favorite of the year), and I’m elated that Daniel Kaluya got an Oscar nomination for his role as Chris. The reason why the script resonates with me deeply is due to the social issues it presents. It tackles the horrific feeling of being out place while calling attention the state of race relations. There was a time in my life where I lived in a white sunburn neighborhood and felt the same sentiments that Chris felt in the movie, and all I can say is the fear is real. With that being said, the horror elements, the subtle imagery, and the precise timing of events are noteworthy and make for a legendary script.

3. Shape of Water (Guillermo del Toro, 2017)

I have to be honest, I am a sucker for style and in terms of style this movie delivers in spades. A return to form by for Guillermo del Toro, the film is set in the Cold War-era 1950’s this blue tinted film portraying a romance between species. From the film’s blue tint color grading to the direction of its actors, style is always at the forefront of The Shape of Water. Sally Hawkins gives a career best performance as the muted Eliza. Hawkins conveys so much emotion without uttering a single word. Michael Shannon is great as always, and I love him when he takes on villainous roles. He is great at making you hate his guts but he does it so magnificently that you can’t help but admire it. The music is great at bringing the setting and the style together, and even though I wouldn’t consider The Shape of Water a musical, the scene where Sally Hawkins sings is one of my favorite musical scenes ever.

2. The Florida Project (Sean Baker, 2017)

The Florida Project is a beautiful film in presentation and in theme. Its setting and colors are perfect, finding beauty in walks of life often ignored and rendered ‘hideous’ by society.  While some might be tempted to call it slow, Shaun Baker’s excellent direction actually puts motion in every scene, creating perfect pacing. Willem Dafoe gives a superb performance as Bobby, the manager of the Magic Castle. The film’s child actors give Oscar worthy performances of their own in perhaps the best child acting I’ve seen since Jacob Tremblay’s performance in Room. For many, The Florida Project went under the radar, and I urge everyone to see it. You will not regret it.

1. Call Me By Your Name (Luca Guadagnino, 2017)

Oh where do I begin with this film? One of the most beautiful pieces I’ve laid eyes on, the pastel colors, rural Italian settings, and retro feel make for a charming viewing experience. The acting and motion of the characters perfectly match the overall feel of the film. Michael Stuhlbarg’s closing monologue not only drives home the film’s themes, but demonstrates his incredible contribution in this supporting role (enough to make Frank Ocean proclaim him as his dad). Timothee Chalamet gives a wonderful performance as the lovable Elio and Armie Hammer is commanding as Oliver; here’s hoping Chalamet can bring home the Oscar to make up for Hammer’s snub! Leaving the theater, I was just so happy for experiencing this beautiful piece of art. I always believed the phrase “every frame a painting” was just a phrase, but after seeing Call Me By Your Name, I can safely say that idiom is true. Best film of the year hands down.

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Sierra Stella’s Top Ten Films of 2017

This past year was kind of a slow burn in terms of incredible movies, with many of the films on this list not coming out until quite late in 2017 (and I admittedly waited until 2018 to watch a few). It was worth the wait. This was a surprisingly innovating year for film, with a lot of unconventional elements introduced into conventional genres, and quite a few more niche films making the rounds this awards season. This list is hardly exhaustive, and I want to briefly give honorable mentions to Blade Runner 2049, Ladybird, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi (a divisive film that I absolutely loved). With that said, let’s get into my top ten for 2017:

10. Logan

X-Men, at its best, serves as an allegory for the issues facing marginalized groups and the real human suffering those issues cause; Logan is X-Men at its best. It is a new kind of superhero movie: a brutal, raw, emotionally charged film that follows a broken man who has lost everything who is suddenly confronted with a responsibility he cannot handle. It treats mutants, who are being hunted by the government, as a powerful allegory for refugees and immigrants. When I saw this movie just a few months after the current administration took power, the impact it had on me was incalculable. For a film about mutants, it is deeply human, and that combined with stellar performances from Hugh Jackman, Sir Patrick Stewart, and Dafne Keen, makes it one of my top movies of 2017.

9. The Lego Batman Movie 

There are a lot of superhero movies on this list, but The Lego Batman Movie is perhaps the odd one out of the group–more so even than Logan. Will Arnett’s Batman makes his return as the ass-kicking, hard-rocking, no-help-needing caped crusader, who suddenly has to deal with an adopted son and a new police chief who doesn’t need his services. It’s ultimately a really sweet story about found family, with the best Batman-Joker dynamic in superhero movie history (take that, Nolan). Plus, Michael Cera as Robin is genius.

8. Spider-Man Homecoming

Like a lot of Marvel fans, I was nervous about the MCU reboot of Spider-Man (it being the third discrete Spider-Man series in just 15 years). I shouldn’t have been worried; Homecoming is an absolute joy, and Tom Holland is inarguably the best Peter Parker ever. Holland’s Peter Parker is over-eager and extremely fallible, but good hearted to his core, and that combined with an excellent supporting cast makes me hopeful about the next steps in the series. The movie brings a fresh and youthful feel to the MCU, and is equal parts modern superhero movie, coming of age film, and John Hughes high school flick. It’s the perfect combination.

7. I, Tonya

It’s not every day that Jamie, Greg, and I all agree on a movie, but I, Tonya is special. Every single scene is powerfully raw and shockingly funny. Sebastian Stan and Allison Janney deliver knockout performances as flawed, often unlikable characters, and Margot Robbie shines as Tonya Harding. The film takes a woman who has been demonized by the media for decades and tells a story that keeps you rooting for her, no matter what. The melding of mockumentary with a more standard format keeps the pace whip-fast and the irony palpable, so that moments of genuine vulnerability hit you all the harder.

6. Wonder Woman

I loved Wonder Woman not so much for what it is–though it’s a great movie and indisputably the best in the DECU–but for what it means. The movie is female-led (Gal Gadot is great as the titular character), female-directed (Patty Jenkins was the first woman to direct an American studio superhero movie), with a cast and crew full of incredible women. It was both critically and commercially successful, and it was a big step forward for women in film, especially in more male-dominated genres like the superhero and action genres. I burst into tears the moment I saw Robin Wright on screen, because I was so touched that the helpless Princess Buttercup of my childhood was now a general. Gadot’s Wonder Woman is truly a strong female character in the best sense of the term–she is strong while being soft, powerful because she cares.

5. Baby Driver

The first time I saw Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver, like Greg, I was underwhelmed. As a big fan of the so-called Cornetto Trilogy and especially Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, I was surprised when Baby Driver didn’t wow on first viewing. However, when I saw it a second time, I was able to appreciate it for what it was: a meticulously crafted action movie that combines highly stylized visuals with extremely clever audio for a rip-roaring good time. Word to the wise, though: four viewings in one year may be too many.

4. The Big Sick

If I had to pick a favorite genre, it would easily be the romantic comedy. Romantic comedies had their heyday in the late 80s and early 90s, and the genre has arguably been flagging since then. The Big Sick is truly a genre-reviving movie. Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon have transmuted the true story of how they met into a fresh, funny, touching movie about family and love, drawing on old rom-com standards and innovating at the same time. Of all the movies on this list, it will be the one that I keep coming back to.

3. Get Out

Get Out is a special kind of brilliant in that it is an entirely different movie the second time you see it. Jordan Peele knocked it out of the park in his big-screen directorial debut with a horror film that does something entirely new in a genre that is bogged down with convention and tropes. It is a smart, well-crafted, horrifying commentary on the African American experience in America, and brilliantly acted by all parties. I am not a horror movie person, but this movie blew me away.

2. Call Me By Your Name

Call Me By Your Name is something special. It is powerfully evocative of a time, place, and feeling that are somehow all like the sunny beauty of Northern Italy in the summer. The movie is slow and languorous, building up to a relationship that is both exuberantly happy and devastatingly sad. The soundtrack, powerful performances, and beautiful camerawork combine to evoke a feeling that is somehow profoundly intimate and deeply universal, and the movie’s wont for not showing and not telling somehow makes that connection all the deeper. As I sat in a row full of people all silently sobbing while watching this movie, I felt a stronger sense of solidarity than I have in my life. I walked around in a sort of haze afterward, and was still thinking about the movie days later, and I can pay it no higher compliment than that.

1. The Shape of Water

The Shape of Water is unlike anything I have ever seen. The green-and-blue 1960s aesthetic is whimsically enchanting, as is the dreamlike world Guillermo Del Toro creates. I was touched by the heroes of the story, who are all strong because they care (a theme in this list, apparently); the villain, on the other hand, was the literal embodiment of toxic masculinity, and the movie treats him with contempt. It is a film that celebrates and raises up unlikely heroes, and embodies the hopeful message I sometimes like to believe: that love is truly the most powerful force on earth, in whatever shape it takes.