Films seen in 2017

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January - A nice court room drama with some stand-out scenes, but it drags on too long, and is a bit derivative of 12 Angry Men, released a couple years earlier. Furthermore, none of the characters in the film appealed to me as people, nor did any of them really go through a change at the end.

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January - The material is pretty weak, but D'Elia is gifted with an amazing energy that sells many of the concepts and jokes here.

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January - Not any of his best material in here, but still a series of amusing observations and anecdotes, delivered pitch-perfectly. - 6.5

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January - Not as good as his other specials, but still pretty solid. - 6.5

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January - Loved the loose, hang-out kind of atmosphere, and the visual comedy, but... overall, it was a bit underwhelming for an Altman film. The protagonists were too much like bullies to root for, and the final football scene felt like an afterthought.

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January

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January

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February

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February - One of the visually most beautiful films I've ever seen. Had an entrancing atmosphere throughout, and feels like an introspective novella that takes you to drift along with the main character through Rome. I'd rate it higher, if it focused in on something and explored it more deeply, but in the end it's just not that kind of film; it goes for the big picture of one man's life. - 8.5

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February - I was underwhelmed by the shallow core of the story (money isn't everything... greed is bad...) and while Pacino's performance was memorable (I'm guessing it's the main reason for the film's classic status), it was too cartoony to make me feel for his character. De Palma's visual bravado is on point as always. - 6.5

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February. (6-part BBC mini-series version) - 9/10

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February - Good doc on a passionate stand-up comedian from the 70s-80s, turns into an affecting account of a harrowing personal trauma, and how he came to fight for improving an ignorant society. - 7.5

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February - Terrific small-scale family drama horror film in the vein of 'The Babadook', although not quite reaching its greatness. It is definitely worth watching for fans of the latter, or even for fans of Guillermo del Toro's 'Devil's Backbone,' as it seamlessly interweaves a war situation with a character-driven horror story.

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February

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February - Beautiful visuals, excellent direction, nice melodies, but suffers from a weak script. As it is, the story feels hollow and clichéd, and is rather forgettable. Overall, a step down from Chazelle's Whiplash.

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February - A typical documentary elevated by an interesting and amazingly talented subject.

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February

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February - Epic fantasy tale built on an enchantingly imaginative world, as would be expected from a Miyazaki film. Complete with a an eco-friendly message.

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February - An imaginative, surreal film about dreams that feels like a dream itself... alas, with a plot as unruly and chaotic as a dream as well. This makes it difficult to grasp onto much, and finally, makes you forget what really happened in those trippy, if entrancing 90 minutes. Purely in terms of animation, however, this is a feast. - 6.5

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February - It perfectly balances heartfelt poetic moments, the grim realities of homelessness, and comedic down-to-earthness, while also providing some excitement and a handful of twists and turns while at it. Imo a better Christmas film than the schmaltzy 'It's A Wonderful Life'.

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February - An enjoyable, nostalgic coda to the original, even though not as great a stand-alone film. Some great shots of modern-day Edinburgh.

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March - Funny, well-written screwball comedy á la Oscar Wilde's 'Importance of Being Earnest'.

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March - Bong Joon-ho's most poetic film, and a well-written, fascinating mix of mystery, suspense, dark comedy, and completely un-romanticized drama. My favorite film of his, along with 'Memories of Murder'.

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March - A thought-provoking journey that doesn't take sides. The main story could be, in a way, a sermon on the disciple Peter's denial of Jesus and Christianity... as well as about the unfathomable strength of faith Jesus himself must have had. My own thoughts were how much religions are intertwined with the culture and society they grew out of... So much so, that it seems almost impossible to introduce it to a completely different culture with their own traditions. The foreign-ness of Japanese culture and nature to the European protagonist priests was underlined by some beautiful cinematography of its natural landscape, and the portrayal of Japanese society in the 17th century.

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March - An almost operatic, gory vampire tale loosely based on 19th-century French novel by Émile Zola. Definitely recommended if you liked 'Only Lovers Left Alive' for being a unique vampire film (though this one gets much more lurid). - 7.5/10

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March - Psycho-thriller melodrama with a Hitchcockian touch spirals down a pit of obsession and blackmail. Suffers a bit due to some weak acting, and this reviewer found it hard to stomach the deplorable villain's grating selfishness. - 6.5/10

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March - Twilight Zone-esque, eerie British classic.

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March - When you thought you already knew what to expect from a serial killer-chase film, a movie as perfectly executed (suspenseful, skillfully paced, masterfully directed) and emotionally gut-wrenching as this one comes along (with some social commentary on top), and you can't help but being completely taken by it.

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March - Incredibly inventive absurd comedy, albeit one that is often built upon humor that could be difficult to appreciate for non-German speakers. Continues in the tradition of Monty Pythons films (like Monty Python &The Holy Grail) of being a kind of pastiche of a genre (here, Western films) with additional non-sequiturs. Schneider adds his own touch by using takes in the film that are obviously improvised, and where he even breaks character several times in a scene. The result is a hilarious farce where anything could and does happen.

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March - Filled with visual innuendos and creatively expressive animation (heavily influenced by the psychedelic 60s and early 70s), there are more than a few moments of utterly original artistic genius. The animators did the best they could with what looks like a limited budget, and ended up with something akin to a Dino Buzzati graphic novel come to life.