2017 at the cinemas: 5 things I watched
Wonder Woman, Joan Didion and other heroines
I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the cinemas this year, and here are a few standouts:
Wonder Woman (Directed by Patty Jenkins)
Definitely my favorite movie for this year. So beautiful it made me cry. I could watch 10 hours of Amazons fighting at the beach, just sayin’. Or just, a generic movie about the Amazons, their lifestyle, and how they manage beautifully without men. I think much has been said about Gal Gadot in this, and that there’s probably nothing new I can add, but I really did appreciate her in this. Strong and gorgeous.
Atomic Blonde (Directed by David Leich)
Charlize Theron is a spy during the final days of the Cold War. Lots of bloody faces and an impossible (seemingly) single-take action scene that made my head spin. Charlize smokes a lot, emerges from a tub of ice, and hits and shoots people. 99 Luftballoons plays in the distance. I held my breath throughout.
Warning for graphic violence:
Bad Genius (Directed by Nattawut Poonpiriya)
It frustrates me that I gave away my tutoring services for free in high school, but what the hell. It’s a heist movie for exams, and oh my god, it is all my anxiety dreams combined. This movie does scene build-up and suspense really damn well, and it knows what really, truly makes students of all ranges anxious. If you have ever had stress dreams about being late for an exam or showing up without the right Mongol pencil or possibly reviewing the wrong portion of the book — well, this is probably your thriller. Enjoy!
Changing Partners (Directed by Dan Villegas)
Based on a musical by Vincent de Jesus, Changing Partners stars Agot Isidro and Jojit Lorenzo as Alex, and Anna Luna and Sandino Martin as Cris. The most evident conflict is probably the age difference (the Alex’s are 15 years older than the Cris’s), but as the pairings are juxtaposed (particularly partial to the Alex and Cris pairing of Agot and Anna, for obvious reasons), it successfully weaves a heartbreaking story that defies both gender and age. Heartbreaks are universal (and I say this as someone who moved out of a previously shared home with the heart-shredding finale “Maleta” in the background), so if you have ever gotten your heart minced, go watch it during its commercial release in January.
Joan Didion: The Center will not Hold (Directed by Griffin Dunne)
Literary icon Joan Didion — still alive btw — is at the center of this documentary on Netflix. I figured I’d include her in this list, since this documentary does not fit in the TV series wrap-up anyway. Made by her nephew Griffin Dunne, it follows her life, and discusses her work, and in several occasions she reads her essays out loud. If only for that, please watch this. It’s still on Netflix.
Here’s to you, 2017!
What movies did you enjoy this year?
