Hello!
It's pretty weird to be writing a blog again in 2018. I have tried and failed many ones before but one of my resolutions this year is to keep a blog. And to keep a blog that I'm excited about, talking about topics that interest me, and consequently, hopefully, you. In this post, I want to be talking about the films I've seen in 2017 and still think about today. I've seen many films in 2017, some of them great and some... not so great. Let me just start by officially stating for the record: I love films. I adore going to the cinema, I love to re-watch favourites and being inspired by the moving pictures in front of me. This is why this blog will probably focus on films, books, and things around me. Some of these films were not made in 2017 but are films that I came across, wanted to see and absolutely adored. So here we go:
The Wailing (dir. Na Hong-jin, 2016)
The first film I want to talk about is The Wailing. It is a South-Korean horror movie that I saw on Halloween Fright Night at my local library. Last October I wanted to explore more on horror, a genre that I'm terribly afraid of and at the same time very intrigued. I don't know what it is about horror that intrigues me so much, as I scare quite easily and also don't get a thrill of being scared as well. However, this is something that we can't explain when we watch or read horror, you feel something is there but you don't know what it is. I think it's my curious, rational-like, nature that comes up when I watch thrillers, detectives, and horror, wanting to find out what exactly is going on. I think this is why I'm still thinking about The Wailing, as this film doesn't give you all the answers. For those that don't know, The Wailing is about a village in South-Korea and a gruesome murder has been committed and the local (little silly) male police-officer must find out what happened. However, when diving deep into the story, there seems to be more going on than just murder, but supernatural elements also play a big role. I love supernatural elements because I can't explain them. This film is also beautifully shot, has a slow pace that sucks you in, and leaves you with lots of questions. It also brings a very interesting view of Korean Shaman culture, which I highly enjoyed. Even if you don't like horror, this film has something special and I can't recommend it enough.
Mother! (dir. Darron Aronofsky, 2017)
This is one of those films where you can't explain the plot without ruining it. You have to see the movie in order to know what people mean when they talk about the film. However, the only thing I can say is; watch this movie. I think when I need just one word to explain my feeling about this movie it would be intrusive. This film frightened me and sometimes I felt like I couldn't breathe. It felt so up-close and personal on one hand and so far reached on the other. I went to this film with my uncle and afterward, we just sat silently next to each other for, like, 10 minutes when the credits rolled just thinking about what we just saw. You stay very close to the main character, Jennifer Lawrence, and see everything from her perspective and I really felt everything she experienced. People have said a lot of things about this film (one interesting video you should see is by Hazel Hayes, who explains the film beautifully), but for me, the movie felt like deep, personal, abuse. It is absolutely beautiful, with so many layers that I have to recommend it today. It also reminded me a lot of Rosemary's Baby. my personal favourite horror film.
Paterson (dir. Jim Jarmusch, 2016)
This is a bit of a weird one to be talking about probably because nothing particularly happens in this film. No explosions, no supernatural stuff, no big twist on the end. You just see a snippet of a couple's life and Paterson's love for writing poetry. I saw this film last year in a very hectic time period, where everything seemed to go so fast and I felt like I could barely keep up with all the work. This film just felt like a nice break. Just because I saw other people living their mediocre lives, I felt like I could breathe again. I loved the poetry written on the screen, loved Adam Driver and the whole vibe of this film was just so nice and relaxing and would make the perfect Sunday afternoon film. There's also a line in the film that has stuck with me since I saw it. At the end of the film, Paterson sits on a bench with a Japanese man and they begin to talk. It turns out the Japanese man also writes poetry, but only in Japanese. Paterson replies that he feels sad that he can't read his poetry because he doesn't read Japanese. The man turns around and says: "You don't need to read the translation. Poetry is made from the heart. It gives you feeling. If you read my poetry translated into English, it would feel like a shower with a raincoat on." I'm paraphrasing here, but the whole film has such nice little quotes to think about. If you ever feel like you need a bit of a break, if you feel everyone around you is living more special lives, then this is the film for you.
The Big Sick (dir. Michael Showalter, 2017)
I feel like everyone around me loves this film, and I can't disagree. This film has heart. It is the only way to explain. This film is so funny, it'll have to laugh out loud and so emotional, that it'll have you cry as well. There's something about this story that is so real and so close to human nature and emotions and relationships that I can't stop thinking about it. It also made me have a huge crush on the writer and main character Kumail Najiani. It is crazy to think about this story is real, but it actually happened to the real Emily, Kumail Najiani's wife. I think this is why I was so invested in this story, I already knew the outcome but was still enthralled by the story and the characters. Also, this movie is just so, so funny. Kumail's family and Emily's family are so nice and hilarious that I wish I knew them in real life. If you ever feel the need for a solid, good, rom-com: this is the film for you.
Swiss Army Man (dir. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, 2016)
This is probably the weirdest movies you will ever, ever see in your life. Even when I was watching it, my mind just kept going "what am I watching right now?!". It has a bizarre storyline, has the weirdest characters, and the fact that it all plays in a forest makes the film even more outlandish. This film is not for everyone, but man is it good. Even if you just see this film for its amazing soundtrack, you'll never unsee what you saw. I know you'll think I'm probably overreacting, but I'm really not. The film is about guy who finds a dead body on the beach and has adventures with it. Yeah. Let that sink in. It is with Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe and the two have so much good chemistry and energy and I found the humour absolutely hilarious. I feel like this film is made for a niche audience and I 100% fall into that weird corner of the population. It's like this film gets me in a way. It has heart, it has so many messages, and you're just along for the ride. You won't regret going to see it, I promise. But do put your weird hat on first. Just go along with it, and experience this brilliance.
20th Century Women (dir. Mike Mills, 2016)
This is a film that is very, very beautifully made. I adore the style of Mike Mills's directing. He also directed the movie 'Beginners' (2010) and I adored that too. I think the reason why I loved this film so much is that it resonated with me. I also saw it with my mother, who at one point turned to me and said: "what Annet Benning's character is feeling is how I feel every day". This just stuck with me because it is so true. The film is about a woman and her son who live in this communal home with two younger girls and an older man. The two girls are very strong characters, true feminists and have a lot of opinions. Annet Benning just feel like she cannot compete with the time, she feels lost and doesn't really understand what is going on anymore. Not in a dementia kind of way, but she just feels alienated from the society around her, because it is so fast-changing. She feels like she is losing the contact with her son, who admires the people living in the house and she doesn't know how to compete with that. I think everyone can relate to this at a certain point. Especially in the 20th Century, so many fast changes came along and the youth was going with it so fast. In the end, it is the human connection that we all crave that will help us. The youth can turn to the older generations for help, guidance, and reassurance, and the older generations look to the youth to help them keep up. It is a beautiful exchange. Put that again beautifully shot scenes, a wonderful soundtrack and you'll have this gem of a film. Definitely, recommend.
Other films that were wonderful: The Lobster, Get Out, After the Storm and Louise en Hiver.
You can find my full list of films I've watched in 2017 here.
What were you favourites in 2017?
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