The 10 Best Movies of the Year: 2017

1. THE FLORIDA PROJECT

The tale of Monee's enchanted world as she lives the long Summer days with her young group of friends while the adult characters struggle to survive in modern-day America. It's a beautiful yet heartbreaking portray of childhood and today's part of society. A world full of colors from the perspective of those who are too young to care (or to even understand) about money, The Florida Project is led by amazing performances from its young star Brooklynn Prince and Bria Vinaite, while Willem Dafoe delivers the best performance of his career. Director Sean Baker offers you dream vs reality, but he does it in such a sensitive and honest way that turn The Florida Project into a rare piece of cinema. There's magic here! A characters' study that will break your heart in two pieces. It's a remarkable film and the year's very best because of its unique voice.

2. MUDBOUND

"What good is a deed?" asks Hap - a movie centered around two families who need each other even they don't want to admit it. The Jacksons need their land and the McAllan need the Jacksons' work. And when Jamie and Ronsel bound and develop a friendship, things promise a tragic ending. Dee Rees' Mudbound might be a period piece but it doesn't feel like one: its subject is far beyond its period setting. Mudbound narrates the struggles of a rural Southern society and deals with ruthless social hierarchy. The cast deliver amazing acting performances (one of the best ensemble performance in a feature film in years), fueled by a trio of magnetic performances from Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell and Mary J. Blidge, with Carey Mulligan as the leading emotional center. Thanks to Dee Rees impressive directing craft, fine performances, beautiful words and epic-scaled visuals, Mudbound ressonates!

3. THE BIG SICK

Relaxed, well-intentioned, funny and moving... The Big Sick uses an old formula of "guy meets girl, fall in love, break up" and gives it a fresh treatment. The final result is one of the best movies of the year. Honest and beautifully acted and written, The Big Sick deals with issues concerning cultural differences, generation gap and forgiveness. Stand-out performances from Holly Hunter and Ray Romano electrify the screen, while Kumail Nanjiani delivers a commanding leading performance that's both funny and full of heart. It's a great crowd-pleaser with substance. In a commercial movie era where rom-coms don't dare to explore new subjects, The Big Sick proves originality sells! Funny, smart and with a big heart, The Big Sick is a perfect romantic comedy with a taste of drama.

4. BABY DRIVER

Action scenes, good music and a boy loves girl plot: Baby Driver escapes the clichés of the heist movies thanks to Edgar Wrights assured hand and script. Full of energy, Ansel Elgort makes for a charismatic lead in this one as the music-loving crime driver who tries to pay a big debt and save money to provide for his (and his old man's) life. He dreams about music, he dreams about a girl, he dreams about being free and have a simple life. Memorable musical sequences and old-fashioned love story and an unforgettable Jon Hamm who needs some psychiatric help! [SPOILER] The bittersweet end was perfect [SPOILER] and Baby Driver is one of the most entertaining (and fresh!) movies this year.

5. DUNKIRK

We can call Christopher Nolan the "master of time"... Dunkirk is the most phenomenal cinematic experience I've ever had in years just because the way things make sense in the end. It portrays the historical evacuation from three different perspectives: land, air and sea. Dialogue is replaced by score, cinematography and masterclass editing work, while no actor is a real stand-out: the ensemble cast works as a perfectly coordinated symphony where no one is out of tone and its purpose is a colective achievement. Exquisite sound work makes the movie ressonate inside every audience element. Dunkirk is more than a cinematic telling of a historic happening. Dunkirk is a product of a true director's craft and Nolan's best work yet (suprassing The Dark Knight and The Prestige).

6. LADY BIRD

"Lady Bird" is her given name, given to her by herself. Greta Gerwig's directorial debut is my personal cinematic surprise of the year. I was not expecting Lady Bird to be as exquisite as it is. Confident, funny, smart and with a lot of heart and soul, it is the kind of movie we all can relate to. Break free and go to New York seems to be just a wonderful idea! But what's really special about Lady Bird is how personal it gets. Could be Ronan's own tale, maybe Gerwig's or Metcalf's, maybe my mom's story or even a female version of my late teen years. And of course, there are Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf who deliver the two best performances of the year - but I have to highlight Ronan for portraying the most charismatic teen girl since Juno (2007's Juno). Congratulations to Gerwig for such an amazing first attempt at the director's chair.

7. WIND RIVER

Some people consider Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri the "best tale of gried of the year", but I have to say Wind River is my personal favorite in that category. It's about the impact of a girl's murder on the Wind River Indian Reservation and the way the narrative develops is simply mind-blowing. A movie full of complex characters, with strong performances from Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen (two Avengers) and a scene-stealing heartbreaking acting turn from Gil Birmingham as the grieving father - at some point, everything gets personal in Wind River. Set in an inhospitable environment, the characters are strong and their actions are fruit of inner resilience (even for Olsen's character who discovers a inner strenght). A visceral thriller and an essay about being strong until your very last breathe.

8. CALL ME BY YOUR NAME

Call Me By Your Name is one of the most remarkable movies of the year in the way it affected the way I see things and my way of thinking (and I'm not talking about peaches). Luca Guadagnino's latest starts quiet but enters the last act like the Big Bang was happening. The story of Elio and Oliver is a must-see! It features impressive performances from its two leading men who are able to make you feel like you're watching something really private (something you should not watch), an incredible cinematography work that will make you want live in Italy and I could not notice the production design and costume design works that transport you back to the 80's. A reflexion about sense of identity, sexuality and personal expectations... and an unforgettable lesson about pareting from teacher Michael Stuhlbarg.

9. THOR: RAGNAROK

Well, I can't hide the fact I'm a big Marvel Cinematic Universe fan and 2017 brought me incredible Thor: Ragnarok. It's pure entertainment: action-packed scenes, funny jokes, likeable characters and extravaganza visual effects. Ragnarok finds the right tone for Thor's  movies: a comedy tone! Chris Hemsworth proves to be an incredible comedic actor and he's in great company in Ragnarok: Cate Blanchett, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba and the scene-stealing Tessa Thompson. A good hero, a good villain, a good plot, a stylish director and a killer soundtrack: the third installment of Thor is the perfect popcorn movie! Everything is excess in this one, but this excess is so silly fun and not a "too much!" kind of excess. Thor: Ragnarok is the best of Thor movies and one of the best MCU's ever.

10. GET OUT

"Black... is in fashion" - it is the best way to describe Get Out's plot without giving any spoilers. In fact, we live times Hollywood is embracing equality by recognizing movies about black people made by black people - but Get Out is no overrated piece of cinema and it deserves its award recognition. Jordan Peele's directorial debut (he's also producer and screenwriter) is a satire about American society and it is simply delicious to watch. Big question haunt you until the final act and you have plenty of chilly moments here. Original, funny and smart, with loads of social messages, Get Out is a blend of horror and comedy and it seems destined to become a cult movie.