The Bebbe's Top Five Films Of 2017
John here. I thought it may be prudent, that in year's past it could seem as my choices for the top ten of a year to be borderline arthouse pretentious, to include a blue collar addendum to my rankings. I had asked Sara in early December if she'd like to make a top five list (that had movies I hadn't chosen for my top ten as not to self congratulate), she did not hesitate. I love this woman. She is so wonderfully creative and she spent an entire day writing her top five out on paper (thus why I"m injecting myself into the digital introduction), and then had the resolve to co-host the second annual TFLOEGYs. What a woman! Anyhow, here is her choices of the top five movies that should appeal to the common man from 2017:
This movie hit home for me. Not only was it wildly entertaining and original, it was filled with the kind of truth and vulnerability that I can only relate to as something like gravity; A compelling force that draws you in and no one is immune from.
Anna and Ben, played by Zoe Lister Jones and Adam Pally, can't stop fighting. They are reminded of their shared love for music, so decide to turn all their fights into songs and start a band. While I've never experienced the specific issues they face in the film, I relate to their struggles and apparent suffering within the relationship.
Watching this movie was an interesting retrospective on the past years of my marriage. Like Anna and Ben did, I came to realize that our issues, fights and criticisms weren't anything to do with those things specifically; they were more to do with our fear of vulnerability. Of letting the other person see your failures, flaws and weaknesses. Fearing that they will judge you for it and, at worst, reject you because of it.
Here you get to see the beauty and the real truth of what its like to open yourself up to another person. Anna and Ben have a moment where they are finally honest about why the are both so self-defeating and, in the pain and brokenness of their admissions, the ugly truths that have kept them separated are now the bonds that have cemented them together. Closer and stronger than ever before. I enjoyed every minute of it.
This is the other side of the story of Dunkirk and world war two, which had me riveted and inspired throughout it's entirety.
It's the story of Winston Churchill being named the Prime minister of Great Britain during an extremely turbulent and unrestful time in history. He must decide to negotiate a peace treaty with nazi Germany or stand to fight, against all odds, for the ideals of liberty and freedom for their nation.
This movie, at it's core, spoke to me about hope. That the perseverance, determination and will of one man, who held on to hope when the rest of the world had given up, is inevitably what united a nation.
What I enjoyed the most was the depiction of Churchill as a man. Played by Gary Oldman, he was truly captivating and crushingly human. He portrayed the Churchill of history, "We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets. We shall fight in the hills and we shall never surrender." But, he also let us into the quiet and darker moments of a man who needed the love and encouragement of his wife. She reminded him of what it was he was fighting for, when it would've been all too easy to give up. Against the opposition he was facing within his own government and being in charge of deciding for a nation the price they would pay for freedom. She was there with him, in those dark moments, keeping that spark of hope alive. Giving him the strength and courage he needed to continue the fight.
There is no end to how much I love this movie. It's the true story of Kumail Nanjiani and, his now wife, Emily Gordon. They met at one of his standup comedy shows and it goes through their humble beginnings to blossoming relationship. This is of course before it breaks down at the revelation, that his family won't approve because she is not Pakistani. He doesn't want to alienate his family, so he can't fully commit to the relationship by coming clean to his parents.
Emily then becomes ill and falls into a coma. This leave Kumail finding himself having to form a bond with her parents. What I love most is that Kumail is given a rare opportunity to know and, in a sense, fall for Emily's parents. Despite her mother's judgemental and overbearing qualities, her father's oblivious ignorance and total lack of boundaries, Kumail gets taken in. He gets to see a deeper look at who they are as individuals and why the are the way the are due to this time of shared fear, grief and confusion.
The most beautiful part of all is that, after this journey of bonding with the people that raised her, it produces a deeper and more profound feeling of love in Kumail for Emily. It's all too often that secondary relationships in our partner's family's are viewed as obligatory and at time tedious because we had never chosen them (they're just part of the package). What I love most is this shared story of a guy who fell in love with a girl, even more after coming to know and understand her family, learns to appreciate all they have been through together. It's like putting a puzzle together, to see the completed part of a greater story which gives larger understanding and meaning to the tapestry of stories our relationships have all shaped.
It is in this reciprocal bond between Kumail and Emily's parent's, that saves the romantic relationship. It provides a grace in order to redeem him for his insensitive and distanced attitude towards Emily before her coma, and helps her to restore her trust in him. Who else can say that about their in-laws? (editors note: I typically use the term out-laws. This was given to me by Bruce Weisner, a humble photocopy machine repairman, who would always tell me which weekends were dedicated to his wife's parents whims and surprises. What a gem.)
This is a story, to me, about relating to the people you love and how we can at times do alright; other times buggering it right up. It's a film by Greta Gerwing, her first directorial effort, and she nailed it. It was funny, serious and heart achingly frustrating. Let's just say it was relatable.
Marion McPherson is a nurse who works tirelessly to keep her family afloat after her husband loses his job. She does her best to maintain a relationship with her daughter, Lady Bird, who like her is loving, strong willed and very opinionated. While nothing major happens in this story, the situations these characters find themselves in left me reflecting on my own interactions and attitudes towards the people closest to me. How we can take for granted these people. Leaving some of the most important relationships we have in a constant state of disrepair because we get wrapped up in our own problems. We forget there is another person on the other end who is giving of themselves, suppressing what the need from you so that they can be there to support you. There for love, for listening, for providing or whatever else. The problem comes when it's not reciprocated and fatigue sets in. The giver feels abused and neglected, the taker feels unloved and confused.
This all culminated for me at the end of the film. Marion and Lady Bird love one another deeply, it's clear, but they are both so stubborn and strong willed that they won't let themselves let each other know. They have both hurt each other in significant ways that the other one doesn't fully understand and this keeps them apart. They are defensive for fear of being hurt yet again.
Now here you have an old child, going off to college, thinking her mom disapproves and believing she doesn't really love her. You have an exhausted mother, who works to the bone to make sure their kid has food, a home and even a hand sewn dress to wear to her boyfriend's parent's Sunday Brunch; without any thanks or appreciation (even met with complaints and criticism). You see Marion drop Lady Bird off at the airport and refuses to get out or even speak to her daughter. She is straight faced and cold. As she is driving away, she breaks down and realizes she can't let her daughter go without letting her know she still loves her. What affected me most was thoughts of "why don't we say what we mean?' "Why are we afraid of letting people know how much we love them?" That somehow it might weaken us or leave us open to be hurt. But, what it does is calm us and reassures us that nothing can make me stop loving you. Even if it makes me sad, mad, irritated or the like. I think we fight harder and more often when we aren't feeling loved. When we are feeling used and under appreciated. All it takes is for one person to stop and tell the other that they love them. To completely disarm them and get through the hurt masked by the anger.
This end scene put the entire thought into an almost wordless exchange for me. It had me crying in Chinook Centre for ten minutes after leaving the theatre. John couldn't talk to me or else I'd start weeping again. I was a mess. It was a beautiful film.
In my favorite movie of 2017, The Brigsby Bear adventures is a children's television program made for only one child, James Pope. The series is cut off abruptly and James' life is changed drastically. He suddenly knows nothing about the world, his entire life has been shape by Brigsby Bear and his family doesn't understand this. He determinedly decides to finish the series by making a film. Along the way he makes true friends, learns about himself and the world around him and reconnects with his family.
This movie by Kyle Mooney, of SNL fame, takes big ideas and simplifies them in a very earnest and open way that is so refreshing. Ideas of innocence, honesty, acceptance and friendship. What I appreciated the most was the idea of staying true to who you are. James has been isolated from the entire world and his only reference point is Brigsby Bear. He is a completely innocent and pure character that is untarnished by culture. His sincere love for Brigsby and the adventure of making a movie, inspires the people around him to open themselves up to creativity and joy. To become who they really are. It also opens up a lens to see how our preconceived ideas of normalcy or fitting in, when pushed onto another (friend, child, etc), only leads to alienating them or crushing their true spirits.
"Watch carefully, the magic that happens when you give a person just enough comfort to be themselves"- Atticus
The most enigmatic and wonderful people we all know are ones who dare to be themselves. The are fearless, seemingly, and give us courage to do the same. In light of Brigsby Bear, I think James Pope would say "That's dope as shit!"
He is fearlessly himself, but he doesn't know anything else. It makes me like hime all the more. I'm challenged to to try to be able to to turn off that part of my brain that goes off like a siren if I am at all in risk of looking like an idiot. All that does is keep me from everyone and everything. My preconceived ideas of "normal" prevent others from knowing me. They don't get to see my weird, strange, colourful and creative side. They get a bland, controlled, diet coke version that I'm not even particularly fond of.
Brigsby Bear, I thought, was wonderful and inspiring. Even writing this, I have been inspired to do it with confidence and openness because these are the things I think and feel. Maybe it will inspire others to let themselves be known, to let their weird out even a little. Because, it feels dope as shit!
(editor's note: Mark Hamill gives a better performance here then The Last Jedi. I also love The Last Jedi, I've seen it in theatres four times so far. What's happening to me?)
Number Five- Band Aid
This movie hit home for me. Not only was it wildly entertaining and original, it was filled with the kind of truth and vulnerability that I can only relate to as something like gravity; A compelling force that draws you in and no one is immune from.
Anna and Ben, played by Zoe Lister Jones and Adam Pally, can't stop fighting. They are reminded of their shared love for music, so decide to turn all their fights into songs and start a band. While I've never experienced the specific issues they face in the film, I relate to their struggles and apparent suffering within the relationship.
Watching this movie was an interesting retrospective on the past years of my marriage. Like Anna and Ben did, I came to realize that our issues, fights and criticisms weren't anything to do with those things specifically; they were more to do with our fear of vulnerability. Of letting the other person see your failures, flaws and weaknesses. Fearing that they will judge you for it and, at worst, reject you because of it.
Here you get to see the beauty and the real truth of what its like to open yourself up to another person. Anna and Ben have a moment where they are finally honest about why the are both so self-defeating and, in the pain and brokenness of their admissions, the ugly truths that have kept them separated are now the bonds that have cemented them together. Closer and stronger than ever before. I enjoyed every minute of it.
Number Four- The Darkest Hour
This is the other side of the story of Dunkirk and world war two, which had me riveted and inspired throughout it's entirety.
It's the story of Winston Churchill being named the Prime minister of Great Britain during an extremely turbulent and unrestful time in history. He must decide to negotiate a peace treaty with nazi Germany or stand to fight, against all odds, for the ideals of liberty and freedom for their nation.
This movie, at it's core, spoke to me about hope. That the perseverance, determination and will of one man, who held on to hope when the rest of the world had given up, is inevitably what united a nation.
What I enjoyed the most was the depiction of Churchill as a man. Played by Gary Oldman, he was truly captivating and crushingly human. He portrayed the Churchill of history, "We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets. We shall fight in the hills and we shall never surrender." But, he also let us into the quiet and darker moments of a man who needed the love and encouragement of his wife. She reminded him of what it was he was fighting for, when it would've been all too easy to give up. Against the opposition he was facing within his own government and being in charge of deciding for a nation the price they would pay for freedom. She was there with him, in those dark moments, keeping that spark of hope alive. Giving him the strength and courage he needed to continue the fight.
Number Three- The Big Sick
There is no end to how much I love this movie. It's the true story of Kumail Nanjiani and, his now wife, Emily Gordon. They met at one of his standup comedy shows and it goes through their humble beginnings to blossoming relationship. This is of course before it breaks down at the revelation, that his family won't approve because she is not Pakistani. He doesn't want to alienate his family, so he can't fully commit to the relationship by coming clean to his parents.
Emily then becomes ill and falls into a coma. This leave Kumail finding himself having to form a bond with her parents. What I love most is that Kumail is given a rare opportunity to know and, in a sense, fall for Emily's parents. Despite her mother's judgemental and overbearing qualities, her father's oblivious ignorance and total lack of boundaries, Kumail gets taken in. He gets to see a deeper look at who they are as individuals and why the are the way the are due to this time of shared fear, grief and confusion.
The most beautiful part of all is that, after this journey of bonding with the people that raised her, it produces a deeper and more profound feeling of love in Kumail for Emily. It's all too often that secondary relationships in our partner's family's are viewed as obligatory and at time tedious because we had never chosen them (they're just part of the package). What I love most is this shared story of a guy who fell in love with a girl, even more after coming to know and understand her family, learns to appreciate all they have been through together. It's like putting a puzzle together, to see the completed part of a greater story which gives larger understanding and meaning to the tapestry of stories our relationships have all shaped.
It is in this reciprocal bond between Kumail and Emily's parent's, that saves the romantic relationship. It provides a grace in order to redeem him for his insensitive and distanced attitude towards Emily before her coma, and helps her to restore her trust in him. Who else can say that about their in-laws? (editors note: I typically use the term out-laws. This was given to me by Bruce Weisner, a humble photocopy machine repairman, who would always tell me which weekends were dedicated to his wife's parents whims and surprises. What a gem.)
Number Two- Lady Bird
This is a story, to me, about relating to the people you love and how we can at times do alright; other times buggering it right up. It's a film by Greta Gerwing, her first directorial effort, and she nailed it. It was funny, serious and heart achingly frustrating. Let's just say it was relatable.
Marion McPherson is a nurse who works tirelessly to keep her family afloat after her husband loses his job. She does her best to maintain a relationship with her daughter, Lady Bird, who like her is loving, strong willed and very opinionated. While nothing major happens in this story, the situations these characters find themselves in left me reflecting on my own interactions and attitudes towards the people closest to me. How we can take for granted these people. Leaving some of the most important relationships we have in a constant state of disrepair because we get wrapped up in our own problems. We forget there is another person on the other end who is giving of themselves, suppressing what the need from you so that they can be there to support you. There for love, for listening, for providing or whatever else. The problem comes when it's not reciprocated and fatigue sets in. The giver feels abused and neglected, the taker feels unloved and confused.
This all culminated for me at the end of the film. Marion and Lady Bird love one another deeply, it's clear, but they are both so stubborn and strong willed that they won't let themselves let each other know. They have both hurt each other in significant ways that the other one doesn't fully understand and this keeps them apart. They are defensive for fear of being hurt yet again.
Now here you have an old child, going off to college, thinking her mom disapproves and believing she doesn't really love her. You have an exhausted mother, who works to the bone to make sure their kid has food, a home and even a hand sewn dress to wear to her boyfriend's parent's Sunday Brunch; without any thanks or appreciation (even met with complaints and criticism). You see Marion drop Lady Bird off at the airport and refuses to get out or even speak to her daughter. She is straight faced and cold. As she is driving away, she breaks down and realizes she can't let her daughter go without letting her know she still loves her. What affected me most was thoughts of "why don't we say what we mean?' "Why are we afraid of letting people know how much we love them?" That somehow it might weaken us or leave us open to be hurt. But, what it does is calm us and reassures us that nothing can make me stop loving you. Even if it makes me sad, mad, irritated or the like. I think we fight harder and more often when we aren't feeling loved. When we are feeling used and under appreciated. All it takes is for one person to stop and tell the other that they love them. To completely disarm them and get through the hurt masked by the anger.
This end scene put the entire thought into an almost wordless exchange for me. It had me crying in Chinook Centre for ten minutes after leaving the theatre. John couldn't talk to me or else I'd start weeping again. I was a mess. It was a beautiful film.
Number One- Brigsby Bear
In my favorite movie of 2017, The Brigsby Bear adventures is a children's television program made for only one child, James Pope. The series is cut off abruptly and James' life is changed drastically. He suddenly knows nothing about the world, his entire life has been shape by Brigsby Bear and his family doesn't understand this. He determinedly decides to finish the series by making a film. Along the way he makes true friends, learns about himself and the world around him and reconnects with his family.
This movie by Kyle Mooney, of SNL fame, takes big ideas and simplifies them in a very earnest and open way that is so refreshing. Ideas of innocence, honesty, acceptance and friendship. What I appreciated the most was the idea of staying true to who you are. James has been isolated from the entire world and his only reference point is Brigsby Bear. He is a completely innocent and pure character that is untarnished by culture. His sincere love for Brigsby and the adventure of making a movie, inspires the people around him to open themselves up to creativity and joy. To become who they really are. It also opens up a lens to see how our preconceived ideas of normalcy or fitting in, when pushed onto another (friend, child, etc), only leads to alienating them or crushing their true spirits.
"Watch carefully, the magic that happens when you give a person just enough comfort to be themselves"- Atticus
The most enigmatic and wonderful people we all know are ones who dare to be themselves. The are fearless, seemingly, and give us courage to do the same. In light of Brigsby Bear, I think James Pope would say "That's dope as shit!"
He is fearlessly himself, but he doesn't know anything else. It makes me like hime all the more. I'm challenged to to try to be able to to turn off that part of my brain that goes off like a siren if I am at all in risk of looking like an idiot. All that does is keep me from everyone and everything. My preconceived ideas of "normal" prevent others from knowing me. They don't get to see my weird, strange, colourful and creative side. They get a bland, controlled, diet coke version that I'm not even particularly fond of.
Brigsby Bear, I thought, was wonderful and inspiring. Even writing this, I have been inspired to do it with confidence and openness because these are the things I think and feel. Maybe it will inspire others to let themselves be known, to let their weird out even a little. Because, it feels dope as shit!
(editor's note: Mark Hamill gives a better performance here then The Last Jedi. I also love The Last Jedi, I've seen it in theatres four times so far. What's happening to me?)
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