Dude Rates Movies

2017 facts

In 2017, I watched 105 movies.

My longest streak of movie-watching days was from 5 February to 7 February, with 11 movies watched.

My longest pause without any movie-watching was from 20 September to 6 October.

The oldest movie I saw was The Kid, from 1921.

2017 Premiere League

A-rated movies I saw in 2017 which were released in 2017.

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Darkest Hour
A
Joe Wright — 2017
Gary Oldman, Lily James, Kristin Scott Thomas
Saturday 9 December 2017

No comment

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Coco
A
Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina — 2017
Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt
Saturday 9 December 2017

Among their recent low-effort sequels, this original gem is welcome from Pixar, and it delivers. The stream of colorful visuals is stunning, the exploration of Mexican culture is original and interesting and it’s sealed with the good old Pixar emotional hammer that makes you leave a few tears behind your 3D glasses. Truly good.

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Blade Runner 2049
A
Denis Villeneuve — 2017
Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas
Monday 9 October 2017

No comment

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Dunkirk
A
Christopher Nolan — 2017
Fionn Whitehead, Barry Keoghan, Mark Rylance
Friday 28 July 2017

Nolan finally gets back down to Earth (and to Sea, and to Sky). The impersonal subject of war is a perfectly suited canvas for his absolutely masterful directing, and isn’t polluted by his usual i-am-very-smart ramblings. The result is a stubborn, simple, and efficient masterpiece.

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John Wick: Chapter 2
A
Chad Stahelski — 2017
Keanu Reeves, Riccardo Scamarcio, Ian McShane
Wednesday 12 July 2017

Absolutely.

2017 Catchup League

A-rated movies released in 2017 which I watched after 2017.

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C'est la vie!
A
Le sens de la fête
Olivier Nakache, Éric Toledano — 2017
Jean-Pierre Bacri, Jean-Paul Rouve, Gilles Lellouche
Sunday 13 June 2021

I spent the whole movie shaking with laughter. Jean-Pierre Bacri is an absolute unit of a comedian. This bought me joy and happiness.

Watched in 2021
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Thoroughbreds
A
Cory Finley — 2017
Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor-Joy, Anton Yelchin
Friday 8 June 2018

It's about two girls. One of them is a sociopath and has no feelings. The other one is normal, but she happens to despise her step-dad. So the first one casually asks why she doesn’t simply murder her step-dad. The story is clever in that the sociopath one is presented as so cold and pragmatic she achieves whatever she wants, but she has a big weakness: because of her inability to feel emotions, she assumes other people act rationally too (as in a cost/benefit analysis) and has a hard time processing how other people’s emotions will interfere with her plans. The movie is very well-made, but it lacks some icing to make it truly excellent. In particular, there is no great scene that stands out, and the resolution fizzles out a bit. In any case, I’ll keep an eye on the director, who makes an impressive directorial debut, and on the two lead actresses (Olivia Cooke, whom you may have seen in Ready Player One, and Anya Taylor-Joy, in Split), both definitely very good.

Watched in 2018
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Mother!
A
Darren Aronofsky — 2017
Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris
Sunday 20 May 2018

The surface-level narration breaks down in unison with the emotional meltdown of the lead character played by a marvelous Jennifer Lawrence. The film can be seen as the unreliable testimony of a woman in state of shock, each exaggeration and inconsistency being exploited to draw the very ambitious metaphor that lies beneath. The result is a spectacular and intensively emotional piece of cinema that leaves an indelible mark on the mind. Fascinating.

Watched in 2018
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I, Tonya
A
Craig Gillespie — 2017
Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney
Wednesday 28 February 2018

Margot Robbie produces an original movie on the very bankable subject of ice skating, where she plays the lead whose 80s’ style of clothes and hairstyle showcase the latest sexy fashion, telling the story of a 80s’ scandal few people remember. The movie, which is amazing, proceeds to win four times its budget, be nominated for multiple Oscars and is acclaimed by the critic. Beware Hollywood, because this woman is going places.

Watched in 2018
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Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
A
Martin McDonagh — 2017
Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell
Saturday 17 February 2018

No comment

Watched in 2018
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The Post
A
Steven Spielberg — 2017
Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Sarah Paulson
Saturday 10 February 2018

No comment

Watched in 2018

2017 Classics League

A-rated movies I saw in 2017 which were released before 2017.

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Out of the Furnace
A
Scott Cooper — 2013
Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, Zoe Saldana
Saturday 16 December 2017

No comment

Released in 2013
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All Is Lost
A
J.C. Chandor — 2013
Friday 20 October 2017

Second movie in my J.C. Chandor streak, and an excellent one. There is one character and 4 or 5 lines of monologue in this movie, the well-crafted directing and poignant performance from Robert Redford doing all the heavy lifting, and lifting it up well.

Released in 2013
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Margin Call
A
J.C. Chandor — 2011
Zachary Quinto, Stanley Tucci, Kevin Spacey
Friday 20 October 2017

Last movie in my J.C. Chandor streak, and again a very good one. Very interesting inside perspective of the onset of the 2007 financial crisis, more punchy and approachable than the long and analytic Big Short.

Released in 2011
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A Most Violent Year
A
J.C. Chandor — 2014
Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo
Sunday 15 October 2017

National Board of Review’s best movie of 2014. I would put it just after Birdman.

Released in 2014
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Cinderella
A
Kenneth Branagh — 2015
Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden
Tuesday 1 August 2017

My love for characters played by Lily James, such as Natasha in BBC’s War and Peace, turns my sensibility into this of a little girl. Cinderella is no exception, and I’m not even mad about it.

2019-05-05

This movie is one dependable ally when you’ve caught a nasty cold. Just slip in under the cover and let you be taken away in this beautiful tale. Relish watching the delightful direction of Kenneth Brannagh and listening to the sweet music of Patrick Doyle. Jubilate as Cinderella and the Prince meet for the first time in the forrest and flirt like two loving souls. Remind yourself that everything will be alright as long as you have courage and be kind. Oh boy this movie is close to perfection.

Released in 2015
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Mommy
A
Xavier Dolan — 2014
Anne Dorval, Antoine Olivier Pilon, Suzanne Clément
Sunday 21 May 2017

The director wants to stand out and desperately tries to be original, most notably with the unusual aspect ratio and the weirdly-fitting pop songs. His talent at directing is well enough in its own right, as it captures so well how the brutality of the main character affects the lives of people around him, and his own. This is beautiful and tragically breathtaking.

Released in 2014
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Hunger
A
Steve McQueen — 2008
Stuart Graham, Laine Megaw, Brian Milligan
Friday 10 March 2017

Steve McQueen continues his one-word filmography, after the brilliant Shame. The usage of the long-take, including an unedited 15-minute dialogue on suicide, as well the glacial approach to violence and suffering, makes it, once again, an incredible cinematographic experience.

Released in 2008
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La La Land
A
Damien Chazelle — 2016
Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Rosemarie DeWitt
Sunday 26 February 2017

So I was just thinking, if I was tasked to chose a song to send to an alien civilization, I would probably chose the raw City of Stars duo by Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling.

Released in 2016
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Manchester by the Sea
A
Kenneth Lonergan — 2016
Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler
Saturday 18 February 2017

I like tragedy. This delivers.

Released in 2016
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Bridge of Spies
A
Steven Spielberg — 2015
Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda
Monday 6 February 2017

I've found spiritual guidance in the “would it help” philosophy.

Released in 2015
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The Hateful Eight
A
Quentin Tarantino — 2015
Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Monday 6 February 2017

I always picture old people as sort of easily-shocked conservative ones, especially when they’re respected, classy, artists. So I wonder how the discussion between Tarantino and Ennio Morricone went when they discussed the score for the flashback where Samuel L. Jackson is nasty with the general's son, which I found to be too-much myself. Asking important questions.

Released in 2015
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Room
A
Lenny Abrahamson — 2015
Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Sean Bridgers
Monday 6 February 2017

This movie tricked me with such power. Considering the mysterious setting of the first act, I assumed it belonged to an entirely different genre than it was, a more metaphorical one. The revelation came up to me with such sheer brutality, I felt weak in my inability to consider things through a rational eye. It’s absolutely brilliant.

Released in 2015
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Mad Max: Fury Road
A
George Miller — 2015
Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult
Monday 6 February 2017

A 2 hours high-speed chase in the desert. Shut up and take my money.

Released in 2015