Favorite Movies from 2017 (So Far)

Can you believe we're more than halfway through 2017 already? This nugget of a realization made me think of the movies I've seen so far. Plenty of good, enjoyable movies have come out already, and a lot more promising ones are on the way. I'm hoping the next few months expands this list since it's pretty short right now, but here are my favorite movies from the past several months. What movies stick out in your mind this year? Feel free to let me know in the comments!

Beauty and the Beast

Everyone has their one sacred Disney classic, and Beauty and the Beast is definitely mine aka PAIGE O' HARA AS BELLE IS MY LIFE. Not a lot of hardcore fans of the original liked the remake, and I can understand why. It essentially rehashes the animated version in a more realistic world, but both offer good (and bad) elements for different reasons. I loved the costumes, production design, new smaller songs, and cast. If I watch the original, I think of the live-action remake and vice-versa. Except for one annoying character, this was one of my favorite movie theater experiences and I've been enjoying re-watches at home too.

Jackie

Like my next pick, Jackie was released in 2016, but having not seen it til earlier this year, it's one of my favorites. Natalie Portman stars as the former First Lady reliving how her husband and President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Her performance was my favorite for Best Actress at the Oscars, as well, the score was haunting and the cinematography was beautiful. Having hoped for a biopic of Jackie O. for so many years, this definitely lived up to my expectations.

Lion

A young child gets lost in India and ends up adopted by a loving couple in Hobart, Tasmania. As an adult he decides to search for his original family, hoping for an impossible reunion. In my Oscar predictions list last year, I thought this would be the little-movie-that-could, so it was wonderful to see its success. Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman gave such beautiful performances, and I honestly didn't expect the ending to hit me so powerfully. It's something I'll never forget. (Technically, this came out in 2016 but since it didn't reach a wide release for me until 2017, I'm counting this.)

Logan

After a week of watching and live-tweeting X-Men movies, Logan absolutely lived up to the hype. I still have so much to write about this movie, but I think a part of me is still savoring the experience of seeing it for the first time and making it last as long as possible. The cast, especially Hugh Jackman, direction, and the story makes it claws-down one of the best, if not, the best "superhero" movie to ever be produced by the comic-book machine that is Hollywood these days.

Kong: Skull Island

Never a big fan of the monster movies, especially with King Kong, I wasn't too crazy about sitting through another remake. The trailer didn't cast the best light on it, but I gave this a chance with my sister, and it ended up being a really fun, well-rounded action flick. I'm hoping there's a sequel somewhere in its future. (My fuller review will be posted soon....)

My Cousin Rachel

Period films, mostly Victorian era ones, aren't really my specialty....but I'm hooked on My Cousin Rachel (another review to be posted soon). Daphne Du Maurier is one of my favorite authors, so it was sweet when two of my favorite actors Rachel Weisz and Sam Claflin teamed up for an adaptation of her novel. It's filled with amazing costumes, moody cinematography, and a mind-bending script. This will be one that I return to again and again, especially with Halloween just around the corner. And I got a little bit hooked on Victorian movies after this too. 

Wonder Woman

*GPOY coming out of Wonder Woman in theaters (four times)* My inner eight-year-old was weeping, howling and jumping for the joy. Gal Gadot and Chris Pine were everything anyone could've expected and more. I'm not sure the movie would've been the same without their chemistry and Gadot's amazing ability to be charming, naive, funny, confident, and bad-ass is one of the best, most subtle performances ever. This one is getting so many rewatches, it'll be tattooed to the inside of my brain, if it isn't already.