Top 10 UK Releases of 2017
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- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsFionn WhiteheadBarry KeoghanMark RylanceAllied soldiers from Belgium, the British Commonwealth and Empire, and France are surrounded by the German Army and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.Nolan's principle fan base will be well prepared for what they get; but with his insistence on holding back from the audience any perspective not afforded his characters, ala 'Memento', some knowledge of the "Miracle Of Dunkirk" might put the more casual viewer in better stead. Regardless of which camp you fall into, or indeed of whether or not the movie does it for you, certain things are for sure: With no melodrama or cheese, and no superfluous fluff or emotional subterfuge, 'Dunkirk' is a purely experiential movie, a technical marvel of a war film unlike any other I can name. It also stands as a beacon in Nolan's career, characterised by his desire to cultivate an audience willing to keep up with him. And perhaps most importantly, this is a key moment in world history that is often overlooked; a disaster averted which, had it not been, would have seen the history books written very differently. That this event has been marshalled by a confident and sincere director, who has surely by now cemented his name alongside those of his own heroes, is reason enough to see 'Dunkirk'.
- DirectorJ.A. BayonaStarsLewis MacDougallSigourney WeaverFelicity JonesConor, a twelve-year-old boy, encounters an ancient tree monster who proceeds to help him cope with his mother's terminal illness and being bullied in school.My voice joins the chorus of praise for J. A. Bayona's near-perfect 'A Monster Calls'. Ness' story is a complex, beautiful one, and Bayona's treatment of it doesn't compromise on the complexity element; excellent coming-of-age lessons here. I would say Ness adapting his own work had something to do with it, but Bayona is himself clearly a great artist, who would have made a great film regardless. Why do I say near-perfect? I would have liked a bit more on the immediate family backstory.....and it's not 'The Orphanage'. That said, I love Bayona's inspired, imaginative, often poetic techniques, and with his record so far, he has quickly joined my cache of favourite contemporary film makers.
- DirectorPaul KingStarsBen WhishawHugh GrantHugh BonnevillePaddington, now happily settled with the Brown family and a popular member of the local community, picks up a series of odd jobs to buy the perfect present for his Aunt Lucy's 100th birthday, only for the gift to be stolen.
- DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsKim Min-heeHa Jung-wooCho Jin-woongA woman is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, but secretly she is involved in a plot to defraud her.Saw the extended cut; occasionally a little self-indulgent, however, with some trims for the theatrical release, Park Chan Wook's loose adaption of a Sarah Waters novel might be his best effort since the classic 'Oldboy'. Typically beautiful and knowingly controversial, 'The Handmaiden' seduces with its mystery, and holds us on edge for the full run time with a wicked and relentessly writing plot. By turns dark, funny, moving, romantic, and yes, vividly erotic, with those idiosyncratic perversions for which Wook's work is now known (notably 'Stoker') never far from the surface, this is a must for fans of the director, or anyone with the patience to put themselves at the mercy of a master, allowing a twisted tale to reveal itself as he sees fit. At the right length, this could be at least a 9/10.
- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsHarrison FordRyan GoslingAna de ArmasYoung Blade Runner K's discovery of a long-buried secret leads him to track down former Blade Runner Rick Deckard, who's been missing for thirty years.
- DirectorSimon CurtisStarsDomhnall GleesonMargot RobbieKelly MacdonaldThe relationship between writer AA Milne and his son, Christopher Robin, and how this became the inspiration for Winnie the Pooh.
- DirectorBarry JenkinsStarsMahershala AliNaomie HarrisTrevante RhodesA young African-American man grapples with his identity and sexuality while experiencing the everyday struggles of childhood, adolescence, and burgeoning adulthood.
- DirectorStephen ChboskyStarsJacob TremblayOwen WilsonIzabela VidovicBased on the New York Times bestseller, this movie tells the incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences who enters the fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time.
- DirectorEdgar WrightStarsAnsel ElgortJon BernthalJon HammAfter being coerced into working for a crime boss, a young getaway driver finds himself taking part in a heist doomed to fail.
- DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsChanning TatumAdam DriverDaniel CraigTwo brothers attempt to pull off a heist during a NASCAR race in North Carolina.