Okja (2017)

Okja has a very niche plot, but it is a story that can easily resonate with everyone. It'll forever be known as the super pig (slash hippo) movie. It's a risk that pays off handsomely for Netflix, which has already conquered the medium of television. This has the potential to be Netflix's big break in the original narrative film side of the business. Beasts of No Nation was very good but it never really broke through. Okja, though shunned by the cinematic tradition at Cannes, is the future. Netflix is desperate to catch Amazon, already with a Best Picture Oscar nomination for last year's Manchester by the Sea. What makes this film so important? It demonstrates to auteur filmmakers around the world that Netflix is willing to take risks. It will produce artistic films that no one else will. And if not with Okja, it eventually will strike a Best Picture nomination with this model. And leave it for crazy Bong Joon-ho to lead the way for Netflix.

The acting in Okja is quite over the top. I'm looking at you, Jake Gyllenhaal. I'm not sure how I feel about it. He's really insane. But somehow, the over exaggeration fits because it has dramatic and funny moments. Because his foil is a slightly less crazy Tilda Swinton. And the more subdued crazy of Paul Dano. The little girl, Ahn Seo-hyun is very good too as she embarks on a quest to rescue her super pig Okja. I guess that requires a little explanation. The genetically modified super pigs are produced by an evil company, given to farmers around the world to be bred for 10 years, then to be put into food production.  It's a charming simultaneously disturbing story with a moral. That moral will inspire people to become a vegetarian, or at least to not eat pig, after all Mija's favorite food is chicken. It's not a totally anti-meat movie per se, but there is a moral that you can discern for yourself. 

The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki (Hymyilevä mies) (2016)

I missed this one when I was at Cannes. It won the prize Un Certain Regard. While it is a very good movie, I do not think I would've awarded it top prize in that competition. It is a black-and-white boxing (a la Raging Bull?) movie that has a beautiful vintage look thanks to 16mm Kodak Tri-X film stock. I always thought it was kind of amazing that boxing is a film genre all its own. But I kind of understand. Boxing is an intense sport characterized by isolation, violence, and glory. Perhaps only tennis is more isolating. At least you have your coach in your corner of the ring, though Olli Maki doesn't always see eye-to-eye with him. The premise is simple, based on a true story of a boxer vying for the world championship while distracted by a love interest. The acting is restrained in a way that you don't expect in a boxing movie, but the quiet introspection is a thoughtful reflection on the sport.

Passengers (2016)

I was overall unimpressed by this movie. The coolest thing is the production design. There is a stunning anti-gravity scene in an infinity pool in space. The design of the bedrooms and the whole ship are imaginatively futuristic. The story is extremely unrealistic, even for a science fiction film. It is not believable at all. I know the tag line is "they woke up for a reason" but the reason is actually just not very compelling. The most interesting plot point is Chris Pratt's ethical dilemma. Though it does not actually fit into the "they woke up for a reason" motive of the film. This gap in the plot is inexcusable. This is not Jennifer Lawrence's best work. 

Oldboy (2003)

I finally got around to seeing Oldboy. Having already seen The Handmaiden, I think the Handmaiden is actually a stronger film. That being said, Oldboy is quintessential to understanding the evolution of Korean cinema. It's stylish, it's bloody violent, it's twisted and sick--it pushes cinematic boundaries. It's a brutally intense revenge thriller that is so ridiculous that it is comedic. And it's non-stop. The ending is so shocking and cringy it leaves you reeling. The whole movie you just can't look away because it's hypnotic. My favorite scene is a single shot fight scene; it looks like something out of Street Fighter in a 2D hallway. 

Julius Caesar (The Public Theater) (2017)

This year's Shakespeare in the Park production is very timely, a modern adaptation of Julius Caesar with Trump (fully in the nude!) as Caesar, Melania as Calpurnia (complete with the accent) and Jared Kushner as Octavian (identifiable by the bulletproof vest). Of course, that means that The Public Theater kills off Trump every night in Central Park. Call it gutsy, bold, even brilliant albeit a little obvious. It goes to show that Julius Caesar remains as relevant as two thousand years ago, as he was during Elizabethan times as he is today. It is reset in our modern America pitting protesters against police and people against dictator. The people are us. To really make us feel part of the people, there are actors hidden in the audience who are silent for 3 Acts and then erupt. They were right behind and in front of us! It was like we were part of the show, it was good fun. 

Moana (2016)

In Lin-Manuel Miranda's first post-Hamilton project, he pens some catchy songs that, for me, are the stars of the show. They are unmistakably his, with the unique cadence and clever wordy melodies. Even the Rock can sing, who knew? The animation is beautiful, including a very impressively realistic ocean. Just look at how far animation has come since Finding Nemo. Maui's body tattoos provided comedy but were themselves beautiful. They probably could've sustained their own short film. And let's not forget how important that the protagonist is a woman of color. She takes her destiny in her own hands and becomes a hero. She has real problems that do not revolve around a love interest. She is her own character, fully developed, likable and complex. She's not your typical Disney princess and here's to more characters like Moana.

Life, Animated (2016)

Life, Animated is a heartwarming documentary about the brilliant, funny and very likable Owen Suskind. Owen, an autistic boy, learned to contextualize his world through Disney animated films. It is about the whole family and how they grow and adapt and age. There are highs and there are lows; and the film is unflinching. It is an honest portrait. The story is told in an enchanting fashion, through talking head interviews, footage of Owen's day-to-day life, including some milestones, and beautifully crafted animated sequences. The animated sequences are visually stunning and what a brilliant way to use animation.