Late December 2017
Hursto's top films for 2017

Now it's almost time for Happy New Year and my "Best of 2017" lists. Boy, is this a hard list to compile. While there are always a number of total standout films, comparing different genres and deciding my absolute best (remembering it's all subjective) is quite a task. I cheat so that I don't have to pick an exact top 10 (more like a top 40!). Here are my top films in various categories:

Top feature films in English language (not necessarily in order)

Moonlight

Manchester by the Sea

Paddington 2

God's own Country

Lucky

Call Me by your Name

Mother!

The Florida Project

The Innocents (see foreign language category) 

Honorable mentions: A Quiet Passion, Lady Macbeth, Baby Driver, Goodbye Christopher Robin, Detroit, Brigsby Bear, Loving Vincent, Franz, Loving, Mother!

Top foreign language films (commercially released)

The Innocents (definitely an absolute standout!)

Land of Mine

Clash

A Bag of Marbles

Top films from a festival that haven't yet (or maybe will never) be released

Bolshoi (Russian)

Close Knit (Japanese)

Berlin Falling (German) 

That Good Night (British)

Tenderness (Italian)

In Between (JIFF)

Runners up: Just about everything from this year's Jewish International Film Festival which sported an outstanding line-up of films

Top documentaries:

David Stratton: A Cinematic Life

I am not Your Negro

Mountain

Runners up: Kedi, Blue, Shalom Bollywood, Chasing 'Trane

Best Aussie films (not a great year for us!)

David Stratton: A Cinematic Life

Lion

Hounds of Love

Jasper Jones

Mountain

Don't Tell

Top comedies (I didn't see many)

Ingrid Goes West

The Disaster Artist

Pork Pie

Runner up: The underrated Aussie comedy Three Summers

My worst films for the year:

Assassin's Creed

Girls' Trip

The Snowman

Song to Song

(3 of the 4 starred Michael Fassbender. I think he's a great actor so what happened!!??)