Greetings, movie fans and welcome to the 2017 edition of “Barb Allen Goes to the Movies So You Don’t Have To.” This has been a busy year for me, so this list is not so much the “top ten” (as I did not see some of the big releases for the year) but rather a list of the 11 films I saw that I really enjoyed. Plus the one I hated the most.

La La Land. This frothy confection of a film delivered a surprisingly poignant denouement. From start to finish, I found myself smiling. The clickbait version might be: Ken & Barbie stumble in to a Chekov short story, and you won’t believe what happens next!

Paterson. I’ll say it right now, people. I love Jim Jarmusch. Love. This film is so quiet, it is almost static, but there is a lot going on under the surface if you can be patient. Jarmusch uses some familiar tricks in telling the story. If you loved Stranger than Paradise, Down by Law or Mystery Train then you will like this. 

Hunt for the Wilder People. Brought to you by the team that brought us “What We Do in the Shadows,” this hilarious film introduces a couple of brilliant and memorable characters. It is a film for anyone who has ever felt different or unwanted – you know, pretty much anyone. 

Hell or High Water. Jeff Bridges. West Texas. A brilliant script. What more do you want, people? I found this a gripping drama, and one that kept me guessing.

Only Yesterday. An anime film from 1991, released in the United State in 2016. It is unusual in that it is a drama, and a deep one at that. A must for fans of Japanese anime.

Moonlight. I found this extremely difficult to watch – at times almost unbearably painful. I know many who found the ending transcendent, and while I did not have that experience, I did greatly admire the brave performances of all the characters. There were several exquisitely filmed scenes. This is perhaps the film of 2016 that will be studied for years to come.

Fences. Who does not like Denzel Washington? Now that you have identified yourself, please get off my FaceBook page! This imperfect translation of a stage piece to the screen (it is just hard to film a natural scene transition when the stage direction is for live actors on a – you know – stage), it was like watching (sometimes) a live jazz performance. And Viola Davis? You will not see a more explosive 5 minutes of acting this year. 

Arrival. Not going to lie. At the end of this film, I rolled out of my ridiculously comfortable Cineplex lounge chair, brushed the spilled popcorn off my hoodie, looked at my friends Jim & Deb and said: “What the hell was that all about?” I still have no idea. The logic of the central plot twist absolutely escaped me. Nevertheless, that was one badass space ship. So, there is that. 

IpMan 3. Donnie Yen! Kung Fu in an elevator! ‘Nuff said!

Dr. Strange. Tilda Swinton, Benedict Cumberbatch and a whole lot of special effects. Thank you for a great Saturday afternoon!.

Worst Film of the Year: Hologram for the King. This was absolutely terrible. Was the script destroyed prior to filming and a hurried replacement written by actual monkeys? Were parts of it filmed separately, on separate continents years apart and then the whole thing spliced back together? Is Tom Hanks completely broke? (Confidential to Tom Hanks: Tom, you don’t have to do this kind of work. We can start a “Go Fund Me” account for you. Think about it, man.). As my good friend Chris Kaler said after the movie: “Maybe if Tom Hanks wasn’t in it…… no one would have ever seen it.”