Top Films of 2017 17-13 Reviewed

17. Mur Murs -- Agnes Varda's documentary concerning the mural painters in Los Angeles in the 1970s is a visual joy to behold. She takes an esoteric subject and instills it with beauty and color that many might miss by not just exploring the murals but their creators.
16. Stalker -- Andrei Tarkovsky's film is a very different matter. It portrays the drab palette of a soviet landscape, mixing it with science fiction, and telling the story of a "stalker" who guides people to a forbidden zone in search of room filled with anything they might desire. On its surface, the film could seem dull and long to those only familiar with Hollywood blockbusters and short attention span theater, yet the characterization and performances make this film as great as critics rate it.

15. Limelight -- In one of his last films, Charlie Chaplin portrays a famous stage clown past his prime who has become a hopeless drunk. The film tracks his redemption as he puts on one of the last great acts of his career. It contains a rare collaboration between Chaplin and Buster Keaton. I watched a lot of Chaplin in 2017, and this one proved he was still at the top of his game, despite poor critical reception.



14. Charulata -- My first Satayjit Ray film had me enthralled, even in the confines of my office during lunch break. A beautifully shot love story, set when India was under British rule, it captures the anguish of young love and disappointment. How did I miss Ray's films before?

13. The Apartment -- Billy Wilder's Academy Award-winning, The Apartment, is a humorous, yet heartbreaking look at a young executive, played by Jack Lemmon, who lends his apartment out so his superiors can have amorous trysts in hopes of getting promoted. In the end, he falls in love with a woman from the office (Shirley MacLaine, who is having an affair with a man who becomes his boss (Fred MacMurray). The film is funny, charming, and generally makes the most of its odd premise. Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine are at their best, and MacMurray is very good at playing a slimy corporate heel.

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