“Step”
Director: Amanda Lipitz
Cast: Blessin Giraldo, Cori Grainger, Tayla Solomon, Gari McIntyre, Paula Dofat
Synopsis: This documentary about a girls’ step team explores the lives of high school students at an all-girls’ school in Baltimore.
What You Need To Know: “Step” took home the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Inspirational Filmmaking at Sundance 2017 and went on to garner positive reviews during its limited release. This feel-good story appears to empower its marginalized subjects, many of whom are striving to become the first college students in their families. However, the film drew some criticism because director Amanda Lipitz failed to disclose her personal ties her subject matter – Lipitz’s mother co-founded the all-girls’ school which receives so much acclaim throughout the film. Still, the “Legally Blonde the Musical: Live” EP was applauded for her first feature, which intimately illuminates the lives of young, poor black women. Sure, “Step” is seasoned with undisclosed nepotism, but it’s ultimately heartening to see a female director’s first project go over so well, regardless.
“Their Finest”
Director: Lone Scherfig
Cast: Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin, Bill Nighy, Jack Huston
Synopsis: In 1940 London, Catrin Cole begins a new job making propaganda films for the Ministry of Information. While working there, she interacts with screenwriter Tom and actor Ambrose. As they set out to make a film about the evacuation of Dunkirk, the three have to deal with clashing egos and a war that they cannot control.
What You Need To Know: Lone Scherfig had one of the best English language debuts ever with “An Education,” yet she stumbled a bit with her follow-up “One Day.” Her newest film “Their Finest,” which our own Noel Murray called “charming” and “rousing,” is a return to form. A stunning exploration of the role of wartime propaganda, this drama would make a much better companion piece to “Dunkirk” than “Darkest Hour.” While the film has gone all but unnoticed this year, Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin (in one of his best performances), and Bill Nighy make up one of the best casts of the year. “Their Finest’ is a smart, funny, and important film that deserves to be seen by more people. — CG
“The Tiger Hunter”
Director: Lena Khan
Cast: Danny Pudi, Jon Heder, Rizwan Manji, Karen David
Synopsis: A young Indian man hopes to make his fortune in 1970s America, but distracts himself by setting up a complex con to woo his childhood crush.
What You Need To Know: “The Tiger Hunter” is director-cowriter Lena Khan’s first feature, though she had a Qatari documentary entitled “Schools of Torture” debut in 2017 as well. Khan wrote the script alongside “Modern Family” writer Sameer Asad Gardezi. The film drew positive feedback for its buoyant story and original take on the immigrant narrative, though some critics disliked its airy tone. With charming performances from “Community” star Danny Pudi, indie comedy vet Jon Heder, and an ensemble of newcomers, “The Tiger Hunter” might not be the most challenging fare 2017 has to offer, but it’s an undeniably enjoyable, original watch. Viewers eager to deviate from the white comedy norm will revel in this unique period piece.
“Trophy”
Director: Christina Clusiau and Shaul Schwarz
Cast: John Hume, Phillip Glass
Synopsis: This documentary details the controversial practice of big game trophy hunting, using interviews with hunters, conservationists, and scientific experts to unpack the notorious sport.
What You Need To Know: This Sundance debut from “Aida’s Secrets” directorial team Christina Clusiau and Shaul Schwarz drew a stampede of critical praise. Though it made plenty of viewers cringe with its unflinching portrayals of animal death, countless agreed that “Trophy” offers a balanced and breathtaking look at a difficult subject. With stunning scenes – likely due in part to co-director Schwarz’s past creating visuals for Time and National Geographic – “Trophy” is as engrossing as it is upsetting. In his review, our own Oktay Ege Kozak called the film “intellectually engaging, at times heartbreaking, and beautifully shot.” The film also manages to fairly address supporters and detractors of trophy hunting. Though occasionally overambitious, Clusiau and Schwarz proved themselves commendable filmmakers with “Trophy,” a film that’s sure to satisfy documentary and animal lovers alike.
“Unrest”
Director: Jennifer Brea
Cast: Jennifer Brea, Ruby Taylor, Whitney Dafoe, Jessica Taylor
Synopsis: Journalist Jennifer Brea paints an intimate portrait of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome by chronicling her own symptoms and connections to fellow patients.
What You Need To Know: This arresting Sundance competitor has been shortlisted for the Oscars, a coup for first-time director Jennifer Brea. Brea, who was diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis (chronic fatigue syndrome) right as she was pursuing a Harvard PhD, uses her turn in the director’s chair to delineate a moving portrait of patient turmoil. The title “Unrest” encapsulates both the physical difficulties she and her fellow patients face as well as the building frustration among patient-activists. A must-watch for anyone, especially those of us battling chronic illnesses, “Unrest” goes beyond the typical overcoming disability narrative to produce something altogether richer, more sincere, and more affecting. If you’re going to check this one out, bring lots of tissues.
“Wakefield”
Director: Robin Swicord
Cast: Bryan Cranston, Jennifer Garner, Beverly D’Angelo
Synopsis: Harold Wakefield seems to have it all: a good job, a beautiful wife, and a great family – but one day he disappears. For several months, he hides in the attic of his detached garage, watching his family deal with the aftermath of his disappearance.
What You Need To Know: Following her middling drama “The Jane Austen Book Club,” “Wakefield” marked a huge step forward for director Robin Swicord when it debuted at Telluride in 2016. In “Wakefield,” Bryan Cranston gives his best film performance to date, fully embodying a man so consumed with his own place in the universe that he cannot understand his role in other people’s lives. His disappearance into the attic, essentially putting his family on stage, highlights how one person can alter others’ entire realities. While E.L. Doctorow’s short story would not initially seem to lend itself to a screen adaptation, Cranston’s portrayal of Howard grounds the movie in a believable and stunning fashion. Be sure not to miss this small gem of a film, even if our own Gregory Ellwood hated it. – CG
“The Wedding Plan”
Director: Rama Burshtein
Cast: Noa Koler, Amos Tamam, Oz Zehavi
Synopsis: After her fiance calls off their wedding a month before the ceremony, a woman decides to keep the reservation and trust that God will provide her with a husband.
What You Need To Know: Rama Burshtein is, as I elucidated in my review of her film, something of a unicorn in the filmmaking world. A Hasidic Jewish woman, Burshtein bucks many of her religious sect’s traditions every time she steps foot onto a film set — or even into a cinema. She’s a truly admirable figure, a role model for legions of repressed religious men and women (I come from the world of Ultra-Orthodox Judaism myself, and find Burshtein to be an incredibly inspirational figure). Her only previous feature was “Fill the Void,” a terrifically somber meditation on arranged marriage in the Israeli Hasidic community. “The Wedding Plan” shows Burshtein’s versatility with its equally meaningful, yet significantly lighter and more humorous disposition. Burshtein succeeds here at creating a romantic comedy that is both specific and wholly universal. Here’s to her making many more movies in the years to come. –Eli Fine
“Wexford Plaza”
Director: Joyce Wong
Cast: Reid Asselstine, Ellie Posadas, Darrel Gamotin, Mirko Miljevic, Francis Melling
Synopsis: Betty, a 20-year-old security guard at a desolate strip mall, falls for bartender Danny, but things get complicated after the two face down an awkward sexual encounter.
What You Need To Know: Slamdance 2017 competitor “Wexford Plaza” puts the “dark” in dark comedy, with writer-director Joyce Wong injecting her first feature with cringeworthy bleakness. The result is a wonderfully unabashed look at young female sexuality, with star Reid Asselstine bringing unprecedented charm and honesty to her first major role. According to our own Ally Johnson, “Wexford Plaza” is “fresh and enticingly authentic,” carried by standout performances and a skillful script. In a year inundated with coming-of-age narratives, “Wexford Plaza” managed to remain special, giving audiences the kind of human truth that only really well-done cinema can recreate. Cinephiles looking for a fresh, indie perspective on adolescence will want to add this to their lists.
“Whose Streets?”
Director: Sabaah Folayan and Damon Davis
Synopsis: This documentary chronicles the uprising in Ferguson, Missouri following the murder of Michael Brown.
What You Need To Know: After its 2017 Sundance debut, “Whose Streets?” won zealous acclaim, with critics praising the doc’s passionate, humanitarian perspective. With “Whose Streets?” first-time directors Sabaah Folayan and Damon Davis take on one of our most polemic modern social issues and do it justice. Rather than relying on news footage, the St. Louis natives get their own material, producing engrossing grassroots visuals. The film still has its faults and detractors, though – our own Chris Barsanti wisely criticized its inability to contextualize the Ferguson protests in his review. If you’re looking for a deeply educational take on modern police brutality, this might not be the right pick. But if you’re looking for an interesting look at the Ferguson protests, press play.
“Wonder Woman”
Director: Patty Jenkins
Cast: Gal Gadot, David Thewlis, Chris Pratt, Robin Wright.
Synopsis: Following a scene-stealing turn in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” Gal Gadot stars in her own venture as the Amazonian who becomes a beacon of hope for humanity.
What You Need To Know: For all the many advantages Marvel has over D.C., Marvel has yet to direct a female-led superhero film or employ a female director. D.C. did both first with “Wonder Woman,” universally acknowledged as the best of the five D.C. features to date. It’s strange now to think that fans met lead Gal Gadot with trepidation when initially cast, as she brought so much stealth, empowerment and wit to the comic book character. Whatever faults the rest of the film may have (read our own Rodrigo Perez’s critical review here), Gadot’s performance is one a generation of cinema-goers are going to remember. — EL
“Woodshock”
Director: Kate and Laura Mulleavy
Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Joe Cole, Pilous Asbaek
Synopsis: Boutique weed retailer Theresa begins performing assisted suicides, a tumultuous choice which leads her into episodes of melancholy, drug dependency, and paranoia.
What You Need To Know: Rodarte fashion designer sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy like trees, weed, floral patterns, and double exposure. If you expect to take anything else away from this maddeningly dreamy first feature, think again. With a plodding script and vapid story, “Woodshock” ends up unable to support capable leading lady Kirsten Dunst or its confounding, maybe-environmentalist-maybe-anti-voluntary-euthanasia message. Though our own Jessica Kiang praised Peter Flinckenberg’s enchanting visuals and Peter Raeburn’s (“Under the Skin”) score, her “Woodshock” review ultimately lambasts the film for “self-indulgent noodling.” Too shadowy to really make an impression, this so-called thriller over-delivers on wood and skimps on shock. The Mulleavy sisters are promising visual artists, to be certain, but they might want to pass on the scriptwriting next time.
“The Zookeeper’s Wife”
Director: Niki Caro
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Johan Heldenbergh, Daniel Bruhl
Synopsis: This historical biopic tells the story of Antonina and Jan Zabinska, husband and wife zookeepers in Warsaw who rescued hundreds of Jews during World War II by hiding them in their zoo.
What You Need To Know: The great director of “Whale Rider” and “North Country” is back, following the decent-but-not-great “McFarland, U.S.A” with “The Zookeeper’s Wife.” In this historical drama, Niki Caro focuses on a previously unreported story of Antonina and Jan Zabinska and their effort to save as many Jews as they could in Warsaw. She uses this small lens to explore the effects of the Holocaust in an understated but no less effective way. This movie flew under the radar this year – some reviewers, including our own Will Ashton, weren’t too keen on it – but it features a great Jessica Chastain performance that deserves to be seen. –CG
This list could have gone on for 20 more movies at least, but I had to cap it eventually so as not to break my editors’ brains. Congratulations to all the women who released films in 2017, whether zany or dull or inane or genius. Here’s to even more opportunities for female directors this year.