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In honor of the 90th Academy Awards, we reached out to local film and television industry professionals to ask them to pick their favorite movies of 2017 — Oscar-nominated or not.
TAYLOUR CHANG
Director, Doris Duke Theatre
“My favorite pick for 2017 is ‘You Were Never Really Here’ by Lynne Ramsay. Her economy of aesthetics and command of tone are inspiring. Joaquin Phoenix delivers one of his best performances as a hit man in this psychological drama. My other top pick of 2017 is the French film ‘Raw’ by Julia Ducournau. It’s a thrilling, cannibalistic coming-of-age drama that channels raw feminism in a way that’s hard not to fall in love with.”
GERARD ELMORE
Filmmaker and executive director, ‘Ohina Short Film Showcase
“My pick is ‘Thor: Ragnarok.’ While any movie starring Jeff Goldblum has my undivided attention, the movie is a bit of a breakthrough. The film’s director, Taika Waititi, is the first Pacific Islander to direct a Marvel film. Not only that, but Taika made the film that has his very unique stamp on it, which seems rare these days. Thor is a character that is traditionally stiff and boring and ‘Ragnarok’ runs in the opposite direction. It’s funky, it’s weird but above all else, it’s one of a kind!”
ANDERSON LE
Artistic director, Hawaii International Film Festival
“Not only is ‘Get Out’ one of the most dynamic and most confident debut feature films, from director Jordan Peele, he owned conventional horror tropes and used it as a vehicle to comment on the racial divide that still exists today, under the post-civil rights veneer. It’s an amalgam of ‘Blue Velvet’ and ‘The Wicker Man’ under the guise of ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?’”
KAIWI LYMAN-MERSEREAU
Actor, “Den of Thieves”
“I honestly think ‘Logan’ starring Hugh Jackman is one of the best films of last year. Cinematically beautiful and the story and acting are phenomenal. Jackman should have a nomination for his final portrayal of an iconic comic book character. Hard shoes to fill.”
LANAI TABURA
Television host, “Cooking Hawaiian Style”
“I really liked ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ because the local boy (Jacob Batalon) from Damien High School played Spidey’s best friend. I would be dumb to not mention ‘Go For Broke’ because I had a small role. But I’m gonna go with ‘Jumanji’ with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Kevin Hart. I was a huge fan of ‘Jumanji’ with Robin Williams and was worried (the remake) wasn’t gonna stand up to the first one. I dug the chemistry of Dwayne, Kevin and even Jack Black. This one made me LOL several times, and, of course, extra points cause it was shot at Kualoa Ranch.”
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