The Bamboo Awards: BORN IN CHINA WINS IT ALL!

[The Panda]

Best Use of Music

 

Honorable Mention #3

Coco

 

 

Honorable Mention #2

The Shape of Water

 

 

Honorable Mention #1

All the Money in the World

 

 

Co-Runner Up

A Ghost Story

 

 

Runner Up

Baby Driver

 

 

Winner

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

 

 

[Ethan Hunt]

6 minutes ago, The Last Panda said:

Best Use of Music

 

 

Winner

Not Baby Driver

 

[Fancyarcher]

I finally got tickets to see The Disaster Artist thanks to a friend. Looking forward to it seeing it soon. #18 is a decent spot. 

[SLAM!]

6 hours ago, Ethan Hunt said:

HYPE

 

I'm a sucker for lists

 

Same!

[The Panda]

I’ve been out for the last few hours, and can’t update on mobile, so I’ll get the list back and going in an hour or so.

[The Panda]

Number 17

Baby Driver

 

"'Retarded' means slow. Was he slow?"

 

My Grade: A-

Most Valuable Player: Robert Dehn and his Team for the Sound Design

Box Office: 107.8m

Tomatometer: 93%

Synopsis: After being coerced into working for a crime boss, a young getaway driver finds himself taking part in a heist doomed to fail.

Critic Opinion: "And all the while, we hear the soundtrack feeding Baby’s every move and reflecting Baby’s every mood — literally dozens of songs, from “Tequila” by the Champs to “Brighton Rock” by Queen to “Nowhere to Run” by Martha Reeves & the Vandellas to “Radar Love” by Golden Earring to “Hocus Pocus” by Focus, arguably the most ridiculous and undeniably catchy gimmick tune of the 1970s.  It all works. All of it. The music, the performances, the twists and turns in the plot, the sheer energy and life force of the movie." - Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun Times

User Opinion: "Pristine craft and execution. Wright really considered just about everything. It's meticulous in its design and process. Major props especially to the sound design, which might be the best I've seen heard in a long time." - @DameronRoc

Reasoning: A summertime blast and box office surprise, Baby Driver is a jolt of energy and it's hard not to find quite a bit of enjoyment out of the whole ordeal.  I loved the soundtrack, how well it blended into the scenes and the ringing in the ears of Baby when the music wasn't playing.  The movie is really clever technically and it makes it a joy to watch and appreciate on a sheer level of craftsmanship.  The big thing that kept this movie from rocketing even higher on my list was the actual content could be lacking at times, and for as clever as the movie is with its technical work, it isn't as clever with the characterizations.  Despite that, it doesn't stop the movie from being an absolute joy and easy to re-watch.  It's the ideal summer popcorn flick.

 

 

 

 

[That One Girl]

@Ethan Hunt gonna be pissed

[Ethan Hunt]

SO DAMN LOW 

[The Panda]

Number 16

The Shape of Water

 

"When he looks at me, he does not know - how - I am incomplete. He sees me... as I am"

 

My Grade: A-

Most Valuable Player: Sally Hawkins as Eliza

Box Office: 12.1m+

Tomatometer: 93%

Synopsis: From master storyteller Guillermo del Toro comes THE SHAPE OF WATER, an otherworldly fable set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1962. In the hidden high-security government laboratory where she works, lonely Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is trapped in a life of isolation. Elisa's life is changed forever when she and co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) discover a secret classified experiment.

Critic Opinion: "Richly imaginative and hauntingly unforgettable, “The Shape of Water” is the latest film from director Guillermo del Toro (“Pan’s Labyrinth”). It may also prove to be his biggest hit. Working from a script co-written with Vanessa Taylor, Del Toro has delivered a film that’s at once eccentrically intriguing and comfortably mainstream — a fairy tale that, although set in the past, resonates with our turbulent times." - Calvin Wilson, St Louis Post

User Opinion: "This was a fucking treasure." - @The Shape of Pasta

Reasoning: The Shape of Water is an elegant ballad between a mute janitor named Eliza and the creature from the black lagoon.  Beyond the strange outward layers of the plot, there is an intimate story being told that harkens back to a fairy tale like Beauty and the Beast, mixed with a little bit of King Kong and Del Torro's cinematic style.  It's a movie that's hard not to be impressed by, everything feels as if it's taking place right in the 50s, and the sea creature is some great visual work.  I didn't love it as much as some people have dug it, I kind of more appreciated all of the parts of the movie much more than the sum of it all.  However, despite all of that, I still really adored so much in this film, and there's some excellent acting from the entire cast, so expect it to be all over my BOFFY ballot (despite not making my top 10).

 

 

 

 

[Fancyarcher]

The Shape of Water is possibly my favorite film of the year. It's so good. 

[That One Girl]

That is wayyyyyy too low

[The Panda]

And for the 'big' awards I decided to go with 4 HMs instead of 3, simply because in each one there was an additional contender I wanted to fit in.

 

Best Cinematography

 

Honorable Mention #4

Logan

 

Honorable Mention #3

A Ghost Story

 

Honorable Mention #2

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

 

Honorable Mention #1

Three Billboards Outside of Ebbings, Missouri

 

Co-Runner Up

The Shape of Water

 

Runner Up

Dunkirk

 

Winner

Blade Runner 2049

 

[That One Girl]

As if anything else had a shot

[Ethan Hunt]

The last Jedi... for cinematography??

 

(I mean it's okay but I was fairly underwhelmed)

[The Panda]

Number 15

War for the Planet of the Apes

 

"There are times when it is necessary to abandon our humanity to save humanity."

 

My Grade: A

Most Valuable Player: Gino Acevedo and the VFX team

Box Office: 146.9m

Tomatometer: 93%

Synopsis: Caesar and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel. After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the Colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet.

Critic Opinion: "It may all sound like an especially depressing way to spend two hours, but it never feels oppressive in its bleakness. Reeves keeps the action moving steadily, never letting the film's 140 minutes feel even slightly bloated, and surrounds Caesar with a visually stunning, compassionately conceived group of side characters, from series staples Maurice and Rocket (Terry Notary) to new ally Bad Ape (Steve Zahn, going leaps beyond his recent live-action work) and the speechless little girl Nova (Amiah Miller) who they pick up along the way. (And thank goodness, they all ride horses.)" - Barry Hertz, Globe and Mail

User Opinion: "It's a pretty fantastic production. It's more engaging in my mind than the other Apes movies: turns out focusing almost entirely on the Apes was a good call! Matt Reeves is simply a fantastic director and his work simply keeps on shining." - @Coco Bottle

Reasoning: I mentioned quite a bit in this movie's review thread that while the film seems like it's misleading being called War, it actually is an incredibly fitting title, despite no real epic battles or anything of that sort (and thank the Lord for that).  The movie's about the physical and psychological effects that war has, from internment camps, to the legendary leader figures that are created and immortalized as something much greater than they actually were.  I really enjoyed the themes of the movie, and thought Matt Reeves did a fantastic job with the whole thing, even though there are a quite a few flaws in its focus that weigh the film down a little bit.  Andy Serkis is phenomenal in his role as Caesar, and it's the best he's done with the part.  War for the Planet of the Apes is the best film of this new Apes saga and will be one I remember.

 

 

 

 

[The Panda]

29 minutes ago, That One Guy said:

That is wayyyyyy too low

This year has been weird in that usually my lists are pretty top heavy.  This year there really wasn't a small group of movies that just absolutely stood out among the rest in my eyes, instead it's been fairly spread.  Anything in my top 20 I'd honestly consider strong enough to make my top 10, I just had to rank them somehow.

[The Panda]

7 hours ago, The Last Panda said:

Best Use of Music

 

Honorable Mention #3

Coco

 

 

Honorable Mention #2

The Shape of Water

 

 

Honorable Mention #1

All the Money in the World

 

 

Co-Runner Up

A Ghost Story

 

 

Runner Up

Baby Driver

 

 

Winner

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

 

 

Also, I'm just going to give a little bit of a tidbit here, since I am doing 4 HMs for my other main categories, I should have given a fourth mention to Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri

 

 

[The Panda]

Best Supporting Actor

 

Honorable Mention #4

Gil Birmingham, Wind River

 

Honorable Mention #3

Jason Mitchell, Mudbound

 

Honorable Mention #2

Michael Shannon, The Shape of Water

 

Honorable Mention #1

Patrick Stewart, Logan

 

Co-Runner Up

Adam Driver, Star Wars: The Last Jedi

 

Runner Up

Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World

 

Winner

Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri

 

 

[filmlover]

#1 is obviously BORN IN CHINA.

[The Panda]

Number 14

Okja

 

"Translations are sacred."

 

My Grade: A

Most Valuable Player: THAT PIG, OKJA!

Box Office: NETFLIX!!!!!!!!

Tomatometer: 86%

Synopsis: Meet Mija, a young girl who risks everything to prevent a powerful, multi-national company from kidnapping her best friend - a fascinating animal named Okja.

Critic Opinion: "So begins a wild ride on the tonal roller coaster, which is kept from flying off the tracks by the dual magnets of a powerful sincerity on the part of everyone concerned (good and bad alike) and an equally powerful sense of plausibility under the frequently ridiculous action. Pitch-black satire, heartwarming devotion, over-the-top performance, and subtle drama are engineered into something decidedly (if improbably) delicious." - Matthew Lickona, San Diego Reader

User Opinion:

 "" - @ReyReyBattery

Reasoning: There's so much ludicrous and bizarre stuff that goes on in this film that it's obviously Bong Joon Ho, but the craziness only manages to raise the film to even higher levels.  Jake Gyllenhaal is absolutely hilarious in all of his camp, and Seo-hyun Ahn gives an incredible performance, especially due to her young age.  You also can't forget Okja, who's just a magnificent pig all around, a real A+ pig.  This may sound like I'm parodying me picking the movie, but I really did love so much that this film had to offer, despite its quirky flaws.  Also, the ending really does bring you to tears, I had originally downgraded this film to around a B+, but then I looked at the film again and when I got to the ending I realized why I originally (and am keeping) gave the film an A.  It's beautiful and one of the bigger emotional punches of the year.