Fave films of the century so far - 2017 - The Lost City Of Z

In 1905 Officer Percival Fawcett was tasked with leading a survey party into the jungles of Brazil and Bolivia to ascertain a boundary line between the two countries and nip a brewing argument about rubber plant resources in the bud. Along with Corporal Henry Costin he went into the jungle with no prior experience and using the Amazon river as an entrance toiled upriver in an effort to do a good job and restore his family's good name. Along the way a guide by the name Tadjui tells them of an ancient city built entirely of gold but Percy fobs it off as folklore. Until the day he's chasing a boar for food and he stumbles across pottery and statues far too well made to be created by jungle tribes. When his job was done he came home but his idea of an advanced jungle civilisation was laughed at and once again his family's name was stained. So he went back to the jungle to prove his detractors wrong.

God i loved this film, a glorious return to old school movie making. A modern film that feels like classic cinema. Director James Gray channeling Terrence Malick but never aping him. A film that takes it's time but never gets boring, lets us under the skin of our characters, lets us care about them and their plans. A film about bravery and stupidity in equal measures. The people who made great sacrifices in the name of discovery but also about the families left behind, not knowing whats going on. Charlie Hunnam is a great lead (his best performance imho) but it's Sienna Miller as his wife Nina that really leaves a mark. A strong woman in an era where women were expected to shhh. It's epic stuff, luscious in it's beauty. A rare film shot on location in the jungle instead of against a green screen and overlaid with horrid CGI. As such it feels substantial, it gives it a heft missing from a lot of modern movies.

And speaking of movies it's a film fan feast. There's shades of Herzog in here, you'll be reminded of Fitzcarraldo more than once. It has the feel of 70's exploration epics like The Man Who Would Be King and The Wind And The Lion. Then to top it off there's numerous nods to the infamous world of video nasties too. A trip to a tribal village conjures up memories of the films of Ruggero Deodato and Umberto Lenzi. Without the graphic gore of course. It all adds up to a heady feast for the senses and them it's topped off with one of the most beautiful endings I've seen in an age. A torch lit trip into the unknown, a climax that leaves everything to the imagination yet somehow answers all our questions. A fantastic open ended finish to the best film of 2017.

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