1. Deadpool
2. Star Trek Beyond
3. Zootopia
4. Arrival
5. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
6. Moana
7. Captain America: Civil War
8. Star Wars Rogue One
9. Doctor Strange
1. Captain America: Civil War
2. Hell or High Water
3. Nocturnal Animals
4. Arrival
5. Zootopia
6. Hacksaw Ridge
7. The Handmaiden
8. Doctor Strange
9. Jungle Book
10. Deadpool
Honorable Mentions:
x. 10 Cloverfield Lane
x. Kubo And The Two Strings
x. A Monster Calls
x. Shin Godzilla
Haven't seen Silence yet. It disappeared from the theaters really quick.
I have seen 48 movies from last year so far, but I still have a few to see that I'm looking forward to, especially Silence, but at the moment.
1. Manchester by the Sea
2. Arrival
3. Jackie
4. Hacksaw Ridge
5. I, Daniel Blake
6. A Monster Calls
7. Nocturnal Animals
8. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
9. Deepwater Horizon
10. The Wailing
I updated the first post with the countdown. We're less than 11 days away from closing the vote... For those in the UK you can still catch quite a few of 2016's notable films in cinemas (or you can leave them for next year's top if you prefer).
In UK starting this weekend however you should be able to go see Moonlight (if you missed any of the preview screenings or festival screenings). It is a film that should not be missed and deserves a proper cinema viewing. A film that even in an amazing year like 2016 managed to stand out. It's high on my personal top 10 list... a list I'll post in the next few days in an attempt to bump once more this thread.
Last year I made a post but didn't edit it fully in time. Hopefully I remember to make changes but if not, I guess I'll put in a tentative list so at least some films I liked get counted.
1. La La Land
2. Manchester By The Sea
3. Moonlight
4. The Lobster
5. Cameraperson
6. Hell or High Water
7. The Handmaiden
8. The Love Witch
9. The Witch
10. Toni Erdmann
There's still so much to see so I could definitely see the bottom five getting rearranged or kicked off all together.
1. Arrival
2. The Witch
3. Sully
4. Manchester by the Sea
5. The Founder
6. Silence
7.The Lobster
8. Shin Godzilla
9. The Nice Guys
10.The Neon Demon
Random out of order throughts on the movies:
Arrival - One of the most introspective movies I've seen in a while, beautiful presentation and wonderful exploration of themes
The Witch - Incredible horror movie, lots of interesting symbolism and super well done tension.
Manchester by the Sea - Emotional punch to the gut, wonderfully acted
The Founder - while not one of the greatest movies put together (had some pacing flaws) I really loved the acting and I have a thing for movies based on true stories like this one.
Sully - Movies about people doing truly incredible things I just have a huge soft spot for, tom hanks gave a hell of a performance too.
The Lobster - Just a weird trip but I loved it
Shin Godzilla - Holy shit I haven't enjoyed a godzilla movie in a long fucking time but this was just awesome
The Nice Guys - It's been a while since I've had so much fun with an action comedy
The Neon Demon - While the movie was riddled with problems, its aesthetic and atmosphere were enough to make me love it.
Silence - I don't really have much to say about this but the cinematography was ridiculously good
1) Zootopia
Not even a question for me. I'm sure there were technically better films this year, but this was the one that I dug the most. Obviously its attempt at tackling institutional prejudice in American society via allegorical use of cartoon animals is what's kept it in the spotlight for as long as it has been, but even devoid of that it's still a damn fun little buddy cop/pseudo-film noir piece set in a constantly inventive universe, tackling all sorts of variations between the multitudinous species like size, diurnal/nocturnal, comfortable habitats and such. I'm still left wanting more of this world, and given the film's currently the record holder for highest-grossing original animated film (the only films that beat it out were sequels, like Minions, or adaptations, like Frozen, a loose adaptation of The Ice Queen), I don't doubt I'm eventually gonna get it.
2) Rogue One
Okay, so I only just saw this one last night, and haven't quite had time to decide where on the list it really places. I do know it's pretty high - and I also appreciate them depicting just what kind of dire straits the Rebellion really was in at the start of A New Hope, or that the Death Star has firing modes other than "the planet you're on is about to be promoted to asteroid field" (I suppose Return of the Jedi might have, but I don't think the Death Star's lone shot in that film hit anything on-screen). Really enjoyable bit of cinema.
3) Doctor Strange
It was sort of a toss-up between this or Civil War, but honestly, I think I liked this one a bit more - the trippier visuals, the excellent score, or the climax and its incredibly inventive resolution. Sure, it's yet another origin story in a film series overflowing with them, but hell, I'm still good with a well-done one, and this was definitely a well-done one.
4) Captain America: Civil War
I admittedly haven't rewatched it since release, so I'm still going on my initial viewing in theaters, but it was a very solid culmination of almost ten years of Marvel Cinematic Universe films - if one that felt more like an Avengers film than a proper Captain America film, even if the Winter Soldier angle is more associated with Cap than the whole team. Still, Black Panther was a cool addition (not being particularly familiar with him myself, prior to this film), and it's just awesome that they managed to get Spider-Man into the fray (thanks Sony). Interested to see how the next Avengers film will play out, given how this one went.
5) Kubo and the Two Strings
I understand there's a lot of debate as to whether this or Zootopia was the better animated film this year (and I've sort of made my opinion on the matter plain with #1), and it's not hard to see why; this thing is a stop-motion masterwork (barring some water effects, IIRC), and while the story is your fairly-standard fairy tale fare (insofar as Japanese folklore counts as fairy tales), the characters have great banter the entire way through. The resolution of the climax is a bit debatable in quality, though I generally liked the ending otherwise. Kinda wish I wasn't in a rush to return the Blu-Ray the night I watched it; I gather the montage during the credits of how they made the film was quite something to behold.
6) Moana
Another great musical by Disney. Bonus points for how I can actually remember some of the songs this time (I can only really remember "Let It Go" from Frozen due to it being everywhere, and can't remember any of Tangled's songs other than that "Mother Knows Best" is the name of one of them), and the Mad Max shout-out scene was pretty great as well. Was a little disappointed that
the "villain" they set up wasn't, really, a villain, cuz it's been a while since a Disney film introduced a villain at the start and played them completely straight
, but it was still a pretty clever twist. I almost kind of wish that Disney hadn't put out both this and Zootopia in one year, but both films are absolutely excellent pieces of work in their own right.
7) Finding Dory
Gonna be honest, I barely remember how Finding Nemo went; that said, this still struck me as a really nice follow-up. Kinda loved how it nailed the whole "aquatic zoo"/"aquarium" angle, and how the various fish living there would grow up compared to more wild ones. Handled the whole "Dory searching for her family" angle quite well, too (even if
the odds of her successfully finding them as she did would've been astronomically low
); brought me to tears a few points, though A: I'm a big softy, and B: Pixar tends to do that to me. A lot.
8) Star Trek Beyond
Shame this one didn't do so well, because it's actually one of the better Star Trek films in general (though I suppose you should take this with a grain of salt: I liked Into Darkness, after all, barring that one jarring race-lift). It probably helped that I had no idea what to expect, since the trailers didn't do a wonderful job of explaining the whole premise (beyond "the Enterprise gets destroyed and now Kirk and crew are on a hell planet"). Definitely recommend it if you hadn't seen it yet; felt more Trek-y than Into Darkness did (even though, again, I liked that film when I saw it).
9) The BFG
I actually really enjoyed this one! Kind of disappointed it did so poorly at the box office; it seems like a fairly faithful adaptation of the book (barring the ultimate fate of the other giants), and I thought it was quite charming considering.
----
And I'm cutting the list off here, because while I did see ten films made this year, listing the tenth would mean awarding Batman v. Superman points, and it doesn't deserve that dignity. I didn't hate myself while watching it, but I'd struggle to call it a particularly enjoyable experience. It felt like they went too heavy on everyone involved being horrible in some fashion, and it felt hard to root for anyone (or, more importantly, care for anyone) as a result.
1. Embrace of the serpent
2. Mia Madre
3. The Wailing
4. Moonlight
5. Toni Erdmann
6. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
7. The VVitch
8. The Handmaiden
9. Manchester by the sea
10. Evolution
This year was particularly brutal thinning it to 10.
Honorable mentions:
x. The Nice Guys
x. They Look Like People
x. Under the shadow
x. The eyes of my mother
x. Love and friendship
x. Louder than bombs
x. Elle
x. Christine
x. Arrival
x. The Love Witch
x. Krisha
x. Wiener-Dog
If i catch some movies before the cut off, i'll edit them in, though i doubt i'll make it in time.
Paterson, Silence, Right Now Wrong Then and 20th Century Women are the ones i'm hoping to catch.
Haven't seen some films I wanted to but I think this is a fairly stable top ten.
1. Arrival.
No other film this year left me feeling optimistic and in awe, never mind to this extent, like Arrival did. Johannsson's unconventional yet distinctly human score, Bradford's cold yet emotionally rich cinematography, so many elements came together to produce this profound, original piece of filmmaking about the classic science fiction premise of first contact. It's no exaggeration to say my that I looked forward to tomorrow with a rejuvenated spirit, believing the good in humanity will always prevail. This type of experience isn't the be-all-end-all of cinema, but I'll be damned if it isn't one of its heights and this year it comes out on top for me.
2. Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
Like any film-enthusiast from New Zealand I knew I was in for a treat with Waititi at the helm. Everyone brought their A-game here and I loved seeing my country and its culture represented as well. There's even scenery and particular shots I still vividly remember to this day.
3. Moonlight.
Knowing only the coming-of-age premise and a vague setting, my gut instinct braced me for a very graphic film. I was pleasantly surprised to instead see a subdued, but no less raw and confrontational experience which I will soon see for a third time. Gotta support exceptional filmmaking especially when it's a minority-lead project!
4. The Edge of Seventeen.
5. The Handmaiden.
6. La La Land.
7. Kubo and the Two Strings.
8. Moana.
9. Your Name.
10. Rogue One.
Highlights, bits and bobs, and moments I loved this year.
Arrival.
The scene where Abott and Costello save Louise and Ian from the explosion. I'm a massive sucker for moments of sacrifice like that, especially given the circumstances and the gravity of their situation.
Rogue One.
Jyn and Cassian's final moments are easily one of my favourite Star Wars scenes and I'd go as far to say one of my favourite death scenes of all time. What a powerful fade to white. Oh and Darth Vader was pretty cool too.
La La Land. The opening number ended up being one of my favourite set-pieces in the film, loved how energetic it was and transformed a dull setting into a bright, fun one. Would love to see the team tackle a musical that doesn't change its course throughout the film.
Moonlight. That opening song. Bound to put a massive grin on any modern hip hop enthusiast. The ending to the second act has a fantastic build up too, really well executed.
01. Manchester By The Sea
02. Moonlight
03. La La Land
04. The Handmaiden
05. Arrival
06. OJ: Made in America
07. The Wailing
08. Zootopia
09. Wiener Dog
10. Paterson
1. Hacksaw Ridge
2. Arrival
3. La La Land
4. Manchester By The Sea
5. A Monster Calls
6. Kubo and the Two Strings
7. Conjuring 2
8. Batman V Superman*
9. The Witch
10. The Nice Guys
* If we're listing our favorites, I loved BVS, don't care what anyone thinks. Hit the sweet spot.
On second thought, Monster Call movies up, it's a moving film.
1. Shin Godzilla - This was by far my favorite film of 2016. Definitely not the best made one by any metric, but the one I enjoyed the most. The audacity of making a Godzilla film in this day and age without any enemy monster, focusing entirely on bureaucracy, and basically making a stealth live action Evangelion movie. The brass balls it took to make this, and the fantastic results in the execution just makes me smile. Visually and emotionally provocative.
2. Handmaiden - I haven't truly enjoyed a Park Chan Wook film like this since Oldboy. Even with Lady Vengeance it felt like something was slipping, that he was becoming a victim of his own tropes.But damn, when he's back, he's fucking back. Visual masterpiece, tightly paced thriller, and the most erotic love scenes I've seen since Lust Caution.
4. The Nice Guys - Funniest movie I saw all year. Might well be one of Shane Black's best films yet. The dynamic between the leads were great, the girl is a really good child actor, and the script is to die for. Snappy, hilarious, packed with dark humor, and Russel Crowe punching people on screen (and not in real life) is always so fun to watch.
4. Zootopia - My favorite Disney movie in years. I wasn't expecting anything from it and it blew me away. Strong moral message, fun animal characters, creative world design, felt like a nice classic cartoon-noir story like Roger Rabbit and Grim Fandango.
5. Arrival - Denis Villenneuve is a revelation and a treasure. But the short story was better.
6. Silence - I liked the book.
7. Manchester by the Sea - A film produced by Matt Damon starring his best friend's brother as Sadman, not Batman.
8. Girls und Panzer The Movie - The Mad Max Fury Road of anime movies featuring high school girls piloting tanks for school sports.
9. Star Wars Rogue One - Very good special effects at the end. I love AT-ATs.
10. Captain America Civil War - Steve > Tony. #NoYouMove
1. Arrival
2. The Nice Guys
3. Zootopia
4. Rogue One
5. Manchester by the Sea
6. The Neon Demon
7. Deadpool
8. Star Trek Beyond
9.10 Cloverfield Lane
10. La La Land
Oh fuck I completely missed this thread. Is there any way we can get these voting threads to stay at the top of the front page in the future to get more votes in?
I normally hate movies set in this time period. I have never been a fan of the colonial america aesthetic. That said, this movie is so damn good none of that bothered me. Anya Taylor-Joy performance as Thomasin stands out as my favorite of the year.
I swear I am like one of a dozen people who actually saw this. I made the OT (my first ever) and no one gave a shit. Anyway, Don Cheadle does a fantastic job as Miles Davis and the fictional plot he made up to go through some events of Miles' life is definitely an neat approach that makes the film a lot more interesting and fast paced than your standard biopic. Ewen McGregor is also great as is the soundtrack (duh). Cheadle really is one of the most multitalented people in Hollywood.
3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
This movie is (almost) everything the first movie should have been. The cast was spot on, the dialogue was great, and the action was top notch. But those fucking turtles have got to be the most hideous and horrifying things put to film since Mars Needs Moms. It is a damn shame because they nailed the personality of the Turtles, they are just revolting to look at.
One of the best thrillers I have seen a long time. Imogen Poots is always amazing in everything and Sir Patrick Stewart does a great job as the leader of the Nazi punks.
I went to see this opening weekend because the trailers and such made it look like a neat movie and Disney has been on a real hot streak lately. That said, the plot of this movie being as real and heavy as it was really took me off guard in the best way possible. We really are in a new golden age of Disney animated films.
This movie should not be as entertaining as it is. Outside of Walt Disney Animation Studios I have never really been a fan of cartoon movies. That said something about the protagonists in this movie came across as really charming to me and I enjoyed seeing them go through the film being pissed off at the stupidity of everyone else. The movie came too late to catch the mobile game craze but it still does a good job of standing on its own a fun film in its own right.
They really knocked it out of the park with this movie. The limited budget they had was obvious in spots but they did great with what they had. It is amazing how good X-Men movies are when they Singer isn't involved. First Class, Wolverine and now this are great examples of how great (and different) superhero movies can be.
RDJ steals the show and this movie really does put a nice cap on the second Iron Man trilogy (Iron Man 3, Age of Ultron, Civil War). His character has gone through so much shit and it is really great being able to see how he has evolved and changed. That said, the Marvel movies really do all have such a sameness to them that they are starting to blur together. I really hope they start to shake things up soon because simply seeing these characters on the big screen is no longer enough in and of itself.
This movie has some really nice visuals. In a vacuum the movie is really really good but it gives me a feeling of deja vu like other Marvel movies have been recently.
1. Arrival
2. Mr. Fantastic
3. Kubo and the Two Strings
4. Zootopia
5. Deadpool
6. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
7. Sing Street
8. Hell or High Water
9. 10 Cloverfield Lane
10. Captain America: Civil War
Honorable Mentions
x. Hacksaw Ridge
x. The Jungle Book
x. Doctor Strange
x. Lights Out
x. The Little Prince
1. Manchester by the Sea
2. Kubo and the Two Strings
3. Arrival
4. Lion
5. The Witch
6. Zootopia
7. La La Land
8. Hell or High Water
9. Deadpool
10. The Neon Demon
Honorable Mentions:
The Wailing
The Nice Guys
Dr. Strange
Fantastic Beasts
Midnight Special
Rogue One
Haven't Seen (but will soon):
Moonlight
Toni Erdmann
The Handmaiden
The Edge of Seventeen
What a wonderful year for movies. And the OP reminds me how good 2015 was too. Mad Max alone... Such a great time to be a fan of cinema.
1. Zootopia - Would that we lived in a world where all family animated films were this smart. One of those films I had minimal expectations for (even the much-lauded sloth ads didn't do all that much for me), and ended up loving once I saw it. For much of the year this wasn't in my number one spot, but on reassessing things once I got to listmaking time, I felt there was no worthier occupant. Though the villain's "fear always works" mantra feels sadly more relevant than ever.
2. The Innocents - The most overlooked foreign film of the year, passed over by its own country for submission to the Academy in favour of Elle (I haven't been able to see Elle, so I'm unable to comment on its worth). This story about the legacy of World War II sexual violence in a community of Polish nuns is superbly effective, and makes for an interesting viewing experience alongside Ida from a few years ago (both films feature Agata Kulesza).
3. O.J.: Made in America - The world at large seems to have decided that this counts as a film, so, okay, let us run with that. The scope of this project is astounding, and one walks away with a very full picture of how one man was able to use America's terrible history of racial injustice to get away with murder (and was then, perhaps, punished disproportionately for a later offense, which is kind of karmically fitting).
4. Manchester by the Sea - My favourite film among this year's Best Picture nominees, though probably not the film I'm most eager to rewatch amongst them, since it's a pretty big downer (even if, toward the end, there are some signs of progress, even if the movie's perceptive central thesis is a man not quite being able to heal at the rate he needs to to fulfill obligations he's asked to shoulder). Great writing, great cast, and it manages a balance of tragedy and black comedy that takes great skill to pull off. It's a shame that Casey Affleck is an asshole in real life, otherwise I'd be really rooting for him to win Best Actor.
5. Pete's Dragon - Much like the aforementioned Zootopia, this was one of the biggest surprises of the year for me. I have no familiarity at all with the original film (and the bits of it I've seen look terrible), but the remake is a wonderful live-action family film of a kind we almost never get anymore, a film that is fine with a contemplative tone and fairly small stakes (even if there's still a dragon). It has some great child actors, and the cinematography is truly beautiful to look at. It makes me greatly anticipate what David Lowery will do next with the remake of Disney's Peter Pan (where the property's prominence will insure him a greater audience than this received).
6. Hunt for the Wilderpeople - Sort of a more naturalistic Wes Anderson film, this was just a blast from start to finish. Not much more to say about it than that.
7. The Handmaiden - A nimble, assured riff on Sarah Waters' superb novel Fingersmith that manages to be remarkably faithful (to the first 250 pages or so) even as it shifts the setting markedly. The tone is quite different, as Park swaps the novel's Gothic aesthetic for a much more darkly comic style, but it's a very engaging take on the material. The approach also reminds me of Anderson in its deep and intricately coordinated style.
8. La La Land - Not as good as Damien Chazelle's earlier Whiplash, but overall a very worthy followup film, one that manages to come very close to be a truly great original musical; as is, it is a very good one, and one that I look forward to defending as a worthy Best Picture winner for many years to come, in the face of the onslaught of detractors that films like this invariably attract when they defeat more "serious" rivals. Chazelle is one of the most promising filmmakers of his generation.
9. Hell or High Water - A modern day western with some great socio-economic commentary.
10. The Edge of Seventeen - The teen drama as a genre has withered over the years, even as teens go to the movies as much as ever, which is odd in some ways. This is one of the best we've seen in some time, featuring the first truly great use of Hailee Steinfeld's acting talents since her breakthrough in True Grit back in 2010.
1. La La Land
There's a decently strong argument to be made that LLL is largely an exercise in form over function -
couldn't the characters be properly fleshed out?; isn't their falling out a bit too easy for two supposedly toughened artists who clearly understand each other?; if it's going to be an ultimately ironic, bittersweet conclusion on both the romantic and Hollywood dreams, shouldn't it commit to it more fully?
- but what form. You can tell that the director loves music and plays, I'll say that. The film's at it's best when it gives itself over fully to song and montages (think the opening, as bold an overture as you'll see; the duet against the purple sunset; the 'Somewhere in the Crowd' montage, culminating in a quietly devastating shot of Mia walking home against the darkened cityscape, an implicit contrast with the opening number; the ending sequence,
set against the backdrops and props Seb's music conjures up
). And while I've seen a lot of criticism towards Gosling and/or Stone, I thought their performances superb - both of them do so much with facial expressions, particularly Stone, who manages to sell the dramatic showy number - see the 'I Ran' scene, her character's auditions, the argument - as well as the subtle change of gaze (see the conversation they have after (I think, might be slightly later) Seb turns down the offer to play in the band, where she's clearly viewing him in a different way, looking up at him steadily after he's turned away). Gosling gives Seb a natural comic timing, and gets across all the wistful pain of the final scene without ever overselling it. Indeed I'd go so far as to say they each take weakly written characters and turn them into, if not memorable classics, certainly convincing and credible leads.
Saw someone say it was 'pretentious' - I'd say the better criticism is that it's not pretentious enough, that it wants to affect lightness and sweetness when there's an ironic, melancholy struggling to get out underneath. Indeed, it actually does get out in the structure - we move from continual singing and dancing to only one major performance in the latter half of the film, and that's an audition ('Start a Fire' hardly counts; that scene is as much an exercise for more facial expressions from Stone as anything else) - and the colours, moving from all the bold yellows and reds to interior scenes filled with vaguely horrible soft-green light and ominous night-time outdoor scenes, no longer shot against beautful purple sunsets. There are entire essays to be written about the cross-fades, single takes, little connections of sound from one scene to the next, the connection between the very first sound we hear (Seb replaying his tape) and the very last
('one-two-three-four-go, piano)
so I'll stop here. Good news is Damien Chazelle has all the time in the world to marry his mastery of form to something punchier. I was charmed.
2. Toni Erdmann
This is either your kind of humour or it isn't, and it's very much mine. A ridiculous father tries to get her supremely uptight management consultant daughter to lighten up, effectively stalking her and inventing the most audacious of personas to elide into her world. Awkward hilarity ensues, as she's not best pleased. And yet, there's such obvious love between them. There's all kinds of subtext here too, of course - what is the developed world actually exporting to places like Romania (in that context Winni Conradi/Toni Erdmann's line "I'm not the German Ambassador to Romania" to one of Ines colleagues/connections, late in the film, is deadly -
no, we're not bringing silly humour, we're bringing efficiency and the working class unemployment that goes with it
)?; what does the modern business class actually ask of its employees?; is Ines' stoic refusal to care about sexist mistreatment desirable?; is Winni's humour not bullying and demanding in its way?; and yet, doesn't he mercilessly skewer the globalist class, and bring out some long buried genuine personality in his daughter?. Maren Ade's real success is to keep the lid on the tension for as long as possible, so that when it pops, as much by chance and happenstance as by any intention on Ines' part, it's awkward and unnerving as much as cathartic. In perhaps the single most obvious metaphor in cinema, underlining the most hilarious impromptu nude scene, Ines gets the upper hand on her colleagues, revealing their stilted, guarded personas (and yet, there's the eager Romanian girl prepared to put up with any indignity, blood-stained shirt or no shirt at all, to get ahead, and I squirmed a little in my chair). The final shot is a stroke of genius too, probably the best ending shot - even over La La Land - of any film I've seen this year -
yes, she's her father's daughter, and understands his perspective again, but she's from the modern world...
Main drawback for me is the relatively poor characterisation on offer for a dense, reflective three hour film, would also say the restrained classic-European-art-cinema aesthetic is a bit wearying after a while.
3. Hell or High Water
Modern day western with a mastery of tone and some excellent character acting, particularly from Chris Pine and Jeff Bridges. Enjoyable conceit too - the two brothers striking back at the cynical bank that robbed their family. Cinematography to die for, giving a sense of the desolate towns and wild, dying land without ever seeming to strain for it. But what elevates it for me, as well as some sharp scripting - a scene with the loose-cannon brother and a hotel receptionist, the opening scene with an old gent with old time morality, the scene between Pine and his divorced wife towards the end, the rightfully remembered scene with the elderly waitress - is the precise tonal shifts reflecting the film's shifts from hunters and hunted. When it's with Bridges and his native American lieutenant, the film's enjoying itself just as he is - this is his last dance, he knows he's a relic and damned if it's not going to be fun. But with the brothers, particularly when focused on the more reflective and intelligent of the two, there's a sense of melancholy and tragedy - the way of life that should have been theirs died before they could rise to it, and, in that sense, Toby achieves the greatest victory of all,
conscripting the bastard bank to protect his family's oil and ensure his son a secure start
. It's comfort food, but of the filling variety, a film that relies on its particular setting, characters and script for easy digestion, not its special effects budget.
4. Manchester by the Sea
Casey Affleck should surely win Best Actor for his inhabited, roughened, visibly hurting performance as the guilt-stricken and ostracized Lee Chandler. The wintry setting in Manchester-by-the-Sea has an obvious effect, but Kenneth Lonergan uses it so perfectly, pulling the camera back as the characters pull their arms close and the (slightly too insistent) strings on the OST stir. It's a film given over to all kinds of awkward, difficult conversations, about a man who 'can't beat it' (perhaps the most devastating line I've ever heard about guilt, one I know I'll never forget), in a small town where everybody knows it. It's close. And yet I wonder if Michelle Williams' exceptional turn as Randi couldn't have been given a larger role - the high point of the film is without question their chance meeting. Liked the decision to have Patrick, the son Lee takes guardianship of, be largely well adjusted and socially successful - in a sense silently underlining Lee's isolation all the more. Thought two important and lengthy scenes were serious misfires -
]the flashback, where I simply couldn't accept Lee frozen still, and the scene with Patrick's mother and new husband, which was excruciating, and not, I think, entirely intentionally
.
5. Hacksaw Ridge
A schmaltzy WWII film with perhaps the most relentless, barraging, shocking scenes of direct combat I can recall, if anything more effective because its brutality is so incongruous with the parts of the film at home - positively saccharine - and at training camp - tough and confrontational, but never dreadful, except perhaps the regulation beating. Usually war scenes are filled with dramatic, quick cuts to heighten the tension and disorientate the viewer - but here, probably, I would guess, more realistically, Gibson uses all the myriad sounds - the desperate cries, the wild yells of insane men, the artillery explosions, the endless gunfire, the ping of metal on metal, the horrid hiss of grenades, the charge of footsteps - to get across the inhuman horror of combat that men across the world marched into, unprepared (because what could prepare you?). Some lose their minds or their bodies or both, others somehow hold on to themselves and think rationally amid the terror and carnage, some demonstrate scarcely believable selflessness and bravery. These are long, gruelling, incessant scenes - saw someone argue they were boring and overlong, but I was gripped throughout.
Films that I'm 90% sure would be on my list but have yet to see because UK release dates suck: The Salesman, Handmaiden, The Red Turtle.
1. Moonlight
2. The Lobster
3. Captain America: Civil War
4. Captain Fantastic
5. Manchester by the Sea
6. Zootopia
7. Green Room
8. Fences
9. Kubo and The Two Strings
10. Sausage Party
Preliminary. I want to get Fences in before the deadline.
1. Moonlight
2. Lion
3. Arrival
4. Dr. Strange
5. Manchester by the Sea
6. Hell or High Water
7. The Lobster
8. Hacksaw Ridge
9. Rogue One
10. The Neon Demon
1. Shin Godzilla - This was by far my favorite film of 2016. Definitely not the best made one by any metric, but the one I enjoyed the most. The audacity of making a Godzilla film in this day and age without any enemy monster, focusing entirely on bureaucracy, and basically making a stealth live action Evangelion movie. The brass balls it took to make this, and the fantastic results in the execution just makes me smile. Visually and emotionally provocative.
2. Handmaiden - I haven't truly enjoyed a Park Chan Wook film like this since Oldboy. Even with Lady Vengeance it felt like something was slipping, that he was becoming a victim of his own tropes.But damn, when he's back, he's fucking back. Visual masterpiece, tightly paced thriller, and the most erotic love scenes I've seen since Lust Caution.
4. The Nice Guys - Funniest movie I saw all year. Might well be one of Shane Black's best films yet. The dynamic between the leads were great, the girl is a really good child actor, and the script is to die for. Snappy, hilarious, packed with dark humor, and Russel Crowe punching people on screen (and not in real life) is always so fun to watch.
4. Zootopia - My favorite Disney movie in years. I wasn't expecting anything from it and it blew me away. Strong moral message, fun animal characters, creative world design, felt like a nice classic cartoon-noir story like Roger Rabbit and Grim Fandango.
5. Arrival - Denis Villenneuve is a revelation and a treasure. But the short story was better.
6. Silence - I liked the book.
7. Manchester by the Sea - A film produced by Matt Damon starring his best friend's brother as Sadman, not Batman.
8. Girls und Panzer The Movie - The Mad Max Fury Road of anime movies featuring high school girls piloting tanks for school sports.
9. Star Wars Rogue One - Very good special effects at the end. I love AT-ATs.
10. Captain America Civil War - Steve > Tony. #NoYouMove
1. The Wailing
2. The Handmaiden
3. Arrival
4. American Honey
5. Blue Jay
6. Nocturnal Animals
7. Green Room
8. Always Shine
9. The Nice Guys
10. Moonlight
1) Paterson
2) Certain Women
3) Silence
4) Everybody Wants Some!!
5) Elle
6) La La Land
7) The Witch
8) Knight of Cups
9) Cameraperson
10) Toni Erdmann
11) Manchester by the Sea
12) Hail, Caesar!
13) Jackie
14) Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
15) Midnight Special
16) Chevalier
17) Arrival
18) Cemetery of Splendor
19) Love & Friendship
20) The Handmaiden
21) Sing Street
22) The Nice Guys
23) Moonlight
24) I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House
25) Louder than Bombs
What I wish I'd seen: American Honey, The Wailing, Indignation, Always Shine, Mountains May Depart, The Edge of Seventeen, Evolution, Loving, Fences, Kubo and the Two Strings, Things to Come, Christine & Kate Plays Christine
#1 Zootopia
#2 Kubo and the two strings
#3 Captain America: Civil War
#4 La La Land
#5 The Nice Guys
#6 Arrival
#7 Star Trek Beyond
#8 Fences
#9 A monster calls
#10 Doctor Strange
1. Moonlight
2. Arrival
3. Silence
4. Manchester by the Sea
5. Green Room
6. 10 Cloverfield Lane
7. Hail Caesar
8. Zootopia
9. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
10.The Nice Guys
I didn't get around to quite as many movies as I'd have liked to this year, and this list probably shows that. That said, the top three there though is pretty damn solid, and actually might be some of my favorites ever.
I plan to edit this list a bunch in the next couple of days after hopefully watching a few new movies.
1. La La Land
2. Moonlight
3. Paterson
4. Nocturnal Animals
5. The Lobster
6. Arrival
7. Manchester by the Sea
8. Hell or High Water
9. Lion
10. The Wailing
Other great films from the year:
Green Room, Hacksaw Ridge, Silence, Zootopia, Loving, Midnight Special, Right Now Wrong Then, The Handmaiden, Elle, Toni Erdmann, 10 Cloverfield Lane, The Witch, Eye in the Sky, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Captain Fantastic.
La La Land may be the cliche choice, but it's the one that moved me the most this year. Instantly memorable, and endlessly rewatchable, a rare feat for a film to accomplish with me.
1. Nocturama
2. Certain Women
3. Toni Erdmann
4. Austerlitz
5. The Neon Demon
6. Hacksaw Ridge
7. Elle
8. Silence
9. Manchester by the Sea
10. Cameraperson
1. Moonlight
2. Silence
3. The Revenant
4. Manchester By The Sea
5. Rogue One
6. The Nice Guys
7. Hacksaw Ridge
8. Deadpool
9. 10 Cloverfield Lane
10. Sully
1. Moonlight
2. Silence 3. The Revenant
4. Manchester By The Sea
5. Rogue One
6. The Nice Guys
7. Hacksaw Ridge
8. Deadpool
9. 10 Cloverfield Lane
10. Sully
1. Arrival
2. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
3. Hell or High Water
4. The Handmaiden
5. The Wailing
6. The Neon Demon
7. The Witch
8. Train to Busan
9. The Invitation
10. Kill Zone 2
A very good year for movies. Lots of good stuff across all genres. Lots of good stuff from Korea too.
Arrival overall was best film for me. Really well directed and really well put together. It was very difficult to put something else ahead of it because I just love that type of Science Fiction too much.
1. Rogue One
2. Doctor Strange
3. Hateful 8
4. The Nice Guys
5. Deadpool
6. Captain America: Civil War
7. Zootopia
8. Star Trek Beyond
9. Hail, Caesar
10. 10 Cloverfield Land
Hateful 8 wasn't released till January 2016 in Australia.Haven't seen any Oscar nominated pics yet like La La Land, Hidden Figures or Arrival.
1. Rogue One
2. Captain America Civil War
3. Doctor Strange
4. Deadpool
5. Arrival
6. The Witch
7. Star Trek Beyond
8. 10 Cloverfield Lane
9. Allied
10. Batman v Superman
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