DISCLAIMER #1: The
movies on this list are composed of movies I’ve seen this year (on my
shoestring budget). Therefore, it’s omitting some notable entries from
Oscar-bait types and silly comedy/mindless action types. There are also a few I
didn’t get a chance to formally review that made it onto the list. Get over it.
DISCLAIMER #2: The
ranking system I’ve used is an attempt to balance artistic/filmmaking merit
with, frankly, what I like. My selections are, therefore, openly opinion-based,
so you might find some things higher or lower on the list than what you agree
with. Just know that I tried to temper my favorites with some appreciation for
craftsmanship.
12. THE
NICE GUYS
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| photo courtesy of nytimes.com |
This movie isn’t a great
movie by a long shot, but it is a fun throwback to a bygone era. It packs quite
a nostalgia punch, with fun colors, wacky styles, and lavish poolside parties.
It’s a fairly straightforward buddy cop/conspiracy plotline, but there are
enough exciting twists on the formula to make this one a good time.
The Nice Guys’ greatest strength is the combination of its two stars, Russell
Crowe and Ryan Gosling, who have a surprising amount of chemistry. They work
remarkably well as comedic actors, even if the action beats are relatively
lackluster. With their help, the film manages to be a quirky breath of fresh
air.
11. FINDING
DORY
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| photo courtesy of youtube.com |
Finding Dory is another solid entry from the people at Pixar. As with any
top-notch Pixar production, it has excellent animation, a solid voice cast, and
a thoughtful story. In this case, Dory tells
a touching story about loss, remembrance, and living with disabilities. It may
retread some of the ideas from Finding
Nemo, but there are enough new ingredients to spice things up.
It’s a little
disappointing that Pixar is on its recent sequel kick, after having refrained
for so long. Yes, Dory was a solid
production, but it seems unnecessary. It also bows under the weight of some
serious plot conveniences (Dory’s on-and-off remembering) and takes a step
towards cheesiness from Nemo’s
good-hearted humor.
10. 10
CLOVERFIELD LANE
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| photo courtesy of collider.com |
10 Cloverfield Lane is quite a pleasant surprise. It’s a modest
effort, for sure, and doesn’t quite match many of the others on this list in
terms of story-telling prowess or high-budget thrills. It’s small scale,
however, is really its greatest strength, because it allows the storytellers to
keep the narrative tight, focused, and smart. The story is always keeping the
audience guessing (right down to the end), and its unwillingness to be easily
put in a box makes it an intriguing watch.
Other strengths are the performance
of its lead, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and its strong cinematography. It commits
to a look that’s fairly familiar to anyone who’s seen much of J.J. Abram’s
work: dark, with warm, colorful glows. John Goodman also delivers an absolutely
chilling and surprising turn as the mysterious, unhinged Howard.
9. MOANA
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| photo courtesy of cinemast.net |
Disney Animation’s second
2016 offering was another solid hit for the studio. It combines gorgeous,
vibrant animation with an original story about the value of family and
heritage. The animation is truly some of Disney’s greatest to date, detailing
ocean and island landscapes with an eye-popping touch. The narrative, which
centers around Moana returning her people to their roots as she quests to save
the ocean, is interesting (if somewhat predictable).
There’s not much wrong
with Moana, but while it comes close
to the heart-wringing greatness of Frozen,
it doesn’t quite match it. There’s not quite the same triumphal crescendo that
makes that film distinctive. Nevertheless, Moana
earns its place alongside the rest of the Disney classics (and the
princess-stereotype-subversion stories that have characterized Disney’s
renaissance).
8. THE
JUNGLE BOOK
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| photo courtesy of npr.org |
The Jungle Book is a real treasure; it’s certainly one of the
best of Disney’s live-action classic remakes. The standout feature is its
landmark CGI, which is used to create nearly photorealistic animals of all
kinds—which is important, since most of its characters are animals.
It features a
straightforward but engaging story, powered by Mowgli (Neel Sethi) and Shere
Khan (Idris Elba). Ultimately, Jungle
Book takes the pieces of its source material and makes something new and
wonderful from them. With a heartwarming narrative and exceptional,
groundbreaking use of technology, it stands out from the crowd.
7. DEADPOOL
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| photo courtesy of wired.com |
After a long road to the
big screen, the irreverent Merc with a Mouth finally made his debut this year.
The result? A fun, bad-mannered sendup of the superhero movie industry itself. It’s
everything Deadpool, and in the era of superhero mania, its devil-may-care attitude
(made all the better by the presence of a couple super-serious X-Men) was a
much needed shock to the system. Deadpool
also happens to be uproariously hilarious, as long as you don’t mind its
extremely crass brand of humor. Seriously, it’s one of the funniest movies I’ve
seen…ever.
Now, upon closer
examination, the humor is actually fairly rote, relying upon shock-value to
land many of the punchlines, so it doesn’t quite deserve all the comedy buzz.
And while it does critique the superhero movie industry, it actually ends up
relying fairly closely on the superhero origin formula (including many of the
common tropes) so its critique ends up falling a little flat.
6. CAPTAIN
AMERICA: CIVIL WAR
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| photo courtesy of marvelcinematicuniverse.wikia.com |
It’s kind of an all-you-can-eat
superhero buffet. Marvel upped the ante and delivered on nearly every
opportunity in this jam-packed action flick. It includes nearly every Marvel
hero that’s been on screen to date (plus a few more) and throws them against
each other in an epic battle. It’s enough to compensate for the fact that the
political underpinnings are kind of ludicrous.
What really sets this
entry in the burgeoning Marvel universe apart is its inspired third act, which
gets rid of all the flashy, political things and focuses the scale down to a
remarkably intimate level. It pits Iron Man against Captain America in a
primal, heartbreaking clash. With that conflict at the core, Civil War ranks as one of the year’s
most exciting films.
5. ARRIVAL
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| photo courtesy of rogerebert.com |
It isn’t a surprise that
a film from Denis Villeneuve is a remarkable achievement. Arrival tells a poignant story about love and loss. There are some
impressive sci fi set pieces, but the real strength is Amy Adams’ lead
performance as Louise Banks. Her story is complex, intriguing, and gut-wrenching.
The main mark of
storytelling skill is Arrival’s
ability to be patient in disclosing its narrative. It develops slowly, allowing
the audience a deeper connection with its characters, and then builds to a
resounding emotional climax that imparts truths about what it means to love and
lose. An overall thoroughly interesting and moving film.
4. ROGUE
ONE: A STAR WARS STORY
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| photo courtesy of io9.gizmodo.com |
Rogue One was a triumph for the Star Wars brand and quite possibly the best
Star Wars film since 1983. The film takes a well-earned break from the big-leagues
and focuses on characters on the sidelines, which allows it to build solid
emotional stakes. It doesn’t hurt that the special effects are some of the finest
seen on film.
Rogue One doesn’t simply explore a new corner of the Star Wars universe (any Star
Wars film should do that to some extent)—but goes further by genuinely enriching
the franchise as a whole. It sheds new light on several prominent features of
the original adventures that fans have come to know and love, and that deserves
a tip of the hat.
It also features a
kick-ass Darth Vader scene that literally made my heart beat faster. Seriously
awesome.
3. JACKIE
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| photo courtesy of variety.com |
Jackie is
a stirring, close-quarters portrait of one of history’s most well-known figures.
There have been plenty of foreboding historical dramas and even several film
adaptations of JFK’s assassination. What makes Jackie so interesting is that it intentionally turns aside from the
action at the center of everything—the actual assassination—and instead faces
boldly ahead into its fallout. It’s relentlessly focused on Jackie’s
experience, and the result is a thoroughly engrossing, three-dimensional portrait.
Natalie Portman, in one
of her best performances to date, is the movie’s driving force. With her help,
Jackie is brought to life as a proud, calculating widow at the lowest point of
her life. The movie explores not only her loss, but the dark parts of her soul
that come up for air because of it.
2. KUBO
AND THE TWO STRINGS
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| photo courtesy of screenrant.com |
Kubo and the Two Strings is so high on this list for several reasons, but
perhaps the biggest reason is its sheer creativity. Kubo is a vibrant burst of imagination, drawing from pieces of
eastern mysticism combined with some (frankly) bizarre original narrative elements.
Visually speaking, it’s stunning—balancing pale pastel sunrises with cold
moonlit nights.
Kubo is
frequently surprising. Even though the story follows a pre-determined layout (a
basic quest narrative), it throws in new ingredients that are alternatively
heartwarming, genuinely exciting, or downright chilling. Despite its
kid-friendly packaging, it’s a story with profound relevance to adults, as
well. It’s a story that exudes child-like joy but holds bitter sorrow close. When
the story comes to its close, Kubo
arrives at a fitting conclusion that’s simply beautiful, providing revelations
about family and legacy—and also about identity, suffering, and the will to
live. A poignant and captivating piece.
1. LA
LA LAND
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| photo courtesy of etonline.com |
La La Land isn’t a totally perfect film, but it comes damn close. There are so
many things to like about La La Land:
the bright colors, the immersive music, the unapologetic joyful spirit. The narrative
is simple and charming, bringing Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling together for an
old-fashioned love story. It provides the foundation for not only incredible
sets and costumes, but also an exploration of that age-old need to dream.
Why is it #1 on this
list? It’s been a long time since I’ve been to see a movie that is 1) so joyful
while retaining a sense of realism, and 2) genuinely transporting. La La Land sweeps its audience off their
feet and takes them into a vivid dream. No other film this year had the same
ability to transcend its component parts and build a wonderful fantasy world—and
a Star Wars film came out this year.
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