2016: My Year in Film

Many of us were more than happy to see 2016 disappear into the ether. It was quite a depressing year with Trump, the Brexit, Aleppo and major celebrity deaths dominating the headlines. If you tried to escape to the movies you may have felt that the glut of sequels, prequels, remakes, reboots or whatever new buzzword studios are trying to coin was oppressive. However, not all was terrible and while the blockbuster scene may have been as stale as its ever been with only a few real gems (Captain America: Civil War, Pete's Dragon, Zootopia) to be found, the indie scene boomed in a profoundly striking way.

A tiny movie about a gay, black man navigating through the mean streets of Miami netted 8 Oscars. A talking goat became an icon in the horror community. Patrick Stewart traded in his Starfleet uniform/Prof. X wheelchair to became a terrifying Neo-Nazi. Daniel Radcliffe's farting corpse saved Paul Dano's life. And Colin Farrell did his best to avoid being turned into a lobster.

And that was just from the magnetic upstart A24.

A24 has quietly and quickly become my favorite film studio and as you'll see in my top ten, it's featured heavily. It's not just them though, there are a ton of other up and comers on the indie scene as well as the foreign market. If you're getting tired of superheroes trading punches or Vin Diesel reviving his dead franchises or sequels nobody asked for, then I'd suggest doing your best to seek out smaller films that might be playing in your multiplex. I completely understand the lack of interesting, small films in smaller markets. Not everybody can live in New York or LA. But with the rise of streaming services like Amazon, Hulu and Netflix, it's becoming more and more accessible to find any film you'd like. My point can basically be summed up to this: Don't lose hope in film and its ability to be relevant, original and inspiring. As you'll see in my Top 11 of this year (I couldn't call number 11 an honorable mention. It was too damn good to be left out) there's plenty to be excited about.

TOP 11 FILMS OF 2016

11

Paul Verhoeven is one of the most biting satirists in film. From Starship Troopers to Robocop, his films are always taking on hot button topics, and never subtly. Which is why sometimes people miss the point completely because he's so on the nose that it can be taken as blustery sincerity. Which is why it's easy to view Elle as problematic and in some ways that's understandable. In short it's about a woman who's raped. Twice.  What makes this stand out from a typical rape-revenge thriller is Isabelle Huppert's Michele. Both Huppert's performance and the way she's written are extremely atypical from what we normally see in this kind of film. She dusts herself off, goes to her job (where she's the CEO of a video game company) and generally tries to move on. She doesn't press charges and when she does tell her friends about it, it's so blunt and honest. While the film is written by a man, based on a novel which was also written by a man and directed by a man it would be so easy to write this off as missing the mark and honestly, if one were to do that I wouldn't blame them at all. It's such a ridiculous film on a lot of levels. The drama is amped up to 11 and the "who's fucking who" narrative flourishes rival the most lavish of soap operas which means the film veers dangerously into camp at times. However, Verhoeven's masterful direction and Huppert's stunning performance keep this from falling on the wrong side of the aisle. It's a hard film to write honestly about because I identify so strongly as a progressive. There were many moments that had me picking my head up off of the floor. I make a strong point to separate art from real life though because I realize a filmmaker is under no obligation to cater to my morals. That's why for my first ever "Best of" list, I'm making an exception and adding an eleventh film because Verhoeven's film exemplifies the best of button pushing cinema. It's lurid, tense, blackly comic thriller that never quite falls into one category. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

10

During and post-election, many pundits spoke heavily about the "White Working Class" that Hillary Clinton seemingly ignored while Donald Trump catered to. I don't particularly like that excuse nor do I agree with it but if there was a film that summed that feeling up last year it was David MacKenzie's Hell or High Water.  That doesn't mean that this film picks a side (though based on the characters and their setting it's hard to see any of them voting for Clinton but that's just a projection on my end) but instead bottles up a sweaty, dirty anger that's been permeating throughout middle America for decades. The housing bubble burst leaving millions in poverty and without a hope. Sweeping shots show the devastation across America as houses are falling apart with people still in them or just abandoned altogether. What makes this film stand out is that instead of blaming fellow poor minorities or making a concerted political stance, the film instead takes aim at the big banks. Two brothers (Chris Pine and Ben Foster) have had enough of the banks monstrously eating away at their lives so they take a stand and begin to rob a chain of banks across West Texas with the intention of paying their deceased mother's predatory mortgage off at the very same banks they're robbing. Hot on their tail is state trooper Jeff Bridges in the stereotypical "One last ride before retirement" role. This movie at its basic core is a typical Neo-Western and at first glance shouldn't stand out. The fact that it does (so much so that it's garnered a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars) means most of the credit has to go to MacKenzie's fast moving direction and the three leads giving some of best performances of the year. A strong score by the ever reliable Nick Cave and Warren Ellis doesn't hurt either. I didn't expect a whole lot going in but I was immediately glued to the screen because it's such a relatable film. The "fuck you" attitude toward the banks coupled with a maniacally unhinged Ben Foster makes this a must-see film. Foster is 100% the standout here despite the accolades and nominations being dropped onto Jeff Bridges. Bridges is great; there's no doubt about that (and Christ Pine is the reliable glue that holds the entire film together) but Foster is on a different level here. Playing something of a Southern Fried Joker he relishes in the violence but cares so deeply for his little brother that his performance is never one note. It's grade A acting and pushes the film into my top ten with relative ease. 

9

"Nazi Punks, FUCK OFF!!" the Ain't Rights shriek as they shred in front of a room full of Neo-Nazis without a second of hesitation. The carnage they go through for the next 90ish minutes is almost self inflicted but their fearlessness in the beginning of the film is awe inspiring. The film itself isn't perfect and after a second sit it fell in my top ten but it's still good enough (and relevant) enough to make this another film demanding to be seen. Jeremy Saulnier is something of an indie darling right now and his previous film Blue Ruin falls into the same grim and violent world that this does. In short,  Green Room is about an obscure punk band trying to make it on the road. They get fucked on a show but the promoter feels for them and sets them up at the bar where his cousin works the door. He warns them that it's filled with "Boots and Braces" but assures them that if they stick to their set they'll be fine. Aside from the aforementioned "Nazi Punks' the show ends up going relatively well until they witness a murder in the bar's green room. That's when hell breaks loose. Like the two films above it, it could have been forgettable fare but again it's the performances that had me on the edge of my seat. Anton Yelchin's death last year was a horrifically sad accident that took not only a seemingly great person but a relentlessly natural performer. That's never been more evident than in this film. When he's attacked by the Nazis and suffers a pretty gruesome injury, he doesn't just move on. He doesn't say something badass and fight back. He cries, screams and falls to the floor the way any of us would in this situation. Imogen Poots, a dead-eyed nazi-girl who's become disillusioned with her shitty lifestyle is great here too. With her best friend murdered right in front of her she's processing a wave of emotions that most of us couldn't begin to comprehend. She settles into a robotic state of despair as she and the band are hunted but she plays it perfectly. Behind her dead eyes is a world of pain and suffering. Patrick Stewart plays a great villain here as well. He's criminally underused because the draw of this film is essentially "Captain Picard as a Skinhead" but when he's on the screen he's terrifying. At first glance he's the genial old man that owns the music space. But he's filmed like the shark in Jaws, a shadowy figure with piercing eyes and a stilted, gruff voice. This is a bloody, violent and cathartic film as the hunted become the hunters. While some of the fight choreography is incredibly sloppy and it can feel a little slow at times, Saulnier is able to pull so much humanity from his lead actors that you can look past the amateurish quality. If you can stomach some nasty gore give this one a watch. Especially if you want to see some Nazi punks get their asses kicked.

 8

My second offering from A24 in a row is one of the most desolate and bleak films you'll see all year but it's also oddly romantic and darkly funny. Yorgos Lanthimos is one of the most interesting directors working in all of film and this might be his most bizarre film yet. Colin Farrell plays David, a newly divorced man who checks into a hotel for singles. There he's required to meet a partner or risk being turned into an animal of his choosing (the titular Lobster). Everyday the hotel guests hunt "Loners" living in the woods. There they shoot them with tranquilizers and for every loner they shoot they extend their stay by a day. No masturbation is allowed and you MUST socialize. You might think Lanthimos is making a biting observation about the stigma the world puts on us for being single and you'd be right. However, when David finds himself among the loners in the film's second half, the film begins to satirize single people's cynical view of others in relationships. It's a two-headed film that comments brilliantly on society's perceptions on loneliness, romance and the idea that we have to fit into a certain box in order to be accepted into various groups in society. You're pitied if you sit alone at a restaurant by some and you're bitterly sneered at by others if you're holding hands with your partner in public. Lanthimos' take down of each side is extremely refreshing in a not-so-subtle way. You're going to leave the theater depressed no matter what side of the debate you're on though and that's how this one gets you. Life is bleak so why not just say "fuck it" and do what you want with whomever you want (consensually of course)? Colin Farrell is incredible here and gives probably the performance of his career. He's just a a rundown schlub but is so endearing and earnest. He's always been one of my favorite actors and it makes me so happy to see him in interesting and unique films like this because he has an odd habit of starring in a lot of garbage. It's a damn shame he isn't nominated for an Oscar this year because it's a damn good performance. John C. Reilly, Rachel Weisz, Lea Seydoux and Olivia Coleman round out an excellent cast of characters although Weisz is the standout. Another favorite of mine, she's just so wonderfully charming despite being kind of nuts in this. I can't say enough about this one except for one caveat, don't watch it two days in a row like I did. Not only does it emphasize how much the middle drags but it also depressed the fuck out of me. So be warned!

7

For about 3/4 of the year, David Eggers' masterpiece was at the very top of my list. I saw it in February the weekend it came out after hearing a ton of hype about it from various festivals. The fact that it's at number seven now means more about the films above it than the it does The Witch because I stand by my statement that this film is a masterpiece. From start to finish your skin is crawling with tension because less than ten minutes in you see a goddamn witch greasing her broom handle with the blood of an infant. And that's not a spoiler because that's what kicks the film off. This isn't one of those "maybe it's there maybe it isn't" films. There's a witch in this film and the only people who aren't sure are the family that's being terrorized. Sometimes it's nice to be in on it with the film but watching a family rip itself apart the way this one does is so unsettling. It's been awhile since I sat in a theater and gripped my seat the entire time. Not so much because the film is throwing scare after scare in my face but because of how expertly Eggers pulls off a slow burning tension. And once the film ignites, it does so in such a powerful way that you're left gasping for air. Long, eerie takes of rabbits, Olde English being chanted into the night and goat named Black Phillip who may or may not be the devil, The Witch is an unsettling exercise in terror.  At the center of it all is Anya-Taylor Joy as Thomasin. Taylor-Joy, who's had a dynamite year and a half with roles in this, Morgan, Barry and Split, steals the film as a wide-eyed and frightened, yet headstrong eldest daughter of the family. As her family falls apart, she tries to keep them and herself together and when they begin to turn on each other she's excellent in survival mode. Taylor-Joy had only been an extra prior to this so by all intents and purposes, this is her debut and holy hell what a debut it is. See this for the unflinching tension and terror that you'll be put through, especially if you're a horror fan like me, but above all see this for Taylor-Joy's award worthy performance. You'll be seeing a lot more of her in years to come, I guarantee it, so you'll want to see where it all started for her. 

6

I left Jackie feeling many emotions and with many questions. The main one being "Did I like this film?" Pablo Larrain's portrait of a week in the life of the former First Lady is a bizarrely camp, over-the-top film that feels like something out of a dream (sometimes nightmare) and never plays like a typical biopic. As it sat with me for over a month, it started to sink in how brilliant Larrain's film really is. This is as heart wrenching as it gets with filmmaking that doesn't get any better. Natalie Portman gives the performance of a lifetime as Jackie in the moments before, during and after her husband is assassinated in Dallas.  Framing the film is an interview with a reporter (Billy Crudup) wherein Jackie brilliantly writes her legacy as one of the most influential, powerful and bizarre women to ever sit atop the throne in America. Featuring a piercing, string-heavy score by Mica Levi, the film is a disjointed journey through the mind of a woman who is not only grieving the monumental loss of her husband but wrestling desperately with what her (and his) legacy will be. There's a profound sense of loss hanging over this film and I think why it resonated so well with me is the fact that it saw it as the reality of Trump's America came into focus. Legacy, loss and fear are three words that our country wrestled with as Obama transitioned into Trump and the haze that many of us felt is the same haze that Jackie wades through in the days after her husband is gunned down. I'm sure that Larrain didn't mean for his film to feel so prescient but art takes on a life of its own after it leaves the artist's hands. I was moved to tears a few times during the film but in the weeks that followed, the image of Portman as Jackie in that iconic bloodstained pink outfit as Lyndon Johnson is sworn in cemented itself into my mind. I couldn't shake the rawness of her performance against one of the most surreal films I've seen in quite some time. Many have condemned the film as being grief porn and gleefully wrapping itself up in the grandeur and illusion of JFK but I just don't see that. I see an iconic woman setting her own legacy straight, for better or worse, in the thick miasma of death and doing so with the grace and poise that the country (unfairly) demanded of her. I fell in love with this one as it sat with me and can still fully understand why others hate it. For me though? It's a masterpiece. 

5

In what should have been a typical coming-of-age teen comedy, The Edge of Seventeen ends up being one of the most refreshingly raw, honest and funny films of 2016. Kelly Fremon-Craig makes her directorial debut and is already an assured hand that I'm going to keep an eye for years to come. We've seen this story a million and half times before. The odd, quirky teen (here a girl but usually a boy) is struggling with puberty, boys, feeling inferior to her older brother and just being an outcast in general. I can feel many of you rolling your eyes and I would too if I hadn't seen it. And many people didn't see it, causing it to flop hard at the box office which is a damn shame. Fremon-Craig doesn't mess around with cliches or tropes and instead just takes us into the world of Nadine in a brutally honest way. Nadine is a callous, angry kid and resents just about everyone. Hailee Steinfeld, already an Oscar nominee at a young age, gives another award worthy performance. She's so unflinchingly real as Nadine because you can see past her anger and unearned cynicism to a heart that's yearning for love. She feels ignored by her narcissistic mom and wants desperately to be as well-liked as her jock brother. She navigates school with razor sharp wit that she masks a deep-seated anxiety and depression with and Steinfeld is incredible every step of the way. When she smiles you smile but more importantly, when she delivers a heart wrenching monologue toward the end of the film it wrecks you because she says exactly what so many of us have felt but can't put into words. I haven't seen a teen comedy this honest and funny in quite sometime and it is funny. The dialogue here puts films like Juno to shame. Woody Harrelson pops up as a teacher/mentor to Nadine but in another refreshing twist, he's just an asshole. Of course we'll eventually get our moment where he saves her from something, this is that kind of film after all, but he never really tries to inspire her. He's just as cynical as she is and the film gives him every opportunity to say something meaningful. Instead he doesn't and that makes a world of difference. He knows Nadine won't fall for that shit so instead he stays on her level. It's a wonderfully fun film that never panders. I hope it gains an audience on home video or streaming because it deserves every bit of your attention.

4

There aren't many directors as polarizing as Nicolas Winding Refn and for good reason. After breaking out with 2011's fan favorite Drive, Refn has gone in an even more bizarrely pretentious direction. And I've loved every bit of it. The problem with most people's reaction to him is that a lot of them had only seen Drive and nothing else he's done. So when he followed that up with the sparsely surreal Only God Forgives people left the theater asking "What the fuck was that?" and again that's the case with his latest The Neon Demon. That isn't to say that I don't sympathize with them. Where Drive is his most accessible film, most of his films aren't. And his latest is hands down his least accessible but for NWR fans like me? It's Nirvana. The tale of Elle Fanning's Jesse as she descends into (and then ascends) LA's fashion world is a garish, pretentious nightmare. NWR doesn't hold back in both visual and storytelling flourishes as he paints his film with the broadest strokes possible. But in doing so he captures just how vapid, sexist and insipid the fashion world can be. In pitting Jesse against a triage of women (Jena Malone, Bella Heathcote and a delightfully monstrous Abbey Lee) he makes a not so subtle observation of the fashion world and how it forces women to eat each other to get to the top. Drawing heavily on 60s and 70s Italian Giallo films, especially Dario Argento's Suspiria the film is a bloody fairy tale that you can't look away from. Cliff Martinez' pulsing score and Natasha Braier's (a rare film where the female body is gratuitously shot by a woman) gorgeous cinematography help this to transcend above most films this year. Trust me when I say you'll never see anything like it. Every shot could be a framed work of art in your home and while it kind of hits you over the head with the point it's making, it's still a brilliant film that both horrifies and amuses. Elle Fanning is perfect for the lead role, with her wide eyes filling the screen as she floats the stairs to superstardom, completely oblivious to the monsters that await her. A key highlight is a sleazy Keanu Reeves who pops up in the middle of the film in his most disturbing role. If you're used to either strong, stoic Keanu or surfer, valley Keanu, prepare to be shocked.

3

A24 broke into the Oscar scene last year with Room netting big nominations in Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Director. A year later they've kicked in the door of the Oscars with Barry Jenkins' Moonlight grabbing a staggering eight nominations. And it couldn't be more deserved. The story of Chiron, told over three parts, is one that needs to be told in an ever diversifying America. We rarely see gay or black men as a lead character. The fact that Chiron is both is even rarer. That's not what makes this film as special as it is though. It's the performances at the center of it, by all three actors (Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders and Trevante Rhodes). They each masterfully portray a silent, yet suffocating desire to find themselves. They also each bring a unique quality that helps form Chiron into the man we see by the end. Hibbert gives him a quizzical soul, always wanting to learn more. Sanders brings the rage, a pent up and angry Chiron ready to fight back. And Rhodes gives him the heart underneath his overplayed, masculine persona. Like the Edge of Seventeen, it's another coming of age story but this one is a beautifully minimalist one that lets every supporting character help mold Chiron into the man he'll become. Featuring some powerful performances from actors like Mahershala Ali, Janelle Monae, Andre Holland and Naomie Harris, every character in this piece feels completely natural. And while some go big, like Harris, it's the quiet moments that make it sing. A wordless glance between two men says more than any page of dialogue ever could and Jenkins' ability to capture that is stunning. One thing that I really appreciated about this film above almost anything else was Trevante Rhodes portrayal of Chiron in act three. We never see gay, black men (or gay men in general) portrayed the way he is here. He's a strong, muscular drug dealer complete with a grill and bandana. It's quite a contrast to what the media has drilled into our heads what a gay person looks like. It's so nice to see a film finally break that mold because gay people are just people. They don't need to look a certain way or fit a certain stereotype. This is a masterwork in storytelling and acting. We've all spent our whole lives with the crushing desire of wanting to know who we are. Anyone can relate to this one. It's a shame that I've seen people balk at seeing it because of the subject matter. Normalizing the LGBTQ community starts with how we see them and Chiron is just like you or me.

2

Whether you've seen it or not, you've all heard of the "farting corpse movie." Despite that description being 100% accurate, there's so much more to Daniels' (Schienert/Kwan) directorial debut than anyone could have guessed. Paul Dano is Hank, a man stranded on a island about to commit suicide. As he's about to step off the ledge and hang himself, he sees a body float ashore. That body is Manny (Daniel Radcliffe). He hurriedly rushes over to see who or what this is and is met with a long, wet fart. From there Hank rides Manny's farting corpse, uses him as a machine gun, drinks from his mouth and generally uses for him anything he needs, hence the title. It all sounds so stupid when you type it out but as Manny wakes up and becomes alive again, so does Hank. As Hank teaches Manny what it was to be human, he himself rediscovers his humanity. In doing so he begins to understand just how precious the human body is with every fart, belch and erection that entails. Hiding beneath the absurdist humor, the Daniels hide a hugely inspiring tale of acceptance, be it of others or self, love, friendship and survival. They use Manny's corpse to show us just how beautiful we are and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of you. The fact that you're alive with everything conspiring against you every day to kill you, is a miracle. Swiss Army Man is a journey of self and as Hank discovers what exactly he missed all of these years as he wallowed in self pity, we begin to do the same. We all see ourselves in the worst possible light when we look in the mirror. We hate so much about ourselves. Almost nobody has a positive body image. The Daniels break down every taboo and ask "What's wrong with just letting loose? Why are we iso repressed? Did you just fart? Awesome!" It's a beautifully freeing experience watching this film and I implore everyone to try and see past the silly conceit because if you can there's almost no way you don't come away feeling better about yourself and life. I could go on and on about the message of the film but I'd like to highlight the music. Done by Andy Hull and Robert McDowell, the film's score is soaring and is combined with the acapella vocal stylings of Dano and Radcliffe. It's one of the most unique things you'll ever see or hear on film. Oh. And the fact that Radcliffe wasn't nominated for any awards is an absolute crime. The physical work he puts into this performance is incredible. 

And now before I get to number one, here are some runner ups that didn't quite make the list:

And now my favorite film of 2016:

1

Park Chan-Wook is easily in my top five filmmakers of all-time so when he puts out a new film, it's basically an event for me. I had a feeling that I'd love this film going in but I didn't realize just how much I'd instantly fall for it. Tae-Ri Kim stars as Sook-Hee, a petty thief posing as a handmaiden for the extremely wealthy Lady Hideko (Min-Hee Kim) with the intent of convincing her to marry a fake Count, Fujiwara (Jung-woo Ha). Fujiwara and Sook-Hee plan to throw Lady Hideko in an insane asylum once the marriage is finalized and take her for everything she has. A funny thing happens once Sook-Hee lays eyes on Lady Hideko for the first time though and to say anything else would be to spoil the best film of the year. Park Chan-Wook, working from a script by Seo-kyeong Jeong (based on the novel The Fingersmith by Sarah Waters) effortlessly weaves twists and turns throughout the narrative and nothing ever feels like it comes out of nowhere. Once you think you see where the film is going, it veers in a completely different direction and knocks you off of your feet. Chan-Wook crafts an incredible tale of love, lust, betrayal and seduction and does so with two of the strongest female characters I've seen on film. This is hands down the most woman-strong film of the year because it isn't afraid to shy away from the seduction of one woman by another. The sex scenes are powerfully erotic, no surprise for Chan-Wook but they never feel like they're for a man. This is a a tale of love above all and the lust is second nature. Every frame of The Handmaiden drips with Korean and Japanese history as you wade through Victorian mansions and lush forests, it's the most gorgeous and accomplished film Chan-Wook has done yet. Oldboy is undeniably his masterpiece but this comes damn close to dethroning it. I was in love with this film from frame one. Erotic tension, pulse-pounding treachery, horrific perversion and even a hint of disgusting tentacle porn, Park Chan-Wook manages to sneak just about everything into this one. The Handmaiden stands above all as the best film of 2016.