Let's start this off with...
Life, Animated
American pop culture has a long history of not exactly treating characters on the Autism spectrum with the greatest of care, with most Autistic individuals being relegated to the role of one-note sidekick that's looked at as a source of comic relief instead of being treated like an actual human being. Life, Animated is a phenomenal reason why that's such a pity, as this documentary chronicling the life of 23-year-old Disney fan Owen Suskind shows the humanity and life in the type of human beings that many movies fail to realize even exists, let alone utilize. It's a powerful documentary with its best moments stemming from interviews from Owen's parents, recounting how they've overcome the boundaries that come with Owen's Autism over the decades. Their stories are beautiful and gut-wrenching, both words that suit Life, Animated perfectly.
The Lobster
Romance is already enough of a complex and stressful activity, you'd think it couldn't get anymore taxing. Of course, The Lobster finds a way to do just that, sticking a man played fantastically by Collin Farrell in a resort where you have a certain amount of allotted time to meet your romantic partner...or you'll be turned into an animal, one of your choosing of course. It's a bonkers premise that director Yorgos Lanthimos uses to create some excellent subdued dark comedy as well as a number of thoughtful character dynamics. It's a gorgeous looking production too, with some top-notch cinematography that a vital component of why the world of The Lobster really snaps like it does.
Being grief-stricken is a natural part of life, but that doesn't make it any less painful to experience. In Manchester By The Sea, that's just the kind of turmoil the entire story revolves around, as Casey Affleck plays a janitor whose been named the parental guardian of his nephew after his brother passes away. That's a lot of horrific events to happen to one man and it's easy to see how Manchester By The Sea could have gone haywire trying to juggle all of this pain. Instead though, the movie blossoms into something painful and beautiful, one which offers no easy answers in how to subsist amidst so much internal struggling. The performances, including one from the young Lucas Hedges that immediately cements him as a force to be reckoned with, are all around top-notch while Kenneth Lonergan's directing simply allows the camera to sit still and soak in all of the emotionally gripping actions occurring on-screen.
Midnight Special
There is no set-up for Midnight Special, no opening crawl to explain what is happening. It simply jumps head-first into its story, puts the pedal to the metal and just goes. From there, Jeff Nichols newest classic becomes a touching story of a father (played excellently by Michael Shannon) attempting to get his super-powered son to safety. It's a thrilling tale to watch unfold, especially since Jeff Nichols turns out to be a master in figuring out when to utilize science-fiction concepts for grand majesty or when he should his more heightened story to explore the intimate bond between a father-and-son. Science-fiction an be an incredibly powerful storytelling and it's evident from Midnight Special that Jeff Nichols most certainly understands that and utilizes the possibilities offered by the genre to create a motion picture that lives up to the second word in its title.
O.J.: Made In America
Is this a movie? Is this a TV show? To what medium does O.J.: Made In America belong to? I'd say movies, but in the end, who really cares when the quality here is so amazing? The elongated 400+ minute long running time of O.J.: Made In America allow director Ezra Edelman the chance to explore every facet of O.J.'s life in engrossing detail and how the acts he was accused of committing in June 1994 may not have been out of the realm of possibility given what kind of man he was even in his earliest years. Fascinating interviews from a wide range of individuals coming from wildly varying perspectives only enhance the level of scope on display in O.J.: Made In America, a feature film about the life O.J. as well as system racism found in America.
Pete's Dragon
If you saw the trailers for this and simply assumed it was a Disney-branded cash grab, trust me, you're sorely mistaken. Instead, Pete's Dragon was a rousing success that thrived simply because of how strongly it distanced itself from the tropes of many modern-day live-action family movies. Instead of overly obnoxious loud noises, pop culture references and bathroom humor being used as a substitute for an actual story, what we have here is a beautiful quiet tale of a boy adjusting to the real world and the possibility of leaving his dragon friend behind. The adult actors (like Bryce Dallas Howard and Karl Urban) excel in bringing humanity to their performances while the beautiful friendship between Pete and big green dragon Elliot is handled in a similarly successful fashion that really helps this movie soar above expectations.
There were loads of great movies this year and quite a few good comedies. But only one of them had....MR. FISH!!!! Yep, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping was another brilliant treat from the Loney Island trio, a skewering of bro-culture and pop music and the modern entertainment industry that managed that awesome feat of both being very much in the now while creating hilarious gags that will still be funny years from now. The musical groups absurdity-fueled humor from their music videos really gets a chance to shine here, especially in some brief musical numbers from its singer lead character that had me in stitches. BIG WATCH!!
Silence
Martin Scorsese's parable about faith is a gut-wrenching movie that tosses its viewers into dark waters without so much as a light to guide them. But that feels appropriate given how life does not offer guidance in how to navigate its own choppy waters, we must find our own path and the path Silence goes down is a truly remarkable one that examines the concept of faith and Christianity in a phenomenally intriguing way. Andrew Garfield manages to cement himself as one of the top young actors working today while Rodrigo Prieto excels with his cinematography that gives the movie this grand look that's simply unforgettable. Silence is not easy to watch but rarely has a film about faith felt this personal, this real and this open to exploring the concept of "a crisis of faith" in such a thought-provoking manner.
Sing Street
If there ever was a movie in 2016 guaranteed to make you smile and feel something warm in your heart, it was John Carney's Sing Street.. A touching ode to how music can impact us in our youthful years, this comedy/musical managed to provide a script that was equal parts thoughtful and funny while also creating a number of songs that used the unique trappings specific to the 1980's time period its story is set in to make some truly memorable earworms. Just try not to tap your toes to the likes of Drive It Like You Stole It. Meanwhile, Jack Reynor turned in a supporting performance that put him immediately on my radar and, honestly, the whole movies just full of sublime elements like Reynor's performance. Prepare to be charmed and have a number of catchy tunes stuck in your head.
And now, my favorite movie of 2016 is....
There really was no other choice for this part. Many phenomenal movies came out in 2016 but Moonlight might just tower over them all. The story here revolves around the life of Chiron, told through three different engrossing segments. We see him grow up and try to find his place in a world that seems to refuse him as is and the anger and sorrow that forms around his societal displacement. Moonlight dares to look at how society treats masculinity and those who differ from the norm in a brave way that offers no easy resolutions but plenty of humanity for the individuals that are tormented every day. Barry Jenkins direction is flawless, the score is beautiful and the roster of actors assembled here all lend their heart and soul to the production in a way that makes it hard to imagine Moonlight without them. There are not many movies quite like Moonlight, both in terms of the story it tells and the high quality it presents. Watch this motion picture and be reminded of the power cinema can carry when we have master storytellers ready to use it to its fullest advantage.
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