With the 89th Academy Awards just under a month away, it’s time to reflect on this past year at the movies. Most years, the general public is restricted in their ability to see all of the nominees due to limited releases for many notable films; this year was no exception. With that in mind, here is a list of my top five favorite films from 2016 that were granted major releases.
1. Manchester by the Sea
It seems that all of the buzz surrounding Manchester by the Sea sounds like this: “man, that is one depressing movie!”. Critic Richard Roeper responded to this common reaction best when he said that just because a movie may be depressing doesn’t mean that “it can’t be very inspiring and exhilarating and uplifting to experience such great work”. Like Richard Roeper, I feel that this masterpiece by writer-director Kenneth Lonergan ranks among the best works of the year and, in fact, is my pick for best film of the year. But it’s not just the captivating and moving writing and the flawless sense of time and place that make it so powerful. What also makes it so profound are the masterful performances from Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges, Kyle Chandler, and Michelle Williams. Affleck gives the best performance of his career as an uncle who, after his brother’s passing, is faced with the responsibility of becoming the legal guardian of his nephew. Yet, there’s so much more to it. To me, Affleck’s performance is more deserved of the Best Actor award than any other nominee this year; it is one that I find myself constantly revisiting, in fascination, admiration, and horror, in my mind.
2. La La Land
La La Land is one of the most honest romance films in recent years. It follows the trying journeys of two aspiring artists―a young woman played by Emma Stone who’s trying to make it as a movie actress but can’t seem to land any work, and a young man played by Ryan Gosling who wants to open his own jazz club but can’t seem to find the right opportunity. Set and filmed in Hollywood, this movie sets up the competitive struggles for these two characters beautifully and allows us to empathize with their professional tracks the whole way. The two finally hit it off after a number of chance meetings and find themselves in a relationship that, at first, truly blossoms. It’s once this relationship begins that we realize that this is the movie that Gosling and Stone were meant to make together. Their chemistry makes the film an organic and unforgettable account of the lives of two talented lovers. It’s costume design, elaborate choreography by Mandy Moore, innovative direction by Damien Chazelle, and musicality add to the sophisticated style of the picture and, in addition to the genius writing and performances, make it one of the frontrunners for this year’s Best Picture award.
3. Fences
Fences succeeds on a number of levels, but the first and most obvious is with its performances. What we get from Fences is an unforgettable, spit-fire performance from Denzel Washington that may very well rank among his finest performances of all time. As phenomenal as he is, Washington finds his equal here in Viola Davis, who won a Golden Globe for her convicting performance. Set in 1950’s Pittsburgh, Davis plays the wife of an ex-athlete (Washington) who couldn’t find his way in the world of professional baseball because of a racist, rigid society. Their son, a talented high school football player, seeks to pursue sports at the next level but is held back by his father’s control despite that he tries to convince him that it’s a new world out there. Washington directs this brilliant, Nobel Prize winning play by August Wilson with deliberation and admiration for its source material. Bringing this to the silver screen 11 years after the death of its writer was a major achievement and passion project for the talented filmmaker and it clearly shows. As for the play itself, it is chalk full of insightful, thought-provoking observations about the persistence of belief, the influence of a father, religion, and even good versus bad. Fences may be long and talkative―with only three or so settings―but it is one of the finest character studies this year.
4. Silence
When it comes to passion projects, it’s fair to say that after 28 years of trying to get Silence made, Martin Scorsese has realized his vision and added another deeply insightful and historically rich film to his already momentous repertoire―his devotion to this venture makes it all that much more meaningful. Silence follows two Jesuit priests (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) who travel to 17th century Japan in search of their mentor (Liam Neeson) who, rumor has it, has renounced his devotion to Christianity to save his life. Shortly after their arrival, the two priests realize the danger that being Christian presents and subsequently question what is really true in the face of persecution. Watching Silence, it is clear that there was so much thought, effort, and passion that went into this beautifully filmed picture. And that pays off in the meaningful themes that are impressed upon the viewer and the burning questions that are answered as the movie progresses. The film is a disturbing study of the endurance of faith and the explored perspectives are invaluable. Boasting impressive performances all around, including its lead from Andrew Garfield, Silence is among the best of the year and it is certainly the most historically significant. Though overlong and failing to find a major audience, I predict that Silence will earn Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Best Director for Scorsese. It’s also safe to say that it will remain one of the most effective and potent religious films that I have seen to date.
5. The Edge of Seventeen
The Edge of Seventeen is a movie that truly snuck up on me. In the same vein of Richard Linklater’s Boyhood, Seventeen is a perceptive depiction of the burden of growing up and experiencing the universal feelings that many people think they are alone in feeling. It’s funny, refreshing, full of life lessons, and entertaining. Boasting a phenomenal performance by Hailee Steinfeld, who shows us what it means to be good-hearted but vulnerable, The Edge of Seventeen may not receive much Academy attention (technically, it’s not a terribly impressive movie). Nonetheless, it will definitely be remembered as a timeless tale of growing pains and what it means to be a part of a family.
Honorable Mentions (in order) for 2016 include Arrival, Snowden, 10 Cloverfield Lane, The Jungle Book, and Passengers
