Ford's skills as a visual filmmaker were obvious after his debut film, A SINGLE MAN, but his skills as a screenwriter are made very clear here while maintaining his lush visuals as well. His camera shows off Amy Adams like a silent movie star of old, letting her face do the lion's share of the work, while using the story's interweaving narratives to create a tale of spurned lovers and revenge. NOCTURNAL ANIMALS is a spiteful film that feels deeply personal to its filmmaker, and leaves no simple answers at the end to piece together who are the "heroes" and "villains" of this story. But if you see this one with a loved one, be prepared to have some heated discussions on the way home.
9. THE NEON DEMON (Nicolas Winding Refn)
Refn's style has always been as important to him (if not moreso) than the substance of the stories he's telling, but it's clear here that it was important to him to craft a female-driven narrative and tell a story that doesn't paint women in Hollywood as damsels in distress or young ingenues ripe for taking advantage of. Elle Fanning leads an impressive group of women fighting for their place in the world, and willing to do almost anything to take what's theirs. For a movie about the objectification and mistreatment of women in Hollywood (and, through metaphor, everywhere on Earth), Refn seems to understand that he should do his best not to objectify them here. Caution: this one is not for the weak of stomach.
8. PATERSON (Jim Jarmusch)
A wonderfully sweet and warm film about the poetic beauty and artistic expression that can still exist in a seemingly mundane and ordinary life. Jarmusch hasn't used this gear since BROKEN FLOWERS, and I think this film might be even better. Adam Driver also finds another gear, creating a more serene internal performance than the visceral, intense performances we're used to from him. Golshifteh Farahani is a terrific scene stealer, and she and Jarmusch perform and write a character that could've been annoying in a different movie and create something really special. The character of Paterson serves as a representation for all working-class towns, showing that art can come from anywhere as long as people take the time to look for it in others as well as themselves.
7. SWISS ARMY MAN (Dan Kwan & Daniel Scheinert)
A hilariously absurd movie with a powerful message about depression and how hard it can be to show your true self to others. The visual nature of the film is quite inventive, and I'm always impressed with filmmakers that are clearly putting thought into every last frame of their film, constantly finding ways to innovate and be original with every shot in the movie. Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe are both more than willing to embrace the madness of the film's central concept, but also are more than capable of grounding the film's emotional side and not letting the craziness overwhelm the message.
6. THE LOBSTER (Yorgos Lanthimos)
A Kubrickian satire on modern relationships, in which single people who can't find a partner after a set period of time must be turned into an animal of their choosing. If that premise doesn't do it for you, I don't have much to say to you, but satire is such a hard line to walk these days with the news getting crazier and crazier in itself. The film manages to subtly explore themes of identity and online dating without hitting you over the head with them. Colin Farrell continues to show his incredibly wide range as an actor here by not steering into the more comedic elements and letting you feel his melancholy. Lanthimos has made the transition to English-speaking film better than most foreign writer/directors, and has pulled off a balance of comedy and drama that would be hard for most native speakers.
5. EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!! (Richard Linklater)
Themes of college as a place to expand your world and how every clique and different subsection of people really just want the same core things (in this movie: sex and alcohol are the metaphor for happiness and success) make the film feel like more than just a snapshot of its selected place and time (something I didn't feel from Dazed and Confused). Linklater here imagines a world where everyone is welcome no matter where they come from, and encourages individuality above all else, even when part of a team, which is kind of the dream of what college should be for everyone. A simple, even cliche point to make, but Linklater finds some real power in it.
4. OJ: MADE IN AMERICA (Ezra Edelman)
Ezra Edelmen's 7 1/2 hour documentary is a stunning achievement. Edelman crafts a great American tale that weaves together themes about race relations, fame, sports, and the American dream. OJ's story is completely unique from beginning to end, and the film sets out to not only discover what's in his mind, but also in the minds of every last person in America who was swept up into the mania of OJ Simpson over the course of his life. Although MOONLIGHT has received more attention this awards season, OJ: MADE IN AMERICA seems to me to be the perfect movie to be discussing in the wake of last year's #OscarsSoWhite controversy, especially about the differences in the perception of progress in race relations in America by different groups.
The camerawork here is nothing short of stellar. Gosling and Stone both give near-career-best performances, and even if their skillsets may not hold up against the singing and dancing stars of yesteryear, they both acquit themselves nicely in that department too (extra points to Gosling for his piano playing as well). Chazelle is clearly a visionary after this and WHIPLASH with his ability to turn even throw-away moments from any other movie into important pieces of the whole. La La Land is clever, witty, endlessly charming, and just an absolute joy to watch. And what a killer ending.
2. HAIL, CAESAR! (Joel Coen & Ethan Coen)
This one has really grown on me since I saw it almost a full year ago. Sometimes Coen comedies can feel more like throwaways than their dramas, but occasionally, like with this film, they take the time to add real depth to an otherwise hilarious movie. The film is filled with laughs, no surprise from such a prolific and talented team, but Eddie Mannix's spiritual journey throughout the course of the film is inspiring in its own right. Brolin portrays Mannix as a man who so desperately wants to believe in the magic of movies, and how they can inspire us all to live up to a certain ideal, and as a film lover I couldn't help but be drawn to that message. Credit must also be given for the Coens making Alden Ehrenreich, the world's new Han Solo, to a much larger audience. To use the parlance of this film, the kid is a star.
1. ARRIVAL (Denis Villeneuve)
Here is a link to all of the 2016 movies I saw, roughly ranked: https://letterboxd.com/greenleaf1/list/2016-movies-ranked/
