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8 January 2017
This article is a look at my favourite films of 2016. |
MY TOP 25 FAVOURITE FILMS OF 2016
25. LADY MACBETH
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Superlative. A British THRONE OF BLOOD. Sophisticated take on gender, class, race. Florence Pugh knocks it out of the park.
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24. MY ENTIRE HIGH SCHOOL SINKING INTO THE SEA
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RUSHMORE meets THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE. Droll animated hilarity.
[To read the full review, click here.] |
23. KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS
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Laika Studios does it again. Stunning stop-animation. Adventure and tragedy.
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22. THE ACCOUNTANT
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You won’t look at accountants the same way. Some enjoyably bone-crunching action.
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21. AFTER THE STORM
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Dialogue mesmerises. Is Ryoto, Kore-eda's most fascinatingly flawed lead? Kirin Kiki has now cemented her status as the ultimate cinema grannie.
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20. ALL OF A SUDDEN
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Enigmatic societal mirror. Shot with deft economy. Palpable anxiety pervades. Framing and cinematography wow.
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19. DIVINES
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What a debut! An energetic coming of age dramatic thriller. Chock full of wonderful style.
[To read the full review, click here.] |
18. GOLDSTONE
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Another ace political neo-noir Aussie Western thriller from Ivan Sen. Another star turn from Aaron Pedersen. Give them blockbusters already.
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17. LION
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Ravishing to look at and listen to. Tear-inducing in the best way.
[To read the full review, click here.] |
16. RAW
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So f***ed up. In a good way. A vegetarian veterinary student turns cannibal. Hilarious. Bonkers. Lead is brill.
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15. SIERANEVADA
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Director Cristi Puiu finally satisfies with his long film lengths. THE STRANGE LITTLE CAT meets AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY. Almost real time family friction.
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14. GRADUATION
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A once idealistic man unravels. Dense. Morally layered. Up there with BARKING DOGS NEVER BITE and LEVIATHAN.
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13. ZOOTROPOLIS / ZOOTOPIA / ZOOMANIA
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In a very strong year, the best animated feature of 2016. Contains more intelligent subtext than most live action blockbusters.
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12. LA LA LAND
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11. ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY
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Tragic and exhilarating. The first good Star Wars movie since THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. Ken Loach in space. Topical in the age of disturbing Conservative party/Trump politics.
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10. CAPTAIN FANTASTIC
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The conundrums of being a parent. Idealism verses reality. Viggo Mortensen’s character is a doozy.
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9. THE BIG SHORT
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A hugely entertaining dissection of the financial crisis we are still living through. Articulate and inclusive, without being remote or patronising.
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8. TWO LOVERS AND A BEAR
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7. HEADSHOT
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6. TRESPASS AGAINST US
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Dynamic filmmaking. Michael Fassbender and Brendan Gleeson are on fire. Electric, rare dialogue. Thrilling car chases.
[To read the full review, click here.] |
5. PATERSON
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Jim Jarmusch is hit and miss as a filmmaker, but he knocks this one out of the park. Humanistic and poetic. Just lovely.
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4. HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE
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So, so, so funny. Ace characters.
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3. HELL OR HIGH WATER
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An angry action thriller with an engaging political axe to grind.
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2. MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
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Almost an epitome of conveying brittle fragility, overlaying the complicated strive for decency.
[To read the full review, click here.] |
1. TONI ERDMANN
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Psychological, philosophical and political discourse is rarely as cinematically entertaining.
[To read the full review, click here.] |
