10 Best Movies of 2016 (A Double Take)

Another movie year is about to come to a close tomorrow night at the 89th Annual Academy Awards, but before the Academy crowns the Best Picture of the year out of its 9 nominees, for the 4th consecutive year(2013, 2014, 2015) my brother and I present our lists of the 10 Best Movies of the Year. This year we're both also including 10 honorable mentions, quickly ranking them from #11 to #20.

From our Top 10 lists, we agreed on 4 films, and only one of those is a Best Picture nominee, Manchester by the Sea. My brother has one additional Best Picture nominee in his Top 10, Hell or High Water, and I have two more, La La Land and Moonlight. In all, I have 7 movies on my list that received at least one Oscar nomination this year, but my brother only has 5 such films. One of those nominated films that he included, OJ: Made in America, is a documentary, the first time that either one of us has ranked one in the Top 10 since we started making these lists. I included a different documentary that wasn't nominated for an Oscar in my honorable mentions section.

Speaking of the snubs, from that group the one that we feel most deserved to be nominated was Sing Street, which appears in both our Top 5s. Each of us has one more movie in our Top 5s that got completely shut out of the Oscars party, and that ironically enough also got snubbed from the other's list here. His movie that I didn't like as much is Don't Think Twice, and my movie that he didn't find as fascinating as I did is The Handmaiden. But hey, that happens, even amongst brothers. For the 2nd consecutive year my #1 movie of the year didn't even make his Top 10.

We all have different preferences that we take in to the movie watching experience, which also occurs at a different point of all our lives, creating an absolutely unique emotional reaction that no one else could ever understand. But like I said last year, the truly great movies, the ones that stand the test of time, are the ones that are able to transcend those differences and connect with all of us. Which movies did my brother and I think accomplished that this year? Let's find out now, starting with my brother's list of the 10 Best Movies of 2016 ...

Honorable Mentions
20) The Jungle Book
19) The Wave (a Norwegian Dante's Peak)
18) Sausage Party
17) How to be Single
16) Zootopia
15) Lion (That kid tho! Great performance!)
14) La La Land (Filmmaking-wise: a masterpiece ... story-wise: ehhh)
13) The Nice Guys (Funniest movie of the year)
12) 10 Cloverfield Lane (Missing the opportunity to nominate John Goodman for the first time in his career is a shame here)
11) Green Room

10) OJ: Made in America

Documentary? Miniseries? Film? Whatever it is, it's brilliant! OJ: Made in America is the greatest thing the ESPN 30 for 30 series has ever produced. In what was one of the first glimpses of reality TV and the 24/7 news cycle and its impact, the OJ Simpson trial changed how we consume content(can you imagine this trial being covered today!?). What director Ezra Edelman does so beautifully is how he sets up all the players, angles, scope, and magnitude of what is one of the more important moments in American culture history. It's almost 8 hours long, but it HAS to be 8 hours long to get to the bottom of every little detail, and thanks to its brilliant narrative and smooth pace you won't even notice it.

9) Everybody Wants Some!!

Maybe I’m just a sucker for Richard Linklater movies but the guy just gets doing movies about people just “being”. He’s like the Seinfeld of movie directors, his movies don’t have to be about anything for them to be great and make the audience connect. The before trilogy dives into relationships better than most movies ever made just by watching 2 characters talk for almost 6 hours, “Boyhood” just follows a kid and his family through his adolescence, and now with “everybody wants some” you get reminded of all those 1^st week of college feels. (P.S: Shout-out to one of my fav scenes of the year, the boys riding in the car and singing along to rapper’s delight… brilliant scene!)

8) Barry

For the 2^nd year in a row I have a Netflix original movie in my top 10 (Beasts of No Nation last year). These people do more than good tv shows people, start noticing! Unlike the more cheesy, formulaic, typical date movie “Southside With You”, “Barry” really takes you into the depths of the young adult that was Barack Obama in his years living in NY. A great character study, with a bit of a dark side to it, that shows the internal and outer struggles we go through in our developmental and formative years that are needed to create that empathy, self-awareness and well-rounded traits to use in future endeavors (something our current president clearly lacks).

7) The Edge of Seventeen

“I think some deranged part of me likes thinking I’m the only person with real problems, as if that makes me special.” I have to admit I was a little biased towards this movie since I got of glimpse of the trailer oozing with its coming-of-age/John Hughes style goodness. Edge of Seventeen takes a while to get going but it gets its point across in between its -I’m a rich, smart/witty, suburban, teenage girl, who has a family and friends that love her, but I’m going through some shit so my life is ending- melodrama, and by the time it does its very good… which is just the point and by the end Nadine understands just that. The 2^nd half of the movie is much better than the first where we really see future star Hailee Steinfeld show her range. The movie is simply about showing us a 17 year old who goes through things that just about everybody goes through when they’re 17 (which is why Woody Harrelson’s character is so great here… he sees this and just lets this girl vent without judging or trying to give her the big speech no 17 year is ever interested in hearing). 

6) Hell or High Water

Ben Foster never disappoints, last year he was brilliant as Lance Armstrong in the underrated “The Program” and now he’s great again here in a performance that should have been nominated for best supporting actor. Hell or High Water is non-stop action from start to finish that’s very easy to watch and a lot of fun with a cast of actors at the top of their game. A throwback to old school heist movies, this one just won’t disappoint.

5) Don't Think Twice

Why was this movie not talked about more this year!? “Don’t think twice” is the hidden gem of year, and yeah you can be a “hidden gem” when you have a 99% rating on rotten tomatoes. In a bit of an autobiographical spin, the director Mike Birbiglia plays one of the 6 members of a comedy improv group of friends who deal with success and jealousy in different ways. It’s a realistic tale about goals and dreams and how sometimes we may not achieve them all but we have to find happiness and complacency in our own realities. It has heart, laughs, and underrated performances (Gillian Jacobs is amazing AS ALWAYS and Keegan-Michael Key gives the best performance of his career in a role that was tailor made for him)

4) Nocturnal Animals

A story within a story that needs great editing and filmmaking in order to work or else it could unravel quickly and you’ll be lost, “Nocturnal Animals” does none of that and finds the right balance in its differing narratives. There’s the outside of the novel Amy Adams is reading, and the inside of the novel where Jake Gyllenhaal’s character sees his family harassed and eventually murdered by a group of madmen (led by the brilliant, should’ve been nominated, Aaron Taylor-Johnson). What’s makes Nocturnal Animals great is its underlying chilling tone and back and forth jumping from outside the novel to inside and the subsequent ride which we are taken with these wonderfully acted and layered characters.

3) Captain Fantastic

This was definitely the most interesting movie of the year for me, right from the start when we’re introduced to this family living in the wilderness you’re hooked for the duration of the film. The culture-clashes encountered on the family road trip to their mother’s funeral are where the movie really stands out and finds its groove (the scene where Ben’s 6 year old daughter schools her teenage cousins on the Bill of Rights is both laugh out loud funny and genius!). You’re so fascinated and intrigued with how this man is deciding to raise his family but at the same time you’re frustrated with how much he is doing wrong and how stubborn he is (there has to be a balance!).

2) Manchester by the Sea

The most powerful and emotionally charged film of the year, “Manchester by the Sea” is brilliantly executed with its editing style that cuts back and forth in time to tell the story of a broken man who has to come back to life after the death of his brother to take care of his nephew. What the movie is really about is the NEVER ENDING process of grief and forgiving yourself for acts of your past, something that is summed up in a beautiful scene where Lee (Affleck) says to his nephew the words “I can't beat it. I can't beat it. I'm sorry” and you proceed to fight off tears for about the 28^th time in the movie but it still finds room for small bits of humor and heart in its melancholic universe that round it out perfectly. 

1) Sing Street

“Your problem is that you're not happy being sad. But that's what love is, Cosmo. Happy sad.” You think of John Carney’s previous films (Once, Begin Again) and the first thing that comes to mind is the music, but in Sing Street he takes his game to a whole new level and that’s not to discount the music which is still second to none and deserved at least 2 songs nominated (“Up” and “Drive it like you stole it”). His -quotable at every turn- screenplay here is fantastic, a story about pitting you’re hope and dreams vs reality, sprinkled in with poignant subtle humor, a sweet young love story, and one of the more genuine brotherly love stories ever captured on film (seriously, Jack Raynor steals every scene he’s in and deserved a best supporting actor nom). A coming of age masterpiece, Sing Street is a mid-80s period piece dream as it perfectly captures the music, style and characters of that time in a story we can all identify with from our teenage days.  

And now, my 10 Best Movies of 2016 ...

Honorable Mentions

20) Hunt for the Wilderpeople (Taika Waititi does it again)

19) 10 Cloverfield Lane

18) Bad Moms

17) Gleason (bring tissues)

16) The Nice Guys (genius comedic acting from Ryan Gosling)

15) Swiss Army Man (most ballsy movie I've seen in quite some time)

14) Zootopia 

13) Toni Erdmann

12) Morris From America (that final father & son scene in the car is an instant classic)

11) Hell or High Water (I'll echo my brother: What does Ben Foster have to do to get an Oscar nom?)

10) Moonlight

My brother mentioned Boyhood above in his description of Everybody Wants Some!!, but if one movie from 2016 reminded me of Richard Linklater's universally acclaimed coming of age tale, it's Moonlight. This one features a similar concept, the story of a young boy's life  as he goes through adolescence and enters adulthood, but with 3 key differences: first, as you can see from the poster, the main character here is black, second, he's gay, and third, he's played by three different actors as he grows older in the movie, differing from Boyhood's 12 year gimmick using the same cast. There is another major difference between these movies, and that is the style in which they're presented. Where as Linklater uses his patented "just being" approach to tell his coming-of-age story, Moonlight's director Barry Jenkins elevates his coming-of-age story with impeccable technical filmmaking, featuring some of the most beautiful cinematography of the year.

Unfortunately, as with Boyhood, I had some problems with the flow of the story as it shifted from one segment to the next, particularly the inferior 3rd act of the film, which caused me to rank it a bit lower than most people. However, from the second this movie ended I knew I had experienced something truly special, flaws and all.

9) I, Daniel Blake

A simple, but powerful, film that anyone who's ever had to deal with government bureaucracy can relate to. It features two great performances by Dave Johns as title character "Daniel Blake", who's stuck in welfare limbo, and Hayley Squires as "Katie", a young, single mother of two who is struggling to put food on the table for her kids and herself. Director Ken Loach uses a bare-bones approach that sucks us completely into the lives of these people, almost blurring the line between fiction and documentary. There are at least three scenes in this film that I would say are among the most heart-wrenching I've seen from this decade, let alone 2016.

8) Jackie

The most divisive film of 2016. My brother, for example, says he hated it. But I loved it! From the first sound of Mica Levi's mesmerizing score, I was hooked. Everything else after that worked for me. The two standouts are Natalie Portman, who carries this film with her excellent portrayal of America's most glamorous first lady, and director Pablo Larraín, whose vision can be sensed in every detail of this film, from the back-and-forth editing, to the great screenplay that takes us behind the scenes of those hectic post-assassination days in the White House, to the perfect recreation of the era through the sets and costume design, and finally, to the great performances he got from what was one of the best, and most overlooked, ensemble casts of the year. I was 100% on board for the ride the whole time.

7) Captain Fantastic

I'm gonna agree with my brother here. "Interesting" really is the perfect word to describe this film. The "Cash" family, father "Ben"(Viggo Mortensen) and all 6 of his children, were one of my favorite movie characters of the year. The screenplay from writer/director Matt Ross is one of the most inventive of the year. It's a shame that it didn't get nominated for an Oscar. Actually, apart from Mortensen's Best Actor nomination, the movie didn't receive any other nomination. Don't make the mistake the Academy made of overlooking this one-of-a-kind film. It's been out on DVD & Blu-Ray for a while, so check it out.

6) Nocturnal Animals

Another polarizing film that makes my Top 10, only this time my brother agrees with me. He has it ranked 2 spots higher than me, but just the same you'll find many people who saw this movie who'll say they didn't like it at all. The majority of the Academy seems to be on the side that's against the film, giving it only one Oscar nomination for Michael Shannon's terrific performance(is there any other kind from him?). Some nominations that I think this film deserved include: Tom Ford for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for pulling off the best David Lynch film that David Lynch didn't direct, Joan Sobel for Best Editing for maintaining the perfect pacing that this movie needed for it to work, Abel Korzeniowski for Best Original Score, which I would've chosen as my favorite of the year if not for La La Land, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Laura Linney for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress.

5) Sing Street

John Carney does it again! With his musical movies, Carney has direct access to the happy place inside my brain, and Sing Street may be his best film yet. His movies(Once, Begin Again) are pure magic, and this one is no different. It's a beautiful coming-of-age story, that's also a love story, and a great meditation on brotherly love, set in 1980's Dublin, with catchy original songs mixed with popular rock hits of the era. The fact that none of this movie's original songs received an Oscar nomination is a flat-out travesty. My brother already mentioned "Up" and "Drive it Like it You Stole it", so I'll raise him "Brown Shoes", particularly relevant with the bullies the entire country is faced with today, "Beautiful Sea", "To Find You", and "Go Now", which provides the perfect inspirational message for the film's ending.

4) Kubo and the Two Strings

An instant animation classic in my book! Kubo and the Two Strings features some of the most beautiful cinematography of any 2016 film I saw. It's animation as if it were filmed by 3-time Oscar winner Emmanuel Lubezki. It's full of awe-inspiring shots one after the other from the opening scene to the last. It actually became just the 2nd animated film ever, the other being 1993's The Nightmare Before Christmas, to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects. I would've also nominated it for Cinematography and Production Design. Add to that a great story about the influence of past generations on our children, and vice versa, and a quest for the main character that includes funny talking animal sidekicks plus some awesome fight scenes that pay tribute to classic asian cinema, and you get a film that had me tearing up at the end from the sheer brilliance that I had just experienced.

3) Manchester by the Sea

Kenneth Lonergan is officially the master of presenting grief on screen. I just saw his previous film before this one, Margaret, for the first time this week, and I had already seen his first film, You Can Count on Me, and I have to say, I feel terrible for this man without knowing him because something horrible must have happened for him to be able to write about pain, and sadness, and suffering, and regret, so perfectly. I had a lump in my throat the entire time I was watching this one. From the trailers I knew something bad was gonna happen in this film, and as soon as I saw those kids in the flashback in Casey Affleck's and Michelle Williams' home, I knew where this was going. I have two kids, man. This movie was way too emotionally draining for me to the point where I don't think I'd ever watch it again. But that one time was enough.

2) The Handmaiden

This one had it all for me. The interesting story that you think is going one way until it isn't, with interesting characters whose intentions are never clear. Three excellent lead performances that bring all those characters' eccentricities to life. And most importantly, a production value that was arguably the best from any movie I saw in 2016. Chan-wook Park's direction here is flawless. The cinematography is beautiful, the editing, also jumping back-and-forth in time and from one character's perspective to another's, is perfect. The sets, the costumes, the score, the sound, all extraordinary. I was completely pulled into this movie's world. Any other year, I would have no problem placing this movie at #1 in my rankings. But in 2016, there was one movie that I liked just a little bit more.

1) La La Land

If you know me, you know I love musicals. So it comes as no surprise that I would love Damien Chazelle's love letter to classic musicals. But what really made me love this movie though, isn't the old, but the new. You know what's gonna be the best part of a musical 100 times out of 100? The music! And the music in La La Land couldn't be better. From the show(and traffic)stopping opener, "Another Day of Sun", to the terrific party scene of "Someone in the Crowd", to the delightful dancing duet "A Lovely Night", also the lovely piano duet "City of Stars", and finally, in what is arguably Emma Stone's best career on screen moment to date, the beautiful and heartfelt "Audition(The Fools Who Dream)". In between those five All New original songs, there is Justin Hurwitz's soon to be Oscar winning Original Score, which is simply magical as it takes us up into the stars with "Mia"(Emma Stone) and "Sebastian"(Ryan Gosling) as they're falling in love, and later takes us on a It's a Wonderful Life-style journey of what their life together could've been like if they had done everything right in their relationship instead of letting their career aspirations divide them. Does it have its flaws? Of course it does. All movies do. But no other movie from 2016 transported me into its world like La La Land did. I applaud Damien Chazelle for even thinking that making this movie was possible. I had my doubts about him after Whiplash, but not anymore. I'll be anxious to see how he raises the bar after this.

8 Top 8 Lists for 2016

Welcome to the 4th edition of my year-end 8 Top 8 Lists! 2016 was some year, am I right? With everything going on in the real world there's no better time for the movie world to provide us with some perspective into the human experience in all its forms, or to at least provide us with some escape from all the madness in 2-hour intervals. This is my chance to forget about the real world for a bit and talk about everything I loved from the movie world in 2016: every great performance, quote, moment, funny moment, music moment, supporting characters(giving them their due this year instead of the main characters), and a list of 8 more random categories just so I can mention more of the movie moments I loved from 2016.

In total, there are 39 movies mentioned in this year's 8 Top 8 Lists, slightly fewer than the 43 mentioned in last year's lists, even though I managed to watch 87 movies this year compared to 86 last year. The reason for that lower total is because I had to leave an entire list to write about everything I loved about La La Land. Since the film is basically a collection of great music moments, none of them really fit into any of the other lists, so the need arose for its own list. Since I've made a habit of mentioning my favorite movie moment at the end of these lists the past 2 years, I'm gonna leave the La La Land list as the last one, which is perfect because now I can follow the lead of the world being turned upside-down in 2016 and begin with the list of 8 random categories, which I usually leave for the end. So let's get to it, shall we? Here are my 8 Top 8 Lists for 2016. Enjoy!

*WARNING : SPOILERS*

I Random Awards

1) Best Non-La La Land Ending Scene

    Tie between Amy Adams' "Susan" getting stood up by her ex-husband at a restaurant in Nocturnal Animals and the front porch conversation between Ranger Hamilton(Jeff Bridges) and Toby Howard(Chris Pine) in Hell or High Water, both of which left me wanting to see a sequel.
2) Best Non-La La Land Opening Scene
    Tie between Kubo and the Two Strings' breathtaking If you must blink, do it now ocean scene and Zootopia's Predator and Prey Play, both setting up their film's tone perfectly.
3) Funniest Scene in a Supermarket
    "I Love It" from Bad Moms
4) Saddest Scene in a Supermarket
    2 moments involving "Katie"(Hayley Squires) from I, Daniel Blake: Shoplifting at the mini-mart and Starving at the food bank.
5) Best Sex Scenes
    A scene for every fetish: Deadpool's "Holidays of Sex" montage, with some femdom included to celebrate "International Women's Day", Hands of Stone's dirty talk about the Panama Canal between Ana de Armas and Edgar Ramirez, Elle's sado-masochistic basement sex between neighbors, American Honey's period sex in the grass, Toni Erdmann's hotel quickie with "dessert", Sausage Party's food orgy, a pretty genuine-looking gay sex scene between Jesse Plemons and Zach Woods in Other People, and the lesbian sex scene between "Lady Hideko" and "Sook-Hee"(more from these two characters coming up) at the end of The Handmaiden.
6) Best Death Scenes
    10 choices here: Shere Khan killing Akela in The Jungle Book, "Howard"(John Goodman) killing "Emmett"(John Gallagher Jr) in 10 Cloverfield Lane, the Pitbull Attack in Green Room, the opening scene from Other People, turning what should be a very sad scene into a funny one, the shootout between "Tanner Howard"(Ben Foster) and the Texas Rangers in Hell or High Water, everyone dying in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, particularly K-2SO and the rebel crew that gets slaughtered by Darth Vader, the time-loop "Groundhog Day" style deaths by "Stephen Strange"(Benedict Cumberbatch) at the end of Doctor Strange, both water death scenes in Silence, the "Rebel!" battle scene in The Birth of a Nation, and finally, "Tony"(Jake Gyllenhall) getting revenge on "Ray"(Aaron Taylor-Johnson) in Nocturnal Animals
7) Best Fight Scenes
    4-way tie between Kubo and the Two Strings' Boat Fight, the father-and-son fight in Fences, and 2 fights from Captain America: Civil War, the airport fight between Team Cap and Team Iron Man, and the final "He Killed My Mom" fight between Iron Man vs Captain America & Bucky Barnes
8) Best Cameo(or One-Scene Performance)
    Tie between Kenneth Lonergan critiquing Casey Affleck's parenting skills in his own film, Manchester by the Sea, and Laura Linney as Amy Adams' disapproving mother in Nocturnal Animals

II Best Performances

8) John Goodman as "Howard" in 10 Cloverfield Lane
     Another excellent performance added to Mr. Goodman's already great filmography. Unbelievably, he's still without an Oscar nomination in his career, and if this one didn't do it, then I guess he's destined to be ignored forever by the Academy.
7) Viggo Mortensen as "Ben Cash" in Captain Fantastic
      After watching this one all I could think was: "Viggo Mortensen needs to make more movies". He's amazing as always, earning his 2nd career Oscar nomination in the process.
6) Hayley Squires as "Katie" in I, Daniel Blake
     I already mentioned two heartbreaking scenes from this performance, and the rest of it is pretty much all heartbreak as Ms. Squires perfectly plays a single mom whose struggling to take care of her 2 kids and herself. For me it was the best female supporting performance of the year, but the Academy overlooked it.
5) Ashton Sanders as "Chiron" in Moonlight
     The only one of the actors who plays the lead role who's actually billed as playing "Chiron", and for me he's the heart and soul of the movie. This is the middle segment of the film when "Chiron" goes through his most transformative experiences and Sanders has to do some heavy emotional lifting to make this movie work. He has a couple of scenes that could arguably be considered as the best acting of the year by anyone, including one I'll mention in a bit.
4) Rebecca Hall as "Christine Chubbuck" in Christine
     A great physical transformation by Rebecca Hall as she crawls into the skin of this 70s Florida news reporter who committed suicide live on air. It's a very creepy and fascinating look at someone losing their sanity bit by bit, and Ms. Hall delivers what is most definitely the best work of her career so far. Some examples here and here.
3) Sandra Hüller as "Ines Conradi" in Toni Erdmann
     I loved this performance. There are so many layers to it that at first might not seem so obvious, but a while after you've seen it will stick with you and not let go. Hüller is funny, strong-willed, career-oriented, sexy, artistic, and vulnerable all at the same time. I could mention many moments, like the sex scene above which presents her at her most sexy and powerful, but there are two moments that I've singled out in the upcoming lists that sum up this performance perfectly.
2) Natalie Portman as "Jackie Kennedy" in Jackie
     A master at work. With this performance Ms. Portman cements her status as one of the greatest actresses of her generation. You won't find any flaws with this one. The voice, the walk, the posture, the gestures, everything is pitch-perfect. The expected La La Land sweep at the Oscars next sunday will probably cost her a 2nd Oscar win, but make no mistake about it, this performance was definitely Oscar worthy. I'll talk more about some of her best scenes in the lists below.
1) Casey Affleck as "Lee Chandler" in Manchester by the Sea
     This one lived up to the hype. Everyone's been talking about this performance since the movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2016, and even though I had to wait over a year to watch it, that wait was well worth it. Affleck truly is a revelation in this one. He's done some good work in his career before(with one previous Oscar nomination), but nothing at this level. From his first second onscreen to his devastating final scenes you feel completely connected to all the pain and tragedy that this man has experienced, and that's all thanks to Affleck.

III Best Quotes

8) "Juan's"(Mahershala Ali) life advice for "Little"(Alex R Hibbert) in Moonlight:
     Juan: "At some point, you gotta decide for yourself who you're going to be. Can't let nobody make that decision for you."
7) A very funny Terminator-themed exchange from the very funny Hunt for the Wilderpeople
     Ricky Baker: "I'll never stop running!"
     Paula: "Yeah, and I'll never stop chasing you. I'm relentless, I'm like The Terminator.
     Ricky Baker: "I'm more like The Terminator than you!"
     Paula: "I said it first, you're more like Sarah Connor, and in the first movie too, before she could do chin-ups."
6) Amy Adams' "Susan" wondering if she might've messed up her life in Nocturnal Animals
     Susan: "Do you ever feel like your life has turned into something you never intended?"
5) Anton Yelchin's(RIP) "Pat" trying to make small talk with Imogen Poots' "Amber" who's not having any of it at the end of a very long night in Green Room
     Pat: "I know what it is."
     Amber: "What what is?"
     Pat: "My desert-island band."
     Amber: "Tell somebody who gives a shit."
4) "Conor" explaining to his bandmates what he's learned about being happy-sad from his girlfriend "Raphina" in Sing Street
     Darren: "What does happy-sad even mean? How can we be both things? It makes no sense."
     Conor: "It means that I'm stuck in this shithole full of morons and rapists and bullies, and I'm gonna deal with it, okay? It's just how life is. I'm gonna try and accept this and get on with it, and make some art."
     Eamon: "So how does that affect our music?"
     Conor: "Positively."
3) "Lee Chandler's"(Casey Affleck) heartbreaking admission to his nephew "Patrick"(Lucas Hedges) in Manchester by the Sea
     Lee: "I can't beat it. I can't beat it. I'm sorry."
2) This exchange between "Ben Cash"(Viggo Mortensen) and his oldest son "Bo"(George Mackay) about talking to a group of girls that turns into a discussion on social structures in Captain Fantastic
     Ben: "Go talk to them. We got time."
     Bo: "Ask her what she thinks of the working people creating an armed revolution against the exploiting classes and their state structures?"
     Ben: "Well, Marxists can be just as genocidal as Capitalists."
     Bo: "Or whether or not she's a dialectical materialist and accords primacy to the class struggle?"
     Ben: "Avoid Marxism. Or telling her you're a Trotskyite."
     Bo: "Trotskyist. Only a Stalinist would call a Trotskyist a Trotskyite. And I'm not a Trotskyist anymore. I'm a Maoist."
     Ben: "Right. I forgot, sorry."
1) The (unheard) graffiti that "Daniel Blake"(Dave Johns) paints out of desperation on the outside of a government building that gives the very simple but powerful I, Daniel Blake its title:
     Daniel: "I, Daniel Blake demand my appeal date before I starve ... and change the shite music on the phones!"

IV Best Supporting Characters(or Best Sidekicks)

8) "Monkey" and "Beetle", voiced by Charlize Theron and Matthew McConaughey respectively, in Kubo and the Two Strings

      A classic pair of talking animal sidekicks who go on to learn that they share a much stronger connection beyond just helping "Kubo" to complete his quest("You are my quest").

7) "Tanner Howard", played by Ben Foster in Hell or High Water

      Being an ex-con, he provides the know-how plus the right amount of attitude necessary to help his brother "Toby"(Chris Pine) pull off a string of successful bank robberies, going so far as to sacrifice himself for his brother in the end.

6) "K-2SO", voiced by Alan Tudyk in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

      Another sidekick that sacrifices itself so that its partners can pull off a successful heist. Along the way he provides some dry wit and sarcasm that only a droid could pull off.

5) "Kiki" and "Carla", played by Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn respectively, in Bad Moms

      The stay-at-home mom and the single mom that become close friends with the recently over-burdened "Amy"(Mila Kunis) and help her run for PTA president, and win. I'll talk some more about them below.

4) "Maui", voiced by Dwayne Johnson in Moana

      The demigod who, after a very fun musical introduction and some hesitation, helps "Moana" return the heart of Te-Whiti and end the curse on her island.

3) "Brendan", played by Jack Reynor in Sing Street

      Conor's older, college dropout brother("I was a fucking jet engine!") who, through his love and passion for music, inspires Conor to follow his dream of starting a band. Eventually he helps Conor and his girlfriend Raphina with no questions asked when they spontaneously decide to go to London, promising that he'll meet up with them some time in the future. Brotherly love at its best.

2) "Nick Wilde", voiced by Jason Bateman in Zootopia

      The sly fox who at first hustles "Judy Hopps"(Ginnifer Goodwin) with the help of a giant pawpsicle, but then gets hustled right back and is forced to help solve a missing mammals case. Along the way Nick and Judy become pals, with Nick even opening up about how he was a victim of predator stereotyping when he was little, turning him into the cynical fox that she comes to know. He softens up by the end and becomes Zootopia's first fox on the police force.

1) "Manny", played by Daniel Radcliffe in Swiss Army Man

      The corpse with magical farting powers, among many other attributes, that becomes a savior and companion to Hank(Paul Dano), who was stranded on an island and about to commit suicide when he found him. There are many deep philosophical theories that you can interpret from Manny's role in this movie, but on the simplest level, he's just a very cool sidekick.

V Funniest Moments

8) "Hei-Hei Scream" in Moana
      A silly moment that made me laugh from another Disney animal sidekick.
7) "What Don't You Want?" in Hell or High Water
      Great "Texas" moment from this "Texas" movie, and the actress here(Margaret Bowman) is perfect. Jeff Bridges's reaction is priceless too.
6) "Funeral Sermon" in Hunt for the Wilderpeople
      Taika Waititi is a comedic genius, and in this cameo he almost steals his own movie as a priest talking about the 2 doors that Jesus gives us, and how somehow that involves junk food and possibly more doors.
5) "Naked Brunch" in Toni Erdmann
      "Ines"(Sandra Hüller) is getting ready for her birthday celebration but is having trouble putting on a dress when suddenly her first guest arrives. Instead of covering up quick she goes to answer the door topless. You think that she'll get dressed now that her guest is empathetic with her situation, but no, when her next guest arrives she goes the opposite route and takes off her panties and now demands that her guests take off all their clothes before entering her apartment. At this point in the film "Ines" has no doubt been inspired to see the humor in her day-to-day routine by her father "Winfried", aka "Toni Erdmann", and all his wacky pranks.

4) "DMV" in Zootopia
      A DMV where all the employees are sloths, and somehow they still seem faster than the people who work there in real life.
3) "Jurassic Park" in Swiss Army Man
      "If you don't know Jurassic Park, you don't know shit." Hank(Paul Dano) says this to "Manny"(Daniel Radcliffe) when he's trying to teach him the famous John Williams theme music. I couldn't stop laughing during the montage that follows. And PS, the acapella score in this film is brilliant!
2) "Gun on the Street" in Bad Moms
      The three ladies are getting ready in the bathroom for a girls night out, when a certain sexual topic comes up, which "Kiki"(Kristen Bell) compares to finding a gun on the street. This prompts "Carla"(Kathryn Hahn) to use "Kiki" for a quick anatomical demonstration for "Amy's"(Mila Kunis) benefit. The three actresses are terrific in this scene.
1) "Drunken Fall and Dead Body Discovery" in The Nice Guys
      Ryan Gosling takes the comedy to a whole other level with this scene. He's great for the entire movie(should've been nominated for this instead of La La Land if you ask me), but with this scene he joins the ranks of the best comedic actors working today. The way he reacts to that dead body is pure comedy gold.

VI Best Non-La La Land Music Moments

8) "Careless Whisper" in Deadpool

      "Wham!", says "Deadpool"(Ryan Reynolds) as he pulls out a phone from his pocket that was playing the classic ballad while he was kissing his girl, and then he adds the perfect touch by singing the line "I'm never gonna dance again, the way I dance with you, oooh" before the end credits appear. 

*RIP George Michael*

7) "Emotional Rescue" in A Bigger Splash

      Ralph Fiennes just goes nuts here dancing to this Rolling Stones track. A great performance by him in this captivating movie that not many people saw.

6) "Morris' Rap" in Morris From America

      After "Morris"(Markees Christmas) skips town with his german friend and a group of her friends, they end up at a night club where one of them is DJing. That's when his friend encourages him to perform a freestyle rap in front of the crowd. At first it appears "Morris" won't be able to do it but then he loosens up and delivers a great performance. On that note, as "Morris", Markees Christmas delivered what was, for me, the most overlooked performance of the year. There's one more scene on the next list that further demonstrates his excellent work in this film.

5) "Camelot" in Jackie

      This scene is fabulous for two main reasons: director Pablo Larraín's vision and Natalie Portman's excellent performance. We get a whirlwind scene of Jackie Kennedy getting drunk in the White House putting on what seems to be over a hundred dresses while she listens to the famous song from the Broadway musical that will be forever linked to the Kennedys.

4) "Sabotage" in Star Trek Beyond

      The most fun I had in movie theaters in 2016. I was toe-tapping and head-banging along with "Checkov" and "Sulu" the whole time. This scene is why you go to the movies.

3) "The Greatest Love of All" in Toni Erdmann

      The most unexpected use of a Whitney Houston song in movie history. Sandra Hüller truly deserves an award for this scene alone.

2) "Drive it Like You Stole it" in Sing Street

      Great song that turns into a great dream sequence. How did this movie not get a single Oscar nomination for its music?!? 

1) "Sweet Child O' Mine" in Captain Fantastic

      Beautiful scene that uses one of the most beautiful songs ever written to close out this great film. The kids are fantastic(see what I did there?) in this scene and actually throughout the whole movie as well.

VII Best Non-La La Land Moments

8) "Desmond Doss Saves Lives" in Hacksaw Ridge

      The most heroic thing I've seen on film in quite some time. And proof for all the gun nuts out there that you don't need a gun to be a patriot.

7) "2 Part Mirror Scene" in Jackie

      This is the scene that should win Natalie Portman the Oscar, in my opinion. In the first part she's practicing her speech in spanish before getting off Air Force One in Dallas, making sure she gets it absolutely right. Then cut to the aftermath after her husband's assassination, where Jackie ends up in front of the same mirror, only this time she's wiping her husband's blood off her face. Both moments show incredible range in Ms. Portman's performance.

6) "Lost at the Train Station" in Lion

      Oh man, I made the mistake, you could say, of watching this movie on the weekend that Trump's refugee ban took effect, and when little "Saroo"(Sunny Pawar) is all alone in that train station being treated like shit by every human being there, I honestly could not stop crying. I don't remember the last time I cried so much. How in the world is Sunny Pawar not nominated for an Oscar for his brave work here?!? (Aside: If you're sensing a pattern of child actors getting snubbed by the Academy, that's because there is one, and I'm planning on doing a post on the Academy's child actor bias in the next few weeks)

5) "Police Station Suicide Attempt" in Manchester by the Sea

      The scene that should win Casey Affleck an Oscar. Kenneth Lonergan also does terrific work here setting up the mood in what is the most important scene of the film. If this scene didn't deliver then the viewers wouldn't connect as much to "Lee" and his grief throughout the whole movie.

4) "Sexual Awakening on the Beach" in Moonlight

      A powerful scene with 2 teenagers exploring their feelings and sexuality that is really tender and beautiful in the way that it is presented. Director Barry Jenkins does great work here with the lighting and cinematography, and both performances are great too.

3) "Father and Son Car Conversation" in Morris From America

      More people should be talking about this movie, and this scene is a perfect example why. So understated, so simple, and yet, so perfect. Great work by director Chad Hartigan here to just let his dialogue do the talking. No fancy stuff needed here. Add in the 2 perfect performances by Markees Christmas as "Morris" and Craig Robinson as his widowed dad "Curtis", and you have a father-and-son bonding moment that ranks right up there with all the classics.

2) "2 Part Sex Scene Between Lady Hideko and Sook-Hee" in The Handmaiden

      This one is a bit raunchy, so I'll let you look it up on your own, but that doesn't mean I can't talk about it here. This scene marks the key emotional turning point for the film, when "Lady Hideko" and "Sook-Hee" become inseparable. First we get the scene from Sook-Hee's perspective, when we think she's manipulating Lady Hideko, but when the movie starts to take its twists and turns, director Chan-wook Park returns to this scene but this time from Lady Hideko's perspective, and we learn that Lady Hideko was not so innocent as we thought.

1) "Up" in Sing Street

      John Carney does it again! This scene is pure movie magic for me. It surpasses the "music moment" category and stands on its own as my favorite non-La La Land movie moment of the year, even going toe-to-toe with all those great La La Land moments I'll get to in a second. This is a beautiful song about falling in love, presented in a way that is absolutely perfect. You also get a beautiful look at the complete songwriting process, starting with listening to tracks for inspiration, writing the lyrics and musical notes, then adding the arrangement starting with the piano and then adding the rest of the band. And what puts the scene over the top is the wonderful editing that seamlessly takes you on this complete journey in less than 3 minutes, ending with the intended recipient of the song, "Raphina", being completely overwhelmed emotionally after hearing it on tape.

VIII Best La La Land Moments

8) "Edit From Mia's Day to Sebastian's Day"

      After we've followed "Mia"(Emma Stone) throughout the day, she spontaneously decides to enter a lounge/club because of the music that's coming from the inside. Turns out it's "Sebastian"(Ryan Gosling) playing one of his original compositions("Mia and Sebastian's Theme" in the film) on the piano. After they lock eyes, we hear a sound that suddenly transforms into a car horn which takes us back to the opening scene of the film, which was Mia and Sebastian's actual first encounter even though they didn't realize it at the time. Then the movie shifts to Sebastian's perspective and how he ended up at the same spot as Mia on that night. This was the point in the film when I confirmed that I was watching something truly special.

7) "Someone in the Crowd"

      Emma Stone's first musical number in the movie, where she expresses her desire to be discovered as an actress. Standouts from this scene include: the set design, the editing, the choreography, the homages to Singin' in the Rain and West Side Story, among others. And then there's the segment at the party where they somehow turned the moment of the guy jumping into the pool into what seemed like one continuous take. I think that's the biggest "WOW!" moment of the entire movie.

6) "City of Stars"

      Not the first one with Ryan Gosling on the pier, which is also pretty cool, but the second, full version of the song with "Mia" and "Sebastian" singing a duet behind the piano. One of those moments where the chemistry between Gosling and Stone shines.

5) "Another Day of Sun"

      The movie's spectacular opening number which takes place in a traffic jam on the Los Angeles freeway. This is director Damien Chazelle's "opening space tracking shot moment", a la Alfonso Cuaron in Gravity. What I mean by that is that Chazelle won the Best Director Oscar after only the first 3 minutes of this film had transpired.

4) "Planetarium"

      But just in case you need more evidence of why he's deserving, this scene works too. "Mia" and "Sebastian's" improvised date at the Griffith Observatory after watching Rebel Without a Cause turns into a celebration of love, as they dance around the halls of the building before entering the planetarium, and then, after a quick glance at the camera, no doubt inspired by Godard and the French New Wave plus a dash of Felliniesque magical realism, they float up into the stars and continue their dance up there. Movie magic at its finest!

3) "A Lovely Night"

      This one is straight out of the "Astaire & Rogers" playbook, and its a worthy tribute. The choreography here is delightful, particularly the segment on the bench. I mean, maybe Emma Stone does deserve the Oscar she's gonna win next sunday just for switching her shoes while flawlessly doing that choreography all in one continuous take. This scene is destined to join the ranks of other great movie dance scenes of the past.

2) "Audition(The Fools Who Dream)"

      If the Academy isn't giving Stone the Oscar for her shoe-switching ability, then they're definitely giving it to her for her work in this scene. This one will join the ranks of Anne Hathaway's turn in Les Miserables and Jennifer Hudson's role in Dreamgirls, among others, as Oscars won due to one standout musical moment. And what a moment it is! Stone puts her heart and soul into this scene, recorded live, and you can feel that rawness in her voice that makes you connect to the character completely. Of course, a large chunk of the credit goes to Chazelle, again, whose vision for this scene was spot on. I felt like I was in a trance, under Emma Stone's spell, and what a wonderful spell it was.

1) "Epilogue/The End"

      A full on 50s musical ending paying direct homage to Gene Kelly's work in Singin' in the Rain and An American in Paris(also a Best Picture Winner). After "Mia" and "Sebastian" go their separate ways on their paths to fame and fortune, they once again coincidentally find each other at a lounge/club, but this time it's "Sebastian's" dream club come to life, which "Mia" realizes as she's walking in. Once "Sebastian" spots her in the crowd, he sits behind the piano and plays the theme that initially drew them together. At this moment, the movie makes another brilliant edit to that first encounter between "Mia" and "Sebastian" at the club, only this time that encounter results in a better outcome that takes the couple into an alternative reality version of their relationship where everything is perfect for them, they avoid the mistakes they made in the real version, and they go on to start a family and live happily ever after together. This magical journey is made possible through the power of song and dance, this being a musical of course. And then there's the perfect ending, where "Mia" and "Sebastian" lock eyes for one final time as she leaves the club, both acknowledging that they are happy for each other without having to say a word, but also realizing that they'll carry the memories of their time spent together forever. 

The End!

      

      

     

Who I Would've Nominated - 2016 Edition

It's that time of year again. The final round of Oscars voting begins today, and for the third straight year on this day I'm posting my own nominations so you can see where I think the Academy got it right and where I think they got it wrong. Now, my nominations for Best Picture are not included in this post since I don't want to spoil my list of the 10 Best Movies of 2016, which I'll be posting next week, but from my nominations in the 20 other categories listed here(no Live-Action, Animated, or Documentary shorts, again) you can get a strong sense of which movies I liked more than others.

The two movies with the highest number of nominations on my list are a perfect example of how I think the Academy can get it very right and very wrong at the same time. I am in almost complete agreement with them on La La Land. The Academy gave it 14 nominations and I gave it 13(including Best Picture). Love it or hate it, I honestly think it deserves every nomination it got. I have Ryan Gosling nominated for his performance in The Nice Guys instead of La La Land, but the Academy has certainly done a lot worse than this nomination. 

Then there's the case of the movie with the 2nd highest number of nominations on my list, The Handmaiden. I gave it 10 nominations(including Best Picture), but the Academy gave it a grand total of 0. This happened last year, but in reverse, when I didn't have a single nomination for one of the Academy's Best Picture nominees, The Big Short. This year all of the Best Picture nominees got at least 2 nominations on my list. Only 3 movies with multiple Oscar nominations don't appear on my list this year: Florence Foster Jenkins(Meryl Streep, totally overrated, sad!), Deepwater Horizon, which I didn't see, and Passengers, which I didn't see and don't plan on seeing because of my ongoing case of Jennifer Lawrence fatigue(dear JLaw, make a good movie again, please).

On the contrary, 3 movies that got multiple nominations on my list, Sing Street, 10 Cloverfield Lane, and I, Daniel Blake got no love from the Academy(Sing Street somehow getting snubbed in the Best Original Song category). Some other Oscar nominated movies that you won't see on my list include: Silence, which I haven't seen but plan on seeing this weekend(I'll update my list if necessary), 20th Century Women and Loving, which I saw but were hugely disappointing, and 2 other films I'm not nominating for technical reasons, OJ: Made in America, which I saw over the course of a full week on TV and for that reason I'm not counting it as a feature film(you should still watch it though), and The Lobster, which I included on my list of 2015 nominations and was actually my #1 movie of 2015.

But enough of what's not on this list. Let's get to the nominations, starting with the Academy's list and then my own so you can compare the two.

And the nominees are ...

And now my nominees ...

Best Actor in a Leading Role
5. Markees Christmas - Morris From America
4. Ryan Gosling - The Nice Guys
3. Denzel Washington - Fences
2. Viggo Mortensen - Captain Fantastic
1. Casey Affleck - Manchester by the Sea

Best Actress in a Leading Role
5. Isabelle Huppert - Elle
4. Emma Stone - La La Land
3. Rebecca Hall - Christine
2. Sandra Hüller - Toni Erdmann
1. Natalie Portman - Jackie

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
5. Aaron Taylor-Johnson - Nocturnal Animals
4. Ben Foster - Hell or High Water
3. Sunny Pawar - Lion
2. John Goodman - 10 Cloverfield Lane
1. Ashton Sanders - Moonlight

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
5. Laura Linney - Nocturnal Animals
4. Molly Shannon - Other People
3. Michelle Williams - Manchester by the Sea
2. Viola Davis - Fences
1. Hayley Squires - I, Daniel Blake

Best Achievement in Directing
5. Pablo Larraín - Jackie
4. Tom Ford - Nocturnal Animals
3. Kenneth Lonergan - Manchester by the Sea
2. Chan-wook Park - The Handmaiden
1. Damien Chazelle - La La Land

Best Original Screenplay
5. Hell or High Water - Taylor Sheridan
4. I, Daniel Blake - Paul Laverty
3. Captain Fantastic - Matt Ross
2. La La Land - Damien Chazelle
1. Manchester by the Sea - Kenneth Lonergan

Best Adapted Screenplay
5. A Bigger Splash - David Kajganich
4. Hidden Figures - Allison Schroeder & Theodore Melfi
3. Moonlight - Barry Jenkins
2. Nocturnal Animals - Tom Ford
1. The Handmaiden - Chan-wook Park & Sea-kyeong Jeong

Best Achievement in Cinematography
5. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - Greig Fraser
4. Moonlight - James Laxton
3. Kubo and the Two Strings - Frank Passingham
2. La La Land - Linus Sandgren
1. The Handmaiden - Chung-hoon Chung

Best Achievement in Film Editing
5. Jackie - Sebastián Sepúlveda
4. Nocturnal Animals - Joan Sobel
3. Manchester by the Sea - Jennifer Lame
2. The Handmaiden - Jae-Bum Kim & Sang-beom Kim
1. La La Land - Tom Cross

Best Achievement in Production Design
5. 10 Cloverfield Lane - Ramsey Avery
4. Arrival - Patrice Vermette
3. The Handmaiden - Seong-hie Ryu
2. Kubo and the Two Strings - Daniel R Casey & Nelson Lowry
1. La La Land - David Wasco

Best Achievement in Costume Design
5. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - Colleen Atwood
4. Hidden Figures - Renee Ehrlich Kalfus
3. La La Land - Mary Zophres
2. Jackie - Madeline Fontaine
1. The Handmaiden - Sang-gyeong Jo

Best Achievement in Makeup & Hairstyling
5. Star Trek Beyond 
4. Sing Street 
3. Jackie
2. Hacksaw Ridge 
1. Swiss Army Man

Best Achievement in Visual Effects
5. Captain America: Civil War
4. Arrival
3. Doctor Strange
2. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
1. The Jungle Book

Best Original Score
5. Lion - Dustin O'Halloran and Hauschka
4. The Handmaiden - Yeong-wook Jo
3. Jackie - Mica Levi
2. Nocturnal Animals - Abel Korzeniowski
1. La La Land - Justin Hurwitz

Best Original Song
5. "We Know the Way" from Moana - Opetaia Foa'i & Lin-Manuel Miranda
4. "City of Stars" from La La Land - Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul
3. "Drive it Like You Stole it" from Sing Street - Gary Clark
2. "Audition(The Fools Who Dream)" from La La Land - Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul
1. "Up" from Sing Street - John Carney, Graham Henderson, and Gary Clark

Best Achievement in Sound Editing
5. Arrival
4. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
3. Hacksaw Ridge
2. La La Land
1. Kubo and the Two Strings

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
5. Hell or High Water
4. Sing Street
3. The Handmaiden
2. Kubo and the Two Strings
1. La La Land

Best Documentary Feature
5. Life, Animated
4. Cameraperson
3. 13th
2. Weiner
1. Gleason

Best Foreign Language Film
3. Elle
2. Toni Erdmann
1. The Handmaiden

Best Animated Feature Film
3. Moana
2. Zootopia
1. Kubo and the Two Strings