First Half Best Films of 2016 - 10 through 6

Let's move into the top 10 films of 2016 released during the first half of the year. This portion of the list is probably the most interesting to compare when I post my 50 favorites early next year because there is still a fragility to those ranked 6 through 10. I love these movies, don't get me wrong, but with so many potentially great pictures still due out over the next 6 months some of these could easily drop down pretty far when all is said and done, where as the top 5 is far more likely to hang on and stick near the top.

10. Zootopia

While Pixar typically gets all the attention, Disney Animation has released some really terrific films as well and Zootopia is an absolute winner. A fun cartoon featuring furry animals, sure, but this is a movie with a whole lot to say, the type of material that sparked an actual important conversation between my daughter and I on the way home from the theater. Combine the thematic weight of it all with a perfect vocal cast and a well crafted film that pays homage to the classic noir cinema from decades past, you can't go wrong with Zootopia, and it's a great thing to have a movie challenge kids into actually thinking rather than just frenetically throwing colors at the wall to create the illusion of fun.

9. Knight of Cups

If you have never seen a Terrence Malick film, don't jump into Knight of Cups blindly. You will likely say the words "What the hell am I watching?" and turn it off halfway through (if you make it that far). After debuting over 40 years ago with Badlands, Malick has had a fascinating career considering Knight of Cups is only his 7th film despite such a long span of time because of a 20 year gap between Days of Heaven in 1978 and The Thin Red Line in 1998, and it was when he came back that his work started to be more abstract in nature. 

My favorite film is The Tree of Life, a Malick picture from 2011 that when I watched it for the first time, I said "What the hell am I watching?" and turned it off halfway through. It took me revisiting in order for the point behind it all to click and ever since his style has played like pure magic. Knight of Cups isn't quite up to the level of his masterpieces, but it's hard to duplicate perfection. 

8. Midnight Special

The crazy thing about writer/director Jeff Nichols is that being ranked #8 for the first half of a year is a disappointment. When a man is capable of making such masterful films as Take Shelter and Mud, Midnight Special felt like an ever so slight step down, and yet I also can't praise the film enough. From most filmmakers a work this great would be a major moment for their career but Nichols is on a different level, a superhero story of a different variety about a boy with strange powers on the run with his father as both the government and a group of religious extremists pursue them. The movie serves as an allegory for parenting, the profound love a dad can have for his child and the pain that comes with potentially having to let go.

Expect two Nichols films to be on my top 50 by the end of the year because his other 2016 release Loving is supposed to be something extraordinary. I can't wait.

7. 10 Cloverfield Lane

This right here would be the biggest surprise of 2016 for me had it not been for the film that occupies my top spot, but I will get to that later. 10 Cloverfield Lane defines the word surprise since no one other than those involved in the production knew it even existed until earlier this year, when the studio dropped a shocking trailer on the world a mere two months prior to release date. The word Cloverfield being included had everyone guessing how it would be connected to the previous film released 8 years ago, and finding out the answer is a terrific experience. Carried by best of the year thus far level performances and a first time director in Dan Trachtenberg who showed an outstanding understanding of how to build and maintain tension throughout a thriller, this movie just plain works from start to finish.

6. Captain America: Civil War

The spectacle of the summer arrived early in May and it didn't disappoint. The same directing duo who brought us the fantastic Captain America: The Winter Soldier returned again for this one and they nailed the material yet again, delivering fantastic action and utilizing the characters and their already well defined chemistry beautifully. The challenge here was trying to introduce new members to the team as well, with Chadwick Boseman playing Black Panther and Tom Holland is our new Spider-Man. Both were perfect choices for the roles, and while the inclusion of Spidey felt a bit forced simply to set up his place in the universe, I can't complain. What they did with him, with everything really, is create something entertaining, compelling and fun.

Next up, the top 5! The best of 2016 so far! Stay tuned...

First Half Best Films of 2016 - 15 through 11

The list goes on. Still so much to be released in 2016, still so much to see that is already out from the first half of the year. Even at 56 films thus far I have only scratched the surface of all the movies thus far, but of those 56 I have formed a top 20. This is the second part of that list, 15 through 11 of my favorite films of 2016.

15. Deadpool

2016 has been the year of the disappointing super hero fare thus far, with only half of the releases from the sub-genre being worthy of inclusion in this list. Deadpool did not disappoint. So graphic, so vulgar, and so much fun, Ryan Reynolds was the perfect choice to play the lead and what most impressed me about the film was its ability to still occasionally take itself seriously and sell it too. One would think with all the jokes it would be hard to pump the brakes during the story and actually care, but thanks to strong writing and performances it works. 

14. The Jungle Book

A live action remake of the classic Disney film didn't seem like something I would be interested in when the new take on The Jungle Book was first announced, but Jon Favreau brought some unexpected magic to the story that, combined with spectacular visual effects, made this an exciting, compelling and moving watch. The terrific vocal cast made up of Idris Elba, Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray, Christopher Walken, Lupita Nyong'o, Giancarlo Esposito and Ben Kingsley along with a good enough performance from newcomer Neel Sethi as Mowgli doesn't hurt either.

13. The Conjuring 2

When I first saw a preview for the original The Conjuring prior to its release, I was certain I would dislike the film. I loved it. When I heard they were making a sequel, I thought, oh boy. Horror sequels are usually a disaster. This is going to pale in comparison to the original.

Well, the original is better but not by much. The Conjuring 2 is still a hell of a film and it certainly benefited from director James Wan staying on when normally the names switch from one film to the next. I found the family at the center of the possession story to be less compelling this time around but lord have mercy is this still a scary treat.

12. Finding Dory

Much like the previous film, a Pixar sequel is typically a step down from the original (with the exception of the Toy Story trilogy of course, which all three are outstanding) and Finding Dory is as well...slightly....maybe. Honestly, it's close. It duplicates much of the heart and charm of the original while adding a great slate of new characters to the mix. Touching and tons of fun, Finding Dory is a great Pixar film even if it doesn't have the originality factor of some of the studio's best.

11. Hail, Caesar!

The Coen brothers delivered a comedy earlier this year that at first glance appears scattershot on a narrative level, but don't be fooled. These filmmakers don't typically dish out a messy plate, there is always a meaning to their madness. The side stories during Hail, Caesar! aren't meant to give us a resolution because they are all a part of a day in the life of Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) and the result is a hilarious and surprisingly deep story that plays both as a love letter and spoof of 1950's Hollywood.

Next I will most this list into the top 10. Join me, won't you Mr. Bale?

First Half Best Films of 2016 - 20 through 16

Halfway through the year, halfway through 2016 in film. It has been an interesting first half to say the least, a lot of good and an awful lot of bad which is to be expected. I have seen a few films which are pretty much locks to be top 10 of the year no matter what hits, even with Oscar season coming, but I can promise that a lot will change between now and when I post my 50 favorites list early next year. Last year I had films at my top 20 at the halfway point that didn't even make the cut of 50, so time will tell with what sticks around and what falls out. For now, these are the best movies I have seen thus far:

20. The Fundamentals of Caring

Paul Rudd wins me over every time. I can't help it, I see him and I expect to be amused and charmed regardless of the material he is dealing with. Good thing The Fundamentals of Caring is pretty strong material. A new Netflix Original film that is based on the book The Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison, it's a sort of predictable and familar feeling tale that still manages to smell fresh thanks to performances and clever and funny dialogue. Paul Rudd plays a writer who quits his craft after a tragedy strikes him personally and he decides to take a gig as a disabled teenager's caregiver. The chemistry between him and the teen, played by Craig Roberts, is outstanding and the film even manages to comfortably fit in a pretty decent performance from Selena Gomez. If you have Netflix, give it a stream.

19. The Shallows

I have seen a fair amount of "the best shark movie since Jaws" when it comes to The Shallows, which I assume is a tad tongue-in-cheek considering the competition isn't exactly fierce among the sub-genre. Still, it's a fact. The Shallows is intense and thoughtful and scary and wonderfully paced at only 78ish minutes. If you have no interest in brutal shark attacks and just want to watch it because you find Blake Lively attractive, you will get your money's worth. If you love a good thrilling survival story cleverly constructed by a director who knows what he is doing, go buy a damn ticket now and take a seat. The Shallows is worth it.

18. Jim: The James Foley Story

One day earlier this year, I came home from work and my wife was on the couch watching a documentary that had just started, like literally 30 seconds into it and I asked what it was. Jim: The James Foley Story, a look at the life of a man who did what he loved, being a war correspondent/photo journalist who put his life on the line on a regular basis and eventually he was captured and executed on video by ISIS. It's a powerful and moving portrait of a life worth your time.

17. The Nice Guys

You might not believe it with the duo of Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling at the top of the bill, but The Nice Guys is so damn funny, mostly thanks to the latter. Gosling kills it with his comedic performance here, exactly what this old school noir buddy comedy directed by Shane Black (director of Iron Man 3 among other films) needed. I'm already looking forward to revisiting this one because look out for it definitely sticking around for my top 50. I think I will appreciate it that much more when I admire the chemistry and nuance of the performances all over again.

16. Hush

I don't do well with home invasion horror films. I feel so uncomfortable watching them, which doesn't sound like fun (and it isn't really) but it also means the movie is doing its job. Hush did its job really, really well. I was unnerved and freaked the fuck out from early on until the very end, and despite a hiccup here or there with the narrative losing its steam, overall this is a horror film that lingers with me and makes me paranoid all over again when I start to think about it. A deaf woman living alone getting stalked around her own home by a deranged killer in a mask. Damn it, just typing this is making my skin crawl again. Time to close the blinds.

Speaking of horror, the image above comes from a film that will appear on the 11 through 15 list of my favorite films thus far from 2016. Stay tuned...

Everybody Wants Some!! Review

No one has the ability to capture the essence of transitioning between the stages of adolescence with such heart, humor and honesty like Richard Linklater. Two years ago, the Best Picture winning (fine, it didn't win, but I am still in denial) film Boyhood showed a boy named Mason experiencing the entire process of growing up between the ages of 6 and 18, and the authenticity of the story felt extraordinary due to the narrative decision to use the same actor (Ellar Coltrane) throughout and shoot over the course of twelve years. Despite Boyhood being my favorite of his films, the one that most will come back to and revisit time and time again is the classic Dazed and Confused, and who can blame those that do? It's an iconic and vital film, hysterically funny and shockingly deep under the subject matter of teenagers moving forward with their lives even if they would rather stay put.

Hysterically funny and shockingly deep? A similar serving of just that has returned as another delicious Linklater dish, this time with his self-described "spiritual sequel" to Dazed and Confused titled Everybody Wants Some!! and it's another winner from the man who simply gets how to tell stories like this. Rather than be centered on the lives of high school students, this time we get to focus on college, specifically an incoming freshman highly touted baseball prospect named Jake (Blake Jenner). What's really interesting is that this manages to be both a great film about college and a top notch baseball movie and yet almost all of it takes place in the days leading up to college and barely shows any actual playing of baseball at all. The setting of the film and the game they love are everything, yet they do not need to be seen in order for us to understand their significance to each of the characters.

The casting of this film is absolutely spot on, with every single member of the ensemble making their presence felt either in big or small ways. On the surface, much like with Dazed and Confused, this is a movie that feels simple and breezy and it plays that way wonderfully, but I was completely taken in by the intellectually rich and meaningful dialogue as well, words that almost feels as if Linklater himself is speaking through the characters he creates. Much like the ending of Boyhood, what we hear feels wiser than what is possible given the ages of the characters delivering these words and they feel baked in the nostalgic afterglow of a man who looks back at different periods of his life and means to remind others to enjoy them. Embrace them. Truly live them.

Put simply though, Everybody Wants Some!! is an absolute blast and much like Dazed and Confused I don't think I have really even scratched the surface of what makes it so great. Time will tell if it lives on as a classic like the former film. I feel good betting that it will.



4.5/5

2016 First Half Oscars - Best Director

My favorite category at every Academy Awards is Best Director. Well, that and Best Cinematography. I'm a geek, I know, but it's the truth. There is something about the recognition of the craft of a film, the vision of the man or woman who was in charge of it all that thrills me. It feels right up there with Best Picture in terms of significance and while those two awards used to go hand in hand with each other on a consistent basis that just isn't the case anymore. Alfonso Cuaron was recognized for the spectacular achievement Gravity but Picture went to 12 Years a Slave. Ben Affleck's Argo won the top prize but he wasn't even nominated for the personal award. It went to Ang Lee for Life of Pi.

Thus far in 2016 there have been some incredibly well made films, and of my five nominees for the award two of them are first time feature directors, one is still new to the scene and unknown, another gets booed at the Cannes film festival every couple of years and the last has been making beloved cinema for decades...and yet he still is somehow underrated when it comes to mass appeal from audiences.

Richard Linklater, Everybody Wants Some!!

Dazed and Confused. Before Sunrise. Before Sunset. Before Midnight. Boyhood. Just a sample of what Linklater has brought to the world and yet for most people, the name elicits a question back: "Who?". Well, if you loved the first film I mentioned, Dazed and Confused, you need to see Everybody Wants Some!!, the spiritual sequel to the former and you can feel the same delightful charm and essential grasp of adolescence during a specific era and the crucial moments of transition in a young person's life. Linklater just gets it and his movies are joyous. 

Dan Trachtenberg, 10 Cloverfield Lane

I really don't know much about Dan Trachtenberg except for two things, and they are pretty important: this is the first film he ever directed, and that means I need to keep an eye out for his next project because the man clearly has a terrific eye for entertaining and tension filled cinema. On separate lists I gave both my actor and actress top prizes to Mary Elizabeth Winstead and John Goodman for 10 Cloverfield Lane, and behind those amazing performances is a director who knows exactly what he wants and is leading the way. 

Nicolas Winding Refn, The Neon Demon

I'm not the type of guy who likes to play the role of contrarian, so don't misunderstand me when it comes to Nicolas Winding Refn. Some may roll their eyes at me when I praise the man's work despite a mostly negative response to it otherwise, but I am just being honest. I fucking love his movies. I find them stylish, fascinating, meaningful and important, and while some see a vapid example of style over substance, I ask them to dig a little deeper and give the man more credit than that. His movies are absolutely swimming with substance, it's just not all right there for the world to see with ease. This very much applies to The Neon Demon and the screams of misogyny can be heard from every direction, but his statement on gender in society isn't criticizing women but rather the shameful expectations when it comes to appearance that the world of modeling has placed upon its victims. Refn should have actually been nominated for the Oscar for Drive, and while he was never going to get recognition for Only God Forgives I certainly wish he would have. The Neon Demon will go down a similar path but who cares? In my heart, Refn is a Best Director caliber filmmaker every single time out.

Jeremy Saulnier, Green Room

You may not believe it from looking at him, but Jeremy Saulnier directs some mean, vicious, bold cinema. Blue Ruin made the revenge thriller feel alive again and Green Room put a new spin on a survival story by utilizing a completely unique setting and terrifyingly brutal circumstances. The late great Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots and other members of a strong cast give outstanding performances but the star of the show here is Saulnier. Every frame feels so moody, unsettling and real.

My winner for the 2016 First Half Oscar for Best Director is...

Robert Eggers, The Witch

As of the start of 2016, I couldn't even form a guess as to who Robert Eggers was. Now, I am eagerly checking on a regular basis to see what his next film will be. That's because The Witch is everything I want from a horror film and it all starts with Eggers. What a tremendous understanding of mood and pacing and lighting in order to build dread rather than cheap tricks to make an audience jump. Over the last few years I have been rejuvenated by the possibilities of the genre thanks to directors like James Wan, Jennifer Kent, David Robert Mitchell, but what Eggers achieved here is the best of the bunch. A horror masterpiece and his direction is pitch perfect.

2016 First Half Oscars - Best Actor

First was Best Actress and now it is time to shift the attention towards the leading men who have showcased their talents for the world so far this year. There have been some fascinating and, upon reflection, heartbreaking performances from actors early in 2016.

Ryan Gosling, The Nice Guys

I am a believer in Ryan Gosling. Ever since I laid my eyes on Drive, I have been a huge fan. I even joke with my wife that if he pulled up to our house in that scorpion jacket and asked me to go with him, I would have to. It's the only choice that makes sense. That being said, I never thought he could be this damn funny. He is laugh out loud hilarious in The Nice Guys through his dialogue, mannerisms and even utilizing a gift for physical comedy that in a scene or two feels like something that could have come from the silent era and been just as funny back then. 

Ralph Ineson, The Witch

I nominated Anya Taylor-Joy for her lead performance in The Witch and I will extend the same accolades to Ralph Ineson for his powerful and haunting turn as the patriarch of the family being torn apart by the devil. Ineson is so believable and convincing playing such a role during these puritan days and watching his anguish and confusing as the world around him begins to collapse is terrifying stuff. 

Anton Yelchin, Green Room

A few weeks ago, the life of 27 year old Anton Yelchin was tragically cut short in a freak accident. This is not a pity pick or merely a way to honor him. Yelchin is absolutely deserving of any and all recognition he receives and if you are unfamiliar with his work and want to understand why the world of cinema is grieving such a loss, check out Green Room. That is, as long as you have the ability to stomach this intense slice of genre filmmaking that is brutal and unflinching. This was the moment when I saw something more, something truly special in Yelchin, and then just like that only two months later he is gone. Heartbreaking and his passing will add a new layer to a film that already portrayed him as terrified and fighting for his life.

Anton Yelchin, rest in peace. You will be missed. You already are.

Josh Brolin, Hail, Caesar! 

It takes a special actor to be able to deliver Coen brothers comedy with perfection and that's what we got this year from Josh Brolin in Hail, Caesar!. The film has a lot going on and at first glance it seems like a bunch of stories messily told without resolution, but really the movie is about Eddie Mannix and Brolin plays it with ease. A unique brand of comedy and Brolin was an essential choice for the role. 

The winner of the 2016 First Half Oscar for Best Actor is...

John Goodman, 10 Cloverfield Lane

10 Cloverfield Lane is two for two with my awards so far as the performances delivered the tension of the film which is exactly what made the experience so great. John Goodman is so damn great here, every look, every word, every little twitch of his body is so scary and real. The combination of Goodman and Mary Elizabeth Winstead makes this movie a must watch picture from 2016. I would love to believe Goodman will have his name called in the supporting category when the real Oscar nominees are announced months from now, but I doubt it. It seems like the type of performance that will be ignored by those who make such decisions but trust me, I won't forget.

2016 First Half Oscars - Best Actress

I mean absolutely no offense to anyone listed, but suffice it to say the following names are not ones I would have mentally associated with awards prior to the beginning of this year. Well, one name I at least knew had the potential but considering I didn't even know the film was going to exist until 2016 had already kicked off, hard for me to pretend I saw that performance coming.

Yes, amazingly it is already early July and thus half of the year is over. Figured it would be fun to put together some lists of nominees and a winner from each category and be able to compare it to early next year when the actual Oscars role around. See if any of my summer nominees are able to stick around all the way through the fall and winter award season releases that typically dominate the attention.

I have seen 50 films released in 2016 so far, and these are my five favorite performances by actresses from those films:

Anya Taylor-Joy, The Witch

I caught wind of the buzz that surrounded The Witch when it premiered last year at the Sundance Film Festival, but I never expected the film to floor me like it did. A horror masterpiece and the star is an actress I had never heard of prior to this performance. Safe to say she has found her way onto my radar for the long term. Anya Taylor-Joy is the centerpiece of the disturbing events that occur in the film and she nails every moment. 

Imogen Poots, Green Room

After seeing the amazing Blue Ruin, I pretty much knew I might love anything that director Jeremy Saulnier did next. His ability to utilize mood and atmosphere in order to deliver something wholly unique and intense could have easily stole the entire show for me with Green Room, but turns out a couple of top notch performances would linger in my mind as well. I have seen Imogen Poots in a few other films prior to this but I was never all that impressed to be honest. Color me impressed now. She is absolutely perfect for the setting and circumstances that surround the characters in this film, a ferocious turn by an actress perfectly cast in an amazing film.

Blake Lively, The Shallows

Totally unexpected. I have never thought of Blake Lively as a terrible actress, but I also have never considered her to be a good one either. So when I heard she was asked to basically carry an entire thriller almost alone on the screen, I was skeptical. I apologize for my pessimism. Lively is terrific as a surfer who is forced to fight for her life when a shark attacks, and I officially believe. Give her the right material and I'm completely on board, and considering she is only now 28 years old, Blake might be ready to take off and show the world her talent for years to come. 

Elle Fanning, The Neon Demon

Nicolas Winding Refn doesn't really deliver cinema that bring the performances to the forefront as his vision usually glistens with style and a sublime understanding of framing, lighting and color, while the dialogue is typically not exactly complex or in the case of his previous film Only God Forgives, hardly there at all. That being said, knowing what to expect from The Neon Demon, Elle Fanning was the essential choice to play the lead role. She carries herself so perfectly throughout in order to deliver the thematic weight of the picture, at first selling us on her doe eyed innocence and kindness, a fragile young girl entering a dangerous and demeaning world, but when the lights and attention and run of success go to her head we see the transformation and it feels real against a surreal backdrop. 

The winner of the 2016 First Half Oscar for Best Actress is...

Mary Elizabeth Winstead, 10 Cloverfield Lane

Without a doubt one of the surprise films of the year so far, especially considering the studio, filmmakers and cast managed to keep it a total secret until only two months prior to its release, an unthinkable marketing home run at a time in which we are seeing trailers for films a full year before they premiere. The lead of the film is Mary Elizabeth Winstead as a young woman named Michelle who is run off the road by another vehicle one night and wakes up chained to the floor of a room inside a doomsday prepper's shelter and she is told she is lucky. The rest of the world is dead and they must stay down there until the dust settles above. 

John Goodman will steal the headlines for his outstanding turn in this film, but don't ignore what Winstead brings to the table here. It's pure excellence and true nuance from start to finish, which is why for me she is the best actress of 2016 thus far.