I managed to squeeze in over 100 films in 2016.
A good mix of foreign and domestic releases (those looking for blockbusters, comic book flicks and eye candy should search elsewhere).
Here’s my list of favourites:
- “High Rise” (Director: Ben Wheatley) Sorry, folks, no other film came close. Wheatley’s adaptation of J.G. Ballard’s bizarre novel is just about note perfect. Bravo! (Read my review)
- “The Valley of the Bees” (Director: Frantisek Vlacil) Czech New Wave; 1968 (Read my review)
- “Loving” (Writer & Director: Jeff Nichols) Nichols’ latest has “Oscar” written all over it. Wise and commendably understated. (Read my review)
- “The Big Short” (Director: Adam McKay) The 2008 financial meltdown, brilliantly portrayed.
- “Mustang” (Director: Deniz Gamze Ergüven)
- “Inherent Vice” (Director: Paul Thomas Anderson)
- “The Hunt” (Director: Thomas Vinterberg) Mads Mikkelsen shines.
- “Christ Stopped at Eboli” (Director: Francesco Rosi) A deeply spiritual movie.
- “Biutiful” (Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu) Almost unbearably moving. (Read my review)
- “Chevalier” (Director: Athina Rachel Tsangari) A movie that manages to be funny and insightful.
- “The Wind That Shakes the Barley” (Director: Ken Loach)
- “Mother and Son” (Director: Aleksandr Sokurov)
- “The Celebration” (Director: Thomas Vinterberg)
- “The Lobster” (Director: Yorgos Lanthimos) (Read my review)
Honorable Mention:
“Alps” (Director: Yorgos Lanthimos)
“The Secret in Their Eyes” (Director: Juan Campenella)
“The Witch” (Director: Robert Eggers)
“Four Lions” (Director: Chris Morris)
“99 Homes” (Director: Ramin Bahrani)
“’71” (Director: Yann Demange)
“Inland Empire” (Writer & Director: David Lynch)
“The Babadook” (Writer & Director: Jennifer Kent)
Documentaries:
“The Wolfpack” (Director: Crystal Moselle) A film almost too good to be true.
“The Occupation of the American Mind” (Writer & Director: Loretta Alper and Jeremy Earp) A courageous look at the real situation on the ground in Palestine.
“Dig!” (Director: Ondi Timoner)
“Beware of Mr. Baker” (Director: Jay Bulgar)
