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NeoGaf Movies of the Year 2016 Voting Thread - Voting Ends 2/26/17

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1. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
2. Zootopia
3. The Nice Guys
4. Rogue One
5. La La Land
6. Kubo and the Two Strings
7. Arrival
8. 10 Cloverfield Lane
9. Captain America: Civil War
10. The Revenant
 

Bakkus

Member
La La Land isn't coming to Norwegian cinemas before February 24th and i'm usually not the kind of person to watch opening weekend. This sucks. Can I reserve this, and edit this around the deadline with my list?
 

Speevy

Banned
This thread reminds me that I need to see a lot more movies, but I want to list five that I really enjoyed.

1) Fences
2) Hidden Figures
3) The Witch
4) Arrival
5) Hacksaw Ridge

The movies I want to see the most are Manchester by the Sea and Moonlight.


I'm the first person to mention Fences. :(
 
1. Sing street
2. Gleason
3. Nice guys
4. Edge of seventeen
5. Popstar never stop poppin

I havent seen arrival, moonlight, or Manchester by the sea yet.
 

Big Wazu

Member
1. Rogue One
2. Green Room
3. The Witch
4. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
5. Star Trek Beyond
6. Doctor Strange
7. Batman: The Killing Joke
8. The Neon Demon
9. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
10. London Has Fallen

There was so many movies I really wanted to see but didn't get to. Hope to see way more movies in 2017.
 

Kazaam

Member
Just checking. Similar to the Games of the Year thread, are honorable mentions allowed?

Absolutely, though there will be no points awarded to them. Just make sure you have your top and the honourable mentions separately.

La La Land isn't coming to Norwegian cinemas before February 24th and i'm usually not the kind of person to watch opening weekend. This sucks. Can I reserve this, and edit this around the deadline with my list?

As long as you have your list by the time the voting closes, you can edit it as many times as you want.

I didn't get to watch as much films as I would've liked which is depressing. However here are my top American films out of that I had seen:

I know this is most likely a silly mention, but just want to make sure you know this isn't about top American films and you're allowed to put any films from any other country of origin.
 
Still got quite a few big hitters to see. I'm glad the deadline is over a month away because the amount of good to great films released last year is overwhelming. At the end of August I didn't know what to expect because Summer was such a drag, then boom. For all of its faults, 2016 really brought its A game for cinema, its got to be the best this decade, at least in terms of quantity.
 

Mathi

Member
1. The Nice Guys
2. Zootopia
3. Captain America: Civil War
4. Moana
5. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
6. Deadpool
7. Doctor Strange
8. The Accountant
9. Star Trek: Beyond
10. Finding Dory

Work in progress, I have probably forgotten something.
I also still need to see Hell or High Water and Hacksaw Ridge before voting ends.
 

Gastone

Member
1. The Handmaiden
2. Rogue One - A Star Wars Story
3. Elle
4. Train to Busan
5. Kubo and the two strings
6. The Wailing
7. The Witch
8 .Nocturnal Animals
9. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
10. The Nice Guys
 
1. The Witch : Dripping with atmosphere and filled with strong, authentic feeling performances, this was easily the most impressive film of the year to me.
2. Moonlight : Crafting a look into one man's life using three different actors seems unimaginably hard to me, but somehow it all came together to create the obvious Best Picture winner at this year's Oscars. Mahershala Ali gave the best performance of anyone in 2016, and Janelle Monae is really going under the radar for what I thought was an amazing performance as well.
3. The Nice Guys : Funny, intriguing, and the coming out party for Angourie Rice, it breaks my heart knowing how hard this movie bombed. Could have been this generation's Lethal Weapon, instead we'll have to live with this "buddy cop" classic.
4. Manchester by the Sea : Casey Affleck is getting all the love, but Michelle Williams is the highlight of this movie, giving the most emotionally charged performance I've seen in quite some time. It's a shame they moved Viola Davis down into supporting, because Williams deserves recognition for her performance. Besides her, Affleck was still fantastic, even if I'm not as sold on him as everyone else (I was more impressed by Gosling in La La Land and how much work he did), but all this coupled by fantastic editing and strong direction made it impossible to put outside the top 5, especially on rewatch.
5. Green Room : It's hard to choose between this and Don't Breathe, but in the end the brutal high points of this movie just get the edge. Quite possibly the most uncomfortable viewing experience I've had for a movie, which in my mind is the highest praise I can possibly give it.
6. La La Land : A movie that I initially hated, listened to the soundtrack and fell in love with it, then saw it in IMAX and really came to appreciate everything about it. Yes, the narrative is admittedly a bit weak, but Gosling and Emma Stone sell it, not to mention the fact that the musical numbers were amazingly well shot. Won't hurt my feelings for this to sweep every category except Best Picture at the Oscars this year.
7. Fences : Just an all around fantastic experience. Superb dialogue, career performances by Denzel Washington and Viola Davis, and just different then what I would expect all around. My one complaint is it felt suffocatingly small at times, but in the end I think that was the point.
8. Arrival : How many great films can Villeneuve make in a row before the streaks. Hopefully it's after Bladerunner 2049. Amy Adams was stellar, the twist was strong, and it just fucking looked good. Yet on rewatch, I felt the story just wasn't there for me anymore, but the acting and direction/cinematography are still top notch. Not sure why a lot of GAF hates it, but it was definitely one of the best movies of last year.
9. Deadpool : What a shocker. Yes I've been a fan of the character for years, but I thought it was a foregone conclusion that this was gonna be one shitty movie. Instead I get one of the smartest scripts of the year, with a great comedic lead, the best comic book movie ever, and the best blockbuster of 2016 in a year with Avengers 2.5 and Star Wars. Holy shit.
10. Hell or High Water : Jeff Bridges is coming out of this getting all the love, but Ben Foster was the real standout in this modern western. It was very straight forward, but for once the simplistic nature worked to the movie's advantage.

Honorable Mentions:

The Wailing : The one almost made it, and the third act was maybe my favorite of any movie not named Rogue One this year, and the beginning was too strange to jump that final spot. It's tonally weird, it's really long, and all of that comes together to make maybe the most unique viewing experience of the year.
Captain Fantastic: Just an overall outlandish but fun film. Caught me off guard.
Kubo and the Two Strings: Good god the animation was sublime.
10 Cloverfield Lane: Feels like a PG-13 Green Room to me in a way. Loved the ending though.
Conjuring 2: The goddamn office scene. So good.
The Lobster: The humor can miss for a lot of people, but it didn't for me.
Midnight Special: Gonna be the forgotten gem of 2016 I imagine.

Haven't seen:
Paterson
Silence
20th Century Women
 

T8SC

Member
1 - 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
2 - Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
3 - Money Monster
4 - 10 Cloverfield Lane
5 - London Has Fallen
6 - Deadpool
7 - Captain America: Civil War
8 - Into The Shallows
9 - Central Intelligence
10 - Zootopia
 
1. Deadpool
2. Arrival
3. La La Land
4. Moana
5. The Nice Guys
6. Sing Street
7. The Accountant
8. Hacksaw Ridge
9. Kubo and the Two Strings
10. Star Trek Beyond

Edit - list updated to slot Sing Street in. Great movie!
Edit 2 - list updated to slot The Accountant in. Really enjoyed that one, too.
Edit 3 - La La Land jumps to #3. What a wonderful movie.
 
  1. The Witch
  2. The Handmaiden
  3. The Lobster
  4. The Nice Guys
  5. La La Land
  6. Manchester by the Sea
  7. Arrival
  8. Moonlight
  9. Hacksaw Ridge
  10. The Wailing

Honourable mentions:
  • Captain America: Civil War
  • Captain Fantastic
  • Deadpool
  • Hell or High Water
  • Lion
  • Little Sister
  • Swiss Army Man
 
It doesn't seem likely that the remaining couple movies I had wanted to see will be available to me by the time voting ends, so might as well cast them now. 2016 might have sucked...but not for movies, I gotta say.


6280-maxresdefault-1480x833.jpg
1. The Handmaiden
An erotic thriller than manages to actually be both erotic and thrilling, rather than just flashing some coochie getting on with a by the numbers revenge tale or some such nonsense. The Handmaiden is not content with being pinned down with any one label though, as it's also a lush period piece, tender romance, and the most damn fun movie you could see in theaters this year.
2. The Witch
The finest horror film of the last two decades. Robert Eggars' measured and historically based approach to this dark fable lends it a haunting authenticity. It never resorts to the cheap stuff, and instead builds a creeping sense of dread and desolation through its hauntingly lensed setting and very strong character work, before quietly and seductively descending into hell.
3. O.J.: Made in America
This comprehensive and balanced documentary not only faithfully conveys the sheer absurdity and tragedy of Orenthal James Simpson's life, but manages to contextual it in the broader American racial politics of the time in a way that manages to exponentially increase both those facets of the story without ever feeling unfocused. It's riveting.
4. Manchester by the Sea
Kenneth Lonergan captures the essence of humanity in the crossroads between profound sadness and dry, at times almost absurd, humor. Nothing here feels inauthentic, thanks both to the expertly crafted narrative, and the superlative performance from Casey Affleck (among others).
5. Moonlight
There is a wonderful economy about Moonlight, telling more about the characters' inner turmoils and passions through subtle glances and graceful camerawork than any lengthy and emotionally flourished exchanges. It has a quiet power and beauty that builds through to the wonderful final act.
6. La La Land
Yeah, this movie is partly a fluffy Hollywood rom-com between two ungodly attractive and talented characters that expects us to both be charmed and feel sorry for them at the same time. But you know what? It totally worked. I was charmed, I was heartbroken, and I was tapping my feet along to every song in the soundtrack that I'm still listening to weeks later. It's a wonderful confluence of Hollywood yearning that's tempered by the cold waters of compromise and real life.
7.The Wailing
A two and half hour nigh-incomprehensible mystery film whose tone careens wildly around from comedy to drama to horror and back again sounds like a mess. And it is a mess, a wonderful, insane, riveting mess. But what may seem incomprehensible at first reveals itself to be very carefully constructed, as clues are laced in every frame, and the initial confusion of the story is quite well articulated with the very theme of the movie.
8.Everybody Wants Some!!
It is a true gift that Linklater manages to make a movie that is essentially about nothing feel so effortlessly compelling. The characters and world are so breezy and natural I would gladly watch scene after scene of the cast just hanging out, which is pretty much what this movie is.
9. Embrace of the Serpent
This hazy, psychedelic journey down the Amazon is suffused with the same dread that so successfully fueled Apocalypse Now as well. It's a haunting journey of self discovery and sense of place in the natural world, and manages to do so with one of the most well realized uses of dual narratives I've yet seen, each storyline the murky river reflection of the other.
10. Green Room
Once this movie kicked into gear, I don't think my hands stopped gripping the arms of the theater chair for the rest of the movie. The threat of real, filthy, malice-filled, violence is palpable in every inch of the movie, as it has every bit of the grimy punk attitude its band of characters swagger around as. It's not an empty threat either, as in this case the bite is every bit as bad as the bark, if not worse. And while it loses a little momentum in the third act, and much like Blue Ruin before it, it doesn't really amount to being a story with anything particularly interesting to say, but in this instance it's so good as a pure, visceral thrill ride I can let that go.

Honorable Mentions:
x. Arrival
x. Hail, Caesar!
x. Hell or High Water
x. Love & Friendship
x. The Lobster
x. Zootopia
x. The Nice Guys
x. Sing Street
 
Guess I will join in.

1. Zootopia
2. Captain America: Civil War
3. Rogue One
4. Deadpool
5. Doctor Strange
6. Finding Dory
7. Moana
8. The Jungle Book

And that's about it for me honestly. Didn't list films that I either haven't watched yet or finished or I found some films to be terrible.

Would be happy to add Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders to my list, though that was a limited release (and can't remember if it was released in my area) and straight-to-video, which is how I watched it.
 

WJD

Member
Alright, let's think about this:

1. Manchester by the Sea
2. Arrival
3. Captain Fantastic
4. La La Land
5. The Witch
6. Hell or High Water
7. Everybody Wants Some!!
8. Hail, Caesar!
9. The Invitation
10. Mindhorn

Honourable mentions go to:
Nocturnal Animals
High Rise
Silence
The Nice Guys
10 Cloverfield Lane
Jungle Book
Edge of Seventeen
Midnight Special
Zootopia

Seriously, for all the talk about 2016 being a bad year for movies, it was still really, really good.
 

T.O.P

Banned
1. Green Room
2. Manchester by the sea
3. The Witch
4. 10 Cloverfield Lane
5. La La Land
6. Rogue One
7. Arrival
8. The Purge: Election Year
9. Hush
10. Don't Breath
 

TissueBox

Member
I know this is most likely a silly mention, but just want to make sure you know this isn't about top American films and you're allowed to put any films from any other country of origin.

Yezzers, just put that there as a disclaimer that I hadn't seen enough foreign stuff to include 'em. xP That said, I'm comfortable with the list as it stands at this moment, though I'd not be surprised for it to look quite different a year or so later.
 

omgkitty

Member
Hoping to watch more in the coming month, but I'm lazy so who knows. I love how 3 of my top 5 are technically 2015 as well. Two films also contain Kim Min-Hee which is weird / awesome. I have yet to see Moonlight, Manchester by the Sea, Your Name, 20th Century Women, Paterson, Jackie etc etc etc.


1. The Lobster
2. Right Now, Wrong Then
3. The Handmaiden
4. Manchester by the Sea
5. The Witch
6. La La Land
7. The Wailing
8. Arrival
9. High-Rise
10. The Neon Demon
 
I'm realizing at this moment that I didn't actually see a lot of movies this past year. Pickings for my list are slim. I've watched too much popcorn and not enough...anything else.

1. Shin Godzilla
2. 10 Cloverfield Lane
3. Rogue One
4. Captain America: Civil War
5. Star Trek Beyond

I saw more movies but I don't like them enough to give them any points.

If one were to vote for the new Godzilla film, which title would count: Shin Godzilla or Godzilla Resurgence?
Asking for a friend.

:)
 
1. Arrival
2. Green Room
3. Moonlight
4. The Handmaiden
5. The Neon Demon
6. The Lobster
7. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
8. Swiss Army Man
9. Nocturnal Animals
10. Don't Breathe
 

Lan Dong Mik

And why would I want them?
1. Rogue One
2. The Witch
3. Green Room
4. The Neon Demon
5. Hell Or High Water
6. Arrival
7. Zootopia
8. The Invitation
9. The Wailing
10. Moonlight

still need to see:

Manchester by the Sea
Swiss Army Man
Nocturnal Animals
Blair Witch
Hacksaw Ridge
The Lobster

Edit: Updated my list after seeing Manchester, Swiss Army Man, Blair Witch and Nocturnal Animals

1. Rogue One
2. The Witch
3. Green Room
4. The Neon Demon
5. Hell Or High Water
6. Arrival
7. Zootopia
8. The Invitation
9. Swiss Army Man
10. Nocturnal Animals
 
I hadn't seen shit but the standouts are definitely

1. 13th (Required documentary of our time)
2. Don't Breath
3. Captain America: Civil War

I want to see Moonlight so bad
 

WolfeTone

Member
1. La La Land
2. The Handmaiden
3. 13th
4. Moonlight
5. Manchester By The Sea
6. Zootopia
7. Lion
8. Sing Street
9. Moana
10. The Red Turtle

Also watched: Hell or Highwater, Sausage Party, Batman v Superman, Dr. Strange, Captain America Civil War, Arrival, Kubo and the Two Strings, The Wailing, The Lobster, The Girl On The Train, Hacksaw Ridge, (maybe others, but if I've forgotten watching them they can't be worth listing).

Still to see that might enter my top 10: Silence, Patterson, Elle, Toni Erdmann, The Neon Demon.
 

Oozer3993

Member
1. Moana

I am a big Disney animation nut, as the gigantic "The Walt Disney Film Archives. The Animated Movies 1921–1968" book I got for Christmas can attest (the Wall Street Journal called it "hernia-inducing"). I have my ear to the ground for any rumors on their upcoming feature film slate, especially anything that can be described as a "musical." So Moana, an animated musical from Ron Clements and John Musker, the directors of two of my favorite movies (The Little Mermaid and Aladdin), featuring music from Lin Manual-Miranda, the creator of Hamilton, and starring The Rock, was definitely on my radar. Let's just say my expectations were high. It rocketed through them like tissue paper. The music is fantastic, with practically perfect pacing. The animation is jaw-dropping, the first computer animated movie I've seen that effectively transfers "squash and stretch" from the page to the machine. Auli'i Cravalho is incredible as the 16-year-old title character (even though she was only 14/15 when she recorded the part!). The Rock is dependable and likable as always, with charisma to spare and Rachel House is wonderful as the wise, warm, and weird Grandma Tala. The "I Am Moana" sequence may be the best one Disney's ever done. I was absolutely giddy coming out of the theater and took the long way home to listen to the soundtrack.

2. Arrival

I love a good sci-fi movie, and boy does this qualify. The concept behind the film is right up my alley: humanity trying to learn how to communicate with an alien species. The movie unfolds at a calm, steady pace, doling out information at a nice clip. And I absolutely love how even the structure of the film mirrors and enhances the narrative. It also kept the streak going for popular, well-received sci-fi films released in the fall. We've had one in 4 straight years.

3. Hidden Figures

Despite being a NASA geek since birth, I was unaware of the contributions of numerous women to the mathematics of early space flight. I was aware that women helped program the mechanical computers and had heard of the "female computers," but I was ignorant to the true extent they aided NASA and to the overlooked role many of them had in the civil rights movement. Needless to say, I loved the movie. Even Pharrell Williams, who I've soured on a bit in recent years (Free Chad Hugo!) came through with some great music. And I'm a sucker for historic space flight on the big screen (gimmie that Damien Chazelle Neil Armstrong biopic).

4. Deadpool

Like many of you, I was aware of the struggles Ryan Reynolds et al were having getting the movie made. And then the test footage leaked, and it was great. And then it got greenlit, and that was kind of amazing. And then it came out, and it was kind of amazing, as goofy, and foul, and fourth wall breaking as hoped. And it made a ton of money in defiance of every studio executive's gut feeling. Long live Wade Wilson (like he has a choice).

5. The Nice Guys

There likely isn't anyone else on Earth as good at writing buddy comedies as Shane Black. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was delightful and I was excited for his next go at the genre. The Nice Guys did not disappoint. Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe bounce off each other excellently and Shane imbues both their characters with enough heart to make up for their obvious foibles. And of course, it's damn funny.

Movies I need to see: La La Land, Kubo and the Two Strings, Moonlight, a bunch more.

Movies I saw but didn't make my list: Batman vs. Superman, Captain America: Civil War, Finding Dory, Star Wars: Rogue One, Zootopia.
 

Wensih

Member
cemetery1-590x308.jpg


Cemetary of Splendor has a biting political statement about the current affairs in Thailand through a surreal dreamscape narrative while also showcasing everyday life in the director's home town of Thailand. I'm still compiling the list of movies for 2016 and trying to finish ones I haven't seen, but this may be a strong contender for top 10.
 
Wow, I did a really terrible job of watching movies in 2016. Or 2016 must have had a bunch of movies that didn't interest me at all. I imagine La La Land would be on here too, as it seems right up my alley, but it left theaters around here before I could see it. So my pathetic list:

1) Moana
2) 13th
3) Green Room
4) Deadpool
 
Moonlight is amazing and my #1. A gangland movie without a single shot fired or cop onscreen. Just a great simple story told through great writing and performances.

That "faggot" scene at the table really stuck with me and put it over The Nice Guys in my book.
 

Vestal

Gold Member
1. Moana
2. Rogue One
3. Doctor Strange
4. Deadpool
5. Cap Civil War
6. Zootopia


List above limited to what I have been able to watch from last year..(been watching too many series lol)
 

Glass Rebel

Member
1. Arrival
I am a sucker for sci-fi movies that take a theoretical concept and push it to its limit so this was bound to come out at the top for me. Of all the movies I saw this year, it left the biggest impact. For me it succeeded where Interstellar failed, namely in marrying (pseudo-)science, philosophical aspects and emotional weight in a full package. It requires some suspension of belief and isn't perfect in its execution but that's just one of the things with sci-fi of this nature.

2. The Nice Guys
I think it's safe to say that Shane Black is my favourite screenwriter, only rivalled by Quentin Tarantino. He has a certain approach to making films that resonates extremely well with me in the way he combines shock and humour and The Nice Guys is no different. He stumbles a bit in the last act but it's nonetheless a very memorable movie with great performances by Gosling and Crowe. No other movie has made me laugh as hard as when Gosling tries to break into some place and cuts his wrist on the glass. The planets aligned to give us that moment.

3. The Handmaiden
Incredibly smart filmmaking that uses clever editing and writing to show a highly personal revenge story unfold from different perspectives. Kim Min-hee is nothing short of amazing and the entire premise stands or falls on her performance. I usually don't like erotic moments in movies because many filmmakers treat sex, regardless of its nature, as nothing more than a plot point, for titillation or to shock the audience. The Handmaiden, however, treats sex with the necessary respect and sensitivity and shows it in its full complexity.

4. La La Land
Beautiful and bittersweet musical about dreams and the sacrifices we have to make to achieve them. I'm not very big on musicals but La La Land managed to win me over by being very fantastical in nature while never forgetting the dire reality it is based on. Barring the scene where the girls get ready for the party, everything feels very natural in its transition from "normal" film to song. The dinner scene that escalates into a fight and the ending stand out as two of the most memorable scenes of the year for me. Not to diminish Stone's performance here but between this and The Nice Guys, 2016 might be Gosling's best year ever.

5. Safari
A documentary about hunting tourism. For a good while this was my favourite film of 2016. I saw it at the Zürich Film Festival and it left me speechless not just because of its content but its editing and production. It's hard to describe it without revealing too much but I'm usually very suspicious of documentaries and always expect them to be slightly manipulative. Safari was different in that I felt it revealed more about myself by the end. Seidl is simply a genius.

6. Hell or High Water
Great modern Western with some incredibly tense scenes and stellar performances by Pine and especially Foster. A bit on the nose at times but great at depicting the desperation and helplessness of these characters and the relationship between the two brothers.

7. Lady Macbeth
I was a bit down on the film after seeing it because of various reasons but my opinion on it has improved with time. Florence Pugh is incredible in it and certainly one of the most promising young actresses in recent memory. While I do not appreciate some thematic inconsistencies arising from the characterization and actions of the protagonist, I do think it's a highly engaging film. When I think about it, I cannot avoid comparisons to The Handmaiden, which impressed with its incredible set design. Lady Macbeth is basically the opposite of it and sports a highly austere look which it uses to great effect.

8. The Salesman
A neo-realist revenge drama that manages to build up thick suspense while showing immense restraint. While Alidoosti is fantastic as well, Hosseini impresses with a standout performance of a man who becomes increasingly more desperate and helpless. He just shows enough of his internal struggle to make you question his motivation and his actions and never delves into cheap melodrama. The finale in particular is masterfully crafted and makes similar films of its ilk look almost pedestrian in comparison. If you liked Villeneuve's Prisoners, I believe you will enjoy this as well.

9. Demolition
Jake Gyllenhaal has become, without a doubt, one of the best actors of his generation. Him trying to deal with loss and emotional detachment just resonated with me on a personal level, even if the movie delves into clichés from time to time. Still, Davis' interactions with Julie's parents and the kid were just very powerful and that dancing scene will forever stay with me.

10. Zootopia
One of the most important movies of the year in my opinion, which is why it made my list. Zootopia is one of the few children's movies that tried and succeeded at saying something culturally and socially relevant. Even though the extended metaphor doesn't quite hold up if you take a very close look, it was still effective enough and I think very convincingly presented.

Honourable mentions

Captain America: Civil War
I have seen this film about 8 times in 2016 alone so I think I have a fairly good grasp of it. I think the endless discussions about the conflict between Cap and Tony, both on a political level about the Accords as well on a moral/philosophical level about Bucky, speak for itself. It's a very well made movie that is sadly held back by two things, namely its adherence to genre expectations and the Spidey deal with Sony. As much as I love the airport scene as well as the inclusion of Spidey, it makes for a movie with worse pacing than Winter Soldier for example. However, it's still the best argument for the MCU with the amazing payoff in its third act. This was basically the culmination of three Iron Man movies, two Captain America movies and two Avengers movies and it was fantastic. I've maintained that the strength of the MCU lies in its characters and their relationships and I love what they have done with Civil War.

Where is Rocky II?
My favourite movie of the Locarno Film Festival. The director Pierre Bismuth, who previously worked on the screenplay of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, described it as fake fiction. It's basically a movie made up of unscripted scenes that were directed and edited in a way to make them look as if they were planned. It's a super interesting experiment that led to some hilarious scenes but I think at some point the concept ran a bit thin. Interesting watch nonetheless.

Scarred Hearts (Inimi cicatrizate)
A Romanian movie about a patient in a sanatorium trying to enjoy the last moments of his life with his fellow patients even though he is mostly tied to his bed. It's very light in its narrative, is way too long and Lucian Teodor Rus' theatrical character Emanuel becomes increasingly obnoxious but its use of static low-angle shots that mirror the protagonist's perspective makes for a very interesting viewing experience. I've read a review that criticized it because it keeps the audience away from the events of the film but that's honestly what I liked the best about it. It puts the viewer in Emanuel's headspace by establishing a certain distance which makes one almost crave for more intimacy. In this regard, Emanuel's craving for attention is almost beneficial.

Doctor Strange
Looking back it's a fairly run of the mill origin story that does a few things well. It does a good job at establishing the mystic part of the MCU in terms of tone, mythology and major players. One issue I've always had with these movies was that they treated their antagonists as plot points rather than characters (with the exception of Loki) so having someone like Mordo is a definite improvement. The visual effects in combination with the powers were also very cool. Taking the city folding of Inception and cranking it up to 11 was a nice idea but I feel they could have done more with that. The time shenanigans were cool, however. Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find them did something similar with the restoration of the city but it felt relatively empty compared to Hong Kong in Doctor Strange. Cutting directly to the aftermath and having the audience live through the destruction in reverse while they fight the zealots was an inspired choice. Topping it all off with the final confrontation against Dormammu made this one of my favourite third acts in a CBM, it's just a shame that the rest of the movie isn't quite up to snuff.

Deadpool
A decent CBM that does a good job at budging trends and tropes but mostly falls apart on rewatches. The jokes are funny the first time around and one might argue that's all that counts but it also betrays their simple nature. Barring a few examples, Deadpool fails to surprise and yet there's a certain quality to it that makes it a fun afternoon romp. The fourth wall breaking and Reynold's charisma mostly make up for the movie's shortcomings.

Toni Erdmann
Tony Erdmann is difficult for me to assess because I think a movie should be primarily enjoyable and this one wasn't for me. It is a three hours exercise in some of the most awkward comedy and second hand embarrassment I have ever experienced. There were several moments during the movie where I wanted to disappear in my seat. I was this close to just lying on the floor and reading a book and that's quite an achievement. I personally think it's too long, resulting in it becoming a blur of relentless shame but I think it's quite effective and in a strange way a somewhat endearing movie. But I never wanna see it again.

Moana
Loved Moana's characterization and the songs in this but after thinking about it, it would have left more of an impression last year, probably. If it weren't for La La Land and Zootopia, this might have gotten a spot in my Top 10 list but alas.


Little Men
Deserves a mention simply for the fantastic child actors, especially Michael Barbieri, and a very grounded and realistic depiction of child friendships.

Paterson
The on-screen projections of the poems were a bit cheesy and it never quite got there for me but Adam Driver delivered a highly impressive and subdued performance as Paterson, I couldn't help but enjoy it and its humour.

Late releases:

Creed
Fantastic movie that just nails every single aspect of a sports drama. Donnie's personal story, his relationship to Rocky and Bianca, the boxing are just very well executed. It's just a powerful story and the only movie I've seen this year that made me tear up at the end.

The Hateful Eight
One of my least favourite Tarantino movies which still manages to be better than most non-Tarantino movies. The best description I've heard, I don't know from where, was that if this were a book, it'd turn into a comic in the last few pages. Tarantino is usually incredibly good at mixing various tones, here he didn't quite stick the landing. The extremely indulgent ending sadly takes away from the movie overall and I think it lacks some of the trademark wit. That doesn't change the fact that the rest shows just how good he is at crafting incredibly tense scenes. In short, great movie that could have been better.
 

Gila

Member
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1 | Arrival
2 | Moonlight
3 | Hell or High Water
4 | Hacksaw Ridge
5 | Hunt for Wilderpeople
6 | Star Wars: Rogue One
7 | Kubo and the Two Strings
8 | Silence
9 | Moana
10 | Little Men
 
1. Moonlight
2. La La Land
3. Arrival
4. Hunt For The Wilderpeople
5. Captain Fantastic
6. Hacksaw Ridge
7. Hidden Figures
8. The Nice Guys
9. 10 Cloverfield Lane
10. Green Room

There's some stuff I've yet to see but I figure I'd go ahead and get my list out there already. Still needing to see Manchester, Handmaiden, Jackie, Lion, Fences, Paterson, 20th Century Women, Toni Erdmann, Elle and Silence.
 

Kyonashi

Member
Top Ten
1. Your Name (君の名は。)
2. Arrival
3. The Witch
4. The Handmaiden (아가씨)
5. Anomalisa
6. The Mermaid (美人魚)
7. The Wailing (곡성)
8. The Nice Guys
9. 10 Cloverfield Lane
10. Zootopia

-----
Below the cut:
11. Nocturnal Animals
12. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
13. The Hateful Eight
14. High-Rise
15. Deadpool
16. Mascots
17. Captain America: Civil War
18. Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV


I think the only ones I'd like to see which aren't on there are Shin Godzilla and Moonlight, on which I'm waiting for the UK releases, so I guess I can still put them on next year's list.
One of the easiest years to pick a winner, it's definitely Your Name with a bullet - that film is phenomenal.
 
1. La La Land
2. The Wailing
3. The Witch
4. Train to Busan
5. The Nice Guys
6. Arrival
7. Silence
8. Hacksaw Ridge
9. Manchester by the Sea
10. Nocturnal Animals

Shoutout to Hell or High Water, Sing Street, Moonlight, Elle, and 10 Cloverfield Lane for just missing the list. Hope to catch The Handmaiden and Hunt for the Wilderpeople before voting is over
 
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1. Moonlight
2. Silence
3. Manchester-By-The-Sea
4. The Handmaiden
5. Paterson
6. La La Land
7. 20th Century Women
8. Everybody Wants Some!!
9. Hell or High Water
10. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
 

T Dollarz

Member
1. Arrival
2. Everybody Wants Some!!
3. Moonlight
4. Manchester by the Sea
5. La La Land
6. The VVitch
7. Green Room
8. The Handmaiden
9. Midnight Special
10. The Neon Demon
 

BioHazard

Member
1. Toni Erdmann
2. Arrival
3. Certain Women
4. Allied
5. Manchester by the Sea
6. Moonlight
7. Silence
8. Happy Hour
9. Krisha
10. Things to Come



The remainder of my top 25, in order, but leaving it un-numbered so as not to confuse
Elle
The Wailing
Green Room
American Honey
La La Land
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Everybody Wants Some!!
Cameraperson
The Witch
Peter and the Farm
Pete's Dragon
Hidden Figures
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
The Handmaiden
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
 

Spasm

Member
I'm seeing lots of examples of Zootopia in one list and Kubo in another, but not both in the same list. Interesting.

I loved Zootopia, but I think it'll mostly drop out of public consciousness in a year or two. While I think Kubo has the potential to become a timeless classic.

Edit: Oops, sorry for going a bit off-topic and forgetting to vote. Will do that later.
 
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