The Best Movies of 2016

The Best Movies of the Year

2016 was a year that many people thought was one of doom and gloom. Amidst all the disenchantment and the disgraceful talk of building walls, the movies still provided us a means to connect and empathize with other people, to share and partake in a common human experience. Whether we watch movies with friends, lovers, family or ourselves, they allow us to experience a certain kind of connection, which is critically important in this day and age. With the Oscars only a few days away, here are my picks for best movies (and worst movie, because watching more bad movies will shorten my life) of 2016.

1. La La Land: This is a film made by movie lovers for movie lovers. It stands as equal to the pantheon of great Hollywood classics it pays homage to while adding a refreshingly modern twist. La La Land is cinema in its purest form, a visually dazzling, boundlessly passionate piece of poetry that inspires us to laugh, to empathize and to feel. There are scenes of such visual beauty that you want to just pause the film to marvel at the screen. To quote the late Roger Ebert, the movies are like a machine that generates empathy, it help us identify with the people who are sharing this journey with us. Through the music, the combined star power of Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, the impeccable dance choreography, and most importantly its passion, La La Land is the reason why we go to the movies in the first place.

2. Toni Erdmann: It is a sign you’ve got a great movie when a Hollywood remake is already planned starring Jack Nicholson and Kristen Wiig. This quirky German movie about an aging prankster father reconnecting with his workaholic white-collar daughter is sweet in its sincerity and uproarious in its humor. The climactic, impromptu performance of Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All” by the film’s central character is one of the most touching and cathartic scenes I have seen in the movies.

3. The Salesman: Asghar Farhadi, the great Iranian filmmaker of A Separation and The Past, has given us another powerful story of ordinary people challenged by extraordinary situations. It is amazing how subtle, yet believable, the transformation of the lead character is. It is a testament to Farhadi’s skills and mastery of the film medium that even an opened door or the footsteps of a lone man walking up the stairs can elicit a firestorm of emotions. With this great film, Iranian cinema is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with.

4. Silence: It is incomprehensible why this movie did not fare better at the Oscar nominations. An epic, 3 hour movie passion project that only Martin Scorsese could have made. A story of cultural conflicts and the lengths people go to preserve their beliefs and values, this thought-provoking movie belongs to the few that leaves an imprint on mind and soul. Silence ranks up there alongside Raging Bull and Taxi Driver as one of Scorsese’s best works.

5. The Handmaiden: A densely but ingeniously plotted film that surprises you at every turn. Just when you think you know what’s going on, Park Chan-wook tugs the rug from underneath your feet, keeping you at the edge of your seat until the last minute. Visually sumptuous and beautifully acted, this black comedy/morality tale is destined to be a classic.

6. Moonlight: A bittersweet tale of the permanence of emotional scars on the human soul, and how people often spend their entire lives to make amends. It is punctuated by remarkable performances from three different actors depicting various stages of a young man’s life, alongside career-best performances by Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris who are well-deserving of their Oscar nominations. Moonlight is dedicated to that shred of human connection we all seek, but which is often denied to us, both by society and ourselves.

7. Zootopia: Clever, funny and beautifully animated, Zootopia is the movie that we needed in the year Donald Trump got elected President. It is interesting that a cartoon like Zootopia reminded us how important it is to accept and cherish differences, and how diversity builds strength. Disney has produced many brilliant movies in 2016, but the socially conscious Zootopia is the one that people will remember years from now.

8. Arrival: An elegiac rumination on life, loss and indomitable human will, all wrapped up in an engaging science fiction story of first contact. The first 30 minutes contains scenes of awe-inspiring beauty, and if we ever encounter beings from another planet, it would probably look similar to Arrival. The French Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, who has found his calling in Hollywood, continues to prove that he is one of the best directors of his generation.

9. Manchester by the Sea: This devastating film is an exploration of how permanently grief can affect the human spirit, yet by the same stroke is also a minimalist tribute to the everyday human bonds that bring about redemption. Casey Affleck was born to play the role of the mysterious uncle harboring a terrible past, and in one brief scene with the always terrific Michelle Williams, encapsulates a world of pain and devastation. Casey Affleck is the actor to beat for the Best Actor Oscar.

10. Lion: A touching tribute to one man’s journey to find his native home. This is every bit the movie that Slumdog Millionaire wasn’t, and in many ways is the better movie. It needn’t rely on farfetched melodrama to be effective, supported by the fact that it is based on an amazing true story. The first half of the movie offers a unique perspective of India that puts you right there alongside its titular hero, experiencing with him the fears and the struggles of being a young child lost in a city of 14 million people. By the time the end credits roll, this movie will reinforce your faith in the strength of the human will (and Google Earth).

11. Eye in the Sky: This morally complex story about the ethical dilemmas surrounding drone warfare is also a powerful, hair-raising suspense thriller that would make Alfred Hitchcock proud. This film elicits marvelous performances from its all-star cast (including the late, great Alan Rickman in one of his best roles). The moral issues raised in this film can provide enough material for several university theses. As one of the best movies of 2016, it is perplexing how this also got shunned in the Oscar nominations.

12. Fences: A powerful, riveting family drama on intergenerational conflict and reconciliation. Denzel Washington shows us once again how he is one of the best actors working today. The heart and soul of this film belongs to Viola Davis, who in one earth-shattering scene with Washington, anchors the film’s heartbreaking emotional chords. The Best Supporting Actress Oscar should be hers to keep.

13. Hell or High Water: A thoroughly engaging thriller that is a police-chase / heist movie masking an underlying social commentary on the general malaise of Middle America (the kind that in part ushered Donald Trump to power). Hell or High Water explores the myth and innate values of America with poignancy and relevance, especially in this day and age of rapid development and social upheaval. Jeff Bridges gives one of the best performances of his storied career as the aged, but tirelessly sharp, sheriff who always plans two steps ahead of his colleagues and foes.

14. L’Avenir: Of the two Isabelle Huppert-starring movies in 2016 (Elle being the other one), L’Avenir is in my opinion her best. A deceptively simple, “slice-of-life” story of a middle-aged philosophy professor going through a particularly rough stage in life is a tale we can all identify with. Only a great actress of Huppert’s caliber can bring out the various shades of emotions her character experiences throughout the film.

15. 20th Century Women: This brilliantly original comedy is probably one of the most honest, insightful films about life and actual people who inhabit it. Its characters breathe with an identity and a story, and by the end you feel as if you have known them your whole life. Annette Bening, as the chain-smoking doting mother with a fascination for Bogart, gives one of the best performances of the year. With a killer script (my pick for Best Original Screenplay Oscar), 20th Century Women is the rare movie whose power lies in the quietest, most random moments, just like life itself.

Best Blockbusters of the Year

1. Captain America: Civil War: There is a reason why Marvel movies are so much more enjoyable than whatever the hell DC Comics tries to pass off as movies these days. Marvel movies are just so much more fun, and Captain America: Civil War is one of the best superhero extravaganza yet from the famed studio. Seeing a bunch of superheroes confronting each other with their superpowers filled me with the kind of glee very few blockbusters have.

2. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story: Rogue One is hands-down one of the best movies in the Star Wars series, a film that builds upon the legend of the original series and crafts memorable new characters that we care about. If all the upcoming spin-off Star Wars movies are this good, my faith in Disney’s handle of the franchise will be rewarded.

Worst Movie of the Year

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice: No more ink needs to be spilled about this horrendous movie, Ben Affleck’s ominous reaction being interviewed (which has become the subject of a viral meme) says it all. I guess it is one of the greatest mysteries of Hollywood why Zack Snyder continues to be asked to helm every DC comics movie. This should win every Razzie category in existence.