The Du's Favorite FILMS OF 2016
#10 - THE FITS
11-year-old tomboy Toni (Royalty Hightower) trains at a boxing gym with her older brother. Through a glass door she sees a group of female dancers of varying ages practicing their dance routine. Toni becomes enamored with this style of dancing and joins the squad. What ensues is a visceral journey of physical, self-discovery.
Anna Rose Holmer's debut The Fits captures how awkward adolescence can be socially, and how confusing it can be physically. Toni observes the other girls, reflecting on their differences and what makes them different. She studies them carefully, maybe in a comparative way, or maybe in a curious way. We never hear Toni’s internal process. That would only detract from the visceral, meditative aura the movie spawns.
The film is rooted in a physical metaphor that’s initially confounding, but eases itself into clarity, taking the film to a new level.
The Fits is a staggering achievement and perhaps the most visceral film of the year. It was made for under $200,000, serving as proof that money does not always equal quality. Running at a length of 72 minutes and streaming on Amazon Prime, catch up with this hidden gem now.
#9 - Hell Or High Water
The Summer of 2016 was a pretty weak time for movies. So when Hell or High Water rolled around in August, it was a welcome breath of fresh air.
Brothers Toby (Chris Pine) and Tanner (Ben Foster) rob banks in order to save their family ranch from foreclosure. The brothers attitudes towards their way of living is stark in contrast: Toby is reticent and clearly disappointed that it’s come to this. Tanner however, is completely in his element. He’s a loose cannon who lives on the thrills of bank heists and chasing women.
The brothers are being pursued by rangers Marcus (Jeff Bridges) and Alberto (Gil Birmingham). Albert is earnest and looking to prove himself. Marcus is an experienced, playfully sardonic old-timer who is nearing retirement.
You find yourself rooting for every character in Hell or High Water despite their goals being in direct opposition of each other. You want everybody to succeed, yet you know that’s impossible. The film is intense and fun, but also moving in its portrayal of brotherhood, partnership, and a struggling working class. Gratuitous shootouts are traded for developed, empathetic characters that make the film’s violent climax meaningful.
“That’s the best movie I’ve seen in a long time.” - David Duea as we’re walking out of the theater.
If that ^ isn’t a stunning endorsement, I don’t know what is.
#8 - Certain Women
4 women in Montana - each one trying to be taken seriously. Their situations are different, but their loneliness and struggle for authority is shared.
Writer/Director Kelly Reichardt breaks the film up into three separate, loosely connecting stories. Laura (Laura Dern) is a lawyer who struggles to control an unstable client. Gina (Michelle Williams) is a wife/mother who wants to purchase sandstones for her family’s new house. Jamie (Lilly Gladstone) tends a ranch during the day, and stumbles upon a night class being taught by a young lawyer named Beth (Kristen Stewart).
The stories may not seem like high stake situations. But for these women (and Reichardt seems to be implying for women everywhere), their satisfaction is found in the little gestures of feeling valued. and their sadness comes from when their value is undermined, or even worse, absent.
Similar to Reichardt’s previous films (Old Joy, Meek’s Cutoff), Certain Women moves at a leisurely pace, creating an authentic, relatable experience. She embraces the subtleties of human interaction, and how it influences our emotions and relationships.
Two of the three stories in the film are great, but one of them is beyond affecting. I won’t tell you which one though. You’ll just have to find out for yourself by watching this poignant movie.
#7 - La La Land
Damien Chazelle’s La La Land is both an homage to the past and a leap into the future.
Struggling actress Mia (Emma Stone) and stagnant jazz musician Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) weave together through a journey of dreaming and disappointment. They experience the highs of chasing their wildest aspirations and falling in love, and the lows of having those dreams slip through their fingers.
La La Land brims with radiancy and exuberance. The film is splashed with color and beauty, showcasing the allure of dreams, love, and art. It’s the kind of world I want to live in; a world where dreams are celebrated. Chazelle’s camera moves with a swift energy, bringing the film to life in extravagant ways. Plus, Stone and Gosling, already two of the most likable people on earth, have never been better than they are in La La Land. I just want to double date with them.
La La Land has an opening scene for the ages, and a closing scene that will tug your heartstrings. I couldn’t wipe the perpetual grin off my face well after the movie ended. I’ve been whistling “City of Stars” ever since.
#6 - EveryBody Wants SOme
April 6th, 2016 - Elliott and Kelsey, both beaming with joy, walk out of the theater after seeing Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some.
Elliott: “I never wanted that to end.”
Kelsey: “Neither did I. That’s the most fun I’ve had during a movie since I can remember.”
Elliott: “Pretty much. I feel like I just made 13 new best friends.”
[Fin]
#5 - The WITCH
The Witch is drenched in atmospheric terror. It takes place in a world of grey. Not black where everything is evil, and not white where things are joyful. It’s completely in-between. It's grey; where a family relentlessly seeks the divine, but consistently comes up empty.
The perpetual grey cinematography emphasizes this disconnect between the humans and God. The family seeks the slightest touch of spiritual love, confirmation, or a reward from the divine. Yet they’re only met with silence, and the spiritual seekers are left cold; allowing their paranoia to build and eventually run amuck until there is nothing but distrust between the family.
Satan has a particular kind of torture he’d like to subject people to. Killing is not enough. He wants to pit people against each other, causing internal and external chaos in what should be the safest environment, and the most altruistic bond in family.
Director Roger Eggar’s film is rhythmic, beating to the drum of impending spiritual downfall. The Witch is directed with such thrilling confidence and astuteness, it’s stunning that this is Eggar’s debut feature.
Because of The Witch, I've developed a deep fear of black goats. Thanks a lot Black Phillip.
#4 - The Lobster
David (Colin Farrell) checks into a hotel where single people are given 45 days to find a partner, or they will be turned into an animal of their choice and cast into the forest - just a standard film premise. David specifies that he’d like to be a lobster if he fails in his quest for love.
Writer/Director Yorgos Lanthimos continues his pattern of creating absurdist, dark comedies where much of the laughter comes from the viewer’s discomfort. However, there is substance behind the film's constant uneasiness. Lanthimos shows the lengths people go in order to find a partner. The characters alter who they are, acting in extrinsic, uncharacteristic ways so they won’t have to be alone.
One case - a woman at the hotel suffers from sporadic nosebleeds. David’s friend notices this, and begins to self-inflict nosebleeds by bashing his face on solid objects, convincing her that he too suffers from the same problem. The man and woman bond over this illusive idiosyncrasy, and they become a couple.
We may not self-inflict physical harm to ourselves so we can win the affection of somebody else. But, we’re almost all guilty of falsely relating to somebody in some form. We’ve all been there: your love interest shares their favorite show and you respond with “I love that show!” (You’ve seen half of an episode once)
This is just one of the many indelible ventures that The Lobster takes. Prepare for one of the weirdest films you’ll ever see. But if you can move past the craziness that’s onscreen, there’s a lot of meaning to be found in the film. Plus, John C. Reily has his hand burnt in a toaster.
#3 - Oj: Made in America
Some say it’s a movie, some say it’s a mini-series. Whatever it is, I’d be remiss to not include OJ:Made in America on this list.
Superstar athlete, African-American icon, alleged murderer, and the subject of the most publicly followed court trial; OJ Simpson is one of a kind.
Through interviews with OJ's friends, family members, former colleagues, people involved with the court case, family members of Nicole Brown (his wife who he allegedly killed), and many others, this documentary paints a picture of the multi-faceted, enigmatic OJ.
Rather than simply tackling the issue of “did he do it?” the documentary provides extensive, necessary context of who OJ is, and why he wasn’t found guilty in The People vs. OJ Simpson. The film reveals OJ’s pattern of deception from a young age, his indifference and ignorance of racial injustice, and the systematic racism of the Los Angeles police force. All of these things are crucial in revealing OJ’s persona, and why he was deemed innocent by the jury.
OJ: Made in America is world class journalism in documentary form. It gives us the facts, gages the opinions of the people involved, and allows the viewer to come to their own conclusions.
But yeah….he definitely did it.
#2 - Manchester By the Sea
Manchester by the Sea is painfully human.
Janitor Lee Chandler’s (Casey Affleck) monotonous life takes a turn after the death of his brother Joe. Lee returns to his hometown of Manchester to look after Joe’s only son, Patrick (Lucas Hedges) and the two of them adjust to their new life.
Lee’s posture indicates exhaustion. He hunches over in his coat like a turtle in hiding, or perhaps more accurately, a turtle carrying a heavy shell of remorse. There’s a visible pain that follows him as his eyes exhibit suppressed agony. Patrick distracts Lee moment by moment from his pain, and their relationship is as true as you’ll find in the movies. It's full of banter, laughter, concern, irritation, resentment, and occasionally, love.
The film earns a swirl of emotional responses. In one scene I was shaking with empathy, the next I was laughing happily, the next I was nodding in affirmation to the relatable characters onscreen. For all the sadness that the film compacts, there is equal doses of tenderness and humor.
Manchester by the Sea is extremely sad, but then it’s funny, then it’s awkward, then sad again, then touching, and then resonant. Often it’s all of these things at once. More than anything, Manchester by the Sea is just life. Life is sad, life is funny, life is awkward, life is beautiful. Okay, I’ll stop with the cheese.
Just watch this film. Then give your loved ones a hug before and afterwards. And then everyday for the rest of your life.
#1 - MoonLight
In a year as insane and divisive as 2016, an empathetic film like Moonlight is a gift.
Moonlight is a poetic, hypnotic coming of age tale that follows Chiron during three stages of his life as he navigates his closeted homosexuality and what it means to be a man.
From a young age, Chiron doesn’t fit in with the other boys. As the smallest and quietest boy in his grade, he’s given the nickname “little.”
As a child, he’s a shy kid who gets bullied. As a teenager, he’s an outcast that’s mercilessly harassed because of his sexual attraction. When we see Chiron as an adult, he’s become a drug dealer. People work for him now and he’s finally reached a position of power. But underneath the mask of his gritty, tough facade, Chiron is just as scared and feels just as isolated.
Moonlight illustrates that you will always be who you are. Director Barry Jenkins uses close-ups and tracking shots as motifs to communicate that despite the passing of time and the physical changes we undergo, we’re the same person that we were as a child.
Moonlight gets in your skin and doesn’t leave. The color schemes, the haunting score, the ravishing cinematography, and the character’s facial expressions burn in your memory. It’s a film that plays on the senses.
Above all, this is a film about identity and accepting your identity. Moonlight says there is nothing more beautiful and real than being you.