Toward a Ten Best List for 2016

[Chris Knipp]

Toward a Ten Best List for 2016

This is what I have so far. I usually like to make a longer US or English language list and a separate foreign or "all the others" list plus a documentary list. Right now they are all mashed together. Top docs that come to mind are Zero Days, Tower, and Do Not Resist. Those are significant and made a difference to me. Some of the frequently praised ones, Wiener and Cameraperson, do nothing for me. I've heard I Am Not Your Negro is good; we'll see. I've seen with how much pleasure cinephiles remember Hail, Caesar and I realize it is a gem for its parts, especially Ralph Fiennes and the sudden It Boy Alden Ehrenreich, who quietly simmers in Rules Don't Apply too. This time I want to make some lists I actually mean for a few other categories, such as best actor and actress, score and editing.


American Honey

Moonlight
Manchester by the Sea
Love and Friendship - Divines
Captain Fantastic
Toni Erdmann
American Honey
I, Daniel Blake
From Afar - Hacksaw Ridge
The Salesman - Christine
Loving
Hell or High Water
Hail, Caesar
Viva - Staying Vertical

[Chris Knipp]

Highly praised new films that I have yet to watch (this post hopefully will soon go out of date).

20th Century Women
I Am Not Your Negro
Jackie (out now, seen)
Julieta
La La Land (seen now, Dec.)
Paterson

It's looking like it will be hard not to love La La Land. Julieta and Paterson seem promising. Some doubts about Jackie. With Neruda, Larraín recently seems have become guilty of overreaching. I still like his first two films rooted in Pinochet Chile the best.

I'd like to see Nocturama (Bonello), in D'Angelo's top ten, but I see no US release date. Some often mentioned in Ten Best lists for 2016 that I think are overrated:

Cameraperson
The Handmaiden
Lobster
Neruda
Nocturnal Animals
Sing Street
Wiener

Camoerperson is just a grab bag of clips from a photographer's work; it doesn't merit consideration as a film. With Lobster Lanthimos has gotten name actors and wide distribution but this isn't better than his previous mind games, just meaner. Neruda seemed to me a tedious over-elaborate fantasy; maybe I came to it on a bad day, but I've preferred most of Larraín's other films, so why this one? Distribution. Nocturnal Animals is a beautiful but cold and silly film; it has no emotion or real point. Handmaiden is just a less energetic version of Park's "shallow" (Oscar) art of provocation. Wiener - really? With all the good docs, why single out this? Who should be interested in this idiot? Sing Street is sweet, but a bit wan; it lacks the originality and energy of the related, Swedish period girl band pic We Are the Best!

[Chris Knipp]

Additional notes.

The doc on James Baldwon's unrealized civil rights project I Am Not Your Negro (Raoul Peck) (Peck's Murder in PacotI reviewed at the SFIFF last year) has got raves but it seems it opens in February 2017. I do have to watch O.J. Made in Ameriac, though.

[Chris Knipp]

Film Comment's best list.

The house organ of the Film Society of Lincoln Center tends to heavily favor items featured by them. All of these debuted in New York at Lincoln Center and most in the NYFF.

Film Comment’s Top 10 Films Released in 2016:

1. Toni Erdmann, Maren Ade, Germany
2. Moonlight, Barry Jenkins, USA
3. Elle, Paul Verhoeven, France/Germany
4. Cemetery of Splendor, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Thailand/UK/France/Germany/Malaysia
5. Certain Women, Kelly Reichardt, USA
6. Paterson, Jim Jarmusch, USA
7. Manchester by the Sea, Kenneth Lonergan, USA
8. Aquarius, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Brazil/France
9. Things to Come, Mia Hansen-Løve, France/Germany
10. No Home Movie, Chantal Akerman, Belgium/France

Their unreleased faves.

Film Comment’s Top 10 Unreleased Films of 2016:

1. Sieranevada, Cristi Puiu, Romania
2. Hermia and Helena, Matías Piñeiro, USA/Argentina
3. Nocturama, Bertrand Bonello, France/Belgium/Germany
4. The Dreamed Path, Angela Schanelec, Germany
5. Yourself and Yours, Hong Sang-soo, South Korea
6. Kékszakállú, Gastón Solnicki, Argentina
7. By the Time It Gets Dark, Anocha Suwichakornpong, Thailand/Netherlands/France/Qatar
8. Scarred Hearts, Radu Jude, Romania/Germany
9. The Woman Who Left, Lav Diaz, Philippines
10. Austerlitz, Sergei Loznitsa, Germany

Sieranevada, hernia and Helena, and Yourself and Yours were in the NYFF 2016 Main Slate. Sergei Loznitsa and Lav Diaz,, both of whose work has been known to be challenging, have been favored by the FSLC in the past. I don't know about the others.

[oscar jubis]

I have done a complete 180 from the time I used to list 60 movies to championing a few in a manner that would hopefully call attention to them. I have no clue as to the readership of these forums, but I hope that Chris Knipp has an ardent following that spills over here. He deserves it. I have dedicated the past few years to becoming better at teaching film studies; I have also become a bit of a specialist in film history; old films consume most of my viewing time. You may assume that I have not seen most of the films listed above. I have seen plenty though, to have an opinion, including some films that truly fascinated me and continue to intrigue me as much as films ever did. First off, a few titles from previous years that continue to impress me as special: The Immigrant: James Gray has gradually become one of the best US directors. I think now after a recent viewing that this is his masterpiece, although all his films (From Little Odessa to Two Lovers)are worthwhile. I continue to admire The Mill and the Cross, an adaptation of a painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. A film from 2015 that I have only recently experienced is Charlie Kaufman's Anomalisa. I think this film is a major achievement.
As far as 2016 proper, I have two clear favorites. I have seen both
Heart of a Dog and
The Fits
several times, which is easy because they are well under 90 minutes and compulsively edifying and enjoyable. Other films I like a lot: Cementery of Splendor, Certain Women, Moonlight, Everybody Wants Some!!,Sunset Song, O.J. Made in America, Mia Madre. Let's hope these hold up well when I re-visit. (Chris, I am going to read some of your reviews. I will try to post again soon. I'm on vacation for a couple of weeks :-)

[Chris Knipp]

Your favorites are never my favorites, though I like Moonlight as you can see as does everybody else - except Armond White, of course; and he has some good arguments for his dissent, as usual.

I like James Gray a lot too! Because I was not granted admission to the majority of the NYFF press screenings this year (I could sneak into a few), I didn't get to see James Gray's Lost City of Z - and I am a big fan of Charlie Hunnam too. This is a disappointment. It's not coming out till April 2017, but NYFF attendees saw it Oct. 16, closing night, in Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. Whether The Immigrant is Gray's best is debatable. But his films are distinctive and grabbed me from the first, his connection with the Russian Jewish community of New York has made for fascinating and evocative films.

Again, we never agree much; so not surprising despite all the raves by critics I follow that Anomalisa leaves me by now with only a vaguely depressing feeling. See if it sticks with you. It does make an impact on first viewing, it's so unusual, and the stop-motion is remarkably successful. I agree with you on The Mill on the Cross. However, not a Ten Best of 2016 candidate. Heart of a Dog and The Fits were both Film Society of Lincoln Center events, Laurie Anderson a Special Event of the 2015 NYFF, and The Fits in 2016 New Directors/New Films. I linked the titles to my reviews of those two on Filmleaf, should you want to read them. I would think it's impossible of at least ridiculously difficult to teach film history and film studies (whatever that may be) and at the same time stay abreast of all the new films both released and unreleasaed, popular mainstream and unusual and foreign, that are coming out in any given year. Although there are several people who attend all the big events at the FSLC, the NYFF, ND/NF, the Rendez-Vous, and others, and also teach film, but they probably don't try as hard as you do, and repeat the same courses year after year. If you lived in Manhattan, you have extraordinary access, but you probably wouldn't want to stint on your courses just to be au courant.

I'll stick by my personal 2016 Best List choices, for now.

[Chris Knipp]

STELLAN SKARSGAARD

In Order of Disappearance.

Just remembered Hans Petter Morland's In Order of Disappearance. Came out in 2014 but released in the US this year. A deliciously entertaining Norwegian crime genre film. I have to include this somewhere. It was some of the most fun I had watching a movie. I reviewed it in August.

[Chris Knipp]

KACEY MOTTET KLEIN

Being Seventeen.

Being 17/Quand on a 17 ans directed by André Téchiné.

This is an unusually simple, fresh, and authentic gay coming-of-age film, one of the best things Téchiné has done in years. It has to be on my list. It was one of the best movie experiences of the year. I wish I'd seen it in a theater - or in Paris! But it was a screener, so i was able to watch it twice - for free. With Kacey Mottet Klein, Corentin Fila, and a fine Sandrine Kiberlain, and written with Téchiné by Céline Sciamma, writer-director of Water Lilies, Tomboy and Girlhood.

[Chris Knipp]

FENCES (a screen vesion of August Wilson's play).

Denzel Washington's Fences perhaps can't be considered one of the greatest movies of the year; it remains a play. But it is such an essential play, so brilliantly acted, that it must be seen, and recommended. The class act of the Christmas releases.

[Chris Knipp]

THE IDOL (Hani Abu-Assad 2015)

This film about the Palestinian golden voice who won "Arab Idol" against great odds, Muhammad Assaf, must not be forgotten. It's a moving story (and I'm a fan of Arab singers - he's been compared to Abdel Halim Hafiz, one of the all-time greats). Released in the US this past summer. Has to be on the Foreign list.

[oscar jubis]

Your favorites are never my favorites, though I like Moonlight (C.K.)
This is one reason we'd make a good duo in the tradition of Siskel & Ebert. Our tastes and perspectives are different, even though there's always a couple of films we both like. I also liked Being 17 for instance. And I doubt you did not enjoy Mia Madre (which I mentioned in the previous post), at least somewhat. It was, by the way, the "best film of 2016" according to Cahiers du Cinema. I will end up posting a proper 10 after I catch up with more 2016 films. By the way, I attended a performance of "Fences" on Broadway with James Earl Jones in the lead. A magnificent play indeed.

[Chris Knipp]

Siskel and Ebert, yeah! That would be great, I'd be honored to argue with you on TV. You'd have to watch the new movies as they come out though, a tough job for both of us, though I come closer to doing it.

I'll have to post Cahiers du Cinéma's "ten best," I haven't always seen that. Surprised Mia Madre is the top. (It was the top of their 2015 list, not this year's. Cemetery of Splendor was last year's list too. ) Of course I do like Nanni Moretti but didn't think this his greatest success, thought John Turturro had a bad effect. I haven't seen OJ: yet, but mean to.

Here's the Cahiers list. It's great except Neon Demon is crap, and I haven't seen the Bruno Dumont, Law of the Jungle or Claire Simon and Julieta isn't out yet, I haven't seen it but soon will. From reports it's going to be very good. I'm surpirsed Cahiers likes four of the films I like very much. Of all the AllCiné review citations, theirs is the most critical: they really seem to hate almost everything. Perusing their "Top" lists their choices seem to be an equal mix of the very eccentric and the completely conventional.

Top 10 des Cahiers du Cinéma 2016

1. Toni Erdmann - Maren Ade
2. Elle - Paul Verhoeven
3. The Neon Demon - icolas Winding Refn
4. Aquarius - Kleber Mendonça Filho
5. Ma Loute - Bruno Dumont
6. Julieta - Pedro Almodóvar
7. Rester vertical - Alain Guiraudie
8. La Loi de la jungle - Antonin Peretjatko
9. Carol - Todd Haynes
10. Le Bois dont les rêves sont faits - Claire Simon

[Chris Knipp]

Closet Monster

Best gay films of the year.

In Out Armond White claims 2016 is the best year for gay movies ever. Doubtful but here is a list of some good gay movies or gay moments of the year. Any others out there?

Being 17
Moonlight
Spa Night
Viva
Staying Upright
Certain Women (the third, most touching, spisode)
Einstein in Guanjuato
Closet Monster (Haven't seen but everybody mentions it)
Will You Dance with Me (previously unreleased Derek Jarmon disco doc film I haven't seen)
The Ornithologist (João Pedro Rodrigues -Brazilian) - Haven't seen but sounds worthy; Locarno

Closet Monster has gotten great reviews. I have to watch it.

[oscar jubis]

How about King Cobra?

I've been catching up with contempo films; enjoying my time off best way I know: watching good films.

One older films I just re-watched: David Gordon Green's George Washington, one of a number of outstanding films (we might call them a cycle) that focus with various degrees of insistence on the life a black young male. Among them: Fruitvale Station, Ballast, and of course Moonlight.

I would like to see a listing of the top 50 films on Village Voice and IndieWire polls. It is a good list of films that might be good to watch since one cannot see everything. Recent viewing: a early 2016 release from Romania titled Aferim! that provides a picaresque adventure set in the early 18th century shot in b&w, and the documentary Meru, both are films I would not be surprised to find included in a Top 10 list. Both films demand theatrical screening which I'm so lucky to be able to indulge because these films offer breathtakingly spectacular vistas.

Mia Madre is Cahiers' #1 for 2015, not 2016.

[Chris Knipp]

King Cobra didn't sound interesting and I skipped it. Why do you ask about it? Critics didn't like it.

Let's look a those two critics polls. Yes, you should watch those movies I guess if you want to be up on what people liked this year. I have, most of them; I've missed more of the Voice list ones than the Indiewire ones, which seem more mainstream I guess. There are some really bad films in that list along the way, but most of the good ones are there too. I don't see how Viola Davis can be considered a "Supporting Actor." I often have trouble with this category. Still have got to see "O.J." Really want to see Nocturama.

Village Voice Their poll "top 50" here.

Best Film:
Moonlight (613 points, 87 ballots)
Manchester by the Sea (380 points, 51 ballots)
Toni Erdmann (376 points, 53 ballots)
Paterson (280 points, 43 ballots)
O.J.: Made in America (249 points, 35 ballots)

Best Actress:
Isabelle Huppert, Elle (148 points, 60 ballots)
Sandra Hüller, Toni Erdmann (57 points, 28 ballots)Rebecca Hall, Christine — (46 points, 25 ballots)

Best Actor:
Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea (151 points, 62 ballots)
Adam Driver, Paterson (83 points, 40 ballots)
Colin Farrell, The Lobster (49 points, 27 ballots)

Best Supporting Actress:
Lily Gladstone, Certain Women (125 points, 51 ballots)
Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea (93 points, 46 ballots)
Viola Davis, Fences (65 points, 26 ballots)

Best Supporting Actor:
Mahershala Ali, Moonlight (147 points, 61 ballots)
Tom Bennett, Love & Friendship (57 points, 26 ballots)
Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water (44 points, 25 ballots)

Best Undistributed Film:
Nocturama (8 votes)

Best Documentary:
O.J.: Made in America (29 votes)

Best First Feature:
The Witch (18 votes)

Best Animated Feature:
Kubo and the Two Strings (22 votes)

Best Director:
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight (29 votes)

Best Screenplay:
Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea (31 votes)

Worst Film:
Suicide Squad (7 votes)

Movie Everyone Is Wrong About:
La La Land (14 votes)

The Indiewire 50 top films of 2016 you'll find here. It follows the unfortunate new idiot-friendly photo-centric structure of still plus titles that you have to scroll through one by one so there's no list you can scan, as far as I know.