Numbers' Numerical Numbering: Vol. III, A 2016 Top 50 (COUNTDOWN COMPLETE)

[4815162342]

#13

 

Spoiler

 

 

Directed By: Shane Black

 

Starring: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice, Matt Bomer

 

Domestic Release Date: May 20, 2016

 

 

Shane Black is always good for some dark comedy punctuated by action, and The Nice Guys is no exception to his modus operandi. The 1970s aesthetic is vibrant and energetic, and helps lend the movie some extra kick and verve to its proceedings. Russell Crowe is very good as the dour, gruff straight man who gets more and more perplexed and irritated by the growing insanity of the case he is pulled into investigating, and Ryan Gosling is brilliantly goofy and incompetent as his foil, clutzing it up around the place and stumbling into discoveries by accident more often than insight. And nearly stealing the movie is Angourie Rice as Gosling's insightful and cynical daughter. The film has some pacing issues around the middle and could have maybe had a neater finale, but Black brings the absurdist humor layered over slick action to create a thrilling and hoot of a time at the theater.

 

 

[4815162342]

#12

 

Spoiler

 

 

Directed By: Martin Scorsese

 

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Issey Ogata, Tadanobu Asano, Liam Neeson

 

Domestic Release Date: December 23, 2016

 

 

Martin Scorsese after a few years off has finally made the third outing of his series on faith and religion, and the long gestation period for this film, which he has taken decades to make and get right, is worth the wait. With beautiful cinematography, lush sets and design, and poignant acting, it's a film that has all the ingredients of being a true classic. It did leave me a bit cold and distant, as a work more to appreciate and admire than to love, but it's possible that future viewings could change that perspective. A quibble I do have is how they handle the Portuguese = English aspect of the film. Adam Driver gives a competent if stereotypical accent, Andrew Garfield's accent wavers, shifts, and dodges all over the place, and Liam Neeson decides "accents? fuck that shit" and simply talks in his normal voice. But Andrew Garfield does a far better portrayal of suffering, hopelessness, and determination than Leonardo "GIMME OSCAH" DiCaprio did last year and comes up nominationless. And let us not forget Issey Ogata as the antagonist who for all the cruelties he inflicts is 100% correct, from a certain point of view.

 

Of all the films I have seen, I think this one has the most potential to shoot upwards upon future evaluations.

 

 

[4815162342]

#11

 

Spoiler

 

 

Directed By: Denzel Washington

 

Starring: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis

 

Domestic Release Date: December 16, 2016

 

 

Every now and then, when a play gets adapted for the screen, you get the typical complaint that the adaptation is "too stagy." Maybe sometimes that is valid, but here, it's a totally nonsense statement, as the whole emotional and thematic focus of the movie surrounds a single backyard and the house it is connected to. Denzel and Viola both give some of the best performances of their careers, reprising their roles from Broadway, and whenever it is their time to monologue best get out of the way and let them do their thing because by God they are gonna bring the goods. Even the hysterics of the snot-cry bow down to Viola's acting prowess in the movie. It's a film where the 2 hour 20 runtime feels much shorter, as the acting drives the things forward at a dynamic clip. You'd think in such an acting-centric movie that all the other aspects get short shrift, but that's not the case at all. The music is minimalistic but accents the action when it needs to, the editing is precise, and the cinematography uses the right angles to focus attention of whichever actor or actress is commanding your gaze. Like Silence though, it is a film that I ultimately more admire than love, and it's missing that certain something to make it click for a Top 10 finish.

 

 

[4815162342]

10-6 tomorrow afternoon/evening

 

5-1 Monday afternoon/evening

[4815162342]

#10

 

Spoiler

 

 

Directed By: John Lee Hancock

 

Starring: Michael Keaton, John Carroll Lynch, Nick Offerman

 

Domestic Qualifying Release Date: December 7, 2016

 

 

Here we have Case File No. 2 for the Weinsteins having no idea what they are doing anymore. Barely squeaked into theaters for an award qualifying appearance and then left in the dark until dumped in mid-January, this is a film that deserved far far better. Michael Keaton gives a terrific performance as Ray Kroc, going from a beaten man on the edge of desperation to a hungry, ambitious, ruthless shark taking a golden opportunity and exploiting it to the maximum. It's an actor-driven film and Keaton steps on the gas and goes 0 to 60. He chews scenery, grovels, gloats, pontificates, he does what he has to do to get the job done. If Weinstein hadn't botched things up I think he'd have snagged that fifth best Actor nod comfortably. The rest of the cast does admirably, though the weak spot for the film is, you can probably guess, the underwritten female characters (Laura Dern and Linda Cardellini). The film is paced very well and gives you a good sense of time passage without feeling like it's racing to paint out a greatest hits series or is slowly trudging along.

 

 

[4815162342]

#9

 

Spoiler

 

 

Directed By: Mel Gibson

 

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Vince Vaughn, Hugo Weaving, Sam Worthington

 

Domestic Release Date: November 4, 2016

 

 

Mel Gibson has been on the outs with Hollywood and the public for a while, and honestly is still on the outs as a person. But his skill as a director is undeniable. Hacksaw Ridge is very well-crafted, using all manner of tricks and tactics to get the most out of its small (for a movie of its scale) budget. Andrew Garfield gives a strong performance as Desmond Doss, one of two great performances he had this year. Now while Coolio views Garfield's performance as a mentally challenged guy kicked by a mule, I'm a bit more forgiving. It takes a little bit for Garfield to work into the accent but he does a great job of conveying the earnestness and simple but deep faith and belief system. The technical aspects of the movie are brillant, especially the camera work, makeup, and editing. The film thrusts you into the middle of some of the most hellish fighting in all of World War 2 and it feels as if you are standing there with the soldiers on the ridge. An inspiring movie that shows how humanity can be at its best even when all around it is also near its worst.

 

 

[4815162342]

#8

 

Spoiler

 

 

Directed By: Byron Howard and Rich Moore

 

Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, J.K. Simmons

 

Domestic Release Date: March 4, 2016

 

 

For a good chunk of the year this movie sat comfortably within my Top 5, and honestly in my final evaluation had a decent chance of staying there. Zootopia is remarkably well-crafted, with a world that has hints and teases of a deeper mythology behind it, and lots of background and natural worldbuilding to showcase the setting. Much has been made of the various political allegories so I won't get into it here other than to say that Zootopia does the allegories and thematic metaphors better than most animated films that in the past have tried similar things. The voice cast is the film's core, in particular the dynamic duo of Goodwin and Bateman. Goodwin gives the vocal performance of the year, giving a huge amount of life, energy, and heart to Judy Hopps, so much so that at least a couple members here might have a bit too much admiration going on for the rabbit. Bateman plays into his comfort zone as Nick, but it's a good comfort zone and Bateman is effortless at making a likeable sleaze pop out of the screen. The best animated movie of the year that I've seen.

 

 

[cannastop]

Holy shit, that's high.

[4815162342]

#7

 

Spoiler

 

 

Directed by: Richard Linklater

 

Starring: A lot of twenty-somethings

 

Domestic Release Date: March 30, 2016

 

 

Everybody Wants Some!! is Linklater doing what Linklater does best: Throw a cast of characters together, use various scene concepts and character buttons instead of an actual plot, and throw in sharp dialogue to let the sparks fly and the shenanigans ensue. The result is 2 hours of college kids shooting the shit and yukking it up in the days leading up to the start of the fall semester, all amidst a wonderful 1980 aesthetic. The ensemble is one of the best of the year, and the star of the ensemble is undoubtedly Glen Powell, whose turn as Finn took the forum by storm. Loquacious, intelligent, cunning, and utterly full of himself, he's a character to be remembered as he saunters, struts, and connives his way through the film to get laid and verbally one-up his teammates. All in all the movie is an impressively fun time that flies on by.

 

 

[cannastop]

I see @CoolioD1 was on the lookout for that Linklater love.

Edited February 20, 2017 by cannastop

[aabattery]

[4815162342]

7 minutes ago, cannastop said:

Holy shit, that's high.

 

Only if you think it doesn't deserve to be that high 

 

 

#6

 

Spoiler

 

 

Directed By: Tom Ford

 

Starring: Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson

 

Domestic Release Date: November 18, 2016

 

 

If the prior film in this countdown was about unleashing characters to do their antics, this is a film all about unleashing mood and melancholy on its characters. The editing for the movie is the first thing to deserve praise, deftly juggling a present-day storyline, a series of flashbacks informing how the "real" characters got to where they are, and the story within the story of Gyllenhaal's character's novel and converging all three of them to a cascading climax. Amy Adams is very good as Susan Morrow, though compared to Arrival this is a character that is a lot more subdued, reactive, and contemplative, as she ponders the life choices she's made and is provoked into questioning said choices by the contents of the titular novel. The movie though belongs to Gyllenhaal and the characters of his literary revenge fantasy project. Michael Shannon has made Michael Shannon Acting a unique art form and by this point can sink into that style of character effortlessly. People here give ATJ a lot of shit, but he's excellent here as a West Texas scumbag who thinks he can talk and smug his way out of everything, and who can also be wildly terrifying, as showcased in the intense nighttime road abduction scene. The rest of the film's aspects, the cinematography, the score, the production design, they're all top notch. The only reason it's not in the Top 5 is because I simply in the end liked five other films a bit more.

 

 

[cannastop]

3 minutes ago, 4815162342 said:

Only if you think it doesn't deserve to be that high 

I was actually wondering if you were fucking with me and leaving it off the list.

[4815162342]

1 minute ago, cannastop said:

I was actually wondering if you were fucking with me and leaving it off the list.

 

Luckily not the case.

 

 

 

 

 

#5-1 tomorrow evening. I suspect some of them will be easy enough to guess.

[Ethan Hunt]

I think I know what 3 of the top 5 are

[4815162342]

#5

 

Spoiler

 

 

Directed By: Gavin Hood

 

Starring: Helen Mirren, Alan Rickman, Aaron Paul, Barkhad Abdi

 

Domestic Release Date: March 11, 2016

 

 

Eye in the Sky was one of the first 2017 films I saw in theaters and it's left a big impression on me since that time. Featuring an ensemble cast and action on multiple continents deftly intercut with one another, the film tackles and precision and nerve the tense situation of drone attacks and the potential for collateral damage (and the difference between knowing there could be damage, and knowing that there will be damage). Helen Mirren is ferocious as the British officer supervising a military-style assassination mission of high-profile terrorist targets who has to juggle military matters, politics, and legal implications with the gruff impatience of a veteran who's too old for this shit. The biggest star of the film though is the editing, which effortlessly shifts perspective between the major players on the different continents and helps skew the pacing and tension to the kind of edge-of-your-seat butt clenching the forum hasn't seen since Ethan Hunt harassed another member in Panda's countdown thread. It's a terrific little movie that has been completely ignored by the awards season because it dared release before October.

 

 

[4815162342]

#4

 

Spoiler

 

 

Directed By: Kenneth Lonergan

 

Starring: Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges, Michelle Williams

 

Domestic Release Date: November 18, 2016

 

 

Manchester by the Sea is one of the most powerful and affecting dramas of the past couple years, and it does it by being in many respects a very quiet and pensive movie. Sure it has a few explosive scenes, such as the big reveal set to Adagio in G Minor and Williams' emotional outburst to Lee near the end, but the majority of the film rests on the internalization and soft-spokenness of Lee, played brilliantly by Casey Affleck as a real life example of a Walking Dead. The interactions between Affleck and Hedges are the cornerstone of the movie and also provide a decent amount of unexpected humor as Affleck adjusts to being a temporary guardian for Lee and being close to speechless or incredulous at some of the things Patrick is up to. It's also a movie that doesn't feel its length at all, seeming a fair amount shorter than its 137 minute frame. In many years this would've been the hands-down Oscar favorite, but Hollywood these days is more about that tangible shiny thing that they can grab and say how relevant or how self-loving they are.

 

 

[4815162342]

#3

 

Spoiler

 

 

Directed By: J.A. Bayona

 

Starring: Lewis MacDougall, Felicity Jones, Sigourney Weaver, Liam Neeson, Toby Kebbell

 

Domestic Release Date: December 23, 2016

 

 

This film has been a bit divisive on these forums, with a few people here really liking it, and a couple people here really disliking it. Obviously, I fall into the former camp. In terms of emotional hits, this was the film that really slammed me the most with the feels, and unlike others, I never felt the movie was being overtly manipulative, cheating, or unfair. It felt earned and real. Lewis MacDougall is a really good find, doing a strong job of portraying Conor as a boy caught in the awkward adolescent phase with the impending inevitability of losing a parent to cancer and showcases all of the emotional frustration and isolation of someone in that position. Liam Neeson gives a terrific vocal performance as the Monster, and the first two stories he tells to Conor, with the wonderful animation style used, are a highlight of the movie. The score by Fernando Velazquez is another high point for the movie as well.

 

And of course it is totally easy to see why the movie bombed here in the US, as it doesn't quite fit into any target spot for marketing. Plus it co-stars Toby "Box Office Curse" Kebbell.

 

 

[4815162342]

#2

 

Spoiler

 

 

Directed By: David Mackenzie

 

Starring: Chris Pine, Jeff Bridges, Ben Foster, Gil Birmingham

 

Domestic Release Date: August 12, 2016

 

 

A film about one of the places that America has left behind, Hell or High Water is an intense look into the hopelessness faced by many working class Americans in the forgotten corners of the country and how their desperation leads them into crime and violence to try and take some of what was stolen from them back. Chris Pine is the best he's ever been as Toby Howard, playing him as weathered, beaten down, and yet determined to not lose anything else as he enlists his wild brother in a scheme to steal a bank's money and use it to pay off a mortgage to said bank. Said brother is played by Ben Foster, who turns in one of the best performances of his career as well. Chasing them down are Jeff Bridges, who for the first time since True Grit actually puts his permanent Rooster Cogburn to good use, and Gil Birmingham, whose exasperated partner makes for some strong banter and back-and-forth with Bridges. The cinematography and editing for the movie are superb, putting you in the middle of American No Man's Land with rapid-fire tension and thrills. The film also features some wonderful dark humor in portraying some of the reality of West Texas with an utterly straight face. It's a wonderful movie.

 

But not #1.

 

 

[chasmmi]

So am I in the minority of people that considers MOnster Calls to be pretty okay?