LF Best Movies of 2016
Another year has come to its logical conclusion, and, as movie fans know, this is an excellent reason to start compiling various summarizing tops. Probably the most intriguing occupation of any active viewer is always the revision of what has been viewed, since the past 2016 was able to please the audience with a wide variety of tastes: fans of the mainstream got their portion of popcorn and shows, cinephiles - deeply philosophical questions and unexpected author's decisions.Of course, the first category of viewers had to cope with a series of disappointments from disastrous sequels and reboots ("Ghostbusters", "Independence Day: Rebirth"), which did not live up to the expectations of comic book adaptations ("Suicide Squad", "Batman v Superman") and frankly passing action films ("Jason Bourne", "Jack Reacher 2"). But in this text we will not be talking about them, but about those large-scale, long-awaited and impressive projects that they managed to entertain, and talk about important topics, and scare, and even make you break your head. Lovers of less spectacular, but more frank and heartfelt cinema were more fortunate. 2016 will be remembered as the year of one of the most eventful, stellar and interesting Cannes Festivals in the history of modern industry. Not all of its representatives managed to get to domestic screens, LostFilm.INFO traditionally could not stay away from summing up the results of 2016 and presented its list of the best films that tried to conquer our hearts and excite our minds in the past year. We remembered both the Oscar masterpieces that came out 12 months ago and the films that were hotly discussed literally a couple of months, or even weeks ago. Best Drama " Survivor " ( Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu ) The works of this Mexican who perfectly mastered the formula of success in Hollywood with the most poetic surname in the world, for the second time in a row, are on our final lists for a reason. And it's not just about Leonardo DiCaprio, who finally received the long-owed " Oscar ". Although we are, of course, unspeakably happy for him, but " Survivor " became the film discovery of the year thanks to another powerful gentleman - cameraman Emmanuel Lubezki again made us doubt whether we are watching a movie or watching some sacred mystery with our opened third eye. Two Oscar-winning Mexicans seemed to give a second life to the adventure genre. Everything is in abundance here - both an unforgettable action game, while watching which you breathe every other time, and moments of immersion in a trance, when the generous, but cruel mother nature itself comes into its own,  At the same time, for those who were so impressed with what they saw that they read the book that was the basis of the film, it probably became obvious that it was not the best film adaptation. And yet the desperate romanticism of the creators, similar to the romanticism of the heroes, travelers and pioneers praised by them, is admirable. In what other project will the audience's favorite voluntarily subscribe to cruel orienteering with eating raw meat and spending the night in the snow? The eyes are rounded up by the humility and patience with which all participants in the process surrendered to the power of the Canadian cold, capricious climate and formidable low sky. And what a magically realistic fairy tale they have piled from the extraordinary story of a real trapper Hugh Glass ... In a word, this painfully beautiful shamanism does not take your eyes off even in its bloodiest moments.< Best Acting Ensemble The Hateful Eight "( Quentin Tarantino ) Another example that the western genre was given a second wind in 2016. Although this statement is only half true, because the next creation of the great brawler Quentin is only pretending to be a Western, using his common features like hip shooting and cowboy outfit, but in fact it is comfortably settled within the framework of a detective in the spirit of “ 10 little indians "Agatha Christie. This is evidenced by the intimacy of the action taking place in one room and the ominous but intriguing soundtrack by Ennio Morricone. What Tarantino still has to offer is his sense of taste - his stories are still outrageously good, his witticisms cut through the air like bullets, and his verbal skirmishes hit harder than slaps. Finally, his sense of humor is constantly on the verge of obscenity and politically incorrect. However,  Samuel L. Jackson's frenzied, haughty gaze, Jennifer Jason Lee's crazy antics, Walton Goggins' wicked tales, two mad dogs, Tim Roth and Michael Madsen, and two live Easter eggs to the golden era of westerns, Bruce Dern and Kurt Russell, that's it. which makes the theatrical " Eight " unforgettable. It was not for nothing that the maestro kept these names in mind when writing the script. What else the film is valuable is the doubt about its own adequacy, which should arise in any sane viewer. After all, all you want to do while watching the first two-thirds of the tape is to brew yourself fragrant hot tea and wrap yourself in a warm blanket, listening to the incredible stories of Tarantino scum and thugs under the shrill whistle of a blizzard outside the window. Read more about the film in our review - The Hateful Eight: and there was no one ... Best Comedy " Nice Guys " ( Shane Black ) Even not so much a comedy as a comedy buddy movie about the best on-screen bromance of this year turned out to be ridiculously funny, in an amicable way stupid and sentimentally cute. He only at first pretends to be "Secrets of Los Angeles" (not least thanks to Russell Crowe and Kim Basinger), but then he receives such a dose of adrenaline in his heart and a kick in the ass that he only has to go into a dangerous situation with jokes and jokes. and an absurd adventure. Guides into this world of cocaine parties, ridiculous flared trousers, colorful shirts and never-ending advertising signs are a whole parade of personalities, one more colorful than the other. And the procession is headed by the worst detective in the world with a clever daughter as a voice of conscience and a thug-bone-breaker with a heart of gold performed by Ryan Gosling and the same Crowe .  At the same time, they do not seem to be investigating their business, but rather simply plunge into various situations, which generate a sea of excellent jokes of varying degrees of decency. And let the author of "Lethal Weapon" and "Kiss Through Kiss" steal from himself, he does it with such relish that this fact instantly becomes insignificant. The main thing is that the film at the exit turns out to be a multi-colored carnival, which can be exhaustively characterized by a scene where would-be partners are very eccentric getting rid of a corpse. Still, we were lucky that Shane Black cheated on Iron Man - even the best stand-ups of Tony Stark , with all the desire, cannot be quoting. Read more about the film in our review - Nicefellas: Gosling and Crowe Shoot Point-Blank Best Cartoon Kubo. The Legend of the Samurai "( Travis Knight ) We have repeatedly written throughout the year that the competition in the animation environment is now no less than in the field of comic book adaptations or high-budget blockbusters. This became even more obvious when choosing the best cartoon of the year. Surely many of you hoped to see the wonderful "Zootopia" from the studio Disney as the winner of this nomination, but we settled on the masterpiece of stop-motion puppet animation - "Kubo" from the Laika company. And all because we have before us a single, unique handmade product. All his characters - from a huge assassin skeleton with sabers in his head to a tiny origami samurai - were created and animated by hand, and the computer in this process was just an auxiliary tool that connected all the magical elements together.  In a cartoon that is not at all for children, not only is the inventive and incredibly time-consuming visual part beautiful, but also the depth of the topics raised. The creators of " Kubo " boldly and confidently talk with children as equals - about growing up, how to cope with the loss of loved ones and how to become a decent person in general. At the same time, the story is based on exotic, but invariably attractive for the USA audience, Japanese folklore, which manifests itself in the mention of the Bon festival, moon legends and playing the shamisen. In the film Knight , good humor organically coexists with the philosophy of Zen Buddhism, fantasy acquires echoes of old USA fairy tales, and dark themes like disability and death bring a feeling of light sadness and relief, as happens after crying for a long time in front of sleep. And of course, the cherry on top is the final cutscene, opening the door to the backstage of Kubo . In it, the remake of the Beatles hit “ While My Guitar Gently Weeps ” with a shamisen solo sounds as a decoration of everything seen. Read more about the film in our review - Walk the string. Review of "Kubo" Best Cinema Comic " Deadpool " ( Tim Miller ) As much as admirers of DC comics want to see the adaptation of their favorite novels in their favorites, in this eternal battle the company Marvel wins again. It would even be more correct to say that the leadership was snatched away by the studio 20th Century Fox , which bought the rights to the talkative antihero and hired killer Wade Wilson , who not only understands what is in the comic, but also and constantly breaks the fourth wall, addressing directly to the viewer. The secret of " Deadpool " 's success is simple to primitiveness - it is an endless verbal extravaganza, a stream of jokes, allusions, cynical parodies of the film industry in general and comics in particular.  Its authors have no taboos - they even fell under their own distribution in the opening credits. However, in addition to sharp, like katana characters, dialogues and a high age rating, which allowed Deadpool to swear in black, hack his rivals into kebabs and saw off his limbs, there is basically nothing to look at in an action movie. Its plot is simple to the point of stereotypes, and the monotony of such an obligatory element of the program as special effects gives out a modest budget of $ 58 million by the standards of a blockbuster. So if " Deadpool " is a delight for the ears, then Doctor Strange with its parallel realities, skyscrapers bending into a ram's horn and surreal trips is a feast for the eyes. And the story in " Strange ", although it develops according to a proven formula, has greater narrative integrity. Combine the two projects together, and the perfect movie ride would come out. However, only one comic can be won. Read more about the film in our review - That Deadpool Best Horror “ 10 Cloverfield ” ( Dan Trachtenberg ) We, of course, are a little cunning, classifying " Cloverfield " as a horror - it's more of a psychological thriller, but elements of the desired genre are also present in it, and sometimes turn out to be so important that they set the tone for the whole atmosphere. Yes, and John Goodman, with his fierce red face, plays in such a way that it becomes even more uncomfortable than when contemplating another girl rushing around a dark room, waiting for some undead to jump on her. Yes, " Cloverfield " is as intimate as many horror films, but hundreds of times more intense, witty and self-possessed. He pulls the audience's nerves like a bowstring, although the plot itself cannot be called original - at least the same powerful episode from the second season of American Horror Story comes to mind (  As for the film Trachtenberg , being the spiritual brother of the blockbuster "Monstro", it proves not only that in cinematography you can get by with little money and still produce a decent movie, but also that it is not necessary to use creatures under the bed, ghosts from the past, zombies and other evil spirits as a carrier of the boo effect. Ordinary people are quite capable of taking on this function. By the way, Dan developed this idea, and not just anywhere, but in one of the most phenomenal and talked about TV series of the decade. Best USA Film " Pupil " ( Kirill Serebrennikov ) The past year turned out to be extremely successful and fruitful for USA cinema as well. If you subtract the empty projectile, you can find not only smart but also really interesting films. The satirical drama by Kirill Serebrennikov “ Pupil ” became a symbiosis of the two directions, usually polar for USA cinema. She not only criticizes the modern way of life and the way of thinking of many of our compatriots, but also looks in the same breath. Because of their condemnation of religious fanaticism, the picture is perceived with hostility by ossified conservatives. Others, on the other hand, see her as a rebellious spirit. However, the tape does not seek to please either one or the other.  The author criticizes in it any idea that is elevated to the absolute and jealously defended from skepticism. And he does it so easily, as if he is telling, though hypertrophied, but understandable to everyone, the story of a schoolboy from a neighboring yard. Perhaps this effect is achieved due to the theatrical basis of the film - " Pupil " hails from the stage of " Gogol Center ". However, not only drama makes a picture with such an ambiguous problematics so easily digestible. Everything here - from cinematography to acting mise-en-scenes - proves that important things can be presented without stifling moralizing, a touch of hopelessness, crap or highbrow, to which auteur cinematography in USA is so accustomed. " Pupil " is an example of a painting that can equally well be perceived by a festival audience, and a simple moviegoer. But what is even more important, it is a worthy competitor to Western representatives of the art house. Read more about the film in our review - Not peace brought, but a sword. Review of the "Student" Best Asian Film " The Maid " ( Park Chang-wok ) Oh, this mysterious, no, not USA, but this time Korean soul! The author of the"revenge trilogy", who became a cult not only in his homeland, but also, for example, in Cannes Park Chang-wok never ceases to unsettle the seemingly ready to all spectators. Last year he brought to the Cote d'Azur a bilingual erotically thriller " The Maid ", which managed to reach our cinemas. The most striking thing about it was not even very frank scenes that could warm up any sensitive viewer, but a magnificent storyline matryoshka, thanks to which " The Maid ", just like the owls in "Twin Peaks" ( Twin Peaks), it didn’t come out what it seemed.  Few people can juggle genres as skillfully without losing the sharpness of intrigue and all the intricacies of the plot, as Pak did. The director's narrative skill itself has reached such heights that it deserves a long standing ovation. The film managed to be a historical drama, and a twisted detective story, and a psychological thriller, and even a black comedy with an admixture of piquancy, but it has never lost its way. As a result, the attentive viewer, who did not miss all the carefully hung guns and did not get lost because of the three storytellers changing roles and masks, was fully rewarded in the finale. And no, we're not talking about the bells scene, but about the same brilliant, effective and elegant trick that only the most skillful magicians do. Best European Film " She " ( Paul Verhoeven ) 2016 would not have been complete without the triumphant return to cinema of the Dutchman Paul Verhoeven . And the gray-haired director returned with a film-scandal, as befits a bully-provocateur who shot the most famous sex manifestos "Basic Instinct" and "Showgirls". In a nutshell, a freethinking director made a comedy about rape. It would seem that laughing at such an ugliness is bad manners, insanity, incitement. However, Verhoeven , armed with his favorite tool, poisonous sarcastic humor, lynches the hypocritical bourgeois values of society with such sadism and ecstasy that it is an irresistible temptation to join it at least as an observer.  Isabelle Huppert, the most courageous actress in Europe since the days of "The Pianist", helps the Dutchman to speak on taboo topics of sadomasochism, adultery, feminism, forbidden pleasures and racism. The material, from which many of her colleagues in the shop shied away like from fire, turned out to be just right for the Frenchwoman, like a dress perfectly fitted to the figure. At 63, she shines in the proposed uncomfortable role cleaner than other younger representatives of the Dream Factory. Meanwhile, despite all the evil cynicism, Verhoven turns out to be more humane and condescendingly understanding than ever. He fiercely breaks our saving morality into small fragments, but only in order to erect a much more humanistic postulate in its place: “Man is vicious, but this is absolutely normal.” Best Sci-Fi " Arrival " ( Denis Villeneuve ) It seems that the current pampered " Independence Day ", "Star Trek" and other fiction with a lot of special effects, the audience has forgotten what a sci-fi should actually do. Therefore, they were completely discouraged by the chamber and meditative film " Arrival ", in which, instead of little green men, the linguist Louise Banks came to the fore in the worthy " Oscar "Performed by Amy Adams, and the theory of language and physics took the place of the final destructive battle of the uninvited guests. The lack of tinsel prevented many from appreciating how elegantly screenwriter Erik Heisserer adapted the completely non-cinematic novel by Ted Chan. Not everyone was imbued with the deep themes of the picture - who we are, what defines us and is it possible to change human nature by changing the way of thinking?  " Arrival " is a reflective film that even pushes you to research. The restrained style of Denis Villeneuve , which is gaining popularity in Hollywood, came in handy. Here it manifests itself in the strict, minimalistic, but spectacular design of the alien ships, and in the appearance of their written language, and in the presence of several, at first confusing time lines, forcing you to constantly solve this entertaining puzzle. Against the background of questions about the essence of man, which are actually of interest to Villeneuve , the whole confrontation with aliens fades. They are here - only a tool, the tape is not about them, but about us. If you accept this fact, you can enjoy the beautiful long plans of Bradford Young, the solemn but mysterious and otherworldly music of Johan Johannsson, even a dull gray-green color scheme. This is exactly how uncomfortable and perplexing a real sci-fi should be. And skirmishes, scuffle and erasure of entire civilizations will be left to the mine blasting professionals - Michael Bay and Roland Emmerich. Read more about the film in our review - A feat of a linguist. Review of "Arrival" Best Fantasy " Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them " ( David Yates ) May the fans of Warcraft and Steven Spielberg forgive us, but " Fantastic Beasts " came out so magical, bright and not speculating on the glory of their famous predecessor that we simply could not add any other to this list film. Fans of "Harry Potter" have been waiting for this for five years, and finally a spin-off of the popular magic franchise allowed them to return to the world of spells, amazing artifacts and wonderful creatures. The return turned out to be so touching and heartfelt, as if we went straight to childhood, where the most difficult problem was “If only they didn't call me to the board. I didn't teach that. ”  J.K. Rowling, who herself took on the script, expanded the familiar world of wizardry for us, introducing us to American wizards, their traditions and laws. But most importantly, she introduced to the public a new hero, a charming neurotic Newt Scamander with a suitcase full of an incredible beast under his arm. Mom's bestiary Ro came out colorful, lively and rich - each animal in it deserves its own little quest in the heart of New York. In addition, the filmmakers created a good foundation for the whole franchise, showing the prerequisites for epic events known to every potteromaniac. As big as Warcraft , as atmospheric as Big and Kind Giant was, Beasts brought with them a precious, nagging sense of nostalgia. Yes, and without him, the tape Yates Read more about the film in our review - The brutal charm of Mama Ro's bestiary Best Thriller " Under cover of the night " ( Tom Ford ) The past year has proven that "The Lonely Man" was not a mere whim of the undoubtedly gifted man Tom Ford . Seven years later, the world-renowned designer returned to directing with a powerful David Fincher-esque statement on the topic of marriage. It is clear that to the last level Ford still has to shoot and shoot, and nevertheless his skepticism towards the institution of the family, bitterness over the pain that even the closest people are capable of inflicting on each other, and failure-free the sense of taste does not leave indifferent. Moreover, the thriller " Veil of Night " can be described in the same way as its main character Susan described her ex-husband's manuscript - devastating.  Interesting in the picture and subtext - the relationship of a person with art. The art of Ford is multifaceted - it is both a means of therapy, and a way to take out aggression, and a weapon that is dangerous in its unpredictability, and bright packaging that disguises the inner emptiness. Being a person who has been studying the nature of beauty all his life, the director dissects it, deliberately confronting two radically different realities - the brilliant but sterile Los Angeles openings against the barbaric but lively outback of Texas. At the same time, the form of the novel in the novel forces everyone to connect to the merciless murderous game of the former spouses, especially since their parties are played by the most powerful representatives of the auteur cinema - Amy Adams , gradually occupying a niche that five years ago belonged to Nicole Kidman , and Jake Gyllenhaal, Read more about the film in our review - "Under cover of night": "there are no past lovers in the world" Best Action Fighter Rogue One: Star Wars. Stories "( Gareth Edwards ) With the militants last year, things were not so rosy. The situation was saved by the first spin-off of the Star Wars franchise, from which the film community did not expect any surprises, since its outcome was known in advance. Indeed, the plot is not the main advantage of " Rogue One ", but its presentation by Gareth Edwards rehabilitated after the disastrous "Godzilla" admires it. In front of the public, a full-fledged strategic operation is unfolding with all the necessary attributes - dangerous forays for intelligence, spectacular battles using martial arts, the destruction of an entire city and beautiful space battles of rebels against the Empire.  Certainly the darker and more uncompromising Rogue One is not like the tube, nostalgic Force Awakens. The tape as a whole is very different from the style of the franchise, but it plays by its rules and turns out to be so closely connected with the subsequent parts that it seems that if you took off Edwards for another five minutes of timing, we would start watching “ New Hope ". In addition, giant walkers explode in the blockbuster, stormtroopers smear as usual, another android robot steals all scenes with its participation, and the cult Darth Vader , although it appears for a short time, instills sacred awe with its one breath. In fact, the director created a real war drama set in a galaxy far, far away, and an exciting attraction in one bottle. Read more about the film in our review - A clear threat. Rogue One Review Best Independent Film " At Any Cost " ( David Mackenzie ) It's hard to believe, but at sessions of the serious crime drama " At Any Cost " the audience at times laughed to tears. And this did not happen from an abundance of witty jokes, but because some types and situations prescribed by the talented novice screenwriter Taylor Sheridan are very close to all of us. True, closer to the finale, tears are welling up for a completely different reason. A film with a Texan flavor from the British director David Mackenzie rests on three elephants - family ties (who else will help in trouble, if not a brother), total financial injustice (everyone is sitting on the credit hook of banks) and the brutality of the Wild The West (don't expect help from the state, rely only on yourself and the smoking barrel of a rifle at hand).  Poverty in Sheridan and Mackenzie is not a vice, but a curse, a vicious circle, a hereditary disease that, for the good of loved ones, must be overcome even at the cost of one's own life. At the same time, from the very first minutes you begin to empathize not only with the humiliated and insulted, but also with the rangers who found themselves on the other side of the barricades. Absolute evil here comes not from an ordinary person, but from the banking system, the general lack of money and the state's indifference towards the decaying southern states. All these painful themes in the picture are side by side with heartfelt brotherly love, and witty verbal altercations of two cops-partners - with intense action. This is how the whole film turned out - rough but sincere, straightforward, but convincing in its simplicity. The Topic of Article: LF Best Movies of 2016. |
