2016 has come to an end, and for the entertainment industry it seems like it was one of the worst years in recent memory with the number of stars and behind-the-scenes folk we lost. Thankfully, we will always have their work to remember them by. But with those losses, 2016 was also a pretty good year for movies in general (unless, of course, you’re Sony which has the biggest bomb of the year on its hands with Passengers … and we thought Paramount was having a bad year!). Our writing team at Hotchka have varied interests and don’t often agree on the movies we like, so this year we’re giving you a look back at the ten best reviewed films on Hotchka in 2016.
HOTCHKA’S TOP TEN (in alphabetical order)
Arrival
This movie, with a career best performance from Amy Adams and some of the best visuals you’ll see all year, is emotional, interesting, and flows with perfect pace. And the score is pretty good too. The movie does challenge you a bit with the way the story flows, but it all comes together, in a way a bit clearer than the original short story. I think people will be able to handle it. And thus, it’s one of my more highly recommended movies of the year. Buy Tickets
Everybody Wants Some!!
It’s like the Seinfeld of motion pictures — it’s a movie about nothing, yet it’s totally engaging because of the winning, attractive cast, the meticulous production design, and Linklater’s on-point dialog. Linklater is a master of casting and he’s taken some known and unknown faces, made a lot of them unrecognizable under 80s shags and porn-staches, given each character a distinct personality, and pulled terrific performances out of everyone. Everybody Wants Some!! may not be the biggest, flashiest film of the year … but it is a movie that will grab you and pull you in to its world, leaving you feeling like you’ve spent quality time with these characters and you’re almost sorry to have to let them go as the credits roll.
Hail, Caesar!
The all-star cast … all have their moments, and the brilliant Tilda Swinton steals every scene she’s in as rival twin sister gossip columnists Thora and Thessaly Thacker. She’s so good, I could watch an entire movie with just those characters nosing around for a scoop and slinging mud at each other. The film’s production design is remarkably on point from the 50s home and office decor to the recreations of movie sets from the swimming pool to the Biblical epic. Costumes are also detailed and period appropriate, and Roger Deakins’ cinematography captures the look of the MGM films of the era. I thought it was a terrific throwback to the Hollywood of yore and one of the Coen Brothers’ more enchanting films.
Jackie
It’s a showcase of truly impressive acting, with Natalie Portman really putting in a performance that covers it all. A show within a show, and a persona covering a persona. We see her in the midst of her deepest pain as she moves like a ghost in a White House without people. She shows great expressiveness in her silent moments, and wry pain when she speaks. This movie tries to throw you off balance, and for me, it was a successful experiment. But I could see that it wouldn’t work for some people. It’s also a beautiful movie, stepped in misery and pain, but beautiful nonetheless.
La La Land
The movie begins with a magnificent, one-take song that is the perfect way to bring you into the magical reality of a movie musical. We see a day in the life of Mia and Sebastian, as their paths finally converge. As they flirt and dance and sing and move towards being together, conflicts arise. Sacrifices must be made and decisions are made about their futures. Until we finally get to the last, bittersweet moment that pulls it all out of you.
Manchester by the Sea
There will be a lot of awards attention paid towards this movie, and with good reason. The themes of family and how important it is and how difficult it is when you lose it are universal. And the acting is just stellar here, with an understated, excellent showing from Casey Affleck. Lucas Hedges is barely supporting here, closer to lead as well, but he’s very good for his age. A short scene with Michelle Williams may win her awards this year, that’s how good it is. This is an extremely sad movie, and although it is also a very good one, it is certainly not for everyone. If you can handle a brutal movie because it will win awards, or you just like this sort of thing, it’s one of the year’s best.
Moana
In recent years people have been calling the current crop Disney’s second golden age. Moana most definitely deserves that classification. Unique, exciting, beautiful. All things that would make any film worth seeing. Moana has that plus an amazing set of original songs and one of the strongest female leads ever put to film.
The Nice Guys
Only Shane Black could take some arcane piece of legal history that most have either forgotten or don’t even know about today and make it a pivotal plot point of a movie. It would actually be pointless to even try to explain the intricacies of Black’s plot because The Nice Guys is just something you have to see for yourself to enjoy the experience. Black has packed the film with so much visual and verbal humor that it’s easy to miss a lot of plot points. Besides the script and Black’s direction, the cast is a well-oiled machine. The period detail and music choices are also right on the money. I am confidently going to say The Nice Guys will end up on my Top Ten list of favorite movies of 2016.
Rogue One
Rogue One is probably one of the best, most satisfying Star Wars movies since The Empire Strikes Back. Rogue One uses the familiarity we have with the series to carry on important plot points, but retains enough of its originality to be a true stand-alone film … Rogue One succeeds because it takes a story we’re familiar with and populates it with a host of new characters we’ve never met while using the classic characters to really tell the story. Best of all, Rogue One just might be the perfect way to introduce a new generation to the Star Wars universe.
Sing
If you’re looking for an amusing movie to soar your holiday spirits that’s also family-friendly this year, I highly recommend Sing. Just try to walk out of the theater without at least one of its many earworms stuck in your head. I triple-dog dare you. It left me in the mood to sing and dance – and unleash my inner diva – despite the miserably cold temperatures surrounding me. There’s a song in everyone’s heart that’s just waiting to come out and be played. If only more of us would take the time to listen to that inner song and share it with those around us, perhaps the world would be a better place.
Share this post
