Slicing - Best of 2016
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List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
22 titles
- DirectorKenneth LonerganStarsCasey AffleckMichelle WilliamsKyle ChandlerA depressed uncle is asked to take care of his teenage nephew after the boy's father dies.Harrowing drama that showcases the actors and deserved the screenplay Oscar. Exceptional as the relationships between characters feel very real, and despite the subject matter still retains moments of humour. 9/10
- DirectorDavid MackenzieStarsChris PineBen FosterJeff BridgesToby is a divorced father who's trying to make a better life. His brother is an ex-con with a short temper and a loose trigger finger. Together, they plan a series of heists against the bank that's about to foreclose on their family ranch.Heist movie with great acting and smart script from writer of Sicario 8/10
- DirectorJim JarmuschStarsAdam DriverGolshifteh FarahaniNellieA quiet observation of the triumphs and defeats of daily life, along with the poetry evident in its smallest details.Great little feel good slice-of-life indie movie with humour and a little pathos. 8/10
- DirectorJon FavreauStarsNeel SethiBill MurrayBen KingsleyAfter a threat from the tiger Shere Khan forces him to flee the jungle, a man-cub named Mowgli embarks on a journey of self discovery with the help of panther Bagheera and free-spirited bear Baloo.The Disney animated version of the story brought to life with incredible special effects - there is little that could have been done better here. 8/10
- DirectorTom FordStarsAmy AdamsJake GyllenhaalMichael ShannonA wealthy art gallery owner is haunted by her ex-husband's novel, a violent thriller she interprets as a symbolic revenge tale.Tense drama thriller that allows for interpretation of meaning - was still thinking about it the next day which can't be said for most films. Some of the characterisations in the wraparound story were broad, but that can be overlooked.Adams and Shannon are strong but an especially good performance from Jake Gyllenhal (playing two parts) as usual. 8/10
- DirectorRobert EggersStarsAnya Taylor-JoyRalph InesonKate DickieA family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic and possession.Very tense, atmospheric horror, faithful to the period - only fault being that there does not seem to be much of a deeper message beyond the surface. 8/10
- DirectorDenzel WashingtonStarsDenzel WashingtonViola DavisStephen McKinley HendersonA working-class African-American father tries to raise his family in the 1950s, while coming to terms with the events of his life.Stage-y adaptation of a moving play that examines the successes and failures of a man's life 8/10
- DirectorGareth EdwardsStarsFelicity JonesDiego LunaAlan TudykIn a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire's ultimate weapon of destruction.Not sure how well this would stand up to a rewatch outside of the cinema, but this worked for me as a action / war movie with Star Wars stuff laid over the top. CGI actors back from the dead was a bit distracting and unwarranted, but fun link up with New Hope at the end. 8/10
- DirectorAndrea ArnoldStarsSasha LaneShia LaBeoufRiley KeoughA teenage girl with nothing to lose joins a traveling magazine sales crew, and gets caught up in a whirlwind of hard partying, law bending and young love as she criss-crosses the Midwest with a band of misfits.Beautifully made indie about some impoverished youths going on the road. Meandering and lethargic at points, without an ending to speak of, it's elevated by the cinematography and performances. 8/10
- DirectorJon GreenhalghStarsJohn du PontDave SchultzMike GostigianDocumentary filmmaker Jon Greenhalgh examines the life of Dave Schultz, a professional wrestler who was part of 'Team Foxcatcher', funded by multi-millionaire John du Pont.Fascinating and moving documentary, really gives an insight into the people involved and events leading up to tragedy. Watched as interested after seeing the fictionalised movie version. 8/10
- DirectorRon HowardStarsThe BeatlesJohn LennonGeorge HarrisonA compilation of found footage featuring music, interviews, and stories of The Beatles' 250 concerts from 1963 to 1966.Great footage from the early years of The Beatles. 8/10
- DirectorKyle Patrick AlvarezStarsEzra MillerTye SheridanBilly CrudupIn 1971, twenty-four male students are selected to take on randomly assigned roles of prisoners and guards in a mock prison situated in the basement of the Stanford psychology building.Claustrophobic and incredibly tense telling of the real life psychology experiment that in some parts plays like a horror. 8/10
- DirectorShane BlackStarsRussell CroweRyan GoslingAngourie RiceIn 1970s Los Angeles, a mismatched pair of private eyes investigate a missing girl and the mysterious death of a porn star.Gosling and Crowe are hilarious in this. Classic Shane Black script. 7/10
- DirectorBen WheatleyStarsSharlto CopleyBrie LarsonArmie HammerSet in Boston in 1978, a meeting in a deserted warehouse between two gangs turns into a shoot-out and a game of survival.High concept (what if a whole movie was just a shootout) that works due to great performances and the right balance between humour and gore. Bound to be a future cult classic. Shame Brie Larson is underused.
- DirectorByron HowardRich MooreJared BushStarsGinnifer GoodwinJason BatemanIdris ElbaIn a city of anthropomorphic animals, a rookie bunny cop and a cynical con artist fox must work together to uncover a conspiracy.Fun Disney with lots of humour and asides to appeal to adults. Too long for a kid's movie though. 7/10
- DirectorBabak AnvariStarsNarges RashidiAvin ManshadiBobby NaderiAs a mother and daughter struggle to cope with the terrors of the post-revolution, war-torn Tehran of the 1980s, a mysterious evil begins to haunt their home.
- DirectorMakoto ShinkaiStarsRyunosuke KamikiMone KamishiraishiRyo NaritaTwo teenagers share a profound, magical connection upon discovering they are swapping bodies. Things manage to become even more complicated when the boy and girl decide to meet in person.
- DirectorFede AlvarezStarsStephen LangJane LevyDylan MinnetteHoping to walk away with a massive fortune, a trio of thieves break into the house of a blind man who isn't as helpless as he seems.Fun and well executed little thriller / horror 7/10
- DirectorJeremy SaulnierStarsAnton YelchinImogen PootsAlia ShawkatA punk rock band is forced to fight for survival after witnessing a murder at a neo-Nazi skinhead bar.Great thriller / horror that constantly ramps up the tension while feeling relatively plausible. 7/10
- DirectorGarth DavisStarsDev PatelNicole KidmanRooney MaraA five-year-old Indian boy is adopted by an Australian couple after getting lost hundreds of kilometers from home. 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family.
- DirectorWhit StillmanStarsKate BeckinsaleChloë SevignyXavier SamuelLady Susan Vernon takes up temporary residence at her in-laws' estate and, while there, is determined to be a matchmaker for her daughter Frederica--and herself too, naturally.
- DirectorDaniel KwanDaniel ScheinertStarsPaul DanoDaniel RadcliffeMary Elizabeth WinsteadA hopeless man stranded on a deserted island befriends a dead body, and together they go on a surreal journey to get home.Totally bizarre, ponderous at times, but all comes together brilliantly in the end to put everything that came before in a different light. 7/10