Updated Top 5 of 2016
5. The Nice Guys
4. 10 Cloverfield Lane
3. Zootopia
2. La La Land
1. The Neon Demon
5. Baby Driver - Edgar Wright
I've always had a kind of desire to make a short film or music video in which all the action on screen perfectly syncs with the music: the perfectionist in me finds that kind of thing very satisfying, and it seems Edgar Wright is on a similar wavelength. Baby Driver is Wright's first non-comedy feature, and as expected, traces of the Cornetto trilogy and his other comedic works are present in its tongue-in-cheek tone. In spite of this though, Baby Driver is a very exciting, tightly-executed action film. As one would expect, the choreography of the action scenes takes centre stage, and these are fantastically put together, containing a good mix of car chases, on-foot chases and gunfights. There's some great performances here too, especially from Jamie Foxx as a love-to-hate villain whose every minute on screen you spend fearing what he'll do next. The film only really falters at its ending where, without spoiling, everything seems great then something bad happens but then we fast forward a bit and everything's fine again. It's very clumsily put together and to me it reeks of last-minute studio or focus group meddling, maybe an attempt to karmatically justify the protagonist and thus not let him get away with all the crimes he commits. Even if implemented properly, I still think it would have been better to leave the ending as 'everything being fine', for consistency of tone if nothing else. Regardless, this is definitely worth checking out if you haven't already, especially if you're a lover of jukebox music and vehicular action.
9/10, High Recommendation
4. Blade Runner 2049 - Denis Villeneuve
In true Blade Runner tradition, it took two viewings of this modern sci-fi classic before I really started to like it. But once I did, it stood out in my mind as one of the best sci-fi films of the decade. From a technical standpoint, Blade Runner 2049 is practically perfect: the acting, the effects, the music (oh god, the music!) and, of course, Roger Deakins' killer cinematography. If Deakins misses out at the Oscars this year, I'm not sure I can be held responsible for my actions. But, how does it compare to the original? Blade Runner is one of my all-time favourite films, and the element that makes it so unique to me is its atmosphere and world building: both its aural and visual design are masterfully evocative. This atmosphere, to me, is what makes Blade Runner one of those ‘lightning-in-a-bottle’ type films, that just can’t be reproduced. Refreshingly though, 2049 doesn’t attempt to replicate the atmosphere of the original and instead tries to create its own unique, modern interpretation of the same kind of mood. And I think that’s the key to its success: it’s inspired by Blade Runner, not copying from it, which is how these kinds of films should be handled. It’s telling, therefore, that 2049’s biggest weakness is its sole connection to the original. Harrison Ford reprises his role of Deckard, presumably because it worked so well in The Force Awakens, and the plot of the film revolves around his and Rachel’s legacy. However, this raises questions that could potentially confuse or even contradict lore from the first film, as well as its famous ambiguous question about Deckard’s identity that could have been easily avoided without affecting the story at all by just changing Deckard and Rachel to two new characters. It’s understandable wanting to keep some connection between the two films, but 2049 would be a lot stronger and self-contained without them. Otherwise, besides one nearly pointless scene that was shamelessly lifted from Her, there’s really not much else wrong with this film. A spectacular science fiction film, and while I still prefer the original, this is the stronger film. A very rare achievement and a modern classic for sure, Blade Runner 2049 is one of the best sci-fi films of the decade.
9/10, High Recommendation
3. Logan - James Mangold
Simply put, this is the best comic book drama since The Dark Knight. Yes, that's the kind of level we're talking here. Logan isn't your standard Disney-fied Marvel blockbuster; in fact in the screenplay for Logan, there's a note that reads "if you're on the make for a hyper-choreographed, gravity defying, city-block destroying, CG fuckathon, this ain't your movie." While there are some great action scenes, they're all relatively small-scale, but with grand stakes and characters that we genuinely care about put in peril. You know, how proper action scenes should be, rather than a cloud of CGI nonsense disintegrating a load of random buildings and simply shrugging it off (looking at you, Transformers). No, this film, much like The Dark Knight, is much more grounded in reality and even has an artistic side: meditating on themes of mortality and family, and as always from this franchise, some interesting commentary on discrimination, drawing parallels between the mutants and ethnic minorities. Logan is the thinking man's comic book film, a film that shows what can truly be done with the superhero concept and puts other recent Marvel and DC films to shame. Unfortunately, now Disney has bought Fox and consequently the X-Men franchise, I get the impression this film, much like Logan himself, may be the last of its kind.
9/10, High Recommendation
2. Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Rian Johnstone
Is this a controversial choice? I can’t even tell any more if people actually like this film.
I had some concerns about Disney’s handling of the franchise: with The Force Awakens, I was concerned by the lack of originality, but gave it a free pass considering it had to welcome in a new fanbase and prove that the franchise was in safe hands. Then there was Rogue One, which was a good film but was a bit of a mess in terms of characters and plot, but again, I gave it a pass considering this was a side story and not connected to the new trilogy. So, there was a lot riding on the quality of The Last Jedi: theoretically, my entire opinion of Disney’s treatment of Star Wars hung in the balance. How gratifying then that The Last Jedi is, by far, the best Star Wars film outside of the original trilogy. Yes, there are things wrong with it: there's an extended side plot involving Finn that goes exactly nowhere, there's a laughably ridiculous yet awkward moment involving Leia, and there's a case of a character withholding key information from another for literally no reason and only reveals it once things have escalated way out of hand. But besides that, this film still packs an absolute punch. It’s a jam-packed epic, bursting with nail-biting tension, strong character development, breath-taking action sequences and unpredictable twists and turns. The Last Jedi also has just the right amount of fan service without pandering, and the lore, especially with the Jedi, has evolved and been expanded upon in a way that feels natural and fresh. And while the runtime may be formidable, you won't want it to end, and believe me, you get your money's worth. There's tonnes of incredible set pieces and story beats, and just when you think it's climaxed, it keeps on going. A fantastic blockbuster no matter how you look at it, The Last Jedi has restored my faith in Disney's Star Wars, even if their merchandising is out of control.
9/10, High Recommendation1. Dunkirk - Christopher Nolan
I agonised over the number 1 slot. In all honesty, these five films could be arranged in practically any order on this ranking and I'd probably be OK with it still. Truth be told, this ranking has already been adjusted once during writing, and it could easily be shifted again. A rewatch is required for all of these before I can be certain, but for now at least, I'm going with Dunkirk. I made the extra effort to see this one projected on film at the BFI IMAX in London and...goddamn. The opening scene in the deathly quiet street, suddenly pierced by volcanic gunfire was one of those defining movie moments for me: almost never before has a gunshot in a film startled me so much. The other part that really stood out to me were the aerial scenes aboard the spitfires. On a screen as titanic as the London IMAX, the endless ocean vista completely fills your peripheral vision: I felt like I was flying. It may sound like I'm just caught up in the IMAX experience more than the film itself, and maybe there's something in that, but even still this is a phenomenal film. Something about the atmosphere of this film is so oppressive and threatening, the way it wraps itself around and constricts its protagonists, particularly in the 'Mole' plotline. It helps that the German forces are never really seen, but instead presented as a looming background threat, a ticking time-bomb for the protagonists to escape. Unlike other war films, this isn't just about fighting or the futility of warfare, but something much more primal: survival. I'd been a little disappointed with Nolan as of late: neither Interstellar nor The Dark Knight Rises particularly impressed me, and even Inception didn't completely satisfy. But this time, he's nailed it, and I can't wait to see what he does next.
9/10, High Recommendation
I have a good feeling about 2018. I don't know what it is exactly, but something in my gut tells me this is going to be a good year. I already have planned and in-production a number of projects that shall hopefully come to fruition in the new year, including five short films (yes, five) and my novel, so even if the blog remains on hiatus for a little while longer, there'll still be plenty of content next year. I hope everyone had a a good Christmas, and I wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year, full of fantastic films and fantastic people. See you at the Oscars!
