1. "The Founder"(2016)
Witnessing the rise of a ruthless capitalist like Ray Kroc might have made some folks uncomfortable during the Donald Trump era, but this is one 20th Century American success story that was overdue for a lavish big screen treatment. Kroc was a struggling milkshake salesman in the 1950s when he noticed that the McDonald's brothers were inventing the fast-food format in California. Long story short- he became one of the richest men in the world(they didn't), and Michael Keaton should have an Oscar on his mantle for making this burger magnate the focal point of the year's best film. Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch are the crispy fries to Keaton's Big Mac, and director John Lee Hancock("The Blind Side") doesn't endorse OR vilify his subject. We've ALL enjoyed a Happy Meal or two.
2. "Hell or High Water"(2016)
Jeff Bridges might be a redneck. I mean, he's just so damn good at it. This absorbing crime drama had me at 'hello', as Bridges' West Texas sheriff was hot on the trail of bank-robbing brothers(Chris Pine and Ben Foster in career-best performances). Director David Mackenzie and "Sicario" screenwriter Taylor Sheridan team up to make a subtle statement about generational omnipresent poverty in the midst of staging a gripping cat-and-mouse game. "Water" was a welcome antidote to a summer of increasingly bloated FX-heavy offerings.
3. "Hacksaw Ridge"(2016)
Mel Gibson made the comeback that I always knew he was capable of in his fifth directorial effort, and first since 2006's "Apocalypto"(just think of all the great films he could have given us if not for his ten-year stay in movie jail). Desmond Doss was the only conscientious objector to receive a Medal of Honor during WWII. This Catholic Army corporal saved 75 lives in Okinawa, and Andrew Garfield made me glad he hung up his Spidey suit with his stirring portrayal of an American hero. Gibson is right at home on a bloody battlefield, giving us explosions and flying bullets that live up to the standards set by "Saving Private Ryan". Don't leave us again, Mel. Vince Vaughn, Sam Worthington, Hugo Weaving, and Theresa Palmer provide strong support.
4. "Silence"(2016)
We're going to talk about Andrew Garfield some more. Religion will never be a popular subject at the multiplex, and Martin Scorsese's films on the subject("The Last Temptation of Christ", "Kundun") will never have as many followers as his classics about cool criminals. Still, it's time to break the silence that surrounds his devastating drama about Christian missionaries that find themselves unwelcome in 17th Century Japan. Garfield and Adam Driver are totally believable as the pompous priests, while Liam Neeson reminds us that he can still act as their lost mentor. There's no excuse for not knowing about this one.
5. "Manchester by the Sea"(2016)
Casey Affleck joined the list of unlikeliest Best Actor Oscar winners with this somber slow-burning indie sensation(no disrespect meant to Ben's little bro but I didn't see this coming). Affleck is affecting as an emotionally-shattered janitor drawn back to his small hometown in Boston in the wake of a family tragedy, while Michelle Williams does the kind of work typically seen in AFI tributes. Director Kenneth Lonergan injects subtle humor into heavy drama into in a way that few filmmakers with far more experience could manage. To see "Manchester" is to instantly recognize it as one of the year's best films.
6. "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"(2016)
Disney is doing "Star Wars" once a year now. That decision might inspire a revolt somewhere down the line, but NOT in 2016, because those Death Star plans came wrapped in a Christmas prequel that series fanatics felt pretty good about. Felicity Jones is an unsung hero in the Rebel Alliance's action-packed plot that neatly fills in the blanks of events that preceded Episode IV(the '77 original, for any laymen out there). A CGI rendition of General Tarkin satisfied my craving for technical innovation, while Darth Vader hasn't been this fun since he was dueling with his son. Leia wasn't the only one with a new hope.
7. "Moonlight"(2016)
You're looking at 2016's Best Picture winner. I'm inclined to see the upset victory of this underdog indie as an obvious backhanded response to the alleged lack of black representation on Hollywood's biggest night, but that's just my politically-incorrect opinion. Homosexuality AND ghetto strife? Mike Pence isn't going to like this. Writer-director Barry Jenkins still impressed in his sophomore outing, with an intimate, unconventional coming-of-age set in the slums of Miami. Best Supporting Actor winner Mahershala Ali is the acting standout in a low-key ensemble. The closing shot is poetic.
8. "La La Land"(2016)
I used to think that musicals shouldn't win major Academy Awards in the 21st Century. The winning team of Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling changed my mind in "Whiplash" director Damien Chazelle's lovable throwback to the genre's 1950s-'60s heyday. Less than ten years after her film debut in "Superbad", a 30 year old Emma is now set in stone as one of this era's essential actresses, and she has the Oscar to prove it. Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire would have approved of the "head to toe" dance choreography that enhances this love letter to the City of Angels. "Land" was lauded for nearly every aspect of it's production, you don't have to be a critic or an X chromosome to love this movie.
9. "Fences"(2016)
Denzel Washington proves a very capable director(this is his third stint behind the camera), just in case you needed another reason to rally around him. However, his hard-nosed garbage-man is about as lovable as Alonzo Harris in this stagy but well-acted film version of August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play. What law says that he has to LIKE YOU? Washington is far from a model husband/father in 1950s Pittsburgh, and he lets Wilson's words take center stage in his examination of the ever-evolving African-American experience. The Best Supporting Actress Oscar went to it's rightful owner in the wonderful Viola Davis, after nearly two decades of undervalued character work.
10(tie). "Captain America: Civil War"(2016)
Cap 3, or The Avengers 3 and Iron Man 4, as it could accurately be described, kept Marvel's cult-like followers filing into the multiplex for another swig of Kevin Feige's Kool-Aid. The MCU tightened it's grip on children of all ages when they brought back Anthony and Joe Russo("The Winter Soldier") to stage a superhero smack-down between Steve Rodgers and Tony Stark. I won't allow the fervor of their fan-base to keep me from enjoying the resultant FX-laden fun. "Civil War" makes "Captain America" the best comic book movie trifecta since Chris Nolan handed in the keys to the Batmobile. Which brings me to...
10(tie). "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice"(2016)
What's with all the DC hate? This blog is bipartisan, and I simply refuse to allow Marvel to horde all the geek gratitude. You're looking at the two biggest superhero properties EVER, son, and this is the first time they've ever shared the screen, so show some respect. Ben Affleck's beastly Bat looks like he could take out Keaton AND Bale, and is sure to be recognized at a later date as a dynamite rendition of the Dark Knight. Jesse Eisenberg did something different with Lex Luthor, I think we all wanted to see Doomsday, and let's not forget that Zack Snyder handed Gal Gadot her golden Lasso. "DOJ" deserves better.
