Manchester By The Sea
A sombre examination of mourning as a withdrawn and troubled man is unexpectedly left guardianship of his dead brother’s 16-year-old son.
Angela Young says: This film will split audiences. For me, I was seared in two by its utterly real depiction of a pain so awful as to kill a man’s soul. An eccentric soundtrack (from orchestral to choral to swing) and extremely slow pace fits this artistic masterpiece like a glove. Casey Affleck’s portrayal of Lee – now guardian of his late brother’s kid – deserves the Oscar. Michelle Williams’ brief appearances are perfect, and Lucas Hedges is spot on as the kid. A profoundly moving piece on the vast variances of mourning, superbly written and directed.
Split
What’s it about?
A trio of teenagers are kidnapped and imprisoned by a brilliant but strange man with ambiguous motives. Also, it’s an M. Night Shyamalan film, so, you know, take that as you will.
What we thought
Dan Beeston says:If there’s one thing M. Night does well, it is suspense. The problem is that there is always a sword of Damocles distracting you from being in the moment. That notion that you’re waiting for ‘The Twist™’. Ignore that. Split is not ‘The 6th Sense’. It’s just a scary and interesting story told well.
It’s also one where you can’t trust the reviewer’s experience. I can tell that some people will get a lot more out of this than I did and some people will be left frustrated. Ironically, I expect ‘Split’ to be divisive.
Jackie
What’s it about?
An intimate portrait of stoicism, pride and ego; Jackie is an imagining of the Life magazine interview with Jacqueline Kennedy (Natalie Portman); covering her dignified reaction to the traumatic events she experienced in November 1963, and how she created the legend of Kennedy’s Camelot from her unabashed desire for a meaningful legacy.
What did we think?
Stephen Scott says: The culmination of a thought-provoking script, Portman’s mesmerising portrayal of the iconic First Lady, psychological storytelling technique verging on poetic, and an innovative and organic soundtrack, Jackie delivers a profound exploration of how truth is manufactured and interpreted.
Elizabeth Best says: Just give her the Oscar already.
Monster Trucks
What’s it about?
An all american teen boy finds a strange creature that uses his old truck as a hermit crab shell that allows him locomotion at high speeds.
What we thought
Dan Beeston says: This conceit is so absurd that I expected a collision of poorly thought out reasons for shonky car chases. What I did not expect was a kids adventure story that rivals Spielburgian classics like ET and the Goonies. Every story element meshes together beautifully. Characters are beautifully realised and I found myself chuckling through the entire film.
This film also manages to add something new and fresh to the tired (no pun intended) trope of the car chase.
The best of 2016 – Anthony edition
The highlights of 2016 according to Anthony
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
What's it about?
It is a period of civil war.
Rebel spaceships, striking from a
hidden base, have won their first victory
against the evil Galactic Empire.
During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret
plans to the Empire's ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR, an
armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet.
What did we think? Stephen Scott says: Where Return of the Jedi was let-down due to 'alleged' toy company requirements, Rogue One seems let down by a meddling committee. Too many cooks dilutes a terrific premise (4 stars) and muddies great characters (3½ stars) thanks to an overly-convoluted introduction (minus 2 stars) and dollops of unnecessary spoon-feeding (minus 7 stars).
But make sure you see it on the big screen for the final battle sequence - it's basically a 21st Century version of the ROTJ final act (5 stars in all its glory - wow it's good).
Epilogue: If you recall, we all loved Star Wars for George's ground-breaking "used universe" and the mythical unanswered questions (Jedi, Clone Wars, why there is no underwear in space). Edwards delivers a gloriously dirty reality, but the committee let the movie down by interrupting him, and providing us with too many answers to questions we didn't ask. A Star Wars movie doesn't require title cards to tell the audience where we are, that's part of the charm. Drop us in and let us swim!
What’s Popular
Peter Rabbit
What’s it about?
A young family orphaned by their violent neighbour, who killed (and ate!) their father, seeks murderous revenge on his nephew.
What did we think?
Stephen Scott says: if you’d let your kids watch the homicidal activities of Itchy & Scratchy or Wiley Coyote & Roadrunner, then you’ll all have a ball with this cute and highly modernised take on the beloved classic. As with all good family films, it works on many levels, with a simple storyline for the five year olds up to some quirky characters for the adults. Hilarious and stupid fun.
Ready Player One
What’s it about?
The creator of a virtual reality empire dies and leaves behind a treasure hunt. The winner gets billions of dollars and control of the entire game.
What did we think?
Sarah Taviani says: While some parts feel a bit clunky, Ready Player One is a blockbuster event that will have you chuckling over the endless pop culture references. And thanks to its engrossing concept and visual effects you’ll be happy to overlook the small issues of complicated world-building and consistent characters. Whether you’ve played one video game or hundreds, it’s not hard to get sucked in and wish you could be part of the OASIS.
A Quiet Place
What’s it about?
Monsters that hunt through any form of sound prey amongst the living (and Jim from The Office needs him and his family to survive).
What did we think?
Nick says: 24 hours after seeing this my heart is still beating well above what is medically okay. A Quiet Place establishes the rules of its universe really nicely and adheres to them perfectly, delivering its thrills and tension from the first minute. A terrific debut from Krasinski who delivers a horror film that consistently keeps you on your toes and is emotionally affecting in every way.
A Wrinkle In Time
What’s it about?
Meg is an adorable tween struggling with the loss of her father and her own battle with poor self-esteem. She is then visited by some do-good fairy types who enlist her to save her father, her universe and her own self worth.
What we thought
Dan says: Like Labyrinth or The Wizard of Oz this tells the tale of a young girl defeating evil by having a bunch of visually charged and unrelated experiences. Set piece after set piece assaults your senses and any one of them could be removed and you’d never know.
This is a bold risk by Disney. Sometimes risks pay off, but there’s a reason it’s called a risk. I love that this film exists and I adore even more that it finally ended and I don’t have to watch it again.
Editor's Choice
Peter Rabbit
What’s it about?
A young family orphaned by their violent neighbour, who killed (and ate!) their father, seeks murderous revenge on his nephew.
What did we think?
Stephen Scott says: if you’d let your kids watch the homicidal activities of Itchy & Scratchy or Wiley Coyote & Roadrunner, then you’ll all have a ball with this cute and highly modernised take on the beloved classic. As with all good family films, it works on many levels, with a simple storyline for the five year olds up to some quirky characters for the adults. Hilarious and stupid fun.
Ready Player One
What’s it about?
The creator of a virtual reality empire dies and leaves behind a treasure hunt. The winner gets billions of dollars and control of the entire game.
What did we think?
Sarah Taviani says: While some parts feel a bit clunky, Ready Player One is a blockbuster event that will have you chuckling over the endless pop culture references. And thanks to its engrossing concept and visual effects you’ll be happy to overlook the small issues of complicated world-building and consistent characters. Whether you’ve played one video game or hundreds, it’s not hard to get sucked in and wish you could be part of the OASIS.
A Quiet Place
What’s it about?
Monsters that hunt through any form of sound prey amongst the living (and Jim from The Office needs him and his family to survive).
What did we think?
Nick says: 24 hours after seeing this my heart is still beating well above what is medically okay. A Quiet Place establishes the rules of its universe really nicely and adheres to them perfectly, delivering its thrills and tension from the first minute. A terrific debut from Krasinski who delivers a horror film that consistently keeps you on your toes and is emotionally affecting in every way.
A Wrinkle In Time
What’s it about?
Meg is an adorable tween struggling with the loss of her father and her own battle with poor self-esteem. She is then visited by some do-good fairy types who enlist her to save her father, her universe and her own self worth.
What we thought
Dan says: Like Labyrinth or The Wizard of Oz this tells the tale of a young girl defeating evil by having a bunch of visually charged and unrelated experiences. Set piece after set piece assaults your senses and any one of them could be removed and you’d never know.
This is a bold risk by Disney. Sometimes risks pay off, but there’s a reason it’s called a risk. I love that this film exists and I adore even more that it finally ended and I don’t have to watch it again.