My Favorite 2016 Films

I haven't posted on this blog since August. The past few months I tried getting a job and failed, resorting to an unpaid internship which turned out to be the best internship I've had so far. Anyway, the other night I saw a film that I unexpectedly love and decided to write a post summing up my three favorite films from this year.

All in all, I was very impressed with the films that came out this year. Okay, well basically just my three favorite films to be honest, but I know that they will be longtime favorites of mine and shows that amazing films are still being made. Looking back, the films that I saw last year were quite discouraging, so I'm very pleased that 2016 was an outstanding year in comparison and I hope next year's films will only be better. 

Arrival (Dir. Denis Villeneuve)

What separates this films from the other two, in my opinion, is that this film is intended to appeal to a larger audience. The score, cinematography, acting, writing, and effects were all on point creating such a spectacular film. While the premise may appear to be a typical sci-fi film, like most sci-fi films, it goes beyond science and is actually a reflection of our society. Apart from aliens invading Earth, Arrival is about humans communicating with one another and the importance of doing so. At the end, there is a stunning plot twist that shows how brave Louise (Amy Adams) is and how significant she is to the mission. Continuing with Amy Adams, this is without a doubt my favorite performance of hers and there really needs to be more strong female characters like Louise in Hollywood. 

American Honey (Dir. Andrea Arnold)

I put off seeing this for a while because I was really turned off by the plot. If I were to describe all of the characters in this film, you would wonder why the fuck was there even a film made about characters like these, but what I've noticed about Andrea Arnold's films is that it is not about explaining, but experiencing the characters and their lives through her films. There are so many shots of the landscape, insects, and of Star (Sasha Lane) observing her environment that you feel as if you are in the film. I love how Arnold hired basically most of the cast off the street which makes the characters feel more real. Sasha Lane did a great job, I didn't even know this was her first acting job, and of course Shia LaBeouf was AMAZING. Like I said, the plot is off putting, but somehow 2 hours and 43 minutes wasn’t long enough.

Moonlight (Dir. Barry Jenkins)

I easily cry while watching films, but no other film has moved me or made me cry like Moonlight did.  Separated into three acts, the film shows three defining stages of a man's life. Moonlight doesn’t tell us what Chiron is feeling, we can see it and feel it ourselves.The film is so subtle, but powerful and emotional. Just like American Honey, I don’t think my words could ever do justice on the film's beauty and it is something you have to watch yourself.