Movies

Halftime: The best films of 2016 (so far)

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We’re quickly approaching the midpoint of the year, and it’s been an interesting one. If you look at the box office reports, it’s been a blase year, unless you’re Disney.

But in terms of quality, it’s not been bad. Usually, I reach the midpoint of the year and wonder if I’m going to be able to have enough to fill a top ten list in six months. This year, I already have at least five films that I know will kill me to leave off the year-end list. So I thought, in the interest of getting pageviews making sure those films top at least one list, I’d check in on the year so far and what films have impressed me.

1. Everybody Wants Some!! I would not have blamed Richard Linklater at all had he done an easy, down-the-center comedy after the back-to-back triumphs of “Before Midnight” and “Boyhood.” And at first blush, that’s what “Everybody Wants Some!!” looked to be. Marketed as “the spiritual sequel to ‘Dazed and Confused,’” on the surface it’s just another period piece following a bunch of students during a pivotal time in their lives (in this case, college baseball players on the last weekend before class starts in the early 1980s). And there’s a lot of hanging out, partying and screwing around in Linklater’s film. But the film is less “Dazed and Confused” than an extension of the final scenes of “Boyhood,” an examination of male bonding and tribalism that captures a time when men are figuring out who they are, what they like and pushing the limits of their new adult freedom. “Everybody Wants Some!!” is a riotous, very funny party movie, but it’s not purely a nostalgia piece; it’s a story of youth told by a man who’s looking back, accepting who he was and appreciating the moment. It’s another thoughtful, smart and engaging work from my favorite working director.

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2. Green Room: If you want to know why Anton Yelchin’s death saddened so many film lovers this past weekend, look no further than “Green Room.” Yelchin is the poetic, soulful center of Jeremy Salunier’s vicious, blood-soaked thriller. The lead singer of a punk band that winds up besieged by white supremacists, Yelchin’s character sings about anarchy and talks about authenticity, only to be revealed as just a kid when all hell breaks loose. Following up the fantastic “Blue Ruin,” Saulnier once again tackles our culture’s obsession with violence and our reaction when faced with its reality. The Ain’t Rights are a bunch of scared kids trying to stay alive, but Saulnier also wisely shows their captors (led by a chillingly calm Patrick Stewart) to be not one-diomensional monsters, but rational, smart men. The film is laced with almost unbearable tension that erupts into moments of brutal violence that are disturbing without being gratuitous. Saulnier’s showing himself to be that rare talent: a director who can keep us in the palm of his hands in the moment without sacrificing a film’s soul.

3. The Nice Guys: For nearly 30 years, Shane Black has been the king of dark buddy comedies. He may have outdone himself with this blisteringly funny, pitch-black mystery. Ryan Gosling reveals a gift for physical comedy that I never knew about as a washed up, alcoholic detective in 1970s Los Angeles. He’s paired up with Russell Crowe’s hired muscle for a case that twists through Hollywood, the automotive industry and the porn scene. Crowe and Gosling have great chemistry, topped only by young Angourie Rice, who steals the show as Gosling’s Nancy Drew-esque teenage daughter. The action’s great fun, the dialogue pops and the comedy’s laced with a bleak streak that keeps things from getting too silly. In the end, it’s a fantastically entertaining buddy comedy about two men trying to maintain some decency in a very bad world — Black’s specialty.

4. The Witch: Robert Eggers’ horror film got under my skin in a way few scary movies ever do. Set in 1600s New England and told with almost impenetrable Olde English dialogue, the film would almost seem too gimmicky to work. But Eggers creates an atmosphere that drips with dread, using accusations, superstitions and good ol’ Puritan guilt to ratchet up the tension. Aside from a gruesome reveal early in the film, the first hour is largely empty of any gore or outright scares. But its final half hour explodes into a nightmarish assault, with terrifying images that are forever seared into my mind. This is a story of religion gone wrong, and the results of a focus on sin at the expense of grace. It builds to one of the most rattling, disturbing conclusions I’ve seen in a film. It’s not for everyone, but for those willing to engage it, it’s one of the most visceral looks at evil I’ve seen.

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5. Hail, Caesar! Joel and Ethan Coen, two of Hollywood’s most Old Testament filmmakers, go New Testament in their latest film. Sort of. “Hail, Caesar!” is a Hollywood caper, the tale of a studio fixer in the 1950s (Josh Brolin) trying to keep the talent in line over the course of one bizarre day. The film’s structure is largely an excuse for the Coens to bring in a fantastic supporting cast and jump in and out of scenes that allow them to indulge their love of Old Hollywood, including a bit of frustrated banter between Alden Ehrenreich and Ralph Fiennes that ranks among the brothers’ funniest scenes. But like any Coen film, there’s more going on beneath the gags. Structured as a sort of passion play, the film looks at religion, the Cold War and Hollywood from the Coens’ unique perspective. Do Mannix’s struggles mean anything in the grand scheme of things? Is Hollywood America’s religion? As always, there’s no set answer, but it’s great fun searching for it.

6. Captain America: Civil War: My podcast partner Perry described this as “more product” from Marvel, and I responded that it’s product I’m happy to consume. But in hindsight, I think that sells Joe and Anthony Russo’s superb sequel to “Captain America: Civil War” short. Yes, Marvel is cranking out the hits. But just two months after Batman and Superman smashed an entire city because they were manipulated by a billionaire, “Civil War” gave us a conflict that was actually about something. Tony Stark and Steve Rogers don’t throw down because they’re angry bros; the issue springs from personal beliefs we’ve been able to watch develop over several previous films, and the final fight hurts on an emotional level because of the investment we’ve developed since 2008. This was the gripping payoff to Marvel’s long-form storytelling, and it works like gangbusters. Unlike “Age of Ultron,” “Civil War” is busy but never feels overstuffed because its focus is squarely on the Captain America/Bucky relationship that’s driven that particular franchise. Every Avenger has their own arc, but every one feeds into the story’s larger themes of responsibility. And the film’s halfway point rumble at a German airport between a dozen superheroes is one of the funnest and more purely geeky cinematic moments in the history of comic book movies.

7. 10 Cloverfield Lane: This film’s marketing was the best and worst thing to happen to it. Without producer J.J. Abrams attaching the “Cloverfield” branding, it’s possible Dan Trachtenberg’s debut would have been overlooked by audiences. But the “Cloverfield” name clued audiences in that some otherworldly shenanigans were afoot, and made the film’s final twists a bit too expected. But hey, if your movie’s biggest fault is its title, that’s not a bad thing, is it? Removed from the hype, I’m surprised how much “10 Cloverfield Lane” has stuck with me. It’s a taut, tense little thriller, delivered with great skill by Trachtenberg, who never lets his heroine make dumb decisions and keeps finding intriguing ways to heighten the claustrophobia and turn the screws. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is a fantastic heroine, John Goodman makes an intimidating foil and John Gallagher Jr. is the sympathetic comic relief. A great little thriller.

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8. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping: In my review, I predicted that the Lonely Island’s latest film likely would have an easier time at the box office than “MacGruber” or “Hot Rod.” Oops. But I think time will be kind to the saga of Conner4Real (Andy Samberg). Where “Spinal Tap” was goofing on the absurdities of rock stardom, “Popstar’s” aim is at the documentaries that lionize pop stars and the artists’ hubris (also a target of “Spinal Tap”). Everything about it works so well, from Samberg’s lovable idiocy to the catchy-yet-surreal songs that fill the soundtrack. It has a heart that many films that are so gleefully stupid lack, and its jabs at TMZ are classic. Audiences may have initially ignored it, but I have a hunch this movie will never stop never stopping.

9. Weiner: Some days, I think a more enlightened citizenship will look back on “Weiner” in 20 years and laugh at the absurdity of our politics. Other days, I worry they’ll look back and find it quite quaint. Either way, as we weather the great Trump crisis of 2016, few documentaries offer such an in insight into modern politics and provide us with this type of access. The camera is present for nearly every cringe-inducing, queasy moment in Anthony Weiner’s ill-fated bid for governor. It’s at once a picture of a man who seems addicted to self-sabotage, a glimpse at the absurd things Americans take offense at, and the story of a marriage that endures horrific crisis. It’s compulsively watchable and undeniably uncomfortable.

10. Finding Dory: Yes, I would much rather that Pixar get back to the business of making original films (although, let’s remember that while “Inside Out” was a masterpiece, “Brave” and “The Good Dinosaur” were…not). But if they must keep the sequels coming (and they probably play a role in keeping the studio in the black), they could do far worse than this moving, clever and funny followup to one of their greats. The film expands the world of Marlin, Dory and Nemo and brings in several winning new characters. Plus, in deepening the character of Dory and turning into a hero who struggles with disability instead of merely comic relief, it actually makes the first film richer. One of the year’s nicest surprises.

About Chris Williams

Blogger and critic Chris Williams has been writing about film and faith for more than a decade. A member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, his work has appeared in the Advisor and Source Newspapers, “Local Celebs Magazine,” and at Christ and Pop Culture. He also co-hosts the podcasts “It’s My Favorite” and “Far From Hollywood.” Chris lives in the Detroit area with his wife and two children.

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