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Almost a year later, it’s easy to look at La La Land and wonder what all the fuss was about. But before it became something parodied in TV ads, pantomimes and Strictly Come Dancing, La La Land was a marvellous breath of fresh air – an old-fashioned musical that was uplifting, romantic and entirely un-ironic. It looked great, sounded gorgeous and thoroughly deserved the stacks of awards it won.
This was one of the best films of the year, and one of the most affecting movies I’ve ever seen. And I’m never, ever going to watch it again because A Monster Calls is utterly heartbreaking. The devastating emotional aftermath of the film is the only reason I can think of for why other critics haven’t included it on their end-of-year lists. Watch it, marvel at it, tell everyone else to watch it, and then make a promise to your tear ducts to never abuse them like that again.
I love sci-fi that sits in a small, self-contained universe, and doesn’t beg for a sequel. Marjorie Prime is this year’s best example of that. It’s adapted from a play, and the tiny cast and long scenes make sure its DNA remains largely unchanged. The futuristic chamber drama revolves around a service that provides holographic recreations of deceased loved ones and is a moving, darkly funny look at dementia, loss, and the true nature of memory.
Marvel has tied itself in knots trying to cross-reference stuff that happened in other movies and drop hints about projects not planned for another couple of years. It means that Marvel films have stopped being fun, not least because of ham-fisted political allegories. That’s why Thor Ragnarok was so different. It doesn’t just stand apart from the Marvel Universe, it’s separate even to the two previous Thor films. Ragnarok is big, loud, bright and silly, and – thanks to New Zealand director Taika Waititi – very funny, in a refreshingly non-Hollywood way.
I’ve waxed lyrical about Andy Kaufman and the 1999 Man on the Moon biopic plenty in recent weeks, so you know how much I was looking forward to this curious making-of documentary. It didn’t let me down. It offers new footage of Kaufman in his prime; fascinating insights from cast members, Andy’s family and friends; and shows just how precariously Jim Carrey walked the line between madness and enlightenment. But in the spirit of Kaufman, you come away not sure of how much is real.
If the Coen brothers wrote a redneck heist movie, it would be Logan Lucky. That either attracts you or puts you off. It’s not a transcendent experience, or a masterclass in filmmaking, or a wry look at Nascar fans getting up to no good, it’s just a fun film with Daniel Craig’s best performance in forever.
In Dunkirk, Christopher Nolan managed to bring the Second World War into the 21st century more effectively than any other director in recent memory. It wasn’t through acting (though that was excellent) or story (also superb), but by using colour. It’s a war film that doesn’t use a blue-grey filter to try to make everything look old; rather it uses natural light and doesn’t shy away from showing modern-looking buildings as it proves just how recently the horrors occurred.
This is the moment DC proved it can play with the big boys. Wonder Woman does a superb job of making an old-fashioned character relevant, and it does so by being charming and earnest. It would’ve been easy to go tongue-in-cheek, or grandstand about 21st century political issues, but director Patty Jenkins focuses on story and character and succeeds because of it. Most impressive of all, is the way the film manages to make Wonder Woman getting stuck in on a First World War battlefield not look weird.
This is the Wolverine film we’ve been waiting for. Bombastic set-pieces take a backseat to a more melancholy tone, and themes of mortality and deterioration. Hugh Jackman saved his best performance in the role for last.
The notion of a Blade Runner sequel was met with a huge degree of justified apprehension, and while Blade Runner 2049 could never match up to the original’s cultural impact, it was just as bold and even more beautiful. It managed to be new and familiar at the same time updating and expanding on the themes of the original in a way that feels completely organic. In Blade Runner 2049, Dennis Villeneuve has created a sequel that truly merits its existence.
Let us know what yours are and whether you agree with Mike by emailing whatsoneditor@thekmgroup.co.uk
