2016 hasn’t been the best year for biographical films it seems, because quite a few have ranged from being mediocre to only good. With the exception of Jackie, most of the films based on true stories this year have been overshadowed by narrative films featuring fictional stories. I know this is a broad generalization, because…
Category: Drama
Denial (2016)
Some films just fly under the radar, and despite having great casts and interesting stories, they just aren’t given the notice they deserve. One such film is Denial, a true story that happens to be one of the most fascinating I’ve seen in a while, and it bothers me that it hasn’t received the attention…
Paterson (2016)
For every cinephile, there is that one filmmaker than made you absolutely fall in love with cinema. For many, it was the likes of Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese or Stanley Kubrick, and while I respect these men (and utterly adore Kubrick), there was one other filmmaker that actually shook me into loving him films unconditionally,…
Jackie (2016)
A biopic like Jackie comes around very rarely – an intimate, honest and sometimes brutal exploration of a much-loved public figure does not get more brilliant than this, and helmed by the wickedly talented Pablo Larraín, Jackie is one of the year’s most incredible films, and it proves to be a great addition to the…
Lion (2016)
Some stories are just too touching to not share, and the story of Saroo Brierley is one of the more inspiring. It was only a matter of time before his story was brought to the screen, the result may not be the most notable or prominent film, but for what it makes up for in…
Fences (2016)
Here’s the thing – I am a big fan of all the performing arts, and when it comes to the three kinds of narrative performance, there are different methods of control. In all of them, there are different components, each one vital and necessary, but there is always the one figure that is most important,…
Moonlight (2016)
I don’t think there is anything that is simultaneously beneficial and harmful to a film than hype. There are some films that are just hyped up so much and given the status of being essential viewings right from the beginning, and usually many people do enjoy the film, but many others find themselves somewhat disappointed,…
Elle (2016)
In my review for Things to Come, I called Isabelle Huppert the greatest actress in the world. I don’t think I have ever uttered something more truthful, and my belief in this fact is only amplified by the fact that Huppert is frequently beyond outstanding in nearly everything she does. Perhaps it is her performance…
It’s Only the End of the World (2017)
Oh, Xavier Dolan. How is it possible that there is a filmmaker so talented, yet so unbelievably messy in some of his cinematic pursuits? I jumped at the opportunity to watch It’s Only the End of the World (Juste la fin du monde) while I was in Europe, and I have to say that despite…
Manchester by the Sea (2016)
Last February, Leonardo DiCaprio won the Academy Award for Best Actor. Now while I do follow awards season, I don’t use that as a barometer of quality, and I try and keep awards prospects out of my reviews of films, because some of the best films never came close to the Academy Awards. The reason…
