My top 10 films of 2016

Many good films came out last year—and too many of them were unavailable to me before this deadline. But here are 10 I liked. And by “liked” I mean they particularly moved me—emotionally and/or intellectually—and were beautifully made.

 

 

1.       Moonlight presents three time periods—young adolescence, mid-teen and young adult—in the life of Chiron, an African-American male in Miami. A drug dealer tries to rescue him from bullies, while his drug-addicted mother neglects him. This tender, exquisitely shot film is the year’s best. It reveals how rarely we see a film with complex African-American characters as it explores their sense of self. The acting and cinematography are excellent.

2.       13^th is a documentary by Ava DuVernay. The title refers to the 13^th Amendment, which outlaws involuntary servitude, “except as a punishment for crime.” The film moves through U.S. history, showing how African-Americans especially have been labeled criminals in order to enslave them and use their labor for profit. DuVernay uses interviews with historians and others plus historical footage to tell a damning story of the U.S. criminal justice system. One stat to consider: African-American males make up 6.5 percent of the population and 40.2 percent of the prison population.

3.       La La Land is a rarity these days—a musical. It tells the story of an aspiring actress and a jazz musician trying to follow their dreams in Los Angeles. The film works on many levels: with joyous and romantic songs and dances, satire, many movie references and a moving exploration of the cost of following one’s creative impulses.

4.       Manchester by the Sea is the moving story of an uncle obliged to return home to Manchester, Mass., to care for his nephew after his brother, the teenager’s father, dies. When he learns his brother named him his nephew’s guardian, he struggles with what to do. Memories of what happened in his past help explain why he doesn’t want to live in Manchester. Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams (in a brief role) are outstanding and will likely win Oscars. The writing also excels.

5.       O.J. Made in America is a five-part documentary about O.J. Simpson that narrates an American tragedy. It explores in detail his rise to fame, his trial for murdering his wife and her friend, and his fall from fame. At the same time it shows the injustices African-Americans experienced, particularly by the Los Angeles police and court system, that likely led to a jury declaring Simpson not guilty of murder.

6.       Hell or High Water portrays two brothers, one a divorced dad, the other an ex-con, who rob banks to save the family ranch in West Texas. Two Texas rangers try to find them before they rob another bank. The film is more than a chase plot, as it explores its characters and saves its ire for the banks that take advantage of people trying to survive in a poor economy.

7.       Loving tells the true story of Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple who are arrested in Virginia for their marriage and forced to leave the state. Later, their situation leads to a legal battle that ends at the U.S. Supreme Court. The film captures the quiet, ordinary love of the couple and understates the opposition they faced. The acting is superb.

8.       Arrival is far from the usual sci-fi films of heroes fighting aliens. Instead, it is an arresting, thoughtful drama that explores both human emotion and philosophical speculation. It’s also refreshing to see a woman in a lead role as an academic who shows courage and vulnerability. Amy Adams has the ability to communicate emotion with her eyes.

9.       The Innocents is set in 1945 in Poland, where a young French Red Cross doctor is assisting survivors of the German camps. A Polish nun begs her to come to a nearby convent, where the doctor finds several nuns in advanced states of pregnancy, having been raped by Russian soldiers. Based on a real incident, this powerful film explores themes of faith and suffering as both the unbelieving doctor and the nuns are changed by each other.

10.   Silence is a faithful adaptation of Shûsaku Endô’s outstanding novel from 1966 about Jesuit priests suffering for their faith in 17^th-century Japan, where Christianity is outlawed. The film is long and at times harrowing, and it raises difficult questions about Christian faith. It’s that rare film that questions simplistic, victorious faith and delves into the depths of God’s mysterious silence and suffering with us.