A Year in Review - 2016 Movies

I think I say this every year, but I feel like each new year brings about more and more movies that I don't wish to see.  This past year was no exception, in fact I saw the fewest movies in 2016 than any other year I've been posting about them.  After the January films (which were included in last year's post to tie in with Awards Season), I didn't visit the theater until May 2016, which is quite unlike me.  There were a couple I thought were wonderful, but most, while entertaining, weren't anything to write home about.  Since, it's been kind of a tradition around here though, I will share my two cents on those I did see....

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 - The first film was quite good and well reviewed.  It's sequel was cute.  Fourteen years later (it's supposed to be 20 in the film I believe), Toula and Ian Miller are still married and living on the same street as the rest of the Portokalos family.  Everyone is in everyone else's business, like the last one, but the Miller's have a teenage daughter who is annoyed by the whole Greek family.  Chaos ensues.

London Has Fallen - The sequel to "Olympus Has Fallen", Secret Service agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) is back protecting the president after saving the day in the previous film.  World leaders are set to attend a meeting in London, and upon their arrival several attacks coordinated by a terrorist mastermind kill most of the leaders.  Of course, Agent Banning is there to save the day.  There is a lot of action - explosions, car chases, crashes, etc.  It was what you'd expect but still fun.

War Dogs - Miles Teller and Noah Hill star in this film about 20-something arms dealers who won a $300-million dollar Pentagon contract to arm American allies in Afghanistan.  It is based on a true story but was directed by "The Hangover" director so while it is a serious subject matter, it is also hilarious.  It is very fast paced and witty - reminded me a bit of "Wolf of Wall Street" in that it was quite entertaining while being mind blowing and maddening at the same time.

Nice Guys - A detective (Ryan Gosling) and a "fixer" (Russell Crowe) team up in 1970's Los Angeles to solve a wacky missing person's case.  It was kind of a cross between a goofy detective film and film noir.  The writing was pretty clever and it was a entertaining.  I don't think it did all that well at the box office, but was a critic's favorite this year...kind of a sleeper.

Money Monster - A financial television host a la Jim Cramer (George Clooney) is taken hostage by a blue collar worker who lost all his money on investments recommended by the host.  The situation happens on the live TV, and the producer (Julia Roberts) has to make decisions to defuse the situation while keeping her host safe. The host and producer end up sympathizing with the man and looked into the shady business that caused him to lose his money.  It is definitely a social commentary on the rigged financial system and the divide it has created.  The film was entertaining, and while I agree with the moral of the story - "Follow the money, find the fraud.", it was a bit heavy handed.

Now You See Me 2 - Another sequel!  The first "Now You See Me" was a pretty clever detective movie about magicians who ran elaborate tricks on those who took advantage of others.  This was pretty much the same movie with different bad guys and different tricks.  It was also a bit sillier than the first.  Meh...

Hunt for the Wilderpeople - This was probably my favorite movie of the entire year.  Sam Neill was the only known "Hollywood" actor in this New Zealand film.  It is the story of wannabe punk/city kid named Ricky who is put into foster care with an older married couple (Bella and Hec) in the NZ bush.  Ricky struggles at first being out in the middle of nowhere and bonding with his new family, but soon finds love with them.  When tragedy strikes, Ricky finds out he will be taken out of the home and put back with child services.  He decides to run away into the Bush.  When Hec goes to find Ricky, the authorties think he kidnapped the boy and the manhunt is on.  There are laughs throughout and even some tears.  I'd describe it as a comedy/drama/adventure film, and it is wonderful.  SEE IT!

Secret Life of Pets - Normally I won't go see a kid movies at the theater.  While often they have some redeeming quality for adults, I just don't want to pay the money to watch a cartoon.  If there's anything I really want to see, I can get it from Netflix and use it as a movie for a classroom party.  Some pet-loving friends and I decided to go see it due to the subject matter (That movie trailer was sure cute!)  It was a fun movie, but like with many of these films, a lot of the funny parts were shown in the trailer.  It had a crazy adventure story which was not as fun as the day-to-day "what does your pet do when you leave for work" parts.

Our Kind of Traitor - Based on the John le Carre's novel, Ewen McGregor and Stellan Skarsgard star in this spy thriller.  While vacationing in Morocco, a man (McGregor) and his wife become part of a Russian money launderer's plan to defect.  Upon returning to London, the couple becomes the go-between for the Russian and MI-6.  The Russian is able to link several British businessmen and politicians to the Russian mob.  It is a typical le Carre story - not a happy ending per say and you must pay very close attention as to not miss any of the intrigue.

Bad Moms - A funny (sometimes slap sticky) film about moms who have had enough of husbands, kids, and judgmental peers.  Over the top, but definitely funny.  Kathryn Hahn is a brilliant comedian and a scene stealer of the film.  Most of her lines in the movie were not written for her but made up on the spot by her, which is impressive since she had the best lines.

Jason Bourne - After sitting out the fourth Bourne film (Bourne Ultimatum), Matt Damon returned for the fifth film in the series.  I am a big fan of the Bourne books and, even though they are completely different, the movies.  In the film, Jason Bourne continues to find out information about his past and how he came to work for the CIA.  The Agency, once again, tries to cover up this info and tries to kill Bourne.  I don't think it was as good as the previous films, but they did leave it open to another in the series.

Captain Fantastic - The Cash Family lives isolated from society in the Washington State wilderness.  The children are homeschooled.  They are very educated and adept at surviving in the wild.  After a tragedy, they must return to "civilization"  The father (Viggo Mortensen) gets their motorhome running and they take a road trip south to Arizona.  The children, while incredibly book smart, are grossly underprepared to navigate in society.  It's a quirky, independent film about parents who want to keep their kids safe and unexposed to the "bad stuff" life has to offer.  The realization that this lifestyle might be doing a disservice to their kids as they mature is heartbreaking for the father who thought he was doing the right thing.  Interesting dilemma, especially in light of the things kids are exposed to anymore.

The Light Between of Oceans - Based on one of my favorite books (by M.L. Stedman) of all time, this film had a lot to live up to.  Tom Sherbourne (Michael Fassbender), a WWI vet, returns to Australia and takes a job as a lighthouse keeper on an isolated island off the coast of Western Australia.  Before leaving, he meets Isabel (Alicia Vikander) who eventually becomes his wife and goes to live in the lighthouse with him.  After several miscarriages and stillborn births, his wife becomes racked with grief.  Then one day, a boat washes ashore with a dead man in it and a young baby.  Because they are so far removed from other people, Isabel talks Tom into keeping the baby as their own and not reporting the man who died.  Everyone is happy until they visit Isabel's family and meet a woman whose husband and baby girl were lost at sea.  It is a heart breaking, gut wrenching, beautiful story and the film did a good job of telling it.  As per the usual, the book was much better than the film, but I will say it was a good adaption.  It was changed enough to keep it interesting, but I never felt the need to shout, "That didn't happen!" at the screen either.  The cinematography is amazing.

Bridget Jone's Baby - I wasn't so sure I wanted to see this film, even after being a fan of the first two of Helen Fielding's books made into movies.  I can pretty much quote verbatim "Bridget Jones' Diary" and "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason".  Based on the previews, the movie had changed things up with the books' characters (no Hugh Grant?!?!), and Renee Zellweger has had so much work done, she no longer looks like the normal "girl" like she did in the first two.  Even so, I acquiesced, and am glad I did.  It was FUNNY!  Bridget gets drunk at a weekend getaway and falls into bed with Jack,  a charming American, who she doesn't think she'll ever see again.  A few days later, she reconnects with her Ex, Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) at a baby's christening.  The two rekindle their romance for a bit, until Bridget finds out she's pregnant...but with whose baby?  It's definitely a chick flick, but I enjoyed it very much.  Many movies these days show all the "funny parts" in the previews so they're not as funny once watching the film.  The previews to this did not do that and there were a lot of funny parts.  One in particular, Mark and Jack trying to get her to the hospital once her water breaks, had the theater literally in tears of laughter.

Snowden - When Edward Snowden first made front page news I was with many other Americans in thinking he was a traitor who leaked sensitive information and hurt our national security.  As more information has come to light in various news stories and documentaries, I'm no longer part of that camp.  The issue remains controversial, so leave it to director Oliver Stone to make a movie about it.  As most who have followed the issue, I've seen a lot of interview footage and detailed stories about Snowden after the news broke of his whistleblowing.  This movie actually goes back into to time to tell Snowden's story right up to his time being holed up in a Hong Kong hotel room with the reporters (Laura Poitras and Glen Greenwald) who ultimately broke the story.  Joseph Gordon Levitt, who portrays Snowden, did a good job.  His mannerisms and speaking style were right on point, and his time leading up to leaking the information were without blemish or scandal.  The whole Snowden affair is quite fascinating, and this movie filled in some of those earlier gaps.

Girl on a Train - The best selling book's movie right's were sold almost instantly after the book release, and many (including me), were looking forward to its release.  I was pleasantly surprised.  As with "Gone Girl", thrillers like these are hard to make into a movie.  In both cases, there were twists and turns that made the books fun to read, but if you've read the book you know them and how it ends - there's no element of surprise.  If you didn't read the book, the twists and turns can be too much for a two hour screenplay.  I think that "Girl on a Train" actually did a pretty good job keeping it new and interesting while sticking to the overall plot.  One thing about the book that bothered me throughout is the characters had very few redeemable qualities and were therefore quite hard to like...any of them!  I enjoyed the overall story very much, but by the end I was just sick of how awful they all were.  The movie gave the viewers a bit more to hold onto character-wise which was a nice adaption, and Emily Blunt was very good in the main role.  I enjoyed it.

A Man Called Ove - A Swedish adaptation of the book of the same name (by Fredrick Backman), tells the story of Ove, a grumpy old man who mourning the loss of his wife.  He learns to enjoy life again after a young family (Swedish husband/Iranian wife) with two children move into his quiet neighborhood.  This is an AMAZING movie.  It follows the book quite well, and like the book, it is funny, happy, and emotional draining.

The Accountant - Ben Affleck stars as a math genius/autistic man who works as an accountant who helps criminals track inside financial corruption. Ironically, he also has "special skills" to take care of anyone who has wronged him or hurt others.  The Treasury Department is after him and his criminal connections as an additional twist.  This film was a lot of fun.  There was something for everyone - humor, action, drama, intrigue - my kind of movie!

The Edge of Seventeen - Hailee Steinfeld and Woody Harrelson star in this cute growing up film about an awkward 17 year old girl trying to find her place in life.  Her life at home and school are less than perfect and her only saving grace is her best friend - the two are inseparable.  However, she feels like her world is coming to an end when her best friend begins dating her brother.  Woody Harrelson is great as the disenfranchised high school teacher who helps her navigate the tough times.  It's no "Breakfast Club" or "Sixteen Candles" or "Say Anything" as far as coming of age films, but it was entertaining.

Allied - Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard star as British and French spies who work together on a difficult mission during WWII.  They both survive and she comes to London to be with him.  They marry and live happily with their family.  Then he is informed that she may not be who she says she is.  He is charged with leaking false information to her and if it the accusations are correct, he will have to kill her.  The reviews were mixed, but I liked it.  It was very fast paced!

Miss Sloane - Jessica Chastain stars as a Washington DC lobbyist who leaves her big firm who happens to represent the NRA and joins a small firm who is representing gun control.  The film is interesting and you must play close attention to it.  But it is a depressing look at all the closed door dealings between lobbyists and politicians.  Regular people need to start hiring our own lobbyists to stand a chance anymore.

Office Christmas Party - A struggling computer company holds an outrageous Christmas party to woo a client and save their business.  I must admit, I am not a fan of slapstick/silly movies at all.  I wasn't so sure I wanted to see this film, but there wasn't anything else out, so I did.  I am really glad I did.  Jason Bateman, Kate McKinnon, Olivia Munn, and Jennifer Anniston star.

Manchester By the Sea - Lee, (Casey Affleck) who left his hometown due to a personal tragedy,  has to return after his brother dies and he becomes the guardian of his teenaged nephew, Patrick. Dealing with his own demons and self-loathing he doesn't believe he has the capacity to take care of his nephew.  Ironically, while they figure out what to do, Lee does help Patrick navigate the loss of his dad, dating, and just being a teenager.  It's a wonderful movie, but heart wrenching.  A reminder of what grief can do to a person.

Sing Street - In 1980's Dublin, the Lalor Family is struggling financially.  Youngest son, 15 year old Conor has to leave his private school and attend free public school where he struggles to fit in.  Upon meeting an older girl who lives across from the school, he tries to impress her by telling her he is in a band and they need a model for their first video.  He proceeds to recruit misfits from the school to create a band.  With the help of his older brother Brendan, an 80's music expert, the band actually creates music, makes some videos, and performs at school functions, all to get the girl.  I saw the preview for this film a couple of months ago at an independent movie theater and then never heard that it actually came out.  While snowed-in on Christmas day in Minnesota, we found it on Netflix.  Clever writing and nostalgic music...fantastic movie!

Other than Manchester By the Sea, I didn't see any of the Golden Globe (probably Academy Awards too) movies.  Many didn't actually come to the theater yet (my yearly complaint) and some (like La La Land) I didn't really care to see.  As per the usual, a few will come out this month with the awards promoting them.  If so, I'll add them to the 2017 review.
My intention was to write just a quick one-sentence review like Kelly does on her site, but I'm too long winded for that.  :)  Sorry about the length.