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High Frame Review: Best of 2016 (10-1)

10. The Neon Demon Nicholas Winding Refn may have something wrong with him. To create such a depraved single focused work of real life horror is brilliant and concerning. The Neon Demon is a ride into the beauty industry dripping with colour and noise. Elle Fanning burns the screen from start to finish. And if you can predict the end of this film at the start, maybe you are as disturbed as Winding Refn. Best viewed late at night with the lights off.

  9. The Nice Guys

The Nice Guys is fun. Shane Black has created a film that doesn’t bother with subtext or social issues. All we get is two incompetent private detectives in over their heads bumbling around 1970’s Los Angeles. As much as Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe are great in the film, Angourie Rice steals every scene she is in. The setting is real, the jokes land and the plot keeps you invested without ever trying to overreach.

  8. Hail, Caesar!

A common theme amongst some of the better films of the year was nostalgia and especially for classic hollywood. As we continue to lose those involved with classic movies, some like the Coen Brothers, look to remember and celebrate that time. Hail, Caesar! won't be everyone’s cup of tea, but criticism of the lacking plot couldn’t dampen my enjoyment of the film. So many individual scenes stand out and will be quoted forever. We have also discovered a new star in Alden Ehrenreich, he lassoed us in with charm and innocence and i can’t wait to see him as Han Solo.

  7. Arrival

Denis Villeneuve can do no wrong. He is the only reason i have supreme confidence in a new Blade Runner film. Arrival is not as advertised, it may revolve around alien craft landing, but this is purely window dressing as we are taken on a journey to discuss love, communication, secrecy and destiny. A visual masterpiece, Arrival represents a blockbuster that refuses to play by the rules. With a female lead, no major action scenes and a willingness to take his time, Villeneuve continues to make films the way he wants. Each one is distinctly different but have a similar feel and style, making Villeneuve one of the most exciting directors working today.

  6. Tickled

How could a film by a New Zealand pop journalist be this high on my list? Because it shook me to my very core and took me on a story that made me want to personally fight against injustice. An injustice that i had never heard of before and still am unsure is actually real. David Farrier goes on a mission to discover the sinister roots of an underground tickling video ring that lashes out at anyone in their path. Never could you anticipate the sheer evil in this film upon its description, but with each new revelation i became more and more engrossed in discovering the world with Farrier. Could Farrier be the next Louis Theroux? I think this film is already better.

  5. Hell Or Highwater

Sometimes one film is all you need to put yourself on the map. Damien Chazelle did it with Whiplash, Alex Garland had Ex Machina and next off the rank will be Taylor Sheridan, writer of Hell Or High Water. After writing Sicario in 2015 (as well as follow up Soldado for 2017) his directorial debut Wind River is highly anticipated. Hell Or Highwater is more than the sum of its parts, beautifully shot, well acted and a subtle and moving script but the whole is so much more and a real surprise. No doubt the modern crime western will be a new craze as Sheridan continues to write such golden material.

  4. Hunt For The Wilderpeople

Sometimes you just want a film to delight you. Hunt For The Wilderpeople is just delightful. A beautiful blend of heart and humour, Taika Waititi knows how to balance his films to never be too bogged down in melodrama or too humourous to be one dimensional. Sam Neill is a perfect foil for newcomer Julian Dennison as an odd couple forced together. Alongside them are Waititi’s colourful cast including Rachel House, Rhys Darby and the director himself. Waititi is a special director and will hopefully not lost to the hollywood system, his signature blend of dry humour and heart makes people’s lives better.

  3. Green Room

Hardcover punk, neo-nazis and a bit of a misunderstanding. For most of its runtime, Green Room takes place in a single location, a dank club that starts to feel like a claustrophobic tomb for the protagonists as the film tells their horrible story of a night trapped in a neo-nazi hell. Jeremy Saulnier has put together a masterpiece in suspense and terror while Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots,  Alia Shawkat and Patrick Stewart own the screen. A surprisingly great film.  

2. La La Land

It’s hard not to have La La Land as my top film of 2016. It filled me with joy and a repeat viewing did nothing to dampen it, in fact it may have been better the second time around. It's a clique and a generalisation but I hate musicals, which makes my top two even more surprising to me. Damien Chazelle has a perfect record with Whiplash being my favourite film of the last ten years and La La Land being all but perfect. The music is perfect, the visuals are beautiful and the acting is exactly what it needs to be. Some criticism can be made for the ending of the film, but i prefer to look at the film as a celebration of filmmaking and classic hollywood and each scene stands by itself, the ending subverting tradition with a nod towards convention. As far as soundtracks and joy goes, there is only one film that did it better in 2016.

  1. Sing Street

When you look ahead at the year in film you see the big tent pole superhero films and the releases by critically acclaimed directors and actors you like. Sing Street by John Carney wasn’t on my radar until I sat down in the State Theatre for the Australian Premiere. Having seen Begin Again, I knew Carney could direct a feel good musical film, but Sing Street is something else entirely. An unknown cast, a classic soundtrack mixed with new music, Sing Street is a delight that rewards repeat viewings and had me playing the soundtrack for weeks afterwards. If you don’t have Drive it Like You Stole It stuck in your head after you see Sing Street you may need to check for a pulse. Heart and comedy are delivered in equal measures by a cast that doesn’t miss a beat despite many of them stepping in front of the camera for the first time. Seek out this film, then once you have watched it, give it two days then watch it again.

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High Frame Review: Moonlight

There are entire libraries of films that detail the life cycle of an individual, notable recent films such as Boyhood have captured the imagination of the public. The quality of 'saga style' films is their ability to relate to the individual, we are given an innocent access point and are drawn into the life of the protagonist as we grow alongside them. Moonlight follows the same well worn road, but is able to elevate the film to a magical experience with smooth cinematography and a punchy but ethereal soundtrack. The film is broken into three parts as we see the progression of Chiron, a young black man dealing with life in a suburban Miami community. We are given snapshots of his life, each details formative and traumatizing events, family drama, sexuality and place in the world are all discussed. Chiron is guided by Juan, a local drug dealer who is able to teach lessons Chiron's absent drug addict mother Paula, has neglected. Moonlight shows us a life many are unfamiliar with and presents new ideas that challenge conventional thinking and attitudes. Moonlight walks a tightrope between ordinary and extraordinary,  it remains realistic  and avoids cliques . Scenes roll by, nothing happening, setting the landscape and feel of the film. Natural language and settings lull the audience into a calm empathy before crushing hearts with poignant lines and events. Without a few crucial scenes, Moonlight would be relegated to the snoozefest Boyhood became. Moonlight is visually stunning throughout however a handful of scenes make this film a true work of  art. James Laxton’s cinematography is soft and intimate. Natural pans are played alongside close details shots. A stand out is a scene in which Juan teaches Chiron to swim as a boy. The camera dances on the waves, the natural chaos of the water lashing over the lens juxtaposed with the calm mature performance by the outstanding Mahershala Ali as he keeps Chiron afloat and lets him be his own man. Similarly Nicholas Britell’s score plays with the heart. Used sparingly it plays bold orchestral pieces against modern hip hop songs. Its mature, classic and modern, moulding the evolution of Chiron as the score changes with his age. Moonlight is an important film, a film that looks at issues of black identity, sexual expression and personal isolation. Jenkins has put forward a work of art that feels so natural throughout yet is able to stick with you well after you leave the theatre. Beautiful, tender yet harrowing, Moonlight is the work of a promising filmmaker flexing his muscle with a message that will hopefully connect with many unlike so many similar films before.

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High Frame Review: The Edge Of Seventeen

Oh what a relief. The Edge Of Seventeen is great. So great in fact that despite being in a room full of its target audience, late tween to mid 20’s women, ( not a situation this late 20's male would normally relish), I walked out with the biggest smile on my face because this film takes a refreshingly new approach to the traditional 'coming of age' teen film. First time director Kelly Freemon Craig, follows a well used formula but does it in such a way that it felt like a new story full of empathy and consequences. Actress Hailee Steinfeld is cast as Nadine, an antisocial seventeen year old struggling to find a place in society following a death in her family. She is seen as the black sheep of the family but she is not the only one with problems. Her world is turned upside down when her only friend Krista (Haley Lu Richardson) starts dating her brother Darian (Blake Jenner) and Nadine finds herself feeling more alone than ever. Those around her display various levels of interest, from a fawning suitor, a preoccupied mother and a sarcastic teacher. Is it the world around her that is broken or is she the broken one ? The character of Nadine is pivotal in this film and Hailee Steinfeld brings an empathy and understanding to this role that underlines what a talented actress she is . Her portrayal of a confused adolescent that cannot work out how the world works and yet at the same time displays little interest in understanding, also desperately wants what everyone else has and longs for somebody to pay attention to her. Nadine lashes out at those around her and where other teen films play with extremes, Freemon Craig has kept the script closer to reality, allowing us to truly immerse ourselves in the plight of our heroine. Nadine is an unlikable character and this does not change throughout the film. There are no real victims in this film, nobody is out to get Nadine, just a world of broken individuals too caught up in their own realities to be aware of, or care much about her. The comedy lands, it actually lands! From the crass sexual jokes to the awkward interactions, there are a lot of laughs throughout the film. Some may have questioned the rating of this film, but 15 minutes in and a joke about incestuous rape that is followed by a scene in which Nadine is seen vomiting and you know this isn’t a Disney family film. The Edge Of Seventeen is a film that understands and clearly articulates the current day to day life of the average Millennial with a strength and empathy that makes it very watchable. The Edge Of Seventeen targets a younger audience (not too young though) and I hope more young people see it. I was thrilled to be sitting in a full cinema following its poor performance at the US box office. There is enough quality in this film to ensure it continues to find an audience across new platforms and well into the future. Without trying to rewrite the genre, Freemon Craig has delivered a heartwarming and real story, helped by a great cast led by Steinfeld and equipped with a note perfect script.

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High Frame Review: Frank And Lola

Oozing a film noir lust and layered with mystery and intrigue, it is hard to tell whether Frank & Lola is a wonderful film from a new time writer/director Matthew Ross or a case of style over substance where mood lighting, music and twists galore distract from a stock standard 90 minutes of film. Frank & Lola is a love story told by a man obviously broken before. It is film that hinges on the story so the less details the better, suffice to say it revolves around the titular characters, perfect performances from Michael Shannon and Imogen Poots, as their relationship is challenged by infidelity and emotional baggage. The film is set against the darkest Las Vegas put to film in years, this is Las Vegas away from the casino’s, this is how the rest of the town lives. Las Vegas feels like a symbol for the rest of the film. There is no glitz as in a romantic comedy, there is no sweeping statements of intent, it is secretive and immediate and visceral. The tension builds throughout and you are left thinking ahead to the next turn as each character vies for the upper hand. In the end, you are made too aware of the screenwriters flourishes to really be fully engaged in the story. The casting of Michael Shannon and Imogen Poots is a master stroke. Their difference in age could have easily been problematic in a society hyper aware of Hollywood’s constant dismissal of aging actresses. Those fears are easily laid to rest when you realise the age gap is essential to the relationship imbalance and the way the couple play with each other. Shannon’s stoney face plays perfectly against the tableau of emotion Poots presents on hers. Anytime Shannon does allow emotion to break through, you as the audience feel it that much more from an actor cast perfectly and on top of his game. Frank & Lola is a bold opening salvo from Ross and will be a film that sticks with me for a few weeks before fading into the indie film vacuum of my mind. The noir style and bold storytelling strokes work for and against it but the film stays afloat on the back of the performances of its leads. I would suggest this as being a good film for any noir completest or those who like a good sexually charged romance thriller.  

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High Frame Review: Birth Of A Nation

The failure of Birth Of A Nation at the US box office underpins the great chasm that exists in society today. An already incendiary film that details the real life uprising of Nat Turner against slave owners in 1831 laid against the backdrop of a nation divided over Black Lives Matter and made even more segmented as allegations of rape against writer/director/lead Nate Parker clouded a film tipped as an early Oscar front runner in the wake of #Oscarssowhite and a bidding war at Sundance. Is it possible to strip back the context of a film and just view the film? Is film meant to be reflective of its environment? Can Birth Of A Nation ever stand on its own two feet and should it? As a historical retelling, the plot of Birth Of A Nation plays out similar to how it would it most textbooks. After the violent sexual assault of his wife and years of seeing the worst torment of his fellow slaves, young African-American preacher Nat Turner leads a revolt against the slave owners in the local Georgia county. The story falls short of ever being truly masterful and instead relies on specific moments of horrific violence and cruelty to elicit the emotional response to justify the conclusion of the film. Unfortunately as the moments come and go and the glue between them is often pedestrian. It is a story that is important to tell and more so in a world that seems to hold on to some of the sentiment from the 1900’s onwards, but for such an important story, it didn’t ever feel vital or as engrossing as it should be. With an instant classic film like 12 Years A Slave proceeding Birth Of A Nation by just a few years, it's impossible to avoid comparisons between the two. This is unfortunate because we tend not to compare romantic comedies or who done it crime dramas in the same way, but because there has been very few stand out stories of slavery era America, the two will compete for praise. In this comparison 12 Years A Slave is easy a superior film, packed with iconic images, far reaching ideas and real empathetic characterisations, it stands as a gut wrenching film that will long stick in the memory. Where McQueen was able to view the entire scope of the film with a trained vision, it feels that Parker suffered under the responsibility of his feature debut, too close to the material to see the performances around his not reaching the quality of his own. There are some tableau’s used in the film, but nope feel fresh or challenging. McQueen made a film, Parker recounted history. Parker himself is easily the stand out in the film. He loves the camera and the camera loves him. He is shouldered with the religious sermon that underpins the meat of the films heart. His writing squarely places religion and morality in discussion and interpretation as the crux for kindness or cruelty within. Parker positions Turner as the leader, the hero, the agitator, the moral compass and holier than thou, the result of which is leaving the supporting cast to feel like victims and followers. Some are raped, some are tortured and most are forlorn and demoralised throughout, which undermines their strength and role in the uprising. Parker has obvious and understandable admiration for Turner but fails to ignite the rest of the cast of characters in the same way. When a film is hyped as Birth Of A Nation was, its hard to not be disappointed when you aren’t blown away. Birth Of A Nation is not a bad film, the final act is sensational and holds the film above most others in a relatively poor year, but it does lack that edge that other socially important films in recent years have had and looks to unfortunately fade into obscurity under the weight of aggressive conservative politics and a discussion about separating art from the artist.

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High Frame Review: Nocturnal Animals

Nocturnal Animals tells three stories, each comprising a third of the film but never truly adding up to a whole. Director Tom Ford has assembled a wonderful ensemble cast and drawn compelling performances from each of them in his second feature film. Michael Shannon and Jake Gyllenhaal are engrossing as always, while Amy Adams is haunting and Aaron Taylor-Johnson puts in the performance of his life. A film rich in suspense and violence, Ford has created a perfect mood for the mystery to brew in. Nocturnal Animals looks to compile ideas into a whole but falls short of realising it fully. The story unfolds like a flower, revealing layered backstory and links throughout. Susan Morrow (Adams) is an art gallery curator who has been sent a manuscript by her ex-husband Edward Sheffield (Gyllenhaal). In the manuscript she reads a harrowing tale of loss and revenge. Unnerved by the book’s similarities with her past relationships and its violent nature she recounts her past with Edward over sleepless nights. The film takes us on three journeys, through the past, present and fictitious. Where is all falls apart however is that as the flower finishes unfolding there is nothing to hold it all together in a satisfying way. The fictitious story told in the manuscript takes centre stage. In performance and content it is easily the most compelling segment of the film, and makes reality feel like little more than unnecessary window dressing. For some the ending may play into their desires for the film, reinforcing a now well trodden movie trope of ambiguity. Others will feel cheated, believing Ford wrote himself into a corner and didn’t have any other option to conclude without ‘pulling a Shyamalan.’ The flow of the film is unusual, as we jump in and out of the interwoven stories, progress is stilted and any three act structure is muddied, leaving the conclusion of the film far too early and without cohesion. Nocturnal Animals is a well made film and teetered on the cusp of being remarkable, the acting is exceptional, the cinematography is striking and the story is engaging throughout. Yet as the credits roll, it is impossible to shake the feeling that there is more left the play out on the screen. While some will like the endings ambiguous nature and generate their own concrete course of events, others may feel as if they were fed an entree and are still waiting for their main course.

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High Frame Review: Personal Shopper

Personal Shopper was something of a mystery going into it. Having not seen anything outside of a trailer which suggested nothing more than a personal assistant and a hint of the supernatural, I was ready to be taken wherever Olivier Assayas dared to venture with his Clouds Of Sils Maria breakout performer Kirsten Stewart. Unfortunately the trailer did give us everything the movie would, but in a nicely condensed version. Personal Shopper follows Kristen Stewart’s american Maureen as a personal assistant to a high maintenance actress. On the side she is also a medium who is trying to communicate with her recently deceased brother before she is able to move on with her life. She hates her job and is still learning her hobby, so unluckily for us, we are going to get chunks of supernatural exposition and a clown car of Kristen Stewart’s best impressions of a disappointed rock. Personal Shopper has a few moments of intrigue. A haunted house and a who done it look to elevate the grungy millennial who hates her job schtick late in the film, but even these moments feel pedestrian by the end. Assayas has given us a film that dwells on mundane tasks as a way to mirror life while also trying to present the magic of the supernatural. The two cancel each other out and what we are left with is a well shot, generically acted and overall frustrating film that offered nothing and delivered less.

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High Frame Review: Everybody Wants Some

I have a problem with most college movies. We either get the nerds seeking revenge on the jocks or the jocks trying to get laid. Both position women as objects to be hunted as prizes and with the rates of sexual assault in American Colleges its perhaps something we shouldn’t be encouraging in light hearted comedies. Neighbours 2 subverted that trope in having a foul mouthed sorority, and Richard Linklater perhaps gives us a slightly different look at it again, albeit still with some lingering feelings of objectification. Everybody Wants Some follows a baseball team in 80’s Texas as they arrive for their first weekend before school and practice begins for the year. The team is comprised of new and old players and focuses on what happens when these men are taken away from their families and put together in a world where the only rules are that of the team. We are given the mandatory drinking and partying scenes as well as a central romance to tick all the genre boxes but where Everybody Wants Some differs is Linklaters ability to drill emotion into the journey. By the end of the film, we are given a strong idea of the character of our protagonist Jake (Blake Jenner) as the moral centre, trying to fit in with the testosterone of the team but not giving away his more sensitive side. While the team camouflages itself to whichever look they think can help them get laid, Jake remains honest and demonstrates a clear interest in others rather than unsubtle pick up lines and quick tricks. We are given a clear distinction between good and bad that lets us take inspiration from one and find humour in the other. The soundtrack is riotous, the costuming is impeccable and the production feels fluid and clear in its vision. This is the real potential of what all other college movies want to be. Without an evil dean, an enemy frat or a road trip, Everybody Wants Some gives us an honest look at the masculine experience that is carefully positioned between bravado and brains and is humorous and enjoyable without undermining itself with extreme objectification and cheap gross laughs.