The Best Movies of 2016

“I can’t beat it.”  Those four words delivered by Casey Affleck in Manchester by the Sea epitomize the last 365 days in America.  2016 and the two months of 2017 really, truly have re-defined the boundaries of what we thought was impossible.  It has been a difficult year for many of us with far too many surprises both wonderful (Go Cubs) and truly terrible.  Luckily for us, there can be solace found in even the darkest of days.  We will always have the movies.  

This year has been perhaps the most educational year in cinema of my life.  I didn’t watch as many films as I have in years’ past.  For once, I actually tried to watch quality films over quantity and while I didn’t see as many classics as I have in previous Oscar cycles, I did see plenty of films I would like to watch again.  Films that inspired me, made me think, and most importantly spurred creativity in recesses of my brain that had been left dormant.  Before I begin my list, I would like to make one caveat.  As my friends and family can attest, I am definitely a difficult critic to please.  In previous years, I have joked, poked fun at, mocked, and even open-mouth gaped incredulously when people told me their favorite movie of the year.   I won’t be doing that anymore (unless you liked Suicide Squad).  For the most part, I’ve learned the nature of perspective in appreciating film.  I know that my list is extremely subjective at best and everyone has the right to their opinions.  I think, we as a nation, have lost sight of this simple truth.  When you embrace opinions that differ from yours, you might actually learn a little and grow.  If you liked Rogue One: fantastic.  I thought it was mismanaged and poorly written with a kickass third act.  If you liked Jason Bourne, thought it was a great spy flick - wonderful!  I thought it was so forgettable, my best friend had to remind me that we went to see it.  These examples aren’t meant as sarcastic, in fact quite the opposite.  There are certain movies BvS, Suicide Squad, and the Hillary Clinton Smear movie that I will still go to the mat as being truly atrocious, but I embrace anyone who has the courage to share what they honestly believe.  Movie theaters are meant to be places of escape and not everyone needs the same escape that I do.

One other note:  Time is an important factor in understanding a movie critique.  Time is perhaps the greatest inherent bias when watching a film.  I remember watching Her one week after I finally came to terms with my ex-girlfriend leaving me.  No matter how good that movie may or may not have been, I couldn’t emotionally connect with it because I had already moved on.  The same is true with my list this year.  You will notice that phenomenally made films like Fences and Hidden Figures are not on my list.  They are undeniably wonderful films and perhaps in time I can appreciate them more, but with a movie like Fences I couldn’t get the extremely powerful performance I once saw of James Earl Jones and Courtney B Vance out of my head and so the film didn’t resonate as much with me.  In time I hope to revisit Fences along with many other films on this list.  

Finally, perhaps the best movie made this year is the documentary OJ: Made in America, but seeing as I watched the film as a mini-series it felt disingenuous to include it on this list.  It is a must see, incredibly timely and thought-provoking, and is as much about race and celebrity as it is about OJ.

My list is of the top 20 films of the year, but I will only go into detail on the top ten to save on time, energy, and of course, your patience.  

20.  The Lobster 19.  Doctor Strange 18.  Hacksaw Ridge 17.  Green Room

16.  Zootopia 15.  Moana 14.  Sully 13.  La La Land

12.  Captain America: Civil War/Deadpool 11.  The Nice Guys

10.  Moonlight

I will admit that Moonlight did not capture my creativity in the same way that it captured a lot of my friends.  I believe that director Barry Jenkins is trying to accomplish too much with this film and so it constantly changes the movie’s defined category.  As a viewer, while captivated by the majesty of his storytelling, I wasn’t always sure what story he wanted to tell.  Nevertheless, it makes both my list and the top of the Academy Awards Best Picture list, after the biggest flub in Oscar history.  I hope people won’t remember this film by the moments it had on stage during the Oscars, but rather by the moments of careful precision acted powerfully and perfectly by Naomie Harris, Ashton Sanders, and one of my favorite actors working today, Mahershala Ali.  I remember first seeing Ali in 2004 in the role of Richard Tyler on The 4400 and thinking that he would go somewhere.  Now thirteen years later, he’s an Academy Award winner.  I’ve never seen an actor deserve an award for just one line of dialogue, but for those who’ve seen the movie, the line is obvious, “yes.”  And I say, “yes,” to all the brilliant performers of Moonlight who truly make the movie special.

9.  Other People

If you didn’t see this little movie, don’t worry, you aren’t the only one.  I’m thankful that the Independent Spirit Awards saw fit to award Molly Shannon with a Best Supporting Actress Award.  She deserves it for portraying Joanna, a mother suffering from terminal cancer trying to live out the final months of her life while still maintaining motherhood.  I adored this little film shot through the perspective of Friday Night Lights alum Jesse Plemons who plays a gay, out-of-work comedy writer whose homosexuality is accepted by everyone other than his father.  It intermixes tragedy with comedy, light with dark (perhaps a theme from 2016).  The end result of the film is inevitable but still subtly satisfying as Plemons finally learns that unconditional love is still incredibly messy.  

8.  Don’t Think Twice

Comedian Mike Birbiglia’s follow-up to his 2012 comedy Sleepwalk with Me proves that Birbiglia’s brand of slightly off-kilter comedy works really well in low-budget independent films.  I’ve heard this film compared to Annie Hall and I personally believe it's better told, where Annie Hall follows two people as their main story, this follows the nature of comedy and how it affects everyone it touches.  The film is a heart-breaking hilarious ride in that its third act is definitely sad, but never loses the benefit of goodwill that the hilarity of the first act has carried.  Comedians Chris Gethard, Tami Sagher, Kate Micucci, Keegan-Michael Key, and even Birbiglia contribute to the films overall success, but the real star of this movie is Gillian Jacobs.  She proves that the comedy she provided on Community is only one facet of her skillset.  

7.  Eye in the Sky

Released in the early months of 2016, this film looked doomed from the start.  It was just another re-hash of the same tired old action movie premise.  Army + Terrorists + decisions = 1000 other movies; but what followed was certainly not another carbon copy of previous films.  This is a taut and timely film about the morality of drone warfare and the inability of government to take responsibility.  All of the actors do the majority of their work in a small amount of real estate, a bunker, a cabinet room, a chair piloting the drone, but each actor uses the excellent script and emotional dilemma created to the best of its advantages.  This film is also the final live action acting piece of the beloved Alan Rickman who goes out on top.  His second to last line of the film, “Never tell a soldier that he does not know the cost of war,” is delivered with such experience and weight that whatever moral decisions you’ve made throughout the film, they're once again thrown into flux.  Eye in the Sky does not telegraph the audience’s final perspective, but rather gives the gift of allowing you to make up your own mind.  

6.  13th

This slot could’ve easily gone to any one of the magnificent documentaries made in 2016, but unfortunately I still have yet to see I Am Not Your Negro and Cameraperson.  Instead the slot goes to 13th, a movie that I put off seeing as long as I could.  A few years ago, I dramaturged a production that centered around the Prison Industrial Complex and racism within prison.  Since I knew all of that information, I figured I had already watched 13th without actually seeing it.  Boy was I wrong.  The difference between my belief and reality is that while I knew the majority of the facts, I was not fully aware of the historical depth perception required in understanding the context of those facts.  13th might be the most re-watchable movie of 2016; not because of fun or frivolity, but because Ava DuVernay packs so much information into its 100 minute run time.  DuVernay shines as a director in this piece, both from subject matter and from film composition.  In 2015’s Selma, I took issue with the way in which LBJ was vilified, citing that George Wallace was already a villain, why do we need to add another one.  In this film the villain, while painful to accept stares us in the mirror and doesn’t let go of our gaze.  Available on Netflix, 13th is a powerful reminder that slavery didn’t die when the North won the Civil War, it simply evolved.  

5.  Midnight Special

Midnight Special is the less critically lauded Jeff Nichols film of 2016, being passed over for his impactful tale of the heart bridging the racial divide in Loving.  For me and my tastes, the more complete film is Midnight Special.  This is a strange little science fiction movie that left some fans wanting a different third act, but myself wanting to applaud.  I love a good twist as much as anyone and in a film that combines cult worship with aliens; morality with murder it would make sense for a twist - if you’re looking at it as a larger story, but it doesn’t have to be that.  When it boils down to the nitty gritty, this is a tale about a family, the father played extraordinarily by Hollywood’s most underrated actor, Michael Shannon, the mother, Kirsten Dunst who continues to turn in subtle, yet nuanced roles and the son played by newcomer, Jaeden Lieberher.  This is a movie that shifts between tense drama and fulfilling wonderment.  Deeply powerful and passionately potent, Midnight Special is much more than a simple science fiction movie.  

4.  Kubo and the Two Strings

Anyone who knows my taste in pop culture knows there are two things that I vehemently dislike:  Pop Country Music and Animated Films; so it is surprising to find an animated film so high on my list.  This year I found three films that were exceptions to the rule.  I liked Zootopia, loved the music in Moana, and was completely mesmerized by Kubo.  I’ve never seen an animated picture quite like this one.  With the musical Avenue Q, it’s said that if after ten minutes you still see puppets acting then the show isn’t doing its job.  The same can be said with Kubo, even while I was being dazzled by the artistry and diligent hard work that went into creating this animation, I stopped thinking of it as an animated film and instead as a well-acted drama with comedic relief.  A much darker plot than I imagined and a much deeper film, I’ll be watching Kubo for many years to come.

3.  Manchester by the Sea   

Much like 13th, I held off watching this film for as long as I could.  I was told over and over again just how much I would cry, how much it would rip my heart out.  I held out for as long as I could, but when it reached redbox I couldn’t wait any longer.  What I found out was that while this is certainly gut-wrenching, it’s also quite funny.  I first heard about Kenneth Lonergan’s work in college while acting in scenes from This is Our Youth and then later when directing scenes from Lobby Hero.  It took me a little while to come around to understand the true brilliance of this man.  He writes real life, the dirty, the misunderstood, the lost so deftly and with so much kindness that it feels less like a work of dramatic fiction and more like an honest documentary made with actors.  His direction of Sea was my highlight in direction this year.  Lonergan understands shot composition much in the same way that 12 Years a Slave director Steve McQueen does.  Both understand that the truth in filmmaking isn’t putting bows on scenes or directing moments that are “oscar worthy.”  The true essence of filmmaking lives in the minutiae of everyday life.  I laughed as much as I cried watching this film and I applaud both the Writer/Director Lonergan and stars Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, and newcomer Lucas Hedges.  

2.  Arrival

I have already written a review of Arrival that you can read in a previous post.  As a recap, this was less of a movie going experience and more of a religious baptism.  Something happened to me in that movie theatre that I may never be able to fully explain.  At one point in the film, Jeremy Renner says to Amy Adams, “Are you dreaming in their language?”  This line perhaps can sum up the film for me.  I started to watch the film as if I was inside the film and I spoke and thought the same words as the character.  Very trippy, very out of body, but entirely needed and spiritual.  I am thankful for Arrival and the brilliant work of director Denis Villenueve.  I cannot wait to see his sequel to Blade Runner.  

1.  Hell or High Water

In 2015, I watched Sicario and was incredibly critical of the film.  While I found the cinematography stunning and beautiful, I didn’t love the script.  I remember thinking that the screenwriter needed a lot more work before trying another film.  Two years later and the director of Sicario is the director of Arrival and the screenwriter is the writer of Hell or High Water.  As I said in the open, time changes everything.  Hell or High Water is a western noir that details a family drama with the backdrop of the recession and the south.  The setting for this film is as much a co-star as any actor in the film.  I loved this movie.  Going into it, I expected a simple bank robbery movie but what I got was a passionate film about the depth of love that lives within us all, the destruction of the South and the agrarian economy, and a look at the banking crisis all packed into a crime thriller.  The final scene of this film between Jeff Bridges and Chris Pine can rival anything that is in No Country for Old Men.  Taylor Sheridan (writer) and David Mackenzie (director) have crafted a masterpiece in storytelling.  One that tells three significant stories simultaneously without the audience realizing they're watching more than one.  I applaud the significant contribution this movie brings to the history of cinema and I am proud to name it my best picture of 2016.  

Last Night I Saw God in an Iowa Movie Theatre

I didn’t know any better.  My first day of graduate school I sat down in my advisors’ office while she poured me a cup of bitter tea that ended up tasting a little too much like bark.  As she poured, she discussed the variety of classes that I could take in my first semester.  After deciding my third class, she told me to take Asian Theatre, a subject that I knew very little about (you could say I knew “Noh-thing”).  She said I’d like the Professor and I might have my mind opened up.  Four months later, after hours of taxing study that blew my mind at least once a night, she was right.  The class had gotten me through a rocky start to graduate school complete with three concussions, two hospital visits, and one dog attack.  As the class came to an end my classmates and I each had to perform a selection from one of the art forms we had learned about in the course of the year.  I chose Butoh, a spiritual-based, highly specialized form of dance that arose (almost quite literally) out of the Japanese ashes of WW II.  The art form is quite difficult to define and covers a variety of issues including grotesque body imagery, taboo topics, and an artistic connection with “distress”.  Artists are usually clad in white body paint, which can be quiet disturbing, and dances are filled with slow hyper-controlled, sometimes manic, motion.  Somehow I was supposed to perform it.

Performing Butoh changed my life.  

My performance lasted five minutes and thirty-two seconds and I’m pretty sure I never got up off the ground.  Still, when I was done, I was physically and mentally exhausted, covered in pain, and on the verge of tears.  It was the first and only time in my life that a piece of art had transformed into something else; something more.  For me it was a religious experience.  Somehow I had been transported from my body, like detaching your soul but still feeling both at the same time.  It was something I’ll never be able to explain and it most certainly will never happen again.  Or so I thought.  

Last night it happened again.  

And I was watching a science fiction movie about aliens. 

Last night I saw God in an Iowa movie theatre and I cannot tell you why.  Before you get worried about me, no, I did not see Jesus or a guy on a cloud with a long beard.  I didn’t actually “see” anything other than a very good movie.  The film is called Arrival starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner and directed by Denis Villeneuve.  As I walked out of the theatre, after nearly ten minutes of silence, I turned to my friend and said, “that’s the best movie I’ve ever seen.”  Honestly, that might be a tad hyperbolic.  I’m sure if I watched the film from a critical perspective I’d find a few problems with the script, the plot-twist probably doesn’t actually make sense, and the soldier’s acting might have been a bit too stock, but critically and personally I know two things to be true.  The first, critically, is that Villeneuve might be the best working director on the planet.  Prisoners, Enemy, Sicario, and now Arrival are masterpieces in directing.  Even though I was not a fan of the film Sicario, I still walked away from it saying that the director and writer are geniuses (no wonder by favorite two movies of the year are Arrival (same director) and Hell or High Water (same writer).  The second thing I know to be true is personal.  This film has changed my life.  

By mid-way through the movie I was crying, and it takes a lot of me to cry in a movie theatre.  Hell, it takes a lot for me to cry in general.  In fact, I can count on two hands the number of times I’ve cried in five years.  By the time the film was over, I couldn’t see because my eyes were filled with tears.  This movie was a religious experience for me.  I cannot tell you why.  I can’t even explain it, but I know something happened to me last night in the theatre.  It was like I was no longer in control of my emotions or my body or better put like I could swap senses.  Like I felt language and I spoke feelings.  Almost like I was inhabited by a language that transcends the ways in which we conceive that language.  And if this all sounds weird (it is) something similar to my experience is experienced by a character in the film.  

Did I have a cosmic connection with a movie?

Or am I just so overwhelmed by the events of the past few weeks that I cried while watching a film?

I’m not sure and I’ll never be quite sure.  

One of the two founders of Butoh, Hijikata Tatsumi described Butoh as “a corpse reaching out for life.”  The performance does not lie in the achievement of life, but rather in the reach.  It is through silence and strife and pain that we reach out for hope.  We don’t actually have to achieve our end goal to accomplish it; the reach itself is the goal.  How does an artist explain such a complex thought/feeling?  They can’t, so instead they create a spiritual dance that transcends words to create their own understanding of language and communication.  

For me, Arrival was a more than a movie.  It was a form of Butoh.  

Or maybe it was just a film and I’m a rambling lunatic.  Watch the movie and find out for yourself.  

This Week in Meaningless Sport Betting: The Hot Dog Eating Championship

This year marks the 100 year anniversary of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest (although really the 40th).  According to local legend, four immigrants had a Hot Dog eating contest in 1916 to decide which one was the most patriotic, although that legend is up for debate.  The competition heated up in the 70’s and became more internationally known with the inclusion of the IFOCE, the International Federation of Competitive Eating, in 1997.  Now all competitions, usually about 20 per year are required to be card carrying members of the IFOCE.  

The event is not without it’s fair share of controversy.  In 1999, Competitor Steve Kainer was caught on camera eating half of his first dog before competition began, but the judges never saw it and he was awarded the championship.  Also in 2003 attempts were made for a celebrity edition starring William "the Refrigerator" Perry, but after he failed to complete his sixth dog, the idea was quickly abandoned.  

In 2001, Takeru Kobayashi took home the championship catapulting the event to new levels of international acclaim.  He would go on to hold the belt for six years before the eight year reign of Joey Chestnut.  Kobayashi almost lost his title in 2007 when known around the IFOCE the Roman Method Incident, more commonly known as vomiting, nearly cost him disqualification. Last year, in an All American final, Matt Stonie took away Chestnut’s belt winning 62-60 in a ten minute bout.

There are multiple different strategies used by the competitors today.  Kobayashi invented the Solomon method, where a competitor breaks the dog in half, eats, and then eats the bun.  Other methods include the Carlene Pop, the Buns & Roses, which both include movement and of course “Julieting” which only occurs when a competitor cheats and throws the buns over their shoulder.  

This year looks at fierce competition between defending Champion Matt Stonie and eight time champ Joey Chestnut.  Current odds see Stonie as the favorite with Stonie at -130 and Chestnut at -110.  Originally you could’ve gotten Chestnut at +135, which is where I took him.  Chestnut is 32 years old and owns plenty of world records including 12.8 lbs of deep fried Asparagus in 10 minutes, 13.76 lbs of pork rib meat in 12, and 141 hard boiled eggs in eight minutes.  He also has the current Nathan record with 69.  For years he has complained of not having a true rival, but now he does.  Also before last years competition he was getting over his fiancee breaking up with him.  I believe the extra year gave him time to reflect and considering that 62 dogs was the winning total last year and Chestnut has overtaken said number 5 times in championship competition; the safe bet is with the underdog. 

On this weekend’s episode we will look at the Munster Senior Championship in Gaelic Football between Kerry and Tipperary.  Kerry features as a gigantic favorite, but we will discuss if Tipperary is worth a few dollars at +1000 odds.    

I'm Not Okay

Yesterday, a friend asked me, “How are you doing,” and I replied, “I’m fine,” but of course I’m not fine.  Rarely when someone says they’re fine do they actually mean it.  I wish I would’ve said how I really felt.  How the mess of the world makes me feel small and scared and alone.  I wish I would’ve said, “I’m not okay,” because, I’m not.  

I’m not okay with what happened in Florida

I’m not okay with our reaction to that tragedy

I’m not okay with the anger I feel

I’m not okay with the country I live in

I’m not okay that a man can waltz into a nightclub and kill forty-nine people

  that he can do so with a gun that serves no legal purpose other than death

  that he can claim ISIS and with it take away his victim’s identities

I’m not okay that Fox news can mourn the loss of forty-nine Americans, but not the loss of forty-nine LGBT Americans.

I’m not okay when hypocrites dictate American Policy

   when politicians mourn LGBT lives while working tirelessly to wipe their existence off the face of the Earth

   when news agencies use tragedies to tout their ratings and applaud their anchors

           when I’m not surprised

I’m not okay with Second Amendment worshippers 

I’m not okay with illogical arguments based on a lack of historical perspective

   with there being enough guns to give every American man, woman, and child a firearm

   with shoot first, ask questions later

I’m not okay with “from my cold, dead hands” being a rallying cry rather than a warning

I’m not okay with people remembering Adam Lanza’s name, but forgetting Vicki Soto's

     with the NRA having more political power than the President

I’m not okay with that gun on your belt

I’m not okay when an attack on the LGBT community becomes a secondary headline

I’m not okay when an attack on the LGBT community becomes fodder for a terrorism debate

  when an attack on the LGBT community becomes a bigot’s get out of jail free card

  when an attack on the LGBT community becomes a two-day story

But that’s not all

I’m not okay that we cringe for the first Female Candidate

I’m not okay that we condemn her for emails, while a fraud and racist dances free

I’m not okay that her imperfections ring louder than all the other men before her

I’m not okay that we’ve accepted our role in watching this witch burning

I’m not okay with six month penalties for “20 minute crimes”

  with band aids for bruises that will never heal

  with judges representing perpetrators over victims

I’m not okay with one out of every six women

It’s not okay that I can raise my hands in class, but change my location and skin color and I’ll be shot

It’s not okay that Ferguson has become a bad word rather than a revolution

It’s not okay that we fight arguments over headlines rather than facts

It’s not okay that “I have a dream” is now just a hashtag

It’s not okay when my students can tell me why the Kardashians matter but not why the Civil War was fought

   when we laugh at Senators with snowballs, but do nothing to stop their ignorance

It’s not okay when revolutions must be started by artists rather than leaders 

   when we care about being right now rather than being right.  

It’s not okay that our public grief can be summed up by a temporary profile picture

It’s not okay that guns don’t kill people; Americans do

It’s not okay that we’re accustomed to tragedy 

It’s not okay that Orlando won’t be the last one

I’m not okay with my American pulse because my heart has been shot to shit

So if you see me and ask me, “How are you doing?”  I’ll answer clearly and succinctly, “I’m fine"

Apparently I’m a Trump Supporter

To begin: watch the following clip (just the first 30 seconds) Hug a Bernie Supporter.  Go ahead, I’ll wait.  Watched it?  Good.  For those of you who are unaware, that is in fact me at the 23 second mark.  I did attend a Trump rally and I also decided not to hug a random stranger.  However, there are two things missing from the clip.  The first is that the man proclaiming to be a Bernie supporter is, in fact, Kenny Wassus, a contributor to the Independent Journal Review and he made another video proclaiming to be a Trump supporter at a Sanders rally.  The second is the fact that in reality I actually said to the man, “Get out alive.”  Neither of these facts are present in the video and for that, I say, “ok, whatever.”  By spending more than five minutes trying to defend myself, I've already wasted too much time.  I don’t care if I was misquoted in a Youtube video.  If a friend hadn’t recognized me then I would’ve gone oblivious and that would be absolutely fine with me.  If anything, I’m glad the video popped up, because otherwise I wouldn’t have written this post.  So Kenny Wassus, thank you for misquoting me.  

Originally I didn’t want to write or even talk about my experience going to a Trump Rally.  It’s one of those experiences that you just want to go home, drink bourbon, and forget about, but alas I couldn’t.  The weekend before the Iowa Caucus, my Uncle came to Iowa and wanted to attend some of the Republican events to learn about their supporters and so over the course of 48 hours we saw Cruz, Bush, and Trump, along with many other prominent Republican wackos like Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin.  The most surprising event was the Jeb Bush town hall in Davenport.  Bush was charismatic and extremely likable.  I even agreed with some of his policies (like 10%).  But the Trump rally was definitely the most disturbing of the three.  

When we arrived, I expected to find a crowd of red, white, and blue rednecks still hiding their white hoods in their back pockets.  Unfortunately this was far from the truth.  In fact, I saw regular Iowans.  Some people I even knew.  That’s why Trump supporters are truly scary.  If his crowds were filled with hoods and swastikas, with 40’s anti-japanese rhetoric and modern day muslim scare tactics, then I could easily understand why they would endorse him, but the much scarier supporters are the ones who wear an American Flag lapel pin and sing Country songs.  People like the little white boy in front of me who wanted a sign just so Trump could sign it.  People like the Korean War Vet who high-fived a Korean couple while sneering at a woman wearing a hijab.  People like the man three rows behind us, clutching Sarah Palin’s “Going Rogue” like it was the Bible and stretching his neck as far as he could to catch a glimpse of her.  

Trump was thirty or so minutes late and so the sound system kept repeating the same five songs incessantly which included Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” and Adele’s “Skyfall”.  When he finally arrived he was accompanied by Sarah Palin, His wife Melania, and his daughter Ivanka.  As a Speech Professor, the most polite way to describe his speaking style is off-the-cuff.  During one of his tangential rumblings, he brought his wife and daughter onstage to say a few words.  I snapped a picture of the three of them and looked down at my phone.  I remember thinking, “this must be what a South American Dictatorship is like,” because that’s what it looked like.  The three of them resembled a dictatorship in the 60’s and 70’s and Melania speaks like a dictator’s wife.  Very beautiful with very little substance.  Then Trump ushered them off and went on the attack against Sanders and socialism.  He even added in a few jokes that, I am ashamed to say, made me laugh.  I actually laughed with Donald Trump and not just at him.  By the end of the event, I felt sick to my stomach.  Was it his regular supporters or his wife or his jokes?  It was a combination of the three and so much more.  I finally understood why people liked Donald Trump and why people would vote for him.  

If you stripped away all the bigotry and racism.  If you threw out his views and his arrogant righteousness.  If you just looked at what his ability to succeed means; I understand why people would vote for him.  He’s charismatic, anti-establishment, and honest.  And of course I don’t mean honest in a truthful way, because almost everything he says is a lie, but honest in an open forum kind of way.  He really does say whatever is on his mind.  And people eat it up.  People think he’s the type of guy who they could have a beer with (of course they don’t know that his secret service would tackle them before they got the chance).

My favorite movie quote comes from the film “Men in Black,” in which Tommy Lee Jones says, “A person is smart.  People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals.”  This sums up how I feel about Trump’s supporters.  They’re scared.  They’re scared of the middle east and middle eastern people, they’re scared of the economy and the leftist socialist agenda, they’re scared of losing; and here comes a guy who says, “We’re going to win,” it seems only natural that they’d support him.  

Tomorrow the election moves into Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, Florida, and Ohio.  Ohio represents the high noon of this campaign season.  If Trump sweeps the table, the election will be over and Donald Trump will be the nominee.  If Kasich can squeak by a win then it will be nearly impossible for Trump to reach the total number of delegates before the convention and we may have a brokered GOP convention.  So, I guess, I wrote this post for you, the Republicans of Ohio.  Vote for Governor Kasich.  I know you’re scared and I know you think that people like me (Yes, surprise, I voted for Sanders) are ruining your country, but I promise you that Donald Trump won’t help you.  Tomorrow, hug a random stranger and vote for John Kasich.  Trust me, you’ll be happy you did.   

The Best Movies of 2015 Part II: The Top 25 Acting Performances of 2015

“Speak a little truth and people lose their minds.” ~O’Shea Jackson, Jr in Straight Outta Compton

Thought one:  Last year when I created the list of top acting performances of 2014, I wrote the following statement:  “I think it is fair to say that 2014 was the year of the actor, but unfortunately not the year of the actress.”  I thought that I would once again repeat this sentiment, because, I noticed, as I finished my list there were many more men than women on it.  However, after a closer examination I came to the conclusion that every year is the year of the actress, you just need to know where to look.  For instance, in the realm of television, there are plenty of strong female centric roles being filled by the likes of Kerry Washington, Tea Leoni, Viola Davis, and Taraj P Henson.  These are brilliant actresses filling brilliantly constructed roles, but even in a show like Scandal, too much of Washington’s character is dependent on male power.  For the truly great gems you have to look deeper, search into show’s like UnReal on Lifetime, yes that Lifetime, with actors like Shiri Appleby and Constance Zimmer.   In the world of film, the same can be said.  Don’t just catch onto names like Jennifer Lawrence who, in Joy, gives one of the most joyless performances that I’ve ever seen.  Instead look at Elizabeth Banks in Love & Mercy.  

Thought two:  Stop awarding talented actors and start awarding talented actors in talented roles.  For instance, Matt Damon won a golden globe this year for Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical (The Martian has a few good lines, but a comedy it is not) for playing an astronaut stranded on Mars.  The Martian was certainly an entertaining film, shot well, and acted well, particularly by Matt Damon, but Damon isn’t playing a character.  He’s just playing Matt Damon stuck on Mars.  It’s a rescue movie to save Matt Damon, now where have a heard that before.  Oh, perhaps it was in Saving Private Ryan or in Courage Under Fire or in Interstellar or in Syriana or in Green Zone or in Titan A.E.  Seem a little redundant?  Please Academy, start watching the films that you award nominations to, instead of seeing a flashing name and putting it in an envelope.  

With those thoughts in mind, I present my list of Top Performances of 2015.  

25.  Rachel McAdams in Spotlight - Good, solid performance from an actress who rarely makes it out of a romantic film.  McAdams proves that there’s more than meets the eye with her career.

24.  Mark Rylance in Bridge of Spies - Last year I described Bill Nighy in Pride as “taciturn shyness,” which could be an apt description for Rylance in the role of Soviet Spy, Rudolf Abel.  Also, it is difficult to star in a movie with Tom Hanks and to out act him in two person scenes.  Rylance succeeds in accomplishing this feat.  If you like his performance check him out in Wolf Hall as Thomas Crownwell.

23.  Abraham Atta in Beasts of No Nation - A difficult role in a very difficult film.  The majority of No Nation is shot from Atta’s perspective and the fifteen year old Ghanaian actor shines in telling a much needed story.

22.  Alicia Vikander in Ex Machina - Although nominated for The Danish Girl, this was Vikander’s standout performance of the year.  In just a few lines, it was Vikander’s job not just to seduce Domhnall Gleeson, but the audience into yearning for her own humanity.  I look forward to her 2016 performances in Tom Stoppard’s Tulip Fever and potential Oscar nominee The Light Between Oceans.

21.   Elizabeth Banks in Love & Mercy - A great performance in a very underrated film.  Love & Mercy looks at Brian Wilson (Lead singer of the Beach Boys) in two separate time periods, one with Paul Dano and the other with the diseased version played by John Cusack.  Cusack is ultimately saved by the cunning, intellectual performance of Banks.  Quite the resurgence from Banks, who last year won a Razzie award.

20.  Tom Hardy in The Revenant - Hardy had quite the year with his double-shot performances in Legend, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Child 44.  For the man who would be James Bond, Hardy continues to dazzle audiences with characters that never fit the same mold twice.  In The Revenant, Hardy shines, although he arguably should be subtitled whenever he speaks.

19.  Michael B Jordan in Creed - A great rebound after the disaster of Fantastic Four.  Jordan brings justice and honor, both as an actor and as a character, to the name of Creed.

18.  Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road - A more apt name for the movie would’ve been Mad Max: Furiousa’s Road, for Theron steals this movie away from Hardy.  She proves that it is possible to have a strong female lead in an action movie that kicks ass.

17.   Michael Fassbender in Steve Jobs - Fassbender excellently executes the flawed brilliance of the character of Steve Jobs.  Many have criticized the film for not doing Jobs justice, but anyone familiar with Apple and with Fassbender’s work know that he most certainly played the best representation of Jobs available on film today.

16.  Lily Tomlin in Grandma - Flawed, funny, and fierce, Lily Tomlin soars in this quick jaunt of a movie.  Playing a serious, but equally witty version of her character from Grace and Frankie, Tomlin continues to prove that talent only gets better with age.

15.   Kate Winslet in Steve Jobs - I wish I could accurately describe how and why I liked Winslet in this role. Perhaps it was the quiet confidence that only an actress the caliber of Winslet could pull off, but I’m really not sure.  It could be as simple as I like people who can pull off Aaron Sorkin’s writing.

14.  Benecio Del Toro in Sicario - I hated Sicario, because I thought it’s screenplay was poorly written.  However the movie did leave two very real impacts on me.  The first is that I will watch whatever movie the director, Denis Villeneuve, directs (looking forward to Story of Your Life).  The second is that Benecio Del Toro has still got it; so much so that they are looking into a sequel to the film entirely about Del Toro’s character.  Every second he is on screen you cannot take your eyes off of him.  This performance goes into the pantheon of must see performances alongside Traffic and Che.  

13.  Idris Elba in Beasts of No Nation - At first, Elba plays the rebel leader of children off like he always does.  Stern confidence with a little glimmer of kindness, but it isn’t until Elba begins to lose his power that we witness what this actor can really accomplish.  When a director allows Elba to act, the man can turn in a performance unlike the majority of his fellow actors.  Don’t believe me, watch the TV series Luther and talk to me afterwards.

12.   Sylvester Stallone in Creed - Stallone turns in the performance of his career, save only the first Rocky.  Thank goodness, Ryan Coogler managed to persuade him to do the role.

11.  Bryan Cranston in Trumbo - As I said in the review for the film, a Capra-esque performance of Dalton Trumbo.  Cranston never wavers, playing honesty over cheese, humility over ego.  For such a slow-burn of a movie, Cranston manages to capture the light in every scene he touches.  I liked him on Breaking Bad.  I loved him in Trumbo. 

10.   Cate Blanchett in Carol  -  It is officially time to call up Meryl Streep and ask for the crown.  The woman that was Elizabeth I has finally taken it from her.  Blanchett can play just about any part, in any time period.  The only way a movie like Carol can exist is if two actors of equal caliber create enough tension to last the length of the film.  She is absolutely mesmerizing and once the movie reaches its turn, she takes her character in a direction that few actors could achieve, subtle fury with despair and still hopefulness.  I think I misjudged her in Blue Jasmine.

9.  Brie Larson in Room - My favorite young actress who I lauded over two years ago with her performance in Short Term 12 is about to get her due.  It would be an absolute shock if someone beat her out for Best Actress.  Although she would not be my choice for Best Actress, it is easy to see why she will win.  In order to play the character “Ma” in Room, an actress must create a mindset that for the audience is next to impossible to imagine.  Much like a victim of torture, “Ma” is repeatedly violated physically, morally, and emotionally.  My hats off to Larson who certainly has come a long way from her days of being Jonah Hill’s love interest in 21 Jump Street.

8.  Jacob Tremblay in Room - For those who have yet to see Room, while Larson shines, it is Tremblay, the nine year old boy wonder, who is the true star of the film.  Horrifying and inspiring, Tremblay narrates the harrowing tale of a boy confined to a world of make-believe, that turns out to be much more real than he imagined.

7.   Mark Ruffalo in Spotlight - Although even too far left wing for me in real life (believes in the 9/11 conspiracy theory), Ruffalo continues to prove that he might be the best supporting actor in Hollywood.  Whether as the sperm donor dad in The Kids are All Right or the brother to a wrestling star in Foxcatcher or Beat detective in Zodiac, Ruffalo continues to put his 13 Going on 30 days far in the past.  In Spotlight, he plays a reporter a bit too enthusiastic and unhinged for the rest of the team, he doesn’t quite fit, which is the exact reason why they need him.  Although Stallone will most likely take home the reward, it is only a matter of time before Ruffalo finally is honored the way he should be.

Will someone get this man some Chapstick?

6.  Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant - I am unsure, but I believe that DiCaprio has even less lines of dialogue in The Revenant than the number Tom Hardy has in Mad Max: Fury Road.  DiCaprio’s role can be summed up in one line repeated multiple times throughout the film, “As long as you can still grab a breath, you fight.  You breathe... keep breathing.”  The film could’ve been renamed either “So You Think You’ve Had a Bad Day,” or “Leonardo DiCaprio will literally do anything to win an Oscar.”  Whether it is the best acting performance of the year or not, it certainly was the hardest to do.  DiCaprio plays a more depressing version of Tom Hanks in Cast Away.  We want him to find revenge, if only because it will end his suffering, or our own.  Even though he may never escape his own baby face, DiCaprio will continue to prove that he’s one of the best film actors to ever live and one of the most generous celebrities currently on the planet.

5.  Johnny Depp in Black Mass - Don’t care much for the critics, Depp proves that he’s not just a one trick pony.  I waited over ten years, since Finding Neverland, through multiple interpretations of Jack Sparrow, for a role like this to come along.  Depp is absolutely terrifying and yet, somehow charismatic as Whitey Bulger.  Please, Johnny, please do more roles like this one and leave the Sparrow costume for kid’s birthday parties.

4.  Michael Keaton in Spotlight - The third and final member of the Spotlight ensemble to make the list.  For those of you who were saddened that the journeyman Keaton lost last year’s Academy Award, this year’s snubbing should be equally depressing.  In Spotlight, Keaton is just acting.  Not a character, but a real person.  Every source I have read said the same thing that Walter Robinson is exactly how Michael Keaton portrayed him.  It’s a very subtle performance, but that shouldn’t take away from it’s brilliance.  Especially when Keaton begins to face facts that perhaps his own hands have blood on them.  Spotlight is a masterpiece and a movie can only be as good as its lead actor.

3.   Corey Hawkins/Jason Mitchell/O’Shea Jackson, Jr. in Straight Outta Compton - As in the case of Spotlight, I divided the actors up individually, but even though each character goes off on their own in Compton, it would do the film a disservice to list them separately.  The trinity of all three actors in Straight Outta Compton create a breathing tapestry of a time and place that most people cannot even begin to dream about.  Lead, in my opinion, by Corey Hawkins as Dr. Dre, each actor lights up the screen by being as honest as possible with the very real life moments of the movie.

2.  Rooney Mara in Carol -  Cate Blanchett may be up for Best Actress and as I said, she may be the best leading lady on the planet, but this movie is about Rooney Mara.  To describe her performance as anything less than absolute perfection would be a crime.  Mara’s naivety transforms into power into strength and finally into understanding.  It is hard to describe the emotional power of this film.  A love story so convincingly acting, so desperately needed, so tender, and yet so agonizing.

1.  Sarah Snook in Predestination - Normally reaching the top name on my list I would go on a long diatribe about her performance, but unfortunately I can’t.  Predestination is just one of those films that by describing any of it, might ruin it for the potential viewer.  Here’s what I can say: Sarah Snook is a name to be remembered.  She had a small part in Steve Jobs as well, but it is her work in this film that would make average actresses blush.  Snook is a star in the making and if she can replicate what she accomplishes in Predestination then we are looking at a long line of Oscar trophies to come.  Go see Predestination.  

The Best Films of 2015 Pt. I

“The idea behind each one was we took a film that we like and made the title stupider.  And then made a new film to reflect the new stupid title.  It’s a formula that only produces horrible films, but for some reason we kept using it.” ~Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl.  

The 2015 year in film has finally been put to rest and I say that as the calendar turns into late February.  As one of the many lessons that the film industry gave me this year it was the fact that it has become increasingly harder to watch 2015 movies in 2015.  In the calendar year I watched a total of 33 new movies (including Star Wars five times), but in the last 45 days, I’ve needed to watch another 35 films just to catch up.  This leaves me both tired and irritated.  In the past, I would’ve loved a bingefest movie marathon, but if the last few months have taught me anything they have taught me to enjoy experiences, which makes it difficult to relish a film when you have four more to go in a day.  I have found that the movie going experience is equally as important as the movie itself and I prefer to watch any movie, every movie on the big screen.  I think in 2016, the number of films I will watch will significantly decline.  Quality up, quantity down.  

That being said, 2015 was a marvelous year in the movie business.  By November, I thought I would be writing a much different kind of year in review, but then in the past three months all the good films have come out of the woodworks.  Either that is because this year the industry rewarded more innovation or because my taste in film has become much more select.  I was surprised when I finished the list to find that only three of my top 12 were nominated for Best Picture.  In either case, I am happy once again to give my list of the Best Films of 2015.  In previous blog posts I have droned on endlessly on these films to, at best, a very small audience.  Another lesson I’ve learned as of late:  brevity helps everything (feel free to skip over the longer reviews).   Also my new movie podcast, “I Challenge You!” due out later this month is much more detail oriented.  With that in mind I give you my list:  The Top Films of 2015.  

Two Caveats:  One, I didn’t see Brooklyn (due to time), didn’t see any foreign films, other than docs (It’s hard in Iowa), and wasn’t a huge fan of The Danish Girl and Ex Machina (like so many of my friends).  The second is that I have never been a big fan of animated movies.  I believe Inside Out was a good film, just not my cup of tea.  

THE TOP FILMS OF 2015 

25.  Furious 7  24.  Ex Machina  23.  Tig  22.  The Big Short  21.  Inside Out.  

20.  The Martian - Fun film with great work from Matt Damon, but not the hilarious comedy the Globes claimed or the Ridley Scott Masterpiece the Academy claimed it to be.  

19.  Black Mass - Understandably a problematic film (Cumberbatch’s laughable Boston Accent), but a great performance from Johnny Depp made this a really fun film to watch.  

18.  Bridge of Spies - Solid Spielberg/Hanks Combo film.  A slow burn Cold War Spy movie that proves the Coen Brothers can write about pretty much any topic.  

17.  What We Do in the Shadows - A New Zealand made mockumentary about a house of vampires from the people behind Flight of the Concords.  Very funny, very well put together.  

16.  Mistress America - Not a fan of the Baumbach/Gerwig combo?  Then you’ll hate this movie.  With a good performance from relatively newcomer Lola Kirke this was a great fast talking comedy that made the 80 minute run time fly by.  

15.  Spy - Surprised even myself that this McCarthy vehicle was funny, but it has some truly hilarious beats and should’ve taken home the Globe for Best Comedy of the year.  (Thanks Brandon for forcing me to watch this film).

14.  Beasts of No Nation - Don’t let the Netflix brand fool you, this is a hard hitting looking at child soldiers in the Congo.  With an Oscar worthy performance by Idris Elba, it is worth a watch even though it is incredibly depressing.  

13.  Steve Jobs - I love Aaron Sorkin and walk and talks.  Don’t listen to the controversy around the film, although Jobs is not portrayed as a hero, it would be wrong to say he comes off as a villain.  If you love the West Wing, then you are going to love this movie.  

12.  The Revenant - A good film that let a little too much directing get in the way from it being great.  DiCaprio is brilliant and will win an Oscar for it (deservedly so) and the first ten minutes of the movie might be the best opening of a film that I’ve ever seen.  

11.  Room - Deeply disturbing and almost ruined by the trailers, this is a tense, claustrophobic film that takes the viewer to a place that is unfathomable to imagine.  Bolstered by an Academy worthy performance from my favorite young actress, Brie Larson, and a remarkable performance by nine year old Jacob Tremblay, this is an indie film that needs a viewing.  

TOP TEN

10.  Trumbo - Stars Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, & Michael Stuhlbarg

I’m shocked by how much I liked this movie.  When my friend Amy came home from Thanksgiving, she told me that this was a must watch film.  I laughed and figured that Cranston was good, but the film was mediocre.  Perhaps in reality, the film really is mediocre, but it struck a chord in me and had me riveted even through a slow paced biography.  Cranston is sublime, capturing the almost Capra-esque features of Dalton Trumbo.  In a year where Adam McKay is getting all the coverage for a comedy director taking on a much larger film, I credit Jay Roach (and the next director on my list) for subtly choosing topics with less buzz, but more nuance.  This may not be a film for the ages, but I appreciate the telling of a story that is much needed in our current climate.  

9.  Grandma - Stars Lily Tomlin 

Simply put: if you like Lily Tomlin then you are going to love this film.  Not a single frame is wasted in its 80 minute run time.  Written/Directed by Paul Weitz, this movie is a character study of an aging lesbian who doesn’t give two shits for the hypocrisy she sees left in the world.  People who liked Obvious Child will enjoy this dramedy centering around a bull-shit free view of “a reasonably priced abortion.”  A very funny drive along film with surprisingly deep and sobering moments like the scene between Sam Elliott (doing his best work in years) and Tomlin. For the young at heart in all of us, Tomlin at 75 proved there is always plenty left in the tank.  

8.  Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom

When it comes to Oscar Documentaries most people are clambering towards Amy about Amy Winehouse (which I saw and liked), but they are missing out if they haven’t seen Netflix’s Winter on Fire.  Other than a brief introduction in English, this is a foreign language film and it had me riveted the entire way through.  Other than Son of Saul (which I admit I haven’t seen), this is perhaps the most important movie to see this year.  It unfolds like a real-life Les Miserables following the student led rebellion leading up to the Ukrainian Revolution. Director Evgeny Afineevsky doesn’t sugar coat anything and doesn’t tell you how to feel, rather he allows the bloodshed to unfold of its own accord.  A truly brilliant, important film that will make you think twice about situations such as Crimea.  

7.  Straight Outta Compton -  Stars: Corey Hawkins, O’Shea Jackson Jr, Jason Mitchell

Among the many outrageous snubs from this year’s white Oscars was the film Straight Outta Compton.  While it isn’t an unbiased film (since Ice Cube, Easy-E’s widow, and Dr. Dre helped produce it), it does give a relatively accurate depiction of the events surrounding the creation of N.W.A. and the subsequent years of the group members.  Although the film could have used some editing for length, I found it to be an engrossing look at a part of history that many white people, myself included, know very little about.  Combined with a great screenplay and fantastic casting (Ice Cube’s son looks just like young Ice Cube) this biographical film is another example of a must watch in our current social and political climate.  

6.  Creed - Stars - Michael B Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, and a whole lot of boxing. 

The fact that Director Ryan Coogler wasn’t nominated for this film is a mystery to me.  One of the best shot films of the year and by far the best shot boxing movie every made, Creed proves that you can reinvent a movie franchise without losing its original heart (take notes Jurassic World).  Michael B Jordan proves that Fantastic Four had nothing to do with him and Stallone gives his best performance, aside from Rocky I, or his life.  

5.  Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Stars - Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Harrison Ford, Adam Driver.

Do I really need to write anything?  The movie has made over 2 billion dollars worldwide.  Although in many ways it is a remake composite of the original trilogy it manages to do something very few blockbusters ever do, which is to create complete character arcs for all four main characters.  For the kid inside of me, for the Return of the Jedi lunchbox on my shelf, and for the force, which calls to all of us, thank you JJ Abrams for making us proud to be Star Wars fans again.  

4.  Predestination - Stars - Ethan Hawke and Sarah Snook

In the US, Star Wars has made nearly a billion dollars, Predestination has made $68,000.  Based on the 1958 Robert A, Heinlein short Story, All You Zombies, Predestination is a time-travel movie that gets right everything, I think, Interstellar gets wrong.  Rarely can a movie surprise me, but I was so shocked by the twist that I never even imagined the second twist coming.  For those who haven’t seen it (It should still be in a redbox), I won’t say anything about the film other than it is about time travel and that Sarah Snook gives a career defining performance.  I loved this movie.  

3.  Carol - Stars - Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett

As we come down to the final three, any one of these films could’ve taken the number one slot.  The first film is Carol about a 1950’s lesbian love affair.  For some, I’m sure this was a boring movie, because very little actually happens.  Much like last year’s Boyhood, if you were captured by its charm then it’s a masterpiece, but if you weren’t, it sucked.  I was enthralled,  Directed brilliantly by Todd Haynes, who rightfully decided to shoot this on film, the tension of the film kept me on the edge of my seat, breath caught in my throat, for the entire two hours.  Just give Rooney Mara the Oscar now and Cate Blanchett proves that Meryl Streep better move over because there’s a new sheriff in town.  

2.  Mad Max: Fury Road - Stars - Charlize Theron, Tom Hardy, and iOta aka the Guitarist.  

“Oh what a day, what a lovely day.”  Fury Road is a goddamn Masterpiece.  George Miller proves that 70 is the new 30, when it comes to the vision of a director.  If there is a film God, Miller should win an Oscar for his directorial vision.  Over 80% of the film is all practical, which only enhances its brilliance.  This was the most fun I’ve had at the theater in over a decade (I can really only compare it to how I felt about Independence Day and when I first saw Star Wars).  To describe this film in one sentence:  A gasoline-guzzling heroin trip that will leave you shaking from excitement.  Forget the fact that it’s called Mad Max but really about Charlize Theron, forget the fact that the plot consists of a gigantic chase, forget the fact that there are probably a hundred lines of dialogue throughout the film, this is what innovation looks like.  As an artist, Fury Road is what we should all aspire to be.  

1.  Spotlight - Stars - Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, and a whole lot more. 

It would take something pretty extraordinary to beat Mad Max.  For years the gold standard in journalism based film was All the President’s Men, about the Watergate scandal.  That standard has now changed.  Spotlight is a masterpiece.  It is a sobering look at power in Religious America.  It has the best cast (with a remarkable performance by Mark Ruffalo), one of the best directors (second to George Miller), a terrific screenplay, and tells a very important story.  I was raised on the morality of print media journalism.  My mother worked for the local town newspaper, I worked for the local town newspaper, and now one of my best friend’s is a member of the Print media (he and I saw this film together).  If you like print media, then this is the film for you.  If you like uncovering the truth, then this is a movie for you.  If you like movies, then this is a movie for you.  I applaud director Tom McCarthy’s levelheaded vision and egoless style allowing actors to just act.  This is a film for the ages.