2016: The Pieper Review
Would That It Were So Simple... The Best of 2016
Best Picture: Moonlight
Best Director: Barry Jenkins (Moonlight)
Best Actress:
Isabelle Huppert (Elle)
Krisha Fairchild (Krisha)
Royalty Hightower (The Fits)
Kate Beckinsale (Love & Friendship)
Amy Adams (Arrival)
Best Actor:
Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)
Denzel Washington (Fences)
Colin Farrell (The Lobster)
Adam Driver (Paterson)
Andrew Garfield (Silence)
Best Supporting Actress:
Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea)
Viola Davis (Fences)
Naomie Harris (Moonlight)
Janelle Monáe (Hidden Figures & Moonlight)
Greta Gerwig (20th Century Women)
Best Supporting Actor:
Mahershala Ali (Moonlight)
Ben Foster (Hell or High Water)
Alden Ehrenreich (Hail, Caesar!)
Tom Bennett (Love & Friendship)
Yōsuke Kubozuka (Silence)
Overrated: Lion & Deadpool
Underrated: Swiss Army Man
Pleasant Surprise: Swiss Army Man
Biggest Disappointment: The Nice Guys
Best Picture: Moonlight
Best Director: Barry Jenkins (Moonlight)
Best Actress:
Isabelle Huppert (Elle)
Krisha Fairchild (Krisha)
Royalty Hightower (The Fits)
Kate Beckinsale (Love & Friendship)
Amy Adams (Arrival)
Best Actor:
Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)
Denzel Washington (Fences)
Colin Farrell (The Lobster)
Adam Driver (Paterson)
Andrew Garfield (Silence)
Best Supporting Actress:
Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea)
Viola Davis (Fences)
Naomie Harris (Moonlight)
Janelle Monáe (Hidden Figures & Moonlight)
Greta Gerwig (20th Century Women)
Best Supporting Actor:
Mahershala Ali (Moonlight)
Ben Foster (Hell or High Water)
Alden Ehrenreich (Hail, Caesar!)
Tom Bennett (Love & Friendship)
Yōsuke Kubozuka (Silence)
Overrated: Lion & Deadpool
Underrated: Swiss Army Man
Pleasant Surprise: Swiss Army Man
Biggest Disappointment: The Nice Guys
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- DirectorBarry JenkinsStarsMahershala AliNaomie HarrisTrevante RhodesA young African-American man grapples with his identity and sexuality while experiencing the everyday struggles of childhood, adolescence, and burgeoning adulthood.The year's most vital movie. I went in expecting Moonlight to be simply a black version of Boyhood (which would have been fine, if not slightly contrived), but it turned out to be so much more. Chiron is brought to life through Jenkins' deft direction and the powers of three remarkable actors. The perspective of African-Americans, let alone LGBTQ African-Americans, is one of the most underrepresented voices in film. Moonlight changes that by bringing the poetry and pain of Chiron's life to the silver screen.
My Grade: A
RT: 9 - DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsAndrew GarfieldAdam DriverLiam NeesonIn the 17th century, two Portuguese Jesuit priests travel to Japan in an attempt to locate their mentor, who is rumored to have committed apostasy, and to propagate Catholicism.The year's most thought-provoking film. Scorsese, once again, demonstrates his range with this religious epic. The plot - adapted from Shusaku Endo's masterful 1966 novel - is simple, but the endless stream of questions the film poses for faithful and non-faithful viewers alike are anything but. Rodrigo Prieto's graceful cinematography provides a God's eye view of images both horrifying and beautiful. The actors deliver subtle yet stirring performances. Silence is a film that will inhabit the thinking viewer's mind for, in the words of the poet McGonagall, a very long time.
My Grade: A
RT: 7.6 - DirectorKenneth LonerganStarsCasey AffleckMichelle WilliamsKyle ChandlerA depressed uncle is asked to take care of his teenage nephew after the boy's father dies.The year's most honest movie. The realism in Manchester by the Sea is as unflinching and true as Casey Affleck's central performance. Like Ordinary People for the smartphone generation, Manchester by the Sea addresses topics of grief and depression without ever stooping to wallow in the doldrums of melodrama. Kenneth Lonergan's screenplay knows what people sound like and life's ridiculous rhythms. Michelle Williams' scene with Affleck alone should earn her every Supporting Actress award in the book.
My Grade: A
RT: 8.9 - DirectorEzra EdelmanStarsKareem Abdul-JabbarMike AlbaneseMuhammad AliA chronicle of the rise and fall of O.J. Simpson, whose high-profile murder trial exposed the extent of American racial tensions, revealing a fractured and divided nation.My Grade: A
RT: 9.2 - DirectorAva DuVernayStarsMelina AbdullahMichelle AlexanderCory BookerAn in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.The year's most eye-bewildering (in the sense of Plato's Allegory of the Cave) film. The only film of the year to make me feel physically ill, 13th is also the only film with that power that I would gladly recommend to anybody. As an American citizen, I feel that it is my duty to absorb the knowledge 13th has to offer and then to dig deeper and do what I can to fix the problems it brings to light.
My Grade: A
RT: 8.8 - DirectorWhit StillmanStarsKate BeckinsaleChloë SevignyXavier SamuelLady Susan Vernon takes up temporary residence at her in-laws' estate and, while there, is determined to be a matchmaker for her daughter Frederica--and herself too, naturally.My Grade: A-
RT: 8.2 - DirectorPaul VerhoevenStarsIsabelle HuppertLaurent LafitteAnne ConsignyA successful businesswoman gets caught up in a game of cat and mouse as she tracks down the unknown man who raped her.My Grade: A-
RT: 8 - DirectorYorgos LanthimosStarsColin FarrellRachel WeiszJessica BardenIn a dystopian near future, according to the laws of The City, single people are taken to The Hotel, where they are obliged to find a romantic partner in 45 days or they're transformed into beasts and sent off into The Woods.The year's most darkly humorous film. The Lobster is the most macabre sci-fi rom-com that any given viewer is likely to come across in their lifetime. Unforgettable performances in an unforgettable world, all interspersed with a literary voiceover and vibe. The questions about love and human nature that The Lobster poses are not easily answered, but are dying to be mused upon. Perhaps the year's most deserving Original Screenplay (along with Swiss Army Man).
My Grade: A-
RT: 7.6 - DirectorJim JarmuschStarsAdam DriverGolshifteh FarahaniNellieA quiet observation of the triumphs and defeats of daily life, along with the poetry evident in its smallest details.My Grade: A-
RT: 8.5 - DirectorMichael Dudok de WitStarsEmmanuel GarijoTom HudsonBaptiste GoyA man is shipwrecked on a deserted island and encounters a big red turtle, which changes his life.My Grade: A-
RT: 8.2 - DirectorDaniel KwanDaniel ScheinertStarsPaul DanoDaniel RadcliffeMary Elizabeth WinsteadA hopeless man stranded on a deserted island befriends a dead body, and together they go on a surreal journey to get home.The year's least expected film is also it's most surprising and original. Swiss Army Man is a movie that I went to as a mere curiosity that turned out to be one of the films that emotionally stirred me more than I ever could have predicted. Is it for everyone? No. But giving this farting corpse an honest chance will open your eyes to the vulnerabilities in all of us. Hank's journey with Manny changes the way that he (and we) looks at the world. Sheer poetry in the most unlikely of places. I hope that this film gains the cult following it deserves.
My Grade: A-
RT: 6.6 - DirectorTrey Edward ShultsStarsKrisha FairchildAlex DobrenkoRobyn FairchildKrisha returns for Thanksgiving dinner after ten years away from her family, but past demons threaten to ruin the festivities.My Grade: A-
RT: 8.3 - DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsAmy AdamsJeremy RennerForest WhitakerA linguist works with the military to communicate with alien lifeforms after twelve mysterious spacecraft appear around the world.My Grade: A-
RT: 8.4 - DirectorDavid MackenzieStarsChris PineBen FosterJeff BridgesToby is a divorced father who's trying to make a better life. His brother is an ex-con with a short temper and a loose trigger finger. Together, they plan a series of heists against the bank that's about to foreclose on their family ranch.My Grade: A-
RT: 8.5 - DirectorTom FordStarsAmy AdamsJake GyllenhaalMichael ShannonA wealthy art gallery owner is haunted by her ex-husband's novel, a violent thriller she interprets as a symbolic revenge tale.My Grade: A-
RT: 7 - DirectorByron HowardRich MooreJared BushStarsGinnifer GoodwinJason BatemanIdris ElbaIn a city of anthropomorphic animals, a rookie bunny cop and a cynical con artist fox must work together to uncover a conspiracy.My Grade: A-
RT: 8 - DirectorRon ClementsJohn MuskerDon HallStarsAuli'i CravalhoDwayne JohnsonRachel HouseIn ancient Polynesia, when a terrible curse incurred by the demigod Maui reaches Moana's island, she answers the Ocean's call to seek out Maui to set things right.My Grade: A-
RT: 7.9 - DirectorGavin HoodStarsHelen MirrenAaron PaulAlan RickmanCol. Katherine Powell, a military officer in command of an operation to capture terrorists in Kenya, sees her mission escalate when a girl enters the kill zone triggering an international dispute over the implications of modern warfare.My Grade: A-
RT: 7.5 - DirectorDenzel WashingtonStarsDenzel WashingtonViola DavisStephen McKinley HendersonA working-class African-American father tries to raise his family in the 1950s, while coming to terms with the events of his life.My Grade: A-
RT: 7.7 - DirectorAnna Rose HolmerStarsRoyalty HightowerAlexis NeblettDa'Sean MinorWhile training at the gym 11-year-old tomboy Toni becomes entranced with a dance troupe. As she struggles to fit in she finds herself caught up in danger as the group begins to suffer from fainting spells and other violent fits.My Grade: B+
RT: 8.1 - DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsBlake JennerTyler HoechlinRyan GuzmanIn 1980, a group of college baseball players navigate their way through the freedoms and responsibilities of unsupervised adulthood.My Grade: B+
RT: 7.6 - DirectorRaoul PeckStarsSamuel L. JacksonJames BaldwinMartin Luther KingWriter James Baldwin tells the story of race in modern America with his unfinished novel, Remember This House.My Grade: B+
RT: 8.9 - DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsJosh BrolinGeorge ClooneyAlden EhrenreichA Hollywood fixer in the 1950s works to keep the studio's stars in line.Leave it to the Coen Brothers to follow up a gray and blue shaded character study about the grieving process with a sun-drenched satire of religion, Hollywood, and intellectual elites. Although Hail Caesar! does not rank among the duo's finest output, the film does stick with the Brothers' apparent central philosophy: don't try to make sense of the world.
My Grade: B+
RT: 7.2 - DirectorTaika WaititiStarsSam NeillJulian DennisonRima Te WiataA national manhunt is ordered for a rebellious kid and his foster uncle who go missing in the wild New Zealand bush.My Grade: B+
- DirectorDamien ChazelleStarsRyan GoslingEmma StoneRosemarie DeWittWhile navigating their careers in Los Angeles, a pianist and an actress fall in love while attempting to reconcile their aspirations for the future.My Grade: B+
RT: 8.6 - DirectorRobert EggersStarsAnya Taylor-JoyRalph InesonKate DickieA family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic and possession.My Grade: B+
RT: 7.8 - DirectorAnthony RussoJoe RussoStarsChris EvansRobert Downey Jr.Scarlett JohanssonPolitical involvement in the Avengers' affairs causes a rift between Captain America and Iron Man.My Grade: B+
RT: 7.8 - DirectorJon FavreauStarsNeel SethiBill MurrayBen KingsleyAfter a threat from the tiger Shere Khan forces him to flee the jungle, a man-cub named Mowgli embarks on a journey of self discovery with the help of panther Bagheera and free-spirited bear Baloo.My Grade: B+
RT: 7.7 - DirectorRoger Ross WilliamsStarsOwen SuskindCornelia SuskindRon SuskindA coming-of-age story about a boy and his family who overcame great challenges by turning Disney animated movies into a language to express love, loss, kinship and brotherhood.My Grade: B+
RT: 7.7 - DirectorDan TrachtenbergStarsJohn GoodmanMary Elizabeth WinsteadJohn Gallagher Jr.A young woman is held in an underground bunker by a man who insists that a hostile event has left the surface of the Earth uninhabitable.My Grade: B
RT: 7.5 - DirectorMaren AdeStarsSandra HüllerPeter SimonischekMichael WittenbornA practical joking father tries to reconnect with his hard working daughter by creating an outrageous alter ego and posing as her CEO's life coach.My Grade: B
RT: 8.3 - DirectorTheodore MelfiStarsTaraji P. HensonOctavia SpencerJanelle MonáeThe story of a team of female African-American mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program.My Grade: B
RT: 7.6 - DirectorTravis KnightStarsCharlize TheronArt ParkinsonMatthew McConaugheyA young boy named Kubo must locate a magical suit of armour worn by his late father in order to defeat a vengeful spirit from the past.My Grade: B
RT: 8.4 - DirectorAkiva SchafferJorma TacconeStarsAndy SambergJorma TacconeAkiva SchafferWhen it becomes clear that his solo album is a failure, a former boy band member does everything in his power to maintain his celebrity status.My Grade: B
RT: 6.7 - DirectorJeremy SaulnierStarsAnton YelchinImogen PootsAlia ShawkatA punk rock band is forced to fight for survival after witnessing a murder at a neo-Nazi skinhead bar.My Grade: B
RT: 7.7 - DirectorJim JarmuschStarsIggy PopJim JarmuschBob WallerAn in-depth look at legendary punk band The Stooges.My Grade: B
RT: 7 - DirectorGareth EdwardsStarsFelicity JonesDiego LunaAlan TudykIn a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire's ultimate weapon of destruction.My Grade: B
RT: 7.5 - DirectorConrad VernonGreg TiernanStarsSeth RogenKristen WiigJonah HillA sausage leads a group of supermarket products on a journey to discover the truth about their existence and what really happens when they are picked off the shelf.My Grade: B
RT: 6.8 - DirectorJeff NicholsStarsMichael ShannonJoel EdgertonKirsten DunstA father and son go on the run, pursued by the government and a cult drawn to the child's special powers.My Grade: B
RT: 7.3 - DirectorMia Hansen-LøveStarsIsabelle HuppertAndré MarconRoman KolinkaA philosophy teacher soldiers through the death of her mother, losing her book deal, and dealing with a husband who is cheating on her.My Grade: B
RT: 8.2 - DirectorDavid YatesStarsEddie RedmayneKatherine WaterstonAlison SudolIn 1926, magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York during his worldwide tour to research and rescue magical creatures as something mysterious leaves trails of destruction in the city, threatening to expose the wizarding world.My Grade: B
RT: 6.8 - DirectorMel GibsonStarsAndrew GarfieldSam WorthingtonLuke BraceyWorld War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, serving during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.My Grade: B
RT: 7.2 - DirectorClint EastwoodStarsTom HanksAaron EckhartLaura LinneyWhen pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger lands his damaged plane on the Hudson River in order to save the flight's passengers and crew, some consider him a hero while others think he was reckless.My Grade: B
RT: 7.2 - DirectorKelly Fremon CraigStarsHailee SteinfeldHaley Lu RichardsonBlake JennerHigh-school life gets even more unbearable for Nadine when her best friend, Krista, starts dating her older brother.My Grade: B
RT: 7.9 - DirectorScott DerricksonStarsBenedict CumberbatchChiwetel EjioforRachel McAdamsWhile on a journey of physical and spiritual healing, a brilliant neurosurgeon is drawn into the world of the mystic arts.My Grade: B
RT: 7.3 - DirectorBryan SingerStarsJames McAvoyMichael FassbenderJennifer LawrenceIn the 1980s the X-Men must defeat an ancient all-powerful mutant, En Sabah Nur, who intends to thrive through bringing destruction to the world.My Grade: B
RT: 5.7 - DirectorJohn Lee HancockStarsMichael KeatonNick OffermanJohn Carroll LynchThe story of Ray Kroc, a salesman who turned two brothers' innovative fast food eatery, McDonald's, into the biggest restaurant business in the world, with a combination of ambition, persistence, and ruthlessness.My Grade: B
RT: 7 - DirectorMike MillsStarsAnnette BeningElle FanningGreta GerwigThe story of a teenage boy, his mother, and two other women who help raise him among the love and freedom of Southern California of 1979.My Grade: B-
RT: 7.8 - DirectorPablo LarraínStarsNatalie PortmanPeter SarsgaardGreta GerwigFollowing the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy fights through grief and trauma to regain her faith, console her children, and define her husband's historic legacy.My Grade: B-
RT: 8 - DirectorTerrence MalickStarsChristian BaleCate BlanchettNatalie PortmanA writer indulging in all that Los Angeles and Las Vegas have to offer, undertakes a search for love and self via a series of adventures with six different women.My Grade: B-
RT: 5.6 - DirectorAndrew StantonAngus MacLaneStarsEllen DeGeneresAlbert BrooksEd O'NeillFriendly but forgetful blue tang Dory begins a search for her long-lost parents and everyone learns a few things about the real meaning of family along the way.My Grade: B-
RT: 7.6 - DirectorTim MillerStarsRyan ReynoldsMorena BaccarinT.J. MillerA wisecracking mercenary gets experimented on and becomes immortal yet hideously scarred, and sets out to track down the man who ruined his looks.My Grade: B-
RT: 6.9 - DirectorStephen FrearsStarsMeryl StreepHugh GrantSimon HelbergThe story of Florence Foster Jenkins, a New York heiress who dreamed of becoming an opera singer, despite having a terrible singing voice.My Grade: B-
RT: 7.1 - DirectorPeter AtencioStarsKeegan-Michael KeyJordan PeeleTiffany HaddishWhen the adorable kitten of an L.A. crime kingpin unexpectedly enters the life of two cousins, they will have to go through tough gangs, pitiless hit-men, and ruthless drug dealers who all claim him, to get him back. How hard can it be?My Grade: C+
RT: 6.4 - DirectorGarth DavisStarsDev PatelNicole KidmanRooney MaraA five-year-old Indian boy is adopted by an Australian couple after getting lost hundreds of kilometers from home. 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family.My Grade: C+
RT: 7.3 - DirectorTim BurtonStarsEva GreenAsa ButterfieldSamuel L. JacksonWhen Jacob (Asa Butterfield) discovers clues to a mystery that stretches across time, he finds Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. But the danger deepens after he gets to know the residents and learns about their special powers.My Grade: C+
RT: 5.9 - DirectorJeff NicholsStarsRuth NeggaJoel EdgertonWill DaltonThe story of Richard and Mildred Loving, a couple whose arrest for interracial marriage in 1960s Virginia began a legal battle that would end with the Supreme Court's historic 1967 decision.My Grade: C
RT: 7.7 - DirectorNate ParkerStarsNate ParkerArmie HammerPenelope Ann MillerNat Turner, a literate slave and preacher in the antebellum South, orchestrates an uprising.My Grade: C
RT: 6.7 - DirectorShane BlackStarsRussell CroweRyan GoslingAngourie RiceIn 1970s Los Angeles, a mismatched pair of private eyes investigate a missing girl and the mysterious death of a porn star.My Grade: C
RT: 7.5 - DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsMark RylanceRuby BarnhillPenelope WiltonAn orphan little girl befriends a benevolent giant who takes her to Giant Country, where they attempt to stop the man-eating giants that are invading the human world.My Grade: C
RT: 6.8 - DirectorBen StillerStarsBen StillerOwen WilsonPenélope CruzDerek and Hansel are lured into modelling again, in Rome, where they find themselves the target of a sinister conspiracy.My Grade: D+
RT: 4.5 - DirectorNicolas Winding RefnStarsElle FanningChristina HendricksKeanu ReevesAn aspiring model, Jesse, is new to Los Angeles. However, her beauty and youth, which generate intense fascination and jealousy within the fashion industry, may prove themselves sinister.My Grade: D+
RT: 5.9