Top Ten Favorite Movies of 2016

Below is a list of my ten favorite movies of 2016. (List subject to change in near future): 

TOP TEN FAVORITE MOVIES OF 2016

1. “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” - Zack Synder directed this excellent and vastly underrated second installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) about supervillain Lex Luthor’s efforts to manipulate veteran vigilante Batman into a preemptive battle with Superman, whom Luthor is obsessed with defeating. Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill starred as Bruce Wayne aka Batman and Clark Kent aka Superman. 

2. “Suicide Squad” - David Ayer wrote and directed this very entertaining adaptation of the DC Comics series about a group of anti-heroes and villains forced by the government to battle a supernatural sorceress bent upon world conquest. Will Smith and Margot Robbie starred in this third DCEU installment. 

3. “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” - Eddie Redmayne starred in this excellent spin-off of the Harry Potter series about the adventures of a British wizard in the wizarding community of 1926 New York City. David Yates directed. 

4. “Hidden Figures” - Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe starred in this Oscar nominated biopic about the true story of African-American women who provided NASA with important mathematical data needed to launch the program’s first successful space missions. Theodore Melfi directed. 

5. “The Magnificent Seven” - Antoine Fuqua starred in this second remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 movie, “The Seven Samauri”, set in the Old West. Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt and Ethan Hawke starred. 

6. “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” - Gareth Edwards directed this stand alone film in the Star Wars saga about a group of Rebels who learn about the Imperial Galaxy’s new weapon, the Death Star, and set about stealing the plans. Felicity Jones and Diego Luna starred. 

7. “The Nice Guys” - Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling starred in this comedy mystery about an enforcer and private detective in 1977 Los Angeles investigating the connection between a missing girl, the porn industry and the automobile industry. Shane Black directed. 

8. “Ghostbusters” - Paul Feig wrote and directed this funny reboot of Ivan Reitman’s 1980s supernatural comedy about ghost chasers in New York City. Melissa McCarthy, Kristin Wiig, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon starred. 

9. “Love & Friendship” - Kate Beckinsale starred in this first-rate adaptation of Jane Austen’s 1794 novel, “Lady Susan”, about a wry and calculating widow who pursues wealthy husbands for both herself and her daughter. Whit Stillman wrote and directed the movie. 

10. “Zootopia” - Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman starred in this excellent Oscar nominated Disney animated film about a rookie bunny cop and a cynical con artist fox must work together to uncover a conspiracy. Byron Howard and Rich Moore directed.

Ten Favorite Movies Set During the CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS

Below is a list of my favorite movies set during the Christmas holidays: 


TEN FAVORITE MOVIES SET DURING THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS



1. "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (1969) - George Lazenby starred in this adaptation of Ian Fleming's 1963 James Bond novel in which the British agent's search for the infamous terrorist Ernst Stravos Blofeld leads him to a clinic in the Swiss Alps. Directed by Peter Hunt, the movie co-starred Diana Rigg and Telly Savalas.





2. "Die Hard" (1988) - Bruce Willis starred in this adaptation of Roderick Thorp's 1979 novel "Nothing Lasts Forever", in which a New York City police detective is trapped inside a Los Angeles office building, when his estranged wife and her co-workers are held hostage on Christmas Eve. Directed by John McTiernan, the movie co-starred Bonnie Bedalia and Alan Rickman.





3. "The Thin Man" (1934) - William Powell and Myrna Loy starred in this adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's 1933 serialized novel about a retired private detective and his socialite wife who are drawn into a murder case that involves a missing businessman. W.S. Van Dyke directed.





4. "Trading Places" (1994) - Dan Ackroyd and Eddie Murphy starred in this comedy an upper-class commodities broker and a homeless street hustler whose lives cross paths when they are unknowingly made part of an elaborate bet by the broker's bosses - a pair of wealthy brothers. John Landis directed.





5. "Lethal Weapon" (1987) - Richard Donner directed this buddy cop tale about two mismatched LAPD detectives whose investigation into the death of a young prostitute leads to a well organized drug ring led by a former military intelligence officer. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover starred.





6. "Iron Man 3" (2013) - Tony Stark aka Iron Man deals with a ghost from the past, who has found a new and dangerous method to create super soldiers. Directed by Shane Black, the movie starred Robert Downey Jr. as the armored super hero.





7. "The Santa Clause" (1994) - Tim Allen starred in this holiday classic about an ordinary man who is slated to become the next Santa Clause after he accidentally causes his predecessor to fall from a roof on Christmas Eve. John Pasquin directed.





8. "Die Hard 2: Die Harder" (1990) - Bruce Willis starred in this second "DIE HARD" film, an adaptation of Walter Wager's 1958 novel, "58 Minutes", in which terrorists take control of the Dulles Airport control tower. Renny Harlin directed.





9. "Home Alone" (1990) - Macaulay Calkin starred in this holiday hit about a Chicago boy, who is mistakenly left behind when his family flies to Paris for their Christmas vacation, is forced to contend with a pair of would-be burglars. Directed by John Hughes, the movie co-starred Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern.





10. "The Ice Harvest" (2005) - Harold Ramis directed this adaptation of Scott Phillips' 2000 novel about a shady Midwestern attorney and his partner, who plot to swindle the local mob on Christmas Eve. John Cusak, Billy Bob Thornton and Connie Nielsen starred.

"THE NICE GUYS" (2016) Review

"THE NICE GUYS" (2016) Review

The 2016 summer movie season is proving to be somewhat dismal. I cannot recall a remake of television or previous movie with an original twist. Worst, most of the movies seemed to be nothing more than sequels. And if I must be brutally frank, not very good ones. But I have only come across two movies that struck me as completely original. One of them is the period action comedy, "THE NICE GUYS". 

Co-written and directed by Shane Black, "THE NICE GUYS" told the story of a down-on-his-luck private investigator and an enforcer investigating two cases that might have a connection with each other - the death of a fading porn star and a missing young woman, who happens to be the daughter of a U.S. Justice Department official. Set in Los Angeles circa 1977, "THE NICE GUYS"began with a young boy witnessing the death of fading porn star Misty Mountains in a car crash in the Hollywood Hills. Later, Misty's aunt, Mrs. Glen, hires private eye Holland March to find her, claiming that she is still alive. Despite feeling skeptical of Mrs. Glen's claim, Holland takes the case and discovers that a young woman named Amelia Kutner is connected to Misty. Unbeknownst to him, an enforcer named Jackson Healy has been hired by Amanda, who does not want to be found, to intimidate March into staying away from her. But when two thugs try to coerce Jackson into revealing Amelia's whereabouts, he teams up with Holland and the latter's young daughter Holly to find Amelia before the thugs do. The duo's investigation lead them into the world of Los Angeles' pornography industry and a scandal surrounding the automobile industry.

"THE NICE GUYS" was not a major box office hit. It barely made a profit, if I must be brutally honest. This is a pity, because I believe Shane Black not only directed, but co-wrote - with Anthony Bagarozzi - a first-rate action comedy. There were a few aspects of "THE NICE GUYS" that I found unappealing. One, I was a little taken aback that the main villains behind the murders committed in the movie and involved in the automobile scandal did not face any justice. Perhaps I should not have been surprised, considering that the main villains were a cabal of businessmen in the Detroit automobile industry. I mean, honestly, Black and Bagarozzi could have provided the movie with a more distinct main villain and saved an ending like this for a drama like 1974's "CHINATOWN", instead of an action comedy. And two, for a movie set in the late 1970s, one aspect struck me as anachronistic - namely the Judith Kutner character portrayed by Kim Basinger. What else can I say? Basinger looked like an early 21st century woman who had time traveled back to 1977, thanks to her anachronistic hairstyle. Visually, the actress stuck out like a sore thumb.

Thankfully, there was a lot more to admire about "THE NICE GUYS". Shane Black and Anthony Bagorozzi really did themselves proud. Who else could write a comedic story about a group of people in the porn industry, using the power of film - a "porn" flick called "How Do You Like My Car, Big Boy?" to expose the shady dealings of a cabal of Detroit automobile makers; toss in an alcoholic private investigator, a burly and somewhat violent enforcer, the former's 12 year-old daughter; and set all of this in 1977 Los Angeles? By all of the laws of nature (and writing), this should not have worked. But it did . . . beautifully. This movie featured some interesting and off-the-wall scenes that included Jackson and Holland's first violent meeting, their search for the missing Amelia at a wild party held by a pornography producer in the Hollywood Hills, and that crazy finale at the L.A. Auto Show.

"THE NICE GUYS" also featured some first-rate action sequences. Among my favorites are the screen fights that featured Russell Crowe, Keith David and in the first one, Beau Knapp. I would include Ryan Gosling, but his character did not strike me as an effective brawler, just a person who falls from high places, while in a state of intoxication. The movie also featured a first-rate scene in which the Jackson Healey and Holland March characters have a deadly shoot-out in front of the March home with a psychotic hit man named John Boy (a name that requires a photograph of actor Matt Bomer and an article on its own). But once again, the auto show sequence tops it all with some first-rate action that include a major brawl and an intense shoot out.

Being a period piece, "THE NICE GUYS" is a colorful movie to look at, thanks to contributions from the crew. I love sharp color in my films, especially if they are period pieces. And I am happy to say that Philippe Rousselot's photography not only satisfied me color wise, but also gave the movie a late 1970s sheen that I have not seen in a long time. I noticed that some of his exterior shots were filmed in close-ups. And I cannot help but wonder if he had done this, because the movie was partially shot in Atlanta, Georgia. Also contributing to the movie's late 1970s look was Richard Bridgland's production designs. Speaking as a person who remembered that era (and location) very well, I have to give Bridgland kudos for doing an excellent job in re-creating that era. I also have to say the same about David Utley's art direction. I was also impressed by Kym Barrett's costume designs. As shown in the images below, I found them very colorful and spot-on:

 

I cannot help but wonder if Russell Crowe's character had become attached to that faux leather jacket. The actor wore it throughout the film. Although David Buckley and John Ottman provided a solid score for the movie, I really enjoyed the variety of songs from the mid-to-late 1970s that were included. This especially seemed to be the case during the porn producer's party that featured a band playing Earth, Wind and Fire tunes. Be still my heart!

"THE NICE GUYS" also featured some solid and outstanding performances. Murielle Telio, Beau Knapp, Ty Simpkins (who had worked with Black in "IRON MAN 3"), Lois Smith, Margaret Qualley, Jack Kilmer, and Gil Gerard ("BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY" anyone?) all gave some pretty solid performances. I can also say the same about Kim Basinger, who portrayed a very pragmatic, yet emotionally intense Federal prosecutor named Judith Kuttner.

But I was really impressed by the likes of Matt Bomer, who gave a really intense performance as the rather scary hit man, John Boy. It was nice to see Bomer portray a character so completely different from what he usually does. Yaya DaCosta was equally intense, yet very seductive as Tally, secretary to Kim Basinger's Judith Kuttner. I thought she did a great job in conveying all of the interesting traits of Tally - friendly, sexy, intense and dangerous. Keith David had the unenviable task of being one of the few sane characters in this crazy film, while portraying a Detroit-born hit man nicknamed "Older Guy". However, I nearly fell off my seat, while laughing at one scene in which he expressed dismay to Holland for allowing young Holly's presence in the case. Speaking of Holly, the filmmakers cast young Australian actress Angourie Rice to portray Holland's pragmatic and brainy daughter, who also served as the leads' conscience. Not only did she give a first-rate performance, Rice managed to keep up with the likes of Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling with ease.

Russell Crowe's Jackson Healey more or less played straight man to Ryan Gosling's zany Holland March; and I have to give him kudos for being up to the task. It is not an easy job playing straight man to the clown, considering that people are more inclined to pay attention to the latter. But Crowe not only did his job, he also beautifully brought alive a very interesting character in his own right, enforcer Jackson Healey, a dependable guy who has this little penchant for unnecessarily using excessive violence to solve certain situations. And he really clicked with Ryan Gosling, who had the good luck to portray the hapless and alcoholic private investigator Holland March. The interesting thing about Holland is that he is not dumb at all. In fact, he is actually a perceptive investigator who is good at his job, when he is not inebriated, not trying to cheat his clients, wallowing in his infatuation of the mysterious Tally or too intent on saving his own skin. I have to say that Holland March has become one of my favorite Ryan Gosling roles of all time. And one of the funniest I have ever viewed on the silver screen. What else is there to say? 

What a shame that the public did not embrace "THE NICE GUYS". But it does not matter in the end. At least for me. I can think of numerous films that I loved, but were not exactly box office hits. Right now, "THE NICE GUYS" has become one of those films. It is sooooo fun to watch, thanks to a great, but not perfect script; sharp direction by Shane Black; and a marvelous cast led by a very talented duo, Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling. This movie will go down as one of my favorites from 2016.

Ranking of Movies Seen During Summer 2016

Usually I would list my ten favorite summer movies of any particular year. However, since I had only watched ten new releases during the summer of 2016. Due to the limited number, I decided to rank the films that I saw: 


RANKING OF MOVIES SEEN DURING SUMMER 2016



1. "Suicide Squad" - David Ayer wrote and directed this very entertaining adaptation of the DC Comics series about a group of anti-heroes and villains forced by the government to battle a supernatural sorceress bent upon world conquest.





2. "The Nice Guys" - Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling starred in this comedy mystery about an enforcer and private detective in 1977 Los Angeles investigating the connection between a missing girl, the porn industry and the automobile industry. Shane Black directed.





3. "Ghostbusters" - Paul Feig wrote and directed this funny reboot of Ivan Reitman's 1980s supernatural comedy about ghost chasers in New York City. Melissa McCarthy, Kristin Wiig, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon starred.





4. "Love & Friendship" - Kate Beckinsale starred in this adaptation of Jane Austen's 1794 novel, "Lady Susan", about a wry and calculating widow who pursues wealthy husbands for both herself and her daughter. Whit Stillman wrote and directed the movie.





5. "X-Men: Apocalypse" - Bryan Singer directed this ninth X-MEN movie about the band of mutants trying to stop a re-awakened mutant from Ancient Egypt from conquering the world in the 1980s. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender starred.





6. "Now You See Me 2" - Jon M. Chu directed this sequel to the 2013 hit film in which the magicians known as "the Four Horsemen", who are forced by a tech genius to pull off an almost impossible heist. Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco and Lizzy Caplan starred.





7. "Star Trek Beyond" - Justin Lin directed this third entry in the rebooted STAR TREK movie franchise in which the U.S.S. Enterprise crew deal with a ruthless enemy with a grudge against the Federation. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto starred. 





8. "Captain America: Civil War" - Chris Evans starred as Steve Rogers aka Captain America in the Marvel film in which political interference in the superheroes' activities causes a rift between the Avengers. Anthony and Joe Russo directed.





9. "Jason Bourne" - Matt Damon, Julia Stiles and Paul Greengrass re-teamed for this fifth installment of the BOURNEmovie franchise in which the former amnesiac CIA assassin is drawn out of hiding when fellow fugitive Nicky Parsons discovers a secret from his past. Alicia Vikander and Tommy Lee Jones co-starred.





10. "Independence Day: Resurgence" - Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich reunited to produce this sequel to the 1996 blockbuster in which a group of Humans deal with a second invasion from the same aliens that tried to invade Earth twenty years ago. Directed by Emmerich; Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman and Liam Hemsworth starred.

"THE NICE GUYS" (2016) Photo Gallery

Below are images from the new comedy-crime drama called "THE NICE GUYS". Directed and co-written by Shane Black, the movie stars Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling: 


"THE NICE GUYS" (2016) Photo Gallery