Showing posts with label 2016. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2016. Show all posts
Monday, February 27, 2017
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
dan braun's top 10 films of 2016
Dan Braun has offered his Top 10 Films of 2016! Nice, wide array of films.
1. Silence
2. Manchester by the Sea
3. La La Land
4. Elle
5. Paterson
6. The Handmaiden
7. Toni Erdmann
8. O.J.: Made in America
9. Certain Women
10. The Lobster
Honorable Mentions: 20th Century Women; American Honey; Aquarius; Arrival; A Bigger Splash; Café Society; Cameraperson; Captain Fantastic; Cemetery of Splendor; De Palma; The Edge of Seventeen; Everybody Wants Some!!; Evolution; Fences; The Fits; Gimme Danger; Green Room; Hacksaw Ridge; Happy Hour; Hunt for the Wilderpeople; I Am Not Your Negro; I, Daniel Blake; Indignation; Jackie; Julieta; Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids; Knight of Cups; Krisha; Love & Friendship; Loving; Maggie’s Plan; Midnight Special; Miles Ahead; Moonlight; Mountains May Depart; Mustang; The Neon Demon; Neruda; Newtown; The Nice Guys; No Home Movie; Nocturnal Animals; Our Little Sister; Patriots Day; The Salesman; Sing Street; Sully; Things to Come; Tower; Zero Days.
A look back at his lists from 2015 and 2014.
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
top 10 films of 2016
A rough year in many respects but not, in my opinion, for film.
I left the theater feeling completely changed and haunted by Columbian writer / director Ciro Guerra's beautifully shot, eerie and intoxicating film on the ravages of colonialism.
10.
Expecting a light coming-of-age yarn, I was surprised how deep this picture went. The characters, especially its women, and the '79 Santa Barbara setting are so lovingly realized by the cast and Writer / Director Mike Mills.
9.
Unnerving slice of life of Christine Chubbuck (Rebecca Hall, in a searing performance), a fluff piece, small-city Florida news anchor, who committed suicide on live TV.
8.
Broadly entertaining, nimble neo-Western noir of two brothers robbing from and avenging banks in Texas while two aging police chiefs are on their trail. Lots of fun bit parts (especially the tellers and the waitresses) and Jeff Bridges in full ham mode.
7.
Deliciously tart Austen adaptation shows off the genius of her writing and also fits like a glove for Writer / Director Whit Stillman's deft observing of social status shenanigans. Kate Beckinsale's wry and biting comic performance was a surprise for me as was Tom Bennett's bright, hilarious supporting turn as the film's doddering fool.
6.
I was completely absorbed in the subtle complexities of this story of a Brazilian woman (an amazing Sonia Braga) fiercely determined to stay in her apartment (and to preserve all its material and family history) despite threats from condominium developers. The ending is unforgettable.
5.
Maren Ade's funny drama of an uptight corporate shark (Sandra Hüller) and her silly, dilly-dallying, but deeply concerned father (Peter Simonischek) takes its time, and maneuvers itself in unexpected ways.
4.
I was gutted by Kenneth Lonergan's tragedy and Casey Affleck's perfect portrayal of bottled-up grief, but also oddly elevated that I had witnessed such a finely-crafted and performed film.
3.
Damien Chazelle's dreamy, just so slightly-exaggerated L.A. musical. An enjoyable, scrappy little bauble for most of its running time until its brilliantly-executed and bittersweet finale elevates it to a whole new level.
2.
I left the theater feeling completely changed and haunted by Columbian writer / director Ciro Guerra's beautifully shot, eerie and intoxicating film on the ravages of colonialism.
1.
Moonlight is a quiet, quaint picture that ends up packing a powerful punch. The ensemble cast is sublime. Writer / Director Barry Jenkins' triptych structure is as daring as it is elegant.
The best of the rest:
The Handmaiden, Elle, Fences, Wiener-Dog, Krisha, Little Men, Lion, Morris from America, Goat, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, Everybody Wants Some!!, Maggie's Plan, Hidden Figures, The Witch, The Lobster, Finding Dory, Jackie, Divines, Other People, Cameraperson, Neruda, The Fits, Nocturnal Animals, Cafe Society, 13th, The Witness, Weiner, Knight of Cups, The Nice Guys, Hail, Caesar!, The Shallows, Cemetery of Splendor, Don't Breathe, 10 Cloverfield Lane, Hello, My Name is Doris, The Family Fang, Hush, Yosemite, Take Me to the River
-Jeffery Berg
Saturday, December 31, 2016
top 10 singles of 2016
10.
Boy Problems - Carly Rae Jepsen
9.
I Can't Give Everything Away - David Bowie
8.
One Dance - Drake
7.
Can't Stop the Feeling! - Justin Timberlake
6.
Make Me Like You - Gwen Stefani
5.
I Feel it Coming - The Weeknd f/Daft Punk
4.
Intern - Angel Olsen
3.
Formation / Hold Up - Beyonce
2.
Famous - Kanye West
1.
Cranes in the Sky - Solange
Friday, December 30, 2016
Thursday, December 29, 2016
top 10 albums of the year: #1
1.
Lemonade - Beyoncé
Few events in popular music were as exciting and electric as Beyoncé's Lemonade release. Paired with its stunning, dreamy slate of videos, this is a brisk album of impressive genre-hopping: blistering rock on Jack White duet "Don't Hurt Yourself" and a country ditty called "Daddy Lessons" which harbors frustration in its joyful facade are standout tracks. It seems there's no stopping the Queen Bee right now as she continues grow and change fearlessly as an artist.
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
top 10 albums of the year: #2
2.
A Seat at the Table - Solange
Solange released a tremendous album and took a huge leap as an artist in 2016. "Cranes in the Sky" is one of the year's most arresting singles: her fluttery, pretty voice waxing poetic on dissatisfaction and the difficulty of facing truths. And while her vocals are soft and cool, her lyrics scald--digging into issues of identity and feeling "Weary" in these times.
"I call it my punk album. Punk artists have been allowed to be disruptive and rage and express anger, be anti-establishment, even when it means destroying property, even when it means provoking violence through moshing or whatever. That’s something that black artists are not usually able to do, especially R&B artists. Hip-hop has more allowance than that, but as an R&B artist, it’s really a hard thing to occupy." -Solange
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
top 10 albums of the year: #3
3.
Freetown Sound - Blood Orange
Smoked with hazy interludes and tuneful motifs, Blood Orange's Freetown Sound features Dev Hynes' signature atmosphere and melodies. Single "Augustine" recalls lives cut short. "Best to You" thrums with sparkly percussion; my favorite track "Better Than Me" skips in trip-hop and mirrorball shadows. But within the fabric of these soothing, optimistic "free" sounds are some deeply personal and timely lyrics.
"The line “you chose to fade away from me” comes back a lot throughout the album. When I first wrote that melody, it was about a couple of friends of mine that overdosed on heroin and died in the last few years. That’s why I was singing about the choices that people have made: “You chose to fade away with him, I chose to try and let you in.” Then, as I was working on the album and thinking about the phrase, it started to become almost like a call for wanting warmth and closeness. The simple idea of someone letting you in is a beautiful thing." -Dev Hynes
Monday, December 26, 2016
top 10 albums of the year: #4
4.
My Woman - Angel Olsen
Album opener "Intern" is a low-burn whoosh of melancholy. The rest of the album kicks up with stuttering pop rock tunes like "Shut Up Kiss Me" and folksy "Never Mine" and "Heart Shaped Face." The melody builds and stops and builds again on grungy epic tracks like "Sister" where Olsen shines with plaintive vocals. It's beautiful, bold work all around.
"Of course people are like: Who is the woman? Are you the woman? And I was like, 'I don't know! I am still finding that out!'" -Angel Olsen
Saturday, December 24, 2016
top 10 albums of the year: #5
5.
Blonde - Frank Ocean
Frank Ocean left behind a haunting vortex of tunes in 2016 on his album Blonde. Not as melody-friendly as his previous effort but every bit as profound, Blond is slack, mysterious and deep, invoking Karen Carpenter and vocordered ache.
"Sometimes I felt like you weren’t hearing enough versions of me within a song, ’cause there was a lot of hyperactive thinking. Even though the pace of the album’s not frenetic, the pace of ideas being thrown out is." -Frank Ocean
Friday, December 23, 2016
top 10 albums of the year: #6
6.
Blackstar - David Bowie
David Bowie passed just two days after the release of his twenty-fifth studio album. "I Can't Give Everything Away" ended up being a fitting close to Bowie's career as artist / persona. A song over a gentle techno beat which sounds wise, desperate and resilient (that major key swell on the word "away"). The rest of the album has an easy rock flair with his unique ability to meld traditional melody structure with off-the-wall lyrics and vocals (see "Girl Loves Me"). A fine set of swan songs from a legend.
“His death was no different from his life – a work of Art. He made Blackstar for us, his parting gift. I knew for a year this was the way it would be.” -Tony Visconti
Thursday, December 22, 2016
top 10 albums of the year: #7
7.
A Moon Shaped Pool - Radiohead
With string-set barn-burner "Burn the Witch," gorgeous swirls of "Daydreaming" and "Present Tense," Radiohead returned with another solid set.
"I guess it feels like every record we make, we finish and have a collective thought that we didn't quite mean to do it like that and the next one will be different and then we'll get it right. It's kind of like rewriting the same letter and getting each draft slightly wrong. So it's a good motivation force — it keeps us going." -Jonny Greenwood
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
top 10 albums of the year: #8
8. The Life of Pablo - Kanye West
Kanye is super annoying sometimes but his artistry is undeniable. His latest album continued his streak of stunning, idiosyncratic collections--this one his most melancholic and moody since 808s & Heartbreak.
“Which Pablo? Pablo Picasso, Pablo Escobar of course, Apostle Paul. [Paul] was the strongest influencer of Christianity, Pablo Escobar was the biggest mover of product, and Pablo Picasso was the biggest mover of art. And that mix between message, art, and product is The Life Of Pablo." -Kanye West
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