The Wasteland Reviewer

The Wasteland Into the Past: 2016

Welcome to The Wasteland into the Past! Join this journey backwards in time as I take a cinematic look at years past. Each article will focus on a singular year and my Top 5 films from that year. Turn back the clock with me…and let’s get started! 

2016

Silence

After the insanity of Wolf of Wall Street and its endless profanity, drugs, and sex, what did Martin Scorsese have up his sleeve? No one would have predicted that he would dive into his long gestation and profound exploration of faith that is Silence. The tale of two Jesuits priests (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) venture to Japan to find their mentor (Liam Neeson) who has ended communication with the church. This film is a visually stunning experience for every minute of its prolonged runtime. The landscapes of Japan are captured so perfectly by Rodrigo Prieto (the cinematographer) who joined his first Scorsese film for this one. The lack of music creates the perfect echo of the title as the natural soundtrack of Japan is ever present. Scorsese has expressed his faith and struggle many times in his films with such efforts like The Last Temptation of Christ and Kundun tackling them directly. The third entry in this unofficial trilogy is certainly the strongest. More refined than Temptation and more emotionally resonant than Kundun, Silence is a film that explores faith in such a deep and complex way. The challenge of faith is a theme deeply embedded in the narrative fibers of Silence. Scorsese knew what he was doing when he hired two of the best actors of their generation in Garfield and Driver to anchor their film. Garfield is a revelation as he is put through the ringer by the Japanese as they try to get him to disavow his faith and convert. Neeson is in the film for a limited time but gives one of his best performances in decades. Tadanobu Asano and Issei Ogata deliver performances that make an international impact. There is a brutality and struggle that is trademark Scorsese that fits well into this unique package. The final moment of the film creates one of the best closing scenes in Scorsese’s filmography.

Hell or High Water

What is the best neo-western this side of No Country for Old Men? There is no surprise that Taylor Sheridan would have written it since he is the trademark of neo-western storytelling today. Director David Mackenzie does great things with Sheridan’s script and creates an unexpected Best Picture nominee in the form of Hell or High Water. This is a complex meditation on capitalism, law enforcement, and the place of outlaws in the modern Southwest. A tale of two brothers whose land is at-risk of foreclosure takes matters into their own hands. Becoming bank robbers only makes them local heroes as they must stay on the run from a pair of resourceful and unrelenting Texas Rangers. Sheridan’s screenplay finds space to capture the local feelings of the modern “Robin Hood” figures. The average person will not side with the police and instead keep these outlaws on the run. The complexities come from the fact we see where each of the four main characters comes from. Chris Pine (in the best performance of his career so far) stars as Toby who has a son to worry about and works to take care of him with the stolen money. He is the anchor for the whole film (and Pine is rocking that rugged facial hair and looks for sure). Ben Foster steals the show (like he always does) with his intensity and unpredictability. His character, Tanner, is a chaotic force that creates a thrilling and consequential shootout in the climax. Jeff Bridges delivers like the legendary actor can with the gritty old Texas Ranger on the hunt. He makes for the perfect pairing with Gil Birmingham (who is a pleasant surprise in the film). There is danger and stakes in this thrilling neo-western movie that is shot to perfection by Makenzie and cinematographer, Giles Nuttgens. The final scene between Pine and Bridges is also cinematic perfection.

Kubo and the Two Strings

What is the magnum opus of the beloved stop motion animation studio of Laika? Kubo and the Two Strings delivers something that is hard to imagine. This sprawling epic fantasy adventure is somehow created with stop motion. The movements are so smooth and complex that it is almost unfathomable that this could truly be brought to life. Even the credits bring magic as you witness how they brought all the amazing creatures and characters to life. The leap in complexity for this film is astounding with the big action set pieces, big creatures, and overall wondrous fantasy world. The story is deeply resonant with great emotion. Kubo is a fun and empathetic protagonist whose family has a dark and grand history. His connection with his mother is beautiful and his journey to develop bravery and strength is inspiring. The adversity that he faces is monstrous, from his murderous and haunting aunts to his powerful grandfather to the creatures they come to blows along the way. His companions in Monkey and Beetle are great additions to the adventure with their unique personalities and vibes they bring to the group dynamics. The character designs look so great, interesting, and fun. Each character stands out in their visual representation for sure. The music is rich and beautiful while delivering unnerving moments, rousing heights, and epic feel. Travis Knight brings this film together in such an amazing way and creates one of the greatest feats in animation. Few stop motion films have the scale, complexity, and range that this film possesses. This might not have the same amount of attention as other animated films of the past decade…but it really deserves to.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Who wouldn’t love a father/son tale deep in the bush? This beloved gem of New Zealander cinema is one of the last efforts of Taika Waititi before he jumped ship to the world of Disney to make Marvel and Star Wars projects. This is a classic tale of a young orphan who gets taken in by a wonderful woman and her gruff husband. Waititi balances the unexpected weight of reality as Hunt for the Wilderpeople has some truly emotional moments. The loss of aloving and caring guardian sets our young protagonist (Julian Dennison) on a journey into the bush, and he is followed by his remaining guardian (Sam Neill) who (at first) wants nothing to do with their adopted child. This odd pairing makes for such an enjoyable, funny, and emotional story as they slowly grow their connection and become bust outlaws together. Dennison has plenty of fun traits and brings such a fresh and funny approach to this young rapper in training. Neill is gruff and cantankerous in the most effective way. But the delight is seeing the connection to this young boy that cracks through. They have such a fun and tense dynamic all the way up until the end of the film. You never really know how things are going to go but this dynamic duo anchors the film as well. Rima Te Wiata brings one of the sweetest (yet toughest) motherly figures in movies to life which makes the turns in the story more tragic. There is a fantastic crew of supporting cast members as well with Rachel House killing it and almost stealing the film with her ridiculously delusion portrayal of a government agent on the hunt. Rhys Darby is in a single scene, but he brings all the laughs. In the end, this film is downright hilarious, full of emotion, and some shocking harder edges that Waititi can balance so well.

La La Land

How many other films in the past decade have become so ingrained in people’s cinematic taste more than La La Land? Damien Chazelle made a huge splash with the internet movie community with Whiplash and the near Best Picture winner upped the ante. Chazelle’s passion for music can be felt in every pour of this modern musical. There are plenty of great musical moments including “City of Stars” and the showstopping “Audition”. The opening musical number sets the tone and captures the LA feel of the film so deeply. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone have fantastic chemistry in multiple films, but this is the film that really maximizes their connection. Their dance numbers, early back-and-forth, and general charm are all wonderful. Chazelle captures the magic of musicals and the City of Angels with the wonderfully elegant dancing in the Observatory to the Red Shoes inspired climactic fantasy sequence. You can tell that Chazelle loves cinema so much and that connects so well with so many cinephiles out there. This is an endless ode to classic cinema with a modern flair that captures the elegance of older films with modern filmmaking sensibilities. The central romance captures some elements of classic romance films but offers a more sobering and honest resolution that navigates the challenges of chasing big dreams while trying to make relationships work. In the end, they will always have the time they had together and the times that could have been. The final sequence of the film delivers pure cinema with an incredible mixture of music, dancing, and production design.