Somewhere toward the end of 2015, I took the 40-minute ride to AMC Veterans 24 out past the Tampa airport to see a movie that was only showing there at the time. It gave me a chance to see the most amazing performance by an actor under 10-years-old I had ever seen.
His name was Jacob Tremblay and he could not have been better in the emotional movie "Room." About a year later, I made my way to the same theater for the same reason and a young boy from India named Sunny Pawar somehow topped Tremblay.
Pawar dominated the screen throughout the first hour of 2016's best movie "Lion," as a lost child named Saroo trying to find his way through the dangers of Calcutta (now Kolkata) - thousands of miles from his home. Pawar's triumphant performance led you into an equally-emotional second half of the movie where the older Saroo (Dev Patel) searches for his home through Google Maps.
There were many solid films in 2016, but none came close to moving me like "Lion." It is based on a true story and it was told with grace and wonderful pacing. It is about the power of family, love, home and the human spirit. Nicole Kidman is outstanding as Saroo's adoptive Australian mother and the beautiful Rooney Mara plays his girlfriend, who is actually a composite of his female friends. Patel starred in my pick for the worst of 2015 (Chappie) and one year later he provides a strong performance in the best.
Have some tissues available if you are going to see Lion. You will need them - unless you do not have a heart.
I wondered if 2016 was going to be a dud of a year for movies in late summer - after 2015 was the best in my lifetime - but it ended up producing a number of entertaining films in the fall and winter with a variety of subject lines. Some were fun, others had deep, thought-provoking story lines and a few were quite unique. It ended up being a pretty good year, with some of the best performances including Pawar, Ruth Negga (Loving), Bryan Cranston (The Infiltrator), Andrew Garfield (Silence), Mila Kunis (Bad Moms), Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures), Natalie Portman (Jackie), Miles Teller (Bleed for This), Emma Stone (La La Land), Jeff Bridges (Hell of High Water), Jessica Chastain (Miss Sloane), Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea), Emilia Clarke (Me Before You), Viola Davis (Fences), Colin Farrell (The Lobster) and Marvin the dog (Paterson).
Here's my annual look at the year in movies:
Did not get to see: Queen of Katwe, Elle, A Man Called Ove, Moana, Rules Don't Apply.
Worst: 13 Hours (see the entire list on my worst of the year blog)
Not great, but these films have something redeemable - Demolition, The Purge: Election Day, Get a Job (Bryan Cranston and Anna Kendrick get it over the line), Captain America, Equals, Race, Independence Day- Resurgence (only because the first one was good), The Lobster (so weird it almost became compelling), Mother's Day (great cast), The Accountant (mostly blah, but a few decent moments), The Girl on the Train (glad I didn't spend money at the theater), Cafe Society, Love & Friendship (Kate Beckinsale is great as usual), Bridget Jones' Baby, Sausage Party (not a kids cartoon, adult cringe-worthy laughs), The Legend of Tarzan, The Birth of a Nation, Allegiant (worst of a great series), Keeping up with the Joneses, Masterminds (goofy, stupid, but a few laughs), Doctor Strange, The Founder (Michael Keaton plays Ray Kroc, who started McDonald's), Paterson (interesting, but not real exciting), Yoga Hosers (funny and Johnny Depp's daughter is adorable).
Honorable Mention - Jason Bourne (underwhelming, but fits in the series. Alicia Vikander is great as usual), Denial (interesting movie on the trial of a Holocaust denier), Deepwater Horizon (nothing special, but it was better than expected), Eight Days a Week (Beatles doc), Where do we Invade Next? (interesting Michael Moore documentary everyone should see, but won't), Free State of Jones (good Civil War story, but dragged a little), Finding Dory (cute cartoon that held my interest), Star Trek Beyond (first half is confusing, second half pretty good), Allied, Hacksaw Ridge, 20th Century Women, Bleed For This (Vinny Paz story was better than expected), War Dogs, Money Monster (Clooney and Roberts are good, but just didn't hit a home run with me), Me Before You (tearjerker), 13th (Documentary on Racism)
Joe Lunardi's first five out: Collateral Beauty (somewhat hokey and hard to believe, but enjoyable), Bad Moms (more laughs than expected), Nocturnal Animals (strange, strange movie, but keeps your interest), Loving (strong, important story), Patriots Day (well-done movie on the Boston Marathon bombing)
TOP 25
25. Captain Fantastic - Viggo Mortensen shines as the father of a family which lived outside of civilization for years before making a trip to their mother's funeral.
24. Eddie the Eagle - The interesting and likable story of Eddie Edwards, the unusual and inexperienced ski jumper from England who made a splash at the 1988 Winter Olympics
23. Fences - Denzel Washington and Viola Davis provide amazing performances as complicated characters in this film adapted from a play. The strong ending helps get it over the top.
22. Zootopia - Enjoyable cartoon with an underlying racial theme that educates about the advantages of diversity and the problems with stereotyping.
21. Arrival - Amy Adams stars in the science fiction story about a race of aliens who arrive with a message that only she can uncover. It is a powerful movie about seeing the future, but I wasn't as blown away as most people.
20. Everybody Wants Some!! - It's Animal House with a bunch of college baseball players instead of Bluto and Flounder. Director Richard Linklater (Boyhood) does a good job keeping it fun.
19. Moonlight - The Academy Award winner follows a young African American boy struggling with a mother hooked on drugs and confusion about his sexuality. I would have liked to see more of Mahershala Ali's character. Thought it was a good film, just not a great one.
18, Deadpool - Ryan Reynolds is terrific as a superhero with a wild sense of humor. Thought it was a lot of fun, although it got a bit too cartoonish at the end.
17. Jackie - Natalie Portman hits it out of the park with her portrayal of Jackie Kennedy in the aftermath of her husband's assassination. I was in my first year of life while this was going on, so it was educational for me.
16. Silence - Two young Jesuit priests from Portugal in the 17th century go in search of their mentor in Japan, which had outlawed Christianity. Martin Scorsese directs the long (2 hours, 40 minutes), but emotional film and Andrew Garfield is terrific as one of the padres.
15. Sully - Tom Hanks plays hero Chesley Sullenberger, who miraculously saved every passenger by landing a damaged airplane on the Hudson River but ends up facing serious questions about his decision.
14. Manchester by the Sea - The second time watching the film made me understand its power a bit more. The acting from Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams, among others, is outstanding. But it is still a bit too depressing for a top 10 pick.
13. O.J. Made in America - You would need a truck load of popcorn to watch this in a theater but since the Academy made it Best Documentary, why not include it here? Ezra Edelman did an amazing job putting this all together. It is fascinating and sad.
12. The Edge of Seventeen - Hailee Steinfeld, a terrific actress, plays a high school student trying to weave her way through life's problems in a one-parent family. Woody Harrelson is great as her sarcastic, but helpful teacher.
11. Miss Sloane - Jessica Chastain is a win-at-all-costs lobbyist who finds herself in the middle of a political fight over a new gun-control bill. Chastain should have been nominated for Best Actress for her powerful performance.
10. Hell or High Water - Brothers Chris Pine and Ben Foster go on a bank robbery spree to help save the family farm, which they are in jeopardy of losing because of the same financial institutions. Jeff Bridges is outstanding as the local sheriff.
9. Passengers - It may be a stretch to put this film here ahead of other more meaningful movies. But I enjoyed the heck out of it. What would you do if you were alone and had a chance to wake up someone else in suspended animation to keep you company? Yes, I'd wake up Jennifer Lawrence. Sorry Jen.
8. Eye in the Sky - An interesting film starring Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) and Helen Mirren that makes you think about the military's use of drones. It was the great Alan Rickman's last action film before he passed away.
7. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - Low expectations turned into high praise for this film that works as a prequel to "A New Hope" - the first of the saga released - and a follow to "Revenge of the Sith." Everything fits and it's fun.
6. Snowden - Joseph Gordon-Levitt does an outstanding job playing the enigmatic Edward Snowden, who becomes disillusioned and releases classified information about illegal mass surveillance programs in the United States. Director Oliver Stone does not overdo it this time.
5. Hidden Figures - Tells the untold story of a group of African-American women mathematicians who aided NASA in the 1960s - in racially-divided Virginia. Janelle Monae, Octavia Spencer, Taraji Henson are terrific in the educational and entertaining movie.
4. La La Land - Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling make this musical drama go as an aspiring actress and musician, respectively, trying to make it in Hollywood. It was more of a story than a musical, which made me enjoy it much better.
3. Sing Street - Director John Carney provides another enjoyable movie with music as the theme. A young Irish lad (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) puts a band together starting from scratch to impress a complicated, beautiful girl (Lucy Boynton). Mark McKenna is brilliant in a supporting role. It is fun, smart and heartwarming. Line of the movie - "No woman can truly love a man that listens to Phil Collins." LOL.
2. The Infiltrator - Bryan Cranston plays US Customs agent Robert Mazur, who goes deep undercover to end Pablo Escobar's money-laundering operation. How Cranston did not get nominated for Best Actor, I will never know. Beautiful Diane Kruger and former Law and Order star Benjamin Bratt are great, too.
1. Lion - An amazing story and an amazing movie about Saroo Brierly's incredible journey. It was Director Garth Davis' first feature film and he makes it all work without adding any fluff. It should have won something at the Academy Awards, but anyone who saw it knows this was by far the best of 2016.
Previous picks for Best of the Year
2015 - Spotlight
2014 – Birdman
2013 -- Nebraska
2012 – Silver Linings Playbook
2011 – The Descendants
2010 – The Social Network
2009 – Inglourious Basterds
2008 – Frost/Nixon-The Wrestler (tie)
2007 – Once
Best of Decade 2000-2009 – Almost Famous
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