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4) La La Land

Another film that’s unapologetically upbeat, La La Land deserves all the praise it’s received because the story is also mature. From the moment the two lost souls, Mia and Sebastian, begin to fall in love, an event that occurs several encounters after they meet, they both have an understanding of their struggle. For one of them to achieve their dream, the other will probably not. Since few people who dream of a Hollywood ending actually reach their goals, that doesn’t seem like an insurmountable problem up until each individual’s natural ability begins to differentiate them within the industry.

La La Land trusts the audience to understand that not all storybook romances work as expected. Sometimes, two people better one another, and that’s enough. After a person watches the film, I’d expect them to reflect on all the former partners from their life that helped them become the best version of themselves. That’s the ultimate goal for all of us. For all the bells and whistles and soft shoe, La La Land explores this concept as effectively as any film in recent memory. I’d actually have to go all the way back to Shakespeare in Love to find a similar comparison for someone improving the craft of someone else so believably.

Critics assail La La Land as the latest example of navel gazing from Hollywood. The impending Academy Awards victory lap certainly won’t change that opinion. Even as a fan of the movie, I agree that its awards season triumphs are overblown. Still, I consider it a remarkably good film and a fitting companion piece to Whiplash, director Damien Chazelle’s first (major) film. In that story, a gifted drummer abandoned a great relationship since he couldn’t imagine a scenario where he could find the time to love someone. He was already had a singular love: playing the drums. In La La Land, Chazelle successfully challenges his own prior assertion, and I admire that.

5) Manchester by the Sea

During the early days of BOP, we championed You Can Count on Me, the movie that (accidentally) placed Mark Ruffalo on a path toward The Hulk. Director Kenneth Lonergan wasn’t afraid to tell a sad story of family then, and not much has changed over the past 16 years. Manchester by the Sea is so depressing that it makes You Can Count on Me feel like an episode of Friends.

You almost certainly know the basics by now. Manchester by the Sea is a story of an uncle forced into action as a guardian to his nephew. Over time, Lee Chandler’s hesitant actions reveal his backstory. He’d once had more parental responsibility until tragedy struck. I won’t spoil the details here. What I will say that is that I’ve reached the point where ceaselessly depressing cinema doesn’t do much for me. I wasn’t going to watch this title UNLESS it earned a Best Picture nod. Once it did, I had kind of mentally prepared myself for the horrors.

For that reason, I enjoyed the film more than expected. The performances are universally top-notch, and the tragedy occurs largely off-screen. So, the viewer doesn’t have to suffer through it, a refreshing storytelling decision. Affleck is every bit as good as expected, and Michelle Williams delivers a wonderful complimentary performance as a lousy spouse who eventually gains self-awareness about her own behavior during trying times. She’s unexpectedly well-rounded, something I found key to my acceptance of Manchester by the Sea. Of course, the real magic is between uncle and nephew. Lucas Hedges has tremendous awkward chemistry with Affleck, which ties the film together nicely. Manchester by the Sea is depressing by choice, but don’t let that stop you from giving it a chance.

6) Fences

Let’s have Denzel Washington talk shit for more than two hours! Who’s with me? Clearly, the producers of Fences were. In adapting one of the legendary August Wilson Pittsburgh Cycle plays, some genius zoned in on Washington as the perfect replacement for a role once made famous by James Earl Jones.

While Washington lacks the (literal) physical presence of Darth Vader, you’d be hard-pressed to notice when he talks. One of the greatest living actors, Washington tears into his portrayal of Troy Maxson like he’d waited for it ever since production ended on Training Day. He’s a sublime combination of proud, brutish, selfish, and savvy. The revelations sprinkled throughout Fences reveal his plight as well as his flaws. Maxson has reason to feel bitter. That doesn’t excuse many of his personal shortcomings.

Fences is a complex study of a tragic life or it’s a celebration of audacity in the face of adversity. Either interpretation works due to the spectacular performance of Washington.

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