2016 was filled with big hits and huge misses.
Traditionally, I do a 10 Best List and five Honorable Mentions. But since this was the best year ever for animated movies, I felt that genre deserved its own separate recognition. So here are my five Live-Action and five Animated Honorable Mentions for ’16 (in alphabetical order):
HONORABLE MENTIONS: LIVE-ACTION
“Don’t Think Twice” – Smart Improv comedy with plenty of drama and heart
“Eye in the Sky” – An intense thriller with great work from Helen Mirren and the late Alan Rickman
“Hidden Figures” – Featuring the best ensemble of 2016: Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monae, Octavia Spencer, Kevin Costner, Jim Parsons, Kirsten Dunst and Mahershala Ali
“The Meddler” – Susan Sarandon and J.K. Simmons are outstanding in this indie comedy
“A Monster Calls” – Based on the novel – an emotional power punch to the gut
HONORABLE MENTIONS: ANIMATION
“Kubo and the Two Strings” – Laika’s most daring, innovative film yet
“My Life as a Zucchini” – About little kids but not for little kids; a bold, 70-minute feature from Switzerland
“Sing” – Delightful and triumphant, with terrific voice performances and song renditions
“Trolls” – I can’t stop the positive feelings I’ve had about this DreamWorks musical since I saw it 3 months ago
“Zootopia” – Disney’s live-action crime drama/social commentary disguised in animated form has one of the year’s best screenplays
As for my 10 Best Films of the Year, the group includes biopics, documentaries, dramas, musicals, romances, an animated fantasy and an all-star action/thriller:
2. “Sing Street”
3. “Christine”
4. “O.J.: Made in America”
5. “The Little Prince”
6. “Me Before You”
7. “The Founder”
8. “Tower”
9. “The Accountant”
10. “Lion”