10. The Legend of Tarzan

The sheer epic-ness of the world’s original pulp hero was brought back to the big screen with immense scope and scale thanks to the grand vision of director David Yates. The Legend of Tarzan was fierce and uncompromising, and took audiences back to a long forgotten time and a mythical jungle landscape. Alexander Skarsgard was in full hero mode as the legendary Tarzan, and carried a physique of god-like proportions, while Margot Robbie was no damsel as his beloved wife Jane. The chemistry between these two was sizzling and not for one moment did my adrenaline stop pumping in this all-action adventure.

9. The Magnificent Seven

The west sure got wild thanks to this high-octane gunslinging adventure from director Antoine Fuqua that took one of cinema’s greatest ever films and re-imagined it for a whole new generation. Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke and Chris Pratt were all quick on the draw and steadfast in their actions, while Haley Bennett proved that she could wrangle the bad guys just as much as the boys, and was a crack shot with a long rifle. The Magnificent Seven was a thumping ride from beginning to end and was a terrific ode to the grand old westerns of the past.

8. Allied

Heart-wrenching love and terrible secrets kept me guessing every second in this ticking time bomb of a movie that delivered big bangs and even bigger shocks. The tension never eased for a moment in Allied, and director Robert Zemeckis sure knows how to keep his audience on edge. Stars Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard had undeniable chemistry together and brought incredible focus to this tightly wound thriller. Allied’s production design and costuming also brought back memories of Hollywood’s golden era, and I certainly did not anticipate that shocking ending.

7. The Light Between Oceans

Love is the most powerful force of all, and director Derek Cianfrance explored its ecstatic highs and heartbreaking lows in this emotionally evocative piece of drama. Michael Fassbender was at the top of his game, but it was Alicia Vikander who stole every scene as a woman and a mother who could not bear to let her child go. The tears certainly flowed while watching The Light Between Oceans, and Cianfrance also gifted us with the beautiful cinematography of Adam Arkapew, which made this film even more emotionally heartfelt.

6. Doctor Strange

The Marvel Universe’s greatest ever magician finally found his way to the big screen this year thanks to Benedict Cumberbatch, and man-o-man was Doctor Strange a mind trip! Director Scott Derrickson brought the hallucinogenic images of Steve Ditko’s art to life in all their vivid detail, and threw his audience head first into the astral plain. And as for Cumberbatch, the British thespian was all we could have wanted and more as the snarky, pretentious know-it-all who falls to historic lows before finally rising up and becoming the Master of the Mystic Arts. Wild, entertaining and very, very cool, Doctor Strange proved that Marvel certainly has plenty more surprises in store for its legions of fans.

5. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

The force was indeed strong with Gareth Edwards’ standalone galactic adventure Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which told the hard-won battle of the Rebel Alliance’s fight to steal the Death Star plans, and turn the tide of the war against The Empire. A stunning ensemble cast lead by Felicity Jones provided plenty of terrific new characters, along with lots of heroic actions. But the real power of Rogue One came from Edwards’ ability to put his audience deep into the heart of the film’s climatic battle scenes, as the Rebel Alliance stormed the beaches of Scariff to put an end to The Empire’s super weapon in a desperate do-or-die mission.

4. Hunt for the Wilderpeople

This instant Kiwi classic was sheer laugh-out-loud hilarity thanks to the combined talents of Hollywood veteran Sam Neill and the charm of hell raising teenager and ‘bad egg’ Ricky Baker, who was played to perfection by newcomer Julian Dennison. This good’ol tramping movie struck out deep into the untamed bush of New Zealand, and followed the misadventures of these totally unique characters as they rebelled against a society that had given up on them, before eventually finding strength and a sense of family with one another. Once again director Taika Waititi’s comedic timing was incredible, and his surprise cameo appearance had me in stitches. You simply couldn’t find a better comedy this year.

3. The Nice Guys

There was no better team up this year than Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling as mismatched hoodlum Jackson Healy and inept private investigator Holland March, who find themselves way over their heads in this laugh-out-loud black comedy from Shane Black. Packed with cracking dialogue, and tough guy swagger, The Nice Guys was a classic noir tale that sucked you into Hollywood’s seedy underbelly of the 1970s as these two ‘amateurs’ did everything they could to right a terrible wrong, along with turning a tidy profit in the process. The Nice Guys was a thoroughly entertaining watch and one of the best films I saw all year.

2. La La Land

The cinematic experience didn’t get more magnificent than Damien Chazelle’s lavish musical sensation La La Land. This throwback to the grand musicals of Hollywood’s golden era was packed with a terrific jazz-infused score and was bursting at the edges with pop energy. While Ryan Gosling channelled Fred Astaire’s dance moves and Frank Sinatra’s laid back cool, Emma Stone brought a great deal of heart and soul to this thumping movie. If ever there was a film to champion the magic of those who dream then it most definitely was La La Land. 

1. Deadpool

But it all it comes down to this. My favourite film of the year was undoubtedly the ultra-violent and incredibly crazy superhero action adventure love tale that was Deadpool. Ryan Reynolds knocked it out of the park as the Merc with a Mouth and proved that his snazzy one-liners were just as lethal as his sword skills. Reynolds, along with director Tim Miller held nothing back in this love letter to the cult comic book character, and it really showed on screen. Deadpool was pure, crazy, cinematic fun at its best.

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The real life dream-couple of Fassbender and Vikander completely give themselves over to their love swept characters, Thomas Sherbourne and Isabel Graysmark, who meet following the end of WWI and marry. While initially happy, a series of tragedies rob the pair of hope, until an unexpected miracle in the form of a baby lost at sea arrives. Naming the child Lucy, they decide to raise her as their own, a decision which bring infinite joys. But this happiness is the result of a grand secret, and it soon begins to tear a hole in the loving family that they have formed.

As always, Fassbender never falters in his performance. There is a consistent melancholy and sadness in his performance as Tom, with the feeling that he’ll never let go of his past. Working alongside Fassbender is Alicia Vikander, and while she may have won an Academy Award for The Danish Girl, I would argue that her performance in The Light Between Oceans is her most sincere and raw offering yet.

Providing support to these two phenomenal performers is Rachel Weisz in the role of Hannah Roennfeldt, Lucy’s real mother, who delicately walks the line between villainous and traumatised mother. Finally, Australian cinematic legend Bryan Brown provides a sense of sage wisdom that leads to the redemption of all three characters as Septimus Potts, father to Hannah, and grandfather to Lucy.

Aside from its incredible cast, The Light Between Oceans is carried by both a moving soundtrack from composer Alexandre Desplat, and the striking cinematography of Adam Arkapaw, whose beautiful, rough imagery is like an oil painting come to life.

The Light Between Oceans is a wonderful watch that will surely draw tears from your eyes before the credits begin to roll. Bring tissues.

Image source: EOne.

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When Tom (Fassbender) and Isabel Sherborne (Vikander), who run a lighthouse on a remote Australian island following WWI discover a lost boat washed ashore, their lives are changed forever. Discovering an orphaned baby they adopt the child, and raise her as their own, but Tom and Isabel’s perfect life becomes threatened when they meet a grieving mother (Rachel Weisz), who just might be the mother of their adopted daughter.

The new trailer is a raw dramatic experience that is equal parts romance and tragedy, and showcases director Derek Cianfrance’s (Blue Valentine, The Place Beyond The Pines) perfect attention to detail. Cianfrance has balanced the hypnotic power of his co-leads with beautifully moving cinematography, and those familiar with his work, particularly 2012’s The Place Beyond The Pines, will see Cainfrance’s favourite subject matter at work again, particularly in relation to family relationships, and the secrets that grow from them.

The Light Between Oceans is one cinematic experience not to be missed, and audiences should mark their calendars for September 2 in the US and on November 3 in New Zealand and Australia.

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