Film Reviewer Jr.: February 2017

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

FRJ's Top 10 Films of 2016 (Film List)

2016 has, so far, been the weakest year in film of the 21^st century.

The Handmaiden (Film Review)

One of the highest complements I can give to a story is it left me giggling like an excited school girl.

The Invitation (Film Review)

The mark of a good thriller is having its audience never truly certain about what’s going on…at least until the very end.

2016 has been a poor year in film, and I need look no further than its Best Picture nominees for such reinforcement. Six out of the nine nominees are either mediocre to subpar in storytelling, wasteful in potential, or a mix of both. The noticeable fault shared by these films (in addition to a large chunk of 2016 cinema) is their inability to get me emotionally attached to their characters. Manchester by the Sea and Hell or High Water are prime offenders; I simply did not care enough about the characters to get invested in their plights. There’s only one nominee I consider Best Picture worthy—a film that breaks from the masses with superb writing techniques and beautiful character development—and that saving grace is Fences.