Projection Room: 2016- what a year it's been for the cinema.

Well, we did it. We’ve made it to the end of a very weird and wonderful year for pop culture in general- but luckily cinemas have welcomed us with open arms to take our minds off the turbulent events of the last 12 months. Box office figures broke £1 billion in record time this year, and with a packed schedule of pretty much a blockbuster a week for the entire year, audiences and film buyers have been spoiled for choice. With that, it’s time to recap the creme de la creme of the films I’ve seen, before ripping them apart in my yearly mockery of the awards. 

JANUARY TO JUNE

The year started off pretty slowly for me, with Joy, The Revenant and a few other films opening the first 4 weeks, but February is really where the highlights begin. Deadpool pioneered a new breed of superhero film, one that used the 15 certificate to its full advantage. March brought us 10 Cloverfield Lane, a film that literally came out of nowhere and delivered on the pedigree of the Cloverfield name, while at the end of the month, we got Batman v Superman, and while it may have been a divisive film amongst the critics, some elements really resonated with audiences. Well, mainly Wonder Woman.

Luckily Civil War reaffirmed the UK’s faith in superhero films just 4 weeks later, but that is where things started to gain traction. May and June were brilliant- The Jungle Book, Bastille Day (The Take), The Nice Guys, Me Before You, Money Monster all stood out during this period- but for every big release, some rants had to happen. From Warcraft to Independence Day Resurgence, as a whole, this half of the year was mixed. But then the summer came and changed everything.

JULY TO DECEMBER

The second half of the year was big. Literally. There’s so many films to talk about. So, July. Central Intelligence, Ghostbusters and Star Trek Beyond all opened and played well, but the might of family film dominated, with The BFG and Finding Dory opening within a week of each other. August was just as big- Suicide Squad opened brilliantly despite a hammering from critics, Nerve impressed the millennial audience, Pete’s Dragon failed to hit the high notes of the original, and Sausage Party redefined the idea of the adult animated film.

September was where box office revenues went up, with the very successful release of Bridget Jones’s Baby. Even now it is still playing in some places, and with well over £40million banked, Working Title have had a brilliant year. The weeks that followed had films like The Girl on the Train, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Trolls, all building up to the release of Marvel’s second effort of the year. 

Doctor Strange closed out October with a sensory experience that worked well especially for IMAX viewers, and that begins what I call the home stretch. November gave us Arrival, a film that I’ve said way too much about, alongside more minor releases like Allied and the return to a certain Wizarding World, But this month, as I write this, has been dominated by Rogue One. It is on track to be the biggest film of 2016 as a whole in a similar way to how The Force Awakens did over £120million in 2015. I feel exhausted just looking back on all this.

THE SMIT AWARDS

Now is the bit that I love doing. Every year I take a bunch of categories and give mock awards to films- some of them are serious, and some aren’t. The more awards I give, the more successful a year has been. That’s the boring bit done- so let’s get to business.

SPOILERS AHEAD. Obviously. 

Outstanding British Film

Eddie the Eagle

I always love a homegrown piece of filmmaking, and this year has been no exception- but Eddie the Eagle was one of those films that epitomised why we can make some great pieces of cinema. It’s a true story told very faithfully with some brilliant work from everyone involved.

Best Performance (Leading Role)

Amy Adams in Arrival

This could very well be the year where Amy Adams recieves her much deserved Oscar, and although she has another contender in the form of Nocturnal Animals, her work in Arrival could be the one that takes it. She just knocks it out of the park in every aspect.

Best Performance (Supporting Role)

Alan Rickman in Eye in the Sky

2016 sadly took Alan Rickman from us, but his final on-screen performance is brilliant as ever- but unfortunately the film it was in got one of the smallest releases in the world. Rickman provides the perfect counterpoint to Helen Mirren’s character in this film, and this award is definitely deserved.

Best Music

Michael Giacchino- Doctor Strange

Zootropolis. Star Trek Beyond. Rogue One. This man has been unstoppable this year, but his work on Doctor Strange provided a much needed breath of fresh air to the MCU- just the credits track alone is proof that Giacchino can adapt to any franchise. 

Animated Film of the Year

Tied between Zootropolis and Finding Dory

I honestly couldn’t split these two films apart. Zootropolis was one of the few animated films that excelled in every aspect- plot, detail and moral messages- and my god, it will definitely stand the test of time. Finding Dory also has the same pedigree, and it was a rare film that actually had me at a cinema at 8.30am in the morning. The tiredness that film brought on was so worth it. 

WTF Moment of the Year

The final 15 minutes, The Girl on the Train 

I brought a friend of mine to the screening of this one- neither of us had read the book- so we certainly weren’t expecting the graphic ending of the film I described as ‘the working man’s Gone Girl’. I won’t spoil too much, but the sequence that closes the film uses every kitchen utensil you can think of.

Best Cinematography

Nerve

It may be filtered to high heaven, but the aesthetic of Nerve has lived with me since I was in the first show of it at my local cinema. When it’s projected right (ideally on a big screen with 4K capabilities), the colour pallette on show just delivers every time.

Best Visual Effects

The Jungle Book

Building a jungle in the middle of Los Angeles may seem crazy, but thanks to the power of green screen, it is incredible to see how realistic the environment of Jon Favreau’s very neat remake is. It is incredible.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Eric Heisserer, Arrival

Now, you’ll all be wondering- Arrival is an original screenplay. It isn’t- it was adapted from a book called Story of Your Life. This is by far one of the most brilliantly written science fiction films I’ve seen, and it is a film that deserves two or more viewings- the way it is written keeps some details very well hidden.

Best Original Screenplay

Shane Black and Anthony Bagarozzi, The Nice Guys

I adored this film because of the perfect script from Black and first-timer Bagarozzi- they nailed the cheesiness of the 70′s setting while also providing some great comic material to satisfy fans of the buddy cop genre. And my god, this script really came alive on screen.

Turkey of the Year 

Awarded to the worst film of 2016

Nine Lives

This film got my very first 0 star review, and it was so bad that after my screening, staff at my local cinema asked if it was indeed as bad as they thought it was.

And now, it’s the big one.

FILM OF THE YEAR 2016

Arrival

Denis Villenueve’s sci-fi has actually done it. I knew from the moment I left screen 5 for the first viewing that I would end up giving this film the honour it deserves, and it is easily a film that can be watched several times due to the very brilliantly thought out narrative. And with Villenueve’s next project being a certain Blade Runner sequel, this is a great way to prove that he is the right man for the job.

Regular reviews will resume at the end of January, but after 63 films back to back, I think it’s time for a bit of rest and recuperation. Smit, out.