14. XXX: The Return Of Xander Cage
Stupid film, with stupid acting and a stupid script
13. Assassin’s Creed
It is an over indulged mess and no amount of special effects and fight sequences can hide the fact that Hollywood still hasn’t learned from its mistakes
12. Live By Night
It is not entirely flawed but it is mostly
11. Denial
The subject matter lends itself to a great film, but it needed to be approached differently
10. Sing
A film of singing and partying animated characters was not needed. Not now, not ever
9. Split
Split does just enough to cover up some more of its major flaws without being defined by them
8. Silence
The sense of the unknown that Scorsese creates, especially in the opening sequences, is not only majestic but it’s authoritative
7. La La Land
Part genius, part novice, La La Land manages to create a musical of modern day joy, without really being a musical at all
6. Lion
Lion has a deep, important message, and one that needed to be told to a global audience
5. Jackie
Natalie Portman has the film absolutely under her spell. Her performance is simply magnetic
Hacksaw ridge is an emotional flood, Andrew Garfield is simply heroic, and Mel Gibson has created a brutal realisation of the true horrors of war
It is a fantastic piece of cinema that will not just stand as being deeply moving, but one that teaches and explores ideas humans will always find difficult to cope with
They are brought forward, their lives are brought forward and it genuinely feels like 20 years have passed
Affleck’s performance is almost like pandora’s box. Bleak and motionless on the outside, yet we know inside there is so much more
Films not reviewed: Underworld: Blood Wars, The Bye Bye Man, Christine
