Queen of Katwe (2016)
Disney’s underdog Ugandan chess story digs a little deeper into the difficulties of overcoming disadvantage.
The Alluring Ambiguity of Olivier Assayas’ Personal Shopper
Personal Shopper offers a challenging reflection upon identity and spirituality, enriched by Kristen Stewart’s extratextual resonance with its themes. Also, there are ghosts.
The Dark Wind (2016)
The Dark Wind tells the story of the Islamic State’s impact on the Yazidi community, a Kurdish group targeted for genocide in 2014.
Burgers and Lies: The Founder Repackages the Corrupt Capitalism Biopic
The movie about a man who achieved success by stealing other people’s ideas borrows liberally from other films itself.
The Bacchus Lady (2016)
Trust South Korea to turn a film about elderly sex workers into a black comedy.
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk (2016)
Ang Lee, known for his recent use of emotive VFX (Life of Pi), has again delivered an aesthetically engaging and emotionally driven film with Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk.
The Fencer (2015)
Part underdog sports story, part post-war resistance narrative, The Fencer finds resistance in the smallest thrusts and parries.
Expanding the Potterverse in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a fun-spirited, nimble adventure when it’s not committing some of the sins of universe-expanding.
Arrival’s Ambition is Undone by its Simplistic Screenplay
Denis Villeneuve’s optimistic sci-fi ambitions are undermined by a trite, often clichéd screenplay.
Nocturnal Animals Peels Back Layers of Fiction and Reality
It’s safe to say that Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals was one of my most anticipated films of 2016. It did not disappoint.
ccpopculture 