Dunkirk (1958) creates a simmering tension in its first half that contrasts doubt and jingoism in various interesting ways, but as it proceeds and the troops become trapped at Dunkirk, the optimism gradually fades. However, this being a war film in post-war Britain, it never fully commits to the sensation of hopelessness that is evoked much more strongly—and I’m sad to praise Nolan over anyone—in this year’s model. The second half, stationary on the beach, slumps into ambivalence that cannot…

La La Land (2016) is the type of film you wish you saw more often, one that's equal parts joyous, intelligent, and technically marvellous. Musicals made in the Internet era have the difficult task of providing more than a YouTube playlist can offer; something as flaccid as Les Miserables (2012) is genuinely benefitted by isolating its highlights. But Damien Chazelle's tribute to Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, and Golden-era glitz massively benefits from starring two of cinema's most charismatic leading performers:…

Before I get started: the use of Goodie Mob's "Cell Therapy" in Moonlight (2016) is one of the very best musical cues in years. Not only does the jarring piano perfectly suit the film's original score (and not only is it a great song), it perfectly signifies Chiron's shift from a weedy teenager and into a monstrously built and slightly terrifying guy, as well as the location shift to Atlanta. But the song's sinister, paranoid tone, as well as Cee-Lo…