1 Jackie (15)
(Pablo Larraín, 2016, US/Fra/Chile) 100 mins
The aftermath of JFK’s assassination is rendered less as historical drama here than a grief-stricken daze, drifting artfully between Jackie Kennedy’s funeral arrangements, media encounters, happier times and the traumatic event itself. It’s unavoidably an Oscar shot for Natalie Portman, who nails the accent and the brittle resolve of the former first lady, even if she rarely gets beneath it.
2 La La Land (12A)
(Damien Chazelle, 2016, US) 128 mins
The movie of the moment and a tonic for the winter blues, this old-school Hollywood musical pits itself against modern-day reality but keeps its feet on the ground. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are our handsome couple, chasing love and stardom through a succession of vibrantly staged song-and-dance numbers.
3 Manchester By The Sea (15)
(Kenneth Lonergan, 2016, US) 137 mins
It’s undeniably tear-jerking but there’s nothing contrived about this stirring drama – a story filled with warmth, wisdom and messy home truths. Casey Affleck is eminently sympathetic as a broken man brought back to his chilly home town by his brother’s death, which only reawakens painful memories.
4 Split (15)
(M Night Shyamalan, 2016, US) 117 mins
A low-budget horror thriller with a juicy twist: a disturbed man with 23 different identities, one of which abducts a trio of young women who must then contend with his other varied personas. It’s not exactly clinically approved but James McAvoy gives it his all as the lead, and it pays off.
5 Lion (PG)
(Garth Davis, 2016, Aus) 118 mins
Nicole Kidman and Dev Patel lead a drama with an undeniably amazing true story to tell, about an Indian boy adopted by an Australian couple after being separated from his family, and how he sought them out again as a grown man. No prizes for guessing the ending, but it’s an effective paean to the powers of kinship, love and Google Earth.
