Lucky 7's: 2016's Best Performances in Film (So Far)

By Steven Zang

2016 has had its ups and downs. From sequels to superheroes to even the occasional indie flick, the movie industry has already squeezed the life out of much of its more-recent production slates. Furthermore, actors and actresses alike have poured a massive portion of themselves into their work -- even in just these past seven months alone!

Nevertheless, despite the questionable highs and lows, it’s always appropriate to reflect on the good (and the bad, for that matter) to give us an open perspective on what’s next – that is, the second half of this incredibly compelling year for cinema.

With these factors in full-frame, one definitive question still lurks upon the surface: What’s a better time than right now? Hence, this new edition of Lucky 7’s hopes to answer that very question with the 7 most memorable performances of 2016 (so far)!!

Sure, they all might not be Oscar-material. However, they all easily won over our eyes, minds, and hearts through their passion and relatability, and that’s enough for the likes of this column:

7. Josh Brolin as Eddie Mannix (Hail, Caesar!)

For a Coen Brothers original, Hail Caesar!  has a bit of staleness to its aftertaste. It carries within itself a couple of big-name directors, a wide array of even bigger celebrities, and a plot too gargantuan to hold the whole package together. Nonetheless, the only feasible being in that whole experience is Josh Brolin’s portrayal of the flawed movie producer Eddie Mannix. His job is to keep a firm grip on the overwhelming workload at Capital Pictures, yet does more of that towards this film’s absurd attempts at subplots. It definitely isn’t the STRONGEST character in this year’s slot of memorable characters, but still plays as if it should be. And it’s all thanks to Josh Brolin and his ability to bridge our understanding.

6. Tina Fey as Kim Baker (Whiskey Tango Foxtrot)

Another prime example of an actor/actress carrying the weight of a tolerable film is none other than the Queen of Comedy herself: Tina Fey. This past March’s Whiskey Tango Foxtrot had her at the helm, making it one of the few (if not the only) reasons to see the dramedy in the first place. Her performance played off like an Arnold Palmer: half serious, half-heartedly. In other words, Fey kept the laughable highs with the plot’s highs, and the tenser low’s with the plot’s lows. It pitched itself as a comedy, but made the mistake of bringing on a grippingly-brilliant Tina Fey. And for audiences everywhere, it’s a fantastic mistake, indeed.

5. Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Deadpool)

Ever since our movie theater visits became purely bombarded by superhero-snafu, Marvel comic-adaptations have stretched thin the concept of the “tragic hero”. We all see acceptance and acclaim through relatability, and Marvel has worked endlessly to make you feel that type of connection on the big screen. Hence, when 20^th Century Fox decided to make a Deadpool stand-alone flick, they wanted to bring such a perspective to a whole new level.

The character of Deadpool is gritty, dry, and flawed out-the-wazoo. Furthermore, he might be (weirdly enough) one of the more relatable superheroes in recent memory. Ryan Reynolds, thus, breathes the right amount of charisma and energy into the negative surroundings that engulf Deadpool, adding hilarity and happiness to a dark realm of existence. It’s enough to make you realize that the superhuman of the hour is actually just super at being human. Go figure!

4. Colin Farrell as David (The Lobster)

 The Lobster, in full disclosure, is a very unusual concept. It’s dark, dystopian, and oddly charming, all at the same time. And best of all? Colin Farrell holds the indie practically in the palm of his hand. The film itself is a sci-fi romance mixed with drama and comedy, built on the idea that humans become the animals of their choosing after 45 days without a romantic partner. Farrell’s portrayal of the protagonist/divorcee is offbeat and colorful as a result. Facial expressions speak often louder than his words, and his ability to dominate his unconventional surroundings adds some promise to the premise.

In the end, the movie might not be for everyone. However, anyone can jump on-board with Colin Farrell. And it’s because he is the only actor that can portray turning into a crustacean with a genuine sense of normalcy.

3. Ellen DeGeneres as Dory (Finding Dory)

Sometimes, the best performances are the ones that we don’t even get to see. Prime proof is in this past June’s animated mega-hit Finding Dory. And (as expected) Ellen DeGenere’s reprisal of the titular character is questionably more inept than her initial run 13 years prior. By lending her voice once again to this memorable blue tang, she also lends the lovable charm that has won over her fans time and time again. Additionally, Dory’s newest adventure calls for a stronger sense of will, as well as a level of self-understanding deeper than the ocean blue. With DeGeneres at the wheel, audiences can easily grasp the character’s battle with her amnesiac persona and her genuine sense of innocence surrounding such a disability.

In other words, in Finding Dory, we find a piece of ourselves. And that’s something to thank DeGeneres for on our next trip to the movies.

2. Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man (Captain America: Civil War)

Sure, one can argue that once you put on a cape, you lose all sense of humanity. However, there is no one better to counterpoint that same theory than everyone’s favorite a**hole: Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man. Over the course of three standalone films and two larger-than-life Avengers blockbusters, Robert Downey Jr. has gone through so much character scrutiny that they even had to make him a leading figure in Captain America’s recent third installment: Civil War.

I’m sure you are all curious as to what makes this adventure different from Stark’s six past ones. For starters, this Captain America flick plays like an Avengers sequel, having the whole team split practically down the middle over a government-provoked debate of morals. And, as you probably could’ve guessed, Downey Jr. goes through the biggest battle of conscience, seeing firsthand the dangers (and, unfortunately, the losses of life) that come out of the Avengers’ attempts to save the world. His performance is highly underrated due to its gargantuan setting of sorts. Nonetheless, Downey Jr. adds a level of flawed understanding that Chris Evan’s straight-faced Captain America could never manage to develop. Iron Man grows as both a hero and a human, and Junior is just the one for the job.

1. Neel Sethi as Mowgli (The Jungle Book)

Before you begin to ridicule and rant about the number one slot of this Lucky 7’s article, take a second to realize what went into Neel Sethi’s pristine performance. Disney’s 2016 rendition of The Jungle Book might just be their best live-adaption yet, with plenty of sentimental homage and spectacle-galore. Much of its success is due to director Jon Favreau’s choice of using CGI to recreate many of the 1967 animated version’s original keyframes, as well as to personify the animals in the most realistic setting plausible.

Now, where does Sethi’s performance come into all of this? Sethi, better known as Mowgli, is (and this is a FACT) the only living being on-screen the entire length of the film. The young actor (only 12 years old) was able to capture both a rugged outer shell and an irreproachably juvenile inner-self in the middle of an overbearing amount of green-screen. Other actors and actresses obviously lent their vocal chords to the wild beasts added in later on. Yet, nothing compares to Sethi’s ability to hold down a human element in a world of computer graphics. That’s the wild thing about this acclaimed retelling: Sethi makes it personal, while keeping the treacherous terrain surrounding him on a moral leash. And sometimes, that’s the barest necessity you need to succeed.