2016 BAM Award Winners
In 2016 it was likely the year with fewest qualified films since I was a teenager. Having said that I only held back in fully nominating categories. Looking at this like a film festival, the program size can shrink or increase but the nominees and honorees are still the crème de la crème.
Honorees are pictured.
I’ll update this post live. If the list is incomplete when you visit. Check back!
“Equal Rights” Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, Atticus Schaffer, and Pink Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
“Incredible Thoughts” Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, Atticus Schaffer, Michael Bolton, and Justin Timberlake (as Mr. Fish) Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
“Turn Up the Beef” Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, Atticus Schaffer, and Emma Stone Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
“Can’t Stop the Feeling (Film Version)” Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, Gwen Stefani, James Corden, Zooey Deschanel, Ron Funches, Caroline Hjelt, Aino Jawo, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and Kunal Nayyar Trolls
“I Wan’na Be Like You” Christopher Walken The Jungle Book“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” Regina Spektor Kubo and the Two Strings
and the award goes to…
An honorable mention definitely goes to Christopher Walken’s marvelous rendition of “I Wan’na be Like You.”
Odds were always in Popstar‘s favor earning three nominations. However, “Turn Up the Beef” aside from catchiness, hilarity, and featuring Emma Stone; features the infamous “catch-phrase” verse which plays a huge role in the narrative.
It is the first BAM Award for Samberg, Schaffer, and Taccone. The second for Stone.
Aquarius
Die Boskampi’s
Keanu
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
The River Thief
And the award goes to…
Last year I admitted I should’ve had this category back in this mix. This year I followed through. While many didn’t jump out, I liked all the nominees immensely. I got Popstar almost immediately, they’re catchy, I like the lyrics, and it still makes me laugh; and even in its stupidity it is also commenting on things, so that’s a bonus.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
The Jungle Book
Kubo and the Two Strings
Pete’s Dragon
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
And the award goes to…
Rogue One did a lot very well, and stood out with fewer weaknesses than the other films. More on this later…
O Diabo Mora Aqui
Donald Trump’s The Art of the Deal: The Movie
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
The Revenant
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
And the award goes to…
Donald Trump’s The Art of the Deal: The Movie
I tried to avoid having a movie about Donald Trump’s insipid book win anything. Believe me. As funny as it is, I was somewhat afraid he’d take it as a compliment. However, making Johnny Depp look like a circa 1987 Trump is a pretty YUGE feat. So YUGE it can’t be ignored. Kind of like Russian hacking.
Der Bunker
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
The Revenant
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
And the award goes to…
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children just did more and better; it hit the trifecta (period, fantasy, and contemporary design) and was gorgeous in doing so.
Aquarius
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
The Jungle Book
Rogue One: Star Wars Story
And the award goes to…
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
In a similar way to its costume design, but on a grander scale, and in a terrestrial fantasy tale Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children does wonders.
Jarin Blascke The Witch
Greig Fraser Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Emmanuel Lubezki The Revenant
Wolfgang Thaler Theeb
Pedro Sotero, Fabricio Tadeu Aquarius
And the award goes to…
Emmanuel Lubezki The Revenant
All of these films had tremendous images that helped in telling their stories, The Revenant was replete with them.
Captain America: Civil War
The Jungle Book
The Revenant
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
The Witch
And the award goes to…
The Jungle Book
Rewatching this at home recently really drove home how immersive and real the sound design and mix for this film was, essential in creating Mowgli’s jungle.
Brett Granato, Maya Mumma, and Ben Sozanski O.J.: Made in America
John Gilroy, Colin Goudie, and Jabez Olssen Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Jeffrey Ford and Matthew Schmidt Captain America: Civil War
Louise Ford The Witch
Eduardo Serrano Aquarius
And the award goes to…
Brett Granato, Maya Mumma, and Ben Sozanski O.J.: Made in America
This film is like a book in its detail, complexity, and plotting (the length helps) but it moves effortlessly like a long harrowing nightmare. It’s incredible and documentary editing is a daunting task. Well done indeed.
Jerry Lane Theeb
Andrew Lockington Incarnate
Mogwai, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Gabriel Satolalla Before the Flood
Mark Korven The Witch
Dominic Lewis Money Monster
And the award goes to…
This is always such a hard category to chose. Ultimately those shortlisted match the action well, and the nominees do that plus add a unique twist of some kind to its music. The Witch‘s music feels like a throwback like the film and it works brilliantly.
David Lowery & Toby Holbrooks, Malcolm Marmostein, Seton I. Miller and S.S. Field Pete’s Dragon
Justin Marks and Rudyard Kipling The Jungle Book
Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, Mark Millar Captain America: Civil War
Anders Øholm and Kenneth Bøgh Andersen Antboy 3
Christ Weitz, Tony Gilroy and John Knoll, Gary Whitta and George Lucas Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
And the award goes to…
Pete’s Dragon
If you not only improve on the original but create something vastly different and superior, you get what Disney did with Pete’s Dragon. As a double-feature they’s be quite a contrast, but what is contained in the new version is special independent of that comparison, and why it stands tall above the rest of the field.
Robert Eggers The Witch
Nikias Chryssos Der Bunker
Byron Howard & Rich Moore & Jared Bush & Jim Reardon & Josie Trinidad & Phil Johnston and Jennifer Lee; Jared Bush & Phil Johnston Zootopia
Kleber Mendonça Filho Aquarius
J.K. Rowling Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
And the award goes to…
Nikias Chryssos Der Bunker
Some quotes from my review may explain why I chose this film:
Der Bunker is a film that almost needs to be seen to be conveyed but here goes nothing; I will begin by quoting the great John Waters in saying “Get more out of life. See a fucked up movie.”
In summation:
Der Bunker is a comedy that’s great for a laugh but it is of the far-too-rare variety in this day and age that makes you think as well.
Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Supporting Role
Beau Gadsdon Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Astrid Juncher-Benzon Antboy 3
Oona Laurence Pete’s Dragon
Alexa Nisenson Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life
Faith Wood-Blagrove Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
And the award goes to…
Alexa Nisenson Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life
These girls are all spectacular in their roles but Alexa Nisenson breaks out when Middle School changes gears and tales it to an unexpected level and completely steals the show.
Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Supporting Role
Thomas Barbusca Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life
Samuel Ting Graf Antboy 3
Isaiah Tootoosis The Revenant
Harvey Scrimshaw The Witch
Emjay Anthony Donald Trump’s The Art of the Deal: The Movie
David Mazouz Incarnate
And the award goes to…
I couldn’t narrow this category to five as there were six very deserving nominees, but this award was sealed on my first viewing of this film in what is nothing short of a breathtaking performance. To say more would be to spoil The Witch.
Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Leading Role
Gabriel Bateman Lights Out
Thor Braun De Boskampi’s
Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat Theeb
Oakes Fegley Pete’s Dragon
Daniel Huttlestone London Town
Neel Sethi The Jungle Book
And the award goes to…
Daniel Huttlestone London Town
This is another packed category, and any number of the actors could have been chosen. Many of these kids worked alone quite a bit, carried the films they were in, and had tough work to do. However, in a manner of degrees Daniel Huttlestone edges it out.
After his breakout in Les Miserables I wouldn’t have been surprised to find myself awarding Dan Huttlestone, but what was a minor upset is that while this film is musical he does not sing in this one. He plays some quite heightened scenes and conveys world-weariness, youthful enthusiasm of new things with sensativity.
Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Leading Role
Ruby Barnhill The BFG
Jessi Goei Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life
Isabela Moner Legends of the Hidden Temple
Madison Wolfe The Conjuring 2
Lulu Wilson Ouija: The Origin of Evil
And the award goes to…
Madison Wolfe The Conjuring 2
It’s commonplace for British actors to fool American audiences into believing that they are from our country. It’s a rarer feat for the opposite to be true, even more rare for a young performer. That combined with her intensity and control is why Madison Wolfe gets the win in a highly talented field.
Oona Laurence, Emjay Anthony, Cade Mansfield Cooksey, Ava Alyse Anthony, Kennedy Anthony, Cameron Avants, Gabriel Byrd, Queen Byrd, Parker Hankins, Pixie Hankins, and Zach Mooney Bad Moms
Thor Braun, Rick Lens, Thijn Brobbel, Luciano Hiwat, Dylan Pijper, Joes Brauers, Maas Bronkhuyzen, and Dennis Reinsma De Boskampi’s
Adam Greaves-Neil, Gabriele Dentoni, Niccolò Alaimo, and Finn McLeod Ireland The Young Messiah
Isabela Moner, Jet Jurgensmeyer, and Colin Critchley Legends of the Hidden Temple
Griffin Gluck, Thomas Barbusca, Alexa Nisenson, Jessi Goei, Jacob Hopkins, Patrick Fagan, and Isabela Moner, Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life
Oscar Dietz, Amalie Kruse Jensen, Samuel Ting Graf, Astrid Juncher-Benzon, and Cecile AsturpTarp Antboy 3
And the award goes to…
De Boskampi’s
These were all talented and deep casts. What propelled De Boskampi’s (The Little Gangster) to the win is that many cast members in this film were leads in prior projects and all brought it here, some in roles rather different than they previously had. They’re funny with spot-on timing, and serious when they have to be. It’s worth looking for this one.
Daniel Fripan Der Bunker
Tom Hardy The Revenant
Tom Holland Captain America: Civil War
Jack O’Connell Money Monster
Will Poulter The Revenant
And the award goes to…
Daniel Fripan Der Bunker
In that same review I compare Fripan to a performance that came over thirty years prior that is iconic. That is how an extremely capable field is topped.
Maria Bello Lights Out
Tiffany Haddish Keanu
Kathryn Hahn Bad Moms
Anna Kendrick Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates
Frances O’Connor The Conjuring 2
And the award goes to…
Kathryn Hahn Bad Moms
This field is great, and mostly comedic, but I was unafraid of including comedy and horror this year. The most scene-stealingest, tour de force of the year in a I’ll-make-this-better-all-by-myself-if-I-have-to way was Hahn’s in this movie. The good news for Bad Moms is that it is pretty damn funny aside from her. She takes it above and beyond.
Joel Courtney The River Thief
Johnny Depp Donald Trump’s The Art the Deal: The Movie
Joshua Dickinson The Mirror
Leonardo DiCaprio The Revenant
Diego Luna Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Andy Samberg Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
And the award goes to…
Leonardo DiCaprio The Revenant
First, yes, this is a six-nominee category again. Two of the nominees had only the strike against them that they are young. I did not want to hold that against them. There is validity to the argument that you don’t want Best Actor to turn into “Most Acting” but as opposed to the live-wire DiCaprio I loved seeing every so often this was an altogether new one, a borderline transcendent one, and that’s why I chose him as the recipient.
Sonia Braga Aquarius
Raleigh Cain The River Thief
Toni Collette Glassland
Anya Taylor-Joy The Witch
Oona Von Maydell Der Bunker
And the award goes to…
Sonia Braga Aquarius
There is great potential in Cain and Taylor-Joy. Collette is a dynamo and Von Maydell a revelation, but one woman ran away with this: Sonia Braga.
When I heard this film was coming around, then that Sonia Braga was in it; I was pumped. Yes, I’m Brazilian but it’s been far too long since I saw her in a role of significance. More recently I’d seen her daughter Alice make a small splash here in the US. With this coming out of Brazil and her appearing on Luke Cage (which I need to see) it’s a bounceback for one of Brazil’s, and the world’s, finest actresses. But this is not a glorified achievement award. She is absolute dynamite in this film and jumps off the screen with cool, resolved, steel, rarely big, always connected, and intense; it’s masterful.
Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Tom Holland, Daniel Brühl, Frank Grillo, William Hurt, Martin Freeman, Marisa Tomei, John Kani, John Slattery, Hope Davis, and Alfre Woodard in Captain America: Civil War
Pedro Caetano, Pedro Carvalho, Mariana Cortines, Diego Goullart, Ivo Müller, Sidney Santiago, Clara Verdier in O Diabo Mora Aqui
Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccona, Sarah Silverman, Tim Meadows, Maya Rudolph, Joan Cusack, Imogen Poots, Chris Redd, Evan Fine, Max Jenkins, Elliot Smith, Ringo Starr, Simon Cowell, Mariah Carey, Pink, Kevin Nealon, Mario Lopez, Will Arnett, Bill Hader, Eric André, Paul Scheer, Will Forte, Weird Al, Michael Bolton, Emma Stone, Justin Timberlake , etc. in Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter, Forrest Goodluck, Paul Anderson, Kristoffer Joner, Joshua Burge, Duane Howard, Melaw Nakehk’o, Fabrice Adde, Arthur RedCloud, Christopher Rosamund, Robert Moloney, Lukas Haas, and Isaiah Tootoosis in The Revenant
Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen, Wen Jiang, Ben Mendelsohn, Guy Henry, Forest Whitaker, Riz Ahmed, Mads Mikkelsen, Jimmy Smits, Alistair Petrie, James Earl Jones, Anthony Daniels, Warwick Davis, etc. in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
And the award goes to…
This was another tough one two casts the awarded, and O Diabo Mora Aqui (The Devil Lives Here), whom had no glaring weakness. This cast extracted that much more pathos and gravitas in their work and moved me in a way I’d not been moved in this series beforehand. Spectacular work.
Nikias Chryssos Der Bunker
Ezra Edelman O.J.: Made in America
Gareth Edwards Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Robert Eggers The Witch
Kleber Mendonça Filho Aquarius
And the award goes to…
One thing that can play into these awards is improbability: if you told me some time ago that there would be a rather different take on a Star Wars film, in a spin-off mode, and that would deepen and enrich the myth, address some overarching concerns but still remain mostly autonomous, I’d have say you were crazy. Edwards overcame all that, the weight of expectation and brought som innovation to the film in other ways, too.
The honorable mention is for Before the Flood but O.J.: Made in a America is truly something special.
Antboy 3
De Boskampi’s
Der Bunker
O Diabo Mora Aqui
The River Thief
And the award goes to…
Typically this award had gone to films without US distribution. This time the one that deserves a wider audience most won out. For more on why The River Thief fits the bill check my review.
Antboy 3
Aquarius
De Boskampi’s
Der Bunker
O Diabo Mora Aqui
And the award goes to…
The tale of a woman who is the last holdout in her would-be gentrified apartment building sounds like a simple tale one that couldn’t be elaborated on too much or be that great, but the brilliance of this film is it realizes how to fit thoughts and dramatic expressions on many things into one cohesive story. Mesmerizing work.
Aquarius
Before the Flood
Der Bunker
O.J.: Made in America
Pete’s Dragon
The Jungle Book
Kubo and the Two Strings
The Revenant
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
The Witch
And the award goes to…
I’m not going to expect Star Wars to change the game every decade or so, but sure enough after the installment that made me get it, there comes that makes me want to go all in for the anthology titles. Bring them!
NOTE: The honorary awards do not deserve a short shrift, so they will be move to tomorrow (1/10, or later today depending on your time zone).
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The Movie Rat 
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