This film is so artfully transporting and mesmerizing that it kindles the pure joy of the movies in a similar manner to the incomparable Cinema Paradiso. It took a little bit of my movie soul to say that, yes, but we are truly gaga for La La Land.

The toe-tapping commences immediately and doesn’t slow throughout. It matters not if the music is playing and the characters are singing or dancing, the rhythm of La La Land is the synthesis of harmonic perfection and thoughtful interactions. The music flows effortlessly through the film while a similar beat permeates within the dialogue. It’s magic.

The story is so simple and identifiable. Mia (Stone) and Sebastian (Gosling) are both struggling to find their success and they immediately have our favor from their first interaction. The crossover stage talents of these two stars is remarkable. Gosling is in a comic groove and Emma Stone elevates the standard aspiring actress role with charm and feeling. Their chemistry is perfect, just take the “I Ran” request and response.

This film is fabulous. Chazelle and La La Land tap dance into the Film Clas elite with an unprecedented 4.997 star struck napkins out of 5.

In Fences, Troy Maxson (Denzel) never shuts up. And there is persistent hope that someone will parachute into the suburban Pittsburgh backyard and plead with him to stop talking. The problem therein would be that his prolific nay-saying and constant projecting would be sorely missed. It’s addictive.

Troy’s soapbox diatribes, while captivating, expose his obvious transparency as he holds everyone accountable for their actions while blaming everyone for his transgressions. It’s a character flaw that we sympathize with to start but grow angry with over time. And I think that’s the point.

Thankfully we have Rose (Davis) to soothe us and fill in the divots left after Troy verbally charges through everyone. She is raising Troy’s children (one is hers) in spite of him. She supports them when he condescends them, especially when it comes to Cory (Adepo) and Lyons (Hornsby) creating their own path in sports and music, respectively. In an interesting similarity, our sympathy for Rose tranforms into another emotion as well, sadness.

Denzel clearly cements his iconic Film Clas status. The film is spatially small but packs a huge personality. We paint Fences with the elite brush, awarding 4.6 napkins out of 5.

Kenneth Lonergan, through inventive chronology, uses tragedy as an explanation rather than an emotional candlewick. As a result, he controls our sentiments delicately to deliver the wonderful film, Manchester by the Sea.

There is an unapologetic authenticity to movies set in this area. It’s almost as if there is no script, just situations and a freedom to be Bostonian. Lonergan elevates this notion as we quietly sit in the backseat, for example, of the rickety Jeep Cherokee while Lee (Affleck) and Patty (Hedges) argue about the proficiency of the car heater. It’s brilliant.

Throughout the film, Patty presses Lee with wry condescension but the disposition of a pal as they wrangle their way through paperwork, emerging adulthood and understanding. Lee, sunken eyed and fractured, welcomes all sentiments without offering any excuses. Affleck’s performance is beyond full marks and Michelle Williams’ bit part is as poignant and showstopping as you will see.

Somehow, Lonergan folded the slightest humor and a slim resolve into the seemingly chronic despair which is extremely lasting. It is what we walked away with. And that is deserving of high praise as Manchester by the Sea sets sail with an incomparable 4.995 napkins out of 5.

*thoughtfully spoiler free*

Rogue One is the feisty narrative that callously shimmies its way into the story that we adore. And, with the film’s grittiness complimenting the rebellion it portrays, it is nothing short of exceptional.

It’s a bit tasking writing to an incredibly rigid conclusion, for sure, yet Weintz (Antz) created a script that was not only compelling but surprisingly unique and noticeably darker. And there are no apologies as we find ourselves privy to the gravity of the task asked of the Alliance. As we progress, gumption and allegiance guide decision making and precipitate an epic finish.

Jyn Orso (Jones) and Cassian Andor (Luna) are our disparate leaders; a proud maverick and a tactical captain, respectively, spiriting the directive. We find the lovable and corny droid humor from K-2SO but only a dusting of the force, lending to the film’s gutsy human impression.

Edwards certainly championed the details as we race to the original opening crawl. The film builds off an accepted story with soul and resolve. Rogue One call signs 4.76 napkins out of 5, which is equal to the IQ of the Stormtroopers featured in the film. And that’s as authentically Star Wars as it gets.

The fleeting moon evokes thoughts of alienation and sadness alongside the traditional ideas of love and awe. These contrary notions are upfront in Barry Jenkins’ glaringly excellent film, Moonlight.

The story is original to acclaimed playwright, Tarell Alvin McCraney, and is presented as such; a series of three acts each representing a period in Chiron’s life. Moonlight’s essence is found in the conclusion of all these acts. The rest of the film carries us to these moments of raw emotion that are difficult to move on from. It is a slightly frustrating yet brilliant tactic by Jenkins. But, in fairness, Chiron had to fight through these defining moments as they happened. These abrupt breaks allow contemplation of the emotional weight the film bears.

Juan (Ali), responsible for Chiron’s need for guidance while providing the guidance he needs, grabs hold of many affecting scenes in the film and conveys this duality effortlessly. Chiron (Hibbert, Sanders and Rhodes) has our hearts throughout and Paula (Harris), our pity.

The movie is wonderfully set against the colors of Miami and engagingly filmed. Moonlight gravitates to the welcoming glow of The Film Clas elite, beaming with 4.93 incandescent napkins out of 5.

In order to be taken seriously, a film of this variety cannot take itself too seriously. Stay quirky and true and you make this enjoyable film. Try to win an Oscar and you make Boyhood. Kelly Fremon Craig knew this.

The Edge of Seventeen finds Nadine (Steinfeld) on the perilous precipice of adulthood. She adds a teaspoon of biting wit to her self-deprecation and melancholy. And we love her for it. Normally thrilled with indifference, our hero lands herself, and her colorful sneakers, in a junior year social pickle.

Mr. Bruner (Harrelson), her History teacher, generates even more desperation for poor Nadine with his mocking disinterest in being her confidant. This fantastic interplay drives the film’s comedy. And Erwin (Szeto), the torchbearer for all high school kids awkwardly asking each other out, grabs our rooting interest. The only hiccup is the woe-is-me diatribe by the otherwise well-acted older brother, Darian (Jenner). It sparks thoughts of Zach Braff’s “latch” rant in Garden State, not the best company.

Judd Nelson turned 56 the other day so let’s stop comparing every original high school movie to The Breakfast Club. The candid and whimsical Edge of Seventeen passes notes on 4.34 cafeteria napkins out of 5.

Newt Scamander (Redmayne), the withdrawn magizoologist, and the niffler, a sleight of hand and adorable briefcase beast, spark a magical game of cat and mouse in the middle of 1920s New York City. This lighthearted pursuit guides our narrative and we are pleased to enjoy this film without asking what it has to do with, well, you know who.

Sure, there are some astute references, but the focus leans toward the perfection in which Eddie Redmayne delivered Newt to us; awkward, reserved, calm and intelligent. This ideal sartorial and artistic portrayal facilitates our belief in Jacob Kowalski (Folger) as well as sisters Queenie (Sudol) and Porpentina (Waterson). Kowalski is the lovable outsider with baking aspirations that fell victim to right place, right time. Queenie, the enchanting legilimens (mind-reader), evokes thoughts of Marylin Monroe and Porpentina, the clumsy American witch with good intentions.

The idea that this film can be savored singularly, even with the impending follow-up tales, is quite clever. And sure, you can ask what Newt has to do with the ultimate story, but that is far-sighted. The FC wand casts 3.8 napkins out of 5 upon Fantastic Beasts, reflecting our automatic 0.5 napkin deduction for casting Johnny Depp.

Arrival is a wonderful departure from the typical close encounter film. It breathes communication and symbiosis into the genre with a narrative that hovers above the simmering government paranoia and potential conflict. And the picture is fantastic.

The day after the alien shells arrive, Dr. Louise Banks (Adams) is letdown by her empty lecture theater, laying bare her dedication to her linguistics work and her apathy toward anything else. It is a brief moment in a film that dissolves the barriers between moments.

In Adams’ long overdue lead role, supported nicely by Whitaker and Renner, she redirects her heartbreak and comforts her loss by forming a maternal understanding with the alien heptapods. She interprets their language and, most importantly, begins to think as they do. All the while, she conveys the wonder of language to us.

The cinematography is clever as the visual communication is monochrome but the language is a complex circular convergence of time. The film’s only glitch is the daft use of a couple subtitles near the conclusion, cheapening the pleasant nonverbal communication throughout. I could tell what they were saying.

We greet Arrival with 4.91 napkins out of 5, the universal language of the Film Clas elite.

We used to be so excited to find out who was going to play Batman. But that is Batman; spun into the fabric of cool, referenced when we are astonished and chased by awesome villains. But a bright actor like Cumberbatch entering into a waterlogged collection of Marvel comic book films, is not marvelous. And the film did not alter this sentiment.

The forced persona and cheap dialogue of Doctor Strange was obvious, no matter the dimension. The special effects were dizzying and a puppet string version of Chris Nolan’s mastery. Furthermore, this origin story was about stuffing too many shoes in the suitcase for one trip while leaving the basics behind.

As we take in the layers of fantasy within this story, skepticism is the only applicable notion. And we are asked to bear a degree of mental malleability to accept this tale. Ergo, the big screen version of Doctor Strange, with severe nerve damage in both hands, is tightly gripping a collapsing window ledge in another world. And that might be glossed over by other folks, but not us.

Poof! Our mystical napkin rating system can only spell 1.9 out of 5 napkins upon Doctor Strange.

The Accountant could have been helped by some pals, specifically The Architect and The Plumber. The former to design a better story around this idea and the latter to help flush away the fluff and minutia of the current tale. Unless you really enjoy dramatic scroll and click scenes, that is.

As the first prominent actor portrayal of autism since Leo in 1993, we had a clean canvas for originality in content and direction. Unfortunately, the abilities and struggles of this young man are adrift in an odd and reaching accountant slash assassin motif.

As the film settles, there are some redeeming facets such as the interaction between Wolff (Affleck) and Cummings (Kendrick) which thoughtfully, albeit slightly, reminds us of a potential Clark Kent and Lois Lane bond. Wolff’s Airstream brilliantly provides unspoken insight into the scope of his sketchy book cooking for international organizations. A lesson lost on the rest of the film as we were overstuffed with explanation through extended flashbacks.

Clearly, the dueling plot twists were insulting to plot twists. Yet, Film Clas respects Ben Affleck and we hope he can piece together an entire congruent movie soon. The Accountant accrues 2.8 napkins out of 5 in assets.