Top 10 films of 2016

"My King" by director Maïwenn is a superb example of emotional cinema. The love story told by the French director portrays the emotional rollercoaster ride that Tony (Emmanuelle Bercot) and Giorgio (Vincent Cassel) find themselves on and hardly gives the viewer a chance to breathe. With the skilled acting in it, the fabulous melodrama is my film of the year 2016.

Another love story by a French director: Catherine Corsini goes back to the 1970s when the young Delphine (Izïa Higelin), who moved from the countryside to the city, meets the spirited Carole (Cécile de France) and falls in love. Love and history, emotion and reason: who can tell such a story better than the French?

The new version of the 60s classic "Swimming Pool" is better than the original. The Sicilian director Luca Guadagnino gets various characters together on the Italian island of Pantelleria, including Tilda Swinton and Matthias Schoenaerts, who play an unlikely couple. When hot weather meets suppressed feelings, the result is a captivating piece of cinema.

After premiering at the Berlinale, the philosophical film treatise by French director Guillaume Nicloux hasn't run in German cinemas yet - unfortunately. Nicloux puts his star Gérard Depardieu in a forest and sends him on a journey. For the actor, it's a tour de force, and viewers never know just what's going to happen next. It's an enigmatic and very entertaining story.

Another French production, this one is by François Ozon, currently the most exciting French director on the scene. Each of his films brings something new to the genre. In "Frantz," Ozon tells the story of the French and the Germans, of war and peace, with the support of his leads Paula Beer and Paul Niney. "Frantz" has the charm of bygone black-and-white photos and films by François Truffaut.

What a nice surprise that Tom Tykwer took on a "small" film after tackling his gigantic "Cloud Atlas." With "Hologram for a King," Tykwer has returned to former greatness - and starring Tom Hanks, the film isn't really that small. Hanks is fantastic, as are the backdrops.

Another fantastic cinematic surprise from Germany, this one is by an unexpected director. Adolf Winkelmann, who's specialized in local films from the Ruhr region, presents a tender saga full of memories and depicting a wonderful father-son relationship. It's touching, musical and dreamy.

Recent works of indie icon Jim Jarmusch have been a bit artificial and sterile, but this film is a kind of comeback. Returning to old methods in "Paterson," Jarmusch very carefully tells the story of poet and bus driver Paterson (Adam Driver) and his wife, played by Golshifteh Farahani. The result is heartening cinematic poetry.

Because it was released back in January, I nearly overlooked "The Revenant," truly a film of the year. Directed by Mexican cinematic genius Alejandro González Iñárritu, the film is brutal, ruthless - and extremely engaging. Leonardo DiCaprio is a very talented actor - and his fight with the bear will never be forgotten.

Finally, the big German cinematic surprise of the year. It's difficult to count all the prizes this work has received - though it did leave Cannes empty-handed. But "Toni Erdmann" still could win a Golden Globe or an Oscar. In a way, the accolades nearly divert attention from Maren Ade's unconventional storytelling and from the hilarious and playful film itself, which can't be pidgeonholed.