The Year in Film 2015 was a great one; perhaps one of the
best of the millennium. It was a year where box office records fell (more than
once), nostalgia was a great sell, and where a return to basic elemental
filmmaking proved to be effective.
It was a year of triumphs but also a year of loss. Outside
of the theatre, we said goodbye to screen-legends such as Robert Loggia, Gunnar
Hansen, Fred Thompson, Maureen O’Hara, Alex Rocco, Omar Sharif, Dick Van
Patten, Rod Taylor, Leonard Nimoy, and Christopher Lee.
Back in the theatre, this Blogger screened over 50 films in
2015, and whittling the list down to just ten is never easy. It’s fair to
mention films that just missed the Top 10; BRIDGE OF SPIES, THE MARTIAN, STEVE
JOBS, ANOMALISA, THE GOOD DINOSAUR, THE DANISH GIRL, Z FOR ZACHARIA, STRAIGHT
OUTTA COMPTON, IT FOLLOWS, THE BIG SHORT (if you could understand it), and the 40th
anniversary big-screen re-release of JAWS…all providing wonderful experiences
at the theatre.
Now to the list…
10. MR. HOLMES – When the book is closed on the career of
the great Ian McKellen, the roles likely to be recalled first will be his
recurring appearances as a good wizard and a super-villain. And the role that
deserves to be in the same conversation is the performance Sir Ian put in as a
90-year old Sherlock Holmes in Bill Condon’s MR. HOLMES. Playing a version of
Holmes who is facing his greatest challenge; the loss of his memory, Condon
weaves an intimate tale of human loss and endurance, while painting a picture
of the old generation connecting with the new. MR. HOLMES was the most
heartbreakingly sweet film of 2015.
9. SICARIO – The lines between cops and robbers aren’t as
clear as they were in the old days, and that is the basis for Denis Villeneuve’s
look at the U.S. government’s ongoing war against Mexican drug lords.
Beautifully shot by master cinematographer Roger Deakins, SICARIO builds a
great amount of mystery around who is right and who is wrong with gut-punching
reveals coming in big doses. Action sequences are built-up brilliantly and then
executed with heart-pounding intensity, and the performances by Emily Blunt,
Josh Brolin, and Benicio del Toro are top-notch. Cops and robbers haven’t had
this much respect on the big-screen in years.
8. CREED – The first spinoff of the beloved yet up-and-down
ROCKY franchise was an absolute triumph of movie-making. Not just because it
told a good story, but also because it was saturated in a comfortable and
welcoming nostalgia without hanging its hat, or gloves on it…and was able to
forge its own identity as a bona-fide underdog sports film. Sylvester Stallone
puts in the performance of a lifetime, and Michael B. Jordan establishes
himself as a powerhouse actor.
7. THE HATEFUL EIGHT – Quentin Tarantino’s closed-quarters
paranoia tale set in the Old West may borrow from many films in the past (even
his own), but like CREED, doesn’t hang its ten-gallon hat on it. Tarantino
writes and directs a film with a constant feeling of uneasiness for the
characters and the audience as the mystery folds and unfolds, and the
outstanding photography in glorious 70mm is a sight to behold. This was an event film which needed to be
experienced on the big screen, and is a pleasing throwback to the simpler and
grander days of the old movie house.
6. INSIDE OUT – When our emotions take over, they control
our mind and our actions…and that is the basis of Pixar’s latest brilliant
animated marvel. In this film, emotions are actual characters existing in a
little girl’s head and guide her through her life, making for a multi-layered
film which is mind-blowing for adults and educational for kids. The longevity
of the film may already be well-established; child psychologists are using the
film as a way to communicate with kids…to determine which emotion is in charge
at any given moment. That makes INSIDE OUT one of the most important movies
ever made.
5. SPOTLIGHT – In 1976, the now-classic film ALL THE
PRESIDENT’S MEN examined the role of journalism in a national scandal. In 2015
this generation got its own version in the form of Thomas McCarthy’s SPOTLIGHT.
Focused on the Boston Globe’s role in blowing the lid off the Catholic Church
sex scandal, SPOTLIGHT is a masterful procedural; going through the steps of an
investigation while never forgetting about the human beings who have to make it
happen. The film is packed with great performances and is the ensemble
powerhouse of 2015.
4. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD – George Miller’s latest entry into
his own MAD MAX franchise, launched over 30 years ago, is a thunderous rampage
across the desert filled with bodies, blood, crashing metal, throwing flames,
flying bodies and fuck-all-and-embrace-wreckage action. Simple in plot, and
using minimal dialogue, there is a tremendous amount of energy and visual power
which squished audiences into their seats. FURY ROAD is a prime example of the
power of visual storytelling. Chaplin would be proud.
3. EX MACHINA – There have been many landmarks in the
history of visual effects; from giant apes to roaring dinosaurs to Gollum to
Optimus Prime…and the next name on the list belongs to Ava the robot.
Beautifully acted by Alicia Vikander, Ava is a miracle in visual effects in its
realism…but on top of that, director Alex Garland creates an atmosphere which
is absolutely hypnotic. A
thought-provoking look at what it is to be human, this is the one film of 2015
which turned wheels, stopped breaths, and froze eyes…an absolutely fascinating
experience.
2. STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS – Thanks to Disney and
director J.J. Abrams, STAR WARS returns to greatness in its 7th
episode. Similar to CREED, there are a lot of throwbacks to enjoy, but still
has time to be its own adventure; marvelously introducing great new characters
while dusting off the old beloved ones. The spirit of adventure, magic, and
whimsy was fully embraced; making for many laughs, cheers, and tear. For many
people of the old and young generation, this was the most emotional trip to the
movies, and the cinematic event of
2015.
1. THE REVENANT – In many ways, Alejandro Inarritu’s newest
film is the anti-STAR WARS. Where STAR WARS is magical and fun and loaded with
the newest tech, THE REVENANT is gritty and tough, and for the most part stays
far, far away from any hi-tech visual effects wizardry. Shot in some of the
most desolate and coldest places using only natural light, Inarritu’s tale of
man vs. man vs. the wilderness is a simple one, but it’s done in a way that
we’ve never seen before…making for one of the most amazing theatre experiences
ever. Famed cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki photographs the most stunning
images ever put to screen, and Inarritu stages elaborate scenes that have to be
seen to be believed. Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy look frozen and miserable
because they really are frozen and
miserable, and both actors put on performances of their careers. It is a simple
but grand film, and is a true example of how amazing cinema can be.
THE BEST FILMS OF
2015
1.
THE REVENANT
2.
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS
3.
EX MACHINA
4.
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
5.
SPOTLIGHT
6.
INSIDE OUT
7.
THE HATEFUL EIGHT
8.
CREED
9.
SICARIO
10.
MR. HOLMES
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