So
Finally I get to sit down and write down my favourite films of 2015. I
got given the chance to attend so may screenings, some of these with Q&As
from directors and actors. These inculde Noah Baumbach, Greta Gerwig, Robert
Zemeckis, Danny Boyle, Kate Winslet, Michael Fassbender, Alan Sorkin, Tom
Hardy, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks and the Legend that is Steven Spielberg.
What
I love about films is that everyone has different opinions and can say what
they want. So please don't be annoyed these are just mine. I should also point
out that some of films may be relased in 2016 but I got to see them early. For
example I saw 'Whiplash' in 2014 and that is my favourite film of 2014.
Of
course there are films I really didn't like:
Blackhat
50
Shades of Grey
The
Transporter: Refuelled
Mortdecai
Jurassic
World
But
here are a few films that nearly made the cut:
Carol
Brooklyn
The
Diary of a Teenage Girl
Kingsman
John
Wick
Straight
Outta Compton
Big
Hero 6
High
rise
The Top 20
20.
Man Up
(Ben
Palmer)
I
don't think this make many peoples list but this hit a spot that for many years
has been left empty, A good old fashioned British rom com. Writer Tess Morris
(one to look for in the future) script is both funny and heartwarming and yes
slightly cheesy in places but that made me love it even more. Simon Pegg doing
his usual everyman and Lake Bell (whose British accent is the best I've heard
for years) make a convincing couple who fall in love over the course of the
film. In short the best rom com for a decade
19.
The Walk 3D
(Robert
Zemeckis)
This
might also surprise some people, but I have my reasons. I got to see this in 3D
on the new and imporved IMAX screen at the Empire in Leicester Square. It's
easily the best film I've ever seen in 3D. The final 20 minutes is jaw dropping
and something Ive never seen before, maybe will never see again. More a
old school heist film than a normal run of the mill biography which is a
lot of fun.
18.
Birdman
(Alejandro
Gonzalez Inarritu)
It's
easy to forget that this came out this year. I loved it because of the great
cast, mainly Michael Keaton and Edward Norton. Keaton putting in one of the
best performances of the year and Norton playing up on stereotypes of himself
and having a blast with it. This was one of the more interesting and different
films of the year which Inarritu has come to be known for. Love or hate the
ending, it does stay with you.
17.
Song of the Sea
(Tomm
Moore)
Song
of the Sea is a stunning animation centered around a beautiful story steeped in
Irish myth, folklore and Legends. It has great voice acting which should be
applauded. If you haven't seen this, search it out. its a gem.
16.
The Big Short
(Adam
McKay)
This
isn't a film which you expect from the of creator of Step Brothers and most
other good Will Ferrell films but this is a much more mature movie. Don't get
me wrong it's still very funny. It's about the housing collapse in mid
2000s which is a really interesting story. Bale, Carell, Gosling and Pitt make
up the bulk of the cast and are all great, but for me Gosling is the star. Best
editing of the year. It also has the best cameos. You might not completely
understand it all, but does still entertain.
15.
Spy!
(Paul
Feig)
For
me I think this the funniest movie of the year. McCarthy, Byrne and most
surprising Jason Statham. It's laugh out loud on multiple occasions. Story
line is weak but anything that makes me laugh this much can't be a bad thing.
With so many other more serious spy movies out this year I found this so
refreshing. Bring on Ghostbusters.
14.
The Martian
(Ridley
Scott)
Welcome
back Ridley Scott, finally a film I can get on board with. Hugely entertaining
and most surprising incredibly funny. Matt Damon is the man who gets left on
Mars after him and his crew have to make a quick exit. The Martian has a
massive cast which just about get enough screen time, but this is Damon's film.
He is on top form. Very few actors could do what he does here, which is
spending the majority of the film alone and talking to go-pro cameras and still
making that engaging.
13.
Fast & Furious 7
(James
Wan)
The
plot may had made no sense and the whole thing was bat shit crazy, but a round
of applause from a audience in stratford on a Saturday night doesn't
happen very often. The action dialed up to 11 with the cast and audience having
the best time. Also a very moving tribute to Paul Walker was the icing on the
cake.
12.
Room
(Lenny
Abrahamson)
A
film of 2 parts for me, each as strong and powerful in there own way, but both
very impressive. Brie Larson's stock continues to rise. When awards season
starts her name will be at the top of the list. Young Jacob Tremblay who plays
Jack the young boy whose world he only knows is the room that he lives in with
his Ma 24 hours a day is really the stand out star. The work he does in this
film is truly remarkable. Lenny Abrahamson should also be given props for
making that small room seem so large to young Jack and us the audience.
11.
Bridge of Spies
(Steven
Spielberg)
Steven
Spielberg continues to make wonderful films. I'm a massive Spielberg fan, his
work rarely disappoints. The detail in Bridge of Spies is really the highlight,
it just looks fantastic. Tom Hanks is a joy to watch but that comes as no
surprise to anyone. Mark Rylance is the stand out performance as Rudolf Abel
who as the Russian spy is at the heart of the film. Scenes with him and Hanks
are just brilliant. It's almost a shame when they aren't on screen together.
Overall Spielberg + Hanks = Great film.
10.
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
(Christopher
McQuarrie)
What
was once a semi-sensible spy movie has now become a balls to the wall
juggernaut franchise led by the ever crazy Tom Cruise. With the opening
sequence where he is actually hanging off the side of plane (a stunt he did
several times). The action doesn't really let up until the damp ending but that
point you are having so much fun you don't really care. The normal crew pop up
like Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg (whose intertraction with Cruise is now second
nature to them both) and Jeremy Renner who has little to do but probably gets
the best lines. The real highlight is the inclusion of Rebacca Ferguson who
plays the suspicious bristish spy Ilsa Faust. She is more than a match for
Crusie's Ethan Hunt. The pair have strong chemistry and when together the film
really hits its high notes. MI-6 has recently been green lit and Ferguson
already signed up, so take my money already.
9.
Slow West
(John
Maclean)
A
western with Michael Fassbender! What is not to like about that. Beautiful
cinematography. Nice score and it has Ben Mendelson in it. But what is really
special here is the relationship and chemistry between both leading men,
Fassbender and Kodi Smit McPhee. Fassbender being a cowboy really is a great
fit.
8.
Inside Out
(Pete
Docter)
Two
words. Bing Bong.
7.
Ant-Man
(Peyton
Reed)
Who
would have have thought the best Marvel film this year wouldn't be The Averages
sequel but the the little and pretty much unknown Ant-Man (well outside geeks
and comic book fans). With a whole heap of trouble in pre production and
director Edgar Wright exiting the project citing creative differences. This had
all the hallmarks to be a mess. But now I stand here and tell you that this is
the best Marvel film since GOTG. Paul Rudd plays the tiny hero, with buckets of
charisma (a little like Chris Pratt in GOTG) he fits the suit perfectly.
Supporting cast are also a lot of fun. Casting Michael Douglas was a master
stroke and Michael Pena is at the heart of all the best jokes. Evangeline Lily
puts down strong routes for future appearances as The Wasp which is very
exciting.
6.
The Hateful Eight
(Quentin
Tarantino)
This
is almost everything you want from a Quentin Tarantino film. Great script,
stunning visuals and a great cast. So why did I say almost everything. For me
it was just took a little time to get going and maybe a runtime of over 3 hours
is just too long. But when it does get going it's absolutely stunning.
Tarantino love for cinema bursts off the screen and you just can't help but
revel in his work. Tarantino works so hard to get the cast he wants and what a
cast he got this time. Kurt Russell, Samuel L Jackson, Walton Goggins, Jennifer
Jason Leigh, Tim Roth, Bruce Dern plus many others. For me it's Jackson and
Goggins who shine the most. It's Jackson best work for years and every film is
always better when Walton Goggins is in it.
5.
Ex-Machina
(Alex
Garland)
I
love a film that I know nothing about and takes my breath away. Such an
interesting subject matter which will stay with you for a while. With multiple
viewings of this film the more you will get out of it. The two leading men,
Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson are great, but it's Alicia Vikander who is the
stand out perfromance as Ava the female A.I. Ex-Machina has a great script by
Alex Garland, I always enjoy his work. Lastly this film probably has my
favorite dance routine of the year, Isaac has got moves.
4.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
(J.J.
Abrams)
I'm
so happy that this didn't disappoint. I don't think I could have handled that.
Not only did it not disappoint but I loved it. Great blend between the new and
the old. So much more fun than I could have imagined. Abrams has pretty much
done the impossible and made up for the awful prequels. The screening I
attended was filled with so many people having the best time. With the first
sighting of the Millenimum Falcon the audience lost their minds and went
absolutly crazy, I've never experienced anything like it. The new additions of
John Boyega, Daisy Ridley and Oscar Isaac are are great but it was also a joy
to see Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher reprising their roles from the original
films. Some of the script and plots are a little questionable but never the
less I now can't wait for Episode 8 in 2017.
3.
Mad Max: Fury Road
(George
Miller)
A
film I've been waiting years for and boy o boy it didn't disappoint. George
Miller showing the new generation of action directors how really to make an
actions fan wet dream. It is an insanely fun movie. Charlie Theron is also
great as Furisoa, fingers crossed the academy give her the votes she deserves.
She is like Riply but for a new generation of film goers. Tom Hardy as Max
takes a back seat to Furisoa and the ridiculous car chase which has some of the
best stunts seen in years. Might surprise a few and do very well in the
upcoming awards.
2.
Steve Jobs
(Danny
Boyle)
187
pages of pure gold written by the brilliant Alan Sorkin. Michael Fassbender is
award winningly good. Superb supporting cast and Danny Boyle gives everyone the
freedom to shine from top to bottom. Made up of 3 acts (very much like a
Shakespeare play) spread over 3 important launches important to Steve Jobs
career. Sorkin himself has confirmed that he took a lot of artistic freedom and
has not stuck entirely to real life. This makes the whole film more dramatic
and that for me is what makes the movie so great. If you wanted a more true to
life biography then you should probably watch 'Jobs' with Aston Kutcher.
Each
act and launch feels like the year it's set not just through costumes
but the use of music, editing and what it was shot on. I couldn't believe any
film could better this.
1. The Revenant
(Alejandro
Gonzalez Inarritu)
And
In my number one spot is a film which just blew me away. It really is a great
piece of filmmaking. The Revenant is something truely special. Cinematographer
Emmanuel Lubezki used only natual light for maximum realism. The shoot was a
gruelling 9 months and there only a few shooting hours available everyday. Each
shot had to be carefully planned and rehearsed in advance. Rumours of cast and
crew uprest and then snow melting faster than it was supposed to do, its
suprising that the film was completed at all.
At
the heart of this wonderful film are the great cast. Tom Hardy, Will Poulter,
Domhnall Gleeson and then the always brilliant Leonardo DiCaprio. This could
finally be the time he grabs that best actor Oscar that has eluded him for so
many years. The man was put through the grinder for this film. He had too eat a
raw slab of biasons liver even though he is a vegetarian. He had to learn to
shoot a musket, build fires, speak not one but two native American languages.
Throw himself down crazy rapids and all this while dealing with the bitter
cold. He is tremendous throughout.
Visually
this is the best looking film of the year. Together Inarritu and Lubezki have
made something against all the odds and that will stand the test of time. I
know Tom Hardy didn't particular enjoy the experience of the shoot but even he
agrees the outcome is something special. From the first minute (the first
10 minutes is something like the start of 'Saving Private Ryan') until the last
its a brutal, no fliching revenge tale that should be seen by as many people as
possible. And when its all over, you will just want to go home and run yourself
a nice hot bath.
-Dave
Curtis
No comments:
Post a Comment