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Top Nine Movies of 2015


Ta-metru_defender

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Essays, Not Rants! 222: Top Nine Movies of 2015

 

Woah, it’s June, and I haven’t done of these yet? Big reason is because there are some movies that I still haven’t seen. Like Carol, which I really need to get around to soon. Then there’s The Room, which I really should see, but am not sure if I’m ready for the toll of that movie.

 

So anyway, here are my, at current, top nine movies of 2015, with an extra space left for a movie that catches me in left field.

 

9. The Martian

It’s a well done movie about a Mars exploration; honestly that’s all The Martian needed. But that it’s dang entertaining and has a strong scientific (if not totally accurate) bent just makes it that much better.

 

8. The Big Short

This is a movie that made me not only understand, but laugh at the housing crash that may or may not screw over my financial future.

 

Yay.

 

7. Sicario

Woo, another movie about cartels. Except Sicario exists in a very gray world, where good and bad are hardly as clean cut as you’d want them to be. It’s a gripping story, where the lesser of two evils mayn’t be as much of a lesser evil as you’d hope. Plus, this is a movie that makes every freaking gunshot count.

 

6. Ex Machina

Ex Machina is a small movie that feels so much bigger. It’s tight focus on three characters really lets it explore them, and grapple with the questions of artificial intelligence. Plus, I love me some haunting science fiction, and that’s definitely what this movie is.

 

5. Infinitely Polar Bear

There’s a beautiful scene early on between the two leads as Maggie encourages Cam that he is capable of taking care of their daughters alone, despite his bipolar disorder. It’s heartbreaking, filled with a tragic honesty that goes on to permeate the entire movie. It’s not a story of recovery — that’d be too easy — instead it tells a story about not being alright. And it’s all the better for it.

 

4. Inside Out

I’m a Pixar nut; I’ve seen every one since Finding Nemo in theaters. What’s remarkable about Inside Out is how it handles a very grownup topic — depression — with such nuance. It, like Polar Bear is a story about not being alright; and though this one ends with recovery it is no less potent.

 

3. Mad Max: Fury Road

Dang, dude. This is an action movie. The movie’s outlandish spectacles and nonstop action grip you from start to finish. That it’s grounded with a strong feminist perspective is a bonus that makes it so much better. And that’s not even getting into the sheer craft of how it’s shot. I want more movies like this.

 

2. Creed

Watch this scene.

 

I can’t think of a movie as comfortable in its own skin as Creed. Filled with a youthful energy that fuels a terrific underdog story of identity, the movie is an expertly crafted fist-pumping, cheer-worthy movie. Plus, its use of motivated long takes shows The Revenant how to do it.

 

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Could it have been any other movie? It’s a phenomenal follow up to the original, that captures the beautiful optimism that made the originals so special. But it’s the old movies updated with wonderful diversity and a worthy successor of a protagonist. This is Star Wars, this is a movie that reminds me why I like telling stories. This one wins, hands down.

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I was really excited to see Sicario based on how much I loved Villeneuve's Prisoners, but I felt really let down by it. Mostly from how Blunt's character was written. She has goals, but absolutely no impact on the story. She's just along for the ride, a side kick in her own movie. It bothered me that she didn't drive it at all.

 

There's a lot about the movie I liked, but dang, that's such a huge deal breaker for me. I feel like I'm being blasphemous by stating that my excitment for the sequel is based on the fact that Blunt's character won't be part of it.

 

Interest list, for sure. The only movie here that would make my top 10 list is Inside Out, but, hey, opinions!

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I was really excited to see Sicario based on how much I loved Villeneuve's Prisoners, but I felt really let down by it. Mostly from how Blunt's character was written. She has goals, but absolutely no impact on the story. She's just along for the ride, a side kick in her own movie. It bothered me that she didn't drive it at all.

 

There's a lot about the movie I liked, but dang, that's such a huge deal breaker for me. I feel like I'm being blasphemous by stating that my excitment for the sequel is based on the fact that Blunt's character won't be part of it.

 

Interest list, for sure. The only movie here that would make my top 10 list is Inside Out, but, hey, opinions!

True, true. I guess I saw it as a loss of innocence/coming of age story in a way, where the drive was seeing how Blunt was affected by it all?

 

And granted. What all are you thinking of? I'm curious/looking for recs.

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True, true. I guess I saw it as a loss of innocence/coming of age story in a way, where the drive was seeing how Blunt was affected by it all?

 

I understand that that was the point of the film, and to that effect I think it was successful. But I also don't think that sort of story should come at the expense of making her an active character. There's enough in that movie for me to like it, but that's just too big of an issue for me to love it.

 

And granted. What all are you thinking of? I'm curious/looking for recs.

Honestly, when I typed that sentence I started asking myself the same question. Very few movies I saw this year really felt memorable (more than a few were straight up disappointing) and I'm actually not sure I could even make a top 10 list. But the ones that stand out are:

 

6. Brooklyn - There's nothing groundbreaking about this film. But it was an earnest, old fashioned romance that told its story really well, without being too saccharine or schmaltzy. But on a more personal level, while I have no idea what it feels like to be an immigrant, the idea of being homesick for family and loved ones is one that is starting to resonate more with me, so I appreciated it on that level.

 

5. Mr. Holmes - Maybe not the first Sherlock Holmes in old age story (I honestly don't know), but I liked how it used the character to emphasize how frustrating and scary it is to experience the onset of dementia or Alzheimer's either in yourself or someone you love. I thought it dealt with such a sensitive subject rather well, but for some people it could still be a really hard movie to watch.

 

4. The Stanford Prison Experiment - For those who already familiar with this particular social experiment there's not much more the movie can teach, but it's a tense film, and relevant today when police brutality is a forefront issue.

 

3. Tomorrowland - It's optimism was completely infectious. It's not a flawless movie, but it was a rollicking adventure with a positive message. Some would say it's too preachy, but when you're trying to encourage young people to work on solving the world's problems, is there such thing as too preachy? I don't think so. I thought it was a lovely movie. I saw it twice in theaters and my only regret is not being able to go back for more.

 

2. The Revenant - The story is barebones, but the strength of the film lies in how much of a visceral experience it is. All the film's assets came together to create a man vs. nature story that mentally threw me right in the thick of it, and never let go until the end credits. Despite the long run time and basic story, it was a very compelling film to watch.

 

I'm under the impression you probably don't agree. :P

 

1. Inside Out - Pixar doing what Pixar does best: making an animated film that resonates strongly both with adults and kids, as I'm sure many in both age groups can relate to the pull that Riley feels toward her home town in Minnesota. I really appreciate just how mature the subject was, and I still think it's one of the rare American animated films that adults will appreciate more than kids.

 

Mad Max: Fury Road gets an honerable mention for that scene of them pulling the truck out of the mud. Still my favorite movie scene of this year. It's not that I thought the movie wasn't good enough to place on this list, it just didn't really do anything for me.

 

Another honerable mention goes to, of all the weird movies, Goosebumps. Not a great movie by any means, but it was a really ernest throwback to kid adventure films of old, with all the fun, heart, and scares, you might expect from them. I had a blast watching it.

 

But, like you, I still have a few 2015 movies on my list to see. I've enjoyed the work I've seen from Tom McCarthy, so I'm optimistic that Spotlight will have a place on this list when I finally get around to seeing it. Other films I still need to see from 2015 are Anomalisa, Concussion, Room, Eye in the Sky, and (if it counts?) The Witch. And now you have me curious about Infinitely Polar Bear. I will add that to my list.

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True, true. I guess I saw it as a loss of innocence/coming of age story in a way, where the drive was seeing how Blunt was affected by it all?

 

I understand that that was the point of the film, and to that effect I think it was successful. But I also don't think that sort of story should come at the expense of making her an active character. There's enough in that movie for me to like it, but that's just too big of an issue for me to love it.

 

Touché.

 

 

 

And granted. What all are you thinking of? I'm curious/looking for recs.

Honestly, when I typed that sentence I started asking myself the same question. Very few movies I saw this year really felt memorable (more than a few were straight up disappointing) and I'm actually not sure I could even make a top 10 list. But the ones that stand out are:

 

6. Brooklyn - There's nothing groundbreaking about this film. But it was an earnest, old fashioned romance that told its story really well, without being too saccharine or schmaltzy. But on a more personal level, while I have no idea what it feels like to be an immigrant, the idea of being homesick for family and loved ones is one that is starting to resonate more with me, so I appreciated it on that level.

 

Words can't express my lack of interest in the film. I don't know why (I like Saoirse Ronan and others in the cast well enough), I just have so little interest in it. Dunno why.

 

 

5. Mr. Holmes - Maybe not the first Sherlock Holmes in old age story (I honestly don't know), but I liked how it used the character to emphasize how frustrating and scary it is to experience the onset of dementia or Alzheimer's either in yourself or someone you love. I thought it dealt with such a sensitive subject rather well, but for some people it could still be a really hard movie to watch.

I do wanna see that one, though dementia/Alzheimer's tends to be a special kind of terror for me.

 

 

4. The Stanford Prison Experiment - For those who already familiar with this particular social experiment there's not much more the movie can teach, but it's a tense film, and relevant today when police brutality is a forefront issue.

Oi. This is one that I know I should but...

 

 

3. Tomorrowland - It's optimism was completely infectious. It's not a flawless movie, but it was a rollicking adventure with a positive message. Some would say it's too preachy, but when you're trying to encourage young people to work on solving the world's problems, is there such thing as too preachy? I don't think so. I thought it was a lovely movie. I saw it twice in theaters and my only regret is not being able to go back for more.

Really wanted to see it. Still wanna.

 

 

2. The Revenant - The story is barebones, but the strength of the film lies in how much of a visceral experience it is. All the film's assets came together to create a man vs. nature story that mentally threw me right in the thick of it, and never let go until the end credits. Despite the long run time and basic story, it was a very compelling film to watch.

 

I'm under the impression you probably don't agree. :P

Oh mother do I disagree. Physical pain does not a good movie make. 'cuz if you ignore that, the best thing about it is its cinematography. Which is great (the natural lighting looks dope as allgetout), but the long takes are frequently unmotivated and feel like long takes for the sake of it. Creed also uses long takes, but every one is warranted and there's a definite direction for it being one take beyond just "look, it's one take!"

 

Also, Tom Hardy was totally the better actor in that.

 

 

1. Inside Out - Pixar doing what Pixar does best: making an animated film that resonates strongly both with adults and kids, as I'm sure many in both age groups can relate to the pull that Riley feels toward her home town in Minnesota. I really appreciate just how mature the subject was, and I still think it's one of the rare American animated films that adults will appreciate more than kids.

+1

 

 

Another honerable mention goes to, of all the weird movies, Goosebumps. Not a great movie by any means, but it was a really ernest throwback to kid adventure films of old, with all the fun, heart, and scares, you might expect from them. I had a blast watching it.

From the trailers, it looked like the sorta movie I would have loved when I was younger. Would probably still like it now.

 

 

But, like you, I still have a few 2015 movies on my list to see. I've enjoyed the work I've seen from Tom McCarthy, so I'm optimistic that Spotlight will have a place on this list when I finally get around to seeing it. Other films I still need to see from 2015 are Anomalisa, Concussion, Room, Eye in the Sky, and (if it counts?) The Witch. And now you have me curious about Infinitely Polar Bear. I will add that to my list.

  • I was really disappointed with Spotlight. It's so orchestrated and heavy handed (the soundtrack is overly somber). It doesn't really do enough with what it has and winds up feeling muted and a little weak, as well as emotionally manipulative. There are some good moments, but as a whole it's... eh. Characters are frustratingly one dimensional too. Movie basically just gets by on the taboo nature of "child abuse scandals in the Catholic Church! Ooooh!" Also, Mark Ruffalo is so much better in Polar Bear
  • Really wanna see Anomalisa.
  • Concussion I'm ambivalent about. Does seem good.
  • Room I wanna, but, I dunno if my soul can take it.
  • I just saw Eye in the Sky on the plane. It's... morose. Some really brilliant bits here and there, though it gets a little too caught up in its own intricacies (which is kinda the point). Overall though, really strong.
  • I've heard good things about The Witch, but I really don't do horror. Soooo that's a pass.
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Nice to see someone else who watched and enjoyed Creed. Felt it flew a bit under the radar.

 

Speaking of movies like that, have you seen Man From U.N.C.L.E. yet by any chance? Found it to be one of the most fun movies of 2015 personally.

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