I know I'm super late but before enjoying this year's Oscars and congratulating both Leo and Sly (yes, I'm calling it), here is the REAL list of the best flicks of this year. As always, I include all movies and do not discriminate against animated movies
or documentaries because that's how I do:
#10: Jurassic
World
Take heed
J.J.: this is the way you reboot a franchise. By sticking close to the formula that made the original a classic but putting enough spin on the ball (see a sports term... I know stuff) to make it feel different, Jurassic World was the most satisfying
blockbuster of the year. The action sequences were well staged, the pace moved quickly, the characters were engaging and the movie just plain entertained me. I won't lie and say it made me feel like a 10 year old again because nothing ever will.
However, the movie was so good that there were plenty of 10 year olds this summer who were awed and amazed and who will now remember this sequel as THE dinosaur movie and the bar all future adventures will have to meet.
#9: The Wolfpack
And now for something completely depressing. Alternatingly disturbing, intriguing and infuriating, this documentary follows a band of brothers breaking free of their father's control for the first time in their lives. They leave their
old lives behind, literally and metaphorically as they exit the cramped NYC apartment where they've been held basically as prisoners since birth and begin to explore the world around them. You root for the boys who have created their own imaginary universe
based on movie villains and heroes and now have to socialize in the real world which they find doesn't exactly match up to those expectations. If this were fiction it would be relegated to the pile of weird indie movies directed by eccentric first time
directors you may get around to, but the story is real, and it is a must-watch.
#8: Circle
I ran across this smart little sci fi film because the overloads at Neflix created an algorithm that concluded I would
enjoy it and suggested it to me. Well, all hail technology because they were 100% correct. In case Netflix has not done this for you, do yourself a favor and find Circle because it's well worth watching. The brilliance is in its simplicity:
strangers wake up in a room unable to move (well, they can move but then they get killed) while a timer counts down to zero, bringing with it the next person's death. Is it random? Can the countdown be stopped? How did they arrive there? Who
will survive, if anyone? All these questions are asked and answered in the span of just over 90 minutes and I was on the edge of my seat for all of them. Go to your Roku/AppleTV/AmazonFire TV/Laptop and watch it now.
#7: Trumbo
The Academy love Biopics which makes me skeptical of most because they are so clearly Oscar-bait. I had a little more faith in Trumbo because it stars Bryan Cranston who took an absurd premise in Breaking Bad and made it one of the best
shows on television with a protagonist who will show up on those lists you see periodically about the best characters on TV. But my goodwill would only go so far if he was in a stinker but I'm happy to report Trumbo is not a stinker. It smells
quite good actually... movie wise, if you catch my meaning. It tells the story of the writers on the Black List, who were ostracized by Hollywood because they refused to be bullied by the Communist witch hunt of the 1950's. Trumbo is the most outspoken
and prosperous of these writers, which makes his opposition of the U.S. Government at a time when it paid to just 'fall in line,' all that more intriguing. Cranston delivers a terrific performance and gives life to man most people (including me) forgot
existed, and in doing so makes the case for why we should never forget him again.
#6: The Martian
Basically Castaway in space with more science, I was very surprised by how effective The Martian is. It's equal
parts survival story, thriller and drama, as the audience follows Damon's lead character while he searches for ways to survive marooned millions of miles from home, while the egos and politics get in the way of his rescue on Earth. There is a great supporting
cast and Ridley Scott keeps everything moving along briskly in a movie that is 141 minutes long but never feels it, but this is Damon's show all the way. If he were bad, that would be the end of the ball game, but he's excellent and has a lot of fun.
In a way, his performance (which is deservedly up for an Oscar) is the least showy and therefore most impressive performance of 2015.
#5 Straight
Outta Compton
Want proof that #OscarsSoWhite deserves your attention? Look no further than this year's best Biopic, Straight Outta Compton. Not many movies, regardless of the racial make up of the cast, were as energetic, moving, engaging and
entertaining as this one. The fact that this was NOT nominated doesn't mean that the Academy is racist, it just means that they didn't GET it. But critics praised the film (the film holds an 88% FRESH rating on Rotten Tomatoes) and audiences agreed (the
film grossed over 200 million). So what's the problem? I don't know but there certainly is a disconnect here and one worth exploring. However the Academy moves forward Straight Outta Compton should not be relegated to just a talking point. It
is an excellent movie and one that will stand the test of time long after the controversy fades and the remedies to the Oscar issues (whatever they are) are enacted.
#4: Mad Max: Fury Road
Director George Miller is 70 years old but you wouldn't know it by his latest film. Mad Max: Fury Road is the latest entry in the franchise that has spanned 36 years, and his first Mad Max film since 1985. Yet, Fury Road is a movie that
feels fresh and directed with the spirit of a first time director, not a veteran one. I'm giving Miller most of the credit here because he manages to make an excellent Mad Max movie after he not only changed the star (the troubled Mel Gibson long since
aged out of the part) but also replaced him with an actor who doesn't make much of an impression in his own movie. That actor, our new Max, is Tom Hardy and he's certainly a fine actor, but not in this movie. He barely says a word or registers
in the audience's minds. So what does? Everything else. Miller's post apocalyptic vision is unique and mesmerizing. What other movie this year has mutants, cult members, a guitar playing monster/man, an Amazonian female warrior tribe
and a 90 minute car chase? And what other movie has Charlize Theron's Furiosa as a bad ass with one arm on a mission who completely steals the movie and makes Max almost an afterthought? I'll answer those questions: none.
#3: Spotlight
Not nearly enough people are talking about how amazing Spotlight is. It recently swept the Indie Spirit awards and
is up for Best Picture but it certainly has not entered in the public consciousness like other films, some of which are not even nominated. The reason is probably related to the subject matter. Child molestation, and the cover up by Catholic Church,
is not something anyone is eager to discuss, particularly around the watercolor. But, as the film points out, just because it is uncomfortable or embarrassing, does not mean it is not worthy of attention. If you haven't seen it, let me assuage some of
the fears you may have. The film is neither graphic nor exploitative. It is neither overly harsh or apologetic. Spotlight is simply a movie with incredible performances, a moving script, and confident direction that deserves to be watched.
I particularly want to praise Michael Keaton, who gives the best performance of the movie in a film with a lot of them.
#2: Inside Out
Bing Bong's last ride. If those word's alone make you tear up (in my case in a manly way) then you were as enchanted as I was by Inside Out, Pixar's latest classic and also the most inventive and original movie of 2015. In typical Pixar
fashion, the film approaches the subject matter (an emotional teenage girl) sideways, providing a fresh perspective. Inside Out is mostly set in the mind Riley, where five personified emotions (Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust) lead her through
life. When Joy, who has been running the show since Riley's birth, sees Sadness start to creep into Riley's life, she tries to fix the situation, setting her on an adventure that has many different layers to it. Like my favorite Pixar film, Finding
Nemo, Inside Out is powerfully poignant and deals with themes usually reserved for more adult films. That doesn't meant the film is violent or salacious but rather, complex. The central questions of Inside Out concern the function of feelings in
everyday life. Is it as simple as being ruled by Joy all the time? Is it best to always shun Sadness? If not, what is its purpose? It's heady stuff but in Pixar's hands, we discuss these questions in a movie that is funny and exhilarating.
Well done Pixar. This almost makes up for Cars and Cars 2. Almost.
#1: The Big Short
If you're like me when you think Interesting you think Collateralized Debt Obligations and their role in the Financial
Crises. If however, you're like most people you don't and you also probably don't know what a Collateralized Debt Obligation is. That doesn't make you dumb, it makes you normal and as The Big Short explains, these concepts are not as difficult
to fathom as you may believe. While the intricacies of the Financial Crises may be complex, the origins of it are actually very simple to understand. The Big Short, based on Michael Lewis' equally as entertaining 2010 Nonfiction book, spends a
lot of time helping us understand which means it spends a good amount of time explaining and teaching. It's the brilliance of the movie that it doesn't feel like schoolwork. A mixture of snarky narrative, surreal scenes with celebrity cameos, and
brilliant interplay between the leads, all hide the fact that we are being spoon-fed LOTS of necessary exposition. We need this background because if we are going to appreciate the ridiculousness of the film (where outcasts see serious cracks in the
financial system and bet AGAINST it), we need to know the basic terms. Once we are all caught up, or as much as we need to be, Director Adam Mckay and his cast of comedic actors (including Steven Carrell and Ryan Gosling) only need to act out actual
events to keep us entertained. That's how f****d the situation in 2008 was, that they only need to follow the facts and let the comedy and drama speak for itself. And this is a drama. Behind the clever dialogue and comedic embellishments, there
is a very real and very sad story to tell. That story is about how everyone drinks the kool aid, taking advantage of the financial system through carelessness and deception and turning it into a ticking time-bomb in the process. When that time-bomb
finally explodes, it leaves enormous collateral damage, affecting not only those who were involved in its creation, but those who weren't. And why did everyone go along with the madness? Because they were making too much money to care. Part
comedy, drama and cautionary tale, The Big Short, and it's usually yawn-inducing subject matter, may be an unlikely film to be the best of 2015 but it is, and you can bet on it to win Oscar night.