If I left a film off my list it is not necessarily a slight
against it. Full disclosure I have not seen all the films hyped for awards this
year. I am a film studies major thus I spend an inordinate amount of time
screening and studying films that were not produced this year.
Top 10
1.
Mad Max:
Fury Road – A brilliant example of visual storytelling. A film that didn’t need nor use excessive
exposition.
2.
The
Hateful Eight (70mm Road Show) - As opposed to Mad Max a film that flourished
because of how literary it was. In a year of sequels and reboots Tarantino
pays homage to the epic westerns of yesteryear.
3.
The
Martian – Mat Damon portrays the action hero whose weapon is science. The
best episode of MacGyver ever produced!
4.
Ex Machina
- In a year where a space opera ruled the box office let’s not forget some of
the great hard science fiction that’s been coming out lately.
5.
The Revenant
- Alejandro González Iñárritu’s first feature since Birdman is proving he is a
modern day auteur.
6.
Avengers:
Age of Ultron – A few shots in this film are the closest thing to a Jack
Kirby splash page I’ve ever seen created in cinema.
7.
The Force
Awakens – Not a perfect film by any stretch but it did manage to capture
the energy and emotion of Star Wars and that’s a pretty wonderful thing.
8.
Kurt Cobain:
Montage of Heck – A unique documentary that utilizes the subject’s art work
to tell the narrative.
9. The Death of "Superman Lives":
What Happened? – After watching this doc you are left wondering how does
any film ever get made and of the ones that get made how are any of them ever
good?
10.
Creed –
Saying this is now the second best film in the franchise is no slight since
Rocky won the 1976 Oscar for best picture.
·
A Most
Violent Year *a 2014 film I loved that got a wide theatrical release in January 2015 so
I thought I'd squeeze it in.
Most Overrated of 2015
Jurassic World - Much like The Force Awakens it gets by more
on the emotions it creates then its paper thin story but not nearly as well.
Spy – This is one of the best comedies of 2015? On the
bright side 2015 is almost over.
Breakout Stars of 2015
Domhnall Gleason (Ex
Machina, The Force Awakens, The Revenant)
Daisy Ridley (The
Force Awakens)
