This film is the epitome of what I look for when gauging a film's artistic cohesion. The sense of time and space is masterfully crafted and beautifully coupled with dialogue that is a language all of it's own. This is all wonderfully highlighted by a camera that discovers the world through the eyes of a child who is discovering so much around him under extreme and terrifying circumstances. Brie Larson gives a performance of the mother with true empathy and understanding. By far my pick for this year.
Witticisms and clever craftsmanship bring this financial drama to life. I was impressed how it was able to engage with the greatest economic crisis of our modern age and not only make the story accessible to everyone but also to make it enjoyable. With interesting breakaways from the narrative and some unconventional editing The Big Short finds a refreshing visual voice. Not to mention it is brought to us by some excellent actors. Bale, Pitt, and Carell, just to name a few, arrive triumphant on the screen.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Dauntless and unrelenting. Here is a post-apocalyptic film that dares to be vibrant in all aspects instead of the usual dark hues of the genre. It simulates you non-stop and the manic nature of every faucet is simply unparalleled. I did find at times the editing was lacking some clarity, but perhaps it was intentional to add to the chaos? And as I have only seen this one I cannot compare it to the rest of the canon. But I know that this is one of the best action movies I have seen in a long time. Hardy and Theron submerge themselves into the filth and send us speeding along with them. All we can do is hold on for dear life.
I will say I was skeptical at first, but rest assured that I stand corrected. This film, to me, is what Gravity could have been. A testament to human ingenuity and our shared quest for survival Damon was an absolute joy to watch as we share with him all the highs and lows of his quest to stay alive on Mars. I think this may have been his best performance to date, and the films deeper understanding of the shared human condition was nicely brought to us by some excellent writing.
Brooklyn (2015)
Now here is a film that I think many have overlooked. This tale of a quiet Irish girl who travels to Brooklyn (The best bureau...no biases..okay maybe a little) to find her way in the world is classically told and is beautiful in it's simplicity. Saoirse Ronan gives a performance with a courageous character arc, and as she falls for a young Italian boy I could not help but think of my own Irish grandmother, and Italian grandfather. A real New York love story.
I would like to apologize that Spotlight is so low on this list, but that is certainly a testament to the quality of films this year! This film has the best ensemble cast performances of this year, and presents important exposure on the crimes of the Catholic church. I will say where it lost me a little was a lack of originality in cinematography and narrative construction. It certainly feels rather generic when comparing it to other journalism films, but well worth the watch on actor execution alone.
Riddled by some slow pacing, and at times a little dry in execution. It's definitely not one of Spielberg's stronger films. However, Hanks is as solid as he always is, he may be the most consistent performer in Hollywood. And the premise does offer some important ideas in cultural negotiations and having empathy for ones' enemies. It's still a good film, just not one of the best of this group.
The Revenant (2015)
I know, I know, how did The Revenant end up at the bottom? Trust me I am just as surprised as you. After the incredible love for filmmaking that Birdman demonstrated perhaps my standards were too high, but in all honesty I was sincerely disappointed. DiCaprio's character was not fully realized. I think people often mistake a willingness to do tasks that others would not want to do as "acting". This is not the case, an actor should disappear into every role with deep emotional sensibility. I was not sold here. I will say the cinematography was breath taking but there were times that we were senselessly aware of the camera lens. That was a device I found aided the self-reflexivity of Birdman but felt totally out of place here as we were dragged through this tundra.
