Top 10 of 2015

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In the vein of years such as 2010 or 2013, the cinema of last year in terms of quality seemed to be almost profoundly binary; The good was great, the bad was pitiful, and a lot of what fell in between has been mildly diverting but unfortunately not quite as memorable.

Hollywood has raised the bar on the general standards of its blockbusters at the cost of having most of the good ones tonally similar and damaging to individuality, while the Art House market continues to ostracize the everyman in the name of stroking their own ego with products that don’t earn the high and mighty status that critics prop them up with.

This isn’t to say that the year wasn’t without its fair share of positives in terms of actual films and budding trends but needless to say, that the great majority of it this year has left me more than a little bit cold; so much so, that I’ve decided to shake up the dispensing of my list this year.

Whether dealing with the troubles of having too many good films to pick from or digging up diamonds in the rough of mediocre years, the concept of honorable mentions and the notion of splitting the list up into multiple portions have shown themselves to be pointless and somewhat counter intuitive.

So without further ado, here they are; my 10 favorite films of 2015, from start to finish.

10. Pawn Sacrifice

An uphill battle many potential film premises face is how to take mundane concepts and capture the attention of the audiences with subject matter that may not lend itself well to visual storytelling.

Although lacking in a certain visual flair that could have helped to push it over the edge into an even better territory, “Pawn Sacrifice” nevertheless succeeds with flying colors, telling the story of Bobby Fischer in mesmerizing ways that you may not have thought possible.

Tobey Maguire offers the best performance of his career as a man whose ability to coldly read people and contextualize them and society at large through a sharp concentration in a game of strategy borderlines on savant levels of intensity and hints at more to his unfortunate downfall and exploitation laced victory than mere “eccentricity.”

It’s an excellent peak into just how intense American rivalries with the Soviet Union became and a fascinating character study to boot.

  

 

9. Creed

“Creed” takes a narrative done a thousand times over, applies it to a genre that is all but stagnant if it even lives today at all, throws in the simple and minor spice of shifting its main character’s racial identity, sets it as a sequel to the franchise serving as the codifier of the genre, and simultaneously makes for one of the best crowd pleasers of the year and one of the best arguments for racial diversity in Hollywood.

Ryan Coogler continues to show himself as one of the most promising director’s of a new generation of filmmakers while Michael B. Jordan creates a character that goes through all of the trials of Stallone before him in the starring role of the franchise but brings a different background element to the mix putting a fresh twist on a tired formula.

A film so good that it almost makes me forget about… that “other” blockbuster that Jordan was a part of.

 

8. Dope

Speaking of diversity, “Dope” speaks to an experience that has only begun to rise more prominently in storytelling within the last few years.

Similarly to last year’s “Dear White People,” “Dope” focuses on the double standard of society’s views on racial identity and what is considered “proper” for people to conform to in terms of interests, passions, and lifestyles. While the film ultimately unfolds as something of a fantasy however, albeit a substantially grounded one, the movie also provides something for that audience of ethnic and cultural outcasts that they rarely receive. Genuine empowerment.

Perhaps I have a bit of a bias in that fight, but nobody should feel anchored down by what they can achieve due to their heritage or interests and that clash caused by societal views can be a powerful tool rather than a hindrance. It’s nice to see that receiving some sort of acknowledgement.

  

 

7. The Gift

Joel Edgerton’s directorial debut and throwback to stalker thrillers manages to not only be more enthralling and less trashy than other films of its kind, as well as a fine career kick off to the craft in general, but serves as a strong precautionary tale to respecting those around you and a fascinating inquiry regarding the point where immaturity and human selfishness crossover into sociopathic behavior.

“The Gift” may be simplistic but its effectiveness goes miles.

Its study of the causes and effects of bullying from both viewpoints and the harshness of retribution is carried by terrific acting and a clever play on genre tropes that make for one of the most fun uncomfortable watches of 2016.

 

6. Brooklyn

“Brooklyn” is perhaps the picture perfect example of simple yet elegant.

A simple story of an Irish immigrant’s tale of adaptation, love and finding her future in the face of societal adversity in 1950’s New York is presented with the perfect opportunity to be schmaltzy and irritating but through a thoughtful and well paced screenplay, coupled with terrific performances, it becomes an emotionally resonant and satisfying tale of carving one’s identity out in the world without letting your roots ground your potential, no matter how much love you may have for them.

Well balanced character drama, beautiful cinematography, and a defiance of clichés regardless of conforming to tradition have made “Brooklyn” an excellent sample of classic filmmaking at its finest.   

 

6. Ex Machina

Every once in a while, science fiction’s capability to explore the possibilities of humanity’s future and the ramifications of their choices surfaces in a quaint film that stands apart from the lavishly funded piles of escapist excess.

“Ex Machina” is a bottle film that relies perfectly on just the right elements coming together in just the right way and succeeds radically.

A screenplay that would make the best episodes of “The Twilight Zone” and “The Outer Limits” cry with pride, twists its way from start to finish, leading its only 3 starring actors through a labyrinth of questionable ethics in science, what constitutes sentience and humanity, whether or not the two are mutually exclusive, and the paranoia that comes from isolation in the heart of unstable factors with some of the best acting performances of the year.

4. Inside Out

While the jury is still out on whether or not Pixar is back up to snuff in full form, they’ve undeniably taken a massive step in the right direction compared to recent years, producing what is quite possibly the studio’s opus.

Taking a well paced, fun, and charming adventure story for kids and framing it as a clear and well thought out demonstration of the thought process behind a standard emotional crisis brought out by disappointing turns in life, something that we’ve all had to deal with, “Inside Out” manages to be a complete package.

The kids can enjoy the superb animation and fun designs, the adults can relate with the trials of growing up and grappling with change, and everyone can meet in the middle to appreciate the much needed life lesson that working past sorrow can’t necessarily be done by simply shutting it out.

3. Spotlight

Journalism is a lifestyle that not everybody is fit for. As somebody with a Bachelor’s degree in the field that has ultimately turned down opportunities to pursue it directly as a career field for personal reasons, I should know.

Very rarely does a film, or almost any form of visual storytelling, remind me of how exciting and invigorating the field can be but almost never has it so accurately depicted the editorial process and how it brings about social change.

While the misdeeds of the Catholic Church have irreparably shaken faith in the institution, another of “Spotlight’s” greatest achievements in an internet age of bloggers and unprofessional is a reminder of just how powerful news can be when it’s done properly and by the book, as well as how dangerous and wasteful it can be when rushed or not kept in check.

On execution and caliber of acting alone the film is memorable but its dramatization of a sensitive event that is both thorough and lacking in manipulative production factors only help it shine that much more.

 

2. Steve Jobs

Mastermind or master thief, Steve Jobs was nevertheless a figure that has substantially impacted the world of technology as it presently exists.

Danny Boyle’s dramatization of the man’s best and worst tendencies at the highest points of his life is not quite a traditional biopic but tells a more complex narrative of what we know of the man than any beat for beat presentation of his life ever could.

“Steve Jobs’” award worthy performances along with unconventionally intimate camera work and a sharp screenplay that easily redeems Aaron Sorkin for his preachy and pretentious HBO pet project, “The News Room,” map out the intricacies of Jobs in exploring his reactions to the different aspects of his life at the highlights of his career.

Never seeking to sympathize or vilify him for his controversial actions and views, “Steve Jobs” only aims to interpret the man as a human being and what made him tick, which it succeeds doing with flying colors.

 

1. Sicario

“Sicario” may not have had the stiffest of competition to make into my list this year but it would have landed highly any year.

As an action thriller capturing a setting so unstable and unpredictable that it begins to feel like a force of nature, it’s compelling, tense, and disturbingly fun for something so chilling. Not content to merely be the sum of its set-pieces however, the film goes even further, studying the morality of fighting a problem like the cartels by crossing ethical boundaries, and whether or not solving a problem is merely erasing the symptoms or addressing facets of human behavior that may not be addressable.

“Sicario” exercises a brain and creativity all in a tightly woven narrative featuring a stupendous cast that brings its characters to life hauntingly and offsetting its grim subject matter with unforgettably gorgeous camerawork and cinematography.