AJ's Top 10 of 2015

Better late than never. I present to you AJ's Top 10 Best Movies of 2015.

This year was a frustrating one for me. I started off indifferent (or disdainful) towards most of 2015's movies, but December really delivered for awards season. As a result, you'll see most of this year's Best Picture nominees on this list (which usually never happens for me), as well as some movies that definitely should have been nominated. But I'll get to that.

Here they are - AJ's Top 10 of 2015 (plus one honorable mention).

Honorable Mention: Jurassic World

ScreenRant

I really, really, really wish this could have been on my Top 10. I had so much fun in this movie - so much so that I'm giving it this honorable mention. While it was not the most impressive, groundbreaking, or well-made motion picture released in 2015, it was a fun and nostalgic adventure that only the overly-cynical can truly hate. 

#10: Dope

SlashFilm

This clever and smartly-written movie was the best comedy of 2015 (I'm looking at you, The Martian). Like its main character advocates for himself, Dope is not the movie you'd expect. Give it a shot - it's on Netflix. 

#9: Room

ComingSoon.net

Room not only introduced us to the treasure that is Jacob Tremblay, but it launched Brie Larson into much-deserved stardom. It could have benefited from some tighter editing, but that rug scene (if you've watched it, you know what I'm talking about) is enough to make up for any weaker moments.

#8: Bridge of Spies

Collider

Don't underestimate Spielberg. Don't underestimate Tom Hanks. And don't underestimate the Coen Brothers. Put them all together in one movie? You're in for an enthralling screenplay of magnificent scope, complimented by tender performances and a touching story.

#7: Mad Max: Fury Road

ComingSoon.net

An amazing action spectacle directed with golden diligence on George Miller's part, Mad Max is exciting and expertly pieced together behind and in front of the camera. The story suffers occasionally, but your eyes won't complain.

#6: The Revenant

Pinterest

I won't lie and say I didn't spend a good chunk of the movie wondering "WTF is happening right now?" Experimental filmmaking and story tangents aside, Tom Hardy and Leonardo DiCaprio shine in this frontier epic, filled with jaw-dropping brutality, action, and beauty. 

#5: The Hateful Eight

IndieWire

This is not Tarantino's best, but it's an engrossing character piece that builds to an amazing second act, and its first act is a tantalizing prelude. In short, it continues Tarantino's legacy with a genius screenplay (that was terribly overlooked at the Oscars) brought alive with his strongest ensemble since Kill Bill. 

#4: Spotlight

RecentMoviePosters.com

A testament to the power of journalism, Spotlight hits home in the year's best acted film. Its editing keeps things going at a daringly riveting pace. Spotlight will be admired in film school and appreciated by those affected by its real-life subject matter for years to come. 

#3: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

StarWars.com

Considering how much pressure JJ Abrams and the entire cast and crew had on them making this film, Star Wars is - and I mean this in the literal sense of the word - an awesome achievement. Looking past a few storytelling issues, Star Wars is the most fun you will have at the movies in 2015.

#2: Brooklyn

ComingSoon.net

Not much can be said about Brooklyn aside from that it is a simply wonderful film that immerses you into its characters' world. Sweet, hysterical, and captivating at all the right moments, Brooklyn is fine filmmaking that proves subtle does not mean boring.

#1: The Gift

ScreenRant

Wow. In recent memory, I have not been more shocked or invested in a movie the way I was with The Gift. Joel Edgerton's acting, screenplay, and directing is a triple threat that was sorrowfully overlooked during awards season. You will not see a more thrilling or surprising movie this year. It kept my attention until the very last minute. They payoff is grand, and behind that director's chair Joel Edgerton gives A-list suspense filmmakers like David Fincher a run for their money. 

The Revenant

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Fp4MQSGFj-M/maxresdefault.jpg

Visually speaking, The Revenant is one of the most awe-inspiring movies ever made. If you’ve looked up anything about this movie, my complimenting its use of natural lighting and breathtaking scenery should come as no surprise to you. Yet in terms of storytelling, director Alejandro G. Inarritu (Oscar-winner from last year’s Best Picture winner Birdman) takes some daring approaches which, in my opinion, do not always pay off.

The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as real-life 1800s frontiersman Hugh Glass. Following a vicious attack by the area’s native inhabitants, Glass and his team of fur traders are forced to take a long and treacherous road back to their base. While out alone, Glass encounters a bear protecting its cubs. Seeing him as a threat, Glass is nearly killed by the beast, but miraculously survives within an inch of his life. Refusing to let Glass’ injuries kill his whole crew, the off-putting trader Fitzpatrick (Tom Hardy) offers to stay with Glass until he is better while the rest of the traders hastily make their way back. At this point, Fitzpatrick kills Glass’ half-Native American son and buries Glass alive. Miraculously, again, Glass survives, now more determined than ever to avenge his son and go face-to-face with Fitzpatrick.

The sheer dedication of filmmaking by Inarritu and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki are worthy of substantial praise here. It’s evident that the film was a painstaking project, yet it seemed so seamlessly pieced together from an aesthetic perspective. Shots of gloriously clouded sunsets and authentic horseback chases trough the wilderness demand The Revenant be seen on the big screen. The brutality and realness of Glass’ and Fitzpatrick’s rivalry is palpable, especially in their final fight. 

Much credit should go to both of these actors, and while Leo gives one of his best performances, the real winner of the film is Tom Hardy. Yes, Leo slept naked in a dead horse carcass and ate bison meat – and I am not minimizing the impact of his performance. Hardy’s transformation is being sorely underappreciated in my eyes. His gut-wrenching turn as Fitzpatrick left me wanting to punch him in the face in every scene, which I believe is a testament to the man’s performance. I would love for both of these men to take home their first Oscars this year. We also have great performances from Will Poulter and this year’s breakout star Domhnall Gleeson (Star Wars, Ex Machina).

Where this movie went wrong for me was in its attempts to break the conventional narrative. This technique can work – Inaritu himself did it well in Birdman. Here, some imagery and subplots are totally unnecessary, and/or could have been told better. For example, Glass’ (ex)-wife/girlfriend/lover/concubine is only a shadow of a memory, and we have no idea of her past. There’s also a rather confusing storyline involving the daughter of a native tribe’s leader, and the role she plays in the story’s progression is befuddling given how little time is spent developing that story.

This movie is nominated for 12 Oscars, but I would like to point out one category it is not nominated for – Best Screenplay. I believe this speaks to my point. Visually, this movie deserves more than a 5/5. Yet from a storytelling perspective – an area that universally suffered this year in movies – The Revenant leaves us wishing the end result was a bit more conventional, and that the daring cinematic innovations were just left to the cinematographer for this one.

Rating: 4/5

2016 Oscar Snubs & Surprises

Oscar.go.com

I was not a happy camper this morning when Oscar nominations were announced. While many of the expected nominees got their deserved recognition, a few worthy names were overlooked by the Academy in favor of some surprises. At the Oscars, snubs are inevitable. Every year there are several achievements in each of the Academy's 24 categories but only a handful of nominations to go around. Having said that, there were some glaring omissions that I can't seem to fathom. Additionally, there were a couple shockers this morning that left me pleasantly surprised as a movie-goer.

Kurt Russell and Samuel L. Jackson giving underrated performances
in The Hateful Eight (Hitfix.com)

Snub: The Hateful Eight. I figured it was only right to start this article off with the biggest snub of the morning. Tarantino's western didn't garner much buzz for Best Picture or Best Director, but nominations for Original Score, Supporting Actress, and Original Screenplay were supposedly guaranteed. However, one of these categories did not feature The Hateful Eight on its final ballot.

Somehow, some way, Quentin Tarantino's script was left off the Best Original Screenplay list despite its rich, quotable, and signature dialogue and ability to captivate for over two and a half hours. It went on to receive nominations from the BFCA and HFPA as well as a win from the NBR. Coming fresh off his win for Django Unchained in 2013, Tarantino should have been on this list. But for whatever reason, he's not. Another disappointment is the film's absences from the Best Costume Design category and the Best Supporting Actor category - especially for Tim Roth and Walton Goggins. But with a cast of several supporting males, I'm sure the Academy had a tough time determining a standout.

Surprise: Rachel McAdams for Spotlight. The Supporting Actor and Actress fields are a collective mess this year. With all that craziness, I'm thrilled that Rachel McAdams was able to emerge from the never-ending list of contenders with a nomination for her confident and crucial performance in Spotlight. While her win is less than likely, it's reassuring that we can finally refer to this insanely talented and multi-faceted actress as "Oscar-nominee Rachel McAdams."

Jason Mitchell electrifies the screen in Straight Outta Compton (MoviePilot)

Snub: Jason Mitchell for Straight Outta Compton. Compton snagged an Original Screenplay nod, but the movie's greatest asset was left empty handed. Throughout the film and particularly in his character's final moments, Jason Mitchell's portrayal of gangster and rapper Eazy E was an on-screen revelation. I'm disheartened that the Academy didn't feel the same way.

Surprise: Carol. Upon seeing Carol, I immediately labeled it as Oscar-bait. It was good Oscar-bait, but Oscar-bait nonetheless. The screenplay and performances of Mara and Blanchett were recognized, but the Academy saw through the film's imperfections and did not laud it with nominations for Best Picture or Best Director - both of which seemed like sure things.

Snub: Aaron Sorkin for Steve Jobs. This film did not have an immediate payoff for me. But over the days after I saw it, I came to appreciate the daring move that Sorkin took with Steve Jobs' screenplay - and more importantly - how much it paid off. It was enough to win him this year's Golden Globe for Best Screenplay, yet for the Oscars (which split the category into Adapted and Original Screenplay, meaning there should have been even less competition), the biopic's script didn't make the cut.

Joel Edgerton co-starred in, wrote, and directed the year's best thriller (Variety).

Snub: The Gift. As breathtaking and original as Edgerton's performance and direction are in The Gift, they were nothing compared to his screenplay. It's disappointing that Edgerton did not receive recognition in any of these categories this morning. Its film editing and Jason Bateman's performance were also overlooked despite contributing to one of the year's best films - and its best thriller by far.

Surprise: Adam McKay for The Big Short. McKay's comedy-drama on America's housing market collapse has picked up noticeable steam as awards season has reached its culmination, and nominations for Adapted Screenplay, Picture, and even Christian Bale's supporting performance were considerable locks. With a packed field of contenders for Best Director, McKay was assumed to be out of the running. Surprisingly, he pulled through, beating out expected names like The Martian's Ridley Scott and Carol's Todd Haynes for a spot on the list.

Snub: Johnny Depp for Black Mass. The film itself was so-so, but Depp does his best work in years as real-life Boston criminal Whitey Bulger. Part of me thinks he should have been on this list over Matt Damon.

(Movies With Mae)

Snub: Emily Blunt and Benicio Del Toro for Sicario. I wasn't the biggest fan of Sicario, but that does not mean I didn't recognize the immersive performances from Blunt and Del Toro. If anything, I came to value them more for keeping my attention during the movie's boring moments. I would have loved to have seen one or both of these performers recognized for their efforts.

Surprise: The Revenant for Best Visual Effects. That bear scene was breathtaking, but I didn't think it would be enough to impress over the heroes of Avengers: Age of Ultron or the dinos of Jurassic World. Which brings me to my next item...

(ScreenCrush)

Snub: Jurassic World. Michael Giacchino's score? The visual effects of the Indominus Rex? The production design of the park? The sound design? Come on, Academy. Throw me a bone here. Not even one nomination?

Snub: Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens. Fans can rejoice at the film's nominations for Original Score, Film Editing, and a few more. But our high hopes for Best Picture were left unrealized this morning. Even more disappointing was the absence of J.J. Abrams from the Best Director list, considering what a stellar job he did under the tremendous amount pressure he was under from studios, audiences, and critics alike.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2

ABC News

It's not easy saying goodbye to something you love. Putting all cards on the table, I love The Hunger Games, as do most of those in my generation. I had reasonably high expectations for this movie, mainly due the promised delivery of action following last year's slow but solid lead-up. In Mockingjay - Part 2, the action is back at the forefront, and we're brought along to witness the dissolution of Panem through an honorable conclusion to the franchise.

In the four-part film series' final chapter, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and her allies from District 13 decide the only way to end the war is to kill President Snow (Donald Sutherland). Katniss, Gale (Liam Hemsworth), and a handful of volunteers venture out to the Capital. All are surprised when 13's President Coin (Julianne Moore) sends out Peeta to join them for the sake of propaganda footage. Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) is recovering from his "hijacking" - a process that makes him viciously attack Katniss whenever she's near. To raise the stakes, the Capital's game makers filled the city with traps similar to those utilized in the Games themselves, making the city streets a minefield for the heroes.

Although I was largely satisfied with this sendoff, it still hurts knowing Mockingjay could have been a much stronger finale had corporate greed not gotten in the way. I stand by my opinion that Part 1 was a flawed but overall good film, and it's hard to argue against saying that this installment is even better. But one of the reasons the first two installments worked so well is because the more concise runtime allowed a faster pace and higher entertainment value. The extra runtime allowed to these two movies added almost no extra moments on reflection or deeper meaning. I counted several spots in both parts of Mockingjay that could have been excluded altogether, and combining these films into one would have kept the series as a whole on a higher pedestal than it currently resides on today.

Still, it's hard to ignore the high level of filmmaking that was able to occur despite Lionsgate's insistence that the source material be split. Aside from the first half hour, the film's rousing action built to heartbreaking deaths relentlessly. It moved almost too fast, but I guess that's a consequence of making up for the downtime felt in Part 1. And aside from that, the film has a beautiful ending in the end as opposed to a rushed or forced wrap-up. Following the climax, Danny Strong's screenplay allows for a fitting conclusion focused on the characters we've grown to love over the past four years. We're also reminded on the marvelous performance this franchise has offered us - particularly from Jennifer Lawrence, Jena Malone, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and (post-The Hunger Games) Josh Hutcherson. The film is also full of smart nods to the earlier movies and utilizes nostalgia to its advantage wondrously. 

After a sluggish start, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 is almost everything you want from the finale of this franchise. There are undoubted imperfections, and I won't try to downplay them because they should not be downplayed. But this movie is respectful of its fans and those who truly know why we as a society fell in love with the series in the first place. It's about the characters, for without them why would we care to separate this from the slew of other movies in its genre? That's what makes this group of films so strong in the first place, and because of that, there are much worse movies to see. 

Rating: 4/5

Spectre

Why change what works? For the past three movies in the 007 franchise – all of which star Daniel Craig – tone has shifted and the stereotypical approach to the James Bond film has been ignored. Instead, directors like Martin Campbell of Casino Royale and Sam Mendes of Skyfall have helmed the mission to recreate Bond as a more human character and take a more modern and realistic approach to the agent’s adventures. Now comes Spectre, a movie that capitalizes on the efforts of character building demonstrated in its immediate predecessors but also returns the franchise to its glory of the formulaic James Bond film.

Kicking off with the most insane and intense Bond opener since Casino Royale, Spectre wastes no time assuring moviegoers they’re spending their time and money wisely. The opening scene starts with a long shot through the streets and buildings of Mexico City’s Day of the Dead parade before cutting to a chain of events involving an assassination, an exploding building, and a man-vs-man fight scene on a low-flying helicopter. Cue the Sam Smith song and seductive opening credits montage.

Bond’s reasoning for this altercation is explained through a video from the recently deceased M (Judi Dench). The video shows M’s dying wish being for James to hunt down and kill the man from Mexico, which Bond does without question – only to discover the man played a role in a much larger scheme. Upon discovering the villainous organization Spectre, Bond unwittingly opens a door to his traumatic past when he finds out the ghosts of his past are still alive to haunt him. He’s forced to confront Ernst Blofeld (Christoph Waltz, in a limited but chilling role), his former brother in practice who has been orchestrating all the catastrophic events of his past. But of course, we need a Bond girl before we go any further. In Spectre, it’s Léa Seydoux. Following a brief but cold-hearted appearance in 2011’s Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Seydoux is paving her way to becoming a mainstream femme fatale that most male actors will surely be intimidated to go toe-to-toe with on the big screen.

The movie doesn’t make any efforts to redefine the franchise, something that understandably disappointed some critics and audiences. However, just because it didn’t take any noteworthy risks doesn’t make the film a failure. Spectre is an extremely fun, sleek, and entertaining crack at the Bond filmography. It takes the quality of filmmaking we’ve seen starting with Daniel Craig’s entrance into the series and perfectly capitalizes on the formulaic Bond structure audiences love. It’s got a kickass opening, crazy car chases, gripping hand-to-hand combat scenes, Bond bedding women, and a joyful abundance of bullets. With a hefty runtime of over two hours, the brisk editing and marvelous pacing kept things captivating until the last minute – by the end of the movie, I was wishing for more.

Some would argue that the film is riddled with Bond clichés. I disagree. I see Spectre as following an established structure that has brought the pre-Craig era Bond films continued success. Spectre follows this structure and heightens all of its elements to never before seen places. It may not be the best movie featuring James Bond in terms of pure filmmaking, but it’s arguably the best “James Bond film” in recent memore because it delivers comparative perfection within the structure. In that regard, Spectre is better than Skyfall, and I’d name it best movie of the year so far if it weren’t for a criminally underused Christoph Waltz and a bit-too-ridiculous plane crash that leaves Bond unbelievably unscathed. It also should be noted that just a few hours after leaving the theater the excitement I felt while watching the movie didn’t carry into my day the way I was expecting it would. But in the words of Roger Ebert, “there's something to be said for a movie you like well enough at the time.” Well, I think there’s even more to be said for a movie you loved at the time – and I loved Spectre.

Rating: 4.5/5

Sicario

For a good 40+ minutes of the movie my facial expression resembled that of Del Toro's (ComingSoon.net)

There's a way to make a good movie with the kind of story we see in Sicario. Director Denis Villeneuve (2013's Prisoners) and Screenwriter Taylor Sheridan prove they know this several times throughout the movie by building intense, dramatic, and character-focused scenes of action and suspense. But to get to these masterfully constructed scenes, we're forced to sit through tedious, uneventful, confusing, and unnecessarily elongated on-screen moments. We know it could have been so much better because many scenes in Sicario were nearly flawless - and this is what makes the movie frustrating and, overall, somewhat disappointing.

I think I speak on behalf of moviegoers everywhere when I say I have better things to do with my time than stare at a screen and watch countless repetitive shots of the faces of Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin, and Emily Blunt as they look out to western landscapes from a car/plane/truck window. My idea of a good movie is not 45 minutes of confusing narratives and little dialogue sandwiched together by breathtaking opening and concluding scenes which show nothing but promise from the filmmakers. These ending and beginning scenes may explain some of the lulls heavily felt in the middle of Sicaio, but they do not excuse them.

I guess you could say I went into this film the same way Emily Blunt's character went into the events of Sicario. Her character, FBI Agent Kate Macer, is eager for a good outcome but doesn't exactly get what she had signed up for. After witnessing her comrades brutally killed at a Mexican cartel bust gone wrong, Kate volunteers to work with a task force assigned to take down the men responsible for the massacre. The team, led by Matt (Josh Brolin) and Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro), consistently misleads Kate - changing destinations last minute and even putting her in deadly situations. All the while, she fears those to blame are going unpunished as she is used as a puppet for the men's ulterior motives, but refuses to turn her back on the situation.

One thing I must say the movie did flawlessly is how well the movie's actors did bringing their superbly-written characters to life. Emily Blunt, donned as an action heroine since 2012's Looper, finally sold me as a believable genre heroine. After playing relatively one-dimensional characters in Looper and Edge of Tomorrow, she has the chance to play a believable and vulnerable human character who still knows how to show brutality. Her facial expressions and body language display a complete character immersion - one scene sticking out being where she's visibly but subtly trembling as she tries to recover from the events of the opening scene.

Del Toro and Brolin also deliver performances that will be sure be considered career highlights - Del Toro establishing a grim and ruthless presence with Brolin supporting his movies with comedy, charisma, and indifference toward the consideration of others.  As Alejandro, Del Toro takes over the latter half of the movie with a commanding and astounding presence, showing his true colors as a man you would have no desire to cross paths with.

Additionally, Sicario provides many moments for these characters to prove how strongly-established they are. There are nearly a dozen scenes in the movie where the tension is so high I was genuinely concerned for the players and unsure of the outcome. When the movie (finally) gets to these scenes, it holds nothing back, and isn't afraid to shake you in your seat with the sudden bloody death of those in front of you.

With that said, it is a shame that these scenes were preceded by the first half of this movie. While not without its moments, this hour or so of the movie took away from the build-up the film could have had going throughout, especially if it were 20 minutes shorter. There were many ideas, themes, characters, and motives that could have been explored better if they did things better. Honestly, Sicario would have made a great second season of "True Detective," but as a result of its cinematic nature, time was mismanaged, pace was lost, and characters and scenes that deserved a better overall production didn't get one. Sicario's moments of sheer brilliance shouldn't be overlooked. Having said that, that terrible chunk in the middle shouldn't either.

Rating: 3/5

The Martian

Mashable

The Martian is a movie like nothing we have ever seen. Its approach to the survivor-man movie is astoundingly unique, and does things we haven't seen in similar attempts in movies like Gravity, Cast Away, and Apollo 13. The stellar cast's presence on the screen is matched only by the aesthetics and wonder of the mise-en-scene. The music is wonderfully hypnotic, and the screenplay is an accomplished balance act of comedy, drama, tragedy, and exposition. It has all the necessities of a perfect movie - and it would be if it weren't a little boring sometimes.

The Martian is the first movie Ridley Scott fans can get behind since 2012's Prometheus (or 2007's American Gangster if you're on the "I hate Prometheus" bandwagon). The movie stars Matt Damon as Frank Watney, a NASA botanist left behind on Mars after seemingly killed during a storm. Much to Earth's surprise, Watney is revealed to have survived. He deduces he must keep himself alive for nearly four years before being rescued during NASA's next mission but realizes he only has enough supplies for one.

When NASA discovers Watney isn't dead after all, a team of officials (comprised of Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sean Bean, and Kristen Wiig) work to solve the problem of bringing him home. In the meantime, they're forced to deal with the press, the team that left Watney behind, and the ticking clock counting down the days until Watney runs out of resources.

The film is reliant on the talents of Damon, who carries the movie without effort. The writing is smart and calls upon Damon to rattle-off complex space/science stuff in layman's terms that I couldn't begin to explain. And as sort of a thank you to viewers for following along, the character says sarcastic quips which are legitimately funny due to Damon's wry style of delivery. In the many days (or, in the movie, "sols") where Damon is on Mars alone for extended periods, it helps keep the movie afloat.

Unfortunately, the film is not reliant enough on the talents of other cast members. It takes nearly to the halfway point before we see Watney's original crew return to the screen, even though Kate Mara, Jessica Chastain, and Michael Pena compose that team. Storywise, it made sense for their temporary absence, and the story was sure to bring them back in fully by the end. However, seeing so much time go by without proven talents like those of Jessica Chastain during the movie's more redundant parts was a hindrance on being able to fully love this movie. For several minutes at a time, The Martian is simply Matt Damon talking to a camera about how he plans to stay alive on Mars. This is where I found the film to be uneventful, and even with the comedy, utilizing the talents of the rest of the cast would have kept the film afloat even better.

What The Martian did well was realize one character probably couldn't carry the entire movie given the story it wanted to tell. What it didn't do too well was balance the stories of Watney, the NASA team, and the space crew as well as it could have. By the end, everything come together wonderfully. It was an emotionally satisfying ending that utilized time and characters flawlessly. However, the road to get to that point was drawn by filmmakers who didn't execute the story the best they could. With a better balance of these three separate stories, The Martian would have reached the heights to make it the perfect film it could have been. Watching the movie was like putting together a puzzle - all the right pieces were there, and you knew it, but sometimes the wrong piece ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. When it's complete, though, that's when you can look past the faults and recognize the accomplishment.

The good news is that after a few lackluster efforts, The Martian satisfies those anxiously waiting for both Scott and Damon to prove they've still got what it takes to be highly regarded Hollywood names. It's also incredibly pleasing to the ears and eyes with its music, effects, cinematography, imagery, and truly impeccable casting. While a better balance of characters and interrelated stories could have made The Martian more effectively paced and completely spectacular, it was missing that element. Instead, we'll have to settle for pretty spectacular, and to be honest, I'm not too upset about that.

Rating: 4/5