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

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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.