OSCAR 2016 - Pre-Show Thoughts & Predictions & Rants

OSCARS 2016 Thoughts and Predictions:

 Another Oscars, another year of controversy and complaining. What's always amazing to me is how every year, it suddenly seems to dawn on people that the Oscars are less-than-definitive. I mean, even putting aside issues like lack of diversity in terms of nominations, the Oscars have always failed to represent a broad spectrum of film genres and voices. The problem is the voters. It seems suspect that the film awards of record are voted on not by critics or journalists who make it a point to see as many new films as possible, but by Academy members who - no surprise to anyone who knows the entertainment biz - don't watch all that many movies, and don't exactly tend to be plugged in to anything outside of the mainstream. And so, the Oscars become a political game of which studio pushes which films the hardest and most effectively. Therefore, the systemic issues in how films are nominated and voted on also lead to the lack of diversity in the nominee pool. One of the best movies I saw in 2015 was Beasts of No Nation. If this film had received as vigorous an Oscar campaign as, say, The Revenant - then perhaps it would have been nominated for Best Picture, and Idris Elba for Best Supporting Actor. But the movie did not get that same push, and its status as a Netflix original production likely made it a puzzling film for stodgy Oscar voters who view streaming services with a wary eye. So, as usually tends to happen, the conversations around the Oscars become less about what movie was actually best, and more about which cult-of-personality actor has finally "earned" their Oscar, as if they were running for political office rather than being evaluated on artistic merit. This is why true film fans will always take the Oscars with a giant grain of salt: because we know that the awards are being decided by Hollywood establishment more so than true cultural critics or leading-edge cinematic voices.

With all that said, there are some minor miracles in this year's pool of nominations. Mad Max: Fury Road, first and foremost. My pick for the Best Movie of 2015 is exactly the kind of movie that the Oscars would typically ignore. But somehow, the hype for Fury Road hit so hard that it ignoring the film became impossible - and the movie came out early enough in the year that there was time for its cult to spread in the months following its summer release. I honestly don't know if Mad Max has a shot of winning Best Picture. But if it does win, it will be hard to complain about this year's Oscars - it will truly be a hell of a moment for film fans. There are a few other truly great, superlative movies in the Best Picture race. Spotlight is a triumph - and again, it's the kind of slow-burn potboiler that could have easily been ignored in year's past. Room, too, is an absolute masterpiece - an ultra-intense human drama that features the year's best acting performance from star Brie Larson. Somehow, Larson seems to be a lock - and deservedly so. It's rare that the right person is the frontrunner, but hey, this year the stars aligned. Or maybe Larson was just too damn good to ignore.

Speaking of people and movies that got ignored ... here are my Top 10 OSCAR SNUBS of 2015:

1.) Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor - Idris Elba, Best Lead Actor - Abraham Attah - Beasts of No Nation

- I'll start back here. I mean ... WTF. Elba's Commandant is an all-time memorable movie character - a nightmarish militia leader whose unhinged charisma makes him both feared and adored by the members of his child army. How was this career-best turn ignored? And then there's Attah. This child actor absolutely kills it in Beasts - transforming before our eyes from an innocent, happy-go-lucky kid to an ice-cold child warrior. A remarkable performance that should have been nominated. Now, maybe I could understand Beasts' omission from the Best Picture race if the nominee pool was completely stacked. But it isn't. Beasts - poignant, visually-stunning, unforgettable - is the superior film to Bridge of Spies (lower-tier Spielberg), The Big Short (funny but flawed), and The Revenant (draggy and pretentious).

2.) Ex Machina ... for anything.

- Here is the classic case of a movie coming in under the radar, but quickly gaining a cult following because it's freaking awesome. I was an early supporter of Alex Garland's science fiction tour de force, and it pains me that it got no real Oscar love. At the least, Alicia Vikander should have gotten a nod for her incredible turn as a lifelike robot. It's a performance that's already earned a spot in the sci-fi cannon, and for good reason. Ex Machina was the kind of smart, heady sci-fi that we need more of, and it should have gotten some Oscar recognition (it got a nom for Screenplay, but come on ... it deserved more!). 

3.) Best Director - Quentin Tarantino - The Hateful Eight

- The Hateful Eight was generally screwed over by the Oscars this year. Maybe there is some Tarantino backlash in the air, but whatever. The guy is one of the great living directors, and The Hateful Eight is yet another landmark QT film. No one else could make a movie like this. The tension-through-dialogue, the layered themes, the sheer sense of fun and insanity. The Hateful Eight should have been a contender. And while Jennifer Jason Leigh did get a much-deserved nom, I'll also give a shout-out to Samuel L. Jackson and Walton by-god Goggins, who were also deserving.

4.) Best Picture - Creed

- Okay, let's think about this. The original Rocky *won* Best Picture. Creed is arguably the best Rocky film since the original, and the Academy acknowledged it merely by giving the token nod to Stallone for Best Supporting Actor? Dude. I'm all in favor of nominating Sly, but the reason he's so good is because of the overall team effort. Ryan Coogler should have gotten a Best Director nom, Michael B. Jordan a Best Actor nom, and most importantly - CREED - a truly great movie ... should have gotten a Best Picture nom.

5.) Best Leading Actress - Charlize Theron - Mad Max: Fury Road

- Sure, a Fury Road Best Picture nom is cool - but how then does the Academy not honor the movie's already-iconic turn from Theron, as Imperator Furiosa?! An all-time great action-hero performance, Theron is the heart and soul of the film. This reminds me of when Uma Thurman was not nominated for Kill Bill. Academy, I dub thee "mediocre!".

6.) Best Supporting Actor - Jacob Tremblay - Room

- Another of 2015's amazing kid-actor performances, Tremblay is preternaturally great in Room. He and Brie Larson play off of each other amazingly, and there's no way the movie would have worked as well as it did with a lesser actor in the role.

7.) Best Leading Actor - Sir Ian McKellan - Mr. Holmes

- I mean, did anyone in the Academy even watch this movie? McKellan gives a freaking acting master-class in it, playing Sherlock Holmes in two different eras and absolutely destroying throughout. Huge snub.

8.) Best Picture - Inside Out

- Inside Out is one of the top two or three Pixar movies ... which means that yes, it's an all-timer. If Inside Out isn't one of 2015's Top 10 movies, then good lord, the system is broken. Obviously the movie is a frontrunner in the animation category - but it's also proof that animation continues to be ghettoized even when an animated film is one of the year's best. 

9.) Best Leading Actress - Emily Blunt, Best Supporting Actor - Benicio Del Toro - Sicario

- Sicario was jam-packed with great performances, but two in particular were sheer dynamite. Emily Blunt was off the charts good - she is now solidified as the preeminent female badass of our time. And Benicio Del Toro delivered his best acting role in ages, cranking up the intensity to eleven. Sicario was totally snubbed by the Oscars - and that's a true crime.

10.) Best Adapted Screenplay - Aaron Sorkin - Steve Jobs

- I don't always love the writing of Aaron Sorkin. But when he's on, he's on. And he's on fire with Steve Jobs - a long-day's-journey-into-night glimpse into the void that is a harrowing, hypnotizing look at the soul-crushing price of success.

2016 OSCAR PICKS AND PREDICTIONS:

BEST PICTURE:

Should Win: Mad Max: Fury Road

- Like I said, to me there are three nominated movies that deserve to win: Mad Max, Spotlight, and Room. All three got flat-out "A's" from me. But when push comes to shove, Mad Max is my pick for Best Movie of 2015. It's a new action classic that raised the bar for blockbuster filmmaking - delivering both thematic heft and unparalleled set-piece action scenes. And it will be re-watched, discussed, and marveled at for years to come.

Will Win: The Revenant

-Ugh. The Revenant should not win. But the hype train for Innaritu's pain-porn adventure seems too strong to stop. This is the classic case of a movie that so badly wants to feel big and important, but is all sizzle and no steak (much like Innaritu's winner last year, Birdman). But Oscar voters, caught up in the ambition of it all, will probably and predictably give it up for Leo and co.

BEST ACTOR:

Should Win: Michael Fassbender - Steve Jobs

- This category is pretty devoid of truly legendary performances this year. But Fassbender is my pick. I thought Steve Jobs was underrated, and Fassbender was amazing in it. He didn't look like Steve Jobs, but he captured the central conflict of Jobs' life via an amazing, kinetic performance. He made Aaron Sorkin's dialogue sizzle and pop. He owned the movie totally and completely.

Will Win: Leonardo DiCaprio - The Revenant

- So much hype. The thing is, Leo should have won for The Wolf of Wall St. That was his true masterwork. But it was probably *too* good for the Oscars, who didn't get that movie and it's greatness. Leo is good - very good - in The Revenant. But I kept thinking that he wasn't even 100% the best man for the part. That to me is not the stuff of a Best Actor award. But god forbid the Hollywood royalty goes too long sans Oscar.

BEST ACTRESS:

Should and Will Win: Brie Larson - Room

- This one is the biggest no-brainer of the night. Larson DESTROYS in Room. I've been on the Brie-is-awesome hype train since her incredible (and not-even-Oscar-nominated) turn in Short Term 12. As amazing as she was there, she's even better in Room. I liked Cate Blanchett in Carol. I really liked Saoirse Ronan in Brooklyn. But Larson in Room is a tour de force.This is one of those so-damn-good-she-has-to win performances. Larson is a lock.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

Should Win: TIE: Sylvester Stallone in Creed, Mark Ruffalo in Spotlight

- I can't not root for Stallone. He's ROCKY. One of the greatest fictional characters ever. And Stallone is freaking great as Rocky in Creed. Stallone, really, is always great as Rocky. But in Creed he's got a sharp script to work with and a great star to play off of in Michael B. Jordan. And that final scene. On the steps. Hoo-boy. At the same time, Ruffalo is fantastic in Spotlight. He goes all-in, changing his whole posture, speaking style, and mannerisms. And he's got some huge, chill-inducing scenes in the film. It's the standout performance in a movie filled with great performances.

Will Win: Mark Rylance - Bridge of Spies

- Rylance is great in Bridge of Spies. Not showy great. But really, really good great. And I figure, Rylance is probably the main reason why this B+ movie was treated as an A-lister this Oscar season (you might say "well, it was Spielberg" - but many of the best Spielberg movies have not fared well come Oscar time, so who knows). In any case, I have a feeling Rylance might pull off an underdog win.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Should Win: Jennifer Jason Leigh - The Hateful Eight

- A strange, bloody, brutal role - Leigh's turn as Daisy Domergue in QT's latest is one for the ages. Leigh is fearless and holds nothing back, and she holds her own in a movie filled with all-time badasses. She may, in fact, be the baddest of them all.

Will Win: Rooney Mara - Carol

- I can't begrudge a Mara win, as she's phenomenal in Carol - with an understated, nuanced performance. Though the movie is called Carol, Mara's Therese is the real star. Why? Because the film is filtered through Therese's point of view, and it's Mara's performance that anchors and grounds the movie. My guess is that voters will want to reward Carol, and will do so by way of a Mara vote.

BEST DIRECTOR:

Should Win: George Miller - Mad Max: Fury Road

- My line of thinking here mirrors what I said earlier about the Best Picture race. Miller should win for Fury Road - he's a master who, despite already being a living legend, completely raised the bar for himself and for action movies in general with his latest. I mean, come on - the direction in Fury Road is *breathtaking.* At the same time, I was pretty floored by the directing in both Room and Spotlight, so could not be too upset if either of those films won. Room, in particular - the intensity and nail-biting nature of the film deserves recognition.

Will Win: Alegandro Inarritu - The Revenant

- I don't know. Maybe the Academy will do the right thing and go with Miller. But the cynic in me says they will do the predictable thing and go with Inarritu, sucked in by his tales of a life-and-death-struggle of a film shoot and his pretensions as a true artiste of cinematic greatness.The dude has talent, no question. There are moments of amazing visual splendor in The Revenant. But the story is lacking, and the film is in many ways emotionally and thematically hollow.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:

Should and Will Win: Spotlight

-Spotlight had an amazing screenplay. It builds and builds and intensifies and intensifies. It is sprawling yet never hard to follow. It's small in scale, but feels big - the stakes are huge. It is, in its own way, quite epic. Spotlight was my pick for the best Screenplay of the year, and I think it will win. Shout-out though to both Ex Machina and Inside Out - each were incredibly well-written as well.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:

Should Win and Will Win: Brooklyn

- It might surprise you that I pick Brooklyn here, but man, it's got one hell of a screenplay by the great Nick Hornby. I don't tend to love rom-coms, but Brooklyn transcends the genre by just being an insanely charming love story with a lot of heart, but also a lot of authentic-feeling emotion, layered characters, and an abundance of wit.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE:

Should and Will Win: Inside Out

-My one caveat here is that Anomalisa is such an outlier in this category. It feels a bit silly to have it competing against a bunch of family and kids' movies. I feel like there should be two distinct animation categories - adult animation and kids/family animation. Or just do away with animation and have a kids/family category (and a comedy category, while we're at it!). Suffice it to say, Anomalisa is a pretty incredible film. I'd say it's a Best Picture-worthy one. But ... Inside Out, in my view, is a Pixar masterpiece. This is its year. The way it visualizes and conveys complex emotions into easily-distilled themes is truly remarkable. It's a clever, joyful, sad, emotion-packed, visually-stunning work of imagination and wonder and great empathy. A lot of times I feel like Pixar just wins these things by default. But this year, it is deserving.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:

Should and Will Win: Mad Max: Fury Road

-No other movie of 2015 so utterly and completely transported me to another world like Fury Road. This is a fully-realized post-apocalyptic world that fires the imagination. The detail, the aesthetic - amazing. And it's all so, so metal. Fury Road takes it. Although ... Alicia Vikander going all-in as an android in Ex Machina makes for tough competition.

BEST FILM EDITING:

- Should and Will Win: Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:

- Should Win: Mad Max: Fury Road
- Will Win: The Revenant

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN:

- Should and Will Win: Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST ANIMATED FILM SHORT:

- Should and Will Win: World of Tomorrow

BEST DOCUMENTARY:

- Should and Will Win: The Look of Silence

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT:

- Should Win: ?
- Will Win: Last Day of Freedom

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT:

- Should Win: ?
- Will Win: Day One

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:

- Should and Will Win: Son of Saul

BEST COSTUME DESIGN:

- Should and Will Win: Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING:

- Should and Will Win: Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST SOUND MIXING:

- Should and Will Win: Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST SOUND EDITING:

- Should and Will Win: The Martian

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:

- Should Win: The Hateful Eight
- Will Win: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

BEST ORIGINAL SONG:

Should Win: ?
Will Win: "Writing's On the Wall" - Spectre

Well, it will be an interesting Oscars. There are A LOT of great films nominated this year, despite what the backlash to the nominations may have you believe. I strongly urge you to check out movies like Spotlight, Room, and Steve Jobs if you haven't already. At the same time, there are, again, plenty of amazing movies that won't be talked about at this year's Oscars. That includes movies that inexplicably missed the cut - like Beasts of No Nation - as well as indie and genre movies that never really stood a chance of awards recognition. In 2015, some of the movies that inspired me most and and got me most excited about cinema included gems like It Follows, Ex Machina, Crimson Peak, Dope, Bone Tomahawk, Predestination, Kingsmen, and Cop Car. So at the end of the day, realize that the Oscars are not the end-all, be-all. What makes being a film fan so much fun is finding the unique voices, the bold visions, and the unexpected gems.

THE BEST OF 2015 - The Best MOVIES Of The Year

THE YEAR IN MOVIES - 2015

- It's been quite a year at the movies. But let's face it, this will forever go down as the year of Star Wars. All year, the anticipation built for The Force Awakens. And since December 18th, it feels like all anyone who's a movie fan can talk or write or think about is The Force Awakens. So what does it all mean for movies? First of all, let's take a step back and acknowledge that Star Wars is much more than just a movie - it's a giant multimedia franchise with decades of cultural history and baggage. When we see a new Star Wars movie, we're not *just* watching a movie - we're practically watching the next chapter in our collective pop-mythology. From a critical standpoint, it's hard to talk about The Force Awakens and not get caught up in all the other *stuff* that is tangential to the movie itself. Hence, endless think-pieces that, while interesting food for thought, are often merely projecting the writer's predisposed feelings about Star Wars (and George Lucas, JJ Abrams, Disney, the prequels, the merchandising, and blockbuster movies in general). The fact is though - The Force Awakens was a pretty amazing piece of pop entertainment. It may have had some issues with its storytelling (too much contrived mystery, too much choppy plotting), but let's also admit that the film's story has been analyzed far beyond that of most big blockbuster films. If we'd put the original trilogy and/or any number of other big blockbusters through a similar microscope, we'd find as many (and likely many more) holes. The Force Awakens works so well though because it has the kind of character, heart, visual artistry, and old-fashioned "movie magic" that so many big films today lack. It's a movie that begs for a second or third viewing. It's a movie that will inspire people. That to me is the ultimate takeaway from the movie's success - the epic sci-fi stories, superhero sagas, and fantasy worlds that were once for a select few are now, officially, for everyone. Ultimately, I think that's a big net positive.

And yet ... there is another. The best big blockbuster of 2015 was, no question, the superlative Mad Max: Fury Road. It's hard to describe to skeptics just why the movie works so well - you just have to see it to understand. But no other movie this year so completely floored me. The combination of incredible characters, amazing world-design, propulsive action, and thematic depth made this one of the best action/adventure movies of all time. Prior to Fury Road, the Mad Max franchise was iconic. Now, it's a whole new level of legendary.

Indeed, 2015 was a landmark year for genre film. It Follows was one of the best horror movies of the last several years - a low-budget indie that was so creative and fun that it made you want to go make your own horror movie immediately (seriously: the movie inspired me to take a stab at my first-ever horror screenplay). Ex Machina was exactly the kind of high-minded sci-fi film I love - dark, boundary-pushing, and thought-provoking. Same goes for the future cult-classic Predestination. The Martian mixed real science with a near-future sci-fi premise to achieve greatness - and it marked a welcome return to space for the great Ridley Scott. We got a new Western from the king of genre mash-ups, Quentin Tarantino - and man, The Hateful Eight was a rip-roaring exercise in awesomeness, with an all-star cast of badass actors. And it wasn't even the only badass Western this year starring Kurt Russell! As if his role in The Hateful Eight wasn't enough, Russell also starred in the certifiably kick-ass Western/horror mash-up Bone Tomahawk, and appeared in Furious 7. 2015 was a full-on Kurt Russell Renaissance. For someone like me who grew up on movies like Escape From NY, this was cinematic bliss. Speaking of Furious 7, it was one of a couple of great action movies this year. Another standout was Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation - it was a franchise-best installment, full of some of the coolest set-piece action scenes I've seen in this or any year.

If 2015 had a failing, it's that the big, prestige, Oscar bait-ish movies in many cases fell flat, at least for me. Only a handful - Spotlight, Room, Brooklyn - really lived up to their full potential. Interestingly, one of the year's best high-minded dramas came from Netflix. I was late to watch Beasts of No Nation - I mean, how good could a movie created by Netflix really be? Turns out, it could be amazing. Beasts was a true cinematic tour de force and one of the year's best.

Another underdog that proved to have championship potential was Creed. I wasn't among the doubters - I love the Rocky series, and knew it was in good hands with director Ryan Coogler and star Michael B. Jordan. And Creed did not disappoint - it was not just a great Rocky movie, but a great film, period. Pixar too proved itself again to be the reigning champ of animation. Inside Out was one of their best-ever films - a shockingly sophisticated, amazingly-crafted look at human emotion that was a great film for both kids and adults.

As always, I didn't see everything. But I did see a lot - and overall, I felt really good about the films of 2015. Here are my favorites.

DANNY'S BEST MOVIES OF 2015:

1.) Mad Max: Fury Road

- With Mad Max: Fury Road, director George Miller delivered a master class in how to do sci-fi/action filmmaking right. The action is non-stop and unrelenting, but never boring. It escalates in the same manner as a great song - slowing down, picking up again, and then bringing it all home like some sort of cinematic power ballad. I could talk for paragraphs just about the world of this movie. The characters, the vehicles, the mythology, the look and feel of the movie's post-apocalyptic wasteland. But I could talk just as much about how powerful the movie is thematically: it's one of the best-ever movies about breaking free from oppression and fighting for the right to free will. The battle of wills between Imperator Furiosa and Immortan Joe is one for the ages - an epic chase through the wasteland with life itself at stake.

2.) Room

- There was no moment more tense for me in a movie theater in 2015 than the "escape" scene in Room. It was one of the most edge-of-your-seat moments I've ever experienced while watching a movie. Room completely and utterly makes you root for its characters to get away from the hellish place they're trapped in. And then, it makes you root almost as hard for them to conquer the emotional trauma that they're left with in the aftermath. Room is amazing. Brie Larson's acting here is next-level - even better than her turn in Short Term 12. Kid actor Jacob Tremblay is phenomenal - a truly affecting performance. This is brave, bold storytelling that counterbalances its darkness with life-affirming hope and joy. Go watch Room if you haven't yet seen it.

3.) Spotlight

- Spotlight works on two levels. One, it's an old-school paranoid thriller, a crackling investigative procedural that is a tribute to the power of real, nose-to-the-grindstone journalism. In a world where real journalism is increasingly rare, it's a potent reminder of what we've lost. Second, it's a jaw-dropping reminder of the evils of institutionalized abuse. It shows you the full extent of the Catholic priest abuse scandal with mind-numbing reminders about just how far-reaching the problem was and just how much effort was put into keeping it out of the public eye. The movie has a true ensemble cast. It's not a showy movie, but it has a building intensity that, by the film's end, has built to a fever pitch. Extremely powerful filmmaking.

4.) Inside Out

- Inside Out is an amazing achievement from Pixar. Somehow, it distills complex emotional truths into easy-to-understand concepts and characters. It captures the way we think and feel with startling accuracy. But it doesn't stop there - the film's representation of our thoughts and feelings shows us how alike we all are on the inside. To that end, the film is a remarkable meditation on the power of empathy. Plus, it's also a lot of fun - with a fantastic voice cast and lots of humor. Not to mention, it's got incredible visuals that fully immerse you inside the movie's literal mind-trip. To me, this stands among the finest films Pixar has ever produced - and that says a lot.

5.) The Hateful Eight

- It's a violent, brutal, mean movie, but man, The Hateful Eight is a rollicking good time. With Tarantino, you know you're in the hands of a great storyteller, and this is a story that's got a lot to say. About justice, about race, about revenge, about war, about America. But it says its piece via dynamite dialogue, via larger-than-life characters, with a style and flair and sense of showmanship that are the trademarks of a great Tarantino film. The cast here is populated by all-time badasses doing career-best work. Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins, Kurt Russell, and Jennifer Jason Leigh are all fantastic. This is a movie I won't soon forget, and it's a more-than-worthy entry in the Tarantino cannon.

6.) Ex Machina

- I was an early supporter of Ex Machina, and I'm glad to see that its fanbase has only grown in the months since its release. If nothing else, Ex Machina was further proof that writer/director Alex Garland is one of the best and most interesting filmmakers working today. The guy earned geek-cred for writing movies like 28 Days Later, Sunshine, and Dredd. But man, what a directorial debut with Ex Machina. In a world where sci-fi is too often equated with overblown blockbusters in which lots of stuff blows up, here was a smaller-scale, more intimate movie that really got into the science fiction of it all: here is this new technology - what does it say about us as humans, and how can it be used for good or ill? The movie's got three fantastic leads - Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Issac, and, in a breakthrough performance, Alicia Vikander as an instantly-iconic android with an agenda. One of the best modern science fiction films, no question.

7.) Creed

- My hope for Creed is that this is the new template for how to continue a franchise. Enough with soulless reboots that lack respect for the source material. If you're going to revive a franchise, do it the right way, and do it in a way where the torch is properly passed. Creed is the ultimate passing-of-the-torch movie. It introduces a new franchise with a new star (a great Michael B. Jordan) and a new director (Ryan Coogler) that could theoretically be the driving forces behind many more movies in the series, for years to come. But it also never forgets its Rocky legacy, and in fact, it gives the Rocky character a great role to play and Sylvester Stallone the opportunity to turn in one of his best-ever performances. Creed feels right. It's a new generation of Rocky movie that's new and fresh and different, and yet it encapsulates all that makes Rocky great. The champ is here, and his name is Creed.

8.) Beasts of No Nation

- A lot of the big, sprawling dramas of 2015 left me feeling a bit empty. But Beasts of No Nation shook me to my core. A moving, powerful, unforgettable story - it's the fictional tale of a young boy in a war-torn African country, who is recruited by an unhinged general to be a soldier in his child army. The details are fictional, but the core truths at the movie's center are all too real - an affecting, eye-opening look at the world we live in today. Idris Elba is in acting beast-mode here, turning in the performance of a lifetime as the fearsome Commandant. And child actor Abraham Attah is phenomenal - showing us how a wide-eyed, innocent kid is turned into a soulless killer. Director Cary Fukunaga shows us the unrelenting chaos of war in absorbing, can't-look-away detail. The movie is a gut-puncher, but it's one of the year's best.

9.) It Follows

- Over the last couple of years, I've been really digging the indie-horror movement that's been completely subverting expectations about what the genre can be. Now, in the wake of films like House of the Devil, You're Next, and The Babadook comes It Follows - one of the freshest, coolest, most creative horror movies I've seen in years. The movie's premise is killer - a spectral force that can look like anyone stalks its victims anywhere and everywhere, and the only way to get rid of it is to pass it on through sex. It's the ultimate STD. But aside from that hook, what makes It Follows work so well is the atmosphere director David Robert Mitchell creates - a creepy homage to the works of John Carpenter, and other 80's horror movie icons that emphasized mood and tone over cheap jump-scares. To cap it all off, the movie features a great lead performance from Maika Monroe, who is quickly becoming an iconic Scream Queen of modern cinema.

10.) Star Wars: The Force Awakens

- What other movie generated as much pure excitement in 2015 - or ever? - as The Force Awakens? As I said up top, this is a hard one to talk about purely as a film, because there's so much baggage and weight of expectation that comes with this being the continuation of a saga that fans have waited decades for. But I will say this: the enthusiasm that people have for this movie is no accident. The secret of the film's success is taking the sort of classic, mythic storytelling of the original Star Wars and combining it with new, modern, diverse characters that feel vital and relevant for the times we live in. Star Wars has always had space-opera on a grand scale. But now it's also got a beating heart that, at times, eluded even the original films. Yes, JJ Abrams and team are building on the universe and themes that George Lucas created. But they've also launched a new era for Star Wars in epic fashion. That is no small feat. The movie is imperfect, yes. But at the end of the day, The Force is undeniably strong in this one.

JUST MISSED THE CUT:


11.)  The Martian

- A riveting journey into space and a harrowing survival story, this movie mixes humor, high-adventure, and a real respect for the science of it all, The Martian is a reminder of why Ridley Scott is one of the greatest of all time when it comes to epic, immersive sci-fi. It's got incredible visuals, a smart and witty script courtesy of Drew Goddard, a great leading-man turn from Matt Damon, and a stacked supporting cast.

12.) Wild Tales

- An anthology film about extremes of human behavior, this Argentinian movie is so good that it was nominated for an Oscar last year. It wasn't watchable in America until 2015, but man, I'm glad it was finally made available. It's a funny, shocking, highly-entertaining set of stories in the tradition of things like Black Mirror and The Twilight Zone - twisty morality plays that have to be seen to be believed.

13.) Brooklyn

- Even if you don't like romance, this movie is such a well done one that I guarantee it will win you over. Why? Because this absolutely charming period-piece is a winner - featuring a star-making turn from Saoirse Ronan, as an Irish immigrant in Brooklyn looking to start a new life, but still drawn back to the comfort and familiarity of her home country. The movie's got a smart, funny script from Nick Hornby - and really surprised me with just how much it drew me in and made me cross my fingers for a happy ending for its characters.

14.) Bone Tomahawk

- What's so cool about Bone Tomahawk is that it would still be pretty badass even if it was just a straight-up Western. The movie's first half is just that - and even then, it kicks ass thanks to a fantastic cast (Kurt Russell in top form as the gruff sheriff, Richard Jenkins ruling it as the bumbling deputy) and old-school solid filmmaking chops. But then, the movie kicks into overdrive when it's revealed that the guys Russell and co. are chasing are actually ... wait for it ... deadly mutant cannibals! Hells yeah. If you like badass movies, then this one is essential viewing.

15.) Sicario

- A grim n' gritty descent into hell-on-earth, Sicario is a harrowing look at the violence and chaos that can erupt in Mexican border towns like Juarez as part of the covert but deadly drug-wars being raged. With her intense turn here as an FBI agent recruited for a secret mission over the border, Emily Blunt solidifies herself as cinema's reigning most-badass-female. Meanwhile, Benicio Del Toro turns in a searing performance as an operative whose emotional scars have turned him into a stone-cold killer.

THE NEXT BEST:

16.) Predestination

- Predestination launched unceremoniously on VOD and digital-download services in January, but being a sucker for anything time-travel related, I gave it a look. As it turns out, this Ethan Hawke-starring adaptation of a Robert Heinlein story is actually really great - a well-acted film (in addition to Hawke, there's an incredible central performance from Sarah Snook that deserves to be talked about) with an absolutely killer twist ending. For me, this is a new sci-fi favorite.

17.) Crimson Peak

- Guillermo Del Toro's latest is an atmospheric gothic romance that also happens to be a ghost story. But this movie is pure Del Toro - which means its visuals are jaw-dropping, with unmatched attention to detail and an eye-popping artfulness. If you ever dreamed of a Del Toro-directed haunted mansion movie, well, here it is. And as an added bonus, Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, and Jessica Chastain are all amazing here, gothing it up like nobody's business. This movie deserved to do better at the box office, but like other Del Toro films it will live on as an all-time cult classic.

18.) Dope

- Dope is the sort of under-the-radar breakthrough that you love to see as a film fan. It's a Lebowski-esque crime caper, in which a geeky inner-city teen accidentally gets stuck with a bag full of drugs that makes him a target for criminals and cops alike. Shameik Moore breaks out big-time here as nerdy Malcom, and director Rick Famuyiwa shows that he is one to watch.

19.) Kingsman: The Secret Service

- "Manners maketh man." So goes the super-spy credo of Kingsmea's dapper agent played by Colin Firth. Firth kills it in this one - an insanely fun, wonderfully vulgar, over-the-top, action-packed spy movie satire that is one of 2015's best blockbusters. Matthew Vaughn's adaptation of the Mark Millar comic book actually improves on the source material, delivering an applause-worthy deconstruction of the Bond archetype that deserves sequels of its own. Vaughn again proves that he's one of the best, most interesting action directors working today.

20.) Cop Car

- A down n' dirty grindhouse flick featuring a killer turn from Kevin Bacon, this movie casts Bacon as a psycho cop on a rage-filled quest to find his stolen vehicle. As it turns out, his police cruiser's been taken by two runaway kids, who have no clue to what extent they've messed with the wrong guy's car. I really dug this movie - it's a total showcase for director Jon Watts. It's no wonder he's been tapped to direct the next Spider-Man movie, because Cop Car shows that he's the real deal.

21.) Steve Jobs

- I had mixed feelings about this one upon exiting the theater, but over time, I really began to warm up to it. I think the key to appreciating this effort from director Danny Boyle and writer Aaron Sorkin is to realize that it's by no means a literal biography of Jobs, but a theatrical, representational microcosm of his life's defining work. It's a smart, thought-provoking look at the cost that great success and insatiable drive can take on one's soul. Michael Fassbender is electric in the leading role, and the supporting cast is also amazing - Kate Winslet, Jeff Daniels, and Seth Rogen each more than hold their own delivering Sorkin's hard-charging, hellfire-and-brimstone dialogue.

22.) Furious 7

- If I'm being honest, I've got to say this: Furious 7 is one of the most viscerally awesome and kick-ass action movies I've ever seen. Sure, it's all big, dumb fun - but what fun it is. Director Justin Lin cranks things up to eleven with this one, delivering some all-time great action set pieces that left me with my jaw squarely on the floor. The movie's just got a great sense of propulsive fun, with a lovable cast of action titans, including Vin Diesel, Jason Statham, Kurt Russell, Michelle Rodriguez, Ronda Rousey, and The Rock. Plus, it has an unexpected element of heart as well. The death of Paul Walker while the movie was still filming was an unbearably sad tragedy, but the movie pays tribute to Paul in a way that is honestly and sincerely moving. I'm sure few ever expected to shed a tear at a Fast & Furious movie, but this one both kicks ass and tugs at the ol' heartstrings.

23.) Mr. Holmes

- In this tale of an aged Sherlock Holmes' final case, Sir Ian McKellan delivers an acting master class. Playing both a younger, spry-er Holmes as well as an older, more brittle version, McKellan is absolutely phenomenal. An interesting, emotionally-involving twist on the Sherlock Holmes legend, this one is a must-watch for fans of the character and/or of McKellan.

24.) Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

- Another great action movie that surpassed expectations, this one excels thanks to the back-to-basics direction of Christopher McQuarrie. McQuarrie understands the fundamentals of constructing a great action scene, always clearly establishing the stakes and creating a palpable sense of danger for the characters. Tom Cruise brings his usual high-intensity to the movie as Ethan Hunt, but this one finally makes us care about his supporting cast as well. Plus, Rebecca Ferguson is superb as the movie's deadly femme fatale. I guarantee we'll be seeing a lot more from her in the years to come.

25.) Mistress America

- Another home run for the creative combo of Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig. The two created a great film with Frances Ha, and they craft another winner here with Mistress America. They really seem to be making a play to be the modern-day Woody Allen - telling witty, funny, keenly-observed stories about young people in the big city. Gerwig also continues to shine as an actress - here, she is a barely-held-together ball of manic energy that isn't quite the queen of New York she thinks herself to be. I can't wait to see more movies from this team.


MORE GREAT FILMS OF 2015:

26.) Bridge of Spies

- Steven Spielberg tackles the Cold War in this poignant tale of a decent man doing his best to uphold the best of America's values, during a time when those values seem all but lost. The movie gets off to a slow start, but builds towards a whopper of a finale that has a lot to say not just about the Cold War, but about where we are today as a country. Tom Hanks is reliably excellent, but it's Mark Rylance who is the show-stealer - delivering a quietly amazing performance as a Soviet Spy who wants simply to be treated with dignity.

27.) Carol

- Director Todd Haynes makes Carol a powerful story about forbidden romance - less so with words and more so with subtle gestures, glances, and subtext. The always-great Cate Blanchett is a force of nature here, but the real star is Rooney Mara - in a nuanced, understated, memorable performance that boils over with bubbling-beneath-the-surface emotion. An effective look at how beneath the surface of idyllic 1950's America lay harsh realities of social oppression and emotional repression.

28.) Straight Outta Compton

- At times, Straight Outta Compton feels a little too much like a standard-issue biopic. But when it really pops - showing us the big moments in the career of NWA that changed music and pop-culture forever - it's chill-inducingly good. The cast here is universally excellent, and the movie effectively shows how the NWA were at the forefront of a culture war that still rages today. But when the focus is on the music, the movie really shines - capturing the sonic alchemy and lyrical power that made the NWA hip-hop revolutionaries.

29.) Spy

-  Spy is Melissa McCarthy's best-ever movie, and the one that most takes advantage of her considerable comedic skill-set. Paul Feig's witty, playfully subversive send-up of the spy genre was one of 2015's biggest surprises - a film that was really funny, had shockingly great action scenes, and had a lot to say on a meta level about how a great female comic like McCarthy can be used and abused by a Hollywood system that tends to typecast her in unflattering roles. Spy gave me great hope for Feig's upcoming Ghostbusters relaunch. This guy gets it.

30.) The Big Short

- Adam McKay's foray into more serious-business filmmaking - a look at the mid-00's housing market crash that led to financial crisis - is both commendably educational and satisfyingly pissed-off. The film features excellent performances from Steve Carell, Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, and more - each playing guys who saw the crash coming, but were faced with a system that couldn't see or didn't want to admit that it was on the way. The movie goes a bit off the rails at times, with random cutaways and ADD-pacing. But it also felt like the chip-on-its-shoulder movie we needed going into the 2016 election season.

HONORABLE MENTIONS - OTHER HIGHLY RECOMMENDED MOVIES FROM THIS YEAR:

The Night Before
While We're Young
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
What We Do In the Shadows
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Ant-Man
Goosebumps
Ted 2
Trainwreck
Sleeping With Other People
Trumbo
Everest
Unfriended

INDIVIDUAL 2015 AWARDS:

BEST LEAD ACTOR:

1.) Ian McKellan - Mr. Holmes
2.) Michael Fassbender - Steve Jobs
3.) Abraham Attah - Beasts of No Nation
4.) Matt Damon - The Martian
5.) Michael B. Jordan - Creed

BEST LEADING ACTRESS:

1.) Brie Larson - Room
2.) Saoirse Ronan - Brooklyn
3.) Charlize Theron - Mad Max: Fury Road
4.) Rooney Mara - Carol
5.) Emily Blunt - Sicario

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

1.) Idris Elba - Beasts of No Nation
2.) TIE: Mark Rylance - Bridge of Spies, Mark Ruffalo - Spotlight
3.) Sylvester Stallone - Creed
4.) TIE: Samuel L. Jackson and Walton Goggins - The Hateful Eight
5.) Jacob Tremblay - Room

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

1.) Jennifer Jason Leigh - The Hateful Eight
2.) Sarah Snook - Predestination
3.) Alicia Vikander - Ex Machina
4.) Kate Winslet - Steve Jobs
5.) Jessica Chastain - Crimson Peak

BEST DIRECTOR:

1.) George Miller - Mad Max: Fury Road
2.) Lenny Abrahamson - Room
3.) Quentin Tarantino - The Hateful Eight
4.) TIE: Cary Fukunaga - Beasts of No Nation, Ridley Scott - The Martian
5.) David Robert Mitchell - It Follows

BEST SCREENPLAY:

1.) Spotlight
2.) The Hateful Eight
3.) Brooklyn
4.) Ex Machina
5.) Steve Jobs
6.) Inside Out
7.) Dope
8.) Room
9.) Bone Tomahawk
10.) Creed

And that's it for 2015 - here's to an amazing year ahead, and to a year full of great movies.

SPOTLIGHT Is a Powerful Film About the Power of the Press

SPOTLIGHT Review:

- Awards-season movies tend to be flashy, melodramatic, showy films. But like the sleeves-rolled-up characters that inhabit its story, SPOTLIGHT is a nose-to-the-grindstone procedural that nonetheless is a quiet stunner. It's a movie about journalistic investigation in the tradition of old-school classics like All The President's Men - and like that film, the dogged determination of its protagonists uncovers a scandal that runs so deep and is so horrific in its implications that it's hard to believe. SPOTLIGHT builds and builds so as to hit an eventual fever-pitch level of intensity. Its story serves the dual purpose of shining a well-deserved spotlight on its heroes - the intrepid reporters at the Boston Globe's Spotlight section - and of serving as a stark reminder of the evil that these reporters uncovered; the Catholic priest abuse scandal that, for decades, had not just plagued Boston but major cities around the world. This is a movie about the importance of good journalism and of *real* journalism. This is a movie about the way that evil can fester and thrive in communities too paralyzed by fear to report it or stop it. This is one of the absolute top films of the year - a jaw-dropper that is a can't-miss, unforgettable film.

SPOTLIGHT follows a small team of journalists at The Boston Globe circa the early 00's. Led by Walter "Robby" Robinson (Michael Keaton), the team is tasked with finding big, complex stories and attacking them from every angle - investigating them over a long period and then crafting feature-length, in-depth stories for the Globe's Spotlight section. After a new editor from New York, Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber) takes over the paper, he wants the Spotlight team to focus on big stories that will generate real buzz and get people talking. Baron quickly settles on the Church, and the ongoing allegations of priests abusing children, as his first target. Baron - an outsider as a New Yorker and a Jew - is met with a lot of skepticism at the Globe and by the greater Boston community. But he doesn't relent - hounding the Spotlight team to use whatever scraps they have as a starting point in order to piece together the story here. Slowly but surely, the story begins to unravel, becoming something far bigger than Baron or the Spotlight team could have imagined. Little by little, Robinson and team uncover evidence of priests having abused minors - on a scale that makes it more a full-blown epidemic. As the investigation proceeds, the Church protests and denies the allegations. Even many of the victims and their families are not forthcoming, for fear of bringing shame to themselves and to the Church - which they hold in high and sacred regard despite what had happened. But the Spotlight team claws tooth and nail for every shred of evidence.

In some ways, SPOTLIGHT is two films. At its core, it's a crackling investigation movie. But as that investigation proceeds, the horror of the truth about what is being uncovered makes this a movie about something more than just an investigation. Director Tom McCarthy brilliantly takes us down this rabbit hole alongside the characters. Looking at McCarthy's IMDB page, it's sort of shocking - this guy's previous credits include things like the universally-panned Adam Sandler vehicle The Cobbler. But after SPOTLIGHT, McCarthy is undoubtedly one to watch. The film sizzles with old-school cinematic tension and mounting drama, in the vein of the classic paranoid thrillers of the 70's. The film never puts character melodrama front and center, but it cleverly and effectively reveals new layers of its characters as the movie marches on.

A huge part of what makes the film work so well is the phenomenal cast. Within the Spotlight team, Michael Keaton continues his recent hot-streak as Robinson. An institution in the Boston media, Robinson's easygoing likability belies his intense determination to get to the truth, regardless of what skeletons he has to unearth to do so. It's an understated but near-career-best performance from Keaton. Understated but great could also describe the work of Rachel McAdams as Sacha Pfeiffer, a key member of Robinson's team. McAdams has been doing great stuff in general over the last few years, in movies like A Most Wanted Man and TV series like True Detective (she was, by far, the highlight of a flawed season). Here, she is the reporter tasked with seeking out and working with actual victims of priesthood abuse - and she does a fantastic job of conveying both empathy and a relentless drive to get what she needs to nail the abusers. Another major standout here is Mark Ruffalo as Mike Rezendes, a reporter focused on working with a lawyer played by Stanley Tucci to gain access to sealed court records that could directly implicate the priesthood. Ruffalo absolutely kills it here, going all in in a performance in which he's altered his dialect, posture, mannerisms, and tics in order to fully inhabit this character. As Rezendes, he plays the wildcard of the team - in contrast to Keaton's congeniality and McAdams' coolness, Ruffalo's character is a jittery, at times fiery, slightly awkward writer who nonetheless shares his colleague's drive to bring down the abusers. It's a Hulk-sized performance that is undoubtedly worthy of awards-season recognition. Brian d'Arcy James rounds out the Spotlight team, delivering yet another excellent performance. His character, Matt Carroll, is a family man who brings an everyman's perspective to the group. He isn't just worried about the story - he's worried about the implications for him and his kids.

Several other notable performances round out the cast. Shreiber is absolutely great as Baron - and the script smartly shows us different sides of the character that allows him to continue to defy expectation. Tucci's testy lawyer is another great character - a guy who seems like an unsympathetic prick at first glance, but who, we learn, has been through battles that have left him emotionally scarred. 

In a way, the movie can be looked at as a pretty bleak and depressing look at an evil that was, for far too long, allowed to thrive within a sacred institution - all but swept under the rug by Church leaders and politicians. At the same time though, SPOTLIGHT is a potent reminder of the power of and need for real, thorough, fact-based, unrelenting, hard-hitting journalism. The movie earns well-deserved applause for the real-life Spotlight team that exposed the Church's crimes. But it also makes you think about the kind of media coverage that we're saturated with today - barely a decade removed from the events of the film. In an age where longform journalism is disappearing in favor of tabloid, Twitter-friendly, clickbait-grabbing, perpetual news-cycle-feeding "reporting," you have to wonder whether we are missing out on real news and real information that gets lost in the endless clutter - or, worse, never gets reported at all since it requires the kind of time and investigation that doesn't lend itself to daily website or Twitter-feed updates. SPOTLIGHT is a condemnation of the Catholic Church scandal. But that much is obvious. What it also is: a celebration of the power and importance of journalism. Real journalism. The kind that topples kings and opens eyes.

That said, this is not a "everyone wins and goes home happy" sort of movie. No - like those 70's thrillers that preceded it, SPOTLIGHT ends with a real gut-punch - a reminder that as much as the work of the Spotlight team did to expose the truth about the abuse going on in the Church, the problem was and continues to be bigger than even the Spotlight team could have foreseen. And so, the film serves as a rallying cry of sorts. We still need Spotlight teams. We still need relentless search for truth, even when said truth is unpleasant. 

SPOTLIGHT really floored me. 2015 was a year saturated with movies about the media, but this one is something special. It honors and pays tribute to the Boston Globe's reporters not by being a flashy film that lionizes them. Instead, this is a movie about the power of rolling up your sleeves and getting the job done - about pursuing the truth doggedly and without bias or political or institutional influence. A movie about the power of the press. One of the absolute best of the year.

My Grade: A