Regardless,
this has been a robust year for film. In fact were so many distinguished films
that to leave one out seemed almost sacrilege. So at the very the least, it seemed right to honor the best
films that will not reach my personal list and hopefully explain why they are
not on the shortlist. It was
either that or I lament about the Oscars, which no one wants to here. Now lets talk movies.
Ex Machina
It
has been a good year for science fiction. This year was loaded with mad
scientists and robots, but the most fascinating ones are found in the indie
sci-fi drama Ex Machina. The story is
about a programmer (played by Domhall Gleeson) who is invited to the home of his
eccentric genius of a boss (Oscar Isaac) to study and determine whether his
latest creation, an uncannily realistic android named Ava (Alicia Vikander),
can pass for a human. It starts a bit cold until the story evolves into a demented
battle of wits as the android warns the programmer of the exploits of his
employer.
The
film is an inspired character drama with Gleeson, Isaac and Vikander creating
scorching performances all around. Vikander in particular is astounding as Ava
the android, she is remarkably sharp playing a character that is either still
processing the meaning of humanity or hiding the humanity that she has. Oskar Isaac
manages to take the worst traits of many diabolical geniuses, like Frankenstein
and Jobs, and still creates a magnetic and uniquely compelling character. This
is a cast that will be going places.
The
weakness of the film however is that the performances are the only interesting parts.
Outside of a few clever uses of CGI, and one impeccable dance sequence, lacks Ex Machina lacks cinematic flair. The cinematography and editing rarely
contribute anything to the story beyond their basic needs. Honestly, it felt
like watching Law & Order at
times. Not that there is wrong that style, Law
& Order is awesome, but it runs a little thin after an hour.
As
a sci-fi allegory, Under The Skin and
Mad Max: Fury Road delved into similar
themes with more engaging complexity. However as an acting showcase for three
young actors, it is a treat.
[Amazon Prime, Blu-ray/DVD]
[Amazon Prime, Blu-ray/DVD]
It Follows
Like
the title, It Follows is a simple and
shockingly effective horror film.
“It” is essentially a venereal disease, which when contracted; a ghastly
figure slowly stalks its victim, very slowly. “It” admittedly sounds only
slightly less terrifying than syphilis, but the brilliance of It Follows comes from how director David
Robert Mitchell composes action around this monster. The film is absolutely
Hitchcockian with its use of long takes of “It” stalking a victim unbeknownst
of the danger near them. The film
thrives on dread and it is used effectively to tell a simple yet dark tale
about sex, death, and pending adulthood. The story ends rather clumsily for my liking,
but the fully realized cinematic storytelling here makes this the horror film
of the year.
Iris
Who
knew that the most painful omission of all would be a simple character-study
documentary about an octogenarian trendsetter? Granted when said film turns out
to be the last film by Albert Maysles, one of the best film documentarians to
have ever lived, one cannot help but feel sentimental. Iris Apfel is one of the
funniest and most fascinating characters of 2015. She is a lively and idiosyncratic
character whose musings on fashion and life are simply charming. Maysles’ style as a discreet observer
clashes hilariously with Apfel’s magnetic presence when she randomly starts
flirting with him in front of her friends. He laughs and barely keeps the
camera steady. That little moment reveals what makes Iris so intriguing; it shows the weird complexities of modern
beauty and fashion. Most people
will not understand why an old woman is a vibrant trendsetter, but then she
says something that will make people laugh or blush and then it all comes clear. It might just be a minor classic in
grand scheme of things but it is nice to see that Albert Maysles’ career ended
on a lovely note.
[Netflix]
Song of The Sea
Song of The Sea (directed by Tom Moore)
is a modern 2-D cartoon fable that is enriched with wonderful and strange
Celtic folklore. This is a film
where elderly Faeries, demigods, Selkies, and soul-stealing owls live in quiet
harmony with modern Irish bustle.
As chaotic as it sounds, the film is ultimately a somber story about a
brother and sister coping with the loss of a loved one that is told with a
focused and gentle honesty. The film has the wonder and elegance of a nursery
rhyme yet it is when Song of Sea film
bursts in a lush spectacle of color that brings tears to the eyes.
Song of the Sea is a beautiful mosaic of
a film that feels as timeless as it does modern. Not since Spirited Away has there been an animated film that is so
imaginative and masterfully attuned with its style and storytelling. In
hindsight, one of the biggest disappointments of the 2015 Academy Awards was
not the omission The Lego Movie but
the backlash that Song of The Sea faced
for taking its place. Song of the Sea was
the best animated-film nominated, and if it had a clear American release, it
would easily be on the list of the best films of 2015.
[Amazon Prime]
[Amazon Prime]
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Like
Song of the Sea, it could have been
on the list had it been released in 2015, but it seemingly premiered in late
2014 and went to disc and streaming services almost immediately. It is still
does not change the fact that it is one of the most unique and entertaining
horror films of this decade. Certainly one of the best feature debuts and
director Ana Lily Amirpour deserves all the recognition she earns for the film.
It simply amazes me that films like this can silently fall into DVD outlets
with little fanfare. If nothing else, A
Girl Walk Home Alone at Night and Song
of The Sea are the unofficial “Direct-to-DVD” films of the year.
[Netflix]
[Netflix]
Chir-raq/The Hateful Eight/Bridge of Spies
These
are three good films by three great American auteurs that exemplify their best
qualities of their works as well as their worst. Spike Lee’s Chi-raq is a furiously funny satire
whose cry to end gun violence is honest and true yet the execution is
overstuffed with style choices that fit together clumsily. Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight is a beautifully
paranoid and wordy western that features an amazing cast; sadly, the tedious
length and structure of the story only shows how the editing skills of the late
Sally Menke greatly improved his films. Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies is easily the most entertaining and clever he has
made since Catch Me If You Can, but
with the exception of Tom Hanks and the intriguing Mark Rylance, none of the
cast transcends beyond their need to move the plot forward.
None
of these films are bad; if they were, they would not be mentioned at all. In a more
conventional year, some or maybe even all of these films would be considered
part of the Top 10, but this year was just too weird and good. This was a year
where indie flicks shot on camera phones and desktop browsers competed with
cine-epics shot on ancient 70MM cameras. This was the year where everyone decided
that BDSM was mainstream. There was a new Star
Wars and Mad Max film released
this year and they were both good. 2015 may have lacked the consistency of 2014 but it was a
genuinely innovative year of cinema.
[Chi-raq is available to rent on Amazon. The Hateful Eight and Bridge of Spies are unavailable to rent but can still be found in certain theaters]
[Chi-raq is available to rent on Amazon. The Hateful Eight and Bridge of Spies are unavailable to rent but can still be found in certain theaters]
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