My Top 25 Films of 2015

So I realize that it's already half way through March 2016, and I honestly thought about just not writing this. However, my own hubris has led me to believe that, at least, a few people will end up reading this and watching a couple of the movies. So let's get down to it. Also, it takes a ton of time to do write ups for each movie, so I thought, forget it. Here's we go.

25. The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Director 

Guy Ritchie

Cast

Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, 

Elizabeth Debicki, Hugh Grant, Jared Harris

24. What We Do in the Shadows

Director

Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi

Cast

Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, 

Jonny Brugh, Rhys Darby

23. Straight Outta Compton

Director

F. Gary Gray

Cast

O'Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, 

Paul Giamatti, Neil Brown Jr., Aldis Hodge

22. Legend

Director

Brian Helgeland

Cast

Tom Hardy, Emily Browning, Christopher Eccleston,

Taron Edgerton, David Thewlis

21. The Big Short

Director

Adam McKay

Cast

Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt,

Rafe Spall, Hamish Linklater, Jeremy Strong, Finn Wittrock

20. Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

Director

Christopher McQuarrie

Cast

Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson,

Ving Rhames, Sean Harris, Tom Hollander

19. Beasts of No Nation

Director

Cary Joji Fukunaga

Cast

Idris Elba, Abraham Attah

18. The Revenant

Director

Alejandro G. Innaritu

Cast

Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Will Poulter,

Domnhall Gleeson, Forrest Goodluck, Arthur Redcloud

17. It Follows

Director

David Robert Mitchell

Cast

Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Lili Sepe,

Olivia Luccardi, Jake Weary

16. The End of the Tour

Director

James Ponsoldt

Cast

Jason Segal, Jesse Eisenberg, Anna Chlumsky,

Joan Cusack, Mamie Gummer, Ron Livingston

15. Carol

Director

Todd Haynes

Cast

Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Kyle Chandler,

Jake Lacy, Sarah Paulson

14. Sicario

Director

Denis Villeneuve

Cast

Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro,

Victor Garber, Jon Bernthal, Daniel Kaluuya

13. Trumbo

Director

Jay Roach

Cast

Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Louis CK,

Helen Mirren, Alan Tudyk, Michael Stuhlbarg, 

12. The Hateful Eight

Director

Quentin Tarantino

Cast

Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins,

Demian Bichir, Tim Roth, Channing Tatum, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern

11. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Director

J.J. Abrams

Cast

Harrison Ford, Carrie Fischer, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, 

Adam Driver, Domnhall Gleeson, Andy Serkis, Max von Sydow, Lupita Nyong'o

10. Inside Out

Director

Pete Docter, Ronnie Del Carmen

Cast

Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, 

Richard Kind, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan, Kaitlyn Dias

9. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Director

Alfonso Gomez-Rejon

Cast

Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, RJ Cyler, Nick Offerman,

Connie Britton, Molly Shannon, Jon Bernthal

8. Brooklyn

Director

John Crowley

Cast

Saoirse Ronan, Emory Cohen, Domhall Gleeson,

Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters, Emily Bret Rickards

7. The Martian

Director

Ridley Scott

Cast

Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Michael Pena, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan,

Sean Bean, Jeff Daniels, Donald Glover, Kristen Wiig,

Mackenzie Davis, Chiwetel Ejiofor

6. Kingsman: The Secret Service

Director

Matthew Vaughn

Cast

Colin Firth, Taron Edgerton, Samuel L. Jackson,

Michael Caine, Mark Strong, Mark Hamill, Jack Davenport

5. Spotlight

Director

Tom McCarthy

Cast

Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Brian d'Arcy James,

John Slattery, Liev Schrieber, Billy Crudup, Stanley Tucci

4. Room

Director

Lenny Abrahamson

Cast

Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Joan Allen, 

Sean Bridgers, William H. Macy

3. Creed

Director

Ryan Coogler

Cast

Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson,

Phylicia Rashad, Ritchie Coster

2. Mad Max: Fury Road

Director

George Miller

Cast

Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, 

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Zoe Kravitz, Josh Helman, Hugh Keays-Byrne 

1. Ex Machina

Director

Alex Garland

Cast

Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander, Domnhall Gleeson, Sonoya Mizuno

Well, there you go. That's my top 25 films of 2015. Do yourself a favour and check some of these out. You're gonna enjoy them.

88th Academy Award Predictions

Bold = Who will win

Italics = Who I think should win

Best Picture:

The Big Short

Bridge of Spies

Brooklyn

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant 

Room

Spotlight

Best Director:

Adam McKay (The Big Short)

George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Alejandro G. Innaritu (The Revenant)

Lenny Abrahamsson (Room)

Tom McCarthy (Spotlight)

Best Actor:

Bryan Cranston (Trumbo)

Matt Damon (The Martian)

Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)

Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs)

Eddie Redmayne (The Danish Girl)

Best Actress:

Cate Blanchett (Carol)

Brie Larson (Room)

Jennifer Lawrence (Joy)

Charlotte Rampling (45 Years)

Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn)

Best Supporting Actor:

Christian Bale (The Big Short)

Tom Hardy (The Revenant)

Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight)

Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies)

Sylvester Stallone (Creed)

Best Supporting Actress:

Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight)

Rooney Mara (Carol)

Rachel McAdams (Spotlight)

Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl)

Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs)

Best Original Screenplay:

Bridge of Spies

Ex Machina

Inside Out

Spotlight

Straight Outta Compton

Best Adapted Screenplay:

The Big Short

Brooklyn

Carol

The Martian

Room

Best Animated Feature Film:

Anomalisa

Boy & The World

Inside Out

Shaun the Sheep Movie

When Marnie Was There

Best Foreign Language Film:

Embrace of the Serpent

Mustang

Son of Saul

Theeb

A War

Best Original Score:

Bridge of Spies - Thomas Newman

Carol - Carter Burwell

The Hateful Eight - Ennio Morricone

Sicario - Johann Johannsson

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - John Williams

Best Original Song:

Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)

Manta Ray (Racing Extinction)

Simple Song #3 (Youth)

Til It Happens To You (The Hunting Ground)

Writing’s On The Wall (Spectre)

Best Sound Editing:

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant

Sicario

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Sound Mixing:

Bridge of Spies

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Production Design:

Bridge of Spies

The Danish Girl

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant

Best Cinematography:

Carol - Ed Lachman

The Hateful Eight - Robert Richardson

Mad Max: Fury Road - John Seale

The Revenant - Emmanuel Lubezki

Sicario - Roger Deakins

Best Makeup and Hairstyling:

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared 

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Revenant

Best Costume Design:

Carol

Cinderella

The Danish Girl

Mad Max: Fury Road 

The Revenant 

Best Film Editing:

The Big Short

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Revenant

Spotlight

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Visual Effects:

Ex Machina 

Mad Max: Fury Road 

The Martian 

The Revenant

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Documentary - Feature:

Amy

Cartel Land

The Look of Silence

What Happened, Miss Simone?

Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom

Best Documentary - Short Subject:

Body Team 12

Chau, Beyond the Lines

Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah

A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness

Last Day of Freedom

Best Live Action Short Film:

Ave Maria

Day One

Everything Will Be Okay

Show

Stutterer

Best Animated Short Film:

Bear Story

Prologue

Sanjay’s Super Team

We Can’t Live Without Cosmos

World of Tomorrow

Spotlight (2015) Movie Review

In 2002, the Boston Globe ran a feature piece on the Catholic Church within Boston, uncovering that there had been an unreal amount of priests that had been molesting children and getting away with it. What this story did was create a domino effect that resulted in numerous parishes all over North America being uncovered as having similar atrocities happening and being swept under the rug. But how, exactly, did all the information about the molestation's get withheld for so long? And how did all the information finally see the light of day? That is what Spotlight, the latest film from Tom McCarthy, aims to uncover.

Robby Robinson (Michael Keaton) runs a section of the Boston Globe, known as Spotlight, which is a team of reports that will work together to write a single story, but that could take months to properly investigate and gather all the information. Robby's team consists of Mike Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo), Sacha Pfieffer (Rachel McAdams), and Matt Carroll (Brian d'Arcy James), and his supervisor Ben Bradlee Jr. (John Slattery). When the Globe gets a new Chief Editor named Marty Baron (Liev Schrieber), who urges the Spotlight team to look into the story of a priest being accused of molestation, the investigation unravels to show this cover up runs very deep.

The entire ensemble of Spotlight is fantastic. While most of the praise and awards will be in the direction of Keaton and Ruffalo, and deservedly so, the work done by the whole cast helps to elevate this film. McAdams, d'Arcy James, Slattery and Schrieber are all fantastic in supporting roles of varying lengths. As are Stanley Tucci, as a lawyer handling the molestation cases, and Billy Crudup, as a lawyer who has previously dealt with molestation cases. All the characters in the film feel like three dimensional people as opposed to characters presented in a film to advance the plot. They have interests and motivations and feel like people you would actually meet. You see them come to terms with the fact that these molestation's hit a lot closer to home than they knew, and how that shapes how they approach the investigation.

Tom McCarthy is a very interesting filmmaker to me, because he's made some underrated gems (Win Win, The Visitor, The Station Agent), and one truly awful film (The Cobbler). Typically, however, his films were small scale about the individuals in the film and how they deal with their circumstances, and I feel like that approach in his previous films lends itself perfectly here. We spend time with the Spotlight team and see how they investigate and uncover the facts in their story, and how it changes how they view things within their lives. McCarthy shoots the entire film with a subtly that never pushes you to conclusions or realizations before the characters themselves have experienced them. His ability to set the pace and let the reveals come to you is a big part of why the film works so well, and why he should be seeing his name come awards time.

The script from McCarthy and Josh Singer is smart, heartbreaking, and, often times, humourous. Despite the tragic events that the film talks about, the injection of humour really helps to alleviate the tension and nauseau you feel when you find out the things these poor children go through. Adding to this, the score by Howard Shore and the cinematography Masanobu Takayanagi are great, never trying to outdo the events being portrayed on screen.

What Spotlight does so well is it draws you into its world, where the idea that a representative of God could not do something so horrifying, especially to defenseless children. It makes you come to terms with the fact that this is a real problem, and that those directed effected by this are still dealing with the actions of these priests till this day. By the time you are able to fully comprehend what you are learning, you'll be left with a knot in your stomach and a lump in your throat. Spotlight is a remarkable film about truly heartbreaking events.

Grade: A

Creed (2015) Movie Review

The Rocky franchise has seen some high highs and some low lows. As far as I’m considered, the original Rocky holds up and is one of the true great sports movies of all time. Then we’ve also seen the mediocrity of the franchise leading to Rocky V, which is horse shit personified. There was also the totally decent, nothing special Rocky Balboa. And after that, we assumed that the franchise was over. Then I heard about another Rocky movie, but with Apollo Creed’s son. And I felt like it could be fun, but it would probably be average. But my expectations were absolutely shattered by Creed, the latest film from writer/director Ryan Coogler, a film that pulls you in and refuses to let you relax until it’s all over.

           

Adonis (Michael B. Jordan), or Donnie as everyone calls him, is the product of an affair between his birth mother and Apollo Creed (previously played by Carl Weathers), arguably the greatest boxer of all time. When Donnie is adopted by Mary Anne Creed (Phylicia Rashad), Apollo’s widow, his childhood of group homes and detention centers is replaced by a mother who raises him as her own. However, despite her warnings, Donnie wants to box, like his father, though refuses to use his name, going by Johnson instead. It’s once he commits to the life of a boxer that he meets an old opponent and close friend of his fathers, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), who helps to guide him and provide a mentor as well. Yeah, I realized I’ve done kind of a piss poor attempt at giving you the plot of this film. But I tried. And that’s what counts.

I’m really happy that Michael B. Jordan has this film to help us forget that he was in the Fantastic Four reboot, because he’s simply outstanding here. His previous collaboration with director Coogler, Fruitvale Station, snubbed him of an Oscar nomination, and I think he is equally deserving this year. Jordan makes you understand everything Adonis does, from the reason he wants to box, his fears, angers and resentments, and his connection to Rocky. His delivers a raw, emotional perform that is immensely aided by his clear physical transformation, looking like he could really be a boxer.

And just as good as Jordan, Sylvester Stallone gives, possibly, the performance of his career. Gone is the Stallone who is gonna flex out of his muscle tee, and instead there is a man who doesn’t quite know what he’s living for anymore. Adrian and Paulie are long gone, his son is off building his own life, and he simply lives every day closed off. Stallone gives Rocky a vulnerability that the character hasn’t had since the first film, showing the heartbreak and deep sadness that fills him. His chemistry with Jordan is evident, and is a big reason the movie feels as smooth as it does, and could be a reason both actors see themselves garner some serious, well deserved awards talk.

The supporting performances are all solid as well. Rashad has a small amount of screen time, but makes it work, as does Ritchie Coster, who plays Rocky’s old friend from the neighbourhood, and Tony Bellew, a real life boxer, who plays boxer “Pretty” Ricky Conlon. However, it’s Tessa Thompson who I really ended up enjoying as Bianca. Yeah, she’s the love interest, but she’s also a fully realized character who has her own motivations and concerns, and Thompson, who I loved in Dear White People, gives a fantastic performance.

Ryan Coogler does damn near everything right with them film. He gives you a reason to believe that Rocky Balboa is as relevant now as he was 40 years ago. Clearly, Coogler is a very talented director that knows how to get a film to make you feel. A lot of credit also has to go to the cinematographer Maryse Alberti, who makes each fight feel unique and different and makes them feel as real as any fight you will see in a film. The score, by Ludwig Göransson, is excellent, giving Creed a unique electric feel that gets you going, and once you hear that iconic Rocky theme, it feels so fucking earned.

In the end, Creed is simply a film you should not miss. It’s a boxing movie that wears its heart on its sleeve and dares you not to applaud. By the end of the film, I had a big stupid grin on my face and had wiped away a tear or two (unlike Justin who cried like a bitch the whole movie), and could not wait to see it again.

Grade: A

Watch What I Said 6

IMDb: 7.7/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 85%

My Grade: A+

So as part of adding content to this increasingly shitty blog, I've decided to include a weekly segment detailing a movie-a-week that people should check out. I know anyone that reads this blog does so primarily for my reviews, but I'm lazy and don't want to review anything right now. This weekly segment may also contain suggestions from other members of the Public Nerdity Podcast from time to time.

As I said, I'd have a second recommendation for this week. And it's a film I recommend to most people I talk to. If you've been paying attention to Jake Gyllenhaal the last several years, you'll notice he's been quietly doing the best work of his career. Snubbed last year for Nightcrawler, he's also been phenomenal in Prisoners and Enemy. However, the film that really kicked off this excellent stretch was End of Watch. This cop drama thriller from David Ayer, who directed Fury and the upcoming Suicide Squad, mixes traditional filming with a found footage, first person style. It follows two LAPD officers, Mike Zavala (Michael Pena) and Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal), who are partners as well best friends. We follow Mike and Brian as they deal with the aftermath of a drug bust, and the fallout it ensues. Both Gyllenhaal and Pena are brilliant, making you believe they are the first to bust each others balls, as well as take a bullet for the other. The rest of the cast is great too, boasting the likes of Anna Kendrick, Frank Grillo, Natalie Martinez, America Ferrera, Cody Horn and David Harbour. I tend to dislike the found footage shooting style, but I really love this film.

Do yourself a favour and check out End of Watch. 

Watch What I Said 5

IMDb: 7.6/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 85%

My Grade: A

So as part of adding content to this increasingly shitty blog, I've decided to include a weekly segment detailing a movie-a-week that people should check out. I know anyone that reads this blog does so primarily for my reviews, but I'm lazy and don't want to review anything right now. This weekly segment may also contain suggestions from other members of the Public Nerdity Podcast from time to time.

Yes, I'm aware I haven't written one of these in a while. But I'm back now. And I have got quite a fantastic film for you. And as an added treat, I'll post a couple of recommendations. The film I decided to pick this week was one that I firmly believe was robbed of a Best Actor Oscar, featuring one of my favourite performances. This week's pick is A Single Man, directed by fashion designer Tom Ford. The amazing performance, in question, is from Colin Firth, who plays George, a man desperately trying, and failing, to find anything worth living for after the death of his longtime partner Jim (Matthew Goode). As George goes about his day, teaching his university class, while being pursued by a charming young student named Kenny (Nicholas Hoult), and having dinner with his old friend Charlotte (Julianne Moore), we hear his inner turmoil. We see him flashing back to happier times with Jim, and the life they had built together. And we see when he finds out that Jim has died, in a scene that should have won him the Oscar, because it's one of the most heartbreaking scenes you'll see. Also, Jon Hamm is the voice on the other end of the phone. Tom Ford creates a beautiful film, that relies on performance and subtlety to engage you, as well as a gorgeous visual asthetic.

With a score of 7.6 on IMDb, and 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, you should do yourself a favour and check this film out. Currently, it's available on Netflix.

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015) Movie Review

Full disclosure right at the top of this review: I'm a massive Mission Impossible fan, and an even bigger Tom Cruise fan. So going into Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (directed by Christopher McQuarrie), I kind of already assumed I would enjoy the movie. In my opinion, there seems to be a weird witch hunt against Tom Cruise because of his religious beliefs, which are admittedly out there, and this somehow constitutes him as being a bad actor. If you hold this belief, then you're an idiot, because there's no one in Hollywood who can do what Cruise does, and remains, for the last 30 years, as Hollywood's best action hero.

Following the events of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, CIA operator Hunley (Alec Baldwin) is set to shut down the IMF, while William Brandt (Jeremy Renner) is try to keep them afloat. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) has been hunting for a terrorist organization known as The Syndicate, armed with the same training as the IMF and ready to cause complete controlled chaos. When the IMF gets shut down, Ethan goes off on his own to stop The Syndicate, and their leader (Sean Harris). Along the way, Ethan gets help from old friends Benji (Simon Pegg) and Luther (Ving Rhames), and crosses paths with a mysterious woman (Rebecca Ferguson). Listen, this is all plot stuff. You wanna know if Tom Cruise runs really hard at something. AND YOU'RE GOD DAMN RIGHT HE RUNS SO HARD. STRAIGHT HANDS, HIGH KNEES, CAN'T LOSE.

Yeah, I enjoy the hell out of these movies. Mostly because Tom Cruise is just so damn committed to showing you he does his own stunts. He's great again as Ethan Hunt, really tailoring the role to his strengths as an actor. Pegg, Renner and Rhames also bring back what has made them stay in the franchise, all doing solid work. Though I wish Renner had more to do. Harris is superbly menacing as the leader of The Syndicate (I'm not revealing his name since it's a mystery for a lot of the movie), and there is good work from Baldwin, Simon McBurney as the head of the MI6, Atlee, and from Tom Hollander as the British Prime Minister. However, it's Ferguson that really steals the show here, as a female member of these movies is given more to do than look attractive and occassionally do a couple of fight scenes. Here, she shows she is just as game as anyone to lay down an ass whooping. Side note: Can someone write me a part for a movie like Ving Rhames has here? Just wearing a crooked fedora and saying sassy things?

I was a little hesitant when I heard that Christopher McQuarrie was going to be writing and directing this, mostly because I loved what Brad Bird did with the previous installment. But McQuarrie holds his own here, delivering a satisfying movie full of big set pieces, action packed chases and a solid cat-and-mouse spy element that makes all these movies great. Yes, there are issues with the film, such as the pacing not being the greatest, and an underdeveloped villain. But overall, I shouldn't have worried about a guy who has written The Usual Suspects and Edge of Tomorrow.

Ultimately, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation is a nice addition to a franchise that clearly has staying power. While not quite as good as the recent installments by Brad Bird and JJ Abrams (you're never gonna get a better villain in this franchise than Philip Seymour Hoffman), it is very enjoyable and leaves you waiting for the next film.