Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Best Movies of 2015

The wait is over! It's time for Kim's (late) year-end lists of the best movies and books. Today we'll cover my favorite movies of 2015 (and a couple highlights from late 2014).

It seems that every year there are fewer and fewer movies I really want to see. Where are the "When Harry Met Sally"-quality romcoms? Thankfully, however, there are always a couple standouts that make it worth paying exorbitant prices for tickets and popcorn. And if you're a member of Bryn Mawr Film Institute, you get a much better deal on both. Plus, they show the movies that are actually worth seeing. But they're not paying for this promotion, so allow me to get right to our list.

2015's best movies, in order:

  1. Spotlight. About the Boston Globe team who uncovered the Catholic clergy child sexual abuse scandal in 2001. Exceptional acting and story telling. And Mark Ruffalo (love). Too bad it wasn't fictional. 
  2. The Martian. There are very few "big" movies these days that appeal to a wide audience (other than that crazy Star Wars franchise). It seems like everything is either superhero driven, dystopian-themed or involves at least one car chase. I can't imagine there are many true movie fans who wouldn't appreciate Matt Damon in The Martian. The writing and acting were top notch, and somehow it felt like a documentary rather than a self-published story by an author who never imagined anyone would read it, much less make a movie out of it.
  3. Birdman. I realize this movie released in 2014, but I didn't see it until early 2015, so it's making the list. If you want to see a film that you can discuss and debate later with your viewing companion, check out Michael Keaton's Birdman (Keaton's on a roll; he was also in Spotlight.). A fascinating commentary on fame, society and our need to be entertained.
  4. The Imitation Game. Also from 2014, The Imitation Game was an amazing/disturbing history lesson (why don't we learn this stuff in school??) and perhaps even more importantly, it starred the awesome Benedict Cumberbatch. 
  5. Inside Out. Abby did not enjoy this movie at all. Like my sister, she prefers to hide from the mere possibility of unpleasant feelings. Then there's me--happy to swim in the ocean of every emotion that comes my way! I loved Inside Out and thought it was real, honest, and beautifully done. 
  6. Trainwreck. Talk about a shift in this best-of list! I rarely connect with raunchy, over the top, often dumb humor, but this Amy Schumer / Bill Hader movie totally cracked me up. I guess I was just in the right mood. And I'm a sucker for happy endings.
  7. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2. If you read the books, I think you'll agree that the whole series was really well done. Jennifer Lawrence will play me in the movie about my life. 
  8. Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Yes, the girl who doesn't "give a rat's ass" about the Star Wars franchise has to admit that it was really good. Enjoyed the humor and the new "stars," pun intended. 
  9. Sisters. With any other actors, this Poehler / Fey movie might have been really stupid, but with those two, it worked. A great laugh. Go see it with your sister or your girlfriends. And no, I've never had a party like that. Hell, I've never even been to a party like that. 
  10. Spy. Okay, 2015 must have been the year that I opted for slightly stupid humor movies. As I've gotten older and the world has gotten shittier, I seem to be avoiding anything terribly heavy in my entertainment choices. Thankfully there are some decent comedies that don't totally insult your intelligence. I enjoyed this Melissa McCarthy flick. 
Finally, there are a handful of 2015 flicks that I haven't yet seen, but have heard great things about. These are still on my list:
  • The Danish Girl. Eddie Redmayne is more beautiful than many women.
  • Brooklyn  Like I noted above, I've been craving a good romance. I don't think I've seen a smart romcom since Crazy, Stupid Love. Brooklyn might fit the bill.
  • Carol. I don't discriminate in the romance department (it's about two women). 
  • The Big Short. Another movie based on real life. Another film to piss me off. But Ryan Gosling's in it (love).
If ever there were a post for you to respond to/comment on, this is it. Let's hear your favorites and where you disagree with my reviews!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

OK, I totally agree with you on THE IMITATION GAME (adore BC and deplore omissions in history class--tragic, horrible story), INSIDE OUT (charming and significant), TRAINWRECK (so inappropriate and funny!), and HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2 (finally!)!

The new STAR WARS was cornier than I remembered the original trilogy being (and did I really hear a woman in the audience sobbing loudly and at length when Han Solo died--like she didn't see it coming?), but I loved the new characters and the return of Chewbacca! And heck, I couldn't even finish Episode 1 (much less start Episodes 2-3).

I'm definitely adding SPOTLIGHT, THE MARTIAN, and SPY to my list for DVD or on-demand viewing. Still a little skeptical about BIRDMAN (maybe if I get a bit more background on the story--I'm not a huge Keaton fan) and SISTERS, but we'll see how I feel after I finish the latest group of jigsaw puzzles and the third Robert Galbraith novel!

Cathy T said...

Excellent list! Totally agree that Spotlight was the best. I loved it, even as it upset me. Star Wars and Trainwreck were awesome. I also really loved Selma. One of those movies that generated great conversations with my kids. I'd add Avengers 2 to my list. Very fun - and RDJ! Sisters and Spy still on my list to watch.

What about Far From the Madding Crowd? It deserves to make the list due to the person you saw it with! :-)