Review of Eye in the Sky

Drone strikes. From the outside, it feels like a cleaner, less brutal form of warfare, where missions by way of machine result in fewer casualties. But in reality, just like as Gavin Hood's Eye in the Sky informs us, these type of missions are fraught with logistical issues, moral quagmires, and emotional turmoil. Despite featuring very little "traditional" action sequences, this is as intense and suspenseful a film as you're likely to find in theaters right now. Eye in the Sky sets up a straightforward situation, introduces the inevitable complications and proceeds to dig into every angle. Terms like "rules of engagement," "collateral damage," and even "the propaganda war" play huge roles, where every decision comes down to managing risk versus reward. And it does all of this with a clear, apolitical yet enormously complex stance.

As the movie opens, a group of terrorists have settled into a safehouse in Nairobi, Kenya. Among them are three individuals, one American and two British, who have joined an extremist faction. The United States, British, and Kenyan governments are all working together to track and capture the suspected terrorists. Colonel Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren) runs the military operation and reports to Lt. General Frank Benson (Alan Rickman). Primary characters on the American side include drone pilots Steve Watts (Aaron Paul) and Carrie Gershon (Phoebe Fox). And Jama Farah (Barkhad Abdi) handles the stealth work for the Kenyans at the ground level, operating a remote-controlled beetle with a camera. What initially starts out as a capture mission quickly changes course when surveillance footage reveals the terrorists have suicide bomb vests and are readying for a strike. To further complicate matters, a little girl selling bread to provide for her family enters the blast radius.

The movie's basic plot may seem simple, but the endless debate around what to do is anything but. The approval of a hellfire missle strike requires multiple approvals on the British side, some of whom are so indecisive that they keep "referring up" again and again. Lawyers must agree on whether or not it's okay to kill American and British citizens without them seeing their day in court. The mortality rate of any innocent civilians caught in the blast radius has to fall below a certain level for everyone to feel comfortable, but even that is just an estimate. And what about the dilemma of taking one life to save 80? Would an eventual strike by terrorists killing many innocent people look better for propaganda than a US/UK strike killing one? Eye in the Sky delves into all of this and more.

The action which drives the most debate, that of a little girl potentially dying, at first glance seems contrived. The American pilots observe her casually playing in her backyard, and her later appearance in the blast zone puts a lump in the throat of both them and us. But it's where the movie takes this coincidence that matters most. Even from thousands of miles away and with full support of one's superiors, the thought of pulling the trigger and ending an innocent life is enough to cause significant psychological hangups in the drone pilots. All of this plays out in real time, at times cranking up the suspense to nail-biting levels.

No awards will be handed out for acting; these are mostly low-key portrayals a la Spotlight. But they work to perfection. Helen Mirren is superb as a tough officer whose six-year obsession with tracking these terrorists results in her desperately trying to find loopholes in the situation. Equally strong is Aaron Paul, who's confined to one seat for most of the movie but speaks volumes with his facial expressions as well as his dialogue. Barkhad Abdi makes his first motion picture appearance since his Oscar-nominated breakout in Captain Phillips, and it's great to see him back. Finally, the late Alan Rickman (in his final live-action performance) reminds us that while he's best known for genre projects like Die Hard and the Harry Potter series, he gives his all in smaller, character-based movies as well. Eye in the Sky is a fitting swan song for him (as is his character's final, stinging line about the cost of war), and I imagine anyone seeing this movie will miss him even more.

Eye in the Sky blends powerful drama and suspense into an immensely satisfying whole. Director Gavin Hood has taken on the hot-button political arena before with Rendition, an entertaining thriller revolving around the mortality of torture. But this is a stronger movie; it's more confident, more nail-biting, and it devotes equal time to all sides of the issue. Regardless of your stance on drone warfare, Eye in the Sky is worth seeking out. It doesn't stack the deck in favor of either viewpoint, but instead lays out the pros and cons and trusts viewers to be intelligent enough to come to their own conclusions. It's only April, but this one has a good chance at making my year-end Top 10 list.


Rating: ***1/2 (out of ****)

Review of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Batman v Superman has three modes: grim, grimmer, and desperately grim. Darkness in action/adventure movies can be a very appealing concept, but the characters and their circumstances need to earn it. For director Zack Snyder, his approach to this much-anticipated superhero throwdown is to never use a scalpel when a sledgehammer will suffice. Scene after scene in this movie whacks viewers over the head with how depressing life must be in Gotham/Metropolis. This is reflected in the relentlessly dark cinematography, the constantly brooding and joyless main characters, and the most over-the-top score of composer Hans Zimmer's career. I understand that for this cinematic universe, DC wants to differentiate itself from the lighter, jokey tone of Marvel's movies, but Batman v Superman is what happens when the scales tip too far in the other direction. It's visually affecting but emotionally hollow.

Batman v Superman begins promisingly before its narrative and characters become a muddled mess. The first 15 minutes recap the Superman/Zod fight in Man of Steel, only from Bruce Wayne's (Ben Affleck) perspective. It's powerful stuff and it sets the stage for Batman's resentment of Superman (Henry Cavill), who he views as unhinged and dangerous for the world. Superman, working at the Daily Planet under the identity of Clark Kent and in a clandestine relationship with fellow reporter Lois Lane (Amy Adams), sees Batman as a reckless vigilante. So leave it to wacky supergenius Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) to hatch a scheme to push these two closer to the brink of killing each other while he follows through with some dastardly plans of his own.

When Ben Affleck was first announced as the next Batman, controversy arose. But Affleck is the least of this movie's problems; he does a solid enough job as Bruce Wayne and as Batman. The real problem is the filmmakers' treatment of this legendary character; he's as unhinged as everyone else and largely unsympathetic. We don't need Batman's origins explored again to understand him, but we need to like and respect him. That's difficult here. Ditto for the Man of Steel, who seems so brooding and disconnected from every other version of the character we've ever seen that it's hard to believe we're watching the same person. He's boring. The movie raises a few interesting points about Superman's unchecked power but doesn't pursue them; it's too busy being fashionably dark and contorting itself into an unconvincing scenario where these two so-called heroes eventually come to blows. Where's the heroism and warmth? Where's any sense that these men are doing any good at all? Even during a montage of Superman saving people, the movie's brooding tone is all wrong; it seems like he's going through the motions.

The supporting characters in Snyder's universe fare no better. Amy Adams' Lois Lane was underused in Man of Steel and isn't treated better here. Chemistry between her and Superman/Clark Kent is virtually non-existent; we feel nothing for these two. And while the big reveal of Wonder Woman (Gal Godot) in costume is undeniably cool, the character has no reason to exist in this story. She's shoehorned into the plot in awkward ways, and ultimately her appearance feels like nothing more than a bridge to a solo Wonder Woman movie and Justice League. Jeremy Irons takes over as Bruce Wayne's butler/partner Alfred, but the part doesn't fit. The camaraderie between these two simply isn't there; Alfred seems almost contemptuous-- bordering on Simon Cowell-esque-- of Batman at times. Finally, Jesse Eisenberg gives us a Lex Luthor who seems to be in a completely different movie. He hams it up with an off-the-wall, high-energy portrayal, but his character's motivation is murky.

At two-and-a-half hours, Batman v Superman runs far too long to accomplish so little. The movie's midsection is peppered with bizarre, pointless dream sequences (both from Batman and Superman) and an investigation into the title characters' activities that never fully engages. There are also scenes too dumb for words, like a brief montage of Bruce Wayne doing shirtless weightlifting in preparation for his big fight. The action sequences, including the inevitable mano-a-mano between Batman and Superman, are well-filmed but so desperate to be taken seriously that they lack power. We watch it clinically as two characters with little charisma find ways to pound on each other. Only at the climax, when the Big Three (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman) join forces against a ridiculous-looking foe, does this movie finally inject a little heroism, teamwork, and derring-do. But it's too little too late by then. Without giving anything away, I can also say the movie's final few scenes pointlessly try to misdirect us. We know that what happens here will be undone by the time Justice League arrives.

Though not without its small pleasures, Batman v Superman is for the most part a misfire. In an attempt to catch up with Disney/Marvel's aggressiveness, DC, Warner Bros, and Snyder have rushed many of these superhero elements onto the screen without proper gravitas. They've botched the recipe. This is a dark movie, but its darkness feels manufactured rather than organic. It's as if life in these cities (which are somehow right across the river from each other) really, really sucks 24/7, even with superheroes around. Directors like Christopher Nolan and George Lucas (to name a few) understood darkness in franchise movies; it comes from empathizing with characters and feeling involved in their struggles, no matter how dire. According to Batman v Superman, we're supposed to care about these characters because they're comic book icons, not because they're vividly characterized. For me, that's just not good enough.

Rating: ** (out of ****) 

Review of Zootopia

Zootopia takes the anthropomorphism of animals to another level. Sure, animators have been in love with the idea of walking, talking animals for decades, but Disney and co-directors Byron Howard and Rich Moore have created something special here. They don't stop just at the amusing level of animals wearing clothes like us and living like us; they go beyond. They follow the classic "dual-layered" approach that many of the best animated feature films employ, making sure kids and the parents who bring them to the theater are equally entertained. Zootopia is lively, bursting with wit and imagination, and as visually astonishing as the best animation out there, but its satire and social commentary elevate it far above most of its competitors. This is arguably the best computer-animated film Disney has made without the help of Pixar.

Like many great Disney films, Zootopia features a plucky female lead looking to make a difference in the world. There's a twist, however, in that the bunny Judy Hopps (voice of Ginnifer Goodwin) isn't royalty but a working-class citizen struggling with advancing her career. Raised in a rural environment, Judy's dream is to become the first rabbit police officer of Zootopia, a sprawling, lavish metropolis featuring all manner of environments and species living in harmony. She graduates at the top of her class, but Chief Bogo (voice of Idris Elba) is none too impressed, assigning her to parking ticket duties while his experienced officers handle "missing persons" cases. Judy strikes gold one day when she seizes an opportunity to apprehend a weasel thief, but then the embarrassed Chief gives her an ultimatum: solve the department's latest missing otter case in 48 hours or turn in her badge. This forces her to form an uneasy alliance with con-artist fox Nick Wilde (voice of Jason Bateman) on her way to exposing a massive cover-up.

Visually, Zootopia tops any of Disney's previous attempts in computer animation. The various locales of the titular city are a wonder to behold, whether they be bustling city streets, a snowy wonderland, or a tropical rainforest (which are somehow all right next to each other despite the different temperatures-- don't ask). One of the movie's most impressive action sequences involves Judy chasing a weasel through a rodent-sized town where she suddenly becomes Godzilla-sized in relation to everything else. Even if the story was weak (which it certainly isn't), Zootopia would be worth seeing purely for its visual creativity, depth and high-energy approach.

What starts out as a deceptively simple "follow your dreams" animated narrative quickly evolves into a cop/buddy film, albeit one with a heavily satirical edge. These may be kid-friendly animals, but they speak with a wit and vocabulary that older viewers will find delightful. Some of Zootopia's biggest laughs come from lampooning institutions and social conventions, only with animals standing in for humans. To that end, we have, among other things, a lion mayor (voice of J.K. Simmons) pushing a diversity agenda, a nudist camp where animals hang out "au natural," and a DMV run by incredibly slow sloths. If you think that latter concept sounds funny on paper, you'll find the execution is laugh-aloud hilarious in too many ways to count.

Zootopia contains a timely message about stereotyping, profiling, and micro-aggressions, and the nuance with which the filmmakers deliver it belies the cuteness of the animated creatures on screen. From Judy's reminder to an employee that only a bunny can call another bunny "cute" without it being offensive, to the satirical way celebrity singer Gazelle (voice of Shakira) lends her voice to a protest rally (#PredatorLivesMatter, perhaps?), Zootopia makes its point clear to kids and adults simultaneously. Every character, whether predator or prey, has to confront his/her own bias at some point. That includes Judy, who in spite of being the unquestionable hero of this story has to learn from some crucial mistakes of her own (highlighted in an excellent news conference scene, which offers real emotion while also skewering both police and news media). Howard, Moore, and screenwriter Phil Johnston don't preach or talk down to viewers, but instead carefully integrate this material so it evolves naturally out of the plot.

Zootopia is a multi-layered triumph I didn't see coming. For an in-house Disney production, its combination of social commentary, satire, and emotion is fresh and exciting, and it's an immediate contender for the Best Animated Feature Oscar next February. It continues to push limits visually, and there's not a weak link in the cast (it helps that virtually everyone here, save for perhaps J.K. Simmons, has a relatively anonymous voice). But above all, it has Judy and Nick, two three-dimensional animals you'll care about as much as you would any human in their place. In the dazzling world of big-budget computer animation, Disney has made something that can stand proudly alongside its critically-acclaimed Pixar siblings.

Rating: ***1/2 (out of ****)

Review of The Witch

Frankly, I'm amazed that The Witch was released in multiplexes around the country. Though it's classified as "horror," it's so far removed from what casual moviegoers expect from the genre that those who walk in hoping for a mainstream experience with plenty of "jump scares" will be disappointed and possibly angry. The Witch is arguably art-house fare, and it will play a lot better to those who accept the slow pace and long game that first-time director Robert Eggers (who won a Best Director award at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival) is playing. The Witch doesn't skimp on food for thought, either. Those who desire anything the least bit intellectual in their horror films (not a ridiculous concept, I assure you) have plenty to savor here, although it takes a little digging and post-screening rumination to uncover the layers.

If not for Oscar heavy-hitter The Revenant, this would be the most atmospheric movie playing in theaters right now. The power of its cinematography and set design speak volumes. Set in the 1630s, The Witch introduces itself as "A New-England Folktale," It begins with a series of startling close-ups of children's faces (a device Eggers frequently uses to great effect) as a family elects to leave their colony and live off the land. They've settled in nicely when strange events start to happen. A baby goes missing, the young son falls ill, and the eldest daughter Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), in part because of a prank she plays on her youngest siblings, becomes the primary suspect of witchcraft. Her father (Ralph Ineson) and mother (Kate Dickie) are unconvinced of her pleas of innocence as the finger-pointing threatens to tear the family apart, Crucible-style.

Eggers delights in toying with his audience's expectations, and he has made a horror film with the patient viewer in mind. The buildup is long and languidly paced. We marvel at the details of the setting and struggle a bit to get used to the Old English dialect. But once the terror inevitably escalates, it's impossible not to be completely absorbed. There's unquestionably something out-of-the-ordinary going on here, but to what ends? And what of the family goat, who the youngest kids call "Black Phillip" and claim he "speaks" to them? And how big a role does the paranoia of the times (the movie is set several decades before the Salem Witch Trials) play in all of this? The answers are there, but they're not spelled out in neon letters.

Linking sex and nudity with menace and death has been a theme in horror going all the way back to John Carpenter's groundbreaking Halloween, and The Witch is no exception. There's a fair amount of nudity in this film, some of it from supernatural apparitions (are they real or hallucinations?) and some of it from the main characters. The family's eldest son, Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw), is clearly struggling with the growing sexual awareness of adolescence; he (and the camera) stares at his older sister's cleavage on numerous occasions. And then there's the final scene, the specifics of which I leave for you to discover.

A star is born in Anya Taylor-Joy. As Thomasin, the young actress is instantly sympathetic and represents the story's anchor. The transition to womanhood is always replete with challenges, but try experiencing it in these claustrophobic conditions, trapped with a family whose members constantly struggle with crises of faith and conscience. Also very good if occasionally over-the-top are Ralph Ineson and Kate Dickie, both of whom have roles in HBO's "Game of Thrones." Clearly they're right at home in period settings. As we learn throughout the film, none of these characters are completely innocent, but the strength of the acting across the board strengthens our belief in them, warts and all.

I can't stress enough that moviegoers choosing to see The Witch on the promise of an effective trailer and critical raves should understand the kind of movie they're walking into. The movie isn't "scary" in the traditional sense, but it's consistently unsettling and expertly plays the "slow-build" brand of horror. The level of thematic depth the movie offers is both uncommon and very welcome. The strange, haunting final scene will have some scratching their heads wondering what the point is. But the deeper one digs into The Witch, the more fascinating the movie's construction and themes turn out to be.

Rating: ***1/2 (out of ****)

Review of Deadpool

We have officially entered the Year of the Superhero. No fewer than six major motion pictures featuring DC or Marvel characters will reach screens in 2016. For nerds of all things comic books, it's like being on Cloud 9, but will everyone else feel over-saturated? That's a question to be answered much later in the calendar. Right now, we have 20th Century Fox's latest attempt at a franchise (following the mostly successful X-Men series and the utterly disastrous Fantastic Four attempts), and, truth be told, Deadpool doesn't "feel" like every other superhero movie. Sure, it depicts an origin story, but its approach and tone are wildly divergent from anything else in the sub-genre. Not only does it delight in satire and self-reverential humor, but it wallows in graphic violence, f-bombs, sex, and full frontal nudity (of both genders). And its main character couldn't possibly care less about truth, justice, and morality. It's a wild ride, but unlike every other superhero movie ever made, it's not in any way, shape or form suitable for children.  

Deadpool doesn't completely escape the trap of the tired "origin story," but give the filmmakers credit for having fun with the timeframe. The movie begins in present day, where the titular character, aka Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is on the hunt for the man responsible for mutilating him, a mutant named Ajax (Ed Skrein). Then we flash back to earlier times when Wilson is diagnosed with terminal cancer. When approached by a mysterious organization with an experimental procedure designed to cure him, he takes the leap of faith in order to live happily with his girlfriend (Morena Baccarin). Ajax and his lackey, Angel Dust (Gina Carano), subject Wilson to extreme torture in order to "release" a mutant gene within Wilson, and it both cures his cancer and gives him superhuman abilities. On the flip side, it leaves his whole body scarred. Donning a full-body costume to hide his appearance, Wilson seeks to wipe his two antagonists of the face of the earth. But the X-Men disapprove of his ultra-violent methods and send two of their own, Colossus (Stefan Kapicic) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand), to reign him in.

You've seen this entire story before, but you probably haven't seen it in the manner that director Tim Miller elects to take things. The movie is full of snarky, raunchy humor, most of which is successful. Wade Wilson has a wisecrack for every occasion, even to the point where he's aware he's in a movie and takes shots at other Marvel characters and films (for example, when told he's being taken to Professor X: "Which one? Stewart or McAvoy? Ugh, these timelines are so confusing!"). Deadpool also sticks out a giant middle finger at the prospect of a shared, homogenized universe. Could this character and his attitude possibly fit into any other mainstream superhero's world? I don't know and I don't care. The point is to deliver an entertaining experience in the now without waiting for some future project to justify its existence.

If any superhero trope is available, you bet it's fodder for Deadpool to skewer. The opening credits mock everyone in the cast from "A British Villain" to "Directed by Some Asshole." The courtship of Wilson and Vanessa is anything but cute as it depicts a wide variety of sexual kinks. And the title character himself, played with the ideal mix of sarcasm and charm by Ryan Reynolds, never skimps on an opportunity to rip into the pretentiousness with which the X-Men view their "hero" status. The movie never stops winking and wisecracking, and while such a rapid fire rate of jokes guarantees a fair share of clunkers, worry not. When one joke misses, another one is right around the corner to redeem it. Guardians of the Galaxy (unloved by me but adored by many) tried to mix satire with straightforward action, but Deadpool is more successful-- and far more ruthless.

The need for Deadpool to replicate virtually every beat of a standard superhero origin story is a minor annoyance. One senses the inevitable sequel (teased in a post-credit sequence, of course), free from the shackles, will take the character to even greater heights. In fact, the story in general feels small; there's very little at stake outside of the fate of a tiny handful of characters. The villains are adequate and participate in a satisfyingly brutal climax, but they're not especially memorable outside of that. Still, the movie has enough of a heart to make us care about Wilson and Vanessa, and I applaud the filmmakers for taking on a hard-R approach to a familiar project. Deadpool hits the screen not as a cog in a giant toy/comic book marketing bonanza, but as a thoroughly entertaining movie in and of itself.

Rating: *** (out of ****)

Review of Hail, Caesar!

For movie buffs, the release of a Coen Bros. movie might not have the same "juice" as that of, say, Martin Scorsese or Quentin Tarantino, but it's nonetheless something to look forward to every few years. For their latest, the veteran duo has turned back the clock to 1950s Hollywood, a time when the allure of movies was a much bigger deal, long before streaming, high definition, or even home video entered the fray. The Coen's don't have anything particularly compelling to say with this movie; their goal with Hail, Caesar is considerably lighter. They introduce a colorful gallery of individuals who probably aren't too far from real-life movers and shakers in the industry and let them go wild in various vignettes. The movie is unquestionably a comedy, but its full-blown belly laughs are few and far between. Nevertheless, anyone who enjoys the Coens' work should be chuckling and smiling throughout.

Hail, Caesar is an ensemble piece, but to the extent that it contains a main character, that would probably be Capitol Pictures producer Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin). In the span of just a single day, Eddie navigates one crisis after another. His leading man in the studio's Biblical epic, Baird Whitlock (George Clooney), has been kidnapped by Communist academics who demand a $100,000 ransom. "It" girl Deanna Moran (Scarlett Johansson-- using the same accent she donned in her "chandeliers" SNL sketch) has become pregnant out of wedlock, so the studio must create a cover story to protect her reputation. Respected director Laurence Lorenz (Ralph Fiennes) is about to lose his mind when he's forced to work with cowboy movie idol Hobie Doyle (Alden Ehrenreich) on a serious drama, an acting job the latter is woefully out of his depth to pull off. Meanwhile, gossip columnists Thora and Thessaly Thacker (Tilda Swinton playing both) harass Eddie for exclusive stories while he ponders an offer to leave show business altogether and join Lockheed Martin.

The Coens' approach to all the fictional films within this movie is different from what you might expect. Instead of going for full-blown satire and making everyone look like buffoons, they opt to play these scenes almost straight, the key word being almost. They go for light jabs instead of haymakers. Seeing George Clooney make Charlton Heston-esque speeches and Channing Tatum tap dance like Gene Kelly is a hoot, but that's mainly because we're watching modern stars mimic major tropes from half a century ago. What looks silly today was taken at face value back then. Theses scenes are also a reminder of how amusing and over-the-top a movie can look during its making versus the "wow" effect the finished product can have on viewers. For a scene that hammers home this connection, compare cowboy Doyle's slightly embarrassed reaction to a screening of his latest movie (titled "Lazy Ol' Moon") to the uproarious laughter of everyone in the audience.

Hail, Caesar will certainly entertain fans of the quirky and offbeat. The more you love films from the 50s-60s era of Hollywood, the more details you'll pick up on. Individual scenes are wonderful and occasionally hilarious (like the argument between Eddie, a priest, a rabbi, and minister over how to depict God and Jesus on film, or the stuffy director trying to get the cowboy star to drop his Southern drawl) But if there's anything holding the movie back from upper-echelon Coen Bros., it's the lack of a strong through-story. For a while, it looks like the kidnapping of Whitlock and his experience in captivity will fill that role. Indeed, the concept of a Hollywood star being kidnapped and potentially brainwashed by Communists is a pretty funny one. But the filmmakers don't dedicate enough time to this; it's just one of a series of episodes stitched together into something that almost resembles a variety show.

In contrast to the major studio projects featured in Hail, Caesar, the movie itself debuts modestly during early February. That's not a time when box office hopefuls strike gold, but the Coens have never been about that to begin with. They have a select audience in mind, and their latest movie delivers what that audience expects. The movies-within-the-movie are simultaneously Hail Caesar's greatest strength and weakness. The Coens put so much of their energy into these re-creations (and the great Roger Deakins' crisp cinematography helps immensely here) that viewers will enjoy them on their own terms while at the same time wishing the plot had a little more forward momentum. Still, the overall movie, while at times messy and unfocused, is undeniably entertaining.



Rating: *** (out of ****)

My Top 10 Movies of 2015

12 months sure fly by in a flash, don't they? At this time last year, I openly wondered whether movies were on their way out and television was ready to take over as the most dominant visual medium in today's world. 2015's box office gave me an answer: not quite yet. This past year, we saw the Opening Weekend record broken not just once but twice (first unexpectedly by Jurassic World, then, as expected, by Star Wars: The Force Awakens). So clearly the theater-going experience still has plenty left in the tank. The only question now is whether anyone cares that, for the most part, these umpteen sequels and reboots are safe and unremarkable. It's Hollywood "playing not to lose."

Most of 2015's biggest blockbusters won't make an appearance here. Of the year's Top 10 grossing movies, only two cracked my personal Top 10. And wouldn't you know it.... they were the only non-sequel/remake/reboots of the bunch. That's not to say I'm against such movies in general. How can I be when some of the great all-time sequels include The Godfather Part II, The Empire Strikes Back, and The Dark Knight? But I am concerned when sequels repeat rather than branch out from their predecessors. Not only is it lazy, but diminishing returns are bound to kick in sooner or later.

As for the Cream of the Crop that 2015 had to offer, I'm pleased to say that this was the strongest group of films so far this decade. A few titles I placed as Honorable Mentions this time would've cracked a Top 10 in 2014 if they were eligible. For the longest time, I agonized over which title to place at No. 1. One can make a compelling case for anything in the Top 5 of this list, and that's a testament to how strong the overall quality has been this year.


As is tradition, I present my picks (including five Runners-Up in alphabetical order) in reverse order, saving the best for last. Enjoy!

Runners-Up

The Big Short

The Gift

 Sicario

 Spotlight

Steve Jobs

The Top 10

10. Brooklyn

This is the kind of old-fashioned delight we don't see so much anymore. It's a sublime, emotionally rewarding coming-of-age story of an Irish immigrant that hits all the right notes. It contains no violence nor unnecessary characters created just to generate artificial conflict. Instead, it's about a young woman forging her own identity and making hard choices between the life she has in front of her and the one behind her. Brooklyn is also a high point in the blossoming career of Saoirse Ronan, who has never been better.

9. Ex Machina

This movie came seemingly out of nowhere in April 2015 and delighted just about everyone seeking intellectually-based science fiction. Questions aplenty; at what point does consciousness occur for an AI? Is it a can of worms even worth opening? Does a machine, no matter how human-like, have rights or is it just a lab experient? Dig in and enjoy. For newfound star Alicia Vikander, this is her most compelling work in a plethora of roles this past year.

8. Creed

Director Ryan Coogler delivered the best movie of 2013 in Fruitvale Station, and he cracks a Top 10 once again with Creed. This movie is a template for how to "soft-reboot" a franchise. It introduces wonderful new characters with their own compelling stories while at the same time deepening the arcs of old friends. It calls back to its roots at times (like with the training montages and the Bill Conti score), but it feels fresh. Juxtaposing the rise of Adonis Creed with the decline of Rocky Balboa makes for great drama, and their scenes linger in the mind even more so than the electric boxing action.

7. The Hateful Eight

The Force Awakens may have been the event of the year for the masses, but the release of a Quentin Tarantino film is always something of an event for movie buffs. You expect two things every time the acclaimed director's name is attached: creatively bloody violence (sometimes in humorous ways) and quotable dialogue. The Hateful Eight delivers both in spades as well as a refreshingly unpredictable narrative. It has an undeniable mean streak, so it won't win over any new converts, but those who don't mind that will have a blast. Finally, those who were lucky enough to see the movie in 70MM Roadshow format received an extra treat in the form of a presentation that I wish more "long" movies (2:45-plus) would go back to.

6. The Martian


In contrast to The Hateful Eight, which arguably had no true heroes, The Martian is a movie without villains. This sweeping, suspenseful sci-fi survival tale is both a wonderful human story and a celebration of scientific ingenuity. The circumstances for the main character are grim, but the movie flawlessly uses humor to support its thesis. Director Ridley Scott cranks out new projects more than anyone else in Hollywood, so he's not always in top form. But when he gives his all like we see here, the results speak for themselves.

5. Carol

Carol is many things: the best love story of the year, two of the best lead performances of the year (in a crowded field of great female acting), but one thing it thankfully isn't is a "message movie." Sure, it's about a lesbian relationship set in the 1950s, but the characters and their struggles take center stage over political points (think Blue is the Warmest Color, only nowhere near as graphic). Even the men in the story aren't demonized but presented as realistically flawed individuals. Carol is a slow-moving film, but before long, it will capture you in its spell and win your heart. 

4. The Revenant

It's technically a 2015 movie (released on Dec 25 in NY/LA before opening wider on Jan 7), and it was absolutely worth delaying this list to see. Like The Martian, this is a story of survival against impossible odds, but it's a little slower, more meditative and much more brutal. But even those who can't stomach graphic violence can appreciate The Revenant's astonishing cinematography and Leonardo DiCaprio's gutsy, riveting performance. Even during the story's slower points; you can get lost just staring at this movie. The "you are there" quality here is undeniable; see it on the biggest screen you can find instead of waiting for video.

3. Mad Max: Fury Road

Like The Revenant, here's another film whose greatest impact is felt inside a movie theater. This awesome, exhilarating action spectacle didn't make the kind of box office impact I hoped it would, but movie buffs far and wide have responded enthusiastically. Director George Miller raises the bar for action filmmaking; don't be surprised if taking in this film suddenly makes garden variety superhero adventures feel more hollow. My guess is that over the many years, Fury Road's reputation will only grow as most of its fellow sequels/reboots begin to fade. Who would've thought that a fourth outing from a series left in the '80s would take such a quantum leap in quality that it's now being mentioned as a potential Best Picture nominee?

2. Inside Out

After taking a year off, Pixar struck back in 2015, reminding us why no one makes multi-layered animated family movies better. It's a huge hit with kids of course (and by far the biggest moneymaker on my list), but dare I say adults will take away more from it. An endlessly inventive delight, Inside Out invites intellectual participation and reminds us how ALL emotions working in tandem (yes, even the "negative" ones) are required for a well-balanced individual. For sheer creativity and wonder, this deserves to become an animated classic in the years to come. It's one of Pixar's two or three best, and that's saying something considering the studio's track record.

1. Room

Sure, the films right behind Room on this list are more impressive from a technical perspective. But for me, nothing else released in 2015 delivered a greater emotional impact than this masterful adaptation of Emma Donoghue's 2010 novel. Layers abound; the experience of the main character and her son when in captivity is harrowing, but it's the "re-adjustment" period they go through after the rescue that transforms this movie into a complete drama. Not a single note rings false; director Lenny Abrahamson knows exactly when to tug at the heartstrings and when to show restraint. Very few movies move me to tears; this is a rare exception. Add to that the best female performance of the year in Brie Larson and one of the great child acting performances of all time in Jacob Tremblay, and you have one of the best films of the decade. Crown it the king of 2015.