2015 - The Year That The Franchises Returned
Last year I started the 'best of the year' post with the question 'Is 2014 the Best Year Yet For Movies?'
I still think that it was a valid question.
I say 'was' because clearly after 2015 it no longer is.
This has been a truly exceptional year for movies.
You could argue that on average last year was stronger but on the strength of the number of extremely strong movies and the fact that my short list was twenty films 2015 takes pole position in my book.
Amazingly the movies that had the potential to hurt us almost all rose up and amazed instead.
I'm speaking of the franchises that so many people (me very definitely included) see as defining the movie experience of their youth and those later that were informed by them.
Mad Max, James Bond and of course Star Wars but also the Marvel properties, Mission: Impossible and Jurassic World.
Only two really didn't cut it- "Fantastic Four" and "Terminator: GeniSys" and frankly both franchises have already previously been tainted with less than stellar quality so another couple of weak entries don't really matter.
Big budget blockbusters are all well and good and as pleased as I am to see them turn out so, so well there has also been an abundance of 'smaller' films that really shone.
"Sleeping With Other People" was a genuine surprise as was "Burnt" and "We Are Your Friends".
I copped a fair bit of flak for liking those last two but I will defend them to the hilt.
I liked what they were attempting and how they went about it.
There have been a few genuine stinkers- movies that I if not hated then certainly disliked intensely.
Not this years whipping boys "Fantastic Four", "Aloha", "Mortdecai" and "Hitman: Agent 47".... I didn't really despise the first two (faint praise I know) and actually really enjoyed the latter two.
It seemed to be the fashionable thing to hate both merely on principle and the prevailing tide.
For me the stinkers of the year were the insipid "The Intern", Gaspar Noe's awful "Love 3D" and "Chappie" - a movie that makes so many bad choices it is hard to believe there was a studio budget behind it.
But I am not here to talk about the stuff I won't be watching again - this is about the movies that I have bought day one on Blu-ray or eagerly look forward to buying as they release.
So, here it is - my picks for the Ten Best Movies of 2015.....
* Note that the order of this list isn't based purely on the review score I gave - click on the scores to check out the reviews
The GaF Blog Top Ten Movies of 2015
TEN:
"The Imitation Game" score: 90
Directed by Morten Tyldum
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Charles Dance, Rory Kinnear, Mark Strong, Steven Waddington
Budget: $14,000,000
Box Office: $227,774,226
Surely this years champ for production budget vs box office return.
A tiny budget of $14,000,000 goes a long way with some exciting World War II action scenes and a perfect cast.
One of several movies in this list that made me angry as I left the cinema but for all the right reasons - namely that it highlights incredible instances of injustice.
A genuinely thrilling movie that still finds time for humour, romance and tragedy.
A fine tribute to a truly great man with a mind to match.
After "Headhunters" I expected big things from Norwegian director Tyldum and he delivers in spades with this film.
He has the Jennifer Lawrence / Chris Pratt Science fiction flick "Passengers" in the works for 2016 - I for one cannot wait.
NINE:
"American Sniper" score: 90
Directed by Clint Eastwood
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Kyle Gallner, Keir O'Donnell, Luke Grimes, Ben Reed
Budget: $58,800,000
Box Office: $547,426,372
Seen in some quarters as a celebration of war this movie nonetheless marks a return to form for director Clint Eastwood.
Terrifically shot, edited and with Oscar winning sound editing it is a tense, grim affair.
All debate over the accuracy of the events portrayed as facts aside there is no doubt that this is one of the best war movies in years.
It may deliver gruesomely realistic war scenes shown very much from one side but there is clearly another point being made here and it is far from a glorification of war.
This was the first major domestic box office success of the year in the US and it is not hard to see why.
Excellent stuff.
EIGHT:
"Kingsman The Secret Service" score: 88
Directed by Matthew Vaughan
Starring: Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, Michael Caine, Samuel L Jackson, Mark Hamill, Sofia Boutella, Sophie Cookson, Samantha Womack, Jack Davenport
Budget: $81,000,000
Box Office: $414,351,546
What looked merely somewhat promising in trailers turned out to be one of the most fun movies of the year when it hit way back in February.
Featuring numerous memorable scenes not the least of which is the infamous, wonderfully well executed (no pun intended) church sequence and clearly the years most jaw-dropping line (you'll know what I mean if you have seen this movie) Kingsman is a riot.
If you are not a fan of Colin Firth before you see this you will definitely be one by the time the credits roll.
Beautifully cast and perfectly paced I could hardly have liked this movie more.
Writing team Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughan ("Kickass", "Stardust", "X-Men: First Class") have done it again.
Brilliant fun - a great couple of hours at the cinema.
SEVEN:
"Spectre" score: 88
Directed by Sam Mendes
Starring: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux, Monica Bellucci, Ben Wishaw, Naomie Harris, Ralph Feinnes, Rory Kinnear, Andrew Scott, Dave Bautista,
Budget: $245,000,000
Box Office: $850,174,955
This one seemed to disappoint many people who were likely expecting a re-run of "Skyfall".
This is not what we got.
More of an old school Bond flick re-done for current times this seems like a farewell movie for star Daniel Craig.
A dazzling 4.5 minute long opening shot and the largest stunt explosion ever filmed are just two of the delights on display.
Every penny of the massive budget is on the screen with huge action, multiple international locales and a cast that includes a sadly underused Monica Bellucci and a stunning Lea Seydoux along with most of the old familiar faces.
I understand why it disappointed a lot of people - I just don't agree.
It's fun, funny and ridiculously over the top stuff. Pure Bond in other words.
SIX:
"The Martian" (3D) score: 90
Directed by Ridley Scott
Starring: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kate Mara, Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, Aksel Hennie, Michael Pena, Sean Bean, Sebastian Stan, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mackenzie Davis
Budget: $108,000,000
Box Office: $593,916,010
First off- how in the hell did Sir Ridley pull this one in well under $150,000,000?!
Casting, effects and sheer scale would suggest that this should have cost a lot more than the $108,000,000 it reportedly did.
"The Martian" is an apparently very scientifically accurate tale involving a stranded astronaut (of course Matt Damon) this has been nominated for a Golden Globe in the comedy category.
It is funny for sure but that is a stretch- this is pure science fiction and few do it as well as director Scott.
A diverse cast includes the great Kristen Wiig, Aksel Hennie ("Headhunters"), Sebastian Stan (both Captain America movies) and Mackenzie Davis (tv show "Halt and Catch Fire")
Terrific use of music and 3D and perfect in tone this deserved every penny of its box office haul.
FIVE:
"The Big Short" score: 86
Directed by Adam McKay
Starring: Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, Marisa Tomei, Brad Pitt, Rafe Spall, Melissa Leo
Budget: $28,000,000
Box Office: $17,422,474 (to date)
Only releasing fully on December 23rd this one may suffer at the hands of Star Wars, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey and Quentin Tarantino as the busy Christmas period sees a torrent of wide releases.
A shame because it isn't only a film worth seeing for its style and humour but for its terrifying warning.
Set during the massive financial calamity that saw bank after bank collapse to the point where the US Government had to bail them out director McKay breaks rule after rule in the best ways.
The great cast frequently directly addresses the audience and several times guest stars are introduced to explain complicated financial systems to us.
Margot Robbie in a bubble bath sipping champagne explaining mortgage bundling anyone? Hilarious, stylish, terrifying and absolutely one of the five best movies that I saw this year.
FOUR:
"Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation" score: 92
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Sean Harris, Alec Baldwin, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hollander, Simon McBurney, Hermione Corfield
Budget: $150,000,000
Box Office: $682,330,139
I would love to have been present for the meetings during the pre-production stages of the third film in this series.
After the not terribly good second film looked to have derailed the promise that the series had shown right out of the gate with Brian DePalma's rather good old-school thriller something was said and done because every single film starting with the J J Abrams directed third one has been an absolute winner.
A lot of the success is down to the choice of directors but Cruise shows a shrewd eye with casting too.
This time it is Swedish actress Rebecca Ferguson and she matches Cruise in every way.
No easy feat.
Say what you will about Cruise but one thing is undeniable... he's the energiser bunny of movies doing his own stunts, producing and overseeing every aspect of the production.
But Ferguson proves to be up to the challenge.
So successful is she as Ilsa that Cruise has called her back for the recently announced sixth film to be directed again by McQuarrie.
The clever script for Rogue Nation finds time for moments of romance and humour amidst the often jaw-dropping action spectacle. An underwater sequence, a done for real aircraft take off with Cruise clinging to the fuselage and a stunning motorcycle chase are merely a sampling of the thrills in this one.
How Cruise and McQuarrie will top this I don't know but then I said that after the excellent fourth movie and as evidenced with Rogue Nation - they did it.
Amazingly good.
THREE:
"Sicario" score: 86
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Starring: Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin, Victor Garber, Daniel Kaluuya, Jon Bernthal, Jeffrey Donovan, Raoul Trujillo, Maximiliano Hernandez
Budget: $30,000,000
Box Office: $80,396,382
I have been a Villenueve fan since his 2013 thriller "Prisoners" and with "Sicario" he not only cemented his place in my mind as one of the best directors working today but his helming the upcoming Blade Runner sequel completely changed my mind on that project.
I cannot imagine that it could possibly be in better hands.
In the meantime if there is any justice in the world Villeneuve will at least nab a Best Director nomination for "Sicario" and a fantastic Emily Blunt will get a Best Actress nod. Brutal, exciting, dark and as expertly constructed a film as I've ever seen the only downside here is that more people didn't see it.
Blame a confusing marketing campaign (look at that poster for God's sake!) and a title that means nothing to most people.
In simple terms this is a war on drugs flick but there is a lot going on under the surface as Blunt's FBI agent joins CIA operative Brolin and a mysterious, movie stealing Benicio Del Toro confronting Mexican drug cartels head on.
I hate that this wasn't a bigger hit.
It's relatively poor box office performance sends the message that this kind of film doesn't work.
On the contrary it does and we need more like it.
Insanely good.
TWO:
"Mad Max: Fury Road" (3D) score: 92
Directed by George Miller
Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Riley Keogh, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Zoe Kravitz, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Courteny Eaton, Josh Helman, Meagan Gale
Budget: $150,000,000
Box Office: $375,836,354
I didn't have much faith in this one but wow- way to be wrong.
A dynamic thrill ride from start to finish this has already scored the top accolade from the National Board of Film Review and boy does it deserve it!
A truly incredible piece of filmmaking from a director clearly in absolute control of every frame of film it even caught star Tom Hardy by surprise. Admitting to being difficult during the shoot he later apologised to Miller when he saw the finished film.
"I have to apologize to you, because I got frustrated [during the movie’s shoot]. There was no way that George could have explained what he had conceived." - source: LINK
There was a ludicrous campaign from the idiot sector in the US trying to get people to boycott the movie because *gasp* it has a strong female lead! Charlize Theron is remarkable however and clearly enough people agree as this was successful enough to get a sequel or two green-lit.
An adrenaline rush of a movie that barely stops once it begins the action choreography is impressive to put it mildly.
The first screening of this in IMAX genuinely exhausted me and I was unable to put into words how I felt about the film. After the second, third and fourth viewings however I was better able to articulate my thoughts.... the BEST film of the year.
Oh, until.......
ONE:
"Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens" (3D) score: 94
Directed by J J Abrams
Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Harrison Ford, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Carrie Fisher, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Max Von Sydow, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong'o
Budget: $200,000,000
Box Office: $1,086,000,000 (to date)
Imagine the pressure that J J Abrams must have been under when he signed on to make a sequel to the original Star Wars Trilogy.
The prequels get a lot of hate that they don't deserve but even myself as a fan understands why. They didn't feel much like Star Wars films.
Abrams had one advantage at least - he gets to play with all of the 'toys' from the three Star Wars movies that are still much loved.
So that means not only the Millennium Falcon, TIE Fighters and X-Wings but Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca and Princess (not General!) Leia.
But there still exists the need to make a new film with new characters and places that fits the 'old' universe all while building a platform for two more movies.
It isn't long into The Force Awakens that a satisfying feeling comes over the viewer.
Everything feels 'right'.
The humour is perfect (and plentiful), the nostalgia just at the right level with nods to the previous films and the spectacle every bit what we expect from a Star Wars film.
Harrison Ford has not been this good in many a year and seems to have slipped back into Han Solo like it was only yesterday that he last played him.
The real standout here though is newcomer Daisy Ridley on whom the entire films success rests.
It is in supremely safe hands.
She makes new character Rey an instant fan favourite. She gets the tone of this character spot on and displays a physicality that will no doubt be called on even more in parts eight and nine.
New villain Kylo Ren is superbly played by Adam Driver both in and out of the mask and new droid BB-8 amazingly manages to be every bit as loveable and dare I say iconic as R2D2.
Honestly- this movie shouldn't be as good as it is.
Clearly it was constructed with love and respect from a team of people who are not only gifted filmmakers but serious fans in their own right.
Movies don't shatter the number of records that this one did without an awful lot of people going to see them not once but twice or three times or in my case fifteen times (as of today)
There are a multitude of reasons for this but one stands above all others - this movie makes you feel like a kid again staring wide eyed at the screen in wonder.
And that is a hard thing to find these days.
Massive credit to Abrams and his team for pulling it off in such glorious fashion.
I absolutely love this film.
And the ones that just missed out?....
"Me And Earl And The Dying Girl" - A punch to the gut that you won't mind. Olivia Cooke is adorable as The Dying Girl and Thomas Mann shows talent I didn't know he had. A little gem of a movie that was so close to being in the top ten.
"Creed" - Stallone's best performance ever. Yes- seriously. For anyone who needs reminding what the Stallone who first emerged in the seventies was like this film is for you. There is a reason he has been a Hollywood icon for forty years. Brilliantly shot boxing scenes and genuinely touching scenes between Stallone and the talented Michael B Jordan make this second only to the very first Rocky movie.
"Trainwreck" - One of the two best mainstream comedies that delivered laughs in spades this year and it is all down to write-star Amy Schumer. Filthy but oh so funny this also sees great turns from Bill Hader (obviously), John Cena and Kobe Bryant (yes- seriously). Genuinely hilarious
"Spy" - Just as I thought Melissa McCarthy had shown us all that she had to offer she delivers her best and funniest material yet. Hilarious from go to wo this outrageously profane, uber-violent flick is that rarest of beasts - a very, very funny studio comedy.
"Ant-Man" - Overshadowed prior to release by the troubled production and the departure of original writer-director Edgar Wright, replacement Peyton Reed has not only salvaged the project but delivered the most fun Marvel flick since "Guardians of the Galaxy". Funny man Paul Rudd may seem an odd choice for a comic book hero but the casting proves to be inspired. With great chemistry between Rudd and co-stars Evangeline Lilly and Michael Douglas even a weak villain some pacing issues in the finale don't do a thing to stop this being yet another winner from Marvel Studios.
"Avengers: Age of Ultron" - So, so close to being number ten on the list this one gets better with each viewing. Joss Whedon claims that making it nearly killed him and it isn't hard to see why. This is a huge, huge movie. Yes, it is kind of a remake of the first one but the script has total mastery of the characters and even rectifies the horrible neglect that Hawkeye suffered first time round.
"Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison Of Belief" - It's not often that I rave about documentaries.... usually I find that they are pure agenda and maybe this one is guilty of that but it is an utterly fascinating expose of an entity that is equal parts fascinating and horrifying. Two hours long but so enthralling is this one that it feels more like sixty minutes.
"Inside Out" - A painful one to leave off the top ten. This is one of Pixar's absolute best movies. Incredibly smartly written and yet accessible to younger viewers for whom its message is equally (if not more so) valid than for the parents that took them.
I still think that it was a valid question.
I say 'was' because clearly after 2015 it no longer is.
This has been a truly exceptional year for movies.
You could argue that on average last year was stronger but on the strength of the number of extremely strong movies and the fact that my short list was twenty films 2015 takes pole position in my book.
Amazingly the movies that had the potential to hurt us almost all rose up and amazed instead.
I'm speaking of the franchises that so many people (me very definitely included) see as defining the movie experience of their youth and those later that were informed by them.
Mad Max, James Bond and of course Star Wars but also the Marvel properties, Mission: Impossible and Jurassic World.
Only two really didn't cut it- "Fantastic Four" and "Terminator: GeniSys" and frankly both franchises have already previously been tainted with less than stellar quality so another couple of weak entries don't really matter.
Big budget blockbusters are all well and good and as pleased as I am to see them turn out so, so well there has also been an abundance of 'smaller' films that really shone.
"Sleeping With Other People" was a genuine surprise as was "Burnt" and "We Are Your Friends".
I copped a fair bit of flak for liking those last two but I will defend them to the hilt.
I liked what they were attempting and how they went about it.
There have been a few genuine stinkers- movies that I if not hated then certainly disliked intensely.
Not this years whipping boys "Fantastic Four", "Aloha", "Mortdecai" and "Hitman: Agent 47".... I didn't really despise the first two (faint praise I know) and actually really enjoyed the latter two.
It seemed to be the fashionable thing to hate both merely on principle and the prevailing tide.
For me the stinkers of the year were the insipid "The Intern", Gaspar Noe's awful "Love 3D" and "Chappie" - a movie that makes so many bad choices it is hard to believe there was a studio budget behind it.
But I am not here to talk about the stuff I won't be watching again - this is about the movies that I have bought day one on Blu-ray or eagerly look forward to buying as they release.
So, here it is - my picks for the Ten Best Movies of 2015.....
* Note that the order of this list isn't based purely on the review score I gave - click on the scores to check out the reviews
The GaF Blog Top Ten Movies of 2015
TEN:
"The Imitation Game" score: 90
Directed by Morten TyldumStarring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Charles Dance, Rory Kinnear, Mark Strong, Steven Waddington
Budget: $14,000,000
Box Office: $227,774,226
Surely this years champ for production budget vs box office return.
A tiny budget of $14,000,000 goes a long way with some exciting World War II action scenes and a perfect cast.
One of several movies in this list that made me angry as I left the cinema but for all the right reasons - namely that it highlights incredible instances of injustice.
A genuinely thrilling movie that still finds time for humour, romance and tragedy.
A fine tribute to a truly great man with a mind to match.
After "Headhunters" I expected big things from Norwegian director Tyldum and he delivers in spades with this film.
He has the Jennifer Lawrence / Chris Pratt Science fiction flick "Passengers" in the works for 2016 - I for one cannot wait.
NINE:
"American Sniper" score: 90
Directed by Clint EastwoodStarring: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Kyle Gallner, Keir O'Donnell, Luke Grimes, Ben Reed
Budget: $58,800,000
Box Office: $547,426,372
Seen in some quarters as a celebration of war this movie nonetheless marks a return to form for director Clint Eastwood.
Terrifically shot, edited and with Oscar winning sound editing it is a tense, grim affair.
All debate over the accuracy of the events portrayed as facts aside there is no doubt that this is one of the best war movies in years.
It may deliver gruesomely realistic war scenes shown very much from one side but there is clearly another point being made here and it is far from a glorification of war.
This was the first major domestic box office success of the year in the US and it is not hard to see why.
Excellent stuff.
EIGHT:
"Kingsman The Secret Service" score: 88
Directed by Matthew VaughanStarring: Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, Michael Caine, Samuel L Jackson, Mark Hamill, Sofia Boutella, Sophie Cookson, Samantha Womack, Jack Davenport
Budget: $81,000,000
Box Office: $414,351,546
What looked merely somewhat promising in trailers turned out to be one of the most fun movies of the year when it hit way back in February.
Featuring numerous memorable scenes not the least of which is the infamous, wonderfully well executed (no pun intended) church sequence and clearly the years most jaw-dropping line (you'll know what I mean if you have seen this movie) Kingsman is a riot.
If you are not a fan of Colin Firth before you see this you will definitely be one by the time the credits roll.
Beautifully cast and perfectly paced I could hardly have liked this movie more.
Writing team Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughan ("Kickass", "Stardust", "X-Men: First Class") have done it again.
Brilliant fun - a great couple of hours at the cinema.
SEVEN:
"Spectre" score: 88
Directed by Sam MendesStarring: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux, Monica Bellucci, Ben Wishaw, Naomie Harris, Ralph Feinnes, Rory Kinnear, Andrew Scott, Dave Bautista,
Budget: $245,000,000
Box Office: $850,174,955
This one seemed to disappoint many people who were likely expecting a re-run of "Skyfall".
This is not what we got.
More of an old school Bond flick re-done for current times this seems like a farewell movie for star Daniel Craig.
A dazzling 4.5 minute long opening shot and the largest stunt explosion ever filmed are just two of the delights on display.
Every penny of the massive budget is on the screen with huge action, multiple international locales and a cast that includes a sadly underused Monica Bellucci and a stunning Lea Seydoux along with most of the old familiar faces.
I understand why it disappointed a lot of people - I just don't agree.
It's fun, funny and ridiculously over the top stuff. Pure Bond in other words.
SIX:
"The Martian" (3D) score: 90
Directed by Ridley ScottStarring: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kate Mara, Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, Aksel Hennie, Michael Pena, Sean Bean, Sebastian Stan, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mackenzie Davis
Budget: $108,000,000
Box Office: $593,916,010
First off- how in the hell did Sir Ridley pull this one in well under $150,000,000?!
Casting, effects and sheer scale would suggest that this should have cost a lot more than the $108,000,000 it reportedly did.
"The Martian" is an apparently very scientifically accurate tale involving a stranded astronaut (of course Matt Damon) this has been nominated for a Golden Globe in the comedy category.
It is funny for sure but that is a stretch- this is pure science fiction and few do it as well as director Scott.
A diverse cast includes the great Kristen Wiig, Aksel Hennie ("Headhunters"), Sebastian Stan (both Captain America movies) and Mackenzie Davis (tv show "Halt and Catch Fire")
Terrific use of music and 3D and perfect in tone this deserved every penny of its box office haul.
FIVE:
"The Big Short" score: 86
Directed by Adam McKayStarring: Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, Marisa Tomei, Brad Pitt, Rafe Spall, Melissa Leo
Budget: $28,000,000
Box Office: $17,422,474 (to date)
Only releasing fully on December 23rd this one may suffer at the hands of Star Wars, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey and Quentin Tarantino as the busy Christmas period sees a torrent of wide releases.
A shame because it isn't only a film worth seeing for its style and humour but for its terrifying warning.
Set during the massive financial calamity that saw bank after bank collapse to the point where the US Government had to bail them out director McKay breaks rule after rule in the best ways.
The great cast frequently directly addresses the audience and several times guest stars are introduced to explain complicated financial systems to us.
Margot Robbie in a bubble bath sipping champagne explaining mortgage bundling anyone? Hilarious, stylish, terrifying and absolutely one of the five best movies that I saw this year.
FOUR:
"Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation" score: 92
Directed by Christopher McQuarrieStarring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Sean Harris, Alec Baldwin, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hollander, Simon McBurney, Hermione Corfield
Budget: $150,000,000
Box Office: $682,330,139
I would love to have been present for the meetings during the pre-production stages of the third film in this series.
After the not terribly good second film looked to have derailed the promise that the series had shown right out of the gate with Brian DePalma's rather good old-school thriller something was said and done because every single film starting with the J J Abrams directed third one has been an absolute winner.
A lot of the success is down to the choice of directors but Cruise shows a shrewd eye with casting too.
This time it is Swedish actress Rebecca Ferguson and she matches Cruise in every way.
No easy feat.
Say what you will about Cruise but one thing is undeniable... he's the energiser bunny of movies doing his own stunts, producing and overseeing every aspect of the production.
But Ferguson proves to be up to the challenge.
So successful is she as Ilsa that Cruise has called her back for the recently announced sixth film to be directed again by McQuarrie.
The clever script for Rogue Nation finds time for moments of romance and humour amidst the often jaw-dropping action spectacle. An underwater sequence, a done for real aircraft take off with Cruise clinging to the fuselage and a stunning motorcycle chase are merely a sampling of the thrills in this one.
How Cruise and McQuarrie will top this I don't know but then I said that after the excellent fourth movie and as evidenced with Rogue Nation - they did it.
Amazingly good.
THREE:
"Sicario" score: 86
Directed by Denis VilleneuveStarring: Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin, Victor Garber, Daniel Kaluuya, Jon Bernthal, Jeffrey Donovan, Raoul Trujillo, Maximiliano Hernandez
Budget: $30,000,000
Box Office: $80,396,382
I have been a Villenueve fan since his 2013 thriller "Prisoners" and with "Sicario" he not only cemented his place in my mind as one of the best directors working today but his helming the upcoming Blade Runner sequel completely changed my mind on that project.
I cannot imagine that it could possibly be in better hands.
In the meantime if there is any justice in the world Villeneuve will at least nab a Best Director nomination for "Sicario" and a fantastic Emily Blunt will get a Best Actress nod. Brutal, exciting, dark and as expertly constructed a film as I've ever seen the only downside here is that more people didn't see it.
Blame a confusing marketing campaign (look at that poster for God's sake!) and a title that means nothing to most people.
In simple terms this is a war on drugs flick but there is a lot going on under the surface as Blunt's FBI agent joins CIA operative Brolin and a mysterious, movie stealing Benicio Del Toro confronting Mexican drug cartels head on.
I hate that this wasn't a bigger hit.
It's relatively poor box office performance sends the message that this kind of film doesn't work.
On the contrary it does and we need more like it.
Insanely good.
TWO:
"Mad Max: Fury Road" (3D) score: 92
Directed by George MillerStarring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Riley Keogh, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Zoe Kravitz, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Courteny Eaton, Josh Helman, Meagan Gale
Budget: $150,000,000
Box Office: $375,836,354
I didn't have much faith in this one but wow- way to be wrong.
A dynamic thrill ride from start to finish this has already scored the top accolade from the National Board of Film Review and boy does it deserve it!
A truly incredible piece of filmmaking from a director clearly in absolute control of every frame of film it even caught star Tom Hardy by surprise. Admitting to being difficult during the shoot he later apologised to Miller when he saw the finished film.
"I have to apologize to you, because I got frustrated [during the movie’s shoot]. There was no way that George could have explained what he had conceived." - source: LINK
There was a ludicrous campaign from the idiot sector in the US trying to get people to boycott the movie because *gasp* it has a strong female lead! Charlize Theron is remarkable however and clearly enough people agree as this was successful enough to get a sequel or two green-lit.
An adrenaline rush of a movie that barely stops once it begins the action choreography is impressive to put it mildly.
The first screening of this in IMAX genuinely exhausted me and I was unable to put into words how I felt about the film. After the second, third and fourth viewings however I was better able to articulate my thoughts.... the BEST film of the year.
Oh, until.......
ONE:
"Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens" (3D) score: 94
Directed by J J AbramsStarring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Harrison Ford, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Carrie Fisher, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Max Von Sydow, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong'o
Budget: $200,000,000
Box Office: $1,086,000,000 (to date)
Imagine the pressure that J J Abrams must have been under when he signed on to make a sequel to the original Star Wars Trilogy.
The prequels get a lot of hate that they don't deserve but even myself as a fan understands why. They didn't feel much like Star Wars films.
Abrams had one advantage at least - he gets to play with all of the 'toys' from the three Star Wars movies that are still much loved.
So that means not only the Millennium Falcon, TIE Fighters and X-Wings but Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca and Princess (not General!) Leia.
But there still exists the need to make a new film with new characters and places that fits the 'old' universe all while building a platform for two more movies.
It isn't long into The Force Awakens that a satisfying feeling comes over the viewer.
Everything feels 'right'.
The humour is perfect (and plentiful), the nostalgia just at the right level with nods to the previous films and the spectacle every bit what we expect from a Star Wars film.
Harrison Ford has not been this good in many a year and seems to have slipped back into Han Solo like it was only yesterday that he last played him.
The real standout here though is newcomer Daisy Ridley on whom the entire films success rests.
It is in supremely safe hands.
She makes new character Rey an instant fan favourite. She gets the tone of this character spot on and displays a physicality that will no doubt be called on even more in parts eight and nine.
New villain Kylo Ren is superbly played by Adam Driver both in and out of the mask and new droid BB-8 amazingly manages to be every bit as loveable and dare I say iconic as R2D2.
Honestly- this movie shouldn't be as good as it is.
Clearly it was constructed with love and respect from a team of people who are not only gifted filmmakers but serious fans in their own right.
Movies don't shatter the number of records that this one did without an awful lot of people going to see them not once but twice or three times or in my case fifteen times (as of today)
There are a multitude of reasons for this but one stands above all others - this movie makes you feel like a kid again staring wide eyed at the screen in wonder.
And that is a hard thing to find these days.
Massive credit to Abrams and his team for pulling it off in such glorious fashion.
I absolutely love this film.
And the ones that just missed out?....
"Me And Earl And The Dying Girl" - A punch to the gut that you won't mind. Olivia Cooke is adorable as The Dying Girl and Thomas Mann shows talent I didn't know he had. A little gem of a movie that was so close to being in the top ten.
"Creed" - Stallone's best performance ever. Yes- seriously. For anyone who needs reminding what the Stallone who first emerged in the seventies was like this film is for you. There is a reason he has been a Hollywood icon for forty years. Brilliantly shot boxing scenes and genuinely touching scenes between Stallone and the talented Michael B Jordan make this second only to the very first Rocky movie.
"Trainwreck" - One of the two best mainstream comedies that delivered laughs in spades this year and it is all down to write-star Amy Schumer. Filthy but oh so funny this also sees great turns from Bill Hader (obviously), John Cena and Kobe Bryant (yes- seriously). Genuinely hilarious
"Spy" - Just as I thought Melissa McCarthy had shown us all that she had to offer she delivers her best and funniest material yet. Hilarious from go to wo this outrageously profane, uber-violent flick is that rarest of beasts - a very, very funny studio comedy.
"Ant-Man" - Overshadowed prior to release by the troubled production and the departure of original writer-director Edgar Wright, replacement Peyton Reed has not only salvaged the project but delivered the most fun Marvel flick since "Guardians of the Galaxy". Funny man Paul Rudd may seem an odd choice for a comic book hero but the casting proves to be inspired. With great chemistry between Rudd and co-stars Evangeline Lilly and Michael Douglas even a weak villain some pacing issues in the finale don't do a thing to stop this being yet another winner from Marvel Studios.
"Avengers: Age of Ultron" - So, so close to being number ten on the list this one gets better with each viewing. Joss Whedon claims that making it nearly killed him and it isn't hard to see why. This is a huge, huge movie. Yes, it is kind of a remake of the first one but the script has total mastery of the characters and even rectifies the horrible neglect that Hawkeye suffered first time round.
"Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison Of Belief" - It's not often that I rave about documentaries.... usually I find that they are pure agenda and maybe this one is guilty of that but it is an utterly fascinating expose of an entity that is equal parts fascinating and horrifying. Two hours long but so enthralling is this one that it feels more like sixty minutes.
"Inside Out" - A painful one to leave off the top ten. This is one of Pixar's absolute best movies. Incredibly smartly written and yet accessible to younger viewers for whom its message is equally (if not more so) valid than for the parents that took them.
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