Monday, January 11, 2016

2015 - IN REVIEW: TOP TWENTY BEST FILMS: #10 - 1

 
10. SLOW WEST

Having just looked at the remainder of this list I have noticed that this is the first of three non-traditional westerns to make my top ten; a genre I normally do not gravitate towards. However I seem to be a fan of the oddball ones, which “Slow West” certainly is. It is about a late-teenage boy named Jay (played by Kodi Smit-McPhee) who leaves Scotland and heads to the American west to search for the girl that he loves. However he is unprepared for the brutality of the west, both in landscape or the bandits that reside there, and it is a miracle that he is still alive when he comes across Silas (Michael Fassbender), a bounty hunter. Silas and Jay strike up a friendship and the two come up with an agreement that they will travel together until Jay finds the girl of his dreams. There is a lot more to the story than that, but to give more of it away would be unfair. I honestly had no expectations going into watching “Slow West”, I pretty much was watching it due to Fassbender's involvement, and I ended up loving every second of it. It is actually very true to its title, as this is a very slow moving film, but it is never boring. Two things really stand out while watching the film; the first is Robbie Ryan's fantastic cinematography. The way he photographs the landscape, he gives the west a completely different feel than any western that has come before it. It is not a west that is dominated by browns and oranges, and dust, but instead it is more of a lush, colourful western full of green and trees. However, there is no doubt that the environment is harsh, and harsher still to a naïve foreigner. The other thing that makes “Slow West” stand out is its great sense of humour. Now this is not even close to being a comedy, in fact it is far closer to a tragedy, but right throughout the film there is humour constantly present, but humour of the darkest and driest quality. Its the type of humour that if you do not regularly respond to it, I highly doubt that you would even notice it. It goes without saying that I noticed and I found myself laughing hysterically at points in the film. One example comes late in the film, when one character is having a particularly bad day; he has just been wounded in a shoot-out and is taking refuge under a shelf in the kitchen of a house. The battle continues and a stray bullet strikes a container holding salt, causing it to fall all over the poor guy underneath, where he literally has salt grounded into his wounds. It is a hilarious moment, that is played so straight which makes it all the more funnier. Anything that stars Michael Fassbender, you automatically assume is going to have great acting in it and that is true of “Slow West”. Everyone is all on the same page and understands exactly the type of film they are making and particularly of the film's tone. Besides the two leads, I must mention Ben Mendelsohn who plays a rival bounty hunter, who is both hilarious and dangerous at the same time. It is really great that the rest of the world is finally seeing just how brilliant this talented Australian is. Hopefully the inclusion of “Slow West” on this list would encourage others to try out this small, but very stylish and odd film; a great surprise.


9. EX MACHINA

It is hard to believe that this sci-fi thriller is actually Alex Garland's directorial debut. He seems in total control of the film for its entire running time. The plot of “Ex Machina” is about Caleb, a young programmer, who wins a competition to spend a week on Nathan's (the CEO of the company he works for) island and house to take part in “the greatest scientific discovery of mankind”. That discovery comes in the form of Ava, a highly advanced A.I robot that Nathan has created. Caleb's job is to be shown that she is definitely a robot, but then be convinced that Ava has a consciousness. Whilst Caleb is performing his tests, Ava becomes aware that if she fails these subjective tests, there is a chance that she will be destroyed. Almost as proof of her consciousness she is determined to escape her confines and attempts to enlist Caleb to help her escape. Like the western, science fiction films are not ones that I gravitate towards, however whenever a smart one comes along with something to say, I seem to find it. “Ex Machina” is definitely one of these as it is a film that is not only a great thriller but one that asks a lot of questions. What does it mean to be human? What responsibility does a creator have if they create something with a conscious, and if they do, do they then have the right to dictate what sort of life they then lead? These are but a few of the many fascinating topics brought up to be discussed, but thankfully these elements have been weaved into the narrative in an organic, natural fashion and are not ham-fisted to the point that you know this is a film with an agenda. The highlight of the film has to be Alicia Vikander who plays Ava in what has to be a star making performance. This is the first thing I have noticed her in, but since then she seems to be in everything. She is gorgeous in this and makes you feel for this robot, a sentient being who is meant to exist without real feelings. The other aspect I loved was the design of it all, especially the robots themselves which parts of them are see through, so you can see that they are in fact artificial. Thankfully this is a film that has seemed to have found its audience as it has been heaped with praise which is well deserved because it is one of the films of the year.


8. THE REVENANT

Alejandro G. Inarittu's powerful tale of survival and revenge was an easy choice for the list, and probably could have made it just from the power of its most infamous scene, which was arguably the single best and most vicious scene that I saw in all of 2015. “The Revenant” is about a group of hunters who work in the fur trade, who have to make the sudden decision to abandon their pelts and run for their lives when they are made aware that the native Indians are none to happy about their presence and plan to make them leave in the bloodiest fashion possible. Whilst making their escape through the woods, one member of the group named Hugh is attacked and viciously mauled almost to death by a bear protecting her cubs. Thinking that he will likely die, the group leave Hugh behind to do so, so the rest of them can continue their escape. However Hugh does not die. Instead he uses all the will known to man to travel cross country to find the men who abandoned him (in particular one man, John, who took something valuable from him) and to kill them in the name of revenge. At the end of the day, “The Revenant” is just another revenge film, but can the quality of the filmmaking associated with it raise it to be something much more than its base elements? You betcha, it can! This is a stunningly put together film and apparently was extraordinarily hard to make. Much has been made by the fact that cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki only shot with natural available light, meaning that there were only a few hours each day that they could shoot what they needed, but again Lubezki has done wonders here, highlighting the harsh, brutal environment in such a way that makes us appreciate Hugh's journey even more. For those that loved Lubezki's and Inarritu's previous collaboration, “Birdman”, will be happy to know that the two of them have continued to use techniques that they experimented with during the making of that earlier film, such as the use of incredibly long takes. Leonardo DiCaprio is the star of the film and plays Hugh, and what is quite surprising is just how little he speaks in the film (in fairness, for the majority of the film, he does have his throat ripped out). Because of this, DiCaprio must build his performance around his physicality and body language and he does a fantastic job of presenting a man who has regressed to the basest of human emotions and that is simply to fight to survive at any cost. As I mentioned before, the key scene of the bear attack would be without question the single greatest scene I saw all year. The absolute ferocity and power that comes from the bear attack is nothing that I have felt in a movie before. It is terrifying beyond belief, particularly because the bear comes at him three different times and at such speed. The first time the bear attacks, it is such a shock because just as quickly as Hugh notices the bear, than he is on top of him, slashing him with his claws. I cannot do the scene justice in regards to its brutality, it is something you need to witness and feel yourself, but in fact, the whole film is incredibly brutal and bloody, which sometimes makes the film hard to watch (particularly during the opening extended battle scene). So whilst the film may be just another revenge film, I defy anyone to see “The Revenant” and not be affected by it; it is a powerful film.


7. LEVIATHAN

Leviathan” is the fourth film from Russian director Andrei Zvyagintsev and it is yet another stellar piece of work. As usual for a film from this director, it comes across as an angry work of art; it is a daring attack on the corruption embedded within Russian politics and although at its heart this is a tale that is small, its ideas are grand. In fact Zvyagintsev looks at all forms of corruption in his superior film, not just those of a political nature. He also examines the corruption of friendship, the corruption of a marriage, the corruption of one's self and morals, and finally the corruption of their soul. He also overtly takes a swipe at the church as an institution, and people that are willing to commit atrocities in God's name. Whilst these themes and ideas may come across as very strong and heady, thankfully they have been beautifully woven into this tale which is about an “every man” just trying to keep his land. This is a film that works because of the astonishing performances from its entire cast. No one puts a foot out of place here but at the end of the day, “Leviathan” is Aleksey Serebryakov's film. He plays Nikolay, our “every man”, and throughout the entirety of this devastating story he gets the chance to portray every emotion possible and is painfully believable the whole time. In Zvyagintsev's previous film “Elena” I was very impressed by Elena Lyadova even though she was only in the film for a few scenes, and I hoped that he would work with her again soon. Thankfully he cast her straight away in “Leviathan”, this time in the key role of Lilya, Nikolay's wife. She is just as mesmerising as she was in the previous film, and yet her performance is completely different this time around. This is a much more internal performance with most of her work being told through the emotions on her face. Once again for a Zvyagintsev film, it has been impeccably shot by his long time cinematographer Mikhail Krichman. Even though the story is unbelievably sad and tragic, from a visual point of view, it is stunningly beautiful. A great indicator of how great this film is, is the fact that “Leviathan” was one of the first film's I saw in 2015 and it has never left me. Click here to read my original review.


6. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

When this film was actually being made, I totally disregarded it. I didn't think the world needed another “Mad Max” film, particularly one without Mel Gibson. Maybe this had to do with the disappointment that was “Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome”, I'm not really sure, but I had no excitement for it what so ever. Then the original trailer came out and it still took me ages to bother to check it out. Once I did, it piqued my interest a little but not too much. When the final trailer came out though, I was with this film in a big way and for mine, the final trailer for “Mad Max: Fury Road” was my favourite trailer of 2015 and the perfect representation of the film itself. By the time it was released, I was hanging for the film and once I saw it, it blew me away. I loved every second of this brilliant action film. Thankfully the film has received worldwide acclaim and it is well deserved. There is just so much to like in this film but my favourite thing had to be the ridiculous car stunts performed throughout the film. God bless George Miller and company for bringing back practical stunt work in a big way. I understand that the majority of the stunts have CGI extensions but for the most part these are real stunts done with real cars and you can just feel the difference. A week prior to seeing “Fury Road” I had seen “Fast and the Furious 7” and felt absolutely nothing from all of the “fake”car stunts in that film, whereas here, I was exhilarated and pumped full of adrenaline. From a human perspective, everyone knows by now that even though the film is called “Mad Max” this is really Furiosa's film, and she is played by the bald headed Charlize Theron, who absolutely steals this film. She is beyond amazing! This is an incredibly physical role and yet she is so believable in it. Never once did I think that she couldn't go toe to toe with any of the men on-screen. When she threw a punch, it felt brutal and real, and importantly powerful. I could go on talking about this film forever, but by now everyone knows how great it is. From the stunts, to the performances, to the look (I loved that John Seale came out of retirement because he didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to do the cinematography on a “Mad Max” film), to the adrenaline fueling pace of the whole thing; this is kinetic filmmaking at its finest and I think it will be a long time before someone matches the insanity of this film. Another positive, is that it is endlessly re-watchable.


5. YOUTH

Whilst not as critically acclaimed as his previous film, “The Great Beauty”, once again I find myself on the other side of the fence as I enjoyed Paolo Sorrentino's latest, “Youth”, a whole lot more than that earlier film. There is no doubt that “The Great Beauty” is a very good film but I found it hard to relate to or find an entry point into. However I seemed to be on the same wavelength as “Youth” right from the opening frame. Lately I have noticed a change in my movie watching habits and the kind of movies that I watch. This is no doubt due to the fact that I turned forty last year, and watching superheroes running around in tights just doesn't have the same effect on me that it once did. Strangely though, films starring older actors and dealing with the theme of aging are films I seem to be enjoying more and more, and this is exactly what “Youth” is about. Two old friends are holidaying together at an expensive and exclusive spa resort situated at the bottom of the Alps. Fred (Michael Caine) is a retired orchestra conductor without any plans to return to work, while his best friend, Mick (Harvey Keitel) is a well known director currently in pre-production on his latest film; a movie that he thinks will be his final great epic and a summation of his entire career. When Mick isn't working, the two get together and reminisce about the past; lost loves, their children, and the importance of their work, then and now. Out of the blue though, Fred gets a royal invitation from Queen Elizabeth to conduct at a gala event, and when he refuses to do so, it brings to light just what is most important to him. Meanwhile Mick's movie prospect takes a turn for the worst when his regular star and muse turns down the opportunity to star in it. This is an impeccably acted film. Everyone gives really solid performances and this is the best I've seen Harvey Keitel in ages. I also need to mention that both Jane Fonda and Rachel Weisz play significant roles (and are both wonderful), as does Paul Dano, an actor who can really get on my nerves at times, but I really liked him in “Youth”. It seems a strange mix, this film's quiet and emotional story with Sorrentino's big operatic way of directing, and yet it just works. Visually the film is a sight to behold with each shot precisely framed to perfection, and the way music is combined to these images just heightens the film's emotionally content brilliantly. And as the film goes along and its themes become more and more obvious, “Youth” really does become quite the emotionally experience indeed. I have heard a lot of people complain that the film is pretentious and I think that if you have not connected with it, that could indeed seem true but to me, I found “Youth” had plenty to say and it moved me incredibly and I look forward to watching it again soon.


4. BIRDMAN

I cant believe that this film came out in 2015, but sure enough it was released in the second week of January, here in Australia. It is also the second film directed by Alejandro G. Inarritu to make my top ten list this year. With “Birdman”, it was the first time that Inarittu really tried something different compared to the dark and depressing dramas he had made with his previous four films. “Birdman” is actually a comedy, sure a dark comedy, but when announced as such, was quite the surprise coming from this usually heavy director. What is even greater is the fact that Inarritu comes out successfully achieving what he set out to do. The story is about a washed up older actor named Riggan, who was once famous for playing the superhero Birdman in the three film series. Fearing that he is no longer relevant, he sets out to write, direct and star in a play; something that has prestige and meaning and we are along for the ride as he prepares the final details before presenting the show to a preview audience. The genius of this movie is all in the casting of Michael Keaton in the role of Riggan/Birdman. Simply because of his history with the “Batman” franchise, his casting adds a whole other layer and dimension to the film, and Keaton is a great sport to play along. In fact he is quite outstanding in the role, and its easily his best performance since “Jackie Brown” almost twenty years ago. The craziest aspect of the film though, and thus its brilliance since it is pulled off to perfection, is the fact that Inarritu devised the film to be told all in “one” shot. Whilst not a true single take (which would be impossible because the film takes place over a couple of days), the whole movie is conceived as a single shot which means that all of the cuts and edits are hidden. To help achieve this, Inarritu enlisted master cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki and between the two of them, they pull off this near impossible task. Something that did not occur to me at the time of watching it is the fact that the film had to be edited during the writing stage, with any superfluous scenes being taken out then, because with the film meant to look like a single shot, no scene could be dropped in the edit once it was shot otherwise the whole look of the film would fall apart. This is just insane that they even tried this but that it actually works is mind boggling. Just for this aspect alone, “Birdman” could make this list, but thankfully this is not a film that is just all style and no substance, because it also happens to be a great film too.


3. BRIDGE OF SPIES

The latest film from master storyteller, Steven Spielberg, was arguably the classiest film I saw in 2015. It is made with an old school sensibility rarely seen these days and is just riveting from start to finish. Perfect shot selection and compositions, superbly acted particularly by Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance (as the captured Russian spy), a smart, dense and adult script from the Coen Brothers and of course, Spielberg is at the top of his game here with his direction. In fact, in my opinion, this is his best film since 2005's “Munich”, which was just a masterful film. It is also incredibly suspenseful too. What I really liked about the film was the fact that there were no “good guys” and “bad guys”. Both countries (Russia and the US) had spies, and both were acting in a professional manner in gaining information for their country like they had been instructed. In fact the relationship created between lawyer and client is handled very well, as it is bounded by a deep respect and trust for one another, even though their countries in this cold war are enemies. The other aspect of the film that I loved so much was the look of it all. Personally I am a fan of this post-war era anyway, but I was very impressed particularly of the scenes that took place in the snow covered locations of East Germany, as the Berlin wall is in the process of being built. The colour pallet of blues and greys looked fantastic and gave the location a gloomy feel to it all which worked enormously well for the tone of the story. As much as I always love Spielberg's visuals, I am actually not a huge fan of his regular cinematographer, Janusz Kaminski. I find he blows out windows too much with light, giving his photography an overly contrasted look that I am not a fan of. Whilst he is still guilty of doing that here, I felt it was more restrained than usual and as such I really liked his work on “Bridge of Spies”. As of now, I have only seen the film one time, but I really look forward to seeing it again soon.


2. THE HATEFUL EIGHT

I am something of a Tarantino nut. I believe that the man has yet to make a bad film and all of them have appeared on my top twenty lists of the year they were released, usually very near the top. However, whilst I would never call it a bad film, I did not respond to “Django Unchained” as positively as previous Tarantino films and it only just scrapped onto my list at number 20. When I heard that his next film would be yet another western, my heart sank a little (just a little though). After now seeing “The Hateful Eight” I can safely say my worries were unfounded because it is a gem of a film. It is three hours long but it is entertaining for its entire length. The story is about a bounty hunter John Ruth, nicknamed “The Hangman”, who along with his prisoner, Daisy Domergue, are heading to Red Rock to collect his bounty of $10,000. However mother nature has other ideas and soon a massive blizzard heads their way forcing them to stop before their destination and to take refuge at “Minnie's Haberdashery”. Once entering the small cabin John establishes that he is not alone and will be spending the next couple of days in the company of six strangers, one of whom he is sure is not who he says he is and is working alongside and to free Daisy. The only problem is he is not sure which. This is truly a fantastic film and I loved every minute of it. It is definitely a film of two halves though, not least because there actually is an intermission breaking up the film between its third and fourth chapters. This break though is perfectly placed because either side of the break, the film feels completely different. The first half is basically all set up and is filled with the trademark Tarantino dialogue and conversations. Here we get to meet our characters and find out who they all are......or who they say they are. Whereas the second half of the film is all pay-off and action, as true identities are finally revealed and the blood and violence begins in earnest. And boy is this thing bloody! One aspect that I really loved about “The Hateful Eight” was the mystery angle to it all, knowing that we weren't being told the whole truth and trying to discover it for ourselves. Once again, Tarantino has cast his film to perfection (almost....but more on that later) and the entire cast give some of the best performances of their careers. My favourite character was Tim Roth's character, who I thought was just magnificent (and hilarious) here; it was so good to finally see him in another Tarantino film. Even though Samuel L Jackson has been in almost everything Tarantino has done (since Pulp Fiction), he finally gives Sam another role to rival his star making performance as Jules from “Pulp Fiction”. I must admit over the years I have tired of the Samuel L. Jackson shtick but he is so good here as Major Marquis Warren that it reminded me once again why I loved him so much in the past. As I said though, everyone is great here from Kurt Russell, Michael Madsen, Walton Goggins, Bruce Dern, all the way up to Jennifer Jason Leigh. However, the only blemish I found in “The Hateful Eight” was a casting choice and that was the decision to cast Zoe Bell in a small role late in the film. It is not that she is bad per se, but rather she comes across very modern and doesn't fit the period setting of the film at all, and for me at least, she took me out of the film for a moment. And for all you people who think I am a Channing Tatum hater, well this is it folks, this is the film in my top twenty that Channing appears in. Granted its not a starring role and he is not on screen for long, but his role is very important to the plot of the film. Briefly I have to mention just how great Ennio Morricone's score is for the film. It is not a surprise that the master has come up with such a great score again, but what was a surprise is that the score he created is closer to those he wrote for the Italian giallo films of the 70's and 80's rather than the Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns he is most noted for. I must also make mention of Tarantino's choice to shoot the film on 70mm film stock and in the super wide 2.76 ratio. The film looks stunning and has been carefully composed to take advantage of this big screen format and as such, I recommend seeing the film on the largest screen possible in 70mm (if available in your area). “The Hateful Eight” is a stunning picture, but beware it will not be for all tastes and I can see it being very controversial for a number of reasons. The first being the regular violent treatment that Daisy cops from these men, whilst the second reason being the constant use of the “N” word by a lot of the characters. In fairness, this is Quentin Tarantino's most political film to date and the use of this vile word isn't just thrown in there for shock value, but at times its still hard to take. There is also a particularly nasty story that Jackson's character tells that could upset a lot of people, but for those not easily offended, this is a picture that they should love. It is further proof of just how great a filmmaker Quentin Tarantino actually is.


1. PHOENIX

Here we are folks, this is finally it! My favourite film of 2015 is Christian Petzold's “Phoenix”; a stunning film that I have already seen three times. This beautifully constructed film does have quite a pulpy storyline, but the emotional content within it all just makes it so much greater than the sum of its parts. The film is set in post war Germany and is about a woman named Nelly, who is a survivor of the Nazi death camps, although not without significant cost. Her face has been brutally and horribly disfigured that she needs re-constructive surgery to get it fixed. She asks the doctor for her new face to be exactly the same as her old, but she is explained that the likelihood of that being possible would be slim. After the surgery, Nelly heads out into the city searching for her husband, Johnny (who may or may not have actually betrayed her), and her search leads her to a nightclub named Phoenix. It is there that she finds the man she loves, but heartbreakingly, he does not recognise her. Further heartbreak would follow Nelly when she returns to the nightclub in the light of day and this time Johnny recognises a similarity to his wife that he long thinks dead, and comes up with a plan for Nelly to pose as his wife so he can claim her significant inheritance that she is owed after her family members were destroyed during the war. This is not what Nelly wants but if it will give her time with Johnny she is willing to do it until she can bring up the courage to confess who she really is. So Johnny then goes about training Nelly to be....well, Nelly. Yes, we are talking an allusion to “Vertigo” here, but it has been handled so delicately and brilliantly that I dare anyone not be affected by this film. Despite the thriller aspect to it all (did Johnny really betray her? Will he ever recognise Nelly as his wife? Will Nelly ever come forward with this information?), it is the emotional core of this film that makes it so great, with a pitch perfect ending to die for. It is simply sublime and devastating, as well as exhilarating, all in one single moment. Nina Hoss, the director's regular muse, is always great in whatever she does, but for me, her performance as Nelly is the best thing she has ever done. It is a very internal performance, as it is more about how she feels rather than what she says, and again the way she plays that final scene is heart wrenchingly perfect. As much as I love this film, I really do not want to talk about it too much in case I do not do it justice, or out of fear that I may ruin elements for those that have yet to see it. I will say though just how much I love the film's simple title, “Phoenix”, because it just sums up so much of what this film is about. Sure, it is the rather trite name of the nightclub where Nelly finds Johnny again, but what this film is really about is a woman and a country, both thought dead, rising again to find themselves and to learn how to live again without the scars from its past. Seriously, if you get the chance to see “Phoenix” please do, it is a simple, and quiet film that has been expertly made, and packs an emotional gut punch in its finale. It is simply sublime and is favourite film of 2015.


Well there you have it, that was my  round-up of the year that was 2015.  Hopefully you got some enjoyment out of it, but before I finish, lets have a brief look at the upcoming year and my most anticipated films of 2016.

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