Top 5 Movies of 2015

The year 2015 was not a big one for outstanding movies for me. I must have seen at least a couple dozen films released during the past year, but precious few had a real impact on me. I could only come up with eight films that I'd be happy with placing on a top-of-the-year list. 

So I have assembled a Top 5 list instead of the typical Top 10. I'm picky about what I pay to see in the cinema, so I don't frequent the theatres on a very regular basis. I usually only turn up at the box office for favourite genres and franchises. For the rest of my 2015 release viewing, I watched online streaming movies at Netflix, Cineplex, and occasionally a movie studio website. 

Here is how I rank my Top 5 Movies of 2015:

1. Ex Machina
2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
3. Mad Max; Fury Road
4. SPECTRE
5. Kingsman: The Secret Service

The few other notable flicks I caught were Jupiter Ascending (a fun if lightweight space fantasy), Chappie (a gritty and funny commentary on sentient robotics), and It Follows (a spooky and weird low-budget creeper).

"My beautiful robot is dancing alone"

Ex Machina is pretty much the perfect movie for me. The story successfully combines science-fiction with a character study, a relationship drama, and even some deft touches of humour... all within what feels like an art house film. As I watch Ex Machina, I can't help but think of other movies that tread sort of similar ground: like Her, which explores the bond between a man and his female-voiced computer operating system. Or there's Under The Skin, a low-key, creepy picture about a female alien predator that begins to develop feelings. Outside the sci-fi genre, Lost In Translation carries the same tone as Ex Machina, sharing a mood through music and pacing and cinematography. And that unusual immediate bonding between strangers is a theme that captivates me. The film is aesthetically pleasing in visuals and sound design, yet I feel like it harbours a slightly cold and uncomfortable secret. And that is slowly revealed as the tale unfolds. My full review of Ex Machina is here. 

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is still fresh in my mind after a recent cinema outing. The film beautifully, effortlessly, and even curiously captures the essence of the original trilogy (episodes IV, V, and VI). How did the franchise so horribly lose its way with the prequels? Yeah, we all know how.... director Lucas tried to do too much himself, with disappointing results. Anyway, that's all in the past, and now we have something wonderful to look forward to, at least as long as J.J. Abrams is at the helm. Future chapters in the Star Wars saga will take off from this impressive re-booting point. Abrams heroically achieved the near-impossible with The Force Awakens: he hauled out of storage and dusted off the actors from the original films; he developed brand new characters - in lead roles, no less; and he brought them all together in what is a genius restoration of the magical space opera we all love so much. I write more extensively about The Force Awakens here. 

Out with the old and in with the new

Mad Max: Fury Road is an assault on the senses. The intense and relentless action, and the wall of sound - created by both music and machinery - send the viewer to the edge of his or her seat. Right from the opening scene. Huge set-pieces, insane stuntwork, even wackier characters... aging director Miller somehow amped up Fury Road to something many times more visceral and demented than even his acclaimed Max films from decades ago. The movie is a marvel, yet it's even more stunning once you learn how they made it a reality. Reliable actors spit and fight and drive, gutsy to the last, capturing our imaginations once more in Max's post-apocalyptic world. Read my more analytical review here. 

SPECTRE is the Bond film that may make or break the franchise for me. I loved a large portion of the movie, but once the main villain was introduced, I was underwhelmed. The handling of the rest of the story felt lazy and uninspired. Still decent, but rather disappointing after a strong start. SPECTRE dug back into the vaults for the ingredients that made the Connery films unforgettable. This latest entry in the long-running franchise looks and feels much like those oldies. Yet, as I complained before, the head honcho bad guy just didn't do it for me. Waltz is a fine actor, but he didn't deliver the goods here. And again, the fun and intrigue seriously tapered off toward the end of the picture. Still, it's tough to follow a movie like Skyfall, or even reside with a modern classic like Casino Royale in the Daniel Craig set of Bond films. I ponder these ideas and more in my full review

Kingsman: The Secret Service, in some regards, is what SPECTRE should have been. The thrills and action, the maniacal super-villain, the fast-paced story leading up to a wham-bang finish. These were a bit lacking in SPECTRE, at least those last two points. Kingsman does not fizzle out at any time. In fact, some methodical character and story development at the start works very nicely for setting up an intricate and fun spectacle. Outlandish characters were perfectly suited to this fantasy spy outing, very much like a best of the best of James Bond. Sure, Kingsman goes well over-the-top at times, but it's laughable in an acceptable and very fun way. In fact, the goofiness here and there is at least never as embarrassing as creaky old Roger Moore performing implausible 007 stunts. I champion this under-appreciated film further in my full review. 

It's been quite a year for movies from my favourite franchises. I eagerly anticipated the Bond, Mad Max, and Star Wars films, and was mostly satisfied with the results. And since I'm a fan of the spy genre, Kingsman successfully filled a void until SPECTRE came along. The big surprise was the mind-bending Ex Machina, establishing what I hope is a trend in science-fiction film-making: more explorations of AI interacting with humankind. Fascinating stuff, and perfectly realized in this film. 

As for upcoming gems in 2016, I have no idea what will catch my fancy. There are some western/frontier-themed movies on their way... like The Revenant, which looks promising. A glut of comic-book superhero films will hit theatres, but I have very little interest in those. I simply look forward to The Force Awakens on home video in a few months, so I can enjoy it again and again. And maybe once I've added SPECTRE to my Blu-ray collection, I can appreciate it more fully on a re-watch. 

Cheers to a pretty darned good year in movies!