Favorite Films

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Alfred Hitchcock:

1. Dial M For Murder
2. Rear Window
3. Psycho
4. North By Northwest
5. Rope

Note: It's been a long time since I've re-watched The Birds and Vertigo, hence why they aren't on my list for now.

[Avaitor]

An update to this list thingy

2015- Mad Max: Fury Road
2014- Goodbye to Language
2013- Before Midnight
2012- Django Unchained
2011- The Tree of Life
2010- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
2009- A Prophet
2008- WALL*E
2007- Persepolis
2006- Pan's Labyrinth
2005- Serenity
2004- Before Sunset
2003- X2: X-Men United
2002- City of God
2001- The Royal Tenenbaums
2000- Almost Famous
1999- Girl, Interrupted
1998- The Thin Red Line
1997- The End of Evangelion
1996- The Hunchback of Notre Dame
1995- Before Sunrise
1994- Pulp Fiction
1993- The Nightmare Before Christmas
1992- Reservoir Dogs
1991- Terminator 2: Judgement Day

[Avaitor]

Dang, so I exceeded the character limit in my 2015 post. I'll just add updates to my brief reviews here. I'll stop writing about 2015 films after the Oscars, and when I see movies from this year, I'll make a separate post for them.

Creed- B+. Truth be told, I'm not a huge Rocky fan. Like most people, I enjoy the original movie, but despite my appreciation for boxing, I think the film's a little thin for my taste, and don't come back to it often. I will say that Balboa is a good cap to the character's run, but that's where my loyalty to the franchise initially ended before this one. I am a fan of Ryan Coogler, however. Fruitvale Station was a poignant debut, and all the more timely as of now, so I was excited to see how this turned out, and it's a good time, all in all. Coogler seemed to take a little bit of time to adapt to this kind of filmmaking, combining sports action with an MTV sensibility to the editing, and Adonis' first big fight is a bit rough in hindsight. By the end, though, he seems to get the hang of it, as the film makes you feel every punch. That's what ultimately pushes the movie back, but only slightly, as it is anchored by strong performances. Michael B. Jordan proves to be a worthy muse for Cooglar, capturing the right amount of anger and optimism that Adonis needs, while Stallone pulls out a career best performance as Rocky, broken but still strong, and not being afraid to make him look less heroic than in the past. And the screenplay fits well, even with a romantic subplot that works, despite not having very many original beats. I would not be opposed to further entries into the world of Apollo's son, but I'm just excited to see what Cooglar does next.
Room- B. In short, I was excited with the film, but not totally enamored. It took me a little bit to understand why, but I think I get it now. I really like the first act, especially when it gets increasingly tense, as what is happening to Ma and Jack becomes apparent, and you get an idea of just how creepy Old Nick is. And the last third is quite poignant, giving Ma and Jack an ending and step forward that they absolutely deserve. What hurts the film for me on the whole is the middle portion, when (I don't think this is a spoiler, since the trailers make this clear) they escape, and it takes Jack and Ma a while to adapt to the every day world. It feels like it takes the movie a while to get an idea of how to accurately portray their PTSD, and how to attempt to get them to move on, which occurs after a plot point which I won't spoil. It doesn't help that the film has a weirdly wasted use of William H. Macy, who leaves too soon with no explanation as to why (the novel apparently explains this more, but at the same time, I think the suddenness is the only real problem here). Still, this is a unique concept that is brilliantly acted by Brie Larson, as Ma and Jack's relationship feels incredibly authentic, if all too close. I wouldn't say this is one of the best of the year, but there are enough moments where I really do love this movie for me to call it good.
Phoenix- A-. A bit slow in parts, but a very well-written and meticulously plotted film regardless. Strong acting and a great camera's eye help to make it stand out, but it's all about that ending, a perfect kiss-off. This is worth a look if you're bored while checking Netflix one night, even if you're tired of WWII films.
Spotlight- B-. So, there's nothing really wrong ab- actually, yes there is. The editing is a joke, and the cinematic aesthetic is TV level. But this is a well-meaning movie about a serious subject that warrants discussion, and anger towards. The cast also does a good job with their performances, although I do think that Mark Ruffalo is a little too broad in hindsight, which probably explains his nomination. Rachel McAdams is my favorite overall, since the only time the film did anything for me was when we got to hear and see a little of her relationship with her nana. Which is the thing- I've seen this movie before. Films about journalism are very samey, and Spotlight doesn't add too much into the mix to make it different. If you're willing to forgive a lack of originality and let the power of the story take you in, this will be worth seeing for you. But I just did not care. And that's why I would never vote for it at the Oscars.
Trumbo- C. I wasn't expecting Bryan Cranston to be so underwhelming as Dalton Trumbo. He never seemed too comfortable in the role, and turned too much of it into a flat screaming match. That's a shame, since this is the one thing that I was excited to see the film for. It's a basic biopic, and doesn't add anything new to say about the blacklist if you haven't seen the superior Good Night and Good Luck. The film's best moments came whenever Trumbo got to interact with his wife or lively oldest daughter, and John Goodman just being John Goodman, but those are far and few in between an unimpressive slew of arguments between disinterested screenwriters, and celebrity impersonations that are neither accurate nor well-developed. There isn't much more to say about this one.
Magic Mike XXL- B. It's funny, Soderbergh didn't actually direct this, but his finger prints are still everywhere in this movie. In that he literally shot and edited it, but he was not the director. But I think that it's on par with the first film, replacing that one's economic critiques for a look on modern gender roles, and succeeding while still being wonky enough to appeal to those who come in hoping to watch a fun movie about male strippers. And this one has more crazy dance routines than the original, which surprisingly don't drag. The only thing that really drags the film are Jada Pinkett Smith's speeches, which become tiresome and samey after the first one. And even then, Donald Glover's general presence makes up for any of that.
Anomalisa- B. Between this and Hateful Eight, Jennifer Jason Leigh has had a hell of a year. Despite only having 3 voice actors, the vocal work in the film is outstanding. David Thewlis brings an uncomfortable, yet unique and strangely palatable all at once, anguish to his performance as his character adapts to the strangness of the world he inhabits, as the aforementioned Leigh gives Lisa a welcome embrace to being discovered for the first time, and Tom Noonan, well, I shouldn't spoil his performance. But it's an important element to explain why animation was a good venue for the film, since it might come off as tacky and unpractical in live-action. It's a concept that is easy to keep your attention, as weird as it gets, and even with an awkward first act. I'm just not sure how much of it resonates with me yet, since it feels more unique than downright good. And even then, Kaufman has his own idiosyncrasies which are becoming tiresome, similar to Wes Anderson. But he still makes good movies despite his limited range, as does Kaufman. I can easily recommend this if you're not tired of him just yet.
Boy & the World- A. This is technically a 2013 film, but whatever. And it also defies definition, a gorgeous treat from beginning to end. It feels like every few seconds, there's a new, beautiful shot to introduce a new concept to the audience, and never lets go. I can't recommend this enough for fans of animation.
Sicario- C+. Completely, totally unremarkable. There is nothing truly bad here, but there is nothing truly impressive, either. Lack of interesting character or unique message is what plagues it for me, even though it's technically a fine film. Although Roger Deakins really isn't that impressive.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

An update to this list thingy

2015- Mad Max: Fury Road
2014- Goodbye to Language
2013- Before Midnight
2012- Django Unchained
2011- The Tree of Life
2010- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
2009- A Prophet
2008- WALL*E
2007- Persepolis
2006- Pan's Labyrinth
2005- Serenity
2004- Before Sunset
2003- X2: X-Men United
2002- City of God
2001- The Royal Tenenbaums
2000- Almost Famous
1999- Girl, Interrupted
1998- The Thin Red Line
1997- The End of Evangelion
1996- The Hunchback of Notre Dame
1995- Before Sunrise
1994- Pulp Fiction
1993- The Nightmare Before Christmas
1992- Reservoir Dogs
1991- Terminator 2: Judgement Day

Great list as always. Mine would mostly be the same as before, but here it is again, anyways:

1989: The Killer
1990: Goodfellas
1991: Terminator 2: Judgement Day
1992: Unforgiven
1993: Rudy
1994: Ed Wood
1995: Casino
1996: A Time to Kill
1997: Life is Beautiful
1998: Saving Private Ryan
1999: South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut
2000: Battle Royale
2001: Training Day
2002: The Bourne Identity
2003: Mystic River
2004: Collateral
2005: Serenity
2006: Little Miss Sunshine
2007: Hot Fuzz
2008: Hellboy II: The Golden Army
2009: Summer Wars
2010: The King's Speech
2011: Headhunters
2012: Argo
2013: The World's End
2014: The Babadook
2015: The Martian

[Avaitor]

Yours is great, too! The Martian ranks high from last year, and The Babadook is like 1% away from being my favorite of 2014, and there's cool stuff all over your years beyond them!

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Thanks.

I still need to see a few movies on your list, including Goodbye to Language. But, yeah, The Babadook holds a particularly special place for me since I love the horror genre and it has been so long since I've seen a truly great one come out.

[Avaitor]

Goodbye to Language is not an easy watch at all. Especially if you have very little experience with Godard. The film is meant to be seen on a big screen in 3D, but to fair, I just saw it on Netflix and really got into its absurd, disturbing sense of humor anyway.

There's a few little notes I could add here or there to my annual rankings, like how 2012 is technically a 3-way tie between Django, Moonrise Kingdom (still my favorite Wes Anderson film), and the first Avengers, and how I still can't decide if I should change my 2013 choice to The Act of Killing.

But still, so many great films have been made since I was born! That's nothing compared to how many great films from before my time that I'm still discovering, though.

[Avaitor]

So yeah, RIP Alan Rickman

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

So yeah, RIP Alan Rickman

He leaves behind him a truly legendary cinematic career.

[Spark Of Spirit]

The man was gold in everything he did. He will be missed.

[Avaitor]

He was the only good part of Alice in Wonderland. And the sequel is the last movie he ever did.

Tonight will be a good chance for me to finally watch Galaxy Quest the whole way through.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

He was amazing in Die Hard as Hans Gruber, incredibly iconic in the Harry Potter series as Severus Snape, and beautifully deplorable in Sweeney Todd. This man has to be among the most versatile and talented actors that I've ever seen.

[gunswordfist]

So yeah, RIP Alan Rickman

What?! NO. I can't even process this right now.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Tonight will be a good chance for me to finally watch Galaxy Quest the whole way through.

One of my favorite performances he ever did. But it's also one of my favorite comedies.

Looks like I'm up for a rewatch soon.

[Foggle]