By this time last year I had already seen Chef, Life Itself, and Snowpiercer, all top five movies for me in all of 2014. At the end of this year, if most of the following films are in my top five, I’ll be relatively disappointed. It’s not that these aren’t really good, or even great. I just didn’t love most of them. I didn’t experience that ever important connection that I did with so many pictures last year. I’m not concerned though. There are plenty of potential love connections still to be released this year: titles like Tarantino’s Hateful Eight and of course the new Star Wars flick. And because I like shedding a little light on the lesser-knowns, there’s White God, the film about a young girl separated from her dog by her father; and The Tribe, the totally dialogue-free film set in a Ukrainian boarding school for the deaf. I realize that a little girl and her dog is far from a novel subject, and the mere thought of a foreign film with no spoken words is painful enough for some of you. But you have to see those trailers! And those are only scratching the surface. As with every year, movies tend to step their game up the closer we get to Oscar season. So without further ado, I give you my top five movies of 2015…..so far.
5) What We Do in the
Shadows
My wife is always complaining that we don’t watch enough
comedies, so the most surprising thing about this list may be that it actually
icludes a couple of funny flicks. The
first being What We Do in the Shadows,
the New Zealand mockumentary about four vampires living together in a
flat. This was one of the few movies I
was able to watch twice, the most recent being on a flight to Puerto Rico to
celebrate my ten year anniversary with my comedy-starved wife. And while I still don’t like it as much as
the critics, the second viewing cemented the fact this is a very funny
movie. Like any great comedy, it has
plenty of quotable lines and hilariously memorable scenes, one of which
involves our heroes running into a group of werewolves while walking home after
a long night of club hopping. The scene
is laugh-out-loud funny and recalls memories of Anchorman’s news team street fight, but without the actual
fight. And funnier.
Here's the trailer:
4) Spy
Not to be outdone is the seemingly cookie-cutter but
surprisingly comedic summer comedy starring Melissa McCarthy. I normally avoid summer comedies like the
plague. I understand so many movies
today are simply regurgitations of prior pics, but for whatever reason this
genre always seems to be the most frequent offender. Comedies have gotten so lazy, relying almost
solely on mindless, cliché punchlines whose lack of wit should insult rather
than entertain us. What’s more is that
most don’t even bother with a competent storyline. It’s all about the comedy, which would be
fine if it was actually funny.
Thankfully, Spy is a
refreshing reprieve from such films. And
while the plot still unfolds like those vintage seatbelt lawn chairs at times,
the humor is legit. To the point where I
was in tears. There’s a scene about midway
through the movie when I could sense it shifting to another gear, going to
another level not often tried by similar films. The next hour was pure enjoyment, McCarthy and company delivering well-written jokes and
action spots with secret service-like precision. Unfortunately the ending reverts to an all
too familiar fumbling finale, complete with unfunny celebrity cameo made here
by rapper 50 Cent. Had it played out
differently, Spy may have solidified
a top spot at the end of the year.
3) Mad Max: Fury Road
This is the best movie I’ve seen this year. So why is it only at #3? Remember this is a list of favorites. One of my favorite basketball players of
all-time Is Shawn Kemp, but I understand he’s nowhere near one of the best to
ever play. Still there’s plenty to love about Mad Max.
Visually, it accomplishes feats I’ve never seen before on the silver screen. A film will always get points from me for
that. As previously stated, today’s
movies can be so imitative, so it’s only fitting to give any film showing some
imagination and authenticity its due credit.
The scenes in which the war parties are looming off in the distance in
pursuit of the rogue Furiosa (Theron) is nothing short of beautiful; as are
those scenes of the intense encounters that follow once the pursuers inevitably
catch up, despite their brutality. In
addition to the stunning visuals, Max’s action is some of the best you’ll ever
experience. And there’s no shortage of
it. I compare it to Las Vegas. I love Vegas for its over-the-top-ness. It’s almost unnecessary. It’s similar with Max. The details are meticulous and overblown,
from the post-apocalyptic war machines to the explosions and utter destruction
they cause. It’s a marvelous mesh of madness. The film slams its foot on the gas within a
couple of minutes of the first shot and rarely taps the brakes. And once the action does mercifully subside,
it returns moments later excessive and violent as ever, as if it was pissed
that it had to slow. Even the film’s
heavy metal score is unique in its implementation and is the perfect
accompaniment for the cinematic anarchy.
I’m sure that someone more educated than me on the subject could write
for days on its technical brilliance.
What I can tell you is that Mad
Maxis a monumental achievement and should be rewarded handsomely for its
efforts come next February.
2) Kingsman: The Secret
Service
This movie is nuts!
Completely and utterly insane.
Walking out of the theater, however, I was conflicted regarding how I
felt about the film overall. I let it simmer
for a few days, thought about it a little more and decided I was going with my
initial reaction: I really enjoyed this movie! I think it literally has everything. An unexpectedly fun and shocking experience, Kingsman has the stones to go where
similar movies wouldn't dare. From perfectly choreographed exploding heads to
an unforgettable equal parts vivid and vicious scene in a small town Baptist
church. You just have to love the
British! Though it may only hit the moon,
Kingsman most certainly shoots for
the stars, and it has no problem emptying the clip in the process.
1) Inside Out
Inside Out will
forever hold a special place in my heart.
Eleven-year-old Riley’s mind is beautiful and wondrous. The film itself is irresistibly charming
telling a familiar coming-of-age story in the most unconventional way. Not surprisingly, it hits most of the human
emotions, and while doing so, connects with a range of audiences as effectively
and effortlessly as any animated film before it. But aside from all that, it was my daughter
Eden’s first ever cinematic experience, and I got to share it with her. I kept the movie stubs. I always do.
But I placed these in a special protective case (Ziploc) where I plan to
keep them as a reminder of this special occasion. The movie theater has had a significant
influence throughout my life on everything from relationships to even who I am
as a person, experiences I would love to write about someday in detail. So I was understandably excited to add my
daughter and Inside Out and July 9th,
2015, to the infinite list of other dates and films and memorable people that
have made my life a sort of film in its own right. As for Eden’s opinion, I think she loved
it. But to be honest she probably
would’ve loved anything showing that day.
It was all about the experience for her: the giant screen, seats that
went on and up forever, the popcorn. And
Daddy. Hopefully she’ll never forget
Daddy.
For your viewing pleasure, I’ve included the trailers for the two obscure titles mentioned in the opening paragraph. Enjoy!
White God
The Tribe
