I feel like I didn't do very well with my resolution from last year. I said I'd embrace a wider spectrum of film genres, and in a sense I did, but the overall numbers just keep dropping. I saw 41 movies this year, 18 of which were released in 2015. Maybe it's an attention span issue? Movies require more investment, and with a hectic schedule, maybe I just felt like TV (along with being stunningly good this year) is just easier to consume. Whatever the reason that the world of cinema is receding in its importance to me, I still managed to see some terrific movies this year, and I'm excited to list them.
Two notes: First, I always like to mention that letter grading is always tricky, and often has a lot to do with how well I think a movie achieved what it set out to do. So Magic Mike XXL, which wildly succeeded at being a fun road trip movie, gets a far better grade than In the Heart of the Sea, a movie that attempted to be grand and prestigious, and wound up being mostly dull. Second, I didn't include any of the Rank and File movies in this year's list, because those were watched for a side project to compare to each other, not as a representation of my movie-watching year.
Okay! Now that that's dispensed with, let's get to the top five!
#1: Room
What I Said: With just a handful of characters and locations, Room manages to do everything well, from action to relationship drama to exploration of mental health to family dynamics to the damage of exploitative media to appreciating cute dogs. It will definitely wind up on my best-of-the-year list, and will likely garner awards chatter as well. Sometimes, the critical community and I don't see eye-to-eye on what constitutes a great movie, but in the case of Room, we're all on the same page. Go see it immediately.
#2: The Martian
What I Said: I've seen a term bandied about regarding movies like this: Competence Porn. That may be a crude way of putting it, but I really love the themes it implies. In most movies, goals are accomplished by renegades and mavericks and lone wolves. Even when people work together, they're generally operating outside "The System". Competence Porn movies, on the other hand, celebrate intelligence and people working at their best under difficult circumstances and rules. No cowboy is going to sweep in and save the day here. It takes rigorous scientific application to get the job done. The only bad guy is circumstance, and audiences don't get to see enough movies with that premise.
#3: Carol
What I Said: For those who enjoy a deep and thoughtful tone piece, this film is right up your alley. There may not be a more magnetic actress working today than Cate Blanchett, and her name is already (deservedly) being bandied about for an Oscar nomination. Her performance is exquisite, but I hope some of the credit for that flows in Haynes' direction, because as is usually the case with his movies, Carol is an immense feast for the eye.
#4: Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
What I Said: The marketing for this movie played up the opening scene, in which Tom Cruise clings to the outside of a plane that's taking off. Make no mistake, that was cool to watch, but it says a lot about this movie's strengths that it was about the third most thrilling part. I mean, watching Cruise hang on for dear life was neat, but watching four agents wend their way through a theater as an opera is performed, and not knowing who to trust or what terrible shit is about to go down had me on the edge of my seat.
#5: Inside Out
What I Said: Joy and Sadness begin the perilous journey back to headquarters, and along the way, Joy learns that far from being a blockade, Sadness is a critical component of Riley's emotional development. It's a healthy message, and a powerful way to show kids that it's important to process all their feelings.
I'm pretty happy with this mixture of prestige and mass appeal movies. Like I said, I didn't see a lot of new releases this year, but let's check out the full list:
2015 Movies
Room (A)
The Martian (A-)
Carol (B+)
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (B+)
Inside Out (B+)
Spy (B+)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (B+)
Trainwreck (B+)
Magic Mike XXL (B+)
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (B+)
Tig (B)
Jupiter Ascending (B)
Avengers: Age of Ultron (B-)
Bessie (B-)
Mr. Holmes (B-)
Spectre (C+)
In the Heart of the Sea (C+)
Mortdecai (D+)
At least I did well with my quality filter this year, as 55.5% of the 2015 movies got a B+ or higher, and that D+ was for a movie it wasn't my idea to watch. But how did the 2015 movies fit into the overall year? Let's see the big picture!
Room (A)
Life Itself (2014) (A)
The Martian (A-)
Caged (1950) (A-)
Neighbors (2014) (A-)
Carol (B+)
A Separation (2011) (B+)
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (B+)
Inside Out (B+)
Selma (2014) (B+)
Spy (B+)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (B+)
Trainwreck (B+)
Magic Mike XXL (B+)
Troop Beverly Hills (1989) (B+)
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (B+)
Obvious Child (2014) (B+)
Dear White People (2014) (B+)
Song of the Sea (2014) (B+)
Straight Talk (1992) (B)
Chef (2014) (B)
Tig (B)
Tim's Vermeer (2013) (B)
Moon (2009) (B)
Mommie Dearest (1981) (B)
Jupiter Ascending (B)
Avengers: Age of Ultron (B-)
Bessie (B-)
Interstellar (2014) (B-)
Mr. Holmes (B-)
Source Code (2011) (B-)
They Came Together (2014) (B-)
Don Jon (2013) (B-)
San Andreas (C+)
Spectre (C+)
In the Heart of the Sea (C+)
Logan's Run (1976) (C)
Hours (2013) (C)
Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker (2012) (C)
Horrible Bosses (2011) (C-)
Mortdecai (D+)
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