The Top Ten Films of 2015 by Corben Carpenter
The Top Ten Films of 2015
By Corben Carpenter
Let's just get straight to it. Happy New Year!
10. IT FOLLOWS
Written and Directed by David Robert Mitchell
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09. THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL
Written and Directed by Marielle Heller
A 15 year old girl has an affair with her mother's mid-30's boyfriend, and becomes obsessed with sex and illustrated nudes. Bear with me. From what could have been a tragedy-laced taboo drama, The Diary of a Teenage Girl is a whimsical and trippy coming-of-age story about how a young girl who develops an understanding of what it means to be in love and to be loved. Most importantly, the surprising cast portray their characters with believable depth and complexity, that there is no one particular character to blame or to root for in this dysfunctional tale. Peppered with acid trip-like animated sequences and groovy 70s music, this had potential to be reach cult status.
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08. BROOKLYN
Directed by John Crowley
Written by Nick Hornby
Saoirse Ronan has arrived as an actress and is to be reckoned with. I'm looking at you Jennifer Lawrence. She gives a stunning performance with so much maturity and grace, it's hard to believe she is only 21 years old. Scene after scene, she portrays sentimental vulnerability, childlike insecurities, and sophisticated understanding as an Irish immigrant in 1950s New York City. Charming as hell and captures that special kind of magic that keeps a period piece love story from feeling stale and cliché. The rest of the cast shine too, as well as the smoky New York streets, lush green hills of Ireland, and timely subject matter of immigration and roles in society.
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07. ROOM
Directed by Lenny Abrahamson
Written by Emma Donoghue
Jump, please jump. Jump now. What are you doing? JUMP. JUMP! I was silently yelling at the screen during a crucial scene of Room, the most emotionally intense and haunting film of the year. Kidnapped and held prisoner in a small shed for 7 years, a mother and her five year old son survive and cope with an alarmingly limited space and perspective on the world. Director Lenny Abrahamson projects the boy's imagination and insight perfectly, even showing what's outside the shed as a mystical far away world. Brie Larson is great here, but the newcomer child actor Jacob Tremblay steals the movie. He is able to show confusion, disturbance, and wonder to new places and things that are straight ordinary to everyone else. This film will stay with you.
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06. PHOENIX
Directed by Christian Petzold
Written by Christian Petzold and Harun Farocki
It seems like there is a quota for Holocaust films each year, but the material is still rich as long as there is a talented filmmaker with new ideas and a capable cast. Reminiscent of classic film-noir type mysteries, Phoenix is an ingenious thriller that slowly grows darker and more alluring until the unbelievable climax. Nina Hoss is brilliant and profound as a Holocaust survivor who after facial reconstructive surgery searches for her lost husband. I won't reveal anymore of the plot, because each scene unravels surprising details of their relationship and the politics of post-Holocaust Germany. The most marvelous moment of Phoenix is the final scene, which justifies every action up to that point and paints the entire film in a new light. It's outstanding, brilliant, and my favorite scene of the year.
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05. CAROL
Directed by Todd Haynes
Written by Phyllis Nagy
The director. The cast. The material. These ingredients should lead to a home run, and they do. There is nothing out of place in Todd Hayne's Carol. Every shot tells a story, every musical cue perfectly strung and timed, and every scene is essential to the love story of young store clerk and an older wealthy socialite. Cate Blanchett is absolutely breathtaking as the title character. Her presence alone illuminates the screen, shining decades of experience and range. Rooney Mara is also fantastic and for different reasons. Layered with themes of identity, forbidden desire, and fear of a changing culture, Carol is an exquisite and poignant time capsule and defining statement for Blanchett as the world's best living actress.
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04. TANGERINE
Directed by Sean S. Baker
Written by Sean S. Baker and Chris Bergoch
The surprise of the year, a film I almost skipped watching. What a terrible mistake that would have been. Produced with a minuscule budget and shot on cell phones, Tangerine is outrageous, dazzlingly, and the most hilarious movie of the year. Two African American transgender prostitutes spend Christmas Eve on a revenge quest after one discovers her pimp cheated on her. A ridiculous premise is weighted down with heartrending look into the lives these characters are forced to endure. Insane dialog, pulse-pounding bass, and ultra saturated film grain forge an intoxicating LA landscape with spunk and spirit. Tangerine avoids the easy traps of its subject matter to create a twisted expedition with a touching message.
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03. INSIDE OUT
Directed by Pete Docter
Written by Pete Docter, Meg Lauve, Josh Cooley
It's been a few years since Pixar has graced the world with another animated masterpiece. Inside Out is their most original idea yet. Sure, the concept of what's goes on in one's head has been done before, but not to this level of invention and emotional impact. Pete Docter and the unparalleled team at Pixar are able to tell a story that can be universally beloved, from children to adults, even casual film goers and enthusiasts. Each emotion seems specifically written for their respective voice actor/actress, who all do a fantastic jobs. What really got to me about this film is how they turn a small and very real journey of a girl learning to deal with her emotions into a grand adventure. All the right notes are hit, and all of our own emotions are expressed in the way only Pixar can manipulate. A sentimental psychological odyssey for human kind. Damn, that sounded pretentious.
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02. THE REVENANT
Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu
Written by Mark L. Smith and Alejandro González Iñárritu
The Revenant is a production without compromise on any front. Alejandro González Iñárritu holds nothing back with his direction, depicting the savage terrain, wild life, and hostile opposing forces with raw brutality. Emmanuel Lubezki takes no short cuts with his awe-inspiring cinematography, showcasing the wilderness with natural light and haunting beauty. And of course, Leonardo DiCaprio gives everything he has as an actor to portray frontiersman Hugh Glass. He crawls in the frozen dirt, rips apart the guts of salmon, and subtly conveys a lost humanity and unstoppable determination with his eyes alone. Tom Hardy should also be praised for his infectious embodiment of Fitzgerald, the fur trapper who is hunted by Glass. It's a harrowing revenge tale with a spiritual mentality that left me staggered and mystified.
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01. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
Directed by George Miller
Written by George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, and Nico Lathouris
George Miller is 70 years old. His last two films were Happy Feet and Happy Feet Two. The Mad Max franchise is a trilogy of B action films from over 30 years ago. Modern day blockbusters are tasteless commercial products with over reliance of green screen visual effects and themes that can be easily digested in foreign markets. With all of this considered, it's still hard to believe that Mad Max: Fury Road exists, that a studio greenlit the production and gave Miller free reign to express his vision. This film is a mind-blowing action marvel that puts to shame the impostors currently cranking out soulless action garbage. It's inspiring to see carefully calculated set pieces with real stunt work with real actors with real explosives with real intensity. It's unfathomable for a big studio film to have the standout character in a male-driven franchise be an one armed kickass heroine Furiosa, played by Charlize Theron. I could see every opportunity Miller took to make this film an unforgettable roller coaster ride, from the frantic editing, striking world design, and ambitious subtext. So much risk translates into an unrelenting and awe-inspiring motion picture triumph.
Previous Winners
2014: Whiplash
2013: 12 Years a Slave
2012: Amour
2011: The Artist
2010: Black Swan
2009: Up in the Air
2008: WALL-E
2007: No Country for Old Men
2006: The Departed
2005: Capote
2004: Kill Bill Vol. 2
2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2002: Adaptation.
2001: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
