The Top Ten Films of 2015 as chosen by Captain Raptor (Jake Boyle)
Well, my friends, it has been a hell of a ride. Not just this year, but this entire venture. Sorry-not-sorry for not posting anything for four months, but all good things (or average, at least? Come on, give me something) must come to an end, and I'd hate to leave without saying goodbye. So, one final outing before we put this silly moniker to bed, and then onto (hopefully) better things.
The rules, as always - the eligibility of a film is based on the date of its countrywide release date in the UK, and, as obvious at it should seem, this is based entirely on personal preference than any notion of objective artistic achievement, which serves as a nice excuse for what's actually something of a tame, uncontroversial selection of films. Without much further ado:
10. Star Wars: The Force Awakens - I spent several years predicting that this movie would be poor, or even catastrophically bad. I couldn't be happier to be wrong. A charismatic cast of fresh faces combined with all those fabled aspects of the beloved originals to create what felt like a tribute of Tenacious D proportions - a loving homage to one of cinema's greatest legends that reinterprets the magic of old in a manner both nostalgic and reinvigorated.
9. Mad Max: Fury Road - An even greater awakening of an old franchise. George Miller's commitment to full-on lunacy feels as pure and joyous as it's possible for any action movie to be. The stunts were genuinely breath-taking and the highly inventive world created in the process proves that there's still plenty of room for ingenuity and fun in the ever-swelling gamut of post-apocalyptic stories. The film's surprise role as one of the year's most celebrated feminist statements just adds further enjoyability to the resolute, perfectly-executed on-screen carnage.
8. The Lobster - Bananas. Bonkers. Batshit crazy. There is not a word in the English language to accurately describe the absurdity of Yorgos Lanthimos' comedy-drama, at once existentially horrifying and hilariously surreal. The emotionally anaesthetized atmosphere made every violent or touching moment resonate all the more strongly, and the loopy premise with the accompanying bizarre narrative progression is like nothing you've ever seen before. And any film that provides one of the year's rawest and most powerful moments of drama from a character named 'Biscuit Woman' deserves as much praise as humanly possible.
7. Still Alice - Taking a gentle and understated approach was the perfect way to explore the tragedy of degenerative disease. It afforded for a realistic, slow-burning descent into darker and darker drama without once feeling heavy-handed, and paved the way for a career-best performance from Julianne Moore, who gives a masterclass in the effectiveness of subtlety. Every moment of upset was made all the more dramatic by the sympathetic realism the film was framed with, and the intelligent and highly personal sense of perspective on the central issue from writer-directors Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland creates a simplistically haunting tone that no other film this year came close to.
6. Pitch Perfect 2 - The original's intoxicating blend of sweetness, sarcasm and vulgarity was heightened by doubling down on each element, with an end result that consequently offers some of the year's most heartfelt scenes and some of its most gleefully distasteful (Suck it, Ted 2). Elizabeth Banks proves herself a steady hand behind the camera with a pleasing sense of flair, and the unbeatable chemistry of the ensemble cast deserves as many outings as it can get. The musical routines are as spectacular as ever, the antagonists are far funnier, and the whole package comes with an additional sense of investment that makes a solid argument for the validity of franchises.
Well, my friends, it has been a hell of a ride. Not just this year, but this entire venture. Sorry-not-sorry for not posting anything for four months, but all good things (or average, at least? Come on, give me something) must come to an end, and I'd hate to leave without saying goodbye. So, one final outing before we put this silly moniker to bed, and then onto (hopefully) better things.
The rules, as always - the eligibility of a film is based on the date of its countrywide release date in the UK, and, as obvious at it should seem, this is based entirely on personal preference than any notion of objective artistic achievement, which serves as a nice excuse for what's actually something of a tame, uncontroversial selection of films. Without much further ado:
10. Star Wars: The Force Awakens - I spent several years predicting that this movie would be poor, or even catastrophically bad. I couldn't be happier to be wrong. A charismatic cast of fresh faces combined with all those fabled aspects of the beloved originals to create what felt like a tribute of Tenacious D proportions - a loving homage to one of cinema's greatest legends that reinterprets the magic of old in a manner both nostalgic and reinvigorated.
9. Mad Max: Fury Road - An even greater awakening of an old franchise. George Miller's commitment to full-on lunacy feels as pure and joyous as it's possible for any action movie to be. The stunts were genuinely breath-taking and the highly inventive world created in the process proves that there's still plenty of room for ingenuity and fun in the ever-swelling gamut of post-apocalyptic stories. The film's surprise role as one of the year's most celebrated feminist statements just adds further enjoyability to the resolute, perfectly-executed on-screen carnage.
8. The Lobster - Bananas. Bonkers. Batshit crazy. There is not a word in the English language to accurately describe the absurdity of Yorgos Lanthimos' comedy-drama, at once existentially horrifying and hilariously surreal. The emotionally anaesthetized atmosphere made every violent or touching moment resonate all the more strongly, and the loopy premise with the accompanying bizarre narrative progression is like nothing you've ever seen before. And any film that provides one of the year's rawest and most powerful moments of drama from a character named 'Biscuit Woman' deserves as much praise as humanly possible.
7. Still Alice - Taking a gentle and understated approach was the perfect way to explore the tragedy of degenerative disease. It afforded for a realistic, slow-burning descent into darker and darker drama without once feeling heavy-handed, and paved the way for a career-best performance from Julianne Moore, who gives a masterclass in the effectiveness of subtlety. Every moment of upset was made all the more dramatic by the sympathetic realism the film was framed with, and the intelligent and highly personal sense of perspective on the central issue from writer-directors Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland creates a simplistically haunting tone that no other film this year came close to.
6. Pitch Perfect 2 - The original's intoxicating blend of sweetness, sarcasm and vulgarity was heightened by doubling down on each element, with an end result that consequently offers some of the year's most heartfelt scenes and some of its most gleefully distasteful (Suck it, Ted 2). Elizabeth Banks proves herself a steady hand behind the camera with a pleasing sense of flair, and the unbeatable chemistry of the ensemble cast deserves as many outings as it can get. The musical routines are as spectacular as ever, the antagonists are far funnier, and the whole package comes with an additional sense of investment that makes a solid argument for the validity of franchises.
5. Inside Out - Exploring emotions in a way that could be understood by children required an unabashed sincerity that turned an amusing, whimsical journey into the most affecting and touching movie of the year. Brimming with all of Pixar's customary imagination and charm, Inside Out paired their simplistic but elegant character design with pitch-perfect voice actors (see the links between paragraphs? God, I'm clever) and let their amazing creations loose in an environment that provides the company's most openly sentimental and engaging story yet.
4. Brooklyn - A sophisticated and captivating portrait; very few protagonists have ever felt as fully rounded and fundamentally human as the awkward, resilient, yearnful Eilis, brought to life by an exemplary performance from Saoirse Ronan, who expertly captures every note on the emotional spectrum. A tender but moving presentation of culture shock was elevated by Nick Hornby's trademark wit and some well-handled blunt tragedies, and it's rare to see romantic conflict shown so maturely and poignantly.
3. Avengers: Age Of Ultron - Blisteringly exciting, high-octane action combined with theatrical heroism, beloved characters and sharp humour - OK, so we saw all of this in 2012, but it remains nonetheless expertly executed and entrancingly exhilarating. The growing cast of characters adds further depth to the universe and the chemistry between the leads still possesses that unparalleled spark. Joss Whedon has always been a superlative creative force and allowing him access to the film industry's most expansive (and expensive) toy chest is a treat that never fails to entertain to the highest degree.
2. The Martian - The abundant sense of sarcastic and playful comedy provided the perfect counterpart to the awestruck, inquisitive tone of the movie, creating a perfect ode to human ingenuity and triumph through adversity - not just through grand, brave gestures (although there's plenty of those), but with co-operative spirit, an loving enthusiasm for science and a healthy dose of flippancy. The hilarity so often present in the dialogue allowed the moments of real fear and alienation to hit all the harder, yet there was still something uplifting, and dare I say it, inspiring about the defiant optimism that lay at the heart of the narrative.
1. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) - Wow, the Best Picture winner was the best film, how insightful.
But really, what a fucking film. The perfect combination of dark comedy, showbiz satire and creative drama, all presented with invigoratingly manic pacing courtesy of the innovative cinematography and sound techniques. Aggressively hilarious, enjoyably chaotic and totally unpredictable, Birdman found genius in all places, deploying intimidating close-ups, moments of quiet solemnity, wryly self-aware casting choices and brutalising monologues on any seemingly innocuous subject it chose to turn its critical gaze to. Emma Stone, Edward Norton and especially Michael Keaton formed a perfect trio of unbalanced, energetic performances, bouncing back and forth in the film's claustrophobic environment to build an ever-mounting tension that remained uproarious, unsettling and saddening from beginning to end. Masterful filmmaking and a brilliant exhibition of the importance of innovation in technique and form, as well as damn near perfection in writing and performance.
4. Brooklyn - A sophisticated and captivating portrait; very few protagonists have ever felt as fully rounded and fundamentally human as the awkward, resilient, yearnful Eilis, brought to life by an exemplary performance from Saoirse Ronan, who expertly captures every note on the emotional spectrum. A tender but moving presentation of culture shock was elevated by Nick Hornby's trademark wit and some well-handled blunt tragedies, and it's rare to see romantic conflict shown so maturely and poignantly.
3. Avengers: Age Of Ultron - Blisteringly exciting, high-octane action combined with theatrical heroism, beloved characters and sharp humour - OK, so we saw all of this in 2012, but it remains nonetheless expertly executed and entrancingly exhilarating. The growing cast of characters adds further depth to the universe and the chemistry between the leads still possesses that unparalleled spark. Joss Whedon has always been a superlative creative force and allowing him access to the film industry's most expansive (and expensive) toy chest is a treat that never fails to entertain to the highest degree.
2. The Martian - The abundant sense of sarcastic and playful comedy provided the perfect counterpart to the awestruck, inquisitive tone of the movie, creating a perfect ode to human ingenuity and triumph through adversity - not just through grand, brave gestures (although there's plenty of those), but with co-operative spirit, an loving enthusiasm for science and a healthy dose of flippancy. The hilarity so often present in the dialogue allowed the moments of real fear and alienation to hit all the harder, yet there was still something uplifting, and dare I say it, inspiring about the defiant optimism that lay at the heart of the narrative.
1. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) - Wow, the Best Picture winner was the best film, how insightful.
But really, what a fucking film. The perfect combination of dark comedy, showbiz satire and creative drama, all presented with invigoratingly manic pacing courtesy of the innovative cinematography and sound techniques. Aggressively hilarious, enjoyably chaotic and totally unpredictable, Birdman found genius in all places, deploying intimidating close-ups, moments of quiet solemnity, wryly self-aware casting choices and brutalising monologues on any seemingly innocuous subject it chose to turn its critical gaze to. Emma Stone, Edward Norton and especially Michael Keaton formed a perfect trio of unbalanced, energetic performances, bouncing back and forth in the film's claustrophobic environment to build an ever-mounting tension that remained uproarious, unsettling and saddening from beginning to end. Masterful filmmaking and a brilliant exhibition of the importance of innovation in technique and form, as well as damn near perfection in writing and performance.
Thanks for all the great reviews, I'll miss your take on some of the more unusual films which encouraged me to look beyond the "Odeon blockbuster". Good luck Captain R....
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