Reviewer-The Blog's Top 10 Films of 2015

  2015 saw movies that exceeded expectations, movies that were much hyped and failed to provide and some which we were sure wouldn't make the mark. Even though we saw the commercial successes of sequels, 2015 showed us that audiences and critics loved original ideas as well. There were unexpected successes and disappointing failures which gave that mixed feeling of satisfaction and frustration in the movies of 2015. Beginning with Woman in Black:Angels of Death and wrapping up with the much anticipated Star Wars:The Force Awakens, 2015 has been a year of surprises and failures, admiration and dissatisfaction.
 Not to forget that 2015 was lauded by the success of female-centric films. As critics spent their time whining away with issues such as gender gap, 2015 showed that Hollywood still has hope left for gender equality.

 As 2015 comes to an end, Reviewer-The Blog has compiled its Top 10 Films of 2015. This list is being compiled after extensive research, by watching a number of films, considering reviews of renowned film critics and by analyzing its critical and commercial success. 

 Note: This list consists of only English language films. So do not feel let down if movies like Son of Saul, The Assassin and Timbuktu do not appear on the list.

 Reviewer-The Blog's Top 10 Films of 2015 are:

10. Bridge of Spies 

Bridge Of Spies (Steven Spielberg) : Spielberg's film-making on an annual basis this time wonderfully portrays the historical 1960 U-2 incident, bringing back life into the Cold War espionage thrillers we used to love but keeping the drama intact thanks to a nostalgic performance by Tom Hanks and splendid acting by Mark Rylance. This movie, worthy of earning its spot on the list, proves that Hollywood's best director, Steven Spielberg, has not lost his magic.

Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance in Bridge of Spies

9. Sicario

Sicario (Denis Villeneuve) : Emily Blunt and Benicio Del Toro shine in this tale of drug-busting feds who cross constantly keep crossing the US-Mexican border. This film, like Bridge of Spies , keeps its emotions and drama in check whilst largely intensifying its thrill and action. This does not only earn its place in the list but also turns out to be the best narcotic thrillers we have ever seen.

Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro in Sicario

 8. The Revenant

The Revanant (Alejandro G. Iñárritu) : There are no words to describe this ruthless, gruesome yet visionary survival revenge drama that portrays the real life legacy of frontiersman Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio). 

 Alejandro G. Iñárritu seems to have absorbed all the spirit from his successful Birdman (read Birdman review here) and redeemed it here on this splendid film powered by DiCaprio's performance, Iñárritu's creative direction and Lubezki's breathtaking cinematography. Eventually it beats out the other contenders as one of the top 10 films of the year.

Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant

7. (Tie) Room/Ex Machina

Room (Lenny Abrahamson):  Emma Donoghue's well-crafted screenplay and Brie Larson's dramatic performance has gifted this movie a place on this list. A simple story, woven into a complex tale of the mind, and with powerful themes like redemption and mother-son relationship and childhood, all in one, transform this movie into a suspenseful, emotional and heartwarming indie drama that makes it worth competing with Ex Machina.

Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay in Room

 Ex Machina (Alex Garland) :  Like Room, this indie thriller is one of a kind, that transforms the sci-fi element into something the audience and critics thirsted for - less VFX and more material. This unique film by debutant Alex Garland is a unique story of a much scrutinized relationship between man and machine, combined with a powerful theme of artificiality and existentialism. Joining the likes of District 9 and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, this film soars into one of the best movies of the year.

Oscar Issac and Domhnall Gleeson in Ex Machina

6. The Big Short

The Big Short (Adam McKay): Adam McKay's leap into the drama genre has proved itself to be a success, thereby earning its place in the list. This comedy-drama and moreover a biopic of the 2007-08 financial crisis portrays the disturbing lives of those involved in the crisis, encompassing their greed, failure, anger and all mixed emotions in the McKay-an comic way we have all enjoyed throughout the years. With a stellar cast who provide justice to their characters, McKay hits the bulls-eye in this terrific biopic which makes the crisis seem like the cute bunny that we eventually throw and tear apart.

Christian Bale as Michael Blurry in The Big Short

5. Straight Outta Compton

Straight Outta Compton (F.Gary Gray): This biopic about America's most popular gangsta rap hip-hop group N.W.A succeeds to be a heartfelt and emotional approach to the rise and fall of the music group that shaped and revolutionized pop culture. It humanizes the artists (the characters here) who we loved, portraying the music-world of the N.W.A group and the challenges they face in a clever and genuine way. This nostalgia-awakening film beats out other movies and earns its place in the list and makes us want to hear the entire N.W.A saga again.

A still from Straight Outta Compton

4. Spotlight

Spotlight (Tom McCarthy): This true-life journalism docudrama about a group of reporters at the Boston Globe who uncover the child abuse in the Catholic Church strikes everyone as the biopic with no twisted facts,presenting its story in a neat and straightforward manner. Led by a powerful cast consisting of Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, John Slattery and Rachel McAdams, this movie, like a detective story, grips us until the end and does not disappoint the audience in any way. In fact, this movie of the newspaper genre serves justice to the real-life story and to the people who were involved in it and all the cleverly crafted aspects of the film makes it worthy for a spot on the list.

Michael Keaton and Mark Ruffalo in Spotlight

3. The Martian

The Martian (Ridley Scott) : This sci-fi thriller, adapted from Andy Weir's bestselling novel of the same name, brings us back into the seats of the theaters where we enjoyed  Gravity and Interstellar- films which had similar themes-struggle of man in outer space. This movie keeps us enthralled to the end, anchored by Matt Damon's stellar,witty and daring performance. The Martian proves that Ridley Scott has not lost its touch (after disappointments in The Counselor and Exodus:Gods and Kings) and brings him back to the title of one of the most cleverest directors in Hollywood, who keeps us engaged with hovering helicopter shot, a sensational set, witty dialogues and a script that not only turns this film epic but also gifts this movie a place on the list.

Matt Damon as Mark Watney in The Martian

2. Inside Out

Inside Out (Pete Docter) : Inside Out reminds us of Pixar's previous animation hits such as Up, Wall-E and The Incredibles. But this also raises the bar for Pixar films. It conceptualizes an unfamiliar theme and successfully woves it into a wonderfully-crafted, well-written, emotionally-simple yet complexly-animated and  tear-inducing, feel-good animated drama. It is a movie of the mind and plays with the mind. The critical and commercial success Inside Out received is a clear indication that audiences love original ideas. Never will the audience or a critic see a stunning work of art like Inside Out and that is enough for the now greatest and most surreal animated movie of all time to earn a prominent spot on the list.

A still from Inside Out

And the best film of 2015 is...

1. Mad Max: Fury Road

Mad Max: Fury Road (George Miller): If you ask me the question:" Which film proves to be the perfect sequel to a long dormant franchise and also turned out to be way more bad-ass than you could have imagined?", my answer would be Mad Max: Fury Road. This movie of the post-apocalyptic genre has no words to describe itself; it breaks the ceiling  for blockbuster action movies that nowadays disappointingly rely on sequels. Mad Max:Fury Road is surprisingly feminist, powered by the one and only Charlize Theron (Imperator Furiosa) and adds to the film's success as well. Tom Hardy (Max Rockatansky) shows how a character can rock in the movie with only a few dialogues and a lot of action. George Miller's achievement in this outstanding film makes us wanna throw an "in your face" to Michael Bay. From the first scene onwards, the audience is boosted into the cacophony of screeching tyres, loud war-cries and horrifying action sequences that only belong to Fury Road. We never lose track of what is going on, something that the heavily CGI-reliant movies do, while engaging us in the film from the start to the finishing point.  Glorious sets (a wasteland), a terrifying villain, a cocky heroine and mind-blowing action sequences and explosion scenes all are ingredients of not only the best film of the year but also one of the greatest action films of all time.

Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky in Mad Max: Fury Road

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Best of Rest (Bold is what should have really made the list)

Anomalisa (Charlie Kaufman)
Brooklyn (John Crawley)
Amy (Asif Kapadia)
Carol (Todd Haynes)
Diary of a Teenage Girl (Marielle Heller)
Creed (Ryan Coogler)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (J.J Abrams)
Steve Jobs (Danny Boyle)
The Hateful  Eight (Quentin Tarantino)
Macbeth (Justin Kurzel)
Chi-Raq (Spike Lee)
It Follows (David Robert Mitchell)
Beasts of No Nation ( Cary Fukunaga)
Tangerine (Sean S.Baker)
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (Alfonso Gomez-Rejon)
The Lobster (Yorgos Lanthimos)
Mission Impossible : Rogue Nation ( Christopher McQuarrie)
The Danish Girl (Tom Hooper)
45 Years (Andrew Haigh)
Spy (Paul Feig)
Spectre (Sam Mendes)
Youth (Paolo Sorrentino)
Love & Mercy (Bill Pohlad)

The Walk (Robert Zemeckis)
Joy (David O.Russell)

Best Foreign Films 

The Assassin (Japan)
Timbuktu (Mauritius)
Son of Saul (Hungary)
The Look of Silence (Denmark)
Bajrangi Bhaijaan (India)
The Tribe (Ukraine)
Phoenix (Germany)
A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Reflecting on Existence (Sweden)
Court (India)
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Hope you enjoy...

A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year...

Reviewer-The Blog^©