Words do not suffice to describe how much I love Mad Max: Fury Road. Every single detail is a work of exquisite art, every line of make-up, every steering wheel, every intrically tailored vehicle. Every word of dialogue is post-apocalyptic poetry, and every second from the furious introduction to the last cathartic shot is pure adrenaline fun! A good action movie is a simple action movie, uncluttered by plot, and it couldn't be easier to take your place in this chaotic hell ride. George Miller's fourth Road Warrior rendition was thirty years in the making, maybe that's why it feels so utterly complete. It's the kind of movie that only comes along once every quarter of a century or so, and it makes me feel very lucky to be alive for it.
The Revenant
A remarkable achievement. A.G. Iñárritu's technique, which he perfected in last year's Birdman, with long continuous shots and flowing camera movements, here finds the perfect format in the cold wilderness of Canada and North America (and, partly, Argentina) where it was shot. Iñárritu employs a Terrence Malick-esque style of dreams and visual poetry, somehow managing to make the unbelievable hardships suffered by Hugh Glass, the real-life trapper who was left for dead after being mauled by a bear, feel blessed and beautiful, just like the guardian angel in the shape of Glass's departed Pawnee wife that follows his crawling journey of revenge on the man who killed his son. Leonardo DiCaprio justly got his long-anticipated Oscar statue for his portrayal of Glass, a role that he totally inhabits, with all its gaping gashes and raspy breathing, like the bearskin trappings he wears. The award-winning cinematography brings every frame to life in a vastness and splendour that almost cannot be contained by the screen, where the swaying trees seem to breathe, the vaporous clouds seem to tumble down the mountain like an avalanche, where the sky itself seems to crush the earth. The philosophy of the movie is that there is no real difference between the cruelty of man and the cruelty of nature, whether it be bears or wolves or storms or icy rapids. That ultimately, the Creator puts everything on its own path, from the small insignificant specks of life to the great rough wind, and all that can be done is to follow that path wherever it leads.
2015 was a year that made me feel like a child again, getting to see all my favorite childhood movies in ways I had never imagined; first Mad Max, then Terminator, then Jurassic World, but most of all, Star Wars. Ever since the first teaser appeared in 2014, I knew we were in for a treat, that the soul of the original trilogy was back in the body of the seventh episode of the saga, and the now franchised galaxy far, far away has been adopted by fans of the myth for fans of the myth. That's the key to its brilliance, and if every other upcoming spin-off and sequel keeps that up, there's no end to the possibilites. The nostalgia factor is unbelievable, and JJ Abrams and fellow screenwriters Lawrence Kasdan and Michael Arndt know that the best way to make a great sequel that simultaneously works as a reboot is to keep the spirit of the movie as close as possible to the original trilogy, with the humor and the heart both in their rightful places, where the audience should feel as gleefully excited to go on this adventure as our scavenger heroine Rey.
Crimson Peak
Visionary filmmaker Guillermo del Toro brings his comic book style to bear on his homage to classic Victorian gothic horror. Bloody ghosts, a romantic gentleman with a sinister sister, a spooky old mansion and an innocent and sensitive heroine, all the familiar old tropes. But del Toro has never been afraid of clichés or of being unoriginal, because sometimes the old ones are best. And he is such a consummate cinematic artist and storyteller that Crimson Peak leaves one full, like a sumptuous meal for all the senses. So rich in detailed surrealism and vibrantly colorful, gruesomely violent and as intriguing and sexy as the Sharpe siblings, whose dangerous secrets force the ghost of Edith's mother to haunt her and try to warn her, 'beware of Crimson Peak!'
Jurassic World
The beloved old dino-franchise has been revitalised, to a great degree thanks to Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, the husband and wife writing team behind the ingenious Planet of the Apes reboot, bringing a new mentality and vigour to a concept which is still basically just people running away from giant marauding dinosaurs, in a world where the huge theme park that was Hammond's dream in the first film has now become a reality. The Jurassic World theme park scenes in the first act are pure bliss, and then a new hybrid dinosaur breaks loose and that's when the action starts, leading to a scene that has already become part of film history: Chris Pratt on a motorbike riding along a group of trained velociraptors to hunt down the rampaging Indominus Rex. A scene that in itself is a sign that Jurassic World has finally got the idea-making capacity for the concept to manage to live up to its full potential.
Ant-Man
I loved the first phase of the Marvel films - Iron Man, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger all had the charm and humour that those superhero concepts require. Then, the second phase started to take itself a little too seriously, resulting in rather lacklustre sequels. 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy brought back the quality that I love, and Ant-Man too followed the right path. On paper, he sounds kinda silly, because all he does is wear a suit that can make him shrink to the size of an ant, but to my utmost delight they managed to surprise with a movie that is really funny, with spectacular visual effects to boot, and characters that you care about.
It Follows
We've had some pretty interesting indie horrors in the last couple of years, from The Babadook and Spring to Oculus and The Visit, but topping them all is David Robert Mitchell's It Follows. Apart from being beautifully shot and very cleverly paced and written, it feels genuinely original, which is a rare treat in US horror. From its inexplicable introduction to the final thrilling resolution, you never really know what's up next for J, a young woman who goes all the way with a guy on the first date and ends up stalked by strange entities. Are they a metaphor for STD's? The scary moments truly come out of nowhere in It Follows, without ever feeling forced, and director-writer Mitchell knows that the best way to scare an audience is not to overdo it and instead create a creepy and unsafe atmosphere.
Kingsman: The Secret Service
Like Kick-Ass before this, Matthew Vaughn brings us another thoroughly entertaining and well-made comic book adaptation, which reminds me somewhat of the animated show James Bond Jr that I used to watch as a kid. Kingsman: The Secret Service has that perfect blend of comedy, style, energy and sheer technical brilliance, with one of the greatest choreographed fight/stunt scenes of the past couple of years in which a brainwashing signal turns a church full of people into a battle royale. Kingsman has all the qualities that makes James Bond stories cool, but without the brooding and self-critical aspects of the last twenty years, primarily because ''Eggsy,'' the organization's newly recruited superspy, is only eighteen and somewhat of a ''chav'' to begin with, and is given the amazing opportunity to live every teenage boy's fantasy, a double life as a highly skilled secret agent.
Chappie
Neill Blomkamp's CHAPPiE kicked off the film year of 2015 back in March with a sci-fi that was bursting at the seams with inspiration. With this modern-day Pinocchio about a cop drone that is given artificial intelligence and is adopted by gangsters, we were treated to one of the cutest and most likable robots since R2D2. We were also (or I was) introduced to the fantastic Yolandi and Ninja, a.k.a. Die Antwoord, a duo that blends street art, fashion, hip-hop and electro in such a unique way that it makes me wonder how they're not more famous. Hugh Jackman in of his best, and most obnoxious, performances ever is another bonus, as is the presence of Sigourney Weaver, and it's great to see Blomkamp doing something brilliant again, because if it weren't for him, I would never get to see South Africa in this fun and outré way.
Dope
Part Spike Lee, part Friday, all heart, all soul, Dope was the most unexpected pleasures of 2015. Dope is the story of Malcolm and his two friends Jib and Diggy, three high school geeks who are landed with a bag of dope after a mix-up and have to use their wiles to get rid of it, all while struggling with typical teenage problems like getting laid and getting into college. These are some of the words to describe the movie: fresh, hilarious, smart, cute, real, slick as s***! Dope is a love letter to golden age hip-hop, geekdom and ghetto life, and like the drug Lily thay they peddle, it's pure ecstasy from start to finish.
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