2015 | Craig's Movie Report

Well dear readers, it’s finally here … following is a countdown of my Ten favourite movies I watched in 2015. Do take into consideration some may be older than the past twelve months…

Drum roll…

10.

John Wick

Keanu proved he still had it in the action movie stakes (and seemingly doesn’t age). A tongue-in cheek script and stylish direction proved a simple revenge thriller done very well indeed was all I needed also.

The Tale of Princess Kaguya

Studio Ghibli does it again, with a beautiful water-colour art style and an enchanting Japanese fable and heart warming characters.

Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation

Cruise can still do the seemingly impossible and with chases, gadgets and Simon Pegg, this made for the best summer event flick of the year for me.

Ex_Machina

There is still room for genuine science-fiction with this thought-provoking study of artificial intelligence. The sort of movie that would have made Stanley Kubrick proud.

American Sniper

Proving yet again he’s as good behind the camera as in front, Clint Eastwood delivers a powerful true story with a career best Bradley Cooper.

The Grand Budapest Hotel

grand-budapest-hotel feinnes

My introduction to Wes Anderson and one of the most entertaining movies I’ve seen in a long while, and Ralph Fiennes is just sublime.

Interstellar

Mind-boggling it may be but Christopher Nolan’s space epic is full of wonder, awe and ideas that left me floored.

Star Wars The Force Awakens

It may deliver too much fan-service but sets up enough firm foundations of its own and captures the spirit of the movies missing since Jedi, that it’s difficult to fault.

Inside Out

Pixar bounce back, after slight stumbles and deliver a truly heart-warming, ideas-packed event of a movie that genuinely touched and surprised me.

Birdman

birdman

Not that director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu needed to prove his skill, yet this wondrously inventive and yet simple movie impressed and dazzled me with it’s concept and originality with a brilliant Michael Keaton as the icing on the cake. A movie for fans who truly love movies and movie-making.

Well that was my countdown for 2015. What were some of your favourites? Feel free to leave them in the comments and I’ll see you all in 2016. Bye for now…

Craig.

countdown

It’s drawing closer to that time of year once again on this blog where I list my Top Ten movies of the year. As a movie fan who doesn’t get to see everything that is released in one year, I have to pick from those movies I personally got to check out, some of which are left overs I didn’t get around to the previous year. So in the upcoming list you may see titles that you may have seen on last year’s best of lists. It can’t be helped and to stick rigidly to release dates would mean some movies just wouldn’t get mentioned at all.

I think this year so far has been the year of the indie movie and movies that have affected me on a more emotional level. I’ve forgiven some movies that have had plot or acting issues if they have had that special emotional impact … and it’s something few movies, even the most hyped seem to do. Big blockbuster titles have faired poorly compared to more deeper, character driven movies, and I’ve tried to focus on story and direction and atmosphere over CGI and bike chases (not that there isn’t room for that). I’ve been tougher I think this year, and only a handful of movies have earned that converted 5 /5 from me … whilst others have been difficult to critique as their positives and negatives have had a different effect on me based on how I think about them. Horror for example has again been a bit of a let down with hyped movies not fully delivering. So again, it been about turning away from favourite genres, and looking for something that resonates deeper, lingers in the brain and has a stronger impact, even months after seeing it.

This year’s Top Ten is going to be difficult to compile and I’m still trying to see some of the most talked about movies before I finally compile it. So roll on December 31st … and then all will be revealed.

Until then, wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and hope Santa or your loved ones get you something nice!