OneFlowmotion

Preface: I came into Rogue One with rather low expectations. I wasn’t the biggest fan of The Force Awakens, thinking it to be a very expensive retread of a tired story. It was still enjoyable to me, but didn’t spark any notable enthusiasm for the franchise. I’m not the biggest Star Wars fan, and I don’t follow the lore extensively, so take this review as more of an outsider’s perspective, rather than one of a hardcore fan.

Now that my disclaimer is over, I can finally say it: Rogue One is the best Star Wars movie yet, and one of the best blockbusters to have come out this decade.

Rogue One is a prequel to Episode IV, and tells the story of how Princess Leia received the plans for the Death Star.

When I watched the trailer for Rogue One, I was extremely doubtful of the tonal approach that the studio decided to take in this movie; A dark, serious, Star Wars movie? How could that ever work? Suffice to say, it does, and miraculously well. Rogue One’s achievements far outweigh its flaws and it deserves credit where credit is due.

A lot of the responsibility for this movie has to go to director Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Monsters) who has hit a home run on his third picture. While I haven’t seen his previous movies, seeing his name on the film did not initially inspire confidence, especially because he was undertaking one of the largest franchises in movie history.

However, Rogue One is by far the most cinematic of the Star Wars movies. Nearly every scene is crafted with incredible precision and good attention to detail. Action scenes are intense spectacles, and created with a planetary sense of scale. Edwards has decided to make prominent use of wide-angle close ups, which craft some truly stunning images. There is a mesmerising clash of sleek futuristic technology, and earthy, darker tones.

Conversations are not just shot-reverse shot-shot- reverse shot, but actually developed to reflect the content of the dialogue, with expert use of blocking, depth of field, and framing. Special mention has to go towards the thundering finale, which blows every other action scene of the year out of the water. And though the movie’s tone is rather cynical and down to earth, it finds moments of humour and cheeky references to the original trilogy. The new droid K2SO is the stand-out comic here, full of well-timed quips and witty remarks. These never feel obnoxious and unnecessary, and provide needed comic relief to an otherwise urgent film. But Rogue One is even more, it is an earnest, humanist movie that is about the footsoldiers, not the powerful jedi.

Most of the actors aren’t particularly big names, but they are a diverse bunch, and embrace their roles will full effort. They are so utterly convincing that even though what comes out of their mouth is not always particularly well-written, you are able to overlook it because of their total conviction. Each one breathes and lives their character, providing them with distinct personalities that the script cannot.

On the VFX front, this movie can’t be beaten. The seamless blend of practical effects and CGI is jaw dropping. Star Wars has never looked this real. I daresay this might be the best CGI I have seen to date. It doesn’t stop there, the new approach seeps into the production design too. Gone is the flashy, shiny exterior of the previous installments: Rogue One emphasizes realism above all else. Some have compared the scruffy, worn-out costumes & sets to those of the old movies; I disagree. The older movies still looked very shiny and sleek despite budget constraints, whereas Rogue One comes across as tattered and dirty. This is a complement, because it does not seek to create a happy world, but rather an oppressed, decaying one. It comes as an apt contrast to the absolutely stunning locations that were chosen to portray the planets. The Maldives, Iceland, and Jordan, among others, have been used, and their natural beauty complements the sense of scale the movie has.

This is the first Star Wars movie not scored by John Williams, but surprisingly, it’s not particularly noticeable. Michael Giacchino has successfully upheld his legacy, while still adding his own flair to the music. The sound overall is simply brilliant. The mixing and editing is on point, and just like the visuals, come across as extremely life-like. The radio crackle of the Stormtrooper’s speeches is particularly praiseworthy.

Unfortunately, it’s not all roses for Rogue One, as it does have one very, very big black hole that would tear a lesser movie apart into oblivion: the script and everything that goes with it. It is extremely mediocre and unfocused. Plotting is spotty and often rushed, squandering potentially key emotional moments, and rushing through character development. Scenes tie together in incomplete ways, leading to a not always fluid pacing. Speaking of characters, though they are definitely “cool” and memorable, their only characterization comes from the actors themselves, and not the screenplay, which treats them more like plot devices. This is a shame because they are far more interesting than those in the previous movie, and you can tell that there are stories waiting to burst out of them. Dialogue is a mixed bag. While it does deliver exposition rather naturally, and it is responsible for the film’s great sense of humor, it also seems to be stuck in the spirit of its 80s predecessors, and mires around in sub-par B-movie territory. It constantly wrestles with the serious, epic, tone of the movie, not really able to come to terms with the fact that it should serve to build drama, personalities, or help understand character motivations. It is grossly mediocre, but at least it doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of the movie too much.

Rogue One is a truly praise worthy achievement. It is not easy to provide a different interpretation, much less a good one, of a one of the most iconic pop culture franchises of all time. So much could have gone wrong, and while there are many shortcomings, they are overcome by the sheer amount of talent behind this work. It’s gritty, action-packed, and totally enthralling. It might be a bit too different for some people’s taste, but in my opinion, if you’re going to give money to a big studio blockbuster, give it to this one.

9/10

 

The most unique feature of The Scribbler, is the titular character, because ironically, the movie is little more than messy scribbles itself. Good portions of everything seem to have been borrowed from elsewhere, and cobbled together into a convoluted pastiche that attempts to somehow prove it is wildly different and innovative, despite collapsing into a pseudo-intellectual musing about self-help treatments for mental illness. As a superhero origin story for an intriguing character, it lays somewhere in-between “Catwoman” and “Green Lantern.”

Based on a graphic novel by Dan Schaffer, who also wrote the movie, and directed by John Suits, The Scribbler follows Suki (Katie Cassidy), a young woman plagued by Dissociative Identity Disorder. At the beginning of the movie, she is questioned by the police over a series of suicides that have occurred at her residence Juniper Towers (explained as a halfway point between the outside world and a psych ward).

Over the course of the film, she recounts her experiences at Juniper Towers. These include meeting such colorful and compelling people like:

• A Cleopatra look-alike who has a pet snake
• A girl who doesn’t like wearing any clothes
• A goth lunatic who pushes people down stairs and asks people if they’ve seen her dog
• A seemingly healthy guy who willingly stays in the complex because he likes having sex with the inmates, who according to him, all have “daddy issues.”
• A girl who wears bunny ears and likes to talk about death (REALLY???????)
• An English bulldog who talks in a Cockney accent

I would be lying if I said I cared in the slightest about any of them. These descriptions are for the most part all that we learn about them.

She explains that she is undergoing therapy for her condition using a device known as “The Siamese Burn” which literally shocks multiple personalities out of her brain. The comes together as a poorly-plotted mystery “thriller” which spends far too much time focused on Katie Cassidy’s annoyingly ever-present pouty-face, while she half-delivers passive aggressive pieces of dialogue and occasionally hears voices inside her head.

The clearest influence on this wanna-be cult classic, is that of Zack Snyder. There is a strong attempt to replicate his stylized, dark visual design, and swoopy, irregular camera movements. In fact, it is almost a spiritual successor to “Sucker Punch.” Except The Scribbler makes the aforementioned seem like Inception.

Next we have the murky, dour, green-brown aesthetic, popularized by Platinum Dunes’ 2003 remake “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, now widely overused as a color palette for films lacking any better stylistic suggestions. There are also bits and pieces of the neo-noirs “The Crow” & “Sin City”, and some found-footage segments eerily reminiscent of the psychiatric scenes in “The Ring.” Even the score is best defined as Hans Zimmer-lite.

Unfortunately, The Scribbler didn’t borrow its script from a better movie, and instead decided it wanted to be written by an angst filled 16-year old white suburban alt-punk girl with a self-diagnosed case of what she thinks constitutes as Dissociative Identity Disorder, despite her strongest evidence being a brief peruse of the Simple English Wikipedia page. Among the already sparse dialogue, there are constant, and irritating, spearheaded lines about the choice between conformity and individuality, where it is suggested that by staying psychologically unstable, you are somehow closer to what you really are? We also have true screenwriting gems of dialogue along the lines of:

“They tell us madness is culturally relative, I say it’s culturally relevant!”

“Crazy people, we don’t play by the rules- and there are always side effects.”

I haven’t read the graphic novel. This line makes sure it will likely stay that way.  I have encountered more than enough Iamverysmart in this film to have the patience for more. If it at least wasn’t so straight-faced about it, but the movie takes itself so goddamn seriously you’d think it actually believes in this bollocks.

Even the manner in which the narrative is presented is far simpler than the movie thinks it is. There is an exchange early on in the film between Detective Moss (Michael Imperioli) and Suki:

Moss: “Why don’t you tell me what happened, from the beginning?”

Suki: ““That’s not always the best way to tell a story.”

Yet the movie does exactly that, barring some neatly ordered flashbacks.

This does not help when being combined with the near Asylum-level production value. Understandably, not everyone has a couple million to make their dream picture, but I would always encourage directors to not worsen their work by choosing approaches only capabale of being pulled off properly by more expensive ventures. I could perhaps overlook the 2000s era CGI-lightning, were it not for cheap particle effects laced through the even cheaper fight scenes, which were seemingly choreographer by a martial arts student on his gap year.

Well it can’t be all bad can it? Indeed it isn’t. As mentioned before, the titular character is one I wouldn’t mind returning in a different movie. MILD SPOILERS AHEAD: One of Suki’s alternate personalities is that of the Scribbler, a superhero-like figure who is unable to speak yet communicates through telekinetically writing messages backward. Her body is covered with inky scribbles, constantly erasing and rewriting different words and phrases. Think of the cover of “The Number 23.” While her superpowers remain largely in the dark, this is a more-than solid base to build on.

There are also entertaining cameos by Kunal Nayar (The Big Bang Theory), Richard Riehle (the old man with a yard brush mustache who has been in everything under the sun), and Sasha Grey (yes THAT Sasha Grey). But when your best parts are composed of an idea that you failed to include properly, and B-List actors who are still little more than gimmicks at this point, your final product is not going to be all that fantastic is it?

Okay maybe I am being a little harsh, and I really did want this film to succeed. Yes it does seem very DC-like at times, but here was an opportunity to create a different type of superhero film, the likes of which are more than welcome in my book. The market is badly saturated with AAA superhero block-busters at the moment, and alternative takes on the genre should be encouraged. Somewhere, underneath the gloomy, muddled, misguided veneer, there is a small light that suggests a Scribbler 2 wouldn’t be a hopeless effort. There is passion in this project, but it needs to be tailored and revised before it should be allowed on the big screen once again.

3/10

 

The sequel to the only MCU movie I have liked is finally here, and I actually had some decent expectations for this entry in the series. Were they met? Yes. Were they exceeded? Not really. It sits behind Batman v Superman as the best superhero movie I’ve seen this year thus far, but that does not mean I felt my time in the cinema was wasted. On the contrary, it was refreshing to see a studio finally pump out something worthy of praise.

The story here is simple, as always: after an intervention by the Avengers that accidentally causes a number of civilian deaths, the superheroes divide into two factions based on whether or not they agree to have their power and decision-making capabilities subject to the UN. Meanwhile, Captain America attempts to save his friend Bucky who has been enslaved by an old Russian military programme, and is currently hunted by international peacekeeping forces.

In contrast to the dark and gloomy (a choice I personally liked) Batman v Superman, Civil War brings back  humour, glee, and the upbeat nature that we have come to know from Marvel. Banter-filled and excitingly bright, it succeeds in bringing on the fun in heaps of sharp quips, marvellously choreographed combat, and a carefully selected assortment of, for the most, entertaining character that inhabit the MCU. It fits the movie snugly, and even if the execution wasn’t free of flaws, the creative choices tended to be the correct ones.

This is a movie that despite some incoherences and dull edges, is able to power through those weaker segments with the enormous amount of collective momentum it builds up over the course of its 146 minute runtime. Right off the bat we are hit with a fast-paced and adrenaline fueled action sequence that sets the bar for the rest of the film. The editing and speedy direction make the chase sequences visceral and thrilling. Blow for blow, this has an astounding amount of technical prowess behind it, proving that vision does not necessarily get lost among the gargantuan production cost. It gives me faith to see such handling of superhero blockbusters, and makes me want more to come from the bottomless toy box Marvel has at its disposal.

Special mention has to be given to Chris Evans, who consistently succeeds in making an Captain America, an otherwise mundane concept of a superhero, a real character with charisma, motivations, and power. He has always been at the top of his game in his patriotic suit, and steers the movie towards himself, making sure the it has a compelling and intimate, emotional core.

Unfortunately, for all of its strengths, Civil War falls flat in all the places that it’s MCU brethren usually does. While I did laugh more than I expected to, and a good number of the jokes were rather clever, most of them were clustered up into a single sequence partway through. At this point each line of dialogue devolved into a barrage of jokes. Most of these jokes from an inconceivably annoying Spiderman whose every ultra-adolescent line tore at the fabric of my nerves and made me want to rip my ears off. Luckily his shortcomings are somewhat alleviated by Paul Rudd’s Antman making a hilarious and energetic appearance, but it still makes me long for the days of Tobey Maguire and his iconic presentation of the human arachnid we’ve grown to know and love.

Also, while there are hints of politically relevant questions, such as whether it is alright for a powerful entity to act unilaterally as a global police force, or rather should be subject to an international body of justice, these quandaries are given the proper depth and justice they deserve. BvS was far more competent in tackling its similar themes, but here it feels more of an afterthought than anything else. Most characters present little to no reason for their motivations and choices, and are just left underdeveloped in general. The sides they pick are arbitrary and unsubstantiated.

The fight scenes are almost all very well done, apart from the biggest confrontation that takes place at the end of the second act. This is directed with wild inconsistency, not only in terms of thematic coherency (superheroes destroy an entire airport moments before being concerned about the havoc they cause) but it seems like the Russo’s completely forgot about certain characters, notably Vision, during the fight. It was a tough scene to film, but this does not stop it from sticking out like a sore thumb.

Speaking of destruction, another major MCU problem is the lack of total consequence of any story elements. Marvel movies are incredibly predictable in their structure, and don’t surprise. I knew exactly what was going to happen for almost the entire movie, only being wrong when the 3rd act is abruptly shortened in favour of an extremely weak ending that hastily sets up Infinity War and adds another name to the long list of poor villains.

Lastly, the score is rather weak, in no way a proper companion to the dynamic fight scenes. Rather disappointing compared to the heart-pumping work that Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL produced for BvS.

I could criticise Captain America: Civil War, or Avengers 2.5, for days on end. It was not unexpected or evolutionary in any manner, and it carries over a good amount of the worst genes that it’s peers are cursed with. This does not stop it from being rather satisfying and a good time at the cinema. It is a solid picture that rides off of pure passion for the material. I know everyone who wants to go see it will go do so regardless of any reviews, but this time I am on the positive side of the wall.

7/10

Before I go any further, it is important that I remind everyone of a few things:

• Taste is subjective, some obvious choices have missed my list. I am putting my personal favourites of the year here. This does not mean that I didn’t strive to be objective as well.
• I haven’t seen every single movie that came out in 2015. This is both due to time constraints, and also because I know that I just won’t like some. I have seen all the major releases however.
• I am using a mixture of US and UK release dates to determine what constitutes as 2015. Festival releases don’t count.
• I will eventually run out of synonyms to keep my language fresh
• Spelling errors ahead

Without further ado, I present my favourite movies of 2015!

Honorable Mention: Love

Love is a lopsided movie. The poorly improvised lines and dreadful acting are apparent within the first five minutes, and it is a good 20 minutes too long. If you can look past that however, Love has much more to offer. Director Gaspar Noe had intended it to be a look at sentimental sex as well as melancholy longing for the past, and in this regard he has succeeded, bringing that raw, untamed vigor he is known for. On a sensory level, Love is overpowering. A carefully selected soundtrack and warm, striking colours bring out the passion behind this carnal drama. It might not be very subtle, and a good 10% of Love is devoted to just sex scenes (no kidding), but if you are interested in an original and hypnotising look at a rocky, sensual relationship, this is not a bad choice.

 

40. III

The badly titled III is a little Russian orphan whose heritage can be traced down to some mix of The Cell, Inception, and Silent Hill. While on one hand it is severely bottlenecked by its 15,000 Euro budget, making it more of a demo than a fully fledged feature in some bits, it is nevertheless fascinating to see a director try his hand at something so new and ambitious in the horror realm. After an epidemic strikes a rural town somewhere in Siberia, Ayia must enter her sister’s mind with the help of a priest to root out the source of the evil, travelling through her corrupted subconscious. It might sometimes bite off more than it can chew, but III forecasts a bright career for director Pavel Khvaleev (who is also one of the founders of the Russian electronic duo Moonbeam that crafted the precise soundtrack).

39. Entertainment

This is probably 2015s toughest watch. Entertainment strives to depict a comedian’s hell in as much misery and nihilism as possible. Centred around an “anti-comedian” ,played by the real life comedian Gregg Turkington, the film traverses the vast expanses of the Mojave Desert, where broken Turkington puts on dead end shows for an audience that grows evermore apathetic towards him. The entire film plays almost as a sick joke, leaving it’s characters longing for success, connection, or just an escape from their remarkably banal lives. This is existential torment at its cruellest, mixing arid  humour with a warped, joyless reality. It is hard to recommend this to all but the most patient of viewers, but those that are drawn in by its semi sadistic comedy will leave with a strong imprint on their psyches.

 

38. Duke of Burgundy

2015 was a fantastic year for LGBT oriented movies, and The Duke of Burgundy stands proud among them. The movie is as if 50 Shades of Grey had a sensitive, stylish, art house makeover. While it might be almost entirely absent of explicit nudity, The Duke of Burgundy is far more erotic in it’s atmosphere than it’s misguided cousin. What truly makes it powerful however, is that it is able to reach beyond the BDSM theme, and explore something near-universal about compromise, trust, and limits in a relationship. Approaching the matter free of judgment, it is rather impressive how director Peter Strickland could craft something sexy and rich, while still keeping in touch with viewer’s empathy. The Duke of Burgundy is not as animalistic as Love, but it more than makes up for it in it’s calculated, kinky, touch.

 

37. Insidious: Chapter 3

Good horror trilogies are rare. Since the 2000s, only the Saw franchise managed complete the oddly difficult task of creating one, that is until Insidious Chapter 3 came out. A prequel to the events of 1 and 2, this flick explores the origins of mysterious curse that befell the Lambert family, albeit here the only recurring characters are that of psychic Elise Rainier and the goofy ghost hunting duo that complement the series’ self awareness with some gags of their own. The Insidious franchise has always been more of a fun haunted house fare than anything else, and Chapter 3, while being the weakest among its brethren, still delivers enough spooks and eeriness to warrant its existence. This is top 5 horror movie marathon material.

 

36. A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence

Pigeon is closest to the absurdism of the likes of Waiting for Godot, more than anything else. Decidedly uncinematic, with no camera movement whatsoever, this Swedish Best Foreign Picture entry plays out a series tableaus with recurring locations and characters, that are all connected by an overhanging theme of the comedy and tragedy that are present in the human condition. Decisively deadpan, and often darkly funny, Pigeon revels in the onescreen sardonic oddness. It is capable of appearing extremely serious, yet always tugging at your funny bone as you witness, among other things, a duo of travelling salesmen who unsuccessfully try to convince shop owners to buy their impressively ridiculous collection of vampire teeth, laughing bags, and troll-like masks.

 

35. The Green Inferno

It took Eli Roth two years to get this to cinemas after it was completed, and while most people might have criticised it for its demented cynicism, I was never bored. Roth here has created an homage to the old Italian cannibal movies of the 80s, a genre that had for a long time stayed dormant, but he adds his own touch of grotesque and gross-out humour. Filled with entertaining characters that for the most part get savagely slaughtered, The Green Inferno never ceases to be unflinchingly self aware of what it shows you. Production design of the fictional indigenous  Peruvian man-eating tribe is spot on, and it is surprising to see the amount of dedication that went into making this. There is also an underlying current of social commentary on slacktivism and political correctness that adds a fine edge to the otherwise gleeful gore. If you enjoyed Cabin Fever and/or Hostel 1&2, you won’t be disappointed with this one.

 

34. Knock Knock

I’ll never forget Keanu Reeves screaming in excitement “Chocolate!? With Sprinkles!?”

Simply mischievous. If you are turned off because I put two Eli Roth “masterpieces” back to back, don’t worry, there is enough diversity further on. Made by the only director to have two movies on my list, Knock Knock if somewhat of a departure from his usual work. It may lack in his signature bloodfest almost entirely, but it nevertheless just as misanthropic, though on a more psychological level. This is a movie that is very adept at balancing hope and despair, allowing the plot to always move forward and never stay predictable. Reeves and his two young co-actresses have a lot of fun in their silly roles: always aware that this is at heart a destructive thriller, but never afraid to let that campy vibe sneak in at the right times. Knock Knock knows precisely what it is, and doesn’t overstay it’s welcome.

 

33. It Follows

Victim of massive overhype it may be, It Follows is certainly unique in its premise and most of its execution. With a plot that’s best summed up as “get away from the STD demon” it is lovely to see a horror movie be so unpredictable at every turn. It offers up a handful of jump scares, but for most of its running time it is more interested in being creepy and ominous. It is far from perfect, but the deft handling of themes and suspense is remarkably clever. Special mention has to go to the pulsating, atmospheric synth score, reminiscent of John Carpenter and his 80s horror, but still fresh enough to differentiate itself. It might not be the scariest film of the decade, feeling a bit undigested in its rules, characters, and direction, but originality is always appreciated.

 

32. Lost River

Ryan Gosling’s directorial debut finds its own voice among the plethora of homages it contains to other filmmakers such as Refn, Lynch, Korine, and Argento. It suffers at times from choppy editing and an underdeveloped plot, but one cannot help but commend Gosling for being so brave on his first try. On concept alone this is truly inspiring. Playing like a dark fairytale, this soothing arthouse piece is simply enchanting in its mood, making the best use of its enchanting, purple/blue shaded, visuals and electronic music. Being slow paced here is not a criticism, as Lost River takes its time to reveal its bag of tricks and enclose you inside of its grimly beautiful world of dereliction and soul. Messy it might be, but with a start like this, Gosling’s future as a director is one that gets me excited and wanting for more.

 

31. The Danish Girl

An adaptation of real-life events that for once takes liberties in all the right places. This story of transgender pioneer Lili Elbe was smartly placed into the hands of Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) who has shown he knows his ways around period character dramas. Stellar production design aside (picture perfect of 20s Denmark), the real winner here are the performances from the cast. Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander play off of each other with wonderful chemistry: the former tackling his role with real commitment and sensitivity, showing anxiety and fragility in all the best ways he can, the latter bringing the best female lead (yes, LEAD) performance of the year with an astounding amount of complex emotions that are able to power much of the movie alone. She effortlessly juggles pride and anguish, affection and disappointment, and longing and empathy. Some have called this Oscar-bait, but even if that is true, this is damn good Oscar-bait.

 

30. Horsehead

Sometimes you have that strange luck where an interesting trailer unknown indie horror pops straight out of left field in your YouTube suggestions. Do not be repelled by its abhorrent 4.8 on Imdb, because this is not a case of found footage garbage that populates the lowest echelon of horror. Horsehead is a throwback to the Italian giallo movement of the 60s-80s, and with it bringing its most distinctive traits such as vivid colors, bizarre camera angles, disorienting editing, and difficult narrative. Low budget, but surreal and strikingly well shot, Horsehead deals with a young, tormented woman who must delve inside of her lucid dreams to find the answer to her traumas, discovering not only a whole hoard of family secrets, but also a horse-faced priest who seems absolutely determined on impaling her on his massive metal staff. Let your imagination run wild with this one, because it doesn’t stop to explain a single thing.

 

29. Kingsman: The Secret Service

2015 had an enormous library of spy action movies to show off, each more expensive than the next. In my eyes Kingsman has trumped most of them with its cheerful, violent semi-satire on the genre. It seeks to squeeze out as many genre cliches as possible but blend them into a never-the-less exciting, modern James Bond Jr tale. Complete with cheesy villains, smoothly coordinated action scenes, and a hell of a lot of personality, Kingsman is simple, unabashed fun. There is really not that much more to say, except CHURCH SCENE!

28. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

This might be a bit more half hearted than my other choices, but I suppose it is an “important” movie in its own right. Yes it is almost a remake of Episode IV, cramming a number of elements from the rest of the original trilogy alongside it, but aside from that, it still carries that same lovability that we associate with the franchise. JJ Abrams awoke a new hope (pun intended) in the heart of fans and erased the memories of the awful prequels with this seventh entry. The visual effects are better than ever, the look and feel is genuine, and it doesn’t lack in the action department either, with fantastic explosion-filled scenes. Special mention to Adam Driver, who provided a well thought out adversary with real motivations and emotions. Everyone who has already wanted to see this has done so, so it’s almost worthless mentioning all of this.

 

27. Boy and the World

I might have not been infatuated with the Animated Feature category at the Oscars, but Boy and the World was my 2nd favourite contestant (I won’t reveal the first until later) in it. On visuals, it is by far the most unique and interesting of animated movies since 2008s Waltz with Bashir. The kaleidoscopic mixture of pencil, crayon, and pastel constantly morphs into images of fantastical landscapes, urban decay, carnivals, centipede-like trains, and much much more. This Brazilian film is both joyous and deeply angry. With its simple story and lovingly hand drawn imagery, it is able to capture the attention of younger viewers, while the environmental and sociopolitical themes will resonate with those older, especially those more aware of the history of South America. There is no discernible language in Boy, just gibberish, but even that does not stop it from being powerful when it needs to be.

 

26. Beasts of no Nation

Beasts of no Nation might take place in a fictional country, but in an age of civil war and unrest in West Africa, it feels strangely relevant. Based on the 2005 novel of the same name, it tells the story of Agu, a child soldier forced into recruitment by a rebel ground, showing us through his painful trials and tribulations. On a technical level alone, director Cary Fukunaga (of True Detective fame) has absolutely nailed the storytelling. This is a picture bursting with careful costumes and locations, as well as long, calculated takes that are supremely effective at engrossing the viewer. One particular scene in mind is a hallucinatory battle sequence that is reminiscent by Richard Mosse’s pink-tinted photographs of the Congo. Most of all, Fukunaga needs to be commended on his absolutely uncritical presentation of the matter. Others might have taken the opportunity to squeeze judgement and political messages into the film, but BonN knows its audience is intelligent enough to feel the outrage, anger, disgust, pity, empathy, and hope when need be.

 

25. Rams

Making the personal struggles of bearded shepherds in rural Iceland compelling is rather difficult, which is why Rams surprised me so much with it’s shaggy authenticity. A tale of two begrudged brothers who must cooperate to save their prized, rare, flocks, Rams succeeds in conveying the chilling loneliness that lies inside the rolling valleys. Widescreen shots of the desolate landscapes, dotted by a couple houses, work together with realistic and understated performances in skilled synchronicity. Hermit-like in spirit, but effortless in execution, Rams is bitter yet endearing in a manner that pulls you ever closed to its character as the minutes go by. It is really, really hard not to feel an attachment to these people that have rejected a normal life in favour of staying loyal to their roots, keeping an ancient business alive with utter dedication.

 

24. Tangerine

If there is one word to describe Tangerine, it is confident. Being shot on an iPhone 5 fitted with an anamorphic lens only adds to the feisty capriciousness running in its veins. Transgender prostitutes and Armenian taxi drivers in Hollywood are not commonly seen on film, but this Sundance hit knows its subjects like the back of its hand. It is loud and wild, just like the abundant white trash, but this is a compliment in the truest sense of the word. The oversaturated colours and bombastic soundtrack only serve to further the unflinching pace of its sass. This is 2015s boldest film, full of attitude and snazzy dialogue, but also compassionate and prejudice-challenging. The LGBT community can be proud of this lo-fi triumph.

 

23. The Look of Silence

I’m not at home yet with documentaries, having seen too few to properly pass judgement, but one of the best I’ve ever seen was the extraordinary Act of Killing from 2012, where director Joshua Oppenheimer risked his life interviewing the unapologetic perpetrators of the Indonesian Red Scare in 1965-66, asking them to reenact their merciless executions. It was gut churning and radical, the type of film that deserves attention for bringing light to a hidden holocaust that killed over a million people (one man personally executed over 1000). The Look of Silence is a companion piece that takes a different angle to the subject matter, but is just as confrontational. Here a man whose family was crippled faces the killers themselves, asking questions that take us deep inside the mind of murderers, becoming a study of psychology and morality like never seen before. Oppenheimer maintains his passive detachment, knowing that viewers don’t need obnoxious frosting to illustrate the horrific aftermath of the atrocities.

 

22. Furious 7

Seventh installments in a franchise are uncommon, and it is even rarer that they are any good, but Furious 7 raised the bar for action movies to a level that only one other film this year was able to beat. It is strange that James Wan, a director who is best known for Saw, Insidious, and The Conjuring, comes out guns blazing with a movie like this (he was working with a budget 9.5 times larger than anything he did before). This is a stellar cast for a movie like this if I ever saw one, complete with actors such as Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, and Jason Statham, all completely committed to making sure every shootout is as steroidal and absurdly insane as it humanly possible. Furious 7 brings out some of the most gargantuan set pieces seen on screen. This is nitrous packed, full throttle entertainment that does not hold back on the mayhem.

 

21. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Somewhat of quirky, Wes Andersonian cross between Perks of Being a Wallflower and Fault in out Stars, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is far, far, more accomplished in its intentions than the former two. Whimsy, yet grounded in reality, this is one brimming with melancholia, laughs and poignancy. Coming of age comedy-dramas are tough to get right, but this is a piece where the screenplay completely understands the complex, delicate subject matters it has to deal with, presenting them in a touching and witty manner that keeps it fresh for another generation to come. Veering on smartass at times, you can’t help but relish in the geeky, hip vibe. It is far more rewarding for cinephiles who are familiar with the many references to classic films, but it will be just as touching for those looking for that movie that delves in the insecure, teenage, high school angst. Just keep in mind, the people depicted might at times be irrational, but they do exist in real life.

 

There are four things I should tell you before I start going into the meat of my review, namely:

1. Don’t watch Trailer #2
2. I think Winter Soldier is the only good MCU movie
3. I didn’t like Man of Steel
4. I am not a comic book fan and I know little about superheroes

Walking into the theatre, I had low expectations. I almost thought about skipping the movie, especially since the last superhero flick i saw (Deadpool), only made me bored and angry. These low expectations persisted after I had to rewatch a recap of Batman’s childhood tragedy. Two and a half hours later I walked out of the packed cinema, surprised and overjoyed. What happened?

 

I am not going to go too much into depth with the plot, but this is not to say the narrative is weak. On the contrary, Oscar-winning Chris Terrio (Argo) has provided us with a mature and satisfyingly complex three act structure that hits most of the right notes when it has to. Essentially, Batman and a good deal of people think Superman is too strong and a potential threat, while Superman struggles coping with his large responsibilities, and Lex Luthor tries to take advantage of the rivality to create a playground of destruction that he can have control over. What results is a political thriller-esque struggle for power that escalates into a showdown of massive and destructive proportions, with some hints at deeper philosophical quandaries. And yes, Wonder Woman is in it too!

Zack Snyder had an exceedingly difficult task ahead of him when he took on the role as director of this movie. It might seem easy to do whatever you want when you have 250 million USD on your hands, but he was responsible for creating the gateway film to DC’s own cinematic universe, and had to deal with studios breathing down his neck for the entire production. The result is an epic extravaganza that might stumble over it’s own ambitions more than once, but is thoroughly satisfying and wonderfully exhilarating. In the past Snyder has had problems when he is left to write the script, but this time he was left exclusively to direct; a wise choice.What this means is that Batman vs Superman is a substantially more fulfilling experience that it could have been.

 

For starters, Hans Zimmer (Interstellar) and Junkie XL’s (Mad Max Fury Road) collaboration on the score yielded phenomenal results. Zimmer’s melodical engineering combined with Junkie’s thumping energy perfectly reflected the grandness of the visuals. Next, Affleck, Eisenberg, and Cavill slipped seamlessly into their respective roles, with special mention to the first two. Affleck gave Batman a gravitas that matches Bale in Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy, and Eisenberg’s eccentric, jittery, oddly charismatic, take on the genius Lex Luthor might have some naysayers, but to me it was the right choice and was very fun to watch.

Unlike many superhero movies, BvsS also takes it’s time with developing its characters, even giving some of them arcs. This is a welcome breath of fresh air that defies the lethargic treatment the MCU gives to its heroes. I actually cared about the people I was watching, and was invested in how the narrative affected them. Speaking of narrative, the film strikes a good balance between drama, thriller, and action that is rarely seen in this genre. There are both loud and quiet moments, both handled with skill, which gives a proper amount of diversity to the story. Rivalries flare and ideologies clash and are questioned both in dialogue and well choreographed action.

 

And Snyder does the action justice. He doesn’t resort to quick cuts or shaky handheld and instead opts for a smooth series of swoops, dashes and pans that glide around the battlefield. Each moment is connected to another with great precision and never feels disorientating. Internal logic in maintained in fights too, another often forgotten aspect of superhero movies. BvsS, just like Snyder’s other films, is dripping with visual flair. The best way to describe the color palette here would be dark, metallic, slick. CGI is used to great effect, blending well with the onscreen carnage. Simply, everything looks magnificent. These might be the most imposingly spectacular state of the art graphics yet seen in the history of superheroes on screen. These are 250 mil USD that are worth buying a ticket for.

As for issues, yes they are present here, and they are not just trivial. BvsS had the potential to be significantly better with a number of changes.

 

Firstly, there are copious amounts of padding in the film that dilute its runtime by providing unnecessary and poorly handled exposition. It was most certainly uncalled for to repeat Batman’s backstory, and at the beginning of the movie, we are switching rapidly between an assortment of locations around the world without much weight to the circumstances at hand. One involves are poorly explained and confusing militia organisation with access to restricted weapons. Adding onto this, in the last third, there are a sequence of action-interrupting cuts to provide an attempt at emotional impact, but their jarring nature only serve to irritate the viewer by momentarily stopping the excellent final fight.

 

Second, the screenplay drifts towards being rather amnesiac at times. It might introduce ideas and plot points that it only refers to half heartedly later on, and never fully develop. One of these is Batman’s emotional response to the turmoil, but the more offending aspects are that of the handling of Lois Lane and Wonder Woman. The former is rather important in the first third, but fades into obscurity and is relegated to an annoyingly stagnant side character whose character arc is left in the dust. The latter isn’t explored at all and introduced too late. I was thrilled to see her in battle (her theme is INCREDIBLE), but she felt too underdeveloped compared to Superman, Batman, or Lex Luthor. An extra five minutes could have solved these issues and provided her with an interesting personality and maybe a quick explanation of her origin story. Alas, by the time she arrives for her major contribution, it is too late.

Despite this, the 151 min runtime flew by me. I was being constantly entertained and there was rarely a dull moment due to the nicely paced nature of the story on screen.

Batman vs Superman isn’t near perfect, but don’t listen to the lukewarm reviews on this one. If you want a well rounded superhero epic of the biggest size you can order, look no further, Snyder has you covered.

 

8/10

 

In an age where Marvel and DC bathe in box office numbers due to the popularity of their massive, if not flawed, superhero franchises, one would think Deadpool, a movie that pokes fun at and deconstructs the genre, would be a breath of fresh air. And while Deadpool’s admittedly clever marketing campaign has drawn attention to it’s foul mouthed, violent anti-hero in all of his R-rated glory, the film itself is barely different from its mediocre cousins whose trailers swamp the headlines seconds after their release.

I’d like to preface this by saying I am not someone who dislikes Deadpool because it is crass and juvenile. It is part of the titular character after all. If anything, Deadpool is actually striving to be as politically correct and obnoxious at the same time. Just because you cram dick and fart jokes in every single scene, does not make your movie offensive or as some reviewers call it: “bold.” Low effort comedy such as this has existed in the artwork of Will Ferrell, Seth McFarlane, and Adam Sandler for a long LONG time. Deadpool is the same just with without “nigger”, “faggot” and it’s equivalents.

I also won’t be spending too long on describing the plot, because really, the origin story is half the film and the other half is a by-your-numbers revenge film that could be found in a Direct-to-DVD film in a Walmart or your regional equivalent. In fact, that is all you really have to know, because there is no reason to see Deadpool for any plot progression anyway.

If you would like to hear it anyway, I’ll quote Kevin Jagernauth’s review from Indiewire:

An ordinary man becomes reluctantly imbued with superpowers, but in the process becomes horribly disfigured. Betrayed and damaged, he seeks vengeance on the person who maimed him, is forced to reconcile who he has become, and then has to save his girl from the clutches of the villain.

Nothing, I repeat, absolutely nothing is intriguing about Deadpool’s backstory.

I swear, after the first half hour I was so utterly bored i wished I was watching Avatar: The Last Airbender. At least that movie I could laugh at. Deadpool made me chuckle once and smile possibly twice in its 108 minute a barrage of convoluted humour and memes that will become old by the end of the year.

The most important question to ask when it comes a movie is “why should i see it?” When it comes to Deadpool, there is remarkable little that is actually in any form…well…remarkable. The filmmaking side is dreadfully “O.K.” Nothing out of the ordinary in any way. Fight choreography is unoriginal, the editing is painful, and the camerawork is plain. The only distinguishing feature of Deadpool is the screenplay, which is also the most problematic part of the film.

While watching the movie, it occurred to me that every single scene exists to create jokes. They don’t bear much relevance outside of being able to spout the next one-liner. Because of this, Deadpool operates more like a series of skits that try to outdo each other in terms of trash-talking. The characters don’t naturally breathe humour. They just serve as vessels. There is nothing actually funny about what is happening outside of their words. On top of this, numerous by the film attempts to break the fourth wall come off as forced and self-congratulatory more than anything else.

Deadpool tries far too hard to make you like it, to the point of annoyance.

As a superhero movie, it also suffers from being utterly incompetent at delivering any good action sequences outside of the first few minutes. There is an abundance of superpowers in the film, but they are so poorly defined that it causes the fight scenes to be devoid of any tension or reason. In particular, there is a huge metal Russian golem-man who is impervious to almost all physical attacks. He does however nearly succumb to a simple iron rod from the dumpster being tied around his neck.

Oddly enough, Deadpool is rather sentimental in parts and has some very strange attempts at creating a ham-fisted romance in order to establish motivation and relatability. The editing and rate of the flashback sequences, together with awful riffs at Taken 3 during supposedly emotional moments, cause these scenes to be infuriatingly irritating and pointless. You really don’t care about any characters at any climactic part of the film.

Is there anything good in this movie one might ask? Well, Ryan Reynolds does a pretty good job as the lead role, certainly showing some charismatic potential in a future project, as well as being gleefully self deprecating. The first five to ten minutes of the film have a very high-speed and riveting action sequence that actually kept me invested in the film for a while, before it becomes overlong and is interlaced with flashbacks.

Deadpool is like if someone assembled the most cringe-worthy parts of Guardians of the Galaxy, added a good dose of a dull superhero origin story, took all the toilet humour from Cards Against Humanity, and sprinkled it with the most heavy handed pop-culture references you’ve seen since the latest episode of Family Guy. Result: Utter trash that is way too impressed with itself than it should be. As it stands, it is the Scary Movie 5 of the superhero genre.

If you would like to see a good meta-take on a genre, please do yourself a favour and watch Cabin in the Woods instead. If you would like to see a movie that knows how to do comedy through something else than vomiting jokes out every two seconds, watch an Edgar Wright movie. If you haven’t hung out with edgy 15 year olds in a while, and really want to, then fine, watch Deadpool.
4.5/10