Obviously behemoths like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Jurassic World helped push numbers over the top, but there actually was a healthy dose of other worthwhile titles that arrived pretty steadily over the course of the year: Mad Max, The Walk and The Hateful Eight, to name a few. I did my part as usual, catching 26 films from January through December. Below are my top 5 of 2015.
1. Brooklyn: John Crowley's adaptation of Colm Toibin's 2009 bestseller concerning a young girl who leaves her Irish home for prosperity in 1950s America is not just a beautiful, perfectly told love story, it's a career triumph for actress Saoirse Ronan, who melts your heart with every smile, tear and word that falls from her mouth. Having Nick Hornby write the script doesn't hurt either.
2. Mad Max: Fury Road: George Miller's reimagining of his popular 1980s post-apocalyptic action franchise was easily the best and most original film of the summer, simply two hours of mind-blowing, in-your-face action the likes we've never seen before. Sure the story was a bit thin, but you tend to forgive such minuscule concerns when finding cinematic Xanadu.
3. Spotlight: Tom McCarthy's compelling true-life tale of the Boston Globe's investigation of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church is an All the President's Men for a new generation, all anchored by the terrific ensemble of Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams and Liev Schreiber. More than enough to forgive McCarthy's 2014 misstep The Cobbler.
4. The Martian: Ridley Scott's adaptation of Andy Weir's 2014 bestselling tale of an astronaut left for dead on Mars is grand Hollywood entertainment, full of thrills, humor and heart and featuring a masterful, Oscar-worthy performance from star Matt Damon. This is why we go to the movies.
5. Star Wars: The Force Awakens: J.J. Abrams' surprisingly effective, deeply moving continuation of the George Lucas' iconic space saga offered both a nostalgic look back and an exciting look forward for fans of all ages, making us pine for the revelations yet to come. Let's hope Luke has a few more lines in the next one.
If I Could Pick Five More: 6. Bridge of Spies 7. The Hateful Eight 8. The Walk 9. Trumbo 10. Steve Jobs
Happy New Year!
