2015 in Retrospect: TWC's Top 5 Films of the Year

It's been five days into 2016 and what better way to start the day than by reflecting on the year that just left.

2015 was an incredible year in the film industry. So many great titles were released, whether it be indie films, Oscar-bait or blockbusters. Moviegoers were basically spoilt for choices this year. In fact, some of them will only be widely released in 2016 (I already have The Revenant and Macbeth on my list, among others), which gives a fantastic reason to look forward to the new year.

2015 was also the year where we saw great deal of revivals, sequels, comebacks, with most of them being very decent movies. Whether or not it's a death to creativity is still up for debate. But hey, as long as the movie's good, who's complaining really? 

Nonetheless, here are my Top 5 movies of 2015.

5. ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL

It never made it to Malaysian cinemas, but Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is a refreshing entry into the teen-cancer flick category. Based on a novel of the same name, Earl is an unconventional story in a genre that's near reaching its saturation point. It's funny, witty but as all cancer flicks are, painfully heartbreaking.

I gave it: 8/10 ; Rotten Tomatoes: 83% ; IMDB: 7.8/10


4. WHIPLASH

 
 Whiplash opens with a shot of Miles Teller's Andrew banging away with his mad drum skills. Not long later, he's recruited into distinguished jazz band by the sadistic and psychopathic Terence Fletcher (played by a very talented J.K Simmons). It's a dizzying ride and at the end of it, it's one that will have you at the edge of your seats.

Technically, Whiplash is a 2014 film but since it's Malaysian release was in March 2015, I'm gonna cheat a little.

I gave it: 9/10 ; Rotten Tomatoes: 94% ; IMDB: 8.5/10


3. SICARIO


Right down to its background music and camerawork, Sicario is Intense, with a necessary capital I. then again, most films of this genre are usually thrilling, but Sicario ups its game. It's one of those films that uses all the elements of a film—sound, sight, dialogue, camera—in such an effective manner that you'd find yourself at the edge of your seats, clutching at your heart the whole time. It's only when the credit starts to roll do you realise that you've been holding your breath this entire time.

I gave it: 9/10 ; Rotten Tomatoes: 93% ; IMDB: 7.9/10


2. THE MARTIAN


Another film that was adapted from a book. The Martian had a pretty decent fan-base before the movie came out, but in the hands of Ridley Scott, the movie version propelled the story to a whole other level.It maintains the lightheartedness of the book but really brings all the characters to life. I often stand by my belief that books are usually much, much better than movies, but with The Martian, I think they complement each other perfectly. The movie is a fantastic complement, companion to the book, and vice-versa.

I gave it: 10/10 ; Rotten Tomatoes: 93% ; IMDB: 8.2/10


1. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

 
Oh my god this moviee. Trust me, I can fangirl about Fury Road all day e'ry day. It was a close battle between this and The Martian, but personally, Fury Road gets a slight upper-hand when it comes to being my favourite movie of 2015, if not of all time. This is hands-down the best action film I've ever watched. It's chaotic yet still makes perfect sense. It's amazing how you can still keep track of everything that's happening on screen. Everyone who has only watched the trailer would tell me, "Why would I watch that, it's a MESS!" Oh but what a beautiful, orderly mess it is.

So why does Fury Road take the crown? While The Martian is smart, classy and hilarious; Fury Road is like a roller-coaster ride: it's fun, heart-pumping, an adrenaline-shot. At the end of it, you just want to go on it again and again and again.

(Maybe it's because I've read The Martian's book before, and I went into Fury Road not knowing anything. The lack of any expectations really enhances the experience.)

(Also, Tom Hardy helps too. :3)

I gave it: 10/10 ; Rotten Tomatoes: 97% ; IMDB: 8.2/10

HONOURABLE MENTIONS (because 2015 was too good of a year for film):

KINGSMAN


Kingsman defies its genre (notice the running theme in this post?). It's a spy movie, but not really, in a sense that it doesn't go down the same ol' tropes in all Bond movies. You think that the villain is just gonna let the hero stand there while he prattles on about his grand plans to world domination? Nah, this is not that kind of movie. Kingsman is a spy movie, a comedic take on a genre that's usually more sombre. Spy of the same year does the same thing, but that's a comedy first and foremost. Kingsman is classier, and it can still pass off as a spy movie.

While like the Bond movies are sometimes made fun of because of how serious they take themselves, this movie understands that sentiment perfectly well. Which is why it never took itself seriously.

And that, let me tell you, is where all the fun is.

I gave it: 8/10 ; Rotten Tomatoes: 74% ; IMDB: 7.8/10


STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS 


I can't possible end this post without even mentioning the most anticipated movie if the year, the comeback of one of the greatest movie franchises of all time. Breaking records in box-office history, Star Wars: The Force Awakens definitely deserves some kind on this list.

Even so, the greatest thing about this movie isn't the hype, it isn't it's comeback, but the fact that it was good. It met the high expectations that a lot of people had towards it. While in a way it's Episode IV all over again, just with new faces, SW:TFA was nostalgia to the old fans, and a brilliant introduction to new ones. At its core, it was/is a good film that in my personal opinion, was worth the hype.

I gave it: 8/10 ; Rotten Tomatoes: 94% ; IMDB: 8.6/10


And here's to 2016, hopefully just as good of a year for movies as 2015 was.

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REVIEW: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

If there's anything that can wake me up from my hiatus (even if it's only temporarily), it's this film. Because what kind of movie critic would miss the chance to review the return of the most iconic film series of all time?

I'm just gonna say this right here, right now: at it's core, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is basically a remix of A New Hope. In terms of characters, plot, it's quite obvious that SWTFA is an homage, a throwback to the nearly 40-year-old film, although with a little of its own slight changes. Some things don't change: the opening crawl is still there, still the same; wipe transition is still a thing; the soundtrack is still big and loud and grander than ever. Other things are different, but you can draw parallels between this film and the original Star Wars. Finn (John Boyega) is Luke Skywalker, the young hero with a heart that just wants to do the right thing; Rey (Daisy Ridley) is Leia, strong-willed, courageous and independent who needs no saving; and well Kylo Ren is so obviously a Darth Vader knockoff in a new mask and a cooler lightsaber.

(And when I say knockoff, I mean that in the fondest of ways)

Also, R2-D2 is now made of two spheres with a new coat of paint and renamed to BB-8. Easily one of the cutest things I've ever laid eyes on.

But I'm not saying that the similarities is a bad thing. I loved the fact that I could pick out element that came out of the original films, there were scenes that echoed some of the most memorable parts in the episodes IV, V and VI. It was nostalgic, perhaps even more so for those who have been fans of the series since the very beginning.

Hello, it's me.

I absolutely adore the writing in this film. Pacing is good, and there's hardly a dull moment in all two hours. The script is original, natural, and witty. Just like in the original films, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) basically gets all the best lines in the film, with Finn being a close contender. 

As the leads of the film, both Boyega and Ridley carried their roles incredibly well. Even Adam Driver who plays a character who's quite literally Darth Vader's successor was excellent in portraying a powerful antagonist, but is impulsive and unstable. Basically, Adam Driver is what Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker could have been, should have been. Partnered with veterans of the series such as Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, the acting and characterization are simply on point.

Kylo Ren's gonna give Darth Vader a run for his money.

Watching TFA while being shrouded in so much mystery was a great experience. To go into the movie almost blind, not knowing what was going to happen—not because I avoided any trailers and what-nots, but because there was little to nothing that I could find out about it before actually watching the film itself. This is when I got to experience what the audience might have felt when watching the original trilogy all those years ago, since every big twist in the original films were spoiled way before I even got around to watching them. But with TFA, I get it. I get how big deal it must have been back then, with revelations of Darth Vader's identity, and the true relationship between Luke and Leia. I never did get the full impact of those scenes. Until now, that is. And trust me on this, TFA has some pretty strong tricks and twists up its sleeves.

I know a lot of you might decide to go into TFA without watching the previous films, especially the original trilogy since it's old and the special effects are basically wonky and outdated by now, but I implore you to take some time and marathon them. TFA might be the first installment of a new trilogy with a largely different cast, but it is does take place decades after the incidents in Return of The Jedi, it is at its core a sequel to the original trilogy. It would be hard to understand the significance of some of the things and characters in TFA. For one, when Han and Chewie first appeared on the screen, it just felt so good and amazing seeing them back that it got such a loud reaction from the audience.

Am I being a little preachy? Maybe. But seriously, don't watch TFA without ever having watched the original films. A lot of fun gets lost when that happens.

Han: Chewie, we're home
Me: *sobs uncontrollably*

Feel free to ignore the prequels though. Trust me, at this point we really can forget that train wreck ever existed.

Me when I think about the prequel trilogy.

From the hands of director J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the comeback that fans of this series—new or old—truly deserves. All the hype that built up to this were not wasted, and it's very well worth the wait.

2017 cannot come soon enough.

Brb, gotta go hunt down BB-8 merch.

Other trivial musings : I'm terrible disappointed with Gwendoline Christie's Captain Phasma. I mean come on, you cast Brienne of Tarth and that's all there is to her role??? ಠ_ಠ


 TL;DR : Excellent revival of the series, solidifying its status as one of the greatest movie franchises of all time. Overall a great, fun ride to a galaxy far, far away.

I rate it : 8/10 stars

Should you watch it? YESSS but only if you watch the original trilogy before.

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015)

Genre : It's Star Wars. It's an entirely new category on its own.

Runtime : 135 mins

Director : J.J. Abrams

Cast : Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscaar Isaac, Adam Driver, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher

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REVIEW: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)

If you're considering skipping Me and Earl and the Dying Girl because you figure it's probably just another cancer teen movie and you've already watched The Fault in Our Stars last year, I'd urge you reconsider because this is not the type of film you think it is.

Meet Me, AKA Greg (Thomas Mann). He's lanky, pasty, overly modest to the point of self-loathing, and apparently he thinks he looks like a rodent. He's awkward with way of life that is basically to be on friendly terms with everyone, but at the same time not be friends with anyone. His father (Nick Offerman) is a sociology professor who has a thing for exotic food, and long, winding soliloquies; his mother (Connie Britton) is less eccentric, but nosier and very privy towards her son's life—the way a lot of mothers are, I guess.

Meet Earl (RJ Cyler), the closest thing Greg has to a best-friend, even though he refuses to admit it. Aside being the one Greg spends his lunchtime with—watching art-house films in their history teacher's office, swiping some of his pho while they're at it—they also have this thing where they make parodies of classic films with clever titles like A Sockwork Orange, Pooping Tom, and Rosemary Baby Carrots. But if there's anything to be said about Earl, he's cool with all that wisdom and with from the hood. Maybe a little too cool for Greg.

Finally, meet the dying girl, AKA Rachel (Olivia Cooke). She's the girl that Greg is forced to make friends with when his mom finds out that Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia. Rachel is that funny, witty girl-next-door that people can't help but relate to. In a nutshell, she's Greg's manic pixie dream girl.

Let their doomed friendship begin.

The loveliest thing about Girl is not the story itself, because overall it's very much been-there-done-that. High school, cancer kid, the other kid that goes to make friends with said cancer kid. It's another cancer rom-com right? Well, not exactly. What makes this film stand out from the rest is the unconventional way the story fleshes out. Strictly speaking, Girl is a story of friendship, no one crosses the line at any point of the movie, and it's perfect that way. The fact that the casting was spot-on also helped in making the characters asauthentic  they can be. It's not hard to connect and fall in love with any of them.

I should also mention that the soundtrack to this movie is absolutely brilliant with its funky, indie vibe. It's the type of music that you wish was playing in the background of your life back when you were a teenager. And with it's sweeping, panoramic cameraworks, plus some adorable stop-motion scenes (there's a running gag throughout the movie that involves a moose and a chipmunk), Girl is a joy to sit through.

Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon who used to be a personal assistant to names such as Martin Scorsese and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl premiered to a standing ovation at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and the Grand Jury Prize, all it wholly deserves.

Spoiler: After this scene, a lot of things just south for these three.

 Other trivial musings : If a story ever needs an unreliable narrator, call Greg. He gotchu.


 TL;DR : That funny cancer movie that's less romanticised than TFiOS. Basically, if TFiOS and Perks of Being a Wallflower had a baby, this movie would be it.


I rate it : 8/10 stars

Should you watch it? I'm not going to the take the usual route of simply pushing this film to anyone and everyone. It's slow, and it's not for everyone, so take that in mind. While it's similar in nature with TFiOS, it's tone is more like Perks. So if you like Perks, then you're probably in the clear for this.

ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL (2015)

Genre : Comedy Drama

Runtime : 105 mins

Director : Alfonso Gomez-Rejon

Cast : Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, RJ Cyler

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REVIEW : The Martian (2015)

The Martian: basically an alternate universe of Interstellar where Murphy ends up going to space, and Dr. Mann is the good guy.

I'm kidding. If there's anything in common between the two films besides have two of the same actors on screen, it's that half of the story does not take place on Earth and that's about it.

The plot in The Martian is actually pretty straightforward. When a mission on Mars gets hit by a storm, Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is struck by an antenna and then separated from the rest of the team who are forced to make an evacuation. Presuming he's dead, mission commander Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain) makes the difficult decision to leave him behind. Only it turns out that he's alive, and is all alone on the red planet. Even though the odds are stacked incredibly high against him, with his wisecrack humour and Lewis' disco music that was left behind, Watney, a botanist, decides that he's not going to give up and die, then proceeds to do anything possible to survive on the inhospitable planet—from planting potatoes fertilised by leftover human waste, to making water from rocket fuel. Eventually, NASA finds out that they've left a man behind, hence the mission to bring Mark Watney home begins.

Yeah science, bitch.

I'm going to say this straight off the bat, The Martian is bloody amazing. I had such high expectations for it that it was very easy for it to just underwhelm, but it didn't. The Martian reached a point that was even higher that what I was expecting. If I'm supposed to grade it, The Martian doesn't get an A, it's gets a triple-starred A with a cherry on top. Director Ridley Scott (famous for films such as the original Alien film, Blade Runner, and Gladiator) makes the fictional mission seem like a sure possibility—which, considering the way things are going, it might be a reality in the future— but it still keeps it grounded. I do love how scenes on Mars are basically a mix between actual filming, and footage from Watney's video logs all around Mars. Whether it be his vlogs where he's talking into the camera (and to an extension, us), or an over-the-shoulder recording from his suit's camera. Editing in this is top-notch as well.

The cast did an amazing job in this movie. Matt Damon embodies Mark Watney so well that it's hard to imagine anyone else doing a better job. His performance feels authentic, and he never loses Watney's wit and humour. Chiwetel Ejiofor deserves a mention as well for being Vincent Kapoor, the person-in-charge of all the missions to Mars. Next to Watney, some of the funniest lines and scenes come from this guy. And of course, Sean Bean's Mitch Henderson whom you can trust to always do the right thing, even if everyone else is vehemently against it.

And he doesn't die. Which is nice.

There's also Rich Purnell (Donald Glover) who's also pretty funny. And also figures out a way to save Mark Watney.

I won't go into the usual route of comparing the books and films, on which is better and listing out all plot points in the book that the film missed out on. Naturally, considering the time constraint a film has, movie!Watney's survival on Mars is relatively easier than book!Watney's experience. The movie did exclude a few incidents presented in the book, and the book does give a more detailed account on what's going on, but I'm satisfied with the omissions made. If the movie were to have all of these, it would probably be two or three times longer than it's current two hours and twenty minutes length. Overall, it's one of the most faithful book-to-movie adaptations I've seen.

As long as the jokes in he book are in the movie then I'm not going to complain.

The thing is, I think the best way to enjoy The Martian is to both watch and read the book. If you read only the book, sometimes it's just a lot of scientific jargon for the average reader to follow and I often found myself just glossing over the text. But if you're just going to watch the movie, sometimes you don't quite get an understanding of what's going on cause they don't explain the details. I know it's kind of an oxymoron, but you'll understand if you've read the book and watch the movie. Think of it this way: sometimes it's easier to understand something if you look at it being done or do it yourself instead of just reading it on paper, that's what the movie does; sometimes you want to understand the specifics of doing something, that's where you'll read up on it, which in this case is the book. The movie is a visual representation of the book (which all movie adaptations are, in general) whereas the book is like a more comprehensive subtitle for the movie.

Read it, watch it, and you'll have the best of both worlds.

Perks of reading The Martian: if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, at least you'll have a chance of not dying.

I'm going to digress a bit over here. Is it me or is Jessica Chastain a little bit typescast? For three movies now (Zero Dark Thirty, Interstellar, and The Martian) I've seen her playing essentially the same character. A strong, intelligent, gutsy woman who's also not afraid to be in charge. It's just that I don't think she's good, because she's a brilliant actress. But, you know. Maybe it's just I haven't seen enough of her films. I do hope it's the latter.

The Ares III crew, right before everything went to shit.

 Overall, The Martian is an amazing film that you should experience, even if you're not a fan of sci-fi. Because at the heart of it, is the fundamental theme that drives humanity: the will to survive, and the roller coaster ride of emotions that comes with it. Maybe at the end of this film, you'll be like me, holding yourself back from giving it a standing ovation. Because that's exactly how good this movie is.

#SoDone

Other trivial musings : How do you know that a director has crazy attention to details? When Rich Purnell exhales in visible puffs while sitting NASA's supercomputer room. That's how.
 
TL;DR : A survival film that sucks you in, then makes you gasp in fear, cry, and laugh—all in the span of 141 minutes.
 

I rate it : 10/10 stars

Should you watch it? Yes, you'll be doing yourself a favour. 

THE MARTIAN (2015)

Genre : Sci-Fi Adventure

Runtime : 141 mins

Director : Ridley Scott

Cast : Matt Damon, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Sean Bean etc.

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REVIEW : Everest (2015)

There are many ways to die, and climbing up the highest mountain on earth is one way of upping those odds. You can't help but wonder: why would anyone want to resort themselves to those odds, why would anyone want to place themselves in a position where they'll be risking an awful death? As our main character says early in the film, "Human beings simply aren't built to function at the cruising altitude of a 747. Our bodies will be literally dying."

Well if you're going into Everest hoping to get an answer to the "why do people do it" question, you're not going to get it. If anything, Everest is just going to solidify that thought of never wanting to go near that mountain ever in your lifetime.

At one point though, journalist Jon Krakauer does ask that question. After the joking reply of the age-old answer of "because it's there", a few others do try and answer that question. And try is the word here. None of the replies feel satisfactory. And that's kindda what Everest is in a nutshell. The film doesn't quite hit the spot, it doesn't feel satisfying.

Everest recounts the tragedy that struck the mountain back in May 1996, a blizzard that eventually lead to the demise of eight lives, both guides and clients alike. Rob Hall (Jason Clarke) runs New Zealand-based Adventure Consultants that provides his clients with guided expeditions up Mt. Everest. On his team are Beck Weathers (Josh Brolin), a cocky Texan; Yasuko Namba (Naoko Mori), a tiny little Japanese woman who's on her way to conquer the last of the Seven Summits; Doug Hansen (John Hawkes), a quiet postman who has you constantly worried if he's ever going to make it; and of course, as mentioned before, John Krakauer (Michael Kelly) who was poached from Hall's business rival, Mountain Madness, that's lead by the laid-back, hippie-looking Scott Fischer (Jake Gyllenhaal).

The first half of the movie goes by fairly quickly, establishing relationships and rushing through acclimitisation and the climb up the mountain. But getting up is only half the story, getting down is the other much more deadly and challenging half. That's where all the stakes are tension are.

Meet Josh Brolin. He was a jackass in Sicario, he's a bit of a jackass here too.

If you're wondering where do Keira Knightley and Robin Wright fit into the picture, they play the wives of Rob Hall and Beck Weathers respectively. It's basically big names wasted on very little screen-time. And that's my biggest gripe with Everest, it's just a struggle to juggle all these big names and characters in two hours. It felt to me like even Jake Gyllenhaal was sidelined with a rather insignificant role. Don't even get me started on the wives Ultimately, this leads to the audience not being able to connect with any of the characters on an emotional level. At some point, you just left sitting there watching characters move on screen without having much of a movie experience where you feel for the characters, Which is sad because Everest was based on real events with actual people. When you take the emotional factor out of it, it's not that great.

Would have worked perfectly fine if anyone else was cast for this role.

Everest is based on a true story, and in real life, happy endings aren't always possible. People die, and people did die in the actual event in 1996, and people do die in this film. What I do think is beautiful in this film, in a rather morbid sort of way, is how they don't really dwell on any character's death. There isn't a grandiose, cheesy farewell scene at a character's death. Death just happens. And unless you've already read up on the incident, it's really unexpected on who dies. People you expect to survive, don't; people you expect to die, don't either. Kindda like what happens in Game of Thrones, but more muted, less drama.

The film feels very much like any other disaster/survival films out there in the market. It has the same build up, it has it's fair share of inspirational motivation speeches, and there are scenes that are absolutely nail-biting to sit through. Story-wise, Everest doesn't really feel like it's bringing anything new to the table. Most of the time you're left thinking, been there, done that. But it is beautiful, with it's shots of Nepal the Italian Alps that doubles as the actual mountain. Many times I found myself wondering if they actually did go to the top of Mt. Everest to film this movie. So while Everest lacks in its story-line, it makes up with its scenes of the mountain. So they've got that going for them at the very least.

Other trivial musings : I do wonder how they avoided reflections of the crew and cameras whenever I see a pair of reflective goggles on screen.

I don't know about you, but I do think that going up a mountain that greatly increases your chances of dying is a very questionable decision. Even more so when your wife is pregnant.

TL;DR : Your average disaster film that makes you go 'been there, done that', but with an overly large cast. Not bad, but not mind-blowing either. At least it's cinematography is stunning.


I rate it : 6.5/10 stars

Should you watch it? If you're ever thinking of going up Mt. Everest, watch this for a cautionary tale on why you should reconsider your decisions. Don't watch it if you're going in just for Jake Gyllenhaal or Keira Knightley, you'll be sorely disappointed

EVEREST (2015)

Genre : Adventure Disaster Drama

Runtime : 121 minutes

Director : Baltasar Kormakur

Cast : Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Kelly, Keira Knightley

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