February 13, 2016
jmunney
Best in Film 2015, Best of 2015, Cinema, Television
Best of 2015, Brooklyn, Creed, Furious 7, Krampus, Mad Max: Fury Road, Room, Sleeping with Other People, The Peanuts Movie, The Visit, Unfriended
I already posted my top 10 list, but wouldn’t you know it, there were plenty of other great movies. Here are three less than a baker’s dozen worth:
11. Mad Max: Fury Road – Charlize barks at the moon, giving us our most iconic image of 2015.
12. Krampus – The tricks are a treat, as is the teamwork among a dysfunctional family.
13. Creed – Adonis unapologetically forges ahead to be true to his identity and establish his family.
14. Sleeping with Other People – The question this time isn’t, “Can men and women be friends without wanting to sleep with each other?” but “Why wouldn’t they if they like each other enough?”
15. The Visit – Right at home on the corner of creepy and hilarious.
16. Brooklyn – Even when Eilis Lacey’s life is hard, there is so much love in her world.
17. Unfriended – The most formally ingenious movie in years, perhaps decades even.
18. The Peanuts Movie – Charlie Brown is preternaturally neurotic; ergo, this one’s a thinker.
19. Room – Tight corners promote empathy.
20. Furious 7 – The first F&F movie in which I actually remembered some of the plot aftewards.
February 1, 2016
jmunney
Cinema, Movie Reviews
Room
An especially telling moment of Room is when Jack (Jacob Tremblay) meets a dog for the first time. The happy ending of this film’s premise – Jack and his Ma (Brie Larson) escape their captor – occurs less than halfway through, which leaves plenty of time for the ending to be not so happy as it could be. And it is and it isn’t. The canine introduction is one of those times when things are going well, but it feels a little foreboding. The dog might not be as friendly or as exciting as advertised (he’s great, don’t worry). These are the risks that come with living in the outside world after years spent locked away in a shed. Really, this is the risk of life itself when moving onto any new stage. Jack’s path to these moments is unusual, and they convey the power of discovery that is not always obvious to someone without a traumatic past. His story can open viewers’ eyes in a way that is both sobering and exhilarating.
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