BUT there have been some absolutely incredible original films this year. I've included a big list of honorable mentions. These movies didn't make it onto the top ten but are still must sees in my opinion:
Honorable Mention
Amy by Asif Kapadia
The Assassin by Hou Hsiao-Hsien
Brooklyn by John Crowley
The Assassin by Hou Hsiao-Hsien
Brooklyn by John Crowley
Diary Of A Teenage Girl by Marielle Heller
The Duke of Burgundy by Peter Strickland
The Duke of Burgundy by Peter Strickland
Ex Machina by Alex Garland
What We Do In The Shadows by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi
What We Do In The Shadows by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi
The Wolfpack by Crystal Moselle
Ok now onto the heavy hitters. I missed a lot of films this year, especially those that came out in the last two weeks but these were my favorites nonetheless:
*NO SPOILERS*
#10: Carol
Todd Haynes has always valued quality over quantity. Carol, his first film in 8 years, is the year’s most heartfelt romance. After a chance encounter, Therese, a young woman new to her desires, and the bourgeoise Carol Aird embark on a fleeting affair. Carol depicts New York in the 1950s—still conservative despite its modernity. This is certainly a male dominated world; Therese and Carol's only escape is each other.
Ed Lachman's stunning 16mm photography transports you to 50s New York with its soft pastel colors and rich grainy texture. It really captures the tenderness of Therese and Carol's romance as well as the melancholy of its forbidden nature. Also Carol gets two damn good performances from its leading ladies, Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara.
#9: Horse Money
This film actually came out in 2014. However, it was only released in North America this year. I’m talking about Portuguese director Pedro Costa’s Horse Money, a dream, a painting––it seems to be everything but a film. By that I mean there’s basically no plot. Horse Money is about a Cape Veridian immigrant named Ventura who revisits his traumatic past within a hospital in Lisbon. The gorgeous cinematography more than makes up for the lack of plot. Costa shows us a vivid but minimal world, often giving his shots a few brush strokes of light, letting the rest of the frame fade into blackness.
I can't lie. This film is slow and challenging. If you're looking for entertainment, probably skip this movie. BUT if you want to watch something strange and cerebral Horse Money is a good bet.
#8: Taxi
No, I'm not talking about the 2004 comedy starring Queen Latifah and Jimmy Fallon. The shortest film on my list, clocking in at 82 minutes, is Jafar Panahi's Taxi (aka Taxi Tehran), toeing the line between documentary and fiction. The whole film is confined to the taxi, mirroring Panahi's own isolation in Iran and his ban from filmmaking. Yet even in these claustrophobic conditions, Panahi seems to find humanity. He picks up two old women carrying a goldfish bowl, a DVD bootlegger who sold Panahi his first film years ago. Maybe the most poignant scene is when Panahi picks up his niece who is making a film of her own. Taxi is subtle but powerful weapon against artistic censorship.
#7: It Follows
The stigma of teen sex is a ubiquitous trope in horror films. But I've never seen it used better than in It Follows, David Robert Mitchell's sophomore effort. After a sexual encounter, 19 year old Jay becomes plagued by a shapeshifting presence only visible to her, a sort of carnal spirit that will follow her until she passes it on (Side Note: Maika Monroe who plays Jay has the coolest voice!).
It Follows is not the kind of movie that makes you jump. It slowly crawls under your skin and into your psyche. The anonymity of the monster is its most terrifying quality; it could be anyone, even Jay's loved ones. Empty spaces become menacing, random extras in the background become suspect. The day after I saw this movie, I found myself staring out the window or down the street for way too long.
#6: Phoenix
Christian Petzold's Phoenix chronicles the rebirth of Jewish nightclub singer Nelly after surviving a WWII concentration camp. In need of facial reconstruction, she has the opportunity to forge a new identity for herself. But she asks the doctors for her old face, yearning for her past life before the horrors of the Holocaust. Phoenix is a haunting journey of resurrection. Nelly tries to reinvent herself only to find that the past is something best left behind. Thematically dense, narratively compelling and one of the best endings in recent memory.
#5: Tangerine
On Christmas Eve, Sin-Dee is out of jail and on a rampage after discovering that her pimp cheated on her (What a logline!). Sean Baker delivers an indie marvel with Tangerine, a film that WAY more people should be talking about. Tangerine is a highly saturated, adrenaline pumping romp through a side of Los Angeles that has received very little representation—the world of pimps and prostitutes, specifically the transgender and gender fluid. These characters are actually portrayed by trans actors Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and May Taylor unlike some recent films (cough*Jared Leto*cough).
If I haven't sold you yet, the film was shot on an IPhone 5. Yes, the entire film. But you would never guess because its so gosh darn beautiful. The cell phone aesthetic reflects the candidness of the film. The big confrontation at the end plays out like a World Star Hip Hop video. Highly recommend. Best Christmas Movie of the year!
I wrote a little piece on this movie when it came out. I don't have much more to say except it was the most fun I had at the movies this year. Mad Max: Fury Road marks George Miller's triumphant return to cinema. Not only was it visually stunning and engaging throughout, but an action movie with interesting female characters????? Crazy! I don't think its a perfect feminist film but its a huge step in the right direction. Furiosa is a fantastic character and the film is basically about her liberation of the brides. Anyway, Mad Max showed us that we can have our cake and eat it too—a high octane action flick that's intelligent and artful.
The highly anticipated follow-up to Act of Killing, The Look of Silence finally came this year and I was not disappointed. It's so high up on my list, not just because it's a brilliant film, but because it's politically and culturally important. Director Joshua Oppenheimer gives us another documentary on Indonesia—where murderers remain in power—this time from the perspective of the victims. Although Look is more subtle than Act of Killing, it may be even harder to watch. Oppenheimer documents Adi, who discovers the gruesome details of his brother's death and confronts the perpetrators. A tale of immense horror and courage. Inhumanity on a national scale. Crazy stuff.
#4: Mad Max: Fury Road
I wrote a little piece on this movie when it came out. I don't have much more to say except it was the most fun I had at the movies this year. Mad Max: Fury Road marks George Miller's triumphant return to cinema. Not only was it visually stunning and engaging throughout, but an action movie with interesting female characters????? Crazy! I don't think its a perfect feminist film but its a huge step in the right direction. Furiosa is a fantastic character and the film is basically about her liberation of the brides. Anyway, Mad Max showed us that we can have our cake and eat it too—a high octane action flick that's intelligent and artful.
#3: The Look of Silence
The highly anticipated follow-up to Act of Killing, The Look of Silence finally came this year and I was not disappointed. It's so high up on my list, not just because it's a brilliant film, but because it's politically and culturally important. Director Joshua Oppenheimer gives us another documentary on Indonesia—where murderers remain in power—this time from the perspective of the victims. Although Look is more subtle than Act of Killing, it may be even harder to watch. Oppenheimer documents Adi, who discovers the gruesome details of his brother's death and confronts the perpetrators. A tale of immense horror and courage. Inhumanity on a national scale. Crazy stuff.
#2: Girlhood
Last year, Boyhood was at the top of my list. This year Girlhood by Celine Sciamma is pretty close. Marieme, a young woman with a turbulent home life who lives in a male dominated Parisian neighborhood, joins a new clique of girls. Man, this movie really took me by surprise. It's so real, so honest in its depiction of youth: the pain of love, the duty of family, the trials of friendship, the oft misguided pursuit of happiness. There is a scene in Girlhood where Marieme and her friends dance to Diamonds by Rihanna. It's glorious. Girlhood is living magic.
#1: Inside Out
Every once in a while I see a film that makes me really optimistic. Inside Out did this on so many levels. Pete Doctor, the man responsible for Up and Monsters Inc., has topped himself. First of all its freaking delightful. We travel inside the mind of Riley, who's usual sunny disposition changes when her life is uprooted. Inside Out is a purely original and fluid story. A great cast of characters, especially Joy and Sadness. THERES ALSO A BIG PINK ELEPHANT NAMED BING BONG.
Secondly, Inside Out is a really mature children's movie, even for Pixar's standards. It delivers an incredibly complex representation of our emotions. We all have times when it feels like Joy or Sadness or Anger is controlling us. It's a film about growing up, about re-evaluating your memories based on life experience. I hope children's movies stay this nuanced. It astounds me how many 1 star IMDB user reviews this movie has. People are stupid. Inside Out RULES.
THANKS FOR READING Y'ALL
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Secondly, Inside Out is a really mature children's movie, even for Pixar's standards. It delivers an incredibly complex representation of our emotions. We all have times when it feels like Joy or Sadness or Anger is controlling us. It's a film about growing up, about re-evaluating your memories based on life experience. I hope children's movies stay this nuanced. It astounds me how many 1 star IMDB user reviews this movie has. People are stupid. Inside Out RULES.
THANKS FOR READING Y'ALL
HAPPY NEW YEAR
