Top 5 Movies of 2015….So Far

We’re just over halfway through 2015 and, at the risk of counting chickens before they hatch, it’s shaping up to be a very strong year for movies. I include the qualifier because the halfway point is still ridiculously early. The first few months of the year serve as the studios’ dumping ground, a place to quietly dispose of their over-budgeted disasters while audiences are catching up on award season prestige flicks. And even though the summer seems to start earlier and earlier every year, there’s still an abundance of blockbusters ready to be shoved down our already congested throats. It’s almost August and we still have an Oscar-bait Adam Sandler masterpiece, another Sherlock Holmes adaptation, that Amy Schumer comedy with LeBron in it for some reason, the Vacation reboot that nobody asked for, a fifth Mission: Impossible movie, and two, count ‘em, TWO superhero reboots for the nerds to complain about. All of which will have come and gone before the word “Oscar” is even mentioned this fall. So there’s no point in calling the match before we play the back nine. My end-of-the-year top ten list will mostly consist of movies I haven’t seen yet, so only then will I be able to pass judgement on the state of cinema in 2015. But in the meantime, there’s a number of films (five, to be exact) that I’ve enjoyed this year and are worthy of recognition. Keep in mind that the list is only limited to things I’ve seen, so don’t be surprised by the absence of critical darlings like Me and Earl and the Dying Girl or Dope. When you do three podcasts a week, you’re bound to slack in a few other areas of life, moviegoing being one of them. I’ll make up for it by December. Until then, here’s five movies I recommend checking out from the first half of 2015.

5. Danny Collins

When I first saw the trailer for the Al Pacino-led dramedy about an aging rock star searching for personal and artistic redemption, I expected the worst. Everything about it just looked so dull, so predictable, so unbearably saccharine that I almost wrote it off entirely. And as it turned out, many of my concerns were accurate. Dan Fogelman’s direction is painfully unremarkable, the story doubles down on every father-son plot point you’ve ever seen, and the tone is so schmaltzy it makes Pretty Woman look like Goodfellas. But somehow, it all just works. I was wrapped up in the cheesiness, every sentimental, heavy-handed minute of it. The script is undeniably charming, conveying a sweet story without shying away from some heavy subject matter. The supporting cast, which includes Annette Bening, Bobby Cannavale and Christopher Plummer, is also nothing short of excellent. But what’s most surprising, as strange as it may sound, is how great Pacino is. I don’t think I’m the only one who views post-Y2K Pacino with a healthy amount of cynicism. With a resume that includes Jack and Jill and Stand Up Guys, it’s hard not to lose faith in the man that once played Michael Corleone. As of late, most film snobs viewed him as a bit of a has-been, constantly rehashing his vigorous performance style to the point of parody. Frankly, us skeptics needed to be reminded of who we were dealing with. Pacino brings an exuberance to the titular character that only he can, showcasing the greatest aspects of his iconic over-acting (and I use that term in the best possible way). The energy that made him so magnanimous in Scent of a Woman, Glengarry Glen Ross and the Insider is once again utilized to its full potential, elevating an otherwise average movie into a heart-felt, engaging experience. Don’t be fooled like I was. Danny Collins is a nice little gem and a step in the right direction for one of our all-time great actors.

4. Kingsman: The Secret Service

Man, do I love Kingsman! From top to bottom, Matthew Vaughn’s homage to the spy genre is just so much fun. It’s the type of movie every twelve-year-old boy dreams of: over-the-top violence, filthy humor and just all around badassery. Yet all of this immature nonsense is crafted with the talent and artistry of a filmmaker that knows exactly what he’s doing. Vaughn, the man behind Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class, cements his place as one of the best and most aesthetically unique action directors working today, orchestrating a number of massive setpieces that are among the best sequences this year (Look no further than the church scene midway through the movie). The leads also bring their A-games, from newcomer Taron Egerton to the surprisingly good Colin Firth to the unsurprisingly crazy Samuel L. Jackson. Each of them brings just the right amount of wit and charisma to give the script the levity it needs. And perhaps most importantly, Kingsman is not a parody, it’s a true homage. Vaughn does not set out to poke fun at the spy genre, but rather celebrate it with a modern twist. It’s not hokey, it’s not tounge-in-cheek, it’s just really solid entertainment. The easiest comparison to make is to a Quentin Tarantino movie. And when you think about it, the similarities between Vaughn and Hollywood’s favorite postmodernist are uncanny: the self-awareness, the snappy dialogue, the blood fetish, the love of old cinema, the casting of Samuel L. Jackson. The two are practically the same guy. Or more accurately, Vaughn can do a mean Tarantino impression. Some may call that cheap imitation. My boyish glee thinks otherwise.

3. Ex Machina

Science fiction has never been more hit-or-miss. The genre can produce creatively ambitious projects, like last year’s criminally underrated Edge of Tomorrow. It can also produce Chappie. Therefore, like with Danny Collins, the trailers for Ex Machina left me skeptical. Boy, was I wrong! The story follows a young programmer, played by Domhnall Gleeson, who gets selected to spend a week with the brilliant, reclusive CEO of his company, played by Oscar Issac. Think Mark Zuckerberg with even more booze and even less friends. Turns out Issac’s character has created what he believes to be artificial intelligence, and he’s called on Gleeson to test his creation. Shockingly, this fool-proof plan goes array and chaos ensues. You’ve seen this story before: mad scientist creates sentient robot because it’s the next step in evolution, sentient robot becomes evil sentient robot and starts taking care of business, skeptical protagonist must stop evil sentient robot…yada, yada, yada…Steve Jobs is the antichrist. It’s a familiar format that’s paved the way for a number of spectacular flops. Ex Machina, on the other hand, feels different. For one, it’s a beautiful looking movie. Director Alex Garland shoots Isaac’s bachelor pad from hell with the Alien-esque moodiness that every great sci-fi thriller needs. There’s a creepy ambiance that persists even in the film’s most lighthearted or funny moments. All that being said, the movie is nothing without it’s exceptional lead performances. Gleeson and Issac, future Disney puppets and stars of the next twelve Star Wars movies, are two of the most compelling up-and-comers working today, and their chemistry in Ex Machina is undeniable. I was able to forgive the deliberate (dare I say, slow) pacing because I couldn’t take my eyes off of the characters. Bottom line, I cared about the people and not the plot. And that’s hard to say about science fiction in 2015.

2. Mad Max: Fury Road

George Miller waited 36 to years to make Mad Max: Fury Road. There’s glimpses of it in the original Mad Max, the 1979 Australian cult classic starring Mel Gibson. The movie was made with a smaller budget than most YouTube videos, and Miller uses every penny. The guy has an eye for action, he’s just never had the pallet to fully showcase his visual talents. That is, until now. Three sequels and almost four decades later, armed with a considerable budget and the capabilities of modern special effects, Miller made his masterpiece. There’s so much to love here. Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron make a great on-screen duo, with the latter stealing the show. Despite a bit of heavy-handedness, the script’s feminist overtones make for a surprising irony. (One would never expect such a “masculine” movie to be so pro-women.) But the real MVP is Miller, who directs his vision with an astounding amount of energy and child-like enthusiasm. He turns a two-hour car chase into a full-on assault on the senses, leaving the audience with an unforgettable experience. The cinematography was gorgeous, the stunt choreography was jarring. It’s a cliche, but I’ve never seen anything like it. It would have been easy to put the movie on autopilot, to just go through the motions in order to cash a check. Spielberg did it with Indiana Jones, Lucas did it with Star Wars, no one would have judged Miller for doing the same. Instead, he brought the franchise he created roaring back to life. Expect to see it on another list this December. Fury Road is as good, if not better, than any blockbuster I’ve ever seen.

1. Inside Out

I think what I love most about Inside Out, the newest addition to Pixar’s unparalleled catalog, is that it’s not a kid’s movie. Sure, it’s animated. Sure, it follows the emotional state of a little girl. But the subject matter and the thematic elements associated with it are far beyond the comprehension of any child. I saw the movie on a Saturday night with three idiot friends, and we were the only non-parents in the theater who’d reached puberty. I’m sure the other children were expecting little yellow clones to come on the screen and make fart noises. Instead what they got was a surprisingly bleak, two-hour existential metaphor for the complex process of grief. The jokes were falling flat, the concepts were going over their heads, and I was loving every second of it. The premise is a brilliant twist on the Pixar model, a way of turning an otherwise generic coming-of-age story into a compelling adventure. Instead of asking “What if toys had feelings?” or “What if fish had feelings?,” it asks “What if feelings had feelings?” And the execution of this (forgive the pun) heady concept doesn’t drop the ball. The deep bench of voice actors, led by the phenomenal Amy Poehler, brings the world of Riley’s mind to life. The movie’s message, as inaccessible to children as it may be, will leave a mark on even the most callous moviegoer. And perhaps most significantly, Inside Out brings back the Pixar magic. It’s the magic that made you laugh during Finding Nemo, that made you cry at the end of Toy Story 3. It’s the beautiful balance of wit, authenticity and heart that can’t be found anywhere else in cinema. Pixar may just be the greatest film studio of all time, and in 2015 they made another classic.

Have any thoughts? Do you think Jurassic World was robbed? Are you upset at the list’s lack of Vin Diesel? Feel free to leave a comment. And keep checking in to the Nico Empire for more of my obnoxious opinions.