I wanted to kick off this blog in a way that would give an insight into what I appreciate and why. Sure, you can read my “about me” and learn that I’m a mathematician who loves films, believes in criticism, and doesn’t think much of rom-coms. But that doesn’t tell you much about the sort of film I enjoy. I considered writing a ton of reviews of films I saw in 2015, but I decided on something more streamlined.
Below I give four brief reviews of films of 2015. Two of which are positive, and two are negative. For each of the positive and negative reviews, there will be one that was generally received by other critics as positive, and one generally received as negative. Like this:
I figured this would be a good way of getting to know me, as it shows I don’t always agree with consensus and goes into detail about why I liked or didn’t like certain films. In each category I also give some runners up – some films that also fit the bill but not quite as strongly. So, let’s start with a celebration – one that I loved and was critically acclaimed.
- Mad Max: Fury Road
Runners up: The Gift, Bridge of Spies
Mad Max: Fury Road roared onto screens just before summer and blew us all away. As an action film it climbed my personal ratings and has become one of my favourites of all time, boasting incredible stunt work and practical effects, great performances from Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, and a beautifully simple, energetic story that lends itself to action filmmaking.
But under the hood is a surprisingly layered film packed with fascinating subtext. The feminist message is immediately apparent but one must only look a little deeper to uncover themes of war and pacifism, hope and survival, and religion. No other film I saw last year told its story with such efficiency, choosing to tell it visually and never letting exposition put brakes on the wild ride.
This film really is a game-changer, because it’s the first time in many years that action filmmaking is being taken seriously. They are not all the same, and it even makes an argument for the good that can come out of remakes and reboots – how else would such an outrageous film like this get funded? To accomplish everything it does in a tension-filled story told at breakneck pace from the moment the studio logos churn their way onscreen is definitely something to be celebrated.
Now let steer this post in another direction before I make any more car puns. I’m sure you’re getting tyred of them. Sorry. Moving on:
- The Martian
Runners up: Mockingjay Part 2, The Avengers: Age of Ultron
I chose The Martian because people seemed to really love this film. I didn’t hate it, but as a lover of all things science people expected me to adore it. Let’s start with what I did like.
I thought that Matt Damon gave a solid performance and I very much liked the tone of the film. It was a pleasant departure from the dark, gloomy atmospheres that usually dominate these sorts of films. There’s no whining about how he misses his wife and kids, no self-doubt, and no clichéd “insanity as a result of loneliness”. It was nice to see a film about getting the job done.
But that was partly my issue. The film has been dubbed a celebration of mankind’s ability to solve problems. That’s a great and worthy notion to celebrate, but really, I didn’t see it in the film. It actually has some of the worst plotting I’ve ever seen, where every problem gets solved by coincidence, convenience, or some previously unmentioned plot device.
Seriously, think about it. He can’t explore Mars because it’s too cold. It’s okay though because he has a buried block of radioactive material to keep him warm. His communication system is broken. It’s okay though because there’s a previously unmentioned probe a few miles away with a working camera. We don’t have the resources to save him, but it’s okay because the Chinese characters we’ve literally just introduced will help. The rocket will no longer get there in time, but it’s okay because this nerd we’ve literally just introduced will solve the problem then explain a slingshot manoeuvre to the head of NASA—I mean, the audience. But oh no! The ship can’t land on Mars to pick him up! It’s okay though because there’s another rocket left from another mission that he can use to fly into space. They should have called it Deus Ex Martian!
The scenes on Mars looked great, and it was nice to see a character use his ingenuity to provide himself with food, water, and enough stimulation to stop him from going mad. As a mathematician I of course enjoyed that hexadecimal communication part.
Even with a light-hearted tone, a film needs tension, and I didn’t find any in The Martian because the amount of problems solved with previously unmentioned plot devices became ridiculous and I could no longer feel like there was any threat at all.
But enough hate – what about a film that I enjoyed that didn’t perform too well with other critics?
- Joy
Runners up: Southpaw, Tomorrowland
Joy is a bit of a sketchy choice since it has received a Golden Globe nomination, but it definitely didn’t earn the praise that I felt it deserved as one of my favourite films of the year.
I have actually made a full review of this film but to be brief here, I loved this film. It was one of the few films that filled me with warmth. It did a superb job of presenting a character we could latch onto and journey with through all of her ups and downs, feeling everything she felt and celebrating each of her successes.
It also succeeded in creating a world peppered with David O’Russell’s magic, feeling real enough for us to care so deeply about the main character while also instilling enough quirkiness that it never felt bleak or too grounded to enjoy.
Most of the criticisms I’ve read about this film are things that I actually think work in the film’s favour, but to see why, read my full review!
Finally let’s join in slamming a film that we can all agree deserved the critical and box office shitstorm it received. It’s number four on my list, but it’s by no means fantastic:
- Fantastic Four
Runners Up: The Face of an Angel, Knock Knock
Despite what people may think, I’m reluctant to say outright that a film is terrible. There are many films I hate, but a lot of the time I can concede that they have at least some praiseworthy qualities. I like to view a film as a whole, pulling it apart and judging its different aspects. With that in mind, I still feel comfortable saying outright that Fantastic Four is terrible.
We live in a time when even the most formulaic superhero films are given heaps of praise. All Fox needed to do was release something safe enough for audiences to put their faith in the franchise once more. What they made was a total disaster. Even its potentially redeemable qualities like its great cast were totally squandered on a plot that made no sense, cringe-worthy dialogue, and humour that didn’t land. We’ve seen great work from Kate Mara in House of Cards, and a hugely intense performance from Miles Teller in my personal favourite film of 2014, Whiplash. This talent was wasted.
It’s an origin story that isn’t even difficult to tell. The main issue was that it got so bogged down in exposition and need to set up its next instalments that it forgot to deliver a film that was exciting – or even, respectable – in its own right. What will the Mad Max: Fury Road sequel be about? We don’t know, and we don’t care, but we’ll watch it because Fury Road was awesome.
The film didn’t even look good. The alternate dimension where the four get their powers looked worse than a Star Wars prequel backdrop. Then there’s that horrid moment when Mr Fantastic stretches his face to look like a different person and it felt like we’d momentarily slipped into a scene so cartoony you’d swear you were watching Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Where did that money go?!
To top it all off we were given a villain so weak and disposable that it couldn’t have even existed in the MCU. Talk about squandering the cast, I really like Toby Kebbell, and I don’t blame him for how the villain turned out. He looked and sounded awful, had no motivation, possessed powers that were unexplained and seemingly arbitrary – one minute he could destroy whole rooms of people just by thinking, the next he couldn’t use them to block a punch from a man with long arms. If that sounds ridiculous, it’s because it was.
I hated Fantastic Four, and it was possibly the worst film I saw all year.
I’m really excited to post weekly reviews all throughout 2016 while also hopefully taking the time to give you some of my opinions and thoughts on filmmaking in general. I hope this post gives you some insight into what I like, and that you’re looking forward to seeing my blog grow!
Magoo's Reviews 