Tuesday, January 12, 2016

LeapBackBlog 2015 Film Awards

2015 was a fantastic year for film. There were so many good films that many that I really liked could not make the top 25 (and even more wonderful performances did not make the top 25 performances). I have put an “*” next to my personal favorite from each category.


Favorite 25 Films of 2015

Avengers: Age of Ultron, an action adventure drama directed by Joss WhedonTrailer
Beasts of No Nation, a coming of age/war drama directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga – Trailer
The Big Short, a character drama/financial drama/comedy directed by Adam McKay – Trailer
Blackhat, a thriller directed by Michael Mann – Trailer
Bridge of Spies, a spy drama directed by Steven Spielberg – Trailer
Brooklyn, a romance drama directed by John Crowely – Trailer
Carol, a romance drama directed by Todd Haynes – Trailer
Creed, a sports drama directed by Ryan Coogler – Trailer
The End of Tour, a character drama directed by James Ponsoldt – Trailer
Ex Machina, a sci-fi drama directed by Alex Garland – Trailer
The Hateful Eight, a western directed by Quentin Tarantino – Trailer
Inside Out, a coming of age comedy directed by Pete Docter – Trailer
Joy, a character drama/bio-pic directed by David O. Russell – Trailer
Macbeth, a period drama directed by Justin Kurzel – Trailer
Mad Max: Fury Road, an action adventure drama by George Miller – Trailer
The Martian, a sci-fi drama directed by Ridley ScottTrailer
The Revenant, a western thriller directed by Alejandro G. Inarritu – Trailer
Room, a character drama directed by Lenny Abrahamson – Trailer
Sicario, a crime drama directed by Denis Villeneuve – Trailer*
Spectre, a spy action adventure directed by Sam Mendes – Trailer
Spotlight, a drama directed by Tom McCarthy – Trailer
Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a sci-fi fantasy adventure directed by J.J. Abrams – Trailer
Steve Jobs, a character drama directed by Danny BoyleTrailer
Tomorrowland, a sci-fi fantasy adventure drama directed by Brad Bird – Trailer
Trainwreck, a romantic comedy directed by Judd Apatow – Trailer


Favorite 25 Performances of 2015

Christian Bale, a leading performance in The Big Short
Cate Blanchett, a leading performance in Carol
Emily Blunt, a leading performance in Sicario
Marion Cotillard, a leading performance in Macbeth
Matt Damon, a leading performance in The Martian
Paul Dano, a leading performance in Love & Mercy
Leonardo DiCaprio, a leading performance in The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, a leading performance in Macbeth*
Michael Fassbender, a leading performance in Steve Jobs
Tom Hanks, a leading performance in Bride of Spies
Tom Hardy, a supporting performance in The Revenant
Samuel L. Jackson, a leading performance in The Hateful Eight
Brie Larson, a leading performance in Room
Jennifer Lawrence, a leading performance in Joy
Jennifer Jason Leigh, a supporting performance in The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara, a leading performance in Carol*
Eddie Redmayne, a leading performance in The Danish Girl
Daisy Ridley, a leading performance in Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Saoirse Ronan, a leading performance in Brooklyn
Jason Segel, a leading performance in The End of the Tour
Sylvester Stallone, a supporting performance in Creed
Kristen Stewart, a supporting performance in Clouds of Sils Maria
Alicia Vikander, a leading performance in Ex Machina
Alicia Vikander, a leading performance in The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet, a supporting performance in Steve Jobs


Favorite 25 Artistic, Technical & Aesthetic Achievements

Adam Arkapaw, cinematography for Macbeth
Carter Burwell, composer for Carol
Roger Deakins, cinematography for Sicario
Jack Fisk, production design for The Revenant
Cary Joji Fukunaga, cinematography for Beasts of No Nation
Dennis Gassner, production design for Spectre
Colin Gibson, production design for Mad Max: Fury Road*
Todd Haynes, directing for Carol
Hoyte Van Hoytema, cinematography for Spectre
Alejandro G. Inarritu, directing for The Revenant
Johan Johannsson, composer for Sicario*
Jed Kurzel, composer for Macbeth
Edward Lachman, cinematography for Carol
Emmanuel Lubezki, cinematography for The Revenant*
Arthur Max, production design for The Martian
George Miller, directing for Mad Max: Fury Road
Ennio Morricone, composer for The Hateful Eight
Thomas Newman, composer for Spectre
John Seale, cinematography for Mad Max: Fury Road
Francois Seguin, production design for Brooklyn
Steven Spielberg, directing for Bridge of Spies
Quentin Tarantino, directing for The Hateful Eight
Yohei Taneda, production design for The Hateful Eight
Denis Villeneuve, directing for Sicario*
John Williams, composer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens


A Few More Fun, Entertaining and Interesting Smaller Films You Might Have Missed from 2015

’71, a thriller directed by Yann Demange – Trailer
Clouds of Sils Maria, a character drama directed by Olivier Assayas – Trailer
The Danish Girl, a period character drama directed by Tom Hooper – Trailer
Dope, a comedy directed by Rick Famuyiwa – Trailer
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, a documentary directed by Alex Gibney – Trailer
It Follows, a horror thriller directed by David Robert Mitchell – Trailer
Love & Mercy, a character drama directed by Bill Pohlad – Trailer
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, a dramedy directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon – Trailer
Slow West, a western directed by John Maclean – Trailer
What We Do in the Shadows, a horror comedy directed by Jemaine Clement & Taika Waititi – Trailer


Good Films I Have Yet to See (that probably would have factored into the above lists)

99 Homes, a drama directed by Ramin Bahrani
The Hunting Ground, a documentary directed by Kirby Dick
Son of Saul, a period war drama directed by Laszlo Nemes
Suffragette, a period drama directed by Sarah Gavron