Your Top 15 Films, 2010-2015

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I started this discussion in the "(Older Films)" thread but I think it warrants its own.  I'd love to see others' lists if nothing else just to get some recommendations for things I might not have seen!

 

Let's take stock of the cinema of the first half of this decade.

 

9 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

For giggles, My Favorite Films 2010-2015:

 

1. Moonrise Kingdom

2. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

3. Lincoln

4. Inside Llewyn Davis

5. The Grand Budapest Hotel

6. Nightcrawler

7. Spotlight

8. The Tree of Life

9. Mad Max: Fury Road

10. Before Midnight

11. Brooklyn

12. Django Unchained

13. Edge of Tomorrow

14. Selma

15. The Wolf of Wall Street

 

My taste isn't very avant garde, essentially I'd describe it as "The Interesting Films That Manage to Slip Out of Hollywood."

 

That top 5 especially is etched in stone, I'm fully in love with all 5.

 

 

[A24 4,331]

Top 15 movies?! That's an awful lot in this day and age.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I think I've made my distaste for Birdman, The Revenant, and Inarritu in general, clear elsewhere on this forum and I don't to want belabor the point.

 

I'm happy to see someone else who was as taken with Brooklyn as I was.

 

I still need to see these!

03. Beasts Of The Southern Wild

04. The Hateful Eight

13. Ex Machina

14. Steve Jobs

15. Rush

[Jay 37,352]

01 Blue Ruin
02 Under The Skin
03 Locke
04 Prisoners
05 The Big Short 

06 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Fincher)
07 Edge of Tomorrow
08 Mad Max: Fury Road

09 Wild Tales (Relatos salvajes)
09 The Grand Budapest Hotel
10 Life Of Pi
11 Blue Is The Warmest Color

12 Carol
13 Boyhood
14 Compliance
15 Room
16 We Need To Talk About Kevin
17 Gravity
18 Passion
19 Hell or High Water

20 Nightcrawler

 

Runners Up

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Her

The Wolf Of Wall Street

Spotlight

Force Majeure (Turist)
The Voices
Clear History
The Social Network
Black Swan
Hugo

The Revenant

The Hateful Eight
American Hustle
 

 

I'm probably forgetting some...

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Have you seen Green Room yet, Jay?  If so, did you really think it was that steep a drop-off from Blue Ruin?  I thought it was at least as good, if not better in some ways.

[Jay 37,352]

I saw it and didn't like it.  Huge drop off from the amazing Blue Ruin, much like how Enemy was a huge drop off from Prisoners

 

 

Oh man, I forgot two!  Wild Tales and Carol!  Must update my list...

[Disco Stu 15,495]

2 minutes ago, Jay said:

I saw it and didn't like it.  Huge drop off from the amazing Blue Ruin, much like how Enemy was a huge drop off from Prisoners

 

Interesting, interesting.  I thought it was incredible.

 

Both films are masterclasses in 2 things:

 

1. How to draw out tension till you can barely stand it

2. How to have interesting characters with very little exposition

[Jay 37,352]

I should give it another chance.  Part of my problem might have been that I watched it with my wife, who hated it almost from the beginning.  Maybe that rubbed off on me

 

I still look forward to his next film, and still need to see Murder Party

[mrbellamy 6,278]

01. It's Such a Beautiful Day

02. Room

03. Whiplash

04. Two Days, One Night

05. Mad Max: Fury Road

06. Gravity

07. The Wind Rises

08. Phoenix

09. Stories We Tell

10. Toy Story 3

11. The Social Network

12. The Grand Budapest Hotel

13. The Master

14. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

15. The Skin I Live In

 

Bunch of stuff on your guys' lists would show up if I kept going. My biggest "honorable mention" would be to 56 Up which I left off just because I find those a little hard to classify in best-of-the-decade lists since they're such a cumulative achievement, but that would probably be #1 anyway.

 

Haven't seen anything this year to seriously blow me away yet but I have particularly high hopes for La La Land, Silence, and Manchester by the Sea. Still have a lot to catch up on from earlier in the year too.

[Jay 37,352]

Aw shit I forgot about Gravity!  Well, its only an honorable mention for me anyway, I think...

[Disco Stu 15,495]

@mrbellamy

01. It's Such a Beautiful Day - I have never heard of this!

 

07. The Wind Rises - Definitely an honorable mention for me, amazing achievement

 

[TheUlyssesian 2,478]

1. Amour

2. Melancholia 

3. Uncle Boonmee 

4. The Turin Horse

5. A Separation

6. Inside Llewyn Davis

7. Inherent Vice

8. Margaret 

9. The Assassin

10. Goodbye To Language

11. Toy Story 3

12. Tabu

13. The Tribe

14. Nymphomaniac 

15. Toni Erdmann

[mrbellamy 6,278]

2 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

@mrbellamy

01. It's Such a Beautiful Day - I have never heard of this!

 

 

It's still on Netflix (US), I think. Technically it's sort of a cheat because it's a trilogy of short films that were premiered separately and then linked together as a feature, but Don Hertzfeldt! Pretty easily my favorite working filmmaker. I imagine you may have seen the infamous "Rejected"

 

 

2 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

07. The Wind Rises - Definitely an honorable mention for me, amazing achievement

 

 

I walked out kinda thinking it might be my favorite Miyazaki. But I'm not sure, it's a bold claim. I'd have to see it again and rewatch all his movies  

 

To the retrospective thread, I guess!

[Jay 37,352]

I still need to add my review of that there!

[Disco Stu 15,495]

1 minute ago, mrbellamy said:

I walked out kinda thinking it might be my favorite Miyazaki. But I'm not sure, it's a bold claim. I'd have to see it again and rewatch all his movies  

 

To the retrospective thread, I guess!

 

That sequence right near the end, with Jiro watching the test flight while his wife leaves to die basically just wrenched my heart.  And my god, Hisaishi's score 

[Thor 7,495]

I haven't made a tally of this yet. It would take me ages to go through my memory and lists to make my own. But I've been doing top lists for the last 7 years, so I have that period covered, at least. These are my top picks of each year since 2009:

 

2009: INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (Quentin Tarantino)

2010: THE ROAD (John Hillcoat)

2011: LE QUATTRO VOLTE (Michelangelo Frammartino)

2012: PROMETHEUS (Ridley Scott)

2013: GRAVITY (Alfonso Cuaron)

2014: LUCY (Luc Besson)

2015: EX MACHINA (Alex Garland)

2016: THE REVENANT (Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu) -- barring some miracle film in the last few weeks of the year

 

I'd need to investigate the years 2001-2008 further to find my favourites, but all I can say for certain is that A.I.: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (Steven Spielberg) would be my choice for 2001, and in all likelihood the top of the list if I were to rank them afterwards.

[Jay 37,352]

The Revenant is a 2015 film.

[Thor 7,495]

1 minute ago, Jay said:

The Revenant is a 2015 film.

 

Not in Norway. The films are chosen by Norwegian premiere dates.

[Jay 37,352]

Wouldn't it make more sense to adapt to the standard every other critic on the planet uses instead of your own system based on delays in international distribution?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

This is Thor we are talking about.

[Thor 7,495]

7 minutes ago, Jay said:

Wouldn't it make more sense to adapt to the standard every other critic on the planet uses instead of your own system based on delays in international distribution?

 

No, it makes more sense to do it by the premiere date of whatever country you're in. That's how all newspapers and portals do it here, including the one I work for. It may make less sense in an international forum like this, but that's how we've structured it.

 

Take my no. 2 movie of 2016, for example -- SAUL FIA (SON OF SAUL). It premiered in a handful of places in 2015, but had its major international distribution in 2016 (including Norway). So unless you were especially up-to-date on this film in 2015, and had a rare opportunity to watch it that year, it becomes a 2016 film. Otherwise, it wouldn't be on a lot of international lists!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

See!

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Yeah I will say that most British publications/sites do the same thing.

[mrbellamy 6,278]

For professional critics, obviously it's best to go by their own countries' release dates. But yeah, for making random Internet lists on forums I think it makes sense to just go by when it first played in the movie's country of origin. Otherwise you get funny cases like Army of Shadows  being a 2006 movie. 

 

22 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

And my god, Hisaishi's score 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of his best too! Amazing that he also had The Tale of Princess Kaguya around the same time, another favorite Hisaishi score (and a very good movie). He's still got the magic.

[Thor 7,495]

12 minutes ago, mrbellamy said:

For professional critics, obviously it's best to go by their own countries' release dates. But yeah, for making random Internet lists on forums I think it makes sense to just go by when it first played in the movie's country of origin.

 

There's also a distinction to be made between limited runs/festivals and wide distribution, I think. THE REVENANT is basically a 2016 film everywhere in the world (including the US), except for a very limited US run in December-2015: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1663202/releaseinfo?ref_=tt_ov_inf

[mrbellamy 6,278]

The end of the year always has those kinda bizarre release patterns that create those "holdovers", yeah. But ultimately it's an American movie that's considered 2015 by Americans.

[Thor 7,495]

4 minutes ago, mrbellamy said:

The end of the year always has those kinda bizarre release patterns that create those "holdovers", yeah. But ultimately it's an American movie that's considered 2015 by Americans.

 

The wide US release date is January 8, 2016.

 

But yeah -- the last week of the year is always tricky. A couple of years ago, we had our list deadline a week before New Year's, and between Christmas and New Year's I saw LIFE OF PI, which would have made the list had it come out a bit before.

[Jay 37,352]

Just go by whether it was part of last year's Oscar's, or will be a part of this year's.  For both Son of Saul and The Revenant the answer is last year, so there you go.

[Thor 7,495]

Works for Americans, perhaps, but Oscars isn't really anything I or we use to measure timeframes, especially because a lot of the movies aren't even within Oscar territory.

[mrbellamy 6,278]

17 minutes ago, Thor said:

The wide US release date is January 8, 2016.

 

 

Right, but as Jay said, retrospectively that makes no difference here. Everybody still calls it for 2015.

 

Again, though, I think it's different for a professional critic like yourself. For a reverse example, The Intouchables is a French movie that was a huge box office hit in 2011, but we Yanks didn't see it until 2012. And so American critics would have put it in 2012 for their year-end lists and if it were Oscar-nominated that's where it would have been, which is fine. But broadly speaking I would say it's a 2011 movie.

 

But this whole discussion is pointless and pedantic, anyway.

[Thor 7,495]

No, I agree with your point. As a professional critic, I use the parameters that make the most sense. But if I absolutely had to choose a film that had its 2016 release date in the country of origin, it would be the third on my list, ELLE (Paul Verhoeven). Now that is most definitely a 2016 film whichever way you look at it, because I was there -- at the worldwide gala premiere in Cannes in May!

[Jay 37,352]

So you disagree with Alex, then?

[mrbellamy 6,278]

2 minutes ago, Thor said:

No, I agree with your point. As a professional critic, I use the parameters that make the most sense. But if I absolutely had to choose a film that had its 2016 release date in the country of origin, it would be the third on my list, ELLE (Paul Verhoeven). Now that is most definitely a 2016 film whichever way you look at it, because I was there -- at the worldwide gala premiere in Cannes in May!

 

 

I can't wait to see that!

[Bilbo 3,709]

I agree with Thor!

[Thor 7,495]

14 minutes ago, Jay said:

So you disagree with Alex, then?

 

Ha, ha...most certainly. But it wouldn't be the first time.

 

By the way, I just realized the topic was about the 15 best films from 2010 to 2015, not the best films from the last 15 years. Sorry about the confusion. Then I should be able to make a list.

[mrbellamy 6,278]

2 hours ago, TheUlyssesian said:

8. Margaret 

 

 

The reactions to this movie are so interesting to me haha. I watched it a couple years ago (the full 3 hour version) and I ended up fairly positive on it but still somewhere in between the people who consider it a flat-out masterpiece and the people who think it's one of the most annoying things ever. 

 

I do wish Lonergan would/could make more movies. Just watched You Can Count On Me the other night and loved it and now I've kinda been wanting to give Margaret another go. Probably will, especially if I really love Manchester by the Sea (have you seen it yet?) 

[Alex 2,835]

Damn, I misread 2010 as 2000 and just wasted 10 minutes of my life coming up with a list

[Glóin the Dark 1,220]

Damn, I misread "15" as "60" and accidentally wrote down too many.

 

So, in approximate order of how likely they are to fall into my top 15:

1. The Master
2. Inherent Vice
3. Black Swan
4. Four Lions
5. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
6. Inception
7. Meek's Cutoff
8. Django Unchained
9. Blue Jasmine
10. The Grand Budapest Hotel
11. Whiplash
12. 12 Years a Slave
13. Mesrine (both parts)
14. The Hateful Eight
15. The Revenant
16. Calvary
17. The Disappearance of Alice Creed
18. True Grit
19. A Most Violent Year
20. Ain't them Bodies Saints
21. Winter's Bone
22. Berberian Sound Studio
23. Lincoln
24. Birdman
25. Mr Turner
26. The Ides of March
27. Nightcrawler
28. The Wolf of Wall Street
29. Inside Llewyn Davis
30. Holy Motors
31. The Town
32. Captain Phillips
33. Her
34. The Social Network
35. Hanna
36. Looper
37. Killing them Softly
38. Midnight in Paris
39. Senna
40. Moneyball
41. Shutter Island
42. Interstellar
43. The Guard
44. Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa
45. Source Code
46. Arbitrage
47. Side Effects
48. A Dangerous Method
49. Silver Linings Playbook
50. Foxcatcher
51. Argo
52. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
53. Drive
54. Rise of the Planet of the Apes
55. Gravity
56. Star Trek into Darkness
57. Bobby Fischer against the World
58. The Dark Knight Rises
59. Coherence
60. The King's Speech

 

[Jay 37,352]

I keep wanting to watch Cavalry and never getting to

[Disco Stu 15,495]

2 hours ago, Glóin the Dark said:

 

Star Trek into Darkness

 

 

Really? Wow, interesting, I thought reactions around here ranged from hatred to meh.

[Glóin the Dark 1,220]

Well, I did put it at number 56 on the list!

 

I don't know anything about Star Trek (except that it's apparently better than everything), so I didn't have the sort of reaction against the recent films that a lot of fans did. With Star Trek into Darkness, I was mainly intoxicated by the 3D for the duration...

[Disco Stu 15,495]

11 minutes ago, Glóin the Dark said:

Well, I did put it at number 56 on the list!

 

I don't know anything about Star Trek (except that it's apparently better than everything), so I didn't have the sort of reaction against the recent films that a lot of fans did. With Star Trek into Darkness, I was mainly intoxicated by the 3D for the duration...

 

Its screenplay is hot mess but it definitely is effective eye-candy, that's the one thing Abrams always delivers.

[TheUlyssesian 2,478]

8 hours ago, mrbellamy said:

 

The reactions to this movie are so interesting to me haha. I watched it a couple years ago (the full 3 hour version) and I ended up fairly positive on it but still somewhere in between the people who consider it a flat-out masterpiece and the people who think it's one of the most annoying things ever. 

 

I do wish Lonergan would/could make more movies. Just watched You Can Count On Me the other night and loved it and now I've kinda been wanting to give Margaret another go. Probably will, especially if I really love Manchester by the Sea (have you seen it yet?) 

 

Margaret is a novel on film. I am glad you saw the longer version because that's much better than the theatrical cut. It is a great new york movie, a great coming of age movie and a great movie about a lost soul. The staggering crushing bludgeoning approach of adulthood as your teenage years come to an end is very well portrayed in that film.

 

Manchester by the Sea is a very good too although it is more Hollywood, more by the numbers in a way. It is also a very male story, a story of two men (uncle and nephew) connecting. So it is a valuable perspective from a film-maker who has previously only dabbled in female stories. He brings the same insight and gift with character work here.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,516]

8 hours ago, Jay said:

I keep wanting to watch Cavalry and never getting to

 

Watch it, it's great!

 

Best films I've seen this decade (at my local flea-pit?

CALVARY 

UNDER THE SKIN

TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY

PROMETHEUS

THE HATEFUL 8 (to see it in 70mm is overwhelming!)

TRON LEGACY (boy, do I love that fucking movie!)

NIGHTCRAWLER 

JURASSIC PARK 3D

JAWS

FRANKENSTEIN (1931)

and...

LAWERENCE OF ARABIA (British Beatle mania )

Hey; you never said they had to be new! 

[A24 4,331]

5 minutes ago, Richard said:

 

UNDER THE SKIN

 

PROMETHEUS

 

TRON LEGACY (boy, do I love that fucking movie!)

 

 

 

Now I no longer find it strange that I didn't love Under The Skin.

 

 

Thanks, Richard!

 

 

[Alex 2,835]

1) Django Unchained

2) Sicario

3) La piel que habito

4) Saving Mr Banks

5) The Social Network

6) La cara oculta

7) Spotlight

8) Dallas Buyers Club

9) Still Alice

10) Toy Story 3

11) El Cuerpo

12) The Lego Movie

13) Les Intouchables

14) Me, Earl and the Dying Girl

15) Inside Out

[Naïve Old Fart 9,516]

9 hours ago, Alexcremers said:

 

Now I no longer find it strange that I didn't love Under The Skin.

 

 

Thanks, Richard!

 

 

 

What's wrong with you, boy?

You used to be an intelligent, measured poster.

Did someone steal your crayons?

Milk and cookies kept you awake, huh?

This really is below you. Come on; let's see the old Alex.

Just because I like something that you find strange to like, doesn't mean that my choice is any less valid.

I like all those films. End of.

Anyway, I've thought of three more:

 

NYMPHOMANIAC

ALL IS LOST

THE PHANTOM MENACE 3-D.

 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Alex wasted away his credibility years ago. He's basically a grumpier, humorless version of...me now.

 

I hope he doesn't take himself seriously though, the dear...

[A24 4,331]

1 hour ago, Richard said:

 

 

THE PHANTOM MENACE 3-D.

 

 

Man is known by the films he loves. - Alex Cremers