Also, this is my 100th blog! Hooray for me! I can't be bothered do a proper celebratory thing, I have other things I want to talk about! Let's get on with it.
5. A Royal Night Out
This was probably the most historically inaccurate film I saw this year! But it more than justified it's inaccuracies with the story that it wanted to tell. A Royal Night Out follows the young princesses Elizabeth and Margaret as they go out to celebrate peace finally coming at the end of WW2. It's a very simple premise, but the film uses this idea to explore not only how the royal family were affected by the war, but also how the British public were affected, and the relationship between the two. It's a good exploration of British wartime mentality, whilst also being a critique on how the war infected every part of British life. And that's saying quite a lot for a film that also acts as a fish out of water comedy for some of Margaret's escapades. It's a fun film, that explores a part of modern history I'm particularly interested in, and while the story may not be even remotely accurate, the emotions that are explored about the end of WW2 certainly are.
4. Mad Max Fury Road
This film was epic! The chase scenes, the fight scenes, the cinematography, the characters! Everything was incredible! It's also so refreshing to see an action film were there are almost an equal amount of male and female roles, and also just to see an action film nominated for Best Picture. The whole internet has also talked about this film pretty much non-stop since this film came out, which is awesome (despite some comments not being that nice). I don't really know what else to add, other than this is just a fun and epic film to watch, and I really hope it wins at the Oscars this year!
3. Spy
I was not impressed when I first saw the trailer for this film, but being a big Miranda Hart fan I went to see it. Maybe it was because I had such low expectations, but this was the funniest film I saw all year. So funny in fact, that I saw it twice! I was so blown away by this film. All the actors were hilarious, and clearly having so much fun. Especially Jason Statham, who was playing up his thug persona, and Rose Byrne, who I've never seen so animated in a film before! Melissa McCarthy and Miranda Hart worked excellently off each other, and I really like that this was also an action film that prominently featured female characters who supported each other throughout the film. It was such a fun film, and my biggest laugh of the year!
2. Carol
This film is so beautiful! Every second of it could be framed and put on your wall. It's so awesome to see a lesbian romance filmed in such a gorgeous way. Of course, it's just nice to see such a mainstream lesbian romance for once. The way the story unfolds is almost flawless, you get swept up immediately in the love affair between Cate Blanchett's and Rooney Mara's characters, and the ending is perfect! We need more films like this. Films that are shot in a beautiful style that harks back to the 50s. Films with characters that break your heart. Films with acting that blow your mind. Films that revolve around romance, but are still intelligent and heart-warming. I saw this film on New Years Eve, and it was the best possible way to bring the new year in!
1. Phoenix
I'm not going to lie. I spent a long time puzzling over what film was going to be number one. But after looking over all of the ones that I'd seen, I realised that it had to be Phoenix. There wasn't another film that managed to homage old Hollywood dramas while also being completely original. No other film managed to have acting that was so naturalistic you didn't even know it was acting. No other film managed to keep me guessing right up until the gut punching ending. It's another film that deals with the immediate aftermath of WW2, but instead set in war torn Berlin. I don't really want to give any information about the plot, since it's better if you go in not knowing what happens, but I will say that it is a film that deals with how people managed to adjust back into some semblance of normal life. It also deals with how concentration camp survivors came back to find that everything they had known was gone. I can't really put into words how good this film was. It builds up slowly and brilliantly to an ending that leaves you reeling and also wanting more. This was the only film of the year where people actually clapped as the end credits started to roll. I hope more people go and see it, including myself again, and I hope they get as much out of it as I did.
I don't really know how to end this. That was 2015 for me in terms of films. Hopefully, when I've stopped being sick, I will be going to see a few more films this year than last year. But we'll see. I think my madcap days of going to see every possible film out have left me at last. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the list and feel free to disagree with me as much as you want. Until next time readers, keep your powder dry!
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