Spotlight

SPOTLIGHT
2015 | Dir. Tom McCarthy | 129 Minutes

"If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to abuse one."

In 2001, under the direction of new editor Marty Baron, the Boston Globe's Spotlight investigative reporting team follows up on a child abuse case involving local clergy. The investigation quickly unravels well-organized and far-reaching workings perpetrated by leadership within the Catholic Church to allow, and subsequently cover up, thousands upon thousands of child sex abuse crimes committed by priests primarily targeting children from underprivileged neighborhoods and broken homes.

Spotlight is a sobering dramatization of the real life heroic investigative journalism by Boston Globe reporters that blew the lid off of one of the most shameful global conspiracies hidden in plain sight. Between the church's refusal to cooperate, the reluctant testimony of damaged abuse survivors, and a considerable amount of legal red tape, the Spotlight Team goes to great lengths to uncover the truth behind the labyrinthine scandal. While the reporters are first and foremost presented as courageous heroes, the film doesn't shy away from displaying their fallibility, placing a fair amount of emphasis on the consequences of prolonged inaction, revealing late in the picture that the Boston Globe had received reports of sexual abuse incidents for years but had done nothing about it. The film also calls into question the strategic timing of how and when the press releases information.

Michael Keaton plays Walter Robinson, the leader of the Spotlight Team, bringing a fair amount of humor and dignity to the role. Mark Ruffalo does what he does best as mild-mannered writer Michael Rezendes, a dedicated worker becoming gradually more enraged as the team delves deeper into the investigation. Rounding out the Spotlight Team are Rachel McAdams as Sacha Pfeiffer, a Midwestern transplant with a churchgoing Bostonian grandmother, and Brian d'Arcy James as Matt Carroll, who turns out to live literally down the street from a group of alleged child-abusing clergymen. In minor but notable roles are Liev Schreiber as Marty Baron, and John Slattery as Editor Ben Bradlee Jr., with Billy Crudup turning up the smarm as smug attorney Eric MacLeish, and Stanley Tucci nearly stealing the film outspoken lawyer Mitchell Garabedian. In an uncredited performance, character actor Richard Jenkins lends his voice as Richard Sipe, a sociologist and former priest who wrote about sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, a valuable resource for the Spotlight Team.

Spotlight is an exemplary film, honest in its portrayal of a deeply troubling issue, and compelling in nearly every minute of its running time. With a fantastic ensemble cast working with a rock solid screenplay that was once on the 2013 Blacklist*, it is one of the best pictures of 2015.

*The Black List is an annual survey of the most-liked Hollywood movie scripts not yet produced. 


FRAGMENTS
- The credits and title cards throughout the film are in Miller typeface, the same typeface used by the Boston Globe for headlines and copy


MCU CONNECTIONS
- John Slattery (Howard Stark in Iron Man 2, Ant-Man, Captain America: Civil War, and Avengers: Endgame)

- Stanley Tucci (Abraham Erskine in Captain America: The First Avenger)

- Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner in The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)

- Rachel McAdams (Christine Palmer in Doctor Strange and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)

- Michael Keaton (Adrian Toomes in Spider-Man: Homecoming)

Room

ROOM 
2015 | Dir. Lenny Abrahamson | 117 Minutes

"Can my strong be her strong too?"

 
A boy named Jack turns five and his entire universe is in a space he and his mother call "Room." Jack's mother decides that Jack is old enough to know that truth of their situation, that she was abducted by the man they refer to as "Old Nick" and locked in Room before Jack was born. She plots their escape so that Jack may set foot in the world outside Room.

Lenny Abrahamson's Room is a gem of a film that is both harrowing and incredibly touching. Adapted for the screen by Emma Donoghue from her novel, the narrative unfolds from Jack's innocent perspective and up to a certain point, only Jack's mother and the audience are clued in on the true horror of the profoundly awful situation. The film shifts gears and, albeit in a different mode, continues to be compelling at the halfway point after a tense and exciting escape sequence, focusing on Jack's mother struggle to re-enter the outside world while Jack learns to interact with other people for the first time. Abrahamson's direction is commendable, as Room is expertly paced and, at times, visually uplifting.

The film is driven by excellent performances from Brie Larson as Jack's mother, Joy, and child actor Jacob Tremblay as Jack. Larson provides phenomenal range, displaying a captivating combination of deep strength and vulnerability. Tremblay is a brilliant and adorable young performer, capably carrying the narrative. Sean Bridgers is appropriately despicable as Old Nick. Bringing warmth to the second half of the film, Joan Allen and Tom McCamus appear in the second half of the film as Jack's grandmother and her husband Leo. Acclaimed actor William H. Macy has a small part as Jack's distant, unaccepting grandfather.

Room is an exploration of the perseverance of real love and the boundless potential of a young mind that must never be confined. While the film may be centered on a heinous crime, it effectively demonstrates how the human spirit may endure.


MCU CONNECTIONS
- Brie Larson (Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and The Marvels)

The Revenant

THE REVENANT
2015 | Dir. Alejandro G. Iñárritu | 156 Minutes

"I ain't afraid to die anymore. I'd done it already."

In 1823, while on the run from hostile natives, fur trapping expedition navigator Hugh Glass is mauled by a grizzly bear. Believing Glass to be on the brink of death, Glass' half-native son Hawk, and trappers John Fitzgerald and Jim Bridger volunteer to stay behind to tend to Glass. Harboring a grudge against Hawk and Glass, Fitzgerald murders Hawk and tricks Bridger into leaving Glass for dead. Miraculously, Glass survives and crawls across the wilderness to seek vengeance. Meanwhile, the native tribe search for their chief’s missing daughter, believed to be captured by white men.

The Revenant is visually stunning and unflinchingly treacherous. Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu's deliberate exclusive use of natural light accentuates the beauty and the brutality of the wilderness. The film features breathtaking action sequences shot in extended takes, most notably in the film's opening moments, the grizzly bear attack, a chase sequence before the final act, and the climatic confrontation between Glass and Fitzgerald. Iñárritu also brings an ethereal quality to Glass' dream sequences and flashbacks.

Even discounting the physical challenge required of the role, Leonardo DiCaprio's performance as Glass is nuanced and absolutely captivating, fully immersed in the loss and desperation suffered by the character. Tom Hardy also does some of his best work in this film as Glass' pragmatic foil and adversary Fitzgerald, particularly imposing in scenes shared with Will Poulter's Bridger. Domhnall Gleeson appears in a supporting role as Andrew Henry and Forrest Goodluck matches DiCaprio's intensity as Glass' son Hawk.

Although its narrative is rudimentary and thematically ordinary, The Revenant is an undeniable cinematic achievement, presenting the American frontier with impeccable visual fidelity.


FRAGMENTS
- Tom Hardy appears in two nominees for Best Picture in 2015, this film and Mad Max: Fury Road

- In 2015, Domhnall Gleeson appeared in numerous critically-acclaimed and financially successful films including this film, Ex Machina, Brooklyn, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens

MCU CONNECTIONS

- Tom Hardy (Eddie Brock and Venom in Spider-Man: No Way Home)

- Will Poulter (Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)

The Martian

THE MARTIAN
2015 | Dir. Ridley Scott | 141 Minutes

"So, in the face of overwhelming odds, I'm left with only one option: I'm going to have to science the shit out of this."

In the near future, astronaut and botanist Mark Whatney is stranded on Mars after he is struck by debris during a dust storm that forced his fellow astronauts to leave the planet. Mark survives by growing his own food on the inhospitable planet. Meanwhile, after establishing contact with Mark, NASA, JPL and Mark's fellow astronauts work with the Chinese space program to bring Mark home.

Based on the novel by Andy Weir, The Martian is an entertaining and suspenseful ride that is full of humor and solid science. Veteran film director Ridley Scott delivers his most crowd-pleasing film yet, with an optimistic bent (and non-existent body count) that is uncommon for Scott. The film presents a situation in which scientists disregard politics and bureaucracy to amicably collaborate and save the life of one of their own. Whatney is written as a resourceful and funny man, retaining hope in a nightmare situation. The comedic beats are enhanced by a diegetic soundtrack featuring disco hits, the only music available to Whatney left behind by his commander on Mars.

The film sports a massive and talented cast lead by Matt Damon as Watney, charmingly humorous and convincingly brilliant. Chiwetel Ejiofor portrays NASA mission director Vincent Kapoor, spending much of the film butting heads with Jeff Daniels playing NASA head Teddy Sanders, a microcosm of humanism against practicality. Jessica Chastain plays Ares III mission commander Melissa Lewis, evoking believable authority and compassion, supported by Michael Peña as pilot Rick Martinez, Kate Mara as geeky system operator Beth Johanssen, Sebastian Stan as the dashing flight surgeon Chris Beck, and Aksel Hennie as navigator Alex Vogel. The cast also features Mackenzie Davis as Mission Control satellite tech Mindy Park, Sean Bean as mission director Mitch Henderson, Benedict Wong as JPL director Bruce Ng, Donald Glover as eccentric JPL astrodynamicist  Rich Purnell, Kristen Wiig as NASA media relations director Annie Montrose, and veteran Chinese actor Eddy Ko as CNSA chief Guo Ming.

The Martian is an uplifting picture with sufficient unique talent and style to set it apart from other astronaut films.


FRAGMENT
- The Project Elrond meeting, in which several characters discuss in secret a way to bring Whatney home, is particularly amusing considering the participation of actor Sean Bean who played Boromir in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy in which he was a participant at the Council of Elrond, Project Elrond’s namesake


MCU CONNECTIONS
- Kate Mara (US Marshall in Iron Man 2)

- Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes in Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Ant-Man, Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame)

- Michael Peña (Luis in Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp)

- Chiwetel Ejiofor (Karl Mordo in Doctor Strange and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)

- Benedict Wong (Wong in Doctor Strange, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)

- Donald Glover (Aaron Davis in Spider-Man: Homecoming)

- Matt Damon (Asgardian Actor playing Loki in Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder)

Mad Max: Fury Road

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
2015 | Dir. George Miller | 120 Minutes

"I thought you weren't insane anymore."

In the distant future, the world is a barren wasteland following a nuclear war. Former lawman Max Rockatansky is abducted by a cult-like army lead by a tyrant called Immortan Joe, used as a source of clean blood for Joe's young radiation afflicted "War Boys." Max finds himself caught in the middle of an extended chase across the wasteland, when Joe discovers that his one-armed lieutenant, Imperator Furiosa, secretly liberated his five "wives" that were held in captivity to breed healthy children, and pursues the women with his army of War Boys and eccentric allies.

Director George Miller triumphantly returns to his signature character 30 years after Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome with what is essentially a thrilling feature-length chase sequence with a several brief intermissions. Mad Max: Fury Road is a wild visual feast featuring minimal CGI, exceptionally inventive production design, one explosive stunt after another, and an epic thumping soundtrack by electronic artist Tom Holkenborg (Junkie XL). The action is shot and edited with a level of clarity that is rare for a modern action film.

Taking over for Mel Gibson who had played Max from 1979 to 1985, Tom Hardy is the very embodiment of "strong and silent damaged hero." However, in actuality the film belongs to Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa. Furiosa literally drives the plot forward at nearly every turn, hands down the character with the most agency in the entire film, and Theron excels in the role. Nicholas Hoult is great fun to watch playing the War-Boy-turned-hero Nux. Though acting through heavy makeup and a restrictive mask, Hugh Keays-Byrne is appropriately menacing as Immortan Joe. Played by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Zoë Kravitz, Riley Keough, Abbey Lee, and Courtney Eaton, each of Joe's "wives" have their own respective character arcs that are brief but unique. The supporting cast also notably features character actor Angus Sampson as Joe's medical expert the Organic Mechanic, Josh Helman as the War Boy Slit, and Australian musician iOTA as the instantly-iconic bandaged, flamethrower guitar strumming Doof Warrior

Though light on drama and exposition by design, from start to finish, Mad Max: Fury Road is one of the best action films ever made. Neither a true sequel nor a complete reboot of the Mad Max series, the film is very much its own unique animal.


FRAGMENTS
- Tom Hardy appears in two nominees for Best Picture in 2015, this film and The Revenant

- Hugh Keays-Byrne also played the antagonist Toecutter in the first Mad Max film released in 1979

- Nicholas Hoult and Josh Helman also appear together in X-Men: Days of Future Past and X-Men: Apocalypse as Hank McCoy and William Stryker


SUPPLEMENTAL STUFF
- Video: Conan O'Brien Hits Comic-Con Mad Max-Style

MCU CONNECTIONS

- Tom Hardy (Eddie Brock and Venom in Spider-Man: No Way Home)

- Charlize Theron (Clea in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)

Brooklyn

BROOKLYN
2015 | Dir. John Crowley | 112 Minutes

"Homesickness is like most sicknesses. It will pass."

In the early 1950s, Eilis Lacey leaves her small hometown in Ireland for a new life with more opportunities in America. Though initially homesick, Eilis finds new purpose after receiving high marks in night school bookkeeping classes and love in the form of a charming young Italian plumber named Tony. After a sudden family tragedy, Eilis returns to her hometown to find a potential life and suitor should she choose to stay.

Based on a novel by Irish writer Colm Tóibín, Brooklyn is a well-directed, well-acted drama supported with great production design, but it's ultimately a rather ordinary film. While the beginning of the story does a fine job of establishing Eilis, the limitations of her life in Ireland, the world of 1950s Brooklyn, and the heartwarming relationship between her and Tony, the back half of the film undersells the film's central conflict between Eilis' new life and the temptation to permanently return home. Comparing the amount of screen time afforded to Tony played by Emory Cohen against the amount of time spent with Eilis' potential Irish love interest Jim played by Domhnall Gleeson, to the audience there is no question where Eilis' heart belongs and where she ought to stay.

Saoirse Ronan is lovely as Eilis, her performance carrying the entire film. Emory Cohen is suitably charismatic as Tony, complementing Ronan's vulnerability as Eilis with his. Despite receiving second billing, Domhnall Gleeson doesn't have much screen time or much to do as Jim Farrell except to look handsome and try to convince Eilis to stay in Ireland. Veteran English actors Jim Broadbent and Julie Walters respectively play Father Flood as Madge Kehoe, solid performances as reliable mentors to Eilis in her new life abroad. If there is a villain in this film, it is the exaggerated nasty witch of a grocer Miss Kelly, brought to life by Bríd Brennan, who shares a powerful scene with Ronan towards the end of the film.

Despite an admirable performance from its leading lady, Brooklyn lacks dramatic weight and disappointingly loses momentum right at the thick of the plot. Ronan deserves praise for the talent on display in this film but the film didn't fully develop more explore its central conflict during its closing act.


FRAGMENTS
- Screenwriter Nick Hornby is perhaps best known for writing the novel High Fidelity which was adapting into a critically-acclaimed film in 2000 starring John Cusack

- Jessica Paré, best known as Megan on Mad Men, plays Eilis' stern but sympathetic supervisor at her New York department store job

- Emily Bett Rickards, the tech genius Felicity Smoak on Arrow, has a small part as one of women living with Eilis in Kehoe's boarding house

- Julie Walters, Domhnall Gleeson, and Jim Broadbent are have all appeared in the Harry Potter films

- In 2015, Domhnall Gleeson appeared in numerous critically-acclaimed and financially successful films including this film, Ex Machina, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and The Revenant

Bridge of Spies

BRIDGE OF SPIES
2015 | Dir. Stephen Spielberg | 141 Minutes

"We have to have the conversations our governments can't."

 

In 1957, New York insurance lawyer James B. Donovan is tasked with defending alleged Soviet spy Rudolf Abel in a fair trial. Amidst disdain from the American public and death threats directed at him and his family, Donovan manages to help Abel dodge the death penalty, arguing that Abel may prove to be a valuable bargaining chip with the Soviet Union. When a US Air Force pilot is captured by Soviet troops and an American student is imprisoned in East Berlin, Donovan is called upon to negotiate a hostage exchange in Germany but the deal he has in mind is one that his CIA handlers, the Soviet Union, and East Germany do not expect.

Bridge of Spies is ultimately another successful collaboration between director Steven Spielberg and star Tom Hanks. However, the narrative noticeably loses momentum between Abel's extended trial and Donovan's journey to Berlin. The screenplay, credited to Matt Charman and master filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen, is sharp and precise but somewhat lacking in style.

The film's biggest strength lies in the human story at its heart. Donovan is portrayed as a straight-laced decent human being demonstrating strong moral fiber and standing by his convictions even while stranded in hostile territory on a mission not of his choosing. The picture is at its most captivating during its second half as the tension steadily builds through Donovan's increasingly contentious dealings with Soviet and East German officials leading up to the historical trade on the Glienicke Bridge. Also during the second half of the film, Spielberg's truly demonstrates his craftsmanship as a director. In a short organically staged sequence, Spielberg shows the construction of the Berlin Wall and the immediate horror experienced by German citizens trapped behind the east side of the wall.

Tom Hanks is the perfect as the relatable and likable everyman though, perhaps appropriately, he turns in one of his most stoic and subdued film performances as Donovan. As Abel, Mark Rylance demonstrates a controlled and confident intelligence, though the best of his performance is mostly confined to the first half of film, most notably in the film's opening moments. Another notable performance is provided by Amy Ryan in a small but vital role as Donovan's weary wife.

While it is a good film based on true history, Bridge of Spies just falls short of being a classic, offering little to set it apart from other espionage films. It isn't one of Spielberg's best, but it is certainly a solid addition to his legendary filmography.


FRAGMENTS
- This is the first Steven Spielberg film not to be scored by regular collaborator John Williams since 1985's The Color Purple

- Francis Gary Powers, the USAF spy plane pilot captured by the Soviets, is played by Austin Stowell who had a small role in 2014's Whiplash as backup drummer Ryan "Johnny Utah" Connolly

- Great to see Jesse Plemons in a minor role as a US Airman


007 CONNECTIONS
- Mikhail Gorevoy (Vladimir Popov in Die Another Day)

The Big Short

THE BIG SHORT
2015 | Dir. Adam McKay | 130 Minutes

"Truth is like poetry. And most people fucking hate poetry."

In 2005, hedge fund manager Michael Burry notices that the US housing market is on the brink of collapse. To the disbelief of his clients and his superiors, Burry approaches several major banks to create credit default swaps, a way for him to bet against the banks for substantial profit when the housing market fails. Serendipitously, the creation of the swap market catches the attention of unscrupulous Deutsche Bank bond salesman Jared Vennet, short-tempered and outspoken hedge fund manager Mark Baum and his team, young fledgling investors Charlie Geller and Jamie Shipley and their reclusive mentor Ben Rickert. As they watch the market fail beginning in 2007, the three groups learn the full extent of the greed and stupidity driving the ones responsible for ruining the economy.

Based on Michael Lewis' non-fiction account of the housing crisis, The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, Adam McKay's film is immensely entertaining while it brings to light exactly how Wall Street and the US Government wronged the average American homeowner and taxpayer, and how the institutions ultimately tore apart the world economy. The film paints a cynical, bitterly funny picture with ongoing real world problems that have yet to be resolved as of this writing.

With as much style and wit as possible, the film aims to keep its audience engaged and, quite possibly, enraged. Vennett serves as film's often condescending narrator, speaking through the fourth wall directly to the audience. Interludes featuring celebrity guests Margot Robbie, Anthony Bourdain, and Selena Gomez as themselves give the audience a crash course on complex financial concepts using easy-to-understand analogies. In a throwaway show of honesty, other characters occasionally break the fourth wall as well, pointing out minor discrepancies in the narrative, quick to point out how events actually transpired in reality.

The cast is comprised of major talent primarily featuring Christian Bale turning up his eccentricity as Burry, Steve Carell in an amusingly angry and at times heartbreaking performance as Baum, Ryan Gosling being cartoonishly aggressive as Vennett, and John Magaro and Finn Wittrock as young and occasionally naïve Geller and Shipley. In a small but important part, producer Brad Pitt plays Rickert as the blunt voice of reason. The cast also features Hamish Linklater, Rafe Spall, and Jeremy Strong making up Baum's staff at FrontPoint Capital, Marisa Tomei as Baum's weary wife, with Melissa Leo, Byron Mann, and Karen Gillan in brief but memorable roles.

Known for his prowess as a comedic writer and director, The Big Short is McKay is at the very top of his game. The film is a culmination of McKay's work as a filmmaker, skillfully breaking down the reality of a complex financial crisis for mass consumption and maximum cinematic impact.


FRAGMENT
- This is the first Adam McKay film to not feature regular collaborator Will Ferrell


MCU CONNECTIONS
- Karen Gillan (Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)

- Marisa Tomei (May Parker in Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Spider-Man: No Way Home)

- Christian Bale (Gorr in Thor: Love and Thunder)

The 88th Academy Awards

My ranking of the Best Picture Oscar contenders of 2016:

1. The Martian
2. Mad Max: Fury Road
3. The Revenant
4. The Big Short
5. Room
6. Spotlight *
7. Bridge of Spies
8. Brooklyn 

*Actual Winner