It is that time of year. I closed out 2015 with a flourish, seeing 17 movies and ending with 144 for the year - or a dirty dozen per month on average. Below the list of my December movie reviews you will find the ones I liked best in 2015. The movies marked with an asterisk were ones I had not seen previously, and numbering picks up from previous months. As always, they are rated on a scale of 1-5 cans of tuna. And if it seems like a 1, I usually just turn it off and don't bother to review it. Wishing you all a very happy new year and new movies for us all.
128. The Martian* (2015) – Those of us who failed to take science and math seriously in school would be doomed to a sure death if left stranded on another planet (as if they could get me to wear one of those astronaut suits…), which is the predicament faced by Mark Watney (Matt Damon) in this gripping movie. When a sudden storm strikes the crew doing research on Mars, Watney is struck by debris and separated from his fellow astronauts, who assume he is dead and quickly blast off the planet. When he comes to after the storm, he discovers that the bus has left the station, and he is on his own. Using his imagination and smarts, Watney, a botanist by background, figures out how to grow food, generate water and use his wits to survive until a rescue mission can come and get him. The movie has its share of suspense as well as humor, and it reminded me of both “Castaway” and “Apollo 13,” two of my favorite movies, as the hero has to rely on ingenuity to concoct a solution to every problem. The fact that the music played as I was exiting the theater was Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” only made me like this movie more. 4 cans.
129. Crossing Delancy (1988) – When I think of Peter Reigert, my mind immediately turns to Boone, his role as a reprobate frat boy in “Animal House,” one of my favorites. Here he plays Sam, a nice guy who sells pickles on the Lower East Side, and who has been enamored with Isabel (Amy Irving, with a memorable head of hair) for some time. But Izzy fancies herself above the likes of a pickle man. She works for an independent bookstore, working with authors on book readings and she thinks of herself as having left the LES to become an Uptown Girl. The idea of dating the Pickle Man that her Bubbie had a yenta (Sylvia Miles) pick out for her represents everything she is trying to leave behind. She even sets Sam up with one of her friends. But he is a good guy, patient and tolerant and clearly right for her. Has she crossed Delancy permanently? Will she end up with the Pickle Man? As the yenta says, “You look, you meet, you try, you see. Sometimes it fits, sometimes it don’t.” This fits. 3½ cans.
130. Apollo 13 (1995) – Having just seen “The Martian,” I couldn’t resist making the head-to-head comparison about two lost-in-space astronaut movies, but I cannot imagine anything of this genre topping Apollo 13. I have reviewed this movie previously, so I’ll just urge you to see it if you haven’t already. Ron Howard has made many excellent movies, but this one is truly captivating. 5 cans.
131. Trumbo* (2015) – Dalton Trumbo was a successful and rich Hollywood screenwriter until his card-carrying Communism got him placed on the “Black List” in the 1940s. With the end of WWII and the Cold War, patriotism took hold in the US and anyone suspected of “un-American activities” faced the threat or the reality of losing jobs, homes and families. So much for free speech in this country. Bryan Cranston probably won himself at least an Oscar nomination for the principled Trumbo, who stares down Congress and gets hauled off to prison along with other members of the Hollywood 10. When he emerges, he is unemployable, so he writes screenplays for schlocky producers (John Goodman) under aliases. Two of his screenplays (for “The Brave One” and “Roman Holiday”) won Oscars – and Trumbo and his family watched the ceremonies on their couch in their pajamas since he received no credit. The age of McCarthyism took place during my lifetime, but I was too young to know anything about it. Zealots like gossip columnist Hedda Hopper (Helen Mirren), John Wayne and others felt a need to rid the industry of people they felt were threats to America, and they and other Hollywood types had no compunction about naming names and ruining lives. The fact that this movie is being released just as we are facing similar political threats about immigrants to this country -- which was founded by immigrants, let’s remember – did not escape my attention. One of my favorite actresses, Diane Lane, is Trumbo’s wife in a small supporting role. 4 cans.
132. Bridge of Spies* (2015) – What I usually say about Meryl Streep applies to Tom Hanks as well, since Tom never disappoints (OK, we’re not going to mention “Bachelor Party” with Adrian Zmed…). Here he is James B. Donovan, a Brooklyn lawyer in a big law firm. Donovan is drafted by the U.S. government to defend a suspected Soviet spy (Mark Rylance) during the Cold War between the US and Russia in those suspicious post-World War II days when the Soviet Union was no longer an ally of the U.S. Donovan’s responsibility is to provide the best possible defense for his client, who is reviled and presumed guilty. When the case is adjudicated and the Russian found guilty, Donovan thinks his job is done – until he is drafted to negotiate a swap of the Russian spy Rudolf Abel for American pilot Francis Gary Powers, shot down while flying at 70,000 feet to get photographs of military installations in Russia. Can the American attorney, thrust into the negotiator role with minimal direction and support, successfully swap prisoners? And he has his own demand – he wants to include a young American PhD student arrested in the emerging East German Republic as the Berlin Wall is being constructed. This suspenseful dramatization of real life events was surprisingly written by the usually oddball Coen Brothers and was tautly directed by Steven Spielberg, a frequent collaborator of Hanks. I recommend you cross that bridge to see this fine film. 4 cans.
133. Spotlight* (2015) – This look at the heinous actions of priests in Boston is one of the best movies I have seen this year, despite its disturbing content. The story follows the dogged “Spotlight” investigative team of the Boston Globe as they delve into misconduct by priests and the cover-up that followed, allowing thousands of young children to be molested. I don’t know much about Boston, but the city comes across here as very provincial and closely tied to the church. No one wants to call out the church and the powerful Cardinal (what did he know and when did he know it?), so the crimes are handled outside the usual justice system, settled privately and allowing the criminals to continue preying on new victims as they move from parish to parish. All of this story is, sadly, true. The heroes here are the reporters and editors of the Globe, led by Michal Keaton and including Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams and Brian Darcy James. Liev Schreiber shows up early as the new editor of the paper, an outsider not established in the culture of Boston, who encourages his “Spotlight” team to take on the story they have overlooked in the past. This is the best inside look at the mechanics of reporting since Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford took on the Nixon Administration in “All the President’s Men.” A common tie is Ben Bradlee, whose son Ben Bradlee Jr. (John Slattery) shows up here as an editor of the Globe. Eventually, the team identified not only numerous Boston-area priests whose crimes went largely unpunished, but also the denial and dismissal of the culture that allowed priests worldwide to ruin the lives of young people as the church stubbornly refused to acknowledge and deal with the epidemic. The reporters seem a bit too heroic here, except for the fact that much of the information they eventually uncovered had been available to them years earlier, and they didn’t understand the significance of the story or, as Boston natives, didn’t want to cast aspersions on the church (in fairness, they didn’t know the extent of the problem until they started a deep investigation into the priests and their victims). But there are no real winners in a story where lives have come undone. 4½ cans.
134. The Wiz* (2015) – It was a brand new day for NBC, as the network overcame the debacle of last year’s live airing of the musical “Peter Pan” (I bailed after the first number, by the wooden Allison Williams) with a spirited version of the all-black musical. Drafting heavyweight performers for the key roles made the musical far more compelling to watch, even amid a myriad of commercial breaks (the best of which was seeing Rihanna and Stevie Wonder team up for a Christmas song, sponsored by Apple). Newcomer Shanice Williams was much more credible in the role of young Dorothy than the much-older Diana Ross, who originated the role in the movie version. Williams teams up with the surprisingly good David Alan Grier as the Cowardly Lion in easing on down the road to find the Wiz – Queen Latifah herself, complete with tons of ‘tude. Mary J. Blige is fierce as Wicked Witch Evillene, the original Broadway Dorothy, Stephanie Mills, plays Auntie Em, and contemporary performers Common, Neo and Uzo Aduba have a chance to show their stage chops. I can’t help comparing this colorful, exciting production with the pallid “The Sound of Music” from 2013 and last year’s “Peter Pan,” both of which seemed staged in an empty theater. By comparison, this live telecast was bursting with energy, well directed and performed with vigor and fun. Aside from young Williams, most of the featured players had a single moment to shine, and they did. As a kid, I would be so excited about the annual airing of “The Wizard of Oz,” even though the Emerald City was black and white on our TV. I hope NBC will continue to ease on down the road to bring musical theater into our homes every year. 3½ cans.
135. Creed* (2015) – You have to hand it to Sylvester Stallone. He created his iconic “Rocky” character nearly 40 years ago and the loveable lug is still paying dividends. Let’s face it, until he or the writers kill off Rocky, or until Stallone himself leaves this world, Rocky will be part of the fabric of our lives. In this film, I see a new franchise being born. Now Rocky is alone and lost without his beloved wife Adrian, running a restaurant named for her in Philadelphia. He lives modestly and has no regrets. Then the son of Apollo Creed – first his nemesis and then his friend, and also deceased – tracks him down and asks him for help in his aspiring career as a boxer. Young Creed goes by the name Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan, looking extremely buff and handsome) because his father was only in his life briefly and he doesn’t want to capitalize on this name. Rocky reluctantly agrees to train the boxer, and the two quickly develop the same relationship that existed between Rocky and his trainer, Mickey (but without Rocky being gruff). How can a novice rise through the ranks to fight for a championship? Rocky’s been there, done that. The two men have a genuine, caring relationship that will prove essential in helping both of them overcome adversity. The fight scenes are typically Rockyesque, full of violence, blood and sweat flying all around the ring. No, Rocky doesn’t fight anymore, but he still comes out as a champ. Can you say SEQUEL? 4 cans.
136. Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman* (2105) – Paul Newman, known for deadly blue eyes, an Oscar-winning actor, acclaimed director and beloved philanthropist, was also a talented race car driver. When Newman starred with Robert Wagner in the story about two auto racing rivals (“Winning” from 1969), his love for the sport was born. For the next 35 years, Newman led a double life as an actor and as an award-winning race car driver. He was dedicated to the sport, not just a dilettante who dabbled, but as a serious racer devoted to perfecting his driving and his cars. He passed along his passion to his co-star in “For Love or Money,” Tom Cruise, who had a brief career on the track. Although he drove until he was 85, Newman in later years transitioned successfully to being co-owner of Newman-Hass Racing, a team that feature such accomplished drivers as Mario and Michael Andretti. I’ve never been a fan of a sport where cars drive in circles around a track, but I am a fan of Newman’s, whose poster once adorned my teenaged walls. Producer-director Adam Carolla provides a winning portrait of Newman, whose passion for life went far beyond racing and acting and included establishing his “Hole in the Wall” camps for sick children and his salad dressing/food empire, the profits from which were all donated to charity. Naturally, there is plenty of racing in this movie, but despite that, I enjoyed seeing Newman in a role so important to him. 3½ cans.
137. Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the World* (1982) – I started watching this movie only because of my abiding respect for Eleanor Roosevelt and continued even though it was not the documentary I thought it would be. “All In the Family’s” Jean Stapleton plays the former First Lady post-FDR, when she is appointed to a commission on the formation of the United Nations. She is shunted aside by Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, but Eleanor is not one to go quietly into that good night, and her dedication and hard work in human rights prove to be essential for the nascent organization. Not a great move by any means, but just another reason to give props to someone whom my mother held in the highest regard. 2½ cans.
138. Youth* (2015) – Fred and Mick (Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel) have been friends for decades. They tell each other only the good things, compare prostate problems and spend time each year in a stunning Swiss resort, contemplating life. A former conductor and composer, Fred has withdrawn from performing, although music is his life. Mick is trying to get one last movie produced as director and is counting on his frequent star and muse (Jane Fonda) to play the lead to help him get it made. In between this non-action plot line, there is fantasy, an actor working on his Hitler imitation, a Miss Universe showing up in their pool naked, Fred’s daughter/manager (Rachel Weisz) and a young prostitute. I know that youth is supposedly wasted on the young, but in this case it was wasted on me, too. A bit too bizarre for my taste, though rapturously filmed and well-acted. 2½ cans.
139. A Christmas Story (1988) – No Christmas would be complete for me without this remembrance by clever monologist/writer Jean Shepherd. You can have “It’s a Wonderful Life.” I’ll take Ralphie shooting his eye out by his Red Ryder Rifle any day. There are so many funny lines, crazy scenes and warm memories. I know this is not everyone’s favorite, but I look forward to seeing it every year. 4 cans.
140. Joy* (2015) – The holidays are supposed to be about Joy, right? This year’s family Christmas movie had to be more cheery than last year’s unrelentingly sober “Unbroken.” Joy is based on the story of entrepreneur Joy Mangano, she of the Huggable Hangar (see my closet), the Miracle Mop and countless other products we didn’t even know we needed until she came on the shopping networks and told us about them. But Joy stated out living with her parents and grandparents (and ex-husband) in a lower middle class home. She was a tough cookie, and when she invented the mop that would prove to be a miracle seller on a TV shopping network, she was in serious debt. I now know more about how to make a mop than I ever needed to know. Frankly, without the presence of Jennifer Lawrence in the title role (accompanied by Robert DeNiro, Diane Ladd and Bradley Cooper), the movie would be bereft of any joy. 3½ cans.
141. Carol* (2015) – Carol (Cate Blanchett) is a wealthy, married woman whose marriage is falling apart because of her infidelity -- she has affairs with other women. Shopping in a department store, she is instantly attracted to a waif-like clerk (Mara Rooney, looking like a young Audrey Hepburn), and they strike up a relationship that her husband (Kyle Chandler) will use to seek custody of her daughter. This Todd Haynes movie is not nearly as good as his previous foray into similar territory, “Far From Heaven,” but the dynamic performance of Blanchett as a woman who dominates every situation she is in elevates it. However, aside from the physical attraction between the two women, there is little dialog between them that would indicate the basis for a relationship that was anything more than lust. Expect Blanchett to win an Oscar nomination for Carol. 3½ cans.
142. Pal Joey (1957) – The 100th birthday of Old Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra, was inspiration for me to revisit this classic about a crooner/cad with an eye for the ladies. Joey Evans is perpetually broke, living above his means and looking for an angle – or a benefactor. Here she is Mrs. Vera Prentice-Simpson (whenever a character has a name like that she is a very rich woman; if a man has three names, he is an assassin), played as the older woman by the ravishing Rita Hayworth. She doesn’t need Joey or his attention, but she can buy him off with a promise to fund a “Chez Joey” nightclub that he can run and where he can perform. One complication: the “mouse” in the chorus, a very fetching Kim Novak, captures his imagination almost as much as Mrs. Prentice-Simpson’s bank account. Swinging Sinatra croons “The Lady is a Tramp,” among other songs by Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart. Only when Kim Novak sings does the ship sink just a little, but overall, a good story, memorable music, and Sinatra. I could write a book. 3 ½ cans.
143. Brooklyn* (2015) – Saorise Ronan is Eilis Lacey, a young woman living in Ireland who knows she must leave her small town to have a life. She goes to the US, sponsored by a priest to live and work in Brooklyn (as if you couldn’t have figured that one out…) where she pines for her widowed mother and elder sister, until she meets a kind and sweet Italian man. She blossoms and becomes a woman, changes her wardrobe and comes out of her shell. This sweet, gentle movie is the anti-Star Wars. There are no explosions, no big action scenes, just heartfelt emotion and rich depiction of life among the immigrants in Brooklyn in the early 1950s. Ronan is outstanding as the serious, determined and very shy young lady just trying to find herself in a new world. 4 cans.
144. Iris* (2015) -- Nonagenarian Iris Apfeld is a phenomenon. The quirky, stylist/artist/educator/interior designer is known for her love of big, bold patterns and layering of colorful accessories. This documentary explores her life and her flamboyant style, which is much-sought after by younger designers and fashion mavens. Her gift for composing a “look” has been celebrated by important museums. She rocks some big-ass Mr. Magoo glasses and her inbred sense of cool gives her leeway to get away with looks that most of us couldn’t compose or carry out. I enjoyed this loving documentary by 80-something Albert Mayles about a unique talent. 3½ cans.
My Favorite Movies of 2015
Love and Mercy
Spotlight
Still Alice
The Imitation Game
Rikki and the Flash
The Hunting Ground
Trumbo
Bridge of Spies
Creed
Finding Vivian Meier
Stop At Nothing/The Armstrong Lie
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