Grimshaw’s 2015 Movie Standouts

When I began reviewing movies for Surge in February 2015, I was already regularly attending movies at our local theaters at least once a week, often even more than that. A lifelong fan of film across the broad spectrum of genres; it’s an art form I truly love. That being said, my recap of the best of 2015 will include only the movies I saw and reviewed in these pages, some 75 in total. There were excellent movies I’m sure I missed, and therefore won’t appear in my top 10. I missed them because they never played the Myrtle Beach market (we don’t get all the releases, like bigger cities do), and I didn’t start taking notes until February, plus I can’t see them all (though I’d like to). For better or worse, in no particular order, here are my top 10 picks from a pretty good year at the movies - to see the complete list, go online to www.TheSurgeMB.com.

Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) *****

A dark comedy/drama starring Michael Keaton as Riggan Thompson, played in equal parts as a vulnerable and empowered aging Hollywood superhero, trying to restart his career as a serious Broadway theatrical actor. The supporting cast of Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, and Emma Stone further support this monster-of-a-must-see-movie.

Inside Out *****

Turns out that the joyously feel good movie of the 2015 summer, Pixar’s “Inside Out,” delivers through its Sadness. And its Anger, Disgust and Fear, emotions all played out as neurotic characters inside the brain of tween girl Riley. When the happy-go-lucky Riley moves with her family from Minnesota to San Francisco, Joy, voiced by Amy Poehler, tries her best to keep Sadness, voiced by “The Office’s” Phyllis Smith, at bay. This denial, it turns out, wreaks havoc in Riley’s brain. As was true with “Toy Story,” adults will be transported back to childhood, and children will delight in the adventure.

Mad Max: Fury Road ****

I clearly remember 36 years ago seeing the original “Mad Max” movie, a little Australian indie that launched the career of a young theater actor, known only to the Aussies, named Mel Gibson. Thirty six years later, the former trauma surgeon, Dr. George Miller, the original creator and director of the “Mad Max” franchise, has created another movie set in this dangerous world. The costuming, make-up, prosthetics, prop design, and special effects alone make it worth watching, but Charlize Theron as Furiosa steals the show, reducing Mad Max (Tom Hardy) to a leather-clad sidekick. With all the style and grit of the original, and the added sparkle of 21st Century movie-making technology, “Fury Road” is furiously fun.

Love & Mercy ****

More than just a portrait of a tortured genius, “Love & Mercy” is the story of perhaps the greatest American pop band ever, The Beach Boys, and its musical heart & soul, Brian Wilson. It’s also the story of the now deceased controversial psychologist Dr. Eugene Landy, who is portrayed as nothing short of a monster as Wilson’s manipulative medical guardian. The Beach Boys’ fans, especially, should love this biopic, but even audiences not well acquainted with Wilson and the Beach Boys legend should find this a bit of solid movie making.

Black Mass ****

Johnny Depp is back! Sure, Captain Jack Sparrow, Barnabas Collins and even Willy Wonka or The Mad Hatter must have been fun roles for him, but as bad to the bone real life criminal James “Whitey” Bulger, Depp shines brightly in his dark portrayal of a real-life modern gangster. Set mostly in mid-1970s Boston, “Black Mass” is the Hollywood version of a mostly true tale of fragile alliances between the FBI and the most notorious Irish crime boss of South Boston; a man suspected of 19 murders and who is now serving two life sentences in a Florida prison.

The Martian ****

“I’m going to science the shit out of this thing,” says Matt Damon as Astronaut-botanist Mark Watney in Ridley Scott’s new Sci-fi action-drama “The Martian.” More drama than action, the self-published book-turned-movie follows the mostly solo exploits of Damon’s character as an accidentally left-behind astro-brain after Mars’ atmosphere throws a hissy-fit and forces an emergency evac by the rest of his crew. Damon proves his range, covering the gamut of emotion: despair, depression, elation, fortitude, tenacity and enough believable tears to give this film a very human center.

This story was originally published January 8, 2016 at 8:27 AM with the headline "Grimshaw’s 2015 Movie Standouts."