Movies of the Year 2015

So, I didn’t manage to see 52 new cinema-release movies this year, despite the best of intentions. To date I’ve seen 47, although there may be time for one or two more, if our local cinema can afford to stop showing Star Wars on almost every screen simultaneously. But hey, that’s not a bad number, and a big thank you to The Light Cinemas for taking over our multiplex and running it so well. You can read my interview with their Chief Executive Keith Pullinger here. Anyway, from bottom to top, here we go…

WHY DID NOBODY WARN ME?

• Birdman
• Into The Woods

FORGOTTEN ALREADY

• While We’re Young
• Insurgent
• Tomorrowland
• Jurassic World
• Minions
• Maze Runner: Scorch Trials
• Five Flights Up

DECENT NIGHT OUT

• Big Hero 6
• Chappie
• Jupiter Ascending
• The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
• Spooks
• Mr Holmes
• Going Clear
• The Longest Ride
• San Andreas
• Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
• Ant Man
• Straight Outta Compton
• Macbeth
• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2

I’D WATCH THESE AGAIN

• Ex Machina
• Focus
• Avengers: Age Of Ultron
• Far From The Madding Crowd
• Mad Max
• The Age Of Adaline
• Danny Collins
• Building Jerusalem
• The Man From UNCLE
• Suffragette
• Steve Jobs
• SPECTRE
• The Lady In The Van
• Gascoigne

FILMS OF THE YEAR

10. Spy
No great expectations. Turned out to be hilarious.

9. Man Up
Won’t trouble the critics’ awards. But a Simon Pegg rom-com? Can’t go wrong. Didn’t.

8. Selma
Powerful, affecting.

7. The Theory of Everything
Opening credits: “Cambridge, 1963”. Cinema actually cheered.

6. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Opening scrolling text deliberately in slight wobbly-vision. You know it’s going to be alright.

5. Amy
In any other year this would have been the best documentary.

4. Bridge Of Spies
“Would it help?”

3. Inside Out
Pixar at its best. But you know that.

2. The Martian
Did the book justice. No higher praise.

1. The Ecstasy of Wilko Johnson
The story was incredible, but the film-making rose to the occasion. And then we saw Wilko live at the Cambridge Folk Festival. It was all true, you see.