Anomalisa

★★★★★ | A Review by Cameron Kanachki

"Our time is limited. We forget that." That is a very inspirational quote from David Thewlis in Anomalisa, which is not only one of the year's best films, but also one of the best animated films of all time, in my opinion. The film is based on the play by the film's writer/producer/director, Charlie Kaufman. Set in 2005, Thewlis plays Michael Stone, a self-help author, best known for his book, "How May I Help You Help Them?", which he is going to promote at a convention for customer service reps in Cincinnati. Michael has been emotionally distant from everyone so much to the point that he hears everyone with the same voice (all voiced by Tom Noonan). After having a drink at a bar with an old ex-girlfriend, he goes back to his room, & takes a shower. After he gets out of the shower, he hears a distinct female voice. The source of the voice is a young woman named Lisa Hesselman (played by Jennifer Jason Leigh). She is very insecure about herself, claiming she isn't smart or pretty. After drinking at the bar, they go up to Michael's room, where they both realize that they have such great feelings for each other, & they now become very intimate with each other, now realizing that they are who they had been looking for all along.

The film is an animation masterpiece. Thewlis, Leigh & Noonan are all excellent, providing some of the best voice acting I've ever seen. The direction from Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson is excellent. The screenplay from Kaufman is excellent, & just as good as his screenplays for 1999's Being John Malkovich, 2002's Adaptation, & 2004's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Overall, this is one of the year's best films, one of the best animated films of all time, & the greatest film involving the human emotion in a while.

Carol

★★★★★ | A Review by Cameron Kanachki

"I never asked for anything! Maybe that's the problem!" That's an amazing quote from Rooney Mara in Carol, one of the year's best films. The film is based on the book The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith. Mara portrays Therese Belivet, a 20-something department store worker in 1950's Manhattan, who notices an older woman in the store. The woman is Carol Aird (played by Cate Blanchett), a glamorous woman in her early 40's. Based on Therese's recommendation, Carol buys a train set as a Christmas present for her daughter, Rindy; however, Carol accidentally leaves her gloves at the counter. Therese takes the gloves home with her & sends them to Carol, using the sales slip to find Carol's address. Therese has a boyfriend named Richard (played by Jake Lacy) who wants to go with her to France so he can marry her, but Therese is ambivalent about their relationship. Their mutual friend, Dannie (played by John Magaro), invites Therese to the offices of The New York Times, where he works, & then kisses her.

Meanwhile, Carol is in the midst of a divorce with her husband, Harge (played by Kyle Chandler), & they are fighting for custody of Rindy. Harge is suspicious of Carol & Therese's relationship, considering that Carol had an affair a while before with her friend, Abby Gerhard (played by Sarah Paulson). Harge then decides to take Rindy with him to Florida for Christmas. After a while, Carol & Therese's friendship strengthens, & they eventually acknowledge their feeling towards one another. However, Carol is now torn, because Harge has now discovered their relationship, & is now going to try to get sole custody of Rindy, unless she ends her relationship with Therese.

The film is excellent. Mara & Blanchett's performances are heart-breakingly beautiful. The direction from Todd Haynes is excellent. The screenplay from Phyllis Nagy is amazing, staying true to the book. The cinematography, film score, costume design & production design are also excellent as well. Overall, this is one of the 10 best films of the year. The fact that this film was not nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture is extremely terrible, as it had been considered one of the year's best films. And I think this will go down as one of the biggest snubs in Oscar history.

The Revenant

★★★★★ | A Review by Cameron Kanachki

"I ain't afraid to die anymore. I'd done it already." That's a quote from Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant, one of the year's best films. The film is based on the book of the same name by Michael Punke, which (loosely) recounted the story of Hugh Glass, a fur trapper who, in 1823, was left for dead by his companions, & then traveled 200 miles to locate them. DiCaprio portrays Glass, who was part of a group led by Captain Andrew Henry (played by Domhnall Gleeson). Alongside them are John Fitzgerald (played by Tom Hardy), Jim Bridger (played by Will Poulter), & several others. After an ambush by the Arikara tribe, only a third of the hunters survive. Some time later, Glass is brutally mauled by a grizzly bear. Although he nearly dies, he kills the bear with a knife. Since Glass is on a makeshift stretcher with the group, their procession is slowed. Henry then asks 3 people to stay; Fitzgerlad, Bridger, & Glass's half-Pawnee son, Hawk (played by Forrest Goodluck). Fitzgerlad then tries to smother Glass to death; however, Hawk notices & gets in a struggle with Fitzgerald, which eventually leads to Fitzgerald killing him. Fitzgerald tells Bridger that Glass is dead, & they proceed on. Glass eventually manages to regain his strength, & goes to find Fitzgerald & enact his revenge on him.

The film is a flat-out masterpiece. Leonardo DiCaprio's performance is nothing short of extraordinary, & this should finally give him his first Oscar. Tom Hardy's performance is also excellent, portraying one of the best film villains of the decade. The direction from Alejandro G. Iñárritu is spell-binding, proving that he is one of the best directors of the 21st century. The screenplay from Iñárritu & Mark L. Smith is also excellent. But the most excellent thing in this film is definitely the work of cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, who is definitely one of the best cinematographers in a long time. His camera work is pitch-perfect, filled with amazing, unbroken camera movements. This is definitely one of the year's best films, & if Leonardo DiCaprio doesn't win the Oscar, it will be the worst crime the Academy has ever made. I just hope it doesn't turn out that way.

The Hateful Eight

★★★★★ | A Review by Cameron Kanachki

"You're starting to see pictures, ain't you?" That's an excellent quote from Samuel L. Jackson in The Hateful Eight, which is one of the best films of the year, & definitely one of Quentin Tarantino's best films. Jackson plays Marquis Warren, a bounty hunter who was a former Union soldier in the Civil War. He is trying to transport 3 corpses to Red Rock, Wyoming, to get a reward. Along the way to Red Rock, he finds a stagecoach driven by O.B. (played by James Parks). Inside the stagecoach are fellow bounty hunter John "The Hangman" Ruth (played by Kurt Russell), & fugitive Daisy Domergue (played by Jennifer Jason Leigh). Warren & Ruth had previously met each other in Chattanooga, Tennessee some months prior. The 3 are now going to travel to Minnie's Haberdashery to take shelter during an upcoming blizzard.

On the way to Minnie's, they encounter the new sheriff of Red Rock, Chris Mannix (played by Walton Goggins), & he comes along with them. Mannix was previously part of a group called the "Mannix Marauders", who terrorized South Carolina during the Civil War. They arrive at Minnie's, eventually finding that it is in the hands of a Mexican named Bob (played by Demián Bichir). The others at Minnie's are: hangman Oswaldo Mobray (played by Tim Roth); cow-puncher Joe Gage (played by Michael Madsen); & former Confederate general Sanford Smithers (played by Bruce Dern). Ruth eventually gets the feeling that one of the people there is trying to free Daisy, & since they will all be stuck at Minnie's for the next couple days due to the blizzard, they all become tense towards one another.

The film was purely excellent. The acting, especially from Jackson, Russell, Leigh & Goggins is excellent. The direction & screenplay from Quentin Tarantino is top-notch, as always. The cinematography from Robert Richardson is excellent, & is really special because of the fact that it was shot on 70mm film (which made the film even better). The score from master Ennio Morricone was amazing. Overall, this is one of the year's best films, & if you do see it, please see it in 70mm. You will not be disappointed.

Joy

★★★★★ | A Review by Cameron Kanachki

"Never speak, on my behalf, about my business, again." This menacing quote is said by Jennifer Lawrence in Joy, one of the best & most underrated films of the year. The film is based on the true story of Joy Mangano, an Italian-American woman from New York who rose from bankruptcy & debt to success as a self-made millionaire, who created such things as the Miracle Mop. Lawrence plays Mangano, a divorced mother of 2 children, & they live in a rickety house on Long Island with her divorced parents: her soap opera addict mother Carrie (played by Virginia Madsen) & her twice divorced father Rudy (played by Robert De Niro); her grandmother Mimi (played by Diane Ladd); & her lounge singer ex-husband Tony Miranne (played by Edgar Ramirez). Also involved are Joy's half-sister Peggy (played by Elisabeth Röhm), & her best friend Jackie (played by Dascha Polanco).

One day, Joy creates a new, state-of-the-art mop with her daughter. She then has her dad's new girlfriend Trudy (played by Isabella Rosselini) give her money to start it up. However, Joy can't sell any mops, until she meets QVC executive Neil Walker (played by Bradley Cooper). He gives Joy a shot on television, & after a QVC salesman fails to sell any mops, Joy decides to sell them herself on QVC, & she becomes an instant success, eventually setting up an assembly line of mops in her father's old shop. Along the way, she encounters bankruptcy, debt, sketchy manufacturers & Trudy's mogul-like demands, along with the fact that her house is falling apart. Eventually, she rises past all of this, & rises up to become a big success, even though Rudy, Trudy, & Peggy unsuccessfully sued her for control of the company to try & get her money, eventually becoming great friends with her ex-husband, & also becoming amazing friends with Neil.

The film was excellent. Jennifer Lawrence, as always, was AMAZINGLY SPECTACULARLY AWESOME, & she is one of the best actresses out there today. The acting from Robert De Niro & Diane Ladd was also spectacular. The direction from David O. Russell was excellent. The screenplay from Annie Mumolo & David O. Russell was also excellent. This is definitely one of the best films of the year.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

★★★★★ | A Review by Cameron Kanachki

"Chewie, we're home." That magnificent quote from Harrison Ford is the best quote from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, one of the best films of the year, & one of the best in the Star Wars franchise. The film takes place 30 years after Return of the Jedi. In the past 30 years, Luke Skywalker has disappeared, the First Order has risen & wants Skywalker to vanish, & Leia Organa is searching for Luke. Poe Dameron (played by Oscar Isaac), a Resistance pilot, is trying to find Luke. Stormtroopers under the command of Kylo Ren (played by Adam Driver) capture Poe. Poe's droid BB-8 escapes with a map & finds a scavenger named Rey (played by Daisy Ridley). A stormtrooper decides not to kill Poe & helps free him, & they flee in a stolen TIE fighter. Poe names the stormtrooper Finn (played by John Boyega). They crash, & it appears that Finn was the sole survivor. He encounters Rey & BB-8, & they flee on the Millenium Falcon, but the ship is captured by a larger ship piloted by Han Solo (played once again by Harrison Ford) & Chewbacca. They all escape in the Millenium Falcon & eventually arrive at the Resistance base, where they are greeted by Leia (played once again by Carrie Fisher), C3PO & R2-D2, who has not been working since Luke's disappearance. However, Rey has been captured by Kylo Ren, & Poe has survived. They now have to find Rey as well as search for Luke.

The film was excellent, & it may just be my favorite Star Wars movie. The acting was great, especially from Ford & Fisher, but also from Isaac, & newcomers Boyega & Ridley. The direction from JJ Abrams was excellent, along with the screenplay from Abrams & Lawrence Kasdan. The editing, score, & visual effects were all astounding as well. This is definitely one of the best films of the year.

The Big Short

★★★★★ | A Review by Cameron Kanachki

"Tell me the difference between stupid & illegal & I'll have my wife's brother arrested." That funny quote from Ryan Gosling is not the only hilariously quotable line in The Big Short, which is not only the best film of 2015, but also one of the funniest. The film is based on the 2010 book of the same name by Michael Lewis, involving the financial crisis of the late 2000's. Gosling plays Jared Vennett, an investor who hears of actions made by Michael Burry (played by Christian Bale). Burry, a hedge fund manager who suffers from blindness in one eye & also suffers from Asperger's syndrome, discovers that the US housing market is extremely unstable, & decides to "short" (to bet against) the housing market. He talks with many banks about this, & the banks accept his proposal, believing that the housing market will not fail. He predicts the collapse will occur sometime in the second quarter of 2007. Some investors get anxious & try to withdraw their investments, but Burry holds off all withdrawals. However, just as he predicted, the market collapses, & he ends up posting profits of 489%.

While Burry was waiting for the market to collapse, Vennett, realizing Burry's predictions are true, puts his own stake in the plan. An accidental call alerts Mark Baum (played by Steve Carell) of the plan & joins Vennett. After visiting the American Securities Forum in Las Vegas, Baum realizes that the entire economy will collapse. He is eventually convinced to go through with the plan, making a big profit from the situation.

While that was going on, Charlie Geller (played by John Magaro) & Jamie Shipley (played by Finn Wittrock) get involved in Vennett's plan; however, since they are too inexperienced to pull off deals necessary to make a profit from the situation, they enlist retired banker Ben Rickert (played by Brad Pitt) to help them out. After the deals are made, Geller & Shipley are initially ecstatic about the profits, but Rickert reminds them that they are profiting from a collapse of the economy in which people will lose their jobs & their homes, much to his chagrin & their sadness. While they do make an immense profit, they no longer have as much faith in the system as they once did.

It is stated in an epilogue that Burry now only invests in water (& he also wanted to talk about how he knew this would happen, but he never did, as he was audited by the FBI 4 times), Baum continues his career, never gloating about his prior knowledge, Rickert goes back to retirement, & Geller & Shipley unsuccessfully sue the ratings companies & eventually split apart. None of the people who caused the collapse are arrested.

The acting was excellent, the direction from Adam McKay was excellent (considering this is a departure from his other films: Anchorman, Step Brothers, & Talladega Nights), & the screenplay by Adam McKay & Charles Randolph was amazing. The editing was also extremely well-done. This is definitely the best film of the year.