(Probably endless) list of things I love about Mad Max: Fury Road, part 1.

If you told me months ago when I walked out of cinema after seeing Fury Road, all lightheaded and enamored, that this is gonna be the movie that's gonna be up for most prestigious Oscars, I wouldn't believe you. But somehow, it has happened. Fury Road is getting accolades and nominations left and right and the nomination for Best Picture at the Oscars seems certain. 

So let's have ourselves a Merry Christmas and revisit my favorite movie of 2015. Here are the things I adored about it:

1. Tom Hardy's The Revenant audition.

2. Day 12045 - ht 10 hands - 180 pounds - No Name No lumps No Bumps Full life Clear - Two good eyes No Busted limbs - Piss OK Genitals intact - Multiple Scars Heals fast - O-NEGATIVE HI-OCTANE - UNIVERSAL DONOR - Lone Road Warrior Rundown - on the Powder Lakes V8 - No guzzoline No supplies - ISOLATE PSYCHOTIC - Keep Muzzled…

3. How horrific this shot is.

4. The fake medals on Immortan Joe's armor

5. The paralyzing fear in Furiosa's eyes as she takes the turn and sets her plan in motion

6. This little moment of humour.

7. The wives taking the time before escaping to let Joe know why they are escaping.

8. The bravery of that woman. Also -

"Just picked up “Art of Mad Max” today - happily surprised by the amount of Miss Giddy images. The image of her face tattoos was in mirror-image writing - she was tattooing herself in a mirror - and I flipped the image to try and decipher it. The main phrase I can pick out is “They that sow the wind, shall reap the whirlwind.”
Oh my god I have been looking for this but do you also realize: She wrote in code. She wrote so that anyone looking at her wont be able to know immediately what she’s saying. Her makeup took five hours a day - tattoo artists sent them the material and the makeup artists had to individually transfer little bitty stencils all over her :O"

9. That fucking guitarist and the sound editing - the guitar sounds louder the closer the camera gets to him.

10. The first moment we see Furiosa engaging in combat with her crossbow.

11. THAT'S MY HEAD!

12. The first time we see one of the wives - looking so drastically different from everyone else we saw so far in the movie - clothed in white, with a veil on her head, appearing as some sort of ethereal being. Tom Holkenborg's score also introduces very out of this world, angelic sounding notes in this moment.

13. The first time Max and Furiosa see each other. Have in mind that Furiosa saw horrors, misery and slaves before but look into her eyes - there is curiosity here. It's like she sees an animal that has some actual intelligence and humanity in its eyes. Max is not like the others.

14. Furiosa's confused look as she notices the sand storm - oh well, didn't plan on it but we will have to deal with it.

15. When this whole sequence was happening I knew I wasn't just watching a great movie but something instantly iconic.

16. When that scene began I had no idea what I was looking at.

17. The first time Max sees the wives - it's like a mirage - the water, these creatures, all this freedom, right in front of him.

18. The simplicity of this already iconic shot.

19. Furiosa acting like she would towards wounded animal when it comes to Max - she simply throws her knife and observes his actions without making a move

20. But as Max raises his gun and begins threatening the girls Furiosa becomes increasingly angry that here it is, yet another male telling them what to do and enslaving them.

21. The way Dag moves and her boots - so different from other girls.

22. You can actually feel Furiosa's anger growing as this scene progresses. Theron is spellbinding in this role.

23. The girls being so astonishingly smart and capable in spite of living in captivity for so long - notice how long The Dag struggles with the chains giving Furiosa just enough time to attack Max and the girls immediately come to her aid.

24. The entire Furiosa vs Max fight scene is fucking insane. I think this is the scene where Theron accidentally (though given how much she didn't like working with Tom...) broke Tom's nose. This scene is just an outburst of violence between two beings struggling to survive. The pounding music here only adds to the scene's intensity.

25. This moment. The bullets piercing the sand and blowing it up. You can feel the sound. The ground is fucking shaking.

26. Splendid's  astonishing bravery as she simply refuses to let the men win and passes them. When Max shoots at her and wounds her leg she doesn't even give him the satisfaction of screaming in pain.

27. Furiosa stopping Capable.

28. This great moment of The Dag kicking the chastity belt.

29. "Not without them".

30. The look in Furiosa's eyes when Max tells her he will go out and she should stay inside. He is on their team now.

31. The fact that Miller decided to let Max take off his mask only when he has a purpose other than survival to go on. He is no longer a caged animal. He is a human being again.

32.  Furiosa spitting in Nux face.

33. That after all she has been through Furiosa is willing to trust Max.

34.  The look on Max's face when Furiosa tells him she is gonna yell the word 'Fool'.

35. This guy and that epic pointing.

36. "Yeah, well I got unlucky". You gotta love that sass.

37. That look Furiosa and Max share as they drive out of the canyon.

38. This epic moment. The sound mixing here just makes everything sound so triumphant.

39.  The qick set of shots showing us Max preparing the shotgun for Furiosa and handing it to her.

40. Hardy has done some astonishingly badass stuff in his career but I have never gasped more than I did when we saw Max taking the enemy out with a hand gun. Oh my God.

41. The most badass hero shot in any movie this year (except for Force Awakens).

.

42. Splendid's WTF expression as Toast the Knowing is handling the guns.

43. Next to the belt being cut off, this is the biggest Girl Power moment in the movie.

44. I don't know how all these people survived the making of this film.

45. Joe being actually sincerely concerned about Splendid.

46. Splendid's smile...

47. ...and Max impossibly dorky gesture.

48. I don't know how Hardy does his thing. He is impossibly talented - he takes a line and just makes it a gem of acting craft. Max says "she went under the wheels" - in such a cold way, leaving no room for doubt. And yet it is such kindness he is doing here. Had they turned back they would all die.

49. The devastation in the Rig after Splendid is gone.

50. When I was watching it for the first time I didn't know what Furiosa intends to do here.The movie was constantly surprising me.

51. The sincerity and care with which Furiosa says she wants the girls to stay together.

52. What I call "hope" shots of the movie.

53. He is seriously still going. Also the lighting here!

54. Dag commenting on the gunfire. She sounds so sarcastic when she says her lines.

55. Max giving Furiosa the gun only with slight - and adorable! - annoyance.

56. This hysterical moment.

57. Nux giving Capable a kiss.

58. That is one of the most moving moments in the movie. Max intends to go back to take care of people chasing them. Furiosa asks what they should do if he won't be back for a while and he says, without a second thought "Well then you keep going". I think my eyes watching this scene matched Furiosa's expression. Max is willing to sacrifice himself because he has decided, he already knows, these girls and Furiosa need to succeed. He still thinks he doesn't matter at all, but they? They are remarkable.

59. The tension of Furiosa aiming her gun at the person who approaches and the relief when it turns out it's victorious Max.

Part 2 coming next week.