Wednesday, February 17, 2016

10 best scenes in 2015

Here we go again. I have published some best of lists last month but having seen all of the movies nominated for this year's Best Picture, along with many others, I can finally finish the lists. So today let's celebrate the film's best scenes in 2015. Here is last year's list. Next up we will look at the best shots and a week from today my gigantic, annual Best (And Worst) of the year arrives.

20. Thomas the Engine Train, Ant-Man / 19. Ford confronts Susan in Paris, Spy / 18. Lucille chases Edith, Crimson Peak / 17. The Krays fight in the club, Legend / 16. The coffee scene, The Hateful Eight / 15.  Jack's escape, Room / 14. The argument with Sculley,  Steve Jobs / 13. The bear scene, The Revenant / 12. The bridge, The Force Awakens / 11.  The ending,  The Force Awakens


10. Glass is discovered, The Revenant

While The Revenant bored the living shit out of me, what amplified the boredom by stark comparision were the rare moments of excitement which were very good such as a stirring moment when Glass is discovered by the Captain and his people, Bridger among them. The slow build up, the drums on the soundtrack (which should be there for the entire movie, at least this way there would be something speeding up the pace) and the whole moment is very well done.

9. The pool scene, It Follows

It Follows is as a whole a beautifully shot, unique horror film. It does, like most horrors, requires suspension of disbelief, but if you can do that, you are in for a very fun ride. The film's climax is probably something that strains logic the most but who cares when something that happens is so awesome and beautifully shot.

8. The murder of the King, Macbeth

Macbeth is a mediocre movie that features gorgeous cinematography and fantastic performance from Michael Fassbender. The film's best scene benefits from the same thing the above scene from The Revenant does - something finally happens and it is showed in an exciting way. The quick montage of Macbeth committing the pivotal crime, Lady Macbeth praying and the storm going on outside is a really incredible scene.


7. It's time!, Spotlight

It is truly a year of tame and unexciting movies. Other than Fury Road and The Big Short it would be hard to find a movie in this Oscar season that is actually fun to watch. But as tame as Spotlight is, at least it's a very good movie. There is all too little anger in it, but when anger finally arrives, the scene definitely delivers. 

6. Fitzgerald's story, The Revenant

The finest moment of Tom Hardy's performance happens when he camera fixes on him as he is telling the horrific story of being scalped by the Indians. We've seen actual scalping in 2015 in the excellent Bone Tomahawk but hearing Fitzgerald talk about it was equally awful. And then Hardy follows that moment of his character's vulnerability with a bit of comedy when Fitzgerald asks Bridger to stop scratching the flask. It's brilliant.

5.  The final fight, The Revenant

It is just Dicaprio and Hardy hacking at each other and it all looks so very real. It's a fantastic, incredibly demanding scene and one of such violence and will to survive you cannot turn away no matter how much blood is spilled. It is the climatic moment of the entire film and they sure delivered in making it incredible.


4. The ending, Mad Max: Fury Road

I sat there speechless, from the moment that Furiosa, Max and the girls began their ascension and then Furiosa turns around to see that Max has left, not being ready to stay just yet. And then they exchange that nod and that amazing quote comes up. That is the best ending in 2015, hell that is the best ending in years.

3. The dinner, Sicario

When I was watching that movie in the cinema no one so much as moved. There was a gasp when Alejandro mentioned his daughter. Sicario is a continuously intense movie, to the point  you are exhausted after seeing it, but in a wonderful way. That scene is a pinnacle of tension. And its climax? I couldn't believe what happened actually happened. It's unflinching. 


2. Free Bird, Kingsman

Things we didn't know we needed in our lives - Colin Firth, wearing a suit, gunning down religious fanatics as Free Bird plays in the background. This is one of the most brilliant scenes I've seen in my entire life. The whole film is so clever and energetic but when the film was released EVERYONE was talking about this scene and rightfully so. This is sheer cinematic brilliance. In fact that scene is so fantastic I can almost forgive Matthew Vaugh for unleashing Kick Ass onto the world. Almost.


1. Brothers in Arms, Mad Max: Fury Road

Just unbeatable. Through the entirety of  Fury Road you feel like you will explode from the sheer awesomeness of it, but it is this scene that really takes the cake. Everything about it - from the amazing score to the team work between Max and Furiosa is so fantastic and instantly iconic. I am so grateful I got to see that in the cinema. Years from now people will envy all of us who got to.

27 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness... the 'Sicario' scene. I think I just gasped. No words came out. For me 'Fury Road' is unbeatable. I just rewatched it for the first time a few weeks ago. I thought you know...perhaps I accidentally over hyped 'Fury Road' after seeing it in the theater last year and didn't realize it. Nope. It was just as thrilling the second time.

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    1. It's a fantastic movie, Fury Road. This should be winning BP but perhaps it's good it's gonna get cult classic status instead this is so much more valuable in the long run

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  2. Oh and that 'It Follows' scene was perfection.

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    1. It was so good. Completely surreal but so good!

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  3. I do kind of love how The Revenant has three spots here, despite your kind of hating it.

    I really need to see It Follows!

    That dinner scene in Sicario was brilliant.

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    1. It happened with Interstellar last year, exact same way - the movie that nearly put me in a coma still managed to have some amazing scenes in it

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  4. Great post! That dinner scene in Sicario! I hated and loved it so much.

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    1. So much love for the Sicario scene here :)

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  5. Great list! That dinner scene from Sicario left me speechless. It's also nice seeing a spot for Macbeth, that scene was killer. Mad Max had such a wonderful ending, and I really think that so many films this year had fantastic endings: Carol, 45 Years, Tangerine, Brooklyn, just to name a few.

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    1. Thank you! Carol's ending was i think the only thing I liked about that movie

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  6. Some really great picks, here! 2, 3, 7, and 15 would definitely land in my top 10. The Kingsman scene was, by far, the most fun scene of the entire year. I smiled from beginning to end!

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    1. It was amazing, so glad I saw this one in the cinema

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  7. The dinner scene in Sicario is my favorite on this list. I love that movie even more after re-watching it again. It would be hard for me to pick a scene in Fury Road because it's all one awesome extended car chase, but the ending made me really sad because I wanted him to stay and be BFF's with Furiosa.

    LOVE that scene in Kingsman, I caught it on TV yesterday. It's still so much fun. I like that you included It Follows too.

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    1. So glad Sicario is getting so much love from people especially since the Academy snubbed it so bad :/

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  8. So much yes to the dinner scene in Sicario...one of the year's absolute best. Panties be dropping for some del Toro.

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  9. I haven't seen The Revenant but I agree w/ all of the ones I've seen. Man that dinner scene in Sicario, it's super intense! I'm glad I finally saw it, but of course it's so good that the Oscar snubbed it [shrug]

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    1. I wonder what you think of The Revenant, I thought it was boring to the point of insanity

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  10. Great list! Love the scene in Sicario, as well as the Kingsman scene. I find it hard to pick a favorite scene from Fury Road, but the ones you mentioned are very great scenes as well.

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    1. Thank you! Fury Road is basically a series of amazing moments:)

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  11. Wonderful list! Those fight scenes were brilliant. Love that the Sicario dinner scene is so high, too.

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  12. GREAT list. Love so many of the scenes here. That dinner scene from Sicario is so incredible. Eye for an eye, payback's a bitch. So intense.

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