Film 2015

THE AWARD-WINNER

Birdman, or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance (January 1^st)

Ever hear that one about the former superhero actor now washed up and trying to climb back to the top? Birdman, given its shorter title, narrates a story remarkably close to that of its leading man Michael Keaton: washed-up superhero actor attempts to restore his fame by writing/starring/appearing in an ill-fated Raymond Carver adaptation for Broadway.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s fifth feature is looking likely to be his most award-baiting, a meta-comedy epic shot (almost) in one long tracking shot, with outstanding, playing-against-type performances from Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, and Naomi Watts. And Michael Keaton finally plays what seems to be the role of his career: to say he was born to play this is perhaps pathetically romantic, but it could be said his whole career his built up to his point. And boy does it fly high. (SPOILER: Expect a review very soon.)

THE CULT

Inherent Vice (January 30^th)

The Big Lebowski is hands-down the best film of all time, and so when the trailer for P.T. Anderson’s Inherent Vice landed in my lap, depicting (according to IMDb) ‘drug-fueled Los Angeles detective Larry "Doc" Sportello investigates the disappearance of a former girlfriend’, the comparison had to be made. And to see P.T. Anderson, one of the great auteurs of our generation, reunited with Joaquin Phoenix, legendary character actor, after their sterling collaboration on The Master, is nothing short of a cinematic blessing. Anderson returns to his comedy bones, a la Punch Drunk Love, following the brief albeit fantastic hiatus that brought us There Will Be Blood and The Master, and I simply cannot wait.

THE BLOCKBUSTER

Avengers: Age of Ultron (April 24^th)

Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight franchise taught us that to make a good superhero film, you need to emphasise the humanity behind the mask: Joss Whedon, meanwhile, taught us that you need to make it funny. Perhaps the best ensemble superhero film of all time, 2012’s Avengers Assemble packed action and laughs in equal measure, and miraculously gave equal screen time to several of the biggest actors in Hollywood. Now eleven (yes, eleven) films into the franchise, Whedon reassembles 2012’s cast with star-children Aaron Johnston and Elizabeth Olsen, plus James Spader voicing big bad Ultron. Undoubtedly an absolute thrill ride – Whedon doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘disappointment’.

THE CONNOISSEUR'S CHOICE

Knight of Cups (2015, date unannounced)

Considering in the first 40 years of his career, Terrence Malick released only five films, his current rate of production is reaching terminal velocity: 2011’s The Tree of Life was quickly followed by To The Wonder, while an unexpected three films have been slated for a 2015/early 2016 release. One of these is the aforementioned Knight of Cups, about which we know little other than its almighty cast including Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, and Natalie Portman, and a typically Malickian enigmatic trailer. With Malick, however, to know little about a project is not necessarily a bad thing: with a track record this good, we can know we’re expecting stunning visuals, a mystical screenplay, and the poetic quality attached to all of his films. This, combined with Blanchett straight off the back of an all-time great Oscar win, and Bale at the top of his game, is sure to be a formula for success.

THE REBOOT

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (December 18^th)

With a franchise this big, and a mythology this mighty, there really was only ever one man for the job: cue J.J. Abrams. Earning a name for himself as the greatest science-fiction director since Spielberg, Abrams career reads like sci-fi geeks dream: his Star Trek reboot truly reached new found territory, embracing old fans and new discoverers alike, while his original works, including Lost, Cloverfield, and Super 8, have all been met with great acclaim. As a self-professed Star Wars fanboy, the next stage of the franchise (following a somewhat questionable phase) will be sure to recreate the magic of the original, while bringing Abrams own unique charms to proceedings. Indeed, the fist-pumping reappearance of the Millenium Falcon in November’s trailer and the reunion of Hamill, Fisher, and Ford ensures some of Lucas’ original charm. With shaky-cam and lens-flare galore, this is sure to be, fingers-crossed, the much needed shot-in-the-arm of the sci-fi bible.

THE BEST-TIL-LAST 

The Hateful Eight (2015, date unannounced)

Never someone to be fucked with, Tarantino decidedly and whole-heartedly announced that, following the leak of his latest script, he would refuse to produce his next planned endeavor, The Hateful Eight. A somewhat legendary script reading, however, let forth a tidal wave of persuasion, and one which has led him to backtrack, and subsequently begin production on his 9^th feature film, a revenge western (as hinted by its title) in the vein of The Magnificent Seven. The Western has been a tried, tested, and proven formula for Quentin: pseudo-western Kill Bill enraptured audiences, while the somewhat controversial Django Unchained lovingly homaged Leone et al. And, out of the blue, Tarantino announced recently this was to be his penultimate film: so enjoy them while they last, there’s nothing quite like a Tarantino film.