I had a few films to catch up on, which is why this is being posted a few days later than I would normally want. It's been a
very long time since I've compiled a Top 10 of the Year list (3 years, if memory serves), and this year was pretty challenging. My goal for 2015 is to get back up to "movie fanatic" numbers, as far as how many new releases I managed to see... but my modest count of 40+ will have to do for this final listing. Most "Best Of" list-makers struggle with the pull between
actual best of the year, and
personal favorite.
For me,
personal favorites win out every time. This is my blog and my opinion—not a predictor for Oscar gold. Though my tendency to lean pretty mainstream can't really be ignored either. I didn't see everything, and there were some potentially great ones that I missed, but that just means they'll be at the top of my To-See list in 2015.
So with that, my TOP TEN movies of the year.
10. BEGIN AGAIN
This one had a bit of a rough start. By start, I mean the first 15 minutes. I wasn't feeling it. It took that long for it to find its footing, but once it did, it dug in tight. The pacing evened out and it figured out the kind of movie it wanted to be. It's a musical in the vein of
Once, which surprises no one, since it was made by the same people. But it's the kind of musical that most people can get behind (not just me, who has no issue with people randomly breaking out into song)—these characters are musicians, and every song is prefaced with just enough introduction to tell us they're about to start singing. Instruments are also always in sight. No resounding orchestra when they're only playing an acoustic guitar. Oh, except that part where that does happen, but it's on purpose, so all's forgiven.
Keira Knightley stars as Gretta, and croons a few very sweet songs while we all look on in delight to discover she can actually sing. The tunes are sweet and very catchy, and the movie shares its love of music even when it gets all high and mighty about the state of the music industry. She's a songwriter who follows her boyfriend, Dave (Adam Levine of Maroon 5, who shockingly is pretty great), to NYC from London, until he duh breaks up with her when he gets too big for his britches. Their break up scene is my favorite, because it feels so raw. Just enough emotions to have to sing it out, girl! Soundtrack is still on repeat rotation.
