Each year before the Oscars I write up my list of favorite performances, which more often than not, are not the ones being recognized by the Academy. This year, I realized that many of my favorite performances were not in movies, but on television -- including Kirsten Dunst and Patrick Wilson on Fargo, Oscar Isaac in Show Me a Hero, and Mark Rylance in Wolf Hall. My favorite piece of entertainment all year was the Broadway production of Hamilton (I'm hoping to hear the phrase "Tony Award-winner Leslie Odom, Jr." this June). But my heart still lies with Hollywood, so here are some of the movie performances that I loved in 2015.
Girl Power!
Some of the best roles for actresses this year were women of action. They displayed physical strength and mental sharpness, often stealing the screen from the male action stars. Leading the charge were Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa and her squad of females from Mad Max: Fury Road. When the film begins, Furiosa is already in a position of power, trusted by the ruling tyrant to lead a unit of "War Boys" (in Latin, imperator is equivalent to commander). However, she truly shows her mettle when she defies her ruler, liberates his captive "wives," and sets off on a breakneck chase through the desert. Though my perennial favorite Tom Hardy plays the title character, Theron is the star of this feminist action flick.
Other members of my imaginary girl gang would include Melissa McCarthy as the CIA analyst-turned-field agent who, capably and hilariously, defied all expectations in Spy; as well as McCarthy's comedic foil Rose Byrne, who managed to find a level just shy of over-the-top as Spy's catty, tacky villainess. I was also pleasantly surprised by Rebecca Ferguson in Mission: Impossible-Rogue Nation. In a role that was more than just a sexy sidekick, Ferguson, who was a new face to me, effortlessly held her own opposite the indomitable charisma of Tom Cruise. Sure, she could rock some stiletto heels, but she was sensible enough to remove them when the action ramped up.
But Girl Power isn't only about kicking ass and taking names, several other women impressed me with performances that conveyed immense strength of character and will (but unlike my action heroines, these actresses all got Oscar nominations): Saoirse Ronan as a quietly determined immigrant in Brooklyn, Brie Larson as a resilient young mother in Room, and Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett as women who refuse to deny their true selves in Carol.
Favorite Chameleon: Oscar Isaac in everything
In addition to his Golden Globe-winning performance in the HBO miniseries Show Me a Hero playing an ambitious, but beleaguered Yonkers politician, Oscar Isaac had several major film roles this year, each one a wildly different character. I started the year with Isaac in A Most Violent Year (technically a 2014 movie, but it didn't play in most theaters until January 2015) playing an immigrant and successful business owner who defiantly confronts his rivals and the New York D.A.'s office; then in December, I ended the year with Isaac as the coolest fighter pilot in any galaxy, Poe Dameron, in Star Wars: Episode VII-The Force Awakens. In between, he earned my vote (but sadly not the Academy's) for Best Supporting Actor as an eccentric tech billionaire who designs lifelike A.I. in Ex Machina. Was my vote swayed by his sweet dance moves? Well, they certainly didn't hurt.
Favorite Mystical Drug Dealer: Michael Shannon in The Night Before
Michael Shannon received a lot of critical praise, and a Screen Actor's Guild nomination, for his supporting performance in 99 Homes. However, I'll always have a fondness for his performance as Mr. Green, the oddly sagacious drug dealer to the three stars of the Christmas Eve comedy The Night Before. The film cleverly nods to many well-known holiday stories, like Home Alone and Die Hard; and Shannon's encounters with three friends (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, and Anthony Mackie) during an evening of misadventure is reminiscent of the visits from the ghosts in A Christmas Carol and guardian angel Clarence from It's a Wonderful Life. This is a silly movie, and Shannon is clearly up for it. He brings a blend of dry humor and quiet menace to every scene. It's a small part and it wouldn't work if Shannon weren't so good.
Favorite Couple: Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson in Creed
The Class of 2015 had many memorable romances, from Eilis + Tony in Brooklyn to Melinda + Brian in Love and Mercy to Therese + Carol in Carol. However, my pick for cutest couple goes to Donnie and Bianca in Creed. Who'd have expected that the year's most effecting love story would be nestled inside the year's best boxing movie? But I suppose it's not that surprising since writer-director Ryan Coogler is a big fan of the Rocky series, which contains one of the great screen couples: Rocky and Adrian. (Not to mention Rocky and Apollo Creed.) In continuing the Rocky story, Coogler continued the tradition of underdog tales with big hearts. Jordan and Thompson are both immensely appealing performers whose scenes together capture the excitement and trepidation of new love. Donnie may be a headstrong jock, but he's also disarmingly sweet and sincere. Bianca isn't just a pretty girl watching Donnie from outside the ring; she's interesting and talented in her own right. He needs her more than she needs him; and when the climactic boxing match comes around, it's clear that Bianca is an equally important member of Donnie's inner circle as "Uncle" Rocky. (Oh, Creed, why did you only get one Oscar nomination?)
Favorite Cast in Sensible Slacks: Cast of Spotlight
The cast of Spotlight is a true ensemble with each member playing off the others flawlessly. The actors (including Michael Keaton, Live Schrieber, and Oscar-nominee Rachel McAdams) are playing real people and they feel like real people, which can't always be said of films based on true stories. Part of the realism does come from the mundane settings (offices, coffee shops, living rooms) and the gloriously accurate wardrobe (button-downs shirts, "business" slacks, and sensible shoes). An aside: I'm so used to seeing "career women" costumed and coiffed as either overly glamorous -- as if she actually has a movie star's clothing budget, style team, and 3-4 hours to get ready -- or dowdy to the point of becoming a non-sexual entity; so, seeing McAdams' exceedingly reasonable hairstyle and functional office wardrobe gave me great pleasure. Nevertheless, I give most of the credit for the film's true-to-life feeling to the measured, grounded performances of the cast. It's an important story and it's never overshadowed by a "star-turn" performance.
Best Cackling Monologue that May or May Not be True, but Ultimately is Not Important to the Movie: Samuel L. Jackson in The Hateful Eight
If you saw the film, you know which one I mean. If you didn't see the film, well, you can probably imagine what it sounded like. I didn't love this film, but I have to give respect to Jackson's facility as a storyteller. He once again shows that he is an ideal interpreter of writer-director Quentin Tarantino's idiosyncratic material.
Favorite Leading Lady: Elizabeth Banks in Love and Mercy
Love and Mercy is a unique biopic about musician Brian Wilson which moves back and forth between two crucial periods in his life -- the 1960s, around the time that Wilson masterminded the Beach Boys' seminal album Pet Sounds, and the 1980s, when his life was controlled by an exploitative therapist. It was in the '80s period that Wilson met Melinda Ledbetter, a pretty Cadillac dealer who turned out to be Wilson's salvation and eventually his wife. (They are happily married to this day.) Elizabeth Banks brings warmth, humor, maturity, and intelligence to her portrayal of Melinda. Though Melinda is a real person, her story could easily feel like melodrama because it is an improbable romance. Wilson (portrayed in this section of the film by John Cusack) is a man in the depths of mental illness, under the thumb of a shady egomaniac, who has driven away everyone who really loved him. Any woman presented with this man as a romantic prospect would be forgiven for running in the other direction, but Melinda didn't run; she chose to meet every challenge with love. The strength of Banks' performance is that she makes Melinda's choices seem plausible. Banks had a great year with a role in the final Hunger Games film, a stand-out performance in Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp on Netflix, and her directorial debut with Pitch Perfect 2. However, I would place her performance in Love and Mercy as a career high-point which stands up to any of the award-winning performances from this year.
