best movies of the year 2015

1) Room

Room is a poignant exploration of the ordinary, everyday intensity and complexity of the connection between mother and child. It is a haunting, uncomfortable and uniquely life-affirming viewing experience, which evokes the resilience of the human spirit. It is a roller-coaster ride that takes you to places that you never been before.

2) Spotlight

Spotlight effectively strips unnecessary details or fictional sentiment, but somehow remains intensely absorbing and revelatory (pretty amazing achievement). Although is a professional and moral guide on the exercise of the journalistic work, the director refuses to lionise its protagonist, and because of that, the movie is more authentic and powerful.

3) Tangerine

It is hard to believe that this film was shot entirely on an iPhone , given the extraordinary visual inventiveness. But this is not just a movie shot on an iPhone, it’s packed with humor and profound emotion. It portrays the two main characters and challenges of their chosen profession (transgender sex workers) in ways that are recognizably human to all of us.

4) Heaven Knows What

It is not the first movie to use real addicts as actors, but it made me reconsider what's real and what's fiction. It's hard to watch, but it’s a hard to walk away. It left a lasting and chilling impression on me, and made me think about the people from whom on the street I often look away as well.

5) Ex Machina

The smartest and most compelling low budget Sci-Fi in a long time! (although didn’t particularly love the ending). This thought-provoking Sci-Fi, unapologetic spends the majority of its run-time discussing Big Questions, about life and the human condition.

6) Carol

Meticulously beautiful and masterfully paced, Carol is convincing, tender, but also very painful. As with Far from Heaven (Todd Haynes’s previous masterpiece) the director creates a sophisticated movie about two people trying to be together in an environment that's quietly asphyxiating them.

7) The Big Short

A Scorsesian approach to the 2008 financial crisis. A dazzling and daring film with whipsmart dialogue and incredible acting. Although you don’t fully grasp how the economy melted down, by the end credits, you are not far behind.

8) Victoria

Contrary to last year’s Birdman, Victoria WAS actually shot in one take. Notwithstanding the crazy, single-shot experiment, the German drama is thrilling, breathtaking and offers a subtle character study.

9) The Revenant

Although I commend DiCaprio for his commitment (worthy of an Oscar), this film belongs to Inarritu and his genius cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki. For all the stories about Iñarritu being a perfectionist megalomaniac with his producers and collaborators, his artistic vision prevails and in the end the result is nothing short from spectacular.

10) Diary of a Teenage Girl

The Diary of a Teenage Girl" is a rare film indeed, a look at a young girl's messy coming of age told completely from the young girl's point of view. It is twisted, boldly honest and daring in its subject matter, but it does hit exactly the right tone for a complicated balancing act, for a film that could very easily have gone wrong.

Oscar Predictions

Best Picture

Who should win: Room

Who is going to win: Spotlight

Best Director

Who should win: Revenant

Who is going to win: The Revenant

Best Actor

Who should win: Leonardo Dicaprio

Who is going to win: Leonardo Dicaprio

Best Actress

Who should win: Brie Larson

Who is going to win: Brie Larson

Best Supporting Actor

Who should win: Sylvester Stallone

Who is going to win: Sylvester Stallone

Best Supporting Actress:

Who should win: Alicia Vikander

Who is going to win: Alicia Vikander

Best Original Screenplay

Who should win: Inside Out

Who is going to win: Inside Out

Best Adapted Screenplay

Who should win: The Big Short

Who is going to win: The Big Short