It has been an amazing year in film.  Here are MLS Entertainment’s top 10 film features of the year in alphabetical order.

Shu Qi in a scene from The Assassin. Courtesy of Well Go USA.

THE ASSASSIN – Mainstream movie goers were disappointed expecting “The Assassin” to be another Asian action film, such as “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”.  However, upon immediate viewing comes the breathtaking cinematography, gorgeous costumes, and set designs directed from one of the masters of world cinema, Hou Hsiao-Hsien.  His latest opus is his first wuxia film combining music, dance, literature and martial arts.  It is deliberately meditative, but a rich and complex film that should be seen more than once to really appreciate.   Winner for Best Director at Cannes.

Tom Hanks stars as James Donovan in the incredible story of an ordinary man placed in extraordinary circumstances in DreamWorks Pictures/Fox 2000 PIctures’ dramatic thriller BRIDGE OF SPIES, directed by Steven Spielberg. from Disney Media Files site

BRIDGE OF SPIES: Steven Spielberg executes a near perfect film with his main leading man, Tom Hanks, who has never been better, playing an American lawyer during the Cold War, whose moral obligations, despite the obvious danger he puts himself into, unknowingly to his family, forces him to defend a man accused of being a Soviet spy, superbly played by Mark Rylance.

Saoirse Ronan in Brooklyn (2015).  Courtesy of Fox Searchlight.

BROOKLYN:  This year’s romantic tearjerker.  It starts off with a familiar theme of a mother who sacrifices her most beloved daughter to immigrate to America in order to make a better life, but both having to  deal with the consequences later after still trying to make up her mind where her “home” actually is.  Beautifully acted by Saoirse Ronan with a wonderfully crafted original screenplay by Nick Hornby.

Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara in “Carol”.  Courtesy of the Weinstein Company.

CAROL:  Todd Haynes directs Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, the two female lovers, with amazing grace, sensitivity, and depth.  Along with its screenplay, written by Phyllis Nagy, the film feels true and organic with not a false note in it.  Cate Blanchett, who had a banner year with this film and “Truth” and Rooney Mara takes the script and makes it come to life for a 50’s time period piece.  At Oscar time, look for Blanchett and Mara to get nominations.

Alicia Vikander in Ex Machina.  Courtesy of Universal.

EX MACHINA – A suspenseful minimalist Sci-Fi mystery thriller about a computer programmer who participates in an A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) experiment.   First time director Alex Garland creates an eerie atmosphere with nuanced performances from the three main leads; Alicia Vikander, Domnhall Gleeson, and Oscar Isaac, all whom are actors to watch in the next decade.

Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke and RJ Cyler in Me, Earl and the Dying Girl. Courtesy of Fox Searchlight.

ME, EARL AND THE DYING GIRL:  Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, directs the most compassionate and honest movie about what it’s like to be in high school.  For many, that might not might be the reason to want to see this movie, but with its richly well-defined script, along with the chemistry of the lead actors in this film, is well worth it.  It’s also endearing that the two male characters are filmmakers who make parodies of classic films, such as “It’s a Punderful Life” or “Gross Encounters of the Turd Kind”.  Also it helped to have one of my favorite artists, Brian Eno, as the main part of the soundtrack.  Winner of both the Sundance Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award.

Géza Röhrig as Saul                 Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

SON OF SAUL: Sure, there has been thousands of films made about the Holocaust over the last 50 years, so who needs yet another one?  This one is quite different. Directed by László Nemes, is shot with only the perspective of a Jewish worker at the Auschwitz concentration camp as he tries to find a rabbi to give a child a proper burial.  The film doesn’t focus on the obvious horrors around the camp that are repeated throughout countless Holocaust films, but follows only the character as he carries his job responsibilities and personal motives.  Winner of the Cannes Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize.

Michael Keaton, Brian d’Arcy James, Mark Ruffalo, John Slattery and Rachel McAdams in “Spotlight”.  Photo by Kerry Hayes.

SPOTLIGHT: The subject matter about journalists from the Boston Globe uncovering the child molestation scandal and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese doesn’t quite sound like a great dinner conversation topic, but it certainly makes a compelling movie.  Tom McCarthy who also co-wrote the script, directs an amazing ensemble of actors seamlessly, including Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, and Rachel McAdams. If the Oscars could make a new category called “Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture”, this film would win hands down.

John Boyega and Daisy Ridley in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.        Courtesy of  Lucasfilm.

STAR WARS – THE FORCE AWAKENS: It’s refreshing to have the Star Wars franchise start with anew with director J.J. Abrams at the helm.  The film has quite a different look to it.  It will be interesting to see what happens in December of next year, to see if the sequels will hold up, but this film rocks!  My favorite popcorn movie…even though I don’t eat popcorn.

Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel star in “Youth”.  Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures.

YOUTH: Paolo Sorrentino’s follow up to “The Great Beauty”, which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language film two years ago, follows his familiar themes of life and reflection, along with hints of Fellini, that made his films so well liked that it swept the European Film Festival Awards this year, along with an award for Sir Michael Caine for Best Actor.  Sumptuously shot by Luca Bigazzi.