FILM: 10 Best Movies of 2018

2018 was a really great year for going to the movies for me. I didn't get to as many as I would've liked, but what I did see (especially during the New Zealand International Film Festival) I really enjoyed.

Always difficult to create this list but after a few sleepless nights I've whittled it down to my 10 best films of 2018!

10. Isle of Dogs

I've been a fan of Wes Anderson's films ever since Rushmore some 20 years ago and while that one is still my favourite of his, Isle of Dogs comes very close.

The story is a great little adventure that sees a Japanese boy, 'Atari' in a quest to find his long-lost pet, Spots. This takes him to a rubbish tip island where he teams up with the resident exiled dogs who sympathise with his plight.

Anderson's quirky style is everpresent in this film and the stop-motion work is super precise and very endearing. With the voices of Bryan Cranston, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray and Tilda Swinton (to name a few) behind the characters, you can't help but be charmed. Awesome fun.

9. A Quiet Place

My honourary horror flick for 2018 was a little cracker of a film and was one that won a lot of fans besides myself. Starring Emily Blunt, I'm of course talking about A Quiet Place.

Creating original work in this oversaturated genre is more than a little challenging but that's exactly what they achieve here. This is largely thanks to the film's near silent script, a result of the premise which sees a world filled with scary monsters who hunt by virtue of their ultra-sensitive hearing.

Surviving in this world is all about the tiptoeing, sign language and non-crying newborn babies. Everything else is basically your ass in a monster sandwich. You can probably tell I enjoyed this quite a bit, as will all horror fans out there, guaranteed.

8. The Square

I couldn't recall having laughed so much during the first half of a film as I did during Ruben Östlund's The Square.

This was partly due to the film's great setup about a curator who hires a misfit PR team to publicise his high-profile museum. Being a juvenile misfit himself he gets into even more subplot tangles which I actually enjoyed even more than the main storyline.

At 2 1/2 hours, it's quite a lengthy watch, which was fine for me but may stretch the stamina of others. Best to maybe watch his earlier film, Force Majeure, first to see if his humour is your cup of tea before diving into this one.

7. First Man

I wasn't sure what to expect from First Man because I thought I knew all there was to know about the moon landing which, from what I previously thought, all went swimmingly. Boy was I wrong.

This was evident from the outset as Director Damien Chazelle (also responsible for Whiplash and La La Land), starts it off with an exhilarating bang and then goes to great lengths to show us just how calamitous it all was and the toll it took on those involved and connected.

Thought the film was put together in a very accomplished way and to me was done so in the right hands, in the right way, at the right time.

6. Rafiki

Rafiki got a lot of publicity after the somewhat unusual circumstances around its celebration and subsequent ban by the Kenyan government after the film's success at Cannes. That was easily enough to get me to go and see it and so I did and was pleased to do so.

Set in Kenya, the film is a coming of age love story revolving around two girls from Nairobi. As you can tell by the government's reaction, it's a relationship that has its fair share of challenges in Kenya. The film takes you through this in a manner which feels very authentic and is very effective.

Given the context, it was a risky film to make and such risks should be applauded, always.

5. Shoplifters

The most successful Japanese filmmaker since Kurosawa (think I say this every year), Hirokazu Kore-eda, keeps making better and better films.

Shoplifters, winner of the top prize at Cannes, is another great addition to his catalogue with a unique story about a borderline impoverished family in Tokyo who make ends meet, in part, by shoplifting. Without spoiling too much, they share a secret among themselves which plays as an undercurrent as the film plays out.

I don't know what Kore-eda's family background is, but all his films are about different family situations and dynamics and he nails it every time. He could probably be the next Japanese Donahue if he wanted to be but if he chooses to stick to filmmaking that's fine by me.

4. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

A big award winner at the start of the year, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is about a grieving mother who hires three billboards to make a point to the local sheriff about her daughter's unsolved murder.

The trailer this film made it out to be a bit of a romp with the hard-knuckled Frances McDormand, beating townfolk in order to solve the crime herself. That was my impression from it at least, but the film definitely offered much more than that and had a real resonance about it.

McDormand is a legend, as is Harrelson with Rockwell, Dinklage and Hawkes not far behind contributing to a great ensemble and a great film.

3. I, Tonya

With all the style, technique and swagger of a Scorcese film, I, Tonya was one of the most enjoyable films I saw at the movies all year.

Another multiple award winner, many of which went deservingly to its two female leads, Margot Robbie and Allison Janney, who play Tonya Harding and her mother respectively. They are a powerhouse duo that face-off against each other in what seems more like a boxing match than figure skating... though as you quickly learn through the film, figure skating is no cakewalk.

The black comedy retelling of this saga was also the perfect fit, amplifying a story that was already so sensational and infamous. As much of a laugh as it is, there's still room for sympathy (for Harding at least) in this version amongst the hysteria and mayhem.

They perhaps took a few creative liberties but do so in the name of fun which I think makes it ok yes? A very good film irrespective.

2. Three Identical Strangers

A lot of people wouldn't have heard of this because it's a documentary film but it's one that's stranger than fiction by a long shot.

The doco is about three identical triplets in the US who randomly found each other in the 80's (during their teens) without previously knowing each other ever existed. As incredible a story as that is in itself, the tale gets even more extraordinary and quite dark (without giving too much away).

It totally blew my mind in the way that only docos can and kept doing so the deeper it went. In a fictitious setting, you'd be laughed out the room if you tried to sell it as a story. Here it's all real.

Very well crafted and very well paced the film is honest, humorous at times and does a proper investigation to uncovering some unnerving truths. Three Identical Strangers was so very close to being my number one film of 2018.

1. Birds of Passage

So here it is! My number one recommended film of 2018 is Birds of Passage.

"Birds of what now?" I hear you say?

Birds of Passage, a not-as-obscure-as-you-might-think film from Colombia that opened one of the events at the Cannes Film Festival.

The poetically titled film is in fact, a crime/mob thriller (just when you thought my taste had evolved) about a man and his family who find riches exporting marijuana to the Americans before it all comes tumbling down on them.

What's especially unique about this film is that it's set in an arid tribal area of Colombia, a setting I'd never seen depicted on screen. For people that were previously goat/cattle crop farmers, it makes for a dramatic contrast when they become gripped by the vices of drugs and money and things take several turns for the worst.

It has the same epic feel as the Coppola and De Palma films of the 70's and 80's, especially when it comes to the family/tribal aspects and the inability to compromise around their codes and values.

While those ideas are tried and tested, the context and authentic portrayal made this feel very fresh. This was especially true with the cast, who scarcely feel like actors (in a good way), particularly in the establishing scenes of the film. The filmmaking isn't stylised, which again strengthens its credibility and contributes to some really big scenes throughout.

The filmmakers don't pull their punches at all with this one, though not in an especially gratuitous way, rather by way of skilful storytelling.

It's strange because after seeing this film, I didn't necessarily think it would be my number one pick of the year but when putting the list together, I kept drawing myself to it. I think, at its core, the story about excess and greed getting the better of people who otherwise had it good, feels particularly pertinent at the moment.

That's about as deep as my thoughts can get so I'll quit while I'm ahead and hope you all get the chance to see Birds of Passage, my No.1 pick and the rest of these great films from 2018!

FILM: 10 Best Movies of 2017

10 best movies of 2017!

10. WONDER WOMAN

There haven't been that many worthy female-led superhero films in the history of cinema (arguably not the opportunity either), but Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman was a proper kick-ass triumph. Gal Gadot as the legend herself, absolutely stormed it, convincing in action, and just so goddamn charming. The story itself worked a treat for me with a great emotional climax. Sequel please!

9. BLADE RUNNER 2049

The fact that this is on my list shouldn't be a surprise to those who know me, but the fact that it isn't No.1 may well be. It's a fact that surprises myself in all honesty as I'd decided this was going to be the best movie of all time once Harrison Ford and Villeneuve were announced. So why the demotion? I think part of it's due to my attachment to the original and the different direction they decided to take it in a few areas, which they are of course entitled to do, but went against my expectations/hopes. I also struggled somewhat with the pacing of the film, which felt a touch drawn out, especially in the scenes between Gosling and Robin Wright as Lieutenant Joshi, which for some reason didn't really work for me. I was also hoping Harrison Ford would feature in more of it than he actually did (his first appearance came well after 60+mins). Those quibbles aside, it was still pure sci-fi of epic magnitude, deserving of acknowledgement.

8. BABY DRIVER

I've always enjoyed Edgar Wright's films but Baby Driver, I loved. What a clever little flick this was. It was a peculiar viewing experience for me at first, with its stylish synchronisation of soundtrack and scene, but I quickly adjusted and warmed to it. That wasn't its only trick though as it featured a great ensemble and some ridiculous chase scenes and stunt work. With a tight script that kept things moving along, the film was lively and ticked all the heist film boxes.

7. NO STONE UNTURNED

My documentary inclusion this year is Alex Gibney's re-examination of the unresolved 1994 Loughinisland massacre in Northern Ireland where six men were gunned down whilst watching the Football World Cup at a local pub. Gibney has a history of uncovering the truth (see Taxi to the Dark Side) and alongside the families of the victims, he somehow manages the same again here and the result is astonishing, to say the least. The degree of cover-up at play is fairly extraordinary and the injustice is difficult to comprehend at times. This was one of my cinematic highlights of the year.

6. THOR: RAGNAROK

When Taika Waititi was first announced as the director of the next Thor film I thought it was great news but didn't know what to expect or how he'd approach a big studio film where he wasn't able, or permitted, to infuse all his usual Taika-shtick. Turns out that's exactly why they wanted him in the first place. That, or he just went about and Taika-ed it up regardless, much to the film's benefit which is exactly what the Thor franchise needed after the dull and lifeless second film. Taika's version is brilliant. So much energy, so much colour, so many laughs and so much fun. And it looked like it was an absolute hoot to make. It's again a great ensemble that is perfectly cast and they all have their little moments. Cate Blanchett's power style acting makes her an awesome antagonist, Jeff Goldblum's nostalgic quirkiness is inspired, and Hunt for the Wilderpeople star Rachel House again shows her comic genius. A cult classic.       

5. MANCHESTER BY THE SEA

This was officially released in 2016, but I didn't see it until 2017 so it makes my list for this year and deservedly so. To state what's widely known, it's an extremely sad film that follows the aftermath of a tragic event which the lead character, Lee, (Casey Affleck), is ultimately responsible for, and how one deals/lives on with that. The answer, which feels very true in the film, is you never really can. Some wounds just cut too deep which no act of redemption can heal.

4. THE SHAPE OF WATER

Guillermo del Toro, the adult fairytale filmmaking specialist, delivers one of his best films yet with an unlikely love story in The Shape of Water. It doesn't start off that way as he sets the scene in an Area 51-like facility with an angry Michael Shannon (is there any other kind?) storming about the place, torturing its newest resident, a mysterious humanoid sea creature, origins unknown. The creature is befriended by one of the cleaners in the facility which leads to the inevitable prison break. There's more to it of course, all of which is as exciting and imaginative as the best of his films are.

3. THE HANDMAIDEN (DIRECTOR'S CUT)

Chan-wook Park is back with a vengeance (get it?) with his twisted erotic thriller, The Handmaiden. I was lucky enough to see the director's cut version at the cinema, about 20 minutes longer than the regular (which I haven't seen). Anyway, I thought it was fantastic in so many ways in style and delivery. Park throws us in the dark end with Sook-Hee, a young village handmaiden sent to work for a mysterious wealthy Japanese Heiress, Lady Hideko. As you might expect, the situation that unravels is not an ordinary one with deception, hidden agendas, twists and turns at every corner of its 2+ hour runtime. What's more, it's Rashomon style storytelling throws us this way and that, jumping in timeline and perspective so you're left in a hell of a spin. It thankfully comes together in the end, which is an achievement in itself and culminates as Park's best film since Oldboy.   

2. CUSTODY

The least well-known film on my list, I saw the French film, Custody, at the BFI London Film Festival at the spur of the moment and was completely blown away. In short, the film follows the fallout of a custody battle of a boy between the parents of a very broken marriage. The film simmers away at first, working on hearsay and innuendo, the result of which means you're not exactly sure where the love or fault lies. Without giving too much away, it soon becomes very apparent as earlier testimony is realised and the result isn't pretty. The film itself is powerful and effective with great performances too from its small cast. Oh, and it's also Director Xavier Legrand's first feature.   

1. GET OUT

So here it is, my No.1 film of 2017 and it is the unexpected horror hit, Get Out by US Comedian, Jordan Peele. I love horror films. The genre is up there with my most favourite, but that adoration comes mostly from films of yesteryear. In fact over the 8 years, I've been putting these lists together, I've only ever featured one pure horror film (It Follows from 2016). So what works so well with this one and why does it get the top spot?

Well, first of all, the film is very funny, right from the outset, which makes sense given the background of the director (always been a fan of his comedy skits). That allows you to ride a wider range of emotions in my opinion, and also makes you a little less guarded for what is to come. This is important as it's not exactly the typical vehicle for fear in this film. A liberal/seemingly progressive white family from an innocuous US town. And harmless is what they seem at first to the lead character, Chris, a young black man who is being introduced to them by his white girlfriend, Rose. But, as more time passes the peculiar observations and odd interactions begin to pile up and it soon becomes apparent that things are definitely not what they seem. And that's when the fun (from a horror point of view) starts and Chris finds himself in a very scary situation that needs to be escaped.

The racial context is of course, a huge reason why this works so well. Watching it, you wonder why it's taken so long for an idea like this to reach production. In the backdrop of the country's racial prejudice, hate crimes, well-documented police shootings, the last election, not to mention just a bit of slavery in the nation's history, a seemingly progressive white family makes a perfect mechanism to unleash some unsuspecting horror.

But it's not just the ideas that work well in this film. Credit has to go to the execution, and the best way to judge the execution, is by audience reaction, and the crowd when I watched this film were in full hysterics. I'd even go so far as to say that it was the most involved en masse reaction during a screening I've witnessed in recent memory. And sitting there, enjoying the scenes play out, watching moments come off one after the other (including my favourite of the year with the title quote delivered in what I can only describe in a desperate forced yell "Get out!!!"), you could only acknowledge a special mix of something (everything really) had certainly worked with this one.

I've only seen it once, and writing about it now makes me really want to watch it again. Can't wait until I do, and if you haven't already yourself, I hope you see it soon!

FILM: 10 Best Movies of 2016

Ten films to catch if you haven't already from 2016!

10. THE LOBSTER

Bizarre, dark, unconventional and unique, The Lobster, was an intriguing film I found both strange and pleasing at the same time. Given its peculiar plot, (involving a hotel where guests are turned into animals as a consequence of failing to find life partners), you'd think it would be a challenging film to be absorbed by, but its tone, style and delivery all worked for me. I still chuckle to myself thinking about this film. One of a kind for sure!

9. PATERSON

I like Paterson for Paterson himself. He's just such a nice guy, going about life in an honest way as a bus driver with a passion for poetry. I've struggled with Jarmusch's films in the past but found this much more accessible, enjoying Paterson's low-key everyday interactions. It's anti-drama at times but there are good payoffs scattered throughout. With my ignorance of poetic literature, I felt there was quite a bit that passed me by, but what I did catch, I enjoyed.

8. ROGUE ONE

My blockbuster pick of the year was probably always going to be Rogue One as a dedicated and often tormented Star Wars fan. That being the case, the film still easily managed to surpass my expectations, probably for the first time since the originals. What worked best for me was that this film felt like a liberated piece of Star Wars canon. Minus the weight of the Skywalker storyline, it had the freedom to be a distinct film with its own identity. It expressed this by undoing many of the inadequacies of the contemporary films such as cutesy characters, forced love interests and sanitised action sequences. In their place, Donnie Yen, epic space battles and Vader unleashed!

7. I, DANIEL BLAKE

Ken Loach's film focuses on the plight of people living via the welfare system in challenging and difficult circumstances. Their situation is given little sympathy from the corporatisation of that system, supposedly designed to help them. They are faced with dehumanising dead ends, furthering personal desperation, jeopardising basic levels of health and well-being. It's a difficult watch at times, a result of its genuine and authentic portrayal. Loach's work always feels like life on screen to me as important stories to be told. This one is no different.

6. TICKLED

This Kiwi doco by David Farrier and Dylan Reeve was a little gem. The subject alone, competitive tickling, would've been enough to satisfy me for 90 mins, but it unravels to offer so much more. It's a film that somehow manages to go from comedy fetishism to conspiracy drama in a quick, creepy and disturbing way. I initially thought Farrier and Reeve had struck it lucky with this treasure chest of material but in truth, they've been digging around this sort of stuff for years. The film was no walk in the park either, so to see it through to conclusion is credit richly deserved. 

5. THE REVENANT

Alejandro G. Iñárritu is one of those filmmakers that isn't intimidated by limitations. The Revenant is further proof of this as we watch 2+ hours of pretty spectacular Di Caprio vs Wilderness. There are big moments everywhere from the opening scene, to bear attack, to horse sleeping bag, and final showdown. Di Caprio did well to survive this, let alone produce a performance, the magnitude of which he'll probably never surpass. The film superbly captures its landscape too with the only criticism being I've yet to find a female friend who liked it. They're about as scarce as a hot bath in the actual film itself which could be a factor.

4. HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE

Crowd pleaser of the year, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, was an absolute hoot with Sam Neill and Julian Dennison combining perfectly as the unlikely odd couple in a NZ bush adventure classic. Based on a Barry Crump novel and infused with a lot of Taika schtick, the film is much more light-hearted and made for laughs than 'Boy' with a broader style of comedy than 'What we do in the Shadows'. It makes the film one that is genuinely enjoyable for all, hard-pressed to find haters. If Taika can generate even an ounce of this fun in his first Hollywood blockbuster (the next Thor film which badly needs it), it could be a massive hit!

3. DHEEPAN

Dheepan, the winner of the 2015 Palme d'Or, is a tense thriller that follows the lives of three Tamil refugees who assume the pretense of a family in order to flee Sri Lanka in the midst of civil war. Where they end up, a rundown estate in France, isn't a great improvement with Dheepan and his makeshift family facing many obstacles, not only with the new environment, but in maintaining their artificially formed family roles. Dheepan also suffers from deep psychological scars as a result of his involvement in the war which runs as an undercurrent throughout the film until things come to a head when he becomes entangled in a gang conflict. It all gets rather ruthless but is well done and well worth the watch.

2. SPOTLIGHT

What a film. I'm not quite sure how to sum up my thoughts better than that to be honest. So good is this film, I'm almost too intimidated to provide comment. Spotlight deals with some heavy material following the true story of the investigative team at the Boston Globe that exposed the horrendous levels of abuse by priests in the Catholic Church and the systemic cover-up that enabled it to flourish. The storytelling is in-depth and emotional and very effectively draws you in and reveals just how many in the community suffered, whilst a larger portion turned a collective blind eye. With the ensemble it has, you'd be forgiven for thinking the film doesn't really have to try, but it is produced with such care and attention you get the impression this was a story they knew they had to tell right. It's just like the actual exposé in that respect, which unfortunately for the victims came years too late.

1. VICTORIA

Closing off the year with the film I've selected as my favourite is the German cult hit, Victoria. Victoria is a film you may have read headlines about due to the fact that the film was shot on the streets of Berlin in one continuous take. That is a huge part of its genius which I'll talk more about later. The story itself, to provide a bit of context, follows the title character and her casual night out, a chance encounter and the calamitous sequence of events that follow. I thought I'd had some fairly hairy nights out over the years but Victoria really takes the cake with this one!

Victoria herself is quite a trusting girl, and the film takes the time it needs to establish her personality and set the scene before her troubles (and our excitement) begins. The drama is also enhanced by the use of the aforementioned continuous shot which has the effect of never allowing you to escape the story and the predicaments Victoria finds herself in. This method would have been no easy feat. It's not like the film uses just one or two sets. They are running all around the place in the streets of Berlin, driving in cars, going into buildings, dodging bullets, the lot! And it is completely seamless. At no point are you pulled out of the film thinking a mistake's been made. You are with it all the way.

The cinematographer and camera operator deserve a lot of credit here, managing the lighting and composition of the film, but the whole thing is a tremendous logistical accomplishment. Fantastic too are the performances, especially that of Laia Costa (Victoria) who puts in a full run-time of what must have been both an emotionally and physically exhausting effort. It's a production of great ambition and they really did pull it off.

In conclusion, I'm not sure if Victoria is technically the "best" film I saw all year (I'm less about the arbitrary ranking of films each time I do this) but it definitely is the one I enjoyed the most. I'm partial to a good thrill, and this one had me edgy throughout. I recommend this to you all and hope it gives you the same type of experience that it gave me.

FILM: 10 Best Movies of 2015

One great year, ten great films. Here they are.

10. SLOW WEST

An enjoyable and unassuming little film that brings vintage qualities of the Western to the fore. The story follows a young Scotsman and a Cowboy he hires as guide in a quest to find the love of his life (gone AWOL). Fasbender does a pretty good Bogart as likeable anti-hero, leading the adventure until its inevitable shootout. I was slightly distracted by the fact it was shot against our iconic landscape in Twizel, not quite the frontier I associate with, but otherwise enjoyed its meandering pace and cinematic nostalgia.

9. IT FOLLOWS

Another tribute pick to old-school cinema, It Follows is an 80's style horror film worthy of any era. It could've been made by John Carpenter himself with its supernatural setup, electronic score and general mastery but actually goes beyond this playing on genre tropes with glee. Wish more were made like this!

8. THE DARK HORSE

Cliff Curtis returns home as former chess champion Genesis Potini in an uplifting yarn that delivers more than you might expect. Based on a true story, the film is full of self belief in production and performance and excels because of it. The kids are especially good but the whole thing is great and will please most crowds.

7. STEVE JOBS

Danny Boyle and Aaron Sorkin team up in the second Fasbender vehicle on this list about the late technological visionary Steve Jobs. I really appreciated the narrative invention with this one which tells its whole story across three different moments (all product launches) in his life. It was a really interesting way of showing the relationship between him, his products, friends and family, at emotionally heightened times. The scene between Jobs and Sculley (Jeff Daniels) halfway through is where the film peaks for me. Fantastic filmmaking.

6. STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON

I was sceptical about the merits of this film but went to see it because of positive reviews and was glad that I did. It could have easily been a lazy and conventional money spinner but through ambition (much like that of the group itself) achieves more. The performances by the ensemble are thoroughly convincing, especially with the musical side of things, but the story itself just has a bit of everything and F Gary Gray executes the moments he needs to with aplomb. An educational experience as well about an artform deserving of appreciation.

5. STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

After the disappointment of the prequels, there was a lot of pressure on JJ Abrams to deliver with this one and deliver he did! The Force really does awaken in this seventh installment, moving at light speed to once again capture imagination and thrill. It's exciting, fun and just has so much positive energy and enthusiasm, especially through the next generation cast. I've enough objectivity to concede it's not a perfect film, but in the context of the saga itself, as fans, we couldn't have asked for more. Bring on Episode VIII and Skywalker! 

4. THE LOOK OF SILENCE

Joseph Oppenheimer's follow-up to the Act of Killing is another harrowing watch that this time focuses on the family of a victim that was murdered in the Indonesian killings of the 60's. This feels a more personal account as the brother of a victim poses as journalist interviewing the perpetrators of those crimes. It was a study about the loss of humanity for me and bears scars on both sides for all to see.

3. MAD MAX FURY ROAD

You could tell from its early trailers this was going to be an instant cult classic and so it has become. In Mad Max Fury Road we were given the adrenaline junkie spectacle of the year. From its hyper-kinetic opening scene we are treated to a melee of action, stuntwork and grandiose visuals. The pace of the film is relentless and the dystopian world is beautifully harsh and raw. Charlise Theron's Furiosa steals the show from the title character which actually works to the benefit of the film giving it more than a touch of gravitas. Memorably unique, this film is an antipodean gem. Has to be seen!

2. SICARIO

If there is one film I've talked about with people more than any other this year, it's Sicario. Hollywood action thrillers have had a certain look and feel since the success of the Bourne films. The recycled formula has resulted in a dull standard in the genre with few worthy of mention in the last 5 years. Sicario doesn't necessarily deviate far from this formula but is streaks ahead in quality. My god it's a good film. How so? For me it comes down to two things (though more could easily be cited). The first of those things is the film's management of tension. We are invested in a protagonist (Emily Blunt as idealistic FBI agent) who finds herself in a hostile environment (drug cartel strongholds at border between the US and Mexico) in a situation full of unknowns. An unknown mission with an unknown team full of unknown characters who have unknown motives. The further involved she becomes, the more precarious it gets by the information we learn, strategically teased out to us. It's one of those things that just keeps building and building until by the end, your hands are almost covering your eyes, praying for relief. Brilliant.

The second thing the film has going for it is Benicio Del Toro. Every thriller needs one, and he is it for Sicario. The Ultimate Badass, with a capital "U" and "B". Del Toro owns in this film. He starts off quiet and mysterious but soon commands the narrative from scene to scene, without remorse. And he plays it so well. With few words and an economy of action he is calm, collected, precise and direct. Without going into too much detail he basically makes Liam Neeson from Taken look like Tinkerbell. He rules and so does this film. See it!

1. WHIPLASH

So here we are at my favourite film in 2015 and it is Whiplash, the first film I think I actually saw this year! Whiplash is an intense and loud film that tells the story of an aspiring young drummer (played by Miles Teller) who enrols in the most prestigious music school in the US. His teacher (played by JK Simmons) is somewhat demanding (understatement) and the core of the film is the relationship between the two.

I've always appreciated films that showcase real musical talent and the first thing that struck me with this was how good they were. The musicians are excellent and Teller himself does exceptionally well on drums as lead. The Director is also obviously a fan as he allows the band to play, cutting on cue where appropriate, and incorporates the music (one tune in particular) as an integral part of the plot. It all works to add another active sense and layer to the film, making it all the more immersive.

Then there's the acting talent, and again it is fantastic. Teller shows great commitment to his physically and emotionally exhausting role, but most people will remember the performance of JK Simmons as the relentless teacher. It is dynamically played, soft and sincere one moment, menacing the next. His is the search to find the next God of Jazz (e.g. Charlie Parker whom he idolises in the film) and sees himself as the instigator from which the next musical messiah will return. Completely unapologetic in his method, he pushes Teller and othes to the limit and back again, much to our entertainment. He is a force to say the least and the accolades the actor has collected for his efforts are much deserved.

Somewhat overshadowed by JK Simmons performance, the Director (Damien Chazelle) I think also deserves credit, especially given the fact it's his debut feature. For me he gets everything right. Extracting the performances, acquiring the right look and feel, managing the pace of the film, everything is in sync. When you add to this the fact that it was shot in 19 days or something ridiculous like that, you can only be impressed.

But in saying all this, the main reason I like this film is quite simply because it's just a good story. One that covers ambition and aspiration, struggle, pain, determination, turmoil and ends with a great payoff. You can have all the technique and trickery in the world, but ultimately people (like me) just enjoy good stories, and it's why this film works so well and is top of the bunch for 2015.

TRAVEL: The Turtle Tour of Strasbourg and Nuremberg

Day One: The Christmas Market Mission

On the 1st September 2014, Turtle sent our group of friends an email inviting us on a tour to see both the oldest and largest Christmas markets in Europe. Those particular honours belonged to Strasbourg and Nuremberg respectively, and with fond memories of gluwein, soft snow, pork knuckle and steins of beer from previous trips, I quickly said "yes!". Wilson and Hoa did the same, and after careful consideration, Turtle granted us permission to join and began making arrangements. About a week later Rebecca said she wanted to come, crashing in on the email thread. This was met by a chilling silence. We half-expected never to see Rebecca again, having violated one of Turtle's sacred commandments ('thou replies immediatelies'), but he let her down lightly.

"Dear Rebecca,

You can't come. You ruin my plans. Never speak to me again.

Sinceres
Turtle"

So the four of us it was for what was sure to be a Turtle specialty tour of epic proportions! 

Standing at the train platform on the morning of departure, I started to wonder if something had happened to Turtle. I had watched two trains go past and missing another would make it touch-and-go at the airport. Turtle has a very specific morning preparatoire so can sometimes be a little slow out the blocks (hence the nickname). He self-cultivates himself with precision, and is only ever seen as he wants to be seen. That wasn't the issue in this instance (he was battling a rail ticket machine) and he soon arrived in time for us to meet up with Wilson and Hoa for the flight to Strasbourg. 

I don't often mention tales of transit in these accounts, but experienced a first with this flight, and not a particularly nice one. For some reason, (and I'm still not sure why), the plane adopted a horizontal descent for landing. What I mean by this, is instead of a normal plane going down in a nicely angled, downward approach, our pilot shifted side-to-side pretty much all the way down. It was like he was performing an aeronautical line-dance/hoe-down. I didn't even know jumbo jets could manoeuvre like that. I'm still not sure they can, and it was most unnerving.

"Turtle we're going to die!"

"Turtle has shell. Turtle swims."

"We're flying over land!"

"Turtle swims land."

The QueasyJet managed to eventually land safely and after a short train ride we were in Strasbourg!

The strange thing (I found) about being in Strasbourg is that it doesn't feel like you're in France. The city has a very Germanic feel about it. It's name, the architecture, the locals, the fact they have Christmas markets etc. It's about as close to Germany as you can get without being there, separated only by the Rhein. I mean it has bits of Franco influence here and there, mostly reflected in the modern structures (this is stuff I read at the tourist centre), but for the most part it felt like it belonged to the Germans.

The town itself is a very picturesque, or would've been in nice weather (grey skies and cold don't complement anything). Encircled by the river, it has the magnificent medieval bridge Ponts Courverts at its tip as the showpiece. We gazed and took our photos and noticed it was peculiarly quiet around us. We had arrived mid-afternoon but the streets were almost empty. Bereft of people. Odd. Without pausing to dwell on the thought, we decided we were hungry, and after struggling to find a restaurant that was actually open, we stumbled across a chain-type bistro and took a table.

The food was actually better than expected. I've had a few food-related mishaps in recent times, so tend to go for conventional choices. Hoa and Turtle went for the traditional dish of the town (some kind of cheesy, gnochi/pasta dish with ham) whilst Wilson went full monty with the beef tartare. The portions too were fairly decent I thought.

"It's like a starter."

Turtle's slightly more demanding nutritional requirements are borne from childhood, growing up in the jungles in Borneo. As an active child, one has an active appetite. In Borneo a normal meal would consist of captured monkey (consumed bones and all), its slightly digested stomach contents savoured for dessert. We dilly-dallied with our meal a little bit before Turtle realised the time.

"Oh shit. We got to goes!"

"Where?"

"The churches!"

"Huh? Why?"

"The performance of a lifetimes!"

The church Turtle was referring to was the monumentally gothic Strasbourg Cathedral, also known as Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg. The performance he was referring to was that of the giant clock inside, which on the hour supposedly springs to life with its ornamental characters putting on a show. It sounded much like the one I had seen in Prague and it had Turtle pretty excited.

"This is going to be a performance of a lifetimes!"

As soon as we stepped outside the restaurant, Turtle started running. Just up and ran, leaving the three of us, Wilson, Hoa and I, with no choice but to up and go after him. The Cathedral was about 20mins stroll from where we were but Turtle was determined to get there in good time. Now I'm not one to shy away from a bit of physical excursion (the lads at Tuesday night football call me "Christiano non-stop"), but the sun had completely disappeared and the howling arctic gale was blowing a sub-zero wind in full force. This was why there were no locals around! Because they knew the (snowless) blizzard of the century was coming!

"Hard up. Run faster. It keep you warm like fresh monkey skin."

It was freezing. At one point it got so bad I felt like quoting as Oates to Scott "I am just going outside and may be some time."  My feet weren't quite as gangrenous as Oates so I soldiered on and we finally made it to the Cathedral... 15mins early.

"We're early!?!"

"We need time to get a good spot."

60 seconds later.

"Turtle got a good spot"

There were a few people gathered around the giant clock but not all that many making our sprinted effort, rather needless. We got so bored waiting we had a quick look around the Cathedral itself which was Cathedrally impressive as they typically are in Europe. Just for once, I'd like to see a really crap Cathedral. One where the paintings are rubbish because there were no good artists in the town. Where the stained glass windows are just windows because they didn't know how to get the colour in. One where the ceilings are low because they were too lazy to spend 50 years in construction... Just for a bit of difference you know?...

We soon returned back to our spots.

"It's a showtime!"

There was a hushed silence in the crowd as the clock approached the hour. Suddenly a floodlight shone from below, illuminating the glorious apparatus. Turtle yelled out.

"This a fucking awesome!!!"

The light revealed an array of medieval characters, cogs and wheels, bells and whistles. This was surely going to be a the spectacular show, Turtle had promised.

Over the silence we heard a feint chime. Then another. Where was it coming from?

"Where's the dong coming from?"

"Up and to the left Turtle! Off yonder to the left!"

"What the fuck a yon?... There it is!"

We had spotted it. A dainty little guard, hitting a tiny little bell. How delightful! It was the beginning of the show. We waited anxiously for the next act...

The floodlight slowly dimmed out. The drama I thought! It must be for a set change. What drama!

More silence. A murmur. A communal scratching of the head and shared sigh before the crowd started to disperse. The four of us stood there confused. Wilson pipped up.

"Really?... Is that it?.."

"I think it is..."

Turtle was not pleased.

"That's a bullshit! I only saw one dong. I only saw one dong!"

Alas, that was it. We should have probably guessed that the lack of a crowd, meant lack of spectacle. I'm going to give the clock the benefit of the doubt and speculate it does a whole lot more at specific times in the day, but for us it was bitterly disappointing.

"Where's my matches!"

In Borneo most grievances are resolved by fire, but at the end of the day the trip wasn't about seeing a clock performance (or lack thereof). The mission was for the Christmas Markets, which is where we quickly turned our attention, after Turtle calmed down... eventually.

Strasbourg has the oldest Christmas markets in the world. There were several scattered throughout the city and we had a look at a few. In all honesty it was a little disappointing. The markets felt more of the 'flea' variety than the Christmas, specialising in back-of-the-truck goods. There was the usual gluvein and heated blanch, brockwursts and bratwursts, toffee apples and other assorted sweets, but it was all pretty much the same stuff, stall to stall. 

We indulged in this foot-long hotdog but it was drenched in so much liquid cheese, I had to throw half mine out, saving the sausage (always got to save the sausage).

We were completely exhausted after this (plus it wasn't getting any warmer) so went back to the hotel via a Carrefour picking up 16 rather cute 150ml Heinekin stubbies and playing a card game called 'Bastard' which is similar to 'Last-card' but the loser is called the 'Bastard'. The best quote of the night came from Turtle, as it often does, when he yelled out in frustration: 

"It doesn't matter what I do, I'm still going to be the bastard!". 

He would become a quadruple-bastard by the end of the night. It hadn't been his day.

Day Two: A Happy Man

We set off early for Nuremberg by train at 9:30am. It's a four hour ride with a one hour stop in Stuttgart. My last winter experience in Germany was met with a blanket of snow so my expectation for this trip was for more of the same. Strasbourg was about as cold as you could get without it actually snowing. Nuremberg by the time we arrived, was comparatively balmy. Warmer than London in fact! It was welcome relief, allowing us to lose a few layers.

We dropped our things off at the hotel Turtle had booked for us. It was a cheap deal in the middle of the only red light district street in the city. The building itself had the heir of one with past glory, now just barely maintained. The man at the front desk seemed to be the only member of staff in the entire hotel but was helpful nevertheless, pointing out where we were and what to see.

Nuremberg is a small city with a handful of sites so we decided to check out Nuremberg Castle on the high ground for views of the city against sunset. To get there we went via Nuremberg's first lot of Christmas markets (the largest in the world) to inspect the festive offerings they had on offer.

The Nuremberg markets were a lot busier than the ones in Strasbourg and superior in quality too. There was more variety with regards to arts and crafts, food and other delicacies. There was a stand-out moment en-route to the Castle when we spotted and stopped by a big Staedler store (not part of the actual markets). So grand it was we couldn't resist but inspect. The store was great. They had all sorts of things going on. A traditionally dressed wood shaver in the window, stationery galore, and pencils, oh the pencils. Of every type and variety you could imagine. This was like the German equivalent of the Apple stores you see in the UK. 

"Come take a look das wunderbar pencils yah. Do you know Staedler? They are the supremely best pencils in das world. Deutsche engineering yah." 

They were ever so proud of them.

We reached Nuremberg Castle on the stroke of sunset, the perfect moment for some photo taking. That's when Turtle whipped it out.

"What the hell is that?... " - Yohei

"You're kidding me..." - Wilson

Turtle stared at us both, cool and steely eyed.

"Selfie-stick bitches!"

Along with his DSLR, his iPhone and iPad, Turtle had packed a selfie-stick with a mounted GoPro. A fully equipped Asian. The thing is Turtle wasn't even using the selfie-stick to take selfies. He was using it to shoot over the crowds. I asked Turtle how he knew what he was shooting (the GoPro had no viewfinder).

"I just knows."

I got a couple of nice shots with my humble Fuji X10 and it was back towards the markets to find some food.

The German staple is one of the reasons I love the place so much. Meat and beer. If I lived there I'd probably last about 18 months before a coronary, but during short visits I like to indulge. I had one pre-trip goal before this trip and that was pork knuckle and stein (man of simple pleasures). I found a charming little eatery for us to try and we stepped in. Pork knuckle they had! We were happy. In Germany they serve it with Sourkraut, diced cabbage soaked in vinegar, which on its own is quite sharp, but in combination, quite pleasant. They didn't have steins so had to settle for regular pints but the brew was still very good. The owner was quite a character and very much liked the look of Hoa, but amused us all and told me that I was sitting in the seat of two former chancellors (they reserve it for dignitaries that step in the premises).

Turtle had been eyeing up the Bavarian dressed wenches serving us over the course of his beverage muttered:

"You have to help me get one of the waitresses..."

"Aye?"

"A photo... You have to help me get a photo with one of the waitresses."

I subsequently forgot to do this when it came time to leave but luckily Hoa was on hand to whisper into Turtle's favourite one "He wants to marry you" and she was more than happy to oblige. With the photo that is, not marriage. Turtle came back the happiest I think I've ever seen him.

"That's a score ow." - Yohei

"Fuck yeah!" - Turtle

We walked around the Christmas markets some more, got a mulled wine (Turtle was chopped by this stage) then tried to find a place that would serve us the stein that Wilson and I were now desperate for. In Germany, food and drink go hand in hand so we really struggled to find a place that catered for beverage-seeking patrons. Defeated we got some supermarket bevies and returned back to the room. But Wilson and I were discontented by this and headed back out, determined to find the steins. In the end the answer was right under our noses at a tavern of sorts, not 5 minutes away. We approached the heavyset, no-nonsense frauline at the bar and asked if they local brew in a large size.

"They only come in my small glasses!" She proclaimed strongly before pulling out two beautifully massive 1L stein mugs and slamming them on the bench. Awesome!

We returned to the hotel where, in quite a boozed state, got well into the supermarket bevies, Wilson and I struggled against a sober and alert Hoa and a Turtle in games of Bastard that then ensued. I'm not going to lie, I was definitely the worst of the lot, losing many times.

"Hahaha! Yohei's a quintuple bastard!!!" - Turtle

To this day, Turtle still rides this moment. This victory is his greatest, proudest, life achievement bar none. 

Day Three: The Nuremberg Trials

Our third and final day was a Wilson-motivated history lesson with a visit to the Documentation Centre Nazi Party Rally Grounds. It's a museum situated in the remains of the old Nazi Party Rally Grounds detailing the history of the Nazi's activity in the region. I didn't know much beyond the fact that the post-war trials took place there so it was a good opportunity to do some learning at the heart of where it all happened.

The museum itself is situated in a section of the Congress Hall, a huge structure built to accommodate an audience of 50,000 in its central opening. Although never completely finished, the shear enormity of the structure left you with no doubts about the effect they were going for. 

The exhibition itself was very interesting. I never realised the historical significance of Nuremberg to the Nazi regime as was described at the museum. The city's historical ties to the Holy Roman Empire were exploited and found expression via the huge political rallies they held there, vehicles themselves for party propaganda. There was a decent amount to take in as it went through this, the devastation suffered during the war (90% of the city was flattened by 1 hour of Allied bombing) and of course, the Trials themselves.

Turtle was done within about 60 minutes.

"Turtle done. I read everything. I going back to Old Town."

The rest of us were only about a third of the way through so spent the rest of the morning taking our time, and it was a good way to spend it.

Nothing much happened there on after. The three of us headed back into the City where we had one last feast (Pork Knuckle and Stein of course) before meeting up with Turtle at the airport and heading home.

All in all a great trip, especially Nuremberg. Good food, good drink, good sites and good Turtle. What more could one want.