This is a dangerous article for us to publish with finals approaching.
Movies are great. They challenge, they comfort, they entertain; sometimes a special film does all three at the same time.
This semester was particularly chock-full of these types of films, so we wanted to pay homage to a few of our many favorites.
No, we’re not procrastinating, and you won’t be either by culturing yourself through watching one (or two, maybe three) of these great films.
The Revenant
After Leonardo DiCaprio’s anticipated Oscar win, it’s no surprise that “The Revenant” was one of the standout films of the year. A winning combination of intense visual effects, masterful sound mixing, incredible direction from Alejandro González Iñárritu that made audiences feel as though they were sweeping across the Dakotas and moving performances from both DiCaprio and Tom Hardy, made the film a masterpiece.
Despite its lengthy running time of 156 minutes, the film was gripping at every turn, particularly during the moments audience members wished to look away, but found their eyes glued to the screen. The film whisked viewers away on a ride like no other, and took intensity to an entirely new level.
–Frankie Hermanek
Zootopia
What appeared on the surface to be the second coming of “The Wild,” Disney’s last absolute failure, was in fact, an absolute delight. “Zootopia,” starring Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman, is the kind of movie Disney would not have dared make 20 years ago — a buddy cop movie about racial profiling.
While the plot isn’t exactly the deepest, it’s easy to see that this is an all-out effort for Disney. There’s a whole host of lines that will make adult members of the audience turn and go “Wait, what?” Lines that refer, however vaguely, to real-world events that no child would ever comprehend helps showcase the fact that this movie is deeper than it first appears.
–Peter Culver
Deadpool
At long last, after years and years of waiting and arguing, there is a good live-action portrayal of Deadpool. Played by Ryan Reynolds, whose Twitter can prove his propensity for comedy, “Deadpool” is a massive home run.
Though the plot is a little cookie-cutter in broad strokes, the finer points are what set it apart — especially Reynolds’ performance. In his own words, Deadpool is a character who “takes nothing seriously,” which shines through in his role. Just watching the red band trailer alone provides you with a decent picture of what to expect. But the joyous vulgarity extends far beyond what any trailer could show.
–Peter Culver
Room
This indie upstart that took the 2016 awards season by storm also shocked everyone with its depth of emotion. Starring Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay as a kidnapped woman and her son with her captor, “Room” is a massive gut-punch of emotions.
Larson won just about every possible award, but Tremblay matches the strength in her performance. The wonder and terror in his eyes as he sees the world for the first time in his young life is staggering, and there was rarely a dry eye in the house during any given screening.
— Peter Culver
