My movie taste is pretty much in line with critical consensus, but there are some instances where I think other folks are WRONG. Here are four movies that are getting year-end recognition, but not from me.
Mad Max: Fury Road: Some of my favorite critics, Manohla Dargis and Christy Lemire, have even named Mad Max to the #1 spot on their lists. It’s 120 minutes long, of which at least 105 minutes are chase scenes that are really mobile battles. They are remarkable battles, but they are just battles. Writer-director George Miller has produced an adrenaline-filled thrill ride with some unique elements. But there just really isn’t anything exceptional – characters, dialogue, plot, setting – besides the action. I enjoyed Mad Max, but I don’t rate it as a great movie – I sure wasn’t thinking about it the day after I saw it.
Inside Out: I’m a huge Pixar admirer, and I usually walk out of a Pixar movie THRILLED. That didn’t happen with Inside Out, a smart and entertaining movie, but one that got more attention from my head than my heart.
The Clouds of Sils Maria: Man, what a disappointment! Somehow The Clouds of Sils Maria lets us lose interest in the ever-radiant Juliette Binoche and wastes a performance by Kristen Stewart that made her the first American actress to win a César (the French Oscar). Sometimes confusing as well as boring, it’s just a muddled mess.
Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck: An odd case of too much insight. I liked the talking heads that told the story of Cobain’s life before Nirvana. But Cobain’s own thoughts, feelings and artistic impulses as revealed through his journal and scribblings did not serve to elevate him. In fact, it made him LESS interesting.
