The Indefensibles - Year 2

I knew I remembered doing this last year, but apparently I did so at the end of October, to close off the original 31 Days Challenge. Oh well; probably makes more sense to do it at the end of the year, when everybody else is rounding everything else up, too. 

Here, then, is a quick rundown of the best and worst of my viewing year - I hope you've had as much fun as I have.

PRESENTING... THE INDEFENSIBLES!

Best Actor (gender neutral)

Nominees: Ralph Fiennes (Grand Budapest Hotel), JK Simmons (Whiplash), Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina), Kristen Wiig (Welcome to Me) Sharlto Copley (Chappie)
Winner: Kristen Wiig, for a stunningly brave performance that actively avoids courting audience sympathy.

Worst Actor (gender neutral)

Nominees: James Marsden (Hop), Mike Jittlov (The Wizard of Speed and Time), Jack Black (Nacho Libre), Steve Martin (Looney Tunes: Back in Action)
Winner: Jack Black, because while James Marsden can't help the configuration of his facial features, Black can sure as shit help that abysmal accent.

Best Movie

Nominees: Mad Max: Fury Road, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Peeping Tom
Winner:  Peeping Tom, for being so very clever on so very many levels. NB: This was an exceptionally hard category to judge. I had about a dozen nominees longlisted and on a different day, any one of the other three films listed above might have taken the honours.

Worst Movie

Nominees: Real Steel, Hop, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Tomorrowland
Winner: Hop, for its complete absence of any even remotely redeeming feature.

Best Soundtrack

Nominees: Hairspray (2007), I Heart Huckabees, Whiplash
Winner: I Heart Huckabees, which combines inventive instrumentation and on-point lyrics to create an experience that weaves itself into the movie's very fabric.

Worst Soundtrack

Nominees: How to be a Serial Killer, The Lorax, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Winner: The Lorax. All of these were bad, but The Lorax was the most offensively loudly bad.

Best Visuals

Nominees: Boxtrolls, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Mad Max: Fury Road
Winner: Mad Max: Fury Road. Endlessly inventive and lyrically beautiful - not bad for an action flick.

Worst Visuals 

Nominees: The Polar Express, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Titan A.E.
Winner: The Polar Express - as big and bleak and barren as the space in Robert Zemeckis' heart where his creative spirit should be.

Pleasantest Surprise

Nominees: The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Rollercoaster, Kingsman: The Secret Service
Winner: Kingsman: The Secret Service. Takes what could be a dodgy concept and turns it into an enjoyable and implausibly big-hearted romp.

Biggest Disappointment

Nominees: The Voices, Titan A.E, Crimson Peak
Winner: Crimson Peak, which managed to make incest seem even more embarrassing than in Game of Thrones.

Guiltiest Pleasure 

Nominees: Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Megamind, Death to Smoochy
Winner: Megamind, a kids' cartoon with properly adult emotional literacy. True, there's not that much to be ashamed of here, but Will Ferrell voices the lead role so that will have to do.

Greatest Waste of a Cool Concept

Nominees: Death Becomes her, Toys, Quartet
Winner: Toys. Granted, Small Soldiers subsequently filled the same hole, but this could have been something darker, artsier and altogether classier.

Greatest Waste of Actorly Talent

Nominees: Meryl Streep (Death Becomes her), Michael Gambon (Toys), George Clooney (Tomorrowland)
Winner: Meryl Streep. We all know La Streep isn't averse to slumming it, but here director Robert Zemeckis (again) has done her wrong and should be ashamed of himself.

Most Misunderstood Work of Genius

Nominees: Con Air, Chappie, Funny Bones
Winner: Funny Bones. Whoever marketed this dark and slightly surreal little drama as a comedy has a lot to answer for.

Happiest Ending

Nominees: Hairspray (2007), Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, Chappie
Winner: Chappie. Warmed my cockles to toasty perfection.

That's all for 2015, folks - see you next year!