Review: "Marvel's Ant-Man" is a Tiny Marvel

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 47 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux

[A version of this review first appeared on Patreon.]

Ant-Man (2015)
Running time:  117 minutes (1 hour, 57 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sci-fi action violence
DIRECTOR:  Peyton Reed
WRITERS:  Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish & Adam McKay and Paul Rudd; from a story by Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish (based on the comic book created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby)
PRODUCER:  Kevin Feige
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Russell Parker
EDITORS:  Dan Lebental and Colby Parker, Jr.
COMPOSER:  Christophe Beck

SUPERHERO/SCI-FI and ACTION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY

Starring:  Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, Abby Ryder Fortson, Michael Pena, David Dastmalchian, Tip “T.I.” Harris, Hayley Atwell, John Slattery, Martin Donovan, Garrett Morris, Anthony Mackie, and Stan Lee

Ant-Man is a 2015 superhero film and sci-fi action-comedy film directed by Peyton Reed and produced by Marvel Studios.  The film focuses on the Marvel Comics character, Ant-Man, who first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27 (cover date: September 1962) and was created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby.  Ant-Man the movie focuses on an ex-con who is given a super-suit that shrinks the wearer to microscopic size while increasing the wearer's strength, so that he can use it to pull off a heist that will save the world.

Ant-Man opens in the year 1989.  Scientist Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) discovers that his colleagues at S.H.I.E.L.D. are attempting to duplicate his shrinking technology, which he calls the “Pym particle,” so he quits.  Pym once used that shrinking tech to power his “Ant-Man” suit.  In the present day, the now-retired Pym discovers that his protégé at Pym Technologies, Darren Cross (Corey Stoll), is also trying to duplicate the “Pym particle.”  In fact, Cross is very close to doing so and has even built his own shrinking suit, which he calls “Yellowjacket.”

Pym and his estranged daughter, Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), believe that the only way to stop Cross is to steal the “Yellowjacket” suit and all of Cross' data and research.  To do that, they will have to break into the heavily-secured Pym Technologies building, and that means someone will have to wear the Ant-Man suit.  Is down-on-his-luck ex-con and master thief, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), the perfect person to be the new Ant-Man?

As Marvel's superheroes go, Ant-Man is D-list, as far as familiarity with the public is concerned.  To bring him to the big screen, Marvel needed the right actor.  Paul Rudd is the right actor; he is irresistibly likable.  I have been a fan of his since I first saw him in Clueless about two decades ago.  His affable charm sells the idea of Scott Lang as a well-meaning criminal with a just cause.  If you find Ant-Man to be a silly concept, Rudd makes it all seem less so.  Everything about him says just-right.

Meanwhile, the rest of the cast is pretty good.  Corey Stall, who has been giving dramatic heft to FX's summer vampire television series, “The Strain,” since 2014, is Marvel's best villain-of-the-first-movie since Jeff Bridges menaced the first Iron Man film.  Michael Peña as Luis, Scott's friend, is good, although the character sometimes seems a bit like an out-of-place oddity.  Evangeline Lilly is lost in make-up as Hope van Dyne, who is also an oddity in this film.

I guess “odd” is the theme for Ant-Man the movie.  I can't believe how much I like this movie.  I saw Ant-Man at an early matinee on a Friday afternoon.  There were a few children in the audience, and they loved the movie, often squealing with delight.  I was dignified enough to force my squeals into hearty laughs.

Of all the Marvel Studios films, Ant-Man is the one that most effectively uses the avalanche of CGI and special effects we have come to expect of modern summer blockbusters, fantasy films, and superhero movies.  I would dare say that just about every use of computer-generated imagery and effects in Ant-Man is in context, serving the narrative.  Ant-Man is like The Matrix (at least the first one) in that all of the movie and computer magic is justified.  I want a sequel, so I'm asking the rest of the world to join me in loving ants and Ant-Man as you never thought you could or would.

8 of 10
A

Sunday, July 19, 2015


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint syndication rights and fees.

Michael Douglas Shares His Thoughts on "Marvel's Ant-Man"

This Q&A was provided to the press by Disney's public relations and marketing partners.

AN INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL DOUGLAS FOR THE HOME ENTERTAINMENT RELEASE OF MARVEL’S ANT-MAN

The latest evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe introduces the newest member of the Avengers: Marvel’s Ant-Man. Armed with the amazing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang (played by Paul Rudd) joins forces with his new mentor Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) to protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit. Full of humor and heart, as well as awesome special effects, this action-packed adventure will shortly be released on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD – complete with never-before-seen deleted scenes, making-of featurettes, a gag reel and audio commentary.

To celebrate the exciting in-home release, we talk to acclaimed actor Michael Douglas – who plays Dr. Hank Pym in Marvel’s Ant-Man – to discover his thoughts on the daring heist adventure…

Q:  Marvel’s Ant-Man has been praised as one of the funniest movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Did the humor attract you to the superhero project? 

DOUGLAS:  The humor was definitely appealing, but I was more interested in the idea of being in an effects movie. I was also really interested in being in a studio tent-pole film after a few years of being more involved with indie pictures. I’m certainly overwhelmed by the success that Marvel has had and how well they do these movies. It’s been a joy to watch and study how they mold a picture together. 

Q: Is this your first superhero movie?

DOUGLAS:  I’ve never done an effects movie before, so this is my first. I was very envious of Jack Nicholson when he played the Joker and Danny DeVito when he played the Penguin. I remember them telling me how much fun it was, so I was very excited to add at least one of these super-action superhero pictures to my résumé.

Q:  With the impending home entertainment release of Marvel’s Ant-Man, how does it feel to know that audiences will soon be able to watch the movie in the comfort of their own home?

DOUGLAS:  Historically, the movies that you buy are the movies that you cherish the most, so I think it’s great. When I think back to the first picture I produced, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest; when we put that out in the Blu-ray format, viewers got lots of background information and things that weren’t in the movie. They got a lot of behind-the-scenes information. It’s a joy for people that are real fans to see what was going on when we were making the movie. 

Q:  Do you have a large Blu-ray collection at home?

DOUGLAS:  I’ve got a pretty good Blu-ray collection, but my problem is that I rarely have time to look at it. I don’t know how people find the time. It’s the same thing with people who watch box sets and they go right through three years of a series. I have no idea how people have the time! 

Q:  Have you got a state-of-the-art home entertainment system set-up at home?

DOUGLAS:  I’ve got one of those new curve screens and it’s quite stunning. The sound quality is amazing, too. You know what? I haven’t explained this to my kids – but when I first started in The Streets Of San Francisco, there were only two networks that existed: CBS and NBC; ABC was the upcoming version. It really makes you think about how much time has passed because I’m talking about black and white television here. That’s unheard of now. Television and movies have come along an amazingly long way. 

Q:  What do your children think of your role in Marvel’s Ant-Man? Were they excited to see their father in a superhero blockbuster?

DOUGLAS:  This movie gives me a new credibility with my son and his buddies, which is great. Up until now, most of my career has been R-rated, so neither my kids nor any of their friends have seen a whole lot of what I’ve done. My 14-year-old’s reaction was like an agent. He said, “You know what, Dad? This could be a whole new audience for you.” I took that to heart and here I am.

Q:  There’s a fatherhood theme that runs through Marvel’s Ant-Man. How does that add to the movie’s appeal?

DOUGLAS:  I thought it gave the movie a lot of heart. It’s certainly been an issue that was touched on with Iron Man to some degree, but I don’t think to the level that it is in Ant-Man. I think the complexities of my relationship with my daughter, Hope, and the parallel relationships that Scott Lang [played by Paul Rudd] has with his family are very interesting. I think it grounds the picture and gives it an emotional level that is viable. It’s an asset.

Q:  What do you think of Paul Rudd’s performance as Ant-Man?

DOUGLAS:  Paul Rudd is great. He brings an everyman quality to the superhero. He’s got a great self-deprecating sense of humor and he worked his way into unbelievable shape for the role. He doesn’t try to play it smart; he just has an everyman quality about him, which I think is very, very appealing. When you watch him, as the character rises to the qualities of being a superhero, you really end up rooting for him. 

Q:  How much of a Marvel fan are you?

DOUGLAS:  I love to go and watch Marvel movies with my kids. I’ve caught a fair share of the Marvel films and I always look forward to them – but I also enjoy the home entertainment editions. As a member of the Academy, we get DVDs of a lot of the pictures at the end of the year, so my wife Catherine [Zeta-Jones] and I spend a lot of time catching up on films at our home. 

Q:  How much research did you undertake into the history of Ant-Man and Dr. Hank Pym when you signed on to the movie?

DOUGLAS:  I was not familiar with Ant-Man before this movie – but Marvel were kind enough to send me about two years’ worth of comic books, so I could catch up on his history and background. I’ve read a lot of them. I’ve thumbed through and read most of the stuff that pertained to Hank to help me understand him a little more.

Q:  In the comics, Dr. Hank Pym is a damaged man with an unfortunate history. How much of his past was on your mind when you portrayed the character on set?

DOUGLAS:  They gave me more background to my character than most movies I’ve done, so I could understand about the loss of his wife and the alienation with his daughter. I found it very helpful. I think there are echoes of the loss of his wife and elements that highlight the distance between Hank and his daughter, who is played by Evangeline Lilly. I don’t think we wanted to dwell on it, but it pays off a little later in the picture.

Q:  Marvel likes to hide lots of Easter eggs and secret references in their movies. Were you aware of them when you were shooting the film?

DOUGLAS:  I became aware as they explained them to me. I was a babe in the woods, so what can I say? I love the curiosity and the zealousness in which a lot of the audiences follow these pieces. But I was aware, of course, of the Wasp at the end of the movie and its significance.

Q:  Was the Wasp reveal always planned to be a stinger scene with the end credits?

DOUGLAS:  It was a little scene that they added halfway through the picture. Maybe they were going to have it all along – but they start on a broad canvas and then they narrow it down in terms of the relationships that are working. It goes from there really. 

Q:  The opening sequence of the movie is a flashback scene with Hayley Atwell’s character, Peggy Carter. Did you understand the relevance of that scene when you were shooting it?

DOUGLAS:  They explained it to me. They explained why a young, attractive woman on a television series was now playing an older woman – and why I was playing my character 30 years younger than he is for the rest of the movie. She and I did not have a chance to talk too much. She was in the middle of her series [Agent Carter], so she just came down for that one quick scene.

Q:  What do you think of the scene?

DOUGLAS:  When I went into record some extra dialogue after the movie was shot, that scene was half finished, so one half of me had little spots all over my face – and I was wearing the wig with all that hair – and the other half had been completed. Through the magic of computer graphics, I looked 30 years younger. I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s like looking at yourself 30 years ago. There’s no need to do remakes anymore. I’ll just remake some of my movies with myself playing the part!

Q:  How did they shoot the scene?

DOUGLAS:  I had little spots, or little dots, everywhere. They used the dots for reference to measure or change things or whatever they do – and once completed, you see this little baby-faced guy. It was great. I thought it was fantastic.

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Margaret Atwood Has a Graphic Novel Coming from Dark Horse Comics

Dark Horse Comics Announces the First Graphic Novel from Booker Award–Winning Novelist Margaret Atwood

Dark Horse Comics announced today the publication of Angel Catbird, the first graphic novel by Margaret Atwood, the Booker Award–winning author of The Blind Assassin, The Handmaid’s Tale, and The Heart Goes Last. Angel Catbird is a unique and ambitious collaboration between Atwood and artist Johnnie Christmas (Sheltered) that tells the story of an unusual superhero over the course of three all-ages graphic novels, the first of which will be published by Dark Horse Comics in the fall of 2016. The project is being published in tandem with Keep Cats Safe and Save Bird Lives, an initiative led by Nature Canada, the oldest conservation charity in the country.

“I have concocted a superhero who is part cat, part bird. Due to some spilled genetic Super-Splicer, our hero got tangled up with both a cat and an owl; hence his fur and feathers, and his identity problems,” said Atwood.

“Margaret Atwood has created a bold and unforgettable new character, paying homage to both classic pulp heroes and traditional comic book origin stories,” said Mike Richardson, Dark Horse’s publisher and president. “We’re proud to bring Margaret’s Angel Catbird here to Dark Horse, since it is exactly the kind of creator-owned graphic novel we are committed to publishing."

“What should you expect from Angel Catbird? Imagine, if you will, a strange mix of Will Eisner’s The Spirit, Grant Morrison and Chas Truog’s Animal Man, and Ryan North and Erica Henderson’s Squirrel Girl,” said acquiring editor Daniel Chabon. “Angel Catbird is a humorous, action-driven, pulp-inspired story. And the only other thing I can tell you at this early date is to expect a lot of cat puns.”

“I wanted to find an artist whose style Margaret liked, and who I felt comfortable working with and who shared the vision for the project,” said consulting editor Hope Nicholson (The Secret Loves of Geek Girls), who brought Angel Catbird to Dark Horse. “Johnnie Christmas is, by all accounts, a perfect fit.”

“It’s tremendously exciting to work with one of the great contemporary novelists,” said Johnnie Christmas. “I can’t wait for readers to experience the world of Angel Catbird that we’re building. It’s got warmth, heart, humor, and lots of action.”

Angel Catbird will be a three-volume series of 6 x 9–inch full-color trade paperbacks priced at $10.99 each. More information about the Angel Catbird graphic novels and Nature Canada’s campaign will be released in 2016.


About Margaret Atwood
Margaret Atwood was born in 1939 in Ottawa, and grew up in northern Ontario and Quebec, and in Toronto. She received her undergraduate degree from Victoria College at the University of Toronto and her master’s degree from Radcliffe College.

Margaret Atwood is the author of more than forty volumes of poetry, children’s literature, fiction, and non-fiction, but is best known for her novels, which include The Edible Woman (1969), The Handmaid’s Tale (1985), The Robber Bride (1994), Alias Grace (1996), and The Blind Assassin, which won the prestigious Booker Prize in 2000. MaddAddam (2013),is the final volume in a three-book series that began with the Man-Booker prize-nominated Oryx and Crake (2003) and continued with The Year of the Flood (2009); the series is currently being adapted for HBO by Darren Aronofsky. The Tent (mini-fictions) and Moral Disorder (short fiction) both appeared in 2006. Her most recent volume of poetry, The Door, was published in 2007. In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination, a collection of non-fiction essays appeared in 2011. Her non-fiction book, Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth was adapted for the screen in 2012. Her latest works are a book of short stories called Stone Mattress: Nine Tales (2014), and a novel, The Heart Goes Last (2015). Ms. Atwood’s work has been published in more than forty languages, including Farsi, Japanese, Turkish, Finnish, Korean, Icelandic and Estonian.

About Johnnie Christmas
Johnnie Christmas is the co-creator of the critically acclaimed Image Comics series SHELTERED, which has gone on to translation in multiple languages. He is the creator, writer and artist of FIREBUG, serialized in ISLAND Magazine; as well as co-creator of the sci-fi series PISCES. A graduate of the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, Johnnie makes Vancouver, BC his home.

About Dark Horse Comics
Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent, such as Eric Powell, Mike Mignola, Geof Darrow, Brian Wood, Gail Simone, Stan Sakai, and Guillermo del Toro, and comics legends, such as Will Eisner, Milo Manara, Kazuo Koike, Neil Gaiman, and Frank Miller, Dark Horse has developed its own successful properties, such as The Mask, Ghost, X, and Barb Wire. Its successful line of comics, manga, and products based on popular properties includes Dragon Age, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Tomb Raider, Halo, The Witcher, Serenity, Game of Thrones, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading entertainment publishers.

About Nature Canada
Nature Canada is the oldest national nature conservation charity in Canada. Over the past 75 years, Nature Canada has helped protect over 63 million acres of parks and wildlife areas in Canada and countless species that depend on this habitat. Today, Nature Canada has over 45,000 members and supporters and is the national Voice for Nature in a nature network of more than 350 nature organizations across Canada. See more at: http://naturecanada.ca.

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Amazon Orders Greenlights New Series, "Trial"

Amazon Orders Trial from David E. Kelley

Amazon Original Series stars Oscar winners Billy Bob Thornton and William Hurt, along with Olivia Thirlby, Maria Bello and Molly Parker, and is written by David E. Kelley and Jonathan Shapiro, Executive Produced by Kelley, Shapiro and Ross Fineman and Directed by David Semel
December 02, 2015 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon today announced it has greenlit dramatic Amazon Original Series, Trial, to debut exclusively on Prime Video in the US, UK, Germany, Austria, and Japan next year. The new series stars Oscar winners Billy Bob Thornton (Fargo) and William Hurt (Broadcast News), along with Olivia Thirlby (Juno), Maria Bello (Prisoners) and Molly Parker (House of Cards). Trial is written by David E. Kelley (Ally McBeal) and Jonathan Shapiro (The Practice); executive produced by Kelley, Shapiro and Ross Fineman (Lights Out); and directed by David Semel (Madam Secretary).

    “We are excited to bring this series to our customers next year.”

“Billy Bob Thornton, William Hurt and David E. Kelley are world-class talents who have achieved longstanding success in captivating storytelling,” said Roy Price, Vice President, Amazon Studios. “We are excited to bring this series to our customers next year.”

Trial stars Thornton, Hurt, Thirlby and Bello in the ultimate David vs. Goliath battle fought in the 21st century American legal system. The series follows a down-and-out lawyer (Thornton) as he seeks redemption. His one shot depends on getting justice in a legal system where truth has become a commodity, and the scales of justice have never been more heavily weighed toward the rich and powerful.

Trial will be available for Prime members to stream and enjoy through the Amazon Video app for TVs, connected devices and mobile devices, or online at Amazon.com/originals, at no additional cost to their membership. The series will be available in SD and HD, as well as in 4K Ultra HD and High Dynamic Range (HDR) on compatible smart TVs. Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free trial at www.amazon.com/prime.


About Amazon Video
Amazon Video includes tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes available on Prime Video at no additional charge to Prime members, as well as access to hundreds of thousands of titles to buy or rent. Amazon Video is the only service in the world that brings customers both of these options in one place.

Prime Video, available on Amazon Video, lets Prime members enjoy binge-worthy TV shows including Amazon Original Series airing now such as the multi-Golden Globe-winning and Emmy-winning series Transparent, the critically acclaimed The Man in the High Castle, Red Oaks, Hand of God, Bosch,

Catastrophe and Mozart in the Jungle as well as hit series like Sex and the City, Veep, Girls, The Sopranos, Entourage, Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Wire. Prime Video also offers members blockbuster movies such as Transformers: Age of Extinction, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Star Trek Into Darkness and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, among others. Prime members have access to a collection of kids shows including Amazon Original Series Annedroids, Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street, the Annecy, Annie and multi-Emmy Award-winning Tumble Leaf, and Wishenpoof, as well as popular shows from Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Team Umizoomi, and Blue’s Clues.

Prime members can look forward to new and returning original series premiering this year such as the second season of Transparent on December 11, along with Mozart in the Jungle premiering later this year. Coming in 2016 will be the second seasons of Bosch and romantic comedy Catastrophe, along with the debut season of The New Yorker Presents and Mad Dogs.

Amazon Video can be accessed through the Amazon Video app on TVs, connected devices and mobile devices, or online at Amazon.com/amazonvideo. Prime Video titles can also be downloaded for offline enjoyment—the only subscription streaming service to offer this functionality. Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free trial at Amazon.com/prime.

Amazon Prime is an annual membership program for $99 a year that offers customers unlimited Free Two-Day Shipping on more than 20 million items across all categories, unlimited Free Same-Day Delivery on more than a million items in 16 metro areas, unlimited streaming of tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes, more than one million songs, more than one thousand playlists and hundreds of stations with Prime Music, early access to select Lightning Deals all year long, free secure, unlimited photo storage in Amazon Cloud Drive with Prime Photos and access to more than 800,000 books to borrow with the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. In addition, Prime members in select cities receive one and two hour delivery through Prime Now on tens of thousands of items through a mobile app. Not a member? Start a free trial of Amazon Prime at amazon.com/prime.

About Amazon
Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.

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20 Films Vie for 5 "Visual Effects" Nominations for Feb. 2016 Oscars Ceremony

20 CONTENDERS ADVANCE IN VFX OSCAR RACE

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 20 films are in the running in the Visual Effects category for the 88th Academy Awards®.

The films are listed below in alphabetical order:

    “Ant-Man”
    “Avengers: Age of Ultron”
    “Bridge of Spies”
    “Chappie”
    “Everest”
    “Ex Machina”
    “Furious Seven”
    “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2”
    “In the Heart of the Sea”
    “Jupiter Ascending”
    “Jurassic World”
    “Mad Max: Fury Road”
    “The Martian”
    “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation”
    “The Revenant”
    “Spectre”
    “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”
    “Terminator Genisys”
    “Tomorrowland”
    “The Walk”

The Academy’s Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee determined the preliminary shortlist.  This year, in the Visual Effects category, the number of eligible films initially shortlisted for further consideration was increased to a maximum of 20 titles.  The number of films that will be shortlisted for nominations voting remains at 10, which will be announced later this month.

The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 14, 2016, at 5:30 a.m. PT at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

The 88th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.  The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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Online Film Critics Soceity Announces 2015 OFCS Award Nominations

Founded in 1997, the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) describes itself as “the largest, most respected organization for critics whose work appears primarily on the Internet.” The OFCS says that it has been the key force in establishing and raising the standards for Internet-based film journalism. Its membership consists of film reviewers, journalists and scholars based in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Latin America and the Asia/Pacific Rim region. The Online Film Critics Society currently consists of 254 members with writers representing 22 countries across the globe.

The Online Film Critics Society recognized the year’s best films with nominations for their 19th annual awards. The winners will be announced on Monday, December 14, 2015.

2015 / 19th OFCS Award nominations:

Best Picture:

Brooklyn

Carol

Ex Machina

Inside Out

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant

Room

Sicario

Spotlight

Best Animated Feature:

Anomalisa

The Good Dinosaur

Inside Out

The Peanuts Movie

Shaun the Sheep Movie

Best Film Not in the English Language:

The Assassin (Taiwan)

Goodnight Mommy (Austria)

Mustang (France)

Phoenix (Germany)

Son of Saul (Hungary)

Best Documentary:

Amy

Best of Enemies

Cartel Land

Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief

The Look of Silence

Best Director:

Todd Haynes (Carol)

Tom McCarthy (Spotlight)

George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Ridley Scott (The Martian)

Denis Villeneuve (Sicario)

Best Actor:

Matt Damon (The Martian)

Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)

Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs)

Michael B. Jordan (Creed)

Ian McKellen (Mr. Holmes)

Best Actress:

Cate Blanchett (Carol)

Brie Larson (Room)

Charlotte Rampling (45 Years)

Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn)

Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Best Supporting Actor:

Benicio Del Toro (Sicario)

Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina)

Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight)

Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies)

Sylvester Stallone (Creed)

Best Supporting Actress:

Rooney Mara (Carol)

Cynthia Nixon (James White)

Kristen Stewart (Clouds of Sils Maria)

Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl)

Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs)

Best Original Screenplay:

Ex Machina (Alex Garland)

Inside Out (Pete Docter, Ronnie Del Carmen, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley)

Mistress America (Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach)

Sicario (Taylor Sheridan)

Spotlight (Josh Singer, Tom McCarthy)

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Brooklyn (Nick Hornby)

Carol (Phyllis Nagy)

The Martian (Drew Goddard)

Room (Emma Donoghue)

Steve Jobs (Aaron Sorkin)

Best Editing:

Mad Max: Fury Road (Margaret Sixel)

The Martian (Pietro Scalia)

The Revenant (Stephen Mirrione)

Sicario (Joe Walker)

Steve Jobs (Elliot Graham)

Best Cinematography:

The Assassin (Ping Bin Lee)

Carol (Edward Lachman)

Mad Max: Fury Road (John Seale)

The Revenant (Emmanuel Lubezki)

Sicario (Roger Deakins)

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Boston Film Critics Name "Spotlight" Best Picture of 2015

The Boston Society of Film Critics (BSFC) was formed in 1981.  The group claims that its mission is to make “Boston's unique critical perspective heard on a national and international level by awarding commendations to the best of the year's films and filmmakers and local film theaters and film societies that offer outstanding film programming.”  One of the society’s members, Wesley Morris, won 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.

2015 Boston Society of Film Critics Awards Winners:

Best Picture  -  Spotlight

Best Actor – (tie)
Paul Dano for Love & Mercy
Leonardo DiCaprio for The Revenant

Best Actress -  Charlotte Rampling for 45 Years

Best Supporting Actor - Mark Rylance for Bridge of Spies

Best Supporting Actress - Kristen Stewart for Clouds of Sils Maria

Best Director - Todd Haynes for Carol

Best Screenplay - Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer for Spotlight

Best Cinematography - Edward Lachman for Carol

Best Documentary - Amy

Best Foreign-Language Film  (awarded in memory of Jay Carr) -  The Look of Silence (Denmark)

Best Animated Film -  (tie) Anomalisa and Inside Out

Best Film Editing (awarded in memory of Karen Schmeer) -  Margaret Sixel for Mad Max: Fury Road

Best New Filmmaker (awarded in memory of David Brudnoy) -  Marielle Heller for The Diary of a Teenage Girl

Best Ensemble Cast -  Spotlight

Best Use of Music in a Film -  Love & Mercy

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