Nominations for 2015 Best Writing

[RogerOThornhill Member Find all posts View Profile Close RogerOThornhill]

Nominate up to five 2015 scripts, original or adaptations, for best writing...

Please stick to films you have actually seen and add a sentence or two of what you liked about the writing.



(1) Creed by Ryan Coogler and Aaron Covington

[RogerOThornhill Member Find all posts View Profile Close RogerOThornhill]

Re: Nominations for 2015 Best Writing

I have not seen very many of the films likely to be nominated by the academy for oscars, thus this is a hard category, even for writers on a writing forum.

I did like Creed's story which made a good effort at avoiding the cliche while staying familiar enough with the Rocky series.

While I like the finished film of Woman in Gold, I don't think the extensive use of distracting flashbacks makes it worthy for a writing nomination.

[jsay Member Find all posts View Profile Close jsay]

Re: Nominations for 2015 Best Writing

I liked ROOM, & ME, EARL & THE DYING GIRL... Both emotional stories, that somehow felt true to their worlds, without pushing too far.

[Mpimentel Regular Find all posts View Profile Close Mpimentel]

Re: Nominations for 2015 Best Writing

I heard ROOM is a great one but have not watched.

I liked

EX MACHINA

It held my interest throughout, and while I wish the ending would be different, I was satisfied with the overall work. Did a great job of bringing up different emotions with a confined space/cast.


DANNY COLLINS

This is a simply, clean written movie, but so much emotion, as a movie probably the one that moved me the most. And the end, was what it needed to be.

SICARIO

Oh man! Brutal, brutal, brutal!The main characters were introduced by action rather than long monologues, and I loved that! And the film itself did stuff, that most films lack the balls to.

THE MARTIAN

I'm not a big space type of person but this one had a great premise and kept the tension with new problems I had not seen in other movies. The fact that he was stuck there for so long made for new scenarios that kept me interested.

HE NEVER DIED

This I like based on how weird a tone it set. I was just happy to see something different and downplayed, letting subtleties rather than speech do the talk.


Also (OP), can't believe you named one film and it was Creed. I thought it was cool, but there were some things that just made go "COME ON!"...

The whole premise was:

"I want to make it on my own merits/I wanna be my own man"

Yet, Rocky ONLY trains the kid after he says he is Apollo's son.

He ONLY gets a shot at the title (After one fight let's not forget), IF he used the name Creed.

And,

Then he fights in his Father's trunks?

How is that making it on your own merits, or being your own man? That is the exact opposite. That said, I was entertained for what it was.

[JoeBanks Member Find all posts View Profile Close JoeBanks]

Re: Nominations for 2015 Best Writing

Spotlight
Brooklyn
Room
Inside Out
Beasts of No Nation

[UpandComing Member Find all posts View Profile Close UpandComing]

Re: Nominations for 2015 Best Writing

Best Writing
The Revenant and Mad Max -- Both had very little dialogue, yet both managed to communicate a significant amount through action and foster a strong investment in the characters. Also, both had amazing performances by Tom Hardy, who is turning out to be one of the most gifted actors of his generation. Like a 21st century Brando.

Carol and Ex Machina -- For me these were mostly triumphs of atmosphere. The dialogue and character behavior helped capture a significant amount of tension that spilled over in the final acts.

Spotlight and Straight Outta Compton -- These each handled real-life subject matter in a very efficient yet powerful manner. Spotlight in particular took what could've been a dry movie about investigative journalism and made it compelling.

Films I Still Need to See
Room, Sicario, Steve Jobs, The Big Short, Beasts of No Nation

Mpimentel, regarding your criticisms of Creed, another one of my favorite films of the year (SPOILERS for those who haven't seen it):

*I don't think the whole premise was that Adonis wanted to be his own man. I think it was that he wanted to achieve his father's greatness as a boxer, yet he was running away from his father's legacy due to his abandonment issues.
*Adonis tells Rocky he's Apollo's son the first time they meet. Rocky turns down his training request, but decides to do it only after visiting his wife's/Paulie's graves and realizing he's turning down a great opportunity to shape a passionate young fighter.
*Adonis being forced to fight using his father's name causes him to gradually embrace his father's legacy. The transformation is pushed further when he receives his dad's shorts, and it comes full circle when he becomes a star after the fight and says to the announcer that he loves his dad.

So, I don't think you're giving the writing enough credit.

[Mpimentel Regular Find all posts View Profile Close Mpimentel]

Re: Nominations for 2015 Best Writing

Mpimentel, regarding your criticisms of Creed, another one of my favorite films of the year (SPOILERS for those who haven't seen it):

*I don't think the whole premise was that Adonis wanted to be his own man. I think it was that he wanted to achieve his father's greatness as a boxer, yet he was running away from his father's legacy due to his abandonment issues.
*Adonis tells Rocky he's Apollo's son the first time they meet. Rocky turns down his training request, but decides to do it only after visiting his wife's/Paulie's graves and realizing he's turning down a great opportunity to shape a passionate young fighter.
*Adonis being forced to fight using his father's name causes him to gradually embrace his father's legacy. The transformation is pushed further when he receives his dad's shorts, and it comes full circle when he becomes a star after the fight and says to the announcer that he loves his dad.

So, I don't think you're giving the writing enough credit.

If that was what the point was, then either I just missed it, or the writer did not convincingly state it clearly enough for me to get.

All I saw, was a kid who was handed a job in some big firm due to his step Mom;s connection, left said job to "be his own man and make it on his own", to then gradually accomplish everything using his Father's name.

Rocky was asked to train another boxer and constantly refused, so Rocky did not train Adonis simply because it was a great opportunity, he trained him because of whose son he was... Rocky had not even stepped foot int he gym forever, and went to see this kid he had not ever seen fight just because? Sorry.

That said, I'm willing to take another look at the film, and see if it was just me that was unable to see what you stated. I am not against me being an idiot.

Oh, and about THE REVENANT I just saw it yesterday, and I must agree that I would now put it on my list.

I have not read the script so I am interested in seeing if or how all of those long tense moments on film without dialogue were written on paper.

[UpandComing Member Find all posts View Profile Close UpandComing]

Re: Nominations for 2015 Best Writing

I interpreted many of the things you said differently, so it could just be perception. But regardless, he doesn't become a skilled fighter due to the Creed name. And he doesn't win the respect of many in the end due to the Creed name. In fact, in the last fight people go from chanting Conlan's name at the beginning to chanting his name, because he's truly proven himself.

So, his father's legacy may benefit him in certain ways, but not in ways that I think really matter that much in the whole scheme of things. He ultimately can only rely on his talent and skills to become a good fighter. In the ring, no one gives a damn what your last name is.

[WriteByNight Member Find all posts View Profile Close WriteByNight]

Re: Nominations for 2015 Best Writing

Martian will likely win Best Adapted