The Halfway Point of 2015

At the halfway point last year, I had seen 24 theatrically released films from that year. I tie that figure this year with a few caveats since A Most Violent Year came out December 31st, Still Alice had a blink-and-miss qualifying run in 2014 and Jane Wants a Boyfriend technically doesn't have an official release date yet. In any case, here are those films I have seen in alphabetical order:

• A Most Violent Year
• Avengers: Age of Ultron
• Boy Meets Girl (2015)
• The Boy Next Door

• Cake
• Cinderella (2015)
• Clouds of Sils Maria
• The DUFF

• Ex Machina
• Furious 7
• The Last 5 Years
• Inside Out

• Jane Wants a Boyfriend
• Jupiter Ascending
• Jurassic World
• Kingsman: The Secret Service

• Mad Max: Fury Road
• Paddington
• Pitch Perfect 2
• Predestination

• Spy
• Still Alice
• The Wedding Ringer
• Wild Tales

Lots of boy-meets-girl films so far from the movie actually titled Boy Meets Girl to Jane Wants a Boyfriend and of course the Disney boy-meets-girl film Cinderella. There's a psychotic boy meeting slightly older girl in The Boy Next Door and a mad boy meeting imperator girl in Mad Max: Fury Road. There's a geeky boy meeting a girl robot in Ex Machina and of course a dog-soldier hybrid boy meeting a girl who inherits the universe in Jupiter Ascending.

There's also a lot of Anna Kendrick as she has starred in three films, the most of any actor. A slew of other actors have appeared in two films including Oscar Isaac, Jason Statham, Kristen Stewart, Samuel L. Jackson, Hayley Atwell, Allison Janney, and Stellan Skarsgård. Channing Tatum will join them after I see Magic Mike XXL in a few days.

In terms of favorites, Mad Max: Fury Road is out ahead by miles though Oscar nominee Wild Tales comes close as do Pixar's latest Inside Out and the hilarious Spy. The latter of which features many of my favorite female performances so far this year in Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, and Miranda Hart. Other noteworthy female performances include Michelle Hendley in Boy Meets Girl, Sarah Snook in Predestination, Jessica Chastain in A Most Violent Year, Charlize Theron in Mad Max, Alicia Vikander in Ex Machina, and finally Kristen Stewart in both of her films with two legendary artists in Julianne Moore and Juliette Binoche. As for the guys... thumbs up for Chris Pratt in Jurassic World, Jason Statham in Spy, Tom Hardy/Nicholas Hoult in Mad Max, and Oscar Isaac in both of his films. Finally, a shout out to the last few minutes of Furious 7 with that touching tribute to Paul Walker.