2B — Thursday, January 7, 2016
the b-side
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Best Student Productions of 2015

1. Spring Awakening

Standing out among the 

student productions of 2015, 
“Spring Awakening” presented 
edgy and bold material that 
left the audience dazzled, if 
not slightly unsettled. Brought 
to 
campus 
by 
MUSKET, 

Michigan’s oldest student run 
theater group, this pop rock 
opera enthralled its audience 
with shouts of adolescent rage 
and passion as it followed 
German 
school 
children 

through their struggles with 
sexuality and independence. 
The musical ebbed and flowed 
with the music as characters 
broke out of their scenes in 
moments of climactic emotion 
to 
relay 
their 
unbearable 

state of mind to the audience. 
Presenting songs that ranged 
from 
heartfelt 
ballads 
like 

“The Dark I Know Well” to 
fits of anger like “The Bitch of 
Living,” the music alternately 

tugged 
at 
the 
audience’s 

heartstrings and inspired them 
to jump out of their seats and 
join the cacophony on stage. 
Meticulously 
choreographed 

and 
designed, 
MUSKET 

once again graced us with an 
adaptation of a Tony Award 
winning musical that broke 
every boundary, changed the 
meaning of taboo and left 
nothing to the imagination. 
Months 
of 
preparation 

and 
production 
member’s 

dedication made this musical 
a standout production of 2015, 
and 
of 
MUSKET’s 
lengthy 

repertoire. 
Sensuality 
and 

anger 
melded 
together 
to 

create a musical that made 
problems faced by children in 
19th century Germany relevant 
to modern college students, 
and that is an achievement of 
epic proportions. 

-NATALIE ZAK 

3. Henry IV

SMTD’s 
MainStage 
pro-

duction of “Henry IV Part 1” 
showcased the depth of tal-
ent that SMTD students offer, 
while 
providing 
audiences 

with a captivating perfor-
mance of one of Shakespeare’s 
most well-known plays root-
ed in history. This play tells 
the story of King Henry IV, a 
king fearful for the fate of his 
kingdom once he steps down 
from the throne, given that his 
son Hal is next in line and is 
driven more by free spirit and 
youth than the constitution 
of a prince. Lord Northum-
berland and Hotspur threaten 
King Henry’s throne believ-
ing the king to be a usurper of 
it, and plot to overthrow the 
royal family. The SMTD cast 
was lively, demonstrating a 
clear grasp of the difficulty of 
Shakespeare’s language and 
the vocal complexity of the 

text, which required accents 
for multiple characters. Char-
acters Falstaff and Hotspur 
gave particularly captivating 
performances, as they added a 
layer of humor that was well-
received 
and 
appreciated. 

Directed by Performing Arts 
Prof. Rob Najarian, the com-
bat scenes were well-staged 
and executed and displayed 
the hard work and rigorous 
effort put in by cast members. 
The production took place 
in the Power Center, with a 
respectable audience turnout, 
many of whom were frequent 
Shakespeare-goers. For a play 
like “Henry IV Part 1,” which 
is a challenge for modern audi-
ences to follow, SMTD did not 
fail to deliver a performance 
of both understanding and est
eem. 

-BAILEY KADIAN

Best Films of 2015

Plot-driven and emotionally 

powerful, “Marvel’s Jessica 
Jones” makes us believe that 
superheroes are people too. 
Private 
investigator 
Jessica 

Jones (Krysten Ritter, “Don’t 
Trust the B in Apartment 23”) 
puts her superhuman strength 
aside as she struggles to move 
on from her past. The Netf-
lix show, based on the Brian 
Michael Bendis comic series, 
explores common dynamics 
of power and manipulation 
within the context of a super-
natural world. Among other 
outstanding accomplishments, 
the Marvel series captures 

the 
all-consuming 
psycho-

logical manipulation of sexual 
assault without ever showing 
the abuse on screen. Instead, 
the show focuses on develop-
ing complicated characters to 
drive the 13-episode arc for-
ward. Unapologetic, witty and 
inarguably 
flawed, 
Jessica 

brilliantly exhibits a raw vul-
nerability often lost in flashy 
dramas, and is able to tell a 
moving story while sporting a 
single pair of faded jeans and 
downing countless bottles of 
whiskey.

-DANIELLE YACOBSON

“Hello 
friend,” 
Elliot 

Alderson (Rami Malek, “Short 
Term 12”) says, introducing 
the viewer to the world of “Mr. 
Robot,” a haunting mirror of 
today. Unexpectedly hosted by 
USA Network, Sam Esmail’s 
(“Comet”) “Mr. Robot” draws 
from the crises and worries 
surrounding 
technology 

to 
explore 
loneliness 
and 

uncertainty in a time of constant 
connection and information.

Anchoring the show with 

a 
powerhouse 
performance, 

Malek captures the disturbed 
figure of Elliot, a hacker that 
simultaneously knows so much 
and so little about himself 
and those surrounding him, 
including the enigmatic title 
character devilishly played by 
Christian 
Slater 
(“Breaking 

In”). Wracked by social anxiety, 
addiction and hallucinations, 
Elliot becomes the unreliable 
narrator of a series that begins 
as a techno-thriller and spirals 
into a dark, twisted odyssey of 
personal identity in modern 
times.

In an era where people project 

carefully constructed identities 
online and corporations wave 
an invisible hand of influence 
over every aspect of everyday 
life, “Mr. Robot” challenges 
viewers to look through the 
shadows of ambiguity, peel 
back the layers of deception and 
dig through all the bullshit that 
makes up society to reveal the 
insanity behind it all and ask 
the question: What is real?

-MATT BARNAUSKAS

2. “Mad Max: Fury Road”

Someday, there will be a 

wonderful documentary in the 
vein of “Hearts of Darkness” 
about the making of “Mad Max: 
Fury Road.” The film went to 
development hell and back — 
and emerged an iron-clad war 
machine, roaring its engines 
and screeching its tires through 
the cosmic roads of Valhalla. 
Here, the unparalleled star 
power of Tom Hardy (“The 
Dark Knight Rises”) and Char-
lize 
Theron 
(“Prometheus”) 

combines 
with 
impeccable 

cinematography 
and 
heavy 

reliance on practical action set-
pieces to form a rhythmic chase 
movie that’s simultaneously 
larger-than-life and painfully 
human. This is a tremendous 
action film that even manages 
to eschew the “guy movie” 
label with its refreshing inclu-
sivity. It’s amazing to see a new 
blockbuster that excels in both 
cinema art and crowd-pleasing 
so flawlessly. “Mad Max: Fury 
Road” is an achievement that 
anyone can enjoy. 

-JACOB RICH

No one had quite the breakout 

this year like comedian Aziz Ansari 
(“Parks and Recreation”). Any fan 
of Ansari’s standup knows that he 
loves to talk about modern issues, 
whether it’s the growing omnipres-
ence of technology or the underly-
ing insanity of monogamy. With 
his new 10-episode Netflix series 
“Master of None,” Ansari further 
infuses insight and depth within 
his topical humor by giving viewers 
a refreshing take on the coming-
of-age narrative. In an age where 
hyperconnectivity and ambition 

reign over the average millennial, 
Ansari captures the deep-seated 
anxiety and excitement that comes 
with life’s unpredictability. Not 
only is the show endlessly funny, 
beautifully filmed and well-acted, 
but “Master of None” also works 
on multiple levels. It charms as a 
witty romantic comedy, thrives as 
a thought-provoking commentary 
on race and gender and gives a poi-
gnant portrayal of a man uncertain 
of what he wants in life.

-SAM ROSENBERG

3. “Room”

For 9-year-old Jacob Trem-

blay, who plays 5-year-old Jack, 
this will be known as “the per-
formance that started it all.” As 
Jack and his 24-year-old mother, 
Ma (Brie Larson), physically and 
mentally transition from their 
kidnapped life in captivity in 
a tiny shed to “the real world,” 
emotions spin out of control both 
on screen and in the audience. 
Instead of distinct bursts of sad-
ness, anger, or happiness, it’s a 
powerful movie-long sensation of 
sadnessangerhappiness.

Watching a young boy experi-

ence his firsts (first friend, first 
bowl of ice cream, first haircut) 
while also seeing his mother 
struggle with PTSD makes us 
feel everything at once. Compos-
er Stephen Rennicks enhances 
these moments with a soundtrack 
that causes streams of crocodile 
tears just as a wide smile starts 
to spread. When the end cred-
its appear, this amalgamation 
of emotions subsides and one 
thought remains: our past is and 
always will be a part of us, but it 
doesn’t define us.

-RACHEL RICHARDSON

2. Tribe

What defines a person? The 

group they were born into or the 
group they identify with? How 
does this personal association 
influence a person’s interests? How 
does it affect the way they treat 
those they love? Rude Mechani-
cals, a student run theater group, 
posed these questions and more in 
their production of “Tribes” this 
past fall. Exploring the strained 
dynamic of an aggressive and 
overwhelmingly critical family of 
five, “Tribes” centers on the deaf 
Billy and his talkative and highly 
opinionated British family. The 
play expands on the silent world 
of the deaf when Billy is thrown 
into the path of Sylvia, a woman 
who grew up in a deaf family and 
is slowly growing deaf herself. 
Having lacked support and emo-
tional guidance in his bitterly sar-
castic family, Billy seeks support 
in Sylvia, and begins exploring 
the tribes he never before identi-

fied with. Distinguishing itself 
among the student productions of 
2015, “Tribes” consisted of a cast 
of six, all of whom worked to bal-
ance the family’s cries of anguish 
and anger with Billy’s silent, stoic 
demeanor. Tirelessly rehearsing to 
perfect their British accents, the 
cast worked with coaches simulta-
neously to accentuate their vowels 
and enunciate with their hands. 
The set introduced a version of 
closed captioning, allowing the 
characters to mime out the lines in 
American Sign Language and have 
the audience experience no loss 
of understanding. Rude Mechani-
cals’ dedication to their characters 
and production reflects a level of 
integrity that usually character-
izes plays that come and go in 
nationally renowned theaters, but 
instead is conveniently available 
right here on campus by passion-
ate students of all majors.

-NATALIE ZAK

Best TV 
Shows of 

2015

4. “Spotlight”

“Spotlight” is not a hero’s film. 

Portraying the journalists who 
uncovered the 2002 child abuse 
scandal in Boston’s Catholic dio-
cese, the film adopts its reporters’ 
restraint and illuminates the story 
rather than engaging in “prestige 
cinema” self-promotion. Stripped 
of stylistic frills and cheap sensa-
tionalization, no one escapes its 
critical eye. Both the victim and 
perpetrators’ lawyers navigate 
moral grey areas, and refresh-
ingly, the complexities of each 
party’s strategic decisions are not 
demonized, glorified, or glam-

ourized. The victim portrayals are 
also handled with care, appeal-
ing to audience empathy without 
exploiting personal experiences.

This unobtrusive cinematic 

philosophy lets “Spotlight” ask 
big-picture questions. How do 
institutional 
structures 
affect 

transparency? Are strategic sac-
rifices morally unacceptable or 
necessary? And most importantly, 
if people all over Boston turned a 
blind eye to this for years, what 
could you be missing?

-VANESSA WONG

5. “Brooklyn”

“Brooklyn” follows a woman 

faced with a series of tough alter-
natives. Eilis loves living at home 
in small-town Ireland with her 
mother and sister — but what if 
she left for America and forged an 
independent life? Eilis loves Tony 
— but what about all the other 
men out there, especially the ones 
she has more in common with? 
Eilis finds a spot of happiness in 
her rapidly-changing life— but 
what if homesickness and grief 
threaten to wreck it all? What’s a 
girl to do?

It speaks to “Brooklyn” ’s quali-

ty that viewers are so immediately 

invested in Eilis’s fate. You’re right 
there with her, weighing every 
option, feeling every stab of pain 
and smiling at every turn of fate. 
Saoirse Ronan provides Eilis with 
the subtle shades of a true master. 
Her nuanced performance is easi-
ly one of the best of the year. Eilis is 
a relatable everywoman, but she — 
and the film itself — doesn’t want 
for surprises. “Brooklyn” isn’t a 
thriller (thankfully, there aren’t 
any explosions or jewel heists), 
but the movie successfully ramps 
up the tension and delivers unex-
pected delight.

-CHLOE GILKE

2. “Master of None”
3. “Marvel’s Jessica Jones”

4. “Mr. Robot”
5. “Fargo”

After a remarkable inaugural 

season, “Fargo” had to answer 
questions about whether lightning 
could strike twice. Much like “True 
Detective,” expectations were high 
for its sophomore effort. However, 
unlike the HBO limited series, 
“Fargo” was able to pull off a sec-
ond season that improved upon the 
first. The series told a story which 
had a higher degree of difficulty, 
featuring a full-on gang war among 
the Gerhardt crime family, which 
runs the Fargo and Kansas City 
crime syndicate. This intersected 
with the story of Ed Blumquist 
(Jesse Plemons, “Breaking Bad”) 
and his wife Peggy (Kirsten Dunst, 
“Spider-Man”), who accidentally 
run over the youngest Gerhardt son 
with her car. What’s truly remark-
able about this season is how it 
brings the disparate stories togeth-
er, and has everything click. The 
season builds the individual pieces 
into a whole that is as tense as it is 

quirky. There’s an extraordinary 
juxtaposition between the “Min-
nesota Nice” tone and the brutal 
violence of the gang war. It’s as hor-
ribly gruesome as it is hysterically 
funny. (Only “Fargo” could insert a 
UFO into a scene and have it actu-
ally make thematic sense.)

Meanwhile, the show’s cinema-

tography remained top-notch, as it 
again made good use of the snowy 
landscapes. An expanded ensemble 
features magnificent performances 
from Patrick Wilson (“The Con-
juring”), Jeffrey Donovan (“Burn 
Notice”) and Jean Smart (“Frasier), 
each of whom look like they’re hav-
ing a great time playing tough char-
acters. This year, “Fargo” showed 
that it could do something unex-
pected in its second season: bring 
even the most contrasting elements 
together into something better 
than its first.

-ALEX INTNER

6. “Phoenix”
7. “Creed”

A beautiful web of secrets 

and 
suspense, 
“Phoenix” 

takes a loud plot and quiets 
it, finding power in subtlety 
rather than overt drama. Nelly 
Lenz (Mina Hoss, “Barbara”), 
rendered unrecognizable in a 
concentration 
camp, 
returns 

to Berlin at the end of the 
war in search of her husband. 
She finds him at Phoenix, the 
location of her prewar gig as 
a nightclub singer. He doesn’t 
recognize her but offers a cut 
of her own inheritance if she 
agrees to impersonate herself. 
Why does she agree to it? We 

don’t know, for “Phoenix” itself 
is as secretive as its characters, 
keeping its audience on the edge 
of epiphany. Because it doesn’t 
get lost in its own plot, the film 
is able to become a powerful 
picture of the world in the 
aftermath of trauma, where 
victims and their tormentors 
walk 
the 
streets 
together. 

“Phoenix” is a mystery of 
identity, a drama of betrayal, 
and a beautiful testament to 
human survival capped by one 
of the strongest final scenes in 
recent history.

-MADELEINE GAUDIN

In a year filled with franchise 

reboots like “Mad Max” and 
“Star Wars,” “Creed” rises above 
them all. Taking the “Rocky” 
mythos and turning it on its 
head, director Ryan Coogler 
delivers an honest and often 
brutal picture about fathers and 
names. It’s a distinctly millenni-
al meditation — making a name 
in a world already dominated 
by those of our parents — that’s 
placed front and center in the 
unforgiving, vicious boxing ring. 
The struggle of our hero, Adonis 
Creed (Michael B. Jordan, “Fan-
tastic Four”), perfectly inter-

links with the struggle of his 
mentor, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester 
Stallone, “The Expendables”), a 
relic of a time long past, search-
ing for meaning in the modern 
day.

The result is a beautiful 

reflection of love, legacy and 
family, captured by some of the 
finest cinematography of the 
year (including a one-shot, two 
round fight scene), tense action, 
powerful performances and a 
marvelous score. “Creed” has 
the heart of a fighter, and the 
punch of a champion. 

-JAMIE BIRCOLL

6. “Orange is the New 

Black”

The 
highly 
anticipated 

third season of “Orange is the 
New Black” brought a new set 
of unexpected twists, backsto-
ries and comical and endear-
ing subplots that underpin 
the series by adding a unique 
flavor to the overarching plot. 
Like previous seasons, the 
precarious balance between 
comic relief and poignant 
storytelling succeeds in its 
eccentricity. Its supporting 
characters continue to come 
out of the woodwork through 
flashbacks, 
allowing 
their 

individuality and vulnerabil-
ity to shine. In the third sea-
son, the inhumane treatment 

of the inmates by Litchfield’s 
new 
business-minded 
cor-

porate managers renders the 
deputies powerless in making 
decisions that affect the day-
to-day lives of the women. 
However, the show illustrates 
how through small acts of 
defiance and creativity, the 
women take some of their 
power and individuality back. 
Netflix’s binge-worthy sea-
son has no lack of hilarious, 
uncomfortable 
and 
touch-

ing moments that continue to 
weave together an unconven-
tional and moving story. 

-SHIR AVINADAV

