Other 2015 Bests: Character Actors, Kisses, Indies, Docs

The Golden Globes will be awarded this week, followed by the Broadcast Film Critics Awards on January 17, 2016 and the Oscars next month. But none of them are likely to mention the following, which I came across in year-end best lists and especially enjoyed.

Stephanie Merry wrote about the year’s best character actor performances for the Washington Post, from the feisty Vuvalini in “Mad Max: Fury Road,” to Bing Bong in “Inside Out,” Sam Elliott in “Grandma” (and, I’d add, “I’ll See You in My Dreams” and “The Good Dinosaur”), and Big Dick Richie in “Magic Mike XXL” her choices are both surprising and, once you consider them, inevitable. I love character actors, and was really delighted to see Merry give them the attention they deserve and so seldom receive.

Roxana Hadadi’s list of the best and worst kisses and sex scenes for Punch-Drunk Critics was a treat because she explains what each moment gives to the film’s story and characters.

WhatsCulture has a great list of the year’s best independent films, from “Tangerine” (shot on an iPhone) to big-budget productions featuring well-known stars like Joel Edgerton and Joaquin Phoenix.

Newsweek’s list of the year’s best documentaries includes Colin Hanks’ film about Tower Records, films about the late Amy Winehouse and Kurt Cobain, the story of the legendary interview of Alfred Hitchcock by Francois Truffaut, and “The Look of Silence,” the companion piece to Joshua Oppenheimer’s stunning “Act of Killing.”