2015 SLEEPERS                                                             
                                                                    Part 1

This begins a series of articles where I mention movies from last year that didn’t get a lot of attention but I think are worth a look.
The Wrecking Crew is one of the most fascinating documentaries I have ever seen. It is about a group of musicians who play back-up for some of the most famous acts. Almost no one has ever heard of them- except the singers they play behind. In the music business, they are legendary. They have backed up The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, the Mamas and the Papas, Frank Sinatra, Sonny & Cher, and others. They are absolutely the go-to, call them first, back-up group. 
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is so real and wonderful it will wring your heart out. It features three first-time actors who are just super. Olivia Cooke is Rachel, the title girl. She is rather reluctantly befriended by Greg (Thomas Mann) and later by his friend Earl (R.J. Cyler). Their interaction is completely believable and so very touching. There is hardly an ounce of sentiment in this film, which could have been a smarmy tear-jerker but certainly is not. I love this movie.
When Marcie Was There is the latest, and perhaps last (?) entry from Japan’s greatly revered Ghibli studio. Although it does not have the touch of the legendary Hayao Miyazaki (Kiki’s Delivery Service, Spirited Away, etc), it has the signature drawing of each frame. Even if the story weren’t good, which it is, the animation alone is worth a look. It is just so gorgeous it will take your breath away. And it is a good story: A lonely orphaned girl discovers her identity in a very unusual way. It is ethereal and altogether wonderful. As usual with productions from this studio, you could hang each frame on your wall and be glad you did. 
Only hours after I wrote the above paragraph, Ghibli released 1991's Only Yesterday, never before seen in America. Something to really look forward to!
Malala Yousafzai spoke out for women’s rights in her home country of Pakistan. The Taliban responded by shooting her in the head. She survived and became a spokesperson for the rights of women in extremely restrictive Muslim societies. He Named Me Malala is the story of her attack, recovery and undaunted will to advance the cause of her gender against great odds. You cannot help but like and admire this courageous young woman, and her story is quite a good one. Her father named her after a legendary Afghan woman who fought for the rights of women, and she proves to be worth of her name. 
Wild Tales is a Spanish film that more than lives up to its title. The movie is a series of vignettes about crazy coincidences. They do not seem to me to be related, and some are better than others. The best shows a group of passengers on an airliner who gradually discover they have all done bad things to one man- who turns out to be the pilot of the plane! All the others are nearly as good. What fun!
All of the films in this article are available on DVD and for streaming. Really all but the last one are ok for general audiences. That one is for adults.