I’m not going to lie, I am more then ready to look this year in the rear view mirror. It seems like it had more downs then ups and I am really looking forward the blank slate that 2015 promises to be. Luckily I got to spend more then ample time watching and experiencing the movies of this year with friends, family, and strangers alike. That I enjoyed, as I wanted to.
Now that the movies of 2014 are rolling their final credits I look back to pick my top ten favorite movies of the year. I enjoyed a lot of what I saw this year, as I tend to do each year. Of course there were some major duds (Transformers: Age of Extinction, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) released during the calendar year. One or two of then (Ride Along, Le-Weekend) didn’t even have the benefit of having Michael Bay drag them through the mud. At the rate I view movies a few duds are to be expected.
When reviewing all the movies I see during the year I find there are many films I want to include on my top ten list. I’ve come to call this the almost list. The British darling Pride, the photography documentary Finding Vivian Maier, the foreign language gem The Lunchbox and the Scarlett Johansson indy sci-fi thriller Under the Skin are distinct honorable mentions that lead the list. They didn’t make the list for various reasons but mainly I enjoyed the ten films listed below more.
So without further ado I present my top ten(ish) films of 2014. Please enjoy reading the list as much as I have enjoyed seeing the films and assembling them together in what short list.
10. Chef/The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ok I get it. This one is cheating but this is my blog and my top ten list. I’m only cheating this once because I find both films so similar and love them for the exact same reasons. Both films have great ensembles and a unique voice in their since of humor. (Wes Anderson - The Grand Budapest Hotel - tends to excel at ensemble comedies.) At the core of each movie you’ll find a road movie about individuals learning there passions all over again with the help of those closest to them. I fell in love with many characteristics in both films including their the before mentioned ensembles and since of humors. I also loved the adventure that the filmmakers of each respective film created. Like I was mentioning in my blurb about The Lego Movie how movies can be fun as well as an art form both Chef and The Grand Budapest Hotel blend both aspects together beautifully for some must see cinema.
9. Annabelle
Horror films are always best seen with a crowd. To be part of the jumps, the screams, the oohs & ahhs, and laugh about it a second later while catching your breath is what makes a horror movie fun. When you get a really entertaining movie that contains some really unique scares it’s a double pleasure. The Conjuring topped my top ten list last year and thus made Annabelle a must see for me. Like its predecessor Annabelle went for the kind of scares that I have come to love in horror. They’re the kind that come from the shadows or the anticipation of what is around the corner. This one does it with almost no blood, a technique that it not only shared with The Conjuring but one that I throughly enjoy.
8. The Lego Movie
In a word The Lego Movie is awesome. In a few other words, 2014 was a strong year for animation and none, of the fine animated flicks, where more unique or entertaining for me then The Lego Movie. The film has a big nostalgic factor going for it as much of it was a road trip down memory lane. The film also boasted some of the best cameos of the film. I want to put them here but it would ruin it for those who have yet to see the movie. This movie is like a candy cone for the brain, just so much fun. Movies can be fun as well as an art form. This one falls more on the fun side and I will never stop making the argument for fun in cinema. Now I have The Lego Movie as another soldier for that cause.
7. Ida
Yes I transition from The Lego Movie the incredibly powerful foreign language film entre Ida. It’s a beautifully shot movie, with one of the most haunting stories to cross the silver screen this year. I love the use of black and white cinematography in any movie. The cinematographer crafts the black & white images so beautifully that any one shot could be a framed painting. About ten maybe fifteen minutes in I completely forgot that I was watching a foreign film and was engrossed in the images presented, subtitles included. Days after seeing the movie I still had it on my mind. It’s hard one to shake and an impossible movie to forget. The experience of seeing this one is a must for any and all.
6. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
The story of Caesar continues and I love it! Planet of the Apes is one of my favorite franchises in science fiction and cinema in general. I loved the first Andy Serkis prequel, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and was excited for the release of its sequel. I was not disappointed. I got to witness epic battles, struggles that led to great character development, and a story I throughly enjoyed. It was a perfect summer blockbuster: something awesome to look it that was well written and did not insult my intelligence in making its point. I loved how Dawn paid its subtle homage to Beneath the Planet of the Apes, just like Rise did with Planet of the Apes.
5. Gone Girl
To be completely honest I wasn’t sure what to make of Gone Girl when I first read about it. I convinced myself to see it. I’m a fan of director David Fincher’s work. After all his movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a personal favorite. Ben Affleck’s recent career surge with films like Argo was also another reason to see it. The movie even featured 007 alum Rosamund Pike (Die Another Day). Those ingredients, stirred with a trailer I wasn’t sure what to make of, drew me into the theater. I’m glad I felt compelled to see it. Despite flying solo to this film I got engulfed, with the strangers watching with me, in the twists and turns that the story offered. This is one of those movies that kept me on the edge of my seat minute and grabbing the back of my seat in suspense the next. That roller coaster of thrills was one ride I’m glad I paid the admission.
4. The Drop
Tom Hardy is one of my favorite actors working in cinema today. The diversity of roles he plays and how he plays them gets me excited to see his movies. The pairing of Tom Hardy and James Gandolfini (in his final film, a heart breaking fact) was a stroke of genius. The film combines the best elements of both modern and classic gangster movies. It combines those elements with a dramatic story. There are some sly moments in the film that are used as spices to the story telling element. This journey enthralled me from opening credits to the lights slowly coming back on. I loved how this movie kept you on the edge of your seat, with its intensity, and it never let go of that feeling.
3. Birdman
I loved how this story was told. The handheld camera movements, dueling performers dealing with their own demons, and the themes of dealing with your best years behind you all added up in the most well written film of the year. Birdman has a very in your face way about it, almost like a documentary or a found footage film. The casting of Michael Keaton, as a has been superhero actor, was a stroke of genius. His performance reminded my greatly of Mickey Rourke’s in The Wrestler. (As a side note I do find many similarities in the two films. Both of which are fantastic.) It took me a bit longer then normal to get into this one but once I did I fell hard into it. Birdman easily became one of the must, and twice, sees of 2014.
2. A Most Wanted Man
This John Le Carre adaptation is the final film in which Philip Seymour Hoffman has the lead role and with the final two Hunger Games installments the era of his career will tragically end. He gave a brilliant performance and was supported masterfully by his costars. I loved how this espionage movie created all the thrills and nail biting suspense expected on the genre without any gun play or explosions. Few films have ever accomplished such a task and even fewer with in the spy genre. It’s master filmmaking at its best and even greater entertainment at that. This was the first film I saw twice on the big screen in over a year. The second screening was just as exciting for me as the first time, almost like seeing a brand new movie. That makes for the kind of movie that I like to watch over and over again.
1. Interstellar
This movie was one of the movies I was most excited to see when 2014 came to be. In early November I held a viewing party surrounding this one. A week later I went back to see it again, this time in IMAX. That, for me, rarely happens. Especially if the movie is not a James Bond flick. Christopher Nolan’s previous film, Inception, was the same way. I was easily drawn into the world created by the filmmakers and did not want to leave it. The three hour running time went by in a blink, both viewings. That fact alone makes for really good cinema. The fact that I love science fiction movies does not hurt either. Many films from the genre I often sight as must sees in the wide spectrum that is cinema. Interstellar is no different. It’s the kind of movie I can watch over and over again without getting bored and one I anticipate doing when it comes to home video.
The Best of the Rest:
My tradition is to post my annual list around new years. With that said there are films that I do not see in time to make the list. These movies are released wide after the publication of my annual top ten. In years past there have been titles that I would of loved to include in this list. Of Gods and Men(2010), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy(2011) and Zero Dark Thirty(2012) are perfect examples. I am including this year a new category to the best of the rest titled “The One That Got Away”. This is a film from 2013 that I would of loved to put on my list that came out after the publication of last year’s top ten.
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY: Inside Llewyn Davis
(Brilliant movie. I always get excited for the Coen Brothers work and this was fantastic)
MALE PERFORMANCE: Ben Affleck Gone Girl
(I’m loving this reconnaissance in his career. Gone Girl is a strong entry in both his career and the reconnaissance. I can’t wait to see what happens next in the career of this two time Oscar winner)
FEMALE PERFORMANCE: Patricia Arquette Boyhood
(Easily the best performance, male or female, this year)
SCREENPLAY: Birdman
(One of the most creative films of the year. Thanks in large to a unique story crafted in the script)
DIRECTOR: Christopher Nolan Interstellar
(An ambitious and beautiful film. It was masterfully pieced together by Mr Nolan)
REPARATORY SCREENING: Monty Python & the Holy Grail
(My favorite comedy ever!!! I always enjoy watching and laughing at this one)
