Happy New Year, everyone!
And, of course, with a new year comes a list of my favorite films from
2014. Before we get to the meat of
things, here are a few ground rules for this list: (1) This is my list, and it
is largely reliant on my feelings about the film at the time of writing. You are free to disagree, but I’m no more
right about my preferences than you are about yours; no matter how acclaimed a
movie is, it always comes down to personal taste. (2) I’m restricting this list to films that
were theatrically released during the 2014 year. Inside
Llewyn Davis and Her may have
been among my favorites that I reviewed in 2014, but those were part of the
2013 theatrical year, and are therefore disqualified. (3) I completely recognize that I have not
seen all that 2014 has to offer yet, but that will hopefully be rectified by
February for my Oscar Predictions editorial.
That’s why this article has the words “(So Far)” in the title.
And so, without further ado, here are my top ten favorite
films of 2014. Be sure to click the title of each film to get the full reviews!
Drenched in a brooding atmosphere reminiscent of the darker
Coen Brothers films, Blue Ruin is a
shocking character study of a man who kills not out of hatred or vengeance, but
out of a sense of obligation. It is a
slow and methodical tale that can be punishing if you aren’t paying attention,
but the experience is well worth it for Macon Blair’s lead performance.
The main reason this film is not higher on the list is
because we’ve all seen this type of film before: this is an AIDS epidemic
tear-jerker, but it succeeds so well in its execution that it would be a
disservice to not give credit where it is due.
From Mark Ruffalo’s morally questionable protagonist to a story that is not so much
about a fear of dying as it is a social group’s fear of demonization, The Normal Heart knows just how to pull
on your heartstrings and does so damn effectively.
Noah is one of the
stranger films to come out in 2014, but director Darren Aronofsky found a way
to make an epic action film out of a Biblical myth, yet still allow space to
explore the moral ramifications of dooming one’s entire species to die in a
flood. As a visual marvel, the film
shines, with some of the most surreal dream sequences to ever be associated
with the divine, and though the most fundamentalist of Christians may be turned
off by the supposed stretches in dogma, Noah
delivers a damn fine piece of entertainment.
For a film that uses a man in a papier-mâché headpiece as
its main selling-point, Frank sure
knows how to make you feel guilty for your choice of viewing experience. Darkly funny until it pulls the rug out from
under you, this film turned out to have one of the most surprising narrative
turn-arounds in recent memory, delivering a powerful message through a vacant,
cartoon smile, which Michael Fassbender wears with realistic emotion that still
resonates even with the obstruction.
Who knew that Jake Gyllenhaal had it in him? Dark, suspenseful, and undeniably creepy, Nightcrawler exposes the seedy
underbelly of the crime-as-news industry through a character so fascinatingly
disturbing that it makes us question who the real monster actually is: him or
the industry he’s a part of.
Even if Snowpiercer
weren’t a venomous polemic about the consequences of class-based society, it
most certainly qualifies as one of the most gorgeously filmed movies of the
year. Sure, its message is a bit blunt,
but the film is upfront about that, and it uses its anger to tell a fantastic
story of people only trying to make a better life for themselves, even if violent
revolution is the only way they can achieve it.
The fact that what appears to be a blatant corporate
cash-grab made the list should only be surprising if you haven’t seen it yet,
and if you haven’t, you owe it to yourself.
The Lego Movie is one of the
funniest films of the year, making self-aware jabs at itself with a childlike
innocence that doesn’t rely on so-called “adult” jokes to make the experience
enjoyable for all ages. And the third
act twist may just be one of the most brilliant things that could have been
done, given the licensed property.
Wes Anderson has always had a way with bringing obviously
staged productions to the screen with grace and energy. The dialogue is ham-fisted and the sets are
grandiosely unreal, but that doesn’t matter because the whole experience is so
damn fun. From shots that pay homage to
cinematic eras past to characters that pop from the screen to implant
themselves forever in your psyche, The
Grand Budapest Hotel is a film that simply delivers the best of what Wes
Anderson has to offer.
Yeah, I know this is perhaps not the most technically great
film on the list, but you know what? I
don’t care. This film is a hell of a lot
of fun, and for all its faults, I’ve still watched it three times since its
release, two of those times in the theater.
This is a smart sci-fi action comedy that has put together the greatest
ensemble of protagonists since Ghostbusters,
and I think Guardians will have just
as much staying power in the decades to come.
Of all the films I’ve seen this year, I can think of no
other more deserving of the number one spot on this list. From the multi-layered acting to the gorgeous
cinematography to the incredibly subversive screenplay and direction, Birdman is a work of genius that other
awards season contenders are going to have a very hard time competing
against. This is a superb character
study wrapped in a commentary on the entertainment industry wrapped in a fever
dream, and it would be a shame if any of you missed it.
And there you have it!
My top ten films of 2014. Think I
left something important out? Leave your
thoughts in the comments below.
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