(Pictured are Boyhood, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Lego Movie, Starred Up, The Double, Two Days One Night, Enemy, The Immigrant, Frank, Under the Skin, Only Lovers Left Alive, Foxcatcher)
Here it is. The list. How this works: I will present my top 10 in ascending order from 10 to 1. Then I’ll give my honorable mentions of an additional 10 films (unordered) that didn’t quite make it, but could easily be recognized on other top 10 lists out there. I’ll also mention a few of my favorite genre films, like favorite horror film, favorite documentary, and favorite animated film. Keep in mind that these are my personal favorite films, I make no claim that they are the very best films (though, hey, I like to think I have good taste). So with no further adieu let’s just get to it.
10. LOCKE
Tom Hardy is the only person on screen the entire running time of this film. He makes several phone calls to certain people and also talks to his dead father who he imagines to be in the back seat of the car who ridicules his life, but Tom Hardy is the only person in the frame. Locke features the great actor all alone in a drive from London to a hospital in another city. The are only a few camera angles that can be shown, this is minimalist cinema, but with typical flourishes of a thriller. They placed Hardy in the car on top of a flatbed truck and drove down the highway, so the interior shots were filmed nearly in real time. He is one of the best younger actors out there. To make a one man show this good is a real credit. It is not gimmicky or pretentious at all, it is simply a great mystery/thriller. I won’t say more to avoid spoiling the plot points, but those on the other end of the phone are great as well and really feed into Hardy’s performance we seen on screen. This is available on Amazon Prime so check it out.
9. PRIDE
No film is more surprising to end up this high on my list as Pride. It has a rather conventional narrative structure that we’ve seen many times before, but it delivers on every point. The cast is spot on in this dramedy about the 1984 Mining Strike in England and the Gay Rights group that endeavored to help the miners. The gay community in England had been harassed by police and they saw the same sort of harassment happening to the miners so they decided to help to not only show solidarity but to make their cause known to working people. Ultimately the strike ends and the Labour party as a result of the success adopts Gay Rights as part of their party platform the following year. No film is as inspiring and feel good as this one. The song imbedded below which plays over the final scene of the movie made me cheer as I watched on my couch. Just a really solid film that anyone (well anyone who’s mindset is in the current century and not the last) can really enjoy. Along with The Immigrant and Two Days, One Night it is a great working class movie. We haven’t seen something like this since The Full Monty or Billy Elliot which, not coincidentally, cover the same time period and economic conditions that this movie does.
8. WHIPLASH
If you could play loose with definitions I would call this the best horror film of the decade. J.K. Simmons is a terrific movie monster. Just when you think he might turn a leaf and show real emotions and be empathetic he turns around and crushes you. He is an absolute menace. So the fact that Miles Teller is able to play up against that and not get drown out is a real testament to him. I didn’t give him enough credit in my initial review, which is linked below, for it. The editing here is perfect. The score is pure jazz and drums and if you’re not grooving in your seat at times then you’re doing something wrong. You can go from enjoy the music to jumping in your seat from an outburst in the matter of seconds. This is just a very, very, very good film. It’s still in theaters so seek it out.
https://midwestmovieman.wordpress.com/2014/11/01/double-feature-friday-part-two-whiplash/
7. THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
I am happily surprised that this movie is getting so much love considering it was released back in March. It shows that no matter when a movie is released, if it’s good enough it will be recognized come awards season. This is the most Wes Anderson-y of Wes Anderson’s films. The way he limits himself to certain shot types, certain edits, how meticulous he is in the production design and props is unmatched. He has a very particular aesthetic and there aren’t many directors who you can recognize so easily by their on screen work. The cinematography as usual is amazing. Nearly every shot that is straight on could be printed out and hung up on a wall. The story here is great and exciting. Ralph Fiennes who is a new player to Anderson’s stable of actors gives a great lead performance, which is a hard thing to do given that so many small role players show up to attempt to steal the show. I hope most people have seen this by now, but if not do yourself a favor and pop it in alongside Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and Moonrise Kingdom and make it an Anderson triple feature. There are few directors I look forward to their new releases as much as I do his. Keep it up!
6. INTERSTELLAR
To those of you who couldn’t get into this movie I’m truly sorry. This was one of my most enjoyable in theater experiences ever. I always come back to see Christopher Nolan movies multiple times on the big screen, and this was no exception. No movie in recent memory benefited more from a hundred foot screen and professional sound than this one. And the sound! This is one of the most innovative use of sound in a mainstream film perhaps ever. The score and the sound effects dominated. The visuals and the practical effects blew me away. I came away with the exact same feeling from this as when I watched Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey for the first time, just in absolute awe.
https://midwestmovieman.wordpress.com/2014/11/07/the-white-knight-rises-an-interstellar-review/
5. LEVIATHAN
Leviathan just absolutely floored me. It is easily my pick for Best Foreign Language Film. The Russian entry is such a sweeping indictment of the modern Russian state and of the power of the state against the average man. It’s a very timely story given the recent events involving the country. However, the story is also timeless. It is very reminiscent of another new movie I saw this year, Age of Uprising: The Legend of Michael Kohlhaas which takes place in 16th century France. Stories that involve an average man trying to defy the power of a corrupt state will always be popular. In fact it’s a rather open reworking of the story in the Book of Job. The hopelessness show is heartbreaking, the defiance is inspiring and all with the beautifully photographed backdrop of a peninsula town on the Barents Sea. I had seen the directors previous films, namely The Return, and those while good could not prepare me for the tour de force that this film was. The movie has a grand scope and huge ambition and constantly delivers. If you only get to watch one foreign film this year, Leviathan would be that film. It is getting panned back home in Russia for it’s unpopular critique of the government. Amazingly Putin has huge popularity there despite the economy floundering, the state’s power ever increasing and dissent being shut down. Perhaps there’s no more important film with current themes than this one. Hopefully this can wake Russia up. I’ve always been a huge fan of Russian cinema, hopefully Russians can love their own great filmmakers too.
4. BIRDMAN
Honestly this should probably be #2. Along with (spoiler, Boyhood) it is the most innovative and important, from a filmmaking perspective, movie of the year. The long take is extraordinary. The spot on cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki is unmatched. Michael Keaton’s return with a virtuoso performance was a very welcome surprise. Everyone here just seems to really give a shit. They set out to make a film that would either go down as truly great or as a huge mistake of experimental movie making, and luckily for them and us it is the former. I got more personal enjoyment from the films at #2 and #3 on my list, but if I’m being truly objective, this should be higher.
https://midwestmovieman.wordpress.com/2014/11/02/birdman-or-the-unexpected-virtue-of-ignorance/
3. CALVARY
If you know me then you know that I love to jokingly disparage the Irish and those of Irish descent. I mean, grow a potato, how hard can it really be? But Irish cinema is truly something to behold. If you look at list of the best Irish movies they are virtually all from the last 20 years. Calvary was a gut punch of a movie. Brendan Gleeson was absolutely terrific and all the role players were darkly funny, yet menacing. Kelly Reilly is a amazing as his daughter. Everything goes right in this movie. It’s uncomfortably funny, yet deals with a myriad of important and difficult issues in modern society. Ireland is having a film renaissance. In Bruges is one of my favorite movies of the 2000s (made by this director’s brother). Frank and Run & Jump were also standout Irish comedies this year. Calvary is a truly great film, but not easy to digest. I put it this high up on the list because it is perhaps the most I’ve discussed a film afterwards, it had that great of an impact. Love, love, love it.
Here’s my review for Frank which could land on other people’s list and has the same qualities of this dark Irish comedy.
2. GONE GIRL
Perhaps more than any other film I struggled where to place Gone Girl and what to make my number 2 film of the year. Before I wrote on this blog I’d just post a little snippet about movies I saw in theaters on Facebook. This was all I wrote for Gone Girl: “Everyone should drop what they’re doing now and immediately go see Gone Girl. Just do it. Phenomenal film.” The movie took away my usual longwindedness and reduced me to simply plead that you go see the movie. David Fincher is a master. The Social Network is already one of the best films of this century. So to have Gone Girl come so soon after that film is a masterstroke in filmmaking. Ben Affleck, a great director in his own right, delivers his best performance, but is outdone by Rosamund Pike who was just a revelation. I didn’t know anything about the story going in and I was happy to say I was kept on the edge of my seat and was surprised with the twists. I don’t try to outsmart a film. I don’t get any enjoyment out of figuring out a movie’s twist before it happens. I just want to go along for the ride. I will be re-watching this movie a lot. It was only second to Calvary for the film I discussed the most. I don’t know how this got overlooked on so many lists and awards nominations. Hopefully Rosamund Pike can take home some Oscar gold.
1. BOYHOOD
This is perhaps the most solidly number one film in recent memory. This just blows everything out of the water. This could’ve just been a gimmick, but the people making it cared so much and it shows in every frame. Filmed over 12 years with the same actors it shows us a family growing up, growing apart, having hardships, and sharing triumphs. Usually when there is a film that is highly praised like this there is something lame about, something that makes it too mainstream and play to the common denominator, but that doesn’t happen here. That’s because everyone can enjoy this for different reasons. It makes us remember the last 12 years of our own lives. And when I was watching and remembering where I was when the events of that time were being shown I always had happy memories. It makes you realized what good lives we have and how lucky we are. The film never goes out of its way to show major events, but instead focuses on smaller moments. It makes us realize how important those small moments really are. The movie makes you cherish life. Patricia Arquette is the standout performer here, but everyone delivers. Richard Linklater has cemented himself as one of the great American filmmakers. I’m not sure if anyone else could’ve done such a good job here. This is the obvious Best Picture winner and it truly deserves it. If there’s one movie on my list that you absolutely have to see it’s this. I love Boyhood for what the film itself is and for what it represents. This could be my favorite film of the last 15 years.
Honorable Mentions in Alphabetic Order:
A Field in England
Mid 17th century during the English Civil War. Black and white photography. Innovative new director Ben Wheatley. This is a recipe for greatness. The movie was released in the UK in mid 2013 but didn’t hit our shores until early 2014. I understand why this wasn’t a big release, it’s very niche cinema. It’s a visceral yet surreal experience. The entirety of the film takes place in one empty field where an alchemist’s assistant, a pair of army deserters, and a thief encounter each other there. A psychological power struggle ensues. This is psychedelic cinema at its best. You never truly know what’s going on. The characters die and reappear, ingest substances to alter their perception and battle to the death, or what we think death would be. What’s amazing is that black and white film can communicate that psychedelic feeling better than color film. Wheatley limits his palette and tools and creates a masterpiece. It reminds me of Zabriskie Point, Un Chien Andalou, The Holy Mountain, and Aguirre, Wrath of God; that is extremely good company. This year it most closely resembles Inherent Vice, another film that could be on my honorable mentions list. Incoherence and ambiguity are good things when used deftly and to create a world vision that makes us better feel the characters. In this film style is substance and I loved it. It’s hard to categorize this movie, but it should be a midnight cult movie for generations to come.
A Most Violent Year
J.C. Chandor’s All is Lost was high up on my favorite films of 2013 and he’s back in 2014 with A Most Violent Year. He gets terrific work out of Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac here. The film takes place in 1981 New York. The setting and the filmmaking remind you of 70’s gangster dramas, The Godfather, The French Connection, and The Prince of the City. A recent film it reminds me of is Sidney Lumet’s 2007 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead. A lot of this film is very reminiscent of Lumet. Chandor said that this is a film where the main character knows who Michael Corleone is and is influenced by that fictional character in his real life. The story is not as fleshed out as other gangster epics, but the slow burn that it evokes and the wonderful characters make up for it. You wait for a moment for things to explode, but that never happens. I love slow moving films, but if they are slow they can never be dull. This film is extremely interesting at every turn and the tension is constant. The lighting in this movie was maybe my favorite of the year along with John Wick. The top down lighting is very old Hollywood, but the yellow tinting of scenes recalls Steven Soderbergh’s recent movies. This one will be opening in more theaters soon and you should really go check it out as soon as you can.
A Most Wanted Man
Just as deliberate as A Most Violent Year but not as character focused, A Most Wanted Man is just as successful and sometimes wonderfully infuriating. Anton Corbijn is the perfect filmmaker for this job. He can create tense thrillers, but also meander at the same time to show the beauty in an ugly world. He did this great in The American. I probably like this film more than I should because it was Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s final substantial performance. He is the reason to see this. You are at awe by his ability, but then saddened that this is the last you will ever see of him. The final scene where he slinks off defeated seems so emblematic. This is smart and subtle cinema and your patience will be rewarded. There were few other times in 2014 where I was as captivated by the world a filmmaker created and Hoffman is the giant in that world.
Enemy
This is a very strange piece of film. Gyllenhaal reunites with Prisoners director Denis Villeneuve and gives an amazing performance(s) as a pair of dopplegangers who decide it best to ruin each others lives. This is an uncommon thriller with stark imagery and symbolism. Believe it or not this is a rumination on the fascist police state and the characters not knowing that they even live in one. Spiders also make frequent appearances in the film, so if those freak you out as much as me I figured I’d at least give a warning. I watched this film back to back with The Double featuring Jesse Eisenberg. Ultimately this film was more unique because the setting seems so normal for a doppleganger mystery thriller whereas The Double places its characters in the bureaucratic sludge where everyone feels the same and recalls Brazil and other slightly sci-fi dystopias. Enemy though seems singular and it’s why it makes an appearance on my list.
Force Majeure
How this got left out of the Best Foreign Film nominations at the Academy Awards I’ll never know. Many considered it a favorite. Regardless I consider it a terrific film no matter its locale. Instead of doing a mini-write up I’ll just link you to my full review for this. Well worth watching.
https://midwestmovieman.wordpress.com/2014/12/05/force-majeure-swedish-cinema-in-the-french-alps/
Nightcrawler
As good as Jake was in Enemy he’s even better in Nightcrawler and that’s saying something considering all other great performances given here by Rene Russo, Bill Paxton and Riz Ahmed.
https://midwestmovieman.wordpress.com/2014/10/31/double-feature-friday-part-one-nightcrawler/
Heres my thoughts about the movie initially. It’s impact hasn’t lessened with time. A really great film that got overlooked by too many this year. I saw this in the same weekend as Whiplash and Birdman. Moviegoing doesn’t get much better than that.
The Imitation Game
This is the final Oscar contender on my list. The others truly were all very good. Selma, The Theory of Everything, and American Sniper could’ve made the cut in other years. I had issues with all three, I even had some with The Imitation Game but there were less and that simple pros and cons consideration places this film where it is. Cumberbatch and Knightley light up the screen during very dark times for Britain and it’s an inspiring film that also makes us feel shame for how we treat those who are different from us.
Can’t really say more than I already did with my initial review. The first time I attempted to see the movie there was a line out of the theater 80 deep and with only one minute before showtime I decided it best to come back the next day a bit earlier and it was still packed. This is a real crowd pleaser, everyone should love this movie.
The Immigrant
How this movie didn’t find a bigger audience I’ll never know. It’s available on Netflix now and has been for some time. It stars Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Renner, and Marion Cotillard. She is, for my money, the best and most interesting actress working (well ok, Jessica Chastain too). I love her in all her roles. This is a working class drama, and along with her great performance in Two Days, One Night it makes a great statement of the plight of that working class that’s lasted over the past century. Pride is also a great working class drama and that we have three such films in a year is an amazing thing. James Gray is a woefully overlooked filmmaker. I thoroughly enjoyed We Own the Night and Two Lovers, both featuring Phoenix. I love how he likes to work with a certain exacting type of director, just as he does with his frequent collaborations with P.T. Anderson in Inherent Vice and The Master. Do not miss this film. Had it received a larger release there’s no doubt in my mind it would be getting more awards.
Under the Skin
While Interstellar is ranked higher this film is more innovative in the Sci-fi world of filmmaking. At times it is virtually silent except for a haunting score. Scarlett barely speaks, yet her presence has never been more monumental. She really proves herself here as more than a blockbuster actress. Though she has proven that before, her recent run of films has been extremely exciting. This film revolutionizes the alien invasion genre. It’s part a feminist revenge film, though categorizing it as such would be far too simplistic. Suffice to say Johansson delivers one of the strongest female performances for an equally strong female character ever (if what she is even has a gender even). This one will stick with you for days and weeks. It stuck around in my mind for even longer to land on this list.
Venus in Fur
This is far from Roman Polanski’s best film. That honor would go to Knife in the Water or Chinatown, still then for him to land his Venus in Fur here is extremely impressive. It’s a two person drama. I would be remiss to point out that many of the films I’ve been enjoying lately have extremely small casts with characters isolated from the outside world. It happens in Locke but also in Coherence, The One I Love, Wild, and Only Lovers Left Alive. Those were all really good films that ultimately didn’t make the cut. Venus in Fur does because of the incredibly literary nature of the film. It’s based on a novel that was also based on the life of the author. The film stars the director’s wife along with an actor who physically resembles the director and is a stand in for him. It’s a film about the process of filmmaking, theatre, and just storytelling and how it becomes inescapable but to inject yourself into that story. This one is also on Netflix, so get to it.
The following are genre or special interest films that didn’t make it in my top 20 that I wanted to give special recognition to. There are other genres like Sci-Fi, Thriller, Foreign, Drama, Comedy that are well represented in my top 20 so I won’t make a special category for them.
Best Animated Film:
The Tale of Princess Kaguya
Runner up: The Lego Movie
Best Documentary:
Tie: Citizenfour / The Internet’s Own Boy
Runner up: Jodorowsky’s Dune
Best Horror Film:
The Babadook
Runner up: Tie, Borgman and The Guest
Best Romance Film:
Love is Strange
Runner up: Le Week-end
Best Action:
The Raid 2: Berandal
Runner up: Tie, John Wick and Fury.
Best Blockbuster:
Guardians of the Galaxy
Runner up: Captain America: The Winter Soldier
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