BEST in FILM of 2014

Is it that time of the year already? Doesn’t seem like 12 months since the last time I opened this blog to jot down my opinions and thoughts on the previous year of film but indeed it has.  Maybe that’s because after a terrific year in movies from 2013 we had what I would call a fairly underwhelming year in 2014.  Thankfully the Oscar-season saved us as 5 of the 10 films that made my list this year were released in the final weeks of 2014.  Apart of me wanted to make a second list because there were SEVERAL wonderful “guilty pleasure” movies I thoroughly enjoyed but weren’t necessarily GREAT films.  2014 was a good year for what I like to call “popcorn entertainment.”  Movies that are simple, guilty pleasurable, black and white straight forward, you see what you get, these are what I consider to be popcorn entertainment.  I enjoy bringing my thinking-cap when I head into the movies.  Take me somewhere I never been, move my emotions to a place I didn’t expect to go, WOW me.  2014 didn’t break many of those barriers like 2013 did, but the very few that did certainly caught my attention.  So without further adu, let’s cut the chit chat and get to juicy part….here are my selections for the best films from 2014.

HONOARABLE MENTIONS

As always I begin with the few that just missed the cut, however I am also going to jot a few quick snippets about those popcorn entertaining ones because as I stated earlier there were many good ones I feel people should give a watch.

JUST MISSED THE TOP 10

THEORY OF EVERYTHING

I know a few people that are going to crucify me for omitting this wonderful biopic of Stephen Hawkings life and his work on space and time.  Listen it’s a nice moving movie with one amazing performance given by Golden Globe winner and maybe soon to be Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne.  This was literally #11 on my list but I simply could not take out any of the 10 I decided to go with. 

WHIPLASH

I absolutely enjoyed the hell out of this movie.  J.K. Simmons rocked in this and will win the Oscar as he did the Golden Globe for supporting acting.  Miles Teller as the youthful drummer whom the tenacious Simmons teaches delivers a breakout performance that would have merited a best actor nom had the category not been so deep this year.

RAID 2

Hands down BEST ACTION MOVIE OF THE YEAR.  This was better than John Wick (one of the popcorn flicks I also enjoyed) and just about every summer blockbuster that came out minus one.  If none of you have seen either the Raid films, do yourself a favor and get on this ASAP.  Arguably two of the best action movies I’ve seen since 2000 and on.  There are VERY FEW that are even arguable in my opinion.

POPCORN ENTERTAINMENT

Maze Runner (better than Hunger Games, Yea I said it)

Need for Speed (better than the last 3 Fast n Furious movies combined, real car racing movie if you want to see one)

22 Jump Street (never thought you could come close to topping what they did in part 1, but they came real close.  Funniest movie of the year)

John Wick (best Keanu Reeves has been in over a decade)

X men Days of Future Past (inception meets the world of Xmen as I called it, this was a lot of fun to watch.  Cant wait for Apocalypse)

Captain America Winter Soldier (take away the costumes and this practically was a grade A spy thriller that was a “marvel” to watch)

Dawn of the Apes (this was like the empire strikes back of the Planet of the Apes films, very dark, beautifully shot even for cgi, and terrific action sequences)

Lego Movie (I don’t care who you are, kid or adult, if you didn’t enjoy Lego movie you’re doing something wrong with your life)

THE 
TOP
TEN

(as always there are ZERO spoilers said)

10 - AMERICAN SNIPER/TOP FIVE

Only the second time in 9 years, but I simply could NOT leave either of these two movies outside the Top Ten.  For two completely different types of films, they were both exceptionally well done.  Well start with Clint Eastwood’s return to glory as director with American Sniper.  The movie that shocked the box office world by breaking every January record known to man.  Regardless of money (most of the movies on this list didn’t make much of it) Sniper was terrific.  Bradley Cooper couldn’t make it 3 straight years cracking my top 2 (Silver Lining Playbook, American Hustle) but he continues to show what a tremendous range of actor he’s become. He has emerged officially as one of Hollywood’s A-LIST stars.  His portrayal of Chris Kyle is no different as the most deadliest sniper in US Military History.  Movie holds no punches back in its grim, gritty look at the darkside of war…coping.  How do you kill over 150 people and go back home and live a normal life? Where many people I believe are missing the boat on Sniper, calling it Hollywood propaganda this and that, I took as the closest depiction of an anti-war movie were going to ever get.  This man was the baddest of the bad and yet coming home between tours to his family was more difficult than deciding to pull the trigger on a kid carrying a gernade.  Sometimes surviving hell and back isn’t enough. 

Now change gears with me as we dive into Top Five…

Chris Rock wrote, directed and starred in this almost-true-story you can say based loosely on his comedic career.  If you’re an 80s baby and grew up watching those classic SNL years of Sandler, Rock, Morgan, many Seinfeld guest spots, and so forth you are going to LOVE this movie.  Perfect blend of hilarious comedy and good-hearted drama, Top Five never allows itself to be taken too serious or too ridiculous.  You can tell Chris Rock has been dying to make this movie for some time.  And his point on a lot of what’s wrong in Hollywood and mainstream media hits home.  Gabrielle Union as a reality star hoping to marry her big rich famous actor husband so she doesn’t become nothing (hmmm sound familiar).  Funny comedian wishes to be taken seriously and dons serious role and falls flat, there’s plenty of real world comparisons throughout the story.  But its best bits were of the stellar cameos that pop up all over Top Five.  I don’t want to ruin a single one but there’s MANY and all of them flourish perfectly in the story.  If you love old school Hip Hop debates (whose your top 5 and whose coming off the bench), seeing the good ole days of SNL stars bashing heads again, quite possibly the last we may see Tracy Morgan on screen, a classic scene-stealing Jerry Seinfeld making it rain at the strip club, and a good wholesome story of life, growth and change, Top Five is a must see.

9 – THE GRANDE BUDAPEST HOTEL

Perhaps the best assembled cast all year, Budapest Hotel was a surprise for me.  I reluctantly watched it only toward the end of 2014 once the crazed award-buzz for it garnered my curiosity to see what all the fuss was about.  Not many movies released back in February get attention by year’s end.  Boy was I indeed in the wrong omitting this early on.  As far as storytelling goes it reminded me of another top 10 film of a few years back Life of Pi.  The audience comes to learn as to why the owner of the Budapest Hotel refuses to shut its doors when he tells a journalist his story.  Ralph Fiennes delights in his performance as the butler of sorts, as the flashback story unfolds.  To indulge further into the many storylines and surprises going on would do an injustice to the film.  Ill say this though, If you enjoy an excellent cast (Adrian Brody, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Harvey Keitel, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton, Jeff Goldblum, and yes even more) and director Wes Anderson in top form than Grand Budapest won’t disappoint your movie taste buds.

8 – FOXCATCHER

From #8 on down is where I start considering these the strongest films of the year.  At one point all of these movies crossed my mind at being considered one of the best of 2014 (until the moment I saw #1).  Foxcatcher was tremendous to me.  Some have told me they found the story to be very slow and boring (I unfortunately felt this way about another movie that I had high hopes for…A Most Violent Year), but the story here gripped me from beginning to end.  It felt like watching one of those ESPN 30 for 30 sports documentaries with a far darker tone.  This was a true story about the Schultz brothers who were Gold Medalists in the 1984 Olympics and were recruited by the wealthy yet disturbing John Du Pont (played damn near unrecognizable by a fantastic Steve Carell).  Mark and Dave (also played terrifically by Channing Tatum and the always enjoyable Mark Ruffalo) both move into Du Pont’s estate while training for the next world trials to come.  What transpires instead is one of the most tragic sports stories you’ll ever see.  I couldn’t keep my eyes off the screen the entire time. 

7 – THE IMITATION GAME

Brilliant

One word to describe Alan Turing’s incredible INCREDIBLE story about breaking the Nazi’s Enigma code that ended WW2…simply brilliant!  Benedict Cumberbatch has officially skyrocketed to one of my must-see actors.  His villainous role in last summer’s excellent Star Trek sequel, his BBC show Sherlock and now Oscar nominated, Cumberbatch has shown he can do about any role.  The entire cast of Imitation Game is equally note-worthy, including the never better Keira Knightley (best known for the Pirates trilogy), Mark Strong, and the always-wonderful Charles Dance (Game of Thrones super villain Tywin).  Such a wonderful, yet tragic film at the same time due to its reveal about Turing at the end, and what’s even sadder is the notes at the end that make you realize the man never knew the notoriety he finally deserved. 

Brilliant!!!!

#6 – GONE GIRL

The film that took the country by storm based on the novel from Gillian Flynn, director David Fincher blew the minds of audiences with this amazing thriller that won’t soon be forgotten.  An exceptional work on marriage, how people in love become strangers, and an astronomical third act nobody can truthfully say they saw coming.  Not many films about “did the husband kill his missing wife” have been that much different from the other as of late, but Fincher’s take on the popular novel completely revolutionized that.  No one is more deserving of Gone Girl’s many credits than the standout performance from Rosamund Pike.  To say she took crazy to another level is an understatement.  Ben Affleck continues to show he still has serious acting chops as the woeful husband stuck in the middle of a media circus destined to point blame on the missing wife tale.  Much of the story Affleck can attest to his days with ex-wife Jennifer Lopez of which he admits helped frame his role for the film.  Gone Girl is as close to a modern day Fatal Attraction, in terms of not many men (nor women for that matter) will soon forget or look at their spouse quite the same manner.  What are you thinking…

#5 – KILL THE MESSENGER

Kill the Messenger is an incredible true story about an investigative journalist Gary Webb who stumbles upon a riveting story how the CIA bankrolled drug kingpins and cartels in the 1980s to help finance the Cold War, ignoring the never-ending War on Drugs charade.  Instead of aiding in Webb’s revelations, the media and the government immediately began a smear campaign ruining Webb’s life and career before many years later coming to terms with admitting what was done may not have necessarily been truthful.  Choose what you want to believe when it comes to stories involving government conspiracies and cover ups, but Kill the Messenger’s story at heart is as gripping as it is tragic.  Jeremy Reiner’s performance as Webb is one of his best and rivals his work on the Hurt Locker, perhaps exceeding it.  He portrays Webb as a man driven for the truth and later destroyed by it.  It’s a sad tale that one man’s life can be ruined for simply wanting to expose to the world what our country does behind closed curtains.  An expose’ that warrants attention and a film that does an amazing job reflecting it. 

#4 – THE BABADOOK

Biggest surprise I’ve had at the movies all year was watching this truly frightening psychological horror thriller.  Forget Saw, Hostel, Exorcism of whoever it is these days, outside of the more recent the Conjuring, there hasn’t been a better “scary movie” in well over a decade than the Babadook.  Although it’s more of a psychological thriller masquerading with bits and pieces of horror, first time ever director Jennifer Kent deserves a standing ovation for saving a dying genre.  The symbolism of the Babadook and its manifestation of what I consider to be “true fear” is part of the beauty behind this amazing tale of a single mother dealing with real loss and depression after surviving a crash that killed her husband on her way to giving birth.  I’ve watched this movie more times than any of the other films on this list mostly because everytime I watch it I pick up on something new that continues to treat my attention.  As far as the thrills goes theres aplenty, most notably the creepiest scene you will ever see of someone simply reading what seems to be a child's book.  It will undoubtedly raise the tiny hairs on your arms and neck.  Essie Davis as the mother is tenacious and gives a vigorous performance that almost any single mother could relate to I’m sure.  This movie will have repeat-value for years to come.  If you’re a fan of the thriller/horror genre, look no further than catching the Babadook.  Just make sure you watch this at night with all lights off for best viewing experience. 

#3 – NIGHTCRAWLER

These next two films were a tough toss up, could have placed either film in either order really.   Nightcrawler comes in at #3 however as the darkest yet relentlessly thrilling movie of 2014.  A neo-noir psychological thriller with a supremely creepy Jake Gyllenhaal whose performance literally sent the creep waves down my spine the entire time.  Jake has not been this good in anything I have ever seen.  He became Louis Bloom, a pariah weirdo who steals to make money when suddenly finds his calling as he comes across the scene of a crash and “nightcrawlers” arrive filming the scene to sell to local news stations.  He meets his match in a news director who has a similar dark eye as Louis does for news played exceptionally well by the always stunning Rene Russo (if it bleeds, it leads).  The two share a terrific negotiation scene at dinner where you literally exhale as loudly as Russo does when you hear the dark turn Louis takes when trying to hustle for more money.  The guy is a legit creeper and as much as it’s painful it’s equally mesmerizing to watch.  The entire final act during which Louis sets up his masterpiece is one of the most thrilling, breathtaking, cant-take-your-eyes-off-the-screen chases you will ever see.  I don’t think I took more than two or three breaths the entire last 15 minutes of the movie.  The set up and the climatic ending were simply terrific and that final conversation between Gyllenhaal and Russo was just perfect.  Excellent blend of riveting sequences and wonderfully written dialogue, Nightcrawler was always going to be near the top of my list from the moment I watched it. 

#2 – THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Modern day Star Wars!  That’s the best way to describe the feeling I had watching Guardians for the first time this summer.  As the rest of the world experienced the shocking truth that a group of nobody misfits became the greatest film Marvel has put out on screen to date BY FAR!!!  Funny, hilarious even at times, action packed, amazing eye-popping graphics, moving and emotionally stirring too, Guardians literally had everything you want in a prototypical summer blockbuster.  And it exceeded it by a mile.  Perfect casting on all fronts, led none other by Chris Pratt of Parks and Recreation fame, he even comes off like a modern day Han Solo as he plays the hero nobody takes seriously Starlord.  Pratt is a legit Hollywood action star in the making.  Bradley Cooper in an almost unrecognizable voice over as a talking raccoon named Rocket is absolutely hilarious.  And perhaps the most shocking of all was WWE wrestler Dave Bautista whose dry humor was so spot on funny he basically stole every scene he was in (nothing goes over my head, my reflexes are too quick).  I imagined for the longest time what people must have felt walking out of Star Wars the first time in theaters, and I felt Guardians left close to that impression.  This is what a real blockbuster is supposed to be.  If Marvel continues down this amazing pace that their on, people might soon forget DC even exists before they even begin their phases of films.  Great time to be a superhero fan/nerd to say the least. 

#1 – BIRDMAN

Unlike past years, there was never a doubt as to what movie I felt was the best movie of 2014 the moment I watched it.  In a year of mostly underwhelming films Birdman was one for the ages.  It immediately is one of my favorite movies of all time (which I been meaning to update and blog hopefully later this year).  Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu deserves every single accolade for direction he is nominated for.  His camera work was exceptional to say the least, especially the profound way he made the entire movie seem as if it was one single shot (with carefully tricky edits it seems like everything happens in one fluid motion).  If that wasn’t enough he assembled the perfect cast of actors starting with a comeback for the ages Michael Keaton.  Hands down I will forever lose my faith in Oscars if he doesn’t win best actor (I seem to say this every year about the Oscars however).  Keaton plays a washed up “celebrity” actor whose career has been meaningless since he played a superhero star Birdman.  He desperately wants to reinvigorate his career in Broadway by acting and directing a play that seems destined for failure before it starts.  If this all sounds familiar that’s because you can almost say Keaton is playing a parody of his own career since his early 90s Batman flicks (of which he never quite found any notoriety since).  And Keaton delights in his greatest performance of his entire career.  His Birdman persona eats at his head throughout the story whispering to him all the things he should do like some evil little devil on your shoulder.  Filling out the stellar cast is never been funnier Edward Norton as an insane method actor who signs onto the play, Emma Stone as Keaton’s daughter, Zach Galifanakis plays his lawyer and a wonderful Naomi Watts who also signs on to the play.  Birdman is one of the rare breeds of dark black comedy that relishes in the old expression art imitates life.  And in this case it is both figuratively and literally speaking (in Keaton’s case).  With such an uncanny combination of top tier directing and acting Birdman immediately shot up the charts as the easiest choice for best movie of the year I’ve ever had to make.  I await with great anticipation to enjoy its amazing ride again.