2014
Top whatever list of films of the year.
Honorable mentions:
Cold in July
Foxcatcher
A Million Ways to Die in the West
2014 is one of the greatest years in film history. Still need to watch:
Blue Ruin
The Captive
Clouds of Sils Maria
The Double
The Fool
Frank
Inherent Vice
John Wick
Leviathan
Phoenix
The Skeleton Twins
Stray Dog
Tangerines
Two Days, One Night
Wild Tales
Honorable mentions:
Cold in July
Foxcatcher
A Million Ways to Die in the West
2014 is one of the greatest years in film history. Still need to watch:
Blue Ruin
The Captive
Clouds of Sils Maria
The Double
The Fool
Frank
Inherent Vice
John Wick
Leviathan
Phoenix
The Skeleton Twins
Stray Dog
Tangerines
Two Days, One Night
Wild Tales
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21 titles
- DirectorWes AndersonStarsRalph FiennesF. Murray AbrahamMathieu AmalricA writer encounters the owner of an aging high-class hotel, who tells him of his early years serving as a lobby boy in the hotel's glorious years under an exceptional concierge.Wes Anderson you magnificent bastard! I love Anderson's films and this one just might be my favorite of his. Everything in Grand Budapest is perfect. The directing, the script, the acting, the cinematography, the shot composition, the score, the on-point Wes Anderson humour, the editing, Willem Dafoe, EVERYTHING!
The Grand Budapest Hotel is without a doubt my favorite film of 2014. - DirectorChristopher NolanStarsMatthew McConaugheyAnne HathawayJessica ChastainWhen Earth becomes uninhabitable in the future, a farmer and ex-NASA pilot, Joseph Cooper, is tasked to pilot a spacecraft, along with a team of researchers, to find a new planet for humans.Nolan fanboy alert: People might say that the last couple of minutes were unnessecary. I can see their point. However, I still loved it. I loved every single thing about this movie. Every minute, every second, every nano-second. And like The Dark Knight Rises, the ending gave me serious shivers. However not quite my favorite film of the year.
- DirectorJonathan GlazerStarsScarlett JohanssonJeremy McWilliamsLynsey Taylor MackayA mysterious young woman seduces lonely men in the evening hours in Scotland. However, events lead her to begin a process of self-discovery.Extremely captivating, intriguing and unsettling. It does move a bit slowly yes but it has a method to its slow pace. If it had moved quicker I don't think it would've been as climactic. It doesn't try to give you an explanation to everything and why these things are happening, you know. "Who is that guy? Why did she do this? Why does this makes her feel this?" etc. These are questions that the movie doesn't try to give a realistic explanation to and that's something I really appreciate. Kind of like how Woody Allen never explains why Gil keeps literally going back in time in Midnight in Paris. If the situation in question is kept a mystery it doesn't allow your brain to start to dissect the plausibility of the situation - thus making you (me) appreciate it for what it is.
Anyway, the acting was great, the directing was great, the cinematography was great and the score was phenomenal.
Okay I've seen the movie twice now and I partially take back what I said about the film being kept a mystery. Because now I can actually give you a theory to "Who is that guy?", "Why did she do this?" and "Why does this make her feel this?". My main point still stands, just not to the things that were unclear to me at the first watch.
Under the Skin is a modern masterpiece and another piece of evidence as to why 2014 is one of the best years in film history. - DirectorDavid FincherStarsBen AffleckRosamund PikeNeil Patrick HarrisWith his wife's disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it's suspected that he may not be innocent.Gone Girl was what one can and should expect from David Fincher; dark, gritty and well made. Really the only problem I have with it is that the ending was a bit unsatisfying. But I most likely should blame that on the book (I have not read it but the author also wrote the script of the film). With that being said, this was a truly great movie. It was directed with extreme skill, had great performances and a great score. And my god, Tyler Perry... I generally don't like the guy but he was my favorite person in the film. I can see this as that one of the greatest movies of the year that gets snubbed by the academy.
ENTRY JANUARY 15: I was right. Gone Girl got snubbed by the academy. - DirectorAlejandro G. IñárrituStarsMichael KeatonZach GalifianakisEdward NortonA washed-up superhero actor attempts to revive his fading career by writing, directing, and starring in a Broadway production.I love tracking shots in movies, especially when they're made well. So of course I'm gonna love Birdman, a movie with nothing but tracking shots. The directing was phenomenal, as what one should expect from Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu. Michael Keaton was amazing as well, would love to see him getting the oscar for his part. I loved when he called out the critic for the horrible person she was.
- DirectorXavier DolanStarsAnne DorvalAntoine Olivier PilonSuzanne ClémentA widowed single mother, raising her violent son alone, finds new hope when a mysterious neighbor inserts herself into their household.Everything in this film felt so incredibly real. From start to finish I was never watching actors reading their lines, I was watching real people coping with the harsh realities of life. For example: Just the little dance moves that Steve made when he was riding his long board and listening to what seemed to be hip-hop were so real! The way the aspect-ratio symbolised the characters situations I think made the movie even better. This was the first movie I saw from Xavier Dolan and boy do I need to watch the rest of his films. After seeing this I can confidently say that he is our time's Orson Welles - 26 years old and has already made this masterpiece.
Props! - DirectorDamien ChazelleStarsMiles TellerJ.K. SimmonsMelissa BenoistA promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential.I have a teacher that always saws us in half after we show him our class projects and so on. After watching Whiplash I am confident that J.K. Simmon's character is based on my teacher. This movie was so intense! There is no doubt in my mind that J.K. Simmons will get the oscar for his role. He quickly became one of my favorite movie characters of all time!
- DirectorGregg ArakiStarsShailene WoodleyEva GreenChristopher MeloniIn 1988, a teenage girl's life is thrown into chaos when her mother disappears.Probably the least Gregg Araki of all Gregg Araki films I've seen apart from maybe Smiley Face. But I found it to be great. Quite possibly my favourite of his after Nowhere. The only competition thus far would be The Doom Generation. It's definitely the most subtle of all his films. And at the top of my head I can't think of anything bad about it.
- DirectorRuben ÖstlundStarsJohannes KuhnkeLisa Loven KongsliClara WettergrenA family vacationing in the French Alps is confronted with a devastating avalanche.At first it felt a little too slow but as soon as the avalanche came it picked up and I didn't feel bored one bit. Really makes you think this film. Reminded me a lot of Michael Haneke.
- DirectorDavid CronenbergStarsJulianne MooreMia WasikowskaRobert PattinsonA tour into the heart of a Hollywood family chasing celebrity, one another and the relentless ghosts of their pasts.Am I the only one who liked this film? It certainly feels that way. The CGI fire looked like shyt but I loved the ghost scenes, especially the first one which actually creeped me out. The scene keeps drawing me back to the film like my other favourite Cronenberg films.
- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsJake GyllenhaalMélanie LaurentSarah GadonA man seeks out his exact look-alike after spotting him in a movie.Prior to watching this I was expecting to be absolutely clueless at the end. But I can proudly say that I actually got most of it when I was finished. Mr. Vileneuve did not disappoint! Reminded me alot of David Lynch. Plus, the ending, creepiest ending to a movie I have ever seen..
- DirectorNuri Bilge CeylanStarsHaluk BilginerMelisa SözenDemet AkbagA hotel owner and landlord in a remote Turkish village deals with conflicts within his family and a tenant behind on his rent.Very immersive film. 3 hours and I was never bored a single second. Ceylon's directing was great, the acting was great and the dialogue was fantastic. The reason why it's not higher on my list is because I do have a few issues. I have only seen it once so a few things were left unanswered. For example: Why did Ilyas suddenly pass out and why didn't they go deeper into that incident? What happened to Necla? She had the 20 minute long conversation with Aydin and then she just vanished throughout the rest of the film. Aylin later knocked on her door once but from what I can remember they didn't mention her again. Hopefully these questions will be answered the next time I watch the film but for now they remain unanswered.
My favourite scenes were the ones including Ismael. Whenever he was in the scene I was on the edge of my seat - especially the last one. The only problem was that he was only in 2 scenes. Perhaps it wouldn't have made sense if he suddenly appear at any other moment but I sure would like it if he got more screen time.
All and all I think that this was a great film. - DirectorDavid LynchStarsChris IsaakKiefer SutherlandC.H. EvansTwin Peaks before Twin Peaks (1990) and at the same time not always and entirely in the same place as Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992). A feature film which presents deleted scenes from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992) assembled together for the first time in an untold portion of the story's prequel.
- DirectorGia CoppolaStarsEmma RobertsJames FrancoJack KilmerAn unflinching portrait of adolescent lust, boredom, and self-destruction that centers around a shy young girl on the cusp of an illicit relationship with her soccer coach.Captured adolescence pretty well in my opinion. And I love James Franco.
- DirectorPawel PawlikowskiStarsAgata KuleszaAgata TrzebuchowskaDawid OgrodnikA novice nun about to take her vows uncovers a family secret dating back to the German occupation.Very beautiful film. Great cinematography and acting. I loved the overall tone of the film as well. I'll likely watch it again very soon.
- DirectorDan GilroyStarsJake GyllenhaalRene RussoBill PaxtonWhen Louis Bloom, a con man desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story.Phenomenal acting by Jake Gyllenhaal. Very interesting story. Not sure what the moral of the film is though. Like "If you're a creepy and psychopathically determined sociopath you'll be successful". I don't know, it felt kind of weird to me. But fortunately I didn't think it ruined the film at all.
- DirectorJ.C. ChandorStarsOscar IsaacJessica ChastainDavid OyelowoIn New York City 1981, an ambitious immigrant fights to protect his business and family during the most dangerous year in the city's history.
- DirectorJennifer KentStarsEssie DavisNoah WisemanDaniel HenshallA single mother and her child fall into a deep well of paranoia when an eerie children's book titled "Mister Babadook" manifests in their home.The Babadook is the greatest horror film I've seen since Insidious. It was extremely unsettling and directed with amazing skills for a feature film directoral debut. Excellent acting and cinematography. The story was much deeper than what the majority of people seem to think. But what impressed me the most was that there were no jump scares, at all! The film was already so creepy that it didn't need any. And like Enemy I could see some inspiration from David Lynch and Ingmar Bergman, two of my very favorite film directors of all time. I would love to see horror directors take inspiration from The Babadook.
- DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsEllar ColtranePatricia ArquetteEthan HawkeThe life of Mason, from early childhood to his arrival at college.It was good. It had a very original concept and I wasn't bored at any moment in this 2 hour 45 minute film. That's when you know the director's done his job.
- DirectorJemaine ClementTaika WaititiStarsJemaine ClementTaika WaititiCori Gonzalez-MacuerViago, Deacon, and Vladislav are vampires who are struggling with the mundane aspects of modern life, like paying rent, keeping up with the chore wheel, trying to get into nightclubs, and overcoming flatmate conflicts.
- DirectorPhil LordChristopher MillerStarsChris PrattWill FerrellElizabeth BanksAn ordinary LEGO construction worker, thought to be the prophesied as "special", is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil tyrant from gluing the LEGO universe into eternal stasis.