Col Needham's Best Movies of 2014
I'm the Founder and CEO of IMDb and here are my choices for the 10 best movies of 2014. This is drawn from a longer list of all my 9/10 and 10/10 movies from 2014 (choosing just 10 is really difficult and I also have a few hotly tipped 2014 movies left to see).
If your IMDb vote history is up-to-date then you can see your own list via these search results.
If your IMDb vote history is up-to-date then you can see your own list via these search results.
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- 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.Another game changer from the mind of Christopher Nolan. Ambitious on a galactic level (literally) this film delivers and delivers. Just when you think it cannot get any more thrilling or any more bold, it steps up the game. One visual effects Oscar pretty much in the bag for Paul Franklin and the Double Negative team. Countless others easily in range. This film will hopefully provoke a debate about the future of exploration beyond this planet.
I have now seen Interstellar a total of four times: Once at a pre-release screening in the UK courtesy of Warner Bros; twice at public screenings at the local Dolby Atmos equipped cinema in Bristol; finally in IMAX 70/15 at Lincoln Square in New York City. To say that the sound and visuals are intense is somewhat of an understatement. Do try and catch this on a big screen if at all possible. - 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.
- 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.The term "dazzling" can be over-used in reviews; this is a case of a film where the word does not even begin to describe it. Filmed cleverly to appear as one continuous shot, I sat through my first screening on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next (and sometimes why, but that is never the point in this truly unique film by Alejandro González Iñárritu). Impossible camera angles abound too as the action follows characters around rooms with mirrors which should be reflecting the film crew yet they remain invisible. Michael Keaton gives a career best performance and it feels like the entire cast should form a repertory company and vow to only makes films together from this point onwards; I would pay to see them act together in anything. Emma Stone and Edward Norton also particularly shine in an already bright cast.
Seen first at a public screening with the IMDb team in Seattle and second as the closing night film of the Bath Film Festival here in the UK - DirectorDoug LimanStarsTom CruiseEmily BluntBill PaxtonA soldier fighting aliens gets to relive the same day over and over again, the day restarting every time he dies.This is science fiction action on top form, and also the second time in two years that such a film starring Tom Cruise has made my Top 10 (see also Oblivion (2013)). Director Doug Liman has skillfully taken an inventive screenplay from Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth (in turn based on the novel from Hiroshi Sakurazaka) and created a film which is fast-paced, thrilling and funny. It is a rare combination. The on-screen chemistry between Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt is a joy to watch. The line "Come find me when you wake up" is also my favourite single line quote of 2014.
Multiple viewings of this film are almost required and I have been fortunate to see it four times: twice at UK public screenings, once at a public screening with the IMDb Seattle team and once at a home cinema evening with the IMDb Bristol team. - DirectorMorten TyldumStarsBenedict CumberbatchKeira KnightleyMatthew GoodeDuring World War II, the English mathematical genius Alan Turing tries to crack the German Enigma code with help from fellow mathematicians while attempting to come to terms with his troubled private life.A long overdue biopic of one the UK's unsung heroes, Alan Turing, played brilliantly by Benedict Cumberbatch in director Morten Tyldum's English language debut. A slight spoiler in that this film contains one of those rare "movie magic" scenes which elevates it to another level: the code-breaking scene is my favourite sequence in any film of this year. I am a computer scientist by background, but none of this knowledge was required as Graham Moore's screenplay does an amazing job of presenting the story in an accessible fashion. Special mention for Mark Strong who delivers many of the best lines of the film via his deliciously suave performance as Stewart Menzies. Keira Knightley gives a stand-out performance too. Composer Alexandre Desplat's score adds to the drama throughout.
Seen as the opening night film of The London Film Festival and it was an honour to meet several members of the Turing family at the event - DirectorJames MarshStarsEddie RedmayneFelicity JonesTom PriorStephen Hawking gets unprecedented success in the field of physics despite being diagnosed with motor neuron disease at the age of 21. He defeats awful odds as his first wife Jane aids him loyally.The love story of the year brought to life in a pair of stunning performances by Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones both of whom I hope will be richly rewarded across the coming award season. Director James Marsh's documentary background is a real asset in bringing the story to life in a realistic and warm way.
Seen at the Toronto International Film Festival at a press and industry screening which resulted (very unusually) in a spontaneous round of applause at the end of the film. Also writing this on the day of the UK premiere in London which I am also attending for a second viewing. In the interests of full disclosure, I must confess that I am Felicity Jones' biggest fan and have been so since catching her debut feature film performance as Young Ruth some six years ago in the criminally under-seen film Flashbacks of a Fool (2008) - DirectorRuben ÖstlundStarsJohannes KuhnkeLisa Loven KongsliClara WettergrenA family vacationing in the French Alps is confronted with a devastating avalanche.Director/writer Ruben Östlund challenges every viewer in this fascinating story of how a brief incident can change a family relationship. To say any more would spoil the experience. This is the Swedish submission for the best foreign language film category for the next Oscars.
Seen at a public screening at The Toronto International Film Festival with a superb Q&A with Ruben afterwards. If you are relationship, make sure you take your partner to see it with you and leave plenty of time for a meal or a drink afterwards to debate the film. - 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.This was the hit of the festival circuit in 2014 and rightly so. Conceived as a feature film, director/writer Damien Chazelle first created a short version which won the best short film prize at Sundance 2013 and enabled the funding for the full feature. Miles Teller continues to demonstrate his talent following a memorable feature debut in Rabbit Hole (2010). J.K. Simmons is exceptional in a role he plays with such intensity that one member of the IMDb team was scared of meeting him in real life after seeing this film; luckily his off-screen persona is the complete opposite of his on-screen character here. It is the combination of both performances which makes this film so special and the director's musical background adds an extra layer of authenticity.
Seen at the UK premiere at The London Film Festival after failing to catch it due to schedule clashes at the Sundance, Cannes and Toronto film festivals. It was well worth the wait. - DirectorJean-Pierre DardenneLuc DardenneStarsMarion CotillardFabrizio RongioneCatherine SaléeLiège, Belgium. Sandra is a factory worker who discovers that her workmates have opted for a EUR1,000 bonus in exchange for her dismissal. She has only a weekend to convince her colleagues to give up their bonuses in order to keep her job.This is a beautiful and delicate film from Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. The heart and soul is the performance by Marion Cotillard, cast against type and converting a seemingly ordinary situation into something extraordinary. This is the Belgian submission for the best foreign language film category for the next Oscars.
Seen at the world premiere at The Cannes Film Festival and later re-watched on Bluray. - DirectorGerard JohnsonStarsPeter FerdinandoStephen GrahamNeil MaskellGood policing doesn't necessarily mean doing everything by the book. But as the business of crime in London turns to favour the Albanians and Turks, how does a "good" policeman survive?I am a big fan of classic film noir and it is wonderful to see the noir spirit alive and captured perfectly by writer/director Gerard Johnson. The dark, gritty streets of London are inhabited by characters on both sides of the law, even the members of the police force themselves. Sharp cinematography by Benjamin Kracun with a matching score from Matt Johnson (better known to me at least before this as "The The") add to the atmosphere. Elisa Lasowski is also outstanding in this well-cast crime thriller.
Seen as the opening night film of the Edinburgh Film Festival. Highly recommended, especially if you like classic noir or love films such as The Long Good Friday (1980)