50 Best Films of 2014 - #20 - #11

Now into the top 20 films from 2014

20. Under the Skin

A tricky one to recommend, Under the Skin is enigmatic and utterly, shockingly strange, and while I loved it obviously and I know others who did as well, I also know a fair share of people who would ask me why the hell I wasted their two hours, or they would turn it off halfway through in disgust. This is really only a safe bet if you meet one of these two conditions: a) you are physically attracted to Scarlett Johansson, or b) you find strange, abstract cinema with some real depth and meaningful thematic substance appealing.  

I will leave it at this: there is some really interesting stuff happening here regarding the way we view and treat women in society.

19. Blue Ruin

I really expected this to be a by the numbers, you can see what is approaching around every corner revenge thriller. I was so damn wrong. Blue Ruin is smart, edge of your seat stuff, if you have Netflix streaming I highly suggest checking it out.

18. Life Itself

Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, I used to walk to a store nearby to purchase a newspaper every Friday specifically for the movie reviews, and it wasn't a difficult decision whether I should pick up a Sun-Times or a Tribune. I wanted to read the words of Roger Ebert, and even when I disagreed with the man, I always admired him. Life Itself is a wonderful documentary that serves as a tremendous tribute to Roger, but the best thing about it is that it is honest rather than simply positive pandering. Steve James doesn't mind showing that his subject was flawed because it is human to be flawed, and as a result the film is truly special.

17. Foxcatcher

A chilling and brilliantly performed picture based on a true story, I was engrossed inside the world crafted by Bennett Miller from start to finish. Foxcatcher is a cold and dour experience without a doubt, and one looking for anything light and fun will surely be counting the minutes until it's over, but if you are like me and find odd amounts of joy watching something ominous this may work wonders for you too.

16. Inherent Vice

Luckily for me, I had read the delightfully strange source material this was based on before seeing the film, the novel by Thomas Pynchon of the same name, so I knew what to expect going in. I knew much of the narrative would seem incoherent and the style of storytelling would feel out of sorts, but strangely that was what makes Inherent Vice such a blast to witness unfold. Sure, it's a mess, but what a glorious mess it is. Directed by one of the brightest modern auteurs working today, Paul Thomas Anderson, even if you have no idea what the hell is going on you have got to admire just how well crafted the ride is.

15. Nightcrawler

Lead by my favorite male performance of the year by Jake Gyllenhaal as Lou Bloom, Nightcrawler is another dark and creepy entry into my list, but unlike Foxcatcher it also has a wickedly clever sense of humor as well. The fact that this ended up at #15 on the year is a testament to just how strong 2014 was in cinema, because my goodness I love this movie.

14. The LEGO Movie

The first movie from 2014 I saw ends up being one of the finest of the year. It isn't often I can say that because typically the early months are the doldrums of the theatrical calendar, but The LEGO Movie turned out to be shockingly great. So clever, so warm, so much damn fun with a third act twist that brought quite a few tears to the eye, what initially felt like it was destined to be solely an advertisement for toys turned out to have an important and meaningful message in the end.

13. How to Train Your Dragon 2

Back in 2010, I was one of the few people who felt the first How to Train Your Dragon was the best animated film of the year. Understandable because the also amazing Toy Story 3 was released during that very same year, but How to Train Your Dragon just had this magical feeling that cast a spell on me and won me over immediately. I was concerned the sequel would be a let down, but that skepticism vanished quickly as the characters, the story and the stakes all matured since the release of the original. For quite some time this movie held my top spot of 2014 and with each revisit I am reminded why. How to Train Your Dragon 2 is an amazing film for any person of any age. 

12. Like Father, Like Son

The switched at birth story has been done before, but never this eloquently and with this much realism and passion. Like Father, Like Son is heartbreaking and thought provoking cinema, asking a rather important question: what makes a child yours? Is it the blood and genetics you share, or is it something more? A truly beautiful film, and as a father I made a very strong connection with this work.

11. The Raid 2

The first Raid film completely caught me off guard as I had assumed I would be bored by something that was essentially non-stop action, and instead I was pumped full of adrenaline and exhausted by the end of that insanely intense, blood soaked film. Within the first minute of The Raid 2, as the movie opens outdoors with a wide shot that is far different from the cramped and claustrophobic nature of the first film, it is clear director Gareth Evans wants bigger and better things with the sequel. That is exactly what he delivered, as this time around things are far more story oriented, yet when the action does show up it is just as intense and just as awesome as before. 

Next up, the top ten films of 2014. The picture above is from a work that landed not only on the list, but in the top 5 of the year.

My Unofficial 20 Favorite Films of 2014 - #10 - #1

The ten best films I have seen thus far in 2014. My official list will be posted the day of the Oscars, once I have had a chance to catch up with everything I am yet to see.


10. The Babadook

My Review of The Babadook


As solely a horror film, The Babadook is fantastic. Chilling, dark, and amazingly crafted, this is a movie that I would revisit every October when the crisp air outside feels ripe for a scare, but that alone doesn't put it in my top ten of the year thus far. No, what elevates this work is the fact that it is so much more than a seasonal thrill. The story of a grieving mother and son and the symbolic depth of what we see being a representation of their pain, The Babadook is far more than a scary creature in a children's book, and the work of first time director Jennifer Kent knocked my socks off.


9. Nightcrawler

My Review of Nightcrawler

Gloomy and atmospheric, the directorial debut of Dan Gilroy is an eerie and incredibly entertaining work featuring an Oscar worthy performance from Jake Gyllenhaal playing quite possibly the best character of the year, Lou Bloom. This film has everything, giving me chills down my spine yet also making me laugh out loud on multiple occasions. A smart, stylish and totally unique movie.


8. The Raid 2

I have never been the type of guy who gets a kick out of strictly action films. Entertaining at times, sure, but typically very shallow and lacking any real depth any memorable impression on me in the long run. Suddenly along came The Raid, a movie that is pretty much only balls to the walls action with absolutely no substance to grab onto...yet I completely, utterly loved it. Well, this year we got to witness the sequel and it was far more story oriented, much more ambitious and the result was a brilliant crime epic. The incredibly choreographed action is still there, but it's a part of a much richer experience overall.


7. The LEGO Movie

My Review of The LEGO Movie


Without a doubt the surprise of the year for me, The LEGO Movie is a hilarious, touching, clever blast of fun, a film I would have never expected would be in my top ten of the year come time to start putting out a list. It had me solely as a comedy but then that third act happened and, well, wow. Pretty brilliant stuff, especially with a revisit when you know the end and can admire everything that lead up to it.


6. The Grand Budapest Hotel

My Review of The Grand Budapest Hotel


I have been a fan of Wes Anderson for quite some time, but in 2014 he finally put together a complete, perfectly realized feature for the first time in his already fantastic career. Every frame was so focused with so much attention to detail, and the amazing cast wonderfully handled his typically brilliant screenplay with ease.


5. How to Train Your Dragon 2

My Review of How to Train Your Dragon 2


I was one of the few I know of that felt that the first How to Train Your Dragon film was the best animated feature of 2010, which doesn't seem like that bold of a statement if it weren't the same year that Toy Story 3 was released. Well, as of right now its sequel sits atop my animated list of 2014, with only the most recent work from Studio Ghibli potentially standing in its way. A great sequel that matured much like the characters it depicts and I love the risks taken with the storytelling of a film deemed for kids. The plan all along was for a trilogy, and I cannot wait to see how they conclude the story of Hiccup and Toothless.


4. Guardians of the Galaxy

My Review of Guardians of the Galaxy


I listed Captain America: The Winter Soldier during the first part of my list of 20 films, and I mentioned the down year for Marvel in 2013 in terms of quality. I had no idea that something even better would come along from that same cinematic universe in 2014, but that is just what happened when Guardians of the Galaxy was released. A perfect balance of fun, heart, fantasy, adventure, and an imaginative use of an unexpected musical score, I expected to enjoy this film based on the trailers but I had no idea just how much I would love it.


3. Interstellar

My First Review of Interstellar

My Second Review of Interstellar


I am always willing to forgive some flaws if they occur during a work that is incredibly ambitious, and that is exactly why I ranked Interstellar this high despite it not exactly being a perfect film. To some the length of this movie seems daunting, but I actually wish it would have been longer. I would have loved to experience more on Earth before the long journey begins, to have these characters further fleshed out, but unfortunately the first act did end up feeling rushed. However, the overall scope of the film and the nature of the science fiction storytelling absolutely dazzled me, and the eerie, old school musical score used during tense moments in space hit notes inside me so profoundly, I know I will admire it for years to come.


2. Gone Girl

My Review of Gone Girl


David Fincher does it for me again, as the modern king of thrillers delivered another outstanding gem in 2014, an adaptation of the hit novel of the same name. Dark, disturbing, and yet devilishly funny and entertaining, with a great lead performance from Ben Affleck and an even better turn from Rosamund Pike as his wife Amy, everything I admire about the work of Fincher is on display here and despite knowing the entire story in advance, I was riveted from start to finish.


1. Boyhood

My Review of Boyhood


At the end of my review of Gone Girl, I mentioned that it may be the new champion of 2014. This was nearly true, but it proved to be just a bit hyperbolic after I reevaluated the true genius of the work of Richard Linklater, his masterpiece Boyhood. An incredible film that hit me from multiple angles, both as a thirty year old who still recalls what it was like to grow up and struggle with adolescence and also a thirty year old who is raising a seven year old in this world. I love to see her progress and grow each day, but time seems to be moving far too fast for my liking. The fluidity of this film, the way twelve years moves by with grace and ease over a span of less than three hours, and the brilliant simplicity of the editing which never needed to be flashy but demanded precision to pull off the project, everything about the craftsmanship of Boyhood is sublime. Without a doubt, my favorite film of 2014.

Still so much to see from now until February 22nd, the day of the Academy Awards which will also be the day I post my official list of favorites from 2014. Make sure to check out how things change from now until then, and if you get a chance, watch some of my picks from the year thus far. Hopefully you love them just as much as I do.

300: Rise of an Empire Review

If you went and eliminated every moment of slow motion in 300: Rise of an Empire, just kinda played the entire movie at normal speed, I'm pretty confident it would be roughly 26 minutes long.

I can't comprehend how a director thinks showing action in super slow motion is cool. I just don't get it. The only reason that technique should be used is if the thing you are showing me deserves to have that extra time devoted to it, because either an intricately designed set piece plays a role or because what happens is so mind blowing that showing it quickly doesn't do it justice. The Matrix is a perfect example of slow motion that not only works, it was flat out necessary. We needed to see Neo literally bend over backwards to avoid bullets in the slowest possible fashion to truly appreciate it.

Every damn sequence of this film involving grotesque violence is slowed down so that we can see every drop of blood flying through the air, and trust me, there is plenty to see, and frankly it makes the entire experience boring. I have seen people getting cut with giant swords in movies before, and the visual style that made audiences flip their shit back in 2006 when the first 300 was released is no longer a reason to drop 12 dollars on a ticket at the cinema. Nothing that happened during 300: Rise of an Empire was all that interesting and it certainly is never as awesome as it thinks it is.

Action movie directors, take notice: go watch The Raid: Redemption and The Raid 2 by Gareth Evans. How do you make an epic blood bath blow your mind? By making it reach through the television and kick your own ass just by watching the movie. The pace of The Raid films is electric, so intense, so non-stop that it is exhausting to watch and I love every second of those gems. You can practically feel the punches and kicks as they land, and despite laying on a couch and eating cheetos the entire film, you can't help but feel sore in the end.

300: Rise of an Empire can splash as much blood on me as it wants, it doesn't save it from being boring and a perfect example of all style without even attempting substance. Speaking of the splashing, I lost count how many times I rolled my eyes at the fact that at least 60 percent of the movie was done specifically to sell 3D tickets. Giant weapon flies at the screen, look out! Blood spills out towards me, oh no! Arrow soars through the air right at my face, the horror!

It's lame and a bad sign for the confidence in the film if every stupid scene is crafted in a way to make people pay a couple extra dollars per ticket. I was never a huge fan of the first 300, but at least I can quote some of the famous lines of dialogue and I recall being impressed by various scenes. I will not remember a single thing from 300: Rise of an Empire going forward.

1.5/5