favorite/best films of 2014. SMALL REVIEW IN THE NOTES. HM:22 Jump Street, Particle Fever, The Immigrant, Edge of Tomorrow, Marvel (Guardians, Cap, BH6) Haven't seen: Selma, Inherent Vice, We Are the Best, Babadook, or Foxcatcher
15 picks · Ranked list
The creation of <i>Boyhood<i> feels like it was about as effortless as clocking in once a year. For me, that's the real beauty of the film. It's the best thing I can say about it; it feels effortless. There's nothing transcendent about the film. There's nothing about the film that's going to change the way we watch movies. There's nothing that's going to really even change the way films are going to be made. I know this makes it sound entirely unremarkable but I think that's the larger metapho
Phillip Lord and Chris Miller are saviors of the blockbuster. People complain we live in a world full of reboots, sequels, and cash-grabs. Lord and Miller agree; they just argue that it's not the end of cinema. <i>The Lego Movie<i> is inspiration by way of an seemingly uninspired idea. It finds the comedy of living in the moment and finds its heart by looking at the bigger picture.
<i>Noah<i> is a revelation. <i>Noah<i> is the most ambitious film of the year. Darren Aronofsky has made a film that feels like the amalgamation of biblical fantasy and biblical sacrilege. The end result is a film so unique and unlike anything else. Darren Aronofsky always takes huge themes and tries to make a film that totally encompasses and explore that theme. For that reason alone it's hard to deny Aronofsky's ambition deciding to take on a project like this.
The most important film of the year. <i>Citizenfour<i> is an essential piece of journalism but it shouldn't be understated what a great documentary this is as well. <i>Citizenfour<i> wrote itself but the camerawork and the editing tell the story.
<i>Nightcrawler<i> has spawned some of the most interesting film conversations I've had all year. I interpret the film as a middle finger to American capitalism but no matter what your interpretation, the film is undeniably entertaining. Jake Gyllenhaal fucking owns his role.
Easily the coolest film of the year. <i>Only Lovers Left Alive<i> is kind of an interesting look at what immortality does to a soul. This film is so damn cool. It's really just vampires hanging out doing vampire things, reading books, listening to music, having sex, and it's so damn cool. I wish I could say something more insightful or eloquent but whatever.
<i>Whiplash<i> may have the most literal title of the year. An absolutely exhilarating film that totally gave me whiplash. J.K. SImmons and Miles Teller give some of the best performances of the year. An aggressive, intense, and quite inspiring story.
<i>Locke<i> is a study of male gender roles and what it means to be a man. Tom Hardy gives the best performance of the year with help from the film's well written and tense script.
<i>Snowpierecer<i> is a science fiction film that actually feels interested in making a political statement both inside and out. It also has some of the most gorgeous, dreamlike action I've ever seen.
There's not much to say about <i>The Grand Budapest Hotel<i> that hasn't been said already. It's Wes Anderson at his best so, it's cinema at it's best.
<i>Gone Girl<i> is the weird, cool, sexy film I've always wanted from David Fincher. I like to call it the most 2014 film of 2014. <i>Gone Girl<i> is as entirely entertaining as film can get. It's so in tune with the Zeitgiest, it makes you laugh but it's never becomes this self aware comedy.
<i>Godzilla<i> doesn't fuck with you. Gareth Edward's huge blockbuster is one of the best directed films of the year. A true science fiction tale about how mankind's egocentric attitude compels us to control nature and how we continually fail.
Especially after reading both the novel and the screenplay, it's surprising how understated <i>The Fault in Our Stars<i> ends up being. Beautiful cinematography and great performances make this a timeless tale.
Having a Keanu Reeves' stuntman direct a Keanu Reeves action film ended up being a no-brainer. <i>John Wick<i> is the most badass film of the year. The film is full of well directed and choreographed action. It also smartly jumps into an already established world full of interesting characters--a world I wouldn't mind visiting again.
The true star of <i>Under the Skin<i> is the film making. Gorgeous cinematography, cool psdeo-documentary stuff, weird special effects, an interesting score. It's a total experience.
