Top Ten Films of 2014 I still have a few films to see, so this could change in the next couple of weeks, so its not my final Years Best... 1- BOYHOOD (Dir: Richard Linklater) Filmed over 12 years, this is so way more than just a gimmick, its a thoughtful, insightful, intelligent examination of a family growing up, growing apart, growing together 2- BIRDMAN (Dir: Alejandro G. Iñárruti) An exhilarating peek behind the curtain of a former megastar (the amazing Michael Keaton) who tries to make a comeback on Broadway... a visual knock-out, wild beyond imagination and wonderfully acted 3- THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (Dir: Wes Anderson) A crazy and inspired comedy that definitely marches to its own lunatic beat... as a pompous but lovable hotel manager, Ralph Fiennes is at the top of his game... gorgeous sets, great score, impeccable cinematography 4- THE IMITATION GAME (Dir: Morten Tyldum) A powerful and terribly compelling story of British code breaker (and father of the computer) Alan Turing who breaks the Nazis Enigma code and helps the Allies win WWII... Benedict Cumberbatch is extraordinary... if Merchant/Ivory were still making films, it would be this 5- WHIPLASH (Dir: Damien Chazelle) A startlingly good and accomplished film about a music student in NYC and the volatile relationship with his teacher... Miles Teller is great as the young prodigy; J.K. SImmons gives the performance of the year as his abusive prof 6- INTO THE WOODS (Dir: Rob Marshall) Stephen Sondheims celebrated musical gets a thrilling screen adaptation... a terrific score, great acting and peerless direction make this a timeless entertainment... Meryl Streep steals the show as the Witch 7- NIGHTCRAWLER (Dir: Dan Gilroy) An exceptional film debut by director Gilroy... Jake Gyllenhaal abandons his nice-guy persona to create a truly creepy, even loathsome anti-hero who flourishes in the seamy underbelly of L.A. 8- FOXCATCHER (Dir: Bennett Miller) Steve Carells creepy millionaire murderer could be second cousin to Gyllenhaals unscrupulous con man... Channing Tatum gives a truly remarkable performance (no, thats not a typo) as Olympic wrestler Mark Schultz... a sad, meticulous but overpowering experience 9- WILD (Dir: Jean-Marc Vallee) Reese Witherspoons excellent and grounded performance is at the heart of this intense (and basically) one-woman show of hiker Cheryl Strayed and her thousand-mile trek on the Pacific Crest Trail 10- INTERSTELLAR (Dir: Christopher Nolan) A sci-fi journey of immense imagination and intelligence... As would be expected, the effects are amazing, but theres much more to this cerebral space odyssey RUNNERS-UP: Only Lovers Left Alive, Gone Girl, St. Vincent, Fury, The Theory of Everything, Love Is Strange, Edge of Tomorrow, Snowpiercer, Unbroken, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby NOT SEEN: Selma, American Sniper, A Most Violent Year, Two Days One Night, Leviathan, Under the Skin, Still Alice, The Babadook, Inherent Vice
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 09:09:14 +0000
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