Top 10 Films of 2014

If you are one of those people who believe that modern cinema has lost its originality, you should stop reading this right now. For the first time in my life, I saw more new release films than ever before and I tried to watch as much as I possibly could. Even this year’s comic book adaptations seemed to be new hybrid films infusing new elements not attempted before within their genres. This is a ranking of the films that I liked best, not necessarily the highest rated, so you will find that some films that are rated higher than others will appear lower on the list.

10. The LEGO Movie

From its trailers, Chris Miller and Phil Lord looked like they were about to drop a grade A bomb on the world in an explosion of animated LEGO bricks, voices of top list actors, and characters from all over the world of pop culture (Batman? BATMAN!?). Instead, they delivered what is probably the biggest surprise of the year. Their story is a modernized take on Orwellian society a la “1984” and makes great usage out of the vocal talents of the cast. Liam Neeson’s happy voice to this day makes me laugh uncontrollably. 7/10

9. Nymphomaniac

Lars Von Trier certainly has a lot to say about love, loss, and sex. Joe, a woman who is driven to the lowest lows in life due to her addiction to having sex, recounts her story to Seligman, played by a very subdued Stellan Skarsgård.  I decided to include the film’s both halves as one as they really are one film, divided into two parts due to length. The film is really brought down in its second half, but its opening two hours are a powerful exploration at the destruction that sex (without love) can have on one’s personal life. I really do believe that Von Trier hates women and this film certainly hammered this point into my mind. 7/10

8. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

 Marvel Studios is in the business of pleasing its fans (and it’s financial backers), not caring what critics have to say. This is a great move for a major studio but unfortunately has produced some pretty lack luster stuff since the studio got off the ground in 2008. With The Winter Soldier, Marvel not only brought Captain America into the present day, but also created their best work to date. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo create a film with action so intense, it rivals anything done in The Avengers (and in my opinion is far better). Chris Evans channels the internal conflict of a man with the morals of yesteryear trapped in a time in which no one cares for them anymore. Does preventing a crime before it even happens justify trampling on people’s freedoms? Marvel delivers a sharp political thriller for modern audiences. 8/10

 7. Nightcrawler

 Dan Gilroy proves himself a force to be reckoned with as he proved himself with this, his first film! Jake Gyllenhaal delivers a flat out disturbing performance as Lou Bloom, a small time thief with a big business approach to his newfound career. Nightcrawling finds him and his partner Rick (Riz Ahmed delivers a great performance) glued to a police scanner, waiting for grizzly accidents and murders that the two can photograph. Lou is willing to go farther, drive faster, and push people harder than most – but how far will he go to be the best? The final 20 minutes culminates in a pulse pounding car chase that rivals anything done by Marvel or any action movie of recent memory. 7/10

6. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

It blows my mind that the Planet of the Apes franchise still has steam in it 46 years after the first film. Director Matt Reeves steps in as director, taking over from Rise of the Planet of the Apes director Rupert Wyatt. Reeves took out the references and Easter eggs from the past films and crafted a smart and beautiful story about Caesar and his colony of apes living in the wilderness around San Francisco. Jason Clarke brings earnestness to his role as Malcom, a man who wishes that both groups could work together. In a role that gives J.K. Simmons’ a run for his money as villain of the year, Caesar’s ally Koba turns on him. I can’t remember the last time I saw film in which I sympathized so deeply with a villain. The way I saw it, this movie doesn’t have a villain. Caesar is our main character, so we side with him naturally, but Koba is pretty damn convincing. 8/10

 5. Under the Skin

Scarlett Johansson plays a femme fatale in this picture, luring horny men to their deaths. The film features what are easily the most bizarre sequences of any of the films I’ve ranked on this list and is definitely the heaviest this side of the top spot. The backdrop of Scotland proves to be an aesthetically beautiful decision as director Jonathan Glazer films primarily on location, outdoors. When the film enters its second half Johansson’s Female character begins to go on a journey of self-discovery, we are forced to rely entirely on her subtly beautiful performance. But why she goes on this journey and pretty much every other aspect of the plot is open for interpretation, something that no other film I’ve this year has achieved. Scarlett is one of my favorite actresses and this role really gets to show off her acting skill and prowess. 8/10

4. Whiplash

How far are you willing to go to get what you want? Andrew wants to be one of the great jazz drummers, even if it means great harm or self-injury. Scenes of bloody blisters, and people who want the same thing you do. J.K. Simmons steals the show as Terence Fletcher, the music professor from hell who insults, slaps, and tortures his students to push them to be the best musicians possible. The heart of the entire film though lies with Miles Teller’s performance as Andrew. His face is so beautifully expressive that we can feel everything he does. At times, no dialogue is needed to get the audience to a certain feeling. I am a musician myself and found the film to be the best and worst of an academic experience studying music. 8/10

3. The Babadook

 As a horror fan, I will be the first to say that modern, big studio horror films suck. They flat out suck. It pains me to think that studios like Fox, Universal, and MGM were producing the best horror films ever made have been reduced to remakes. The Babadook proves that there is still hope in the world of cinematic terror and holy crap is it frightening. The film doesn’t rely on a single jump scare to frighten its audience and instead chooses to toy with them psychologically, just as it does with its protagonists. Beyond that terror, the film is about living with a memory that can haunt us every single day of our lives. Jennifer Kent’s film is dark, expressionist, and at times downright weird. It blurs the line between reality and fantasy to create not only one of the best films of the year, but one of the best horror films ever made.  9/10

2. Birdman

Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu takes us behind the scenes of the most important dramatic production of Riggin Thompson’s life. A man who is typecast as the superhero he played in a film decades ago attempts to prove he is not a washed up hack living in the past, but an actor who cares deeply about his craft. Where Tim Burton’s Big Eyes failed in its commentary about art criticism, Birdman succeeds. What does it mean to be dedicated to your craft and (just as it is explored in Whiplash) how far are you willing to go to prove your dedication? Edward Norton’s character Mike supplies many laughs as Norton is essentially playing a dramatized version of himself (a dedicated character actor). Not only does Birdman give us the best performance of Michael Keaton’s career but is also the funniest movie to play in cinemas this year. Iñarritu creates an eccentric take on what it really means to be an actor. 9/10

1. Interstellar/Wetlands

Don’t make me pick. Please don’t make me pick which of these two was my favorite film of the year. I couldn’t decide which, so I picked both. Interstellar is Christopher Nolan’s biggest and most heartfelt film to date. An enormous spectacle to behold, the film explores a new galaxy in which to save mankind from a dying Earth. Thrilling action sequences in this movie really are an essential part of the story. The film does not stop to have a chase sequence; every set piece is necessary to move the story forward. The scenes involving a wormhole, a black hole named Gargantua, and anything scored by Hans Zimmer’s use of a pipe organ created an experience unlike any other this year. Deep into the film’s third act, there is a docking sequence so intense, my heart raced all 4 times I saw it. The final 20 minutes of the film contains a scene so radical, it’s out there, it’s miraculous Paramount and Warner Brothers didn’t interfere in its production. The film is deeply philosophical, exploring the relationship between Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) and his daughter Murph (played by Mackenzie Foy and Jessica Chastain). 9/10

Wetlands came out of nowhere. Having drawn quite a bit of buzz on the festival circuit for its graphic content, the film lives up to the buzz. Carla Juri stole my heart and has yet to give it back. Her interpretation of Helen Memel is so punk that it makes me sad that I could never be anywhere on her level. As a matter of fact, the entire film is punk. It’s gritty, dirty, grimy, and never afraid to challenge a social taboo. Masturbation? No problem. Public toilets? There is a scene for you (and it will traumatize you). I really wish this film could have had a wider release for more people to experience. The friendship between Helen and her best friend Corinna (Marlen Kruse) is wonderful as the two young actresses bring a sincerity that can’t be faked. They are in the roles as deep as they could go and it shows. Helen longs for reconciliation between her separated parents and the way she attempts it (after a shaving accident involving hemorrhoids) will stay with you for a very long time. Go bold or go home, indeed. 8/10