MY TOP 20 FAVORITE FILM EXPERIENCES OF 2014
By Adam Mast
2014 was a great year for movies. Anyone who thinks otherwise, wasn’t looking hard enough. Yes, box-office was down, but statistics have absolutely nothing to do with quality. Quite frankly, narrowing a list down to a mere top 20 was no easy task. Before getting to the list, let it be known right up front that there were several films I simply didn’t have an opportunity to see. A MOST VIOLENT YEAR, THE IMMIGRANT, GOODBYE TO LANGUAGE, UNDER THE SKIN, THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA, FORCE MAJEURE, CITIZENFOUR, and JODOROWKSY’S DUNE just to name a precious few. While lists like this are purely subjective, I whole heartedly believe these movies are worthy of checking out. So much so, in fact, that I didn’t want to rank them in order of importance because I think you should watch them all. Therefore, I listed them alphabetically. Without further adieu, have a look at “My Favorite Film Experiences of 2014”. Enjoy.
THE BABADOOK is the best kind of scary movie because it transcends the genre all together. In short, this one really got under my skin. In fact, while this atmospheric gem has all the markings of a classic horror movie, director Jennifer Kent delivers something far more profound. With unforgettable performances by Essie Davis and Noah Wiseman at its center, THE BABADOOK might just be the scariest movie of the last decade. This isn’t necessarily a film about defeating the monster but rather finding a way to keep the monster at bay.
BIRDMAN
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s BIRDMAN is an exhilarating accomplishment. This film reads like a play, but Inarritu and his brilliant cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki have designed the movie to look like one extended, uninterrupted shot. With a surreal, quirky tone akin to the works of Spike Jonze (BEING JOHN MALKOVICH) and Charlie Kaufman (ADAPTATION), BIRDMAN is a rather shrewd satire on theater and the movie business. Michael Keaton is fantastic as an actor who can’t seem to escape the iconic role he played in his earlier years. In an effort to be taken more seriously as an artist, he opts to direct a reputable play, but sadly, his estranged daughter (played by an amazing Emma Stone) and a narcissistic actor (played by a hilarious Edward Norton) cause the little voice inside Keaton’s head to question his own sanity.
BOYHOOD
BOYHOOD is a miracle movie that really shouldn’t exist. It’s an extraordinary picture about an ordinary life. This film chronicles the life of a boy from age 7 to 19 but does so without the inclusion of all those monumental moments you’d expect from a cinematic take on a life story. Sometimes, it’s the tinier moments that make up our lives, and this film is really about those moments. The hook here, of course, is that writer/director Richard Linklater shot BOYHOOD over a span of 12 years and kept the same cast in tact throughout the entire production. Therefore, you actually see this boy grow, physically and emotionally, before your very eyes. It’s an intriguing experiment of a motion picture (think a narrative version of the SEVEN UP series) that could have ended in disaster. Instead, BOYHOOD emerges as one of 2014’s best films. Kudos to Linklater and stars Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, and Ethan Hawke, for this unforgettable experience.
Jim Mickle’s take on Joe R. Lansdale’s multi-layered novel is a deceptive, 80’s-set noir thriller starring Michael C. Hall as a mild mannered Texan whose inadvertent run in with a home intruder sets off a chain reaction of unexpected twists and turns that ultimately bring him face to face with a murderous ex-con (expertly played by veteran Sam Shepard) and a charismatic cowboy (played by a scene stealing Don Johnson). Where the movie goes from there is best left unsaid, but what I will say is that COLD IN JULY might be one of the most under appreciated films of 2014. It’s extremely violent but the bloodshed is all in service of the story. Furthermore, COLD IN JULY has terrific performances, a wicked sense of humor, and an unpredictable plot that I wont soon forget.
Original Full Review; CLICK HERE2014’s summer movie season was the strongest in recent memory. How else could I justifiably leave movies like EDGE OF TOMORROW and X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST off this list? Of the big tent pole releases last summer, Matt Reeves’ DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES stuck with me the most. It is that rare blockbuster that has the brains to match the brawn. Unforgettable special effects yes, but it was the character beats and dramatic power that affected me most. I can’t wait to see what direction the next film in this series is headed. Side note; Andy Serkis and Toby Kebbell are exceptional in this picture and their work goes far beyond motion capture. This is emotion capture.
With THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, I do believe that Wes Anderson may have created his masterpiece. I know that might sound like a bold statement, particularly to Anderson fans out there, but the dry, quirky, manic nature of this picture really won me over. Actually, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL sort of plays like a Wes Anderson Greatest Hits package touching on themes that have flowed throughout all of his signature work. At the heart of THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL is a wonderfully offbeat tale of friendship between a shifty hotel concierge (played to the hilt by a colorful Ralph Fiennes) and an impressionable lobby boy (played by a delightfully dry Tony Revolori.) THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL is, all at once, darkly hilarious, unexpectedly dramatic, and surprisingly sweet. Wes Anderson is certainly an acquired taste but it’s a taste I’ve grown to love through the years.
To View the Trailer; CLICK HERE
Everything is awesome in one of 2014’s very best animated features. With THE LEGO MOVIE, film-makers Phil Lord and Chris Miller have fashioned a wonderfully vibrant adventure with fantastic vocal work and pitch perfect humor for folks of all ages. Not only does THE LEGO MOVIE promote creativity in the most imaginative ways possible, but it also suggests that we all have worth. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.
With THE RAID 2, director Gareth Evans has created the greatest action film since DIE HARD. A brutal, exhausting, breathtaking martial arts extravaganza. Unlike its fantastic predecessor, the action here isn’t confined to one location. Evans breaks free, busting THE RAID universe wide open with an intricate, multi layered, GODFATHER-like crime story about family, honor, and betrayal. The choreography in THE RAID 2 has to be seen to be believed, and this masterful Indonesian import also offers up a car chase for the ages. Holding it all together is a stoic hero in Rama (played by a quietly effective Iko Uwais.) This is spectacular stuff!
RUDDERLESS
Forget the well-intentioned but schmaltzy BEGIN AGAIN. RUDDERLESS is a far more effective look at the healing power of music. Actor William H. Macy made his directorial debut with this poignant, hard hitting story of a man (beautifully played by Billy Crudup) who attempts to deal with the reality of an awful tragedy by way of a mysterious box of demo tapes and his bonding with a sweet natured twenty-something (played by a likable Anton Yelchin.) While RUDDERLESS takes a bit of a dark, provocative detour, Macy brings a deft, likable touch to a very moving screenplay penned by Jeff Robison and Casey Twenter.
WHIPLASH is a brilliant expose on ambition and the true cost of success. Miles Teller is sensational as a jazz drummer who prays at the altar of an abrasive, insult slinging instructor (played by an electrifying J.K. Simmons.) Simmons is terrifying as a hardened, driven individual who believes the term “good job” is the most damaging phrase in the English Language. With shades of various military movies dripping at the seams, writer/Director Damien Chazelle does for the world of jazz drumming what Darren Aronofsky’s BLACK SWAN did for ballet. WHIPLASH is an intense masterwork from top to bottom and if Simmons doesn’t win the Oscar for his mesmerizing performance in this picture, I’ll be really shocked.
“STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS” TEASER TRAILER
THE FORCE AWAKENS might just be the most highly anticipated movie in cinematic history but for every fan dying to see this flick is a fan that waits with cautious optimism. That is, until we all got a look at this teaser. The prequels left a bad taste in the mouths of many a STAR WARS fan and now, it’s up to J.J. Abrams to wash that nasty taste out. Whatever negative energy might have been making the rounds in regard to this closely guarded sci-fi epic was wiped away at the sight of this masterful 88-second clip. Perhaps the neatest trick this teaser pulls off is that it manages to feel new and old at the same time. Rather than simply appealing to our nostalgic sensibility, Abrams opted to focus on what’s new in the STAR WARS universe with this effective tease. Opening the clip with sweating, Stormtrooper John Boyega in a real life desert location was a stroke of genius and ending the teaser with a breathtaking shot of the Millennium Falcon in action was the icing on the proverbial cake! This clip is so representative of what an early teaser should be that no one seemed to mind that there wasn’t a single shot of Luke, Leia, Han, or outer space to speak of. Expectations can be a bitch, but I believe in the power of the Force and THE FORCE AWAKENS teaser truly gives the fans a sense that Abrams and crew are going to restore our faith in the magnificent, unforgettable universe that George Lucas created over 35 years ago.
“FURY ROAD” TRAILER
AMERICAN SNIPER
ALIVE INSIDE
CALVARY
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER
CHEAP THRILLS
CHEF
DEAR WHITE PEOPLE
EDGE OF TOMORROW
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS
FOXCATCHER
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2
THE IMITATION GAME
JOE
THE ONE I LOVE
POVERTY, INC.
THE SACRAMENT
THE SKELETON TWINS
X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST
WILD
