Another Year Comes, Another Year Gone
Top 5 of 2014
So I realize that this list is a little late, but better
late than never right? 2014 gave movie goers some great and some not so great
(sorry Mr. Bay) films. The funny thing about 2014 is that movies this year were
either really good or really bad. The review of the really bad films I'll leave
to the Razzies ("awards" given to the worst films of the year). So
let's get to this year's countdown...
First I'd like to give some honorable mentions: American Sniper, Big Hero 6, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and one that JUST
missed the top 5...Guardians of the
Galaxy (I'll explain, I promise).
#5--Interstellar
(review coming soon)
Christopher Nolan’s epic space adventure edged out Guardians due only on technical merits.
As much fun Guardians was to watch, Interstellar is a much more beautiful
film to watch. Nolan does amazing things with tone and camera movement and it
still makes me wonder why the Academy of Arts and Science hasn't recognized
Nolan with at least a nomination. The performances of Matthew McConaugey and
Anne Hathaway helped Interstellar cracked
the top 5 as well.
#4--Gone Girl (review)
With spectacular acting and wonderful directing, Gone Girl proves that a woman scorned
will come back and bit you in the ass. I also truly believe that this is the
most snubbed film at the Oscars this year. Rosamund Pike (plays Amy Dunne) received
a nomination, but I believe that the film itself deserved more than that. 
This Man vs. himself story was the most underrated films of
2014. Tom Hardy’s performance alone should have garnered some more publicity.
Hardy is able to take this simple story and provide so much emotion and inner
conflict. A lot of credit is also given to director Steven Knight for his use
of the camera and his ability to capture Hardy ' s struggles so magnificently.
Sociopathic Lou Bloom, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, should go
down as one of the creepiest characters in film history. Gyllenhaal brings so
much to this character by doing the smallest of gestures, both facial and body.
Unfortunately, this is another snubbed film both acting and (at the very least)
writing wise. Like the previous film, director Dan Gilroy was able to add to
such a simple concept. Gilroy pays homage to classic film noir by adding
suspense and a little drama to an otherwise boring idea.
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Birdman is one of the best films of the past decade. Birdman hits home runs on all phases of
film. Keaton and Norton are flawless and Inarritu's "single take"
directing is brilliant. Like I mentioned, even the writing was great. The
writers create characters that are believable and somehow relatable. I said it
before and I will say it again, in the not so distant future film schools will
pick apart this film and say that this is how great filmmaking is achieved.
Thanks for taking this journey with me. Stay tuned for my
most anticipated of 2015.
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