Honorable Mention
'300: Rise of an Empire' (review here) - I'll admit that narratively, this prequel/concurrent/sequel to the 2007 '300' is a mess. BUT it was a lot of bloody, violent fun in IMAX 3D.
My Top 10 of 2014
Probably the most realistic depiction of childhood and of growing up in general without being a documentary. While I couldn't relate to every single thing that the characters experience, there were still multiple times in the theater where I thought to myself "Yep...I remember doing that", "Yep...I know people who did that", "Holy crap I remember when that song came out", "Yep...I remember what I was doing that particular year". Definitely a film to be admired in terms of it's scope, but on it's own it is a really good movie bolstered by great performances from Ethan Hawke and newcomer Ellar Coltrane, who pretty much grows up right in front of our eyes. It is a bit lengthy (clocking in at 2 hours, 45 minutes) and I have a few other minor nitpicks about the movie but this was still one of my favorites from 2014. There has been a lot of talk about this movie being the front runner for Best Picture and Best Director at the Academy Awards, and for good reason.
Out of all the war movies to come out in 2014, this was my favorite by a long shot. War is hell, and this bleak ultra-violent movie never shies away from that for it's 2 hour, 14 minute running time. A rough sit at times with how intense this movie can be but it's well worth a look with it's great score, excellent cinematography, and strong performances from the cast.
Darker and more tense than it's predecessor, this worthy follow-up boasts a great story with many interesting characters, great special effects that even improve upon it's predecessor, and another great performance by Andy Serkis as Caeser. Not too many movies can make you care about the plight of CGI monkeys simply wanting to survive but this one succeeds.
Christopher Nolan's follow-up to 'The Dark Knight Rises' is a three hour sci-fi spectacle and because I was so invested in the story and characters the time certainly flew by. Often quite tense with great special effects and anchored by two great performances in Matthew McConaughey's Cooper, Jessica Chastain, and Mackenzie Foy. Definitely one to think about after you've watched it.
Did I mention that my Top 10 wasn't approved by North Korea? Oops. Oh well. Still don't remember 'Team America' causing any international controversy with it's depiction of Kim Jong-il, but oh well. International controversy aside, I still thought this was hilarious and anchored by an absolutely bonkers performance by James Franco.
Another Seth Rogen movie makes my Top 10 for 2014. And in all honesty this was the funniest movie I've seen all year, and the most I've laughed consistently during a movie since 'Despicable Me 2'.
Yes, I'm aware of the fact that this is technically a 2013 release and that it received a lot of nominations on the awards circuit last year. BUT it didn't come to a theater near me until 2014, so I count it amongst movies in 2014. While more of a drama, it still often is very funny, very well acted with realistic characters and dialogue, and is beautifully shot in black and white.
Did I mention that my Top 10 list wasn't approved by my grandmother? Oops. Oh well. I never read the book on which this was based, but this is one of those movies where the less you know about it the better off you'll be while watching it. Definitely one of the more insane movies I've seen in awhile. Suspenseful and shocking, darkly funny at times, and just an overall extremely well made movie that kept my attention for it's nearly 2 and a half hour running time.
Another movie that also hit some theaters in 2013 and hit the awards circuit last year but didn't come to a theater near me until 2014. No doubt about it this movie is indeed very strange, but at the same time I thought it was great. 'Her' is very well acted, shot well, features great music, and is always weaving back and forth between serious drama and laugh out loud comedy without overdoing it either way. When it gets into more serious topics like the end of relationships it can become quite relatable. Strange, but worth it. And for a long time it looked like this was going to be my Top movie from 2014. Until the next movie came along ten months later...
1. 'Whiplash' (review)
Not gonna lie...it's hard to write something about 'Whiplash' without feeling like I'm underselling it and not giving it enough praise. Virtually every aspect of this movie is top notch, from the rousing drum-heavy jazz score to the acting (particularly J.K. Simmons' monster of a jazz instructor) to the way it's shot and edited to just...everything. And it's constantly bringing up the age old question "How far is too far?" in terms of pushing somebody to their fullest potential. No other movie has stuck with me the way that 'Whiplash' has. Go see it. You don't even have to like jazz to like this movie.
Well that's my Top 10 of 2014. What have been some of your favorite movies from 2014?
Not gonna lie...it's hard to write something about 'Whiplash' without feeling like I'm underselling it and not giving it enough praise. Virtually every aspect of this movie is top notch, from the rousing drum-heavy jazz score to the acting (particularly J.K. Simmons' monster of a jazz instructor) to the way it's shot and edited to just...everything. And it's constantly bringing up the age old question "How far is too far?" in terms of pushing somebody to their fullest potential. No other movie has stuck with me the way that 'Whiplash' has. Go see it. You don't even have to like jazz to like this movie.
Well that's my Top 10 of 2014. What have been some of your favorite movies from 2014?
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