I found this film to be an acceptable comedy, but enough of the jokes and gags failed to make me laugh. There weren't any huge, gut-busting laughs either. That being said, it was charming enough to be worth 90 minutes.
6.5/10
The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Although this movie covers a disturbing situation, it was a beautiful film. Bel Powley delivers on a complicated role with grace and nuance, and the supporting cast is wonderful as well. The artistic flourishes add an interesting stylistic element, and the takeaway lesson is a frank and powerful one.
8/10
8/10
Top 28 of 2014
Here is the entire list, compiled for your reading convenience. I was originally going to write about one film a day, every day in February, hence the list of 28 films. Only several months late!
#28 - John Wick
The excellent, well-shot (no shaky-cam!) "gun-fu" action scenes were a delight. Keanu's performance was a bit unbalanced; understated at times, over-the-top and too cheesy at others. But the intensity was there, and it was easy to empathize with and root for John Wick in this film, even as he mowed down countless henchmen on the way to his prize.
The world-building is incredible, and I can't wait until I get to revisit the "hit man hotel" in the inevitable sequels.
8/10
#27 - The Gambler
Wahlberg's portrayal of a nihilistic gambling addict was a sleeper for me last year. I went in not expecting much, but came away really surprised at how much I enjoyed the film.
Watching it again, with my expectations higher than the first time around, my opinion remains unchanged. The film really revels in the overly-philosophic rantings of the main characters, and Wahlberg's journey through his addiction was compelling for the duration. The final sequence of the film is perfection, especially the last five seconds or so.
#26 - The Guest
The Guest lives in an odd space as a suspenseful thriller that is somewhere between Drive and 80's horror films. I was impressed with the performances all around, but Dan Stevens stands out from the rest as the lead. The dialogue was a bit cheesy at times, and the film was full of cliches, but I don't think that's an inherent problem, so long as the film owns up to what it is. And The Guest certainly delivers. Try and avoid information about this film as much as possible before you check it out.
8/10
#25 - The Raid 2: Berandal
I underrated this film when making my list last year. The Raid is possibly the single best action film ever made, and its sequel is close to that quality. The action is simply in-cred-i-ble in every regard, but specifically the fight choreography and camera work. This was easily a Top 10 film of last year.
9.5/10
#24 - Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier
Marvel movies are odd, in that they're a small part of a much larger thing; trying to decide their quality is like ranking individual episodes of a season of television to me.
That being said, I still think that this is easily one of Marvel's strongest films. The adaptation of the spy thriller to comic-book movies makes so much sense for this character, and is done so incredibly well. The action is superb, and watching Cap and Widow dance around the screen effortlessly dispatching their enemies is just a delight.
8.5/10
#23 - Top Five
Chris Rock's attempt at an Allen or Linklater-style 'walk-and-talk' was surprising. I don't think it quite rises to those levels, but it really excels as a rejection of doing what you're "supposed to be doing", and as a love letter for chasing the things that make you truly happy.
Rock's performance isn't the strongest around, but the semi-autobiographical nature of the film really shines through. He tried to create art, instead of the typical Adam Sandler garbage (I had heard Rock wrote this script during the filming of Grown-Ups 2, in fact), and that is commendable in my eyes.
8.5/10
#22 - Enemy
Enemy is a very challenging film. So much so that I needed to watch a video explanation of the film on YouTube. Once I did, though, I began to understand how masterful this film truly was.
Gyllenhaal delivers an incredible performance, but given the incredibly dense and metaphor-heavy plot, I didn't want to put it any higher on my list. Make no mistake, though, this was one of the best overlooked films of last year.
8.5/10
#21 - Guardians of the Galaxy
This is another film I think I underrated. It's a perfect space adventure film, with excellent world-building, fun action scenes, a killer soundtrack, and great humor. The list goes on and on. It's my favorite Marvel film, and I can't wait for the sequel.
9.25/10
#20 - Starred Up
This film is devastatingly powerful. Jack O'Connell's performance was incredible, and deserved far more praise than it received. His character's journey throughout the film is relatable and sympathetic, even given the extremity of the circumstances.
9/10
#19 - Big Hero 6
I saw this film twice in theaters, and loved it each time. This time was no different. This is another film that is just so full of passion and energy, you can't help but be enamored the entire time.
The characters are all great, and the story is full of emotion and heart. The colorful scenery and incredible world-building of San Fransokyo is breathtaking and awesome. I really can't find enough good things to say about this film.
9/10
#18 - The Congress
Sci-Fi concepts are best when they aren't so outlandish; when the audience can accept that these things could potentially happen. And that is exactly how The Congress begins.
But then, as a result of a few large leaps in time, things get exponentially more...radical. The plot is rooted in something that doesn't ever change, though, and the end result is the embodiment of the word beauty.
9.25/10
#17 - Chef
This film was remarkable for me for its vitality. Every scene is full of loud, vibrant color. The soundtrack is exciting and upbeat, and it's just bursting at the seams with passion and exciting for the topic.
The cooking scenes are gorgeous, and had me hungry for food I know I don't like. The film also integrates social media into the plot in an organic and interesting way, which was a nice touch.
9/10
#16 - The Lego Movie
The Lego movie is a wacky, self-aware love-letter to the titular toy, and I found it to be enormously entertaining. The animation is gorgeous, and the visual style feels so natural and unique, you can't help but fall in love.
The ending was as unexpected as it was touching, and I love the overall message the movie has for its audience.
9.25/10
#15 - Blue Ruin
If it feels like I'm being particularly vague, that's only because I watched this film for the first time with literally no information about it other than it was tremendous, and I think that added to the experience quite a bit.
The protagonist in this film isn't made to be a hero; he doesn't have the skills required for the tasks he must do, and the film doesn't pretend that he would. This is a visceral experience, to the extent that some scenes are difficult to watch.
9/10
#14 - The Grand Budapest Hotel
I've always loved Wes Anderson films. His use of color, his camerawork, and his style of dialogue are all unique and beautiful.
This film is no exception, and may even be his finest work in all regards. The genre-melding plot is superbly engaging, and the characters are a joy to behold.
9/10
#13 - The Imitation Game
A truly incredible story is presented with a wealth of tremendous performances, headlined by the portrayal of Alan Turing, both young and old. The end of the film is an emotional gut-punch, followed quickly by an intense anger at the world for allowing the tragedy of Turing's last years to occur. This is the rare film that can pull such savage, raw emotion from anyone, and deserves an exorbitant amount of praise.
9.5/10
#12 - Snowpiercer
I loved this film for the face value. It is, on the surface, a very straight-forward revolution movie, set very interestingly on a train of all places. There are lots of neat touches here, and every new train car was a blank canvas wherein anything imaginable could've awaited our protagonists. The highlight of this journey was one of the most chilling and disturbing classroom scenes I've ever witnessed. But, at face value, there isn't too much that elevates this film to a higher level.
It was only when I began reading and watching about this film, that I began to understand its true genius. I'm going to link a video in a comment below this. It's full of spoilers, so only watch it if you've seen the film, but it does an extraordinary job of explaining the beauty and poetry within this film.
9/10
#11 - Interstellar
I watched this movie twice in theaters. In the intervening months, I remember talking occasionally about the film's flaws; the poor dialogue which features characters vocalizing their emotions, the plot issues, etc. Upon my third viewing today, though, all of that melted away.
Despite the validity of the criticisms out there, this film just feels powerful. I've been overwhelmed with emotion during all three viewings. McConaughey's performance is incredible, and the world-building is tremendous. The space sequences are tense and absolutely gorgeous. The ideas are gargantuan in scope, and while the film may not quite live up to the ideas it attempts to explore, I thought the attempt was far more than admirable. The Nolans produced a beautiful piece of art.
9.25/10
#10 - The One I Love
This film was super-smart and featured a pair of excellent performances from the leads. This is another film I don't want to say much about, for fear of giving anything away. Go in blind, and thank me later!
9/10
#9 - Edge of Tomorrow (or Live, Die, Repeat if you prefer (I do not)).
This is one of those films that makes you wonder why it took so long for something like this to exist. Adapting the 'Groundhog Day' mechanic to an action film is simply brilliant! We also get to see a side of Tom Cruise we haven't in a while; at the beginning of this film, he is cowardly, bumbling, and incompetent. The plot is engaging and fun, and surprisingly pretty funny attimes. All in all, just a stunningly awesome film.
9.25/10
#8 - Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Every single scene featuring Ceasar and Koba was incredibly tense. Gary Oldman almost steals the film with a single, tiny scene with no dialogue. It's a visual masterpiece that delves into a great many issues.
This film explores so much with so little. I am in awe of it. Just an incredible work of art.
9.5/10
#7 - Gone Girl
Fincher's latest masterpiece is disturbing, tension-filled thrill ride. This is the definition of a movie that keeps the audience unaware of who to trust, who to root for. The two leads are wonderfully complex, and the background characters are incredible well-cast, which is surprising in more than one case. The film climaxes with a scene so shocking and disturbing that I could tell you exactly what happens and when, and you'd still not be prepared for it. I thought it would lose some punch with a second viewing, but I couldn't have been more wrong.
The film is an expertly-crafted exploration and indictment of marriage and media coverage, and will leave even the most confident and self-assured of us haunted and disturbed.
9.5/10
#6 - Nightcrawler
Gyllenhaal delivers his second incredible performance of the year in this film. His character is psychotic and unhinged, but this motivates him to grow his business instead of something more nefarious. He is completely devoid of any sort of moral compass. As his empire grows, the audience can't help but reflect on the system we've propagated, a system where someone this deranged is rewarded handily for deplorable behavior.
Featuring gorgeous cinematography of nighttime Los Angeles, and engaging and entertaining plot, and very potent social commentary, Nightcrawler is easily Gyllenhaal's best performance to date.
9/10
#5 - Selma
I didn't really want to see Selma the first time around. It looked like a fine, if unspectacular, dramatization of a historical event. I may not have ever been more wrong about a film. I remember walking through the parking lot after the film, fighting a losing battle to hold back tears. Now, this isn't an uncommon reaction for me; there are plenty of films that have moved me weep openly. But this felt different. Not because the struggle depicted was so moving (although it certainly was), but because the film forced me to think about our current times, and how little things had really, truly changed. Of course things are better now, but they're so woefully, abhorrently worse than they could - and should - be. To say that this film was powerful would be a gross underestimation.
David Oyelowo is a revelation, to the extent that I almost don't want him to act anymore. I find it hard to believe that he can top this performance.
9.5/10
#4 - The Babadook
The Babadook is a horror film out of Australia, and is one of the very best horror films released in the past ten years. Essentially a monster movie at first glance, The Babadook is actually a deep and thorough exploration of a larger, more realistic theme.
The performances from the two leads are fantastic. The use of sound to build and then release suspense is extremely well-done. The direction is also superb, which is even more surprising given that this is Jennifer Kent's first and only feature-length film credit.
9/10
#3 - Boyhood
This was my fifth viewing, as I caught this one in the theater four times. This is my go-to answer whenever somebody asks me what my favorite film is.
I love so much about this movie, I'm not sure where to start. It's wildly ambitious, and I feel like it's a movie that will evolve and grow with the audience over time. You may watch it as a teenager and identify with Mason, only to rewatch it 10 years later and see an entirely new dimension in many of the characters.
I love that there are many scenes sprinkled in that are so open-ended; you can easily take them at face-value, or you can interpret a deeper meaning.
I love that the leaps in time are marked not by words super-imposed on the screen, but by the awesome soundtrack and the technology around the characters.
I simply adore this film. I think it's beautiful and special, and I'm ecstatic that I've been able to experience something so phenomenal.
10/10
#2 - Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
This film is transcendent. It's such a masterpiece of acting, camera-work, soundtrack, editing, and script coming together to create something incredible. Every aspect is so amazingly well-done, and will leave the audience to think about all of the issues raised and musings brought up through the effortless, natural dialogue. This film is an utter delight.
10/10
#1 Whiplash
Miles Teller demonstrates what unbridled, unrelenting drive and passion looks like. His fervor is such that he simply cannot fathom a person who isn't driven as he is, as is exhibited with his girlfriend on their first date. His performance is fierce and raw, and he leaves nothing on the table. And his is the second best performance in the film.J.K. Simmons is more menacing in this film than any super-villain could be. And yet, his monologue in the jazz club leaves the audience unsure about his methods. Do the ends justify his radical means? During the first half of the film, it's easy to say that they obviously don't. During the latter half, though? I'm not so sure.
The soundtrack is incredible, although that may be a given as this is a film about fantastic musicians. I'll tell you, though, the titular track makes one hell of an alarm in the morning.
The final sequence is one of the most stunning, jaw-dropping, physically and emotionally draining things I've ever experienced. I literally could not sit still during it, and afterwards I felt taxed, as if I were actually in the scene. Whiplash is just so tremendous, so outrageously and absurdly good.
10/10
Now that I've watched all of these films within a few weeks of each other, I've decided that a few films were slightly out of place. My updated rankings would be something like this.
8/10s
- John Wick
- The Gambler
- The Guest
8.5/10s
- Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier
- Top Five
- Enemy
9/10s
- Starred Up
- Big Hero 6
- Chef
- Blue Ruin
- The Grand Budapest Hotel
- Snowpiercer
- The One I Love
- Nightcrawler
- The Babadook
9.25/10s
- The Raid 2: Berandal
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- The Congress
- The Lego Movie
- Interstellar
- Edge of Tomorrow
9.5/10s
- The Imitation Game
- Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
- Gone Girl
- Selma
10/10s
- Boyhood
- Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- Whiplash
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