10 Best Films of 2014

2014 was another year chock full of brilliant cinema. Here are the 10 films that left the biggest impression on me.

Honorable Mentions: X-Men: Days of Future Past, The Skeleton Twins, Selma, The Interview, John Wick
  
10.Boyhood: Richard Linklater's 12-year film experiment could've easily been a cheap gimmick, but it ends up being a unique and wildly effective coming-of-age drama. The film forgoes a traditional narrative and instead focuses on the various experiences in the life of a boy named Mason (Ellar Coltrane) from the time he was in 1st grade through the start of college. There isn't a portion of Mason's journey that doesn't feel real and that level of authenticity makes Boyhood incredibly poignant. Boyhood is a special film that deserves every accolade and award that's been bestowed upon it.

9.Guardians of the Galaxy: Notorious indie oddball director James Gunn (Super, Slither) turned the superhero genre on its head with Guardians of the Galaxy. Gunn's ability to balance traditional superhero tropes with twisted humor, and assemble an immensely likeable cast of misfits to lead the film made Guardians the most refreshingly dark and purely fun film Marvel Studios has released since the first Iron Man film.

8.The Raid 2: Indonesian writer/director Gareth Evans' follow-up to 2012's widely-acclaimed The Raid manages to raise the bar even higher for action filmmakers worldwide. The variety of action sequences- which include car chases, gun fights and hand-to-hand combat galore- The Raid 2 offers up are consistently exhilarating and groundbreaking in their execution. Any action junkie that isn't turned off by subtitles and has a strong stomach for blood/gore needs to put this film at the top of their must-see list.

7.Draft Day: I'm not going to lie, the only reason I loved Draft Day so much is because I'm a diehard football fan who is fascinated by the NFL Draft process. The proceedings of the film are not unlike dozens of other sports drama from the past 20 years, but I still found myself to be completely enthralled throughout. Sometimes pure entertainment value is all you need to love a film, and there is no stronger example of that than Draft Day.    

6.Top Five: After spending two decades producing middling material, Chris Rock has finally made a film that matches the quality of his stand-up. Not only is Top Five absolutely hysterical, it also serves as a thoughtful, intelligent reflection on the pressures of fame, dealing with addiction and America's obsession with reality television. Hopefully Top Five will be indicative of Rock's future cinematic endeavors.

5.Nightcrawler: There was a lot of timely films released in 2014, but none stung harder than Dan Gilroy's satire on sensationalist journalism. Jake Gyllenhaal gives the performance of his career as Louis Bloom, a petty criminal turned freelance videographer who will go to any length to make sure he's the first person in Southern California at the scene of a grisly accident or murder. Nightcrawler is an unsettling, potent and startlingly accurate piece of cinema that will forever change the way you look at television news in the modern day.

4.Sin City: A Dame to Kill For: The long-delayed sequel to Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller's 2005 cult classic proved to be well worth the wait. The graphic novel-esque visuals are every bit as stunning as they were a decade ago, and the performances from series newcomers (Eva Green, Joesph Gordon-Levitt, Josh Brolin) and returning stars (Mickey Rourke, Powers Boothe, Jessica Alba) are equally great. A Dame to Kill For may be a slight step down from the original, but it's still a brilliant piece of modern film-noir.

3.22 Jump Street: The sequel to 2012's comic masterpiece 21 Jump Street  is somehow even funnier than the original. Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill and Ice Cube once again play their respective roles perfectly and the addition of the amazing Jillian Bell (Workaholics) adds even more depth to this already talent-rich cast. The infectiously playful, self-aware tone and number of big laughs made 22 Jump Street the funniest film of the year.

2.Whiplash: Director Damon Chazelle's debut film is unlike any music drama ever made. The story of a 19-year old drumming prodigy (Miles Teller) at a New York music conservatory and his relationship with the brilliant but hot-tempered instructor of the school's jazz band (J.K. Simmons, who is equal parts terrifying and hysterical) that bristles with the white-knuckle tension and relentless intensity of a thriller. Whiplash is a rousing, electric film that demands to be seen by the masses.

1.Gone Girl: Of of the 90 films (and counting) I saw from 2014, none stuck with me more than Gone Girl. It takes a special film to simultaneously succeed as a deconstruction of marriage in the present-day and an engrossing mystery/thriller, and Gone Girl is just that. From Gillian Flynn's flawless script to David Fincher's haunting direction to the outstanding acting ensemble headlined by a powerhouse performance from Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl shows a level of sheer mastery that you seldom see in the world of cinema.

Films I still haven't seen that could potentially effect this list in the future:
Enemy 
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Joe
Locke
The Grand Seduction
Lucy
Magic in the Moonlight
A Most Wanted Man
Life of Crime
Starred Up
The Drop
A Walk Among the Tombstones
Jimi: All is By My Side
Pride
Annabelle
Men, Women & Children
Kill the Messenger
The Judge
Dear White People
Laggies
Force Majeure
White Bird in a Blizzard
Citizenfour
Big Hero 6
Rosewater
The Theory of Everything
Dumb and Dumber To
The Homesman
The Imitation Game
The Babadook
Wild
Exodus: Gods and Kings
Unbroken
Big Eyes 
A Most Violent Year
Cake 
Still Alice

2014 in Film: A Year in Review

2013 was a tough year to follow in the world of cinema. The number of truly great films was far higher than usual, and there was only a handful of films to be released that I would label as complete garbage. While 2014 fell short of the overall quality of 2013, it was more than able to hold its own. The top 10 or so films were every bit as good as last year's and the great films were much more spread out (my top 10 films were released in 7 different months) than usual. Where 2014 fell short of the past couple years is with the relatively large number of disappointments. About 25-30% of the films I saw in 2014 managed  to fall at least somewhat short of my expectations, which is notably higher than the usual rate. Below is the complete list of films I saw in 2014, ranked from worst to best; as well as my early personal Oscar picks, selections for the year's best performances, biggest surprises/letdowns, etc. It should be noted that this list is tentative, and could change dramatically once I see all the films I have an interest in (those films are listed directly below this list) seeing from 2014. Hope you enjoy and feel free to leave your picks for the best/worst films of 2014 and/or any feedback on this list in the comment section below! 

81.Under the Skin (0/5)

80.The Rover (1/5)

79.Tusk (1/5)

78.Godzilla (1.5/5)

77.Transcendence (1.5/5)

76.Transformers: Age of Extinction (1.5/5)

75.This is Where I Leave You (1.5/5)

74.Filth (2/5)

73.Oculus (2/5)

72.Interstellar (2/5)

71.Cuban Fury (2.5/5)

70.Sex Tape (2.5/5)

69.When the Game Stands Tall (2.5/5)

68.They Came Together (2.5/5)

67.Fury (3/5)

66.The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (3/5)

65.Fading Gigolo (3/5)

64.Tammy (3/5)

63.About Last Night (3/5)

62.I, Frankenstein (3/5)

61.The Monuments Men (3/5)

60.Muppets Most Wanted (3/5)

59.Begin Again (3/5)

58.Blended (3/5)

57.Ride Along (3/5)

56.The Giver (3/5)

55.The One I Love (3/5)

54.The Equalizer (3/5)
53.Cold in July (3.5/5)

52.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (3.5/5)

51.Blue Ruin (3.5/5)

50.Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (3.5/5)

49.Deliver Us from Evil (3.5/5)

48.Adult World (3.5/5)

47.That Awkward Moment (3.5/5)

46.The Expendables 3 (3.5/5)

45.The Gambler (3.5/5)

44.Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (3.5/5)

43.Maleficent (3.5/5)

42.The Purge: Anarchy (3.5/5)

41.Snowpiercer (3.5/5)

40.3 Days to Kill (3.5/5)

39.Captain America: The Winter Solider (3.5/5)

38.Robocop (3.5/5)

37.Million Dollar Arm (3.5/5)

36.St. Vincent (3.5/5)

35.Hercules (3.5/5)

34.Chef (3.5/5)

33.Divergent (3.5/5)

32.Obvious Child (3.5/5)

31.The Fault in Our Stars (3.5/5)

30.Let's Be Cops (4/5)

29.Brick Mansions (4/5)

28.A Million Ways to Die in the West (4/5)

27.Need for Speed (4/5)

26.Life Itself (4/5)

25.The Lego Movie (4/5)

24.Birdman (4/5)

23.Edge of Tomorrow (4/5)

22.300: Rise of an Empire (4/5)
21.Bad Words (4/5)

20.Get on Up (4/5)

19.Sabotage (4/5)

18.Non-Stop (4/5)

17.The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part I (4/5)

16.Dom Hemingway (4/5)

15.Neighbors (4/5)

14.Noah (4/5)

13.John Wick (4/5)

12.The Interview (4/5)

11.The Skeleton Twins (4/5)

10.X-Men: Days of Future Past (4.5/5)

9.Guardians of the Galaxy (4.5/5)

8.The Raid 2 (4.5/5)
7.Draft Day (4.5/5)

6.Top Five (4.5/5)

5.Nightcrawler (4.5/5)

4.Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (4.5/5)

3.22 Jump Street (4.5/5)

2.Whiplash (4.5/5)

1.Gone Girl (4.5/5)

Still Need to See:
Enemy
Joe
Locke
The Protector 2
Boyhood
Lucy
Magic in the Moonlight
A Most Wanted Man
Calvary
The November Man
Life of Crime
Starred Up
The Drop
The Maze Runner
The Guest
A Walk Among the Tombstones
Jimi: All is By My Side
Pride
Annabelle
Men, Women & Children
Kill the Messenger
The Judge
Dear White People
Laggies
Force Majeure
White Bird in a Blizzard
Horns
Big Hero 6
Rosewater
Foxcatcher
Dumb and Dumber To
The Homesman
Horrible Bosses 2
The Imitation Game
The Babadook
Wild
Exodus: Gods and Kings
Unbroken
Big Eyes
Selma
American Sniper
A Most Violent Year

If I were to cast a ballot for the Oscars today, here's what it would look like:
Best Picture: Gone Girl
Best Actor: Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler
Best Actress: Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Best Supporting Actor: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
Best Supporting Actress: Emma Stone, Birdman 
Best Director: Damien Chazelle, Whiplash
Best Original Screenplay: Chris Rock, Top Five
Best Adapted Screenplay: Gillan Flynn, Gone Girl
Best Cinematography: Birdman
Best Score: Gone Girl
Best Visual Effects: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Biggest Surprises
1. Top Five
2. The Skeleton Twins
3. Dom Hemingway
4. Let's Be Cops
5. Divergent

Biggest Disappointments
1. Interstellar
2. Godzilla
3. Fury
4. The Expendables 3
5. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Most Underrated
1. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
2. Dom Hemingway
3. Sabotage
4. Get on Up
5. Hercules

Most Overrated
1. Fury
2. Interstellar
3. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
4. Captain America: The Winter Solider
5. The Equalizer

Top 10 Performances of the Year
1. Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
2. Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler
3. J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
4. Chadwick Boseman, Get on Up
5. Emma Stone, Birdman
6. Michael Keaton, Birdman
7. Eva Green, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
8. Bill Hader, The Skeleton Twins
9. Jude Law, Dom Hemingway
10. Chris Rock, Top Five

Top 10 Breakout Performances of the Year:
1.Bill Hader, The Skeleton Twins
2.Kristen Wiig, The Skeleton Twins
3.Jenny Slate, Obvious Child
4. Nelsan Ellis, Get on Up
5. Tyler Perry, Gone Girl
6. Zac Efron, Neigbors
7. Jeden Lieberher, St. Vincent
8. Ansel Elgort, The Fault in Our Stars
9. Emjay Anthony, Chef
10. Randall Park, The Interview 

Top 10 Best Ensemble Casts
1. Gone Girl
2. Top Five
3. Birdman
4. Whiplash
5. The Skeleton Twins
6. 22 Jump Street
7. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
8. Get on Up
9. Nightcrawler
10. Guardians of the Galaxy