Top 10 Favorite Films of 2014

Top 10 Favorite Films of 2014

2014 was a great year for film. It was really my first year to fully explore the films of the year and be allowed to. Since I turned 17, I  allowed to go to the theaters and watch R-rated movies I previously would have needed an adult to get me in. And I gotta say, I enjoyed this year in film, a good one to start and not be hindered by restrictions (I also got a car! I can drive to the theaters as well!). Below are my 10 favorites movies of last year. Not a lot of blockbusters, but again I was free to explore other types of films that previously just wasn't possible.

10. American Sniper
Directed by Clint Eastwood

I loved the hell out of the best Bradley Cooper performance I have ever seen, and it was completely mesmerizing. Between the big action scenes which were superbly made and filmed with lots of intensity, and the quiet emotional moments which most did not like, I loved American Sniper. Many thought the emotional moments were just shallow and there wasn't actually a lot of emotion present, what those people suffer from is being told way too often in films how and what the characters are feeling and why. American Sniper didn't cop out and just say what the people were feeling, it kept that to itself, which is where I think many thought it lost the emotion, but in fact it didn't.

9. Interstellar
Directed by Christopher Nolan

Interstellar was by far the best looking film I saw all last year, better than all the other blockbusters in my opinion as well both in effects and overall quality, really pulling for it to win the visual effects and sound categories at the Oscars too. My favorite part is the family storyline and how it was really well done and not pointless! That almost never happens in these kind of films. The family storylines are almost always overshadowed by the effects and giant epic sequences. Not a problem Interstellar had, and really impressed me because of it.

8. Ida
Directed by Pawel Pawlikowski

The only foreign film on the list, Ida gave two of the, if not the best, female performances of the year. Both of the main women were just awesome. Also, just the raw storytelling and great solid filmmaking. From the cinematography with the interesting angles, to the black and white, to the sound. Also this film was important to me for I learned of my new favorite indie film theatre (fairly) close to me.

7. Gone Girl
Directed by David Fincher

Gone Girl is one of those perfect detective like movies, that you aren't smarter than the characters in the film (well, maybe Amazing Amy smarter...anyway) and you aren't smarter than the film itself. You are given the same information and the same introduction to the same information so the film can build a lot of intrigue. Which is the perfect way to build these kind of films. And intrigue is exactly what you need in these kind of films.

6. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Directed by Alejandro González Inárritu

Birdman was an experience, it's the best way to put it. The thing is so original and well done. The story, the characters, the writing, the directing, and the cinematography. I know Russian Ark also did the whole "the movie is shot in one shot thing", but Birdman is slightly different, it's much more ambitious than Russian Ark is, and even though it technically wasn't one shot, it was done so well that it looked perfect. And I am so happy to see both Michael Keaton, and Edward Norton back on the top of their games. Like I said, this film is an experience.

5. Boyhood
Directed by Richard Linklater

Man, I really wish I could put this higher, I don't think I emotionally connected to any film of 2014 more than Boyhood, and the real reason is I'm able to connect to Mason Jr. really easy seeing as I'm the same age as him for a lot of the film. I'm going through/have gone through a lot of what he went through in the film just recently. And the younger parts of Mason's life I experienced more recently than most who viewed the film. It was just really relevant to me and my life, which made me absolutely fall in love with it, and honestly this was at place 1 for a while but I just loved 4 more films than this just a little more.

4. Nightcrawler
Directed by Dan Gilroy

This was a devilishly fun movie, Lou Bloom is one of the best characters of all last year, and Jake Gyllenhaal is just killing it recently. Role after role he is just nailing it, and this one is no different. Nightcrawler gave us a really different look at the news and made it interesting and cool as well. Nightcrawler was just awesome to experience and had some of the best set pieces of all last year, definitely worth experiencing.

3. Enemy

Directed by Denis Villeneuve

So much love for this one, a real head spinner. Enemy is easily the most confusing, but one of the best of last year, and Jake Gyllenhaal delivers again (and really again) some of the best performances of last year. Enemy is a really different film that bends a lot the traditional rules of cinema but it does it in a really cool way. And really the story is just extremely interesting, it's so different and awesome, it just makes the film addictive and hard to stop watching for the performances, the story, and the confusion.

2. Whiplash

Directed by Damien Chazelle

It's those last 15 minutes, my heart hasn't had that kind of a workout from a movie since the first time I saw the ending to the Silence of the Lambs the first time a couple of years ago. Whiplash was absolutely terrifying and amazing at the same time. And Fletcher, oh that man, what an awesome performance by J.K. Simmons, and Miles Teller! Miles did an amazing job as well, truly a call for more meaty performances by him. Both did just amazing and had crazy good chemistry. Can't wait to see the original short that inspired this masterpiece.

1. Foxcatcher

Directed by Bennett Miller

I'll put it simply, I...loved...Foxcatcher. Foxcatcher not only had my three favorite performances of the year, the story was the most interesting and tension filled (maybe actually second to Whiplash) movie of last year. This story, how unbelievable and unique, so out there and it was portrayed perfectly on screen. I heard so many complaints about how slow this movie was, and how many never wanted to watch it again, I just don't understand it. The movie is just so well made and put together, I just can't wait to watch it again! Foxcatcher's borderline unbelievable true story and the crazy good acting make it easily my number 1 pick of 2014. Nothing hit me to the core quite like this one did. Just so damn good.



Alright, there they be. Let me what some of your favorites are from 2014! Here's to another great year in film!