The Gold Knight presents our Top 10 films of 2014. Deciding on a single set of 10 films that are the "best" is subjective. Because of this, our correspondents, along with editor James A. Molnar, will present their own lists.
Before the Academy announces its nominations for 2014, it's our turn to honor the best of the year.
The Gold Knight presents our Top 10 films of 2014. Deciding on a single set of 10 films that are the "best" is subjective. Because of this, our correspondents, along with editor James A. Molnar, will present their own lists.
Please share your thoughts on our Top 10 lists by commenting on this post, on Facebook or by interacting with us on Twitter. We would also like to see your Top 10 lists. Share below.
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TGK Correspondent
10. "Frank"
Anchored by a one of a kind performance by a faceless Michael Fassbender, Frank tells the tale of a troubled musical genius’ method of creating the great American album. It is ostensibly about the way he relates to his bandmates, particularly our in-over-his-head keyboard playing protagonist, and his Beefheart-ian creative process. But at the end of the day the most relevant facet of Frank is it’s pungently honest portrayal of mental illness. A film of great joy, and also great sadness.
9. "Borgman"
As blindingly dark a comedy as is possible, the Dutch thriller Borgman is a dreamlike, often Felliniesque examination of the dangers of hedonistic nihilism. It’s bleak outlook is refreshing in the most depressing way possible, and it’s abstract ending questions the fragile nature of humanity as a whole. Borgman is bold and mean and sad, and never less than thought provoking.
8. "Under the Skin"
Like Borgman, Under the Skin questions what it means to be human. But where the former is more concerned with the mind and précis thought, Under the Skin is more literal in its concept. Scarlett Johansson is great here. The best she’s ever been. And a huge part of that is in the way she doesn’t allow her star power to overcome the thoughtfulness of the film itself.
7. "Rich Hill"
Everyone should see Rich Hill. It is the most honest and straightforward portrayal of poverty I can remember seeing in a documentary. It is intimate, open, sincere and heartbreaking, yet never less than optimistic. Through the eyes of the three kids in the film, Appachey, Andrew and Harley, we are obliged to view life through the lens of a world we are too often allowed to ignore.
6. "Whiplash"
J.K. Simmons gives the best performance of the year in Whiplash as an anything goes, cruel and unloving jazz band director who, despite the previous adjectives, we never know whether to love or hate, up until the film’s breathtaking final scene. But Miles Teller is awesome here too, as the freshman drummer who pushes himself past his own line. That’s what Whiplash is really about; the lengths to which people are willing to push themselves for what they believe they are capable of. Whether or not the pain and suffering we are willing to endure for what we want is worth it isn’t an answer the film gives us, but rather a question it makes us ask ourselves.
5. "It Felt Like Love"
It Felt Like Love is truly heartbreaking. It is, in a sense, a coming-of-age film about a young teenage girl discovering her sexuality. More importantly though, it quietly and gently questions the role that media plays in the development of a female’s own view of her sexual worth. Subtly angry, yet stridently feminist, It Felt Like Love is an important film, and one that proves that a shoestring budget doesn’t mean you can’t make a bang.
4. "Selma"
Selma is sadly relevant. I wish I could watch this film and say it is just a meaningless biopic, another in a long line of irrelevant period flicks that came out this year. But I can’t. It is impossible to watch Selma without thinking of Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, the protestors in Ferguson and elsewhere without the inescapable feeling that we are in a never-ending circle of racial hatred.
3. "Hide Your Smiling Faces"
Hide Your Smiling Faces, a small yet significant film, is brave in that it tackles a subject not many other films have tackled: childhood depression and suicide. Its plot is pretty simple. We are shown the reaction of a small town, specifically of two brothers, after a child (presumably) commits suicide from jumping off a bridge. What we are shown is not simple. Hide Your Smiling Faces calmly forces us to realize that depression and grief exist in adolescents, the age group that baby boomers typically view as lazy and painless. The film doesn’t let us into the minds of its characters. It shows us who they are, what they are dealing with and the unfortunate repercussions of a small town tragedy. What we are left to decide for ourselves is what is inside their heads, and that’s something most other movies would never trust their audience with.
2. "The Babadook"
The Babadook is the scariest movie since The Ring came out in 2002, and The Conjuring was one of my favorite movies from last year so that’s saying something. But The Babadook is smart. More than any other horror movie I can remember in recent memory, it relies almost entirely on atmosphere opposed to jump scares (I think there are maybe one or two in the entire 90 minutes the film runs.) The movie is scary, sure, and is destined to become a classic in the horror realm. But what makes The Babadook special is not what makes it scary, but rather what makes it smart. This is a film about grief, moving on, and how hard it is to raise a child when the one you were supposed to do so with is gone. This is a great film, and one that will certainly appear on lists of the “Top Ten Best Horror Movies Ever” in a decade or so.
1. "Enemy"
Enemy is not the most well-made film of the year. It is not the most well-written, the best edited, the best directed or the best acted. But it is my favorite movie of the year. Enemy made me think. It was smart. Maybe it didn’t make sense (especially that ending) or maybe it did. But it made me think. It made me question what is real and what is not within its universe. It made me question its meaning and reality days and weeks after I saw it. It was smart and cool and awesome and weird (man, that ending). But most of all it wasn’t condescending. It didn’t try to stoop down to the level of the average filmgoer. It didn’t surrender its independency for something less than conceptually adept. Enemy makes you think, and the more you think about it, the more you understand it. That is something we don’t get a lot in movies; films that FORCE you to wonder what you have just seen (was that really the ending?). But man oh man, when you eventually think you have it all figured out (and I am positive that there is more than one correct interpretation here) it is the best feeling in the world. For all it’s strangeness and seemingly erudite and impossible symbolism, this is a film that means something. What that means is up to you. Also, did I mention the ending?
Here are my other ten favorites, in order from 11-20:
"Nightcrawler," "The Skeleton Twins," "Foxcatcher," "Chef," "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Blue Ruin," "Force Majeure," "Coherence," "We Are the Best!" and "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes"
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TGK Correspondent
And now for my totally definitive, not at all subjective, completely correct list of the top 10 movies I saw in 2014. Granted, I only saw about 70 movies released this year, meaning that each one had about a 14 percent chance of being in my Top 10. And admittedly, I saw fewer foreign films than I would have liked, and there are still several big movies I haven't caught up with yet, but hey, there are only so many hours in a day. That being said, I'm fairly certain most of this list would be set in place regardless. So without further ado, here are the 10 movies I liked more than the other 60 movies I saw in 2014.
10. "The Babadook"
The scariest monster of all … is motherhood. Seriously though, Jennifer Kent's movie is both incredibly terrifying and a fascinating allegory for parenthood.
9. "Boyhood"
One of the most impressive feats of filmmaking this year just based on its production alone, Richard Linklater's "Boyhood" is a touching tribute to growing up and an excellent time capsule of the last 12 years.
8. "The LEGO Movie"
Everything is awesome! Clever, inventive, and most importantly, funny, "The Lego Movie" is far better than a movie based on a brand of toys would ever be expected to be.
7. "Snowpiercer"
One of the bleakest science fiction movies in recent years, Bong Joon-ho's English language debut about a train in a post-apocalyptic future gave us some of the years' most memorable scenes and a great Tilda Swinton performance.
6. "Selma"
There's no way Ava DuVernay could have known just how timely "Selma" would be in the wake of the Michael Brown and Eric Garner killings, but that's a testament to the power and resonance of her film depicting MLK's 1965 voting rights marches. “Selma" is the movie we need right now.
5. "Birdman"
A tribute to the pursuit of art and the occasionally crazy depths to which an artist will go to feel fulfilled, “Birdman" has grown on me exponentially since I first saw it. Mostly shot as if taking place in one long take, the film’s a technical marvel, but also a wholly unique autobiographical statement from Alejandro González Iñárritu.
4. "Only Lovers Left Alive"
Jim Jarmusch’s vampire movie doesn’t necessarily seem to have the same lofty ambitions of the other films on this list, but that doesn’t make its pleasures any less. Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston make for the coolest pair of vampires you’ll ever meet, and by the film’s end, I wished I could luxuriate with them for a little longer.
3. "Gone Girl"
An enjoyably dark comedy or a riveting domestic thriller? Either is an apt description for David Fincher’s “Gone Girl,” which views marriage as a blood sport. Fincher ratchets up the tension with his trademark style and Gillian Flynn’s screenplay pares down her novel to its most essential elements, while Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck (yes, Ben Affleck) are fantastic as the dueling halves of a seemingly perfect couple with some serious cracks in the facade.
2. "Foxcatcher"
One of the quietest movies I’ve seen this year, “Foxcatcher” is a fairly cold movie that depicts the strange but (somewhat) true tale of the Olympic medal-winning Schultz brothers and John du Pont. Steve Carell effectively makes you forget everything you once thought about Steve Carell, while Channing Tatum shows surprising depth as his protege, Mark Schultz. Mark Ruffalo is the elder Schultz and provides the film’s emotional center. You may already know how the story ends, but that doesn't make the finale any less shocking.
1. "Under the Skin"
Jonathan Glazer’s “Under the Skin” is not a film for everyone, but those able to get on board with its unconventional rhythm will find one of the most intoxicating and strangely moving films of the year. Featuring a creepy and incredibly effective score by Mica Levi and some bold Kubrickian imagery, “Under the Skin” subverts the typical male gaze of cinema and turns it into something unique and terrifying. Scarlett Johansson gives her best performance as an alien who happens to look like Scarlett Johansson and preys on the lustful men she encounters. The film uses the alien experience to explore what it’s like to be human in modern society, especially as a woman or someone who’s different. The film is haunting and poignant, and it is the best movie I saw this year.
Honorable Mentions:
"Guardians of the Galaxy," "Interstellar," "Edge of Tomorrow," "The Grand Budapest Hotel" and "The Imitation Game"
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TGK Correspondent
10. "Obvious Child"
This is a pretty depressing movie about a devastating breakup that leads to a one night stand that leads to an abortion. However, when the lead characters Donna and Max (Jenny Slate and Jake Lacy) are together on screen there's just something perfect about their chemistry. Plus, it was interesting to see a movie tackling the tough subject of an unwanted/unexpected pregnancy. Most characters lean towards termination and end up choosing to keep it or put it up for adoption.
9. "Interstellar"
I truly appreciated the fact that there was no sound in space. Good going on that filmmakers. Matthew McConaughey has certainly turned his career around and has made a big impact as a dramatic actor. I really felt his performance. The story is so-so near the end, but I enjoyed the journey to it.
8. "The LEGO Movie"
"Everything is awesome!" The song gets stuck in your head, although you probably only know those three words. It's a really cute film and quite unexpected. Batman is the best part hands down.
7. "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
I just loved all the colors of this film. It was so bright and cheery with its all star cast yet there were some crazy, dark sequences. It was obviously a Wes Anderson film with the quirkiness and ridiculousness of the story. And it will make you giggle, that's for sure.
6. "Chef"
This movie has one of the best scenes involving the making of a grilled cheese I've ever seen. But it combines two of my loves: food and social media. It's heartwarming and definitely worth a watch.
5. "Edge of Tomorrow (Live. Die. Repeat.)"
It's like a futuristic, apocalyptic version of "Groundhog Day" with aliens. But it's a compelling science fiction/action film. Almost Tom Cruise's redemption movie, although there is a case for "Oblivion" being that. He should considering sticking to these types of films. Emily Blunt is amazing. Her introduction in the middle of the practice floor is a stunning shot.
4. "Life Itself"
When I was in high school, I had the chance to tour the original Chicago Sun-Times building and peer into Roger Ebert's office in awe. I've always admired his writing and sometimes scathing reviews as a movie lover, journalist and sometimes critic. I had the privilege of working at the Chicago Sun-Times twice during Roger Ebert's tenure. I was working in the newsroom when news of his death broke. Everyone jumped into action while the shock reverberated. They put out a great tribute to him. This is a movie for all of his fans and anyone interested in the story of Siskel and Ebert.
3. "How to Train Your Dragon 2"
This is my favorite cartoon series. I can't help but love it. This film, I think, is a worthy follow up to the last full-length feature. It did break my heart at the end though. If you can't get enough of Berk, you need to check out the made for TV episodes as well.
2. "Guardians of the Galaxy"
I'll say it: The Guardians beat the Avengers. This is a pretty kick ass crew. Yes, the Avengers have a couple of gods, and a Hulk, but there's a sassy raccoon, a Starlord, a green goddess, a verbose fighter and a kind-hearted tree/person/thing... Groot. It will make you laugh, there's plenty of action and it opens up the superhero universe quite immensely.
1. "Gone Girl"
This was the movie of the year. I believe it lived up to the book. Yes, people will complain that it missed the whole cool girl thing, but in movie form, it wasn't completely necessary. The film had the heart of the book, which was dark and twisty, but oh so thrilling. Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike were fabulous, but I really think Neil Patrick Harris' Desi Collings was a surprise. Anyone looking for some edge-of-your-seat entertainment, look no further.
Honorable Mentions: "Begin Again," "Maleficent," "Brony Tale," "Magic in the Moonlight" — all movies that kept me entertained.
Worst:
2. "Snowpiercer"
Here's the thing with this movie, I really did appreciate the direction, the scenery, the story and the acting. I did. But the movie itself was so depressing. I acknowledge its beauty and currently sympathize with the winter theme since temperatures have dropped, but I will never watch it again. I don't want to watch it ever again. I can't believe I've had such a visceral reaction to it either.
1. "A Million Ways to Die in the West"
There was really no redeeming quality to this movie. The trailer did its job and made it look funny, a tad bit violent, but it was mainly violent and not funny. What I remember most about this movie is the fact that the theater allowed every single guest to recline with a power switch.
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TGK Correspondent
10. "Snowpiercer"
Korean maestro Bong Joon-Ho honors his substantial reputation with this much anticipated English-language debut. Song Kang-Ho and Tilda Swinton deliver incredible performances in a film rife with futurism, action, heartbreak and social commentary.
9. "Under The Skin"
This languid, seductive sci-fi thriller is the perfect vehicle for an all-too voluptuous Scarlett Johansson to strut her stuff, while Glazer’s Kubrick-inspired direction mesmerizes with its meandering verve and starlit audacity.
8. "Interstellar"
A white-knuckled galactic thrill ride for Einstein fanatics, science fiction fanboys and grandma & grandpa? Only Christopher Nolan could cook up something like this, while keeping it all succinct with excellent performances from Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain and Michael Caine.
7. "Ida"
Pawilowski's coming-of-age film is a complex rumination on what our lives mean when viewed through the lens of our ancestors, and whether the future really is in our hands. Despite being beautifully photographed in a monochromatic haze, Ida shows that our choices are far from black and white.
6. "The LEGO Movie"
The undisputed Animated Movie of the Year (why is there always just one?), "The LEGO Movie" broke through the January-February deadzone movie dump with aplomb, reinvigorating the magic of stop motion and serving up a raucous punch of laugh-out-loud humor.
5. "The Better Angels"
Taking notes from his mentor Terrence Malick (also known as Cinema's Greatest Talent), A.J. Edwards delivers this poignant, personal look into the formative years of Abraham Lincoln. The fact that he manages to do it through overtures of poetic beauty is a feat that makes Angels a must-see for Malick die-hards.
4. "The Dance of Reality"
Jodorowsky's long-awaited return to cinema is nothing short of a fantastical wonder ride of pain and befuddlement, in other words, it's everything it should be. Jodorowsky plunges deep into his daddy issues and stays true to himself, giving us a technicolor autobiography of magic, innocence, abuse and hope.
3. "Mr. Turner"
Leave it to Mike Leigh to create a film every bit as lush as its larger-than-life subject matter, while completely avoiding the clichéd melodrama of the artist biopic. It's undeniably Leigh, thanks in no small part to his cast and crew of collaborators (including Dick Pope's most transcendent cinematography to date, and the performance of a decade from Timothy Spall), but also bubbling with his trademark complexity. In Mike Leigh's world, all people act like people-- even England's national treasure.
2. "Only Lovers Left Alive"
Jim Jarmusch has given us not only his best film yet, but perhaps one of the best vampire movies ever made. Slow-burning, beautifully scored and oh-so-hip, Lovers is Jarmusch at his most laid back, and yet still with so many things on his mind. Beautiful production design, perfectly-pitched performances and confident direction make Only Lovers Left Alive one of the year's best movies.
1. "Boyhood"
It was impossible to ignore the critical pandemonium that followed in the wake of Boyhood, and at this point we all know the legacy. Linklater deserves endless praise for executing such a vision over so many years on end, and weaving it all into an intimate tapestry that tells the story of family struggle, adolescence and life in America. The film is monumental, but microscopic in the way it captures the nuance of every struggle of every boy who's ever gone through life not knowing what comes next. Remarkable ambition, palpable dedication and flawless performances are just a few aspects that make Boyhood the best film of the year.
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TGK Editor
What a year for movies, especially those based on books! From autobiographies to comics, most of my favorite movies from 2014 started somewhere else. There were also some phenomenal original stories featured on the big screen. Here are my favorite films of the year. (See my entire list, best to worst, on Letterboxd.)
10. "Lone Survivor"
While technically released in 2013, I wanted to include on my list because this story must be told and this movie must be seen by any American over 18. The heroism and bravery exhibited by those is service is remarkable. The humanity exhibited in the hostile territories overseas is remarkable and breathtaking. (Based on the 2007 nonfiction book of the same name.)
9. "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes"
Joe Letteri, your Oscar is on its way. The visual effects supervisor on “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” along with New Zealand’s Weta Digital, creates a visual masterpiece with this latest movie in the rebooted franchise. (The series began with French author Pierre Boulle's 1963 novel "La Planète des Singes.")
8. "Wild"
Reese Witherspoon plays a damaged woman on a life-changing journey on the Pacific Crest Trail. The audience grows as she hikes more than 1,000 miles from the Mojave Desert in California to Oregon and Washington state. It’s a worthwhile journey for everyone and one of the best films of the year. Laura Dern plays her mother quite splendidly. (Based on a 2012 memoir.)
7. "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1"
This girl is really on fire and so is this series. The addition of Julianne Moore’s Coin is perfect. Some may complain about the separation of the last book into two movies, but the more the merrier! (Based on the bestselling novels.)
6. "The Theory of Everything"
A fantastic true story that is equal parts heartbreaking and inspiring, "The Theory of Everything" chronicles the life of Stephen Hawking from student to world-renowned astrophysicist, along with his struggle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). (Adapted from a memoir by Jane Wilde Hawking.)
5. "Interstellar"
An absolute adventure on the big screen from director Christopher Nolan that is one of the best experiences of the year. The 70mm IMAX Experience is second to none.
4. "Big Hero 6"
"Big Hero 6" is the best animated movie of the year. Not since "The LEGO Movie," which came out in February, have audiences been so touched and teary-eyed. "Big Hero 6" is reminiscent of the animated gold standard of Disney/Pixar films like "The Incredibles" and "Toy Story 3." (Based on Marvel Comics series.) (Read my full review here.)
3. "Edge of Tomorrow (Live. Die. Repeat.)"
Tom Cruise does it again, choosing a fantastic movie to star in with thrill and bombast. It’s “Independence Day” meets “Source Code” and it’s the best original blockbuster of the year. (Adapted from the 2004 Japanese light novel All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka.)
2. "Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine"
I saw this documentary at this year's Cleveland International Film Festival and it has resonated with me since. The real Matt Shepard painted on the big screen is kind, gentle and loving. He touched many lives and 15 years later, his memory lives on, with a little help from his friends. This movie is a must see. (Read my full review here.)
1. "Boyhood"
The best film of the year is from director Richard Linklater. It's a masterpiece that tells a groundbreaking story over 12 years with the same actors and actresses. Audiences grow up with them, especially the main character Mason (Ellar Coltrane). We see his best moments and his worst. There is no CGI, no complex plot. “Boyhood” is about growing up and learning along the way. It does what any great film aspires to do: it helps us reflect on our own lives. There is a scene in the movie where Mason talks to a girl about seizing the moment. But they contend that, contrary to the popular phrase “carpe diem,” the moment seizes you. “Boyhood” will seize you and take you along its three-hour journey in a flash, just how time seems to do. Doesn’t your childhood seem like yesterday?
Honorable mentions: "The Imitation Game," "August: Osage County," "Not Another Happy Ending" and "Gone Girl."
Dishonorable mentions: "Noah," "Need for Speed," "That Awkward Moment" and "Planes: Fire & Rescue."
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