#10 The Rover
Over time I've developed more of an appreciation for the
setting of films. I love Australia as a cinematic backdrop, specifically the
outback. It's beautiful on the big screen. I think I first noticed the
photogenic land down under while watching Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002), the true
story about three "half-caste" Aboriginal girls who were kidnapped
and taken to a government settlement for such girls and then make the 1200-mile
trek back home across the vast countryside. The terrain seemed endless and
frightening and strangely gorgeous. In The Rover, although the plot is quite
different, the scenery is the same. It's desolate and dangerous, yet it's
difficult not to feel attracted to the magnetic golden tint emitting from the
massive canvas that is Australia's untamed country. The film is set in the near
future after an obvious economic crash of some sort. Guy Pearce is a loner
whose car has been stolen by a group of postmodern thugs. The theft has nothing
to do with Pearce's character but is done more so out of necessity for the thieves.
This is irrelevant to Pearce, however, for a car is more vital than ever in
this apocalyptic world, his car especially. The robbers leave behind one of
their own, the Edward kid from the Twilight series. From that point, Pearce
uses Twilight guy to track down Twilight's crew and the stolen vehicle. This
movie isn't for everyone. Its critics argue that the film isn't about anything.
Initially I was stumped as well and could offer no retort. But after much
consideration, I'd argue that the film is about so much. At its heart is
someone trying to hold on to just a shred of decency, of something familiar and
right in an otherwise barbaric world. Again it's not for everyone, but it's
easy on the eyes, and Pearce is great as usual. Surprisingly enough so is Robert
Pattinson. Truth be told, I didn't even recognize the guy until after the
movie. Most importantly is probably the notion that this film could potentially
offer so much more on repeat viewings, which is as essential to great movies as
a car is in an Australian wasteland.
#9 Calvary
Like the number ten movie on this list, number nine benefits
from stunning ambiance. But where The Rover may lack somewhat in regards to
plot, Calvary is strong, offering engaging interactions and dialogue among
various intriguing characters, and I mean characters in every sense of the
word. Brendan Gleeson is the priest in a small coastal Irish town (hence the
ambiance). The film opens with him in a confessional with an anonymous member
of his congregation. The confessor informs the father that he plans to kill him
at the end of the week. We don't see him, nor are we sure how much the father
knows about the man threatening his life. Gleeson's character spends most of
the rest of the film going about his normal “shepherdly” duties, tending to his
flock and their problems, and counting the days. Still the audience is never
sure whether he knows which member wants to kill him, or even how seriously we
should take the threat. It sounds dark and it is at times. But there’s plenty
of comic relief as well. The townspeople are fantastic. Hilariously weird and
off-kilt, collectively they almost act as one supporting role. Even the father
manages to show his lighter side despite his disturbing, unusual situation. Gleeson
is masterful in showing us all facets of his character, from the film's uncomfortable first few moments to the
highly-anticipated final shot.
#8 Interstellar
I feel the need to see this again before giving any in-depth
insight. As it stands, Interstellar gets major points for swinging for the
fences. Foreign planets and black holes?!?! I completely bought into Nolan's
interpretation of the final frontier. Nationally renowned dentist and newly
crowned fantasy football champion Jason Beck wrote that most people would leave
Interstellar in awe of the visual spectacle. He went on to argue for the film's
story, suggesting that its themes of emotion and time are equally awe-inspiring
and deserving of the same attention as the stunning images. I'm not ready to
buy the effectiveness of the story argument, (again, a second viewing is in
order), but I'm completely sold on the visuals. Since seeing the movie, I doubt
there's a been a clear night while walking my dog that I haven't peered up at
the stars and wondered what was up there beyond our limited knowledge of such
an incomprehensible space, wondered what it looked like. That's all attributed
Nolan and his other-worldly vision.
#7 Ida
No other movie on this list has grown on me since I first
saw it more than Ida. The black and
white Polish film set post WWII focuses on an aspiring nun who takes a reprieve
from the monastery to search out her aunt, her only living relative. That
synopsis isn’t going to blow anyone’s socks off, but the acting, cinematography
and family secrets they dig up just might.
I read where director Pawel Pawlikowski said he wanted to make a
historical piece that didn’t feel historical.
Mission accomplished! There’s
nothing about Ida that feels dated, a difficult feat considering how authentic
it is. There have been countless films
set in the same WWII and post war era.
Ida separates itself from such films by boasting two strong and complex
female leading and supporting characters played perfectly by Polish actresses Agata
Trzebuchowska and Agata Kulesza respectively.
(Actually, in that regard, I guess it separates itself from most films
in general.) Keep in mind that it’s a
foreign film, so it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. But for the true cinephiles and those looking
to broaden their cinematic repertoire, Ida is undoubtedly one of the best picks
of 2014.
#6 Selma
When I first saw its trailer I wrote Selma off as your
run-of-the-mill, clichéd historical biopic (i.e. 42 and The Butler). I had zero
interest in seeing it. It felt like a movie I'd seen before, like in school or
on PBS. But the universal praise (98% on Rotten Tomatoes and the number 3 best
reviewed movie of 2014 on Metacritic) was just too high to ignore. So I blessed
it with a coveted spot on my birthday movie day*. I tried to avoid the
political and social buzz surrounding American Sniper. I'll do the same here and focus on the film
itself. The only thing about Selma that resembles the previously mentioned garden-variety
historical biopics is the fact that it's historical. I don't even consider it a
biopic. This is not a film about King but about Selma and the events that took
place there that would change the civil rights landscape for the country.
Obviously King played a major role in those events and is featured in the film.
But what's refreshing about Selma is its focus on the surrounding personalities
that contributed, either positively or negatively, to this pivotal time in our
nation's history. King is even off screen for a considerable amount of time,
usually unheard of in biopics, yet the movie never slows. We don't even miss
him despite how strong David Oyelowo's performance is. I loved the
fly-on-the-wall perspective of the all the inner dealings, conversations and
negotiations from both sides. And although there were great people associated
with this particular movement, no character is defined as being great alone.
They all have their flaws. In fact this is the only film I can remember seeing
that depicted King as a less than perfect man. There's a scene where Coretta
confronts him about his infidelity where King is as vulnerable as a young boy
who's been caught shoplifting a pack of gum by his mother. Kudos for making such iconic historical
figures seem a little more human. I wrote that American Sniper may fuel the
patriotic flames of the masses better than any other. Still I want to argue for
the patriotism of Selma. It's not an obvious choice for that sort of label, but
it's hard to deny the feeling of pride you have in your country, and more
specifically the incredible people in it, when leaving the theater.
* Seven years ago my wonderful wife came up with an idea for
a birthday celebration that would once again get me excited about and looking
forward to my special day. Every year since then we've spent the day at the
theater watching several movies, enjoying intermission at some of my favorite
eateries. Often times friends drop in for some surprise cameos to add to the
grandeur of the day. Thanks to my wife, it's now one of my most anticipated
days of the year.
#5 Snowpiercer
Snowpiercer is the most unique movie I saw in 2014. It snatches up the recent run of sci-fi,
dystopia movies like Hunger Games (which I like) and Divergent (which I didn’t
see) by their metaphorical ponytails, devours them, and squats them out into a
long winding life-sustaining state-of-the-art train that is the lone setting of
this fantastic film. Although Snowpiercer is more post-apocalyptic, some images
can’t help but conjure up visions of what these films could have been. Seventeen years ago the powers that be
decided it would be a good idea to fight global warming by spraying a coolant
into the atmosphere. As a direct result,
the earth froze. The only people who
survived were the ones who managed to board this ultramodern passenger train
that circumnavigates the globe. The
train is an obvious metaphor for most advanced societies in that the passengers
with money or power or social status dwell in the front, while those who are
less prosperous in these areas are confined to the rear. And like most societies ever so often the
bottom revolts against the top. Except
in Snowpierecer the revolution takes place on a train…..a big, fancy,
futuristic train. The possibilities are
endless, and I think the movie explores them all. At its core Snowpiercer is a celebration of
the cinematic experience and deserves its own more reflective, extensive
review. It’s as funny as it is dark, at
times frightening and always gorgeous.
Not to mention it may have the best performance of Tilda Swinton’s
career. This was the most fun I had at
the theater in a while. You can’t see it
there anymore, but you can still gather up a group of friends with which you
wouldn’t mind surviving the end of the world and enjoy the snow.
#4 Nightcrawler
Okay I know what I said about Ida growing on me more than
any other movie, but let me reconsider.
I really like Ida; I think I may love Nightcrawler. Part of it is Los Angeles. Similar to what I wrote about Australia and
The Rover, I tend to really enjoy films set in L.A: Heat, Chinatown, Swingers, Point
Break, Sunset Boulevard, Boyz N the Hood, The Player, Collateral, L.A. Confidential. I could go on. The varying landscape is easy on the eyes and
I dig the culture. Nightcrawler is also
a unique take on the effect a struggling economy has on Joe Blow, or in this
case Lou Bloom. Lou is an intelligent,
if socially awkward, young man who is in desperate need of a job. He’s very driven in his search for a
consistent and worthwhile paycheck, tenacious to the point of being pushy or
rude at times, unintended as it may be.
Lou quickly learns that there’s money to be made as an amateur crime
journalist, filming newsworthy stories happening around the city then
attempting to sell them to the local TV news stations. If he’s willing to put in the work, this
could be a very lucrative venture for our hero.
But it’s not dedication that Lou lacks, but maybe the means to recognize
the moment when dedication becomes obsession.
Jake Gyllenhaal plays Bloom and it is the best performance I saw all
year. I’ll take it a step further. I think we’re seeing a transcendent
performance, one that will eventually parallel De Niro’s Travis Bickle in style
as well as reverence. Gyllenhaal is a
tour de force and maybe the perfect agitator for this Network/Taxi Driver
hybrid instant classic.
#3 Whiplash
It's important to keep in mind that this is a list of my
favorite movies of 2014. It's reflective of my personal taste, and therefore, I
would not necessarily recommend every film on the list to everybody. Take The
Rover for example. I really liked it but it ain't for everyone. It probably
ain't even for most. I have no such concern with Whiplash. Please, by all
means, go see it. I'd feel comfortable recommending it to anyone. In fact I'd
be surprised if anyone didn’t like it. Dubbed the "Full Metal Jacket of
jazz," Whiplash is about young aspiring drummer Andrew Neyman and his
desire to be remembered as one of the best to ever do it. During his time at a
prestigious musical conservatory he encounters Terence Fletcher, the most
renowned instructor at the school. Fletcher is played by J.K. Simmons and
undoubtedly the reason for the comparisons to Stanley Kubrick's legendary war
flick. He’s ruthless and fantastic, one
of cinema’s great jackasses. It’s the
kind of role by which we’ll all remember him, no matter what impressive work he’ll
continue to do in the future. I don’t
actually care for the likening to Full Metal Jacket since it basically marginalizes
Whiplash’s greatness to Simmons’s performance, and it’s much more than
that. The movie illustrates the cost of
greatness better than any I’ve seen in recent memory. I listen to a lot of sports talk radio, and
it’s a topic discussed often in that forum.
Yet it’s still difficult for most to grasp the concept that many greats,
in order to be the subject of dinner table conversations years after they’ve
gone, probably sacrificed a lot of things we would never dream of doing without. You know, little things like…..relationships. Whiplash uses jazz as the backdrop to make
the concept as engaging as ever. And
please don’t let the jazz element deter you from catching this little indie
gem. The last twenty minutes had me
wringing my hands like I’d just played the drum solo of my life.
#2 Life Itself
This film’s spot may be the result of my sentimental side at
work, or it may be because the movie is just great. The documentary about the late Roger Ebert
evokes many emotional responses while showing that Ebert’s life was a full one
and about much more than movies. Like so
many other film enthusiasts Ebert was one of the very first, if not the first, movie
critic I remember reading consistently.
So many times today a new film will come out, and I still want to head
over to his site to digest his thoughts.
Luckily his archive is available so I can always read him when I’m
catching up on an oldie but goodie. As
one would expect the documentary does give significant attention to Ebert’s
relationship with longtime friend and “At the Movies” co-host Gene Siskel. The footage of them together, especially when
off the air, is comic gold. But Life
Itself focuses even more heavily on Ebert as a family man, and what a beautiful
and unique family it is. Most film fans
will assuredly find happiness in this manifesto for great movies, but everyone will
appreciate that the true heart of the film lies with “the only thing Roger
loved more than movies.” And that is
life itself.
#1 Chef
This movie takes a run-of-the-mill redemption story and flat
out NAILS it! Too many times feel-good movies seem contrived and cheesy.
Director/star Jon Favreau navigates the cliché’ script beautifully. It’s a
heartwarming, funny, entertaining film anchored by pitch-perfect performances from
an all-star cast. An absolute must for anyone with an appreciation for the
culinary arts, the succulent Chef is not to be seen on an empty stomach. My love for Chef is well-documented. I’ve
seen it three times, and it’s lost none of its original charm and likeability.
I’ll add that John Leguizamo is just fantastic here, literally as good as he’s
ever been. Bobby Cannavale is hilarious as well and one of the movie’s many
perfect complements. It’s predictable and the script is about as formulaic as
it gets. But it just works, a credit to the talented actors and Favreau’s
direction. From Robert Downey, Jr. and Dustin Hoffman to Scarlett Johansson and
the young revelation that is Emjay Anthony, these people are doing what they
love and it shows. That passion is absolutely infectious to its viewers as it’s
one of the most enjoyable films in the past five years.
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