Best Movies of 2014
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- DirectorAlejandro G. IñárrituStarsMichael KeatonZach GalifianakisEdward NortonA washed-up superhero actor attempts to revive his fading career by writing, directing, and starring in a Broadway production.Not a superhero film as it turns out haha! Keaton's comeback. The one-shot style made the most amount of noise for Birdman and it is wholly unique but the performances and dialogue sell it for me. Sometimes both can be a bit too... theatrical but it's a minor flaw. One scene in particularly forever stands out in my mind, where Keaton absolutely kills it. Very interesting ending too.
- DirectorDamien ChazelleStarsMiles TellerJ.K. SimmonsMelissa BenoistA promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential.It was a toss up between this and Birdman for #1 and #2. I've never cared for Miles Teller but he impressed me, I'll admit. JK Simmons though, he deserved that Oscar. Such a stunning intensity from him, a moral dilemma between torture and achieving perfection. Also features one of the best endings to a movie that I've seen.
- DirectorJames GunnStarsChris PrattVin DieselBradley CooperA group of intergalactic criminals must pull together to stop a fanatical warrior with plans to purge the universe.Marvel's Phase 2 floundered but this was a bright spot. Just what we needed, so fresh, colourful (what with the increasingly bland tones in the MCU), quirky style and humour, a joy to watch.
- DirectorDan GilroyStarsJake GyllenhaalRene RussoBill PaxtonWhen Louis Bloom, a con man desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story.Perhaps Gyllenhaal's greatest performance yet, an alarmingly dynamic and creepy character. Extremely tense too, particularly in the third act.
- DirectorDavid MackenzieStarsJack O'ConnellBen MendelsohnRupert FriendEric Love, 19, is locked up in prison. On his first day, he assaults another inmate and several guards. He's offered group therapy and his dad, an inmate as well, tries to talk sense into him. Can he be rehabilitated?Films like this are why I'm turning more to indie movies. Blockbusters are getting lazier by the year whereas indies are stepping up. O'Connell and Mendelsohn were fantastic, plenty of depth in the writing, solid pacing, supporting actors, direction, very compelling film.
- DirectorEvan GoldbergSeth RogenStarsJames FrancoSeth RogenRandall ParkDave Skylark and his producer Aaron Rapaport run the celebrity tabloid show "Skylark Tonight". When they land an interview with a surprise fan, North Korean dictator Jong-Un Kim, they are recruited by the CIA to assassinate him.I don't think I've ever laughed out loud so much in my life! After Neighbours I thought that maybe Seth Rogen/Evan Goldberg had lost it, I'm glad to be wrong. If you're a fan of This is the End and Sausage Party, this is right up your alley.
- DirectorPhil LordChristopher MillerStarsChanning TatumJonah HillIce CubeAfter making their way through high school (twice), big changes are in store for officers Schmidt and Jenko when they go deep undercover at a local college.If you liked 21, there's no doubt that you'll enjoy this.
- DirectorLenny AbrahamsonStarsMichael FassbenderDomhnall GleesonMaggie GyllenhaalJon, a young wanna-be musician, discovers he's bitten off more than he can chew when he joins an eccentric pop band led by the mysterious and enigmatic Frank.Fassbender is definitely among the best actors of this generation. Very amusing and even quite profound.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsBen AffleckRosamund PikeNeil Patrick HarrisWith his wife's disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it's suspected that he may not be innocent.Not a fan of Fincher's general style I must say but Gone Girl was pretty darn good, very twisty. Bizarre ending though. Understandable on some level I guess although inconsistent.
- DirectorAdam WingardStarsDan StevensSheila KelleyMaika MonroeA soldier introduces himself to the Peterson family, claiming to be a friend of their son who died in action. After the young man is welcomed into their home, a series of accidental deaths seem to be connected to his presence.Another surprise hit, strong direction and central performance from Dan Stevens. Wasn't massively crazy about the third act turn but everything before that allows the film to overall rank quite highly.
- DirectorJemaine ClementTaika WaititiStarsJemaine ClementTaika WaititiCori Gonzalez-MacuerViago, Deacon, and Vladislav are vampires who are struggling with the mundane aspects of modern life, like paying rent, keeping up with the chore wheel, trying to get into nightclubs, and overcoming flatmate conflicts.Very funny, unique little indie.
- DirectorDavid AyerStarsBrad PittShia LaBeoufLogan LermanA grizzled tank commander makes tough decisions as he and his crew fight their way across Germany in April, 1945.I always enjoy WW2 films and I do like Brad Pitt, with this tank based movie giving us an interesting perspective, one of supremacy yet vulnerability, isolation too. About midway through it takes a very interesting, unexpected diversion, one that apparently many didn't like but I did quite a bit. The situation truly came alive there in my eyes. It does become 'Hollywoody' at the end, which is contrary to the rest of the film albeit entertaining, sure. An excess of tracer rounds though; I thought it was a Star Wars pic at some points with all of these lasers shooting everywhere!
- DirectorMorten TyldumStarsBenedict CumberbatchKeira KnightleyMatthew GoodeDuring World War II, the English mathematical genius Alan Turing tries to crack the German Enigma code with help from fellow mathematicians while attempting to come to terms with his troubled private life.Entertaining wartime drama about a man, team and work that everybody should know about if they don't already.
- DirectorDean DeBloisStarsJay BaruchelCate BlanchettGerard ButlerWhen Hiccup and Toothless discover an ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace.Not half bad, a lot better than the 1st one. The animation was pretty stunning. Story wise, the main plot didn't kick in until 2/3rds of the way into the movie, which was weird, and it was a little childish when it could've been more mature, deeper (even considering what happened) but really, not bad at all.
- DirectorJames MarshStarsEddie RedmayneFelicity JonesTom PriorStephen Hawking gets unprecedented success in the field of physics despite being diagnosed with motor neuron disease at the age of 21. He defeats awful odds as his first wife Jane aids him loyally.A very competently made film, good performances, I'd have it higher but it was so uncomfortable to watch, and for that reason I don't think I could watch it again, that I'm placing lower than I perhaps should. His poor wife... it was torture just watching what she had to go through! It even overshadowed what it must be like for him!
- DirectorFrancis LawrenceStarsJennifer LawrenceJosh HutchersonLiam HemsworthKatniss Everdeen is in District 13 after she shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta and a nation moved by her courage.A different kind of teen orientated blockbuster, being essentially a film about the power and necessity of propaganda during times of war. Which is a jarring turn for an action series, but there you go.
- DirectorAnthony RussoJoe RussoStarsChris EvansSamuel L. JacksonScarlett JohanssonAs Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world, he teams up with a fellow Avenger and S.H.I.E.L.D agent, Black Widow, to battle a new threat from history: an assassin known as the Winter Soldier.Decent action film in all fairness, but lacking in substance and even sense. Bland, grey visuals, some nauseating shaky cam at the start, it could've been so deep, layered with its premise but the writers of Thor 2 can't exactly be trusted with strong writing! Enjoyable but I hate wasted potential; why market it as a conspiracy thriller when the conspiracy lasts all of 5 minutes??
- DirectorDoug LimanStarsTom CruiseEmily BluntBill PaxtonA soldier fighting aliens gets to relive the same day over and over again, the day restarting every time he dies.I was hoping for more personally, fairly good though.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsMatthew McConaugheyAnne HathawayJessica ChastainWhen Earth becomes uninhabitable in the future, a farmer and ex-NASA pilot, Joseph Cooper, is tasked to pilot a spacecraft, along with a team of researchers, to find a new planet for humans.I appreciate the effort but it's one of Nolan's weakest films. The ending was impressive but getting there wasn't as well done as it should've been. Don't get me wrong, I was on board along the way but it wasn't tight, wasn't particularly compelling. At certain dramatic moments, I was acutely aware that I felt far less than I was meant to. A must watch to be sure, for its concepts, just don't expect to love it.
- DirectorMatt ReevesStarsGary OldmanKeri RussellAndy SerkisThe fragile peace between apes and humans is threatened as mistrust and betrayal threaten to plunge both tribes into a war for dominance over the Earth.As is a theme with blockbusters lately, good action scenes but very shallow writing; the humans, who take up half of the film, can be defined with single words; dad, teenager, girlfriend, angry, sassy etc. After Rise of the Planet of the Apes, that total lack of depth is not acceptable.
- DirectorBong Joon HoStarsChris EvansJamie BellTilda SwintonIn a future where a failed climate change experiment has killed all life except for the survivors who boarded the Snowpiercer (a train that travels around the globe), a new class system emerges.Interesting concept but so fundamentally unrealistic and dumb in many ways, despite the context of the film, that I could not forgive. Don't get me wrong, there are some very cool scenes, but they're built upon and followed by a foundation of absolute absurdity.
- DirectorJeremy SaulnierStarsMacon BlairDevin RatrayAmy HargreavesA mysterious outsider's quiet life is turned upside down when he returns to his childhood home to carry out an act of vengeance. Proving himself an amateur assassin, he winds up in a brutal fight to protect his estranged family.Not half bad. A desperate revenge flick that tries to veer more towards realism.
- DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsEllar ColtranePatricia ArquetteEthan HawkeThe life of Mason, from early childhood to his arrival at college.A fascinating concept (it took 12 years to make) bogged down by a cast entirely composed of unlikeable characters. Seriously, all anyone did in this movie was whine and mope around! And when you're watching a film that's 2 hours and 45 minutes long, that's a big problem. The child actors too were pretty bad as well (particularly the director's daughter).
- DirectorPeter JacksonStarsIan McKellenMartin FreemanRichard ArmitageBilbo and company are forced to engage in a war against an array of combatants and keep the Lonely Mountain from falling into the hands of a rising darkness.The worst of the Hobbit films, some surprisingly decent moments but a lot of mediocrity. The worst indulgences of Peter Jackson truly come to light here, such as his parodying of LOTR, the emphasis on noticeably naff characters (Bard's kids, Faux-Wormtongue, also a parody of LOTR), the lifeless CGI, skim through the good stuff on youtube, leave the rest unless you want to facepalm.
- DirectorWes AndersonStarsRalph FiennesF. Murray AbrahamMathieu AmalricA writer encounters the owner of an aging high-class hotel, who tells him of his early years serving as a lobby boy in the hotel's glorious years under an exceptional concierge.A mid-tier Wes Anderson effort.
- DirectorYann DemangeStarsJack O'ConnellSam ReidSean HarrisIn 1971, a young and disoriented British soldier is accidentally abandoned by his unit following a riot on the deadly streets of Belfast.O'Connell is one for the future, but his other 2014 film makes this pale by comparison.
- DirectorNoam MurroStarsSullivan StapletonEva GreenLena HeadeyGreek general Themistocles of Athens leads the naval charge against invading Persian forces led by mortal-turned-god Xerxes and Artemisia, vengeful commander of the Persian navy.A b-level sequel, but passable enough to kill some time. Lambasted for not living up to the same standard as its stunning predecessor.
- DirectorBryan SingerStarsPatrick StewartIan McKellenHugh JackmanThe X-Men send Wolverine to the past in a desperate effort to change history and prevent an event that results in doom for both humans and mutants.Written by a poor writer but for the fanboys, combining both casts obscured any narrative flaws. Without the empty future action scenes, there's nothing worthwhile about DOFP; it wasted every character, no-one shined, which no other X-Men film managed previously. Bland, small scale direction too.
- DirectorDon HallChris WilliamsStarsRyan PotterScott AdsitJamie ChungA special bond develops between plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax and prodigy Hiro Hamada, who together team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes.Okay enough. Standard fare.
- DirectorBrad AndersonStarsKate BeckinsaleJim SturgessDavid ThewlisAn Oxford graduate takes up a job in a mental asylum, only to discover that the "revolutionary" new treatments are inhumane, and that there is more going on than meets the eye.Also known as Stonehearst Asylum. I liked the cast, cinematography and premise, it struggled to keep me in that second half though.
- DirectorChad StahelskiStarsKeanu ReevesMichael NyqvistAlfie AllenAn ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters who killed his dog and stole his car.Anticipated it for a long time, but it's just okay. The most basic direction I've ever seen with some decent action. I hope for more nuance, finesse next time around. Like Dredd. Action scenes are cool but empty when just on their own.
- DirectorMarjane SatrapiStarsRyan ReynoldsGemma ArtertonAnna KendrickA likable guy pursues his office crush with help from his evil talking pets, but things turn sinister when she stands him up for a date.On a rewatch, I'd put it quite a bit lower than I initially had it.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsHideaki AnnoHidetoshi NishijimaMiori TakimotoJiro Horikoshi studies assiduously to fulfill his aim of becoming an aeronautical engineer. As WWII begins, fighter aircraft designed by him end up getting used by the Japanese Empire against its foes.Like Kaguya, decent but not necessary to re-view.
- DirectorPhil LordChristopher MillerStarsChris PrattWill FerrellElizabeth BanksAn ordinary LEGO construction worker, thought to be the prophesied as "special", is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil tyrant from gluing the LEGO universe into eternal stasis.It was okay. I was little bored here and there but overall, not exactly better than every Lord of the Rings film as the average ratings on Rotten Tomatoes would have you believe!
- DirectorTomm MooreStarsDavid RawleBrendan GleesonLisa HanniganBen, a young Irish boy, and his little sister Saoirse, a girl who can turn into a seal, go on an adventure to free the fairies and save the spirit world.Pretty but massively overhyped just for being an indie effort. It's okay but nothing memorable.
- DirectorMichaël R. RoskamStarsTom HardyNoomi RapaceJames GandolfiniBob Saginowski finds himself at the center of a robbery gone awry and entwined in an investigation that digs deeply into the neighborhood's past where friends, families, and foes all work together to make a living--no matter the cost.Tom Hardy plays a mentally retarded person in this ultimately disjointed film that plodded along well enough until it ended up turning out to fall quite flatly.
- DirectorGareth EvansStarsIko UwaisYayan RuhianArifin PutraOnly a short time after the first raid, Rama goes undercover with the thugs of Jakarta and plans to bring down the syndicate and uncover the corruption within his police force.It took me 97 minutes to realise that I'd already seen this!
Soulless, extremely long and with some bad choreography; I lost count of the number of times that someone waited for his cue or stood still while the main character could land multiple shots. It was just a repeat of 'stop, wait for the guy in front of you to get beat up, step forward, take three or four shots with no resistance and fall.' - DirectorHossein AminiStarsViggo MortensenKirsten DunstOscar IsaacA thriller centered on a con artist, his wife, and a stranger who flee Athens after one of them is caught up in the death of a private detective.Interesting setup that went downhill. I wish Viggo would do more mainstream films but he never does.
- DirectorIsao TakahataStarsChloë Grace MoretzJames CaanMary SteenburgenKaguya is a beautiful young woman coveted by five nobles. To try to avoid marrying a stranger she doesn't love, she sends her suitors on seemingly impossible tasks. But she will have to face her fate and punishment for her choices.Very, very long and not that compelling. By the end, it strikes a certain chord, but I don't need to ever see it again.
- DirectorGary ShoreStarsLuke EvansDominic CooperSarah GadonAs his kingdom is being threatened by the Turks, young prince Vlad Tepes must become a monster feared by his own people in order to obtain the power needed to protect his own family, and the families of his kingdom.Mediocre. Luke Evans is just not a star.
- DirectorJon FavreauStarsJon FavreauRobert Downey Jr.Scarlett JohanssonA head chef quits his restaurant job and buys a food truck in an effort to reclaim his creative promise, while piecing back together his estranged family.Relatively promising start but it ended up falling quite flat. There's no real stakes/steaks.
- DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsDenzel WashingtonMarton CsokasChloë Grace MoretzA man who believes he has put his mysterious past behind him cannot stand idly by when he meets a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters.Black Taken, but with a bigger budget. Unlike Taken, it doesn't work nearly as well; it's very hackneyed and very corny.
- DirectorDarren AronofskyStarsRussell CroweJennifer ConnellyAnthony HopkinsNoah is chosen by God to undertake a momentous mission before an apocalyptic flood cleanses the world.Yikes.
- DirectorJohn Michael McDonaghStarsBrendan GleesonChris O'DowdKelly ReillyAfter he is threatened during a confession, a good-natured priest must battle the dark forces closing in around him.Not exactly the follow up I wanted to The Guard. It was vacuous, it had potential to explore an interesting dynamic but nothing really happened.
- DirectorBennett MillerStarsSteve CarellChanning TatumMark RuffaloU.S. Olympic wrestling champions and brothers Mark Schultz and Dave Schultz join "Team Foxcatcher", led by eccentric multi-millionaire John du Pont, as they train for the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, but John's self-destructive behavior threatens to consume them all.Schindler's List was less depressing than this.
- DirectorDamon BeesleyIain MorrisStarsSimon BirdJames BuckleyBlake HarrisonJay, Neil, Simon, and Will reunite in Australia for a holiday.Really, really not good. Not funny, terrible story, such a disappointment, a waste of time. Its only joke simply copied Kevin & Perry Go Large!
- DirectorGraham AnnableAnthony StacchiStarsBen KingsleyJared HarrisNick FrostA young orphaned boy raised by underground cave-dwelling trash collectors tries to save his friends from an evil exterminator.As a big fan of Coraline, I was looking forward to this. Little did I know how awful it would turn out to be. An ordeal to sit through.
- DirectorGareth EdwardsStarsAaron Taylor-JohnsonElizabeth OlsenBryan CranstonThe world is beset by the appearance of monstrous creatures, but one of them may be the only one who can save humanity.Not good.
- DirectorJosé PadilhaStarsJoel KinnamanGary OldmanMichael KeatonIn 2028 Detroit, when Alex Murphy, a loving husband, father and good cop, is critically injured in the line of duty, the multinational conglomerate OmniCorp sees their chance for a part-man, part-robot police officer.Also not good.
- DirectorJack PlotnickStarsPatrick WilsonLiv TylerMarisa CoughlanA 1970s version of the future, where personalities and asteroids collide.I couldn't even finish it. I only got about halfway through, it's such a nothing film.
- DirectorWally PfisterStarsJohnny DeppRebecca HallMorgan FreemanA scientist's drive for artificial intelligence takes on dangerous implications when his own consciousness is uploaded into one such program.Big oof.
- DirectorSeth MacFarlaneStarsSeth MacFarlaneCharlize TheronLiam NeesonAs a cowardly farmer begins to fall for the mysterious new woman in town, he must put his newly found courage to the test when her husband, a notorious gun-slinger, announces his arrival.A Million Other Ways To Spend Your Time.
- DirectorFrank MillerRobert RodriguezStarsMickey RourkeJessica AlbaJosh BrolinSome of Sin City's most hard-boiled citizens cross paths with a few of its more reviled inhabitants.I'm pretty sure that I saw this, yet I have little recollection of it. Considering that there are plenty of films that I saw once that stuck out to me, I'm going to take this as an indication that Sin City 2 was lacklustre.
- DirectorEdward ZwickStarsTobey MaguireLiev SchreiberPeter SarsgaardSet during the Cold War, American chess prodigy Bobby Fischer finds himself caught between two superpowers and his own struggles as he challenges the Soviet Empire.I only managed to get halfway through. Tobey Maguire's character has no facet of likability, which, combined with a pretty uninteresting story, doesn't make for compelling material.
- DirectorShawn LevyStarsJason BatemanTina FeyJane FondaAfter their father passes away, four grown siblings are forced to return to their childhood home and live under the same roof for a week, along with their over-sharing mother and an assortment of spouses, exes, and might-have-beens.Could barely get halfway through it. A dud.
- DirectorJennifer KentStarsEssie DavisNoah WisemanDaniel HenshallA single mother and her child fall into a deep well of paranoia when an eerie children's book titled "Mister Babadook" manifests in their home.Another 2014 one that I couldn't finish. Features one of the most obnoxious child actors/characters I've ever seen. The critical ratings for this nonsense astounds me.
- DirectorZach BraffStarsZach BraffJoey KingPierce GagnonA struggling actor, father and husband finds himself at a major crossroads, which forces him to examine his life, his family and his career.So much anticipation, the crowdfunding... all for... this?
- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsJake GyllenhaalMélanie LaurentSarah GadonA man seeks out his exact look-alike after spotting him in a movie.I truly hated this film. I don't recall seeing something so short that was so painful to endure.
- DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsJoaquin PhoenixJosh BrolinOwen WilsonIn 1970, drug-fueled Los Angeles private investigator Larry "Doc" Sportello investigates the disappearance of a former girlfriend.
- DirectorRussell CroweStarsRussell CroweOlga KurylenkoJai CourtneyAn Australian man travels to Turkey after the Battle of Gallipoli to try to locate his three missing sons.
- DirectorAnton CorbijnStarsPhilip Seymour HoffmanRachel McAdamsDaniel BrühlA Chechen Muslim illegally immigrates to Hamburg, where he gets caught in the international war on terror.
- DirectorJean-Marc ValléeStarsReese WitherspoonLaura DernGaby HoffmannA chronicle of one woman's 1,100-mile solo hike undertaken as a way to recover from a recent personal tragedy.
- DirectorPaul KingStarsHugh BonnevilleSally HawkinsJulie WaltersA young Peruvian bear travels to London in search of a home. Finding himself lost and alone at Paddington Station, he meets the kindly Brown family, who offer him a temporary haven.
- DirectorRichard GlatzerWash WestmorelandStarsJulianne MooreAlec BaldwinKristen StewartA linguistics professor and her family find their bonds tested when she is diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.
- DirectorTim BurtonStarsAmy AdamsChristoph WaltzDanny HustonA drama about the awakening of painter Margaret Keane, her phenomenal success in the 1950s, and the subsequent legal difficulties she had with her husband, who claimed credit for her works in the 1960s.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsChristian BaleJoel EdgertonBen KingsleyThe defiant leader Moses rises up against Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II, setting six hundred thousand slaves on a monumental journey of escape from Egypt and its terrifying cycle of deadly plagues.
- DirectorDavid DobkinStarsRobert Downey Jr.Robert DuvallVera FarmigaBig-city lawyer Hank Palmer returns to his childhood home where his father, the town's judge, is suspected of murder. Hank sets out to discover the truth; along the way he reconnects with his estranged family.
- DirectorRobert StrombergStarsAngelina JolieElle FanningSharlto CopleyA vengeful fairy is driven to curse an infant princess, only to discover that the child could be the one person who can restore peace to their troubled land.