Boyhood one of 2014's best films
Well here we stand at the end of yet another year and the
beginning of another. It’s time to take a look back at the best that 2014 had
to offer in films. Ultimately 2014 was a solid year for films especially in the
indie film department. This list is made up almost entirely of independent or
foreign motion pictures (save for a big exception) that not only told great
stories, but also found new and innovative ways to tell them. As usual with
this list the caveat applies that I have not seen everything that 2014 has to
offer in particular a few big “December” releases (I’m really sad that Inherent
Vice and Selma were two of them) that don’t hit Vancouver until the middle of January.
That being said there are still plenty of amazing films to list and here they
are the best of 2014…
Honorable Mentions:
The Raid 2, Locke, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Lego
Movie, X-Men Days of Future Past, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Snowpiercer, Blue
Ruin, IDA, Goodbye to Language, The One I Love
10. Gone Girl
Taking Gillian Flynn’s perspective bending novel and turning
it into a film seemed like no easy task, but if there was anyone who could do
it of course it’s David Fincher. Beautifully shot and perfectly acted Flynn’s
novel shone on screen with all the creepy shine that only Fincher can provide.
All the greatness of the novel translated beautifully from the twisty and morbidly
comedic plot, to the fun play with perspective and storytelling. David Fincher
continues to be on a role and Gone Girl is another great film in his portfolio.
9. Birdman
A love letter to live theatre and a beautiful achievement in
filmmaking Birdman took the concept of a continuous tracking shot to a new
level. Never before have I seen a film that has attempted to simulate being one
continuous shot nor could I have ever imagined it being executed to such
perfection. Throw in some amazing performances from Michael Keaton and Edward
Norton and a script that strikes the perfect balance of comedy and melancholy
and you have one of the great filmmaking achievements of 2014.
8. Only Lovers Left Alive
2014 was a great year for meditative, nearly plotless
endeavours and Only Lovers Left Alive was one of the very best. Dripping with
cool, brimming with beautiful images, and filled with meditation on the human
condition Only Lovers Left Alive is one of the most unique experiences of the year. Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleson shine as the centuries
old lovers, and their relationship they share at the film’s centre is stunning.
In a year full of films trying to tell narrative in new and unique ways Only
Lovers Left Alive stands out as one of the best.
7. Life Itself
A near perfect look at the life of one of America’s biggest
treasures, Life Itself provided one of the most emotional film going
experiences of the year. Capturing the full story of the life of Roger Ebert
both the good and the bad really made for a great and surprisingly moving documentary. Seeing Life Itself change as Roger Ebert’s
health degraded is both sad and super powerful and it never flinched when
portraying the challenge of remaining hopeful during the end of his life. I don’t
see many documentaries every year but I’m glad I went out of my way to see Life
Itself. RIP Roger Ebert.
6. Whiplash
One of the first thrillers based entirely around music,
Whiplash thrilled using the power of some of the best American music. Whiplash
is a masterwork of a thriller revolving around ambition and what can happen
when the quest to be the best in the world begins may be pushed to a self-destructive
level. Two brilliant performances from both Miles Teller and the dastardly JK
Simmons drive this intense experience to a whole new level. Music is beautiful
but it is also demanding, no other film captures this as perfectly and with as much
intensity as Whiplash.
5. Nightcrawler
Tough economic times call for drastic measures in order to achieve one's goals. Nightcrawler takes this to the extreme and
presents a scary version of the rags to riches story for a new era. The film
pushed capitalism to its moral peek showing what it would be like if the
concept of success is taken to its most extreme. To top it all off Nightcrawler
had the very best performance of 2014 in Jake Gyllenhall whose virtuosic,
detailed oriented performance that soars on the screen. It elevates this film
to the next level and makes it one of the best films of the year.
Christopher Nolan has done it again. Hugely ambitious and awe inspiring at nearly every turn Interstellar was one of the most unique and powerful filmmaking experiences of the year. The sense of exploration and imagination in this film is simply stunning. There are visual moments in this film that are unlike anything I could have imagined being visualized and often left my jaw dropped. Was this film flawed in ways, yes, but it also gave me a feeling of awe that wasn’t replicated in 2014. Simply put Interstellar was one heck of an experience one that should be experienced by all.
3. Under the Skin
The most unique experience of 2014, the more I think about
Under the Skin the more I fall in love with it. This is a film that challenges
the conventions, breaks down traditional storytelling, and creates something
strange and radically different. This film is so powerful in so many ways, a beautiful
film that touches on the perception and the reality of female sexuality through the strange framework of a wandering alien discovering what it is like to be human. Under
the Skin has been a film that has never let go of me from the moment I initially
viewed it, and has only gotten better through subsequent viewings.
2. Like Father, Like Son
As impactful as a film can be, Like Father, Like Son is a testament
of the ability to take a melodramatic premise (finding out that your son was
switched at birth and really isn’t yours) and make it something incredibly grounded
and profound. Moral questions are presented, parenting choices are questioned,
and the value of love vs the value birthright is challenged. It all culminates in a
masterful film that gave me a gut punch that I’m still feeling since the moment
I saw the film in the early part of the year. No other film in 2014 challenged
my emotions and brought me as close to tears as Like Father, Like Son, a truly powerful experience.
1. Boyhood
Richard Linklater has done it again. His 2014 masterpiece
Boyhood is not only an achievement in sheer filmmaking (although don’t get me
wrong filming something over 12 year is an achievement of sheer filmmaking) but
an achievement in perfectly capturing time, place and emotion. No film has
captured the feeling of growing up as perfectly as Boyhood. I grew up in nearly
the exact same timeframe as Boyhood and while Mason and I aren’t really alike this
film managed to send me back to so many places in my own short life; I relived
the innocence of being young, the awkwardness of being a teenager, and the hope
that maybe just maybe there is a place for me somewhere all in just under three
hours. There is no other film like Boyhood, a masterpiece on a grand level and
a film I will remember for a very long time.
