With apologies to the movies I didn't have time to see (Inherent Vice, Into the Woods, Still Alice, Unbroken & Whiplash), here are the TEN BEST MOVIES of 2014, follwed by six films that deserve honorable mention, and another 13 films I "saw & enjoyed."
1. BOYHOOD - no other movie in 2014 came close to matching this tour de force of filmmaking.
2. BIRDMAN - endlessly inventive and magical, with intelligent acting, script and soundtrack.
3. IDA (Poland) - world cinema at its finest
4. A MOST VIOLENT YEAR - another intelligent, adult drama that used to be standard fare in the time period it evokes so well - 1981.
5. UNDER THE SKIN (UK) - an uncompromising sci-fi vision (not for everyone).
6. TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT (Belgium) - anyone who thinks Marion Cotillard 'stole' a best actress nomination obviously did not see her anguished portrayal of a woman fighting for her job in another gem of realism from the Dardennes brothers of Belgium, who seem uniquely able to turn seemingly ordinary lives into subjeccts of great tragedy and triumph.
7. ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE - who else but Jim Jarmusch could sympathetically portray vampires-as-latter-day-rockers and present-day Detroit as both decaying anachronisms.
8. LIFE ITSELF - the only documentary to make my Top Ten (absurdly overlooked by the Academy) this unblinking look at the life and painful death of film critic Roger Ebert pays him the highest compliment of all: it turns his life story into great cinema.
9. WILD - surprisingly compelling story of what is essentially a walk in the woods (it's a metaphorical journey!).
10. THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING - I may get some flak for this pick, but it is an unapologetic, heart-tugging biopic that hits all the right notes and is carried by TWO marvelous performances (Felicity Jones hasn't gotten enough credit for the success of this movie) and a beautiful score by Johann Johannsson.
Honorable mention:
American Sniper
Force Majeure (Sweden)
Foxcatcher
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Gone Girl
Interstellar
Saw & enjoyed:
Begin Again
Chinese Puzzle (France)
Fading Gigolo
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Little Accidents (indie)
Mockingjay: Part One
A Most Wanted Man
Selma
Snowpiercer
The Two Face of January
Two docs: The Galapagos Affair & Jodorowsy's Dune
Until next year, film lovers!!
