The Year in Movies: 2014

 2014

Number of Movies I've Seen: 61

Number of Movies from my original top 365:  didn't exist yet

Oscar Winner:
Birdman - Probably in a close race with 1917 for the best "one shot" movie ever made. This one is a bit better in my opinion though because of the riveting performances from Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, and Edward Norton.

Box Office Winner:
American Sniper - This movie sickens me. I have already spoken on it at length.

My Top Ten:
1. NEXT POST!

2. When Marnie was There - (PICTURED ABOVE) Easily my favorite of the "non-Miyazaki" Ghibli films. This was actually my favorite movie of the year until I finally got around to seeing the #1 film. I would actually recommend this to non-anime fans. Just a beautiful tale of love, loss, and perseverance.

3. Boyhood - Linklater's masterpiece filmed over 12 years. It is something to behold. I envy you if you get to see it for the first time.

4. Selma - Ava DuVernay captured something unique with this tale of the civil rights movement. She chose to focus on the personalities of those involved in the fight rather than the details of their struggle. We get to know these famous heroes rather than see outlines of their plight.

5. Chef - With Iron Man, The Mandalorian, and indie hits like this Jon Favreau has quietly positioned himself as one of the greatest actor/directors of the modern age. This one is not to be missed.

6. The Imitation Game - I'm surprised how much I've forgotten about this movie. It really hit me hard in 2014, but I haven't really thought about it much since..... huh....

7. Infinitely Polar Bear - This is one that fell through the cracks. Mark Ruffalo gives an impressive performance as a father struggling with bipolar disorder. Definitely seek this one out if you missed it.

8. Guardians of the Galaxy - What can I say? Probably the coolest comic book movie and with a heart as big as a planet.

9. Big Hero 6 - Did you know that this is a Marvel movie? Now you do. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

10. Top 5 - Chris Rock is a highly underrated director. This film and I Think I Love My Wife are underrated gems.