Top 5 Films of 2014
Its been far too long since I have posted on here, so I'm doing a list of my favourite films of 2014. Its been a great year for films, with a nice balance of brilliant blockbusters, incredible Oscar winners and arthouse gems, here are my top 5 of the year.
#5 Guardians of the Galaxy
As an avid hater of anything Marvel, Guardians of the Galaxy caught me by surprise, the film turned out to be a hilarious sci-fi romp in the same vein as Star Wars. The usual superhero fare is simply not my cup of tea, even the acclaimed Avengers Assemble has never piqued my interest, this however was brilliant. With tongue planted firmly in cheek Guardians of the Galaxy takes aim at the conventions of sci-fi and turns them on its head in self referential delight. The characters are vivid, animated and always funny, making the film an absolute joy to watch. The final battle set in Marvel's favourite location, the generic city, was slightly underwhelming compared to the bright and colourful locales seen in the earlier portions of the film, however it doesn't detract from what is surely Marvel's best film to date.
#4 Lilting
Starring Ben Whishaw and the astounding Pei Pei Cheng, this quietly affecting drama tells the story of two people struggling with grief and their cultural differences. Junn (Cheng) is mourning the loss of her young son Kai who was killed in an accident, when a stranger appears at her care home, her sons boyfriend. The relationship between the two is mostly told in emotive body language and facial expressions, as Junn can't speak English. The film deals with ideas of cultural identity, loss, misunderstanding and guilt as it slowly escalates into an emotional piecing together of Kai's memories and experiences. The two lead performances are quiet yet shattering, Whishaw is increasingly becoming one of Britain's finest actors, and Pei Pei Chengs legacy remains untarnished, she is mesmerising.
#3 Gone Girl
David Fincher's latest mystery is Gone Girl, a crime scene thriller about the disappearance of Amy Dunne (Pike) on the 5th anniversary of her marriage to Nick Dunne (Affleck). The film twists and turns throughout the 2 hr 30 running time, utilising both Nicks viewpoint and diary entries from Amy to try and piece together what happened. It's difficult to explain much of the plot without revealing anything, suffice to say it isn't what you would expect from the genre. The film tackles issues surrounding the media, gender roles, relationships and what they mean, delving deep into what makes a relationship work, or what doesn't. It's also meticulously directed by Fincher, who frames every scene with precision and detail, Gone Girl is a film that you could watch countless times and still not notice the detail put into each and every frame. A special mention must be given to Rosamund Pike, who has transformed herself from posh English darling to Hollywood superstar in her blinder of a performance.
#2 Nightcrawler
Nightcrawler tells the story of Lou Bloom, a man looking for a job in Los Angeles, after several failed attempts, he stumbles upon a camera crew filming a crash on the freeway. After speaking to film crew he learns of a freelance crime journalism that pays well, nightcrawling, the process of filming accidents, murders and robberies in the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles. He quickly becomes engrossed in a grisly world of crime, television and journalism which begins to eat away at his sanity. Jake Gylenhaal has outdone himself with this film, in what is surely an Oscar winning performance he plays the sociopath character brilliantly, delivering some of the most downright insane scenes in any film I have seen. The film is darkly comic, satirising today's picture taking, selfie posting culture as well as the business of American television news mixing it with gut wrenching violent imagery.
#1 Intersellar
As much criticism Interstellar has gained, I still think it is the best film of the year. Christopher Nolan's Sci-Fi epic is unbelievable in scope and ambition, telling not just a human emotional story, but a scientific explanation of everything that happens. To some viewers this might be a turn off, audiences want to be entertained not taught, but the great thing about interstellar is that it manages to be both an intelligent and thought provoking piece as well as a blockbuster adventure, something which some critics cannot stomach. Much in the same way as 2001 did, Interstellar attempts to use space as a vehicle for events and ideas happening on Earth, in this case the film is a lesson of love and humanity, set against the silent backdrop of space and its imposing vastness. The film looks incredible too, especially in its native 70mm Imax version, the first glimpse of Saturn is jaw dropping, the scale of this film is on another level and the lack of green screen is a welcome change. Performance wise, Anne Hathaway, Matthew McConaughey and Jessica Chastain take the cake, all giving moving and passionate performances that all deserve nominations. Interstellar is a film that you must see while it is playing in cinemas, it'll be remembered for years as another landmark in Science Fiction and is Nolan's best film to date.
Thanks for reading! There are so many more films that I could have included, 12 Years a Slave, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Maps to the Stars came incredibly close! You can follow me on Twitter @Karlrichings to keep up to date with film reviews.
