Movie Guide
Here’s how I’d rank the 49 movies I saw in 2014. In grouping, the films are listed in order of preference.
Excellent
Boyhood--This isn’t just the best film of this year, but the best film in several years; a wholly absorbing look at life’s continuing challenges. We not only follow a boy who is struggling to overcome common teen-age obstacles, but also the corresponding trials endured by parents and by married couples. A rich, convincing portrait.
--Tied: Inherent Vice--Paul Thomas Anderson delivers again; it’s a film open to “incoherent vice” swipes because of some fuzziness in the storytelling, but relax and go with the aura of the film and everything becomes clear (enough). “Inherent Vice” transports the wry film noir of “The Big Sleep” to a time in the late 1960s when the drug culture in America was making a run at everyone’s judgment and values.
--Tied: The Grand Budapest Hotel--Enthralling film by Wes Anderston that is joyfully entertaining; fresh, original, touching. A wonder to behold—combining fantasy and rich human detail.
A Most Violent Year--Director J.C. Chankor is a master of shady morality and desperate survival, as he showed first in the brilliant “Margin Call” and now outlines in this smart, gripping nourish tale.
Locke--Tom Hardy is brilliant in this taut, constantly evolving story of a man in crisis; all told during the time it takes him to drive from Birmingham, England, to London.
Very Good
Wild--Reese Witherspoon is both human and frequently heroic in as she fights gallantly to overcome relentless despair in this deeply absorbing film.
Birdman--Things get a touch hammy in places, but an actor’s search for artistic redemption is powerful and original.
Snowpiercer--Clever, often surprising, always fast-paced account of social class in a sci-fi movie that is as concerned with commentary as spectacle.
Life Itself--There’s an unexpected toast to the wonders of life itself that propels this documentary about film critic Roger Ebert and his unending quest to enjoy everything in his reach. Favorite Documentary.
The Drop--Tom Hardy shines again, giving character and pulse to what would have been an overly familiar tale of small-time criminal ties.
Child’s Pose--Captivating tale from Romania about a mother’s desperate need to help her troubled soon.
American Sniper--Some good stuff here, but too bad the film, in the end, seems too much like Hollywood-ized version of the grittier and better “Hurt Locker.”
A Five-Star Life--No fireworks here, but this Italian film offers a nice, steady take on a woman who enjoys the luxury of five-star hotels (she is a critic of sorts) only to awake one day and find out she is missing out on life.
Calvary--Brendan Gleeson, again in a small Irish town, is a priest who hears the confession of a man who vows to kill him.
Good
Two Days, One Night-- Marion Cotillard is deeply moving as a woman who has to plead with her co-workers to forgo a sizable bonus each so that she can retain her much-needed job. The film, however, is limited by the repetitiveness of her pleading and the lackluster payoff.
The Imitation Game--Again, some powerful moments from a powerful true story about math geeks in England struggling to break the top-secret Germany code during World War II, but the pacing is slow, the scenes predictable and the overall tone too safe.
Joe--Compelling backwoods Texas story about trying to salvage something from troubled lives. Terrific performance by Nicolas Cage.
Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me--A rich, intimate and inspiring glimpse of Campbell as the singer takes a long concert victory lap even as he struggles against the horrors of Alzheimer’s.
Foxcatcher--Not sure I cared that much about the actual story, but the performances by Carrel, Tatum and Ruffalo were captivating.
Le Weekend--A couple heads to Paris for the weekend and their marriage undergoes a reappraisal that is captured so convincingly that it’s a painful movie to watch.
Love Is Strange--The film about a gay couple torn apart is told with immense style and grace.
Bicycling with Moliere--Warm, engaging French film about friendship and the love of the theater.
Gloria--Gently appealing tale of a 50-ish something woman in Santiago gamely taking another chance on love.
A Million Ways to Die in the West--Not wholly successful, but lots of fun in this playful look at western movie staples.
Cold in July--Tough, gritty look at people with nothing going on in their lives, again in backwoods Texas, suddenly find everything is at stake.
Nightcrawler--Some overkill here, but generally a potent glimpse of the shameless sensationalism of local TV news.
The Grand Seduction—Brendan Gleeson, wonderful as usual, is about the only thing that keeps us interested in this tale of shenanigans in a small Irish town.
Marginal
Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia--Vidal was most certainly a brilliant, provocative thinker, but this documentary doesn’t go very deep.
Big Eyes--Top-flight performances, but the film moves so slowly and so unambitiously that it seems like it is wrapped up in a straight-jacket.
Get on Up—Chedwick Boseman’s fabulous performance (as James Brown) is the whole story in this often uneven and superficial story about the hardest working man in show business.
Trust Me--Mildly amusing tale of a bottom feeding Hollywood agent trying to reach for the big time.
Top Five--Chris Rock transfers some of his blistering humor to the screen, but isn’t enough to off-set the film’s clichéd elements.
A Most Wanted Man--Like so many spy movies before it, this is slow and drab.
22 Jump Street--Not bad, but not much good either. Hill and Tatum provide some chemistry; nice guest turn by Ice Cube.
Weak
The Empty Hours--The setting is a rent-by-the-hour motel in a drab Mexican town, which is promising, but the story of a teen-ager (who is watching the place for his uncle) and his gentle bonding with a woman who frequents the place feels too scripted.
Kill the Messenger--The story of a journalist who goes up against the government and the nation’s major news outlets is competent, but uninvolving.
The Equalizer--A potboiler all the way.
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For--Tarantino-lite; too “lite.”
Jealousy--While reminiscent of the sensual electricity of the French new wave movement, this psychological drama lacks the electricity.
The Amazing Spiderman 2--You can feel everyone involved, from the studio to the screenwriter to the director, straining to extend the Spiderman franchise, but it never takes flight.
Venus in Furs--Drab, uninvolving tale of sexual identity and conquest.
The Gambler--The only one who deserves praise is the stylist who gave Mark Wahlberg such a great haircut.
Third Person--We get to spend time in three of the world’s great cities (Rome, New York and Paris), but it’s not enough to make up for a story that tries so hard to make sense of life’s mysteries that it annoys more than enlights.
Jack Ryan--Anonymous tale of political intrigue post 9/11.
Bad
Jersey Boys--Razzle dazzle aplenty, but not much to make the story of the Four Seasons worth your time.
Godzilla--Punchless update about the celebrated monster.
Anchorman 2--It’s only interesting until your popcorn runs out, which isn’t long.
Magic in the Moonlight—Unbearable. Still hard to imagine that Woody Allen is responsible for it.
Tammy--Not truly awful, simply an empty comedy.
Life of Crime--Even the Elmore Leonard connection can’t inject life into this painfully inept comedy drama.
***********************************************************************************************************
AND 2013
Here’s how I’d rank the movies I saw in 2013. In grouping, the films are listed in order of preference.
EXCELLENT
The Great Beauty. Lavish, massively ambitious reflection on life and what really matters.
Blue is the Warmest Color. Shatteringly effective and brilliantly sensual look at the desperation and exhilaration of love.
The Great Gatsby. An inspired retelling of the great Fitzgerald novel about the desperation of love. It’s in the grand Hollywood tradition of filling the big screen with great actors, scenes and story.
Nebraska. Funny, wise and deeply touching story of aging, family and small town life.
Like Someone in Love. Warm, involving, tense tale about youth and desire, age and compassion from Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami. Set in Tokyo. Exceptional.
VERY GOOD
Dallas Buyers Club. This superbly gritty film is another major step in Matthew McConaughey’s remarkable transformation from a celebrity caricature into great actor.
The Spectacular Now. A tale of high school coming of age is fresh and compelling. Truly spectacular.
American Hustle. The movie isn’t the least compelling or convincing, but the acting (bale, Lawrence, adams and cooper) makes it a must see.
Fruitville Station. Somewhat underdeveloped, but still riveting look at racial tension and the tragic consequence.
12 Years a Slave. Gripping, but a touch too traditional.
The Way Way Back. Big hearted, and sometimes that’s enough.
GOOD
HER. Bold, imaginative and more great acting, but torturously slow. And, ultimately, the idea of all the new social network technology dehumanizing us has, by now, worn out its expiration date.
Inside Llewyn Davis. Wonderfully crafted, but doesn’t capture you emotionally.
Ain’t Them Bodies Saints. Just about everything in this tale of small town Texas gloom, crime and family works marvelously--from the acting of Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck and Ben Foster, to the direction of David Lowery.
That said, the film is burdened by its failure to break new ground.
Mud. Matthew McConaughey scores again in a modest tale that succeeds despite an overriding sense of plot manipulation.
Muscle Shoals. Wonderful, inspring documentary on the small town Alabama recording scene that produced some great music, from Aretha’s “Respect” to the Rolling Stones’ “Brown Sugar.”
Before Midnight. Couldn’t care less about the opening two-thirds of this latest installment of the Richard Linklater’s adventures of lovers/marrieds Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, but the final third—built around a hotel room dialogue—is spectacular enough to make the movie something quite special.
The Place Beyond the Pines. Some terrific scenes and the striking performances by Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper highlight this gripping tale of lives in collision on both sides of the law.
Gravity. A major cinematic feat that ultimately lacks compelling human drama.
Adore. Two women having affairs with each other’s sons is a difficult thing to pull off, but the acting by Robin Penn and Naomi Watts makes the film catch hold.
Blue Jasmine. Cate Blanchett is superb and the movie is thoroughly entertaining, but there’s not a hint of anything new in it.
Trance. Stylish art heist drama from the usually inventive Danny Boyle.
Excellent
Boyhood--This isn’t just the best film of this year, but the best film in several years; a wholly absorbing look at life’s continuing challenges. We not only follow a boy who is struggling to overcome common teen-age obstacles, but also the corresponding trials endured by parents and by married couples. A rich, convincing portrait.
--Tied: Inherent Vice--Paul Thomas Anderson delivers again; it’s a film open to “incoherent vice” swipes because of some fuzziness in the storytelling, but relax and go with the aura of the film and everything becomes clear (enough). “Inherent Vice” transports the wry film noir of “The Big Sleep” to a time in the late 1960s when the drug culture in America was making a run at everyone’s judgment and values.
--Tied: The Grand Budapest Hotel--Enthralling film by Wes Anderston that is joyfully entertaining; fresh, original, touching. A wonder to behold—combining fantasy and rich human detail.
A Most Violent Year--Director J.C. Chankor is a master of shady morality and desperate survival, as he showed first in the brilliant “Margin Call” and now outlines in this smart, gripping nourish tale.
Locke--Tom Hardy is brilliant in this taut, constantly evolving story of a man in crisis; all told during the time it takes him to drive from Birmingham, England, to London.
Very Good
Wild--Reese Witherspoon is both human and frequently heroic in as she fights gallantly to overcome relentless despair in this deeply absorbing film.
Birdman--Things get a touch hammy in places, but an actor’s search for artistic redemption is powerful and original.
Snowpiercer--Clever, often surprising, always fast-paced account of social class in a sci-fi movie that is as concerned with commentary as spectacle.
Life Itself--There’s an unexpected toast to the wonders of life itself that propels this documentary about film critic Roger Ebert and his unending quest to enjoy everything in his reach. Favorite Documentary.
The Drop--Tom Hardy shines again, giving character and pulse to what would have been an overly familiar tale of small-time criminal ties.
Child’s Pose--Captivating tale from Romania about a mother’s desperate need to help her troubled soon.
American Sniper--Some good stuff here, but too bad the film, in the end, seems too much like Hollywood-ized version of the grittier and better “Hurt Locker.”
A Five-Star Life--No fireworks here, but this Italian film offers a nice, steady take on a woman who enjoys the luxury of five-star hotels (she is a critic of sorts) only to awake one day and find out she is missing out on life.
Calvary--Brendan Gleeson, again in a small Irish town, is a priest who hears the confession of a man who vows to kill him.
Good
Two Days, One Night-- Marion Cotillard is deeply moving as a woman who has to plead with her co-workers to forgo a sizable bonus each so that she can retain her much-needed job. The film, however, is limited by the repetitiveness of her pleading and the lackluster payoff.
The Imitation Game--Again, some powerful moments from a powerful true story about math geeks in England struggling to break the top-secret Germany code during World War II, but the pacing is slow, the scenes predictable and the overall tone too safe.
Joe--Compelling backwoods Texas story about trying to salvage something from troubled lives. Terrific performance by Nicolas Cage.
Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me--A rich, intimate and inspiring glimpse of Campbell as the singer takes a long concert victory lap even as he struggles against the horrors of Alzheimer’s.
Foxcatcher--Not sure I cared that much about the actual story, but the performances by Carrel, Tatum and Ruffalo were captivating.
Le Weekend--A couple heads to Paris for the weekend and their marriage undergoes a reappraisal that is captured so convincingly that it’s a painful movie to watch.
Love Is Strange--The film about a gay couple torn apart is told with immense style and grace.
Bicycling with Moliere--Warm, engaging French film about friendship and the love of the theater.
Gloria--Gently appealing tale of a 50-ish something woman in Santiago gamely taking another chance on love.
A Million Ways to Die in the West--Not wholly successful, but lots of fun in this playful look at western movie staples.
Cold in July--Tough, gritty look at people with nothing going on in their lives, again in backwoods Texas, suddenly find everything is at stake.
Nightcrawler--Some overkill here, but generally a potent glimpse of the shameless sensationalism of local TV news.
The Grand Seduction—Brendan Gleeson, wonderful as usual, is about the only thing that keeps us interested in this tale of shenanigans in a small Irish town.
Marginal
Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia--Vidal was most certainly a brilliant, provocative thinker, but this documentary doesn’t go very deep.
Big Eyes--Top-flight performances, but the film moves so slowly and so unambitiously that it seems like it is wrapped up in a straight-jacket.
Get on Up—Chedwick Boseman’s fabulous performance (as James Brown) is the whole story in this often uneven and superficial story about the hardest working man in show business.
Trust Me--Mildly amusing tale of a bottom feeding Hollywood agent trying to reach for the big time.
Top Five--Chris Rock transfers some of his blistering humor to the screen, but isn’t enough to off-set the film’s clichéd elements.
A Most Wanted Man--Like so many spy movies before it, this is slow and drab.
22 Jump Street--Not bad, but not much good either. Hill and Tatum provide some chemistry; nice guest turn by Ice Cube.
Weak
The Empty Hours--The setting is a rent-by-the-hour motel in a drab Mexican town, which is promising, but the story of a teen-ager (who is watching the place for his uncle) and his gentle bonding with a woman who frequents the place feels too scripted.
Kill the Messenger--The story of a journalist who goes up against the government and the nation’s major news outlets is competent, but uninvolving.
The Equalizer--A potboiler all the way.
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For--Tarantino-lite; too “lite.”
Jealousy--While reminiscent of the sensual electricity of the French new wave movement, this psychological drama lacks the electricity.
The Amazing Spiderman 2--You can feel everyone involved, from the studio to the screenwriter to the director, straining to extend the Spiderman franchise, but it never takes flight.
Venus in Furs--Drab, uninvolving tale of sexual identity and conquest.
The Gambler--The only one who deserves praise is the stylist who gave Mark Wahlberg such a great haircut.
Third Person--We get to spend time in three of the world’s great cities (Rome, New York and Paris), but it’s not enough to make up for a story that tries so hard to make sense of life’s mysteries that it annoys more than enlights.
Jack Ryan--Anonymous tale of political intrigue post 9/11.
Bad
Jersey Boys--Razzle dazzle aplenty, but not much to make the story of the Four Seasons worth your time.
Godzilla--Punchless update about the celebrated monster.
Anchorman 2--It’s only interesting until your popcorn runs out, which isn’t long.
Magic in the Moonlight—Unbearable. Still hard to imagine that Woody Allen is responsible for it.
Tammy--Not truly awful, simply an empty comedy.
Life of Crime--Even the Elmore Leonard connection can’t inject life into this painfully inept comedy drama.
***********************************************************************************************************
AND 2013
Here’s how I’d rank the movies I saw in 2013. In grouping, the films are listed in order of preference.
EXCELLENT
The Great Beauty. Lavish, massively ambitious reflection on life and what really matters.
Blue is the Warmest Color. Shatteringly effective and brilliantly sensual look at the desperation and exhilaration of love.
The Great Gatsby. An inspired retelling of the great Fitzgerald novel about the desperation of love. It’s in the grand Hollywood tradition of filling the big screen with great actors, scenes and story.
Nebraska. Funny, wise and deeply touching story of aging, family and small town life.
Like Someone in Love. Warm, involving, tense tale about youth and desire, age and compassion from Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami. Set in Tokyo. Exceptional.
VERY GOOD
Dallas Buyers Club. This superbly gritty film is another major step in Matthew McConaughey’s remarkable transformation from a celebrity caricature into great actor.
The Spectacular Now. A tale of high school coming of age is fresh and compelling. Truly spectacular.
American Hustle. The movie isn’t the least compelling or convincing, but the acting (bale, Lawrence, adams and cooper) makes it a must see.
Fruitville Station. Somewhat underdeveloped, but still riveting look at racial tension and the tragic consequence.
12 Years a Slave. Gripping, but a touch too traditional.
The Way Way Back. Big hearted, and sometimes that’s enough.
GOOD
HER. Bold, imaginative and more great acting, but torturously slow. And, ultimately, the idea of all the new social network technology dehumanizing us has, by now, worn out its expiration date.
Inside Llewyn Davis. Wonderfully crafted, but doesn’t capture you emotionally.
Ain’t Them Bodies Saints. Just about everything in this tale of small town Texas gloom, crime and family works marvelously--from the acting of Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck and Ben Foster, to the direction of David Lowery.
That said, the film is burdened by its failure to break new ground.
Mud. Matthew McConaughey scores again in a modest tale that succeeds despite an overriding sense of plot manipulation.
Muscle Shoals. Wonderful, inspring documentary on the small town Alabama recording scene that produced some great music, from Aretha’s “Respect” to the Rolling Stones’ “Brown Sugar.”
Before Midnight. Couldn’t care less about the opening two-thirds of this latest installment of the Richard Linklater’s adventures of lovers/marrieds Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, but the final third—built around a hotel room dialogue—is spectacular enough to make the movie something quite special.
The Place Beyond the Pines. Some terrific scenes and the striking performances by Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper highlight this gripping tale of lives in collision on both sides of the law.
Gravity. A major cinematic feat that ultimately lacks compelling human drama.
Adore. Two women having affairs with each other’s sons is a difficult thing to pull off, but the acting by Robin Penn and Naomi Watts makes the film catch hold.
Blue Jasmine. Cate Blanchett is superb and the movie is thoroughly entertaining, but there’s not a hint of anything new in it.
Trance. Stylish art heist drama from the usually inventive Danny Boyle.
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