2014 Films
I'm going to try and rate and rank every 2014 film I see. The hardest would be ranking films with the same number - all 8's, etc. - especially without re-watching all of them.
There are a lot of films categorized as being 2013 that were only shown at festivals, but weren't shown theatrically or released on DVD until 2014. I am going to put these in 2014 according to theatrical date.
There are a lot of films categorized as being 2013 that were only shown at festivals, but weren't shown theatrically or released on DVD until 2014. I am going to put these in 2014 according to theatrical date.
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- DirectorJonathan GlazerStarsScarlett JohanssonJeremy McWilliamsLynsey Taylor MackayA mysterious young woman seduces lonely men in the evening hours in Scotland. However, events lead her to begin a process of self-discovery.9/10 - Redbox freebie. Unfortunately, I had to watch this by bits. It is an arthouse film. Lots of quiet, long scenes. The director is a well known music video director and is responsible for some of my favorites: Rabbit in Your Headlights and Karma Police. You can actually see bits of those in the film - vehicles/walking and fire.
This came out theatrically and on DVD in 2014. - DirectorChristopher NolanStarsMatthew McConaugheyAnne HathawayJessica ChastainWhen Earth becomes uninhabitable in the future, a farmer and ex-NASA pilot, Joseph Cooper, is tasked to pilot a spacecraft, along with a team of researchers, to find a new planet for humans.9/10 - Saw it in the theater. Craft alone probably pushes it above my normal 8 rating, though I'm not sure I got everything it was pushing across. Some theater distraction during the beginning may have ruined some things.
- DirectorAlejandro G. IñárrituStarsMichael KeatonZach GalifianakisEdward NortonA washed-up superhero actor attempts to revive his fading career by writing, directing, and starring in a Broadway production.9/10 - Redbox freebie. The craft pushes it above the average film. I'm just not quite sure how I feel about it or interpret everything yet. Maybe more 8.5?
- DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsEllar ColtranePatricia ArquetteEthan HawkeThe life of Mason, from early childhood to his arrival at college.9/10 - Redbox freebie. Cool idea. Well executed. This alone pushes it above an average/good film. On the other hand, it's probably not a film I will want to watch over and over. Yet, it could definitely be one where you understand the perspective of different characters as you age.
- DirectorPhil LordChristopher MillerStarsChris PrattWill FerrellElizabeth BanksAn ordinary LEGO construction worker, thought to be the prophesied as "special", is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil tyrant from gluing the LEGO universe into eternal stasis.9/10 - Redbox freebie. Can't really think of anything wrong with it. Great ideas. I don't know that I would want to watch it as a personal favorite though. It isn't a movie I really want or need to see again. Even though I rated other films lower, I will probably want to re-watch those before needing to see The Lego Movie again.
- DirectorDoug LimanStarsTom CruiseEmily BluntBill PaxtonA soldier fighting aliens gets to relive the same day over and over again, the day restarting every time he dies.8.5/10(?) - 8.5/10(?) - Carmike 10 Longview, Tx. $5.75 matinee.
Very enjoyable. Nothing to complain about except maybe the ending (if I completely understand it) and some of the shaky cam used. I can't quite push to 9 because of some things like borrowing large elements from lots of movies, though they made it fun. - DirectorDavid FincherStarsBen AffleckRosamund PikeNeil Patrick HarrisWith his wife's disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it's suspected that he may not be innocent.8/10 - Redbox freebie. It is an 8 at least. I was thinking 9, but after reading the IMDB boards and some thought, there is quite a bit of absurdity. On the other hand, it goes some places a lot of other movies don't. Does that give it a higher rating because of that? Maybe more 8.5?
- DirectorKevin SmithStarsJustin LongMichael ParksHaley Joel OsmentA brash and arrogant podcaster gets more than he bargained for when he travels to Canada to interview a mysterious recluse... who has a rather disturbing fondness for walruses.8/10 - Redbox freebie. B-movie that is sorta like a full length movie version of the TV show, Monsters, with the ability to push a little further due to being a Rated R movie. Also kinda like Vincent Price movies where he makes or is some kind of hideous beast? Even though I rate it an 8, I probably enjoyed it more and would watch it again before some of the ones I rated higher.
- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsJake GyllenhaalMélanie LaurentSarah GadonA man seeks out his exact look-alike after spotting him in a movie.8/10 - Redbox freebie. Saw the trailer before the Under the Skin DVD and it looked interesting. It does have great atmosphere. It might be trying or relying too much on symbolism. I kinda want to watch it again, but since it is a rental I must return it. Melanie L is gorgeous. It does have a scene unlike any other I have seen. Sssspiderssss.
Released theatrically and on DVD in 2014. - DirectorWes AndersonStarsRalph FiennesF. Murray AbrahamMathieu AmalricA writer encounters the owner of an aging high-class hotel, who tells him of his early years serving as a lobby boy in the hotel's glorious years under an exceptional concierge.8/10? - I don't know. I didn't seem to enjoy this. Crafted well like usual by Anderson, but I didn't really care. I feel this with everything post Life Aquatic (or do I enjoy Darjeeling?). Seemed odd for there to be so many F-bombs in a film set in the 30's. Also tired of Anderson killing little animals in his movies. Maybe I will like it more on a 2nd viewing. I'm probably rating it this high exclusively for the craft involved.
After 2nd viewing: It's definitely at least an 8, so I have changed it to an 8 from 7. - DirectorSteven KnightStarsTom HardyOlivia ColmanRuth WilsonIvan Locke, a dedicated family man and successful construction manager, receives a phone call on the eve of the biggest challenge of his career that sets in motion a series of events that threaten his carefully cultivated existence.8/10 - Redbox freebie. 1 man in a car for the whole movie. I was interrupted many times while watching this, so that sucked. Too much language for my tastes. Thought it was well done/well made.
Also saw this trailer on the Under the Skin and Enemy DVDs. All 3 put out by the same studio. Same deal, theatrically and on DVD in 2014. - DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsJoaquin PhoenixJosh BrolinOwen WilsonIn 1970, drug-fueled Los Angeles private investigator Larry "Doc" Sportello investigates the disappearance of a former girlfriend.8/10 - Redbox freebie. Finally! 1st PTA not seen in theater since Magnolia. May be one that gets better on subsequent viewings. Whether or not it's a movie that I would want to watch again & again is hard to say.
- DirectorDan BeersStarsJohn KarnaCaroline TraywickKate KneelandA high school senior has to re-live losing his virginity over and over again until he gets it right, with the right girl.8/10 - Surprisingly good, raunchy teen comedy. Groundhog Day meets American Pie is a good description for it. Wouldn't be surprised if it gained a cult following. There is really nothing 'arthouse' about it to make it a really great movie though.
- DirectorMichael SpierigPeter SpierigStarsEthan HawkeSarah SnookNoah TaylorAs his last assignment, a temporal agent is tasked to travel back in time and prevent a bomb attack in New York in 1975. The hunt, however, turns out to be beyond the bounds of possibility.8/10 - Redbox freebie. Well made film, just not sure I get everything it is going for. Will need to do some follow up research. Depending how it clarifies, I could like it more.
- DirectorBobby FarrellyPeter FarrellyStarsJim CarreyJeff DanielsRob Riggle20 years since their first adventure, Lloyd and Harry go on a road trip to find Harry's newly discovered daughter, who was given up for adoption.8/10(?) - This one is hard to judge. I went to see it opening weekend. I loved the first D&D so much as a teenager. The theater experience wasn't great - I had 2 young women show up 15 minutes after start time and talk a lot through the movie. There was also a lot of sound bleed from the next door theater. It was so loud, it seemed to be part of the movie. I will have to see it again. I also forgot to write down any thoughts soon after I watched it, so I have already probably forgotten how I felt.
- DirectorJames GunnStarsChris PrattVin DieselBradley CooperA group of intergalactic criminals must pull together to stop a fanatical warrior with plans to purge the universe.8/10 - Redbox freebie. Pretty enjoyable, but probably won't become a favorite of mine. Who knows? Better than most current superhero/comic films, but like with the others, action scenes seemed edited too fast for you to really understand what is going on. CGI was pretty good for the most part.
- DirectorChad StahelskiStarsKeanu ReevesMichael NyqvistAlfie AllenAn ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters who killed his dog and stole his car.8/10 - Redbox freebie. Well executed action film. Not much else to say about it.
- DirectorAnthony RussoJoe RussoStarsChris EvansSamuel L. JacksonScarlett JohanssonAs Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world, he teams up with a fellow Avenger and S.H.I.E.L.D agent, Black Widow, to battle a new threat from history: an assassin known as the Winter Soldier.8/10 - Another enjoyable action film. Unfortunately appeared to be in Full Screen.
- DirectorDan GilroyStarsJake GyllenhaalRene RussoBill PaxtonWhen Louis Bloom, a con man desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story.8/10 - Redbox freebie. Tense atmosphere, especially the call in to 911 for the murder suspects. I just didn't love the movie. I don't know that it's something I want to watch again.
- DirectorPhil LordChristopher MillerStarsChanning TatumJonah HillIce CubeAfter making their way through high school (twice), big changes are in store for officers Schmidt and Jenko when they go deep undercover at a local college.8/10 - Didn't expect much, but ended up enjoying it. Not perfect by any means, but I did laugh a lot. Been too long since I saw 21. I think I thought it was just ok.
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsColin FirthEmma StoneMarcia Gay HardenA romantic comedy about an Englishman brought in to help unmask a possible swindle. Personal and professional complications ensue.8/10 - I thought this was an enjoyable Woody Allen film. Then again, I think I also liked Scoop, so something must be wrong with me. Ha. The ending scene is a nice touch/callback. It was shot beautifully and well acted. The 30's suit Emma Stone well. I would have liked a longer scene of her doing fun 30's dances.
- DirectorGareth EdwardsStarsAaron Taylor-JohnsonElizabeth OlsenBryan CranstonThe world is beset by the appearance of monstrous creatures, but one of them may be the only one who can save humanity.8/10 - Saw this at Morris Twin Cinema. $1.50. Enjoyed this more than expected. Thought it was pretty well done for this type of movie. 1st time to go to this theater. It shows first run movies for $1.50. It's about 30 miles away. If it was 15 miles away or less, I would see tons of movies here. Right before the movie started two 12 yr old boys shifted down one seat over in front and talked throughout the whole movie - even during big action sequences!
- DirectorJosé PadilhaStarsJoel KinnamanGary OldmanMichael KeatonIn 2028 Detroit, when Alex Murphy, a loving husband, father and good cop, is critically injured in the line of duty, the multinational conglomerate OmniCorp sees their chance for a part-man, part-robot police officer.8/10 - Redbox free rental. Abbie Cornish looked amazing. I thought the film was pretty good. There were some nice directorial flourishes like the scene where he comes out of a memory and wakes up for the first time. Very nicely done, but not an amazing film by any means. I watched the original RoboCop uncut for probably the first time in the last year or two, but I have already forgotten a lot that happens in the film.
- DirectorMarc WebbStarsAndrew GarfieldEmma StoneJamie FoxxWhen New York is put under siege by Oscorp, it is up to Spider-Man to save the city he swore to protect as well as his loved ones.8/10 - DVR'd back in January. This was an enjoyable movie. Not usually big on the current crop of superhero movies, but this was ok.
- DirectorJim MickleStarsMichael C. HallSam ShepardDon JohnsonWhen a protective father meets a murderous ex-con, both need to deviate from the path they are on as they soon find themselves entangled in a downwards spiral of lies and violence while having to confront their own inner psyche.7/10 - I liked almost everything about this movie, BUT I just cannot get why Hall's character would help the man who terrorized his family. I don't care how many conspiracies there are. There needed to be another scene of some kind to give this transformation a basis in reality.
- DirectorMichael TullyStarsMarcello ConteJudah FriedlanderAmy SedarisA family vacation during the summer of 1985 changes everything for a teenage boy obsessed with ping pong.7/10 - Not bad film that deals with the 80's era. Felt a bit like Napoleon Dynamite to me. Some bits and acting fell flat though.
- DirectorEvan GoldbergSeth RogenStarsJames FrancoSeth RogenRandall ParkDave Skylark and his producer Aaron Rapaport run the celebrity tabloid show "Skylark Tonight". When they land an interview with a surprise fan, North Korean dictator Jong-Un Kim, they are recruited by the CIA to assassinate him.7/10 - Redbox freebie. These guys are usually creative and make enjoyable films, but they are usually too crude to ever be favorites of mine. On a side note - I forgot to return my Big Eyes Redbox DVD and had it for 11 days = $16+!!!
- DirectorBong Joon HoStarsChris EvansJamie BellTilda SwintonIn a future where a failed climate change experiment has killed all life except for the survivors who boarded the Snowpiercer (a train that travels around the globe), a new class system emerges.7/10 - Redbox freebie. Was this DVD Full Screen? I was probably higher, but after reading comments on IMDB, I went down. If I see it in its true ratio I may like it better. Seems like they cut some stuff, or forgot to film, some important bits and it left weird gaps - not in the 'artistic' sense, but the storytelling sense. Started off good.
- DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsDenzel WashingtonMarton CsokasChloë Grace MoretzA man who believes he has put his mysterious past behind him cannot stand idly by when he meets a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters.7/10 - Not bad, but not super good either. Might have liked it more in Widescreen, but Full is what I got. For some reason, all I can think about is how many fatherless children Denzel made by killing so many bad dudes. 1x viewing.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsChristian BaleJoel EdgertonBen KingsleyThe defiant leader Moses rises up against Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II, setting six hundred thousand slaves on a monumental journey of escape from Egypt and its terrifying cycle of deadly plagues.7/10 - Redbox freebie. Ok as a film. They added stuff to Noah to fill in the blanks so they could make a movie. The Moses story has more than enough to make a movie or even a mini series. There is no need to add or change anything. Have to admit, it's pretty hot when the wife says, "Proceed," on the honeymoon. Woah!
- DirectorDarren AronofskyStarsRussell CroweJennifer ConnellyAnthony HopkinsNoah is chosen by God to undertake a momentous mission before an apocalyptic flood cleanses the world.7/10 ? - Watched it at the new IMAX theater in Tyler. Lots of random extra stuff added to the story. Technically a well made film, but I am sad as to what it could have been.
- DirectorTim BurtonStarsAmy AdamsChristoph WaltzDanny HustonA drama about the awakening of painter Margaret Keane, her phenomenal success in the 1950s, and the subsequent legal difficulties she had with her husband, who claimed credit for her works in the 1960s.7/10 - Redbox freebie. Cool to see Burton do a film without HBCarter. It was a decent film, but a bit hammy at times. The actress playing the daughter at the older age just seemed out of a different movie. Waltz was hammy at times, too, especially in the ending court scene. 7 may be generous.
- DirectorZach BraffStarsZach BraffJoey KingPierce GagnonA struggling actor, father and husband finds himself at a major crossroads, which forces him to examine his life, his family and his career.7/10 - Redbox freebie. This was a decent film. Similar to Are You Here, not in title only, in Dramedy feel. I would have liked to have been able to listen to the 2 Braff commentaries, but I had to return the movie. Most Redbox rentals cut the Extras, so it was cool to have the Extras available. Cursing seemed a tad excessive. If I see the soundtrack cheap, I will probably get it for the exclusive Shins track and others.
- DirectorNicholas StollerStarsSeth RogenRose ByrneZac EfronAfter they are forced to live next to a fraternity house, a couple with a newborn baby do whatever they can to take them down.7/10 - Redbox freebie. Some funny bits, but nothing amazing.
- DirectorJake KasdanStarsJason SegelCameron DiazRob CorddryA married couple wake up to discover that the sex tape they made the evening before has gone missing, leading to a frantic search for its whereabouts.6/10 - Ok film. Probably at a 7, then the bribing kid, overuse of F-bombs and ending tape bits brought it down more. Should it be a 5 even? Coke? Random Disney paintings replaced with character's face - kinda funny/odd?
- DirectorWally PfisterStarsJohnny DeppRebecca HallMorgan FreemanA scientist's drive for artificial intelligence takes on dangerous implications when his own consciousness is uploaded into one such program.6/10 - Redbox Freebie. Was at 7, but the more I think, the worse it gets. They seemed to squander what could have possibly been a great movie. I don't think they did a good job of defining who all the people are and who they work for. I'm still not sure who Morgan Freeman works for and why he is so touched by Depp's illness. To my knowledge, a friendship between the two is never shown (did I miss it?). The government working with mass murderers is stupid. There are nice visuals and special fx.
- DirectorMatthew WeinerStarsOwen WilsonZach GalifianakisAmy PoehlerTwo childhood best friends, one a superficial womanizer and the other a barely functioning bipolar, embark on a road trip back to their hometown after one of them learns his estranged father has died.6/10 - Redbox freebie. 6 may be generous. I watched it with commentary hoping to get what Weiner was going for. Still not totally sure. He wanted to go against movie cliches at times, but it seems to have made the movie mismatched & clunky. With all involved, I really wanted to like it. I may even watch it again if it comes on to give it another chance. A lot of the lines by the lead actress seemed to fall flat. She seemed to have the wrong emotion most of the time. Flat?
p.s. On a cool note - I went to the Facebook page for the movie and they were holding contests for movie props. I sent a message and they responded. They sent me the spatula from the movie and a coffee cup like Owen Wilson had in the film. Very cool in my book! Thanks whoever ran the movie's FB Page.
This is labeled as 2013, but did not come out wide (via video release) until 2014. - DirectorSteven QualeStarsRichard ArmitageSarah Wayne CalliesMatt WalshStorm trackers, thrill-seekers, and everyday townspeople document an unprecedented onslaught of tornadoes touching down in the town of Silverton.Redbox freebie. I rented this for my mom. I fell asleep some, so it is hard to rate it. It is what it is, and what I saw wasn't too bad for the kind of thing it was going for. Surely, I would not give it higher than a 7/10. I would need to see the whole thing to rate it though.
- DirectorMichael DunawayTara WoodStarsJoey Lauren AdamsJack BlackLouis BlackIt's been said that the first 21 years defines the career of an artist. Few directors have single-handedly shaken up the film establishment like the godfather of indie, Richard Linklater. From the groundbreaking SLACKER to his innovative BOYHOOD, Linklater has just reached the 21-year mark and has unapologetically carved his signature into American pop culture. This compelling documentary takes you on a behind the scenes tour into Linklater's style, skills, and motivation via his friends, actors, and other directors. Get a raw and honest perspective on Richard through candid conversations with Ethan Hawke, Jack Black, Keanu Reeves, Billy Bob Thornton, Matthew McConaughey, Jason Reitman, Julie Delpy and others, and see their stories brought to life through hilarious animated sequences. For a guy who became famous for celebrating the cool and casual, Linklater emerges as a surprisingly strategic and visionary director who has already established a legacy and perfected a style that can't be denied.Enjoyable documentary. Hard for me to rate.