2014: My Personal Favorites
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- DirectorDamián SzifronStarsDarío GrandinettiMaría MarullMónica VillaSix short stories that explore the extremities of human behavior involving people in distress.Absolutely brilliant. An Argentinian anthology film that exemplifies black humor in cinema. It includes six stories about people who are put in distressed position and what happens when situations get past their breaking points. A vengeful musician, a cook who encounters an enemy, a frustrated traveler, a distressed citizen, a neglectful member of the elite and an angry bride-to-be; this movie has a wide array of eclectic characters, but all of them being people that an average person can somehow relate to.
10/10 - 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.Nolan once again proves himself as a master of storytelling. Interstellar is the movie that would amaze the art-house cinema enthusiast and the average moviegoer alike. It's masterfully crafted plot, brilliant acting performances, riveting special effects and mesmerizing soundtrack (courtesy: Hans Zimmer), Interstellar has all and everything to offer its viewers. This is the kind of film people watch over and over again and they come up with different interpretation with every viewing.
10/10 - DirectorXavier DolanStarsAnne DorvalAntoine Olivier PilonSuzanne ClémentA widowed single mother, raising her violent son alone, finds new hope when a mysterious neighbor inserts herself into their household.This young Quebecois director has done it again. With two beautiful films in the preceding two years (Laurence Anyways and I Killed My Mother), Xavier Dolan has once again topped himself with this masterpiece. This is a story about a single mother who tries, against the world, to raise her violent son. This emotionally draining film is the utmost celebration of motherhood.
9.5/10 - DirectorDamien ChazelleStarsMiles TellerJ.K. SimmonsMelissa BenoistA promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential.Damian Chezzelle's debut is one of the finest debuts I have ever seen. A film so simple in its plot but at the same time, tremendously rich in its content. J. K. Simmons gives an over-the-top performance, the kind that actors give once in a lifetime.
9/10 - 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.Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu is someone who has been obssessed with the idea of death. First, his Death Trilogy (Amores Perros, 21 Grams and Babel) and then Biutiful; each film dealing with the concept of death in a unique manner. But this time, Innaritu took a more comic, albeit darkly comic, view of this theme. Both Keaton and Norton give amazing performances. Funny, encapsulating and brilliant; Birdman indeed deserved the Oscar.
9/10 - DirectorVijay RaazKaran AroraStarsVijay RaazManu Rishi ChadhaRaj ZutshiIn 1948, a cross-fire erupts at an isolated stretch of Indo-Pak border, leaving only two soldiers alive. One is an Indian soldier of Pakistani origin while the other happens to be a Pakistani soldier of Indian origin. An ironic story of pride and survival begins when - in an attempt to evade danger, they bump into each other. And amidst continuous exchange of bullets, altercations and murkier situations, it evolves into a journey of human connection with an unforeseeable end.For a long time, Vijay Raaz has been a comedian in Bollywood. His minor roles in a plethora of Bollywood films that he carries out with his unique style of acting have always delighted the audience. But his directorial debut is a spectacular one.
Film in Fiji, Kya Dilli, Kya Lahore (metaphorically translates into: What Does it Matter if it's Delhi or Lahore?) is a unique peak into the bloody history of the Indian Subcontinent. Set during the First Indo-Pak War in 1947 over Kashmir, this movie tells a story of two soldiers: one who is a Pakistani soldier of Indian origin (from Delhi) and the other, who is an Indian soldier of Pakistani origin (from Lahore). Vijay, who plays the Pakistani soldier, is commanded by his superior to secure maps that are inside a cabin guarded by a lone Indian soldier. Through various confrontations, with the power being constantly shifted from one character to the next and through only two more additional characters, comes to life a brilliant story about human connection that transcends religious and political differences. If there is one Indian film of 2014 that you ought to see, it is this one.
9/10 - 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.Dan Gilroy's directorial debut is a sign of great things to come. Jake Gyllenhall gives a spectacular performance as an anti-hero while the story itself is as original as it can be.
9/10 - DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsEllar ColtranePatricia ArquetteEthan HawkeThe life of Mason, from early childhood to his arrival at college.Richard Linklater's 12 year project was certainly worth it. 12 whole years of hard work certainly materialized into this modern coming-of-age masterpiece. With compelling lead and supporting performances, brilliantly crafted script and the unique production process that this film came to fruition through, Boyhood has made a name for itself as one of the most important movies of the 21st century.
9/10 - 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.Wes Anderson has never made an average movie, let alone a bad one. But even by Wes Anderson standards, this movie is amazing. A light-hearted and an intensely colorful comedy with a wide array of gaudy characters, The Grand Budapest Hotel is as exotic and magnificent as the name suggests.
9/10 - DirectorGareth EvansStarsIko UwaisYayan RuhianArifin PutraOnly a short time after the first raid, Rama goes undercover with the thugs of Jakarta and plans to bring down the syndicate and uncover the corruption within his police force.Gareth Evans has outdone himself in this sequel to 'The Raid: Redemption'. This is a brilliant action film, so much so, that I regard it as my personal favorite action film since Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The action sequences in this movie are so masterfully crafted that no director till date has been able to produce sequences even half as good as this. The plot of this movie is very straightforward, it is the action sequences of this movie that make it worth watching several times. Plus, this movie has probably the best car chase scene in the history of action cinema.
9/10 - DirectorMatthew WarchusStarsBill NighyImelda StauntonDominic WestU.K. gay activists work to help miners during their lengthy strike of the National Union of Mineworkers in the summer of 1984.A beautiful retelling of an unexpected alliance between two groups who were victims of the Thatcherite Era. Pride, tells the true story of a group of homosexuals who started raising money, despite the discrimination that they faced, for striking miners during the mid-1980s.
Beautiful, heart-warming and politically charged.
9/10 - DirectorYann DemangeStarsJack O'ConnellSam ReidSean HarrisIn 1971, a young and disoriented British soldier is accidentally abandoned by his unit following a riot on the deadly streets of Belfast.'71 is a very realistic portrayal of the 'Troubles'. The plot revolves around a British soldier who is separated from his company during a riot in Northern Island and how he tries to survive on his own. Highlighting terrorism, sectarianism and the apparent indifference on part of the British forces; '71 gives a balanced narrative of the Northern Irish conflict.
Moreover, Jack O' Connell gives a splendid performance.
8.5/10 - DirectorJemaine ClementTaika WaititiStarsJemaine ClementTaika WaititiCori Gonzalez-MacuerViago, Deacon, and Vladislav are vampires who are struggling with the mundane aspects of modern life, like paying rent, keeping up with the chore wheel, trying to get into nightclubs, and overcoming flatmate conflicts.This is probably the best vampire film ever made. This uniquely hilarious mockumentary-style comedy from New Zealand is one of its kind. Directed by Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, of Flight of the Conchords fame, 'What We Do in the Shadows' is a look inside the lives of three vampires living in modern-day New Zealand.
8.5/10 - 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.Fincher's adaptation of Gillian Flynn's best-selling novel is probably better than the novel itself. Brilliant, dark and twisted plot aside; Rosamund Pike's spectacular performance itself is enough for this film to stand out amongst the rest.
8.5/10 - DirectorEskil VogtStarsEllen Dorrit PetersenHenrik RafaelsenVera VitaliForsaken in a new Oslo apartment, a frail blind woman battles to come to terms with her condition, as she slowly retracts into an elaborate fantasy bubble. Are her stories fanning her suspicions, or is this what total blindness looks like?This gem out of Norway is probably the most complex film I've seen this year. Eskil Vogt, who wrote the screenplay for 'Oslo, 31 August' made his directorial debut so intensely spiritual and complicated that it might not settle in with the first viewing. It is very difficult to phrase in words what this film is about; but one underlying theme of it is 'our need for love'. For art-house lovers, this is a delight.
8.5/10 - DirectorJ.C. ChandorStarsOscar IsaacJessica ChastainDavid OyelowoIn New York City 1981, an ambitious immigrant fights to protect his business and family during the most dangerous year in the city's history.J. C. Chandor continues to impress. When I first saw 'Margin Call', I knew that I could expect great things from Chandor; after all, that movie was probably the most realistic movie about the financial crisis of mid-2000s. And I have been proved right twice since; first, with 'All is Lost' and now, with this. Oscar Isaac gives a great performance while this movie's cinematography is at its finest.
8.5/10 - DirectorRuben ÖstlundStarsJohannes KuhnkeLisa Loven KongsliClara WettergrenA family vacationing in the French Alps is confronted with a devastating avalanche.Ruben Ostlund had already proved himself as one of Sweden's finest contemporary directors (along with Anderssen and Moodysson) with 'Involuntary' and the award-wining 'Play'. And if there is any doubt about this fact, 'Force Majeure' is here to shatter that doubt.
A ridiculously simple plot revolving around the vacationing Swedish family in the French Alps, whose family equilibrium is shaken to the core as a result of a very simple subconscious decision on part of the patriarch. Force Majeure is a thinly veiled psychological family drama that makes its viewers think and evaluate the importance of sacrifice in a family.
8.5/10 - DirectorVishal BhardwajStarsShahid KapoorTabuShraddha KapoorA young man returns to Kashmir after his father's disappearance to confront his uncle, whom he suspects of playing a role in his father's fate.After Akira Kurosawa's adaptations of Shakespearean plays, this is probably the best Shakespearean adaptation that I've ever seen. Vishal Bhardwaj adaptation of 'Hamlet' is set in the disputed region of 'Jammu and Kashmir', against the backdrop of the Kashmiri insurgency.
This film has simultaneously upset the right-wing nutjobs in both India and Pakistan; which itself is an indicator of the fact that it has got something right. Shahid Kapoor, who I personally though of as an overactor, has given a remarkable performance in this movie.
8/10 - DirectorAndrey ZvyagintsevStarsAleksey SerebryakovElena LyadovaRoman MadyanovIn a Russian coastal town, Kolya is forced to fight the corrupt mayor when he is told that his house will be demolished. He recruits a lawyer friend to help, but the man's arrival brings further misfortune for Kolya and his family.Zvyagintsev's 'The Return' (along with Ostrov) had been my personal favorite post-Soviet Russian film; with it, Zvyagintsev proved himself as one of the most promising Russian directors of the 21st century. This film is another testament to that fact. Emotionally draining and meticulously crafted, Leviathan is a must see for 2014.
8/10 - DirectorAva DuVernayStarsDavid OyelowoCarmen EjogoOprah WinfreyA chronicle of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s campaign to secure equal voting rights via an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1965.One of the most iconic films of 2014, Selma is already a household name due to the controversy that it has sparked amongst both the cinematic and the political sphere.
Ava DuVernay tells the story of one of the most important events in 20th century American history through a unique yet balanced, in some sense, perspective. One might have disagreements about the portrayals of various historic personalities (specifically LBJ) in this movie but one cannot ignore the brilliant cinematography, soundtrack and acting that this film consists of.
8/10 - DirectorMike CahillStarsMichael PittSteven YeunAstrid Bergès-FrisbeyA molecular biologist and his laboratory partner uncover evidence that may fundamentally change society as we know it.After 'Another Earth', Mike Cahill and Brit Marling team up once again to produce this very original sci-fi. As a fellow Hoya, I am biased towards both of these individuals. But even if that biased is sidelined, there will remain no doubt that 'I Origins' is a brilliant sci-fi movie. It is original in its story and brilliant in its execution.
8/10 - DirectorMorten TyldumStarsBenedict CumberbatchKeira KnightleyMatthew GoodeDuring World War II, the English mathematical genius Alan Turing tries to crack the German Enigma code with help from fellow mathematicians while attempting to come to terms with his troubled private life.Brilliant biography of one of the finest minds of the 20th century; the man, who made this micro-review that I'm typing right now, a reality.
The most surprising fact about this movie is that the screenplay for this movie, though adapted, was actually picked up from 'The Blacklist'; hence, it wasn't a product of a professional screenwriter.
8/10 - DirectorRichard GlatzerWash WestmorelandStarsJulianne MooreAlec BaldwinKristen StewartA linguistics professor and her family find their bonds tested when she is diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.The Academy Award for Best Actress this year was not a competition; it was a clear win, for Julianne Moore, by miles. Even though Rosamund Pike and Marion Cotillard had delivered stunning performances themselves in 'Gone Girl' and 'Two Days, One Night', Julianna Moore's performance as a retired linguistic professor with Alzheimer's overshadows that of these two.
'Still Alice' is a touching story that explores the familial dynamic that shifts and adjusts as a result of a tragedy. Along with Dolan's 'Mother', 'Still Alice' another wonderful celebration of the sacred institution of motherhood; that came out this year.
8/10 - DirectorYimou ZhangStarsGong LiDaoming ChenHuiwen ZhangLu and Feng are a devoted couple forced to separate when Lu is arrested and sent to a labor camp as a political prisoner during the Cultural Revolution. He finally returns home only to find that his beloved wife no longer recognizes him.Set during and after the Cultural Revoltion, 'Coming Home' is yet another period drama from Zhang Yimou that tells the story of China through the lives of ordinary citizens. It is a story of undying love and blind devotion that results from it; a story made even more appealing through the acting of the ever-gorgeous Gong Li.
8/10 - DirectorJean-Pierre DardenneLuc DardenneStarsMarion CotillardFabrizio RongioneCatherine SaléeLiège, Belgium. Sandra is a factory worker who discovers that her workmates have opted for a EUR1,000 bonus in exchange for her dismissal. She has only a weekend to convince her colleagues to give up their bonuses in order to keep her job.'Two Days, One Night' is yet another social-realist gem from the Dardenne Brothers; a movie that meticulously documents the struggle of a working-class women to somehow manage to retain her job; a job from which she is likely to be fired.
If the plot appears too bland for you, just watch this for one of the best performances of one of the most gorgeous women in the film industry.
8/10