Best of Hollywood 2014 (no foreign language films included in this list).
written by Souranath Banerjee.
2014 was one awesome year for film-lovers and thanks to Hollywood for such a balanced dose of entertainment; Thrillers, SciFis, Comedies, Love stories War Dramas, Horror flicks and lots of Biographies.
It’s the time to remember the best performances of this year, the awesome directorial ventures, those brilliant visuals and mesmerizing background scores – the films that touched your heart, amazed you and made you fall in love with Cinema (all over again).
But first a few honorable mentions (films that almost made the list) – Wild, Inherent Vice, The Hundred-Foot Journey, Pride, American Sniper, Calvary, Still Alice, Camp X-Ray, Predestination, Kill the Messenger, Cake and Mr. Turner.
And now the countdown begins.
10. Selma
It was 1965 and Martin Luther King leaded the epic march from Selma to Montgomery (Alabama), a nonviolent protest demanding for the right-to-vote for all black men and women in the country.
Such a powerful film evidently backed by some outstanding performances. A must watch.
film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6t7vVTxaic
9. Gone Girl
Gone Girl is fast paced film that demands your full attention, a superbly crafted thriller that plunges into the depths of a psychologically twisted marital relationship.
Brilliant performance by Ben Affleck but the real stunner is Rosamund Pike; she proves to be the perfect cast possible for the ‘gone girl’ character.
film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esGn-xKFZdU
A dangerously realistic, gritty tale based on the concept of our unconscious satisfaction in watching other people’s loss and tragedy. Thanks to the news channels.
Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) – is he a scavenger or a survivor, a psychopath or a potential businessman, a cold-hearted predator or an insane professional?
film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1uP_8VJkDQ
The Grand Budapest Hotel is the most stylish comedy I have seen in years.
Wes Anderson’s obsession for perfect production design, bold color schemes, faultless framing and as always the cheeky humor brings out an unique creation. Simply wonderful to watch, probably his best work till date.
film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Fg5iWmQjwk
6. Interstellar
A Sci-Fi starring Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathway and Jessica Chastain, Interstellar is a film about space and black holes, about dimensions and relativity; and then again it’s also about love and betrayal.
By the acclaimed director Christopher Nolan and undoubtedly one of his best films ever.
film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSWdZVtXT7E
The Theory of Everything tells the emotional story of Stephen Hawking and his then wife Jane Wilde.
Eddie Redmayne this year won the Oscar (in the Best Actor category) playing Stephen Hawking’s character with extraordinary authenticity and brilliance. A must watch.
film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Salz7uGp72c
4. Foxcatcher
Foxcatcher is a film that tells the tale of two troubled souls, a multimillionaire and a wrestler, both disturbed and consumed by their own ambition and distorted personal lives.
The film doesn’t fit the mainstream, melodramatic sport-movie pattern but after watching i am sure you will be thankful it didn’t.
film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8361stZ8n0w
3. Whiplash
The intense story of Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller), a 19-year-old aspiring jazz drummer and Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), his brutal school music instructor.
Whiplash is a gritty and uncompromising take on ambition and success – it stretches the boundaries of all previous student-mentor relationship based dramas.
film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d_jQycdQGo
2. Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and this year’s Oscar winner.
Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Zach Galifianakis, Emma Stone and all others are magical in front of the camera.
The whole film is edited to look like one continuous shot, a tremendous effort and brilliantly executed.
film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJfLoE6hanc
1. Boyhood
A film so real and shot through such an unreal time-span that it gives you the feel of being a part of the journey with this boy Mason (Ellar Coltrane), who was 7 years old when Richard Linklater started filming and 18 when he finally felt it’s time to wrap up.
Boyhood is something very special, a daring experiment and totally worth it.
film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys-mbHXyWX4
and (The ‘+1′ film is not necessarily the best but certainly the most innovative one. A must watch).
Based on the life of an unsung war-hero, a genius mathematician and a troubled soul who never got the recognition he deserved – Alan Turing.
Brilliant performances by Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley The imitation game is one of the best biographies made last year – a perfect combination of history and good cinema.
film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5CjKEFb-sM
