Top 10 Movies of 2014

And so we've come to the end of yet another enjoyable year of cinema. There's been plenty of highs and lows, disappointments and exceeded expectations. So now, with only a handful of days left, I've decided to give you my entirely subjective list of the best films released in the past 12 months. In case you missed them or are just interested, feel free to click the title of each movie to be taken to my review. Also, I'd like to take this time to thank anybody who's stuck with me for yet another year, and hopefully I'll continue to give my opinions well into 2015. So, without further ado, here are my picks for the best releases this year: 

10 - X-men: Days of Future Past
This instalment marks a consistent theme for my list this year: surprises. I went into Bryan Singer's latest X-Men movie with apprehension, because the series as a whole has always been hugely varied in its entertainment value and critical reception. Thankfully, this latest outing was enjoyable from start to finish, and managed to seamlessly blend the older franchise with this current, updated interpretation. 

9 - 12 Years a Slave

Released at the very beginning of this year in the UK, 12 Years a Slave was inarguably one of the most powerful movies I've seen in a cinema. By the end the entire audience was stunned into silence, and this shouldn't come as a surprise to anybody who has seen the film - it's engrossing and tragic throughout. It's definitely not a movie which I could recommend to everybody due to the intense nature and historical origins of the story, but 12 Years a Slave has remained with me in vivid clarity since I first saw it 12 months ago.

8 - Edge of Tomorrow 

Continuing with surprising hits this year comes Edge of Tomorrow. Now known alternatively as 'Live. Die. Repeat.' due to poor box office results, this sci-fi action movie brought Tom Cruise back into the public eye as a more than viable choice for leading protagonist, and was just a very fun movie. The movie played with the idea of an ever-repeating day, which led to an enjoyable blend of comedy, action, and drama. I wouldn't be hugely surprised if you told me you haven't seen Edge of Tomorrow, as it appears most people chose not to, but I implore you to check it out as soon as possible. 

7 - Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

If this were a list for the longest movie titles, then Dawn of the Planet of the Apes would be a definite front-runner. Regardless of its long-winded name, this sequel improved upon its already solid foundations in every way, and provided an engrossing comparison between ape and human life. The motion capture by Andy Serkis in particular was stellar, and allowed a sense of raw emotion previously unfathomable in CGI characters. The consensus for this movie is mixed to say the least, but I personally loved it. 

6 - The Wolf of Wall Street

After first viewing this drug-fuelled Scorsese biopic, I was a little under-whelmed. I'd heard such insurmountable praise for the film that I had build my own levels of hype to unreachable standards... not surprisingly, they weren't met.  But in hindsight, The Wolf of Wall Street is most certainly worthy of plenty of praise. Leonardo DiCaprio portrays infamous stock-broker Jordan Belfort as equally humorous and detestable, and all of the supporting cast make this 3-hour epic a joy to behold, even if certain scenes drag on a little longer than necessary. 

5 - Gone Girl

Many movies this year had endings which didn't fully conclude or at least satisfyingly wrap-up the events which had preceded them. Gone Girl takes the crown for this. But does it matter? Not in the slightest. David Fincher's missing-person thriller was an intriguing ride from start to finish, and although the ending wasn't quite as punchy as I had hoped, it still didn't even come close to diminishing the rest of the movie. A film which definitely earns its 18 rating, Gone Girl makes for some very entertaining viewing. 

4 - The Babadook

2013 provided us with some excellent horror. 2014 on the other hand, was considerably lacking. Perhaps this is why I loved The Babadook so much. Or, more likely, perhaps it's because it is an incredibly smart, eerie film. Boring gore is replaced by consistent tension, and in the place of lifeless stereotypes are characters who you genuinely feel attached to. Even if you're not a fan of horror, I would still urge you to watch this movie, as it may tempt you to check out some of the better films released within the genre, and convince doubters that horror movies can still terrify without requiring a loud bang in the night. 

3 - Interstellar

What can I say about Interstellar that I haven't already? It's not Nolan's finest movie, but is still a phenomenal achievement which manages to appeal to a whole plethora of movie fans. On one side there's the moving relationship between Matthew McConaughey's character Cooper and his daughter, and then there's also an epic space drama which deals with time travel and relativity. The special effects are quite literally out of this world, and the movie embodies the idea of a proper 'cinema movie'. Watching this anywhere else but on a huge screen would truly be an injustice. 

2 - Guardians of the Galaxy

Marvel knows what they're doing when it comes to comic-book movies. This cannot be exemplified more than with Guardians of the Galaxy. Here, Marvel managed to take a relatively unknown series and turn it into an immensely popular film which was not only widely seen, but praised almost universally for its creativity and sense of fun. I've seen the film multiple times since its release, and the immensely catchy soundtrack is still a joy to listen to. Couple this with excellent characters, and you've got a real treat on your hands. 

1 - Nightcrawler

Bet you didn't see this coming. Yes, my favourite movie of the entire year was a film which I actually saw without even planning to. Nightcrawler was a dark, menacing, and yet morbidly funny story a man who discovers that you can make a reasonable amount of money simply by recording brutal accidents which can then be sold to news outlets. It's a film which is practically driven entirely by Jake Gyllenhaal's amazing performance as Louis Bloom, but also features some breath-taking cinematography and witty dialogue. If you haven't seen this yet, rectify that. 

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies: Review

And so our second visit to Middle Earth has come to an end. With that comes a sort of gleeful melancholy; the Lord of the Rings trilogy is inarguably more vast in terms of both story and scope than that of The Hobbit, but it's been a fun ride nonetheless. The question is: can this final instalment conclude yet another epic Peter Jackson saga? At times, the answer is definitely a resounding 'yes'. 

Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman)

The Battle of the Five Armies begins immediately with the consequences of Bilbo's actions from the previous film. Smaug is destroying Lake Town. Thorin is becoming rapidly unhinged. Gandalf is in peril. It's a beginning which quite literally throws you in, and so newcomers to the franchise might want to do a little background reading before the title appears. Once the immediate danger is resolved, The Hobbit: TBOTFA turns into a film resembling something that portrays the Cold War. The dwarves have possession of the mountain, but their leader, Thorin, is not satisfied. He demands that they find the precious Arkenstone which belonged to his Father, therefore meaning it belongs to him. It's difficult to divulge much of the plot without spoiling the first 30 minutes of the movie, so I won't explain how the battle in the title actually comes to be. I will however, say that the battle itself is as entertaining as you'd expect from a film taking place in Middle Earth, even if it's a little drawn-out. 

It might just be because I've read the book (which is only 300 pages, hence why most people don't think it needed a trilogy), but many of the scenes within the battle go on for just a little longer than necessary. There's definitely some thrilling moments littered throughout, and some which rival previous events such as the Battle of Helms Deep, but overall things begin to feel slightly monotonous. In fact, the first half of the movie and the build-up to the fighting was far more enjoyable than the combat itself. 

Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage)

Regardless of this, it's still a pleasure to see Bilbo and Gandalf and all the regulars back for one last time. Gandalf's moments in particular carry a real weight to them, which most fans of the franchise would probably expect. The most surprising character though, would be the recently appointed king, Thorin. It's as much Thorin's story as it is Bilbo's, and the movie does a really great job of conveying how power and wealth have corrupted him and skewed his perspectives on loyalty and honour. By the time the credits roll, you really feel like you've been on a journey with these characters. In the end, the flaws seem comparatively less important. 

Verdict

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is a satisfying final visit to the world created by Tolkein. It contains some subtle nods to the other trilogy which provide great fan-service, and is a film which very nearly achieves the epic nature of Return of the King, even though not quite. If you haven't seen any other films set in this universe, then I highly doubt The Hobbit: TBOTFA will do anything to persuade you. If you are a fan of Tolkein's world however, then you've no doubt seen this already. If you haven't, then definitely go and see it, even though it's probably the weakest of the trilogy...but only because it's such a strong trilogy to start with. 

"Will you follow me...one last time?"

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1: Review

Last year, Catching Fire ended abruptly with one of the biggest cliffhangers I'd seen in a film. Or at least it felt like it, due to the multiple colossal reveals within the closing moments of the movie. Between that movie and the release of Mockingjay - Part 1, I decided to read the Hunger Games books, which put me in a fairly unique position personally, as I rarely go to see a movie knowing with considerable certainty how exactly it will play out. Now, I won't compare this film endlessly with the book counterpart, as they're both from completely different mediums. However, not only was it very faithful to the source material, but Mockingjay - Part 1 made me enjoy its story of political warfare even more than I previously had. 

Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence)

To divulge the story of the film will involve ruining aspects from the previous movies, so unfortunately I'm going to have to do just that. The film begins with Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) living in the supposedly destroyed District 13, along with many other survivors who managed to escape the bombings of their home, District 12. Life in the District is certainly not as free as it was in District 12, but 13 comes with a strong sense of security due to it being located in underground bunkers as opposed to vulnerable houses. This security is needed, as following Katniss' actions at the end of Catching Fire in which she destroyed the arena of the 75th Hunger Games, Katniss has now become the face of a brutal uprising directed at the totalitarian Capitol. President Coin (Julianne Moore) who presides over District 13 wants to use 'The Girl on Fire' as a symbol of rebellion in the form of propaganda videos, and Katniss only agrees to this if Coin promises to rescue her ally Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) at the earliest opportunity. 

Many assumed that due to the fact this is merely one part in the Mockingjay story, the plot would not really develop enough and would in fact act as nothing more than an introduction to the finale of Part 2 next year. This is not the case. Although the absence of the Games themselves in this instalment means the movie lacks the action scenes found in the other movies, Mockingjay - Part 1 is still hugely engaging on account of the focus being more subterfuge than violence. It's definitely a very different movie to its predecessors, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, the main aspect carried over from the other instalments - that being the Katniss / Peeta / Gale love-triangle - turns out to be the least interesting part of the movie. Scenes included such as when Gale and Katniss are sitting by a lake getting cosy with one another feel redundant in the grand scheme of things, but thankfully these moments are few and far between. 

Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman)

In terms of acting, it feels as if things have taken a huge step-up since Catching Fire. Not to say the entirety of that movie was atrocious, but certain moments felt awkward due to the delivery of some laughable dialogue. Now however, Jennifer Lawrence has fully made the character of Katniss Everdeen her own, and it really shows. I honestly couldn't picture another actress playing the role. Even new members of the supporting cast are enthralling, such as the late Philip Seymour Hoffman in the role of rebellion leader Plutarch Heavensbee. Plutarch was included in Catching Fire, but Mockingjay is where we really get a feel for his character, and P.S.H portrays him excellently. 

Verdict
This instalment in The Hunger Games series certainly shows its 'Part 1' clichés, such as yet another huge cliffhanger to lead into the finale, but it's still a solid movie in its own right. Newcomers to the series are unlikely to fully grasp the complex story, but I doubt that was ever intended. This is a film which is for fans of the series as a whole, and in that, it completely succeeds. Yes, the fact it is primarily a propaganda war between the rebels and Capitol means it has a very different feel to it when compared with the other movies, but its this feel which makes Mockingjay - Part 1 stand out. I can't decide if I prefer this movie or its predecessor, but it's easily a film which I'd recommend for fans of the series. 

"I have a message for President Snow: If we burn, 

you burn with us!"

Interstellar: Review

Like many people, I was incredibly excited to see Interstellar. Christopher Nolan is yet to release a film which is anything below incredible, and so my hopes for this epic space odyssey were set considerably high. The trailers released gave away nothing but a sense of mystery and adventure, which certainly didn't quell my anticipation. And so when I sat down in my seat in the cinema, I was phenomenally eager to see whether or not it could fully live up to the hype. In short: it most certainly did. 

Cooper (Matthew McConaughey)

The film is set in the near future, on an Earth which is gradually becoming inhabitable. The only job worth anything is now farming, due to the immense shortage of food which is plaguing humanity. The actual choice of substance available has dwindled to primarily corn, which adorns the hundreds of acres covering the now barren planet. We are immediately introduced to Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), whose previous job as a pilot for NASA ended with a devastating crash, and who now lives off of his farm with his two children Murph (Mackenzie Foy) and Tom (Timothee Chalmet). But Cooper's never stopped dreaming of the stars. Through a series of events, Cooper and Murph stumble upon a hidden NASA base, and soon Cooper is given the chance to find another biologically-compatible world which humanity can move to. The problem is though, that this would mean leaving his two children for a potentially unimaginable amount of time, due to the required use of interstellar travel. 

Interstellar is naturally a very sci-fi film. The plot is in many ways comparable to classic movies within the genre, perhaps most notably the iconic 2001: A Space Odyssey, which many consider the finest example of space put to the screen. However, the unique directions in which the story progresses definitely make it shine on its own, and well-worth watching for any fan of science-fiction. Strip away all of the space aspects however, and Interstellar really tells the story of a daughter longing for the return of her father, which brings a strong sense of humanity to this intimidating drama set amongst the stars. The plot becomes arguably convoluted towards the film's conclusion, but it's never sub-par. 

Regardless of the plot however, Interstellar is a visually and audibly incredible film. Last year, many were amazed by how Alfonso Cauron's Gravity depicted the isolating void of space. I'd argue that this movie far surpasses that attempt, and enters a league of its own. Not only are the special effects incredible, but the segments which are set on Earth also spectacularly convey an impending sense of self-destruction. It's a particularly harrowing thought considering the way things appear to be going within our own world, and has never been realised quite so successfully as it is in Interstellar. The musical score for the film is also stellar, but the terrifying moments of silence which accompany the shots of space itself are just as effective. And unlike Gravity, when I say silence, I mean complete, utter, isolating silence. There is literally no noise whatsoever for certain moments of the movie, which can sometimes eerily juxtapose the on-screen events. 

Brand (Anne Hathaway)

I don't think anybody expected Matthew McConaughey's performance as Cooper to be anything but powerful considering the man has won multiple awards, so I don't think I even need to comment on how overwhelmingly moving his scenes within the movie were. However, what did surprise me was just how talented Mackenzie Foy was as Cooper's daughter, as I'm never usually a huge fan of child actors within movies. Not everybody's acting was as sensational as the leading cast's, but there wasn't a particular part which detracted from the overall experience. 

Verdict
Interstellar was incredible. I don't think it was quite Nolan's finest movie, but it was by far one of the best movies that I've seen in a long time, which should say plenty about the director himself. The plot may stray at points, and certain moments are relatively predictable, but these flaws don't in any way make the movie bad. It's stunning, enjoyable, and genuinely moving; Interstellar is a film which you should definitely not miss. 

"Mankind was born on Earth. It was never meant

to die here."

Gone Girl: Review

Abduction movies can go one of two ways. Either they're fairly mediocre throughout but manage to twist your perception by incorporating a shocking, jaw-dropping finale, or they have you gripped from the beginning but then fail to accumulate all their tension into a satisfying conclusion. David Fincher's latest thriller Gone Girl unfortunately falls into the second type, but that does not mean that it is a bad movie by any means.

The film opens by introducing us to Nick and Amy Dunne (Ben Affleck & Rosamund Pike, respectively). Nick and Amy appear to be a happily married couple who seem to have everything going for them. They own a local bar, a beautiful house, and love eachother infinitely. However, on the day of their fifth anniversary, Amy suddenly disappears. Nick comes home to find the living room wrecked and small traces of blood splattered in odd places. All signs point to a home invasion or kidnapping, but Detective Rhonda Boney (Kim Dickens) thinks that maybe the 'perfect couple' aren't so perfect after all. 

Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck)

I went into Gone Girl expecting a fairly generic sequence of events, which would eventually culminate into a shocking conclusion in which we discover that Amy is either alive or dead, and then have it explained exactly how this situation came to be. About halfway through the film however, things take a fairly dramatic turn and the movie becomes something else entirely. I can't explain precisely why - considering how important this is to the plot - but just know that you're unlikely to guess at how the movie will play-out. Needless to say, this made the film extremely more interesting than it perhaps could have been, and gripped me considerably more than other films from within a similar genre. 

However, as mentioned, the story builds and builds and then...well, to divulge anything else would be completely ruining the plot, but I wasn't quite as impressed as I could have been. The ending itself isn't bad, and in a way it may have been the most realistic ending that would have occurred, but I was hoping for far more. The film sets up an amazing premise which it fails to properly capitalise on, and although it doesn't completely squander it, much more could have been done. 

Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike)

Regardless of the story's slightly anti-climactic ending though, all of the performances in Gone Girl were nothing short of incredible. Obviously Ben Affleck as the main character Nick was captivating, but the smaller roles of certain characters were equally as engrossing. Neil Patrick Harris for example, plays one of Amy's former lovers, and although he doesn't properly come into the story until towards the end, he was still fairly amazing. In fact, I don't think that there was a single actor present who let the film down, and the same can be said for every scene within the film. Yes, the ending could have been improved upon, but up until that point I was never bored or disinterested. Even with the slow-burning introduction to the story, I was gripped from beginning to end. 

Verdict

Despite the questionable ending, Gone Girl is an incredibly interesting movie which will no doubt keep you hooked for its entirety. There's numerous bold twists and turns which keep the plot interesting and unique, and it's certainly not a by-the-books abduction movie. If you're a fan of Fincher, or even if you just like tense thrillers, then it's certainly well worth seeing. 

"Whoever took her is bound to bring her back."

The Babadook: Review

I don't like most horror movies. Now, that sounds fairly ridiculous coming from somebody who watches countless horror films for fun, but let me explain. I don't like films which solely rely on gore as a form of 'horror', which is unfortunately what most films claiming to be 'scary' now rely on as a form of entertainment. Of course, there's certainly a market for this, and last year's Evil Dead is a stellar example of a horror film which instantly let's you know what you're in for - that being copious amounts of gore - and doesn't try to be something else. It's inarguable then, that a psychological horror experience is far more effective at making you feel pure terror than any amount of blood and violence. That's why The Babadook is one of the best horror movies I have ever seen. 

Amelia (Essie Davis)

The film starts by introducing us to the main character of Amelia (Essie Davis). Amelia is the mother of a single child, and whose husband died in a car accident while she was headed to the hospital to give birth to said child. She loves her son Samuel (Noah Wiseman) very much, but is gradually becoming more and more fatigued due to his obsession with fictional monsters. One night, Amelia decides to read Samuel a book titled 'Mister Babadook', and this sets into motion a dark and genuinely terrifying decline in their already depressive well-being. 

Like all the best scary movies, The Babadook rarely shows even a glimpse of the creature itself, and causes you to spend the entire film wondering if it even exists. From the offset, several events occur which make you incredibly empathetic to Amelia, as Samuel grows more and more antagonistic. However, your opinion soon shifts when she starts exhibiting increasingly violent mannerisms towards her son, and soon you're hoping that anything but the very worst will happen. This is cleverly foreshadowed by the 'Mister Babadook' book itself, which is eerily enticing. It looks like something from a gothic Tim Burton movie, although I'm not sure if I'd like to own a copy myself. 

The only aspect of the film which I didn't quite enjoy as much as the rest of it would be the ending. Throughout the entire movie, the idea of whether the monster exists is constantly brought into question, but a few scenes near the finale of the film makes it abundantly clear that this question has a definite answer. It doesn't completely ruin the experience, but a much more ambiguous ending would have been preferable.  

Verdict
The Babadook is an incredibly engrossing psychological horror film, and one which any fan of the genre should definitely check out. The subtlety of the scares is a breath of fresh air in a climate swamped by cheap jump-scares and screaming monsters, and the Babadook himself is equally as sinister. It's a film which I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did, and one which will definitely stick with me for a long time. 

"You can't get rid of the Babadook"

Nightcrawler: Review

As a part of Odeon's 'Screen Unseen' event, I was able to see the upcoming thriller Nightcrawler about a fortnight before its public release. The event works by the audience buying a ticket to the movie for a reduced price, but the catch being that the only information you are given is the start-time of the film, and the certificate it's been given. Luckily, I got to see a film I've been eagerly awaiting for quite some time, and I could not have been happier with the reward of my anticipation. 

Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal)

The film begins by introducing us to Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhall). Lou's lacking financially and socially, and is initially shown stealing copper wire so that he can sell it for an incredibly minimal profit. However, our protagonist soon learns of a fairly questionable job under the title of 'nightcrawling'. This basically consists of arriving at crime scenes mere moments after they are formed, and then filming the events unfolding so that the footage can then be distributed and sold to the highest bidder. Soon, Lou is nightcrawling for himself, but the constant praise for this dark, fringe job begins to encourage his frightening - and blatantly sociopathic - tendencies. 

As expected, Jake Gyllenhaal is incredible in the role of Lou Bloom. He perfectly conveys the complete lack of empathy Lou has for the victims he is recording, and establishes an unnerving tension which remains throughout the entirety of the film. Of course, each scene is loaded with a tense atmosphere, but the mere facial expressions and mannerisms of Lou lead you to believe that something genuinely terrifying is bubbling under his scarily natural façade. This continues throughout every moment of the movie, and is only escalated by Lou's hiring of an assistant in the form of a homeless man named Rick (Riz Ahmed). 

As the film progresses, Lou begins to become far more brave and risky with his nightcrawling, which leads to some fairly intense footage. The film never chooses to exploit this however. For example, one case which Lou arrives at is that of a home-invasion which resulted in a triple homicide. Now, the movie could have quite easily shown the gore in its all its brutal gory, but we instead catch glimpses of this through Lou's camera lens and screen. This subtle delivery is also attributed to the dark humour littered throughout Nightcrawler. It wasn't uncommon throughout the film for the entire audience to one moment be waiting on baited breath at what seemed to be unfolding, and the next laughing at a remark made by one of the characters. The comedy doesn't detract from the dark atmosphere the movie creates so successfully, but instead adds to it. It's never just there for the sake of it. Every time you laugh, it lets you see more into the twisted character of Lou himself, or become increasingly concerned for his 'sidekick' Rick. 

Verdict
I genuinely loved Nightcrawler. It was dark, brutal, and at times bordered on going slightly too far. But it only ever bordered on this. The director knew precisely when to cut a scene short just as it was becoming too graphic to the point of exploitative, or too humourous to maintain the menacing tone. It was an incredibly fun, exciting and occasionally frightening ride, and one which I imagine I'll be repeating as soon as possible. 

"If you want to win the lottery, you have 

to make the money to BUY A TICKET."