2014 was an interesting year for movies. Interesting because overall, it wasn’t a particularly memorable one. I still have trouble remembering the blockbusters of the year and personally, that just goes to show that in the current Hollywood state, most of the big summer spectacles, films I couldn’t wait to see, are now all put into the same blender and produce, for the most part, the exact same result: mediocrity.
I don’t think I will ever not be excited at the prospect of the following year’s summer movie line-up because, as the old saying hoes, “Hope springs eternal” and when it comes to movies, I will always be the relentless optimist. However, with all that said, my top movie picks of the year are independently produced movies that went above and beyond the normal scope of storytelling to produce some exceptional and extraordinary stories.
So, without further ado, I present to you, my picks for the top 10 movies of 2014.
10. THE HOMESMAN
Three women who have been driven mad by pioneer life are to be transported across the country by covered wagon by the pious, independent-minded Mary Bee Cuddy, who in turn employs low-life drifter George Briggs to assist her. Tommy Lee Jones stars and directs in this beautifully photographed and exquisitely told western about life on the Nebraska plains.
9. THE BABADOOK
A single mother, plagued by the violent death of her husband, battles with her son’s fear of a monster lurking in the house, but soon discovers a sinister presence all around her. This low-budget Australian ghost story pretty much came out of nowhere and achieved what most big-budget Hollywood horror films can’t: a genuinely scary movie.
8. THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA
Okina, a bamboo cutter, discovers a miniature girl inside a glowing bamboo shoot. Believing her to be a divine presence, he takes her home where he and his wife, Ona, decide to raise her as their own, calling her “Princess.” Studio Ghibli produced this poignant and imaginative animated feature based on the folktale ‘The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.’
7. FURY
April, 1945. As the Allies make their final push in the European Theatre, a battle-hardened army sergeant commands a Sherman tank and her five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Director David Ayer creates unbelievable atmosphere and tension with much of the film taking place in the confines of a tank. Terrific performances especially from Brad Pitt and Shia LeBeouf.
6. THE IMITATION GAME
The film involves the race against time by Alan Turing and his team of code-breakers at Britain’s top-secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, during the Second World War. Benedict Cumberbatch is simply amazing in this film and gives a dynamite performance that should be recognized come awards season.
5. THE RAILWAY MAN
A victim from World War II’s “Death Railway” sets out to find those responsible for his torture. Based on a true story, Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman give remarkable performances as a husband and wife who must deal with the traumatic events he endured during World War II while ultimately deciding on which course of action he should take.
4. HANK AND ASHA
An Indian student in Prague and a lonely New Yorker correspond online through video letters. A voyeuristic love story about aching for human connection in a hyper-connected world. An effective and touching love story where neither person involved physically meet each other as all correspondence is done electronically. Hauntingly beautiful.
3. COHERENCE
On the night of an astronomical anomaly, eight friends at a dinner party experience a troubling chain of reality bending events. This little sci-fi movie had a wonderful assortment of thematic elements including time travel, parallel universes and doppelgangers. Sounds weird but by the end of the movie, it all comes together wonderfully.
2. STILL MINE
An elderly couple fight against local authorities in rural New Brunswick to build their final home. I am a sucker for romantic movies when done properly and here, you couldn’t ask for better. James Cromwell and Geneviève Bujold play an elderly couple who must deal with her Alzheimer’s while he tries to build her their final home. At times heartbreaking but ultimately absorbing and inspirational.
1. ALIVE INSIDE
Dan Cohen, founder of the nonprofit organization Music & Memory, fights against a broken healthcare system to demonstrate music’s ability to combat memory loss and restore a deep sense of self to those suffering from it. Watching people who cannot recall their past is downright disheartening but once headphones are placed over their ears, playing music they once used to listen to, watching their memories come flooding back, is like nothing you have ever seen. Absolutely heartrending and captivating.
