Top 10 films of 2014
I don't think anyone's done it this year and it makes me sad because I really like reading your top 10s, be it films, songs, shows or moments.
I decided to do a Top 10 films because I went out of my way to go to the cinema more, although consistently going alone gets frustrating because I can't discuss the films I see with anyone. :/
I saw about 40 films this year, to put things in perspective.
There are no French films in this list. I'll make a post just for them, as there aren't many but some of them were really good.
Here you go, though, in no particular order because there was no way I could do it. Everything is spoiler-free!
1. Pride
Okay, I lied, Pride is probably #1.
I'm fairly sure that most of you have seen Pride, since it's a based-on-a-true-story LGBT film that's moooostly feel-good. It'll make you fucking cry, but you'll also be so happy your heart will burst and spout rainbows. Ben Schnetzer as Mark Ashton is a revelation, Andrew Scott is amazing as always and you get a Bonus!Russell Tovey. He's on screen about 2 minutes but his performance chilled me to the bone. Fun fact: apparently, the writer said he's working on a stage musical adaptation of the film.
2. Jersey Boys
I saw this one twice, a couple of days apart, just enough time to look up The Four Seasons. It's a musical brought to the screen, of course I was going to love it. Um, unpopular opinion: I think Frankie Valli's voice is very irritating, but it works well with the others'. I cried and I laughed, which is a quasi-foolproof sign that I liked a film.
3. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
I'd been so disappointed with the first film that I dreaded seeing this one. I don't know, I'd found the first one boring - which is bound to happen when you stretch a short book over three films, I suppose. Smaug, though! I loved it! It was the second film I saw in 2014 and I was so happy I was off to such a good start!
4. Philomena
I saw this one on Rachel's recommendation, as it was in her Top 10 Films of 2013. Judy Dench is, as usual, marvellous; and Steeve Coogan plays off of her really well. The story is heartwrenching but I can't tell you about it because it's kind of the whole point of the film. It's also a true story, which makes it just devastating. It's one of those films you take home with you and think about long after you've seen it.
5. Saving Mr. Banks
I realise that this film does NOT tell the true story of how P. L. Travers and Walt Disney collaborated for Mary Poppins to come to life. It's even crazy how not true it is, but hey, I laughed and I cried! I liked the way that Travers' life played in flashbacks throughout the film, and of course I loved the music. Also, Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson, need I say more?
6. The Grand Budapest Hotel
This film put a gigantic smile on my face. As anything that Wes Anderson ever puts out, it is visually perfect. The plot unfolds flawlessly, it's ridiculous and brilliant. I can't even talk about it without spoiling it. It's... basically flawless, if you enjoy Wes Anderson's quirkiness.
7. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Another film that made me feel so, so happy. Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller, whom I didn't even find very annoying in this film!) basically lives in his head because his life is shit, until he starts living his dream life. Cue the adventures, meetings with unlikely people and improbable situations. The "fantasy" scenes are lovely and very funny. You really should see it.
8. Wish I Was Here
I almost saw this film twice, it was so good. Again, it was a brilliant mix of happy and sad. I cried so much. Zach Braff wrote, directed and starred in it, after he raised the money for it via a Kickstarter campaign in only three days. It's everything you've ever thought a Zach Braff film would be. I remember not liking Garden State when I saw it, but this one, man, it was so beautiful. Special mention to the soundtrack, which is pretty much perfect.
Also, if you're a Scrubs fan, you do want to see it for that one scene.
9. God Help The Girl
Another musical! This is the last film I saw in 2014 and I don't regret it. I don't think I've ever heard a Belle and Sebastian song, but Stuart Murdoch, who's the mastermind behind this band, also wrote and directed God Help The Girl. I'm not really a fan of the way Eve, the main character, writes her songs, I find it quite wanky to be honest, but it works well because it moves the plot along and it makes it easier for the songs to get stuck in your head. It's so hipsterish it hurts but at the same time it makes everything very... quaint, if you will.
Didn't make the list because I liked the other ones better, but you might want to know that I saw two films that passed the Bechdel Test this year: Reaching For The Moon and Clouds of Sils Maria. Incidentally, both of them have lesbian/bisexual protagonists.
I decided to do a Top 10 films because I went out of my way to go to the cinema more, although consistently going alone gets frustrating because I can't discuss the films I see with anyone. :/
I saw about 40 films this year, to put things in perspective.
There are no French films in this list. I'll make a post just for them, as there aren't many but some of them were really good.
Here you go, though, in no particular order because there was no way I could do it. Everything is spoiler-free!
1. Pride
Okay, I lied, Pride is probably #1.
I'm fairly sure that most of you have seen Pride, since it's a based-on-a-true-story LGBT film that's moooostly feel-good. It'll make you fucking cry, but you'll also be so happy your heart will burst and spout rainbows. Ben Schnetzer as Mark Ashton is a revelation, Andrew Scott is amazing as always and you get a Bonus!Russell Tovey. He's on screen about 2 minutes but his performance chilled me to the bone. Fun fact: apparently, the writer said he's working on a stage musical adaptation of the film.
Click to view2. Jersey Boys
I saw this one twice, a couple of days apart, just enough time to look up The Four Seasons. It's a musical brought to the screen, of course I was going to love it. Um, unpopular opinion: I think Frankie Valli's voice is very irritating, but it works well with the others'. I cried and I laughed, which is a quasi-foolproof sign that I liked a film.
3. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
I'd been so disappointed with the first film that I dreaded seeing this one. I don't know, I'd found the first one boring - which is bound to happen when you stretch a short book over three films, I suppose. Smaug, though! I loved it! It was the second film I saw in 2014 and I was so happy I was off to such a good start!
4. Philomena
I saw this one on Rachel's recommendation, as it was in her Top 10 Films of 2013. Judy Dench is, as usual, marvellous; and Steeve Coogan plays off of her really well. The story is heartwrenching but I can't tell you about it because it's kind of the whole point of the film. It's also a true story, which makes it just devastating. It's one of those films you take home with you and think about long after you've seen it.
5. Saving Mr. Banks
I realise that this film does NOT tell the true story of how P. L. Travers and Walt Disney collaborated for Mary Poppins to come to life. It's even crazy how not true it is, but hey, I laughed and I cried! I liked the way that Travers' life played in flashbacks throughout the film, and of course I loved the music. Also, Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson, need I say more?
6. The Grand Budapest Hotel
This film put a gigantic smile on my face. As anything that Wes Anderson ever puts out, it is visually perfect. The plot unfolds flawlessly, it's ridiculous and brilliant. I can't even talk about it without spoiling it. It's... basically flawless, if you enjoy Wes Anderson's quirkiness.
7. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Another film that made me feel so, so happy. Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller, whom I didn't even find very annoying in this film!) basically lives in his head because his life is shit, until he starts living his dream life. Cue the adventures, meetings with unlikely people and improbable situations. The "fantasy" scenes are lovely and very funny. You really should see it.
8. Wish I Was Here
I almost saw this film twice, it was so good. Again, it was a brilliant mix of happy and sad. I cried so much. Zach Braff wrote, directed and starred in it, after he raised the money for it via a Kickstarter campaign in only three days. It's everything you've ever thought a Zach Braff film would be. I remember not liking Garden State when I saw it, but this one, man, it was so beautiful. Special mention to the soundtrack, which is pretty much perfect.
Also, if you're a Scrubs fan, you do want to see it for that one scene.
9. God Help The Girl
Another musical! This is the last film I saw in 2014 and I don't regret it. I don't think I've ever heard a Belle and Sebastian song, but Stuart Murdoch, who's the mastermind behind this band, also wrote and directed God Help The Girl. I'm not really a fan of the way Eve, the main character, writes her songs, I find it quite wanky to be honest, but it works well because it moves the plot along and it makes it easier for the songs to get stuck in your head. It's so hipsterish it hurts but at the same time it makes everything very... quaint, if you will.
Didn't make the list because I liked the other ones better, but you might want to know that I saw two films that passed the Bechdel Test this year: Reaching For The Moon and Clouds of Sils Maria. Incidentally, both of them have lesbian/bisexual protagonists.