Top Ten Favorite Movies of 2014
Below is a list of my ten favorite movies of 2014. Since my movie attendance was pretty low during that year, I missed a great deal of films.
TOP TEN FAVORITE MOVIES OF 2014
1. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" - Chris Evans starred in this superb sequel to his 2011 hit about the Marvel superhero, who finds himself embroiled in a conspiracy regarding S.H.I.E.L.D. and its old nemesis, HYDRA. The movie was directed by Anthony and Joe Russo.
2. "Guardians of the Galaxy" - The latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe proved to be a surprising delight about a group of criminals who find themselves on the run after an attempt to make a profit on a stolen orb coveted by powerful villains. Directed by James Gunn, the movie starred Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana.
3. "Gone Girl" - David Fincher directed this outstanding and colorful adaptation of Gillian Flynn's 2012 novel about whether a man is responsible for the disappearance of his wife or not. Ben Affleck and Oscar nominee Rosamund Pike starred.
4. "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part I" - Francis Lawrence returned to direct this third entry in THE HUNGER GAMES movie franchise, an adaptation of the first half of Suzanne Collins' 2010 novel. Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth starred.
5. "Edge of Tomorrow" - Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt starred in this excellent adaptation of Hiroshi Sakurazaka's 2004 science-fiction novel, "All You Need Is Kill" about a public relations officer who is deployed into a combat mission against invading aliens and end up in a time loop. Doug Liman directed.
6. "The Grand Budapest Hotel" - Oscar nominated Wes Anderson directed this delightful tale about a hotel concierge, who teams up with one of his employees to prove his innocence after he is framed for murder. The movie starred Oscar nominee Ralph Fiennes and Tony Revolori.
7. "The Imitation Game" - Oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch starred in this excellent biopic about British cryptanalyst Alan Turing, who helped solve the Enigma code during the Second World War and was later prosecuted for homosexuality. Directed by Morten Tyldum, the movie co-starred Oscar nominee Keira Knightley and Matthew Goode.
8. "The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies" - Peter Jackson directed this final chapter in his adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's 1937 novel. The movie starred Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen and Richard Armitage.
9. "The Hundred Foot Journey" - Lasse Hallström directed this charming adaptation of Richard Morais' 2010 novel about a professional feud between an Indian family's restaurant and an established Michelin-starred restaurant. The movie starred Helen Mirren, Om Puri and Manish Dayal.
10. "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" - Andrew Garfield reprised his role as Peter Parker aka Spider-Man in this well-made sequel, which was marred by a badly written ending. In this film, the Web Slinger battles Electro and the Green Goblin, while investigating the circumstances surrounding his parents' deaths. Marc Webb directed.
Honorable Mention: "Chef" - Jon Favreau wrote and directed this entertaining film about a professional chef who quits his job after an altercation with a food critics and decides to fix up a food truck. The movie co-starred Sofía Vergara and John Leguizamo.