My Favourite Films of 2014

Whilst most list for ones best and/or favourite films where release a good few weeks ago I have only finally managed to key together what my own personal favourite films released in 2014 where. At this point I should point out this list is for my favourite films, which in no way equal to best. Part of the reason for this is I find the notion of list of the ‘best’ films to be spurious effort at best. In other words this is a list that is completely down to my subjective opinion. The list is also based on the local release date for the films. Meaning some of these films where released elsewhere in earlier years. Birdman may or may not be among the better films released recently but as they are 2015 releases where I live they are not included. One last note is that the list is simply presented in alphabetical order and not in order of preference.


Ain't Them Bodies Saints:

Ain't Them Bodies Saints in many ways is a very simple film. It is none the less a powerful film that largely removes itself from any obvious time period and is about two individuals who are in love and forced to live separately due to their own egregious mistakes. Fantastic performances throughout along with what would easily be my favorite score of the year (which utilizes clapping throughout as part of the music and is oddly fitting) in an emotionally draining film that I adored.


The Double:

The Double is the film on this list that I imagine is most likely to divide audiences. Self conscious but still dramatically effective I found myself chuckling throughout. Combine that with some gorgeous cinematography and a timeless and particularly odd world and you have a film that whilst no revelation was a breathe of fresh air that is as bizarre as it is enjoyable.


Edge of Tomorrow:

Two years in a row a large budget Tom Cruise 'sci-fi' film have made it into my favorite films list. It would be, and certainly is easy to make fun of Tom for his off screen antic and whilst doing so may be fun for many, those antics don't negate the quality of his acting, or the films he stars in. Likewise in a year full of disappointing larger budget films Edge of Tomorrow was a sadly overlooked film that was far better then its more successful but far less enjoyable competition. Featuring stunning action, a story that whilst flawed (a continuous problem with stories involving time travel) holds your interest with enough characters fleshed out just enough to care about what is happening. Likewise whilst the live action was converted to 3d it is easily one of the better example of what the 3d format has to offer especially as it wasn't afraid of using heavier levels of depth.


Her:

Their is very little I could hope to say about Her that hasn't been already said a great number of times before. Simply put it is about a man who falls in love with his computer, or more accurately an artificial intelligence. The surprising part is that it comes of as genuine without any sense of self awareness, yet still works. This is of course no doubt thanks to the ever brilliant Spike Jonze who both wrote and directed the film (and made a personal favorite of mine Adaptation) along with some simply brilliant action and cinematography, which also applies to the film directly below which shares the same cinematographer (and was also the cinematographer on another favorite of mine, Let the Right One In).


Interstellar:

Interstellar disappointed many their is no denying. It arrived with beyond high levels of hype thanks to director Christopher Nolan helming the film along with some utterly fantastic trailers. I myself found that it lived up to the hype and found it refreshing for a large budget film to feature so little action whilst remaining captivating and is another in director Christopher Nolans long run of hit films.



The Wolf of Wall Street:

After Hugo flopped Martin Scorsese is back making a film in what could only be described as more familiar territory for the director. That isn't necessarily as bad thing as the film was one of my favorites released last year, being both vile and brilliant throughout. I none the less would like to see the director make some less predictable film choices in the future. However when the film is this good such a complaint is nit picking at best.

Collection Update (December 2013)

It has been that time of year, and Christmas combined with the inevitable (yet disappointing) sales has lead me to once again buying (possible) more blu-rays and dvd's then I probably should have. None the less I am happy with the purchases I have made and the gifts I have received.

The below is what I have recently picked up:

Of the above the only blind buy was The Debt (which I had previously seen parts of when travelling and been quite absorbed in the little I had been able to see) and Before Midnight. Before Midnight was a must buy for myself as the two before films that proceed it are among my favorite films. The Artist I had not seen but was a gift for Christmas that whilst good was not able to live up to the hype that has surrounded it. The rest are films that I had been meaning to pickup for quite some time and I would highly recommend.

 Oblivion and The Muppets where blind buys that I am very happy with. The rest I had seen before many times and I had just been waiting for them to be available at a reasonable price. I would in particular strongly recommend Never Let Me Go which is at times a very hard film to watch (especially towards the end) but is a very absorbing watch all the same.

 The top three blu-rays where blind buys and I have thus far only managed to see Silver Linings Playbook, which was a very strong film (although its ending was on the weaker and cliched side). I have of course seen The Wizard of Oz many times and can report that this is most certainly a 3d conversion done right. Tintin I saw once in cinemas and whilst I wasn't blown away be the film as a whole their are several scenes that are not only pure spectacle, but where able to be shoot in such a way that had the film been a live action film would simply have not been possible (which I fell far to few animations take advantage of). I am both happy to see a sequel is planned, though after the thus far disappointing Hobbit films I am far from ecstatic that Peter Jackson is set to direct instead of Stephen Spielberg.

As I am unable to find my dvd copies, and as the release of Before Midnight has not lead to Before Sunset and Before Sunrise being released on blu-ray, I picked up the Before Sunrise/Before Sunset double pack which was available rather cheaply. Likewise I finally picked up Stop-Loss from director Kimberly Pierce, only to find that it is scheduled for a blu-ray release in February (which I will likely purchase). In any case the dvd was extremely cheap and I had been wanting to watch it again for quite some time so it was of little to no loss.

I myself love music scores, and the scores of movies is what I overwhelmingly tend to gravitate towards as my choice of music. Above is my recent modest additions to my slow but ever growing score collection. The Kick-Ass 2 score was particularly impressive albeit unable to live up to the dizzying highs the first set. Likewise when I first watched Byzantium I knew the score was a must buy early on for myself when the character Elenaor plays one of the themes of the film on the piano.

As always I am pleased with my pickups, though I do wish someone would pick up the rights to Before Sunset and Before Sunrise and release them on blu-ray with a new well done transfer (my fingers are crossed that Criteron may do this).

Most Anticipated Films for the first half of 2014:

As the new year has now dawned upon us I fell that it is a fitting moment to look forward to my most anticipated films of the first half of 2014. Please note some of these films have been released in 2013 in many places, however if they are on this list they are hear as they being released in the first half of 2014 where I live (Australia). I am certain their are numerous other films that would be able to make it onto this list, but as we move further into the year less and less is known about the films being released and thus my anticipation becomes harder to justify. Hence why I have decided to only include films being released in the first half of 2014.

Blue is the Warmest Color:

I have heard a great number of things about this film and have been recommended it several times. It is only finally getting a release in February of 2014 in Australia and I intend to see it for myself having managed to avoid all but the most basic of details about the film. Simply put my anticipation is based on how strongly some have recommended this film to myself and I intend to remain as oblivious as possible about the film until I am able to view it for myself.

Frances Ha

Whilst Francis Ha has technically been released in Australia as it was part of the Sydney film festival it was not available for myself or the overwhelming majority of Australians. I have recently been noting more mixed reactions to the film and thus am somewhat concerned that the film may not live up to my initial expectations. In any case it is due out on the 8^th of January in Australia, so I won't have a long wait to discover my own thoughts on Frances Ha.

Godzilla:

I must admit I have never been a fan of Godzilla especially after the mess of a film Roland Emmerich released in 1998. However given the director of this new version is Gareth Edwards who recently did the superb Monsters and combine that with a breathtaking trailer and my anticipation is palpable despite my usual indifference to the character.

The Wolf of Wall Street:

Martin Scorsese and near on universal praise is all I need to be sold on seeing this film. Though it's long run time is a concern mostly for pacing reasons. None the less I have little doubt that this will not be an issue as pacing is an area that Scorsese has rarely stumbled. It however is a shame giving how Scorsese has talked about 3d that this film was not shoot in 3d. It would be a very nice change of pace to see 3d used in such a film (especially giving how effective Scorsese was in utilising 3d to enhance the film in Hugo).

X-Men: Days of Future Past

X-men Days of future past is the first of a two film arc and has Brian Singer the director of the first two x-men films return. Personally I would have preferred had Matthew Vaughan (the director of X-men First Class and Kick-Ass) not left, especially as Brian Singers recent films have left me less then thrilled. None the less I can't help but be intrigued by the two different casts being combined into one film. This is especially the case as X-Men First Class was a reboot of the series and the past is not compatible with the back story shown for the initial casts. Hopefully they don't simply ignore these 'inconsistencies' and are able to combine the two into one cohesive whole.

Most Anticipated Releases for the Remainder of 2013

As we move out of the  winter (or summer depending on where you live) blockbuster period and towards the award and Christmas movie release schedule the quality of recent releases can become rather heterogeneous. It is a time of year where we often find some hidden gems or films with niche audiences released (like the recently released Riddick). Sadly it is also a time when studios often release films that are expected duds in terms of quality presumably to try and take what advantage they can of what tends to be a less competitive release schedule. Despite this their are several film releases I am anticipating. Below are my most anticipated titles for the remainder of 2013.


The Counselor

My main interest for The Counselor comes from the involvement of Ridley Scott who is of course directing and Michael Fassbender (who was easily the highlight of Ridley Scoots most recently released film Prometheus). I do have some concerns and reservations regarding this film which I justify based on some of the issues present in Ridely Scott's most recently released film Prometheus. In spite of these concerns I cannot wait to see how The Counselor turns out. I however am disappointed that both Ridely Scott and Martin Scorsese have seemingly abandoned 3d despite numerous comments both have made and of course as both Prometheus and Hugo are simply breathtaking in 3d.



The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

No doubt an obvious choice and one that needs little explanation, afterall how many times can one here and read that it looks to be a fun filled fantasy adventure film. Admittedly The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was a colossal disappointment and its trailers (especially the teaser) where even more tantalizing then what we have seen for The Desolation of Smaug (which looks as if it could also contain more fan service then I would like). None the less the prospect of seeing the next chapter still has me excited. It also helps that it has been shoot at 48fps (often refereed to as HFR) as apposed to the traditional 24fps which provides for a much smoother image and an experience that currently cannot be experienced at home. Furthermore it also stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug and The Necromancer (both of which briefly appeared in An Unexpected Journey) and who doesn't want to see that?



Carrie

Carrie is easily my most anticipated film for the remainder of 2013. I am far from a large horror fan and remakes are something I am usually not all that fond of as they are notorious for adding little that the original didn't already cover and are far to often simply terrible films (this is especially true when it comes to remakes of horror films). However in this case I have not seen the original film and some excellent 'remakes' such as Let Me In and The Girl With T he Dragon Tattoo coupled with some excellent trailers has me thrilled to see how Carrie turns out. Hopefully it is not only a good film but provides a new twist on the source material so that it can stand on its on and not be viewed as simply a remake of a much better film (as Let Me In was able to achieve which also starred Chloë Grace Moretz).