My favourites of the Year 2014

     Once again, it's this time of the year. 2014 has left us while it offered us both good and also not so good films, it disappointed both reviewers and audiences with its most anticipated films but also it presented us with some little gems that made the film year not only bearable but also memorable.
    The truth is, though, that, at least for me, 2014 didn't give us many breathtaking movies that changed the film scenery or rewrote cinematic history. This is honestly particularly hard to do, but it is even more so when so many films that come out are sequels. How innovative can a sequel be? What I've also noticed is that cinema becomes more realictic as the years pass. Even fantasies and animated films deal with mature subjects in a more realistic way than what they did before. Is cinematic magic getting lost this way or is it getting reinvented?

     It's been really difficult to create my top 10 this year because I didn't want to list films that have been considered the best of the year but instead, I wanted to emphasize on the films that have stayed with me and will stay with me as we enter 2015. But the truth is that out of these 10 films, only 8 surely have this characteristic and the other two are movies that complete my top 10 but I won't necessarily revisit them in the future. But, doesn't this happen with every list?
     So, even though I've enjoyed them you won't see some Oscar favourites here such as American Sniper, The Grand Budapest Hotel (which until 2 weeks ago was in my list but another film took its place), Boyhood (The biggest surprise of the year and the most possible Oscar winner, which, in my opinion, wouldn't even be considered if it hadn't taken Richard Linklater 12 years to make. While the film offers some good performances and shows us that life has no plot, it is simply just that. A film without any plot that sometimes reminds me of a TV movie. Not on par with Linklater's Before Midnight.). Godzilla, RoboCop and X-Men Days of Future Past are three movies that I thoroughly enjoyed but don't fit in my top 10 and the same goes for Locke (with a great Tom Hardy), The disappearance of Eleanor Rigby and Mr. Turner.
And finally, How to train your dragon 2 should be considered my honorable No11 as it is an amazing sequel and also a great stand-alone movie.
So, let's begin:

BEST ACTOR

Benedict Cumberbatch

What a difficult category this is! Each and every one of the actors that I have here have been my favourites and I honestly choose a different one every day. For those who know (Sherlock fans, I'm looking at you) Cumberbatch is an exceptional actor, but his subtle performance in The Imitation Game is his breakthrough appearance (no, I'm not counting Star Trek: Into Darkness) and even though he is not the favourite for the Oscar, we'll most certainly be seeing more of him from now on.

Runners-Up

• Eddie Redmayne His amazing performance in The Theory of Everything will most likely give him the biggest award in a week from now and why not? He is the most believable Stephen Hawking anyone could ask for.
• Michael Keaton Another underated actor that shines this year with the amazing Birdman, Keaton gives it his all and boy, does he deliver!
• Jake Gyllenhaal This is the most underrated performance of the year for the most underrated film of the year, Nightcrawler. Gyllenhaal gives such a creepy and haunting performance that I can't stop thinking about even a month after having watched the film.

BEST ACTRESS

Rosamund Pike

This, on the other hand, has been my one and only choice from the first moment I saw Gone Girl. Who would have thought that the sweet Jane from Pride & Prejudice would transform into the haunting, cold, untouchable monster that is Amy Dunne. Pike's performance is nothing but flawless and keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

J.K. Simmons

This is once again a no-brainer. Whiplash is a terrific film but it wouldn't be what it is without J.K. Simmons' tremendous performance. From his first appearance on screen, he steals the show and whether you like or hate the character he portrays, it doesn't make him any less of a perfect actor. We've seen Simmons in supporting roles in various films through the years (from Spiderman to Juno) but this is the time for him to be finally recognised. Was he dragging or was he rushing?

Runners-Up

• Edward Norton He has always been a great actor but this year in Birdman he manages to steal the show playing a self-centered actor and at the same time satirizing Norton himself as the rumours of his strange behaviour on movie sets are many. If it weren't for Simmons' role, the Oscar would -finally- be his. 
• Ethan Hawke Even the name "Hawke" says quality and this year he has given such a heart-warming performance in Boyhood. I remember coming out of the cinema and saying that if it wasn't for him the movie wouldn't say much, and so many months later, I stand by it.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Rene Russo

I have always understimated this beautiful actress whom I got to know from the Lethal Weapon series. Now, in Nightcrawler she is so persuasive as the cold-hearted, driven-by-the-job news director of a TV Station. Her quote: "Think of our news cast as a screeming woman running down the street with her throat cut" so powerfully, flawlessly and subtly delivered is just a small sample of her work in the film.

Runner-Up

• Valeria Bruni Il Capitale Umano was a great Italian film (read about it here) and Bruni was certainly one of its mainest highlights.

DIRECTING

Alejandro González Inárritu

I admit it. I am biased when it comes to one-shots, but Birdman was far more than that. Inárritu managed to bring on screen all the stress of the theatre, all the agony that goes through everyone's minds, from the lead actor who wants to succeed, to the supporting actors who want to shine, to the producer who wants to have a successful and profitable show. Inárritu's directing was stressful and non-stop and it made Birdman the great film that it is.

SCORE

Three were the scores that have stuck with me this year and they are the following:

• The Imitation Game by Alexandre Desplat who is getting better and better and has two Oscar Nominations this year!
• Birdman by Antonio Sanchez His drum score is as breathtaking as the film
• The Theory of Everything by Jóhann Jóhannsson Such a heartwarming and touching score

TOP 10

10. What We Do In The Shadows

When I watched this comedy back in September, I couldn't imagine that it would get in my top10. But the truth is that I've been continuously revisiting this film in my mind because it gave me such effortless joy and I still remember some of its scenes with a huge smile on my face.
What else can someone ask from a comedy? What we do in the shadows, the mockumentary about four vampires who live together in Wellington, New Zealand is one of the best comedies you can see as it never drags, it satirizes the vampire genre that has lately consumed both cinema and literature and it enters the "cult"category of film-making in an instant. Great.


9. Selma

Selma was the last film that was added in my top10 and that's why it is so low even though it is a very good movie and it had me in uncontrollable tears more that once. It is the true story of Martin Luther King's campaign to secure equal voting rights for all people of colour in the United States. The raw realization that black people weren't able to vote until 1965 is only one of the reasons this film is so powerful. David Oyelowo gives a terrific performance as King, the music that accompanies the story is extremely touching and even though one would think that the film is propagandistic and also pure Oscar-bait, I can assure you that the subject is treated with absolute respect and Selma has only been nominated for two Academy Awards. This is a truly important film for the American cinema and you should check it out if you have the chance.


8. Relatos Salvajes

This is one of the small gems I talked about in the opening paragraph. Relatos Salvajes comes from Angentina and it is a collection of six stories about revenge and the loss of control that comes as a result of inexplicably great anger. It was one of the best films I watched at this year's Athens International Film Festival. It has seriously funny performances and it is a truly dark comedy which has also been nominated for Best Foreign Film. Good Job Angentina.






7. Interstellar

We have finally reached one of the most controversial films of the year. Christopher Nolan's sci-fi epic had been highly anticipated and when it finally reached theatres it divided audiences and critics everywhere. Some loved it, others hated it, some found it too much or too much of a nothing, others were unimpressed but no two people had the same opinion about this film. If you ask me, that's the problem with science fiction. It's not for the masses. The same happened last year with Cuarón's Gravity. When a science fiction movie tries to become mainstream -at least in the eyes of the producers- then this controversy is most likely to happen. Personally, I've enjoyed every Nolan film and Interstellar is no exception. The idea of space travel and the time and space continuum have always fascinated me, so this epic story of a father who tries not only to save humanity but also to come back to his children has stuck with me. Some scenes might have been an homage to previous sci-fi films, and especially 2001: A Space Odyssey, but this doesn't make Interstellar any short of breathtaking.


6. The Imitation Game

Why isn't this excellent film higher in my top10? For an inexplicably stupid reason, honestly. I have no complaints from this film. The story is great, the actors are suberb with leading actor Benedict Cumberbatch giving his most mature performance yet and the score written by Alexandre Desplat is amazing. Yet it has stuck in my number 6. And the reason for it is that The Imitation Game didn't exceed my expectations. I was waiting for it to be a great film from the first time I saw the trailer (never watch trailers, I keep reminding myself) and it was a very good film. It just wasn't more than that. I told you, it's a stupid reason. But I'll give you another one: The films that constitute my top5 are the ones that left me truly speechless.


5. Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

This is such a hard film to review, let alone to suggest to someone. It is a film for film lovers and also for theatre enthusiasts. It is a film for the actors and it is a film for people involved in the treatre world, that's why it is so difficult to recommend it. Birdman is filled with amazing performances from each member of the cast: Michael Keaton, nominated for Best Actor, is tremendous and unforgettable. Some might say that he plays himself and tells us his own story, but even this, isn't it difficult to do? Edward Norton, nominated for Supporting Actor, is a show-stopper. Zach Galifianakis offers us his most mature work ever as does Emma Stone (nominated for Supporting Actress) and Naomi Watts is once again great. Birdman is directed by Alejandro González Inárritu and is all presented to us as a one-shot which is breathtaking on its own, but Sanchez's drum score that accompanies the unstoppable camera movements gives us a constant feeling of anxiety and agony. The film manages to give its audience a glimpse of what being on stage is like and at the same time it critisizes Hollywood and its mania with sequels and blockbusters that kills the art of acting. Birdman is a movie of many layers and one cannot discover them all in one viewing.


4. The Theory of Everything

Now, this is a film that exceeded my expectations. I was waiting for it to be a sappy, cheesy representation of someone's life but instead what I got was a fantastic story. It follows Stephen Hawking from the moment he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) until today. The film tells us the story of a brilliant man, with a great mind, a big heart and a remarkable sense of humour who happens to live in a broken body. That doesn't stop him, however, from getting married, having children and even continuing his research about time and space. Eddie Redmayne is nominated for Best Actor this year, and rightly so, as he gives a performance very respectful to the man he portrays without overacting or depending on physical transformation alone. Felicity Jones who plays his wife is also nominated.




3. Nightcrawler

What a fantastic film this was! I went in not knowing anything about the movie except for the leading actor and having only seen the poster and I wasn't even sure I wanted to see it in the first place, but Jake Gyllenhaal is becoming a safe choice as he always makes quality decisions. And what a ride it was! Without giving away the plot which is jaw-dropping and highly original, the story follows a man who is desperate for work so he tries to enter the world of journalism following some not so acceptable methods. This doesn't stop neither him nor his TV Station News Director (Rene Russo), though. The film is driven by some great acting and a breathtaking narration of events as it takes us deeper and deeper to the dark places of the human mind. It is a very underrated film and both Gyllenhaal and Russo have been unrightfully neglected during this year's award season. Nightcrawler is a must-see.


2. Gone Girl

Speaking of neglected films, this is another 2014 movie that has been totally ignored. I watched Gone Girl during the AIFF and if you haven't read the book or come across any spoilers (seriously, try to avoid them) you're in for a treat. If you ask me, Gone Girl is one of David Fincher's finest, much better than some of his latest work that had been better received (The Social Network for instance). While I was watching it, the theatre was completely silent with just a few gasps every now and then and the shock of every revelation was grand. Rosamund Pike gives an astounding performance as the cold, mysterious missing woman and without her, the film, which has a Hitchcockean feeling, wouldn't get anywhere. Amazing casting. Gone Girl is a stunning thriller filled with breathtaking and jawdropping moments, a film that even though has been neglected by the Awards all over the world, will surely be remembered for a long time as one of 2014's best.


1. Whiplash

What can I say about the film that has stolen my heart since September? Whiplash tells the story of Andrew (Miles Teller) who is an aspiring jazz drummer and his professor (J.K. Simmons) who uses terrorizing, extreme and violent methods to bring the best out of his students. It asks the question of "how much is too much?" and if there is a fine line that separates good teaching from sheer violence. It also asks how far would someone go and how much they would push themselves to prove they're worthy of success. Damien Chazelle's direction is electrifying, aided by the tremendous editing work done by Tom Cross. Whiplash is the absolute thrill ride for any film lover, as it offers stunning performances (J.K. Simmons is the best he can be here) and a story that never loses a beat (pun intended) as it literally has you on the edge of your seat throughout its duration and especially during the last 20 minutes which are what someone can call breathtaking. Whiplash is cinema at its best.

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