One more top films list for 2014

Today's issue of the Georgia Straight features the top films of the past year chosen by our film critics Ken Eisner, John Lekcih, and Janet Smith, with some honourable mentions by the remaining film critics.

If you can stomach yet another top films list, here are ten more of my top honourable mentions from this past year (in additon The Lunchbox and Vic + Flo Saw a Bear previously mentioned in the top films article's honourable mentions) that may have been overlooked or unseen by others.

Advanced Style  While this isn't necessarily the best documentary of the year, it was one of the most inconspicuously revolutionary. Elderly women with striking fashion sense may seem like a superficial subject but challenging deeply entrenched conceptions of age and beauty linked to women does have important ramifications with respect to how power (and the male gaze) is structured in our world. What's more, the film gives a strong sense of the women's personality moreso than the book or blog the film is based upon.

Birdman  Ken Eisner and John Lekich already mentioned this one, but I'd like to add that the camerawork was essential in conveying the feeling of backstage life on Broadway, not to mention the magical realism. Brilliant work. 

Borgman  A drifter ingratiates himself with an affluent Dutch family, and displays an uncanny (possibly supernatural?) ability to ignite tensions simmering beneath the family’s photogenic surface. With a formal construction laced with black humour that veers into absurdism, the film becomes a haunting intellectual puzzle that disturbs and fascinates.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes  In the pursuit of dark, gritty realism, numerous fantasy, fairy tale or superhero remakes have somehow lost the magic essential to the story along the way. The latest Planet of the Apes reboot installment is a prime example of how to strike the right combination of grit, action, brains, and spark.

Force Majeure  The genius of this film (also chosen by Ken Eisner) was how a simple incident—a Swedish family having a close call with a controlled avalanche at a tony ski resort—snowballs into a complex torrent of internal collapse that affects everyone in its path, including bystander friends. This powerful critique of gender roles and expectations also integrated humorous, true-to-life observations about behavior and relationships that elevated it above other art-house fare that takes itself far too seriously. My top choice of the year. 

Like Father, Like Son  Two Japanese couples discover that their sons were switched at birth. Like Force Majeure, a very simple idea unravels complex issues. In this case, it's a question of child-parent relationships and family. What is the best thing to do in a situation full of grey areas? Who decides what is best for a child, particularly when several parents are involved and when emotions conflict with logic?

Love is Strange  This is one of those rare films which you can accurately say that the leads just happen to be gay. When an aging male couple runs into financial problems and have to move out, they overstay their welcome with friends and family. Without neglecting issues unique to gay experiences (they face homophobic discrimination when one husband gets fired), the story focusses on the universal themes of walking the difficult line between respect and honesty with those closest to us.              

Mommy  Janet Smith chose this one for her list as well. Searing performances anchor this knockout of a film by prolific and precocious director Xavier Dolan, who shows impressive development since his previous efforts. Gay-wannabe art-poser James Franco should seriously be taking notes.  

Stranger by the Lake  Director Alain Guiraudie distills the racy material of outdoor gay cruising and serial murders at a French lakeside through an existential lens. He turned in a muted thriller that attracts the body but seduces the mind.

X-Men: Days of Future Past  It was a toss-up between this and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, with its solid action sequences, adept pacing, and surprisingly thoughtful elements. X-Men wins out by a smidgen for its dynamic structure, which provides intriguing twists and unexpected elements. Plus all the cool mutant side characters, of course.