Critics look back at the best movies of 2014

From a pink torte of a fantasy to an intimate view of life, 2014 proved to be quite the vintage year for our film critics

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      If the number of mainstream movies in the Straight’s annual Top 10 indicates that the seventh art is in much ruder health than we might have anticipated even a few years ago, it’s also a welcome reminder that the Hollywood-dominated industry is capable of so much more than producing an international incident out of a goofball comedy. Mind you, the one film that all of our critics agreed on was green-lit over 12 years ago…

      Ken Eisner

      The strongest titles were so potent this time around, there’s not much point in ranking them. Boyhood, however, stood out for both the audacity of its vision and the down-to-earth lyricism of its execution. This was also the year America started to recognize its lostness, both in the blowback from nonstop war and in the ways it has betrayed the citizens deemed “less” than white—and betrayed everyone by reducing them to objects of pure data collection.

      Boyhood
      As everyone knows by now, Richard Linklater—the cinematic poet laureate of Texas—spent 12 years filming the same cast, with then-unknown Ellar Coltrane growing up before our eyes. The prosaic flow of life events explains the film’s universal appeal, but Boyhood also lays out, in real time, a subtle dissection of socially imposed modes of masculine behaviour.

      Birdman, or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
      Superhero, supershmero. Michael Keaton exorcises his Batman back story with this technically dazzling farce about a fading Hollywood star trying to reboot his career as a bona fide Broadway actor. Alejandro González Iñárritu’s conceit is to present the dark-toned tale as one unbroken take, punctuated by drum solos and classical music—American and European notions of art, one could say, if one weren’t busy being chased by a giant winged creature.

      Force Majeure
      An avalanche of great ideas overruns this otherwise cool-tempered Swedish tale of a troubled couple whose holiday in the French Alps instantly goes south when the husband loses face in the eyes of his wife and children.

      The Grand Budapest Hotel
      Wes Anderson’s grandiose pink Linzer torte of a movie is his most elaborate fantasy, yet also his most emotionally satisfying, with Ralph Fiennes in a mostly comic role that turns melancholy as it rattles through decades of Mitteleuropean history.

      Mr. Turner
      In Mike Leigh’s visually opulent tone poem, Brit-movie veteran Timothy Spall gets his best role yet, as the great English painter who anticipated both impressionism and abstract expressionism.

      Selma/Dear White People
      It’s amazing that any actor (like England’s David Oyelowo, in fact) could convincingly evoke Martin Luther King Jr., so familiar from real life, and here seen at a crucial turning point in the civil-rights struggle. Dear White People is as artificial, in its own collegiate way, as Budapest Hotel. But first-timer Justin Simien, spinning off a long-running series on his Twitter account, made a satirical bookend for Selma, allowing a fuller picture of black lives today.

      Under The Skin
      A riff on ’50s sci-fi scarefests—right down to the creepy theremin music—the unforgettably strange Skin stars Scarlett Johansson as an alien who masquerades as a human female in order to lure hapless U.K. louts to their energy-sucking doom.

      Only Lovers Left Alive
      Sneaking deeply into genre (and gender) tropes, Jim Jarmusch turned the current adolescent vampire fixation on its pointy ear by mounting a funny, nocturnal take on pop-(and high-)culture addicts who keep rockin’ as they get really, really old.

      Frank
      The manufacture (and maintenance) of charisma is just one subject of this outrageously droll comedy, starring the versatile Michael Fassbender as an unlikely bandleader in a fragile papier-mâché head.

      Citizenfour
      This quietly terrifying documentary (one of many this year) is both an exposé of the state as massive spy machine and a character study of Edward Snowden, who laid the machinery bare, with help from journalist Glenn Greenwald and filmmaker Laura Poitras—all of whom now have bigger things than North Korean hacks to worry about.

       

      Janet Smith

      Admittedly, the future did not look bright on celluloid in 2014. If some of the year’s most brilliantly crafted films are any indication, we’re headed for either flesh-hungry-alien invasions, global-warming-spurred dust storms, or a permanent ice age. Now, if only we could find the wormhole that leads to Cloud Cuckoo Land.

      Under The Skin 
      Full-on existential creeps come courtesy of a coldly calculating ET manhunter—a dead-eyed, tone-perfect Scarlett Johansson in too-tight jeans and a bad brunette haircut. It’s mind-blowing: as a formal exercise (hidden cameras meet special effects), as an exploration of feminine power and weakness, and as a space-alien tale with a debt to Kubrick.

      Boyhood
      Achingly intimate yet epic, Richard Linklater’s defining film digs into coming of age, the many faces of masculinity, and slow-burn family dysfunction in a way that goes far beyond words—remarkable for a guy known for talky pics like Before Sunrise. The director captures that elusive feeling of what it means to be young, and those moments when you lose your innocence, bit by tiny bit. For anyone who’s ever been a child, had a child, or wondered at the way years can pass like minutes.

      Mommy
      Xavier Dolan’s audacious film rides a fearless energy all its own. His story of a hard-knocks mother trying to raise her out-of-control but devoted teen delivers raw emotion with an unbridled visual flourish. There’s a near-ecstatic shopping-cart ride and the most over-the-top Céline Dion–cranked kitchen-party scene you’ve ever seen. Actually, probably the only one.

      Interstellar
      Haters can stay focused on the flaws. Just find me a more ambitious, spectacular film this year, from the apocalyptic dust storms to the tidal-wave planet. And ease off on the 2001: A Space Odyssey comparisons: Christopher Nolan may reach through wormholes to the far ends of the galaxy for this one, but he’s desperately interested in what it means to be a human on this slow-dying Earth.

      Finding Vivian Maier
      The best documentaries reveal their surprises slowly, like a photograph developing—a fitting metaphor for this riveting story of a nanny who took stunning street shots of everyday citizens in Chicago and New York. It’s unforgettable, not just for the artful way the film pays tribute to her prolific work, but for the way it slowly unravels its mysterious subject’s mental turmoil.

      The One I Love
      The plot reads like a Twilight Zone episode: a couple on the brink of separation are sent to a retreat where bizarre forces happen in the guesthouse. But this twisted little chamber piece is actually a sly unwrapping of the unrealistic expectations we have of our partners—that, and the importance of bacon to any marriage.

      20,000 Days on Earth
      One of the world’s most enigmatic rock stars gets the documentary he deserves: a dreamlike, noir head trip that takes us into Nick Cave’s studio, the back seat of his black Jag, a psychiatry session, his kids’ TV room, and Warren Ellis’s seaside kitchen for tea. Some of it is staged, some candid—as the Bad Seed himself puts it, “that shimmering space where reality and imagination intersect”. Electric.

      The Lego Movie
      Yes, everything is awesome. What could have become a joyless exercise in merchandising turned out to be a stop-motion, brick-happy self-parody, with an unexpectedly poignant last act about emotionally absent parenting.

      Snowpiercer
      Korea’s Bong Joon-Ho conjures the ride of your life. In a postapocalyptic future, the world’s survivors are forced to travel on a train to nowhere, around an endless loop that cuts through the permafrost that encrusts the Earth. Dystopian is too light a term for this Orwellian horror story, while the words steampunk, surrealist savagery only start to describe the mad excesses of Bong’s insane comic book come to life. And we haven’t even mentioned Tilda Swinton’s teeth.

      Only Lovers Left Alive 
      Jim Jarmusch’s deliriously languid vampire love story is as lush and enveloping as all the antique velvet that’s lying around. Blood popsicles, vintage guitars, dilapidated Detroit mansions, and Christopher Marlowe: a vampire tale without the suck.

       

      John Lekich

      A Walk Among the Tombstones
      A disappointing performance at the box office doesn’t mean that this streetwise thriller deserves to slip between the cracks. Think you’ve seen enough of Liam Neeson brandishing a gun lately? Think again. Director Scott Frank laces this violent throwback to ’70s-style grit with a generous measure of heart and soul.

      Birdman, or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
      Easily one of the riskiest—and certainly one of the most exhilarating—mainstream movies of the year. Michael Keaton stars as an aging actor saddled with all the psychological baggage that comes with playing a movie superhero. His attempt to escape his creative albatross by broadening his range could be the most cautionary show-biz story since All About Eve.

      Boyhood
      Writer-director Richard Linklater pulls off what could be the most touchingly tenacious experiment in the history of film, chronicling the fictional ups and downs of a family over 12 real years. What ultimately emerges is a story that blossoms with the natural tenderness of everyday life.

      Calvary
      It’s a rare film that manages to be both grim and contemplative while nurturing a bright thread of hope. But Calvary—the story of a priest in a small Irish village struggling to cope with the demands of his dysfunctional flock—does just that. Brendan Gleeson gives a brilliantly subdued performance that will linger in your mind for days.

      The Grand Budapest Hotel, starring Tony Revolori and Saoirse Ronan (left), was like cinematic Champagne

      The Grand Budapest Hotel
      Wes Anderson’s bittersweet tribute to the loopier side of Old World Europe plays like a rollicking fairy tale for slightly jaded adults. Our tour guide is a merrily pragmatic concierge (Ralph Fiennes, who turns in a performance that’s as caustic as it is touching). This is as close as you’ll get to the cinematic equivalent of vintage Champagne.

      Life Itself
      Filmmaker Steve James gives us an unflinching look at the life of the late movie critic Roger Ebert. Ebert, who ultimately succumbed to a long and gruelling battle with cancer, loved movies. But it’s the evolving discovery of just how much he valued life in general that will leave you feeling inspired.

      Maleficent
      Disney returns to its roots with this slick and delightfully menacing update of Sleeping Beauty. Although there’s much to recommend in this handsome production, it’s basically a showcase for a wicked turn by Angelina Jolie. Jolie couldn’t be more perfect as a dark fairy who rediscovers her good side.

      St. Vincent
      Bill Murray plays a crusty lowlife whose drastic financial situation compels him to earn a little extra cash babysitting a young neighbour (talented newcomer Jaeden Lieberher). The Runyonesque plot is nothing new. (Think of it as a savvy update of a classic chestnut like Little Miss Marker.) But the performances are so spot-on that the whole thing feels remarkably fresh.

      The Fault in Our Stars
      Based on the best-selling young-adult novel by John Green, this quirky romance—about two teens suffering from cancer who meet in a therapy session and fall in love—manages to avoid the usual sappy pitfalls of the genre. Thanks to genuinely moving performances by costars Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort, what’s left is the kind of good old-fashioned weeper that’s all too rare these days.

      Whiplash
      Although the basic plot may suggest a kind of Flashdance for jazz buffs, the story of a young drummer (Miles Teller) under the unforgiving tutelage of a relentless teacher (a spellbinding J.K. Simmons) is too uncompromising for excess sentiment. Harsh as it is, it’s also eminently watchable.

       

      Honourable Mentions

      If the surplus of three-hour movies we’ve seen in the last couple of years suggests editing has become an antique notion to too many filmmakers, rest assured that the Straight—with the exception of Ken Eisner and that sneaky Selma/Dear White People twofer—still knows how to cut for length. By the same token, choosing 10 movies to represent the year’s best is enough to make the hardiest critic weep. In that spirit, here are 10 more that we think should have made the cut.

      Alan Partridge
      You may be thinking, “Isn’t Steve Coogan kind of a douche?” Yes, but like Tom Cruise, who’s figured out people want to watch him getting beat up, Coogan puts his legendary alter ego in a hostage crisis and it brings out his best, most panicky one-liners. Colm Meaney’s the perfect foil. The plot’s nonsense but a giggle fit’s guaranteed.
      > Kim Linekin

      Cheap Thrills
      The kind of film that’s guaranteed to lose a good chunk of its audience at every screening, E.L. Katz’s feature debut—in which two financially strapped friends compete for a wealthy psychopath’s cash in a series of escalating dares—is also a viciously intelligent critique of class warfare and economic Armageddon. This is American pulp at its very finest, with a final shot like a steel-toed boot to the gut.
      > Adrian Mack

      Edge of Tomorrow
      A study in marketing errors (the film was blandly renamed before release and seems to have been renamed again, to Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow), Doug Liman’s adaptation of the manga All You Need Is Kill is catnip for people who like clever science fiction, a muscular Emily Blunt, and a weaselly Tom Cruise, who suffers numerous grisly but funny deaths.
      > Ron Yamauchi

      Guardians of the Galaxy
      On a Pixar-like roll of commercial and critical success, Marvel shows us that, on top of science fiction, heroic fantasy, and conspiracy thrillers, it can also make space opera. It would be enough if GOTG were merely dazzling, but James Gunn has also given us a tightly constructed character comedy, which aspiring blockbuster writers should study as avidly as our kids will be clamouring for Groot toys.
      >Ron Yamauchi

      John Wick
      Like the retro-style Detroit muscle cars favoured by the lead character, John Wick stands for the proposition that America can still make something awesome, in this case an outstanding action flick that doesn’t rely on computer graphics or sequels. Keanu Reeves stars as a legendary hit man lured from retirement by the need to avenge his dog. Incredible stuntwork, stylish cinematography, and clever world-building ensue.
      >Ron Yamauchi

      Locke
      It’s an existential car chase. One man in a car driving to watch his mistress give birth, as phone calls to his family and colleagues pursue his life down the drain. Tom Hardy makes Locke’s good intentions and grief so riveting, you don’t need to see anything else. 
      > Kim Linekin

      The Lunchbox
      A mixed-up tiffin delivery in Mumbai unites two lonely hearts—a widower and a neglected housewife—who find consolation in correspondence with each other. Sprinklings of humour amid the unfolding details of their lives help to concoct a savoury serving of restrained charm.
      > Craig Takeuchi

      David Cronenberg appeared to have quite a gas ripping Hollywood a new one in Maps to the Stars, starring Julianne Moore.

      Maps to the Stars
      While it has its flaws, David Cronenberg’s latest only seems more timely than ever as we watch the Hollywood star system crumble in real life from a century of deep rot. Julianne Moore will probably win an Oscar for the very worthy Still Alice, but with fading starlet Havana Segrand, Maps gives us the bravest (and gassiest) performance of her brilliant career.
      > Adrian Mack

      Rhymes for Young Ghouls
      A rare Canadian film that kicks ass. A young First Nations woman gets revenge on her residential schoolmaster, while selling pot and dealing with her no-good dad. Violence, black humour, dirty blues music, and a Katniss-worthy heroine: Rhymes has it all.
      > Kim Linekin

      Vic + Flo Saw a Bear
      Two female ex-cons’ plans to rebuild their lives in rural Quebec are shattered when someone baleful from their past surfaces. With this low-key thriller, director Denis Côté once again displays his gift for infusing the everyday with intrigue in understated and yet engaging ways.
      > Craig Takeuchi

      Comments

      1 Comments

      A. MacInnis

      Dec 24, 2014 at 11:41pm

      ...and the best commercial film of 2014, Nightcrawler, gets mentioned by no-one? Hm.