FEATURE: CBM Editor Josh Wilding Picks His Top Ten Movies Of 2014
2014 has been quite the year for film thanks to the release of a number of Marvel movies and the likes of Interstellar and Gone Girl from filmmakers such as Christopher Nolan and David Fincher. What were my top ten movies of the year? Hit the jump to find out...
Honourable Mentions
There have been a lot of great releases in 2014, but it does in some ways feel like they've been few and far between (perhaps explaining why box office takings have been down this year). However, I do have plenty which are worthy of a mention here which didn't quite make it into my top ten. The Imitation Game features a terrific performance from future Doctor Strange, Benedict Cumberbatch. X-Men: Days of Future Past and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes were two fantastic blockbusters in an underwhelming summer, while Peter Jackson's finale to The Hobbit trilogy - The Battle of the Five Armies - was a nice way to end the year. Fury showed us that David Ayer is the right man to take on the Suicide Squad, while I can't recommend '71 and Fury highly enough. Going back a little further, and the year got off to a great start with the likes of Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, 12 Years A Slave, The Wolf Of Wall Street, and The Dallas Buyers Club. One of 2014's biggest surprises? Paddington; a wonderful British family film which your kids will love, as no doubt will you.
10. Godzilla
Many didn't like the fact that Godzilla had little in the way of screentime, but here's hoping director Gareth Edwards doesn't take that to heart by turning the sequel into a Pacific Rim-like brainless slugfest. It had its faults (Elizabeth Olsen was wasted), but the slow build to bringing the titular monster onto the screen proved to be worth the wait thanks to an epic edge of your seat battle.
9. Edge of Tomorrow
The ending still bothers me in some ways, but it was a minor fault considering what came before it in Edge of Tomorrow. What could have been generic sci-fi fare was a smart and thrilling action movie which hopefully put Doug Liman on both Marvel and DC's watch list. Calling it smart isn't an off the cuff compliment either, as it really made clever use of the whole Groundhog Day elements.
8. Locke
Tom Hardy sitting in a car talking on the phone (and to himself) for 90 minutes may not sound thrilling on paper, but what a movie Locke was. This is one of the British actor's best performances to date, and if you've only ever seen him in Inception and The Dark Knight Rises, you need to check this out for a very different side of the future Rick Flagg. Bonus points for his Welsh accent!
7. The Guest
There's a good chance you may not have heard of The Guest, but track it down ASAP. British actor Dan Stevens is incredible as the returning soldier hiding a dark secret, and there are some big surprises in the final act as things take a slightly more sinister and outlandish turn. Whether it's as the next Steve Rogers or Iron Fist on Netlflix, I for one hope a CBM role is in Stevens' future...
6. Chef
After the crowded Iron Man 2 (more the fault of the script than anything else) and the forgettable Cowboys & Aliens, many began to think that Iron Man was perhaps a fluke for director Jon Favreau. Chef however proves that he still has "it", and the heartfelt family drama is great fun, and a must-watch for foodies. Oh, and apologies to Marvel, but it also has the year's best soundtrack!
5. Nightcrawler
Jake Gyllenhaal is on a roll. For Nightcrawler, he shed a lot of weight and transformed himself into an unrecognisable creep. Dan Gilroy showed us the ugly side of American news networks, and this was a disturbing, surprising, and dark glimpse into a twisted world which is unfortunately all too real. Now, here's hoping Marvel Studios cast him as their Spider-Man in that possible reboot!
4. Guardians Of The Galaxy
For a variety of reasons that have all been well discussed, Guardians of the Galaxy could have been 2014's worst movie. Instead, James Gunn defied expectations and made on of Marvel's greatest adaptations so far! The dance off, the soundtrack, Dancing Groot, Chris Pratt, a surprisingly amazing turn from "Bootista" (WWE fans will get that one)...how can you NOT love the movie?
3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
It was tough to pick this over Guardians of the Galaxy, and ideally, I'd like to take the easy way out and have them both at #3. However, Captain America: The Winter Soldier stands out for a number of reasons. Examples? The Russos found the perfect tone for a present day Cap movie, while the interactions between Steve and Bucky ("I'm with you 'till the end of the line") were perfect.
2. Gone Girl
Can David Fincher do any wrong? In the hands of a lesser filmmaker, Gone Girl could have failed miserably, despite how well-written it happens to be. Full of genuinely jaw dropping twists and turns, Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike do great things here (as per usual), while Fincher even gets an A+ performance out of Tyler freaking Perry! Now if only he would helm a comic book movie.
1. Interstellar
Interstellar has been somewhat divisive, with many unappreciative of a lot of the scientific gobbledygook. However, this is arguably Christopher Nolan's best movie yet, which in itself is no easy feat. It feels more like an experience than a movie, something only heightened by seeing it in IMAX. Full of amazing performances and stunning effects, it doesn't get better than this...
About The Author:
Comic Book Reader. Film Lover. WWE and F1 Fan. Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and ComicBookMovie.com's #1 contributor.