The Best of 2014 - My Year End Countdown (Almost)

It is a law.

All critics must have year end lists of the best / worst and everything to look forward to in the world of film...hopefully over the next three days you'll get a lot of that from me.

First up -- the best...

Now making this list every year is a challenge.

But because of the law that exists...it must be done.

The way I go about things is by flipping through the list of films that came out during the year and filing those to consider on either the Best or the Worst side of the ledger. From there I pare the list down to those films I really want to talk about.

This year...I'm going to do something differently...

This post - Will have all the almost made it films...you know the onest that made the "Best" side of the ledger...but when paring the list down to just 10, I have to make some fierce cuts.

I will say this about 2014. In my mind, it was a very good year for film...but not a great year. I had 3-5 films up near the top of my list and everything from as high as 4 - 25 or so...could be interchanged depending on what side of the bed I woke up on. Fair, no...but it is reality when compiling a list.

So here's some films that I think REALLY were exceptional...but they did not make my list. 

Made the list...but weren't in the final round of deliberations.

Bad Words
Captain America: Winter Soldier
The Railway Man
Neighbors
22 Jump St
How To Train Your Dragon 2
The Rover
Wish I Was Here
Begin Again
The Hundred-Foot Journey
The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby
Citizenfour
Foxcatcher
Touch The Wall
Point and Shoot
Red Army
Top Five
Selma

You could do much worse than any of these films. From action blockbusters like Captain America: Winter Soldier to comedies like Bad Words (really underrated), 22 Jump St., Neighbors and Top Five.

Folks who don't normally watch Documentaries should check out Touch The Wall, Point and Shoot and Red Army. I'm a doc geek and those films stuck with me for very different reasons. One is a movie about being a swim champion, one about one man's just fighting with rebels, one about Edward Snowden, and the final about the amazing Russian Olympic hockey teams of the 80s. (think of it as what happened on the other side of the Miracle on Ice).

And the dramas....oh the dramas... The Railway Man, The Rover, Wish I was Here, Begin Again, The Hundred-Foot Journey, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, Foxcatcher and Selma. All of these
have a great time waiting for you at the movies and are splendid achievements in their own right. But they just didn't quite make the cut...

Stay tuned to the next post -- for the final films left off the list in more depth....

Last Minute Movie Gift Ideas for Under the Tree

Everyone always asks, Paul, "I have a movie fan in my house, I need one more gift, do you have any ideas?"

Well other than the obvious (Gift cards for your local theater) Here's a couple of suggestions on the DVD Front.

Sons of Anarchy - The Collector's Set

Box / Gift Sets

Let’s face it, you love TV as well as movies. And the best sets out there are just amazing. Here’s just a smattering of what caught my eye this holiday season.

Sons of Anarchy– The Collector’s Set / includes 6 seasons PLUS leaves a space to add the 7^thand final season when available. The packaging alone is something that will have fans of the series just bending over backwards to say thank you.

The Simpsons – Season 17 / What can one say about this awesome series...all positive for fans like me.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes– Caesar’s Warrior Edition / Just the regular movie is cool, but this special edition comes in a Caesar head. Yes please!

Reno 911: The Complete Series / Some of you are too young to remember COPS, and some never had the opportunity to enjoy the comedic version of COPS...I did and this is now available and spectacular - all 6 seasons.

Fox Searchlight
20th Anniversary Collection

Arrested Development Season 4 / So you loved the series, now get the episodes that just hit the airwaves in one package with cool package artwork to boot.

The Americans -The Complete Second Season / The new season of the Keri Russell's starring thriller on FX is back in January, but this is the best way to get up to speed with what you missed.

Fox Searchlight 20^th Anniversary Collection (127 Hours, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Sideways, Slumdog Millionaire and sixteen more titles)

Family Guy - Season 12 / Includes an exclusive look at The Life (and Death) Of Brian. All 21 episodes from the season are here for your enjoyment.

Caesar's Warrior Edition of
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Movies, Movies, Movies

Not everyone can afford the fancy box sets that are available, there are some great single films from the last couple months that might be more like it. Some of these you will recognize as a “Pick of the Week”, while others may be just perfect for the right person on your list.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes / Rated PG-13 / Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke / If you can't afford the Caesar's Warrior Edition, check this out so you can see the movie and many of the cool extras.

Guardians of the Galaxy / Rated PG-13 / Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana / The biggest film of the year, now in your home.

How To Train Your Dragon 2 / Rated PG / Voices of Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett / A rare instance where the sequel works as well as the original - great story progression and Toothless rocks.

The Hundred-Foot Journey / Rated PG / Helen Mirren, Om Puri / Christmas has plenty of food, and this movie will keep it going...onscreen!

The Maze Runner / Rated PG-13 / Dylan O’ Brien, Will Poulter / Brand new to Blu and DVD - the perfect addition to that teenagers gifts.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles / Rated PG-13 / Megan Fox, Will Arnett / Purchase the right package and you could get some reversible ninja masks too...yep they are a blast.

Earth to Echo / Rated PG / Teo Halm, Astro / Just really liked this early this year...cute and fun!

Don’t Forget

These films got me really excited as they made a release to the Blu-ray format. Your lover of the classics will want these in their collection.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (50^th Anniversary Edition)

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (75^th Anniversary Edition)

And if that's not enough...you can always pick up a membership to a film festival in your area, maybe donate to a kickstarter or indie gogo project in your gift recipient's name. Plus there's always Popcorn, Candy, Soda and all the rest that can help you fill out those little holes on your list.

Enjoy your Christmas - with family, friends and the movies - oh, and the Common Guy!

All titles listed should be available now but remember all release dates are subject to change.

Critics' Choice Awards Nominations - My Reaction

So with the announcement of the Critics' Choice Movie Awards nominees ... you may have guessed I have some opinions.

As a voting member of the BFCA, I want our awards to be the best representation of film for the year.  So let me give you a couple thoughts on what was (and wasn't) nominated.

While many of my favorites made the list like Whiplash and Boyhood did get into the Best Picture race, I found myself disappointed at a couple marginal films that didn't get in that I quite liked. American Sniper and A Most Violent Year were both excellent and evocative features released this year that were quite good.

But overall, I found the year to be filled with quite good films, but very few "great" films that I really have blown up about. That means that even now, when I look at the list that is up for the Best Picture category, I don't know where my vote will go in January. I can say I will be re-watching some of my faves in coming up with a Top 10 (or so) for the year and in deciding how to mark my ballot!

In the acting categories, there are usually 6 nominees in our awards. That means we get to recognize at least one extra individual in each group, and there are still...of course... those who didn't make the cut that could have deserved the nominations.

Performances like the one from Steve Carell in Foxcatcher got left off in favor of some others. His performance alone was thought to bring him recognition for the first time, and it surprises me that it didn't make the cut. And I absolutely cannot for the life of me understand why Miles Teller isn't talked about more for his driven and obsessive role in Whiplash. J.K Simmons deserves all the love in the world for his role in the same film, but he works with Teller in something special. I believe that across the industry, many are missing the brilliance of Teller's performance and it will be one we look back at later in his career and realize just how good it really was.

On the actress categories there are many great selections. I loved Julianne Moore in Still Alice. My Aniston, Cotillard, Jones, Pike and Witherspoon in the mix...one can easily see what Amy Adams may have been left behind for her performance in Big Eyes.
grandmother battled Alzheimer's and I was literally moved to tears the way Moore was able to convey both the love and the internal struggle that exists for those in the same situation. And with

Now in Supporting Actress I really love all the choices, including one that may have surprised some, Tilda Swinton in Snowpiercer. Swinton portrays an incredibly unlikable lady with all the makeup and wardrobe to enhance her just right. Amazing as always, she deserves to be here and IS. Someone who deserves to be here and isn't...is someone who I have always had a difficult time with in films, maybe because her tie to the series that I really didn't like, Kristen Stewart. Her role in Still Alice as the daughter of Julianne Moore is spot on. The struggles she experiences in losing the one person who always was the best and the brightest are real and she brings them to life. Even though she wasn't nominated, this is the best performance we have seen from Stewart and hopefully just a sign of things to come.

What else would I have liked to see that didn't get in?

Rohan Chand for Best Young Actor/Actress in the amazingly underrated comedy Bad Words. Playing opposite the very funny Jason Bateman his timing was spot on and really funny.

The documentaries Point and Shoot and Red Army were both high up on my list of some of the best of the year, and I loved 1971 as well. But docs are really open for this group and the winner come awards night will most likely boil down to Life Itself or Citizenfour if we are being honest.

And last, but not least...The Sacrament. I would've loved to sneak it into the Horror/Sci-fi category and Neighbors or Chef into the Best Comedy category. But that's all personal preference.

The nominations are really solid...and I can't wait to cast my final vote in a couple weeks...until then back to watching some of these that are close yet again! Happy watching!

p

Here's a link to all the nominees

The final Critics' Choice Movie Awards will be presented on 

Jan. 15 on A&E LIVE at 9PM ET / 6PM PT.

20th Annual Critics Choice Movie Awards Nominees - 1/15/15 on A&E

Here's the nominees list for this year's awards airing live, January 15 on A&E - my commentary will be up shortly!

BEST PICTURE

Birdman

Boyhood

Gone Girl

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game

Nightcrawler

Selma

The Theory of Everything

Unbroken

Whiplash

BEST ACTOR

Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game

Ralph Fiennes – The Grand Budapest Hotel

Jake Gyllenhaal – Nightcrawler

Michael Keaton – Birdman

David Oyelowo – Selma

Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything

BEST ACTRESS

Jennifer Aniston – Cake

Marion Cotillard – Two Days, One Night

Felicity Jones – The Theory of Everything

Julianne Moore – Still Alice

Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl

Reese Witherspoon – Wild

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Josh Brolin – Inherent Vice

Robert Duvall – The Judge

Ethan Hawke – Boyhood

Edward Norton – Birdman

Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher

J.K. Simmons – Whiplash

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Patricia Arquette – Boyhood

Jessica Chastain – A Most Violent Year

Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game

Emma Stone – Birdman

Meryl Streep – Into the Woods

Tilda Swinton – Snowpiercer

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS

Ellar Coltrane – Boyhood

Ansel Elgort – The Fault in Our Stars

Mackenzie Foy – Interstellar

Jaeden Lieberher – St. Vincent

Tony Revolori – The Grand Budapest Hotel

Quvenzhane Wallis – Annie

Noah Wiseman – The Babadook

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE

Birdman

Boyhood

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game

Into the Woods

Selma

BEST DIRECTOR

Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel

Ava DuVernay – Selma

David Fincher – Gone Girl

Alejandro G. Inarritu – Birdman

Angelina Jolie – Unbroken

Richard Linklater – Boyhood

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Birdman – Alejandro G. Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr., Armando Bo

Boyhood – Richard Linklater

The Grand Budapest Hotel – Wes Anderson, Hugo Guinness

Nightcrawler – Dan Gilroy

Whiplash – Damien Chazelle

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn

The Imitation Game – Graham Moore

Inherent Vice – Paul Thomas Anderson

The Theory of Everything – Anthony McCarten

Unbroken – Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, Richard LaGravenese, William Nicholson

Wild – Nick Hornby

BEST CINEMATOGRAPY

Birdman – Emmanuel Lubezki

The Grand Budapest Hotel – Robert Yeoman

Interstellar – Hoyte Van Hoytema

Mr. Turner – Dick Pope

Unbroken – Roger Deakins

BEST ART DIRECTION

Birdman – Kevin Thompson/Production Designer, George DeTitta Jr./Set Decorator

The Grand Budapest Hotel – Adam Stockhausen/Production Designer, Anna Pinnock/Set Decorator

Inherent Vice – David Crank/Production Designer, Amy Wells/Set Decorator

Interstellar – Nathan Crowley/Production Designer, Gary Fettis/Set Decorator

Into the Woods – Dennis Gassner/Production Designer, Anna Pinnock/Set Decorator

Snowpiercer – Ondrej Nekvasil/Production Designer, Beatrice Brentnerova/Set Decorator

BEST EDITING

Birdman – Douglas Crise, Stephen Mirrione

Boyhood – Sandra Adair

Gone Girl – Kirk Baxter

Interstellar – Lee Smith

Whiplash – Tom Cross

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

The Grand Budapest Hotel – Milena Canonero

Inherent Vice – Mark Bridges

Into the Woods – Colleen Atwood

Maleficent – Anna B. Sheppard

Mr. Turner – Jacqueline Durran

BEST HAIR & MAKEUP

Foxcatcher

Guardians of the Galaxy

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Into the Woods

Maleficent

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Edge of Tomorrow

Guardians of the Galaxy

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Interstellar

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Big Hero 6

The Book of Life

The Boxtrolls

How to Train Your Dragon 2

The Lego Movie

BEST ACTION MOVIE

American Sniper

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Edge of Tomorrow

Fury

Guardians of the Galaxy

BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIE

Bradley Cooper – American Sniper

Tom Cruise – Edge of Tomorrow

Chris Evans – Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Brad Pitt – Fury

Chris Pratt – Guardians of the Galaxy

BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE

Emily Blunt – Edge of Tomorrow

Scarlett Johansson – Lucy

Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

Zoe Saldana – Guardians of the Galaxy

Shailene Woodley – Divergent

BEST COMEDY

Birdman

The Grand Budapest Hotel

St. Vincent

Top Five

22 Jump Street

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY

Jon Favreau – Chef

Ralph Fiennes – The Grand Budapest Hotel

Michael Keaton – Birdman

Bill Murray – St. Vincent

Chris Rock – Top Five

Channing Tatum – 22 Jump Street

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

Rose Byrne – Neighbors

Rosario Dawson – Top Five

Melissa McCarthy – St. Vincent

Jenny Slate – Obvious Child

Kristen Wiig – The Skeleton Twins

BEST SCI-FI/HORROR MOVIE

The Babadook

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Interstellar

Snowpiercer

Under the Skin

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Force Majeure

Ida

Leviathan

Two Days, One Night

Wild Tales

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Citizenfour

Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me

Jodorowsky’s Dune

Last Days in Vietnam

Life Itself

The Overnighters

BEST SONG

Big Eyes – Lana Del Rey – Big Eyes

Everything Is Awesome – Jo Li and the Lonely Island – The Lego Movie

Glory – Common/John Legend – Selma 

Lost Stars – Keira Knightley – Begin Again

Yellow Flicker Beat – Lorde – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

BEST SCORE

Alexandre Desplat – The Imitation Game

Johann Johannsson – The Theory of Everything

Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross – Gone Girl

Antonio Sanchez – Birdman

Hans Zimmer – Interstellar