Top Ten Films of 2014

The Best Film I've Seen This Year - Snowpiercer

Quick disclaimer to say that the best film I have seen all year is Snowpiercer however due to the fact it has still not had a theatrical release in the UK in 2014 and so therefore it is ineligible for inclusion in my "official" top ten of 2014.

Read my full review here to find out what you are missing out on.

The LEGO Movie

Everything about The LEGO Movie is awesome and it is easily the most inventive and consistently funny and entertaining film assembled this year and suitable for ages 8-99 (that's just a suggestion) and anyone who has ever played with the sophisticated interlocking brick system, whether you went exactly by the instructions or let your imagination run wild just as Lord and Miller have here.

Read my full review here.

2. Nightcrawler

If you want to win the lottery, you need to make the money to buy a ticket. And writer-director Dan Gilroy, Gyllenhaal and audiences have all won the jackpot with Nightcrawler.
Watching Lou Bloom ascend his crooked ladder and achieve his own twisted version of the American Dream, or is that the American Nightmare?
It is a film that will make you feel like you need a shower after seeing it but it feels really good while you are watching it, especially due to the fantastic cinematography by Robert Elswit who makes this L.A. feel like the same world that is home to Ryan Gosling's mysterious Driver in Drive or Elijah Wood's Frank in Maniac.

Read my full review here.

3. Her

In a world where we are spending an ever-increasing amount of our lives online and communicating to other through our computers and smartphones, Her is probably the most important and timely romantic film of the last decade.
A must-see romance for anyone looking for a Siri-ous relationship.

Read my full review here.

4. Interstellar

With 2010's Inception Christopher Nolan explored the inner mind. With Interstellar, Nolan has decided to "dream a little bigger darling" and has set his sights on outer space to deliver a grand, awe-inspiring, wondrous 2014 A Space Odyssey.
It is said that Man's reach exceeds his grasp but when that man is Christopher Nolan and he is reaching for the stars, the result is still an extremely powerful, moving, exhilarating cinematic experience.

Read my full review here.

5. The Guest

It might not have found its ideal audience at the cinema but this is a Grindhouse-classic in the making that will become a very welcome house Guest on DVD and VOD in the years to come.

6. Under The Skin

Ultimately Under The Skin is undefinable, utterly unique (as far as i'm aware no other film this years features a discussion on the locations of Asda and Tesco) and completely unforgettable. Like the title says, this film will get under the skin and stay with you forever.

Read my full review here.

7. The Grand Budapest Hotel

"My girlfriend and I booked ourselves in for a 100 minute stay at The Grand Budapest Hotel on Sunday 2nd March and were among the first to visit the hotel now it was open to the public following its grand opening in Berlin and Glasgow.

While the initial areas felt slightly drab and reminiscent of the Overlook Hotel, they soon gave way to the beautiful and memorably bright pink decor that will become synonymous with this location which was made all the more stunning by the Academy ratio it was presented in.

If I were to single out a particular member of staff, I would like to praise the efforts of the concierge Gustave H. who was simply charming, hilarious and smelt divine and made our stay an absolute delight.

If you are staying here I highly recommend a trip down to the local town of Zubrowka to sample some of its many delights including skiing, a local monastery and Mendl's bakery which has some heavenly cakes.

Sadly our visit was over before we knew it so we are already planning our next trip and would highly recommend The Grand Budapest Hotel looking for a fun cinematic vacation this year.

Read my full review here.

8. Only Lovers Left Alive

The script's wit is as razor sharp as their teeth and dripping with deadpan delivery by Hiddleston and Swinton who are both able to hint at the old souls behind the young eyes of these eternal creatures of the night.
Shot with an ethereal beauty and a killer soundtrack, it can easily stake a claim as the best vampire film since Let The Right One In.

Read my full review here.

9. Boyhood

"Life moves pretty fast. if you don't stop to look around once in a while, you might miss it" and Richard Linklater has perfectly captured this in 146 mins but they also say "life's too short" and I could have happily watch a few more hours of this incredible and unique piece of cinema.

Read my full review here.

10. The Babadook

Every now and again a horror film creeps up on you out of nowhere and scares you senseless. The Babadook is one such film and features the scariest figure to wear a top hat since Papa Lazarou.
So heed my advice. Just take one look. You'll be thrilled and wowed by The Babadook.

Read my full review here.

Lucy - review

*Warning - this review will go into some plot details from the end of the film so this is your SPOILER warning*

First thing's first, I love Lucy. But enough about my girlfriend, what about the film?

Scarlett Johansson continues her stellar 2014 which has already seen her appear four times in my Top 20 of 2014 thanks to performances in Her, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Chef and Under The Skin.

Tricked by her boyfriend into delivering a briefcase to some nefarious gangsters, Lucy is forced into becoming a drugs mule by having a bag of drugs sewn into her stomach.

I can only assume that it is Heisenberg's crystal meth as it is blue in colour and she is shipped to Europe which is where all the kids were going crazy for it.

Attacked by her kidnappers, the bag of drugs bursts and it seeps into her bloodstream thus increasing her brain capacity to exponential rates, unlocking areas of her brain previously unused which give her special abilities, which she uses to gain revenge on her captors.

At the same time, because she can multitask due to her powers (and being a woman), she is talking to a scientist (played by Morgan Freeman) about controlling her abilities and ways to preserve her increasing knowledge and intelligence.

As Lucy reaches 100% capacity, she attempts to achieve transcendence and uploads her consciousness to an artificial intelligence which makes the most enjoyable way to enjoy Lucy is viewing it as a direct prequel to Her in which she is the voice of the OS1 operating system.

Luc Besson has a great history in creating strong female characters such as Matilda in Leon and LeeLoo Dallas Mooltipass and Lucy is his most delightfully demented slice of Sci-Fi action since The Fifth Element in an episode one could call The Outer Limitless.

3 stars

Top 14 Films Of 2014... So Far

1. The LEGO Movie

This film is one of the greatest films ever assembled and suitable for ages 8-99 (that's just a suggestion) and anyone who has ever played with the sophisticated interlocking brick system, whether you went exactly by the instructions or let your imagination run wild just as Lord and Miller have here.

2. Snowpiercer

Hopefully this train won't face too many more delays before it gains a proper cinema release as this is first class entertainment that remains on track to be one of my favourite films of the year.

3. Her

Some will fall in love with it, others won't but those that do will find a film that starts life as science fiction but very soon could become science fact and a must-see romance for anyone looking for a Siri-ous relationship.

4. Under The Skin

Ultimately Under The Skin is undefinable, utterly unique and completely unforgettable. Like the title says, this film will get under the skin and stay with you forever.

5. The Wolf Of Wall Street

Wall Street said "Greed is good" but Wolf Of Wall Street would say that "Greed is Motherf*cking Great!". It's lewd, rude and crude, un-PC and offensive and I for one fell for Scorsese's sales pitch and enjoyed every minute of it. I'm investing all my cash in Marty and Leo's next project.

6. The Raid 2

With The Raid 2, director Gareth Evans has been able to deliver a sequel that not only expands the universe but also differentiates and improves upon the original. Take a bow Mr. Evans, you have made The Godfather Part 2 of action movies.

7. Only Lovers Left Alive

Shot with an ethereal beauty and a killer soundtrack, it can easily stake a claim as the best vampire film since Let The Right One In.

8. The Grand Budapest Hotel

"Wes Anderson's new hotel is very Grand"

***** on Trip Advisor

User: Dallas King

Already planning my next trip and would highly recommend The Grand Budapest Hotel looking for a fun cinematic vacation this year.

9. Chef

Chef is food porn at its finest, with shots of cuisine that look so good Gregg Wallace would be licking the screen in envy. Make your reservations now as this is one Michelin starred film that you won't want to miss. I'm already booked in for seconds and can't wait to see what Favreau cooks up next.

10. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Captain America, F*CK YEAH!

11. Locke

From the off the film hits Top Gear and never lets up. This is one car journey you won't be asking "Are we there yet?".

12. The Double

A poster-friendly soundbite would be "It's Polanski's The Tenant meets Fight Club" and like the film's leading man (or men), The Double will stand up to multiple viewings.

13. 22 Jump Street

"Everything is awesome" in 2014 for Lord Miller because along with The LEGO Movie they have delivered the two funniest films of the year and proved that they are the most visually inventive and creative action comedy directors since Edgar Wright.

14. Oculus

Mirror Mirror on the wall, is Oculus the fairest horror movie of the year?
So much so that I can't wait for the sequel Oculus 2: Oculus Rift

Her - review

In a world where we are spending an ever-increasing amount of our lives online and communicating to other through our computers and smartphones, Her is probably the most important and timely romantic film of the last decade.

Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) is going through the final stages of a divorce, living a quiet lonely existence trying to "prioritise between video games and Internet porn" and works for a company called beautifulhandwrittenletters.com, writing letters for people who have trouble communicating (but clearly pay well for the service given Theodore's apartment).

It reminded me of a line in (500) Days Of Summer where Tom bemoans his job at a greeting card company, saying "why do people buy these things? It's not because they wanna say how they feel, people buy cards because they can't say how they feel or are afraid to. We provide the service that lets them off the hook."

Although set in the near future where East and West cultures are beginning to merge (also touched upon in Sci-Fi films such as Looper and Serenity), Minority Report-style advertising is everywhere and Simon Cowell-esque high waisted trousers are all the rage, is it any wonder things have gotten so bad that people are unable to express their true feelings face to face and need an online service to help them write letters (instead of just that annoying paper clip that pops up when you type in an address) when much of our social interaction is taking place in a digital domain.

A number of websites such as Match.com, EHarmony, Tinder, etc tell us that we can find love or even just sex "on the line" and one of the questions posed by the film is do we even need the physical bond any more?

Having a computer create the perfect woman is not a new idea, after all Gary and Wyatt managed to create Kelly Le Brock in Weird Science, but Samantha is different. She is not a person or even a robot or android, just a voice of an artificially intelligent operating system... even if she did go through a software update in post production with Samantha Morton's vocal chords being replaced by the sultry, dulcet tones of Scarlett Johansson.

Initially designed to help Theodore organise his work, schedule, emails, etc as Samantha's AI evolves so does her relationship with him, moving from tool to friend to lover and finally girlfriend.

The film does touch upon the humour and ridiculousness of the scenario yet there is a sincerity and genuine intimacy to their relationship. Just compare the cybersex scenes with Samantha and the earlier tryst with "SexyKitten".

She encourages him to become more outgoing, helps to advance his career, etc and through their interactions and conversations, she develops more and more as a system towards an ever-increasing desire for humanity.

When Theodore expresses doubts over the validity of their relationship to the one real woman he is comfortable around, unhappily-married friend Amy (Amy Adams), she asks him "Is it not a real relationship?".

After all, the definition of relationship is "the way in which two or more people are connected, or the state of being connected.", and Theodore and Samantha are connected. Quite literally, through an earpiece.

Theodore's ex-wife tells him "you always wanted a wife without the challenges of actually dealing with anything real. I'm glad that you've found someone". Plus seeing him on an actual date with a person (Olivia Wilde), it is clear that this real-life social interaction is uncomfortable and even alien to him following the breakdown of his marriage.

In the first wave of euphoria, Samantha seems like the perfect girlfriend. She is interested in him, supportive, encouraging, laughs at his jokes, etc. Plus you can switch her off if you are tired or don't want to talk.

However as she grows and evolves, the honeymoon period ends and her behaviour becomes increasingly similar to that of a real person. There is distance, jealousy and phone calls late at night because "we need to talk".

As things take a darker and unpredictable turn, an argument can be made that Samantha is a crueller artificial intelligence than even HAL 9000.

Even as cracks emerge the audience believes in their relationship and will find themselves willing it to work due to the excellent performances.

Joaquin Phoenix delivers his warmest and most accessible performance to date, giving Theodore an endearing sweetness and shyness that gradually opens up as Samantha breaks down the barriers to his heart.

Even though she is not on screen, Scarlett Johansson not only captures Theodore's affections but also the audiences. Many people will leave the cinema wishing their phone was voiced by her. She is smart, funny, seductive, confident and hypnotic.

The whole affair is beautifully shot with a warm glow and a perfect soundtrack by Arcade Fire that generates a feeling that love can conquer all.

Haddaway kept asking "What is love?" but there is no real definitive answer. No one can tell you what love is, you either know it and feel it or you don't. Theodore felt it. Just because the object of his affections is not real doesn't make it any less true.

The same goes for the film. Some will fall in love with it, others won't but those that do will find a film that starts life as science fiction but very soon could become science fact and a must-see romance for anyone looking for a Siri-ous relationship.

5 stars