Film Journal names ten best films of 2014

It may have been an off year at the box office, but I had no trouble filling my personal list of the ten best films of 2014. There were many more enthralling and engaging movies beyond the ten that made the cut, and even some very satisfying studio tentpoles (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, How to Train Your Dragon 2) that just missed my runners-up list. Here’s my group of favorites, which I’ve dared to rank in order despite the apples-versus-oranges question:

1. Boyhood. Richard Linklater’s 12-year project is more than a movie, it’s an

experience. His risky gambit to follow a boy’s progress from age six to eighteen paid off miraculously in a storyline that triggers reflections on change, mortality and the passage of time. The transitions from year to year are often breathtaking, and the work of compelling lead Ellar Coltrane is matched by the rich and brave performances of Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke as his estranged parents.

2. The Grand Budapest Hotel. Wes Anderson surpasses himself with this antic, wildly entertaining farce with grave undertones centered on a vain concierge whose seductions of rich old dowagers lead to big trouble. Ralph Fiennes is a complete delight as that roué, and the film is stuffed to the edges of the frame with zany production details, combined with a multi-layered structure spanning 50 years.

3. Ida. Every frame of Pawel Pawlikowski’s gorgeous black-and-white, square-

Academy-ratio drama could be on display in a museum. But this drama set in 1960s Poland is more than beautiful images; it’s also the haunting story of an innocent young novitiate about to take her vows who learns about her very complicated past through an encounter with her earthy and sardonic aunt.

4. Guardians of the Galaxy. The most unexpected surprise of summer 2014, this sci-fi action comedy took an obscure group of Marvel comic-book characters and turned them into instant blockbuster movie stars. Who knew a talking raccoon and a monosyllabic tree creature could be so entertaining (not to mention heroic)? Chris Pratt’s charismatic breakthrough performance as their irreverent leader set the tone for this witty, fast-moving, imaginative, thrilling and joyous cinematic ride.

5. Stranger by the Lake. Forget Rope. If Alfred Hitchcock made a chiller with real homoerotic content, it might look something like this French import about a gay cruising spot where murder is only a temporary interruption to the pursuit of hookups. Director Alain Guiraudie never leaves that lakeside haven, and the dispassionate cinematography and evocative sound design conspire to create an enclosed world where lust trumps good judgment.

6. Leviathan. Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev proves himself a modern master with this nervy tale of an auto mechanic fighting a losing battle to hang onto his seaside home, which his village’s corrupt mayor has designs on. Zvyagintsev’s evocative use of landscapes recalls the great Michelangelo Antonioni, and he brings an astringent, sometimes darkly funny sensibility to this Kafkaesque account of a modern-day Job.

7. The Theory of Everything. Eddie Redmayne is sensational as Stephen Hawking, the

genius physicist who was stricken with motor-neuron disease while studying at Cambridge and still thrives today despite being told he only had two years to live. Felicity Jones is equally compelling as his remarkable wife Jane in this gorgeously produced romantic drama that reveals the Hawking we never knew.

8. Whiplash. Yes, J.K. Simmons’ horribly abusive teacher would be ejected from any civilized music school within a week, but if you can set aside the politically correct realities, Damien Chazelle’s film is a highly entertaining contest of wills between that vicious autocrat and Miles Teller as a student who is determined to become one of the world’s best drummers. This crackingly edited movie is as pulse-quickening as the music that drives it.

9. The Lego Movie. Who could have predicted that a computer-animated movie based on inanimate construction toys could be so much fun? Writer-directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who also made box-office gold from a less-than-classic TV show called “21 Jump Street,” fashioned a wild, anything-goes world populated by a United Nations of incongruous allies, with Chris Pratt (again!) in the center of the action as an innocuous Everyman turned hero. The CG replication of all those Lego blocks, not incidentally, is brilliant.

10. The Babadook. Australian writer-director Jennifer Kent makes a stunning feature debut with this very creepy story of a widowed mother, her tantrum-prone little boy, and the ominous storybook creature who enters their home and their psyches. Essie Davis gives one of the year’s outstanding performances as a parent with conflicted attitudes toward her very demanding son. Imagine Catherine Deneuve in Polanski’s Repulsion stuck with a kid, and you’ve got a rough approximation of this potent psychological chiller.

And here’s a list of runners-up, all worth tracking down: Wild, Snowpiercer, A Most Violent Year, The Boxtrolls, Venus in Fur, American Sniper, Birdman, Foxcatcher, Edge of Tomorrow, Get On Up. We Are the Best!, Selma, Pride, Locke, and Keep On Keepin’ On.

The Five Best Christmas Movies to Watch on Netflix Instant

Christmas can get pretty boring after the presents are opened and the breakfast is done. In order to fill the hours, we recommend firing up Netflix Instant and extending the Christmas cheer with one of these five movies. If your family's full of misanthropes, there's always Bad Santa instead.

The Muppet Christmas Carol

You can talk about The Italian Job, Sleuth or Alfie all you want, but I'm not entirely convinced Michael Caine's ever surpassed his turn as Ebeneezer Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol. Gonzo and Rizzo give him a run for his money, though.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

 
Was this part of your Halloween celebrations a few months back? Doesn't matter. Watch it again! Watch it on President's Day! Columbus Day! Arbor Day! There's never a bad time for Claymation. It is a general rule of existence.

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

You have to see this once in your life, and surrounded by Christmas alcohol and family members for emotional support is as good a time as any. Plus, you'll be watching the first screen appearance of Mrs. Claus. It's a Christmas miracle!

Love Actually

I wasn't going to include Love Actually on this list, because I am a Scrooge who thinks there must be some sort of mind control ray or Stockholm Syndrome in play to have made so many people think this soppy rom-com deserves to be called a "Christmas classic." Every time I see it referred to as such, I die a little bit inside. That said, Love Actually is being pulled from Netflix Instant on New Year's Day, making this the last holiday season you can see it without having to shell out the extra dough it is not worth. So you might as well.

Elf Bowling: The Movie

Someone needs to watch this and report back to me on the experience. I can't do it myself. Watching the trailer alone gave me a headache.

'The Battle of the Five Armies' Movie Has a Big (Not Hobbit-Sized) Week at the Box Office

As expected, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies defeated all other newcomers at the box office over the weekend, though it wasn't exactly "new" itself: The final movie in Peter Jackson's Middle Earth franchise (well, at least until he gets the rights to The Silmarillion and turns it into three movies) opened on Wednesday. Its three-day total is $56.2 million--less than the opening weekend hauls of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey ($84.6 million) and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug ($73.6 millon), though they both opened on a Friday. Add in Battle's other two days, and it's earned $90.6 million domestically so far and $265 million internationally.

Fellow new wide release Annie did tolerably well with a $16.3 million opening weekend gross, roughly on par with Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb's $17.3 million, though Secret of the Tomb cost approximately twice as much as Annie to make. Exodus: Gods and Kings ($8 million) and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 ($7.7 million) rounded out the top five, the former plummeting in its second week by nearly 67%. Looks like those bad reviews (still sitting pretty at 28% on Rotten Tomatoes) finally caught up with it.

Among limited releases, there was a surprising entry in the top 10: Bollywood film P.K., about an alien who crashes to Earth and subsequently teaches humanity a thing or two about organized religion. It earned $3.4 million on 272 screens, landing it at the #10 spot right behind Penguins of Madagascar.

Mr. Turner and Song of the Sea made substantially less money than P.K., but their per-theatre averages were better--they made $109,000 on five screens and $18,000 on one screen, respectively. Foxcatcher, still with awards season gold in its sights, more than doubled its theatres and saw its box office increase by 137%, while Wild expanded to wide release and passed the $4 million mark. Chris Rock's Top Five expanded from 979 theatres to 1,307 but nonetheless saw its box office drop by 48%.

Final 'The Hobbit' Movie Has Tall Order to Fill For Box Office Success

As we get closer and closer to Christmas, more big-name movies are schlepping their way to the theatres, hopefully leading us out of the box office doldrums that typify early December. Sure to take the number one spot is The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies--because it's big, because it's the last movie in Peter Jackson's Middle Earth series and because it came out on Wednesday, so it will have had five days to rake in the dough instead of three. Tricksy Hobbitses! So far Bilbo and his pals have earned $24.4 million domestically and $122.2 million internationally (it opened in several foreign markets last week). By the end of its five-day weekend, it could earn up to $100 million on US soil, though merely decent reviews (60% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes) and the general consensus that the Hobbit trilogy is nowhere near as good as The Lord of the Rings could lead the final Hobbit movie to fizzle.

Also out in wide release is Sony Pictures' Annie, which by most accounts isn't very good--only 23% on Rotten Tomatoes, yowch--but I kind of want it to do well, if only because Sony's had a bad enough month already. They could use a break. It'll be up against fellow kids' movie Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, which is getting better--but still not good--reviews. But hey, those reviews are on-par with what Night at the Museum and Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian got, and they still made $30.4 million and $54.1 million, respectively, on opening weekend. Still, the second movie made substantially less overall than the first one, which indicates a potential decreasing interest in the series. Plus, it's been five years since the second movie. Does anyone still care?

Wild is expanding from 116 theatres to 850, which should pull in a few extra million and increase its stature for awards season. Among the movies coming out limited release in New York and/or Los Angeles are Mike Leigh's Mr. Turner, Angus MacLachlan's Goodbye to All That and Song of the Sea, the sophomore feature of Oscar-nominated The Secret of Kells co-director Tomm Moore.

'Saving Private Ryan,' 'The Big Lebowski' Among the Films Named to the Library of Congress' National Film Registry

This Library of Congress has held its own, film nerd version of the Hunger Games and chosen the 25 films to add to the National Film Registry--"culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant films that the Library will preserve for future generations. As usual, there's a good mix of well-known films among a sprinkling of experimentals, shorts, student films and silents. A moment of... well, of silence... for all the films in the latter group that are now lost due to lack of preservation. That's an estimated 70% of all silent features.

The Librarian of Congress (someone integrate that position into a third National Treasure movie, please) confers with the Library's film curators and the National Film Preservation Board (NFPB) to select each year's inductees, which have to be at least 10 years old. That has to be the only reason 2008's Step Up 2: The Streets wasn't included. You can nominate films on the NFPB's website, and come 2018, I expect every one of you to step up and do that.

Here are a selection of the more popular films that are now officially a part of American history, with the entire list underneath. For more information on the National Film Registry, we at FJI humbly recommend America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry, by FJI reviewer Daniel Eagan.

'Exodus: Gods and Kings' Carries Subpar Weekend

Oh, December, December, December:  You of the historically disappointing weekend. Ridley Scott's Exodus: Gods and Kings finally bumped The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 out of the number one spot, but it did so with a U.S. gross of only $24.5 million. That's about $20 million less than the opening gross of this year's earlier Biblical epic, Noah, which cost $15 million less to make. Looks like those bad reviews really caught up with Batman Moses: The Movie.

Fortuitously, Chris Rock's Top Five also cracked the top five; its $7.2 million gross on 979 screens landed it in the number four spot. Spots two and three went to Mockingjay and Penguins of Madagascar, respectively, while Big Hero 6 was the fifth highest-grossing movie of the weekend with $6.1 million (for a total so far of $185.3 million).

Jean-Marc Vallée's Wild expanded from 21 to 116 theatres and saw its box office increase 155%; distributor Fox Searchlight has moved up its planned national expansion from Christmas Day to December 19th. Birdman, despite losing 132 theatres, saw its box office jump by 15.2%, while The Imitation Game and Boyhood both added theatres and moolah, likely a result of their Golden Globe nominations. Fellow Oscar-seeker The Theory of Everything remained mostly steady.

Inherent Vice opened in five theatres this weekend, where it earned $330,000 for a per-theatre gross of $66,000. Chinese film Back In Time (Congcong Nanian) and documentary Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles and also made small waves, pulling in $210,000 and $7,200, respectively. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies made an impressive $117.6 million in 37 international markets, doing particularly well in Germany, Russia, the U.K., France, Brazil, Mexico and New Zealand. We'll see whether American audiences like it when it opens this Wednesday.

Holy Moses! 'Exodus: Gods and Kings' Poised for Box Office Triumph

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1's three-weekend box office reign is set to come to a close with the release of Ridley Scott's Exodus: Gods and Kings, a retelling of the story of Moses starring Christian Bale and Joel Edgerton. Despite generally dismal reviews--it's currently clocking a mere 28% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes--it's on track to earn somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 million.

Chris Rock's highly buzzed-about Top Five, which was the subject of an intense bidding war after its debut at September's Toronto International Film Festival, is also opening in wide release at 979 theatres. Its appeal isn't as broad as an actioner like Mockingjay's, and it won't be playing at nearly as many theatres, so snagging the number two spot away from presumed runner-up Katniss and her crew is going to be difficult. Still, it's possible--reviews for the film (92% on Rotten Tomatoes) have been positive.

Praise has been less uniform for Paul Thomas Anderson's Inherent Vice, an adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's novel of the same name, with some critics pegging it as a muddled mess. Still, the reviews aren't horrible (Rotten Tomatoes: 72%), and it's only opening at five theatres in New York and Los Angeles, which means its per-theatre average will likely be an impressive $40,000 or higher. It's opening weekend for a Paul Thomas Anderson movie, for Chrissakes--it could be Howard the Duck 2, and cinephiles in New York and LA would still go.

Meanwhile, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies becomes the latest film to open in international markets ahead of its US release; though it doesn't come out stateside until next Wednesday, the last movie in Peter Jackson's Middle Earth series is premiering in 37 international territories, including the U.K., Japan and Russia, this weekend. By the time it gets to us, it'll have money in the bank. Nobody spoil us for what happens, OK? It's not like there's a book that's been out for more than 75 years or anything.

In the realm of limited releases, among the films hitting theatres in New York and/or Los Angeles are Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles, Maidan, Poker Night and After the Fall. Jean-Marc Vallée's Wild, which earned $606,810 when it opened last weekend, will add 80 theatres and is likely to benefit from star Reese Witherspoon's Golden Globe nomination.