Best Films of 2014.

[ECA]

We had this thread a year or so back , and it was a fun thread but nobody else made it so here it is.

My top 3 would be:

Whiplash
Birdman
Predestination.


Havn't watched foxcatcher or The Guest yet, which I've heard good things about.

If Michael Keaton and JK Simmons don't win their oscars I will be confused.

 

[Raven]

Predestination
Unbroken
The Raid 2

Not been the best year for films really.

 

[caLLous]

I know I'm in the minority but I liked Boyhood. And The Grand Budapest Hotel. And Whiplash was incredible.

 

[leggy]

The Guest was ok and moderately original but I'd be surprised to see it in a top movies list.

Mine would be:

The Grand Budapest Hotel
Interstellar
Boyhood

Nearly up there:
The Drop

Not seen but would have probably been up there:
Nightcrawler
The Imitation Game
Whiplash
Foxcatcher

 

[leggy]

I know I'm in the minority but I liked Boyhood. And The Grand Budapest Hotel. And Whiplash was incredible.

If I'd only been a few minutes faster!

 

[Moriath]

May just be me but they didn't make films in 214

 

[ECA]

I thought Grand Budapest Hotel dragged a bit, the cinematography was nice but it felt like it was trying a bit too hard to be quirky.
Interstellar - last 30 mins needed deleting. Could've been good but uhhhhh. Yeah. Also HILARIOUS that it's up for best sound editing, given how hard it was to make out character speech at times. Literally one of the worst sound editing jobs I've heard in recent times.


Havn't seen the drop - saw it on imdb/etc didn't get around to it.
Same w/ Nightcrawler, heard very good things about it.

Seriously though, if you didn't watch Whiplash yet, get on that. JK Simmons gets an oscar, or the academy is insane.

 

[ECA]

May just be me but they didn't make films in 214

Shhhh.

 

[Scouse]

HILARIOUS that it's up for best sound editing, given how hard it was to make out character speech at times. Literally one of the worst sound editing jobs I've heard in recent times

Disagree totally. It was designed that way on purpose.

For example:

Spoiler

The bit where it was most obvious was when Michael Caine's on his deathbead fessing up to McConaughey's adult daughter - the music gets really loud and you can't hear what Mike's saying.

However - you're not supposed to, it doesn't matter - functionally he's expressed all the information that needs imparting verbally - so the fact he continues talking doesn't really matter.

The story from that point on is her emotional state and what it's going through at that moment because of Mike's revalation. Her emotion and it's rapid changing turmoil is expressed rather beautifully through Hanz Zimmer's soundtrack - because music is much more capable of describing those emotions than words could ever be.

Experimental sound design at it's best IMO

Edit: Anyway, liked Grand Budapest a lot - but I was suprised at the amount of oscar noms. Was a great film but I didn't think it was that amazingly great. But I kinda agree that the quality on offer isn't what it once was - so maybe it's not fighting against a lot.

I'll look out for Whiplash (heard about it just recently) and I intend to go see Birdman this week if it's still on in Nottingham.

 

[ECA]

There were loads of just 2-3 characters talking in normal dialogue where you couldn't quite hear it clearly, it wasn't one or two specific instances where it was an artistic decision , which I could respect - it was like 20%+ of the dialogue just being muffled because the sound editing was wank.

 

[old.Tohtori]

Not gonna say since i don't feel like getting my personal preferences pissed on.

 

[Billargh]

Genuinely think I'm struggling more than usual this year.

• The Raid 2
• Nightcrawler
• Grand Budapest Hotel (maybe)

Birdman, Gone Girl and maybe Guardians of the Galaxy could squeeze their way into that list depending on how I'm feeling on a specific day.

 

[Edmond]

Loved GBH and Predestination, still not seen Boyhood or Intersteller but they are on the list

 

[Scouse]

Not gonna say since i don't feel like getting my personal preferences pissed on.

May I refer the dishonourable gentleman to my previous post about being civil.

 

[Hawkwind]

Top 5:
Predestination
Time Lapse
Interstellar
The Drop
American Hustle

Others I enjoyed:
Wolf Of Wall Street
GOTG
Raid 2
John Wick
The Equalizer
Blue is the warmest colour
Whiplash
Nightcrawler
A Walk Among the Tombstones
Chef
Blue Ruin
X-Men

Still to watch:
Grand Budapest Hotel
Birdman
The Gambler
Gone Girl
Unbroken
Vice
Cake

Films that I did not like
Frank
Only Lovers Left Alive -
Locke

 

[old.Tohtori]

dishonourable

Call me anything but that, but if you insist, top 3 from what i saw so far of 2014 line; Guardians, turtles, x-men.

 

[Hawkwind]

Call me anything but that, but if you insist, top 3 from what i saw so far of 2014 line; Guardians, turtles, x-men.

Turtles! Seriously, or are you baiting? Has to be one of the bottom 10 for me. The 80's cartoons had better story lines.

 

[caLLous]

He's serious.

 

[Shagrat]

Interstellar for me i think. That was my stand out film of last year anyway.

 

[leggy]

Blue Ruin

Damn, I missed this one off my list. Absolutely loved it.

 

[Tom]

There were loads of just 2-3 characters talking in normal dialogue where you couldn't quite hear it clearly, it wasn't one or two specific instances where it was an artistic decision , which I could respect - it was like 20%+ of the dialogue just being muffled because the sound editing was wank.

You probably watched it at a cinema that had a poor sound system. I watched it at the Manchester IMAX (a proper one) and the sound mix was perfect. Yes, there were sections were the vocals were inaudible (the opening crash for instance) but all the important stuff was fine.

Compare that to Fury, which I watched last night on my telly. It may have well been in German for all I could make out.

 

[Scouse]

You probably watched it at a cinema that had a poor sound system.

I was thinking that myself tbh. I actually thought the soundtrack was probably the most impressive thing about the movie.

 

[DaGaffer]

12 Years A Slave
Grand Budapest Hotel
Wolf of Wall Street

Most fun:
Guardians of The Galaxy
Lego Movie
Edge of Tomorrow

 

[leggy]

Guardians of the Galaxy
Edge of Tomorrow

Might not have made my list but they are the only films of 2014 which I've watched more than once. Loved them both.

 

[Scouse]

12 Years A Slave
Lego Movie

Like that list but not watched 12 years yet and thought Lego was overrated.

 

[caLLous]

Well 12 Years is from 2013 so it doesn't count anyway.

 

[DaGaffer]

Well 12 Years is from 2013 so it doesn't count anyway.

It went on general release in the UK and Ireland in Jan 2014.

 

[Hawkwind]

I'll look out for Whiplash (heard about it just recently)

Very good film and the teacher reminded me of my old Senior School PE teacher, a right bastard!

 

[Hawkwind]

It went on general release in the UK and Ireland in Jan 2014.

But Dec 2013 in the first world countries

 

[caLLous]

It went on general release in the UK and Ireland in Jan 2014.

Sorry, I meant The Wolf of Wall Street. I just fluked it and managed to put another film from 2013 in its place.