Joe's Top Ten Films of 2014

by Joe Moss

First, let me begin with a sincere apology to those who frequent this site expecting to see reviews for many more movies than we posted this year. I was not able to uphold my responsibility to website this past fall due to many other obligations that appeared on my plate from beyond my control. I promise that I will be more visible this year (2015) and that Trevor will not be the only person submitting reviews for half of the year.

The films that ended this year made it really difficult to develop a top ten. I believe both Trevor and I easily compiled our TOP FIVE list, but the bottom five have been tossed about, edited and argued over for at least a month -- probably longer.  I feel that the Hollywood studios need to stand up and take notice of the smaller independent filmmakers...this needs to the be the FUTURE of Hollywood. STOP THE REBOOTS!!  Please. Much of the fodder out of Hollywood this last year was not worth mentioning in reviews of any substance. However, the box office redeemed itself by October. My picks are all based around movies that struck a personal chord in my life. So without further adieu, here are my Top Ten favorite movies of the year in descending order.


10. The LEGO Movie

Emmet, Unikitty and Wyldstyle discuss plans to save the world.

This movie was all about absurd fun. Original, yes. This was an adult humor filled film masquerading as a children's movie! The amount of potty humor was outstanding, yet tempered just enough that it went over the heads of many. I truly enjoyed the ability of directors Christopher Miller and Phil Lord to make a positive lesson out of what seemed to begin much like a pothead dream. Overall, the message was simple -- enjoy the simple everyday things out of life: play a little, and don't take every act so seriously. If you do this, then "EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!!!!!"


9. Ida

Ida and Wanda learn what really happened to Ida's family.

Pawel Pawlikowski made an absolutely stunning movie that reminded me of Hollywood films of era gone-by. The long camera stills, the perfect shading, the old style black and white. Gorgeous. The story was just as intriguing: a young, orphaned postulate nun about to take her vows, is suddenly thrust onto an aunt (her only surviving relative) to learn about her family, her past and her parents.The only problem is, as we find in the course of the movie, her aunt needs her more than the other way around. This is a dynamic coming-of-age film set in rural Poland. Awkward at times, yet stunningly beautiful in it's real-world storyline about the tribulations of Polish Jews. Sure to be a front-runner for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.


8. Wish I Was Here

Adam, Grace and Tucker finally get to the pool to learn to swim.

As I stated earlier in the year, Sundance did not disappoint when it announced how the audience so favorably responded to this film. I am still over the moon about Zach Braff's sophomore release that I cannot express enough how quickly everyone should go to see it. If you are in the mood for a heart wrenching, true-to-life drama that transcends to address many of the social issues of today, look no further. In what feels like a short while (only 106 minutes) you will be hit head-first with the stark clarity in dealing with family-ties, religion, death and simple pains of growing up 'a little bit different' than the norm of society.


7. Starred-Up

Eric Is taken to his cell and watched by all as fresh-meat.

Raw. Powerful. Emotional. This movie reminded me about why the TV series "Oz" on HBO was such a success during its first two seasons. David Mackenzie's film follows a young man as he enters into the English prison system. We never truly find out what he did -- left to speculation from conversation and flashbacks -- but it begs us to ask ourselves are prisons there to help people find salvation, or to perpetuate all of the problems in certain segments of society. Eric (Jack O'Connell) is plagued by the few memories of his father -- also a prisoner (Ben Mendelsohn) -- and how his life may have turned out. But, as it happens, many people do not like his attitude toward other prisoners and the guards. He acts as though he's already in charged, or starred-up. Even more problematic is that the resident social worker Oliver (Rupert Friend) thinks that he is a salvageable young man with potential in society. If you can stomach the emotional turmoil of a harsh look into prison systems, look no further.

6. Wild

Cheryl sets camp for the evening and ponders a suddenly fresh future.

Reese Witherspoon is at her best in this film about Cheryl Strayed, a young women who 'strayed.' She strayed from the plans of childhood dreams to become an author. She strayed from her husband. She strayed from taking care of her brother. And most of all, she strayed from who she really was. Why? What caused such a catastrophic meltdown into sex, drugs, and debauchery? The death of someone she held on a pedestal. The film picks up as Cheryl attempts to get her life back on track by hiking through the wilderness (a beautiful metaphor for her life) until she is able to reach nirvana. In the process, she rediscovers a strength she didn't realized she had left. Cliche? Not hardly. This film was beautifully adapted from Strayed's memoirs about her hike to salvation along the Pacific Coast Trail. As well, this movie truly showcases why Witherspoon has a phenomenal screen presence and why she truly deserves another Academy Award for this poignant portrayal of a young woman on the edge, who finds redemption in the most unlikely place -- within herself.


5. Boyhood

Mason and his father discuss the loss of the muscle car he was promised.

I love Richard Linklater. He appears on my movie lists time and time again. He is such a ground-breaking, no nonsense, innovative film maker. How could he not be? Last year, with "Before Midnight," he wowed us with the third installment of a series following two strangers who fell in love and married. Now, with "Boyhood," Linklater follows a family through 12 years of life. That is correct: a movie shot over 12 years in real time! The audience literally watches as the actors grow up on film. To tell the truth, I am not even sure how he was able to edit the film footage down to a 165 minute run time. Mason (Ellar Coltrane) and his family are your typical dysfunctional modern family. He lives with his mother (Patricia Arquette) and sees his father (Ethan Hawke) sporadically over the years when he drifts into town as needed. The film is not for everyone as it is truly a voyeuristic look at the growing pains of a young man's life. His relationships with family, love, self-discovery, peer pressure and finally understanding who he, himself, really truly is. I must admit when leaving the theater, I was not as enamored by the film as Trevor and Sara, but after months of contemplation, and watching the film again, I understand why.  I related too much to the film's narrative story and I felt as though my own personal life was invaded for privacy and placed raw onto film. A true tearjerker for any mother to see, and a must see for everyone.


4. Nightcrawler

Lou and Rick film a triple wreck.

Have you ever wondered how the news agencies get the random snippets of blood and guts footage for the late night prime time slot? You know, the 'if it bleeds, it leads' type of footage? Well, you can look no further because this film will give you a raw, take-no-prisoners look into the behind-the-scenes arena of freelance videography. Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a down on his luck, goofball looking for the next quick score on getting rich quickly. He has already made the rounds as a petty thief from construction sites salvaging metals; as well, the local pawn shops are shutting down his racket of pedaling small goods, when he blindly stumbles onto a small two-man crew filming a wreck. Bulbs flash and he decides he too can do this. I know this sounds horribly kitschy, but the movie is absolutely fantastic, dramatic, thrilling and is highly entertaining.


3. Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Riggan and Mike in one of numerous heated arguments about acting virtue.

What does an old action-movie hero do when he retires from playing the part that made him world-famous? He decides to adapt his favorite author into a stage play and takes on the leading role of the adaptation. This is precisely the premise of Alejandro Iñárritu's hilarious comedy of errors, "Birdman." Riggan Thompson (Michael Keaton) was Birdman, the superhero who saved the world in countess worldwide box-office successes. But at his age, he's tired of being the superhero. He feels it's time to play something of substance. He's already lost his wife, and is in the process of trying to salvage a relationship with his estranged daughter, Sam (Emma Stone).  Why not tackle an off-Broadway production as well? What ensues on screen is a complete farce showing what probably occurs more often than not behind the scenes of major theatrical productions. Melodrama at every turn as each actor attempts to out maneuver the other. Mike Shiner (Edward Norton) plays the perfect antagonist against Riggan. In fact, the over-the-top interactions between them make the movie perfection. It is because of this interchange that Michael Keaton will most likely earn his Academy Award this year. Number three is a low placing for this movie, and I truly struggled with my top three. But here is it's final resting place in my Top Ten.


2. Whiplash

The final scene where Andrew OWNS the stage and Fletcher.

Perhaps the most heavily anticipated movie of the year for me -- AND IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT!! I had wanted to see this film since the early buzz at Sundance in January 2013 when it was simply a short film by a new director, Damien Chazelle. His feature length film released this year is a showstopper that had one helluva beat! Andrew (Miles Teller) is a young man trying to become the next 'great' jazz drummer of our time. He is pushed into unimaginable acts of self torture by an instructor (J.K. Simmons) who is considered to be the best teacher at the elite music school in which Andrew is enrolled. Bullying never looked so refined, and never had such a poignant lesson to be learned about the depths of depravity the human soul can endure if they are chasing what they consider to be their ultimate dream. I loved this film from the first beat in the prelude, to the grand finale at the end. It was truly a struggle to not make this my number one film, and it sat there for a few weeks. Wes Anderson's masterpiece won out in the end.


1. The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Entire Cast of "The Grand Budapest Hotel."

I used to say that "The Royal Tenenbaums" was Wes Anderson's best movie ever, but that was surpassed this year. The eclectic mix of characters and the constantly twisting story line about the goings-on at an old rundown hotel far from it's heyday made for the most unforgettable and utterly entertaining movie of the year. Ralph Fiennes (and the entire cast) were superb.  Of course it doesn't hurt that Edward Norton makes another appearance in my Top Ten List (even with his small two-part cameo, he is unforgettable). The oft tongue-in-cheek humor that is commonplace with all Wes Anderson movies was at its finest in this screenplay. Each of the three times that I have seen this movie, I notice a little trinket of information missed the previous time. Slow paced, yet quick witted, this movie is great fun for an audience of all ages. All I really need to say is, "Bravo, Sir!! Bravo!"


____________________________________________________________________________

My Individual Awards are as follows: (not Academy Award Predictions, but my personal choices)

Best Picture of the Year - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Director - Alejandro Iñárritu (Birdman)
Best Actress in a Leading Role - Reese Witherspoon (Wild)
Best Actor in a Leading Role - Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role - J.K. Simmons (Whiplash)
Best Original Screenplay - The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson)
Best Adapted Screenplay - Whiplash (Damien Chazelle)

Honorable Mention: (the film that I struggled to include on my list that "almost" made it):

11. The Guardians of the Galaxy
Hey, what can I say. I loved this movie and have watched it as many times as "The Grand Budapest Hotel" and "The LEGO Movie." But was it Top Ten material? For a movie snob like myself, I don't think so. but I am human! If you haven't seen this movie, get it now!

The Guardians break out of prison in style!!

Review: Guardians of the Galaxy

by Trevor Kirkendall

★★★½

Is it just me, or is “Marvel Studios” becoming synonymous with “quality movies?” In case “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” didn’t make you think that way back in April, James Gunn’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” will.

“Guardians of the Galaxy” follows Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), an intergalactic thief who likes to be called by his outlaw name: Star Lord. He works alongside Youndu (Michael Rooker), a mercenary who steals artifacts from around the galaxy and sells them for enormous profit. Quill has been tasked with picking up this film’s MacGuffin: a small silver orb.

Of course, they’re not the only ones looking for it either. The evil Ronan (Lee Pace), a ruthless fanatic hell bent on destroying the universe, also wants it since he thinks it will help him attain his goal. Working alongside über-villain Thanos (Josh Brolin), who was teased at the end of “The Avengers,” Ronan sends Gamora (Zoe Saldana) to steal the orb from Quill and bring it back to him.

Gamora has no intention of actually doing this since she’s well aware that Ronan is a complete mental case. She ends up getting tangled up in a scuffle between Quill and a couple of bounty hunters, Rocket Raccoon and Groot (voiced by Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel). All four end arrested and thrown into an intergalactic prison where they meet Drax (Dave Bautista). Drax also has a bit of a vendetta against Ronan. It’s up to the five of them to break out of prison and retrieve the orb before Ronan can get his hand on it.

It’s been a while now since I’ve had a truly memorable movie going experience from a summer film. Sure they’re still huge in size and production value, but so many of them just aren’t fun anymore. They’re dark and serious instead of being fun. I’m not trying to say anything bad about the serious films like “The Dark Knight,” but they don’t all have to be like that.

Enter Marvel and “Guardians of the Galaxy” to restore my faith in the mega studios’ ability to make movies fun again. Like Pixar before it, Marvel seems to be on a mission to create movies that contain stories very well told. Sure, you can say Pixar movies are for kids and Marvel movies are for comic book fans, but that’s not the case anymore. These studios are making movies for everyone now.

“Guardians” reminded me a lot of the first “Star Wars” film (that’s “Episode IV – A New Hope” for all you young people who’s parent’s did you wrong by showing you the films in episodic order). From the structure of the screenplay to the design on the characters, the “Star Wars” influence in this film is everywhere. It’s more homage than a direct rip-off though. And if you’re going to make a giant space opera such as this, it’s not a bad film franchise to emulate.

Everything about this film works just the way it needs to. Written by Gunn and Nicole Perlman, the script is sharp and witty. All of the humor in this film is well placed and well timed. The plot is thick and the characters are many, but it is never confusing to follow. And unlike other characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, these characters are all very relatable to every member of the audience. It’s not hard to find likable characteristics, despite being aliens, a raccoon, and a talking tree.

It is hard to pick out a character that steals the show, however. I liked every character in this film, including the villain. Lee Pace has been one of my favorite actors since his stint on the short lived ABC series “Pushing Daisies.” He’s probably one of the best villains I’ve seen in a Marvel film. He’s evil to his core and Pace plays it effortlessly. Chris Pratt is an obvious choice for Peter Quill. As is Zoe Saldana for Gamora. The two work well together and I have a hard time seeing anyone else in these roles. But Rocket and Groot are the real show stealers. Their Han Solo/Chewbacca relationship is the perfect addition to an already motley crew of heroes.

I loved this movie. I can’t think of any simpler way of putting it. I haven’t had this much fun at the movies in a very long time. It’s able to funny without being campy. It doesn’t overuse its CGI. And director Gunn handles it all very well. And the soundtrack is sensational, probably one of the best movie soundtracks to come along in years. Marvel movies aren’t just for the comic book fanboys and fangirls anymore. They’re out to make quality films for everyone. “Guardians of the Galaxy” is proof of that.

Review: Guardians of the Galaxy

by. Joe Moss
★★★1/2

The Marvel Universes’ newest blockbuster to be, “Guardians of the Galaxy,” directed and co-written by James Gunn, starts firing on all cylinders right off the bat. Not a shoot ‘em up, blow ‘em up adrenaline junkie rush, rather an emotional rush—foreshadowing events for later in the film. However, from that moment on, the movie is hilarious, pretty much a non-stop adrenaline rush til the final credits. I laughed wholeheartedly and am planning on a return visit to the theater to see it one more time within the week.

Peter Quill (Chris Pratt…and Wyatt Oleff in the beginning sequence) is a young boy of the 80’s in the throws of personal agony. His mother is dying of cancer, and the only way he knows how to cope is to lose himself in the world of “awesome mix”-tapes from his mother. On her deathbed, she gives him one last gift (which he refuses to open) and wants to hold his hand to say good-bye. Rather than take her hand, he cannot cope with the pain and loss of both of his parents, so runs away. Not only runs away, but is abducted by a traveling group of mercenary-thieves led by Yondu (Michael Rooker). [Yes…All of this within the first 10 minutes of the film.]

Flash-forward to today, and we see a very tech-savvy Peter in the midst of acting out a sequence much like an Indiana Jones film, but with a lot more galactic gadgetry. He steals a silver orb from a dead planet, and just as he is about to leave, is confronted by Korath (Djimon Hounsou) and emissary of Ronan The Accuser (Lee Pace) who desires the orb for himself as a means of taking over the galaxy and destroying anything that may get in his path. No plot spoilers here…

Peter barely gets off the dead planet, and makes his way to Xandar to trade his trinket [no we still don’t know what this REALLY is] for cash (units) when he is confronted by a lethal, green beauty, Gamora (Zoe Saldona) who also wants the orb for her own nefarious purposes—and 4 billion units. As she attempts to take the orb, Peter and she are confronted by Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Voiced by Vin Diesel) who want to abduct Peter and turn him into Yondu for 40 thousand units. Much shenanigans ensue and the lot finds themselves in prison. And it is here we are finally introduced to the last Guardian, Drax (Dave Bautista), who desires to kill Gamora since she works for the psychotic Kree, Ronan, who is in cahoots with Thanos (Josh Brolin), to destroy the universe.

No more plot lines….now let’s get down to brass tacks. The plot I have summarized for you is only about 12%  of what occurs within the film. If you think this is insane, just watch. While overly convoluted, the screenplay never seems to lose itself and all of the main points are well addressed and answered by the end of the film—yet, a few new caveats are well planted to lead us into the sequel.

Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista and Bradley Cooper are a great team. They work so well together, and get so into character, they you almost completely forget who they are as individuals. I think that Chris' ability to infect every line he delivers with a great amount of facial sarcasm and joy is what truly sells the film. Between his facial expressions and Bradley Coopers quick-tongued barbs, there is not a scene of the film where I wasn't laughing, crying, or both.

The entire plot, while loosely based off of the Marvel stories by Dan Abnett and Andy Landing, is a completely new twist on who each of these characters are and from whence they came. The writing team of James Gunn (Scooby-Doo, Super) and Nicole Perlman have re-envisioned the entire Guardians universe so that they have complete freedom to inline the script with the other Marvel movies already completed and in the pipeline. And while they do try to remain true to a few points of the comics, the entire Star Lord premise for this film is given a new evolution.

The editing team of Hughes Winborne, Fred Raskin and Craig Wood was amazing. The movie seemed to flow seamlessly through each sequence--even with all of the green screen. Additionally, I LOVE the soundtrack. The music is almost a 6th main character...it makes the movie what it is. A film that does not take itself seriously (much like the Guardians themselves), and yet...works! As I stated at the beginning, this will be another summer blockbuster for the Marvel Universe. Go...Have Fun...Laugh hard.  AND remain through BOTH of the credit Easter Egg sequences...