by Joseph Rossi
What an odd year for the movies. Giant mega blockbusters didn’t burn up the box-office as in recent years. Most of what was supposed to work didn’t. Smaller films, those under the radar gems, did. Here are my personal favorite films of the year.
Few people went to see Tom Cruise in Edge of Tomorrow and it’s a shame. This was the sole big budget flick of the year that I found to be intelligent, funny, emotional and original. I guess everyone went to Transformers instead.
With an amazing soundtrack and savoury visuals, Jon Favreau’s film Chef is tough to beat. Do not watch the film on an empty stomach because you will regret it. It’s delicious.
Fury offered us a look at WW2 tank warfare that proved most interesting. An excellent Brad Pitt leads a great ensemble through the dank German trenches on the back of a 10 ton steel monster. The finale of this one stayed with me for a while. You won’t forget it.
The Korean adventure Snowpiercer is one of those gems that few saw in cinemas but is having a good life on the small screen. It presents an awesome and terrifying vision of our future. The whole film takes place on a train that rides the rails around a snow-covered world. Perfect sci-fi.
David Fincher’s Gone Girl is a slick, cynical, nasty movie that had me gasping and laughing at the same time. For a harsh look at what marriage in the 21st century has become, do not miss it.
Life Itself is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen. Its subject is the late, great film critic Roger Ebert. As someone who loves the power of the movies, it was a privilege to be able to watch this film about someone who loves cinema well enough to create such an honest and renowned career out of that passion.
For a bleak but fascinating look into a world of power and privilege, Bennett Miller’s wrestling drama Foxcatcher is hard to beat. With a trifecta of stunning performances from Steve Carrell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo, this film boasts a pedigree missing from most adult dramas today.
Reese Witherspoon gives the performance of her life in Jean Marc Valle’s Wild. Shot on a shoestring budget in under a month, this film, based on Cheryl Strayed memoirs, is one of the most powerful films of the year.
Whiplash has been making the rounds for over a year thanks to the great reception at the Sundance Film Festival. This brutal drama about a music student (Miles Teller) and his monstrous teacher (the amazing J.K. Simmons) is a film for anyone who has ever had a dream and will stop at nothing to attain it.
I think Still Alice is the finest motion picture of the year. This small, intimate film about a strong and intelligent woman, in the prime of her life, and her battle with early stage Alzheimer’s, made me an emotional mess. Sad and triumphant at the same time, this tiny miracle of a movie earns its tears through an honest screenplay, simple and sharp direction and amazing acting. Julianne Moore has never been better.
