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Top 5 of 2014

Started by Noodle Lizard, December 06, 2014, 06:49:36 PM

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Noodle Lizard

It's more or less the end of the year, so what have been your 5 favourites released in 2014?

For me:

1.  Birdman[nb]This'll count as 2015 for most of you, but fuck it, definitely my film of the year[/nb]
2.  Under The Skin
3.  Nymphomanaic
4.  Boyhood
5.  The Babadook


Still need to see Calvary and Jodorowsky's Dune/Dance Of Reality, which I suspect I might like.  I would probably have included The Borderlands, but it was technically released in 2013.

newbridge

1) Mood Indigo
2) Pride
3) Two Days, One Night
4) The Grand Budapest Hotel
5) Alan Partridge
[nb]What? If I can't list Alpha Papa was one of my favorite films of the year on a Chris Morris fan forum, then WHERE CAN I???[/nb]

Some of those are 2013 films, but with 2014 release dates in the USA.

Jodorowsky's Dune is quite entertaining, but it's the kind of straightforward interview-based documentary that I don't really consider a good "film" (plus I think the filmmakers are unaware that every single person in the film is insane and/or full of shit, which is what makes it good for the viewer).

Boyhood gets a big thumbs-down from me.

Paaaaul

1) Under The Skin
2) The Lego Movie
3) The Raid 2
4) Guardians Of The Galaxy
5) Prisoners

I'm never good at seeing stuff when it comes out, so I'm sure this wouldn't be true in six months. Prisoners was a bit of a stretch, but I've seen the other four numerous times and love them all. Under The Skin is my favourite by a pretty huge distance - a true classic.

Ja'moke

1.

Under The Skin


2.

Her


3.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes


4.

The Grand Budapest Hotel


5.

Nymphomaniac

weekender

In no particular order:

1. Under The Skin
2. Pride
3. Black Sea
4. Lego Movie
5. Nymphomaniac

Admittedly I only saw number 3 this evening so my view may be somewhat skewed, but I really enjoyed it.  If I had to substitute it I'd probably go for The Raid 2, which was just a bloody enjoyable blast - just thinking about
Spoiler alert
the kung fu car scene
[close]
is making me want to watch it again.

I love this type of thread by the way - a great opportunity to pick out some films I may have missed.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

1. Under The Skin
2. Calvary
3. Final Cut (2013 film but only shown at festivals due to copyright issues)
4. Sound of Noise
5. Her/Dallas Buyers Club

#6
Still loads I haven't seen and I may have forgotten something but I'll go

1: Inside Llewyn Davis
2: Under The Skin
3: Nebraska
4: How To Train Your Dragon 2
5: Nightcrawler

EDIT: forgot They Came Together. Not sure if it would get in the top 5 but it deserves an honourable mention.

Bad Ambassador

Going by the awards calendar, so still lots to see well into February, but for now:

1. Under the Skin.
2. The Lego Movie.
3. The Grand Budapest Hotel.
4. Pride.
5. Wake in Fright (originally released in 1970, then out of circulation entirely until earlier this year. It's the first time in my life it's been possible to see it, so it counts)

Paaaaul

I'm guessing newbridge hasn't seen Under The Skin.

El Unicornio, mang

1. Under the Skin
2. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
3. Two Days, One Night
4. Edge of Tomorrow
5. Predestination

I would put Dallas Buyer's Club in there but it came out in the US in 2013 and I saw it then.

newbridge

Quote from: Paaaaul on December 06, 2014, 11:05:10 PM
I'm guessing newbridge hasn't seen Under The Skin.

I haven't, and as a matter of fact I think I was confusing it with Lucy.

Based on the critical acclaim on here, I infer that the plot involves Scarlett Johansson seducing bald comedy fans, and that Chris Morris has a starring role as a mysterious drifter.

Paaaaul

It's more a study in phimosis than baldness.

Moribunderast

I've seen almost 80 new releases this year - a record for me, so this is the first time I can make a list and have it be freakin' hard to whittle down to a Top 5. New releases I've got on my list to watch that I haven't yet got to include: Only Lovers Left Alive, Dallas Buyers Club, The Treatment, A Hard Day, Asmodexia, Gone Girl and Whiplash. One or two of those will likely end up on the list by year's end, judging from reviews. Anyway:

1. Calvary
Beautifully acted and shot. Left most in the cinema silent, stunned and/or sobbing when I saw it.

2. They Came Together
Best comedy of the year by a mile. It's a very specific type of comedy, so some may hate it but I was in hysterics from beginning-to-end.

3. All This Mayhem
Tremendous Australian documentary about two bogan brothers who ascended the world of international skateboarding before falling from grace in spectacular fashion.

4. The Dirties
A first-time filmmaker makes a huge splash with his take on school shootings. Compelling, disturbing and very well performed. Felt like a new young director/actor/writer really announcing himself.

5. The Skeleton Twins
I'm probably biased as I only watched this last night but I thought it was fantastic. Heartfelt, hilarious, sad. Kirsten Wiig, Bill Hader, Luke Wilson all in great form dramatically and comedically. Top stuff.

Other standouts that narrowly missed the cut:
Grand Budapest Hotel, Her, It Follows, The Double, Edge of Tomorrow, Next Goal Wins, The Newburgh Sting and Cheap Thrills.

newbridge

#13
Is Nymphomaniac really as good as the litany of promotional shots of mid-moan Charlotte Gainsbourg? The potentially infuriating combo of Lars von Trier and Shia LaBeouf makes me very nervous about seeing it.

*Edit* Also, if anyone else is interested in renting Under the Skin, it is currently the 99 cent movie on iTunes (presumably USA only). 

Bad Ambassador

Nymphomaniac is good, but requires two sittings.

DukeDeMondo

I dare say I'm forgetting a fuckful, given that it's a Saturday night and that, and there's a couple - Stations of the Cross, Ida - that I haven't seen yet but I'm sure will give all of these a run for their pubes, but at the minute, I think this is my top 5 of the year so far.

1. Under the Skin
2. The Lego Movie
3. A Spell To Ward Off The Darkness
4. You Are The Night
5. Calvary


I also loved Pride, The Babadook, Boyhood, Leviathan... some of them might batter their way into my proper top 5 come January.

Puce Moment

There has been quite the ton of shite released this year, yet a whole load of absolute gems have also made their way through the Hollywood crap. In case you are confused by omissions, I still haven't seen Whiplash, Birdman, Horse Money, Jauja, The Duke of Burgundy, Foxcatcher , The Look of Silence, or Two Days One Night.

Honourable mentions should go to Jodorowsky's Dune, Boyhood, Goodbye to Language and Nui Bilge Ceylan's fantastic Winter Sleep, plus the Ukrainian The Tribe which is visually stunning, and which all almost made the cut.

5. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night



More than just a gimmick, this Iranian female vampire film plays with genre brilliantly, whilst also featuring some of my favourite shots of the year.

4. Mr Turner



An film that cares very little for the modern conventions of award-bait biopics, and instead goes for something more restrained and uncompromising. A fabulous meeting of a fantastic painter, with one of my favourite actors, being directed by a man who is getting better with age.

3. Ida



I have enjoyed all of Pawel Pawlikowski's films but this is by far his best yet. An intriguing and astonishingly shot film about belief, desire and resignation. It is testament to the quality of films this year that it isn't number one on my list.

2.Leviathan



Zvyagintsev is a director that is the natural successor to Tarkovsky (more so than even Ceylan), and here again he proves how effortlessly he is able to present human drama through expressionistic techniques. As with his last film Elin this is a film about Russia in every conceivable way, whilst also being about the characters and their lives.

1. Under the Skin



No-brainer from my point of view - but further to that, I'll be astonished if a better film comes along by 2019 to better it as film of the decade. I've already said too much about this film, and it's hard to reduce it to a pithy sentence, but in short I will say I can't think of a film in recent years that has so expertly combined cinematography and sound to create such a specific tone for a film.

Moribunderast

One thing this thread is teaching me is that my fellow CaBBers enjoyed Under The Skin a whole lot more than I did. Not to say I didn't like it but it certainly didn't leave the lasting impact with me that it seems to have done for others. Thinking back on it and looking at my list, I do have to concede that it probably has the most memorable visuals of anything I've seen this year.

zomgmouse

1. Under the Skin
2. Maps to the Stars
3. The Great Beauty
4. Inside Llewyn Davis
5. haven't seen anything 2014ish that was flabbergastingly top-five-worthy so this list is going to be #5-less.
(technically three of these are from 2013 but they only came out in 2014 in Australia so ner)

Still have a few films from this year that I'd like to see (Only Lovers Left Alive, The Zero Theorem, Nightcrawler, The Babadook, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night).

thenoise

I really need to watch under the skin.

If anyone else is a sucker for end of year film montages, this one is particularly good.

Quote from: thenoise on December 07, 2014, 09:50:32 AM
I really need to watch under the skin.
Yes you do

Noodle Lizard

Quote from: Moribunderast on December 07, 2014, 02:38:32 AM
One thing this thread is teaching me is that my fellow CaBBers enjoyed Under The Skin a whole lot more than I did. Not to say I didn't like it but it certainly didn't leave the lasting impact with me that it seems to have done for others. Thinking back on it and looking at my list, I do have to concede that it probably has the most memorable visuals of anything I've seen this year.

It made my list mostly for visuals and execution.

Quote from: newbridgeNymphomanaic

I wasn't blown away by it first time.  Antichrist and Melancholia left a better initial impression, but it kept creeping back into my head.  I watched the initial cut(s) twice and the Director's Cut once.  I think the initial cut will do you fine as a first-time viewer, but the Director's Cut is worth watching if you liked the film.  Some say it's significantly better, but I think the 4-hour cut does the job just fine.


I would have included Her on my list, but I saw it in 2013 so it feels like a bit of a cheat.  Alpha Papa was a 2013 film even though I only saw it this year, but that'd probably make it too.

Anscombe

1. Under the Skin (Jonathan Glazer, UK)
2. Mr. Turner (Mike Leigh, UK)
3. Nebraska (Alexander Payne, US)
4. Exhibition (Joanna Hogg, UK)
5. Pride (Matthew Warchus, UK)

Four films from the UK! I really do think a case can be made that we are currently living through a kind of "golden period" of British film, one that rivals the heyday of the BFI Production Board in the 70s and 80s.  Why is this?  Although it pains me to say it, I think it has something to do with the "austerity" policy of the current government: abolishing the UK film council, and handing the operation back to the BFI.  This has, I think, led to a very sensible policy of balancing popular but still high quality and "progressive" fare like "Pride" with genuinely unusual and radical films like "Under the Skin" and (I would argue) "Mr. Turner".  Indeed, the latter has reaped dividends on both counts: it is by far Leigh's most successful film at the UK box office (£4,357,230 after only 17 days--"Naked" took only £456,280 during its entire run, and "Vera Drake", Leigh's most successful film before "Mr. Turner", took "only" £2,377,598 during its entire run). 

What is more, next year we have a new Terence Davies film ("Sunset Song").  Hooray!




Bobby Treetops

#23
I've only recently discovered Peter Strickland[nb]Director of 'Berberian Sound Studio' one of my favourite films of 2012 [/nb] had a film out this year called 'The Duke of Burgundy', which seemed to come and go at the cinema unnoticed.[nb]well by me anyway[/nb]. Has anyone seen it?


Head Gardener

in no order, I just remember these ones in particular

Jodorowsky's Dune - http://youtu.be/4WWu1kclNDA
The LEGO Movie - http://youtu.be/GvTFfZq3Gvs
Under The Skin - http://youtu.be/6hVALH7s_Bk
Blue Ruin - http://youtu.be/F4nCRHNRSXk
Nightcrawler - http://youtu.be/X8kYDQan8bw

looking forward to

Birdman
Foxcatcher
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Jupiter Ascending
Mad Max: Fury Road

Funcrusher

Fuck five, I'll do ten. I think my list looks like this:

1.   A Touch of Sin
2.   Two Days, One Night
3.   Boyhood
4.   Camille Claudelle 1915
5.   Norte, the End of History
6.   Locke
7.   Tom At The Farm
8.   Grand Budapest Hotel
9.   Stranger By the Lake
10. Mr Turner

Also good: Manuscripts Don't Burn, Ida, The Golden Dream, Wakolda, At Berkeley, Under the Skin, The Armstrong Lie, The Raid 2, The Wind Rises, Exhibition, Belle, Jimmy's Hall

Best seen at London Film Festival - Horse Money, From What Is Before.

Discovery - a Hong Kong crime film called 'Long Arm of the Law' about a group of chinese ex-servicemen pre-reunification who sneak out of the People's Republic for a heist that goes wrong in HK.

Funcrusher

Quote from: Bobby Treetops on December 07, 2014, 04:05:28 PM
I've only recently discovered Peter Strickland[nb]Director of 'Berberian Sound Studio' one favourite films of 2012 [/nb] had a film out this year called 'The Duke of Burgundy', which seemed to come and go at the cinema unnoticed.[nb]well by me anyway[/nb]. Has anyone seen it?

I think 'The Duke of Burgundy' hasn't been on general release yet in the UK, just festival screenings. Didn't see it but do intend to as I liked BSS a lot.

Funcrusher

Quote from: Anscombe on December 07, 2014, 01:53:29 PM
1. Under the Skin (Jonathan Glazer, UK)
2. Mr. Turner (Mike Leigh, UK)
3. Nebraska (Alexander Payne, US)
4. Exhibition (Joanna Hogg, UK)
5. Pride (Matthew Warchus, UK)

Four films from the UK! I really do think a case can be made that we are currently living through a kind of "golden period" of British film, one that rivals the heyday of the BFI Production Board in the 70s and 80s.  Why is this?  Although it pains me to say it, I think it has something to do with the "austerity" policy of the current government: abolishing the UK film council, and handing the operation back to the BFI.  This has, I think, led to a very sensible policy of balancing popular but still high quality and "progressive" fare like "Pride" with genuinely unusual and radical films like "Under the Skin" and (I would argue) "Mr. Turner".  Indeed, the latter has reaped dividends on both counts: it is by far Leigh's most successful film at the UK box office (£4,357,230 after only 17 days--"Naked" took only £456,280 during its entire run, and "Vera Drake", Leigh's most successful film before "Mr. Turner", took "only" £2,377,598 during its entire run). 

What is more, next year we have a new Terence Davies film ("Sunset Song").  Hooray!

I'm generally not the world's biggest fan of the cinematic output of my own country, but I would agree that British cinema seems to be in a healthy state at the moment. In particular films directed by women - Joanna Hogg, Clio Barnard, Carol Morley, Andrea Arnold.

rjd2

Quote from: Funcrusher on December 07, 2014, 04:29:30 PM

5.   Norte, the End of History
6.   Locke
.


Planning to watch both this week on Netflix, Norte what would you compare it to?

Bobby Treetops

Quote from: Funcrusher on December 07, 2014, 04:35:39 PM
I think 'The Duke of Burgundy' hasn't been on general release yet in the UK, just festival screenings. Didn't see it but do intend to as I liked BSS a lot.

Oh yeah, I stand corrected, it was only shown at the London Film Festival in October. Another film to look forward to in 2015.