Some 2014 movies

All the Movies I Saw in 2014

Since 2012, I tweet “reviews” of all the movies I saw in the previous year. Here, collected, are all 80 of those tweets for 2014. As always, they’re listed in the order I saw them. 80 tweets for 80 movies. Counting by month, that’s 8, 10, 7, 5, 10, 7, 3, 6, 2, 2, 8, 12. Of these 80 movies, 38 were from 2014, 20 were from 2013 and the rest spanned from 1936 to 2012. 73 of these 80 I saw for the first time. Two movies I saw for the first time in 2014 I actually saw again in 2014, but I’ll only mention Interstellar & They Came Together once. Finally, How I Watched: 33 in theater, 35 on DVD/Blu-Ray, 11 streamed/DL’d, 1 on TV & What I Watched: 46 dramas, 24 comedies, 10 docs.

  • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) … Like a Specialty’s sandwich, where the bread cannot contain the ingredients stuffed inside.
  • American Hustle (2013) … Well acted & stylish, but I didn’t fall in love with it, save this sentence: “Don’t put metal in the science oven!”
  • Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) … 12 months later, I’m still trying to comprehend why the Coens made a Moebius strip out of their folk-era movie.
  • Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay (2012) … A history lesson w/ some tricks up its sleeve, like the ice block story.
  • All Is Lost (2013) … Director JC Chandor lets the viewer decide whether it is heartbreaking or ultimately uplifting; I chose the latter.
  • Short Term 12 (2013) … Evolved from a good short into a superb feature; writer/director Destin Cretton’s wisest change: casting Brie Larson.
  • Defendor (2009) … Why have I never heard of this Woody Harrelson-starring vigilante super hero movie? Oh, because it’s not good? Got it.
  • The Spectacular Now (2013) … Deftly underplayed performances throughout ground a smart, effective story of unlikely high school romance.
  • Groundhog Day (1993) … My annual February 2nd tradition was made bittersweet this year by the passing of Harold Ramis three weeks later.
  • Blue Jasmine (2013) … The titular Jasmine is both wholly unlikeable and oddly sympathetic thanks to Cate Blanchett’s masterful performance.
  • The LEGO Movie (2014) … Funny, inventive & fun. So good its Lonely Island-penned theme song “Everything Is Awesome” can’t do it justice.
  • Synecdoche, New York (2008) … Five years since I last saw it, the film’s thesis is even truer: nothing is ever finished, and then you die.
  • Lust for Love (2014) … Dollhouse/Whedonverse vets make a cute (and maybe too cutesy) rom-com that nevertheless charms thanks to its leads.
  • Dallas Buyers Club (2013) … Earnest, honest portrayal of the early days of the AIDS crisis. They don’t often make ‘em like this anymore.
  • Inception (2011) … My 2nd viewing. Have to admit the story was less interesting this time, but the visuals & overall concept still wowed me.
  • 20 Feet From Stardom (2013) … Music doc can’t quite figure out what it wants to be, but its subjects have undeniable & infectious charisma.
  • Captain Phillips (2013) … Super-tense throughout, even when the action calms to a low boil. Hanks’s show stolen by his African costars.
  • Dear Mr. Watterson (2013) … Lovingly homespun doc sheds little light on the Calvin & Hobbes creator, but fans will enjoy it all the same.
  • Blue Is the Warmest Color (2013) … Shrewdly uses graphic sex scenes to get people to watch a 3-hour, French, & excellent coming-of-age tale.
  • The In-Laws (1979) … Released in ’79 but feeling much, much older, Alan Arkin squeezes every possible laugh out of this otherwise dry lemon.
  • Veronica Mars (2014) … The show (& now the movie) wasn’t really about the mysteries—so look past a meh plot & enjoy a funny, emotional ride.
  • Forrest Gump (1994) … Saw it again at a CentralCinema Film Court event, and I agree with prosectuor KenJennings: terrible & overrated.
  • Enough Said (2013) … Middle-age romance is hard, and portraying it on film harder, but this Julia Louis-Dreyfus starrer is funny & charming.
  • Killer Joe (2011) … McConaghey leads a strong cast in a low-class crime thriller that goes gloriously off the rails in the final minutes.
  • The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) … Anderson’s nesting doll of a story is his most meticulously crafted (& best?) diorama dramedy to date.
  • Stripped (2014) … Doc about comic strips doubles as a parable for how technology disrupts—then promotes evolution of—all kinds of art.
  • Saving Mr. Banks (2013) … Tale of Mary Poppins’ film adaptation is melodramatic to a fault but shows off Emma Thompson at her fidgety best.
  • The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) … Awful people—or are they cogs in the machine?—doing awful things. Too long. Too showy. Too effective.
  • Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) … Cap fully enters modern times w/a solo outing, gets a boost from ScarJo & intrigue-filled plot.
  • Mud (2012) … It may sound like a cheap shortcut to call this a modern day Tom & Huck adventure, but in truth, it’s high praise. Twain-ian.
  • Paper Heart (2009) … It might be too quirky & twee for most, but Charlyne Yi’s semi-documentary on love was cute & even inspiring at times.
  • Philomena (2013) … Steve Coogan’s script matches the saccharine w/ a biting wit, brought to life by yet another great Dame Judi performance.
  • Skeleton Twins (2014) … Bill Hader & Kristen Wiig go toe-to-toe in a dramedy. Every bit as funny as & way more emotional than you’d expect.
  • Still Life (2013) … Character actor Eddie Marsan carries this sad, aptly named light drama that shocks with some late emotional heft.
  • Beyond the Brick: A LEGO Brickumentary (2014) … Like its scripted counterpart, this LEGO movie deftly taps into the brand’s creative spirit.
  • Obvious Child (2014) … Gillian Robespierre’s debut film stars the wondrous Jenny Slate in a funny, naturalistic rom-com about abortion. Yep.
  • I Am Big Bird: The Carroll Spinney Story (2014) … The unsung Muppet performer gets his due in a rote yet often heartwarming documentary.
  • X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) … Great performances abound in this pre-sequel, but the story mechanics muddle the emotional impact.
  • A Patriotic Man (2013) … Humor was lost in translation w/this comedy about the doping program of the Finnish x-country ski team of the ’80s.
  • Mood Indigo (2014) … Michel Gondry & Audrey Tautou are a match made in a whimsical heaven in a funny, impressionistic, melancholy rom-com.
  • Boyhood (2014) … Richard Linklater’s remarkable 12-year project transcends its gimmick and captures life in the simplest, most profound way.
  • Ivory Tower (2014) … Is higher education too expensive? Yes, obviously. How can we fix it? This doc asks that & more, sans didacticism.
  • Chef (2014) … Jon Favreau returns to his indie roots in a lightly enjoyable foodie dramedy that metaphorically doubles as self-analysis.
  • They Came Together (2014) … The minds that brought us “Wet Hot…” turn their eyes toward the rom-com. Every bit as hilarious as you’d expect.
  • After the Thin Man (1936) … Nick & Nora return (with a young Jimmy Stewart!) in a sequel that’s not quite as zippy & fresh as the original.
  • Edge of Tomorrow (2014) … Cruise gets his comeuppance 100x over; Blunt does her best Sigourney; a fun, Groundhog Day-esque alien war movie.
  • How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) … Sequel not as fun as the first but just as surprising in its effectiveness. Do they dare make a third?
  • Life Itself (2014) … A love- and life-affirming doc chronicling the history & last days of Roger Ebert, full of great stories and great joy.
  • Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) … Anti-war allegory abandons hope for society, posits war is inevitable; Mo-cap & Serkis never better.
  • Another Thin Man (1939) … Nick & Nora return for a new adventure, this one separating the duo for too long & missing that classic banter.
  • Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) … A winning action comedy/space opera starring lovable losers, highlighted by Pratt’s charm & Cooper’s wit.
  • The Lonely Guy (1984) … Steve Martin in a silly & fun rom-com sendup that manages to presage some jokes from They Came Together by 30 years.
  • My Dinner With Andre (1981) … Surely not for everyone, but I found it a sneakily directed conversation that riveted me for nearly 2 hours.
  • Despicable Me 2 (2013) … Not nearly as fresh as the first, obviously, but still enjoyable. And w/o it, the fantastic “Happy” wouldn’t exist.
  • Coffee Town (2014) … A mostly funny Office Space lite, it’ll reach cult status only if Comedy Central starts running it 3 times a week.
  • Tootsie (1982) … Believability may stretch at times for modern audiences, but the gender equality issues are (sadly) as prevalent as ever.
  • Midnight Run (1988) … I’m not sure DeNiro & Grodin invented the antagonistic buddy comedy, but it sure feels like it—a debt is owed here.
  • A Most Wanted Man (2014) … Tedium fights terrorism in this stylish, plodding, tense Le Carre adaptation; Hoffman’s final screen performance.
  • Jackass Presents Bad Grandpa (2013) … Knoxville & young Nicoll shine alongside their unwitting costars, but the story lags between sketches.
  • Gone Girl (2014) … Fincher hits another home run thanks to pitch-perfect casting, acerbic black comedy, and a perfectly unsettling score.
  • Birdman (2014) … Lively, percussive score matches Iñarritu’s bold visual style. Like the jazz that inspired both, not everyone will like it.
  • Mad Max (1979) … A sometimes unintelligible, occasionally thrilling b-movie horror/revenge hybrid that somehow spawned a whole franchise.
  • Interstellar (2014) … Had more plot holes than black holes, but I don’t care: reaching for distant stars, it lands safely on nearby planets.
  • The Thing (1982) … A sci-fi/horror combo a la Alien, John Carpenter plays up the psychological terror & mood in a film that ages quite well.
  • Finding Vivian Maier (2014) … A remarkable documentary of a beyond-lucky discovery of daring artistry buried in anonymity for far too long.
  • The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (2014) … I’ll say it like so: I was more impressed by the newly renovated Cinerama than I was the movie.
  • Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014) … Cheap, dull sequel that recasts 3 roles & is barely saved by JoGoL’s charisma & Eva Green’s… charisma.
  • Big Hero 6 (2014) … Plucky superhero origin story reeks of “franchise starter“… but I’d enjoy further exploring the fictional San Fransokyo.
  • Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) … The rare unplanned sequel that propels the story and expands the world, then leaves you wanting more.
  • Muppets Most Wanted (2014) … Amiable, it plays like the original Muppet sequel: funny beats, good songs, but missing that emotional punch.
  • Top Five (2014) … Chris Rock’s self-referential (but not autobiographical) comedy fails to make my top 5 for 2014, but is very, very funny.
  • Blue Velvet (1986) … A typically salacious mystery from David Lynch that mostly plays it straight, which, oddly, makes it even weirder.
  • National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) … I can’t believe how every year I forget the opening titles are as awful as the movie is good.
  • A Christmas Story (1983) … I tend to now watch this Pulp Fiction-style: from the middle to the end, followed by the beginning to the middle.
  • R.E.M. by MTV (2014) … Band tells its story the only way it should & how no one else could: perpetually in the moment, w/ TV footage galore.
  • Under the Skin (2014) … Jonathan Glazer excels at merging the grotesque & beautiful / unsettling & alluring. ScarJo’s all of the above here.
  • Snowpiercer (2014) … Like the titular train, this economic disparity allegory chugs along at a furious pace, with great variety of action.
  • Into the Woods (2014) … Excellent performances and lush production/costume design can’t quite inject life into this fairy tale musical.
  • The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) … Third(!) Hobbit loses its way (and its heart) when its titular hero Bilbo isn’t onscreen.
  • The Interview (2014) … Substitute North Korea’s nukes for weed and this dumb, fun Rogen/Franco comedy could be called Pyongyang Express.