Guardians of the Galaxy
Gone Girl
Inherent Vice
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Nightcrawler
Life Itself
Pride
Edge of Tomorrow
Wild
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Honorable Mention: The Lego Movie
Saw after calendar year 2016:
Calvary (A-)
Haven't seen as of January 2020:
Birdman
Boyhood
Ida
Mr Turner
Whiplash
Longer comments:
Guardians of the Galaxy
I haven't had this much fun at a movie in years!
Hard to believe this is the same guy who made “Super”, which I found almost unwatchable
Great performances almost across the board. Michael Rooker please be in every B movie.
Fantastic production design. High marks for use of 70s music in a soundtrack.
Several memorable moments: space-walk, Groot – fireflies, Groot – flower, GIANT SPACE HEAD, “Hey, they got my dick message!”
Gone Girl.
David Fincher is such a great visual artist. I make it a point to see all his movies because he is completely in control. The films are technically perfect. They can be cold. It worked very well with this script. But they are all worth watching, including Panic Room and the Benjamin Button thing.
This one - for a mainstream film, pretty epic and gruesome twist near the end.
Author adapted her own book! and did a nice job.
So well cast and acted.
Ben Affleck: eerily perfect for this role. He played basically the exact image I have in my head of him, but even so, made it sympathetic, at least a little. (My understanding is the book is a little more balanced between the main characters; in the movie I definitely think B*E*N A*F*F*L*E*C*K, Movie Star, is the more sympathetic character, even with his bad behavior.)
Rosamund Pike: I have noticed her in several movies and always liked her. This was quite a role and I thought she nailed it perfectly.
Tyler Perry: a revelation
Kim Dickens: fantastic
Carrie Coon (the sister): never seen her before, was very impressed
Inherent Vice
I loved this, many people hated it. I thought it did my main man Thomas Pynchon justice.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Wes Anderson is on a roll starting with Fantastic Mr Fox.
I thought Moonrise Kingdom would be my favorite of his movies for a while.
But this I thought was just brilliant. So enjoyable. So note perfect.
Nightcrawler
Saw this on Netflix long time after it came out.
This is basically just the Jake Gylenhall performance, WHICH IS FANTASTIC.
No - that's not fair to Dan Gilroy's script and John Gilroy's editing. Rene Russo is also very good in a supporting role.
This movie is upsetting, but in a good way, i.e. has a message and lands it.
Recommended.
Life Itself.
A documentary biography of Roger Ebert, and worthy of Ebert.
The filmmaker got unbelievable access to Ebert in the final months of his life
Very moving, very interesting.
Pride
The feel-good movie of the year.
Could have been a made for TV movie, but, so much heart and lots of fun performances.
Finally something I liked Dominic West in after The Wire. AND HE WAS GREAT.
Edge of Tomorrow
Lots of fun. Clever script. Good effects.
Emily Blunt should be a superstar.
Nice to have Doug Liman back.
Wild
Nick Hornby did the adaptation, and adapted it quite well (I loved the book).
There were a few scenes that felt quite Hollywood ... started off with menacing undertones, but hey! It all turned out OK at the end!
But overall – quite a story. And such great scenery.
Laura Dern was so good as the mom.
Final note: IMDB includes as plot keywords “squatting to defecate”, “toenail removal”, “tent” and “thirst”. Now you don't need to see the movie! And if you need to see other squatting to defecate movies, just click the link. You can thank me later.
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Kind of forgot about this movie after watching it.
But I won't forget the Quicksilver scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtnMy2aSOWQ
Man, that was awesome on a big screen and my favorite SFX scene of 2014.
Also some fun effects in the opening apocalyptic scene.
Nice production design on the 70s scenes.
Great stuff from James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, and Peter Dinklage!
On par with X-Men: First Class, which was quite good.
Ending was kind of meh. But overall – extremely enjoyable.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
It's going to sound weird to say this given the next movie on the list, but, I would have liked this movie better with less CGI. It had a lot of good stuff though. They were specifically trying to make it like a 70s political thriller, and I think to a large degree succeeded with that. For a superhero movie, it actually had a plot.
However, it also was corny: I loved, LOVED the Toby Jones-as-evil-computer scene.
I thought the Winter Soldier origin was pretty well done.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Apes with guns riding horses.
This movie is kind of awesome, kind of terrible, but in the end, yes worth seeing.
Repeat of previous comment about too much CGI
The first 15 minutes setting up the ape world are the best stuff in this movie
The “Koba fools the guards” sequence was genius
Kind of a Late Pacino performance from Gary Oldman
Between this and The Americans, I'm starting to love Keri Russell
Some script problems – let's keep around the idiot who does dumb stuff so we can have conflict and a plot.
Great, really great, motion capture acting.
Dishonorable Mentions:
Lucy – just thinking about this movie and the fact that I spent money on it makes me unhappy.
it was dumb, dumb, DUMB! and racist, and a total mess
(well, apart from the first 15 minutes, which were gripping, thriller stuff -- but as soon as the main plot device kicks in -- oh gosh is this movie bad).
However, does include clip footage of lions mating.
Interstellar – winner for 2014's most disappointing script!
Gone Girl
Inherent Vice
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Nightcrawler
Life Itself
Pride
Edge of Tomorrow
Wild
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Honorable Mention: The Lego Movie
Saw after calendar year 2016:
Calvary (A-)
Haven't seen as of January 2020:
Birdman
Boyhood
Ida
Mr Turner
Whiplash
Longer comments:
Guardians of the Galaxy
I haven't had this much fun at a movie in years!
Hard to believe this is the same guy who made “Super”, which I found almost unwatchable
Great performances almost across the board. Michael Rooker please be in every B movie.
Fantastic production design. High marks for use of 70s music in a soundtrack.
Several memorable moments: space-walk, Groot – fireflies, Groot – flower, GIANT SPACE HEAD, “Hey, they got my dick message!”
Gone Girl.
David Fincher is such a great visual artist. I make it a point to see all his movies because he is completely in control. The films are technically perfect. They can be cold. It worked very well with this script. But they are all worth watching, including Panic Room and the Benjamin Button thing.
This one - for a mainstream film, pretty epic and gruesome twist near the end.
Author adapted her own book! and did a nice job.
So well cast and acted.
Ben Affleck: eerily perfect for this role. He played basically the exact image I have in my head of him, but even so, made it sympathetic, at least a little. (My understanding is the book is a little more balanced between the main characters; in the movie I definitely think B*E*N A*F*F*L*E*C*K, Movie Star, is the more sympathetic character, even with his bad behavior.)
Rosamund Pike: I have noticed her in several movies and always liked her. This was quite a role and I thought she nailed it perfectly.
Tyler Perry: a revelation
Kim Dickens: fantastic
Carrie Coon (the sister): never seen her before, was very impressed
Inherent Vice
I loved this, many people hated it. I thought it did my main man Thomas Pynchon justice.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Wes Anderson is on a roll starting with Fantastic Mr Fox.
I thought Moonrise Kingdom would be my favorite of his movies for a while.
But this I thought was just brilliant. So enjoyable. So note perfect.
Nightcrawler
Saw this on Netflix long time after it came out.
This is basically just the Jake Gylenhall performance, WHICH IS FANTASTIC.
No - that's not fair to Dan Gilroy's script and John Gilroy's editing. Rene Russo is also very good in a supporting role.
This movie is upsetting, but in a good way, i.e. has a message and lands it.
Recommended.
Life Itself.
A documentary biography of Roger Ebert, and worthy of Ebert.
The filmmaker got unbelievable access to Ebert in the final months of his life
Very moving, very interesting.
Pride
The feel-good movie of the year.
Could have been a made for TV movie, but, so much heart and lots of fun performances.
Finally something I liked Dominic West in after The Wire. AND HE WAS GREAT.
Edge of Tomorrow
Lots of fun. Clever script. Good effects.
Emily Blunt should be a superstar.
Nice to have Doug Liman back.
Wild
Nick Hornby did the adaptation, and adapted it quite well (I loved the book).
There were a few scenes that felt quite Hollywood ... started off with menacing undertones, but hey! It all turned out OK at the end!
But overall – quite a story. And such great scenery.
Laura Dern was so good as the mom.
Final note: IMDB includes as plot keywords “squatting to defecate”, “toenail removal”, “tent” and “thirst”. Now you don't need to see the movie! And if you need to see other squatting to defecate movies, just click the link. You can thank me later.
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Kind of forgot about this movie after watching it.
But I won't forget the Quicksilver scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtnMy2aSOWQ
Man, that was awesome on a big screen and my favorite SFX scene of 2014.
Also some fun effects in the opening apocalyptic scene.
Nice production design on the 70s scenes.
Great stuff from James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, and Peter Dinklage!
On par with X-Men: First Class, which was quite good.
Ending was kind of meh. But overall – extremely enjoyable.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
It's going to sound weird to say this given the next movie on the list, but, I would have liked this movie better with less CGI. It had a lot of good stuff though. They were specifically trying to make it like a 70s political thriller, and I think to a large degree succeeded with that. For a superhero movie, it actually had a plot.
However, it also was corny: I loved, LOVED the Toby Jones-as-evil-computer scene.
I thought the Winter Soldier origin was pretty well done.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Apes with guns riding horses.
This movie is kind of awesome, kind of terrible, but in the end, yes worth seeing.
Repeat of previous comment about too much CGI
The first 15 minutes setting up the ape world are the best stuff in this movie
The “Koba fools the guards” sequence was genius
Kind of a Late Pacino performance from Gary Oldman
Between this and The Americans, I'm starting to love Keri Russell
Some script problems – let's keep around the idiot who does dumb stuff so we can have conflict and a plot.
Great, really great, motion capture acting.
Dishonorable Mentions:
Lucy – just thinking about this movie and the fact that I spent money on it makes me unhappy.
it was dumb, dumb, DUMB! and racist, and a total mess
(well, apart from the first 15 minutes, which were gripping, thriller stuff -- but as soon as the main plot device kicks in -- oh gosh is this movie bad).
However, does include clip footage of lions mating.
Interstellar – winner for 2014's most disappointing script!
- Daddy, we gots us a ghost!
- Hey, aren't you an astronaut?--That's quite a coincidence, we were just looking for one.
- I know, let's land on the planet with no ... land.
- Maybe it is love, but dammit, is there anything more powerful?!
- Sailing right on through a black hole with no consequences.
- Gosh, nice to see you again Murph, ok, gotta run, no need to talk to the rest of the family, I have like 30 seconds to take off if I'm gonna get me some space booty.
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