19.) Still Alice [2/26/2015]

This winter seemed ripe with films about tragic diseases (ALS, Alzheimer, chronic pain, depression); Still Alice was a mediocre film with one especially amazing performance (Julianne Moore's deservedly Oscar winning's portrayal of the title character, Alice Howland, but it's worth seeing, though, as Moore convincingly and subtly portrays the flustering and discouraging nature of the heartbreaking progression of the neurological disease.

18.) Project Almanac [2/25/2015]

As the film studio that gave us Joe's Apartment and Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, MTV Studios isn't known necessarily for "great" movies (or even "watchable" movies), but I was relatively surprised by this time-travel-story-meets-teen-drama; besides the obviously plot holes that come with the found-footage style films (see: The Blair Witch and Apollo 18) and the overly-long music video scene, it was a fun movie about jumping around in time and the problems that inevitably creates, which, admittedly, is not the most original idea or the most original way to film it, but here it all came pleasantly together for an enjoyable afternoon movie.

17.) The Kingsmen

This had all he ingredients of a movie I would love: action, spies, violence, explosions, Colin Firth and Mark Strong, but like a poorly made cake, it took all these ingredients and made something that looked ldelicious but tasted terrible; a movie about subverting expectations to effect change that ends with nothing changed and expectations fully realized. 

2014 Top Ten

Having seen 100 movies last year, and with awards season in full swing, I threw together my Top 10 list for 2014.  A few notes on the list: 1) these were movies I had seen, so The Babadook, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, and several other popular movies with very narrow releases were not considered; 2) some of the movies that had limited releases in 2014 and have since had wider releases after the New Year were not considered, like Still Alice, American Sniper, Selma, and several others.  A full list of films I had seen in 2014 is available by idly flipping through my Facebook feed, but no one really wants to do that.

10. The Lego Movie - Pure fun, from front to back.

9. Imitation Game - The best of the late year bio-pics.

8. Birdman - Not without it's flaws, but incredibly interesting and well produced.

7. Big Hero 6 - This is what all kids movies should be like.

6. The Drop - A menacing thriller with a slow burning plot.

5. Guardians of the Galaxy - Who would have thought a movie with a talking tree and racoon would be so good?

4. Snow Piercer - I always have time for absurdist films, particularly with Alison Pill

3. Locke - Proof I would watch Tom Hardy read the newspaper.

2. The Grand Budapest Hotel - The most Wes Anderson-y action movie ever. 

1. Whiplash - Great music, great performances, and incredible writing. My favorite of the year.

Some honorable mentions:

1. Foxcatcher for the most surprising casting choices and performances.

2. A Most Wanted Man for making me miss Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

3. Theory of Everything for Eddy Redmayne's performance of a man suffering with ALS (personal attachment there).

4. Godzilla for being the most-fun monster movie in forever.

5. Stalingrad for being the worst movie of this year or any year, past or future.

If you agree or would like to tell me how wrong I am, feel free to comment.  I love to tell people how wrong their opinions are.

16.) Deux jours, une nuit [2/10/2015]

I have a lot of time for Marion Cotillard; she was nominated for best actress for this film (which is as much about social anxieties as social charity and personal responsibility), and she deserved it; reading a movie, though, leaves a lot to be desired, but this slow, deliberate film allows for such distractions.

15.) A Most Violent Year [2/9/2015]

I wanted to really love this film: it had some actors (Oscar Isaac from Inside Llewyn Davies) and a vibe (1970s gangsters) that seem right up my alley; in the end, it was just alright: everything was good, but nothing was great.

14.) Black or White [2/8/2015]

I was surprised by this one, in that I didn't hate it; tonally, the movie was all over the place and it could have used a more subtle lead than a Kevin Costner, but it tried to be more than just a surface examination of race and family which gave Catherine and I something to talk about. 

13.) Jupiter Ascending [2/6/2015]

What could have been essentially King Ralph in space took all the worst parts of the three Star Wars prequels and boiled it down to a tangy reduction of convolution; I can only imagine a frightened CG artist starting the process with the Wachowskis standing behind him or her, asking with some trepidation how many space ships to render, and the Wachowskis answering in unison: "All the ships. Render for me ALL THE SHIPS!"

12.) Game of Thrones: Season 4, ep. 9 & 10 [2/4/2015 -IMAX]

I couldn't pass the opportunity to see one of my favorite shows on the biggest of screens; plus, the exclusive extended trailer for season five got me all excited for the coming Spring; if you are a fan, it was definitely worth it.

11.) Black Sea [2/4/2015]

The film is worth it just to listen to Jude Law's unironically awesome Scottish accent, as well as the tense-as-shit second and third act that ramps up the action in such a way that I barely noticed when my heart stopped beating.