Who’s ready for another round? Let’s see what ended up in
slots #21-30 on my personal ranking of the various kinetoscopes and peep shows
of 2014.
Captain America:
The Winter Soldier
Critics may have gotten a little bit carried away
when they started comparing this Marvel sequel to the great conspiracy
thrillers of the 1970s. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very good. It just maybe isn’t
Parallax View-good. Regardless, this
is a superior follow-up and a terrifically entertaining superhero movie that
did an excellent job broadening and shaking up the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And
Chris Evans deserves a lot of praise for his work as Cap, taking what could be
a one-dimensional character and instilling it with a great sense of purpose and
soul.
Joe
It may be hard to believe these days but the Academy did
not hand Nicolas Cage a Best Actor Oscar as a prank. David Gordon Green’s rural
drama reminds us what Cage is capable of when he actually gives a damn. He’s
remarkable as an alcoholic ex-con who just wants to be left alone until he
becomes a reluctant mentor to a teenager who’s even worse off than himself. Green
captures the low-income environment extremely well and it’s a little scary how
seamlessly Cage blends into it.
Godzilla
Expectations for another Americanized Godzilla movie
couldn’t possibly have been lower, which certainly helped make this a nice
surprise. But Gareth Edwards delivered an extremely fun kaiju movie with a
solid (and arguably overqualified) cast giving the proceedings gravitas. I’m
looking forward to a return trip to Monster
Island.
Nymphomaniac: Vol. I
Like I said in part one of this series,
this movie doesn’t really stand on its own merits without its companion piece.
It’s an interesting journey but you don’t discover the destination until Vol. II. But it’s definitely a
compelling set-up that makes you want to see the rest. And Uma Thurman deserves
some sort of MVP award for her brief but unforgettable appearance in this.
Alan Partridge
Steve Coogan’s most famous character comes to
the big screen in this somewhat disposable but often hilarious adventure
(titled Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa
everywhere in the world except here). The good news is that if you aren’t
familiar with Partridge, this is a pretty decent introduction to the character
that’ll probably make you want to track down his TV appearances. It’s no
classic but it’s a much better TV-to-film transition than, say, Ali G Indahouse.
X-Men: Days Of Future Past
First Class was the kind of reinvigorating fresh start that gives
reboots a good name. Bringing all the X-Men, past, present and future, together
into one super-colossal epic was an ambitious move that mostly paid off. It
offers some of the year’s best superhero setpieces and entertaining character
bits. The movie’s biggest flaw may be that its mythology is getting a little
too convoluted at this point. It doesn’t seem like you should have to do so
much homework just to enjoy an X-Men movie.
Ida
An orphaned girl raised in a convent is forced to
postpone taking her vows when she learns her real family history from an aunt
she never knew she had. Directed by Pawel Pawlikowski and shot in stunning
black and white, the film takes you on a journey into the heart of identity and
family. It’s an impressive work, deserving of its recent Oscar nominations.
Ernest & Celestine
A lot of the most interesting animated
movies these days are coming from overseas. This gentle French movie about the
unlikely friendship between a bear and a young mouse pairs lovely hand-drawn
animation with a clever, imaginative story. The movie gets dangerously close to
being too soft-spoken for its own good but at its best, this is a winning and
engaging family film.
Neighbors
Seth Rogen certainly had an interesting year, didn’t
he? I wasn’t really expecting much from this raucous comedy about a war between
would-be cool dad Rogen and frat boy Zac Efron. But I’d be lying if I said I
didn’t get some big laughs out of this. Rogen and Rose Byrne are a believable
and very funny couple and Efron (who honestly I knew more by name than his
actual work prior to this) is a terrific foil.
The Missing Picture
On the opposite end of the fun spectrum
is this Cambodian documentary from director Rithy Panh. Using carved figurines
and miniature sets, Panh tells the harrowing story of growing up under the
regime of Pol Pot in the 70s. It’s an innovative, dark but compelling film
worth seeking out.
I’ll be back on Monday with ten more that I liked but didn’t
love, then it’s on to the year’s disappointments and stinkers. Stick around,
the worst is yet to come.
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