John's Top 10 Movies of 2014

Oscar has done it.  The Globes have done it.  Basically every critic on the planet has done it.  And now it's my turn!  Here are my Top 10 (listed alphabetically) films of 2014!

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (dir. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu)

A meta experiment that examines the way we spit out celebrity, Michael Keaton's game look at a former star that eerily mirrors him in real life is the performance of a lifetime.  Special points go to Emmanuel Lubezki for a terrific camera trick of making the film seem like one long take, and to Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for taking that trick and making the film effervesce.

Boyhood (dir. Richard Linklater)

An experiment in the way we look at the movies, and the way we look at our own lives.  Few films have ever dared to embark on such a long journey (twelve years in the making), and no director can make us examine the fragility of time and the grand scope of life like Richard Linklater.  It's one of those films that has to be seen to be believed.

The Fault in Our Stars (dir. Josh Boone)

Yes, my friends, occasionally teen romances can be truly great movies, but you'd be forgiven from thinking so after the dreck we've had to endure for years.  Yet here we have a romantic drama with a compelling female lead (Shailene Woodley, and thank god for her at the movies this year) and an irresistible Ansel Elgort in a role that likely made him a star.  If you aren't in tears by its end, you have no heart.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (dir. Peter Jackson)

The final chapter in Peter Jackson's six-part look at the Kingdom of Middle Earth rarely lets up, giving epic battle after epic battle, but its power rests in the quieter moments of the movie: Thorin's battle with himself, Bilbo's final moments as he realizes his part of the adventure is over, and the quickening heartbeat of Sauron's evil growing ever stronger.  A David Lean-style finale for the most important filmic series of the past three decades.

The Lego Movie (dir. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller)

The most fun I had at the movies all year.  Yes, it's technically a giant commercial designed to sell billions of dollars worth of the title toys, but it's also complete joy, mixing nostalgia from the audience's youth with a virtual feast of imagery and sight gags.  Plus, it's that rare comedy that actually finds a way to use the skills of all of its cast members, from bit parts by Jonah Hill and Will Forte to Star of 2014 Chris Pratt as our lead everyman.

Nightcrawler (dir. Dan Gilroy)

A terrifying look into the heart of a mad man.  The film relies upon us trusting a person because he looks like a movie star, and then we realize a bit too late that he's not down-on-his-luck, but instead a true sociopath, careening through Los Angeles hell bent on the best story, regardless of what happens to those around him.  This is arguably the best serial killer film we've seen since, well, Zodiac, so clearly Gyllenhaal has found his niche.  And you'll never look at the news in the same way again.

Pride (dir. Matthew Warchus)

Perfect.  That's pretty much the only way to sum up Pride, perhaps the best ensemble piece I've seen on screens since...I can't even remember.  A cast of British veterans and newcomers make you feel for causes you may never have given a second thought, and show perhaps the most damning indictment of the government's indifference to the poor and the sick you've seen.  And somehow it's still a light and spry comedy-gay or straight, if you haven't seen it yet, you're an idiot for not rectifying that situation.

Stranger by the Lake (dir. Alain Guiraudie)

If Alfred Hitchcock and Rainer Werner Fassbinder had a baby, it would probably have come up with Stranger by the Lake, a spooky look into a French cruising beach completely out of time and space.  The movie itself poses many riddles amidst the graphic love scenes, principally "what do we want out of life" and "where is our youth best spent?"  And of course the film has arguably the best ending of any movie this year, petrifying in a way few films dare to be.

Under the Skin (dir. Jonathan Glazer)

In a year where ambiguity reigned supreme over the art house, no film better captured that lack of understanding more than Under the Skin, Jonathan Glazer's long-awaited follow-up to Birth.  The film could be a horror film masquerading as a thriller, or it could be a coming-of-age movie about a woman haunted by some recent tragedy.  Whatever it is, it's a provocative look at what's below the surface in all of us, and how art can continue to change the way we approach the world.  And Scarlett Johansson hasn't been this effective since we first learned of her eleven years ago.

Wild (dir. Jean-Marc Vallee)

Movie stars, despite what the media says, are not dead.  They just don't get the strong roles they used to, and so thank goodness Jean-Marc Vallee can find a way to meld a truly compelling narrative with one of our greatest stars, Reese Witherspoon.  Like Cheryl, Reese has been lost in the cinematic wilderness for years, but you couldn't tell that with the verve and life force she brings to this woman, whose story of trying to find redemption in the wilderness breaks every survival cliche you can imagine, and ends up being a journey through time that we all must endure.

And there you have it-the Top 10 films of 2014!  Any make your personal list?  Any that you haven't seen (in which case-why not?!?!)?  Sound off in the comments!