Best of 2014: Films

20

MOMMY
directed by Xavier Dolan

Mommy is the culmination of 25-year-old Québécois director Xavier Dolan’s themes of familial and romantic torment and joy, stacked with intense pop sensibilities and emotion. The titular “mommy” is ‘Die’ Després (played by frequent Dolan collaborator Anne Dorval), a rough-around-the-edges single mother of Steve (Antoine-Olivier Pilon), a behaviorally explosive teenager in the suburban fringes of Montréal.

Stylistic touches that sometimes stood in for narrative or emotional weight in earlier Dolan films serve to elevate and enhance here. Witness the intensity forced from the square, 1:1 aspect ratio close-ups, or the rhapsodic kitchen dance party set to Céline Dion’s “On ne change pas.” The film’s nearly inevitable third act doesn’t quite ring true, but Dolan’s work here results in some of the most stirring, alive and empathetic cinema of the year, and a bracing confirmation of Dolan’s talent for domestic drama. —Adam Smith

19

LOCKE
directed by Steven Knight

Steven Knight’s brief, yet intense character study rests solidly on Tom Hardy’s capable shoulders, and provides one of the most restrained thrillers of 2014. Set entirely behind the wheel of a BMW X3, Locke follows its eponymous protagonist, Ivan Locke (Hardy), as he drives through the night to an uncertain fate. His life is slowly unraveled through a series of phone conversations as Locke calmly drives himself to his “demise.” An exploration of the true definitions of masculinity and responsibility, Locke redefines what it means to “be a man.” —Jordan Brooks

18

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
directed by James Gunn

James Gunn breathes fresh air into the superhero genre with this epic story of an unlikely group of foul-mouthed and selfish anti-heroes. Explosive action is matched with witty dialogue and a retro soundtrack of 70’s hits. —Chris Porazzo

17

FRANK
directed by Lenny Abrahamson

While comically dark and acerbic, Frank luckily never reaches past its and “out-there” roots to become needlessly overwrought or painfully quirky. As a film about music, mental illness, and fame, Frank balances the right amount of oddity with some very warm moments—lending this bizarre film a genuine heart and soul. Named for its titular character, an avant-garde musician who never takes off his paper mache head, audiences will come through Frank changed (for better or worse) and perhaps inspired. Michael Fassbender’s almost entirely hidden, mono-expression performance as Frank is of particular note. —Jakob Johnson

16

NYMPHOMANIAC
directed by Lars von Trier

With its documentarian aesthetic, changing aspect ratios, split-screens, and text overlays, Nymphomaniac is the grand, two-part art-house collage film Lars von Trier has seemingly been working towards for the whole of his career. It is a culmination of techniques he first tried in earlier films (Dogville, Breaking the Waves), and even directly references his own oeuvre throughout. The film is brave and frank yet gentle and empathetic in its depictions of human sexuality. It is reportedly the first film von Trier directed while sober, and a promising look at what’s next for the auteur. In ambition, characterization, craftsmanship, and even cynicism, Nymphomaniac is von Trier’s strongest effort to date. —Maximilien Luc Proctor

15

WINTER SLEEP
directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan

At nearly 200 minutes in length and with an imposing amount of dialogue, Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Palme d’Or winner Winter Sleep is not a project easily taken on as casual entertainment. Nonetheless, it is one of the finest achievements of 2014 – marrying extraordinary cinematography in the hills of Anatolia with interior moments of creeping disharmony, rife with grievance and regret. The film’s narrative path is frequently elusive as it examines an aging patriarch (played by the outstanding Haluk Bilginer) and the shadow he casts over his family and the rural community. However, Ceylan weaves his performers, themes and backdrop so effectively that one is left with the impression of an immensely satisfying novel. Winter Sleep is a compelling continuation of Ceylan’s body of work, and a haunting, ultimately transfixing drama of quiet damage. —Adam Smith

14

GOODBYE TO LANGUAGE
directed by Jean-Luc Godard

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? At the age of 83, Jean-Luc Godard (Breathless) has managed to make use of 3D-filmmaking in a wholly unprecedented manner with Goodbye to Language. Separate images are often overlaid—one image shown to the left eye and one to the right—to create a visual experience unlike anything created before. Godard puts his flash of inspiration to good use, and explores the juxtaposition of common opposing forces: male and female, infinity and zero, man and nature. If you could somehow take the 3D techniques out of Goodbye to Language, you’d end up with a relatively typical Godard essay film similar to Two or Three Things I Know About Her; here more than ever, though, Godard has completely embraced film as a visual medium. Goodbye to Language reminds us why we watch films, and recalls what it’s like to see something beautiful for the first time, and we can only gaze with childlike wonder. —Marcus Michelen

13

INTERSTELLAR
directed by Christopher Nolan

There’s no shortage of excellent films taking place outside our atmosphere: 2001, Moon and Gravity will be at the top of mind for most fans of the genre. Yet none are as emotionally charged as Interstellar, the most recent in a long string of action masterpieces from Christopher Nolan. Just being in the conversation with Kubrick’s magnum opus should be reason enough to give this life-affirming space adventure your time, but consider the superb script and phenomenal cast and Interstellar enters “must see” territory. —Thomas McCallum

12

GONE GIRL
directed by David Fincher

As author Gillian Flynn’s 2012 novel “Gone Girl” was much more than a simple crime story, the 2014 film adaptation directed by David Fincher, too, goes deeper and darker. It is a film that haunts you with its images and echoing whispers. The key to the Fincher’s success with the adaptation is a matter of trusting the right team with the right material. Cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth creates seductive, intelligent images, while Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross add the perfect score to the visuals. Similarly, Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike give the best performances of their careers. All these forces combined make for one of the best films of the year. —Eden van der Moere

11

ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE
directed by Jim Jarmusch

Jim Jarmusch and vampires prove to be a perfect cinematic match in Only Lovers Left Alive: a profound story of immortality and infinite romance. What better fit for the contemporary vampire than the life of a reclusive musician? Boarded up in a decrepit mansion in Detroit, Adam (Tom Hiddleston), a slender, bony figure with draping, jet-black hair, surrounds himself with relics of the analog age and produces avant-garde noise rock that has captivated an underground audience despite his detestation of fame (side note: if Thom Yorke ever goes missing, someone check Detroit). Jarmusch, with his iconic white hair and affection for outsiders of all kinds, seemed destined to bring complexity and intellect back to the undead. Many may expect a Jarmusch film diving into a genre like this to be “not really about the vampires,” and yet he proves to be not only genuinely interested in exploring the lives, thoughts, and feelings of immortals, but capable of doing so in an effortlessly stylish, sexy, and atmospheric mood that digs itself into every branch of the production. Only Lovers Left Alive, seven years in the making, may be a bit behind the curve on the vampire trend, but with Edward Cullen and Bella now officially out of American vernacular for good, vampires have a chance to be interesting again. And under the direction of Jim Jarmusch, they’ve never been cooler. —Taylor Sinople