"Mike's Top Fifteen Films of 2014"

"Mike's Top Fifteen Films of 2014"

Posted on Dec. 31, 2014  on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Post Archive

Photo courtesy of IFC Films

1). “Boyhood” (2014)

My film of the year and the one that changed my view on conventional filmmaking. Fifteen minutes into this movie I knew I was seeing something unique and special. Richard Linklater shot this film over a twelve-year period, with the principal actors aging naturally during the length of the film. It’s a simple story of a family dealing with the separation of the husband (Ethan Hawke) and wife (Patricia Arquette), seen mostly through the eyes of their two children (Ellar Coltrane and Lorelei Linklater). It’s an amazing film that was so effortless and enjoyable to watch that it doesn’t seem it’s almost three-hour length. Mike’s “Boyhood” Review

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

2). “Whiplash” (2014)

A drama that is part horror film is the best way to describe this movie about a young drummer (Miles Teller) who joins a top-flight band of a music conservatory. His world is turned upside down by the leader of the band, played by J.K. Simmons. Both leads give amazing, unbelievable performances that are both gut wrenching and sometimes terrifying. Mike’s “Whiplash” Review

Photo courtesy of A24

3). “ Locke” (2014)

This was my favorite film of the year, mostly because it took me by surprise. I saw this film at the 2014 Atlanta Film Festival and enjoyed it so much that I had to see it again when it came out in the theaters. Tom Hardy gives a performance of a lifetime. The whole film is Hardy driving in his car. It sounds boring, but it’s one of the most compelling and moving performances of the year with plenty of suspense. Credit Hardy and writer / director Steven Knight into creating a truly memorable cinema experience. Mike’s “Locke” Review

Photo courtesy of Raduis/TMC 

4). “Blue Ruin” (2014)

Macon Blair was magnificent in the role of a homeless man who goes back home to get revenge for the killing of his parents. The film, written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier, takes an unconventional hero and puts him into a situation that looks un-winnable. It’s a remarkable performance by Blair, who is on screen for almost the whole film. Mike’s “Blue Ruin” Review

Photo courtesy of Music Box Films

5). “Ida” (2014)

This Polish film is on the short list for the Academy Awards Best Foreign Language Film and in my eyes, is the front-runner to win it. Set in 1960’s communist Poland, Anna (Agata Trzebuchowska) is a young novitiate nun, happily preparing to take her vows. She discovers that her past isn’t what she thought it was and goes on a trip to discover why that is so. Shot in black and white, this mesmerizing film does a masterful job of portraying what it was like to live in the starkness of Communism. Trzebuchowska is an actress who continually draws your eye to her. As Anna struggles to learn the truth about her past, she begins to understand that it’s a world that holds onto its secrets with a firm grip. Mike’s “Ida” Review

Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers

6). ”The Lego Movie” (2014)

This is the film that I enjoyed the most in 2014 and surprisingly, had one of the best scripts of the year. From the very start, this film just puts a smile on your face. I especially enjoyed Chris Pratt as the “every man” Emmett, who learns that he might be the key to saving the world. However, it was Will Arnett who steals the show as the voice of the slightly ego-maniacal Batman. This film proves Hollywood can make an animated film that both parents and kids will enjoy…that everything can be awesome! Mike’s “The Lego Movie” Review

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing

7). “Foxcatcher” (2014)

In a film filled with great performances, it was Channing Tatum, as the dumb, younger wrestler, who on his own makes one bad choice after another. Steve Carell gives it his all as the creepy wealthy DuPont heir who takes Tatum’s character under his care. Not to be outdone, Mark Ruffalo is equally compelling as the older and wiser of the two wrestling brothers. It’s a fascinating movie that slowly builds its tension to the final tragic outcome. Mike’s “Foxcatcher” Review

Photo courtesy of Open Road Films

8). “Nightcrawler” (2014)

Jake Gyllenhaal gives an outstanding performance as one of the most despicable characters on screen this year. He plays a young man who stumbles upon the rough and tumble world of free-lance news reporting, following the police around to crime scenes and wrecks, where the bloodier the scene the better. He screws over anyone he can to get the shot that will pay the big bucks. Rene Russo lights up the screen as a desperate news producer who is willing to do almost anything for ratings. Mike’s “Nightcrawler” Review

Photo courtesy of Radius/TWC 

9). “Keep On Keepin’ On” (2014)

This incredibly moving documentary is about the friendship of two musicians; a promising young blind jazz pianist named Justin Kauflin and jazz legend Clark Terry. Both men are going through some of their toughest times and their friendship, cemented of the love of jazz, gives each man strength to “Keep On Keepin’ On.” Mike’s “Keep On Keepin’ On” Review

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox

10). “Gone Girl” (2014)

This is a film that is filled with people you won’t really like and takes so many twists and turns you almost feel like you need a scoreboard to keep up. This is a film that is funny and yet in many parts is dark and depressing. It’s a tale that about how fast the media can turn a hero into a villain and how quickly we make judgments about people. Mike’s “Gone Girl” Review

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

11). “Top Five” (2014)

Chris Rock wrote and directed this funny, at times raunchy film that is smart and full of heart. Rock plays a comedian who is getting ready to marry a reality star and is having his film (a drama) released on the same weekend. Rosario Dawson plays a reporter who shadows him for the day. They have great chemistry together, and that makes this film a delight to watch. Mike’s “Top Five” Review

Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

12). “Life Itself” (2014)

Incredibly moving documentary about the inspiring life of film critic Roger Ebert. The film covers his life warts and all, as you see his highs (winning the Pulitzer Prize) and the sorrow of watching Roger slowly give up the fight with his many ailments. It’s a film that will stay with you for a long time. Mike’s “Life Itself” Review

Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight

13). “Birdman” (2014)

This fascinating film is part comedy, part satire. Michael Keaton plays an actor whose better days are behind him. He is attempting to mount a comeback on Broadway but may lose his mind in the process. While I enjoyed Keaton in the title role, I thought Emma Stone, playing his troubled daughter and Edward Norton, playing a Hollywood star to into method acting were the highlights of the film. My only objection to the film was that I did not like the ending to the film. Mike’s “Birdman” Review

Photo courtesy of Marvel

14). “Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014)

Chris Pratt is so much fun in this film as Peter Quill, a thief who prefers the name Star Lord. Quill gets way in over his head attempting to steal an orb that apparently everyone in the galaxy wants. The film is just a blast to watch and keeps moving right from the start. It’s hard to understand that everyone in the world would fall in love with a tree-like creature named Groot. Mike’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” Review

Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight

15). “The Grand Budapest Hotel” (2014)

An absolute joyride of a film that takes this Wes Anderson film and combines it with a Marx Brothers film. Ralph Fiennes plays Gustave H, one of the best concierges in the world who gets involved in a very complex world of intrigue and espionage. There were times that I thought I was watching one of the old Roadrunner cartoons when the action scenes unfold. “The Grand Budapest Hotel” is Anderson at his best and is one of the most enjoyable films of the year. Mike’s “The Grand Budapest Hotel” Review

Honorable mention:  “Dear White People”, “The Way He Looks”, ”Kill the Messenger”, “Begin Again”, “Obvious Child”, “The Lunchbox”,   “We Are the Best”, “The Past”, “Force Majeure”, “Snowpiercer”, “Love is Strange”, “Finding Vivian Maier”, “The Babadook”, “Chef”, “Frozen”. “Selma”

Check out Mike’s Bottom Ten Films of 2014

"Boyhood" Movie Review

My review of "Boyhood" starring Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke.

"Boyhood"

Posted on Aug. 1, 2014 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com.

Wayback Machine Archive Post 

“Boyhood”  (2014)

There are certain films that are so unique and special, you know it ten or fifteen minutes into the movie. “Boyhood” is one of those films. Richard Linklater has brought to the screen an amazing film that is so effortless and enjoyable to watch that it doesn’t seem it’s almost three-hours long. The film is about a young family that when we first meet them, they are going through the painful separation of a husband (Ethan Hawke) and his wife (Patricia Arquette). The dad showed up unexpectedly after a lengthy absence (“He’s been working in Alaska”), surprising his young 6-year-old son, Mason (Ellar Coltrane) and 8-year-old daughter, Samantha (Lorelei Linklater). The kids are hopeful that their parents are getting back together, but that is soon quashed as the two parents quickly get into an argument on the sidewalk outside of the family’s apartment. The hope, then pain is shown on the kids faces as they watch the unfolding argument happen below their bedroom window. This scene flawlessly develops, and it’s a perfect example on how this film takes small moments in time to let us understand where the characters are in their lives.

Photo courtesy of IFC Films

As the audience, we get to experience four people grow up. The parents, who married too young, go their separate ways, make mistakes in their relationships and eventually find their place in the world. We see how each parent matures and deals with each other and the kids. The two kids who go from elementary school to enrolling in college. Normally, in a film like this, you would use different actors to play the parts at different times in their lives. Then you would use makeup and hairstyles to show the parents growing older as the film moved along. In Linklater’ s film, we see as the parents turn into two adults in their mid-forties, their bodies changing as they get older. We see the kids in all stages of childhood to early adulthood. It’s an amazing viewing experience and adds greatly to the feeling of watching the small pieces of time go by.

Another remarkable aspect about this film is the marking of time through both technology and in cultural events. In a normal film, shot over approximately six months, the filmmakers would probably make more of a spectacle of say a smartphone being introduced to the public, making sure that the audience noticed the product and how important it was to the culture at the time. In this film, not knowing what was going to be popular or going to last, Linklater just lets technology be a part of their everyday lives. It permits the audience to concentrate on what is happening to the characters, allowing us to stay in the moment.

Photo courtesy of IFC Films

While there are a couple of groundbreaking moments in the film, the film is filled mostly with smaller moments. How you interact with the other kids in a new school, the pain of moving away from your friends, the relationships you form in your first job, seeing your mom flirt with someone other than your dad. These are all moments in this film that define its characters and allow us to experience the wonder of growing up. There were several times in the film, when I was waiting for something big to happen, and instead was relieved and surprised when that major event did not occur. It’s an accumulation of smaller events that shape the film’s characters, just like what happens in real life.

The four principle actors in this film do a remarkable job. Early on its Lorelei Linklater, as Sam, that dominates the action. She shines on the screen, interacting with the others with almost dominating presence. She is the more outgoing of the two kids, as Ellar Coltrane plays more of the quiet and retrospective child of the family. As the film moves along, she begins to take a backseat to Coltrane’s performance, becoming more of a supporting character as we get to know more and more about Mason. I really enjoyed Ethan Hawke’s performance as the father who starts shirking his parental duties and then grows into the man his kids need. While Hawke didn’t age too much in his appearance (present day Hawke is still pretty darn boyish), I enjoyed his character’s growth, and I think it’s due to in part Hawke’s maturing as an actor. Arquette is the perfect choice for the role of a young woman who grows into being the matron of the family. She is wonderful in the role, bringing a toughness, yet vulnerability to the role that fit the character of the mom. Arquette lets us see the pain of her character as the mom trying to figure out how to survive with two kids on her own.

Photo courtesy of IFC Films

Coltrane, playing Mason is the anchor and focus of the film. It’s quite an experience to see a young boy grow into a man right before your eyes. I felt that early on, as an actor, his inexperience showed on the screen but as the years went on. He became more comfortable in the part, and I think, also in real life, more relaxed in his own appearance, as most teens do. It’s remarkable how much as a young adult he looks like Ethan Hawke, not only in his body type but how he carries himself in on the screen.

It’s a remarkable film to watch and is truly one of great experiences I have had in the cinema. Linklater has done an impressive job of making a film that is consistent in its quality from start to finish. Think about how the technology of film has changed in the last ten years, but the movie has the same look and feel throughout. What does change are the people in the film and how we feel about them as they grow older. Like your own family members through the years, your opinion of these characters change that they grow older and evolve, some for the better, some for the worse. Linklater has made a film that is an amazing work of art and one to savor as you watch time move across the screen.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again

My movie rating system from Best to Worst:  1). I Would Pay to See it Again  2). Full Price  3). Bargain Matinee  4). Cable  5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

“Boyhood” is playing exclusively at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema

“Boyhood” Website