Following on from Part One of my Best of 2014 article, the time has come for me to unveil Part Two as we get down to the nitty gritty of the year’s best in cinema.
As well as the writing and acting categories, I will also be revealing my Top 10 of the year! Hope ya’ll agree with my picks….
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
THE INBETWEENERS 2
“Our four favourite benders head down under in the latest cinematic outing of the Inbetweeners, a film that frustratingly lacks the brilliance of its predecessor. The decision to make a sequel set on ANOTHER lads holiday doesn’t quite work out as well this time around despite the inevitable profit that is being made from it.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
- BOYHOOD
- HER
- INTERSTELLAR
- THE LEGO MOVIE
- NIGHTCRAWLER
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
GONE GIRL
- 12 YEARS A SLAVE
- DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
- GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
- THE IMITATION GAME
- THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
BEST DIRECTOR
STEVE MCQUEEN – 12 YEARS A SLAVE
- WES ANDERSON – THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
- DAVID FINCHER – GONE GIRL
- JAMES GUNN – GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
- PHIL LORD, CHRISTOPHER MILLER – THE LEGO MOVIE
- MARTIN SCORSESE – THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
LUPITA NYONG’O (PATSEY) – 12 YEARS A SLAVE
“Newcomer Nyong’o almost steals the emotional attention away from Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Solomon with her heartbreaking and Oscar-winning turn as Patsey, a young woman who suffers more abuse than her male counterpart and is one we also grow to care about right until the very end.”
OTHER CONTENDERS
- JESSICA CHASTAIN – INTERSTELLAR
- SCARLETT JOHANSSON – HER
- JENNIFER LAWRENCE – AMERICAN HUSTLE
- MARGOT ROBBIE – THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
- RENE RUSSO – NIGHTCRAWLER
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
MICHAEL FASSBENDER (EDWIN EPPS) – 12 YEARS A SLAVE
“Michael Fassbender delves into dark territory with his performance as the bigoted and despicable Edwin Epps. Although he has played nasty characters before, Fassbender is taking on a real-life villainous role which shares similarities to Ralph Fiennes’ chilling portrayal of Amon Goeth in Schindler’s List. Whenever on screen, he strikes fear into his co-stars and even with the appalled audience.”
OTHER CONTENDERS
- BRADLEY COOPER – AMERICAN HUSTLE
- JONAH HILL – THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
- JARED LETO – DALLAS BUYERS CLUB
- MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY – THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
- ANDY SERKIS – DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
BEST ACTRESS
ROSAMUND PIKE (AMY DUNNE) – GONE GIRL
“The standout turn comes from Rosamund Pike who is simply fantastic as the beautiful Amy, a woman who commands a striking presence that gets darker and deeper as the story unravels. Those who have seen Pike play charming female characters in the likes of Pride and Prejudice and Made in Dagenham will find themselves looking at her in a completely different light after seeing this film.”
- AMY ADAMS – AMERICAN HUSTLE
- PATRICIA ARQUETTE – BOYHOOD
- ANNE HATHAWAY – INTERSTELLAR
- KEIRA KNIGHTLEY – THE IMITATION GAME
- ZOE SALDANA – GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
BEST ACTOR
LEONARDO DI-CAPRIO (JORDAN BELFORT) – THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
“Leonardo Di-Caprio’s ability to create this kind of physical comedy is refreshing to see as he delivers a momentous performance as the charismatic yet deceitful Belfort, a role which won him the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical. Whether he is engaging us with his motivational speeches or making us loathe his character’s wild ways, Di-Caprio deserves huge plaudits for his commitment to playing flawed yet fascinating individuals in what is a career-defining role.”
- BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH – THE IMITATION GAME
- CHIWETEL EJIOFOR – 12 YEARS A SLAVE
- JAKE GYLLENHALL – NIGHTCRAWLER
- TOM HARDY – LOCKE
- MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY – INTERSTELLAR
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
FILM OF THE YEAR
#10. GODZILLA
This year’s list begins with the big-screen return of Japan’s greatest icon, the terrifying beast Godzilla in Gareth Edwards’ summer blockbuster hit. Vastly superior to the 1998 flop of the same name, the film moved its location to where the creature first originated from with Bryan ‘Walter White’ Cranston in over-the-top form as the veteran scientist trying to warn the world of his impending arrival. While fellow co-stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen failed to shine in their leading roles, it was all about the scaly beast himself whose entrance halfway in the film made it worth the wait. Good job Mr Edwards, good job….
#09. THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
#08. THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES
Lord of the Rings fans finally bid farewell to Middle-Earth as Peter Jackson came full circle by concluding his origin trilogy of Bilbo Baggins with the thrilling final installment The Battle of the Five Armies. Like Return of the King, the last film gave audiences plenty to savour from Smaug’s attack on Laketown to the epic showdown between Dwarves, Elves and the first of many Sauron armies in what was a CGI-laden spectacle to behold. While the series could never top the Rings trio, Jackson and his remarkable production team worked hard to set things in motion for Bilbo, Gandalf, Legolas, etc. while remaining passionate throughout. As someone who has been fortunate enough to experience all six of these magnificent films, I say thank you to Jackson and co. for their effortless work over the last fifteen years. It truly was the last goodbye!
#07. DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
#06. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER
#05. THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
Into the top five, the returning collaboration of Martin Scorsese and Leonardo Di-Caprio became a key factor with the craziest film of 2014 as the pair unleashed their absurd biopic The Wolf of Wall Street. Di-Caprio was on riotous form as the smooth but corrupted businessman Jordan Belfort whose addictive world of sex, drugs and tons of money ultimately led to his downfall. Who would have thought that Leo, could be so funny particularly with his memorable ‘Lemon Pills’ sequence? A stellar support cast which included Jonah Hill and the underused Matthew McConaughey also injected sparks of humour to the dynamic (and foul-mouthed) script from Terence Winter while former Neighbours star Margot Robbie won herself many admirers with her sexy standout role as Belfort’s long-suffering wife. For Scorsese, it was further proof that age held no barrier for the great director in what has been an extraordinary career. So much so, that I feel like doing some chest-thumping right now….
#04. GONE GIRL
Marriage isn’t all it’s cracked up to be as Ben Affleck would find out in David Fincher’s suspenseful crime-thriller Gone Girl. Adapted from the successful novel by Gillian Flynn, the film saw Affleck’s Nick Dunne get hassled by the police and the media over his wife Amy’s disappearance. Those who hadn’t read the book would have initially believed this would be your run-of-the-mill missing-persons film but thankfully it revealed a much more sinister tone that would prove the key strength of Fincher’s box-office smash. While Affleck continued to improve his acting reputation with his stellar turn, it was co-star Rosamund Pike who won the most plaudits for her portrayal of the mysterious Amy, a landmark role that would show audiences that she could play something much more cunning than your typically-chummy English rose. With additional support from his composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Fincher had once again proved that he was a master when it came to making gloomy and twistful films.
#03. 12 YEARS A SLAVE
Into the top 3, Steve McQueen was to land huge acclaim for his remarkable award-winning work on one man’s powerful struggle with slavery in the unsettling historical drama 12 Years a Slave. British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor produced a career-best performance as the unfortunate Solomon Northop whose time in capture inspired millions of African-Americans after his novel was released. Newcomer Lupita Nyong’o clinched the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her depiction of long-suffering slave girl Patsy (which landed her a part in the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens) while Michael Fassbender’s portrayal of despicable owner Edwin Epps left many of us appalled at his actions throughout. In fact, the whole film itself proved a gruelling experience to sit through as we found ourselves worrying for the fates of Solomon and Patsy but even when it ended, it left a bitter taste in our mouths. As was the case with Schindler’s List, this biopic will become a culturally significant film for many years to come.
#02. THE LEGO MOVIE
http://youtu.be/e0iVVVqjPG0
#01. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
http://youtu.be/1GncYQHBJIw
And that’s that for 2014. Thank you once again to all my readers for continuing to support my website throughout. It’s been a slog trying to update it consistently but I plan to make changes next year with a new name and colour theme amongst my proposals.
Be the first to comment on "The Cinematic Critique’s Best of 2014: Part Two"