Best of 2014, Movies

The year is almost over, so it's time to reflect on the best of 2014. In these year-ending posts I'm offering my take on the best from the TV shows and movies I saw this year. This post is dedicated to the 10 best (and five worst) movies I saw in 2014. Here they are in Ascending order:

Best Movies of 2014:
10. The Judge
We think of Robert Downey, Jr., now mostly as Iron Man or Sherlock Holmes. It's true, he's been great in those blockbuster roles, but with "The Judge" he gets to apply his talents differently. And he shines in this movie, too, sharing a number of great scenes with Robert Duvall. This is a movie that didn't get a lot of publicity, but it was a stealth gem in an uneven year for movies.

9. When The Game Stands Tall
I love good sports movies, and there were two in 2014. I enjoyed "Draft Day" quite a bit, even though it was largely panned. But the best of the year, for me, was "When The Game Stands Tall," a true life story about a Northern California high school and the principled man of faith that led them to the longest winning streak in football history and through the valley when that streak was snapped. It's a beautiful story of football and faith.

8. Guardians of the Galaxy
Marvel movies have been huge the past few years, and "Guardians of the Galaxy" kept that streak going. It was the highest-grossing film of the year, and a bright spot in a so-so summer. It was also a lot of fun thanks to an irreverent feel and a fun, unexpected story. We get a new "Star Wars" in 2015, but this felt a lot like an heir to that franchise.

7. Grand Budapest Hotel
Wes Anderson has a very unique cinematic eye, something he's applied to some delightful films over the years. "Grand Budapest Hotel" was one of his best. It's a quirky gem, thanks in large part to its great cast and the vision of Anderson. It was one of the best movies last Spring.

6. The Fault in Our Stars
This was a beautiful story of love, life, and living with difficult situations. The film also had some beautiful performances, particularly from Shailene Woodley. This was a powerful and emotional film.

5. The Theory of Everything
Another fascinating film about living through difficult situations. This was the story of Stephen Hawking and his wife, Jane. It featured some great performances and was a powerful and interesting story.

4. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
I keep waiting for one of "The Hunger Games" movies to fall off, and it doesn't happen. You could argue this movie was the most frustrating of the series because it was mostly build up to a payoff that happens in part two, but it was still a beautiful film. It was still beautifully acted and a beautifully told story. It's also one of the most fascinating character studies.

3. The Imitation Game
A fascinating story of the team that worked to break the unbreakable German code, Enigma, in World War II. The film featured great performances, particularly from Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightly, and a beautifully told story.

2. Gone Girl
David Fincher hasn't made a bad film. This isn't a fun story, and it isn't an easy movie to sit through, but it's incredibly well crafted and well acted. This was one of the most anticipated films of the year, and it delivered.

1. Whiplash
This was the best movie I saw this year. The passion and intensity of the story and performances sat with me for a long time after I saw it. This, to me, was simply a brilliant movie. I hope it is remembered come awards season.

Worst Movies of 2014:
5. Noah
This was a big year for Biblical epics, but not many of them were great. This was, perhaps, the worst. With director Darren Aronofsky, a big budget, and a big name cast I expected something good. This was weird, didn't follow the Bible, and seemed cheaply made.

4. Transformers: Age of Extinction
It seems odd to crush an epic film that made a lot of money, but the fourth movie in the "Transformers" franchise was bad, really bad. This is a film franchise that needs to end.

3. Expendables 3
Again, this is a franchise that needs to end. Sylvester Stallone did some fun things with the first two movies, but this felt like a ponderous waste of time and talent.

2. Sin City 2: A Dame to Kill For
Speaking of a waste of time and talent… I wasn't a fan of the original "Sin City," but I could appreciate what they were trying to do. Who knows what the point of this film was. This was poorly constructed and poorly executed.

1. Sabotage
There are movies that are bad, there are movies that are over-the-top, and then there are movies that are offensive. This managed to be all three at once. It had, I guess, a decent cast, but it was an unrelenting blood bath that had, ostensibly, no point. This was the worst movie I saw this year, and it's not really close.