I originally heard about this movie when two of my favorite critics reviewed it and both praised it highly; so when I saw that it was airing in a theater by my house I decided to go see it. To my surprise, the movie was great and one of 2014's best surprises. An independent film by "Iron Man" director Jon Favreau, the film follows a former well known chef who quites his job and ends up running a food truck with the help of his former sue chef and son; and they take it all across the country and end up becoming a kind of a sensation. Originally this movie was given a small release and was filmed on a small budget, but due to word of mouth it was given a much wider release and ended up making quite a bit of money. "Chef" was one of the year's biggest surprises, best films, and one of my personal favorites.
It's movies like this that show why independent films are, more often than not, better than big blockbuster films. Only the second film by Damien Chazelle, "Whiplash" was the stand out film at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival where it won both the Grand Jury and Audience award. The story follows a young and exceptionally talented young drummer at one of the most prestigious music schools in the country. One day he is noticed by the conductor of the school's top band, who later invites him to play with the band. He soon learns though that the conductor is a cruel and unusual task master. To be honest I liked this film more than I thought I would, I believe it was the emotion. This movie has more emotion in the final scene than most movies have in their entire run time. Exceptional acting, great directing, and one of the best soundtracks of the year, "Whiplash" is astounding from start to finish.
This movie was a long time coming, and was just what I was hoping for. From 2004 to 2007, the "Veronica Mars" TV show captivated audiences and garnered one of the most loyal fan bases of any program in recent years. The show revolved around Veronica Mars, the daughter of a private detective and former sheriff, as she deals with the problem of high school as well as do her own detective work on the side. I'm not afraid to admit it, despite being a show for teenage girls, "Veronica Mars" is my favorite show of all time. Unfortunately the show was canceled after three seasons, and was never given the proper ending; but after receiving funding on Kickstarter, a movie was made to wrap everything up. Taking place several years after the events of the show, Veronica is a recent law school graduate and is looking to become a layer. Suddenly she is called back to her home town to help clear the name of her ex-boyfriend for a murder he didn't commit, and she falls back into her old ways. This movie is what I had wanted for years, and I was so happy that it finally rived. While those who aren't fans of the show might not find it as interesting, anyone who was fans of the show will surely love it.
The first "How to Train Your Dragon" is, and will most likely always be, my favorite animated film of all time. Based off the book series by the same name, the movie was a surprisingly critical and financial success. Shortly after its release, DreamWorks Animation announced that there would be a trilogy. I was nervous since more often than not, animated sequels tend not to be very good. Fortunately though, "How to Train Your Dragon 2" manages to live up to its predecessor. Taking place a few years after the events of the first film, the story picks up with an older Hiccup who wants nothing more to explore the world but is conflicted about his duties towards his village. Filled with action, humor, tragedy, and beautiful animation, this movie does everything a sequel is supposed to do; I would even list it among some of the greatest animated films of all time.
I don't believe there was a single movie in 2014 that memorized me as much as this one; I never checked my phone to see what time it was for the entire run time because I was so transfixed with what was happening on the screen. The story follows a down and out actor who attempts to revitalize his career with a Broadway play, while simultaneously trying to keep the relation with his daughter afloat as well as keep what is left of his sanity. "Birdman" manages to do it all; Oscar worthy performances, great directing, a fantastic soundtrack, great dialog, and some of the best cinematography of any movie released in 2014. This is a movie for movie fans, there is one particular scene where the lead character goes off on a critic and and says what everyone else in the film industry thinks. "Birdman" is something special, it is a movie I will remember for years to come and is arguably the best movie that was released in 2014.
2011's "The Raid: Redemption" was a surprise hit and one of the best action movies of the past 20 years; it's sequel "The Raid 2: Berandal," will be listed along side one the greatest action movies of all time. Directed by Gareth Evans, the film takes place directly after the events of the first film. The young SWAT officer Rama managed to survive the events of the tower and made his way to a police officer he can trust. He is then asked to go undercover in a prison to get close to the son of the local crime boss. He is tasked with infiltrating the operation and help take down the organization from the inside. From the opening scene to the final fight, this movie was nothing short of exhilarating. There were a lot of great movies to come out in 2014 that I loved, none more that "The Raid 2: Berandal."
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