Travis Hopson's 20 Best Movies of 2014

Everybody calls their list the "best of the year" but don't we really mean our favorites? I'm less interested in what somebody thinks is the best film than learning about the movies that touched them personally. I think we'd see very different "end of the year" coverage if everybody took that approach, and it's what I always try to do when putting together my list.

At the time I'm putting this together I've seen 271 movies, the most I've ever seen by a fairly large margin. I saw 226 films in 2013, a personal record at the time. And seeing so many has both helped and hindered my ability to decide on my favorites. So I'm cheating a little bit and giving some love to my top 20 movies of the year, because I won't be able to sleep knowing some of these weren't mentioned in some small way. Besides, there were a lot of movies on my "Worsts List" so it's only fair to offer more that you might actually want to seek out.

Because I'm a big dork you probably guessed there are a few superhero movies that made the cut, obviously. The X-men bobble heads on my disk nodding their approval as I type that out. And it's not lost on me that a handful of my favorite flicks this year explored the personal connection between an artist and their craft. Some of these films I've been championing all year, some just snuck up on me in the last couple of weeks, but overall it's a pretty diverse range I think. So check out my top 20 films below, be sure to take a look at all of our end of the year review, and let me know your thoughts. Oh, and please spare me the "How could you leave this off??" emails! Just because a movie missed the list doesn't mean I hate it.

20. Begin Again (review here)
19. Whiplash (review here)
18. John Wick (review here)
17. Calvary (review here)
16. Big Hero 6 (review here)
15. Starred Up (review here)
14. Obvious Child (review here)
13. I Origins (review here)
12. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (review here)
11. God Help the Girl (review here)

10. Chef (review here)
Maybe it's thoughts of my own father that inspires my love for Jon Favreau's culinary comedy, Chef. While the film draws parallels with Favreau's filmmaking career, going from inspired indie stalwart to bored purveyor of blockbuster fluff, it's also the story of a father who hopes to pass on a meaningful legacy to his son. My father passed down his love of movies to me, the same way Favreau's character passes on a good grilled cheese, and for that I'm forever grateful. Favreau's film sees him returning to the art house world, bringing along some big names like Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, and Sofia Vergara, for a mouth-watering road trip film that will make you laugh, cry, and book dinner reservations with the quickness. He plays a big time chef who has lost his creative mojo, but recaptures it after opening a food truck with his kid.

9. Top Five (review here)

Another movie about an entertainer coming to terms with his own popularity, Chris Rock's Top Five bristles with the energy of the streets and the comedian's scathing stand-up act. Rock plays essentially a version of himself as a funnyman looking to become a serious actor, but finding that nobody really cares about all that stuff. It's Rock's most personal film to date, and so it makes sense that it's also the one where he gets the most raw. He rips into Hollywood stereotypes and tears into issues of love, sex, politics, and race, all the while forging an unbreakable romantic bond with co-star Rosario Dawson. I even loved his top 5 list of hip-hop's greatest rappers. That's how deep my love of this movie goes.

8. The Fault in Our Stars (review here)
 I'm not supposed to want to watch a movie like this a bunch of times, right? And yet The Fault in Our Stars is a movie I could watch endlessly because it's not so much about the pain of dying, but the joys of life. With a wry sense of humor, a dash of teen angst, and two remarkable performances by Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort, this adaptation of John Green's best-selling novel refuses to give in to cliches of the genre. While definitely a weeper requiring an entire box of Kleenex to endure, there is never a manipulative moment even when it would have been easier story-wise for there to be one.

7. Birdman (review here)
 I hate when people say Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's kinetic, virtuoso meta-comedy Birdman is Michael Keaton's big comeback. He's been great for a long time and his talents didn't diminish just because he's been out of the spotlight. Birdman is the most high-profile thing he's done in awhile (Need for Speed doesn't count because it sucks) and as Riggan Thompson, a former superhero actor looking to become a respected thespian (this is becoming a theme, isn't it?) he shows us levels of sadness, desperation, and rage we haven't seen from him in awhile. While his performance alone would be worthy of putting Birdman on anybody's list, one can't overlook the flawless cinematic contribution of DP Emmanuelle Lubezki who literally doesn't give us a moment to blink; his camera always moving. The supporting ensemble is equally great with Emma Stone and Edward Norton, the latter playing a manic, heightened version of himself. But what's most startling to me is the total change of gears this was for Inarritu. There is almost no connecting tissue between Birdman and the multi-tiered, heavy moral dramas of his past. It leaves me fascinated by what he'll attempt next.

6. X-men: Days of Future Past (review here)
You pretty much have me with anything involving the heroic, flawed, histrionic mutants in the X-men. I've been reading the comic for basically my entire life and have loved just about every movie (that wasn't an insult like X-men: The Last Stand), but X-men: Days of Future Past is the first one that gets everything right. With so much that could potentially go wrong with the massive cast and three time periods to juggle, Bryan Singer showed a skillful hand in giving every character their moment to shine and every era a unique flavor. The central "love" triangle between Professor X (James McAvoy), Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) has all the soap opera elements fans of the comic will love, while the endless array of super powers flung around the screen is impressive.

5. Mommy (review here)

Oh hey, screw you, Academy voters. You may not want to put Xavier Dolan's hyperactive, gloriously unpredictable drama Mommy in the Oscar race, but it damn sure deserved to be there. In truth I wasn't sure I would be able to tolerate breakout star Antoine Oliver Pilon's performance as Steve, a walking powder keg fresh out of jail and into the life of his ill-prepared mother, Diane, played by Anne Dorval.  But this is a film that defies expectations on a character and technical level, with emotions that literally stretch beyond the boundaries of the screen. While Dolan's toying with the aspect ratio may come off as a cheap ploy it proves a crucial element, and paired with an impeccable soundtrack ("Wonderwall" has never been used better. Ever.) Mommy is a huge leap forward for the young filmmaker. As Diane and Steve settle into a messy but rewarding friendship with a mousy neighbor (Suzanne Clement), the mother/son bond bends but never breaks. Considering the mommy issues Dolan has sought to highlight in his previous films, it's refreshing to see him explore it from a more positive angle and in such an exhilarating way.

4. A Most Violent Year
I don't know how he does it, but JC Chandor has now made three movies that look like they come from three different filmmakers. Margin Call is as different from All is Lost which is a country mile from A Most Violent Year, one of the best crime dramas in recent memory. For me, there's The Godfather and nothing else need apply for the crown, but A Most Violent Year is the first film to make me reconsider. Set in 1981 during the most violent year in New York City history, the story follows a level-headed heating oil magnate played by Oscar Isaac. When outside forces begin to violently put a crimp in his business, he begins to find it hard to stay on an even keel, and it doesn't help that his wife (Jessica Chastain) seems to be pushing him to take aggressive action. As an exploration of the American Dream and the nasty, corrupt things one must do to attain it, A Most Violent Year is without peer. And it doesn't hurt that it features crisp, cold cinematography by Bradford Young, who will be mentioned again later on this list.

3. The Raid 2 (review here)
All year I've been telling people that Gareth Evans' jaw-jacking sequel The Raid 2: Berendal would end up in my top 3. Nobody believed me. Why is that so crazy? Is there a better action director anywhere than Evans right now? How can he keep finding news to thrill us? How does he keep finding unique angle to show star Iko Uwais bashing some guy's brains in? No other scene had my heart racing faster than the fight with Baseball Bat Guy and Hammer Girl, an intense cramped quarters rumble of impeccable stunt choreography. While some may balk at the 2 1/2 hour run time or the expanded gangster storyline, for me it only added to the franchise's charm. While The Raid was like one long video game, The Raid 2 has a different energy yet still gives us the hardcore brutality we love. How Evans can possibly top this is beyond me but I can't wait to see him try.

2. Frank (review here)

Frank, you had me at "Michael Fassbender under a giant papier-mache head". It's that kind of boldness, that willingness to embrace something so weird that makes Lenny Abrambson's exploration of creative genius and insanity so lovable. Domhnall Gleeson plays a hopeless musician who falls in with a quirky band of weirdos led by the titular masked singer, who may or may not be a complete lunatic. While he latches on to their creative energy without bringing much of his own, he also tries to push them into the mainstream, which doesn't go over so well with the band. From the searing soundtrack (performed live by the cast) to the off-kilter tone, Frank celebrates individuality in all its forms while quietly lamenting those who crave conformity.

1. Selma 
I worried about Selma from the moment it was announced. How could I not with Lee Daniels (briefly) at the helm? He had already squandered a wealth of talent and an amazing story with The Butler, and would probably do it again here. Thank goodness for Ava DuVernay. It's incredible that Selma is only her third film because she has the skill of a seasoned veteran, boiling down a few months in Martin Luther King's campaign for voting rights into a profound statement on the power of people to affect change. Refusing to conform to standard biopic pitfalls, Selma lets us in on the ground floor of King's movement, putting us in touch with the immediacy of his cause. Depicted with warmth and commanding presence by David Oyelowo, King is honored but never idolized; the cracks in his armor seen in tense struggles with his wife Coretta, President Lyndon Johnson, and his own supporters. But through all the human frailties arose a powerful leader. And chalk up another win for cinematographer Bradford Young, whose vivid imagery captures the urgency of the time. With so much going on in this country right now in terms of race relations, the importance of an inspiring, relevant, and yes extremely crowd-pleasing film like Selma can't be overstated.

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10 Great Overlooked Films from 2013

It's not possible for every movie to receive the same amount of attention. There are literally hundreds of movies that came out every single year, and out of those maybe two or three will end up in your local multiplex. The rest will unspool at the art house or possibly On Demand, and really it's never been easier to get your hands on high-quality films at all times. But even with movie lovers having greater access than ever, there are still plenty of movies that slip beneath the cracks. So to kick off my end-of-the-year round up, I've selected ten of the movies that I absolutely loved that didn't have a lot of buzz....or didn't make a scratch at the box office....or were just severely under-appreciated. Two of these, Blue Caprice and Crystal Fairy, I caught at Sundance and my reviews suggest that I had some extremely high hopes for them. Just goes to show my radar is on the fritz more often than not. These are in no particular order, by the way.

Computer Chess
Director: Andrew Bujalski

There have been a lot of great movies about chess. There have been a lot of great movies about nerds. What do you get when they're put together? You get Andrew Bujalski's retro, offbeat charmer, Computer Chess. Shot in black and white and extremely grainy analog video, the film is set 30 years ago as tech geeks gather for to test out the next wave of computer chess software in a weekend tournament. Technological paranoia and social awkwardness make for a hilarious and offbeat mix as Bujalski methodically pulls back the layers of his quirky cast of characters with his trademark naturalistic dialogue honed through years in the "mumblecore" movement. There couldn't be a less commercial film than Computer Chess but it's well worth the effort to seek out.
+1
Director: Dennis Illiadis
Cast: Rhys Wakefield, Ashley Hinshaw, Logan Miller

Part Invasion of the Body Snatchers, part Can't Hardly Wait, Dennis Illiadis' +1 pretty much had me at 'Hello'. Basically one big "end of the year" bash gets sent to The Twilight Zone when clones of the partygoers start showing up, and since we're talking about a room full of drunken, drug-fueled, hormonal teens all their poor decisions have a chance of being repeated again and again until their world collapses in on itself or something. Yeah, the actual sci-fi stuff is a little messy but no other film has a girl making out with her own clone, or a dude watching himself have sex. Hope he took notes.

At Any Price
Director: Ramin Bahrani
Cast: Dennis Quaid, Zac Efron,  Clancy Brown, Heather Graham, Maika Monroe

It's understandable that audiences didn't turn out for Ramin Bahrani's heartland drama At Any Price; his movies weren't made for the multiplex experience. But critics....really? Where are you? Especially now during awards season there should be some heat behind this powerful melodrama, which explores the idea of the American Dream in today's corporate society. Dennis Quaid has never been better (and I mean that, like ever) as a struggling farmer forced into some dirty tactics just to compete with his rivals. Although it's a low bar, Zac Efron gives the finest performances of his career as Quaid's racer car-driving son, who has no plans of ever joining the family trade. Issues of family loyalty, professional obsession, and the corporatization of America collide in this intimate, old fashioned film. There's a reason why Roger Ebert called Bahrani "the director of the decade", and At Any Priceis a perfect example of his gifts.

Crystal Fairy
Director: Sebastian Silva
Cast: Michael Cera, Gaby Hoffman

I typically turn up my nose at drug comedies. They've just never done much for me and as someone who has never so much as lit a cigarette, I always feel like I'm missing out on the joke. But Crystal Fairy isn't your typical drug comedy by a long stretch. Michael Cera plays a boorish, drug-addled American on a frenzied quest through Chile to partake of the San Pedro Cactus' hallucinogenic qualities.  While it's fun to watch Cera play a character that is a bit rougher around the edges, Gaby Hoffman steals the show as the titular eccentric hippie weirdo accompanying him. With her bizarre outfits, hairy armpits, and apparently foul body odor, it's the sort of character that easily could have fallen into cliché. But Hoffman never lets it get that far, and Crystal Fairy becomes an honest, empathetic story about being true to one's self.

A Hijacking
Director: Tobias Lindholm
Cast: Pilou Asbaek,  Søren Malling

My colleagues probably got tired of hearing me say that Tobias Lindholm's Danish thriller A Hijacking was better than Captain Phillips but I've yet to find someone who disagrees. While it lacks the true-life aspect of Paul Greengrass' film, A Hijacking more than makes up for it with an engrossing, in your face style that straps you in right alongside the victims of a sudden Somali pirate attack. You’ll have a hard time convincing me Tom Hank's anguished-but-calculated performance compares to Pilou Asbaek's quiet desperation. Branching out beyond the ship to the real world impacts, we see the effect the kidnapping has on the crews' family, and what happens when the hostages' freedom is negotiated by the company CEO. Suffice it to say, you don't want your boss thinking about stock prices when lives are at stake.

Gimme the Loot
Director: Adam Leon
Cast: Tashiana Washington, Ty Hickson

You hear about the plot of Adam Leon's SXSW hit Gimme the Loot and it's hard not to worry: Two African-American graffiti artists cook up a plan to bomb (spray paint for you lay people) that stupid Mets apple in Citifield. Hollywood would do unspeakable things to a plot like this; fill it with racially insulting stereotypes of urban youth and refashion it into some sort of manic heist film.  Fortunately, Leon's film rattles to the beat of its own spray can with a defiant, anti-mainstream spirit that channels the old school hip-hop movement. With an eye towards the early street-level works of Spike Lee, the film is led by Ty Hickson as brash Malcolm, who wears his braggadocio like a badge of honor; and Tashiana Washington as his best friend Sofia, a whip smart tomboy just beginning to flower into a beautiful young lady, although she'd never admit it. Endearing, optimistic, and totally free of pretension, Gimme the Loot should be the model and not such a rare find.

Drinking Buddies
Director: Joe Swanberg
Cast: Jake Johnson, Olivia Wilde, Anna Kendrick, Ron Livingston, Jason Sudeikis

If you're one of those who follows my Pinterest board (thanks to those who do!), then you might notice that Joe Swanberg's Drinking Buddies was one of the most recent movies I saw. The truth is I've not been very interested in it, largely because so many of my colleagues have sung its praises for so long. Sorry, that's just how I'm wired. But finally catching up with it I discovered that not only is Drinking Buddies hysterical and chock-a-block with unexpectedly terrific performances, but it may be the smartest relationship movie of the year. New Girl star Jake Johnson and the ubiquitous Olivia Wilde are best friends working at a local brewery, and there's rarely a scene when a beer isn't in somebody's hand. There's an obvious romantic attraction but both are involved with others who may or may not be a better fit. It's a film that explores whether men and women can just be friends without the pull of sexual entanglement, and if not can they at least be good drinking buddies?

The Hunt
Director: Thomas Vinterberg
Cast: Mads Mikkelsen,  Annika Wedderkopp, Alexandra Rappaport, Thomas Larsen

One thing you won't find a lot of in a Thomas Vinterberg film? Laughs. His latest harrowing personal drama The Hunt returns to the familiar theme of sexual abuse, explored in his breakthrough film The Celebration fifteen years ago. Teaming with co-writer Tobias Lindholm, who appeared on this list earlier for A Hijacking (these guys just don't do funny), the film features a Cannes Best Actor-winning performance by Mads Mikkelsen as a small town teacher falsely accused of molestation by a young student. The firestorm that sweeps the village engulfs his personal and professional life, while internally he's reeling with the incredulity that his claims of innocence are falling on deaf ears. It's a harrowing, surgical look at how only a few small words can reduce a person's life to ashes.

Blue Caprice
Director: Alexandre Moors
Cast: Isaiah Washington, Tequan Richmond, Tim Blake Nelson, Joey Lauren Adams

I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Blue Caprice didn't play anywhere outside of the Nation's Capital. Heck, it barely played here and frankly I don't blame theaters for not wanting to run with it. The impressive directorial debut by Alexandre Moors dares explore the twisted logic of the DC sniper John Allen Muhammad, played with remarkable intensity by Isaiah Washington, who frankly should be in the Best Actor race right now. This isn't just another blow-for-blow depiction of the three week ordeal that paralyzed DC eleven years ago, but a terrifying look inside the mind of a monster.  In fact, the killings themselves soon fade into the background, which only makes Muhammad's twisted philosophy, one he spreads to the mind of a young Lee Boyd Malvo (Tequan Richmond), all the more disturbing. It's a delicate balancing act trying to figure out Muhammad without sympathizing, but Moors pulls it off effortlessly.

In a World...
Director: Lake Bell
Cast: Lake Bell, Demitri Martin, Fred Melamed, Michaela Watkins, Nick Offerman, Ken Marino

My good friend, voice actor, and WETA Around Town colleague Robert Aubrey Davis will probably faint with joy that Lake Bell's In a World....has made my list of great overlooked movies.  Bell, who has always been a talented lady in front of the camera, does literally everything to make this film about the sexist world of trailer voice-over actors shine. As director, producer, writer, and perky lead she delivers a charming and insightful comedy about a career path none of us having given a lot of thought to. In a way it's like a cousin to those terrific Christopher Guest movies like Best in Show, only a whole lot funnier if you ask me. She gets a lot of help from a hilarious ensemble of comedic heavyweights such as Fred Melamed, Dmitri Martin, Ken Marino, Michaela Watkins, Rob Corddry, Demetri Martin, Tig Notaro, and Nick Offerman (with a couple of sweet cameos best left unspoiled), but it's Bell whose voice is loudest and most welcome. Hopefully we'll be hearing a lot more of it.

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The Annual Best Movies Of the Year (So Far) Special

From Trance to Spring Breakers, from Iron Man 3 to Man of Steel, 2013 has already been an incredible year for movies, and it's only halfway over! Who knows what the rest of the year has in store? On a very special episode of Cinema Royale, +Elias Savada  of Film Threat and Lauren Bradshaw of Cloture Club join me in casting our votes for the best movies and strongest performances of the year so far!

You can find Cinema Royale every single week on Blogtalkradio, Itunes, Libsyn, and Podomatic. Listen to this week's episode below...

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