The Year's Best

In truth, Scott Pilgrim and Inception practically tie for this title. It was Scott Pilgrim's replayability that won its place as the year's favorite. Scott Pilgrim's bombastic style did an incredible job of translating a fun comic series into an enjoyable movie experience. And really, that's the quality that it rides high on: FUN.

Several years later and Inception is still one of my favorite and most affecting films. For a film intended for the mainstream, it's incredibly layered and explores subjects I find personally fascinating. Most films in its tier ask little of the audience, but Inception asked the audience to not only question their faith in the film's given reality, but also to ask if its truth -- or lackof -- mattered.

A combination of swooning strings composed by Clint Mansell and delirious, lush alternate realities interwoven between a simple story about a man's refusal to accept loss. Its rendition of the characters as historical figures in the age of exploration, specifically, stand out visually.

I love men in suits, I love spy-fi, yet James Bond never appealed to me until Skyfall. I cannot say with certainty exactly why this film sings a little more beautifully than its generational brethren. Most likely it's because Daniel Craig's iteration of Bond feels more complex than Bonds of the recent past. I enjoy character studies most of all and any action film that gives even a taste of nuance in its characters will instantly jump to the top of my lists. 

Either way, Skyfall was a well-rounded package of acting talent, visual candy, action, music, and story. One shouldn't expect less of a blockbuster film. 

----

In 2013, there was a drought in my entertainment consumption. So, while Glengarry Glen Ross is certainly a fantastic film worth noting, it certainly doesn't come close to any other film within this category. Interesting films captivate with innovative ideas on philosophy, story telling or cinematography. The most fascinating use the medium in unexpected ways, not always with utmost effectiveness, but always with enough intentionality to intrigue. Glengarry Glen Ross fails in these regards because it is a film built on classic techniques. There is nothing new and shiny in Glengarry Glen Ross, just lots of good decisions on which well-worn techniques to use to make a great film -- and that is what this is, a great film adapted from a great play.  

2014 was an excellent year and that is in part due to a splendid director bringing the brutality of South Korean cinema into a western film. 

TBC

Listen -- watch the first thirty minutes of this film and tell me this shit isn't off the hook. To those that say nay: you are heathens. 

Gravity is essentially a one-woman play in space. Its time span is short and thus its character development boils to the quick; this film is about the protagonist's will to continue, the end. With that in mind, I was super pleased that it kept up its thrilling pace all the way through to the end. If not for bad movie trailers being bad movie trailers, I would have been in suspense throughout. 

With this final choice, this year's best could be tied together by nominal use of movement. Snowpiercer's forward progression is only stymied by the protagonist's indecision, Gravity starts with chaos amidst a circular track, and Enter the Void is told through a free-floating perspective. In addition, Enter the Void's storytelling mechanics are unconventional in the modern cinema, particularly in (the Hero's Journey) Hollywood. I'd be a total tool to neglect mentioning its splendid title sequence. It's a typographic treatment that later inspired Kanye West's (and Hype William's) title sequence for "All of the Lights."

I was surprised by the hype surrounding this film after it came out. I expected it to fall flat, like most hyped films in the public zeitgeist fell flat, but then the film began in the high key heat of a post-apocalyptic wasteland with simple, yet effective fast-forward action set to Junkie XL. Soon after, the film reveals that its titular character is merely a vehicle through which to tell a story about women surviving in a ruthless, male-dominated society. Mad Max: Fury Road was the film I expected to hate, but in fact, needed oh-so-badly for a multitude of socially-motivated reasons. It managed to be one of the most inclusive, socially-saavy titles of the year without sacrificing an iota of its quick pace or bombast. 

"We ride to Valhalla, shiny and chrome," are now words to live by.

Okay, okay, Heartbeats certainly doesn't edge out visually superior films like Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel or The Babadook, buts its poppy colors and clear compositions is appropriate for its narrative and though it bleeds simplicity, it still managed to remain memorable after several months of more innovative filmography. For that, Heartbeats leads the pack as an example of how charm can be achieved without overwrought glitz. 

The Imposter is a captivating documentary that takes hokey reenactments typical of Unsolved Mysteries and applies well-designed cinematographic techniques, blurring the line between fiction and nonfiction. What is even more impressive about The Imposter is its subtle manipulation. It deceives the audience like its subjects were deceived, (hopefully) inspiring greater understanding for the victims.