10: MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT
9: 20 FEET FROM STARDOM
8: TWO DAYS ONE NIGHT
7: MR TURNER
6: THE IMITATION GAME
5: BOYHOOD
4: LEVIATHAN
3: CALVARY
2: UNDER THE SKIN
1: BIRDMAN
9: 20 FEET FROM STARDOM
8: TWO DAYS ONE NIGHT
7: MR TURNER
6: THE IMITATION GAME
5: BOYHOOD
4: LEVIATHAN
3: CALVARY
2: UNDER THE SKIN
1: BIRDMAN
In at No. 10 in this year's MEF Best List,
Woody Allen continues to churn out reliably entertaining fluff that is just too
easy to take for granted. Magic in the Moonlight has a subtext that tackles
such cynical indifference - the notion that to dislike this delightful
confection would be to resign yourself to ridiculous self-imposed gloominess.
At No. 9 is 20 Feet From Stardom - a hugely enjoyable, very
revealing documentary about the hidden lives, artistry and heartbreak of backup
singers, and it should not be missed. Even if you don’t classify yourself as a
music student or afficionado, you’ll sure as hell feel the effect of the
emotional wallop these 90 minutes will direct in a path straight to your eyes
and ears.
Next at No. 8 is Two Days One Night where Marion Cotillard's unwavering conviction, allied to her just-right relationship with warmly empathetic on-screen husband Fabrizio Rongione, holds our heart through the film's least credible spells. Thanks to her, the film earns a niftily reversed ending that counts as a gut-punch and an air-punch at the same time.
Mike Leigh's Mr Turner takes No. 7 position. This peerless film clearly shows the exquisite care taken in terms of location, light and colour in some sublime scenes that mirror the sketches, oils and watercolours of Turner, which embrace all the emotion, passion and poetry which are normally beyond traditional camera capabilities. The film isn’t strictly a biopic but it is based on research into characters and the requisite period without being at all in the format of a documentary – and the 149 minutes are too well done to have this perceived as a mere labour of love.
Sixth place is occupied by Norwegian director Morten Tyldum’s The Imitation Game where he delivers an intricately crafted film that is as elaborate and brainy as one of Alan Turing’s machines. Wonderfully performed in the lead role by Benedict Cumberbatch and an outstanding supprt cast, handsome production values, especially the cinematography by Óscar Faura along with subtle editing keeps the action lively with the film’s effective leaps through time, and the production has the pulse of a thriller thanks to the masterful score by Alexandre Desplat, who accentuates the enigma of Turing’s persona with an entrancing score. There can be no denying that this is a smart and solidly made film.
Next at No. 8 is Two Days One Night where Marion Cotillard's unwavering conviction, allied to her just-right relationship with warmly empathetic on-screen husband Fabrizio Rongione, holds our heart through the film's least credible spells. Thanks to her, the film earns a niftily reversed ending that counts as a gut-punch and an air-punch at the same time.
Mike Leigh's Mr Turner takes No. 7 position. This peerless film clearly shows the exquisite care taken in terms of location, light and colour in some sublime scenes that mirror the sketches, oils and watercolours of Turner, which embrace all the emotion, passion and poetry which are normally beyond traditional camera capabilities. The film isn’t strictly a biopic but it is based on research into characters and the requisite period without being at all in the format of a documentary – and the 149 minutes are too well done to have this perceived as a mere labour of love.
Sixth place is occupied by Norwegian director Morten Tyldum’s The Imitation Game where he delivers an intricately crafted film that is as elaborate and brainy as one of Alan Turing’s machines. Wonderfully performed in the lead role by Benedict Cumberbatch and an outstanding supprt cast, handsome production values, especially the cinematography by Óscar Faura along with subtle editing keeps the action lively with the film’s effective leaps through time, and the production has the pulse of a thriller thanks to the masterful score by Alexandre Desplat, who accentuates the enigma of Turing’s persona with an entrancing score. There can be no denying that this is a smart and solidly made film.
No. 5 in the list is the unique Boyhood, shot over the course of eleven years by Richard Linklater, like a
condensed amalgamation of all his “Before” films. As viewers, we witness the
young Mason (Ellar Coltrane) gradually maturing from a youngster of six years,
all the way and through his growing-up, to his first day at college. The subtle
time shifts are hinted at with contemporary songs of each year we touch on. It
is a unique and quite brilliant concept, as Linklater used the same actors over
the course of this time period.
Fourth in the Films of the Year finds Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Leviathan - an examination of the relative health of the modern Russian body politic. Zvyagintsev may not be able to turn the tide in time to save his protagonist's cherished waterside home, but this fine and provocative film’s broader themes speak to the power of the ripple effect.
Into the top trio, and at No. 3 is John Michael McDonagh's Calvary. This is a beautiful, intensely moving and profound piece of work with a quite exceptional cast and crew. One which will move, trouble, amuse and reward in equal measure, and which will remain with you for some time to come. The signs of a masterful film - for which all those of us who appreciate the medium should be truly grateful.
Second from top is Jonathan Glazer's extraordinary Under The Skin, a film which generated such a mixed response, veering from adulation to apathy, which is no mean feat with a cinema feature. It tells the story of a shape-shifting alien who sets out across Scotland with particular emphasis on Glasgow (this reviewer’s home town), in the form of Scarlett Johansson, as she seduces and abducts some average low-life and hapless local humans. At times it’s a quite mesmerising nightmare, honed with a similarly sleek, disorienting overlay that Glazer put on his extraordinary debut Sexy Beast and subsequent Birth.
As proceedings progress, human intuition begins to enter the alien’s consciousness, and the tone softly alters from nightmarish to poetic, before concluding in a deeply upsetting conclusion, as the alien ultimately discovers just what extremes this (our) planet’s beings are capable of: astonishing beauty and abominable ugliness. Whilst most certainly not a film for all – Under The Skin sincerely wishes to show us something bold, new and amazing. It may well exist in another world, but it reveals so much about our own.
Although released on the cusp of year-end/new-year, without question the Best Film of the Year is Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). It doesn’t happen too often in cinema, but occasionally a premise that is unique and enthralling, or featuring a pioneering visual approach, with stunning performances, comes out of nowhere and electrifies viewers – and indeed the harshest of critics. Inarritu pulls out all the stops here, and his flamboyant approach actually serves the story instead of merely interfering with it. Inarritu and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki have elected to shoot the film in a manner that, thanks to a few nifty camera moves and surreptitious cuts by an outstanding editing team of Douglas Prise & Stephen Mirrione, looks as though the entire feature has been filmed in one continuous take.
Birdman however, is ultimately Michael Keaton's moment in the sun, and he responds to the challenge of the best-ever showcase for his enormous talents with this knockout performance – easily the finest of his career. Keaton is one of the few actors working today who can pull both outrageous comedy and serious drama. With Birdman, he has found just that sort of role - one that allows him to display his skills with madcap comedy and powerful dramatics - and the result is a total triumph. This is not simply a case of an actor essentially playing himself - this is a performance as original and nuanced as any you have seen and not only is it set to win practically every imagineable award over the next few months, it deserves them.
Fourth in the Films of the Year finds Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Leviathan - an examination of the relative health of the modern Russian body politic. Zvyagintsev may not be able to turn the tide in time to save his protagonist's cherished waterside home, but this fine and provocative film’s broader themes speak to the power of the ripple effect.
Into the top trio, and at No. 3 is John Michael McDonagh's Calvary. This is a beautiful, intensely moving and profound piece of work with a quite exceptional cast and crew. One which will move, trouble, amuse and reward in equal measure, and which will remain with you for some time to come. The signs of a masterful film - for which all those of us who appreciate the medium should be truly grateful.
Second from top is Jonathan Glazer's extraordinary Under The Skin, a film which generated such a mixed response, veering from adulation to apathy, which is no mean feat with a cinema feature. It tells the story of a shape-shifting alien who sets out across Scotland with particular emphasis on Glasgow (this reviewer’s home town), in the form of Scarlett Johansson, as she seduces and abducts some average low-life and hapless local humans. At times it’s a quite mesmerising nightmare, honed with a similarly sleek, disorienting overlay that Glazer put on his extraordinary debut Sexy Beast and subsequent Birth.
As proceedings progress, human intuition begins to enter the alien’s consciousness, and the tone softly alters from nightmarish to poetic, before concluding in a deeply upsetting conclusion, as the alien ultimately discovers just what extremes this (our) planet’s beings are capable of: astonishing beauty and abominable ugliness. Whilst most certainly not a film for all – Under The Skin sincerely wishes to show us something bold, new and amazing. It may well exist in another world, but it reveals so much about our own.
Although released on the cusp of year-end/new-year, without question the Best Film of the Year is Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). It doesn’t happen too often in cinema, but occasionally a premise that is unique and enthralling, or featuring a pioneering visual approach, with stunning performances, comes out of nowhere and electrifies viewers – and indeed the harshest of critics. Inarritu pulls out all the stops here, and his flamboyant approach actually serves the story instead of merely interfering with it. Inarritu and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki have elected to shoot the film in a manner that, thanks to a few nifty camera moves and surreptitious cuts by an outstanding editing team of Douglas Prise & Stephen Mirrione, looks as though the entire feature has been filmed in one continuous take.
Birdman however, is ultimately Michael Keaton's moment in the sun, and he responds to the challenge of the best-ever showcase for his enormous talents with this knockout performance – easily the finest of his career. Keaton is one of the few actors working today who can pull both outrageous comedy and serious drama. With Birdman, he has found just that sort of role - one that allows him to display his skills with madcap comedy and powerful dramatics - and the result is a total triumph. This is not simply a case of an actor essentially playing himself - this is a performance as original and nuanced as any you have seen and not only is it set to win practically every imagineable award over the next few months, it deserves them.
© Thom McKeown MediaEyeFilm.com 2014
