The one movie of 2014 that I was not looking forward to seeing but knew I had to see was, without a doubt, The Imitation Game. I learned early in the year that this would end up being one of the movies to beat, but the trailer suggested it would be well-made, tell a great, true story, and also be incredibly dull and long. I was wrong. The first thing to point out was that this movie was only 110 minutes. I love a film that can tell its story in under two hours. I understand the standard tends to be closer to 2 hours and 15 minutes (with many movies pushing or exceeding 3 hours), but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Secondly, this movie was never dull. In the wrong hands, this movie is a complete snooze-fest. It was anything but. This is why I am ready to give Morten Tyldum a Best Director nomination without having seen some of the probably Oscar-nominated movies yet to be released (notably Unbroken, American Sniper, Selma, Mr. Turner, and Into the Woods). The only other nomination I have cemented is Richard Linklater (Boyhood). The direction in this movie was outstanding, and I am confident there will not be three better-directed movies in 2014 that I have yet to see.
Category Archives: Suspense
Nightcrawler (2014)
It’s getting closer and closer to awards season, and I have continued to wait for that one movie that will establish itself as the movie to beat before the real crop of contenders comes out between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Unfortunately, some of those I thought would show themselves, especially Boyhood, Gone Girl, or Birdman, have failed. So, the movie to beat at this point is still The Drop. But first-time director Dan Gilroy has made his claim with the creepy Jake Gyllenhaal (Brothers, Prisoners) Nightcrawler. I am sure this will be just one of two movies I’ve seen thus far that will wind up in my end-of-year Top 10. Others are there now that, I’m hoping, will fall as we get into the meat and bones of December. But The Drop and Nightcrawler seem to have cemented their spots.
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Kill the Messenger (2014)
After stints in movies that have limited his ability to showcase his range (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, The Avengers, The Bourne Legacy), the talented Jeremy Renner returns to the type of film that has helped establish him as one of America’s best, under the radar actors. With Academy Award nominations in back-to-back years (The Hurt Locker – Best Actor, The Town – Best Supporting actor), Renner brings his acting prowess back to the big screen for the first time in four years in Michael Cuesta’s (Showtime’s Homeland) Kill the Messenger. While researching this movie, I learned that Renner is signed to continue the Bourne, Mission Impossible, and Avengers franchises. Now while I’m never going to chastise an actor for getting as much money as they can, it would be my wish that he exit two of these three series (the Bourne series is tired and played out, and there is no need for his character in the Mission Impossible franchise) and concentrate on roles that bring out more of the actor in him. Then, of course, he would still have The Avengers movies for name recognition and bigger paydays. I feel like this man has a handful of Academy Award nominations (and hopefully a couple of wins) in his future if he continues tackling these more character-driven movies.
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Gone Girl (2014)
Halfway through Gone Girl, I thought I was watching this year’s movie to beat. It had everything I wanted in a terse murder mystery/thriller. First, it had the small town file (which I love). We know who the main potential suspect may be from the film’s opening minutes. But this likely suspect may also be the film’s protagonist. And we are left guessing about his guilt or innocence throughout most of the film. We like him. We don’t like him. We hate him. We love him. We go through the gamut of emotions, leaving us exhausted as we sit on the edge of our seats. But the movie unravels in the last 45 minutes with more absurdities than a Jim Carrey movie. Suddenly this well-thought-out thriller becomes a bit of a mockery of itself in an attempt to separate it from other whodunit movies.
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The Maze Runner (2014)
Lord of the Rings meets The Hunger Games. That was what many people were using as a comparison to Wes Ball’s The Maze Runner. I figured the movie would be a surefire hit if that was the comparison. Its reviews on Rotten Tomatoes have been mixed, but there have certainly been more positive than negative ones. As I write this review, remember that I read the book. I read the book this summer when I saw that this movie was coming out in September. I did not realize at the time that this was a book about young adult literature. I should have done my research, but I was hooked by both the title and the book’s premise. While the book was well written, I kept asking myself why I read it as a 38-year-old man. I had the same conversation with myself as I sat watching the movie on opening weekend. This is a cool movie…if you are a teenager. But never did I feel like it was a cross between Lord of the Flies and The Hunger Games. Continue reading The Maze Runner (2014)