In attempt to not posting my sacred top 10 favourite list, I took the chance to write this down before May begins (in just minutes away from where I live). 2014 was colourful and movies made it more colourful. In reality, I was hooked more with culinary movies and thriller ones as well. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see much animation films and foreign films aside from Two Days, One Night and that’s just because I wanted to see Marion Cotillard. But I have a couple on my picks to see.
This year it’s a little different, since I am amused with two thriller films, that they made it on my top five. I usually picked drama films with moving message. I found that several films that I thought would move me, just didn’t. For what it’s worth, here’s my official Top Favorite 10 Films of 2014
Honorable Mention : Stand by Me, Doraemon
Just had to bring this movie up because it has a personal meaning. Imagine seeing your favourite TV series in 2D turned to gorgeous 3D with emotional meaning.
Second Honorable Mention : Dawn of The Planet of The Apes
Blockbuster movies rarely can make me ‘shaken’ like this. Possibly, if animals have brain and soul, they’ll have anger in their eyes like Caesar and it’s because we, human, mistreated them.
#10 B E F O R E I D I S A P P E A R
“Just want to get you back home safe. Just want to do one thing right.”
Love : it was about several crazy hectic nights in clubs and city streets but eventually it’s about family, loved the music moments, and the soundtrack
Being the only movie I saw in JIFFEST (while there were many other named to be great movies) and with its minuses, I find this movie still got the edge. It might be wrapped with suicides and drugs, but it really is about losing and having faith, and couple of (cute) guys having their hearts broken.
#9 W I L D
“There is a sunrise and a sunset every day and you can choose to be there for it. You can put yourself in the way of beauty.”
Love : A true success story about a woman on low point on her own journey, about commitment and forgiving her past and releasing grief, Laura Dern and the fact it’s Reese Witherspoon big leap into producing and gets nominated for an Oscar again
From a biography of a woman commit herself to do her own journey, while many women couldn’t even begin to think doing what she was doing. I thought it was powerful and inspiring. In general, it is a movie about women. I really loved Laura Dern’s performance being Witherspoon’s mother.
#8 C H E F
“I may not do everything great in my life, but I’m good at this. I manage to touch people’s lives with what I do and I want to share this with you.”
Love : Food, food, passion, food, being your own ‘chef’ in your life, the importance of quality time with family, how social media makes promoting easier
Jon Favreau, food and social media. This movie is surely a feel-good movie, but it doesn’t annoy you. Since 2014 was a cooking year for me, Chef really gave me what I longing for; a culinary movie about following your passion and at the same time, reconnect with your family. What needs to be underlined from this movie, is how easy you can promote your business through social media (also, probably because you are already popular). Fun fact : after watching this movie, I tried to make grilled cheese as Jon Favreau but got the wrong cheese to use.
#7 L A G G I E S
“You can’t keep putting aside what you want for some imaginary future. You’ve gotta suck it up and go with you gut. “
Love : A movie about growing up and taking control with your own life choices
Between writing this top 10, I argued with myself about whether I should write why Laggies is a good movie. I can tell you know, that it is. There were unbalanced parts and awkward moments, but I find myself knowing what Megan (Keira Knightley) feels. Laggies about being in control about your own life, when people around you thinks they know better.
#6 B E Y O N D T H E L I G H T S
Love : Soundtrack, Gugu Mbatha-Raw performance, love and chemistry, finding your own identity
When you have clear talent and support, normally you have pretty much everything to go on. But Beyond The Lights shows how other people’s expectation could make you be someone else. I loved how Gugu Mbatha-Raw transformed herself to be a superstar who lost her soul to be her true self. The soundtrack is great. It’s a movie that showed today’s pop star pressures. The steamy love story also made the movie spicy to see.