Why 2014 was a crazy year for cinema
The Grand Budapest Hotel , Whiplash , Interstellar , Mommy (and many others)… 2014 was a blessing for cinema. The proof: 7 years later, we still want to see his films again.
Every year, the cinema gives us nuggets (which usually end up shining afterward at the Oscars ). But we are not going to lie to each other, some years are more fruitful than others. This is the case with 2014 when the planets miraculously aligned to offer viewers incredible films. The proof with these 8 brilliant films released the same year.
The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson)
We start with The Grand Budapest Hotel, which is clearly at the top of the ranking of the best films of 2014. Awarded with four Oscars, including that of the best music and the best sets, the feature film by Wes Anderson takes us into a universe of colors pastel and with plans each more magnificent than the next. We find there the concierge of a famous candy-pink hotel from the interwar years, Gustave H., who goes in search of a stolen painting with his sidekick and housekeeper Zéro Moustafa. A story in the heart of the fictional European country, Zubrowka. Available on Disney +.
Whiplash (Damien Chazelle)
Before La La Land , Damien Chazelle had already proven himself with Whiplash. Released at the end of December, the film ended 2014 on a high note with an intense musical drama that we won’t soon forget. The Bottom Line: Andrew, 19, dreams of becoming one of the best jazz drummers of his generation. While training hard at the Manhattan Conservatory, he was spotted by the very demanding Terence Fletcher, a professor at the head of an orchestra in New York . In the role of the latter, we find JK Simmons who also won the Oscar for best actor in a supporting role. Available on VOD.
Mommy (Xavier Dolan)
In 2014, Xavier Dolan was only 25 years old when he delivered Mommy, a moving film with a sensitive staging. We dive into the daily life of a single mother and her son, a teenager with violent attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). At the heart of their difficulties, the two protagonists try to rebuild their lives, in particular thanks to the unexpected help of their neighbor. Between hope and fate, Mommy does not leave you indifferent. If the feature film was oddly not nominated for the Oscar for best foreign film, for the best foreign film. And it is greatly deserved. Available on Netflix.
Interstellar (Christopher Nolan)
When we quote the films of the year 2014, we can obviously not miss Interstellar (even if it was a little snubbed at the Oscars). Starring Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway, the film tells us how a group of explorers use a rift discovered in space-time to push human boundaries and set off on an interstellar journey. A spectacular race against the clock by Christopher Nolan, who manages to keep us going for a record time of 2h50. Available on Netflix.
Birdman (Alejandro González Iñárritu)
It was the big winner of the Oscars 2015 (which thus rewarded the films of 2014)! Nominated in no less than nine categories, Birdman by Alejandro González Iñárritu won the award for best film and best director that year. In this cult film, Riggan Thomson attempts to regain his lost glory when he was previously famous for having played a superhero in the cinema. The tortured character will therefore attempt to stage a play on Broadway, while leading a close fight with his alter-ego. Played by Michael Keaton, the closeness between the synopsis of the feature film and the life of the actor who played Batman is both fun and confusing. Available on Amazon Prime Video.
Boyhood (Richard Linklater)
The concept of Boyhood alone is worth seeing. While the film traces the life of the boy Mason (played by Ellar Coltrane) from the age of six to his majority, the feature film was actually filmed throughout 12 years of filming. Gathered each year by director Richard Linklater, the actors have grown up at the same time as their characters whose daily lives we follow between moves, return to school, first loves and big decisions. In the role of the mother of the family, Patricia Arquette also won the Oscar for best actress in a supporting role. Available on Amazon Prime Video.
Gone Girl (David Fincher)
Led by Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl is a thriller that surprises as much by its impeccable cast as by the turn of the script. On the occasion of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) reports the disappearance of his wife, Amy. But as the police begin their investigation and the media panic, the image of the model couple begins to crumble, little by little. A mystery developed by David Fincher that allows everything except passive viewing, since we ask ourselves: Did Nick Donne kill his wife? If you haven’t already, we advise you to watch the film to find out for yourself. Available on Amazon Prime Video.