Hello everyone and welcome to the first
blog of 2015! Happy New Year’s Day everyone! My name is TheCinemaChick but you knew that
already. I’m sorry this was not written
and posted earlier but it seems that a severe cold that I had for 2 weeks has
come back with a vengeance. I lost my
voice due to a very sore and swollen throat.
However, I will get through this so you can learn what my top 14 of 2014
are. You've seen the worst, so now it’s
time for the best.
Let’s just jump right into it,
shall we?
Before
I begin, I’ like to say that I saw a grand total of 45 films this year. Two of them I will never speak of again
because they were quite disgusting.
Overall, I’d call 2014 a good year.
It was great but it wasn't horrible, it was more in between.
And
now, in no particular order:
1.
12 Years a Slave
This one was just rough. I wasn’t sure if I could even finish it at
some points but the story was just amazing.
It deserved all the awards it got and it brought us Lupita Nyong'o. I’m telling you, she’s going to be huge in
the future. If you can get through the
stomach churning scenes of torture and the uneasiness of the blatant racism
that took place in that time, I definitely recommend it. The entire cast puts forth an outstanding
performance and this film should be marked as one of the greatest movies in
recent history.
2.
Saving Mr. Banks
I honestly didn't expect to like this
one. It’s a nice, light story about the
woman who wrote “Mary Poppins” and how that story came into being. Tom Hanks dazzles as Walt Disney and Emma
Thompson really captured P.L. Travers’ personality. I think this would be a great movie for the
whole family. It’s clean, it’s
wholesome, even if there is a few scenes with smoking and a few scenes that
some may find disturbing.
3.
Godzilla
I’m not a huge fan of this franchise but I
was interested in seeing this reboot.
After seeing the older one with Matthew Broderick, my hopes were not
high on this one. However, the acting
was top notch and the music was absolute perfection. In my original review, I raved about how the
score successfully set the tone for the entire film and I stand by that. It’s definitely worth a watch but I think it
needs more Bryan Cranston.
4.
A Million ways to Die in the West
I am so embarrassed to like this one. It’s rude, it’s crass, it’s disgusting but it’s
so funny. I laughed so hard and I have
watched it several times since. You’ll
feel bad for liking it but it is just so funny.
And then there’s Neil Patrick Harris…he’s going to pop up in this list
again…I seriously hate myself for living this movie so much.
5.
Begin Again
This movie wasn’t anything
spectacular. It was a love story about a
broken hearted girl and her rock star boyfriend. I wasn’t wowed by it, but I will say
this. I have a new found respect Keira
Knightley. She sings all the songs on
the soundtrack and she’s good. True, she’s
not spectacular but I adored her voice.
It’s so soft, so dainty but the lyrics packed a punch. It was a nice, refreshing movie, a break from
the over hyped, big budget stuff that had come out. I enjoyed it and again, I recommend giving it
a look.
6.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Who didn’t love this one? It’s by far not my favorite Marvel film. That honor goes to the Thor franchise because
I love the visual effects and settings.
Sorry, but Asgard still leaves me in awe when I see it. But this one seemed like a more down home
kind of adventure. I know, no one’s
seeking out a mystical orb with an infinity stone, but the characters were relateable. Gamora had an overbearing father and wicked
sister, Peter Quill was a thief trying to earn a buck and Drax wanted revenge
on the man who killed his family. They
were the last people you’d expect to work together and it just came
together. I do look forward to the
sequel and hopefully more Rocket. And
remember, I am Groot.
Also, Lee Pace.
7.
In Your Eyes
This one is on Netflix as we speak. Go watch the most original love story I have
ever seen and I loathe and abhor romance movies. Joss Whedon, you are an amazing man for
giving us this beautiful film.
8.
Chef
I loved how fast paced the food scenes
were. Overall, it was just fun to watch
and it made me want to learn how to cook the Latin foods I saw. It was also so cool to see the cross country
road trip to learn about the nation’s cuisine.
The father-son relationship felt very natural, which made the film more
enjoyable. Nothing felt forced and it
all just flowed organically. True, I
still don’t like Sofia Vergara because I think she is overexposed (in many
senses of the word) and she’s too flamboyant.
Having seen her role on television and this one, they seemed identical:
a whiny wife. She’s the only thing that
detracted from the movie.
9.
Into The Woods
I won’t go into too much detail since I did
post my review a few days ago. The
music, the atmosphere, the casting, all perfection. It drags at times and the plot gets a little
muddled and the entire third act feels tacked on but I still enjoyed. Meryl Streep, I envy your acting and singing
skills now.
10.
Gone Girl
This movie was so creepy. I’d read the book so I knew what to expect
but seeing it on screen was so much more intense. The amount of time and effort Amy put into
faking her own death and vanishing is astounding. I genuinely hated her at the end. I felt so sorry for the people’s lives she
ruined. Neil Patrick Harris was great as
the oblivious but supportive ex who tries to help Amy out but he has a horrible
fate. Seriously, Neil Patrick Harris can
do no wrong.
11.
Frankenstein
Honestly, I wasn't even sure if this one
counted since it was a re-broadcast of a live play from Britain. Then I figured, well, I saw in a movie
theater. Benedict Cumberbatch played The
Monster and he nailed it. That play…I
wish it was on DVD because I do want to see this over and over. I also want to see it again because of the
alternate casting. Cumberbatch, along
with Johnny Lee Miller, switched roles so they both played Frankenstein and his
Creation. If you get the chance to see
it, jump on it.
12.
Big Hero 6
I loved this movie. It was a beautiful blending of California and
Japanese culture. The ending caught me
by surprise and almost had be in tears.
It was sweet at times and the main characters were awesome. Believe it or not, this is based on a Marvel comic
so there is a Stan Lee cameo. There is
also an end credit scene which was both hilarious and slightly gross. It’s meant for children but there are some
dark moments mixed ink, so it works for everyone. Use your own discretion on this one.
13.
Penguins of Madagascar
It was really mediocre but there is some
awesome wordplay in the film. The puns
are so bad it hurts but I still laughed at them. Plus, penguins.
14.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Let me start by saying, this was my least
favorite film of the trio. It was jumbled,
overrun with bad CGI and personally I think it was just bloated. The battles themselves were exciting but the
film focused more on everyone being mad at Thorin, who’s going insane looking
for the Arkenstone. I wasn't satisfied
and it left me wanting more. The
Tauriel-Kili love story feels so forced that I wish she have never been brought
on. I can’t hate a Tolkien film. It could have been trimmed down a bit and
been improved. The death scenes were
heartbreaking and when Thranduil fights, it’s quite breathtaking.
Also, Lee Pace.
That’s all for 2014! There’s a bunch of new films coming out in
2015 that I am dying to see. You know
me, I’d never miss a Marvel movie, so you know I will be one of the first in
line to see the new Avengers film. I’m
also super excited to see Pitch Perfect 2, Mad Max, Jupiter Ascending, the live
action Cinderella and Pan. The list
could go on and on, trust me. There is
12 months of movies to see and I’m just one girl who wants to see them all.
I hope you all stick with me in this new
year of adventure, action, horror and comedy as I will do my best to bring you
all the reviews I can. We’re in this for
the long haul, guys and gals.
I’m TheCinemaChick and I am quite possibly
medicated for my horrible cold.
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