1. Under the Skin,
dir. Jonathan Glazer
Jonathan Glazer's Under the Skin is poetic in its restrained, yet unsettling storyline of an alien seductress moving through Scotland. It's an excellent art film that explores its ideas of beauty perception and the human condition beautifully with transfixing cinematography and an unforgettable, mesmerizing score by Mica Levi. I find myself returning to this bizarre little film often.
2. Birdman,
Dir. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's masterful Birdman is bold, hilarious, heartbreaking, and powerful. With excellently structured scenes, captivating dialogue, magical cinematography, irresistible comedy, genuine drama, a bunch of flawless performances to boot, Birdman is a stunning cinematic achievement.
3. Interstellar,
dir. Christopher Nolan
Nolan's divisive science fiction epic is probably my favorite cinematic experience of the year, although I think Birdman is a better film. There's something about its scale and its ambition that drew me to it but when I was consistently getting chills and being thrilled by the film's grand and heartfelt story, I knew Nolan had sealed the deal.
4. Boyhood,
DIR. Richard Linklater
Frankly, I'm a little sick of hearing about Boyhood. People thinking it's the greatest film of the year, people are angry that Birdman won Best Picture instead of Boyhood. But it doesn't change that the film is an excellent one. Richard Linklater's twelve year directorial effort reflects life wondefully. Linklater has carved a portrait of a non-privileged boy's lifestyle that is relatable, entertaining, and moving.
5. The Grand Budapest Hotel,
Dir. Wes Anderson
Probably Wes Anderson's most fun and playful film, The Grand Budapest Hotel is sure to remind Wes Anderson fans why he's brilliant and to make more mainstream audiences aware of his films. With gorgeous costume design, production design, and marvelous performances, Anderson has crafted a one-of-a-kind film of adventure, romance, and beautiful landscapes.
6. Leviathan,
dir. Andrey zvyagintsev
A deeply affecting portrayal of a suffering family, led with brilliant performances by Aleksey Serebryakov and Elena Lyadova. Beautifully filmed and undeniably compelling, Leviathan is the best foreign film of the year and among the best films of the year.
7. Force Majeure,
Dir. Ruben Ostlund
Force Majeure took me by surprise with its sheer intellect. Ruben Ostlund's screenplay is an excellent examination of gender stereotypes and family dynamics and, a big plus for me, it's beautifully filmed.
8. Gone Girl,
dir. David Fincher
Gone Girl is one of the best mainstream films of the year. Fincher crafts a suspenseful and wildly entertaining film with a marvelous screenplay from Gillian Flynn. Rosamund Pike also gives one of the best female performances of the year.
9. Whiplash,
dir. Damien chazelle
Damien Chazelle's Whiplash is a furiously paced and terrifically edited film that features outstanding performances from Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons. Also, the final ten minutes are insanely intense. Damien Chazelle is a talent to watch.
10. Selma,
dir. Ava DuVernay
Ava DuVernay's Selma is a profoundly moving portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. that paints MLK not as flawless human being but as a real one. David Oyelowo delivers a tremendous performance and the film will give you chills many times.
Honorable Mentions: CITIZENFOUR, DIR. LAURA POITRAS -- INHERENT VICE, DIR. PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON -- THE IMMIGRANT, DIR. JAMES GRAY -- TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT, DIR. JEAN-PIERRE AND LUC DARDENNE -- WILD, DIR. JEAN MARC-VALLEE