favorite films of 2014

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Guardians of the Galaxy

The Lego Movie

What If

Interstellar

Fury

Big Hero 6

The Edge of Tomorrow

The Fault in Our Stars

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Honorable Mentions:

The Boxtrolls

Begin Again

I love seeing movies. While many people don't consider movie-seeing a very social experience, I love discussing movies (perhaps to a fault) and breaking down my favorite/least favorite parts about the stories. I tend to think about movies for days afterward. Perhaps it's my rather obsessive personality, which reached its height in my early teen years during the days of battling boy bands, Harry Potter books and Lord of the Rings movies. That part of me comes out again when I'm confronted with a great, terrible, or fascinating film.

My list above is in no particular order, but I will confirm that my very favorite movie of 2014 was The Grand Budapest Hotel. (And second place would actually be Guardians of the Galaxy). The rest just fall into place after that. I'm sure there is plenty of opposition over my favorite movie choice, and I'm sure there are plenty of good arguments for other greatest films of 2014, but Budapest was by far my personal favorite of the year. It's brilliant. It gets me every time.

While I could talk about these movies for a long time, I will spare you and sum up my reasons for choosing each movie with one sentence:

The Grand Budapest Hotel because Wes Anderson outdid himself in quirkiness, emotion, and meaning. (Read more here). 
Guardians of the Galaxy because it took my favorite things from Star Wars and combined it with silliness, dancing, extra sarcasm and childlike wonder. (Read more here). 
The Lego Movie because it perfectly captured the childhood war between rule following and creative rule breaking, while also making me laugh, smile and remember.
What If because I believe there is still space in Hollywood for smart and charming romantic comedies, and this movie made me remember why I love them so much.
Interstellar because I was on the edge of my seat and never wanted it to end.
Fury because it broke my heart and opened my eyes.
Big Hero 6 because it was entirely unexpected, but was incredibly creative, visually stunning and endlessly heartfelt.
The Edge of Tomorrow because it was a surprisingly perfect combo of Sci-Fi action and comedy, with just a dash of romance.
The Fault in Our Stars because it is one of the greatest, most accurate book-to-movie adaptations I've ever seen (and it made me cry my eyes out).
Captain America: The Winter Soldier because it went a little deeper and carved out extra space for meaningful character development, while also maintaining Marvel's reputation for snarky humor and great action.

For my honorable mentions, I'll just say that The Boxtrolls, while dark and strange, really revived my shock and awe at stop-motion animation. It was brilliantly done and I enjoyed it immensely. Begin Again was another winner with good music, a sweet story and a reminder of why I like Mark Ruffalo so much.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this year's many movies! I know there are plenty of movies I didn't see (I have not seen Unbroken, The Imitation Game, Nightcrawler, Birdman or Boyhood), so perhaps my list would be different if I had. What are your favorites and must-sees?

Happy New Year!

guardians of the galaxy

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I think for the most part it has been properly established on this blog that I am somewhat, maybe, a little bit a nerd. I take this title proudly because most of the people I love most in the world are somehow nerdy in their own right.
Being a nerd has many definitions. Actually it has mainly two, one of which is being a foolish or contemptible person who lacks social skills or is boringly studious...but I'm gonna cross this one out and claim definition number two, which is a single-minded expert in a particular field. Vis–à–vis, a computer nerd.
Well maybe I'm a book nerd. A sci-fi nerd. A harry potter nerd. A cat nerd. I dunno, maybe I'm just a lot of nerds, which means I'm an expert in a lot of things.
But now, most certainly, I am a Guardians of the Galaxy nerd.

This movie is special, guys. Maybe I'm the only one who was tearing up with childlike wonder the entire time I was plopped in that cushy theater seat, but I have a feeling it was the result of an airborne spark of community and innovation. The contagious joy and understanding of true spirit.

I have an inkling that a lot of this special quality comes from Chris Pratt, who has quickly become my favorite leading man. I'm going to be honest and say that I have loved him since Everwood, and sometimes I still try to convince my husband that Bright would be a great name for our first son.
It makes me so happy to see Pratt working so much, obviously as lovable Andy Dwyer in Parks and Recreation for the last 5+ years and now as our favorite big screen heroes in movies like The Lego Movie, Guardians of the Galaxy and 2015's Jurassic World. 
It's like he has a monopoly on starring in movies that will be my favorites of all time.

And truly, it's for good reason. He is an absolute delight to watch. There's something about him that is magnetic and endearing, and he manages to bring the best out of everyone he shares the screen with. The ensemble is brilliant, too, establishing a solid sense of humor and rapport that is completely unique to them.

Peter Quill, a.k.a Star Lord, is flanked by a team of unlikely comrades. There's Gamora (Zoe Saldana), the alienated adopted daughter of the super-villain Thanos. Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), a heartbroken and violent hulk of a man with a dangerous vendetta. Then there's Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), a man-like Raccoon, who is the result of many experiments and technological advances (he has some unresolved issues as well). His sentient tree friend and bodyguard Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) is one of the best and most charming parts of this film.
The filmmakers don't put any of them to waste, either -- they utilize each of their individual personalities to create hysterical dialogue, incredible action and heartfelt revelations. They're all perfect, and the casting served these characters brilliantly.

I don't want to ruin much of this movie, but the opening is scene is rather somber. It's a little glimpse into Peter Quill's younger days, his "normal" existence before he is plunged into a life of galactic swashbuckling. The first scene of grown-up Quill is epic. It sets the tone for the rest of the film in a most extraordinary fashion, via classic rock and dancing across a desolate planet-scape, hip sways and all. The scene is so captivating and entertaining, he just dances right into our hearts (is that a cliche? I'm using it anyway).
Dancing is absolutely the 7th hero of this film, behind the main five, and Groot again, because I count him twice.

The nuances that Pratt brings to this role really create an immediate connection between the audience and Peter Quill, the self-entitled Star Lord. I think this movie is a perfect illustration of why movies like this work so well on screen. It continues the legacy of films like Star Wars, which opened our minds to a whole new landscape of adventure and imagination. This movie had me drunk with visions of colorful space vistas and so many intricate details that I couldn't possibly manage to capture them all in one glance.

Thus, the need to own and rewatch this movie over and over again.

Everyone involved in the making of this movie should be incredibly proud. They have accomplished something wonderful, that I am thrilled to be a part of as well, even if it's just from the theater seat. 

It seems like Chris Pratt realizes that, and you should, too. 

Thank you all for your support. Simply put, we love you. Love, the #GuardiansOfTheGalaxy
— chris pratt (@prattprattpratt) July 30, 2014

This review made me weepy. Because I believe it's true. It's a good read. Please. He's right. This one is so special. http://t.co/K40W5vhmMz
— chris pratt (@prattprattpratt) July 30, 2014

If you've seen it, comment below! I'd love to hear your thoughts on the movie.

If you haven't, now you know why you should. I can't wait to hear your reviews when you do. 

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