The Oscars are coming up in few weeks, and the nominees for this year’s Best Picture award have been released. This year, the movies cover quite a broad spectrum, ranging from war movies to artsy indie adventures, to one that took twelve years to shoot.
Over the course of a few months, I’ve had a chance to view the list in its entirety and put together my definitive ranking of each film. There’s something for everyone here, and hopefully this list will help you decide which of these cream-of-the-crop 2014 films are up your alley— and which one you think should win!
8. The Theory of Everything
Eddie Redmayne does a fantastic job of portraying the legendary astrophysicist Stephen Hawking. We meet him as a young, handsome university student who falls in love with the beautiful Jane Wilde. Just as he begins to develop some of his time’s most radical and ambitious theories about space, he develops a motor neuron disease and is told he has very little time left to live. As his marriage and his body begin to crumble, he defies all odds and goes on to become one of the world’s most renowned scientists and publishes the famous A Brief History of Time. In addition to the wonderful story line, look out for some seriously beautiful cinematography.
7. American Sniper
This one was hard to watch. Bradley Cooper plays US Navy Seal Chris Kyle, an expert Texan hunter who becomes the most lethal sniper in the American military. Driven by single-minded and unwavering patriotism, Kyle takes his mission to protect American lives in the Iraq war very seriously. His need to fight for his country begins to hinder his ability to be a father and a husband, and drives him to lose sight of the importance of family and home. There’s a lot of blood and graphic depictions of an Iraqi war zone, which contribute to the film’s portrayal of how big of an impact war can have on a person.
6. The Imitation Game
This film follows the life of Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch), a member of MI6 British Intelligence during WWII. Turing was a brilliant mathematician assigned to break the German “Enigma Code” that they used to send plans to each other during the war. He builds an elaborate machine named Christopher to attempt to crack the codes with a brilliant team, which includes Joan Clarke: his closest friend and the only female code breaker. His discoveries help bring an end to WWII and save millions of lives, but a scandal ruins his good name when it is revealed that he is a closeted homosexual.
5. The Grand Budapest Hotel
This movie is a ton of fun. Legendary hotel owner Gustave H. and his trusted lobby boy, Zero, embark on a bizarre adventure in search of a mysterious painting Gustave H. has inherited from a dead lover. The companionship between the two main characters is equally ridiculous and charming, and Ralph Fiennes will capture your heart as an incredibly endearing hotel owner.
4. Birdman
This is a weird one. It follows the life of Riggan Thompson (Michael Keaton) who used to star in a superhero franchise and is now semi-washed up and attempting to create real art by directing and starring in a Broadway play. The film follows the cast of characters as they scurry around backstage and reveal to us little by little how twisted reality and fantasy become for people who act for a living. We follow Thompson’s mental deterioration as he’s haunted by the voice in his head and dreams of flying around New York City. Half the time you’ll have no idea what’s going on, but the rapid-fire dialogue and frequent plot twists will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat and intrigued until the end credits.
3. Whiplash
The intensity is off the charts in Whiplash. Miles Teller plays Andrew, a young music student who dreams of being a star. He finally lands a place as a drummer in a jazz band called Studio, which is led by a well-known teacher named Fletcher (J.K. Simmons). Bright eyed and excited to be a part of the band, Andrew soon realizes that Fletcher’s teaching methods are anything but encouraging, and he pushes his students to the breaking point in order for them to succeed. Andrew is weighed down by the verbal and mental abuse of his teacher but ultimately learns to excel in ways he never knew possible in such extreme conditions.
2. Boyhood
This film will hit you right in the nostalgia feels. Filming began in 2002, and followed the life in real-time of Mason (Ellar Coltrane) up until his departure for college in 2014. There is no real climax of the movie, but you watch as a young man encounters all the milestones of growing up – his parents’ struggling relationship, moving houses, first kisses and friendships. This movie is especially moving for current college students; watching the film is sort of like watching a slightly altered version of your own life back over the past few years. You’ll reminisce and cringe alongside Mason at the music you listened to, the haircut you had in middle school, and the technology you used to think was cool. All in all, it’s definitely a surreal experience.
1. Selma
An incredibly powerful film about Martin Luther King Jr.’s march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama to protest for the right for all blacks to vote. In 1965, although the law legally stated that all American citizens had the right to vote, discrimination in polling offices still made it nearly impossible for African Americans to register. The film tells a beautiful story of the perseverance of a community to fight against all odds for their human rights, and how acceptance will triumph over ignorance and bigotry.