The Top 5 Best Films of 2014

Okay, so after whinging about the worst films we've seen this year, it's probably about time that we spread some cheer and talk about our favourite films of the year. Like Jenna said in our last post, there's a scary amount of films I've missed this year and I'll be spending Christmas and the New Year catching up, and obviously we aren't quite done with 2014 yet, but here's our Top 5 Best Films of 2014 (that we've actually seen!)

Locke (2014)

I've harped on a lot about Locke this year I know, and it isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it was so different to anything else I'd seen before that it absolutely has to make this list for me. I get fidgety in the cinema, and so to be able to sit completely still for a film essentially about a man driving from Birmingham to London is a wonder in itself!

Gone Girl (2014)

Now for more of a mainstream choice. I'm so glad I saw Gone Girl at the cinema, and the audience's reaction as the credits roll will remain as one of my favourite experiences, it was just fantastic! A mixed of gasps, confusion, and then shocked laughter, followed by everyone leaving in a bit of a daze. This one played on my mind for days, and the book is on my kindle now waiting for me to finish Brent Weeks' latest novel.

Horrible Bosses 2 (2014)

Many of you won't agree with this choice, but you have to understand that Horrible Bosses is my favourite comedy film. I was expecting to be let down by the sequel but I just loved it. Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day have so much chemistry that I'd find anything they did funny. Let's not forget the amazing supporting cast too! Since when did Jason Sudeikis get so cute too? Our review of this is coming soon.

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

I really enjoyed Guardians of the Galaxy when I saw it in the cinema this summer, but I wasn't blown away. It was only when I started telling people about the film that it seemed to grow on me more and more, and now I realise that it was actually a pretty awesome film. I'm looking forward to watching it again over Christmas, and I hope to get a Groot Pop! figure soon.

The Imitation Game (2014)

I haven't yet been able to put my thoughts on The Imitation Game into words, I'm still fairly speechless. I'm clueless when it comes to History, especially war. I know it's a serious topic but I actually walked into this film blind, because I didn't know how it would even end! I'm biased and blind of course when it comes to Benedict Cumberbatch, but I really enjoyed this film. It was engaging, it was interesting, and it was heartbreaking all at the same time.

There are so many other films that should be in this list, but I'm shocked at how many I've missed this year. I imagine Nightcrawler and The Hobbit would be in here too, but I haven't seen them yet.

Disclaimer: After looking through movies released in 2014 and am embarrassed at the shear number that I have missed.  Therefore, my list is based on what I have seen not what was released.

How to Train your Dragon 2 (2014)

What a film, the graphics, the story, the fact that the characters aged from the first one.  No sequel let down here, just as good as the first if not better!

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Unlike Allie, it didn't take time for me to realise I loved this film.  I grinned from ear to ear throughout the whole thing in the cinema, I didn't fidget or move through the whole thing I was that engrossed.  I am hoping my Dad has brought this for me for Christmas but I might be disappointed as my Dad doesn't respond well to hints, in fact he misses them entirely.

Fault in our Stars (2014)

I feel like I might be alone with the one but I loved the film and I think it stuck to the book really well and didn't just change it to suit.  The way they included the texts by popping up on screen was really clever.  I laughed, I cried, I can't wait to watch it again.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)

This was brilliant, the effects used with the apes was incredible and story was well put together as well.  Sometimes, films with such large CGI presence tend to lose sight of the story (think the last 2 Matrix movies) but this had both.  I want to have a marathon and watch Rise and Dawn back to back next :-)

Life After Beth (2014)

There is a review coming soon for this which goes into more detail but I thought this was really great, it was comical, scary in places and the dialogue was sharp and witty.  The acting from Dane Dehaan was great, he has a real presence that I hadn't noticed in his previous supporting roles. 

As Allie said, there has to be a mention for The Hobbit, I am certain I will love it but haven't yet seen it.

What was your best movie of 2014?

Review: Horrible Bosses 2 (2014)

As much as I enjoy a good mind-bending thriller or a jaw-dropping action film, there are times when I just need to watch a comedy. I don’t like having just 1 favourite film of any type, but if I had to pick my favourite comedy, it would be Horrible Bosses. Nick, Kurt and Dale have cheered me up after many a bad day at work, and I was both excited and nervous about seeing Horrible Bosses 2. The sequel is never as good as the original, right?

If you saw the original Horrible Bosses, you’ll know that the trio (Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day) finally rid themselves of their awful superiors. Well now, they’ve decided to become their own bosses and create their own company, selling a product they invented, the Shower Buddy. They find an investor (Christoph Waltz) who puts in an initial order of 100,000 units, but then he rips off their product and cancels, putting the guys’ company in jeopardy. To save their business, they decide to kidnap the investors son (Chris Pine) and hold him to ransom.

Putting aside the silly plot and the brilliant one-liners, what I love the most about Horrible Bosses is the chemistry between the 3 main guys. It’s all so real and they bounce off each other so well, I can’t help but smile no matter what they’re saying. None of them is the main star here, they all have equal parts to play and they shine together. As much as I love Chris Pine, I wondered how he would fit into the cast but he played a fantastic ‘bad guy’. Think of Kirk from Star Trek in the bar, but a little more over the top, and that’s how he is in this.

You can expect the crude humour that Bateman, Sudeikis and Day spout throughout the film, but some of Kevin Spacey and Jennifer Aniston’s lines made me cry with laughter. They’re just not the kinds of things you can imagine them saying, and the gag reel in the credits proved how difficult it was for them to keep straight faces at time. Really, the cast as a whole were equally brilliant.

Some of my favourite moments were the Sharpie marker incidents, the foolproof ‘plan’ the trio put together, and the support group scene, but honestly, I loved it all. If I were to give any criticism, it would be that the plot was just too predictable, although that didn’t really take anything away from it for me because although I worked out what would happen, there were still little details I wasn’t expecting, and plenty of laughs to distract me.

Honestly, I don’t think I could rate the two Horrible Bosses films now. I’d have to go back and watch the first again, but right now I rank them together, and highly! I know this film isn’t for anybody, but it’s just my cup of tea.

Looking Forward to Seeing at the Cinema this Month...November 2014

Oh wow, it's nearly time for binge watching Love Actually, Nativity, Elf and Jingle all the Way, surrounded by festive Yankee candles and over-indulging on home-baked goods. It's also time for what is probably the easiest and most difficult 'Looking Forward' posts, because whilst I can tell you what I'm most looking forward to in a heartbeat, there's another 3 films I'm super excited to see!

Horrible Bosses is probably my all-time favourite comedy. So far at least! I just don't know what it is about it, but if I had to choose just 1 film that I had to watch on repeat for a week, this is what I would pick. I'd probably still love it after that too.

So bring on Horrible Bosses 2, and with the addition of Chris Pine to the cast, I'm just really hoping I'm not setting myself up for disappointment. It's certainly a tough one to top. A few honourable mentions though if I may to The Imitation Game, Interstellar and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay.

Horrible Bosses 2 is released in UK cinemas on 28th November 2014.

How can my 'looking forward to' film not be Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, I have been waiting for this film for 12 months already!  I really hope they do as well with this one as they did with the first two because they have been brilliant and I don't want this ruined right at the end.

I may have to squeeze in a quick read of the book between now and then so I can tell if they have changed too much.  At the moment I can't really remember it so they could get away with anything.

I'm looking forward to a bit more Gale action and a stronger introduction of Prim in this movie.  Excited!!

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 is released on 21st November 2014.