2014 Annual Movie Review

I saw more movies in the theater in 2014 than I have in any other year of my life, thiry-five to be exact. And just in case you're wondering that's about $437.50.

Not ashamed.

I should also mention that out of the 35 movies I saw in the theater, I went by myself to 9 of them. Also, not ashamed.

Here's my review of them, as I saw them in chronological order and ranked on a scale from 1 to 10:

Enough Said

7- I actually already wrote about my feeling toward this movie here. Suffice it to say that I remember that night hobbling into the theater without crutches and I still remember the lessons I learned from this movie. They were good ones and have served me well this year as I've traversed the dating roads in my life.

Jerusalem

7- I saw this film at the IMAX theater at the National History Museum with my friend Susie Baer. It was a short 1-hour film but on a screen that big, was worth the $15. I've never traveled to the Holy Land but seeing the landscapes, the aerial views, and hearing the sounds of that most Holy City, was really inspiring. I hope to walk those streets some day.

Captain Phillips

8- I went with a handful of friends to the Arlington Drafthouse to see Captain Phillips, which was definitely a different atmosphere, especially to see such a high-intensity film such as this. The Drafthouse is one of those places where there are tables and office chairs and you can order dinner while you watch the film. Because of this, the theater isn't quite pitch dark. Maybe this is a good thing because Captain Phillips had my heart racing for most of its two hours. What a movie! It made me never want to step foot on any sort of boat again (especially near Somalia) but I feel I may have to get over that. I was impressed by the acting of not only Tom Hanks, but the actors portraying the Somali pirates. The fact that this film is a true story gets my heart thumping even more.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

5- I mean, this was your typical run-of-the-mill action movie starring Chris Pine. I've always said I don't need a lot from a movie to be entertained and this was about on par. Nothing too memorable, but I will never complain about watching Chris Pine any day.

Labor Day

8- Okayyyyyyy. OKAYYYYYY! I have something to say about this movie. I saw it as part of a double-header on a snow day here in DC. I went in having seen the preview and knowing I typically enjoy Kate Winslet, and then I was thrown this movie with more sexual tension (read tension, not actual sex) than any other movie in recent memory and I was blown away in a good way. I could see why some (or most) people wouldn't give this film a second thought or maybe even dislike it, but not me. I loved, repeat, loved this movie, and I have watched it twice on Netflix recently. Kate Winslet is brilliant. I think it's a beautiful love story of hope and vulnerability. And it made me feel. This movie is about love, real love. And I loved that.

Monuments Men

5- Like I said above, this was part-two of my double-header that included Labor Day. Maybe it was because I had just seen Labor Day or because the movie wasn't that great, but I didn't love it. Such a shame considering it had an all-star cast. There was one scene set on Christmas Day that had me almost crying but that was the only high point. This movie just fell flat.

Non-Stop

7- Um, Liam Neeson. Which reminds me, I need to see Taken 3 stat.

Divergent

7- It would be hard to be Divergent and have to be released so closely after The Hunger Games. Two very similar types of movies set in a dystopian state. I'm not saying I didn't like Divergent, because I did, but it was nothing compared to The Hunger Games. I read the book and I did feel like they did a good job adapting it to the screen and of course I loved watching the male lead, so I'll be interested in how well the rest of the movies do.

Million Dollar Arm

8- One of my favorite movies of the year. Just a really good, feel-good type of movie that leaves you smiling and wanting to do a little more to serve people in this world. Jon Hamm is cast well, the three Indian cricket-turned-baseball players are endearing and entertaining, and the sports to romance ratio in on point. This is the type of movie you can show your family and not worry about it. Definitely a film worth watching or owning.

Belle (2x)

9- This was probably the biggest surprise movie of the year for me. Yes, I had seen the trailer and thought it was your typical Pride and Prejudice style movie, but it ended up being so much more than that. In fact, I still wish I could get my hands on the script of this movie just so I can memorize some of the monologues. The writing is what got me. There was a good deal of romance which will always make me smile, but in the end, this movie was less about the romance and more about the subject of freedom. The freedom to speak one's mind, the freedom to love, and freedom from slavery.

X-Men

3- I honestly don't remember a thing from this movie. That could have been because I had just started dating someone and he held my hand for the first time as the movie started. I was a wee bit distracted after that.

The Fault in Our Stars (2x)

9- As far as book-to-screen adaptations go, this one did not disappoint. I read John Green's book and finished it with tears streaming down my face and an empty box of tissues, and I ended the movie that way too. Loved the male and female leads (Ansel Elgort and Shailene Woodley) and the soundtrack also became one of the favorites. I didn't mind that the plot is based around two teenagers who have cancer (I don't need a perfect ending to like the movie) so I was perfectly pleased with this one. "Pain demands to be felt" is now a personal mantra.

The Edge of Tomorrow

8- Where did this movie come from? I was never expecting to see it but then everyone said it was so good so I moseyed down to the theater by myself one night and was thrilled by this movie. Typically I'm not a huge Tom Cruise fan (he drives me a little cray cray) but I feel just the opposite about Emily Blunt. Can I say girl crush? This was definitely one of my favorite action movies of the year.

The Grand Seduction

4- On the other hand, the Grand Seduction was probably my biggest disappointment. Guys, Taylor Kitsch is in it. TAYLOR KITSCH! DO YOU KNOW WHO THAT IS? TIM RIGGINS, OF COURSE! And with a new, sexy hairdo and all-grown-up wardrobe, this movie promised to be somewhat entertaining. BUT I FELL ASLEEP IT WAS SO BORING! Two hours felt like four in the theater. I should also note, I had promised my bestie, Whit, that we'd see this one together, but when she went with some friends to the lake one Saturday with the rest of the world and I couldn't go because I had some sort of appointment that day, I went to see it without her. I came clean the next week and after a little bit of graveling so she wouldn't be upset, we're besties again. Good thing the movie was so awful and I saved her 2 hours and $13 bucks.

Guardians of the Galaxy

7- If you haven't already noticed, I usually shy away from any type of children's or animated movie. They just don't do it for me. I thought this movie would fit into that category because of the animated characters that hold most of the lines. So when Guardians came out and it got rave reviews, I surprised myself that I went for it. What's even more interesting is that I wasn't disappointed. Chris Pratt kills it in this movie and I found it humorous and fun. Definitely lived up to the hype.

The Hundred Foot Journey (2x)

9- Another simply fabulous movie and a feel-gooder as well. I think it was really well done, I found myself falling in love with the characters, and I immediately wanted to eat Indian food afterward. Another one that should be owned and shown to your family.

The Giver

6- I know the book is a classic but I'm not sure the movie will be remembered that way. Didn't love it although I will give credit to Jeff Bridges for his role in the film. I think he was the only one worth remembering.

If I Stay

7- The only decent chick flick I saw this year. It's no Nicholas Sparks movie but whatever.

The Maze Runner (2x)

8- Okay so the first time I saw this movie I went by myself to the theater. Not only that, but I ended up being the only one in the entire theater. Talk about suspense! This movie had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end! I haven't read the books, although they're on my list now, so I was pleasantly entertained by the plot because I didn't know what was going to happen next. I am now happily looking forward to movies 2 & 3.

The Good Lie

7- This movie felt eerily similar to Million Dollar Arm only the boys were from Africa and the leading actor was female instead of male. Nonetheless, an important story to tell and a do-good movie from the start. I have another girl crush on Reese Witherspoon and I liked her in this more mature role.

St. Vincent

7- The only reason I went to see this one was because Melissa McCarthy and Bill Murray were in it. It was fine. A few laughs here and there. I'm not mad about paying for it.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

8- This was the closest thing I saw to a children's movie in 2014 AND I LOVED IT! Maybe that means I need to see more children's movies or something. Whitney and I were laughing throughout the whole thing. But then again, Steve Carrell played Alexander's father and Jennifer Gardner his mother. The comedic timing was perfect in this movie and I enjoyed it so much more than I had planned.

Interstellar (2x)

10- I've said it once and I'll say it again, Interstellar was the best in-theater movie experience I've ever had in my entire life. Do you get that? Did I make myself clear? Love isn't strong enough of a word to describe how much I love this movie. Phenomenal. Just a heads up, I actually saw it again, a third time, in 2015, so that makes me a freak probably.

The Best of Me

4- Hands down the worst Nicholas Sparks movie I've seen to date. The ending??? Stop. It was so bad.

Mockingjay: Part 1

8- I didn't like the third Hunger Games book so what gives me the right to like the third movie? That's right, I didn't like the third movie. I only give this one such a high rating because I still love Jennifer Lawrence. Peeta looks a little shabby in this one, which is hard for me (I will always be team Peeta even if he's shorter than me) so I'm hoping for a good comeback in the last movie. Why oh why do they make us wait a year for everything??

The Theory of Everything

6- I didn't like this movie for two reasons: 1) I realized I just don't love Stephen Hawking, the person. I don't agree with him on most things and I don't love how he treated Jane and 2) More than any other movie this year, I felt like I was sitting in the theater for 5 years. SNOOZE FEST. Seriously people, two hours felt like a literal eternity.

Annie

2- I know I said The Best of Me was the worst Nicholas Sparks movie I've seen, well Annie was hands down the worst movie I saw all year. No kidding! Everything felt extremely forced and cliche, the new songs were below par, and the only times I laughed were when they weren't trying to be funny. This was the only movie of the entire year that I'm mad I paid money for.

The Imitation Game

8- Pretty, pretty good Benedict Cumberbatch. I think I can also safely say that this was the first time Kiera Knightley didn't make me roll my eyes. She still has a weird accent, in my opinion, but I think she was cast well. I was most surprised by the strong homosexual agenda toward the end but all in all, a great movie with great acting.

Unbroken

8- I mean, the whole world was waiting for this movie to come out for like a year. The trailors, the news articles- Unbroken, Unbroken, Unbroken everywhere! But I think that was its downfall. There was all this hype that it would blow us away, blow us away in a manner similar to what we felt when we all read the book. And it just didn't do that. Sorry to say, it wasn't as good as I wanted it to be. Not saying it wasn't a fabulous movie with some pretty intense scenes and themes, but I wanted it to be a 10 when it was just an 8.