My Favorite Scenes of 2014
I never feel comfortable giving a top 10 list as I always think I haven't seen enough. But with the ones I have there are specific scenes that stand out so I find it fun highlighting those. Here they are. Oh, and on top of these let me also add that I loved every time Tilda Swinton was on screen this year (Only Lovers Left Alive, Snowpiercer, The Zero Theorem, The Grand Budapest Hotel).
Force Majeure
There are so many great scenes from this film, all equally uncomfortable but so hard to turn away from. But the one that stands out is Tomas and Mats' hangout following their time on the slopes. A young lady strolls by to tell Tomas that her friend thinks he's cute. Only to come back moments later to apologize that the friend in fact was referring to someone else, then the friend comes to confirm it. This leads to an argument with both parties as well as some others nearby. What makes the scene perfect in comedy and awkwardness is that director Ruben Ă–stlund never moves the camera. He keeps it framed at Tomas and Mats sitting on chairs, having the other actors lean into the shot. The evolution of the action staying at that vantage point is perfection.
Whiplash
Let's start out with one of the first films I saw in 2014. The highs and lows that you feel from watching Whiplash are so dramatic that when you get to the final scene of the film and Fletcher reveals to Andrew that he knows what he did, you crumble as sudden as Andrew does. But what brings the film home and has kept it in my mind throughout the year is how Andrew rebounds. An over five minute blitz of pounding percussion that leaves you short of breath and with clammy hands by the time of its sudden end and cut to black.
The OvernightersÂ
Sometimes its better to be lucky than good and I doubt that's what Jesse Moss thought when he went to film his subject Jay Reinke retrieve an RV, but it might have come to him when editing this funny yet chilling scene. With Reinke unable to find the keys to the RV we notice a woman outside barely in frame yelling at Reinke. Though Reinke tries to ignore her we now see as the scene progresses that she's carrying a rifle and is demanding he and Moss get off her property. And for good measure she whacks Moss with a broom handle a few times. The juxtaposition of the stress of Reinke's situation with the soothing piano music in the background just elevates the scene. And to end things, on the ride home Reinke—acting as if a gun wasn't pointed at him moments ago—gets giddy when he notices an Amtrak train coming by, and pulls over to waive at it. The skeptic in me always thought that was some movie magic, that Moss cut it together so it seemed Reinke seeing the train happened right after the RV incident. But in fact, at a post screening Q&A I did with the two, Moss told me that is actually how it played out.
The Congress
Though the movie was a little too out there for most, I enjoyed its escapism and ode to both old and current Hollywood. That being said, the scene that I can't escape is when Robin Wright goes to talk about her contract to find sitting next to her in the hall the only other person who didn't sign a lifetime contract for his digital likeness, Tom Cruise (of course!). The cartoon sketch of Cruise is awesome, right down to the Ethan Hunt-like outfit.
The Babadook
Like Whiplash, The Babadook is another film I saw early in the year and then saw a second time leading up to its release. Both moved me a second time for different reasons. For Babadook it was the confrontation between the monster and the mother over her child that got me. Up to that point in the film Amelia seemed disinterested in Samuel, but after handling their issues in a, um, constructive way, she finally confronts Babadook with an explosive fit of momma-bear rage that I found intense and fulfilling. Â
Snowpiercer
There's a lot to take away from this film but for me Chris Evans' monologue towards the end where he utters the words "babies taste best" is what will always stand out. The words were such a jolt for me and really brought home the despair those in the back of the train have gone through. And if your'e still thinking of Evans as Captain America when watching the movie, by that point the image of his heroic alter ego has completely left you.
Zero Motivation
In what I thought was the funniest movie I saw this year (and one of the best written), this look at a zany group of Israeli females as they get through their required timed served in the military is filled of great scenes, but I loved Zohar's ultimate FU to her commanding officer. With their office a complete mess with folders and papers scattered everywhere, and Zohar's commander Rama driven with keeping the group disciplined (though she never succeeds), Zohar seems to concede by telling Rama she will clean everything up herself. Cut to next morning and Rama comes in not to just find everything clean but all the folders on the shelves empty and her office filled completely filled with shredded paper. Her reaction and the level of the prank is comedy gold. I can't wait to see what director Talya Lavie does next.
A Most Violent Year
I won't go into too much detail on this one as it doesn't open until this weekend. There's a lot to highlight in this film but one of the major ones is the photography of Bradford Young, who continues to prove he's one of the best cinematographers working today. His use of natural light in this film is incredible, but in a film that won't be remembered for is pulse-pounding action, there is one scene that because of this fact I won't soon forget. I'l just say it's a car chasing an oil tanker. Bradford's shooting of the scene is exhilarating while not being flashy.
20,000 Days on EarthÂ
For me the beautiful parts inside this look at Nick Cave are the studio recordings. Particularly the one for "Higgs Boson Blues." We see him perform the song live later in the film, but this version stands out most. The soft and loud of it. The passion in which Cave delivers the lyrics. His direction to the band while sining it. There's a lot going on in the scene than just singing a song. And the fact that Hannah Montana is part of the song lyrics and he makes it sound bad ass is pretty great.
American Sniper
Another I'll try not to give a lot away from. Though I wasn't in love with the film and feel it has a lot of issues, I can say that Bradley Cooper is amazing in it. The emotion he delivers to the character of Chris Kyle in how he copes with war is powerful. But there's one scene in particular where that drive to do good for his country battles with his conscious and director Clint Eastwood plays it out perfectly through the expressions on Cooper's face. The tension in the scene builds incredibly. It was certainly more thrilling to experience than any of the battle scenes.
Foxcatcher
Mark Ruffalo playing wrestler David Schultz was probably my favorite character this year. The character's devotion to his family, his brother, love of wrestling and the way Ruffalo expressed all of that on screen was commendable and inspiring to watch. All those things come to a head in the interview scene of the movie, where David goes in front of a documentary filmmaker's camera and told to say that John du Pont is a mentor of his. The way Ruffalo plays it—struggling to get the words out, that it almost hurts him to say them—is a moment of the film I cannot forget. And really proves that Ruffalo is one of the best actors today in doing these subtle, less is more performances.
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