The top 10 films of 2014, according to AP Film Writer Jake Coyle:
1) “Ida” — Where did this perfect little gem come from? Its director, Pawel Pawlikowski, wasn’t previously a major name in international cinema. Yet at a time when most filmmakers can’t keep their movies under two hours, Pawlikowksi plunges into Polish history and back again in less than 90 minutes. Yes, an austere, black-and-white Polish film doesn’t sound like the most appetizing stuff. But it’s a hauntingly beautiful film, and thanks to the tremendous Agata Kulesza, there’s humor here, too.
2) “Boyhood” — One of the most memorable parts of film in 2014 was seeing the movies play with time, capturing it in elapse (“Boyhood”), bending its particles (“Interstellar”) and wryly gazing at its courses across centuries (Jim Jarmusch’s excellent “Only Lovers Left Alive”). Richard Linklater’s 12-years-in-the-making “Boyhood” is a landmark, for sure. But for a much-lauded masterpiece, it’s incredibly humble, warm and humanistic.
3) “The Grand Budapest Hotel” — Wes Anderson’s heroes are, like him, devotees of brilliant escapes: the beachside oasis of “Moonrise Kingdom,” the play land of Rushmore Academy, the pre-war elegance of this film’s Eastern European resort. Dreams are inevitably punctured by outside forces, and a new, compromised life must be found — some melancholy combination of fantasy and reality. Usually, Bill Murray’s there somewhere.
4) “Mr. Turner” and “Birdman” — In a year rich with colorful portraits of artists (the obsessive, rigorous drummer of “Whiplash,” the arrogant, oblivious author of “Listen Up Philip”) these two most stood out: “Birdman” for its blisteringly kinetic flow and the raging ego of Michael Keaton’s actor; and the masterful “Mr. Turner” for its total lack of pretention and Timothy Spall’s gruff, grunting painter.