I’m not
going to make a top 10 list that fills with so many usual suspects that appear
on every other “Best of” list compiled by every movie critic and award show. I
am not going to tell you the obvious like I love 12 Years a Slave, The Wolf of
Wall Street or Philomena because that was covered more than enough by every
year-end award show last year; and I will not say how much I love Boyhood, Interstellar,
Gone Girl or Grand Budapest Hotel because they are surely going to be mentioned
over and over in this coming 1-2 months.
No, I’m
going to make a list of “My Top 10 Favorite Movies That Are Underappreciated”.
Some of them did not garner enough attention during their run in the cineplex,
and some of them received slightly negative reaction from the critics. But
watching movie is a personal thing, so here I present to you my personal
favorites beyond the previously mentioned award magnets.
These 2 animated films are still very likely to appear on the shortlist of Best Animated Film at the Academy Awards, but all the attention in that category is surrounding The Lego Movie, How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Big Hero 6. These two under-appreciated films are filled with fun, with the bonus of also being visually stunning (especially The Book of Life, so colorful). Yes, they do not feature pop culture reference like The Lego Movie, neither are there cute dragon or robot, but they reminded me more of the types of animated films we watched as a kid.
09 This
is Where I Leave You
According to Rotten Tomatoes, this movie is not
well-received by the critics with only 42% of fresh reviews. But this movie
about four grown siblings coming back together after their father’s death is
the right kind of family dramedy that needs you to just relax and watch. Not over
melodramatic or slapstick, and it features an ensemble so good that you can see
spark generated between the actors. Among the cast, Adam Driver stands out.
08 Noah
The advantage of adapting Noah into the big
screen is that this story about the big flood has not been adapted for many
times yet. You can still bring new elements into the story; and with Darren
Aronofsky, you can be sure that he will. Russell Crowe is perfectly cast as
Noah in this visually stunning movie (surprisingly the movie failed to make the
cut in the Best Visual Effects category), but I am surprised by how good both
Logan Lerman and Emma Watson are.
07 Draft
Day
I almost missed this film because it was so low
profile there basically wasn’t any marketing for it and movies about sport is
not really my cup of tea (especially when it is about American Football, a sport
that is not at all familiar in this region). But this movie is not the typical
sport movie, it is about Kevin Costner and how he struggles to pick the players
for his team on Draft Day. I like it even more than Moneyball.
06 Bad
Neighbors
A movie so funny it makes you forget some of the
plots are actually quite violent and sometimes offensive. The chemistry among
the cast rescues this comedy from becoming some slapstick garbage (looking at
you, Sex Tape).
05 The
Maze Runner
There were a lot of young-adult post-apocalyptic
films released in these past few years. In 2014 alone there were Mockingjay Part 1
(failed to deliver), The Giver (WTF ending), Divergent (promising first entry
in the series) and The Maze Runner. Can’t tell why but the latter was the only
one I felt connected to the most.
04 The
Hundred-Foot Journey
A movie that features good food, good view of
France, and Helen Mirren. How can it not be endearing? This feel-good movie
tells the story of an aspiring Indian cook and his journey to success. Don’t
expect big scene of grand cooking or inspiring speech when he achieves success.
This film is like a good dessert, it’s sweet without making you feeling overly
stuffed. Helen Mirren once again delivers.
03 Edge
of Tomorrow
On paper, this looks like another Tom Cruise
action vehicle that is going to be forgotten two days after you watch it. But
this movie did exactly the opposite. It actually grew more fondly in my heart
now compared to when I first watched it. Emily Blunt makes a great heroine, and
the plot is so different from other sci-fi movies that you won’t feel like “been
there, watch that” before.
02 Begin
Again
Keira Knightley
stars in this modern-day musical as a singer who finds her confidence again through
music after being cheated by Adam Levine (yup, that Adam Levine from Maroon 5).
The songs are very catchy (especially Lost Stars), and the movie plot flows
smoothly between songs it feels like someone release an album and shoot a long
music video to accompany it.
01 Snowpiercer
True, many had watched this and named it among
their top 10 list, but I still feel it is under-appreciated because an epic like
this deserves to be recognized even more. A story about how people survive on a
very long train that segregates human being based on their social status, this
film is breathtaking in every aspect (the set and the acting). Tilda Swinton
stands out among the cast as an odd evil lady, and Chris Evans makes us forget
he is Captain America for a moment. From the Korean director Joon-ho Bong.
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