Sunday, January 11, 2015

10 best scenes of 2014

Here we go - the first of my end of 2014 lists. I have not seen all noteworthy movies - Wild and A Most Violent Year being the ones that I would probably enjoy the most - but I already completed the lists, seeing how I don't think there are any scenes better than those I chose here. The best shots of 2014 list is next in line, but for now I hope you enjoy my choices here:

10. The Interview, Foxcatcher
Bennett Millet's latest brings tour de force performances but the single best acted moment in the entire film is the interview sequence. Dave Schultz is forced to say a few words about John du Pont, the man that we sense Dave pities. But it is in this scene that we realize Dave is also repulsed by John. He is asked to call John a mentor and you see him struggle - it's a lie so great that Dave, a professional wrestler, strong, good man has such tremendous difficulty lying to such extent. While the best performance for me belongs to Carell, Ruffalo is out of this world amazing in this moment.

9. The ending, Interstellar
Interstellar is a movie I found to be ultimately very, very boring but it has the highest number of mentions on this list out of all films. Why? Because it's a mediocre movie with few absolutely mesmerizing sequences. Those scenes cannot save the film as a whole but they are like masterpieces hidden in this mess of a movie. One of those scenes is the film's powerful ending in which Murph tells Cooper that she knew he will be back because her dad promised her. Then she proceeds to tell him to find Amelia, who we see on her new planet and we witness Cooper getting on a ship and starting his new journey. The ending makes little sense, as most of things in this film, but it's truly beautiful - both when it comes to what is being said and what is being shown.

8. The murder, Gone Girl
There are many shocking things that happen in Gone Girl, but the explosion of blood that happens here is astonishing. Here we truly see how ruthless Amy is - murdering Desi in cold blood during sex, adjusting herself so that the blood pours all over her and then overpowering Desi and making sure he is dead. And then we have Amy break down, just for a second and quickly shrugging her emotions off. Even if you know it was coming your jaw still drops seeing this scene.

7. The machine works, The Imitation Game
The whole film is very moving and has a number of emotional scenes but the one that really stands out is the wonderful scene in which Christopher, Alan's machine, finally speaks up and they manage to break their first code. It's such a beautiful explosion of joy accompanied by Alexandre Desplat's gorgeous main theme of the movie.

6. The mountains, Interstellar
This is such a thrilling sequence - after the crew lands on the water planet the gigantic mountains of water start moving towards the ship and Amelia and Doyle, who are outside. Amelia persists on collecting the sample as the mountains of water move closer and closer and Cooper finally sends CASE after her to carry her just moments before the mountains crash on the ship. The whole scene has Zimmer's Mountains track in the background, which adds so much epic factor to it.

5. The docking of spinning Endurance, Interstellar
There was no moment more epic in 2014 than seeing Cooper heroically trying to dock the Endurance with petrified Amelia in the ship next to him and TARS helping him. Hell, this whole moment is so good I can almost - almost - forgive all the Matt Damon nonsense that led to it. The whole sequence - accompanied by Zimmer's No Time for Caution, which is 10x more epic in movie version than in album version - is just breathtaking. It ends with Hathaway crying and then starting to laugh and it's just cathartic to witness.

4. The flight, Birdman
There are many jaw dropping and mind blowing moments in Birdman but the most beautiful and awe inspiring one is Riggan...actually flying. We see him levitate in the very first scene of the movie but this is much different. It's the depiction of absolute freedom and Emmanuel Lubezki, the god among cinematographers, shot it in a way that makes you feel as if you were flying too.

3. Technically missing, Gone Girl
Gone Girl is filled with many brilliant montages but the one that is the most unforgettable is the moment that we find out the truth - with Amy taking us step by step of her plan to frame her husband and go into hiding, then proceeding with her cool girl tirade. Completed with the throwing of the pens out of the window and the quick guide how to fake the pregnancy, this sequence is already iconic.

2. The ending, Whiplash
Of all 2014 movies, Whiplash's ending is the best one. And we had so many fantastic endings, but this one is just too intense not to top the list. It's just a guy playing drums for several minutes and his teacher witnessing it, then helping him and in the end finally giving him his approval. But holy shit, is it absolutely thrilling to witness.

1. For once in my life, Begin Again
Over 10 years ago Keira Knightley starred in Love Actually. There, then unknown Andrew Lincoln knocked on her door on Christmas Eve and proclaimed he loved her with beautiful things written on cards, as Silent Night was playing. And now she starred in a movie, where her and Mark Ruffalo listen to her ipod, using two headphones. First we hear Luck be a lady and then we hear For once in my life. We see them walk down the street, go dance in a club (all the while they are the only ones hearing their song),  share looks in the subway, sit on the bench. This is such a beautiful idea and such a wonderful moment, one where the looks of true connection and love are shared. This makes Begin Again's ending the one I hate the most in years and this scene here the most gorgeous one I've seen, since, well Love Actually. Just like the cards moment, I would give my life to experience something like this.

38 comments:

  1. Well played. A couple of those will likely make my moments (rather than scenes) of the year. When I get around to it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great list Sati. I really want to see 'Birdman' and 'Whiplash.' I've heard that both of these films are fantastic. You're right about 'Interstellar,' some of the scenes were wonderful, but the film as a whole left much too be desired.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! They are they are my number 1 and 3 of the year. Hope you'll like them when you get a chance to see them!

      Delete
  3. Great list! The murder scene was shocking, and the ending of Whiplash was amazing. The Begin Again scene was also wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great list Sati. Especially loved the Gone Girl ones, so fucking brilliant and iconic.

    If I had one honorable mention, it has to be The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1. At this point, you don't seem to care at all about the series at all and so do I. Never liked the first two films but I've slowly began to like it ever since the third film. Went to see all three films with my little cousins (mostly kids and teens between 10-17)(CouIdn't bail out though, had to take them somewhere) and there was this one scene that stuck with me. Katniss starts singing this song, The Hanging Tree, and it sounded very beautiful and haunting. It was more acapella and blues and I'm usually a sucker for them. Then it immediately (first a little discussion went on about using it as propaganda to get more support for the rebellion) leads into an action sequence where the rebels are singing the same song, leading an attack against a bunch of Peacekeepers defending a hydroelectric dam. They successfully blow up the dam and it was just mesmerizing. Everything from the camera shots to the score to the solid direction, I was convinced I was watching another movie altogether. See it only for that scene if you're gonna watch the film.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks!

      I'm not into that series at all plus I dislike Lawrence so I just watch those films for the supporting cast, people like Harrelson and Natalie Dormer. I'm definitely gonna see that one for the same reason and yeah I did hear that this scene is really good!

      Delete
  5. I really need to watch Interstellar and Birdman.. and The Imitation Game and The Theory of Everything and.. it's no wonder I haven't finished my list for Top 10 movies of 2014 yet - it feels like I can't when so many movies are yet to be seen!
    I like this list, though I haven't seen Interstellar and can't comment on those, I think the choices from Gone Girl are indeed powerful and well, I loved the ending of Whiplash a lot!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well you certainly can't finalize the list without seeing Birdman! :)

      Delete
  6. Great list Sati! I think that my favourite scene of 2014 was the 'Technically, Missing' montage from Gone Girl. The ending of Whiplash was wonderful, and that scene from Begin Again was also very beautiful. Great choices from Birdman and Interstellar, though Emma Stone's big scene with Michael Keaton was also one of my favourites from Birdman. And I know you didn't like both Boyhood and Selma, but Patricia Arquette's breakdown at the end and the shooting scene of Jimmy Lee Jackson in Selma were incredibly heartbreaking for me, and were two of the only times when I actually cried while watching a movie last year.

    By the way, love the new header!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I actually thought Stone's best moment in the film were the last 15 secs of the movie, not her big blow up scene. I cried like an idiot on Interstellar ending, which is such a lame moment to cry on, but it was so emotional.

      Thank you! It had to be done :)

      Delete
  7. Such good choices here. Have not seen Foxcatcher yet, but the rest are great. Love that scene in The Imitation Game, it's really moving. Oh, and that killing scene in Gone Girl. It's such a gorgeously shot, all those bloods. uhg, great.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! Hope you'll like Foxcatcher! Loved that moment in ITG.

      Delete
  8. I love that Interstellar made the list three times, especially given that you had several problems with the film. Those scenes really are wonderful. The Begin Again, Birdman, The Imitation Game and Gone Girl ones are also terrific. Great list!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Several problems?:D I had mostly nothing but problems ^^

      Delete
  9. Oooh, what a fantastic idea for a list!! I just have to *steal* your idea and come up w/ my own list! I think that interview scene in Foxcatcher, the flight in Birdman and the stroll thru NYC in Begin Again would make mine too. It seems that w/ Interstellar, there are tons of memorable scenes but overall the film itself is a bit lacking to me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. For me it's lacking more than a bit :) But it did quite well on my end of the year list

      Delete
  10. I love that interview scene in Foxcatcher as I think Bennett Miller's dad was the documentarian in that scene. Ruffalo's performance is an example of acting at its finest.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Really? Wow, never knew that! Mark was just wonderful in all of his roles last year.

      Delete
  11. Your number one...like...FUCK YES!!! Best scene of the year, and many others.

    I have that I've only seen that one and the Gone Girl scenes. Damn, I need to see more movies.

    ReplyDelete
  12. You haven't seen Interstellar in theaters? I mean the film is boring as fuck but it should really be seen on the big screen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know! I wanted to, but it's like THREE hours and no one wanted to go with me...so I didn't.

      Delete
  13. Wow, this is fantastic, I think you really nailed this list and I love those gifs, you made them yourself? Isn't the ending to Whiplash just awesome? The audience was laughing during the interview scene in Foxcatcher, top notch performance by Ruffalo.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! Yes I did, I make everything on the site myself, except for some gifs in RF series, which I find on tumblr.

      I was laughing a bit too but mostly I felt so bad and felt his pain at how caged he was

      Delete
  14. Right on. The "For Once In My Life" scene in Begin Again might be my favorite of the year. So joyous, and the actors sell it completely. Brilliant!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so glad people love this scene! It was the most lovely moment of the year for me, so beautiful

      Delete
  15. Those two scenes in Gone Girl are my favorites of the year! They both astonished me.

    That Ruffalo scene in Foxcatcher is one of the best acted moments of the year, hands down. And his scene with Knightley is absolutely one of the sweetest.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gone Girl had so many crazy good moments but these two really stand out :)

      Delete
  16. There are a few scenes from 2014 that I'll never be able to get out of my head, a few of which are listed here. That end to Whiplash is tops. What a thrill. The murder in Gone Girl, the docking scene in Interstellar, all fantastic. And I love your choice for number 1. What a perfect scene that was.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I really fell in love with that scene instantly. But Birdman's flight is probably the most awe inspiring I've seen all year

      Delete
  17. Some stunning scenes here and I agree with you about Interstellar having some brilliant scenes. I can't wait to see Whiplash by the way, opens here this week. This is probably a harder list to do then a top films list. Top work!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm sure you'll like Whiplash, everyone does! :)

      Delete
  18. Nice list! I love every single one of these. I haven't seen Foxcatcher or Whiplash yet, but I'm sure I'll love those too. lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh I'm sure you will! Foxcatcher is more difficult of the two but it's a great film

      Delete
  19. Interesting that you put the number 1 from Begin Again. I understand how beautiful they connect with music, and thanks for reminding me!

    I just watched Whiplash yesterday, and the ending was amazingly out of ordinary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! glad you liked Whiplash's ending!

      Delete