The Grand Budapest Hotel
(USA/Germany) Wes Anderson perfects his whimsical, nostalgia-obsessed, center-aligned framing and unique storytelling in our favorite Andersonian production to date. The director’s love letter to storytelling is a story within a story within a story: all centered on a brilliant Ralph Fiennes as a hotel manager on the run from the authorities, alongside his loyal lobby boy.
Read Katie Kenny's review.
Chef
(USA) John Favreau’s “Chef” brings us glorious food porn, familial warmth, and pure happiness thanks to its uproarious banter and hop-happy Cuban beats.
Read Katie Kenny's review.
Guardians of the Galaxy
(USA) Who expected that a cocky space rogue, a talking tree, an angry raccoon, a no-nonsense destroyer and a hot green assassin chick would become the most sought-after Halloween costumes badass Marvel squad of the year?
Read Adam White's review.
Winter Sleep
(Turkey) Master filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan brings us deep into the moonscape of Cappadocia in Central Anatolia, with a story as poignant and poetic as its backdrop. Yes, it’s an intimidating 196 minutes long, but it flies by as you drink in the richly acted performances that touch on the philosophies of evil, the dark depths of love and attachment—and the politics of courteous gardening.
Gone Girl
(USA) Sex, love, trust and respect: what could possibly go wrong? David Fincher answers that with a big scary tale of the perfect marriage gone sour. Keep anti-marriage friends away as you’ll never hear the end of it after Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike prove why wedlock can kill.
Read Katie Kenny's review.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
(USA) The second installment to the “Planet of the Apes” reboot conquered this year’s summer blockbuster lineup. A mixture of a Shakespearean-slash-Greek-tragedy plot, even better CGI than the last, plus a phenomenal cast of apes led by Andy Serkis make this more than a brainless summer hit.
Read Katie Kenny's review.
Aberdeen
(Hong Kong) Pang Ho-cheung switches from his raunchy and lighthearted films “Vulgaria” and “Love in the Buff” to an understated but powerful drama that picks apart quintessential Hong Kong values. Pang pairs his clever dialogue with a stalwart cast to shine a magnifying glass on the hidden everyday troubles of Hongkongers.
Read Yannie Chan's review.
Big Hero 6
(USA) This latest smash hit from Disney had us in a frenzy over its perfect mix of awesome robot action, good ol’ innocent funnies, and heartfelt, excruciating feels—all totally encapsulated in a squishy, marshmallowy mascot named Baymax.
Read Evelyn Lok's review.
The Drop
(USA) For most of the film you’ll think you’re there for the flawless performances by Tom Hardy and the late James Gandolfini as a pair of tough guy has-beens in mob-ridden Brooklyn. It’s not until the final 20 minutes that the whole thing comes together so elegantly that you’ll kick yourself for not seeing it coming.
Read Katie Kenny's review.
Blue is the Warmest Colour
(France) This beautifully slow and honest coming-of-age film is about first love and coming to terms with your sexual identity. It follows young Adèle’s passionate relationship with the artsy and free-spirited Emma through the many years of their rocky relationship.
Read Katie Kenny's review.
And the worst movies of 2014:
Transformers 4 – Michael Bay masterbays all over Hong Kong, and keeps the CCP happy while he’s at it.
Sex Tape – What’s worse than a celeb sex tape? Two celebs making a movie about a sex tape where nothing funny happens and no one ends up naked.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Creepy muscular turtles ft. Megan Fox. Ew.
Noah – A cramped, magical boat with ROCK MONSTERS??
The YA movies (“The Maze Runner,” “Divergent,” “The Giver,” “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One”) – Same dystopian stories, different puberties.
