MY LEAST FAVORITE FILMS OF 2014

There were plenty of really delightful, charming and moving cinematic moments released throughout 2014 but there were also quite a few stinkers put out there. My list of least-liked films from the previous year include some major successes that many people seemed to enjoy rather enthusiastically but they failed to generate much interest from me:

"THE MONUMENTS MEN"

Who would think that a story about WWII soldiers trying to save valuable art stolen by the Nazis would have made a thrilling and engaging feature film? Apparently only George Clooney. The actor's heart is certainly in the right place for with his fifth directorial feature, "The Monuments Men", he wanted to remind the world that art is important and I definitely appreciate and support that idea. Sadly, Mr. Clooney couldn't find an adequate way to bring this based-on-true-events adventure to life. The film feels extremely labored with the characters flat and unimaginative. Clooney called in some big favors as his corralled a very impressive cast including Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin and Cate Blanchett but all their hard work has gone to waste in this dreary drama.

"MALEFICENT"

"Maleficent" may feature vivid cinematic thrills and Angelina Jolie is pure perfection as the title character but I pondered this question before seeing the film and feel even stronger afterwards; what was the point of "Maleficent"? This fantasy-drama offers a never-knew-we-needed back-story to the evil fairy from the fable, "Sleeping Beauty" and perhaps intended to shed some light on why she was so bad. We learn that Maleficent, as a young girl, was a gentle protector of the land before a cruel act of betrayal from the future king would lead her turning to the dark side. Now, I understand being upset but does that really warrant placing a pretty nasty curse that causes the death of an innocent child? Call me old-fashioned but that seems a bit extreme. I can't say I actually enjoyed this much and certainly didn't walk away with any sympathy for this character either. Anyway, "Maleficent" was one of the biggest hits of 2014, so what do I know?

"INTERSTELLAR"

Here again is another wildly popular box-office smash that many people loved yet "Interstellar" left me icy cold. To be fair, this Christopher Nolan production had me initially very intrigued with this story of a future Earth that is becoming uninhabitable. Matthew McConaughey plays a former NASA pilot drafted by a professor (Michael Caine) to go back out in to space in search of an alternative planet in order for mankind to survive. A small crew (which includes Anne Hathaway and Wes Bentley) heads out on this long, brave journey which they may never see their family and friends again. This is all fine, as I enjoyed the brilliant performances and dazzling state-of-the-art visual effects, until we come to the conclusion. This is where "Interstellar" lost me. Perhaps the convoluted ending simply went over my head (which is very possible) but regardless, it felt dubious and annoyed me greatly to have spent over two hours sitting through this.

"THE OTHER WOMAN"

"The Other Woman" seems like it wants to be positioned like this generation's version of a feminist comedy like the classics, "9 to 5" and "The First Wives Club". This very unfunny farce is no where near the same league. The plot wants us to go with the idea that an unsuspecting wife (Leslie Mann) would befriend the clueless mistress (Cameron Diaz) of her cheating spouse (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). Then these sudden best buddies would discover a new mistress (Supermodel, Kate Upton), become good friends with her and all plot to destroy the very busy husband. The real question would be why would they all want to waste their valuable time bothering with this worthless man?  This is not positive female energy put to good use.

"MOOD INDIGO"

Michel Gondry made one of my all-time favorite films, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" over ten years ago. This French film maker's work after that amazing accomplishment has been uneven at best but his latest, "Mood Indigo" is absolutely unbearable. This surreal melodramatic drivel stars two very appealing leads, Romain Duris and Audrey Tautou, in this story about a rich playboy who falls in love with a beautiful woman. Shortly after they wed, she grows ill after a flower begins to grow in her lungs. The director litters the film with overdone visual effects that are apparently supposed to be whimsical and charming but simply grows more irritating and distracting as the film drags on. What really brings "Mood Indigo" down is a lack of actual moments involving true romance or emotions.

"GODZILLA"

"Godzilla" (click on title to read review) fills the spot as last year's most unnecessary remake. The only positive thing I can say about this version is that it's an improvement over the last lame American attempt to revive the Japanese cult hero. But that's still not saying much. This new Godzilla (which turned sixty last year) has been given a nice face-lift and features some spectacular visuals however the script is really dreadful. This cast of distinguished international performers (that includes Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Cranston, Ken Watanabe, Sally Hawkins and Juliette Binoche) are clearly here only for the paycheck and really look like they're struggling to make this flimsy dialogue sound even remotely persuasive.

GODZILLA (2014)

Written by Max Borenstein


Directed by Gareth Edwards


Where & When:  CineStar at The Sony Center,  Berlin, Germany. May 20, 2014  2:00PM


Godzilla, the undisputed king of the monsters, first started its reign of terror on Japanese audiences back in 1956. This campfest became a box-office sensation there. Raymond Burr, a little-known actor at the time, was spliced in to an English-language version a few years later and an international star was born. Although this giant sea creature's appearance came across slightly more cuddly than frightening, by today's standards anyway, it worked well enough to scare and excite viewers to spawn countless sequels, spin-offs and rip-offs including a much reviled Hollywood remake in 1998. Another attempt to revive this creature is now out by director Gareth Edwards and his "Godzilla" remains faithful to the spirit of the original film. This behemoth is modern-looking yet recognizable and made even more impressive in 3D with some pretty spectacular action sequences to keep you on the edge of your seat. While all of the thrills and destruction are just right, what is lacking, however, is a compelling human element to keep you engaged despite a classy cast of actors displaying some first-rate panic on their faces.

Many years after the U.S.testing of a hydrogen bomb on a island in the Pacific, what appears to be a massive skeleton is discovered in a collapsed mine nearby in the Philippines. A scientist (Ken Wantanabe) has been called out to investigate and finds that a large egg seems to have recently hatched and whatever was inside has gone out in to the ocean.

Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston), is an American managing a nuclear plant in Japan. High-strung and focused mainly on his work, he even forgets the day is his birthday. Lucky for Joe he has a lovely wife, Sandra (Juliette Binoche) who also works at the plant and a sweet young son that remembered. A strange seismic disruption causes panic at the nuclear facility and Joe and Sandra race out to find answers. As Sandra and her group go down to the reactors to check their condition, a major explosion occurs which could release radiation in to the city unless the area they're in is shut off. Torn between saving thousands of lives or his wife, Joe makes the difficult and tragic decision.  Despite his personal sacrifice, the reactors are destroyed by some unknown force, which is officially blamed on an earthquake, and the city becomes uninhabitable.

Fifteen years later, Joe's son, Ford (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is now a Marine and has just come home to San Francisco to be reunited with his lovely wife (Elizabeth Olsen) and his sweet young son. Not long after the family celebration, Ford receives a call informing him that his father had been arrested for trespassing in the contaminated city in Japan. Reluctantly, he heads out to bail out his old man who is obsessed about finding out what really caused the nuclear plant's destruction. While Godzilla doesn't make it's presence known until about half way through the film, a M.U.T.O. or Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism emerges to terrorizes the city in the meantime. After another giant winged monster (this time female) appears looking for her mate and a convoluted explanation that all of these massive creatures are in search of nuclear energy to feed on, the human race is simply in the way as Godzilla and the monster couple battle for dominance.

The creation of Godzilla arose from the residue of the atomic bombing in WWII and the horrific aftermath which had left the Japanese shaken and uncertain of the future. The later films focused on other weighty topics such as the fear of alien invasion and threats to the environment. This Godzilla has pretty much steered clear of making any political statements with pure entertainment being the ultimate goal. However, the director Gareth Edwards, whose only previous film was the low-budget 2010 horror flick, "Monsters", has made a point of taking his version very seriously and with great respect. This is the first produced screenplay for Max Borenstein and while he's able to create some magic with setting up the impressive monster battles, his script fails to enlighten the flesh and blood characters. In fact, my biggest gripe with this film is the treatment of the cast.

The terrific actors used here are not the typical faces usually found in your average action-thriller yet they are spectacularly and shockingly wasted, particularly the glorious Ms Binoche. I don't even know why the Oscar-winning actress (who famously turned down the role that went to Laura Dern in "Jurassic Park") even agreed to be in this as she's given only maybe ten minutes of screen time that offers her no opportunity to properly utilize her gifts. Recent Oscar Nominee, Sally Hawkins, who was so brilliant in "Blue Jasmine" is equally underused here as an assistant to Mr. Wantanabe's nearly mute scientist. While Mr. Cranston has a slightly more substantial part but he's so ridiculously overheated that there are moments where his skull seemed ready to literally pop off.

With the aid of state-of-the-art CGI, this "Godzilla" becomes the monster of our times. This creature impressively smashes and thrashes to win the day but the overall feel is far too hollow and generic, making the film have as much depth as a video game.