>> Speaker 1: 2014 is over, which means award season, chip counting, and best ofs.
But some of the most interesting movies of the year went mostly unseen.
These are the top ten underrated films of 2014.
>> [MUSIC]
>> Speaker 2: Hi, can I get two Jacks and
Cokes please?
>> Speaker 2: Whoa.
[LAUGH] You're really lasering into me with your peeping missiles there.
>> Speaker 1: Kicking us off at number 10,
we're actually looking at a vastly underrated rom com.
And yes, we know that sounds a bit ironic.
More and more movie goers nowadays are getting a bit tired of the meet cute,
break up, make up, happy ending formula and
Under isn't exactly the Prefix they'd use when talking about how they're rated.
But 2014 saw some new life breathed into a badly beaten dead horse.
And while They Came Together dismantled the cliches in a worthwhile,
meta fashion it's a pretty divisive movie no matter how you slice it.
But another film took poop jokes, pee, farting, and the issue of abortion and
turned it into one of the year's best romantic comedies with Obvious Child.
Marvelously carried by Jenny Slate's simple, honest and [BLEEP] hilarious
performance, Obvious Child manages to find love in a pretty strange place.
But it's nonjudgmental and it doesn't waste its time with preaching or
politics, reserving itself for honest character exploration and lots of laughs.
And yes, the ending might be a bit cheesy, but it is a romantic comedy, after all.
It's plenty charming despite its flaws.
>> Speaker 3: You don't go to the movies, do you?
>> Speaker 4: Is there a reason why you're asking me this?
>> Speaker 3: You know maybe, you had a recommendation.
>> [MUSIC]
>> Speaker 1: It was a good year for underrated twin movies.
With two films about eerie doppelgangers slipping beneath most moviegoers' radar.
While still garnering some impressive reviews.
And while The Double channeled Franz Kafka in the best possible way,
our pick goes to the chillier and even more puzzling Enemy.
You probably know Director Denis Villeneuve best from his last turn
with Jake Gyllenhaal for the incredible thriller, Prisoners.
His newest film has all the same craft and tension while telling a story
that was a little too experimental and open-ended for a successful box office.
That doesn't make the film any less worth the watch, but it's an experience for
different expectations.
This isn't a puzzle you solve, a la Prisoners.
This is one that leaves you fervently pondering and
googling after the credit roll, as confused as ever.
But the performances are spot on, the tone is in the right place, and there's
enough meat there to offer a totally different perspective on second viewing.
And for that, we think this one deserves another look.
>> Speaker 5: I wanted to make something sacred, free,
with new perspective, open the mind.
>> Speaker 1: Of course every year there are some truly phenomenal documentaries
that are almost guaranteed to be underrated.
Cinemagoers just aren't buying as many tickets for the nonfiction film,
despite the fact that the genre is more accessible then ever.
A far cry from the PBS doldrums that many expect when they hear the word
documentary.
Documentaries are telling stories that are often stranger and
more thrilling than fiction, but viewers just aren't hearing enough about them.
One of these is The Internet's Own Boy.
The documentary about Aaron Swartz, a co-founder of Reddit, political organizer,
and social justice advocate who tragically took his own life at age 26.
It's highly acclaimed and available right now, for free, on YouTube.
And you should definitely check it out.
But for our number eight, we're actually turning to Jodorowsky's Dune.
A movie about a movie that is touted as perhaps the greatest film never made,
Jodorowsky's Dune is a portrait of a creative mad scientist who dared to dream
a 14-hour epic of Proustian proportions that was ultimately too big to fly.
It's not exactly underrated in the sense that critics are rating it
lower than it deserves, but then its almost universal critical acclaim
hasn't exactly translated into asses in seats.
But do yourself a favor, and buck the trend.
The dreaming alone is worth it.
>> Speaker 6: Give my regards to that suicide layer mounted scoundrel.
>> Speaker 1: You would think by 2014 we'd all be tired of vampire films.
They've long since become the butt of jokes that are so
tired they make twerking references seem relevant.
But Jim Jarmusch changed all that when he took this cliche by the fangs and
did something completely fresh in Only Lovers Left Alive
staring Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton.
Who also deserves an honorable mention for underrating in Snowpiercer.
The film completely turns the genre on its head.
Of course, it doesn't do this in a non-stop action-packed sort of way.
It's Jim Jarmusch, after all, so
it is certainly going to be a slower pace than some viewers might expect.
But it's probably one of the most accessible films of a truly notable
indie director.
So it may be a good starting point if you haven't seen his work yet.
The film is cool but not hip.
It's as much about love and music as it is about blood and horror.
But it certainly worth a watch if for
no other other reason than to see Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton find
marvelous humor and chemistry amidst a wonderfully moving tale.
>> Speaker 7: Gary, why do you stick around like this?
You're old enough, smart enough, do your own thing.
>> Speaker 8: What's most important right now is me taking care of Dorothy and mom.
Cuz we kinda got a family problem right now.
>> Speaker 1: It's hard to think of anyone who might describe Nick Cage as
under anything.
The man is the king of over, the top of the line or the hill, Cage is overpaid,
overacting, or maybe even overrated.
Which might be why one of his most recent films has finally come in under the radar.
We're talking about Joe, which is most surprising due to its recent acclaim for
Cage's understated performance.
It's a southern gothic about an ex-con who befriends a boy who's having trouble with
his abusive family and the violence that inevitable befalls them both.
Ty Sheridan, who we know and love from his incredible performance in Mud,
makes a perfect counterpoint to Cage's Joe and
the two find the perfect balance between grit and heart.
It's a subtle and measured renaissance for a big actor who's managed to earn himself
a bad reputation, and worth watching as a reminder that Nicholas Cage is more than
just a histrionic basket case, he's a genuinely talented actor.
>> Speaker 9: [SOUND] Hi love.
>> Speaker 10: I need to you hold it together.
>> Speaker 9: What happened?
>> Speaker 10: I'll fix it.
It will all go back to normal.
>> Speaker 1: Next up in number five, we're looking at an unfairly underwatched
British film named after its titular character.
And while it could easily have been Dom Hemingway, a film that seem to have
not much ado about something that was pretty damn interesting.
We're actually giving the slot to the astounding Locke.
Tom Hardy gives a world-class performance in this one man show that sees him take
phone calls in his car while driving down the highway.
Seriously, that's all he does, it's just him in a car on the phone.
And yet it's a gripping story in its simplicity, beautifully photographed and
boldly avoiding all the easy action car chases one could have built into it.
Hardy just drives and acts and it [BLEEP] works.
It took just eight days to shoot this whole film in chronological
order like a play.
Driving down the highway, rolling three cameras at a time, and
stopping only to change their memory card.
But despite its simplicity, the psychology is marvelously complex and
definitely something to catch up on if you missed it like everyone else.
>> Speaker 11: Gunther Bachmann?
Martha Sullivan, U.S. Embassy, Berlin.
I know you by reputation, of course.
>> Speaker 12: That can't be good.
>> Speaker 11: Men with good reputations usually aren't much use to me.
>> Speaker 1: Next up at number four,
we want to honor a few of the last performances of one of our
era's best actors, Phillip Seymour Hoffman.
No, we're not talking about the latest Hunger Games,
because how could that possibly be underhyped?
And we have to give an honorable mention to God's Pocket that just missed our list.
But for our pick, we're looking at A Most Wanted Man, the spy thriller that's more
CCTV and legal red tape then secret gadgets and fancy cars.
Adapted from a novel by the writer of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,
A Most Wanted Man sports a similar plot density and
obscurity while expecting just as much from its audience.
The difference is that it's lead by likes of PSH who, like he always does,
channels every ounce of honesty and
pain he can muster into a performance of astounding craft and emotion.
It might not be his highest acclaimed work, but
it's the final entry into a massive catalog of masterpieces by a true artist,
and for that it deserves its due.
>> Speaker 13: I believe in God and I know Henry believes in God.
And there's no harm Henry would want to see me come to.
And I believe in that.
>> Speaker 14: Yet look at the harm you've come to, and where's Henry?
>> Speaker 1: Counting down to number three,
we have to hand it to David Michôd's Australian dystopian drama The Rover.
A kind of quieter, more meditative Mad Max with far less leather.
A two-handed road movie of sorts starring Guy Pierce and Robert Pattison,
the performance are, as with most everything else on this list, top notch.
The film was a bit too slow and languid to find the kind of theatrical success that
it may have deserved, but here's to hoping for renewed life on the small screen.
Michôd keeps everything minimal, the dialogue, the plot, the exposition and
back story.
It's not so much about the grandness of a world after an apocalypse,
as it is about two people living in it.
The performances are marvelously understated in such a way that even
the slightest spark of humanity jumps out at you, and
this attention to nuance makes it the kind of film worth chewing on.
No it won't be making many more millions any time soon,
but let's hope it finds the cult following it probably deserves.
>> Speaker 15: Find me when you wake up.
>> [MUSIC]
>> Speaker 16: What? >> Speaker 15: Come
find me when you wake up.
>> [SOUND] >> Speaker 1: Closing in at number two,
we're shocked in some of the blockbusters that went surprisingly overlooked.
Malificent got some pretty mixed reviews while still managing to
please audience members in a wide range of demographics.
And John Wick gave us a hilarious campy action concept but
only managed to do okay.
However for our number two we've got to give it to the disappointing flop of Edge
of Tomorrow.
A.K.A. Live, Die, Repeat.
A.K.A. Groundhog Day with aliens and gun suits.
For the amount of complaining we hear about sequels and mega franchises.
Tom Cruise's turn as the star in this adaptation of a highly original graphic
novel resulted in a depressing turnout and box office take.
It's incredibly smart action movie that takes the familiar repetition concept in
a fascinating new direction.
What if you had to keep living the same day over and over?
What if when you died, you were reset back to when you woke up?
What if that day you had to live was the craziest day of your life and
you were thrown into a massive alien battle that you were sure to lose?
Tom Cruise is at his least crazy-eyed and
benefits massively from the brusque charisma of Emily Blunt, and
the writing, editing, and cinematography are all top-notch.
It's exciting, badass, and even hilarious in all the right places.
Which all sounds like a recipe for limitless success.
But it was simply underseen.
Fortunately for us, it's still available under its new name,
so be sure to grab it On Demand in order to support more original,
smartly written sci-fi action for everyone.
>> Speaker 2: It's me. >> Speaker 17: It's [BLEEP] him who's on
his [BLEEP] period.
Bro, I've stepped in and mugged your man off like I was a [BLEEP] bagger and
scratching for doggings on the [BLEEP] yard.
When I don't want this group.
>> Speaker 18: What the [BLEEP] you saying?
>> Speaker 19: I'm standing up cuz I'm standing up.
What? >> Speaker 20: What the [BLEEP] you
standing up for?
>> Speaker 19: Come make me sit down.
Come make me sit down.
>> Speaker 18: Come. Come here.
>> Speaker 19: Hey, come here, black, step up.
He ain't [BLEEP] going down man, cuz you would've and he would have shanked you and
I would've finished the [BLEEP] group together you cut.
So, relax.
>> Speaker 1: And finally, we arrive at number one.
And as much as we would have liked to, we can't give this slot to any of the other
wonderful and underrated films that came out this year like the Trip to Italy,
Under the Skin, Blue Ruin, The Raid 2, La Weekend, or The Babadook that just missed
our list because we're giving it to the superlative Starred Up.
We're talking 99% on Rotten Tomatoes.
A whirlwind performance by Jack O'Connell that somehow manages to straddle
the razor-thin line between empathy and disgust and
drive it like a knife into the viewers' hearts.
And a supporting cast with more than enough realism to make us ask if we were
actually watching a documentary.
Starred Up is the story of a young prisoner with violence
coursing through his veins.
Who is transferred from juvenile detention to an adult prison prematurely for
bad behavior.
And the prison he's transferred to just so
happens to be the same one where his father is held.
It's a powder keg of a set up with a chain reaction of explosions that
keep getting bigger.
But, it only grossed $50,000 at the box office.
50,000. No one is seeing this movie, and
it just might be one of the best of the year, which is why it's our choice for
the most underrated film of 2014.
So what do you think?
Did we leave out some of your favorite underrated movies?
Do you disagree with some of our choices?
Let us know in the comments below and be sure to subscribe for
more CineFix movie lists.
>> [MUSIC]