The 5 Best Movies (I Saw) in 2014: English-language

The year's not over, and I hope to see a few more good movies by the end of the month, but, spurred on by other "top ten" lists popping up all over the place, here are the best movies (I saw) in 2014. Unlike movie critics, I don't see most films immediately on their release, so some of the films I saw early in the year were clearly films of 2014, but never mind that. I've built the list from among all movies that I saw during the year, which ranges from the silent era to the just released. I'm breaking list up into several sections for an eventual total of the 15 best (with nods to some also-rans), staring with

The 5 Best Movies I Saw in 2014 (English-language):

12 Years a Slave.

Obviously a 2013 film and totally deserving of its best-picture Oscar. The movie was completely engaging, terrifying, sorrowful, had me literally in tears. A dreadful episode in American life, apparently chronicled in a memoir by the protagonist, a free black man living in Sarasota who was captured and sold into slavery in the Deep South. Very hard film to watch, impossible to forget.

Dr. Strangelove

Still holds up! Every bit as funny and troubling as it was when it came out in 1964. Peter Sellers in 3 roles is perfect, George C. Scott ditto in 1. Although the issue of nuclear annihilation isn't in the forefront any longer, the international brinksmanship and the bizarre behavior of world leaders and military fanatics is still with us, in a different form.

In a World ...

Clever, funny, touching, and weirdly informative - who knew there was such a subculture of voice-over announcers? Lake Bell - writer, director, star - shows she's quite the talent. Hard to imagine anyone not enjoying this film.

Philomena

A great Judi Dench vehicle, but more than that as well - funny, moving, based-on-truth story, chronicling a good piece of investigative journalism and exposing the evils of the church and about family relations.

The Selfish Giant

Horrible title aside, this a hugely powerful movie about some touch working-class kids on contemporary England struggling to get by, fighting tough odds, victims at every turn. Reminded me a little of the great Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner. Challenging to watch, and very powerful.

With nods as well to several big-studio American films that were actually quite affecting, All Is Lost, Gravity, Her, and Whiplash, and to the totally whacked-out British comedy World's End.

Coming witthin the next few days: The 5 Best Movies I Saw in 2014: Foreign-Language