my favorite movies of 2014:

(1) Gone Girl

(2) They Came Together

(3) Mitt

favorite of 2014:

Gone Girl

(Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris. Directed by David Fincher.)

A “top-shelf mystery and pitch-black comedy” according to this review, which says:

Gone Girl may come advertised as a thriller, but that’s [director David Fincher] being a trickster — he’s gone and made the curtest, nastiest, most acidic black comedy about the marital accord since The War of the Roses … borne out of the view that, basically, it’s surprising husbands and wives aren’t all murdering each other. And that’s also its more serious subject — the “narcissistic armor” that we don, “the vision of ourselves that we all project and construct, for our parents, for our teachers, and as we go out in the world and try to mate,” as Fincher explained.

Ever hear the expression: simplest answer’s often the correct one?

Actually, I’ve never found that to be true.

Stream Gone Girl on Max.

2nd favorite of 2014:

They Came Together

(Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Ellie Kemper, Bill Hader. Directed by David Wain.)

This could be mind-numbing if you’re not in the mood for a parody of romantic comedies. But go into it with the right mindset, and They Came Together is uproarious. This review sums it up:

Lovelorn, “handsome in a non-threatening way” Joel (Paul Rudd) and adorably klutzy Molly (Amy Poehler) bump into each other on the street, fall in love, split before the holidays and then make up via a grand public gesture. If it all sounds familiar, that’s the point. Starting from the glistening aerial shot of Manhattan, this film knowingly and cleverly spoofs every rom-com cliché this side of When Harry Met Sally … The irreverent jokes are often fiercely funny — and prodded along by the sparkling, gung-ho leads. We’ll have what they’re having.

Stream They Came Together on the Roku Channel (free with ads).

3rd favorite of 2014:

Mitt

(Documentary. Directed by Greg Whiteley.)

This look behind the scenes of Mitt Romney’s 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns is different from The War Room (my favorite movie of 1993), in which the candidate, Bill Clinton, is seen only occasionally, and the real stars of the movie are his campaign managers. Mitt focuses on the candidate and his family, who are hard not to like, regardless of your politics.

A year ago, we told you we’d love you no matter how this thing turned out. And —

Now you’re not so sure?

Stream it on Netflix.

Click here for the full list of my favorite movie(s) of each year from 1920 to 2020.