Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone. What a delight. These movies could have gone off the rails in a million different ways, but they really came through. Somehow I felt the ~magic~ in this one, like literal gasping. So fun. (Side note: this came out 17 years ago???????)
V for Vendetta. Wow, I didn’t remember this being so tedious. What a drag.
Alien. Perfection. Still a five-star film. I love those Nostromo jackets!
Snowpiercer. I keep thinking about this one. There are plenty of logical flaws, loopholes, heavy-handed messaging, whatever. But it’s so cool. The railroad car constraint lends to some great invention with sets and storytelling and form. Evans shows some range you don’t get to see in the Marvel movies. Swinton drives me nuts sometimes, but I really appreciated her role here for both evil and levity. I rank this highly among 2014 releases, in the good company of Edge of Tomorrow, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and The Lego Movie.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. I still like it. Such a nice change of pace, embodied in Oldman’s lead role. Patient, cautious, taciturn, deliberate. (Previously.)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. I enjoyed this much more than expected, because/despite the fact that I got lost every now and then. This one shows a lot of sitting, reading, thinking, talking–a nice contrast to more action-packed spy movies. I’d gladly see it again, in the comfort of my own home.
Mark Larson 