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6. Snowpiercer

And, speaking of class struggles, few movies I have ever seen achieve such witty and entertaining commentary on the matter than the post-apocalyptic and somber Snowpiercer. Humanity has been destroyed by a freezing of the world, left to survive on an endlessly moving train that circles the globe and is divided by class - the poorest in the back, the most privileged in the front. Sure, that gimmick may be a little in-your-face and the allegory painfully obvious, but the campiness with which Snowpiercer deals with these subjects, while showcasing showy visuals and an exact supporting performance by Tilda Swinton, makes it at the very least memorable. The message is so clear and yet so forgotten today: all may seem lost, but not if those oppressed stand up for themselves against the most brutal oppressor.

Snowpiercer is not meant to be seen as a highbrow movie. Instead, it is best enjoyed as a slapstick, witty parody of those movies, but one that says more than most of them. A different release date might have given it a different fate in the awards race but no matter, the movie is destined to be a cult classic. And it deserves it.

5. Birdman

I struggled mightily as I chose between some of the great Best Picture nominees in the lineup. The Grand Budapest Hotel and Boyhood could have easily made this list as superb movies. Ultimately, however, I went for Birdman, because of its sheer inventiveness, technical achievement, and lasting mental effects. First, if you were impressed by the photography of Children of Men and Gravity, Emmanuel Lubezski just topped himself twice over with the continuous, seamless, and entrancing shots of this movie. Then, if you thought Alejandro González Iñárritu had given his best with the originality of Babel, think again. In a completely different environment, he has found relevant things to say about the cost and struggles of fame. He also brought out some of the best performances in the careers of Edward Norton, Emma Stone, and Michael Keaton, who should win an Oscar for his bravura. The Academy’s love for Birdman is refreshing, as is the movie itself. For all of the complaints about Birdman’s strangeness, it works. Indeed, it is one of those rare movies with brilliance in craft, acting, writing, and directing combine to remind us that the seventh art is alive and well in some niches.

4. Selma

Watching Selma, at times, felt as if I were watching a newsreel of America in 2015. Voter suppression. Police brutality. Marches and controversy. The people then really believed that they were right and the other side was wrong - just as we do today. The verdict of history has favored one side, but Selma reminded us brilliantly that we should re-examine our positions on all these issues, lest we be relegated to the proverbial dustbin of history. Selma also gave us one of the best performances of the year - I would defend it as Daniel Day Lewis-like in Lincoln, in fact - with David Oyelowo completely immersing himself in a most difficult task: that of interpreting a well-known historical figure.

Selma also exhibits its director’s touch in just the right amount: scenes of lights, and falling items, quick edit cuts from a moment to the next. And the story is not easy to swallow, as the hero is portrayed as flawed, human, doubting, and at times mistaken. I don’t have the space here to get into the controversy that the movie has generated regarding its portrayal of LBJ other than to say that those insisting on exact historical correspondence are either living by a double standard that they do not impose on other movies or ignorant of how art has worked for centuries (did La Gioconda really look that way?). Regardless of its Academy fate, Selma will live on as one of the most relevant, important, and well-made movies of 2014. It is one of the few movies that is in a way uplifting and gives us courage and hope for a better future.

3. Ida

I tried, but failed, to resist including a Holocaust-themed film on the list. Ida faces formidable competition in the Best Foreign Language Film race by the timely Russian entry, Leviathan. But Ida, which also tells a story not from the usual struggling male hero perspective, elicits the longer lasting emotional response. Ida is a young girl about to become a nun, who is tasked with facing her family’s sad past before doing so. You see, Ida is - what else? - a Holocaust survivor and a Jew, although she did not know it. But not only does she have to deal with her religious heritage, she has to cope with what she is about to learn about her family’s fate which, although not necessarily surprising, is nonetheless disturbing. Along the way she encounters a relative and a suitor, both of whom turn topsy-turvy her creed and values. Indeed, they disturb the viewer in their realism, tragedy, and sadness. Ida has to cope with these forces, face her past, and make a life-defining decision about her future. Ida, then, is a story about the human struggle to survive, but most important, is about the darkness in the human spirit (hauntingly depicted in the Academy Award nominated cinematography). I’m pulling for this movie to win its category, bar none, and will remember it as one of the most touching movies of 2014.

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