December is the month in the film calendar when critics begin unrolling their top picks for the year. Fandor, the more art house and independent alternative to Netflix, is no exception as their critic Kevin B. Lee just released his choices for the ten best films of 2014. Poking fun at many critics’ go-to pick for number one, Richard Linklater’s 12-year project "Boyhood," Lee titles his video/article combination “Better Than Boyhood? Ten Best Films of 2014.”
The article works as a transcript for the video, or vice versa, so you might want to choose one or other, but the video might prove to be the better choice. Since Lee’s picks contain a lot of underrepresented and obscure films, it might be helpful see some clips next to names even the most ardent cinephiles might not have heard of.
Instead of providing the usual mix of mainstream fare, indie favorites and obscure art house titles, Lee’s list leans heavily on the art house side. Jean-Luc Godard‘s "Goodbye To Language," the acclaimed documentary "Citizenfour," "Dear White People," and Alejandro Jodorowsky‘s "The Dance Of Reality" are among the movies you might have heard of that made the ten. And as for "Boyhood"? Lee makes the case for why the ambitious project doesn’t rank among Linklater’s best work. Check it out below and share your thoughts in the comments section.
