These are the movies on my radar for 2014 (at the moment).
Let's see how many of these actually live up to the potential, maybe
even #Oscars:
1. Foxcatcher
Directed by: Bennett Miller
Starring: Steve Carrell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo
Synopsis: Based on the true story of Olympic wrestling sponsor John du Pont (Carrell) focusing on his twisted relationship with wrestler Mark Schultz (Tatum) and growing jealously towards his brother David (Ruffalo)
2. Interstellar
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hatheway, Jessica Chastain
Synopsis: Astronauts explore uncharted parts of the universe through a newly opened galactic wormhole
3. Whiplash
Directed by: Damien Chazelle
Starring: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons
Synopsis: A young musician (Teller) tries to become a top level jazz drummer while dealing with a ruthless band conductor (Simmons)
4. Inherent Vice
Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Reese Witherspoon
Synopsis: A 1970's mystery film following a drug fueled detective (Phoenix) investigating the disappearance of his old girlfriend.
5. A Most Violent Year
Directed by: J.C. Chandor
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, David Oyewole
Synopsis: An immigrant and his family are trying to capitalize on opportunities while experiencing 1981 in New York City, statistically one of its most violent years.
6. Mr. Turner
Directed by: Mike Leigh
Starring: Timothy Spall, Paul Jesson, Dorothy Atkinson
Synopsis: A look at the last quarter century of eccentric British painter J.M.W. Turner’s life.
7. Into the Woods
Directed by: Rob Marshall
Starring: Meryl Streep, Anna Kendrick, James Corden
Synopsis: A musical of intersecting fairy tales each searching for their happy endings only to learn more valuable lessons.
8. Birdman
Directed by: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Starring: Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone
Synopsis: A washed up actor famous for playing a superhero (Keaton) attempts to stage a comeback through a play while dealing with inner demons.
9. Two Days, One Night
Directed by: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne
Starring: Marion Cotillard, Fabrizio Rongione
Synopsis: After being voted out of her high-paying job so her co-workers can get bonuses, a woman (Cotillard) must convince them to reverse their decision.
10. Gone Girl
Directed by: David Fincher
Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosemund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris
Synopsis: After a wife's (Pike) disappearance, her husband (Affleck) soon finds himself as the primary suspect of foul play.
11. Big Eyes
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Directed by: Tim Burton
Starring: Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz, Jason Schwartzman
Synopsis: A look at the life of Margaret Keane (Adams), her success and the legal drama with her husband (Waltz) who claimed credit for her work.
12. American Sniper
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Luke Grimes
Synopsis: A look at the life of Chris Kyle (Cooper), one of the Navy SEALS' most lethal snipers.
13. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
Directed by: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth
Synopsis: The first part of the finale as Katniss (Lawrence) joins the rebellion against the Capitol.
14. Wild
Directed by: Jean-Marc Vallee
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Gaby Hoffman, Laura Dern
Synopsis: A woman (Witherspoon) goes on a 1,100 mile solo hike to overcome a catastrophe
15. The Cobbler
Directed by: Thomas McCarthy
Starring: Adam Sandler, Dan Stevens, Dustin Hoffman
Synopsis: A New York cobbler (Sandler) discovers a family heirloom that allows him to see the lives of his customers
16. Fury
Directed by: David Ayer
Starring: Brad Pitt, Logan Lerman, Shia LaBeouf
Synopsis: A battle hardened WWII sergeant (Pitt) commands a tank crew as they push through the Nazi lines
17. The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies
Directed by: Peter Jackson
Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellan, Richard Armitage
Synopsis: The conclusion of the trilogy as the group seek to reclaim the dwarven kingdom Erebor from Smaug the Dragon and other forces
18. The Imitation Game
Directed by: Morten Tyldum
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode
Synopsis: The story of Alan Turing (Cumberbatch), the British mathematician who cracked the Enigma Code and was persecuted for his homosexuality.
19. The Skeleton Twins
Directed by: Craig Johnson
Starring: Kirsten Wiig, Bill Hader, Ty Burrell
Synopsis: Twin siblings (Wiig and Hader) coincidentally cheat death on the same day and use it as a way to mend their strained relationship
20. The Theory of Everything
Directed by: James Marsh
Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Emily Watson
Synopsis: A look at the relationship between famed physicist Stephen Hawking (Redmayne) and his wife (Jones)
21. Unbroken
Directed by: Angelina Jolie
Starring: Jack O'Connell, Domhnall Gleeson,Jai Courtney
Synopsis: Olympic runner Louis Zamperini (O'Connell) endures captivity in a Japanese P.O.W. camp in WWII.
22. The Drop
Directed by: Michael R. Riskam
Starring: Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, James Gandolfini
Synopsis: A robbery gone awry digs up some unwanted skeletons of a neighborhood's past
23. Nightcrawler
Directed by: Dan Gilroy
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton
Synopsis: A young man (Gyllenhaal) gets intwined in freelance L.A. crime journalism
24. The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them (Also Him and Her version)
Directed by: Ned Benson
Starring: Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Viola Davis
Synopsis: A look into a couple's (Chastain and McAvoy) relationship from both perspective as they try reclaim their lost love
25. Kill the Messenger
Directed by: Michael Cuesta
Starring: Jeremy Renner, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Michael Sheen
Synopsis: Based on the life of reporter Gary Webb (Renner) and the consequences he faced after exposing the CIA's involvement in arming Nicaraguan rebels.
26. Mommy
Directed by: Xavier Dolan
Starring: Anne Dorval, Antoine-Olivier Pilon
Synopsis: A widowed mother (Dorval) has her life changed when a stranger (Pilon) inserts himself into her life
27. Selma
Directed by: Ava DuVernay
Starring: David Oyewole, Tom Wilkinson, Tim Roth
Synopsis: A look at the civil rights marches that changed America
28. Men, Women and Children
Directed by: Jason Reitman
Starring: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Garner, Ansel Elgort
Synopsis: A look into the sexual frustrations of today's teenagers and adults
29. St. Vincent
Directed by: Theodore Melfi
Starring: Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts
Synopsis: A misanthropic war veteran (Murray) has his life changed when the son of a recent divorcee (McCarthy) befriends him
30. While We’re Young
Directed by: Noah Baumbach
Starring: Ben Stiller, Amanda Seyfried, Naomi Watts
Synopsis: An uptight documentary filmmaker (Stiller) and his wife (Watts) befriend a younger couple
31. Leviathan
Directed by: Andrey Zvyagintsev
Starring: Aleksey Serebryakov, Vladimir Vdovichenkov
Synopsis: A modern day Russian drama following multiple characters facing the nature of human insecurity in a "new country"
32. Trash
Directed by: Stephen Daltry
Starring: Rooney Mara, Martin Sheen, Wagner Moura
Synopsis: Three Brazilian kids make a discovery in a trash dump that brings the attention of the police.
33. Winter Sleep
Directed by: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Starring: Ebru Ceylan, Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Synopsis: A family running a hotel in Anatolia finds their animosities rising during an large snow storm.
34. Suffragette
Directed by: Sarah Gavron
Starring: Helena Bonham Carter, Meryl Streep, Carey Mulligan
Synopsis: A look into the early feminist movement and the trails those involved faced
35. Manglehorn
Directed by: David Gordon Green
Starring: Al Pacino, Holly Hunter, Chris Messina
Synopsis: A Texan locksmith (Pacino) recalls his love life
1. Foxcatcher
Directed by: Bennett Miller
Starring: Steve Carrell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo
Synopsis: Based on the true story of Olympic wrestling sponsor John du Pont (Carrell) focusing on his twisted relationship with wrestler Mark Schultz (Tatum) and growing jealously towards his brother David (Ruffalo)
2. Interstellar
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hatheway, Jessica Chastain
Synopsis: Astronauts explore uncharted parts of the universe through a newly opened galactic wormhole
3. Whiplash
Directed by: Damien Chazelle
Starring: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons
Synopsis: A young musician (Teller) tries to become a top level jazz drummer while dealing with a ruthless band conductor (Simmons)
4. Inherent Vice
Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Reese Witherspoon
Synopsis: A 1970's mystery film following a drug fueled detective (Phoenix) investigating the disappearance of his old girlfriend.
5. A Most Violent Year
Directed by: J.C. Chandor
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, David Oyewole
Synopsis: An immigrant and his family are trying to capitalize on opportunities while experiencing 1981 in New York City, statistically one of its most violent years.
6. Mr. Turner
Directed by: Mike Leigh
Starring: Timothy Spall, Paul Jesson, Dorothy Atkinson
Synopsis: A look at the last quarter century of eccentric British painter J.M.W. Turner’s life.
7. Into the Woods
Directed by: Rob Marshall
Starring: Meryl Streep, Anna Kendrick, James Corden
Synopsis: A musical of intersecting fairy tales each searching for their happy endings only to learn more valuable lessons.
8. Birdman
Directed by: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Starring: Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone
Synopsis: A washed up actor famous for playing a superhero (Keaton) attempts to stage a comeback through a play while dealing with inner demons.
9. Two Days, One Night
Directed by: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne
Starring: Marion Cotillard, Fabrizio Rongione
Synopsis: After being voted out of her high-paying job so her co-workers can get bonuses, a woman (Cotillard) must convince them to reverse their decision.
10. Gone Girl
Directed by: David Fincher
Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosemund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris
Synopsis: After a wife's (Pike) disappearance, her husband (Affleck) soon finds himself as the primary suspect of foul play.
11. Big Eyes
Directed by: Tim Burton
Starring: Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz, Jason Schwartzman
Synopsis: A look at the life of Margaret Keane (Adams), her success and the legal drama with her husband (Waltz) who claimed credit for her work.
12. American Sniper
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Luke Grimes
Synopsis: A look at the life of Chris Kyle (Cooper), one of the Navy SEALS' most lethal snipers.
13. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
Directed by: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth
Synopsis: The first part of the finale as Katniss (Lawrence) joins the rebellion against the Capitol.
14. Wild
Directed by: Jean-Marc Vallee
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Gaby Hoffman, Laura Dern
Synopsis: A woman (Witherspoon) goes on a 1,100 mile solo hike to overcome a catastrophe
15. The Cobbler
Directed by: Thomas McCarthy
Starring: Adam Sandler, Dan Stevens, Dustin Hoffman
Synopsis: A New York cobbler (Sandler) discovers a family heirloom that allows him to see the lives of his customers
16. Fury
Directed by: David Ayer
Starring: Brad Pitt, Logan Lerman, Shia LaBeouf
Synopsis: A battle hardened WWII sergeant (Pitt) commands a tank crew as they push through the Nazi lines
17. The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies
Directed by: Peter Jackson
Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellan, Richard Armitage
Synopsis: The conclusion of the trilogy as the group seek to reclaim the dwarven kingdom Erebor from Smaug the Dragon and other forces
18. The Imitation Game
Directed by: Morten Tyldum
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode
Synopsis: The story of Alan Turing (Cumberbatch), the British mathematician who cracked the Enigma Code and was persecuted for his homosexuality.
19. The Skeleton Twins
Directed by: Craig Johnson
Starring: Kirsten Wiig, Bill Hader, Ty Burrell
Synopsis: Twin siblings (Wiig and Hader) coincidentally cheat death on the same day and use it as a way to mend their strained relationship
20. The Theory of Everything
Directed by: James Marsh
Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Emily Watson
Synopsis: A look at the relationship between famed physicist Stephen Hawking (Redmayne) and his wife (Jones)
21. Unbroken
Directed by: Angelina Jolie
Starring: Jack O'Connell, Domhnall Gleeson,Jai Courtney
Synopsis: Olympic runner Louis Zamperini (O'Connell) endures captivity in a Japanese P.O.W. camp in WWII.
22. The Drop
Directed by: Michael R. Riskam
Starring: Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, James Gandolfini
Synopsis: A robbery gone awry digs up some unwanted skeletons of a neighborhood's past
23. Nightcrawler
Directed by: Dan Gilroy
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton
Synopsis: A young man (Gyllenhaal) gets intwined in freelance L.A. crime journalism
24. The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them (Also Him and Her version)
Directed by: Ned Benson
Starring: Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Viola Davis
Synopsis: A look into a couple's (Chastain and McAvoy) relationship from both perspective as they try reclaim their lost love
25. Kill the Messenger
Directed by: Michael Cuesta
Starring: Jeremy Renner, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Michael Sheen
Synopsis: Based on the life of reporter Gary Webb (Renner) and the consequences he faced after exposing the CIA's involvement in arming Nicaraguan rebels.
26. Mommy
Directed by: Xavier Dolan
Starring: Anne Dorval, Antoine-Olivier Pilon
Synopsis: A widowed mother (Dorval) has her life changed when a stranger (Pilon) inserts himself into her life
27. Selma
Directed by: Ava DuVernay
Starring: David Oyewole, Tom Wilkinson, Tim Roth
Synopsis: A look at the civil rights marches that changed America
28. Men, Women and Children
Directed by: Jason Reitman
Starring: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Garner, Ansel Elgort
Synopsis: A look into the sexual frustrations of today's teenagers and adults
29. St. Vincent
Directed by: Theodore Melfi
Starring: Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts
Synopsis: A misanthropic war veteran (Murray) has his life changed when the son of a recent divorcee (McCarthy) befriends him
30. While We’re Young
Directed by: Noah Baumbach
Starring: Ben Stiller, Amanda Seyfried, Naomi Watts
Synopsis: An uptight documentary filmmaker (Stiller) and his wife (Watts) befriend a younger couple
31. Leviathan
Directed by: Andrey Zvyagintsev
Starring: Aleksey Serebryakov, Vladimir Vdovichenkov
Synopsis: A modern day Russian drama following multiple characters facing the nature of human insecurity in a "new country"
32. Trash
Directed by: Stephen Daltry
Starring: Rooney Mara, Martin Sheen, Wagner Moura
Synopsis: Three Brazilian kids make a discovery in a trash dump that brings the attention of the police.
33. Winter Sleep
(This was the closest thing I could find to an English subtitled trailer on YouTube. There's a superior version here: Winter Sleep English Subtitled Trailer)
Directed by: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Starring: Ebru Ceylan, Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Synopsis: A family running a hotel in Anatolia finds their animosities rising during an large snow storm.
34. Suffragette
Directed by: Sarah Gavron
Starring: Helena Bonham Carter, Meryl Streep, Carey Mulligan
Synopsis: A look into the early feminist movement and the trails those involved faced
35. Manglehorn
Directed by: David Gordon Green
Starring: Al Pacino, Holly Hunter, Chris Messina
Synopsis: A Texan locksmith (Pacino) recalls his love life
