The Film Pie - Brisbane Film Critics Select 'Boyhood' As Best Of 2014

Details: Written by Matthew Toomey; Created: 01 January 2015

Since 2011, I have been pulling together a list of the best movies of the year according to the Brisbane-based critics who I run into regularly at preview screenings. Those films to have topped prior year lists have been Drive in 2011, Argo in 2012 and Gravity in 2013.

To come up with an overall top 10, I’ve used a simple points system and applied it to the list of each critic. It is as follows:

	3 points – the top film on each list.
	2 points – the films ranked between 2nd and 5th on each list.
	1 point – the films ranked between 6th and 10th on each list.

If two films finished on the same score, the film that appeared on the most number of top 10 lists is ranked higher (as an indication of wider approval).

It was a close contest between several films but it was Boyhood who finished on top. It's the current Oscars frontrunner and 4 different Brisbane critics named it as their favourite film of 2014.

Rounding out the places were two films from very different genres. The runner-up spot was claimed by Under The Skin, the unusual sci-fi thriller starring Scarlett Johansson. Finishing third was Calvary, the dark drama featuring Brendan Gleeson.

The only other films to appear on more than 50% of the critics' lists were Nightcrawler (4th place) and The Grand Budapest Hotel (7th place).

No Australian film made the overall top 10 but those featuring most prominently among the critics were The Babadook and Tracks. The Lego Movie was the clear favourite in terms of animated features.

On that note, here are the top 10 movies of 2014 according to Brisbane critics…

Brisbane Film Critics - Top 10 Of 2014
	1.	Boyhood
	2.	Under The Skin
	3.	Calvary
	4.	Nightcrawler
	5.	12 Years A Slave
	6.	Inside Llewyn Davis
	7.	The Grand Budapest Hotel
	8.	Whiplash
	9.	Her
	10.	The Wolf Of Wall Street

You can view a table of all the votes and final scores by clicking here.

A big thanks to all the critics who were able to contribute. Hopefully we'll do it again next year!

You can check out information on all the Brisbane critics (along with their choices for the best and worst of 2014) below.

Matthew Toomey

Born in Brisbane, Matt Toomey was introduced to the world of cinema when he landed a job at a video store fresh out of high school in 1995. A few years later, he started his own website and reviewed movies regularly on a community radio station. In 2005, he joined the team at 612ABC and can be heard reviewing the latest releases every Thursday on Brisbane’s highest rated breakfast program with Spencer Howson. He can also be heard nationally every second Sunday at 1:30pm on ABC Digital.

Website: www.thefilmpie.com
Twitter: @ToomeyMatt



Top 10 Released Films:
1.	Boyhood
2.	Still Life
3.	12 Years A Slave
4.	Nebraska
5.	Edge Of Tomorrow
6.	A Most Wanted Man
7.	The Raid 2
8.	Whiplash
9.	The Maze Runner
10.	The Wolf Of Wall Street



Best Australian Film:
The Rover
Best Animated Film:
The Lego Movie
Best Documentary:
All This Mayhem
Best Performance:
Eddie Marsan (Still Life)
Worst Film:
A Winter's Tale
Most Surprised To Enjoy:
Chef

Sarah Ward

Sarah Ward is a freelance film critic, writer and festival devotee. She is a film reviewer and feature writer for artsHub, editor of Trespass Magazine, contributor to Concrete Playground, FilmInk, Metro Magazine, and Screen Education, and can be heard talking film on ABC Digital each Sunday with Matthew Toomey. Her work has been published across a range of cinema, culture and festival outlets, such as KOFFIA, the Spanish Film Festival, SBS Film’s Social Review and the World Film Locations book series. In addition, she has worked for a number of entertainment and arts organisations and film festivals, including as a jury member and programming committee member.

Websites: www.artshub.com.au
www.trespassmag.com
www.concreteplayground.com
www.filmink.com.au
www.playslashpause.com
Twitter: @swardplay



Top 10 Released Films:
1.	Inside Llewyn Davis
2.	Two Days, One Night
3.	Force Majeure
4.	Nightcrawler
5.	Under The Skin
6.	Her
7.	The Wolf Of Wall Street
8.	The Grand Budapest Hotel
9.	Ida
10.	What We Do In The Shadows



Top Unreleased Films:
1.	A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
2.	Hill Of Freedom
3.	'71
4.	The Strange Little Cat
5.	Listen Up Philip



Best Australian Film:
The Babadook
Best Animated Film:
The Lego Movie
Best Documentary:
All This Mayhem
Best Performance:
Marion Cotillard (Two Days, One Night & The Immigrant)
Worst Film:
The Little Death
Most Surprised To Enjoy:
John Wick

Laurence Barber

Laurence Barber is a film and television critic and freelance writer based in Brisbane. His reviews appear regularly at The 500 Club and Graffiti with Punctuation, and his work has been published at The Guardian, The Age, Metro Magazine, Senses of Cinema, News.com.au and Crikey.

Websites: www.the500club.org
www.graffitiwithpunctuation.net
www.letterboxd.com/laurence
Twitter: @bortlb



Top 10 Released Films:
1.	Inside Llewyn Davis
2.	12 Years A Slave
3.	The Selfish Giant
4.	Wadjda
5.	Gloria
6.	Only Lovers Left Alive
7.	The Great Beauty
8.	Snowpiercer
9.	The Double
10.	The Grand Budapest Hotel



Top Unreleased Films:
1.	The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Him/Her
2.	Mommy
3.	La Ultima Pelicula
4.	Listen Up Philip
5.	The Salt Of The Earth



Best Australian Film:
Tracks
Best Animated Film:
The Lego Movie
Best Documentary:
The Missing Picture
Best Performance:
Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis)
Worst Film:
A Million Ways To Die In The West
Most Surprised To Enjoy:
Fury

Baz McAlister

Baz McAlister is a blow-in from the wilds of Northern Ireland who now works as a journalist and editor in Brisbane. He started watching horror films at the age of ten. He never fully recovered.

Website: bazmcalister.wordpress.com
Twitter: @bazmcalister



Top 10 Released Films:
1.	Guardians Of The Galaxy
2.	Nightcrawler
3.	Calvary
4.	The Drop
5.	Under The Skin
6.	Whiplash
7.	Fury
8.	Snowpiercer
9.	The Trip To Italy
10.	X-Men: Days Of Future Past



Best Australian Film:
The Babadook
Best Animated Film:
How To Train Your Dragon 2
Best Documentary:
Deepsea Challenge
Best Performance:
Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler)
Worst Film:
Lucy
Most Surprised To Enjoy:
22 Jump Street

Garry Williams

Garry Williams is a reviewer for the 4ZZZ-FM Film Club broadcast each Thursdays from 6-7pm on 102.1FM.

Website: 4zzzfm.org.au/program/film-club
Twitter: n/a



Top 10 Released Films:
1.	Under The Skin
2.	Boyhood
3.	Calvary
4.	Interstellar
5.	12 Years A Slave
6.	Dallas Buyers Club
7.	Hannah Arendt
8.	Robocop
9.	Nightcrawler
10.	Her



Top Unreleased Films:
1.	The Terror Live
2.	Jodorowsky's Dune
3.	Search For Weng Weng
4.	Face Of An Angel
5.	Geronimo



Best Australian Film:
Healing
Best Animated Film:
The Lego Movie
Best Documentary:
Jodorowsky's Dune
Best Performance:
Sarah Snook (Predestination)
Worst Film:
Endless Love
Most Surprised To Enjoy:
Guardians Of The Galaxy

David Edwards

David Edwards is the editor and film critic for The Blurb, a website that provides the latest news and reviews for arts entertainment in Australia.

Website: www.theblurb.com.au
Twitter: @TheBlurbMag



Top 10 Released Films:
1.	Gone Girl
2.	Whiplash
3.	The Grand Budapest Hotel
4.	Nightcrawler
5.	The Two Faces Of January
6.	Calvary
7.	Nebraska
8.	Two Days, One Night
9.	Edge Of Tomorrow
10.	Chef



Top Unreleased Films:
1.	Birdman
2.	The Imitation Game



Best Australian Film:
The Babadook
Best Animated Film:
The Boxtrolls
Best Performance:
Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl)
Worst Film:
Fat Pizza Vs. Housos
Most Surprised To Enjoy:
Edge Of Tomorrow

Michael Dalton

Michael Dalton is the editor and film critic for the "Screen" section of M/C Reviews.

Website: reviews.media-culture.org.au
Twitter: n/a



Top 10 Released Films:
1.	Nightcrawler
2.	Whiplash
3.	Force Majeure
4.	The Wind Rises
5.	Predestination
6.	The Babadook
7.	Under The Skin
8.	The Two Faces Of January
9.	Calvary
10.	The Great Beauty



Top Unreleased Films:
1.	Enemy
2.	Dead Snow 2: Red Vs. Dead
3.	Locke
4.	The Imitation Game
5.	Birdman



Best Australian Film:
The Babadook
Best Animated Film:
The Wind Rises
Best Documentary:
The Last Impresario
Best Performance:
Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler)
Worst Film:
Tusk
Most Surprised To Enjoy:
John Wick

Peter Gray

Peter Gray is a Brisbane based freelance entertainment writer specialising in film. Currently the entertainment reporter/film reviewer for QNews, Queensland’s largest LGBT publication, and regular contributor to M/C Reviews and Hush Hush Biz.

Website: hushhushbiz.com
qnews.com.au
Twitter: @ratedPDG



Top 10 Released Films:
1.	The Grand Budapest Hotel
2.	Whiplash
3.	Gone Girl
4.	The Lego Movie
5.	The Wolf Of Wall Street
6.	Calvary
7.	Predestination
8.	Her
9.	Nightcrawler
10.	Under The Skin



Top Unreleased Films:
1.	Kingsman: The Secret Service
2.	The Imitation Game
3.	Unbroken
4.	Into The Woods
5.	The Theory Of Everything



Best Australian Film:
Predestination
Best Animated Film:
The Lego Movie
Best Documentary:
Citizenfour
Best Performance:
Sarah Snook (Predestination)
Worst Film:
Tusk
Most Surprised To Enjoy:
John Wick

Gary McDonald

35 years ago Gary’s movie career began as Publicist in film distribution in Australia and later Internationally. He moved onto journalism, television production and freelance film work. His 1st reviews were published late 70’s in full gloss colour street mag ‘Me’. Over 3 decades reviewing film and tv, he is now with Fairfax Media 4BC and ABC. His philosophy is ‘Don’t talk about it unless you have seen it’. Gary has current film and television production underway in the UK and USA. Remember: ‘A good movie reminds us to feel’.

Website: n/a
Twitter: n/a



Top 10 Released Films:
1.	Boyhood
2.	Dallas Buyers Club
3.	Calvary
4.	Pride
5.	12 Years A Slave
6.	Nightcrawler
7.	The Lunchbox
8.	All Is Lost
9.	Nebraska
10.	The Dark Horse



Top Unreleased Films:
1.	Birdman
2.	The Imitation Game
3.	Unbroken
4.	The Theory Of Everything
5.	The Lost Aviator



Best Australian Film:
Tracks
Best Animated Film:
How To Train Your Dragon 2
Best Documentary:
Finding Vivian Maier
Best Performance:
Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)
Worst Film:
Tammy
Most Surprised To Enjoy:
Paddington

Dave Crewe

Dave is a fulltime teacher and life-long film fan who came to cinephilia and criticism late, founding the website ccpopculture.com in November 2012. In addition to writing for this site, he’s a regular contributor to The 500 Club and The Essential. He’s also been published by Film Ink, Screen Education and Peephole Journal (amongst others). He’s spent his 2014 watching way too many movies (over 500 at last count) and writing way too many articles, but doesn’t regret a minute of it.

Website: ccpopculture.com
Twitter: @ccpopculture



Top 10 Released Films:
1.	The Wolf Of Wall Street
2.	Whiplash
3.	Calvary
4.	Inside Llewyn Davis
5.	Under The Skin
6.	Her
7.	52 Tuesdays
8.	Two Days, One Night
9.	The Grand Budapest Hotel
10.	Boyhood



Top Unreleased Films:
1.	Tokyo Tribe
2.	Enemy
3.	National Gallery
4.	Journey To The West
5.	Oculus



Best Australian Film:
52 Tuesdays
Best Animated Film:
The Lego Movie
Best Documentary:
The Last Impresario & National Gallery
Best Performance:
Marion Cotillard (Two Days, One Night)
Worst Film:
Tusk
Most Surprised To Enjoy:
Dracula Untold

Jesse Thompson

Jesse Thompson is an award winning journalism student. He edits the Brisbane-based film reviewing website The 500 Club and expresses opinions on new release movies each Thursday from 6pm on 4ZzZ’s Film Club.

Website: The500club.org
Twitter: @jethom17



Top 10 Released Films:
1.	Under The Skin
2.	Two Days, One Night
3.	Only Lovers Left Alive
4.	Gloria
5.	Her
6.	The Babadook
7.	Ida
8.	Force Majeure
9.	Boyhood
10.	The Great Beauty



Top Unreleased Films:
1.	It Follows
2.	Journey To The West
3.	Gett: The Trial Of Viviane Amsalem
4.	Hard To Be A God
5.	Silvered Water, Syria Self-Portrait



Best Australian Film:
The Babadook
Best Animated Film:
The Wind Rises
Best Documentary:
The Missing Picture
Best Performance:
Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)
Worst Film:
Blended
Most Surprised To Enjoy:
The Lunchbox

Ella Donald

Ella Donald is a journalism and PR student who discusses all things film on her blog Monumental Pictures. She likes films with spontaneous dance numbers and disagreeing with award shows. Her writing can also be found at This Is Film.

Website: monumentalpictures.wordpress.com
www.thisisfilm.com
Twitter: @_pingus



Top 10 Released Films:
1.	Boyhood
2.	Gone Girl
3.	Inside Llewyn Davis
4.	Short Term 12
5.	12 Years A Slave
6.	The Wolf Of Wall Street
7.	The Grand Budapest Hotel
8.	Only Lovers Left Alive
9.	Blue Is The Warmest Colour
10.	Snowpiercer



Top Unreleased Films:
1.	The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby
2.	God Help The Girl
3.	What We Did On Our Holiday
4.	Birdman
5.	Tom At The Farm



Best Australian Film:
Tracks
Best Animated Film:
The Lego Movie
Best Performance:
Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl)
Worst Film:
Winter's Tale
Most Surprised To Enjoy:
Edge Of Tomorrow

Damian Staveley

Damian Staveley is a journalism and law student at he Queensland University of Technology, whose writings include film reveiws for a local news outlet.

Website: www.damianstaveley.wordpress.com
Twitter: @damianprobably



Top 10 Released Films:
1.	Boyhood
2.	12 Years A Slave
3.	The Grand Budapest Hotel
4.	Her
5.	Only Lovers Left Alive
6.	Calvary
7.	Blue Is The Warmest Colour
8.	A Most Wanted Man
9.	Interstellar
10.	Pride



Best Australian Film:
Tracks
Best Animated Film:
The Wind Rises
Best Documentary:
20,000 Days On Earth
Best Performance:
Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel)
Worst Film:
The Inbetweeners 2
Most Surprised To Enjoy:
22 Jump Street

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Brisbane Film Critics Select 'Boyhood' As Best Of 2014