MY 10 FAVORITE PERFORMANCES OF 2014!

I've been saying to friends and family that the fact we're living in the year twenty fifteen sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie. And it was! (Thank you, Back to the Future Part II). But let's go back to last year for the last time and examine some of the best written/acted/directed roles of 2014. Whether it was a wicked music teacher, a teen with cancer or simply a man driving his car, these are the actors, in alphabetical order, who grabbed my attention this year.

EMILY BLUNT as Rita in EDGE OF TOMORROW- Emily Blunt had an incredible 2014, starring in this action flick that got a lot of critics and audiences calling this "underrated" and standing out in the musical ensemble Into the Woods.  I thought it was an inventive movie but didn't wow me. What we can all agree on is Blunt's performance. Hopefully, after great turns in Looper and The Adjustment Bureau this will cement her as one of the best action stars of today. She's fearless as Rita, and if I were in Tom Cruise's shoes I wouldn't mind meeting her everyday again and again and again.

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH as Alan Turing in THE IMITATION GAME- Perhaps this doesn't make me a true nerd but I haven't seen a lot of Cumberbatch. I didn't watch him as Khan, I've never seen "Sherlock." But I might just subscribe to his fan base if Imitation Game is any signifier. He plays the father of the modern computer, Alan Turing, a tortured man who was bullied in some way all of his life. Nailing that awkward genius persona and putting a lot of sensitivity into the role, Cumberbatch was compulsively watchable onscreen.

LAURA DERN as Bobbi in WILD- Reese Witherspoon is getting all the nominations for her performance, and she deserves a spot on this list too. But Laura Dern was just a great mom this year, popping up in The Fault in Our Stars as well. She's a lovely, an almost ethereal figure who brought life into the life of her daughter (Witherspoon's life). Fingers crossed the Academy sees that in her next Thursday.

TOM HARDY as Ivan Locke in LOCKE- The movie equivalent of a one-man show, how difficult must it've been for Tom Hardy to take on the role of Ivan Locke, where the entire film rests on his shoulders for its success. As director Steven Knight feeds us bits and pieces of Locke's life, we realize how the man's future is cemented. We see Hardy range the gamut here, from metaphorically looking in the rearview to confront the sins of his father, reassuring his own family and dealing with his sometimes buffoonish employees. With each step a new layer's revealed: he's a villain, he's a hero. He's everything in-between, and though this list technically is just in alphabetical order, Hardy wins my vote for best performance of the year.

ETHAN HAWKE as Dad in BOYHOOD- In a movie overflowing with realistic moments and genuine acting, I walked out of Boyhood thinking Ethan Hawke had the best shot at an Oscar. It turns out his movie ex-wife is probably heading to the podium, but Hawke's instantly lovable father won me over the most. The wildly liberal, Beatles-loving Senior to Mason Jr. was the constant among the boy's ever-changing life, and even when he had a pair of alcoholic stepdads you knew Hawke would swoop down and be the fun dad everyone wants. His hike with Mason was a highlight amongst a movie with nothing but importantly unimportant moments.

MICHAEL KEATON as Riggan in BIRDMAN- Even though Michael Keaton says he can't really relate to the character of Riggan, he certainly doesn't show it. While Edward Norton and Emma Stone have showier roles, Keaton still had a lot to pull off, conveying failure, a desire to comeback and the frustration with everyone around him. It was so good to see this meta-performance acted so well by someone we all know and love so nostalgically, and with Riggan you got to see an angrier Keaton seeking redemption and acceptance, but also making him kind of easy to dislike because of his ego.

ROSAMUND PIKE as Amy Dunne in GONE GIRL- This is one I can't really discuss too much, because any description of Rosamund Pike's brilliant role as missing wife Amy Dunne is saying too much. Just know it's a very layered performance, and I can't wait to see more from Miss Pike in the future.

CHRIS PRATT as Peter Quill in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY- Yes, my favorite of the Guardian misfits was Rocket Raccoon. But since Bradley Cooper just voiced him, I have to give it to Chris Pratt who double-killed with Lego Movie. He had the expert timing and action cool of a Han Solo type, chemistry with Zoe Saldana and some killer dance moves to boot. While the upcoming Jurassic World doesn't excite me too much, I might just see it because of the charismatic actor's presence. He's Star-Lord, man.

J.K. SIMMONS as Fletcher in WHIPLASH- Maybe the most praised performance this year, after seeing Simmons in fare like the Spider-Man trilogy, Juno and I Love You, Man (plus so many others you can't keep track) I was ecstatic to see him sink his teeth into a role like Fletcher, the epithet-barking music teacher that pushes Miles Teller's Andrew to the limits. Teller put in the most work, having to learn to actually drum for months, but you anticipate everything Simmons says, knowing it will make you simultaneously laugh nervously and cringe. He's a monster and we've unfortunately probably known someone like him. A truly great embodiment of emotional manipulation striving for perfection he'll never reach.

SHAILENE WOODLEY as Hazel in THE FAULT IN OUR STARS- And finally, a movie I wish I could've had a place for in my top ten just because of how faithful it was to its original material, the lovely Ms. Woodley as Hazel Grace Lancaster, a self described grenade ready to go off. I've loved seeing Woodley grow ever since she destroyed in The Descendants, and she more than did justice to sarcastic, witty Hazel Grace. Yes she makes us cry with those sentimental moments. But there's a humanity to her that's undeniable, and her fearless turn just makes me more and more excited to see what projects Shailene, now the It girl of Hollywood, takes on in the future.