Paul Thomas Anderson's Inherent Vice

As 2015 gets under way, members of the Film Society of Lincoln Center's staff weigh in with their Top 10 films of 2014. Paul Thomas Anderson's Inherent Vice, which had its World Premiere at the New York Film Festival, as well as Richard Linklater's Boyhood are the top choices for a number of those who submitted their picks of the year. Laura Poitras's CITIZENFOUR (also an NYFF World Premiere) was the top documentary and also one of this year's overall favorites.

Other popular choices include Jennifer Kent's The Babadook, Damien Chazelle's Whiplash, Bennett Miller's Foxcatcher, and Alejandro G. Iñárritu's Birdman, which closed the 52nd New York Film Festival. Ava DuVernay's civil rights drama Selma also made a number of Top 10s. The film starring David Oyelowo and Carmen Ejogo opened Christmas day in limited release.

Top 10s from members of the Film Society staff follow:

Lesli Klainberg (Executive Director) – in no order:

1. Boyhood
2. CITIZENFOUR
3. Love Is Strange
4. The Grand Budapest Hotel
5. Birdman
6. The Case Against 8
7. Foxcatcher
8. Inherent Vice
9. Manakamana
10. Snowpiercer

Eugene Hernandez (Deputy Director):

1. CITIZENFOUR 
2. Inherent Vice 
3. The Grand Budapest Hotel 
4. Stranger by the Lake 
5. Love Is Strange
6. Only Lovers Left Alive 
7. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
8. Listen Up Philip
9. Manakamana 
10. Selma 

Thomas Newman (Chief Financial Officer):

Calvary
Boyhood
Two Days, One Night
Blue Ruin
Whiplash
Nightcrawler
Citizenfour
Mr. Turner
The Babadook
Foxcatcher

Dennis Lim (Director of Programming):

1. Horse Money 
2. Inherent Vice 
3. Jauja 
4. Goodbye to Language
5. Saint Laurent
6. The Kindergarten Teacher 
7. Li'l Quinquin
8. The Princess of France 
9. Maidan
10. Phoenix


Richard Linklater's Boyhood

Michael Gibbons (Director of Digital Platforms) – Top 12:

August Winds*
The Babadook
Beyond the Lights
Blue Ruin
Boyhood
CITIZENFOUR
The Immigrant
Manakamana
Tales of the Grim Sleeper
Under the Skin
The Wonders*
Stranger by the Lake

*Currently without distribution in the U.S., but too good to leave off my list.

Glenn Raucher (Director of Theater Operations) – Top 5 in no order:

Charlie Victor Romeo
Obvious Child
Whiplash
Birdman
CITIZENFOUR

John Wildman (Senior Publicist):

1. Birdman 
2. The Babadook
3. The Grand Budapest Hotel
4. Guardians of the Galaxy 
5. Inherent Vice 
6. Wetlands 
7. Listen Up Philip 
8. Snowpiercer
9. Whiplash 
10. Obvious Child 

David Ninh (Publicist):

1. Ida
2. Boyhood
3. The Babadook 
4. Gloria
5. Birdman
6. Only Lovers Left Alive
7. Le Week-End
8. Whiplash
9. Force Majeure
10. Actress 

Marian Masone (Senior Programming Advisor) – in alphabetical order:

Abuse of Weakness
The Babadook
Boyhood
CITIZENFOUR
Dear White People
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Ida
Obvious Child
Only Lovers Left Alive
Selma


Laura Poitras' CITIZENFOUR

Florence Almozini (Senior Programmer) – in alphabetical order:

Force Majeure
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Inherent Vice
Jealousy
Listen Up Philip
Maidan
Only Lovers Left Alive
Stranger by the Lake
Top Five
Under the Skin

Rachael A. Rakes (Programmer at Large)

What Now, Remind Me
Exhibition 
Maidan
A Summer's Tale
Manakamana
Inherent Vice 
12 O'Clock Boys
Level Five 
Gringo Trails 
Papirosen 

Rebecca Williamson (Events Coordinator):
Inherent Vice
Gone Girl
Ida
Whiplash
22 Jump Street
The Immigrant
Obvious Child
Dear White People
Selma
The One I Love

Jeryll W. Adler (Director of Advertising):

Birdman
Boyhood
CITIZENFOUR
Finding Vivian Maier
Inherent Vice
The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz
Love Is Strange
Mr. Turner
Red Army
The Theory of Everything
 
And looking forward to catching these films after deadline or on Blu-ray: Unbroken, Selma, Into the Woods, Dear White People, Interstellar, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Homesman.


Jennifer Kent's The Babadook

Bryce Richardson (Senior Accountant) – in no particular order:

A Spell to Ward Off the Darkness
Goodbye to Language
Island of St. Matthew
Level Five
Maidan
Story of My Death
Stranger by the Lake
Stray Dogs
Under the Skin
We Are the Best!
 
Dan Sullivan (Programming Coordinator):

1. Goodbye to Language
2. What Now? Remind Me
3. CITIZENFOUR
4. Jealousy
5. The Strange Little Cat
6. A Spell to Ward Off the Darkness
7. Story of My Death
8. Listen Up Philip
9. Stray Dogs
10. Guardians of the Galaxy

John Oursler (Major Gifts Associate):

Under the Skin
Only Lovers Left Alive
Stranger by the Lake
Foxcatcher
National Gallery
Actress
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
Two Days, One Night
Listen Up Philip
It Felt Like Love

Tony Trius (Print traffic and theater staff):

1. Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
2. CITIZENFOUR
3. Under the Skin
4. Wild
5. Nightcrawler
6. Hill of Freedom
7. Still Alice
8. Happy Valley
9. The Babadook
10. Boyhood

Brian Brooks (Managing Editor, Filmlinc.com):

1. Boyhood 
2. CITIZENFOUR
3. Whiplash 
4. Foxcatcher 
5. Gloria 
6. Stranger by the Lake 
7. Mr. Turner 
8. The Case Against 8 
9. Ida 
10. Love Is Strange 

Bonus mention: Finding Vivian Maier

Nicholas Kemp (Digital Marketing Manager):

Exhibition / Archipelago / Unrelated
Force Majeure
Gloria
Ida
The Immigrant
In Bloom
It Felt Like Love
Stranger By the Lake
Under the Skin
What Now? Remind Me


Damien Chazelle's Whiplash.