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FROM THE EDITOR

REVIEWS
04 BIRDMAN

07 WILD
Welcome one and all to the the first Movie Taco of 2015! To celebrate
the start of the official Best Year Ever for Hollywood, were fronting this
issue with what we have collectively decided is perhaps our greatest
cover ever! ScarJo, McConaughey, swearing- what more could you want
from a magazine cover? The film featured on our cover is, of course,

08

INHERENT VICE

09 WHIPLASH
11

INTO THE WOODS

Joss Whedons Avengers: Age of Ultron, the biggest American film of

all time, which is expected to pull in around $2bn worldwide when it
opens in April. Of course, no January issue of Taco would be complete
without our comprehensive Review of the Year, covering all the best
films and shows of the year gone by.
Coming up in the next few issues: Community Season 6, Tomorrowland,

FEATURES

12 AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

22 REVIEW OF THE YEAR 2014

THE TOP 10 FILMS OF THE YEAR

Jurassic World, and most excitingly of all: Spongebob!

Have a nice year!

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BIRDMAN

OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)

ACTORS MASTERCLASS

Its both ironic and telling that a film aggressively mocking modern Hollywood and
modern prestige films is one of the most critically-acclaimed American films of recent
years, and a major contender for Hollywoods vain awards. Birdman is a film which tells
an important story about Hollywood and wants to be recognised as an important satire of the film and theatre industries, but knows in its heart that- largely due to writer/
director Alejandro Gonzlez Irritus previous success at the Academy Awards etc.- it
will most likely become one of the films it attempts to satirise.
The brilliant, unique meta tone of the film begins with Michael Keatons very casting as
Riggan Thomson: a character almost identical to himself. Keaton performance is at first
amusingly self-aware, but gradually increases in heart and profundity until Thomsons
Shakespearean series of enlightenments and breakdowns begin. Thomson was once

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the star of the

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adaptation

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Raymond

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The acting is great and the screenplay, a collaboration between Irritu, Nicols Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo, is
beyond superb. The highlight of Birdman by far, however, is the spectacular cinematography by the great Emmanuel Lubezki. Birdman
appears to be shot in two takes (there are very subtle cuts, usually to identify the passing of time), one of which lasts over 90 minutes
and makes Alfonso Cuarons Gravity, also shot by Lubezki, look frankly pathetic. The gimmicks that Gravity employed have, thanks
to both Christopher Nolans Interstellar and now Birdman, become somewhat irrelevant, and that film is unlikely to stand the test
of time as one would have expected upon its release. Birdman, meanwhile, is sure to be shown for years to come as an example of
what is possible if one has a camera, good actors, a strong script and a story to tell. Birdman explores its deeply relevant themes on
entertainment, art and intellect in a manner that is as accessible as it is intelligent. Where it fails on multiple occasions is when it
makes attempts at broad humour (eg. Norton getting an erection on stage, much of what Zach Galifianakis under-utilised, misused
character does) in order to be laugh-out-loud funny. Its a more subtle kind of humour that this film needs, and when it tries this it
is brilliant. Possibly the best sequence in the film (although the film is essentially one sequence) sees Thomson walk through Times
Square in his underwear as a crowd of thousands gathers around him. It is simple visual comedy at its best and Keaton is one of the
actors in Hollywood most qualified to be at the centre of the mayhem.

Where the film unfortunately loses a substantial amount of momentum is in its final act, when Irritu takes some major risksnamely bringing the Birdman character onscreen as a LEGO Movie Batman sort of figure- that dont entirely pay off and destroy
the subtle elements of fantasy that are dotted throughout the earlier part of the film (Thomson using telekinesis to move objects).
Michael Keatons performance in Birdman may or may not win him an Oscar, but as long as the Academy voters simply watch
Irritus smart, masterfully-directed film, they will learn a thing or two about what theyre doing with their careers. Birdman is both
a film Hollywood wants and the film they need.

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WILD
Reese Witherspoon bought the rights to Gillian Flynns Gone Girl with the intention of starring in the coveted Amy Dunne role herself. When
David Ficher was brought on board to direct, he booted Witherspoon out of the role and replaced her with Rosamund Pike (thank the heavens
he did). Witherspoon went off and set up the ultimate vanity project to appear in instead- a film in which she hikes alone for 2 hours and
gets to act a lot. Directed by Dallas Buyers Club helmer Jean-Marc Valle, Wild is a film which contains far more complex ideas than one
might expect, but still ends up feeling extremely empty and forgettable.
Witherspoon, in all fairness, does a decent job in the role of Cheryl Strayed, a former heroine addict who takes herself on a wholly unexplained journey of self-discovery/spiritual awakening/making new friends. When not shouting at foxes and encountering countless men in
the wilderness, all of whom are presented as potential rapists until proven otherwise, Cheryl gives an inner monologue on her miserable life
and we get to see flashbacks to her time with her dying mother (Laura Dern). Dern has been nominated for an Oscar for her work in this film,
as has Witherspoon, and its sadly not earned. She has little to do, few decent scenes and barely any notable dialogue. She gave a far superior
performance in The Fault in Our Stars. The fragmented timeline of the flashbacks presents scenes consistent with adaptor/screenwriter Nick
Hornbys usual work. The Newsrooms Thomas Sadoski shows up in a small but interesting role.
Utterly pretentious, but- surprisingly- not aggressively so- Valles film is at the very least a more thought-provoking work than his uninspired
Dallas Buyers Club. While that film was saved by its exceptional acting talent, the cast on show in Wild are pretty much on a par with the
writing and direction: its all FINE.

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INHERENT VICE

Paul Thomas Anderson, one of the American auteurs of our era, was born in 1970- the same year, doubtfully
by coincidence, that he has chosen to set his latest brain-melting philosophical epic. Following his polarising
2012 psychological drama The Master starring Inherent Vices leading man Joaquin Phoenix and the great
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Anderson has made a film which- while not as traditionally risky in its subject matter, is equally if not more layered with depth and incomprehensible ramblings.
Phoenix is hilariously fuzzy and deranged as Doc Sportello- an L.A stoner who appears to dedicate any commitment to either his profession as doctor nor private detective. A case tied up with his ex-girlfriend arrives
at his filthy feet and so begins a two-and-a-half-hour trip of absurd gang warfare (the Black Gorilla Family
and Arian Brotherhood are in league with one another), varyingly graphic sexual encounters, major corruption
and- of course- lots and lots of drugs. Andersons script is as consistently bizarre as one would expect from,
say, WES Anderson (no relation, apparently) and as the film requires. Highlights from the massive supporting cast are Martin Short as a semi-paedophilic coke-snorting dentist, and Owen Wilson and Jena Malone as
the momentarily separated but (for Inherent Vice) uniquely human parents of a young child, a baby photo of
whom Doc screams in terror at in one of the films broadest but genuinely genius comedy moments.
This consistently enjoyable but not entirely widely accessible mix of dark comedy and 70s cinema homage
(Anderson is, it seems, attempting to make Chinatown on Mushrooms) continues for the first two-thirds of
the film, before the former is largely dropped in favour of plot development- something that isnt entirely successful. Although based on a Thomas Pynchon novel, storyline isnt this films strong suit and when twists and
mystery take priority over the fun and philosophy, there isnt much left to marvel at. Nevertheless, Andersons
film is more successful than not, and if you need an excuse as to why to see it just ask your nearest pharmacist.

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WHIPLASH
There are music films. There are thrillers. And then theres Whiplash. To call writer-director Damien Chazelles multi-award-winning
film unique would be a gross understatement. It is, for lack of a better word, groundbreaking. It is, along with Richard Linklaters
Boyhood and Alejandro Gonzlez Irritus Birdman, one of the three 2014 American films that have a legitimate chance of changing cinema for the better, while being marvellously entertaining as they do. A magnificent two-hander between Miles Teller as
enthusiastic young jazz drummer Andrew and J.K. Simmons as monstrous teacher Fletcher, Chazelles film is a non-stop 100-minute assault on the senses, but one that will educate, exhilarate and at every level impress every member of its audience. Between
Chazelles smart, witty script and mesmerising visual techniques, Whiplash is as electrifying and hypnotic as the classic jazz its
characters adore.
Teller gives, by a wide margin, his best performance to date as Andrew, a first-year student at a prestigious New York music school
who, in his attempts to join the most significant jazz group in the college, is forced to bear the wrath of Simmons Fletcher. Fletcher
could easily have been written and played as a one-dimensional rage beast, but the always-superb Simmons brings an incomparable level of depth to the role, and his ultra-masculine physical stance is balanced brilliantly against the smallish and youthful
but extremely ambitious Andrew. A moment in one of the films final scenes in which the two actors have a wordless psychological
battle across a stage, all in one take, using only conducting gestures- for Simmons- and the drums- for Teller- is one of the years
finest cinematic moments and rivals anything in Birdman.
Chazelle could easily have focused on his two leads and failed to give supporting characters a second thought, but Glees Melissa
Benoist and Paul Reiser are both wholly believable as Andrews short-lived girlfriend and loving father, and bring the necessary
humanity to a story that is- in essence- about two possible sociopaths. Simply because Fletcher is doling out the violence doesnt
in any way mean Andrew isnt an equally troubled character. His desperation to succeed causes him to put himself in extremely
dangerous situations, and although he isnt half as selfish and distant as Nightcrawlers fame-obsessed Lou Bloom, Andrew is without a doubt an antihero.
There are many modern American films which can move their audience, charm their audience and entertain their audience, but it
takes legitimate talent to shake your audience to their core, and- without the use of any clichs, cheap propaganda or sentimentality- inspire them. Whiplash does all this, and more.

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INTO THE WOODS

Disney chose to release Into The Woods on Christmas Day- the one annual release date when
major family blockbuster and Oscar-contending dramas overlap. The reason for this, I suspect, is that Disney have no clue who Into The Woods is for. Its rated PG, features multiple
beloved fairy-tale characters and, in a small but surprisingly excellent supporting role, kids
favourite Johnny Depp (although were sure the thespian in question wouldnt particularly
like being referred to this way), but is based upon a musical nobody under a certain age (and
ANYBODY outside the US) has likely heard of and has an advertising campaign with little
visible signs of action or CGI: in short, why would kids want to see this film? Technically,
there isnt a lot in Into The Woods to appeal to the mainstream family market. Its incredibly
slow in places, with extended solo musical numbers and overlong expository conversations
between characters. However, for those willing to be caught in its spell and tap their feet
along to the magic for two hours, Rob Marshalls film is a true Winter treat.
Meryl Streep is always at her most watchable and enjoyable when she ISNT trying to win an
Oscar (although she has, thanks to tradition, been put forward by Disney for Best Supporting
Actress consideration) and as The Witch, she is at her Lemony Snicket-esque kooky best.
Thats not to say she doesnt bring quality acting and depth of character to the screen; her
rendition of Stay With Me is beyond heartbreaking. As the films most traditional heroes, the
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always reliable James Corden and Emily Blunt

are at their most charming, and prove themselves further as two of the most consistently
charming British actors currently working in
Hollywood. The most shockingly impressive
turn in Into The Woods, however, comes from
Johnny Depp as The Wolf, who in his two brief
scenes tip-toes his way around the set; jazzhands and Wolfish whiskers on standby like
Bob Fosses Snake in The Little Prince. Its the
most unique and inspired work weve seen
from the actors in years, as hes infamously
become particularly lazy with his choice of
roles since the Pirates franchise winded down.
Marshall, who helmed 2011s Pirates of the
Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, really seems as
efficient a director of musical cinema as were
likely to find in the modern era.
As weve seen so often over the past year or
so, casting of child actors really is one of the

defining factors as to whether a major film

fully WORKS or not. The choice of relative
newcomers in Into The Woods is varied
in success. Les Miss Daniel Huttlestone
is delightfully Dickesian, whilst Lilla
Crawford has an exceptionally irritating
singing voice and is, along with a just-OK
Anna Kendrick, one of only two actors who
dont bother in the slightest to hide their
American accents.
Rollicking along with barely a pause for its
two hours, Into The Woods is moving at the
right moments, amusing at every moment
and incomparably entertaining throughout.
Take a bow.

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DA
KNIG
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RK
GHTS
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Yes, Christopher Nolans Interstellar. The most fundamentally human film to come out of Hollywood in two decades. While not Nolans best
film (or second or third or fourth best, for that matter), and heavily flawed in some areas (the comedy robot TARS is substantially more
sympathetic than David Gyasi or Wes Bentleys poorly-drawn characters), Interstellar-for us, at least- transcended its designated three hours
and became more than a film; it became, at guaranteed risk of sounding absurd, A STATE OF MIND. Six months before Interstellar was even
released, the imagery and music used in the trailers offered us unparalleled inspiration in areas both artistic and social. A film more about
the basic principles of love than any physics or space-time adventure, Nolans epic poem delivers momentously in the emotional department as its stellar leads Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain and Mackenzie Foy truly connect with the audience. It is, additionally,
an astoundingly well-directed piece of contemporary cinema. A silent, distant fight scene breaks all of Hollywoods action rules, while the
last-act use of physical books as a gateway through time is a storytelling technique of utter genius. Interstellar is by no means a perfect
film, and the qualms that many have with it are largely valid. Cinema is, however, a very personal experience, and personally, Interstellar
was by far the single best cinema experience of 2014.

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2014
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This is, perhaps, the only Best Films of 2014 list on the internet which does not have
Richard Linklaters revolutionary epic at its Number One position. Our Number One film
moved us at a level which Linklater just came short of, but wed be lying if we said we
didnt cry numerous times during his often unbearable truthful story. Ellar Coltrane gives
the debut acting performance of the century as Mason, a Texan child whose youth is captured over a twelve-year period, famously shot in real-time. Patricia Arquette and Ethan
Hawke bring the acting gravitas (and are excellent as Masons parents), but it is the witty,
eloquent and believable Coltrane who carries the three-hour artwork that is Boyhood.

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Doug Limans return to form comes packaged as the worst-marketed, most

disastrously unsuccessful blockbuster of the year. If only more people had seen
The Film Without A Permanent Title, more people would know just what a great
Summer movie Liman has created. Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt are a hugely
charismatic leading duo, the visual effects are breathtaking and never headacheinducing, the Groundhog Day meets Independence Day high-concept set-up
proves unique and hilarious and the surprisingly original last act is, on a blockbuster filmmaking level, inspiring. Youll laugh, youll cry, youll dance.

At heart a delightfully old-fashioned family caper, the second James Bobin-helmed Muppet reboot
has everything one could ever want from a Muppet adventure: dastardly Russian villain, a Gulag,
Ty Burrell as a moustache-twirling French detective, songs that are not only hilarious but GREAT
SONGS! Not a minute goes by without at least one laugh-out-loud joke. If only all modern family
films were this much fun.
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BIRDMAN
Alejandro Gonzlez Irrituss exhilarating dark comedy is at once a necessary send-up of
modern Hollywood and a superb character drama which explores the art of acting in extraordinary depth. Come for Michael Keatons tremendous performance, stay for the superheroes.
Wait, what?
A fairly mediocre Wes Anderson film
is still an above-average American
film, and Andersons disappointingly cartoonish but undoubtedly
beautiful multi-layered European
folk tale is a joy to behold, even
without the immense emotional
resonance that made Rushmore
and Moonrise Kingdom so magnificent. Ralph Fiennes is a charming and dashing comic lead, while
the supporting cast of legendary
thespians liven the proceedings
immensely.

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Never has an inhuman character been so human in cinema than in Andy Serkis breathtaking
performance as Caesar in Matt Reeves superior sequel to the 2011 Apes reboot. Choosing to
focus on the Apes themselves over the films somewhat one-dimensional human characters,
Reeves creates a blockbuster that is in every way subtle, heartbreakingly truthful and groundbreaking.

Intrigue. Sex. Murder. A full-blown mystery thriller disguised as a profound study on the
joys (or lack thereof) of modern marriage, David Finchers captivating romp has at its
centre two truly great performances from Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike as That Couple
Who Really Hate Each Other. Pike, in particular, takes the character of Amy Dunne from
beautiful, loving wife to terrifying psychopath within 145 supremely entertaining minutes of running time.

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Marvel Studios finally realise that theyre never going to make a Nolan-level Gritty
Superhero Thriller, so spend a whole film on what they do best: all-ages comedy and
pure, loud fun. Groot and Rocket Raccoon are the most successful attempts at Cult CGI
Supporting Characters this century, being smart-ass and adorable at once, while the
soundtrack Awesome Mix Vol. 1 is funky beyond all comprehension. It is, however, the
casting of Chris Pratt as lead Guardian Peter Star-Lord Quill which grounds the film
emotionally and makes Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel Studios most delightful film to
date.

Irish director Lenny Abrahamson enters the Big Leagues with this incredibly touching
and funny portrayal of insanity and the price of fame in the modern music business.
Dealing with heavy themes in a manner that is never preachy or abrasive, Abrahamson
takes full advantage of masked star Michael Fassbenders tremendous talent as the
crazy, crazily brilliant Frank.
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Expected bywell, everyone, to be a boring, overlong and uneventful Part 1 sequel, the
Francis Lawrence-directed third Hunger Games adventure was surprisingly the most
engaging, intelligent and moving entry yet. Jennifer Lawrence continues to excel as
Katniss Everdeen- her one good role- while Lawrence uses his bumped-up running time
to explore the nation of Panem is a greater depth than even Suzanne Collins novels- and
its gripping.

11. THE LEGO MOVIE

12. THE FAULT IN OUR STARS
13. THE CONGRESS
14. X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST
15. PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR
16. ST. VINCENT
17. MR. TURNER
18. FOXCATCHER
19. THE IMITATION GAME
20. HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2
21. THE INTERVIEW
22. NIGHTCRAWLER
23. THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE
ARMIES
24. LOVE IS STRANGE
25. MEN, WOMEN & CHILDREN
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IN NEXT MON

SPONGEBOB RETURNS
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NTHS ISSUE

A WORLD EXCLUSIVE

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