Retrospective 2014 – A Year in Film

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May

Much Aniticpated

Image sources: 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros., Disney & Fuzzy Door

May was another month of varied big-budget releases with a few of the most anticipated films of the year coming to our screens, we saw the return of Director Bryan Singer to Marvel’s X-Men franchise in X-Men: Days of Future Past as well big comedies like Seth Rogen’s Bad Neighbours and Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane’s leading-man debut in A Million Ways to Die in the West.

We also saw the latest iteration of the Japanese monster classic Godzilla as well as Angelina Jolie in Disney’s Maleficent and the latest Tom Cruise action blockbuster Edge of Tomorrow.

And the award goes to- The Riviera Calls

Image sources: AFP & Getty Images

The biggest gathering of international movie-makers took place on the French Riviera in May with The 67th Cannes Film Festival rolling into town, part fashion show and part film festival but all glamor with several films being showcased many months before their general release.

This year’s jury for the main competition included American director Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation, The Virgin Suicides) and Mexican actor Gael García Bernal (The Motorcycle Diaries, Babel) amongst many others, they were presided over by New Zealand director Jane Campion (The Piano, Bright Star).

There was a multinational selection of films in all categories as usual, the “In Competition” winners from the official selection were as follows;

Palme d’Or – Winter Sleep by Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey Germany France)

Grand Prix – The Wonders by Alice Rohrwacher (Italy, Switzerland, Germany)

Best Director – Bennett Miller for Foxcatcher (USA)

Best Screenplay – Andrey Zvyagintsev and Oleg Negin for Leviathan (Russia)

Best Actress – Julianne Moore for Maps to the Stars (USA, Canada)

Best Actor – Timothy Spall for Mr. Turner (UK)

Jury Prize – Mommy by Xavier Dolan & Goodbye to Language by Jean-Luc Godard

Those We Lost: In it for the long-haul

Image sources: Michael Ochs & Getty Images

This month saw the loss of author, actress, political activist and poet Maya Angelou at the age of 86 of natural causes. More shocking was the was the death of Oscar-winning documentary director Malik Bendjelloul at the age of 36 in suspicious circumstances.