Paul Schlase, Tony Revelori, Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes in a scene from "The Grand Budapest Hotel."Martin Scali
It's a film that critics have described as "astonishing," "spellbinding" and even "perfect." And on myriad year-end best-of lists, it's perched at the very top.
Shot intermittently over 11 years, from May, 2002, until October, 2013, Richard Linklater's highly ambitious film Boyhood chronicles a young boy's bumpy journey toward adulthood, from his first day at school to his first day at college.
When it premiered at Sundance, the reception was rapturous; now it's getting Oscar buzz.
It's also one of 10 films at Vancity Theatre's Best of 2014, where Vancouverites and visitors can escape the holiday fray and catch up on some of the top films of the year.
Among the selections are Wes Anderson's hilarious and star-studded Grand Budapest Hotel, which sees Ralph Fiennes playing a hotel concierge who brings customer service to a new level, and ends up accused of murder; Ruben Oestlund's Force Majeure, a searing and funny critique of masculinity and the heroic role men are asked to play; Mommy, a film by Canadian wunderkind Xavier Dolan that follows a single mom and her deeply troubled son; and The Overnighters, a sobering documentary about the plight of economic migrants and a North Dakota pastor who challenges his congregation and community.
Another standout for Vancity Theatre programmer Tom Charity this year is Under the Skin, featuring Scarlett Johansson as an alien actress who preys on men's sexuality.
"She is barely recognizable, and she is thrown into these documentary-like scenes where many of her co-stars are not professional actors. They were ordinary citizens on the streets of Glasgow and they didn't know they were appearing opposite Scarlett Johansson. They didn't recognize her," says Mr. Charity.
"It's a really radical, extreme, innovative kind of movie, and for me it's definitely one of the outstanding films of the year."
So what to see if you're looking for slightly lighter holiday fare? Mr. Charity recommends Grand Budapest Hotel as well as We Are The Best! – about a 1980s all-girl Swedish punk band – as well as the family friendly The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, a hand-drawn Japanese animated film in which a tiny girl is found inside a stalk of bamboo and grows up in a matter of days, then charms everyone she encounters.
But Mr. Charity agrees that, in many ways, Boyhood is the outstanding movie of the year.
"It's such a brilliant idea, to decide to follow the evolution of this boy from boyhood to manhood. I've never seen anything like it. It's epic in scope and scale, and yet very intimate and very personal," he says. "And if you're looking for special effects, it's pretty tough to beat just watching this kid age over the course of 12 years."
Best of 2014 is at Vancity until Jan. 1. For a full list of films and show times visit viff.org.