This year in movies was an exciting one. From one of the most fun experiences to the most breathtaking and everything in between, this year was jam packed with amazing performances, wonderful scores, meticulous direction, and don't forget the snarky raccoon. Though the digital age seems to be encroaching on our movie going experience, my faith and commitment to film as a medium and the theater-going experience itself was reaffirmed. Counting the films at Austin Film Festival, I saw more than 40 films in theater's this year. Even still, as of this post, I've not seen Foxcatcher, Unbroken, American Sniper or Inherent Vice. I also missed Snowpiercer which was a dark horse favorite this year. I feel confident that all five of those movies will be among the best this year, with Foxcatcher and American Sniper most likely to show up around Oscar time. So without further ado, my top films of 2014 (in no particular order):

BIRDMAN

Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu
Written by Alexander Dinelaris, Nicolás Giacobone, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Armando Bo
Starring Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis, and Edward Norton