"Bleeding Edge," by Thomas Pynchon

Novel, 2014

While tight by Pynchon's standards, this cracked, paranoia-driven novel straddling the attack on New York's twin towers is still a wild assault of almost too many characters, wisecracking, referencing and floating in and out of the central narrative with mysterious dynamism. If things get hard to follow, the quality of the writing, the keen descriptions of geeks, street life and catastrophes are all wonderful. This feels like Pynchon looking to be filmed. The family details are also a great touch, grounding the madness in some tenderness and domestic details. 

"The Monuments Men," directed by George Clooney

Movie, 2014

A strange throwback film featuring a crack cast playing a crack gang of allies foiling Nazis in a covert mission. In this version, it's not a breakout or assassination, but the recovery of artwork. In a way, this is an easy film to like, though with the Germans stereo-typically mean and some of the cliches of camaraderie and character pumped to bursting, it's a wonder how the film was ever made. Entertaining and modern, but also archaic and unnecessary. Some nice touches and great production, but nowhere near enough to pull this out of barely passable pulp.

"Gone Girl," directed by David Fincher

Movie, 2014

Genre inspired, slightly sprawling film which delivers plenty of solid entertainment and thrills despite its length and despite being a little stretched in places with regards the plot and a sprinkling of wooden acting, here and there. Credit, however, due to pulling something in that ultimately feels quite tight, even if some of the initial build up feels a little lethargic and could perhaps have been edited down, just a little. The twists and turns are reasonably effective, with a big message about appearance, truth and the media bought home with a bang.

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"The Guest", directed by Adam Wingard

Movie, 2014

A film which flits between thriller, horror, mystery and teen romp but ends up being none of these things. Some good atmosphere and ideas early on, though these are subverted through clumsy foreshadowing, obvious plotting and a weird sense of non-anticipation as incident follows incident with indecent haste. A film which isn't so many things, it's tricky to say what it is. Hokum and entertaining to a point, but the sort of shameless sequel baiting fodder which really doesn't deserve a franchise.

"The Babadook", directed by Jennifer Kent

Movie, 2014

A powerful atmospheric horror about a bogeyman, taking many of the genre's tropes (creepy house with a cellar, strange magical texts and a family battling good versus evil) and fits them in an Australian suburban set up, very much focusing on young mothers. This fresh approach to older, conservative forms reaps huge dividends, with the mother/son relationship swinging wildly and the absence of a male dominant figure striking. The plot swerves a little too wildly here and there, but this is a really bold, interesting and gripping horror.

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"Foxcatcher," directed by Bennett Miller

Movie, 2014

Adaptation of a real life story involving an Olympic wrestler and a philanthropist whose interest in the sport bring the men and families closer together. In a film where the drama builds and fortunes interweave and develop, there's plenty to admire, even if a few bits and pieces are a little hard to get used to, mainly John DuPont's odd prosthetics and very static immobility. Still, well worth looking at and a very involving, affecting piece looking at stardom, power as a corrupting force and close familial relationships.

"Lucy," directed by Luc Besson

Movie, 2014

Science fiction superhero gangster film with too many ideas to sustain and a generally cold outlook and a few less than savoury undertones. The basic idea of a innocent superhero inflicted with powers through to the footage of wild game being hunted by big cats are as tried and tired as they come. While the action scences and the pacing are fine, the disparate parts and their clunky coming together are distracting.  Entertaining, for sure, though this feels like a weird cross between a nerdy school project and a star vehicle for Scarlett Johansson.

"Nightcrawler", directed Dan Gilroy

Movie, 2014

Effective, powerful film charting the rise of a disreputable news collector in LA, superbly played by a suitably other worldly looking Jake Gyllenhaal. While this could have been preachy and one-dimensional, the film pulls you on board with some good characterisations and a compelling narrative, which builds and keeps the interest throughout. Not always easy to watch and possibly stretching credibility at times, but an excellent moral examination and satire of the news and fame business.

"Still Alice", directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland

Movie, 2014

Gripping account of a woman's struggle with Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease. While this is story of heart-rending intensity, and while there's no ambiguity or bright hope of a change in an inevitable outcome, the narrative is compelling and the incidents portrayed remain interesting. Some wonderful acting, not least by Julianne Moore, around whom the emotions and focus intensify, even as her own mental state deteriorates. A moving film with huge, direct power.

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"The Drop", directed Michaël R Roskam

Movie, 2014

While this is a film with huge potential for failure - a slurring method acting loner, rescued dog etc. - this slow burner builds a tense and twisting plot and genuine foreboding atmosphere. There's also a refreshing straightforward setting and story telling with no artsy tricks, crushing soundtrack or CGI, just the goings on in a bar, its assistant manager and people orbiting him. Slow and glorious for it, even if the pooch occasionally gets tiring.

"What We Do in the Shadows", directed Jermaine Clement, Taika Waititi

Film, 2014

Mockumentary about four flat-sharing vampires and their interactions with two newcomers, one of whom is turned into a vampire and one - the hilariously popular Stu - who isn't. This preposterous set up sits on top of some occasionally almost understated humour and some amusing scenes, most notably in the face-off between the vampires and a werewolf gang. There's plenty of gore giving a contemporary feel, and although this is very neat, controlled and full of genre jokes, this is a blood and guts gentle comedy which is full of laughs.

"The Big Midweek" by Stephen Hanley and Olivia Piekowski

Non-fiction, 2014

Sardonic, celebratory account of Stephen Hanley's two decades playing bass guitar for The Fall. It would have been quite easy for Hanley to have ranted, although in his balanced descriptions, band members are brought to life and what feel like balanced recollections are made. Highs comfortably balance the lows with a claustrophobic inevitability setting in from the early 1990s, at around the time Brix Smith then Martin Bramah left the band. Excellent writing; compulsive Fall fan reading.

"The Bag Man", directed David Grovic

Movie, 2014

Relatively tightly plotted thriller about a hit man entrusted with the job of getting a bag safely delivered to a gangland boss. A film whose A-list cast is a little wasted, but which nonetheless delivers some claustrophobic thrills and tension. In a film reminiscent of hard boiled films from the late 1990s there is, however, some rather flabby plotting and violence which, at times, feels gratuitous. Some of the humour also feels similarly passe. But still, overall a decent watch.

"The Voices", directed Marjane Satrapi

Movie, 2014

An odd, grisly comedy which through its main sequence of events - principally the fates of the three main female characters in the drama and the use and portrayal of mental health - leaves an unpleasant taste in the mouth. Yes, this is entertaining and well paced and, from a technical point of view, very well done, but it's not really good enough to rise above the gravity of the fates and illnesses which seem little more than plot devices. The talking pets are also a little naff - occasionally amusing, but mainly superfluous. As, indeed, is the whole movie.

"The Grand Budapest Hotel", directed Wes Anderson

Movie, 2014

A witty, colourful and fast paced character study and homage, perhaps, to a grander Europe in the early twentieth century, played for thrills, action and - occasionally - a palpable tenderness and poignancy. Within this star-studded chocolate box of a movie are some well-worked themes and devices, and yet there's also something refreshingly original  - the mixture of bathos and comedy sitting on top of the whirlwind of fun is quite remarkable and rewards attentive viewing.

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"Inherent Vice", directed Paul Thomas Anderson

Movie, 2014

Murky, muttering and suitably confused, confusing slow burn frenetic adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's LA private eye caper. The film's pace and its fairly hefty length draw those in who get hooked in the first place from opening scenes depicting a stoned PI, his returning lover, a massage parlour frequented by an Aryan Brotherhood gang, a nasty slick-cut nemesis policeman and some pretty sweaty interactions between and involving each of them. Possibly not destined for classic mainstream status, but a good adaptation all the same.

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"American Sniper," directed Clint Eastwood

Film, 2014

Two narratives for the price of one. Unfortunately, the cautionary tale of the disastrous psychological effects of a war on the family is tucked away, only appearing like an unwanted guest when the gritty gung-ho battle scenes and tired cat-and-mouse our sniper versus their sniper trope take an occasional back seat. We're left, really, with crude flag waving nonsense with half decent acting and lots of homo erotically charged blood, sweat and tears and a biopic element realised through an especially unconvincing set of family and funeral scenes at the end.

"H is For Hawk" by Helen Macdonald

Non-fiction, 2014

Curious, ambitious and successful interweaving of three narratives - the loss of a father, a meditation of TH White and his book The Goshawk and Macdonald's own struggles with training her own bird. Different sections will work better for some people than others; the training was enthralling and beautifully done, although for me, parts of the looking back at White felt a tad laboured. This is, however, an unflinching, and in being both a bold book and very readable, pulls off quite a feat.