Categorical imperatives

By category, the best films I saw in 2014:

Documentary: “The Act of Killing”

Imagine if the Nazis continued to run Germany and were only too happy to brag about their crimes against humanity and you’ll have an idea of the sickening truths captured in “The Act of Killing.” In the 1960s, Indonesia suffered a similar murderous regime hell-bent on the extermination of Communists, and the surviving leaders actually re-enact their monstrous deeds for the camera ... in a lighthearted variety of genres, from western to (gulp) slapstick comedy. You can’t make this up.

Drama: “Short Term 12”

This lovingly shot, achingly resonant film depicts the highs and the lows of a group of college-age workers helping emotionally damaged teens. The film also works as an ode to the resiliency of the human spirit and the transformative power of art — but, you know, in a cool way.

Foreign language: “The Great Beauty”

Writer/director Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Great Beauty” walks the line between an ode to Federico Fellini — most notably, his 1960 masterpiece “La Dolce Vita” — and an outright replica of the inimitable Italian filmmaker’s fantastical, existential oeuvre. But to limit the film as a knockoff, even to saddle it with the appellation “Felliniesque,” as many critics have done, does a disservice to this majestic film.

Animated: “The Wind Rises”

Acclaimed anime writer/director Hayao Miyazaki boldly goes retro in the epic biopic/romantic drama, “The Wind Rises,” the story of a man and his flying machines. The lushly vivid backdrops of “The Wind Rises” give you the feeling that you’ve strolled from the manga aisle into the Impressionism wing of an art museum.

Science fiction: “Edge of Tomorrow”

This sci fi masterpiece continues the metaphysical thought experiment of “Groundhog Day” — what could the human brain do with an infinite amount of time to solve a problem? But this film goes deeper, shocking you into considering why world superpowers use soldiers to kill each other to figure out who wins. It’s all so arbitrary, but that’s life.

Romantic comedy: “Detroit Unleaded”

“Detroit Unleaded,” written and directed by Lansing native Rola Nashef, is many things. It’s a sweet romantic comedy; it’s a thoughtful examination of Old World culture preservation; and it’s a workplace farce that stays just this side of bawdy. Through it all shines a love for Detroit — for America, really — where anything is possible.

By keeping the focus on a distinctly Arab American experience, Nashef’s message becomes universal: Most of us live within some type of antiquated system of societal norms that we obey but have no idea why, even when it means denying ourselves happiness or feeling guilty about that happiness.