Halfway through 2014 I have seen exactly 5 films that I think would be worthy of a year-end top 10 list. I’m guessing at least a couple will actually survive the end-of-year onslaught of quality films to make it to the 2014 top 10. (Which ones? Hard to say right now.)

So here are my top 5 for the first half of the year:

The Lego Movie—Clever, funny and sweet. Just a pure delight!

The Grand Budapest Hotel—Wes Anderson delivered what the trailer promised. It’s like a 2014 Marx brothers film.

Chef—Jon Favreau wrote, starred and directed the ultimate foodie movie with a happy ending. Cool music, too.

Snowpiercer—Great story, well told. Fierce battles, amazing settings aboard a non-stop rail journey in the near future.

Boyhood—Opening in St. Louis on August 1. Director Richard Linklater shot scenes once a year for 12 years. Mason grows from a little kid to a man on screen as his family evolves, too. (The story is fiction. Better than a reality show.)

Looking forward to an exciting 2nd half of 2014!