In 2013 a total of 698 films were released in the UK, and by 31 December we can expect a similar number for this year. Ben Roberts, director of the BFI Film Fund, has said: "There are too many films being released. That number is ridiculous...There's just too much stuff out there." I agree – in order to see every film released in 2014 it would mean watching about 13 films a week in order to keep up.

So this cannot be a definitive list. Instead, here are unapologetically my personal top 10 films of the year. For me, a film is a winner not just by virtue of its box office blockbuster statistics, but if it prompts me to look at the world differently, inspires me to praise God or can be a helpful life and faith conversation prompt.

Best Sequel: The Hobbit

OK so it's only just out and I haven't seen it yet, but the trailer looks amazing. Yes, they squeezed a very short book into three very long films. Yes, it would be quicker to read the book than watch all three movies. But Peter Jackson is the master of epic set piece battle and we are surely in for a treat with dragons and orcs and elves in rich supply. With this last instalment of Tolkien's work we come to the end of a significant era in cinematic history, so prepare yourself for an emotional ending. These films have helped us wrestle with the corrupting dangers of power, the way greed dehumanizes us, and also the power of friendship and fellowship. Tolkien created a world infused with Christian virtues and characters that help us to explore the riches of human existence through a gospel lens. Watch and enjoy.

Best Remake: Edge of Tomorrow

Some films are so good they need to be made again for a new audience. Rarely are films better the second time around (thumbs down I say to remakes Total Recall, Annie, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). But of this year's crop of films, the reinvention of Groundhog Day as a sci-fi action movie featuring Tom Cruise was a masterstroke. With Cruise caught in a time loop with Emily Blunt fighting side by side to save humankind there was a fresh and interesting look at the repetitive cycle of life, a mini-parable of the need for repetition of disciplines to create virtuous character as well as some very impressive special effects. Watch out for a sense of déjà vu when you watch this film.

Best Super Hero: Guardians of the Galaxy

Perhaps you have become fed up with the Marvel Comic machine that is churning out films, prequels, collaborations and spin offs in a seeming unending succession. Well, Guardians of the Galaxy is a refreshingly funny and creative Marvel movie. The films' two killer assets are the instantly likeable Chris Pratt at the helm as Star Lord and a brilliant retro soundtrack that becomes the organizing and emotional hub of the film. The soundtrack is so good that it has accompanied our family on every road trip we have made this year. Apart from being laugh-out-loud funny, the film centres on a young boy who loses his mother and then is fostered by a gang of space pirates. There is a powerful redemption narrative coursing through the film and, a little like the Lord of the Rings, a multicultural band of misfits and renegades that become a family on a common mission to save the universe.

Best Children's Film: Lego Movie

I go to see a lot of children's movies with my larger than normal family of birth and adopted children. It's rare to find a film that connects with both the young children in our care and our older teens and parents and carers too. The Lego movie did a brilliant job of appealing to everyone. Whether it was the visual gags, the bright colours, the insanely infectious "everything is awesome" theme song, the (once again) instantly likeable Chris Pratt or the deadpan hilarious humour of the Lego Batman character, this film managed the rare feat of being a genuine family movie.

I must admit my slight disappointment that the story line wasn't richer but you can't have everything in one movie, I guess. The central storyline revolves around freedom of will versus conformation to expected societal norms which is an excellent way to discuss what it means to live for a different set of beliefs and values to the dominant culture, as well as the nature of human freedom verses divine sovereignty. The doctrine that God gave humanity the ability to make ethical and creative choices rather than fixing us through predestination offers a useful conversation topic for one of the big paradoxes of both materialistic atheism and Christian theology.

Best Art House: Grand Budapest Hotel

This film is a must see if you appreciate beautifully shot quirky comedy with an all star cast that includes Ralph Fiennes, William Hurt, Ed Norton and Jeff Goldblum. It is an intricately crafted plot with some amazing set pieces. The plot centres on the life and adventures of a concierge at the Grand Budapest Hotel around 1968. It speaks of a bygone era of service and gentility and features a heist, a murder, a prison break and a man-hunt. I was visiting a US guest in the restaurant of an exclusive London hotel in Park Lane and had cause to strike up a conversation with the concierge there. He had just been on a global conference for concierges, and said the film had become a favourite among people in the industry.

Best Feel Good Film: The Chef

The Chef stars John Favreu who is better known for his directorial work on the Iron Man Trilogy, as well as playing Tony Stark's butler / driver and acting as Executive Producer in The Avengers. The Chef is a very different film to Favreu's Marvel work although he does manage to get a lot of his Marvel friends to play cameo roles in the movie including a brilliant turn from Robert Downey Jnr and the ubiquitous Scarlett Johansson.

Favreu plays Carl Casper, a divorced chef who loses his job due to a meltdown with a famous restaurant critic that is captured on YouTube. Carl then starts up a food van business where he falls in love again with grassroots simple food and reconnects with his young son as they embark on a road trip.

The film demonstrates the art and craft of cooking and shows the artistry and sense of call a Chef feels about their work. The film helped me experience the way in which cooking can be a gift of love, a relationship-builder and a vocation. It's a bit like Pixar's Ratatouille for grownups and wins my feelgood movie of the year award, although it did leave me very hungry for a Cuban sandwich.

Best Biopic: Unbroken

I have written elsewhere on why this film is such a gift from Angelina Jolie to the world. In fact, it's a bargain too as you pay to see one film and get two others for free. The incredible life story of Louis Zamperini contains the plotline for three separate movies. Jolie has created a film that leaves strong clues of Zamperini's Christian faith without actually telling too much about it. But if you take a friend to see this, you will easily be able to identify the pieces of the puzzle she has left out. It's a gift to the Church from high profile personality director Jolie – 137 minutes on the life of an inspirational 87 year old Christian war veteran. Make sure you make the most of it.

Best Biblical Epic: Exodus

With Bible-based movies hitting the global multiplexes this year such as Noah, Son of God and Exodus and more films slated for the future it is an exciting time for the Church to engage with Hollywood's appetite for biblical stories. These films are bound to upset almost everyone: secularists will complain, critics will be critical and sadly Christians will be up in arms too, as they take artistic liberties with the text that some may find offensive or unnecessary. I see these films as huge opportunities for conversations with an often biblically illiterate culture and spiritually hungry friends about the God of the Bible. Exodus the film certainly has its flaws but Ridley Scott has retold one of the biggest stories in history on a grand scale. He has thrown everything at the film: A-list celebrity cast, 3-D effects, Plagues, Pryamids and a Tsunami. In fact Scott had so much CGI budget he may have thrown too much at the film with his 'crocosharknadoes'. Nevertheless this will be a great talking point movie to enjoy with friends.

Best Movie: Interstellar

A new nearly three hour long Christopher Nolan movie with Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain and Michael Caine is always going to be an event. Interstellar was an audacious movie wrestling with huge ideas of science, ecology, time travel and love. Interstellar was not Nolan's finest hour (I preferred Inception and Memento) because the ending of the movie is problematic; but nevertheless this was still my favourite film of the year as Nolan gets you to bring your brain and your heart to the cinema. It is visually arresting, emotionally engaging and intellectually challenging as all good movies should be. Nolan raises some great questions worthy of a late night discussion with friends. Enjoy the ride.

Wild Card Entry: Boyhood

I promised a top ten list so let me tell you about the film that I didn't get a chance to see at the cinema but that I most wanted to watch: "Boyhood" starring Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette and Ellar Coltrane. In 2002 Richard Linklater, best known for Dazed and Confused and School of Rock, started another long-term collaboration with his friend and actor Ethan Hawke. This was to be an epic project – filming for a few weeks a year for 12 years in order to tell the fictional story of a 6 year old boy growing into a man but using the same actors throughout. The amount of logistical and artistic vision for producing such a movie is outstanding. The film has received glowing reviews and I can't believe I missed it. So there it is – the one that got away and I am looking forward to the official DVD / streaming release in January.