This is a list of the 2013 movies I saw, some in the theater and some at home. It was a decent year, though I didn't get out to see as many indies as I normally like. Maybe I can change that in 2014.
Let's get on with the reviews.
Zero Dark Thirty
Director Kathryn Bigelow's journalistic
account of the raid on the compound in Pakistan that had been the
hideout for Osama Bin Laden. The tension builds slowly but steadily
as the intelligence services of the world's remaining superpower
struggle to find the 9/11 mastermind. It's a series of dead ends
until one female agent, played by Jessica Chastain, catches a break
and follows the thread until she manages to find the terrorist's
redoubt. Fascinating for its glimpse into the inner workings of
America's intelligence infrastructure, and its depiction of the
torture methods used to extract information. It gave me a sense of
the great experiment in Democracy this country embodies suddenly
going off the rails due to the actions of 19 individuals. This made
a lot of 2012 lists, deservedly so, but in the Roc we sometimes get
the good stuff later than the larger cities, so I'm finally including
it for this year.
Side Effects
Notable for being Steven Soderbergh's
last directorial effort on a feature film, or so he expressed at the
time. So far, he's kept his promise. The story concerns the side
effects of a fictional anti-depressant prescribed to a young woman
who later murders her husband. I was hoping for more of a discussion
about the epidemic of prescription psychotropic drugs washing over
the country, but Soderbergh chooses to emphasize the thriller aspect.
This was executed well enough that I was willingly sucked down the
rabbit hole of a young woman's (Rooney Mara) twisted scheme. I got
the sense that, after so much experience, Soderbergh would find it
very difficult to make a truly bad film.
Spring Breakers
Harmony Korine's dark fever dream shot
against South Florida's dayglo colors of a group of young girls,
ineffably bored with their small town existence, who decide to turn
criminal to facilitate an escape to the promise of spring break.
There, they meet James Franco's white, corn-rowed rapper, a small
time entertainer who fancies himself a true gangsta. Franco's
performance is by turns hilarious and disturbing, as he begins his
association with the girls having the upper hand, only to have it
turned against him in the end. It pulls back the curtain to reveal
the menace that can lie beneath the carefree party vibe of those
sun-soaked beaches.
Iron Man 3
Robert Downey Jr. returns as the
eponymous hero for a third go-round. Different director this time as
Shane Black takes over, he of Lethal Weapon scriptwriter fame. The
dialogue pops more in this installment, but for me, the Iron Man
movies are probably one of the least successful franchises for
Marvel's characters. I can't quite put my finger on it, but they
don't really capture the essence of the hero. I thought he was better
handled as part of the Avengers ensemble. It devolves into a finale
which again reaches for excess, with Downey being sucked into and
spit out of so many different Iron Man suits, to both comic and
exhausting effect. Nevertheless, still probably the best of the three
films, but I'm kind of hoping they don't make any more for a long
while.
Mud
A modest, low-budget effort starring
Matthew McConaughey as a drifting ne'er-do-well who involves a couple
of kids in his scheme to win back an old love and escape the reach of
the law. A well done film with very capable performances all round.
It's a film which makes a star of its location, along the banks of
the Mississippi, as much as any of its human stars.
Man Of Steel
The much-anticipated cinematic reboot
of Superman, courtesy of producer Christopher Nolan (The Batman
trilogy, The Prestige) and director Zack Snyder. A trailer
released three months before the film opened had me salivating to see
this new iteration of the iconic character. When I saw that Nolan
shared a story credit on the film, that bolstered my confidence even
more. Alas, the film is a mixed bag. The quieter moments are nicely
executed, with Clark's powers slowly coming to the fore, and all the
questions they raise about responsibility and purpose. Kevin Costner
offers a neatly understated turn as Pa Kent. Once he becomes Superman
though, and joins battle with General Zod (a one-note shoutfest from
the usually brilliant Michael Shannon) the super-destructive battle
sequences take over and drown out the rest of the film. More of the
budget goes toward demolished buildings than any tactical flourishes
in the fighting. There was much made about Supes taking a life in
this one, which didn't initially bother me at first. But maybe that
speaks more to the creators' lack of imagination with this story. Ah,
what might've been had the film lived up to that trailer.
The Bling Ring
Sofia Coppola (the daughter of that
other famous film Coppola) directed this little gem about
The Wolverine
I never saw the first Wolverine film,
and didn't feel I missed much since there were a slew of bad reviews
for it. This one had James Mangold directing though, who had
previously directed Cop Land, a film I really enjoyed. This was one
of the better superhero efforts, as Wolvy travels to Japan to meet
with a very old acquaintance, and consequently gets embroiled in a
conflict which robs him of his ability to heal quickly. Wolverine is
a character better used in a group context, at least for me, but I
enjoyed this solo outing very much.
Kick Ass 2
The sequel to the successful 2010 film
of the same name, this time with a different director. These are the
further adventures of the DIY superheroes called Kick Ass and Hit
Girl, in all their stylized, hyper-violent glory. While not quite as
inventive as the original, this follow-up had enough energy, new
characters, and comic edge to make it an interesting two hour
journey. As in the first, Chloe Grace Moretz as Hit Girl gives the
film most of its punch.
Elysium
Matt Damon stars in another film about
a dystopian future for Earth. This one's helmed by Neil Blomkamp, the
South African director who made a splash back in 2009 with District
9. This is more of a conventional action film, with Damon as one of
the unlucky many stuck back on a planet devastated by overcrowding
and conflict. He wants to somehow get into Elysium, a huge floating
space station that the rich have built to escape from the chaotic
masses. He receives the help of an exoskeleton surgically affixed to
his body which makes him stronger and better able to defend himself
against the forces of the elite arrayed against him. Sharlto Copley,
the star from District 9, has a hell of a time as the villain of the
piece. It's been too long since a film has had a good South African
villain.
The Grandmaster
Legendary Hong Kong director Wong Kar
Wai's tale of the early life and career of Ip Man, the martial arts
teacher who mentored Bruce Lee. Gorgeously shot, the film boasts
great performances by Tony Leung and Ziyi Zhang. The painstaking
effort to craft every shot is evident in every frame, and it restored
my faith that there are some directors who still know how to shoot a
fight scene. A compelling and poetic glimpse into a long-gone era in
China.
Rush
Ron Howard breaks away from the
franchise films he's been making recently and tells an original story
about the rivalry between Formula 1 racers Nikki Lauda and James Hunt
during the 70s. Daniel Bruhl as Lauda is real find, an actor that I
hope to see more of in the future. The racing scenes are slick and
tense, and even though the ending is a matter of history, I still
found myself on the edge of my seat, waiting for the climactic
moment.
Prisoners
Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal head
the cast for a film about the disappearance of two children in a
small Pennsylvania town, the confused circumstances surrounding the
disappearance, and what happens when parental frustration boils over.
This film skirted a little too close to exploiting the situation
emotionally early on in order to provoke a reaction, but then
refocused on the incident and the slow march toward its resolution.
Strong performances from both the leads. It feels like a true story,
but it's not. If it were true though, it would probably dominate the
news cycle for days. Paul Dano also turns in a solid performance as a
mentally handicapped young man who seems to stand at the center of
the investigation. He was also an evil plantation overseer in 12
Years A Slave. I like his role choices so far in his brief career.
Gravity
The incredible film that you'll really
believe they shot in space. Sandra Bullock is a scientist from a
space station that's been destroyed by orbital debris. The next 90
minutes are her fight for survival, with little help, in the most
hostile environment there is. It's a stunning technical achievement,
and the movies says a lot about our reliance on technology, and
questions whether it's made us lose sight of more important things.
Bullock's emergence from the shallow lake back on Earth at the end
seems to point to a rebirth for humanity, stripped of the gadgets
that have divorced us from a close relationship with nature and
ourselves. Alfonse Cuaron (Children of Men) directed this
masterpiece. Perhaps an American director would have duplicated the
special effects, but I doubt they would have included the existential
seasoning, which makes the film truly great.
Thor: The Dark World
The second Thor film, as Marvel
continues its annual colonization of the cinemaplex. The whole thing
gets off to a rather lumbering, slow start, but quickly picks up
steam. Thor faces a powerful villain, on top of dealing with the
machinations of his wayward brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston). The
conceit of the action traversing through different dimensions as it
happened was an interesting twist, and made for some great setpieces.
I think some of the warmer aspects of the character from the comic
are missing, but Marvel's “Superman” does need big cosmic
stories. Very satisfying, but mostly in a four-color way.
12 Years A Slave
For me, the best film of the year. The
true story of Solomon Northup, a free black man who's kidnapped by
Southern slave traders and sold into slavery in Louisiana. It's based
on the memoir he published back in 1853 about his horrible
experience. I don't know why it took an English director (Steve
McQueen) to make the most honest portrait of an institution that
remains the shame of a nation. Maybe we still can't face what
happened then, in all of its evil and brutality. Chiwetel Ejiofor
plays Northup, and the pain that the man endured is indelibly
etched on his face throughout the entire film. This is one for the
ages.
American Hustle
Director David O. Russell returns with
his story of the Abscam operation of the late 70s, when several
congressmen were caught in an FBI sting operation involving fake Arab
sheiks and large sums of money. This film boasts a great cast, led by
the reliably fascinating Christian Bale, as he morphs into an
overweight, neurotic con man who still manages to filch your
sympathy. Russell's camera is fluid and the dialogue is rich and
sinuous. The film ably captures a slippery decade and its equally
slippery inhabitants.
The Wolf Of Wall Street
Scorsese is back in vintage form, with
a film highly reminiscent of his classic, Goodfellas. Instead of the
mob being the focus though, it's Wall Street. Leo DiCaprio plays
Jordan Belfort, a small time trader who rose to heady heights when he
began manipulating his clients through sheer force of a talent for
salesmanship. The other star of the film is cocaine, which is snorted
regularly and praised generously as an indispensable aid in doing the
job. There are some hilarious moments as the inevitable downward
spiral begins. Belfort's hubris gets the better of him, and
consequently so do the Feds. It's another glimpse into the decadent
world of high finance, which seems to be constantly fertile ground
for this kind of story. We don't seem to learn anything from them
however, as the party just goes on. This one clocks in at three full
hours, and could've been edited down by about 20 minutes and lost
none of its power. This is a small criticism at best though. At 71,
Scorsese still has his gift.
There are some films I didn't get to see in time, such as Inside Llewyn Davis, and All Is Lost, but maybe I'll include those in later posts. I hope your cinematic choices offer as much satisfaction as mine did for me. Whatever you do, for God's sake, don't just limit yourself to the animated crap your kids want to lap up. Expand your horizons to the adult world!
