Here’s Part 2 of my favorite films of 2013. If you haven’t already, go check out Part 1 linked here: film-reviewer-jrs-favorite-films-of-2013-part-1
Distinctive Exceptional Award:
Once in a while, I see a film that’s clear to have exceptional quality yet (for one reason or another) feels unsuitable to be placed with the other groups. This award is specifically designed for a film such as that.
12 Years a Slave
Genre: Drama/Historical
12 Years a Slave is a brutal, direct, and highly realistic look at the evils of slavery. I don’t believe anything here could be regarded as light-hearted; even music played on a violin sounds twisted and warped. It is however a finely crafted film, well deserving of a spot on my top ten. Yet I ultimately decided not to place it there, truth be told, because I did not enjoy it. No, 12 Years a Slave sacrifices any form of entertainment in exchange for a horrific truth so important, that showcasing it (without playing down the horror) became more essential to McQueen than entertaining. It felt inappropriate to place such a film with others where entertainment is the key. This is a very, very powerful film that’s certainly hard to watch, but necessary to see. I may never again watch 12 Years a Slave, but I’m certainly glad to have seen it.
My Top Ten Favorites of 2013:
Here they are; the cream of the crop, the pick of the litter, my favorite films of 2013. Unlike The Other Ten I've ordered these in numerical order from my 10th favorite to my 1st (links are provided in the titles for those I've previously reviewed).
Genre: Comedy
Scorsese is well known for making films about flawed characters; ranging from the mentally unstable (Taxi Driver), to the sinful saint (Last Temptation), to the complete scumbag (Goodfellas). One of his most famous examples examines real life boxer Jake LaMotta's issues with anger, jealously and self-destructiveness in the biographical drama Raging Bull. The Wolf of Wall Street likewise examines fraudulent stockbroker Jordon Belfort's issues with substance abuse, sexual addiction, and self-destructiveness with one major difference; it’s played completely for comedy. The film is completely unapologetic in its obscenity; crossing the line with an offensive joke so splendidly put together, that it comes right back over. It’s thanks to Scorsese’s editing style that scenes involving dwarf tossing and gags on cerebral palsy become deliciously (as well as shamefully) funny rather than cringingly offensive. The end result of Belfort's memoirs combined with unremorseful black comedy is a remarkable success; making me wonder if Raging Bull would have worked as a comedy instead (most likely not, but wouldn't that be a fascinating sight to see).
#9: Una Noche (One Night)
Genre: Drama/Thriller
I doubt many of you have heard of this film; its Wikipedia page doesn't even have a cover. Set in Havana Cuba, Una Noche tells the story of three teenagers who (after a series of events) illegally journey on a make-shift raft towards the United States. The events all follow a single, exhilarating day, which is shocking considering all the events that transpire throughout (along with all the principles made). The messages/morals here are nothing new, but are told in a refreshingly energized way. Una Noche's chock-full of energy and passion; watching it gives off the impression of an action/adventure movie, yet its harsher aspects are far from fictional. That’s certainly why the finale’s more engaging and shocking than anticipated; I expected an adventure film ending, and got something completely different. With this unusually effective combination, Una Noche becomes something far greater than it would have if a slower pace had been utilized.
Genre: Coming of Age/Romance
Performance is critical for a film such as this. Use the wrong actresses, and Blue is the Warmest Color could have come crumbling down, becoming nothing more than a “what if”. Luckily this was not the case, as both Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux perform terrifically throughout. Their performances amplify some very hard to watch scenes to incredibly realistic levels. The emotions felt in these harsh scenes (fear, anger, shock, heart-break, etc…) are projected onto the audience, allowing them to feel an “in their shoes” perspective that’s as powerfully distressing to the viewers as it is for our characters. Despite the tough reality Warmest Color has, there are some lovely sections as well. Blissful scenes where the two girls lay side by side in a park (rich and vibrant autumn colors surrounding them), helps bring beauty and warmth to counterbalance the harsher moments. With two wonderful performances, a well told coming of age relationship, and scenes of both heart-break and heart-warmth, Blue is the Warmest Color succeeds as an emotionally powerful film.
#7: Blue Jasmine
Genre: Comedy/Romance
As of now, Woody Allen has directed 45 different films and written over 70; I've seen only 15 of them. I write this to show how many films are left till I've seen all of Woody Allen’s archive. Out of that third, I've seen classics such as Sleeper, Annie Hall, and Manhattan; all considered some of his best work. So I hope that gives me some credit when I write that Blue Jasmine is at their level as one of his finest films. It’s a delicious riches to rags tale that deals with black comedy and fumbling relationships the way Allen knows best. Cate Blanchett's performance as our delusional star is an absolute delight to watch; balancing comedy, snobbery and pity together in one delightfully enjoyable act. The film is commendable for taking a complex amount of storytelling, and making it seem so straightforward. Blue Jasmine’s smooth editing of flashbacks keep it well-adjusted without feeling disruptive; something quite difficult to organize effectively in film. While I still have plenty of his films to view, I’d place Blue Jasmine right up there with my other Woody Allen favorites.
#6: Dredd (3D)
Directed By: Pete Travis
Genre: Action/Sci-Fi
Here’s a leftover from 2012 that I've been kicking myself for not seeing in theaters. Dredd (or Dredd 3D as it was marketed) came out in late 2012 and bombed at the box office. I assume one of the reasons for this was a mixture of poor marketing techniques and the original 1995 film (Judge Dredd starring Sylvester Stallone) giving a bad taste to the name (certainly one of my reasons for not going). Yet what the original does wrong, the reboot does opposite; succeeding far beyond expectations to Die Hard levels of action quality entertainment. Instead of a large scale “end of the world as we know it” plot (used in the original), Dredd focuses on a single mission that feels huge but is simply a “day on the job” for our title character; magnifying the difficulty of his job as a result. With this focus comes more time to develop our rookie Judge Cassandra, who serves as an audience surrogate to the sci-fi world (as well as a bad-ass and a remarkably interesting character), and our feared Judge Dredd; this time closer to his comic book counterpart as a no-nonsense cop who, despite his machine-like attitude and personality, still comes across as full of life and character. Dredd is filled with bright vibrant colors, amazing action sequences, tons of suspense (even some horror), and a plot that actually works with the world it’s put into. And while it bombed the good news is Dredd has been successful on home release and (thanks to fan efforts) may find itself getting a sequel in the near future; if it does you can bet I won’t miss it in theaters!
Genre: Comedy/Apocalypse
Comedy is a very subjective genre. What one person finds hilarious another may find a bore. I've realized over the years that any film involving Seth Rogen has a huge probability of bringing me absolute hilarity. The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Superbad and Pineapple Express are all comedies I adore; so the probability of me enjoying a film co-directed by Seth Rogen was a high guarantee. I've repeatedly mentioned before how much I love This is the End’s humor (the best I've seen in years), yet hardly mention how I appreciated the plot relationship between Jay and Seth; two people that were once really good friends but due to circumstances are now growing distant. I understand the hardship of losing a friend (I think many people have) and felt actual effort being exerted into this sub-plot. It’s funny because This is the End would have probably done just fine without it; but that extra push to bring character growth into a raunchy comedy about celebrities being left behind during the rapture…and succeeding; deserves a spot on my list not only as favorite comedy of 2013, but also as a great film.
Now let’s take a moment to discuss something of vital importance; Matthew McConaughey
Taking a trip down memory lane; back to April of 2008 when Family Guy released a new episode containing this cutaway gag: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQnZIdl5wsc. The gag consists of Stewie Griffin repeatedly trying to explain to Matthew McConaughey (with futile results) just how much of an awful actor he is; something that during the episode’s original run, I (and many others included) would agree with. The Wedding Planner (2001), How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days (2003), Failure to Launch (2006), and Fool’s Gold (2008) were just some of the “lovely” films McConaughey starred in; getting consistently worse as the years progressed. He was essentially a B-rate actor, using his good looks to star in one bad romance comedy after the other (with the occasional failed jump to action). It finally seemed to end after his 2009 flop Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, where McConaughey simply disappeared from film for a whole year…then something strange happened. In 2011 McConaughey returned to star in The Lincoln Lawyer; and not only was it a good film, but his performance was well received. Then Bernie came out and his performance was even better, being one of the films highlights. Then a string of good films came out in 2012 (Mud, Killer Joe, Magic Mike), each one containing him in a highly memorable, critically praised performance. Finally Dallas Buyers Club was released, and in the span of four years McConaughey when from being laughing stock pretty boy to A-list actor being Oscar nominated for best performance (and winning best drama at the golden globes). But how exactly did McConaughey grow so beloved that his short appearance in The Wolf of Wall Street was one of the film’s biggest highlights?
#4: Dallas Buyers Club
Genre: Drama
What exactly changed that made McConaughey the star he is now? I find it has to do with the films/genres he now stars in. McConaughey's role has changed from eye-candy ladies’ man, to eye-candy mad man; allowing him to act as eccentric, bizarre, and psychotic as he wants. Strangely enough, these roles feel completely natural coming from him, allowing for a much more enjoyable (and at times emotional) experience. McConaughey also feels much more dedicated to these roles, so much so that the “eye-candy” part can be dropped. Taking his role in Dallas Buyers Club for example; McConaughey lost over 50 pounds to play its star role as a drug injecting, chain smoking, and heavy drinking AIDS carrier (and it shows as he looks convincingly frail and sickly throughout). His performance is quite eccentric and fun to watch, but can be just as emotional when calling for it. His unconventional behavior is so frequent, that when it ceases, I know the film’s getting serious; helping to enhance these scenes to much more passionate levels. Without McConaughey Dallas Buyers Club would still be a good film, but with him running the show, it becomes one of 2013’s best.
Genre: Developmental/Drama
I've found there are two major types of great films. The first is the explosive kind; the kind that brings out the fireworks from minute one and doesn't stop till the credits role (i.e. The Wolf of Wall Street, American Hustle, etc...). The second kind is where Short Term 12 resides. The film is more subtle in its approach; I knew I was watching a good film, I just didn't know how good. It’s wasn't until the credits rolled that I began to think (putting all the pieces together, looking back at how the film worked as a whole) and slowly came to realize what a wonderful film I'd just watched. The characters are wonderfully developed, the plot wisely paced and edited, and scenes range from great to little masterpieces on their own. I've learned that in the long run it’s these types of films that draw the best emotional responses from me, and Short Term 12 brought out nearly every emotion I have.
Genre: Comedy/Crime
That being said, the explosive type of movie can be just as satisfying if done correctly, and this is that kind of movie. American Hustle gave me a similar feeling to when I first saw Pulp Fiction; not to say the two films are similar in cinematography (though they do possess some shared qualities), but similar in effect. When Pulp Fiction came out in 1994, it used a style and approach that was unlike anything that had come out in the 90s; having a distinctive and refreshing feel that sealed it as a memorable film for years to come. Though many great films have come out this decade, many have had a similar (and safer) use of style; yet here came American Hustle taking a wild chance. Along with its wonderful use of creative techniques, brilliant editing, and amusingly convoluted plot points, it also has the largest array of terrific performances I've seen this year. Its unique style, effects and characters paid off in the end, making American Hustle an extremely refreshing breath of new air for the cinema.
Genre: Drama
For a while now my number one pick of 2013 has been aiming at Fruitvale Station. Since it’d been six months since I saw it in theaters I decided to revisit before finishing the list; checking to see if everything still matched up. Not only did everything hold up (I once again trembled from the intensity of its shooting scene), but I also found two new reasons to love this film. The first is the end of the film text that clarifies Oscar Grant was 22 years old when killed; I just recently became 22 years old. Seeing that text again hit me with a deeper impact at just how young Oscar was taken from the world; and in a bizarre way, found myself relating to him as a result. Oscar was still very young on the road of life, yet learning to become more mature. He was flawed and had problems (and some habits that didn't help), but was taking a new step towards a better direction, walking away from bad actions, taking more responsibility, and getting ready to officially begin a family…and then he was killed. This leads into my second reason that Fruitvale Station is a very swift film. Not in a rushed way mind you, but in a way where everything plays an important role with no unneeded moments spared. Everything is seamlessly placed, paced, and necessary to reach an emotionally satisfying ending. Fruitvale Station sweeps you off your feet while simultaneously slamming you into a brick wall; it happens fast, hits hard, leaves a lasting impact, and may make you teary eyed.
I guess it’s time to begin reviewing films from 2014; first one up, That Awkward Moment.
