2013 Top 10 Update: Still not definitive

I'm still struggling to get all the films from my list of shame watched before I make my definitive top 10 (or 20 or 30 at this rate) of 2013. Films still to watch include Lincoln, Frozen, Blue Jasmine and Blue is the Warmest Colour and you never know which, if any, may squeeze their way into my top 10 of 2013. I expect to have a definitive list by June hopefully!

Seeing as yesterday I already took the crazy step of doing a top 10 of 2014 so far list, I thought it best to also update what I think were my favourite films of 2013. I have already done my top 10 British films, top 10 horror, sci-fi and fantasy and top documentaries but all these will have changed as my mind works through the films for years to come and also I add more films from the list of shame.

Way back in July 2013, I decided these films were my top 10 of the year so far but this has changed considerably now. Click the titles for full reviews. Without further ado, here is my top 10 of 2013 at the moment:

10. The World's End

 

9. Gravity

8. The Selfish Giant

7. Captain Philips

6. Philomena

5. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

4. Side by Side

3. Spring Breakers

2. Before Midnight 

1. The Impossible

Unfortunately I never reviewed Gravity and there are two other newcomers to this list that I have also not reviewed.

I watched Before Midnight last night and it has blown away most of the competition. I expected it to be good but not that good! It will stay with me for a long, long time I suspect. Though I didn't fully believe the last minute hint at a happy ending, I think maybe that is the point. There are some serious cracks in Jesse and Celine's relationship and though they can keep trying to paper over them, the cracks may yet continue to grow. It might be a very sad story if we ever catch up with these two again.

Another newcomer to the list is The Selfish Giant which is a small British film about two kids who get in with metal scrappers to earn some pounds while skipping school. The performances of the two boys in the leads were absolutely incredible and the story and cinematography were amazing, if utterly tragic in every sense.

What do you think of my top 10 of 2013 so far?

2013 Top 10 So Far

It seems like lots of folks have been taking stock of the year that is 2013 so far seeing as we are over half way through it. As I'm about to take my mid-year holiday and probably won't be doing a lot of film watching for the next few weeks, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to make a note of all the (UK cinema) new releases I have seen in 2013 and what my favourites of the year have been so far.

So firstly here are all of the 2013 releases I have watched so far in the order that I watched them:

1. The Impossible
2. Flight
3. The Bay
4. Les Miserables
5. Rebellion
6. No
7. Wreck-It Ralph
8. I Give it a Year
9. The Fall of the Essex Boys
10. Warm Bodies
11. Hitchcock
12. Cloud Atlas
13. Song For Marion
14. A Good Day to Die Hard
15. Stoker
16. The Paperboy
17. Django Unchained
18. Zero Dark Thirty
19. Broken
20. Robot and Frank
21. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
22. Sleep Tight
23. The Lords of Salem
24. Trance
25. The Liability
26. Side Effects
27. Evil Dead
28. Spring Breakers
29. Olympus Has Fallen
30. The Gatekeepers
31. Iron Man 3
32. Bait
33. The Look of Love
34. Bernie
35. Everybody Has a Plan
36. 21 & Over
37. Side by Side
38. Sound City
39. A Hijacking
40. Sweet Vengeance
41. This is the End
42. Come as You Are
43. Summer in February
44. Man of Steel
45. Star Trek into Darkness
46. Desert Runners
47. Monsters University
48. The Internship
49. To the Wonder
50.  The Deep
51. The World's End
52. Frances Ha
53. Dark Skies

So 53 of the 95 films I have watched this year have been brand new releases which must be some kind of record for me and I have Filmoria to thank for special advance screenings of many of these. Without further ado, here is my top 10 of 2013 so far:

10. I Give it a Year 
9. This is the End
8. Evil Dead
7. Desert Runners
6. Cloud Atlas
5. Django Unchained
4. The World's End
3. Side by Side
2. Spring Breakers

1. The Impossible

Please click any title for my reviews of the films. It's a pretty crazy list for me. A rom-com??? A remake??? Two documentaries, what looked like (and probably is to some extent) sexist crap, two comedies about the end of the world and a true life tale of massive loss of life. Cheery isn't it?

So that's my top 10 of the year so far (I think). What have been your favourite 2013 films so far? Perhaps The Impossible has stuck with me the most because I'm off to Thaliand. Though it may have focussed on only one family, it is still the true story of the deaths of 200,000 people and was therefore bound to have a strong impact. It is certainly the film that had the biggest emotional effect on me this year. 

I'll be back in a few weeks so until then... take care now and bye bye then!

January Movie News and Reviews

Wow it's been a busy month! I've been rushed off my feet with screeners, screenings and even the Flight premiere to attend. I've been continuing my writing for Filmoria with many opportunities being thrown my way. My policy is to say 'yes' to anything I get offered in the hope that my enthusiasm and diligence will allow me a better shot at getting the opportunities that I REALLY REALLY want when they come up!

This means any time a PR company send over an offer of a screener, I try to ensure if no one else wants it, that I take it. This month I've had a few TV shows which isn't really my specialty but I've given reviewing them my best shot. The UNIT ONE TV series DVD boxset has Mads Mikkelsen and was a clear influence on The Killing (which I've just started watching after receiving the series one for Christmas) and JACK IRISH Bad Debts and Black Tide are two Australian TV movies starring Guy Pearce and were also pretty good.

I also got the opportunity of writing my first book review. After spending most of the Christmas period racing through the GANGSTER SQUAD book, I think I fairly successfully reviewed it ahead of the film's release (which I have yet to see but keep reading unfortunately middling reviews of).

The DVD and Blu-ray releases I reviewed were THE SWEENEY Blu-ray and DJANGO PREPARE A COFFIN DVD release. It's always interesting to watch a re-release of an old film particularly if there is a reason for a PR company trying to make a buck out of it. Django Prepare a Coffin is rated highly by Tarantino so I got to see where he was taking perhaps a little inspiration from for his latest.

Finally I got to review FLIGHT starring Denzel Washington, as well as chatting to him on the red carpet of the film's London premiere and I also reviewed CHAINED and MAY I KILL U? These last two I saw last year but were only being released this month.

I also reviewed I Give it a Year for Static Mass Emporium here.

Below are all the news stories I covered in January for Filmoria:

Entourage Movie Green Lit

The Sweeney Publicity Stunt

Before Midnight New Stills

New Warm Bodies Poster

Gremlins Reboot Rumours

A Good Day to Die Hard R rated

The Last Exorcism Part 2 Poster

If all that isn't enough, I also wrote a Tarantino retrospective so was kept busy re-watching his old films. I'm also re-watching The Dark Knight Trilogy in preparation for an article for Media Magazine on how conservative the films actually are. I also re-watched The Shawshank Redemption and American History X in preparation for an upcoming article to be published in Splice Cinema Journal.

I also reviewed The Hobbit, The Impossible, Les Miserables and Wreck-It Ralph right here on this blog.

Other films that I watched but didn't review are Videodrome, The Amazing Spiderman, The Angels' Share, Red Tails and How I spent My Summer Vacation.

I have reviews in the pipeline for: The Bay, Rebellion, Lisa and the Devil, No and Black Sunday.

I think The Impossible is my favourite film of the month and May I Kill U? is without a doubt my least favourite.

What was the best film you watched this month?

Oscar Nominations 2013

My predictions are highlighted along with a few words about what I've seen, what I'd like to win and what I'm disappointed about.


Best Supporting Actor:
 
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Alan Arkin, Argo
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln

I’ve only seen Argo and Silver Linings Playbook but I suspect it will go to one of these two, probably Tommy Lee Jones I reckon.

Best Supporting Actress:
 
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Amy Adams, The Master

I’ve only seen Silver Linings Playbook but from the trailer alone, I’d be surprised if Hathaway doesn’t win this for Les Miserables.

Best Director:
 
David O'Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Michael Haneke, Amour
Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild

I’ve seen all of these except Beasts of the Southern Wild and Lincoln. I’d love to see Ang Lee get it but my money is on The Beard.

Best Actor:
 
Daniel Day Lewis, Lincoln
Denzel Washington, Flight
Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master

I’ve seen Flight and Silver Linings but this has Daniel Day-Lewis written all over it!

Best Actress:
 
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild

Haven’t seen Zero Dark Thirty or Beasts and though I’d love to see The Impossible win something, I don’t think it will be for Watts’ performance unfortunately. Jennifer Lawrence has the best shot I reckon.

Best Picture:
 
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty
Lincoln
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
Amour
Django Unchained
Argo

Well if they are going to snub Affleck for director, then I think it is only fair to give Argo Best Picture. Everyone loved it, myself included.

Animated Film:

“Brave” Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman
“Frankenweenie” Tim Burton
“ParaNorman” Sam Fell and Chris Butler
“The Pirates! Band of Misfits” Peter Lord
“Wreck-It Ralph” Rich Moore

I’ve only seen Frankenweenie but surely it’s between this and Brave.

Cinematography:

“Anna Karenina” Seamus McGarvey
“Django Unchained” Robert Richardson
“Life of Pi” Claudio Miranda
“Lincoln” Janusz Kaminski
“Skyfall” Roger Deakins

Would love to see either Skyfall or Life of Pi win this but think it should go to Skyfall.

Foreighn language film:

“Amour” Austria
“Kon-Tiki” Norway
“No” Chile
“A Royal Affair” Denmark
“War Witch” Canada

Though I’ve only see Amour, I’m completely gutted The Hunt isn’t here. Amour must win if they gave Haneke a nod.

Adapted screenplay:
“Argo” Screenplay by Chris Terrio
“Beasts of the Southern Wild” Screenplay by Lucy Alibar & Benh Zeitlin
“Life of Pi” Screenplay by David Magee
“Lincoln” Screenplay by Tony Kushner
“Silver Linings Playbook” Screenplay by David O. Russell

Hope Life of Pi gets it but could go to Argo or Lincoln.

Original screenplay:

“Amour” Written by Michael Haneke
“Django Unchained” Written by Quentin Tarantino
“Flight” Written by John Gatins
“Moonrise Kingdom” Written by Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola
“Zero Dark Thirty” Written by Mark Boal

No idea but would be nice for Tarantino to get it maybe.

Overall I think The Impossible deserved more nods and I'm gobsmacked The Hunt isn't in best foreign film! Would have thought Affleck would be in the directing category too. For now I'm off to check out the other categories.

What did you think of this year's noms?

The Impossible Review

The Impossible opens with a terrible rumble sound. If you know what the story is about, you are immediately filled with a sense of dread that lingers long into the film until you realise the impossible has been achieved. The film is technically accomplished, brilliantly acted by the big stars and not as insensitive as the story of a family of foreigners affected by the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami tragedy could have been.

 

Sadly the decision to cast Watts and McGregor to enable the film to have a big budget and sell to a large audience is necessary to attract attention and the level of investment needed to do the story justice. It is a shame that a real Spanish family become a British family in the film and that the deaths of 230,000 people are not the focus but on the other hand as a story of one family's experience of the disaster, The Impossible excels. The disaster is too huge for one film and so like World Trade Centre before it, The Impossible narrows its focus.

Though the film focuses on foreigners, the local people emerge as the real heroes. The hospital staff, villagers and others show incredible determination, sympathy and strength in the face of one of the worst natural disasters in history.

Tsunami survivors are unlikely to find The Impossible entertaining or have a desire to see it but this is because it is an incredible recreation of what happened; sickening, horrifying and breathtakingly realised.

For those not directly affected by the real life events depicted, it is enjoyable to an extent because although it is incredibly tragic, there is also so much hope and happiness (if just for this one family) in the film. However it is a tough watch and unbelievably sad, made more so by the bravura filmmaking and performances.

The eldest kid Lucas played by Tom Holland is amazing, carrying much of the film and doing a brilliant job. The two youngest kids waver a little bit but not enough to do any damage. McGregor is superb particularly in one heart wrenching sequence involving a phone call home, while Watts’ glamour and beauty are left bruised, battered and utterly redundant in the face of what her character endures. The production design is so convincing and the many extras around must have really helped all the actors, but especially the kids.

The moment the wave hits leads to an incredibly visceral sequence that is terrifying, shocking and impossible to take your eyes off the screen. The sound design, cinematography and practical effects combine to create a sickening sense of what it would have been like to be there. It is astonishing filmmaking; heart breaking and relentless and completely unforgettable.

Moments of the film may be sentimental but it's a story that does truly seem impossible. If Hollywood had made it up you would likely be disgusted. But the sentimental stuff is handled well and with the exception of a couple of scenes, it is not overly manipulative.

Real life tragedies deserve big screen treatments if they are handled sensitively and this film stands as a testament to the Thai people and their selflessness in the face of utter despair. What isn't appropriate is showing the trailer in front of The Hobbit without a warning. People should be able to choose whether or not they wish to be assaulted by such a film and the thought of somebody being ‘ambushed’ by the images in the trailer is saddening.

I hope that people will see the film and realise how wonderful the Thai people are and hopefully future generations can get a sense of what a tragedy it was.

The Impossible is a huge emotional and technical accomplishment. It manages to tell the small story of one family in a huge disaster and sensitively portray both the intimate and the epic of the tragedy. Though the focus is on a foreign family, half-drowned and lucky to be alive, it is the local people who surface as the heroes. The performances are amazing, aided in no small part by the incredible production design and terrifyingly real special effects.

The Impossible is a very powerful film, incredibly moving and emotionally devastating. Along with United 93, it is one of the most realistic depictions of a real life tragedy you will ever see. It is impossible to remain unaffected by the plight of the people in the story and by the credits it is impossible to move from your seat. Hopefully some of the profits will be put to good use in the places affected by the disaster.The Impossible is easily an early contender for my top 10 of 2013.

Most anticipated 2013 Movies (Jan-March)

2013 is looking like it will get off to a sound start judging by what I've been reading about upcoming releases in the first quarter of the year. John McClane returns in the fifth of the Die Hard franchise, a guy called John Dies at the End of his movie, Danny Boyle gets back to making films after fussing over Frankenstein and the Olympics, Leatherface saws up screens in 3D and the fourth deadliest natural disaster of the last century gets a cinematic rendering.

I originally intended to do a post on the films of 2013 that I'm most looking forward to but found so many to excite me just in the first three months that I thought it best to stop there. No doubt the summer will have its blockbusters including Star Trek Into Darkness, World War Z and Man of Steel and December will bring another round of hobbit adventures but for now here's my top 10 films to look out for in the first three months of 2013.

10. Side by Side
 

A documentary that will finally help me to get the differences and the pros and cons of shooting on film or digital. Produced by Keanu Reeves, it takes an in-depth look at the digital revolution in filmmaking. 'Through interviews with directors, cinematographers, film students, producers, technologists, editors, and exhibitors, SIDE BY SIDE examines all aspects of filmmaking — from capture to edit, visual effects to color correction, distribution to archive.'

9. Texas Chainsaw 3D

I shouldn't get too excited. It's not going to be better than the original. While I enjoyed the remake, I don't remember a thing about the prequel that followed it. The trailer looks trashy as hell with sexy looking model-types getting semi-undressed and all that crap but I can't help hoping that the return of Leatherface and his trusty tool will get me buzzing with excitement once again. Yikes that sounds dirty.

8. Trance

Danny Boyle directs a fantastic cast including I Love That Film favourite Vincent Cassel. Say no more.

7. Compliance

Sounds disturbing and intriguing: 'When a prank caller convinces a fast food restaurant manager to interrogate an innocent young employee, no-one is left unharmed. Based on true events.'

6. John Dies at the End

It's got Paul Giamatti and it sounds mental. 'A new street drug that sends its users across time and dimensions has one drawback: some people return as no longer human.'

5. The Bay

Found footage gets a kick in the ass by Barry Levinson in this sick looking shocker. 'Chaos breaks out in a small Maryland town after an ecological disaster occurs.'

4. Gangster Squad

I'm currently reading the book and it promises to be a great gangster flick. Love the look of the cast and director Ruben Fleischer showed real promise with Zombieland. 'A chronicle of the LAPD's fight to keep East Coast Mafia types out of Los Angeles in the 1940s and 50s.'

3. Django Unchained

I thought this was going to be released in 2012 and with an even better cast than it has now. Unfortunately lots of great cast members dropped out and the film is now set for a January release but early reviews have been great and I'm still very excited to see what could be one of Tarantino's last films if his retirement goes ahead as planned.

2. The Impossible

I'm a sucker for a real life tragedy, as sick as that sounds. Titanic and United 93 reduce me to a tearful wreck every time and I know The Impossible will do the same. While I'm gutted the filmmakers have decided to focus on just one family and then change them from Spanish to English for some reason, it still looks epic, tragic, and ultimately uplifting. However there were over 200,000 lives lost in the Boxing Day tsunami and a film about the local people affected must be made in the future and I hope the producers of this film give a lot of money to the people who are still struggling with the consequences of the disaster.

1.  A Good Day to Die Hard

I love John McClane. The original Die Hard trilogy are some of my favourite all time action films, particularly the first one. I thought Die Hard 4 was a major misstep but I can't help but hope that this will see McClane back on form cracking wise and cracking skulls.

There's my list of January to March UK releases. What are you most looking forward to in 2013?