Best of World Cinema in 2013

I watched 20 world cinema films this year, 11 of which were films that were released in the UK in 2013. Here are the 9 that were not released in 2013 and if I reviewed them, then you can check out my review by clicking the title.

Django, Prepare a Coffin 

'It does have much to recommend it with an iconic star with swagger to spare, a great score, some occasionally stylish visuals and stunts and fight sequences to savour. Just don’t expect the visual and verbal pizzazz of Tarantino’s latest.'

Lisa and the Devil

'Lisa and the Devil is wilfully weird and guaranteed to leave you wondering what the hell you just witnessed.'

Black Sunday

'Bava’s best film is undoubtedly a classic of the Gothic horror genre. Understandably banned on release for its striking and harrowing opening scene, it may never quite match this sequence but it is still influential and incredibly well made.'

Holy Motors

Never got round to reviewing this but I'm in the camp that absolutely loved it! Filled with utter madness, I even had to visit the cemetery in Paris that featured in this bonkers scene.



The Raid

Didn't review this either. Hoping Hollywood learns from the action scenes in this in the way that they were shot and edited. 

Rust and Bone

Disappointed by this. Great performances but I found the story fairly forgettable.

Baise-Moi

 'Baise-Moi is where art house meets pornography. Though there is a clear intention to create something that is an affront to traditional values (rather than a simple masturbation aid), Baise-Moi is less punk rock feminist exploration of modern women and more a rape-revenge, guns, girls and sleaze-a-thon.'

Black Sabbath

'The three films contained within Black Sabbath are the best of Bava; funny and terrifying in equal measure, a must for fans and real treat for newcomers to the director’s work. Ozzy Osbourne would be proud.'

Headhunters

Bonkers thriller with some seriously shocking scenes of violence. Loved it!

And now for the world cinema films that were released in 2013 which I present for you in a countdown to my favourite!

11. More than Honey 

'Despite the attention to details, presentation of facts and such an intriguing question at the heart of the premise, More Than Honey is less than thrilling. The future of beekeeping is briefly considered but by the end, you may find that you have heard more than enough.' 

10. Escape

'Though it looks stunning and is directed with plenty of flair, the script could have done with some development in order to ramp up the action elements and make this really worth fleeing out to see.'
 
9. Sleep Tight

From one of the directors of REC, but far more chilled and chilly. A really nasty and depressing little film.

8. Everybody Has a Plan 

'From the producers of The Secrets In Their Eyes, Everybody Has A Plan lacks the brilliant twist, complex plotting and wonderful visual flourishes of that film but still has many moments to recommend it.' 
7. The Gatekeepers 

'The Gatekeepers is a riveting exploration of men with unnatural and terrifying amounts of power. Their actions in the past are often inexcusable, but by the end, their thoughts and their argument will have you hanging on their every word. The Gatekeepers is an extremely important piece of film; its message and conclusion should be heard by those in positions of power all over the world.'

6. The Deep 

'The Deep elevates the ordinary man into an extraordinary subject. It might not excite as much as a Hollywood version but it captures the drama of the sinking and subsequent survival with commendable restraint.'

5. Come as You Are 

'As a coming of age story with a difference, Come as You Are excels, creating fully believable characters that neither beg for pity or scream of stereotyping. Come As You Are may not fully explore gender politics, but it notably adds to the increasing array of representations of people with disabilities and is certainly a trip worth taking.'

4. No 

'The documentary style and use of the U-matic camera adds inexorably to the authenticity and the use of real footage seamlessly blended with new footage is masterful.'

3. A Hijacking 

'A Hijacking might not have the explosive action its title might suggest in a Hollywood film but it has high tension, high drama and high stakes. Though it skips the actual moment of hijacking, it never flinches from the psychological repercussions on the main players. For the 120 plus days depicted, it is completely captivating.'

2. Our Children 

'Our Children offers a frighteningly bleak look at marital strife, crushing depression and a shocking and disturbing end that distances you from both Murielle and all her children. Thanks primarily to Dequenne's performance, it is heart breaking and completely unforgettable.'

1. Rebellion

'Rebellion is Kassovitz right back on form. With its tense hostage rescue scenario, it deserves to be this year’s Argo. Stylish, intelligent and gripping, Rebellion is a smart thriller that will blow you away.'

What were your favourite world cinema films of 2013 or beyond?

Why don't you stay awhile? More 2013 lists from I Love That Film:

TV in 2013: Breaking Bad, Dexter, The Walking Dead, Homeland and more

Best books I read in 2013

Top Documentaries of 2013

2013 List of Shame or 25 films I should have seen this year

2013 Top 10 Horror, Fantasy and Science Fiction

2013 Top 10 So Far (written in July)

Best British Films of 2013

Top 25 Films to see in 2014

June Movie Reviews and Round up

In June, I watched a meagre 11 films and there are two reasons for this. 1 was Arrested Development series 4 and the other was Breaking Bad series 4 (and the first half of series 5). Those wonderful folk at Netflix gave me a second free trial this month and I used it to full advantage. The last time they gave me a free trial I watched the first three series of Breaking Bad and this time I've used it to get right up to date.

Although I haven't written much about Breaking Bad, it has pretty much become my favourite show on TV. Series 4 exceeded my wildest expectations. It was perfection and to be honest, I thought perhaps it would have been best for everyone involved to leave it with the bombshell that was dropped at the end. Where the hell could series 5 possibly go to better what had already come before?

Series 5 did then seem to lull a bit but on the plus side is also fulfilling the promise of everything the show and particularly Walt has been leading towards all this time and the first half concluded with another beautiful bombshell. I cannot wait to see how this show ends!

On the other hand Arrested Development was a bit convoluted and too clever-clever for its own good. There was still some of the old charm but nowhere near enough of Gob and Tobias for my liking. I hope if they continue, it picks up again.

The movies I watched in June are as follows. Click the links to check out my reviews:

The Master
This is the End
Come As You Are (Hasta La Vista)
Summer in February
Man of Steel
To the Wonder
Star Trek Into Darkness
Desert Runners
Monsters University
The Internship
Magic Mike

I also re-watched Les Miserables at the Open Air Cinema at Hedsor House which was a really cool experience.

The always entertaining David Jackson came back to I Love That Film to write a couple of excellent pieces: Fight Club and the Doors of Perception and Second-Hand Stories, Second-Hand Opinions

Other highlights of the month were getting the Starburst Magazine Cover Story: The Wolverine Preview. I actually wrote two pieces for this issue of Starburst so that was really cool to see them in print.

My first year at Filmoria passed and I wrote a piece to celebrate. I also got my first clip joint article published on The Guardian website on the Best Battle Speeches in the Movies.

Here at I Love That Film, the huge milestone of 200,000 page views was reached (finally after over two years)!

I also had some more articles for Yahoo Movies published and a very kind Message from the Side By Side Producer about my review of the documentary at Filmoria.

None of the films I watched this month could compete with the majesty of Breaking Bad but I liked This is the End and Star Trek into Darkness quite a lot. However if I could recommend only one, it would be the documentary Desert Runners. Please check out my review to find out why.

I also didn't really get into The Master I'm afraid. What were your best and worst of the month?

Come As You Are (Hasta La Vista) Review

Also known by the original title of Hasta La Vista, Come As You Are is the simple tale of the basic desire of three young men to get laid. It could be another American Pie; A Belgian Pie with three horny 20 somethings desperate to lose their virginity by crossing Europe to get to a brothel. The twist is that these three guys; Philp, Lars and Jozef are disabled. Their desire to lose their virginity is more desperate than any of the stars of a thousand teen movies. Their only option appears to be a trip to Spain to a brothel that invites them to come as they are.

Films about disability are few and far between but with the recent Untouchable (The Intouchables) making a fortune at the box office, there was bound to be others tackling mobility challenged characters in honest and uncompromising ways. Come As You Are might sound like a sad, sick joke (three disable guys walk into a brothel...) but has a whole lot of heart in its story of discovery, independence and the quest for sex.

Lars, Jozef and Philip are three friends who love wine, long for some sexual experience but have to rely on their parents to help them with even basic tasks. When Philip suggests they deceive their parents and take a trip to a brothel in Spain, their desire for independence is matched only by the challenges they face on the trip. With Lars’ condition deteriorating, they set off with the help of bus driver Claude on a trip to change their lives.

Comic dramas can be careless and Come As You Are mostly holds back from easy laughs or overt melodrama. There is the odd laugh at the expense of the characters’ disabilities but it is the three protagonists who have the best sense of humour about their conditions. The drama is always present but there is a lightness of tone that is almost perfectly managed throughout.

Though they are good friends, there are obvious complications to overcome along the way. Their disabilities get in the way of anything being easy but aside from the odd mishap, they cope admirably with obstacles. Poor Jozef who may be mobile but has very limited sight often draws the short straw and has to help his two friends and it quickly becomes clear how dangerous this trip could be for all involved. Their parents know the dangers, have held the burden of responsibility for too long and are terrified to let their sons tackle the world on their own.  

From the opening it is clear that these characters have one goal. The opening shot is from Philip’s point of view as he watches a pair of women running on the beach, their breasts bouncing in slow motion. None of them know how to treat women just as women have likely never known how to treat them. They are not little saints and not beyond some sexist behaviour. Their treatment of Claude (when they first discover she is a woman) is disgusting and their later lack of respect for another woman lands them in trouble. Philip is perhaps the most severely disabled lacking any mobility but he is also the least sympathetic of the three; his arrogance and obnoxiousness often making him far from easily likeable.

However the film does not advocate their sexism and though their destination is a brothel and the majority of women in the film are there to be looked at, it is Claude that emerges as the real revelation. The climax that all three have been waiting so long for is touching if hardly surprising and given plenty of emotional weight from the fantastic performances of the three leads. It is their characters, not their disabilities, that stay with you after the film.

The road trip may occasionally meander but Come As You Are earns its emotional ending, if rushing to wrap things up a little too quickly at the last minute. For a film about disability and virginity, both subjects are handled with admirable sensitivity. Like its protagonists, the script for Come As You Are is not quite sure of how to treat women, seeming to excuse prostitution and brothels as acceptable, particularly if the clients are disabled. However as a coming of age story with a difference, Come as You Are excels, creating fully believable characters that neither beg for pity or scream of stereotyping. Come As You Are may not fully explore gender politics, but it notably adds to the increasing array of representations of people with disabilities and is certainly a trip worth taking.

Come As You Are is out in UK cinemas on Friday 7th June.

More recent reviews at I Love That Film:

This is the End Review 

Fast and Furious 6 Review

Ruby Sparks Review

The Look of Love Review 

21 & Over Review

Iron Man 3 Review

Olympus Has Fallen Review

Spring Breakers Review