My Favorite Films of 2013

Defending Champ

06-16-14

I like that you're bold enough to include The Canyons as one of your favorites from last year, despite how reviled it was with critics and audiences. I haven't yet seen it myself, but I definitely want to. (And your reference to a 4-way sex scene definitely makes me want to get around to it sooner rather than later.

)

I've liked most of the films you've included, with the exception of The Call, which I thought was average at best. The ones I haven't seen, like The Banshee Chapter and Jug Face, certainly look interesting.

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Daiboa

Msg

Registered User

06-16-14

Have to see Frozen and Pacific Rim. Missed a good bit of 2013, actually.

lynchian

Registered User

06-16-14

Originally Posted by Daiboa

Have to see Frozen and Pacific Rim. Missed a good bit of 2013, actually.

Neither of which will be on this list. Pacific Rim was terrible. Even more so coming from Del Toro.

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Recent Viewings (rewatches noted with an *)
Barbarian- (4/5)
Nope- (4.5/5)
Jurassic Park Dominion- 0.5/5
What Josiah Saw- (4.5/5)

lynchian

Registered User

06-16-14

Alright loves, here's the scorecard so far...
(again in no order, out of four )

blue is the warmest color -
the wolf of wall street -
gravity
only god forgives - 2.5 out of 4
prisoners- 1/2
the canyons- 3 out of 4 (again for it's trashy goodness and Lohan)
blue jasmine- 1/2
upstream color
the counselor - 1/2
jug face- 3 put of 4
spring breakers-
the hunt 3.5 out of 4
the call- 2.5 out of 4
banshee chapter- 3.5 out of 4
safe haven- WHAT THE FUUUUCK out of 4

lynchian

Registered User

06-17-14

THE DOUBLE

Here we have one of two films this year where the actor plays dual roles (the other is ENEMY) THE DOUBLE based on the book by Dostoyevsky, stars Jessie Eisenberg as a seemingly unnoticed man. He has to sign in with a security guard in order to get to his workplace, of which he's worked 7 years, and even has a security pass. Eisenberg, who has gotten down the characterization as the quiet, nervous, anxious, is able to play the part with ease. But when his "double" arrives, who is the complete opposite of Eisenberg 1, he is truly able to show his range as an actor. With confidence, cockiness, charisma, Eisenberg never slips. And even when they are both wearing the same outfits, thanks to the wonderful performances, you can always tell who is who. Another key player is that of Mia Wasikowska, she's downright stunning. Especially during one scene where she processes her thoughts after a traumatic experience, gradually beginning with anxiety to remorse to agitated and finally angry.

The Double is the second feather by Richard Ayode, first being the entertaining if a bit too quirky for it's own good. Like Wes Anderson-Lite. The Double solidifies Ayode as one to watch. A promising new auteur. The visuals are absolutely vivid and ravishing. Incredible use of lighting, top editing, and a lively choice of music. It may be confusing at times, but it's incredibly easy to put everything together, however it still demands repeated viewings.

lynchian

Registered User

06-17-14

Just realized THE DOUBLE is a 2014 release, so I apologize. My meds make me forgetful.

lynchian

Registered User

06-22-14

The East

The best part of The East is that it never once loses it's grasp on the human elements of the story. There are no black and white characters, it's all grey. You understand both sides of the argument, as for which side you choose it based entirely on the viewers opinions. It's also great in the fact that it's almost inspiring, having watched it made me think about living off the grid, and giving the big governments a taste of their own medicine. But I probably never will. Brit Marling gives a riveting performance, going undercover to infiltrate the eco-terrorist group 'THE EAST'. First going in with only her mission in mind, slowly but surely, she begins to bond with the members. Understanding where they are coming from, and beginning to lose focus. These people aren't necessarily extremists, but they have their plans for counter attacks, particularly the heads of pharmaceuticals (which affected a character Doc on multiple levels) and those who knowingly poison local water. It's chilling at times to think how plausible all of this is. Let's also not forget how tense this film is, it's intelligent, suspenseful, quietly shocking, and ends on the perfect note. Supporting performances from Patricia Clarkson, Alexander Skarsgaard, and Ellen Page, are typically strong. The East raises a bunch of questions, but is confident enough to let the viewer answer them. It's as powerful as it is thrilling.

lynchian

Registered User

06-22-14

Behind The Candelabra

Had Steven Soderberg's Behind The Candelabra been released theatrically (supposedly it was turned down by studios for being "too gay") it would have been one of the front runners during the awards season. From the beyond impressive costume and set design, to the hilarious and poignant screenplay, and of course Michael Douglas and Matt Damon's fearless and touching performances. The two actors have a surprisingly huge amount of chemistry. Behind The Candelabra is never once dull, and might be one of the best biographical films I've ever seen. Soderberg gets the period down with great skill and focus, never once going over the top, unless the story calls for it, as Liberace was basically the epitome of "over the top". Behind The Candelabra is as funny as it is moving (the ending sequence in particular is brilliantly pulled off). And again, Damon and Douglas are spot on with their spotless performances. Add to this supporting roles from a hilariously botoxed Rob Lowe and an unrecognizable Debbie Reynolds, and this Candelabra is as fabulous and sparkling as entertainment can get.

lynchian

Registered User

06-22-14

The Great Gatsby

Having never been a fan of The Great Gatsby the novel (I know I'm in the minority) nor any of it's adaptations, I was both intrigued and baffled when it was announced that Baz Luhrman would be adapting the story again, and not only that, but converted to 3D. When thinking of novels to adapted in 3D, The Great Gatsby is not one I'd ever consider. As for Luhrman, who has directed two of my very favorite films (Moulin Rouge, Romeo + Juliet) but had yet to live up either of them (Australia was a hollow epic, a visually ambitious failure.) I certainly hoped that, if anything, TGG would be better than that. Much to my surprise, it was not only better than Australia, but even came close to the heights of Moulin Rouge and Romeo + Juliet. Like most of his films, this is a love it or hate it type of experience, I for one loved it. From the anachronistic soundtrack (featuring Beyonce, Jay-Z to Florence & The Machine, Gotye, and Lana Del Ray), to the visual feast for the senses of nearly every scene and shot. This is one of the most ambitious, dazzling, and the best adaptation we'll ever get. In fact, it's the first of any medium, including the novel itself, to add a pulse to the story, a beating heart, a sense of tragedy. Leonardo Dicaprio, always giving great performances and never receiving the recognition, is the perfect Gatsby. With Carey Mulligan being right up there with him, fragile and conflicted, without ever having to say a word. Toby Maguire, who I'm not even a fan of, puts in a strong performance as well. The real find here, however, is Jordan Debicki, strikingly beautiful and delicious in her performance. Again, this is an acquired taste, die hard fans of the novel may find it an atrocious adaptation, others will fall under its wondrous spell. But Director Luhrman can't be faulted for his striking ambition and daring take on the classic tale. He certainly hasn't lost his touch.

lynchian

Registered User

06-22-14

The Dirties

If I were listing these in order, The Dirties would definitely be in the top 5, if not the top 3, maybe number 1. It's simply pure brilliance. A seemingly simple premise until it takes upon deeper layers and even different perspectives. Done in the style of a 'faux-doc' about two friends who are shooting a film for film class about killing the bullies who torment them, or 'The Dirties'. Soon, however, one of the friends takes the premise too far, and begins to plan out a second take, or is he just losing his mind? It's quite a challenge to mix the topic of high school violence, while also being darkly humorous, but writer/director/actor Matt Johnson does just that, and more. As the third (and possibly fourth cameraman) shooting Matt and Owen's film making process and general friendship, as well as the length of which they are tormented daily, is only once called out by name, but never seen or acknowledged save for a few moments. Are we as an audience the other film makers? Watching Matt slowly lose his grasp on reality, or is this style a representation of Matt's psyche, how he is always pretending his life is actually one big film. It's in the second half where things take a dark turn, but it sneaks up on you. At once you realize you are no longer laughing, but instead feeling a bit queasy, unsettled, and tense. I will not spoil anything, but it all leads to an appropriate conclusion that will leave many questions unanswered. It will also frustrate some, but those let down will have missed the point entirely. The Dirties is a mini-masterpiece that deserves to be seen by everyone, don't let it pass you by.

lynchian

Registered User

06-22-14

The Conjuring

When I first saw The Conjuring it was at an advanced studio screening, the audience was hyped, the theater was packed, I was stoned. The movie started and it scared the **** out of me, on multiple occasions. Seeing it the second time (sober) it wasn't as scary as I remembered, but for director James Wan it was his best film to date as a filmmaker. His attention to the period settings, a couple unique sequences, such as one done in a single take to The Zombie's hit Time of the Season. Not the mention the deliciously creepy opening involving the haunted Annabelle Doll (which is actually real, and used to great effect here.) you know that at some point she's going to show up again, and when she does, it's indeed deeply creepy. While The Conjuring is an old fashioned horror fest, it's best when it uses subtle frights rather than, and this is one of the director's weaknesses, a reliance in jump scares. A game of 'hide and clap' is truly suspenseful with a nice pay off. And while some of the jolts work, they become a bit tiresome by the end, as well as a sequence involving that comes across more silly than scary. Above all this, however, is Vera Farmiga in one of the best performances of last year. She is sympathetic, brave, but still human when frightening goings on come face to face with her. It's one of the more underrated performances of last year, but she's perfect in the role. Ultimately, The Conjuring doesn't hold up on repeat viewings, but it does have it's scary moments, nice cinematography, a devilishly fantastic score, and again that marvelous Vera Farmiga performance. Worth a watch.

lynchian

Registered User

06-22-14

THE ACT OF KILLING

Rarely, if ever, do I watch a film and think "I will never watch that again, ever." I'm not referring to a movie that is just a piece of ****, but those `that are impressively well-made, but also either destroy me emotionally, make me ill, ****s me up for a few days after. THE ACT OF KILLING is one of these films. As a documentary, it's quite groundbreaking, as the film makers challenge former Indonesian death squad workers to reenact their killings in any cinematic form they wish. From a various hollywood crime scenerios , too one of the strangest musicals ever made. The three main subjects are both monsters and beyond reproach. One of the former (?) killers acknowledges the horrible acts of torture and violence he did, and is quite matter of fact about it. Whether he feels any remorse is anyone's guess. Another, a disgusting, fat, potential pedophile, is constantly seen cross dressing, a drag queen, directing a musical number. But worst of all, is Anwar Congo, an executioner in 1965. So delusional (he admits he abuses drugs to feel better) and in denial, he proudly shows off how he would kill and torture men, women, and children. A grandfather now, he is perplexed why people would be bothered by his past actions, he either doesn't understand, or is just purposely not accepting it. When finally shown his own film of what he did (happily calling his grandsons over to see what his grandfather did) he returns to an area he'd regularly murder many people. Whether his reaction is an act or the truth, it's never less disturbing. The whole of THE ACT OF KILLING (especially the extended, nearly 3 hour, director's cut) is pure soul rapage. I felt uneasy for days after seeing this, frequently my mother and I during watching it kept asking each other "Why are we still watching this?" And honestly I can't tell why, maybe it's just morbid curiosity, but I think it's something else. The horrific descriptions (at one point a man proudly talks about how he would rape young women, even little girls, telling them "It's going to be hell for you, but heaven for me!") the reenactments, and the simple fact that our government are connected to these evil men. I simply couldn't PROCESS what I was experiencing, nor could I fathom it, I was in awe of seeing pure evil up close and personal. Just typing this makes me uneasy. I will never watch this film again, nor will I recommend it. I was debating whether even posting it on here. But for being such a powerful document of evil, and one the most fearless and bold documentaries ever made, I have to post it on here. Just don't say I didn't warn you.

lynchian

Registered User

06-22-14

A few mini-reviews...

EVIL DEAD- Apparently many on these boards hate this film, I for one really enjoyed it. An intelligent remake that isn't just a throwaway, but made with care. Using gruesome makeup effects over CGI, strong performances all around, and just pure bloody insanity. EVIL DEAD might become a tad tiresome around the ending, but for the most part it's a fun horror show.

MAMA- If taken as a macabre fairy tale instead of truly scary horror film, Mama is a creepy bed time story in the vein of The Brothers Grimm. Thanks to a dependably strong performance from Jessica Chastain, and great use of sound and visuals, Mama is a unique ghost tale. Flawed, but ultimately a strong supernatural yarn, thanks to it's sumptuous cinematography, and creative story telling.

MANIAC- Elijah Wood is downright creepy in this stylish horror film (done entirely through the POV of Wood's killer character.) Which has its fair share of disturbing sequences, and makes mannequins even more creepy than they already were.

mark f

Bright light. Bright light. Uh oh.

06-22-14

The Act of Killing was my number two film of last year, I've watched both versions (so yeah, I watched it more than once) and would watch it again with anyone who hasn't seen it just to see their reaction. Of course, I feel no compunction about watching any good movie repeatedly.

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lynchian

Registered User

06-22-14

WOULD YOU RATHER?

Would You Rather has a simple premise. Several guests are invited to a dinner by a very rich man, throughout the night they are to play a game of "would you rather?". But this isn't the easy version. Once you are given a task, you can either endure it yourself, or do it to someone else at the table. It's a morality tale, a gruesome suspenser, and one that asks the audiences to question "What would I do if I were in this situation?" The main character, failing to find a job to get money for her brother, who happens to have cancer and needs a bone marrow transplant, finally decides to go. Not knowing the horrifying night ahead of her. At first the dares challenging, but not deadly. One man who has been sober for many years, is asked to drink a whole bottle of alcohol or risk losing a huge amount of money. Another features our main character put up to eat a bite of meat, despite being a strict vegetarian. Soon things become a tad more dangerous, from "would rather stab yourself or someone at the table?", "would you rather hold your breath underwater for 5 minutes? or be killed?" Some may call this film 'torture-porn' but I found it far more than just that. Yes there is some graphic violence (a scene involving a razor and an eye is painful to watch) but with each new dare, you find yourself wondering, could I do that in that position? Or for someone I loved? Ultimately, the film pushes forward as the winner is crowned, and return home, leading to a twist that will either be shocking and quite obvious (I figured it out about half-way through.) Nihilistic, thought provoking, and darkly humorous, Would You Rather is an interesting experiment.

lynchian

Registered User

06-22-14

Originally Posted by mark f

Oh I still rate it very highly, and it was in my top ten of last year with a 3.5 out of 4. But while I do that with other films that are shocking or ****ed up, this one I warn people rather than recommend it. And yes it's good on a technical level, and essential viewing, but again, I would see no reason to watching it again.

lynchian

Registered User

06-22-14

12 Years A Slave

Would I have picked 12 Years... as the best picture of last year? Not at all. Is it still a strikingly well-made, beautifully filmed, challenging experience with some truly powerful performances? Definitely. Steve McQueen's third film after Hunger and Shame, once again takes on a challenging subject without ever flinching away. It's a hard film to endure at times, and could have used some editing, at times it feels the film comes to a stand still instead of being impacting. In my mind, however, this is the Schindler's List of slavery films. Two unfathomable dark periods of humanity, this one of America, people treated like animals just for the color of their skin. And in many ways it follows the same beats, there's the awful slave master who shares a strange relationship with one of his female slaves, the one white man who is ahead of his time and thinks slavery is abhorrent, etc. The performances are tops all around, however it's Lupita Nyong'o's Oscar winning performance that is truly raw and powerful, and the supremely underrated Sarah Paulson as the beyond cruel lady of the house, who seems to have more power than her husband does. If there's any weak link it's, surprisingly, Michael Fassbender, his performance consists basically raging and yelling quite loudly, with maybe a few brief glances of humanity. But that could just be the fault of the screen play. And as good as Chiwetol Ejiofer is, there are times when even he hits his performance a bit too broadly. Still, there is a lot of greatness here, it's a sad/hopeful film that is richly told, shocking in it's unflinching portrayal of slavery (a whipping scene is tough to take), and featuring a lot to admire. And really that's how I feel when it comes down to it, this is a film I admire more than I actually liked.

lynchian

Registered User

06-23-14

LAURENCE ANYWAYS

Young director Xavier Dolan has always come across rather smug and pretentious, in a 'I'm an artist, everything I make is great' kind of way. Though if you asked me to give specific reasons I couldn't answer it. This has always gotten in the way of my enjoyment of his films, which is really quite silly. With Laurence Anyways, however, he may have just become one of my top favorite working filmmakers. Lengthy and ambitious, while at the same time being ravishingly gorgeous, heart felt, and brutally honest. Laurance Anyways is tied with 'Blue Is The Warmest Color' as my favorite film of last year (Blue takes the top spot by a particle.) A film about a man who finally comes to term with his own sexuality, that of being a woman in a man's body, and how it affects his life, work, and relationships (especially that of his long time companion, powerfully played by Susanne Clement.) Dolan takes this tale, which isn't particularly original, and makes it seem fresh again. Melvil Poupaud as Laurence is mesmerizing and carry's the film on his shoulders for it's entire runtime, that comes close to 3 hours. Fortunately, this never becomes a message movie, just as Blue Is The Warmest Color didn't. It's about being true to one self and the sacrifices we have to make in order to live a fulfilling life. How this process can shake up even the strongest relationships. How love can be violent and rough, but also gentle and sweet. Backed by it's beautiful cinematography and wonderful soundtrack (the opening sequence is nothing short of genius) intense performances, and moments of true, heart breaking, honesty. Laurence Anyways is one of last years very best films.

lynchian

Registered User

06-23-14

KILL YOUR DARLINGS

A deliciously entertaining drama/thriller, bolstered by sensually stylish direction by John Krokidas. Daniel Radcliffe sheds his Harry Potter persona and turns in the best performance of his career so far. But this is truly Dane DeHaan's film, equal parts sexy, dangerous, vulnerable, despicable, and sympathetic. He puts in one of the most overlooked and complex, not to mention downright intense, performances of last year. Sure, the film could have delved a bit deeper into the character's central dilemma(s), but this doesn't diminish the entrancing effect it has on the viewer. Bursting with energy and apprehension at every turn, Kill Your Darlings is a fascinating tale of love, obsession, and murder.

lynchian