When it comes to 2013 and genuinely good movies, I feel like it was quite a lackluster year. The sign to me that a year is genuinely good and a successful year is when memorable good films are released throughout the year and not just in the final 4 - 5 months. Look at just last year in 2012 and the release line up of movies. In Spring we had both great big and small movies like Chronicle, Jiro Dreams of Sushi and The Raid: Redemption, Summer of course we had our big blockbusters like The Avengers, comedies like Ted and small films like Killer Joe. And rounding out the year was awards season with films like The Master, Django Unchained, Wreck It Ralph and Flight all being released. That kind of line up is what I call a successful year.
When looking at 2013, nothing really outstanding happens until around the middle of March and I feel the first noteworthy decent larger release movie was released (The Croods). After that through the next few months there were a few noteworthy movies that ranged from Good (Iron Man 3, Mud) to meh (Star Trek:ID, This is the End) to god awful (After Earth, Only God Forgives and The Purge). It picked up a little more in July with films like The Conjuring, The Worlds End, Blue Jasmine and a certain other film that will be on this list but once August rolled around it was pretty much a nose dive into disappointment and mediocrity with films like Jobs, Elysium and Kick Ass 2 coming and going through theaters and films like The Butler being released pretty much begging the Oscar season to begin. And after that awards season hit full force which is to be expected at this point. It's usually the most memorable part of the year for good reason and it definitely was this year.
Now while it wasn't that great a year all around for films that of course doesn't mean that nothing of interest or note came out. There were at least 5 films that managed to impress me so much that they stopped it from being one of the most forgettable years. As with every year though I have not seen everything so films that I'm sure many would put on a list like this probably wont be on mine. I have not seen a number of the most popular choices like Her, Rush, Nebraska, Blue is the Warmest Colour, Inside Llewyn Davis and Dallas Buyers Club so they will not be appearing on this list. And lastly this is my own list, if you don't see something you wanted on the list then that means that I probably didn't feel the same way about it like you did. With all that said let's move on to the Top 5 Best films of the 2013 after the Jump.
Number 5: Frozen
If 2013 was not a fantastic year for films in general then it definitely wasn't a good year for animated films. Coming off of an amazing 2012 for the genre, 2013 felt like a very large dip in quality. The Croods while a fine film wasn't that great and while pretty it lacked depth, Pixar continued this strange dip in quality they have been suffering from since Toy Story 3 with their lack luster entry Monsters University, we had Despicable Me 2 which I felt exactly the same about as I did the first one "Meh it's alright" and of course there was the train wrecks of Planes and Free Birds which were just as bad as I thought they would be. The only other notable animated film was Cloudy with A Chance of Meatballs 2 which while good lacked a lot of the charm the first film had.
To say I had low expectations for Frozen after the rough year animation had had would be an understatement and the trailers did not help. I thought this would be Disney's return to their disappointment years, poor stories with stereotypical princess characters, boring man characters and annoying shoved in sidekicks. The only thing that was giving me hope was that over the past two years and last few films Disney has really been knocking it out of the park with films like Wreck it Ralph and Tangled. I went into Frozen with low expectations and coming out of it I realized it was probably the best film Disney had put out in years.
First off the story for Frozen is very unlike Disney. When you think of Disney and their formula there are usually three elements. A Hero, A Villain and an Evil Scheme. Disney has pretty much built their empire off of exploiting this formula for all it's worth. Even the best Disney films like Beauty and the Beast or Aladdin build off these three combining themes. It's not hard to see why, if it works it works and why fix what's not broken? Well it's not broken per say but it is wearing out it's welcome. In the ways that other animated films have moved past this formula ( I call it the Disney Essentials Formula) Disney almost looks ancient when it clings so closely to it. So what a breath of fresh air it was to see Disney, the original animation innovators finally craft a film that feels like it's really moving beyond the Essentials formula.
Frozen doesn't have a villain, it has a hero but even that could be debated and it has no evil plot. So what is Frozen about? It's a story about sisterhood and family and how even when the world looks down on you, you can count on family to make it better. One of the best parts of Frozen for me was just how surprising it was to see the story unfold. So I really don't want to spoil too much of the plot but suffice it to say a Disney animated film hasn't left me guessing since I was a very young boy yet somehow this film did it. I was shocked at just how maturely they handled the main conflict of the story and how it could have been so easy to make a villain out of the character of Elsa, but it's not that cut and dry or simple. It's much smarter then that and shows a great depth to both the character and the story it's telling. Speaking of Elsa.....
Elsa is the best female character Disney has created since Belle. That's as cut and dry as I can put it. As I said it could have been so easy to categorize Elsa as the Villain but it's never that simple story and direction never sells her out like that. Elsa is a smartly written, well thought out sympathetic character. She's written not entirely as an Ice Queen (In joke), she's written as a very misunderstood girl who is incredibly afraid of the power she wields. She's afraid to share herself with the world for fear of what could happen but this doesn't stop her from being likable, she's incredibly likable. And when the worst of the worst does in deed happen, you feel for her and you feel sorry for her. I think this is why the best written and most memorable song of the whole film is "Let it Go". It's a song that both perfectly encapsulates her feelings and emotions and you go with her because it feels justified to just let everything go and say screw everything yet you also feel sad because you understand why she's singing it and that it's a very sad realization she's come to. I will repeat it, Elsa is the best female Disney character since Belle and she's probably even better then her.
Frozen to me is a landmark film, like Beauty and the Beast before it, it marks a large change in how I will view Disney films from now on. Frozen is smartly written, fun, great for kids and shows off that great Disney magic that I feel was absent for so many years. You've won me back Disney, now let's keep them coming.
Number 4: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
The Hobbit is a film trilogy that you either love or hate. On one hand it is a story that is a lot shorter, less thoughtful and is pretty much forced to be elongated to 3 movies when it really has no reason to be. The characters could be argued to be less interesting then the original movies, the plot is very simple (at least so far) yet very padded to make it into another 3 hour epic which can both hurt the pacing and the direction of the story.
As for me however I have to admit that I really am enjoying the Hobbit films, not as a successor to the original Lord of the Rings films or even really as a prequel to that story, but as an extension of that universe. I've always said that a prequel can work as long as it's still interesting enough to distract me from the obvious negatives of being prequels. The Fact that the story is going to lead into a story that is already established and which you have probably seen, that all the characters have gone backwards in development to a point before the original time they are seen and as always the every present risk that they could end up damaging the original story just by being around (See the Star Wars prequels for an example of a story that can help ruin the original).
Thankfully the Hobbit doesn't do this to a terrible degree, yes there are still elements in this film that could hurt the original films but they never bothered me much. I enjoyed seeing all these returning faces as I very much enjoy this new cast of characters. I am scared for Bilbo as he is starring a dragon in the face, I root for Thorin as he takes charge of the group, I enjoy the chemistry between Tili and Tauriel. In fact I actually enjoyed the film created character of Tauriel, yes her obvious affection for Tili could get a little irritating but then she would shoot an Orc with her bow and I would just end up liking her again. I enjoyed returning to Middle Earth. It is an interesting place to be, filled with many different races and problems and places to visit. For the first time in a long time I was able to reinvest myself in a world that I knew what fate was lying before it, it's a hard thing to accomplish and make interesting but The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug made it work.
But it's not just that this film works for me on a story and character based level, it would be a fine film if that was all that this film had to offer but I don't think it would necessarily reach my top 5 of the year, let alone number 4. But what does push it over that brink is that this (and the first Hobbit film) are the first fantasy films in a long time that don't take themselves so seriously and embrace that more fantasy film vibe that the book was practically made of. The Lord of the Rings was a very serious series of films and books. It was a story of war and death, power and corruption and being able to determine just how strong your will could be when faced with terrible odds and a grand burden. And while it was set in a fantasy world, to me it never felt like a completely realized fantasy world. There were of course fantasy elements like Orcs and Wizards and Monsters yet the tone of the film was set so far to the more dreary and dire side of things that those elements felt very grounded and subdued.
Where as in the Hobbit those elements are fully embraced and while the tone can get dire it is never dire enough to distract you away from the fantastic. There are Wizards, Necromancers, Elves, Dragons, Orcs, Trolls, Werewolves and much more on display in this film and it never shys away from being a fantasy film. The best comparison I can come up with is that The Hobbit films are to Lord of the Rings as Paprika is to Inception. While both films are focused on portraying dreams and how the human mind might interpret the world around them, one film takes a much more grounded approach to showcasing a Hyman's dreams. It is organized, synchronized and simple to look at. No element is so far out of place as to be jarring unless it is purposefully meant to. In Paprika however a person's dreams are presented as fantasy's, door ways into a person's subconscious and just what kind of crazy elements they could be able to create within their own mind. One films denounces the idea of the fantastic while another embraces it.
In the end, is the Hobbit: TDOS a perfect film? Of course not. It's still padded, it's still got it's share of conveniences, it's still unable to characterize all of it's characters so that they are not just known by their features and at many times the titular hobbit can sink into the background. But it's one of the few good blockbuster films that was able to put a big doofy grin on my face. And in a year like this, I needed to finish it out with something like this. And speaking of films able to put Big Doofy Grins on my face.
Number 3: Pacific Rim
When it comes to Blockbuster movies, it's incredibly rare that you see anything new or original. During the summer you would have been hard pressed to find a film that was not already based on an established license or a sequel to an already successful film. However leave it up to one of the masters of originality to craft not only the best blockbuster of the year, but also the best original blockbuster in a long long time.
The general love for this movie usually gets summed up in a phrase "It's stupid but fun". I don't agree with this statement as I feel it severely undermines the film. Director Guillermo Del Toro is not a stupid man, he wouldn't write something that is just simple fun and leave it at that. He's a visionary director, an imaginative writer but slacker is something I just can't picture him as. I believe that while the films logic is flawed it never seemed to me anymore flawed then something like Jaws or any of the recent Marvel movies. What it does, and does incredibly well, is tap into that child like glee of seeing a giant robot punch a giant monster in the face.
It manages to take you back to those years you may have had watching Power Rangers or Godzilla or Gamera, and getting you excited to see the giant robots or the monsters on screen. To that little boy/girl eating ice cream and watching Jaws destroy a boat. It brings back that element that blockbusters used to be about, a simple fun good film that will entertain you for years to come.
Over the years Blockbusters have been increasingly become darker, more serious movies and those two different types of tones have really replaced a lot of the fun that used to be found in these types of movies. Let's compare two films that are very similar but I feel one will long out live the other because the fun element that it brings to the screen. Let's compare Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek Into Darkness. SPOILERS AHEAD FOR BOTH FILMS!
Star Trek 2 is by all means a serious film. It focuses heavily on the rivalry between two mortal enemies, it's features an epic and almost Shakespearean villain and features the death of a beloved comrade and friend. Into Darkness also has a bitter rivalry between two mortal enemies, an epic almost Shakespearean villain and the death of a beloved friend and comrade. The difference is all in the tone of the film. Star Trek 2 while incredibly serious kept a lighter tone, one that was admittedly trying to emulate the shows atmosphere but has made it a stronger and more memorable film due to it's welcoming look and style. Into Darkness while still having light moments, keeps this dreading atmosphere for almost the entire movie. There's always something bigger on the horizon and there is no time to relax because it has such an oppressive feeling to it. Everything is a big deal in that film and I feel it limits the type of audience that is looking to see a film like that because it is so exhausting to get through and when your so beaten down by a harsh feeling while watching it you start to poke holes in the film and start to dislike it more.
Another reason that Pacific Rim works and what makes Star Trek 2 work is that it's plots are simple. Yes there can certainly be added depth through the characters and the themes of the film but when it comes to plots they are both relatively simple. This is the main ingredient that has been missing in many blockbuster movies and is welcomed with open arms in this case. Where hack films like Man of Steel or The Lone Ranger will needlessly pad it's story with filler subplots and pointless characters just to reach that 2/2 and half hour running time. Pacific Rim embraces it's plot, does exactly what it needs to do, fleshes out exactly which characters need fleshing out and then just as your starting to check your watch, it ends. It never outstays it's welcome but it stays just long enough to leave an impact.
Pacific Rim is probably one of the more underrated films of the year. It has made back a some what of a profit thanks to the world wide market and appeal for the film, and has enjoyed decent critical reception. But I think that it's an important film. I like to think that this is the direction blockbusters could go. Back to a time when a blockbuster could be fun, full of more colors then muted greens, greys and blacks. Studios rarely take chances on non established films like this, but I hope for the future of blockbusters that they take chances more often.
Number 2: 12 Years a Slave
From one of the best blockbusters in the world to one of the best Oscar contenders in the world. What can you really say about a film like 12 Years a Slave? It's groundbreaking, it's heartbreaking, it's the greatest slavery film to have been made since Roots. All these claims and more are debatable but very much worth discussing. To me this film is a journey that I never wish to take again because the first time is so powerful and so moving that I don't think I could handle doing it again.
12 Years a Slave is simultaneously one of the easiest and toughest films to talk about. It's easy in that it is clearly an Oscar movie. There's heartbreaking Oscar moments, superb acting from the entire cast (especially the lead Chiwetel Ejiofor), the story is told and paced almost to a perfected way and the direction is simply stunning.
I was never big fan of Steve McQueens work in the past, his last film Shame while a noble attempt at film making still suffered from odd plotting, weird pacing problems (the New York New York bit is a notable stand out.), and while it starred one of the most notable actors in the world right now, Michael Fassbender, I found his character to be rather unappealing and uninteresting. But in 12 Years a Slave, McQueen almost does a complete one eighty and crafts a beautifully told story. The way the film looks and that feeling of oppression and ugliness that encapsulated the slave era is on full display here and it never shies away from it.
So yes this film is easy to justify seeing on a normal Oscar movie level. However it's difficult to explain why you should see it on an entirely different level. There really is no way to describe this film to someone who has not seen it and try to justify your own experience with it. It's just that type of film that is so powerful and moving and honest and raw that seeing it is an experience all in itself.
There was a certain feeling that I had when I was driving away from the theater having just watched the film. It was this ugly awful feeling of anger and shame. That kind of feeling that makes you just look at your self and say "You Suck". I don't know if any of you know exactly what I'm talking about, but it's just that same pit of your stomach sick feeling that I can only remember getting at very few points in my life. Once was after I watched Roots, another was after I watched Schindler's List and the last was after watching The Pianist. All four of these films left me with this ugly feeling that kept me thinking of them for weeks and months later. I still think about 12 Years a Slave and feel bad. It's just one of those types of films that you have to watch and experience to know what I'm talking about here.
12 Years a Slave is one of those films that comes along only so often, that I feel will be remembered for years and years to come. It will be held in those high accolades along side it's WW2 and Slavery brethren and become one of those must see films. If this was a list of the absolute best films of the year, 12 Years a Slave would easily grab the top spot. But since this is my list, only one film beat it out and it comes from the king of all film.
Number 1: The Wolf of Wall Street
Yes instead of the emotionally charged story of a man sold into slavery who is just looking to get back to his family, I went with the douche rich guy story about Leonardo Dicaprio doing douche rich guy things. What can I say? Mr. Scorsese you simply are the king of film.
Martin Scorsese is one of the most constantly reliable film makers in Hollywood. If Pixar films were a human being they would be Martin Scorsese. Scorsese has the inhuman like ability to take something that sounds ludicrous, boring and unfilmable and will usually turn it into a master piece. Raging Bull could have been a train wreck without Scorsese being in charge, Good Fellas could have been one of the stupidest Godfather ripoffs you have ever seen if it wasn't for Scorsese putting his own spin on the genre, The Departed could have been a cookie cutter foreign remake if Scorsese hadn't of put his hands on it and made it arguably better then the original, and Hugo could have just been another run of the mill kids fairy tail movie but what happened? Scorsese happened! This is why I so often call Martin Scorsese the King of Film. Because in most circumstances, if you leave a film in his hands you will get finely crafted gold. So leave it to my favorite director to take one of my favorite kinds of movies and give it his own spin.
The Wolf Of Wall Street is deeply rooted in one of my favorite types of movies. I like to call them "The Jerk Analysis Movies". In films like these, the story is centered on one guy and what his life is like and where it leads him too. The story is about a guy named Jordan Belfort, the richest, doucheyiest frat boy turned stock broker that you could ever find. The story is all about Jordan's rise to the top, effort to stay at the top until he sunk down to some where in the middle. It's all about seeing what these people will do to get to the top and then seeing what these people will do at the top while they are there.
What I love about these films is that they are for the most part entirely character and dialogue based. If either of those two elements are weak the film can fall apart completely. But of course this is Martin Scorsese we are talking about here so while he didn't write the film (that belonging to Mr. Terrance Winter) he crafts the scenes so well and directs the actors in a way that almost seems frighteningly easy. Each character is interesting or has an interesting arc they go through, all of the dialogue is expertly crafted and witty and fast paced. At the best of times it reminded me of Oliver Stones Wall Street or one of my favorite movies The Social Network. It all flows so naturally and wonderfully that even at a 3 hour run time it never ever feels like that.
All the acting is great, I'm sorry if that feels like a bit of an anti climactic statement but it's just bluntly true. Not a single bad actor is to be found in this movie. Not from the extras, not in the secondary characters, not even in the small bit actors like the banker in Sweden. The only thing I can do is name the two highlights, and to me it's almost no contest. While Margot Robbie was fantastic as Jordan Belforts' supermodel but dejected wife Naomi, Rob Reiner was a lot of fun as Jordan's dad in his return to the big screen, the two that stand out the most are Jonah Hill as Jordan's best friend Donnie and Leonardo Dicaprio as Jordan Belfort himself.
Hill is unlike anything that he has ever played before. He's been constantly proving himself to be one of the quickest rising stars in the industry and this is the film I feel will really put him on alot of peoples map. Hill in this film is rude, angry, drugged out of his mind and just having a blast. He's acting his ass off but he never forgets that he's also having fun. Even if that fun is uncomfortable for everyone around him. And his background in comedy isn't completely useless here, there's a bit of dark comedy whenever he has to do something either rude or crazy. Like you can barely believe that that sentence just came out of his mouth or he was just doing that on camera. It's a fantastic performance that proves the kids got chops.
But the star is ultimately Leonardo Dicaprio as Jordan Belfort. He just eats this part alive and it becomes a performance that I never would have thought he could believably pull off. As Jordan, Dicaprio is greedy, rude, drug and sex obsessed and complete douchbag. But he never goes too far in this role. Just like Jessie Eisenberg did in The Social Network, he never becomes someone that you don't understand why anyone would want to be around him. Eisenberg and Dicaprio talk fast, talk smart and make you understand why people are willing to hang around with them and work for them, cause they get stuff done. And in this world if you can get stuff done, in anyway you want, then you can have anything you want. And who doesn't want to hang around with that guy? Dicaprio never lets you forget exactly why your watching this movie about how his obsession with money, drugs and sex lead to his downfall.
The Wolf of Wall Street is the King of Movies doing exactly what he does best. Crafting amazing movies that will be remembered for years and years to come. It is a film that is a classic in the making in every sense of the word, a film that is relevant in it's own set time period as it is now and it simply the Best Film of the Year in my opinion.
No comments:
Post a Comment