Weekly Film Round-up 9th February 2014

THIS WEEK'S PREVIEWS

An grand debate over Robocop ensued this week, and I suffered through another wimpy, silly romance.  And I probably wouldn't have named Robocop as my movie pick of the week, but there were only two films that I managed to see for this week. Some of the film previews clashed and I missed others. Life gets in the way sometimes. But it was definitely better than Labor Day.

(My movie Pick of the week)

 Robocop ★★★ ½   

Opens in Australia: 6^thFebruary 2014

USA: 12^th February 2014    UK: 5th Feburary 2014 

Other Countries: Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

     Well I was harangued and told I had *&+?#@ taste in film and to hang up my reviewer’s hat up at a preview screening this week by one of the other reviewers who hated this film.  So began quite the argument between a few of us before we went in to see Cuban Fury (the publicist asked me to mention that and to get over Robocop—Cuban Fury is very good).  There’s nothing like a debate between critics. You won’t see punches thrown but you will hear a lot of director’s and screenwriter’s names hurled into the arena, and references to the purity of the origin story.

     However I am sticking to my guns. Yes, I loved the 1987 film and must have seen it about half a dozen times. And, yes, this one’s violence is toned down from the original to score it an M rating. But, the 2014 Robocop has a lot to like. Samuel L. Jackson plays his role as an activist television commentator with the perfect flavour. Michael Keaton as the president of OmniCorp is just a treat.  Where have you been Mr. Keaton? We’ve missed you. There’s a good mix of politics, commentary, cornball humor, and action, as well as a very creepy, icky, inner body scene.

     My critic-colleague would disagree with me, but there was enough action to move the film along and it diverges from the original enough to feel fresh for those who know the origin story well. If you are a sci-fi geek, this is a no-brainer. And a no-body-er, too.

   

STUDIO BLURB

In RoboCop, the year is 2028 and multinational conglomerate OmniCorp is at the center of robot technology. Overseas, their drones have been used by the military for years - and it's meant billions for OmniCorp's bottom line. Now OmniCorp wants to bring their controversial technology to the home front, and they see a golden opportunity to do it. When Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) - a loving husband, father and good cop doing his best to stem the tide of crime and corruption in Detroit is critically injured, OmniCorp sees their chance to build a part-man, part-robot police officer. OmniCorp envisions a RoboCop in every city and even more billions for their shareholders, but they never counted on one thing: there is still a man inside the machine.

Labor Day ★★

Opens in Australia: 6^thFebruary 2014

USA: 31^st January 2014    UK: 28^th March 2014

Perth, Australia:         See at Luna Cinemas

Other Countries:          Release Information

MY THOUGHTS

First up I am a romantic. I loved About Time last year. I wept in The Notebook. And Notting Hill and Pretty WomanI have seen too many times to count.  So that is not the reason that I found Labor Dayinsipid and lacking.

The reason I didn’t enjoy it is because in technical terms, it was a ridiculous premise. Maybe the book by Joyce Maynard is better and she pulls the concept off, but the film for me is no peach pie I am afraid (if you’ve seen the film you will understand my reference).  I just don't buy that a woman who isn’t that bad looking or mean in spirit (come on, you can’t make Kate Winslett look totally dowdy) would be that desperate that she would fall in love with her kidnapper, an escaped criminal, in two days. COME ONE, people!!!

What’s worse is that the escaped criminal who has supposedly been doing time for years for the murder of his wife still retains enough humanity that he bakes, cleans and is kind and considerate of children and physically challenged minors. Prison just doesn’t do that to you.

Kate Winslett and Josh Brolin do a great job of acting through what must have been some embarrassing scenes to make. The peach pie baking scene has scarred me. Not to the degree that Cameron Diaz’s romantic scene with a Ferrari in The Counsellor did, but enough that I won’t eat peach or apple pie for a while. Very yuk!

However I will warn you that Safe Haven, last year’s romantic dud that I despised, was enjoyed by many despite my proclamations that it was a load of “?&$#. So if you enjoyed Safe Haven you will probably enjoy this, and please just ignore me. And my colleague who didn’t like Robocop said he “dug” this.

My suggestion though is please rent out Bridges Over Madison County which had so much more heart. This is a very poor cousin to it.

STUDIO BLURB

"Labor Day" centers on 13-year-old Henry Wheeler, who struggles to be the man of his house and care for his reclusive mother Adele while confronting all the pangs of adolescence. On a back-to-school shopping trip, Henry and his mother encounter Frank Chambers, a man both intimidating and clearly in need of help, who convinces them to take him into their home and later is revealed to be an escaped convict. The events of this long Labor Day weekend will shape them for the rest of their lives.

LOTTERY WEST FILMS

Showing: SHOWING IN PERTH at Lotterywest Festival Film Season

I missed the screening of this, but Perth cinema lovers for you here’s this week’s Lotterywest film.  Do treat yourself and enjoy the beautiful setting at Somerville or Joondalup Pines.  A hint: arrive at least an hour early to get a good seat and enjoy the partaking of wine and nibbles, and the ambiance.

The Broken Circle Breakdown

Belgium

Somerville:                  10–16 Feb, 8pm, doors open 6pm

Joondalup Pines:        18–23 Feb, 8pm, doors open 7pm

DIRECTOR FELIX VAN GROENINGEN 111min, MA

English, Flemish with English subtitles

A sure-fire, tear-jerking, audience pleaser that wears its heart resolutely on its sleeve. SCREEN INTERNATIONAL

Elise and Didier fall in love at first sight, despite their differences. They build a home, start a family, then watch as dreams are shattered by the unstoppable effects of their daughter Maybelle’s illness. Immersed in the moody world of bluegrass music, this is a tribute to love, loss and music; and the bittersweet necessity of all three.

Label Europa Cinemas Award & Audience Award Berlinale 2013

Best Actress & Best Screenplay Tribeca Film Festival 2013

Audience Award

To see The Broken Circle Breakdown in the Great Southern click here.

What have you seen this week? Did you find our comments helpful or do you disagree? Share your thoughts with us.

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Film Review Roundup 2nd Feb 2014

Terrific films reviewed this week and a particularly great film for Perth film lovers to catch at the Lotterywest film festival.  This is the awards season so two of these films, The Dallas Buyers Club and 12 Years A Slave are nominated everywhere.  There’s also poor little Grudge Match which you would do well to sidestep. It packs no punch I am afraid.

(My movie Pick of the week)

The Dallas Buyers Club ★★★★ ½   

Opens in Australia: 13^thFebruary 2014

USA: 22^nd November 2013    UK:2^nd Feburary 2014 

Other Countries: Release Information

MY THOUGHTS

Who will win the Academy award for best actor this year? Matthew McConaughey. That’s who. I thought Leo was a shoe in for the award in The Wolf of Wall Street, or Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave but now that I have seen this, I know they won’t win.  Not only did McConaughey shed 40lbs for this role and is unrecognizable, he turns in an incredible performance.

Woodroof is not a sympathetic character. He’s a bigot, a womanizer, a drug addict and looks like he needs a good bath, but as McConaughey said in an interview you can empathize with his character even though you don’t like him. But that’s only because McConaughey plays him so well that you feel that way. Jared Leto who also lost a crazy amount of weight to play the transsexual sidekick to Woodroof is also tearing up the awards.  He should win best supporting actor, too

Go see this film and be appalled yet again at the ridiculous bureaucracy of government departments as they allow people to die rather than find ways to save them purely because they love their red tape.

This is a great film that took a long time to come to the screen.  Go see it for an incredible story and to see actors at the top of their game.

STUDIO BLURB

Matthew McConaughey stars in DALLAS BUYERS CLUB as real-life Texas cowboy Ron Woodroof, whose free-wheeling life was overturned in 1985 when he was diagnosed as HIV-positive and given 30 days to live. These were the early days of the AIDS epidemic, and the U.S. was divided over how to combat the virus. Ron, now shunned and ostracized by many of his old friends, and bereft of government-approved effective medicines, decided to take matters in his own hands, tracking down alternative treatments from all over the world by means both legal and illegal. Bypassing the establishment, the entrepreneurial Woodroof joined forces with an unlikely band of renegades and outcasts - who he once would have shunned - and established a hugely successful "buyers' club." Their shared struggle for dignity and acceptance is a uniquely American story of the transformative power of resilience. (c) Focus Features

All is Lost ★★★★ ½   

LOTTERYWEST FILMS

Showing: SHOWING IN PERTH at LotteryWest Festival Film Season

Somerville 3-8^thFeb, 8pm   Joondalup Pines 11-16^thFeb, 8pm

Opens in Australia wide:      6th March, 2014 

Other Countries:                   Release Information

Perth, Australia:                  See at Luna Cinemas

MY THOUGHTS

This is an impressive solo performance from Robert Redford. The physicality of his performance, of a lone man versing the ocean and the elements, belies his 76 years.  Also impressive is that this is only the second film for director and screenwriter, J.C. Chandor. Add this film to his Oscar nominated, “Margin Call,” and he becomes a filmmaker to watch.

It’s an absorbing, hugely smart story that will have you thinking “what next?” for this poor guy lost at sea.  The tension and dread are palpable. It may be a simple concept that we have seen before, but with the skills of Redford and Chandor it is elevated to a thrilling adventure classic.

And if you are a lucky Perth resident, do get yourself along to the Lotterywest Films. It will be there for the next two weeks. This is one you should not miss.

STUDIO BLURB

Deep into a solo voyage in the Indian Ocean, an unnamed man (Redford) wakes to find his 39-foot yacht taking on water after a collision with a shipping container left floating on the high seas. With his navigation equipment and radio disabled, the man sails unknowingly into the path of a violent storm. Despite his success in patching the breached hull, his mariner's intuition and a strength that belies his age, the man barely survives the tempest. Using only a sextant and nautical maps to chart his progress, he is forced to rely on ocean currents to carry him into a shipping lane in hopes of hailing a passing vessel. But with the sun unrelenting, sharks circling and his meager supplies dwindling, the ever-resourceful sailor soon finds himself staring his mortality in the face.

Grudge Match ★★

Opens in Australia: 30^thJanuary 2014

USA: 25th December 2013    UK: 24^thJanuary 2014 

Other Countries: Release Information

MY THOUGHTS

No, no, no. That’s what Stallone should have said when De Niro approached him to do this. Then he should have punched him in the nose and been done with it.  Terrible idea when you don’t have a good script and you cast Kim Basinger in a key role. Was she always such a terrible actress? These iconic characters that we know these actors for, from the Rocky series and Raging Bull are nowhere to be seen in this film. But I bet the cynical producers thought film lovers would come along and pay their money to rekindle the nostalgia. There are better films at the moment to spend your money and time on.  However if you do want a limp, unfunny comedy with old actors in it and bad dialogue, please be my guest.

STUDIO BLURB

Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone star as old boxing rivals who come out of retirement for one final match. On their first encounter in decades, their long-festering feud erupts into an unintentionally hilarious melee that instantly goes viral. The sudden social media frenzy transforms their local grudge match into a must-see HBO event. Now, if they can just survive the training, they may actually live to fight again. -- (C) Warner Bros.

12 Years a Slave ★★★★★

Opens in Australia wide:      30^thJanuary, 2014 

Other Countries:                   Release Information

Perth, Australia:         See at Luna Cinemas

MY THOUGHTS

As predicted this film is everywhere at the Academy awards. I will be surprised if it doesn’t win. It’s the type of film the Academy likes.

Having seen it twice now I believe it is the most authentic film I’ve ever seen on slavery in the U.S. south, and that may be because it is based on an 1800’s memoir by Solomon Northup.  Thus it makes it a very difficult film to watch at times. While I had heard the violence was graphic I actually didn’t find that the case. What is graphic and probably more horrific is the absolute belief by the land owners and those involved in the slave trade that these people were chattel. There is no reticence in displaying this on screen and that was the hard part to stomach.  Some scenes involving a mother being separated from her children are so heart-wrenching they hurt.

It’s a beautifully made film. Some visuals are artlike in their framing. Everything means something, even just the burning of a letter and the camera holding on the image until the last ember has burnt itself out before the screen fades to black. It’s just beautiful imagery.

Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon and Michael Fassbender as the cruel slave owner Edwin Epps give everything to their roles, alongside a multitude of amazing performances from the other actors. Nice little appearance by Brad Pitt and Paul Giamatti, too.

It’s a fascinating, ugly, amazing, shouldn’t-be-missed piece of cinema.

STUDIO BLURB

MORE THAN A POWERFUL ELEGY, 12 YEARS A SLAVE IS A MESMERIZING TRIUMPH OF ART AND POLEMICS.    Indiewire

12 Years A Slave is Steve McQueen’s fiercely powerful rendering of the memoirs of Solomon Northup. A free man in New York in the 1840s, Northup was tricked, kidnapped and sold into slavery in the Deep South. At the inhumane hands of plantation owners, he faces a monumental struggle for survival. Vivid and nuanced, 12 Years A Slave is one of the most widely lauded and hotly anticipated films of the year.

What have you seen this week? Did you find our comments helpful or do you disagree? Share your thoughts with us.

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Weekly Review Round Up 23rd January 2014

The Wolf of Wall Street is one heck of a film and is by and far the best film to catch of the new releases.  If you are in gorgeous, but very hot Perth, do try and see 12 Years a Slave at Joondalup Pines over its last few days and there is also the very good A Hijacking.  I saw it again this week and it really is one hell of a film. It will win the Academy Award, too.  So, cinephile’s you will want to know what the fuss is about.  Her is an interesting film and Inside Llewyn Davis is not my favourite Coen Brothers film sadly, and I hate saying that I didn’t like it.

Some great films just around the corner.  More next week.

(My movie Pick of the week)

The Wolf of Wall Street ★★★★ 

Opens in Australia:                23^rd January 2014

USA: 25^th December 2013    UK: 17^thJanuary 2014 

Other Countries:                     Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

When I told a friend to prepare herself for this film because it’s loaded with swearing and raunchy sex scenes, she commented that she would close her eyes in the naughty bits. If that is your plan, then you will be mostly listening to it.  From start to finish it is filled with sex, drugs and behavior that beggars belief. It’s a modern day Caligula.

And yet the “naughty bits” don’t feel as gratuitous as other films that I have seen.  It’s almost necessary to show the debauchery in order to tell the true story of wealthy stockbroker Jordan Belfort’s escapades in the eighties and nineties.

Leonardo Dicaprio and Jonah Hill are simply amazing on screen. Just watching Leonardo and Jonah go for it is worth the price of a ticket. There is one scene where they overdose on Quaaludes that is too bizarre believe but apparently is all true. Fabulous, too, are the smaller roles by directors, Jon Favreau and Rob Reiner, and all the other actors. Even Joanne Lumley is perfect.

I can’t recommend this enough. Yes, it is a little longish, but I love Martin Scorses, and he shows here why he is considered one of the great directors. Gordon Gecko who?

STUDIO BLURB

Martin Scorsese directs the story of New York stockbroker Jordan Belfort. From the American dream to corporate greed, Belfort goes from penny stocks and righteousness to IPOs and a life of corruption in the late 80s. Excess success and affluence in his early twenties as founder of the brokerage firm Stratton Oakmont warranted Belfort the title "The Wolf of Wall Street." -- (C) Paramount

A Hijacking ★★★★

LOTTERY WEST FILMS

Showing: SHOWING IN PERTH at Lotterywest Festival Film Season

Somerville 20-25th Feb, 8pm   Joondalup Pines 28^thJan – 2^nd Feb, 8pm

Other Countries:                   Release Information

Perth, Western Australia you need to attend one of Lotterwest Festival films at Somerville or Joondalup Pines. It is simply stunning sitting there amongst the pine trees.

OUR THOUGHTS

Tobias Lindholm is the director and screenwriter of last year’s The Hunt,one of those films that will stay with you that was in my top ten last year.  Like The Hunt this film is also a gripping drama that unravels slowly. The Danes are becoming my favourite foreign filmmakers. Everything I see that originates from there is outstanding.  This is a Danish version of a Captain Phillips hijacking at sea and its just as gripping. However, this is the story told also from the perspective of the owners of the cargo ship, the corporation and its managing director.  Its dirtier and more authentic than Captain Phillips and a really enjoyable drama.

A Hijacking is showing at Somerville and Joondalup Pines for Perth people. This is a great one to see under the stars.  The rest of the world, sadly, you will have to see it on DVD or streaming.

STUDIO BLURB

An ill-fated Danish cargo ship is hijacked in the Indian Ocean by Somali pirates. Fierce demands and risk-fraught negotiations are managed from dry-land by the ship’s committed CEO. The escalating situation and the safety of the men on board hang precariously in the balance. Bristling with suspense and astute observation, this stylish, measured thriller boasts all the hallmarks of great Danish cinema.

BEST FILM Danish Bodil Film Awards 2013
DIRECTOR TO WATCH Palm Springs International Film Festival 2013 FIPRESCI PRIZE, GOLDEN ALEXANDER (BEST FILM) Thessaloniki Film Festival 2013

Her ★★★½

Opens in Australia:              16^thJanuary, 2014 

USA: 10^th January, 2014      UK: 14^thFebruary 2014 

Other Countries:                   Release Information

Perth, Australia:                  See at Luna Cinemas

THOUGHTS

The idea that we can fall in love with our operating system or build a meaningful relationship with it, is one story that I can state categorically won’t ever happen to me.  My computer and I have a love-hate relationship. Well the last laptop and I had a hate-hate relationship. That one got itself ditched for my new MacBook Air over Christmas, which so far has been very compliant, and I think we are going to be very happy together. So, I don’t think I am every falling in love with Siri or my OS like our protagonist does in Her.

It was more interesting than I expected, but every now and then I’d think to myself how utterly silly it was, and I would feel myself pulled out of the story.  It’s Director Spike Jonze’s commentary on our love affair with iPads and smart phones and how it can all go terribly wrong. Definitely worth a look if the concept appeals, with a few outrageously funny scenes and a few cringe-worthy to match.

STUDIO BLURB

Spike Jonze takes the helm for this comedy about a withdrawn writer (Joaquin Phoenix) who falls in love with his computer's highly advanced operating system.

Inside Llewyn Davis ★★

Opens in Australia:              16^thJanuary, 2014 

USA: 10^th January, 2014      UK: 24^thJanuary 2014 

Other Countries:                   Release Information

Perth, Australia:                  See at Luna Cinemas

THOUGHTS

Dear Coen Brothers, you know I love you. No Country for Old Men, Burn After Reading, True Grit, The Big Lebowski are all genius, and the wit sublime.  But Inside Llewyn Davis just falls short for me. Sorry boys.  There’s no story here and Llewyn Davis, the musician looking to hit the big time, well, he’s so dull. I just didn’t feel anything for him.  You are known for creating larger than life characters, but this character is so self-centered and worthless I was kind of hoping at some point you might bring in a hit-man and end his and our misery (you are very good with hit-men).  But no, it just ends with nothing, and I was left wondering what was the point.  It’s a nicely created genre film to give us a peek into the sixties New York City folk music scene, and if you had just added a story it would have hit the mark.  But, don’t worry, I will still come back for the next film because you can’t have a hit every time.

STUDIO BLURB

INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS follows a week in the life of a young folk singer as he navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961. Guitar in tow, huddled against the unforgiving New York winter, he is struggling to make it as a musician against seemingly insurmountable obstacles-some of them of his own making. (c) CBS

What have you seen this week? Did you find our comments helpful or do you disagree? Share your thoughts with us.

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Weekly Review Round Up 9th January 2014

THIS WEEK'S PREVIEWS

My two films this week are both five star winners. I’ve seen Saving Mr Banks twice and I just recommend it to everyone. Don’t miss it.  And 12 Years a Slave I am about to see again during its run at the outdoor cinema Sommerville.  This one is a masterpiece.  It’s exciting to see 2014 starting of with such top films.  If you are in Australia, also don’t miss seeing Frozen or The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug or The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. There is something for everyone at the moment and all worth your dollars.

(My movie Pick of the week)

Saving Mr Banks ★★★★★

Opens in Australia: 9^th January 2014

USA: 20^thDecember 2013

UK: 29^thNovember 2013 

Other Countries: Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

Who doesn’t love Mary Poppins? Seriously, is it not the most delightful film ever made? It so easily crosses generations to please young and old even now. So, it may surprise you to know that the true story behind the making of this Disney classic was not so sugar and spice and that it took more than a spoonful of sugar for this movie to go down.

It seems P.L. Travers, Mary Poppins’ Australian author, was very protective of her “Mary.” In fact, she considered the Banks and Mary her family. This is the story of how Disney (Tom Hanks) after twenty years of pursuit, persuaded Mrs. Travers (Emma Thompson)—and, please only call her Mrs. Travers—to, finally, allow him to make the film. Why the film is called Saving Mr Bankswill only be revealed at the end.

In telling the story, we alternate between the curmudgeonly writer of today and the imaginative, intelligent child in outback Queensland living with her troubled father and mother. It’s from the story of the past that we come to understand the complex woman who is giving poor Walt a run for his money.

I’ve seen this film twice now and I think I loved it even more the second time around. The tough-critic children enjoyed it too. It’s a perfectly made film, with beautiful performances. Emma Thompson owns the screen, and if she doesn’t get an award win for this then I am supercalifragilistic-ing someone. Now, I am off to go fly a kite.

STUDIO BLURB

When Walt Disney's daughters begged him to make a movie of their favorite book, P.L. Travers' "Mary Poppins," he made them a promise one that he didn't realize would take 20 years to keep. In his quest to obtain the rights, Walt comes up against an, uncompromising writer who has absolutely no intention of letting her beloved magical nanny get mauled by the Hollywood machine. But, as the books stop selling, and money grows short, Travers reluctantly agrees to go to Los Angeles to hear Disney's plans for the adaptation. For those two short weeks in 1961, Walt Disney pulls out all the stops. Armed with imaginative storyboards and chirpy songs from the talented Sherman brothers, Walt launches an all-out onslaught on P.L. Travers, but the prickly author doesn't budge. He soon begins to watch helplessly as Travers becomes increasingly immovable and the rights begin to move further away from his grasp. It is only when he reaches into his own childhood that Walt discovers the truth about the ghosts that haunt her, and together they set Mary Poppins free to ultimately make one of the most endearing films in cinematic history.

12 YEARS A SLAVE ★★★★★

PERTH LOTTERY WEST FILM FESTIVAL

Showing: SHOWING IN PERTH at Lotterywest Festival Film Season

                       http://2014.perthfestival.com.au/Whats-on-by-Genre/Film/12-Years-A-Slave
Somerville13-19 Jan, 8pm   Joondalup Pines 21-26, 8pm

Opens in Australia: 30^th January 2014 general release

Other Countries:          Release Information

OUR THOUGHTS

Expect this one to show prominently in many categories when the Oscar nominations are announced on January 16^th. It’s the type of film the Academy likes.

This is the most authentic film I’ve ever seen on slavery in the U.S. south and is based on an 1800’s memoir by Solomon Northup.  Thus it makes it a very difficult film to watch at times. While I had heard the violence was graphic I actually didn’t find that the case. What is graphic and probably more horrific is the absolute belief by the land owners and those involved in the slave trade that these people were chattel. There is no reticence in displaying this on screen and that was the hard part to stomach.  Some scenes involving a mother being separated from her children are so heart-wrenching they hurt.

It’s a beautifully made film. Some visuals are art in their framing. Everything means something, even just the burning of a letter and the camera holding on the image until the last ember has burnt itself out before the screen fades to black. It’s just beautiful imagery.

Chiwetel Ejiofor as  Solomon and Michael Fassbender as the cruel slave owner Edwin Epps give everything to their roles, along with a multitude of amazing performances. Nice little appearance by Brad Pitt and Paul Giamatti.

It’s a fascinating, ugly, amazing, shouldn’t-be-missed piece of cinema. And if you are lucky enough to live in beautiful Perth, you have the added benefit of seeing it at the incredible outdoor cinemas Somerville or Joondalup Pines.

STUDIO BLURB

MORE THAN A POWERFUL ELEGY, 12 YEARS A SLAVE IS A MESMERIZING TRIUMPH OF ART AND POLEMICS.    Indiewire

12 Years A Slave is Steve McQueen’s fiercely powerful rendering of the memoirs of Solomon Northup. A free man in New York in the 1840s, Northup was tricked, kidnapped and sold into slavery in the Deep South. At the inhumane hands of plantation owners, he faces a monumental struggle for survival. Vivid and nuanced, 12 Years A Slave is one of the most widely lauded and hotly anticipated films of the year.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AUDIENCE AWARD Toronto International Film Festival 2013

BRITISH ARTIST OF THE YEAR, STEVE MCQUEEN Britannia Awards 2013

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Greats, Hates and Failed Escapades

The year of “so-so”, that was 2013. 

With only a few real standout films and the usual horrible, horrible duds, the rest were just average. If cinema takings are down, the film studios only have themselves to blame. The scripts have been the problem and you can’t help wondering why some of the cable network AMC writers, who bring us amazing gems like “Breaking Bad” and “Mad Men”, can’t write for Hollywood, too. It’s also interesting to note that three of the eleven most bankable people in Hollywood (Brad Pitt, Will Smith and Johnny Depp) starred in three of my “worst” films, which happened to also bomb at the box office. So, a star does not guarantee a film’s success.

This year there was one absolute standout film. Alfonso Cuarón’s “Gravity” had people talking everywhere. It needed to be seen in the cinema and on IMAX if possible. The extremely realistic space scenes required an extension of the technology of filmmaking, and it had many of us almost believing they had found a way to film in space. 

The Marvel franchise continued on strongly with “Iron Man 3” (this year’s box office highest performer) following on linearly from 2012’s top box office earner “The Avengers”. Later in the year “Thor 2: The Dark World” followed on nicely with the next chapter of the series. It’s clear from the teasers embedded in the closing credits of Thor that these Marvel films are going to continue on for years or at least until they stop making loads of money. 

This is also the first year we have experienced life without any “Twilight films”. There have been a few contenders put up but no takers so far except for “Hunger Games” but it hasn’t reached the same level of hysteria as the vampire/werewolf/human love triangle.

What is amazing is that you can always count on the tried and true talents to still deliver great entertainment. We’re talking about Woody Allen with “Blue Jasmine,” Ben Stiller with “Secret Life of Walter Mitty” and Tom Hanks in “Captain Phillips” and “Saving Mr. Banks and Leonardo Di Caprio in “The Great Gatsby”.

Here’s my 2013 greats and hates:

GREATS

“Gravity”- A wild, exhilarating ride in which you won’t breathe until the credits come up. Bravo.

“Blue Jasmine” – Cate Blanchett is divine, and Woody Allen’s wry observation of human nature is again spot on.

“12 Years a Slave” – True life drama that will tear at your heart. My pick as the big winner during the awards season.

“Captain Phillips” – A terrifying, gritty story with Tom Hanks at the top of his game.

“Saving Mr. Banks” – Emma Thompson just eats up the role of Mary Poppins’ belligerent author. What a story!

“West of Memphis” – The finest documentary this year, and its proof that fact is stranger than fiction

“The Great Gatsby” – some loved it; some hated it. It was big, bold and beautiful.

“Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa” – Funniest comedy this year with the man of the moment, Steve Coogan.

“Thor 2: The Dark World" – There’s a bare chested Thor scene. It’s in top ten just for that, and the juicy Loki scenes.

“Secret Life of Walter Mitty” – Whimsical, wonderful and the most charming film this year.

“Frozen” – And I’ve snuck a number eleven in because I just saw it again and was reminded how wonderful it is. It really is the most beautiful animation this year and classic Disney, and I love Disney.

HATES

“The Counsellor”– A boring, arrogantly indulgent film. Easily the worst thing I’ve seen this year. After watching Cameron Diaz interact with a Ferrari, I need counselling.

“Night Train to Lisbon” – A dead-end train to nowhere interesting. It’s appalling in every aspect, from script, to acting, to story. Do not get on.

“Safe Haven” – Am I allowed to call a very popular romance woeful and ridiculous? Why yes I will.

“A Good Day to Die Hard” – How on earth did they come up with this terrible, unbelievable script? Leave “Die Hard” alone if this is the best you got.

“The Host” – Cashing in on Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” success with a poorly scripted science fiction mess was not a good idea.

“The Call” – This was meant to be a drama but our audience laughed through most of the 2^nd half.  The script never got passed the dial tone.

“After Earth” – Will Smith misguided vehicle for his son. “Inept” is the best word to describe this ridiculous, poorly acted, plot-hole riddled mess.

“The Lone Ranger” – Could have been good, should have been good, but in the end it was just a dumb idea. Johnny Depp can’t pull off feathers and white face paint.

“Runner Runner” – Ben Affleck what the heck? After last year’s fantastic “Argo”, you follow up with this lame drama. Still don’t understand the title.

“Diana” – Embarrassing grab for dollars from Diana fans. Naomi Watts with a bad hairdo plus speculative, limp love story = fail.

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