Review of 2013

After a SHOCKING year of films in 2012, I am delighted to say that 2013 was a massive improvement. Yes the anti-christs of cinema are still going strong with Marvel dominating the box office again with lazy rehashes of the same story, pathetic scripts like Man of Steel and Pacific Rim still got money thrown at them, but there was a lot to celebrate this year.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire proved franchise films could be intelligent, well-crafted and make a tonne of money. Even The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug proved me wrong and got a seemingly lost franchise back on track. The Lone Ranger and Star Trek Into Darkness were how Summer blockbusters should be, full of stunts, special effects and thrilling to audiences. Unfortunately The Lone Ranger was criminally ignored by audiences so let’s hope this revival in blockbuster quality isn’t dead already.

Blue Jasmine and Nebraska were absolute gems of films that are sure to become classics. Cloud Atlas and Elysium were great sci-fi. Spring Breakers, Filth and Stoker were deliciously dark and twisted. Even comedy sequels were decent with Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues proving Will Ferrell has still got it.

Here’s my top 5; remember this is only films released in Ireland in 2013, so January releases like The Wolf of Wall Street will have to wait and see if they’re good enough for next year’s list.

5. Stoker

Crafted by a cinematic master Stoker was as entertaining and twisted as Oldboy, with some acting veterans like Nicole Kidman proving they can surprise us in new ways with the right script and director.

4. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

I underrated this on my initial review, but with time it grew on me more and more. I’ve read the books and can say the films are doing a much better job of telling the story of a society fed up with those in charge.

3. Cloud Atlas

A film I’ve re-watched and will re-watch again and again. It has its flaws but when its good is just so good you forgive the rest. An absolute feast for the eyes and imagination.

2. Nebraska

So much heart and so little cheese, Nebraska is as close to perfect as a film can be. A lovely story with a lovely ending full of the most colourful people ever seen in black and white.

1. Blue Jasmine

Woody Allen makes a perfect film with a relevancy previously unseen in his work. Criminally ignored by this year’s Oscars, if you haven’t seen it make a note to do so.

Honourable mentions: Spring Breakers, Filth, The Way Way Back, Elysium, All is Lost, Prisoners, Gravity, Captain Phillips, Blue is the Warmest Colour

Guilty Pleasure of the year: The Lone Ranger

The worst: Man of Steel, Iron Man 3, Oblivion, This is the End, The World’s End

The most overrated: American Hustle

Bring on 2014!

American Hustle – conning good films out of awards

This really should have been something. Director David O. Russell with a wealth of great actors, telling the story of smoke, mirrors and the United States Congress. Unfortunately what could have amounted to so much is left rather limp and lazy; which bar some nice acting flourishes, is a very forgettable Oscar nominated (???) film.

Conman Irving (Christian Bale) meets and falls in love with Sydney (Amy Adams), a former stripper and soon to be accomplice. Eddie’s great at what he does, but has a wife who refuses to divorce him and affection for her son preventing him from leaving. After cop Richie (Bradley Cooper) busts one of Eddie and Amy’s scams, they find themselves working for him to avoid jail time. Unfortunately Richie is too desperate for a big bust, and uses Irving and Sydney as bait to catch Mayor of Jersey Carmine (Jeremy Renner), who despite knowing some corrupt people is a genuine nice guy and wants what’s best for his city.

Again, this could have been great. Christian Bale with a belly, Bradley Cooper in curls, a madcap caper with a Sheikh and Jennifer Lawrence as Eddie’s bizzare wife. All the ingredients were there but it just never works. The opening passage of time as Irving and Sydney meet isn’t as good as it needs to be to make us care about them for the rest of the film. For such a long film it is rushes into a poor montage. Their plan to foil the Mayor is never that complicated, amusing or interesting to sustain the middle of the film. Bradley Cooper’s Richie is too ridiculously pathetic to ever see as a real threat to Irving and Syndey. The list goes on and on.

Yes it’s not all bad. The acting is great, particularly Renner who I usually hate, and Lawrence as always is nothing short of amazing. The idea of them on top form with O. Russell directing has so much potential, but instead is wasted on a poor film that never really takes off.

The biggest con this film pulls off is winning awards this season. You can do better O. Russell.

2 out of 5

All is Lost – All is excellent

Opening with a splash (literally) and continuing with scene after scene of turmoil for our nameless hero lost at sea, All Is Lost will suffer from comparisons to Gravity at sea, but unlike the Clooney–Bullock sci-fi, All Is Lost elects to leave nothing known of its protagonist, not even a beach ball named Wilson to bounce emotion off. It definitely keeps us in the moment and gives All Is Lost a layer of realism that Gravity lacked. Topped with a great performance from Robert Redford, All Is Lost is one of the year’s best.

Sailing solo in the Indian Ocean, our hero’s boat crashes into a loose shipping container, with the resulting rip in the hull flooding the inside of the boat. He repairs it with some bits and pieces, but when a storm hits the boat is destroyed, leaving our man floating in a life raft with minimum supplies. Battling more storms, dehydration and sharks, he desperately uses whatever skills he can muster to make his way to a shipping lane in the hope of rescue.

With only a few lines of dialogue and in almost every shot, Redford looks all 77 years old, haggard and grey but with still enough energy to be a believable survivalist. His age adds great weight to the role, with every slip and fall possibly his last. This isn’t Liam Neeson versus the ocean, this is an elderly man who adventured a bit too much and must now face the consequences. He hurts but he gets up again, weaker each time. Redford’s age, frame and acting make this film possible.

Director J.C. Chandor leaves the effects to a minimum and even when massive storms hit, leaves the camera on Reford. In the second half of the film, with Redford confined to an inflatable life raft, the film suffers a bit due to over emphasis on musical cues and needless cuts to underwater life. The filmmakers struggle to maintain the excellent tone of the first half and while still making some great cinema, it lags in comparison to the first half.

An excellent piece of cinema full of excitement with a great central performance. Goes on a scene too long but considering what comes before all is forgiven.

4 out of 5

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty – light and fun but lacking any real imagination

Imagination and set pieces are very different things; had the filmmakers realised this The Secret Life of Walter Mitty could have capitalised on some great components, instead its clunky script and over the top moments let down an otherwise great film.

Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller) an employee at Life magazine is a lost man, occasionally escaping his banal life by escaping into daydreams of love and adventure. When the cover photo for the final issue of the magazine goes missing, he decides to leave his desk and embark on an adventure that will take him through Greenland, Iceland and Afghanistan, Volcanoes, Warlords and drunks, in the hope of tracking down elusive photographer Sean O’Connell (Sean Penn).

This is a beautiful film to look at, with some fantastic photography at some amazing locations, as well as the smaller little hints (the old fax delivery man). It makes the most of its great exterior locations while never neglecting its interiors resulting in a film that looks like a mix between Life of Pi and The Royal Tenanbaums. Stupid as it is, Mitty skateboarding down a road in Iceland is fantastic fun to watch, as is Mitty jumping onto a helicopter after a nice karaoke moment. Stiller proves he can direct, for the most part.

It loses the plot way too much with over the top fantasies such as Mitty infected with Benjamin Button disease, a ridiculous fight involving snowboarding on tarmac and the always cringe flock of birds looking like a girl’s face in the sky. For a film about imagination, at a lot of times it has little.

A good attempt at making a not too preachy life affirming film, but in need of a rewrite. Stiller proves an able director, he just needs stricter producers.

3 out of 5

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues – still classy

Going relatively unseen in the cinema but gaining popularity over time, mainly through drunken quoting, the first Anchorman film slowly became a comedy classic. One of those films that’s funnier to talk about rather than to actually watch, it was messy in a lot of places but overall a colourful bit of entertainment. Nine years later Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues arrives, with the news team reunited and facing an even bigger battle. For dedicated fans this sequel may be a bit of a disappointment, but as someone who doubts the brilliance of the original, this is a huge improvement.

Fired from his job and intimidated by his wife’s success, Ron Burgandy (Will Ferrell) hits rock bottom, before being picked up by a new 24 hour news network, funded by an Australian businessman and all round shady character Kench Allenby (Josh Lawson) channelling shades of Rupert Murdoch. Burgandy reunites his original team and fuelled by a ratings war turns the news into a mockery of car chases, needless graphics and animal stories.

There’s a lot of bad; awkward racist moments (Mexican maid, dinner with his black girlfriend’s family) that lack originality to be considered anything other than lazy and offensive, too many obvious jokes, Koechner’s  Champ still isn’t funny, and it confuses cameos with comedy. Luckily it all moves at a nice pace, is always colourful and often very funny. Unlike the first one it also has a moral message about the news that it conveys excellently.

A nice light, fun film for a dark winter’s day. Don’t expect too much and you may be pleasantly surprised.

3 out of 5

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – no longer middling Middle Earth

A year after we were all a bit let down by An Unexpected Journey; Peter Jackson’s first installment in his Hobbit trilogy, he’s back to give us a nice surprise. The Desolation of Smaug is no masterpiece, but it’s a much improved chapter in this story and gives us faith that this could potentially end up being a solid trilogy.

Continuing on a quest to reclaim their home, the team of dwarves, along with Bilbo and Gandalf, find themselves getting close to their foe Smaug, a giant devious dragon. Along the way they encounter spiders, Orcs, Elves and some very entertaining mayhem involving barrels.

It’s still needlessly long, and suffers from pacing especially in the middle section, but there’s a lot more excitement this time around. The set pieces are magnificent and the effects much improved, with the CG Orcs looking a lot less computer-gamey. We start to learn more about some of the dwarves and the bits Jackson adds in, including completely new characters, aren’t as bad as previously feared. When we finally get to meet Smaug, voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch, it’s a marvel to behold and best experienced on an iMax screen. Unfortunately the action around the dragon gets a bit repetitive and is overlong, and along with a mid-section in a Dickinson style town on a lake could have done with some trimming in the editing room. Overall though Jackson delivers, and leaves us eager for next year’s final installment.

Surprisingly good, considering how bad this possibly could have been. Our faith in Middle Earth is restored.

3 out of 5

Nebraska – absolute delight

Black, white and bleak; Nebraska isn’t always a positive film and at times seems destined for doom, but skilfully this excellent film manages to leave us bouncing from the cinema with a smile on our faces without having to resort to clichés or over sentiment.

Woody (Bruce Dern); an elderly inhabitant of Montana, is determined to get to Nebraska to pick up a million dollar prize he thinks he’s won. Unable to convince his father it’s a marketing scam, his son David (Will Forte) takes time out to accompany his father on the journey, including a stop in Woody’s childhood home town, where his history comes to light.

It’s starts off clumsily enough as characters are introduced in short scenes that exist solely to move the plot along, but once this film takes off it is excellent stuff all the way through. Full of heart, tragic and laugh out loud funny all in one. Director Alexander Payne expertly moves back and forth through emotion and tone in a film that is skilfully miles ahead of his last, The Descendants, which relied too much on voice over and over set up the emotional strings. With Nebraska he respects the audience enough to hint at things in the past, or running concurrently off screen, without spelling it out and leaving the tragic and funny linger long after the credits have rolled. Payne masterfully unfolds Bob Nelson’s simple but excellent script in front of us, and ties it all together with one of the most satisfying film endings in years.

The less said about this the better. Go see and enjoy.

4 out of 5

The Flu – don’t do

Usually when a subtitled film gets an Irish cinema release it’s due to critical acclaim or controversy. Lately more and more Bollywood films have been released in the cinema in Ireland due to a cult interest and Indian population boom, but it’s hard to see why Korean film The Flu made it onto UK and Irish screens. Not good enough to receive acclaim or culturally significantly enough to attract the Korean contingent, there’s nothing cult about this release. Its Sharknado meets Contagion, but not near as fun as that sounds.

A container full of illegal Chinese immigrants arrives in Korea with a deadly strain of flu that spreads through the Korean city of Bundang. Under lockdown the heavily influenced by America government decide how best to deal with the carnage that ensues through mass hysteria. Luckily (and conveniently to the point of ridiculousness) Ji-Goo (Jang Hyuk), In-Hae (Soo Ae) and her annoying as fook daughter are there at every important plot point to assist.

Jang Hyuk as Ji-Goo is extremely likeable despite the disaster that is the script and director. He escapes unscathed and is always watchable, with a fun opening scene. Unfortunately the rest of the cast are in a z-movie and don’t know it, delivering terrible lines with cringe worthy direction. It’s a mess, and not a fun one.

If you’re Korean and desperately homesick, maybe. Otherwise absolutely not.

1 out of 5

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire – c’mon the Capitol

Less than two years after the release of The Hunger Games a sequel is already upon us. No doubt an alarmingly quick turnaround was employed to capitalise on the trending fad, but can filmmakers really make a two hour plus film that quickly and still keep it of high quality? A last minute switch of director shed worryingly bad omens on this production, but luckily new director Francis Lawrence has managed to make an extremely entertaining sequel that although lacking in areas is proof enough that with the right people employed good films can be made quickly.

Haunted by the events of The Hunger Games, victor Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) returns to District 12 to live a reasonably comfortable life with her family, while the rest of her community struggle to put bread on the table. Dealing with a revolution in the districts sparked by Katniss, President Snow (Donald Sutherland) looks for ways to calm the mob, and devises a way to bring Katniss and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) back into an arena to battle. It’s not going to be as easy as Snow hopes though, with most of the new competitors determined to rebel.

Again Lawrence as brilliant as the reluctant Che Guevara, torn between keeping her family safe and speaking out against President Snow. She makes the franchise as she goes easily from action hero to hopeless teen. Expanding The Hunger Games universe the film also successfully brings in newcomers Sam Clafin and Jena Malone as fellow competitors, setting them up nicely for their place in the sequels. The new director and actors do a great job in keeping what could easily be a silly story in the realms of seriousness. Hutcherson as Peeta is again great in reprising his role as a not very typical hero, employing careful plans over heroics. As essential as Lawrence is the Peeta role could easily have been misplayed by a lesser actor and destroyed the heart of the franchise.

Unfortunately like the book this is an in-between film, and has no real satisfactory ending, instead leaving us to wait another year. Also the last hour in the arena seems rushed. The danger, competitiveness and entertainment of the games lacking. Less time making dresses and more action could have benefitted the film.

Definitely a franchise worth following. Let’s hope when the sequels appear we will have a great complete series.

3 out of 5

Blue is the warmest colour – definitely a French film

At three hours long, Blue is the Warmest Colour sometimes feels like the Lawrence of Arabia of lesbian love stories. Small in scope but epic in conviction, it leaves no leaf unturned in its depiction of a young French girl discovering her sexuality and the woman she becomes infatuated with. Winning the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes film festival it’s already received widespread critical acclaim, but bar a powerhouse central performance from discovery of the decade Adele Exarchopoulos, it’s hard to see what all the praise is for.

In the midst of awkward teenage girl talk and even more awkward teenage boys, hi-school student Adele (Adele Exarchopoulos) glances a mysterious blue-haired woman on the streets and soon fantasises about her. Tracking her down to a local gay bar the two strike up a friendship, and soon a relationship. Emma (Léa Seydoux) is an art student who believes everyone should have an artistic outlet, pressuring Adele and bringing up jealousies that interfere with an otherwise perfect romance.

It’s hard to discuss this film without mentioning sex, lesbian sex, in bucket loads. One audience member left during the first major lesbian sex scene (the straight one earlier didn’t offend him), while some audience members wanted to hi-five each other. Everyone will have a different opinion of these scenes, but I’m in the camp that gay or straight they do indulge at the length he gives them. Other aspects of the relationship are washed over leaving a questionable timeframe, but the sex is long but never really intimate or intense, feeling more like a peep show than a love scene.

Adele Exarchopoulos owns this film, the camera is on her constantly, even snotty nose and crying it loves her. She is more than the star of this film, she is this film, and it’s hard to see how it would have even existed without her.  From awkward conversations on the bus with teenage boys to inner torment while teaching young children to dance, she is magnificent. Her Adele feels completely real and never like a character in a film. Unfortunately, while all other performances are great in the film, no one matches her likeability, especially Lea Seydoux’s Emma, who just comes across as smug and arrogant. Seydoux’s performance is fine, but young stupid love aside it’s hard to understand what Adele sees in her, with Emma’s character not understanding of how young and vulnerable Adele is and just coming across as well, a bit of a bitch.

Not the masterpiece it’s been made out to be, but definitely a decent well told film, if over long and indulgent. The star is Adele Exarchopoulos, we look forward to more fine performances from her.

­­­3 out of 5