Top 10 of 2013 (A.J.'s Picks)

by A.J. 

January and February are the time of year when I get to catch up on the prestige pictures released over the holidays and also watch any major award nominees that I've missed. A few dozen movies later, I've seen enough to make my picks for the best of movies of the past year. 

10. All is Lost

I was skeptical when I heard about a movie about a lone, nameless man lost at sea. Robert Redford plays “Our Man,” the film’s only character. The hull of his yacht has been punctured by a stray shipping container. We watch as his situation becomes bleaker and the sea does everything it can to kill him. We never learn why he is at sea; there are no flashbacks, he gives no monologues. But despite what numerous screenwriting books have told us about backstory, all you need to know about “Our Man” is that he lost and alone but alive and struggling to survive in a place that is as harsh and inhospitable to human life as the surface of the moon. There are intense thrills and heartbreaking moments. While watching this movie, you prepare yourself for the worst and hope for the best, just like “Our Man.” 

9. American Hustle

For the past few years director David O. Russell has turned out well-made, well-acted entertaining movies. While I think that Russell is overpraised for his “style” I must admit that when I see his name on a movie now, I know it is one I’m going to watch. I enjoyed American Hustle from start to finish. What makes this movie so good, more than any stylistic flare, is the excellent performances from its two leads: Christian Bale and Amy Adams. They play a team of low level con artists in 1970s New York that get caught up in an FBI sting operation loosely based on the real life sting operation called Ab-scam. Their situation becomes unstable and dangerous as the FBI agent leading the sting, played by Bradley Cooper, proves to be a loose cannon. Though details of the scam do not become any clearer as the film progresses, it never stops being fun and exciting. This film introduces you to low-life, adulterous con artists and by the end of the movie you’re rooting for them. 

8. The World’s End

I was on the fence about watching this movie. Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and director Edgar Wright have done self-aware send ups of genre pictures that are also good genre pictures successfully twice (Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz), but could they do it again? Yes, they did. The World’s End is about reasonably average friends whose reluctant reunion is interrupted when they find themselves in an end-of-the-world-alien-invasion. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are the leads, just like in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, but they are not playing the same character types as in those previous films which keeps their performances fresh and interesting. I got so caught up in the lives of these characters that I was disappointed, for a moment, when I thought that the "estranged friends reunite" movie would end once the alien invasion plot began. This was not the case; neither storyline gave way to other. This movie pulls off both stories incredibly well, all while being insanely hilarious. 

7. Frozen 

The best animated film of this year was not from Pixar, but from the Disney Animation Studios. That’s not a big surprise, but it has taken the computer animated Disney movies a while to catch up to the level of quality that has become synonymous with their sister studio Pixar. Adapted from the Hans Christian Andersen story The Snow Queen, Frozen contains all the familiar elements of Disney movies: princesses, magic, a handsome woodsman, and a lovable sidekick. But the makers of this movie have told this story in such a wonderful and different way that it makes all of these things feel new again. The queen-to-be, Elsa, can create snow and ice, a power which she cannot control. She shuts herself away in an ice palace in the wilderness after inadvertently freezing the entire kingdom at her coronation. Her younger sister, Princess Anna, sets out after her. There are villains in this movie, but the story is not about good vs. evil. It is about love vs. fear. One character has to be saved by an act of “true love” and the act that saves her says so much about the creativity that went into this movie. The main characters of this movie are two sisters and while other studios would’ve worried about what that meant for the movie’s “appeal,” Disney knows that if you tell a good story people will watch. 

6. The Heat

Sandra Bullock has unfortunately been in more than few bad comedies, but she’s only as good as the material she has to work with and fortunately The Heat is hilarious material. She plays a straight laced FBI agent working with an eccentric Boston cop played by Melissa McCarthy. It’s a tried and true formula but all the important elements (script, story, characters, jokes, direction) are in place and top notch. There have been a lot of good buddy cop movies, but not so many female buddy cop movies. That the leads are women is the obvious thing separating The Heat from other buddy comedies, but what truly sets this movie apart is its confidence to not care that its leads are women and just let them be funny. 

5. 12 Years a Slave

It is rare for a good film to also be good history. There are many aspects of American slavery and the American slave experience, and to try and cover all of those aspects in a single movie could lead to a lot of scenes and characters shoehorned into the plot and a movie that is more concerned with teaching than with telling a story. 12 Years a Slave is based on the slave narrative of Solomon Northup, a free black man who was kidnapped into slavery in the 1840’s. Every aspect of slavery and the antebellum south in this movie feels authentic, from the master slave relationships to the way people speak. Steve McQueen directs every scene with thought and care. There are great performances from the whole cast, especially Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon, who despite of all of the suffering and injustice committed against him, keeps alive his hope and his freedom. 

4.  The Place Beyond the Pines

We often hear complaints from critics about the lack of well-written, character-based movies; however, each year a few films step up to the challenge and The Place Beyond the Pines was one of the most deserving of notice. This movie was released early in the year and, though it is quite remarkable, it was left off most “best of” lists and was not given any awards recognition. Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper deliver solid performances, as you might expect. The movie spans 15 years giving us an intimate story of fathers and sons with a grand feeling.

3. Gravity                                   

There is no other movie quite like Gravity. It is a one person survival thriller, not unlike All is Lost or Cast Away. The key difference between Gravity and those movies is not the setting but the casting; Gravity chose to rest its weight (no pun intended) not on a single actor, but a single actress: Sandra Bullock. She plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a NASA mission specialist, which means she is a scientist, not a pilot. After debris destroys the space shuttle she is lost and drifting alone in the vacuum of space. George Clooney plays astronaut Kowalski, attempting to guide Dr. Stone, but for the most part she is alone. The special effects are exquisite, but do not call attention to themselves. The score by Steven Price is unlike any other film score; it seems to rise up from the sounds of space. There are small scientific inaccuracies that only make the story more compelling and tense. I rarely encounter a movie that is so engrossing it is truly an experience to watch. 2013 was a very good year for Sandra Bullock.

 

1. I couldn't bring myself to pick a single best movie of the year for 2013. There were two films I enjoyed so thoroughly and completely that I could've picked at random which was number one and which was number two and that would've worked, but it would not have felt right. Fortunately there are no rules to making top 10 lists. My two top movies of last year, in no particular order, are:

The Wolf of Wall Street 

"Epic" is a word usually only applied to big budget adventure movies, but that is the perfect word to describe Martin Scorsese’s 3-hour biopic of Jordan Belfort, the drug-addicted, lascivious, misogynistic, greedy, criminal stock broker who, yes, cheated a lot of people out of a lot of money in the late 1980s and 90s. That epic feel comes largely from Leonardo DiCaprio’s grandiose but never over-the-top performance as Belfort. He is easily my pick for best actor for this year’s Academy Awards. The film’s editor, Thelma Schoonmaker, deserves high praise for her effective work taking the movie into montages and extended sequences with invisible ease. The Wolf of Wall Street has drawn criticism for not bluntly judging the actions of its characters; however, the movie doesn’t need to wag its finger. The judgment lies in simply letting the scenes of debauchery and white collar crimes play out; any audience member who needs the movie to tell them that it is wrong for rich executives to hire a little person to be thrown like a lawn dart while referring to him as “it” is probably lost beyond hope. 

Unlike American Hustle, which turns con artists into heroes, The Wolf of Wall Street’s criminals remain contemptible and essentially unpunished. The blame for that is not on the movie, but on our culture and laws that reward such behavior and allow for such loopholes. The Wolf of Wall Street is not a cautionary tale, not an expose or indictment, it is a portrait of how unlimited wealth and greed with practically no consequences leads to glorious destruction and ruin of anything decent and moral, especially if you’re a sociopath.

and  

About Time 

You should know what you’re in for when you know that Richard Curtis, the writer/director of Love Actually, made About Time. It is filled with sentiment from start to finish, as well and romance and wit, and I’m not ashamed to say it gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling while watching and afterwards, too. About Time uses a science fiction/fantasy plot device to give unconventional, amusing spin to what would otherwise be a straightforward coming of age and romance story. We follow Tim, who finds out that the men in his family can travel back in time but only to events in their own lives. He uses this ability to fix embarrassing moments and tries to get things just right, but it doesn't always work. The scenes of Tim approaching the same situation multiple times will remind anyone of Groundhog Day and have the same comic effectiveness. He meets the girl of his dreams, Mary, played by Rachel McAdams, then changes something accidentally and un-meets her, and then meets her again.

About Time is about Tim's life, his life with Mary, and so much more. At the heart of the movie is Tim's relationship with his wise, content, and witty father, played wonderfully by Bill Nighy. There are certain things, Tim learns, that cannot be changed without major consequences. There are other rules to his time travel and fixing, but the movie isn't too concerned with time technicalities or paradoxes. It wants to tell a story about life and love and consequences and acceptance. If I am honest with myself, I know that I would use time travel the same way Tim did. I could go back and change major events, who I met, what I did, but then I wouldn't have the life I do today. All those mistakes and unfulfilled plans led to something very good. No, I'd make the same life, just with fewer embarrassing moments.

Classic Movie Picks: February 2014

by Lani

Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies schedule for upcoming films that I can't miss. The highlights are posted here for your reading and viewing pleasure! (All listed times are Eastern Standard, check your local listings or TCM.com for actual air times in your area. Each day's schedule begins at 6:00 a.m.; if a film airs between midnight and 6 a.m. it is listed on the previous day's programming schedule.)

Once again, in honor of the Academy Awards, the TCM elves have programmed 31 days of Oscar nominated films. This is always one of my favorite months on TCM because, despite the numerous commentators who say that awards don't mean anything, I find it fascinating to look back at which films captured the attention of critics and audiences in a given year. This year, the primetime line-ups feature all the nominated films in a particular category in a single year -- such as today's schedule of Best Picture nominees from 1939 -- allowing those of us at home to decide if we agree with the Academy's decision.
For my picks this month, I've chosen films which remind me of the current crop of Oscar nominees. It proved a bit of a challenge since classic-era filmmakers failed to tackle such topics as Gravity's female astronaut lost in space (without a male hero along to rescue her) or a man who falls in love with his cell phone as in Her. And Hollywood films even today struggle to portray slavery in America with the same honesty as 12 Years a Slave. However, greed, injustice, and danger at sea have proved to be fertile ground for movie makers throughout the decades. So let's dive in!

2/10, 4 PM - Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)
Gary Cooper plays Longfellow Deeds, a humble, small-town eccentric who unexpectedly inherits $20 million and is immediately beset upon by predators looking for their piece of his fortune. Nebraska's prize winner, Woody Grant (portrayed by Bruce Dern), may not be as altruistic as Deeds, but when he believes he's won $1 million all he really wants is a new truck and an air compressor. Family and friends back in Woody's hometown are angling for their cut, despite the fact that Woody has yet to collect, and Woody generously offers the few bucks he has in his pockets. Deeds was nominated for Best Picture, Actor, Screenplay, and Sound, but its only win was for director Frank Capra. Out of Nebraska's six nominations, including ones for director Alexander Payne and actor Dern, I think its best chances for a win could be for either Bob Nelson's Original Screenplay or cinematographer Phedon Papamichael.

2/11, 8:30 AM - The Lady Eve (1941)
In this much-praised Preston Sturges comedy, Charles Coburn and Barbara Stanwyck play con artists "Colonel" Harry Harrington and his daughter, Jean, who bilk a small fortune from a mild-mannered beer scion played by Henry Fonda. These card sharps preying upon wealthy travelers aboard luxury liners are not much different from the shady operators of American Hustle. Of course, one could argue that at least the Harringtons' marks can afford to lose some of their cash, unlike the desperate people who come to Christian Bale and Amy Adams (aka "Lady Edith Greensly") for dubious loans in Hustle. Moreover, both films prove that with the right dress and a phony English accent a clever woman can convince a man of almost anything; and the better the dress, the worse your accent can be. The Lady Eve received only one nomination, for Original Screenplay; in contrast, American Hustle is at the front of this year's pack, in a tie with Gravity, with 10 nominations.

2/23, 4:45 PM - Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)
3/2, 8 PM - Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
The true story of the HMS Bounty, which set sail from England in 1787 bound for Tahiti and upon its return experienced an infamous mutiny, has been adapted for the screen many times. Both the 1935 and 1962 versions received 7 Oscar nominations; however, the earlier version had bigger box office success and has retained a better critical reputation in the ensuing years. The film also won Best Picture in 1935, its only award. Clark Gable, Charles Laughton, and Franchot Tone all received Best Actor nominations for their respective roles, which may helped split the vote in favor of the eventual winner, Victor MacLaglen for The Informer. Since TCM is playing both films this month, you can decide which version of the story you prefer. In both films Captain Bligh, as played by Laughton and later Trevor Howard, is portrayed as a cruel tyrant who grossly mistreated his crew. In contrast, historical accounts paint a picture of an accomplished captain and humane disciplinarian resented by only a few malcontents among the crew (but that doesn't make quite as juicy a role or exciting a movie plot). In this sense, I was reminded of Tom Hanks in Captain Phillips. He runs a tight ship and has little tolerance for breaches of discipline. Phillips' security precautions prove justified when the ship is attacked by pirates; however, the crew ultimately couldn't hold off the intruders. Captain Phillips is nominated for 6 Oscars, but I wouldn't be surprised if, like 62's Mutiny, the filmmakers go home empty-handed.

BONUS PICK: 3/3, 2 AM - The Last Voyage (1960)
Not since Jaws terrorized the beaches of Amity has the sea been so dangerous -- at least that's the impression one gets from the numerous recent films which showed that no ocean is safe. Kon-Tiki had a memorable shark attack of its own, while the 21st century waters of Captain Phillips were infested with Somali pirates. All is Lost proved that even trusty vessels can fail you when faced with nature's fury, as demonstrated again when the Wolf of Wall Street's yacht contended with some "chop" out on the Mediterranean. In honor of 2013's peril-at-sea theme, I'm picking The Last Voyage which follows passengers Robert Stack and Dorothy Malone struggling to survive aboard a slowly sinking ship. 10 years before The Poseidon Adventure and almost 40 years before Titanic, this film offered a thrillingly realistic shipwreck adventure. The filmmakers did not use miniatures or rear screen projection, instead, a real ship was flooded and flipped over. The film's special effects received an Oscar nomination, but lost out to The Time Machine.

2/26, 1:30 PM - Elmer Gantry (1960)
This film about a charismatic evangelist who inspires fervor among his acolytes, and easily parts trusting folk with their money, earned Burt Lancaster the Oscar for Best Actor as well as awards for supporting actress Shirley Jones and the screenplay by Richard Brooks. Leonardo DiCaprio's corrupt stocktrader Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street proves to have a similarly seductive way with words as an evangelist for greed. He shamelessly peddles worthless stocks, effortlessly attracts accomplices and followers, and, perhaps most importantly, he is able to convince himself that his depraved behavior is somehow acceptable. Unlike Elmer Gantry, however, DiCaprio's Belfort displays no remorse for his misdeeds. Therefore, I don't think DiCaprio will follow Lancaster as a Best Actor winner; despite a performance of physical and verbal virtuosity, his character is just too repellant. Wolf received 5 Oscar nominations and its best chance may be Terence Winter's Original Screenplay.

2/28, 5:45 PM - Philadelphia (1993)
Though AIDS first became part of the collective consciousness in the early 80s, 1993's Philadelphia was the first mainstream Hollywood film to deal with HIV/AIDS, casting a honest look at the homophobia which hindered efforts to deal with this major health crisis. Though the title references a place -- the "City of Brotherly Love," here notably lacking in compassion -- the story is about one person's struggle. Tom Hanks won his first Best Actor award for this portrayal of Andrew Beckett, a young gay lawyer who is ostracized and eventually fired from his law firm after it becomes clear that he is suffering from AIDS. Beyond the obvious connection of subject matter, Philadelphia and 2013's Dallas Buyers Club are linked by their strong lead performances. For his role as a homophobe dying of AIDS, Matthew McConaughey has a very good chance of winning Best Actor; ironically, his win could come in a year in which Hanks' solid performance in Captain Phillips was overlooked for a nomination. Because films like Philadelphia have covered this ground first -- and, in the case of the Oscar-nominated documentary How to Survive a Plague, more comprehensively -- Dallas Buyers Club doesn't feel like a revelation. However, both McConaughey and supporting actor Jared Leto are deserving of the accolades they've received.

And the Oscar Goes To... (2014)
This original TCM documentary goes behind-the-scenes at the Academy Awards. Utilizing the expertise of official Oscar historian Robert Osborne, as well as numerous Oscar winners, this doc should offer a lot of fun trivia for movie lovers.
It is showing on 2/1, 2/2, 2/7, 2/10, and 2/15 -- check the full schedule for times.