I don't know about you, but that was pretty gnarly. And while you may be partial to bodacious, bitchin', radical, wicked, or totally tubular, you gotta admit that trailer was a lot of fun, right?
At this point, I'm not entirely sure if I actually enjoyed it, this trailer is our first real look at this year's reboot of Eastman and Laird's comic book classic, or if my expectations have been lowered so severely, plunged into a Mariana Trench-sized pit of sadness with every new reveal, that anything that didn't burn out my retinas upon first glance would have made me happy. And it totally did! Yes, Michael Bay in producing. Yes, the guy (Jonathan Liebesman) who is directing also directed such masterpieces as Darkness Falls, Battle: Los Angeles, and Wrath of the Titans. And yes, Megan Fox is starring as plucky news reporter April O'Neil. But, despite it all, there's a bunch of things to like about this trailer.
I was initially worried about the tone. As the trailer begins, we get a serious sounding William Fichtner (whose casting I love) talking about the rampant crime and mayhem in New York City. As he does, his words are laid over scenes of destruction and armed police looking scary and then getting manhandled by some unknown force. There is dramatic music, gun fire, terror and menace and while watching it I started to get some serious Battle: LA flashbacks. And then you see them. Then you see Leonardo flip down in front of O'Neil. Then you see them sliding on their shells down an icy slope and you hear Donatello say, "Batter up!" and then woo! and chuckle as Rafael slams into a vehicle. And then you know things might just be okay.
The tone seems like exactly what I want it to be and what it needs to be. It has the grit and the darkness, the whimsy and the goofiness, and it seems to balance it well. William Fichtner is rightfully austere and intimidating as he attempts to sell April a line and as he later stares longingly, almost smiling at the armor that will turn him into the turtle's greatest foe. Megan Fox has never been Katherine Hepburn or Meryl Streep, but she is asked to do relatively little outside of looking confused and afraid which suits her perfectly (and which I hope is representative of her role throughout the film). And the Turtles themselves are pretty much exactly what I wanted. Are they kind of gross? Yes. Are they off-putting and a little scary? Yes. BUT THEY'RE MUTANTS. They Teenage MUTANT Ninja Turtles. They were common pet turtles who were mutated by some strange green chemical and then taught the ninja arts by a rat named Splinter who has also been mutated. And that's what they look like! Sure, I kind of miss the smooth, rubbery suits from the early '90's, but in the age of CGI, this was the best we could hope for and I for one like it. They're wise-cracking, they sound like surfers, they can kick ass and I'll bet you anything that they have a burning passion for a good pizza.
I'll come clean though, despite how much I enjoyed the trailer, I wouldn't say I'm sold. Even with all the things to like, we're still dealing with a director whose track record would suggest that even at his best, the most we can expect is "pretty alright" or "I didn't hate it." I also worry about the feel of the beginning half of the trailer. As much as I like William Fichtner, it still looks like a generic CGI-filled meh-fest. Blue/Green, Orange, Blue/Green, Orange, Destruction Porn, Blue/Green, Orange. Everything changes when the Turtles hit the screen, however. Even though the action is still generic, the quartet's patented silliness and fun-loving nature is more than enough to make up for it. My hope is that they will be the focus from the get-go instead of there being an unnecessarily long build up to their reveal where we follow snoopy April O'Neil as she tries to make her bones with hard-hitting journalism about the corrupt and crumbling City of New York. The film isn't called April O'Neil: Just the Facts or Shredder Origins. It's called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. That's who audiences are paying to see and that's to whom I hope the film pays paramount attention.
Do I think it'll be great? No, probably not. I worry that it'll be caught in the dead zone of being too violent/scary/intense for children but too mild and uninteresting for adults. I worry that Michael Bay and Jonathan Liebesman and Megan Fox will find away to screw things up majorly as they have time and time again. I worry that even though the tonal balance in the trailer is great, the finished film will not pull it off nearly as well. And I worry that it will be compared unfairly (and too harshly) to the beloved 1990's film, where even if it's pretty great, it won't be good enough. But despite all my worries, I'll be damned if this trailer didn't get me at least a little excited. I have loved the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ever since I was a little kid. I've read the comics, watched the movies and the animated series, played with the toys and wore clothes based on the franchise. Hell, I even carried a Ninja Turtle shell backpack all fours years of college. And based on this brief glimpse, this seems like the Ninja Turtles I know and love. Sure it's got that new school look, but the flavor is totally old school.
"People want heroes," Shredder tells April O'Neil. "They're not born, they're created," he says. They're also not aliens or mute monsters wielding dangerous weapons. What they are, are a group of rambunctious teenage turtles who love to have fun and munch on Italian food, but who also stand up for what's right. What they are, are heroes in a half shell with turtle power. And, amazing as it sounds, that seems like exactly what Bay and Liebesman are trying to give us.
Following through! Part three of three! In the post-Oscars glow of this fine Monday night, I look at my top 5 most anticipated films of 2014! Will we be talking about any of these films come this time next year? Even with my poor intuition I can't help but think so. Let's see what you think!
5.) Godzilla by Gareth Edwards(Release: May 16th)
If I had a dollar for every time I saw an amazing trailer for a film that ended up being a complete dumpster fire disaster, I would have way too many dollars. And, needless to say, I'm going to be devastated if Godzilla follows that pattern. When it was announced that they were making a new Godzilla picture, I was immediately struck by PTSD flashbacks of 1998 and seeing Roland Emmerich's adaptation in the theatre. When it came out I was 7 years old, about to turn 8. It was the first PG-13 movie I was allowed to see and I remember being so nervous and excited at the prospect of what I was going to witness. It was also the first time I remember being genuinely upset with a film. I remember being struck by how much of a nothing the monster was. Sure, it was big. MONSTROUS! But it was like looking at a skyscraper-sized piece of paper. There was no substance, no personality. It had the size, but lacked the power. But this time, things just might be different. Gareth Edwards is not Roland Emmerich and what he was able to do with only $500,000 dollars in 2010's Monsters was spectacular. This time he's been given 320 times the budget and if the glorious, glorious trailers are any indication, he's making it count. The monster looks and FEELS impossibly huge. With just second-long glimpses in the trailer, the fear of total destruction is already firmly entrenched in my mind. Not only that, but Bryan Cranston is doing some amazing character work and along with the likes of Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, the cast is much, much stronger on the whole than than it was in 1998. Am I worried? Of course, I don't know if I can handle another heartbreak. But it's impossible not to get excited with the two absolutely stunning trailers we've already gotten.
4.) Only Lovers Left Alive by Jim Jarmusch (Release: TBD)
I have become, as I'm sure the vast majority of you are, completely exhausted with the ubiquity of vampires in books, film and television. Like zombies, they are literally everywhere. When Wal*Mart has a section dedicated to you, you know it's time to stop. UNLESS IT'S JIM JARMUSCH DOING IT. One of the living gods of independent cinema, Jim Jarmusch has been cranking out sensational and powerful cinema for 30 years. Stranger Than Paradise, Down by Law, Dead Man, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, the list goes on and on. He also did a quiet dramedy in 2005 called Broken Flowers in which Bill Murray gets a letter explaining that he has a son and then goes on a cross-country trip tracking down his former lovers in an attempt to find the mother. It's one of my favorite films of all time and is on Netflix and you need to see it RIGHT NOW.
Being a big fan of Jarmusch's and knowing his filmography pretty well, if you asked me what genre he'd never do, a vampire drama would be near the top. Actually, it wouldn't because what the hell is that? But it looks absolutely incredible with a knockout cast including Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska, John Hurt and Jarmusch regular and all around amazing (and massively underrated) actor, Jeffrey Wright. Nominated for the top prize at Cannes, Only Lovers Left Alive tells the story of two centuries-old vampire lovers (Hiddleston and Swinton) who... actually that's all I really know about it. And honestly, I don't need anything else. This seems like something that is custom fitted to me in every way. The United Kingdom already has it and it's not clear when we're going to get it in the States, but when we do, don't let this one slip by. It will undoubtedly fly under the radar even with being about vampires and you really aren't going to want to miss it.
3.) Interstellar by Christopher Nolan (Release: November 7th)
Let the McConaughnaissance continue! Fresh off his Oscar win for Best Actor (Alright, alright, alright!), McConaughey looks to keep his outstanding career resurrection going and perhaps bring himself right back to where he stood last night (If you've seen True Detective, you know how much he likes a good circle) with the latest film and first original creation by Christopher Nolan since 2010's Inception - Interstellar. Like Only Lovers Left Alive, not much is known about the film, but essentially scientists discover a wormhole and send a team of explorers to investigate, sending them on a voyage that will push the boundaries of space and time. Christopher Nolan is Kubrick-like in his chilly filmmaking and it is going to be interesting seeing what fruits come to bear from his collaboration with McConaughey who would have to channel Olivier, Brando and Daniel Day-Lewis just to attempt to play "cold." But even with that brief glimpse of McConaughey driving away in his pickup, it already looks like they've created something emotionally resonant. Not to mention, this marks Nolan's first film since 2000 without cinematographer Wally Pfister - teaming with Hoyte Van Hoytema whose work on Spike Jonze's Her was marvelous. Oh, and it's an original sci-fi story from the man that brought us Inception, Memento and The Prestige. So, there's also that.
2.) The Grand Budapest Hotel by Wes Anderson (March 7th)
That's right! My second most anticipated film of 2014 and it will be here this Friday! Wes Anderson is easily in my top three of favorite directors. Some people complain that he always makes the same movies and that may have truth to it. But who cares? I can name bands whose songs all sound the same and they're some of the greatest of all time. Granted, around The Darjeeling Limited, his style briefly soured for me. However, he followed that up with Fantastic Mr. Fox and Moonrise Kingdom and all was forgiven. I've finally accepted that Wes Anderson has settled into his aesthetic like one of those elderly people living in a rent-controlled apartment who refuses to leave so some big business can tear the building down to build a mini-mall and my love and respect for it has grown exponentially. This time around, he looks to be at his most Wes Anderson-y as he tells the story of a hotel concierge (Ralph Fiennes) who teams up with one of his employees to prove his innocence after he is framed for murder. As always, the cast is magnificently stacked with talent and from the trailer it seems that there is an organic emotional journey underlining the wacky caper. Every single one of these elements have been aces for Anderson in the past, and I don't expect this time to be any different. Here's just hoping that the Academy won't forget it come next March.
And the moment you've all been waiting for! My number one most anticipated film of 2014! And the award goes to...
1.) Inherent Vice by Paul Thomas Anderson(Release: December 12th)
This shouldn't really be a shock to anyone who knows my taste in film. I mentioned that Wes Anderson is easily in my top three favorite directors. The only people he's behind are the Coen Brothers and my number one - the other Anderson, Paul Thomas. In my opinion, Paul Thomas Anderson is the greatest filmmaker of his generation. No one makes the kind of movies he makes. No one shoots movies like he shoots them. No one does it like Paul Thomas Anderson. This time around, as if I needed more of a reason to be all in, I have a particular interest because of the wonderful source material. The film is an adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's (V., Gravity's Rainbow) 2009 novel of the same name. What is essentially a detective novel, it's a shaggy-dog mystery set in Southern California and centered around a pothead private dick named Doc Sportello who is thrust into investigating the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend and her current lover Mickey Wolfmann, an importance real-estate mogul. Of all of Pynchon's novels, Inherent Vice seems the most tailor-made for adaptation and, in my opinion, there is no one more perfect for handling the novel's sprawling cast of characters and Pynchon's kooky and dense rhythms than Paul Thomas Anderson. Anytime you have this much talent in one place, something magical is going to happen. Inherent Vice may just have that magic and that's why it's my most anticipated film of 2014. Whether or not it ends up being my favorite film of the year remains to be seen.
Hey, look! I promised something and I'm totally trying to follow through on it! Last time I brought you five of my top 15 most anticipated films of 2014 and now I'm back again to bring you another five. This time it's numbers 10 through 6! So, you know, get all kinds of excited!
10.) X-Men: Days of Future Past by Bryan Singer (Release: May 23rd)
Like many people when X-Men: First Class was released, I was incredibly nervous. After the travesty that was X3, I was neither convinced First Class A.) would even come close to being a quality film and B.) was even a worthwhile or necessary dip back into the franchise. Thankfully, however, Matthew Vaughn and company were able to create both a compelling period drama and what could be argued as the best X-Men film to date (though I'd still give to the edge to X2). Now, Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, X1) has returned, bringing veteran alums (Sirs Ian Mckellan and Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, et al.) along with him as the original cast must team up with their past selves in order to save their future from a seemingly unstoppable force. Honestly, I remain very hopeful for Days of Future Past, but it's still in the "could go either way" category. Though it's hard to see how so much talent, both behind and in front of the camera, could produce anything short of spectacular, it remains a possibility that the sheer ambition and difficult nature of the story could be its undoing. Still, it's way too hard not to get excited at the possibilities. And really, any movie that gives me Peter Dinklage sporting a flavor-savor to die for gets top 10 by default.
9.) Foxcatcher by Bennett Miller (Release: TBD)
Bennett Miller may not be a name that most people will know right off hand. He's only directed two films in the past 9 years. However, those two films were Capote and Moneyball. I love his style and his gift for telling narrative stories based on true incidents is nearly unmatched. With his newest film Foxcatcher, he puts Steve Carrell in the shoes of a real-life murder, John Eleuthere du Pont, a paranoid schizophrenic Olympic wrestling trainer that ended up shooting one of his trainees' brother to death. Anytime Carrell gets off of his Michael Scott wavelength (a la Little Miss Sunshine) he is a spectacular actor and as du Pont he looks nearly unrecognizable. Though the casting of Channing Tatum worries me slightly (he much stronger in his comedic efforts), I believe the combination of Miller and Carrell being allowed to exude a pants-shitting level of intensity could make this one of the best films of the year. Don't be shocked to see Steve Carrell all over Oscars talk come this time 2015.
8.) Captain America: The Winter Soldier by Joe and Anthony Russo (Release: April 4th)
Of the three main comic book-based films being released this year, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is, for my money, the safest bet. That's not to say it's "safe." What I mean by that is that by trying something new, Marvel is looking like it could create a brilliantly executed superhero movie while garnering if not the largest audience to date (nothing is outdoing The Avengers), at least the most diverse. That something new is what intrigues me the most. If The Winter Soldier succeeds, it's possible that Marvel's efforts to make superhero movies that are also immensely satisfying as entries in other genres will be what keeps superhero movies interesting. What is essentially a political thriller, The Winter Soldier chronicles Steve Rogers' (Captain America, Chris Evans) struggles to integrate himself into contemporary society. However, when a member of the covert organization S.H.I.E.L.D. is attacked, Rogers along with Black Widow and Falcon (Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie) must investigate and uncover a plot involving and unexpected and powerful adversary THAT COULD DESTROY THE WORLD! The first Captain America ended up being one of my favorite Marvel movies and this one is easily one of the more exciting and intriguing films of the year. 7.) Gone Girl by David Fincher (Release: October 3rd)
David Fincher is one of the best in the business at what he does. And what he does best are gritty and dour, magnificently shot dramas (crime dramas especially). Fincher looks to continue his amazing streak (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo notwithstanding) with this year's Gone Girl. Based on the Gillian Flynn novel of the same name, the film stars Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike as what seems like the perfect couple. However, when she disappears without a trace, he becomes the prime suspect. Is he the killer? Or is something much more nefarious at play? While the cast is worryingly eclectic (briefly, it includes Doogie Howser, Madea and the girl from the "Blurred Lines" video) and while I would have much rather seen Fincher take on something he created himself rather than a director-for-hire situation, it's easy to give him the benefit of the doubt with his wonderful creative team, patented 50-take shooting style and such strong source material. If anyone were perfect for the job it's Fincher and I couldn't be more excited thinking about what he'll do with the story's tricky structure and unsympathetic characters.
6.) Guardians of the Galaxy by James Gunn(Release: August 1st)
Last one of this batch is a doozie! Ever since Marvel announced its plans to do Guardians of the Galaxy, I've been psyched. And that excitement only grew with each addition detail. The exceedingly weird James Gunn for director? Andy Dwyer (Chris Pratt) as the lead? Zoe Saldana and former wrestler Dave Batista (THE ANIMAL!) for support? VIN DIESEL VOICING A TREE MONSTER?! ROCKET RACCOON!?!?!?! LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! And although Rocket Raccoon ended up being voiced by Bradley Cooper (no doubt a strong choice, but they could have totally nabbed H. Jon Benjamin) and although many of the jokes in the trailer didn't quite land the way I would've liked, I'm still incredibly hyped for this film. For those of you who didn't watch the trailer (shame on you) or for those of you who would like some clarification, the film is about an American pilot named Peter Quill (Star-Lord to you) who finds himself the target of a manhunt after stealing an orb coveted by Ronan (Lee Pace), a powerful Kree warrior and associate of the monstrous Thanos (the purple dude at the end of The Avengers). To avoid being quickly annihilated by Ronan, Star-Lord forms an uneasy bond with a group of misfit mercenaries that include Gamora, Groot, Drax the Destroyer and the aforementioned Rocket Raccoon (Saldana, Diesel, Bastista and Cooper respectively). However, when Star-Lord uncovers the orb's true power and begins to grasp what destruction it could mean for the cosmos if let into the wrong hands, he rallies his ragtag group for one final showdown TO SAVE THE GALAXY!
As I mentioned with Captain America, there's starting to be a sense that the viewing public is getting superhero fatigue. However, like with Captain America, Guardians of the Galaxy feels like Marvel trying to combat that. It's a bold and risky move putting 200 million into such a bizarre effort and I'm worried that the appeal won't be as large as it needs to be to be successful. However, with this new trailer showcasing the drastically different tone of this film from something like The Winter Soldier, there's hope that Guardians could be just what Marvel needs to stay solidly at the top of the box office. Either way, this film seems to fall directly into my wheelhouse and if Gunn's stellar indie film Super (2010) is any indication of what we can expect, I am literally foaming at the mouth raccoon-style to see what he does with nearly 100 times the budget. And if you're not feeling that, then you're just a bunch of a-holes...
Soooooo, first off I want to just say, "Woah, guys, sorry." For those select few who actually enjoy reading what I have to say about movies I am deeply sorry I've been gone for so long. A mix of various distractions that range from graduate school applications to writing projects that fall into the creative rather than "analytic" side of things have led me to neglect this blog and I feel an inordinate amount of guilt about it. I know most of you won't care one way or another, but I needed to get this apology out there for my own (however selfish) benefit. I've got too much guilt already!
Anyway, I figured what better way to get back into things than by sharing a list of my most anticipated films of this year! January and February are always a radioactive wasteland of pure, unadulterated crap and there's rarely anything I see in theaters that I like enough to write about until March (although I did see The Lego Movie and it was delightful). So, seeing as we're all currently wading through this river of bile and pus, let me provide you with 15 films to keep in mind so you don't lose faith in humanity. Are you ready? Because here we goooooooooooo!
15.) Jodorowsky's Dune by Frank Pavich (Release: March 7th)
Many of you may be familiar with David Lynch's 1984 adaptation (read: turd) of Dune. However, this was not the first attempt at bringing the sci-fi epic to the screen. Debuting last year at Cannes, Jodorowsky's Dune is a documentary that explores Chilean-French director Alejandro Jodorowsky's attempt to adapt Frank Herbert's massive novel in the mid-70's. Many people who had the pleasure to see the film at last year's Fantastic Fest had it on their best films of the year lists and it's not hard to see why. It is one of the greatest "if only" stories in cinematic history - Jodorowsky's phantasmagoric aesthetic a seemingly perfect match for Herbert's magnum opus. With beautiful visuals and an unprecedented look into Jodorowsky's mad genius, what went into attempting to bring his vision to life and ultimately what kept it from getting made, this documentary is the closest we will ever get to seeing Jodorowsky's dream come to fruition.
14.) Maps to the Stars by David Cronenberg (Release: TBD)
Admittedly, I haven't found the last quarter of David Cronenberg's filmography to be as compelling as those that have come before. That being said, he is still one of my favorite directors and I'm intrigued to see his take on celebrity culture after his son's recent debut, Antiviral, which critiqued celebrity obsession through the lens of his father's trademark style. Maps to the Stars, well, stars John Cusack as a psychotherapist and life coach whose self-help books have garnered him a fortune. His wife, played by Olivia Williams, manages the career of their thirteen-year-old son who recent exited a rehabilitation program which he entered at the age of nine. Their daughter, played by Mia Wasikowska, was recently released from a sanatorium after being committed as a criminal pyromaniac. It sounds like it has the potential to be bat-shit crazy with a possible (PLEASE, OH, PLEASE) return of the body horror that made Cronenberg famous. Granted, it could be another colossal failure like his recent Cosmopolis, but I hold out hope that it'll be a return to form. Twisted, bloody, exploding form.
13.) Snowpiercer by Bong Joon-ho (Release: TBD)
This one would easily be higher on my list if I was certain I would be able to watch it this year. That being said, when the Weinstein Company bought the rights to Snowpiercer, the latest film by South Korean director Bong Joon-ho, I was petrified. For those of you who don't know, God (aka Harvey Weinstein) has a lovely habit of purchasing foreign films and then either never releasing them or cutting and editing them so severely that what American audiences are left with is a mangled mess that inevitably flops. It's bullshit and Harvey Weinstein sucks. Luckily, it was recently-ish announced that Snowpiercer will be getting a director's cut release here in the States which hopefully means that all of us will eventually get a chance to watch it in all of its untampered glory on home video. And that's a beautiful thing because all signs point to Snowpiercer being a masterpiece. What is essentially a South Korean science fiction action film based on a French graphic novel, Snowpiercer tells of a future where an experiment to stop global warming has gone awry and caused another ice age that has wiped out nearly all life on Earth. The only survivors are inhabitants of this massive train called "The Snowpiercer" which travels around the planet powered by a perpetual-motion engine. As time progresses, class systems form on the train with the elite inhabiting the front of the train and the lower classes in the back (not the subtlest idea in the world, but it works). Tired of their squalid living conditions, the lower classes decide to revolt in an attempt to seize control of the train's sacred engine. Bong Joon-ho is one of the most inventive and unusual directors of our time and much like Memories of Murder, The Host, and Mother, I expect this one to be incredibly weird and absolutely spectacular.
12.) Rosewater by Jon Stewart (Release: TBD)
I'm pulling for this film so hard. I want it be thought provoking and brilliant and garner all sorts of praise. But, of course, I'm worried. For those of you that don't know, Rosewater marks the directorial debut for Jon Stewart. Yes, that Jon Stewart. Daily Show Jon Stewart. Not only is it his directorial debut, it's also a straight drama based on the memoir Then They Came for Me by Maziar Bahari and Aimee Malloy which recounts how Bahari (a London-based journalist) was detained in Iran for more than 100 days and brutally interrogated in prison. Not exactly the most humorous of topics. But, a topic and a story that is intriguing. Not much information has been released about it, but it stars Gael Garcia Bernal who, while not widely known here in the US, is outstanding in films like Amores perros (2000) and Y tu mama tambien (2001). Despite how counter intuitive it might be, I believe in my heart that Stewart will create something truly special. It's a topic close to his heart - Bahari's imprisonment is connected to a 2009 interview he gave on The Daily Show - and if you've watched Stewart much at all, you know that he handles serious topics with tact and professionalism. And when it comes down to it, it's Jon Stewart. He's one of the most talented writers and political commentators/satirists working today and he's going to give us something great.
11.) Noah by Darren Aronofsky(Release: March 28th)
From the mind that brought you such films as Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, and Black Swan comes one of the oldest stories ever told... A biblical epic... Starring Russell Crowe... It's NOAH. Now, describe that in one word. I bet that word wasn't "noncontroversial'! In an interview in 2007, Aronofsky told The Guardian that the figure of Noah had fascinated him since he was 13 years old. He explained that he saw Noah as "a dark, complicated character" who experiences "real survivor's guilt" after the flood. I always find Darren Aronofsky's films to be visually and emotionally compelling and it will be interesting to see what he can do with his first massive budget and a much increased scale (there has been talk of a complex and strange CGI animal cast). It will also be interesting to see how he manages to balance (and how audiences handle) a subject that intrinsically leans right with an added environmental element that rocks the boat far to the left. It's clear from the extent to which the Duck Dynasty fiasco was a major news story for weeks earlier this year that there continues to be a clear divide in our culture when it comes to religious beliefs. I'm nervous to see if Aronofsky will be able to walk that tightrope and deliver a terrific film that appeals to everyone's sensibilities and excited for the precedent that will be set if Noah ends up being a huge success.
So, it's that time again! Award Season is in full effect with the Golden Globes and SAG Awards having already taken place, which can mean only one thing! The Academy Awards are right around the corner. On Sunday, March 2nd, Hollywood's elite will pack into the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California to honor the best films of 2013 (or what the Academy believes to be the best films) and the creative minds behind them. And, of course, what would the Oscars be without some good-natured complaining and predictions. So, here I am to do just that!
BEST DIRECTOR:
Alexander Payne for Nebraska
Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity
David O. Russell for American Hustle
Martin Scorsese for The Wolf of Wall Street
Steve McQueen for 12 Years a Slave
Usually the best director category is one of the hardest ones for me to work out. It's easily the category I'm wrong in most of the time (though last year was mainly a result of the Academy not loving Lincoln in general nearly as much as I believed they would). And while, like every year, this year is particularly strong (even with a couple of glaring omissions), I'm pretty convinced that the result will follow what we've seen so far this award. Though it's possible that Academy favorite David O. Russell could steal it away, or that Steve McQueen's unflinchingly brutal style will impress voters enough to win him his first award, I believe there's only one director that can possibly take the award this year...
Winner: Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity - No other film this year was more visually spectacular than the "No one can hear you scream" space epic, Gravity. From the breathtaking digital visuals to the amazing use of sound and silence to the awe-inspiring long takes (including a 15-minute opening sequence that rivals any opening scene in the history of cinema in sheer awe), Alfonso Cuaron took what everyone thought to be impossible and turned it into an absolutely marvelous piece of art, a true cinematic achievement.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Jennifer Lawrence for American Hustle
Julia Roberts for August: Osage County
June Squib for Nebraska
Lupita Nyong'o for 12 Years a Slave
Sally Hawkins for Blue Jasmine
I wanted to go ahead and get this one out of the way. Admittedly, this is the category about which I have the least knowledge, though for which I believe I can still predict a winner. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten to see August: Osage County, Nebraska or Blue (though I will have seen two of the those three come the end of the week). However, I have read a lot about each of these movies and have read a lot about this race in particular, and from all that I believe that though I've only seen two of the three films in this category, I've seen the two that matter...
Winner: Lupita Nyong'o for 12 Years a Slave - This race essentially comes down to either Jennifer Lawrence who wins every award she's ever nominated for or newcomer Lupita Nyong'o for her stunning and courageous performance as Patsey in Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave. At first, I was convinced the Academy would just give the award to Lawrence because that's their move. I don't believe her performance is better than Nyong'o's, I don't even believe it's that great period (though she's commanding in a few scenes, she often seems confused about who her character is and repeatedly goes in and out of her accent). However, that all changed with her recent win at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Though Lawrence won at the Golden Globes, the SAG Awards are much clearer indication of the way the Academy will ultimately lean. Given that and the fact that Nyong'o delivered what I believe is the best supporting performance by an actress this year, if not the best performance by an actress period, I think she takes this handily.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Barkhad Abdi for Captain Phillips
Bradley Cooper for American Hustle
Jared Leto for Dallas Buyers Club
Jonah Hill for The Wolf of Wall Street
Michael Fassbender for 12 Years a Slave
I'm not going to spend much time on this category because, in my mind, it's far and away the easiest pick of the night. But while I'm here, let me just say this: TWO TIME ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE JONAH HILL. That's something we have to deal with from now on. I can't say it's not deserved. It's just really, really strange. While if anyone could upset my pick, it would be Barkhad Abdi who, as another newcomer, it's absolutely commanding as Tom Hanks' opposite in Captain Phillips. It's not easy to go toe-to-toe with a legend like Hanks, especially for someone so new to the game, but Abdi does it in a way that seems effortless. However, no one is taking this from...
Winner: Jared Leto for Dallas Buyers Club - Unfortunately, I haven't yet gotten to see Dallas Buyers Club. However, I have seen clips of Leto's performance, read reviews, and looked at dozens of still images and I think it's quite easy to say that his transformation for this film is one of the most drastic and brave I've ever seen. In addition, his sweep of both the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards pretty much lock things up for Leto. The singer/songwriter/actor is only rivaled in his sacrifices and physical commitment to his roles by Christian Bale. It's absolutely amazing what he has done for the art of cinema and the story he, Matthew McConaughey and director Jean-Marc Vallee is not only an important one, but one that is both necessary and courageous.
BEST ACTRESS:
Amy Adams for American Hustle
Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine
Judi Dench for Philomena
Meryl Streep for August: Osage County
Sandra Bullock for Gravity
This is the category where things start to get a little iffy. There seems to be an obvious choice, and one that I know most people are picking (including the recent Golden Globes and SAG Awards). However, there are a couple of other choices that I could definitely see winning in upset fashion. For instance, American Hustle received nominations in all four acting categories (especially noteworthy because this isn't the first time a David O. Russell film has done this), and in my opinion the strongest of these four performances was from Amy Adams. As such, though I would be shocked if she won, I can easily see it being a possibility. Likewise, Sandra Bullock is the only person on screen in the magnificent Gravity for much of its running time, and during that time she delivers what I believe is her career-defining performance. Also, there's Meryl Streep who wins every year no matter what and even though I don't see there being a snowball's chance in hell of her winning, stranger things have happened. And yet...
Winner: Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine - I still have to go with the clear favorite. I haven't see Woody Allen's latest film yet (hopefully I'll be getting it this week!), but from all I've read, it's fantastic. Even more so, I've read that Blanchett is completely brilliant in the role. This is her return to a major role in over five years and with her recent wins at the Golden Globes and SAG Awards (and her endearing, if hilarious speeches), it's really, really hard for me to pick against that hype train. For my money, this is Blanchett's year and I am only getting more and more excited to actually see this film!
BEST ACTOR:
Bruce Dern for Nebraska
Chiwetel Ejiofer for 12 Years a Slave
Christian Bale for American Hustle
Leonardo DiCaprio for The Wolf of Wall Street
Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club
I'm really sorry, Leo. This just ain't your game. I know even my friends who don't give a rat's patootie about the Academy Awards want DiCaprio to win this award. It's been so long and still no wins! Unfortunately, the trend has been that he's his generation's Peter O'Toole - always the bridesmaid and never the bride - and this year will be no exception. Likewise, Christian Bale delivers a heartfelt and hilarious performance that also required a great amount of transformation for it to work is a way that felt honest. However, he and DiCaprio, despite great performances are the two low men on the totem pole. This award is between Dern, Ejiofer and McConaughey. Though I haven't seen Nebraska, I read and hear that it's a wonderful film and that it marks a strong comeback for the screen legend. Likewise, Ejiofer gives one of the most tortured performances of the year in what I would consider the most difficult and fearless roles in quite some time as a free man sold into the disgustingly cruel world of slavery. That being said...
Winner: Matthew McConaughey for Dallas Buyers Club- I know. If you told me a few years ago that Matthew McConaughey would be one of my favorite actors and the odds-on frontrunner to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, I would have kicked you in the face. But here we are. Despite the competition (and though I haven't seen Dallas Buyers Club yet and believe that Chiwetel probably should win this award), McConaughhey has swept both the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards handily and it would be entirely silly to bet against him at this juncture. And though I believe Ejiofer might deserve the award more, it's hard to argue that McConaughey didn't put in an immense amount of work, both physical and mental, that resulted in an amazing performance. Like Leto, McConaughey dropped an ungodly amount of weight for this role, only eating a spoonful of pudding a day, putting his body through untold amounts of hell for the sake of his art. And if that's not worth rewarding, I don't know what is. Alright, alright, alright!
BEST PICTURE:
12 Years a Slave
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Philomena
The Wolf of Wall Street
Every single year this category makes me mad and this year is no exception (I'll get to that in a bit). However, here we are. The big daddy, the finale, the one you've all been waiting for. The Academy Award for Best Picture. It's interesting, it seems like every year the number of films that are nominated for this award that also appear on my favorite films of the year list gets smaller and smaller. But, that's not to say we don't have a wonderful list of films to choose from here. All in all, I will have seen all but one of these films by the time the actually show rolls around (unless the theaters around here step their games up and show Nebraska). And yet, only a few stick out as distinct possibilities to win. 12 Years a Slave seems possible because of its dubbed cultural importance along with the sheer expertise and brilliance with which it was both acted and directed. It is easily the most weighty film on the list and one that I expect most people see as the film to beat going into the final stretch of voting. Likewise, American Hustle is complete Oscar bait. Hilarious, historical(ish), fantastic performances, absolutely inspired directing, it just has that Hollywood-flavor that seems to draw voters in again and again and again. And then there's Gravity, the most technically marvelous film since Avatar. Gravity is a truly amazing cinematic achievement that pushes the medium forward into new territory while giving us a touching, genuine story about letting going and being reborn. So which one will it be? Well...
Winner: AMERICAN HUSTLE - Despite the fact that I would like to say 12 Years a Slave and despite the fact that it doesn't advance the art of cinema in the way Gravity does and despite that I would much rather see Her or Captain Phillips win, you just can't bet against American Hustle. It tied for the most nominations (10) with Gravity. It's stars are nominated in all four acting categories and its director is nominated for Best Director. It won both Best Comedy/Musical at the Golden Globes and Best Ensemble at the SAG Awards. And, like I said, it's complete Oscar bait. The only thing going against it is what I mentioned above. It's not as "culturally important" as a film like 12 Years a Slave. It isn't as courageous, it doesn't involved issues that are all that important in the large scheme of things and though it too is historical, the Abscam stings are not slavery in the antebellum south. Likewise, Gravity has done more for the medium than any other film this year and any other film in quite some years. Also, Gravity, in an unprecedented showing, took the main prize at the PGA Awards - one of the consistently best predictors of Oscar votes - making it a clear 11th hour favorite. And while I would say that if it doesn't win, Gravity will be the film to dethrone it, American Hustle is still the favorite to take it all and my prediction for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
QUICK HITS: Just as some last minute odds and ends, I wanted to quickly give my predictions for some less talked about categories. For Best Animated Feature Film, I see it being a race between Frozen and The Wind Rises. And while I believe that Miyazaki's last directorial film should take it, I think it's going to be Frozenall the way. It's hard to unseat the Mouse. Also, this year is the rare year that I've been able to see all the nominated documentaries (many are on Netflix, watch them), and as such, I can't see any film taking it away from Joshua Oppenheimer's The Act of Killing. As for the Best Writing categories, I like Philomena for Best Adapted and if not, 12 Years a Slave. And for Best Original, I really wanted Spike Jonze to win for Her, but I can't see it going to any other film but American Hustle. And though I've only seen one of the foreign films nominated (they're nearly impossible to get hold of), I'm going to go with The Great Beauty for Best Foreign Feature or The Hunt, because that's the one I've seen.
COMPLAINTS/SNUBS: First off, I'll say that I'm a little surprised that Tom Hanks wasn't nominated for Best Actor for Captain Phillips. His performance, especially at the end of the film, completely devastated me. That whole film was fabulous and I'm glad to see Abdi get some love. And while I understand that the Best Actor category is stacked this year, not seeing such an Academy darling in Hanks be nominated is slightly shocking. And now my major rant...
WHERE THE HELL IS INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS?!?!?!?! My favorite film of 2013 and a film, which I consider both nearly perfectly and achingly beautiful, was completely and utterly snubbed this year. Okay, Delbonnel got a nomination for Best Cinematography and rightly so (I hope he wins if they decide to again not give Roger Deakins the award out of some terrible spite they have for him), BUT NOTHING ELSE!?! Oscar Isaac gave one of the finest performances of the year (and of his career) as Llewyn and he sees nothing from it? Like I said with Tom Hanks, I get that the category is loaded, but still. The amount of emotion he has to hold within himself while maintaining a cold, cynical exterior is astronomical and he executes it expertly. Likewise, it's a mindblowing omission to not have the Coen Brothers nominated in the Best Director category. I'm sure Nebraska is a lovely movie and I really enjoy Alexander Payne as a director. Likewise, I love Martin Scorsese, but The Wolf of Wall Street is neither one of his best films nor one of the best films of the year. The Coens, on the other hand, are two of the most consistently brilliant, exemplary American filmmakers today (as I said in my Best of 2013 list). To not have them even nominated for the award complete invalidates it in my opinion. Go ahead and give it to Alfonso Cuaron or David O. Russell. But at least nominate the Coen Brothers, for Christ's sake. And finally, where's the Best Picture nod? There are ten possible spots and the Academy only used nine. That means they didn't wrestle with whether or not Inside Llewyn Davis was good enough to warrant taking out of the films they put in. It means they didn't even think it worthy for a nomination period. That means they believe there are nine films that are unequivocally better than Inside Llewyn Davis including both Philomena and The Wolf of Wall Street. While I don't mean to take a dump on these film, I can just believe that this is an opinion that can be justified. To not have Inside Llewyn Davis nominated for even Best Music though T-Bone Burnette produced arguably the best best soundtrack of the year, greatly harms the validity of the Academy Awards in my opinion. I understand why smaller, indie films are not nominated, but to utterly shun two directors who have previously been personally been nominated for thirteen Academy Awards, that have won four times and that are arguably an American cinematic institution is absolutely ridiculous.
And there you have it folks. My thoughts, predictions and copious/dumb complaints about what is the premiere award ceremony in the world of film. I hope you all enjoyed and I hope you'll share your own opinions in the comments or on my Facebook page. I hope you'll be tuning in on March 2nd on ABC to see how things shake out and hopefully you'll all gather back here afterward to see how terribly I did and read my thoughts on the winners, losers and the overall ceremony. Until then, happy watching and I'll see you soon!
Welcome to Part Two of my Favorite Films of 2013 list! If you missed the first half (numbers 10-6), you can find that here! But I'll stop the self-promotion and get right into what (I hope) you all came here for. MY TOP FIVE FAVORITE FILMS OF 2013! Here we goooooo!!!!
5.) Upstream Color
First off, both of Shane Carruth's films, Primer and Upstream Color, are both on Netflix and you should go watch them. Like, right now. Do it. From every Kentuckian's favorite holiday destination, a Myrtle Beach native and former software developer, Shane Carruth is one of the most interesting and fresh new directors on the indie scene - a truly complete auteur package of writer, director, editor, cinematographer, composer and producer. Using his extensive math and science knowledge, he made one of the most well thought out and logically sound time travel movies in cinematic history with Primer. With Upstream Color, his long awaited followup, Carruth brings us yet another incredibly unique tale of inherent connection, of the control (or lack thereof) we have over our lives and the beings that control us, of breaking cycles, and of pigs. Lots and lots of pigs. Where Primer allowed and even challenged fans to spend untold hours diagramming the intricacies of the film's multiple timelines, Upstream Color is a film that is best left as a mystery. It's possible to figure out the connection between Amy Seimetz's brainwashed scam victim, Carruth's equally screwed up Jeff, and the aforementioned pigs being attended to by a mysterious figure referred to (in the credits) only as "the Sampler." But Upstream Color is less about what we know and more about how we know it, how we find ourselves and connect with each other in this hazy, confusing world. From the beautiful cinematography to the recurring visuals like an outreached hand to the expert use of sound design both by Carruth and by the characters in the film, everything in Upstream Color works as a unified whole, each element beating in time with the others. It's an amazing sophomore effort that is enrapturing both mentally and emotionally - a heavy, disorienting tale that challenges us to look at our lives and how we operate and decide whether or not we're truly in control and if we're not, that asks us if we'll take that control back. 4.) The World's End
I really wanted to put The World's End higher. Edgar Wright is, in my opinion, one of the finest directors living today. His lightning fast quick cuts and razor sharp comic timing, the meta aspects and impeccable use of foreshadowing in his and writing partner Simon Pegg's scripts and his ability to expertly craft beautiful genre films that subvert the tradition while becoming exemplary members of it all while creating deeply personal, heartfelt characters and relationships is unmatched. The only problem is that he has an ungodly amount of trouble with his films' third acts. Put simply, he just doesn't know how to end his movies. It was there with Shawn of the Dead and Hot Fuzz (less so with Scott Pilgrim), but was more easy to forgive. Here, however, the final encounter with the main villain feels confusing and unrelated to the point of nearly leaving a bad taste in your mouth. However, despite all the problems I have with the ending, the fact remains that The World's End is easily the funniest film of the year and the film I had the most fun with in the theater.
The final film of the unofficial "Three Flavors Cornetto Trilogy," The World's End stars Simon Pegg (in what I believe is the best performance of his career thus far) as Gary King who, true to his name, is a kingly screw up eager to relive his high school glory days from the early '90s. In the film, King talks his four best friends (Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine and Eddie Marsan) into joining him on a trip back to their hometown to complete a 12-stop pub crawl only to discover that (SPOILERS) their old community has been overtaken by a weird and terrifying race of robot aliens. To his eternal credit, when the shift to body-snatcher sci-fi takes place it doesn't offset the realistic, character centered comedy of the film's early moments. What is does, however, is act as a perfect metaphor for living in the past, for the loss of that small town way or life and for that unnerving feeling that comes when you return to those once familiar places that now seem strange and unwelcoming. Even with all the brilliant special effects, in jokes and beautiful, frenetic filmmaking, with a pair of simply brilliant performances by Pegg and Frost, what makes The World's End such a wonderful, effecting film is that above all it is a deeply personal film about addiction, a fantasy about dealing with reality.
3.) Short Term 12
I already have a review up where I sing the praises of Destin Daniel Cretton's Short Term 12 (which you can read here!), but it is a film that's worth revisiting. Based Cretton's 2009 short film of the same name, tells the story of a group home (sharing equal time between residents and employees and based on Cretton's own experiences) called "Short Term 12." Most important of these are supervisor Grace (Brie Larson) and her co-worker whom she is also seeing romantically, Mason (John Gallagher Jr.). The relationship is getting more serious but Grace who, like many of her wards, has some serious problems of her own, is having trouble opening up to Mason. As the film begins, the pair and Jessica (Stephanie Beatriz) are welcoming Cretton's surrogate, Nate (Rami Malek) to the home. Mason is telling a hilarious and disgusting story about chasing after a kid while needing desperately to go to the bathroom. As he does so, a young boy in his underwear runs out of the home shrieking and the supervisors run after and try to calm him down. There is also a new girl named Jayden (Kaitlyn Dever) who is a talented artist but whose abrasive personality hides a very troubled past; and an older kid named Marcus (Keith Stanfield) who is an aspiring rapper who, while having immense skill, is deeply upset at the prospect of having to leave the home following his 18th birthday.
While the film that follows is relatively simple, Short Term 12 depicts the lives of troubled kids and the courageous and loving individuals that dedicate their lives to them with more honesty and empathy than nearly any film I've seen. From the start, Cretton pulls you into this world and within a second you feel as if you've known them forever. While the film feels rushed at times, that is ultimately a product of Cretton's impeccable world building and the fact that we desperately want a deeper connection with these complex, fascinating individuals. All of their struggles and victories become our own. We are connected with them on an intrinsic level. And while it often seems in our lives, like the lives of Grace, Mason, Marcus and Jayden, that happiness is impossible to find, Short Term 12 argues that there are always glimmers of hope. Whether it be a new connection or the strengthening of an old, finally opening up about the pain that has been festering within us or even the promise of a better future, there are glimmers there for all of us. And in 2013, one of the brightest ones was an indie masterpiece called Short Term 12.
2.) Frances Ha
Before watching Frances Ha, I didn't know a lot about Noah Baumbach, but what I did know made me love him. I knew he directed 2005's The Squid and the Whale starring Jeff Daniels and Jesse Eisenberg and 2010's Greenberg starring Ben Stiller, both of which I absolutely adore. He also happened to co-write two of my favorite Wes Anderson movies (they're all my favorite), The Aquatic Life of Steve Zissou (2004) and Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009). So, obviously when I heard about his newest film, Frances Ha,I was excited. And when I saw that it was on Netflix (it still is, go watch it), I was even more pumped! In what I might describe (though it might be disrespectful) as a slightly more demur, goofier yet more engaging version of Lena Dunham's hit TV show Girls, Frances Ha stars Greta Gerwig (indie darling of LOL and Nights and Weekends fame, also co-writer) as a 27-year-old ballet dancer who lives with her best friend Sophie (Mickey Summer) in Brooklyn. Early on in the film, however, Sophie decides to move to better apartment in Tribeca, leaving Frances behind to figure out how to live her life. From there, we follow Frances as she drifts through New York to Sacramento to Paris to Poughkeepsie and finally back to New York as she tries to find a home, visits her family, goes on an uneventful getaway and goes back to work at her old college, lamenting her lack of money, poor dancing prospects and strained relationships along the way.
Frances Ha is a film about contradictions. Frances is an unfocused twentysomething, dubbed "undateable" with a bad streak of self-destructive behavior. She is a bumbling klutz, but she's a dancer. He life and her living arrangements are a mess, yet she wants desperately to be a choreographer. And while she is completely capable of achieving her goals, she severely needs to get her shit together. But, her bad decisions are not earth-shattering ones. She is broke and all her prospects (both professionally and romantically) have gone down the drain. But we know she'll be okay. What is most amazing about the film, though, is that despite the triviality of her problems, Baumbach and Gerwig's script avoids condescension. Unlike with a show like Girls where the audience spends much of its time rolling its eyes at these rich, beautiful people who complain about petty nonsense while seemingly being unaware of the immense privilege they have grown up and continue to live in, we root for Frances. We want her to figure her life out, to turn things around, to get on track. What truly makes Frances Ha such a wonderful film, though, is how effortlessly funny it is. Granted, it doesn't hurt that the film is populated with actors who specialize in creating and delivering witty quips on top of (both intentionally and unintentionally) hilarious jokes, but regardless of whose saying the words, the comedy in Baumbach and Gerwig's co-authored script is dynamic and unrelenting (and the visual/aural/stylistic references are off the chain).
What makes Frances Ha one of my favorite films of the year, however, is how it slowly reveals itself as it reveals its characters. While the film is ostensibly about Frances, its really as much about her best friend Sophie and the pair's changing and evolving relationship. But, what's so refreshing about the film is how it's able to steer away from the "Is she ever going to find a man?" trope. Yes, sexuality and romantic relationships are a part of the experience, but its not what forms these characters' identity. In fact, it isn't even near the top of the list. Likewise, its not exactly clear what Frances wants out of life or even what the film is supposed to be about until things are actually happening. And when this is finally revealed (along with the meaning behind the film's title), it's one of the most surprising "Aha!" moments of clarity I've seen in quite some time.
Though many have argued that the film is not accessible to the large demographics outside of those at or around Frances' age, I disagree. Because, really, Frances Ha isn't about the singular struggles of the post-college generation, stuck between their academic years and venturing into the real world. It's a film about self discovery and all the little details that go along with it. No, there aren't many big plot developments, no shoot outs or car chases or deaths. Friendships come and go, dinner parties are had, rather than being fired people are suggested to pursue other opportunities. But, while these instances seem negligible or trivial in the larger scope of things, it's these small details that inform who we are from day to day until we figure out what we really want to do with ourselves. This is not something that's generational. It's something that is understood and experienced by all walks of life and by all generations. And the way Baumbach and Gerwig are able to fuel this uncertainty and occasional melancholy with propulsive energy and express it with brilliant dialogue that is both witty and engaging creates a truly unique and remarkable film.
1.) Inside Llewyn Davis
Besides Her, the Coen Brothers' latest film, Inside Llewyn Davis, was the last major film of 2013 that I saw before making this list. It's a shame that such an amazing film is literally showing on only (to my knowledge) one screen in Lexington (the wonderful Kentucky Theatre) and on a whopping total of zero screens in Eastern Kentucky and the Huntington, WV area. This has nothing to do with my review, I'm just putting this area on blast. Step your game up, son.
As for the film itself, Inside Llewyn Davis is one of the most stunning and understated movies about depression, the grieving process and breaking the cyclicality of mediocrity I've ever seen. Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) is a Greenwich folk singer by trade, but if his life were an album its genre would be the blues. Currently in the throes of personal and professional tragedy, Llewyn finds himself homeless in the dead of winter, bumming from couch to couch when he isn't stuck freezing to death in the middle of a brutal, New York winter without a heavy coat or the money to buy one. Scraping by one gig at a time and haunted by the loss of his partner and best friend, Llewyn is as lost as the tabby he accidentally lets out of the Gorfein's home (two liberal professors and fans played by Ethan Phillips and Robin Bartlett who act as Llewyn's fallback sanctuary). Repeated attempts to break out and make a successful solo act of himself fail and so he sets out for Chicago to impress star-maker Bud Grossman (F. Murray Abraham) and finally make something of his life.
In my eyes, Inside Llewyn Davis is nearly perfect. Yes, like many of the Coen Brothers' films it is a cold movie - the mix of snow, ice and freezing wind mixing beautifully with Bruno Delbonnel's wintry cinematography. But, for my money, that's the point. Llewyn's life, along with the lives of everyone in his "scene," has been devastated by the loss of his partner Mike Timlin. As we find out later in the film (and in most of the trailers which is why I didn't spoiler tag it), Timlin committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge and his specter looms over every scene of the film. From what I can piece together from only seeing the film once, it seems like Mike was the glue that held Llewyn and Jim and Jean and their whole scene together; someone that everyone liked but that no one really knew. Now, in death, he acts as another palpable reminder - like the orange cat that disappears and reappears or (SPOILERS) Jean's unborn baby which she plans to abort for fear that it is Llewyn's and not Jim's - of Llewyn's inability to form bonds with other creatures. After a rather intense argument on a Central Park bench, Jean says to Llewyn, "I miss Mike." In another, after performing for Grossman, Llewyn tells him that he used to have a partner, "Yeah, that makes sense," Gross replies. Mike was, in a matter of speaking, Llewyn's winter coat. He was the one who shielded him from the harshness of the outside world that Llewyn now faces alone.
In what is the most emotionally powerful scene in the film (and my favorite scene of 2013), Grossman asks Llewyn to "Play me something from Inside Llewyn Davis." Without the italics, its a comment that packs an immense weight. And so Llewyn does, performing an incredibly moving rendition of "The Death of Queen Jane" about a queen who dies giving birth to her king's son. It's a slow and dismal ballad that Grossman ultimately decides there's no money in, but it's also a song packed with meaning. Llewyn is the titular Queen Jane. He finds himself with something inside of him - all of his sorrow and loneliness and anger - that he can't express. He is stuck in a unending loop (shown in the film's circular structure) of pain and misery, forced to play the same songs at the same gigs in the same hole-in-the-wall clubs forever. That is, until he dies a symbolic death of sorts, giving up caring about all the things he cannot control and starting over again. And as the film circles back around at its conclusion, we get a small glimmer of hope. Llewyn again plays "Fare Thee Well" (the song in all the trailers), but instead of playing the Timlin & Davis version, he plays the Llewyn Davis version. There is no backing instrumentation, the time signature shifts from 4/4 to a 3/4 waltz time, the line about the man "who moved his body like a cannonball" is change to a woman, the rain becomes a drizzle, and he omits two lines - one about the "unborn child" and the one that says "life ain't worth living without the one you love." He opts instead to repeat the first verse, "If I had wings like Noah's dove, I'd fly up the river to the one I love." Though Llewyn isn't quite ready to fly, he seems to at least have a sturdier base for takeoff. And if the Coens' cheeky faux-cameo at the end is any indication, his flight might be just around the corner.
It's not often that I predict anything correctly when it comes to the cinematic world (and here is where I unabashedly pat myself on the back). But from the second I heard about Inside Llewyn Davis, it was easily my most anticipated film of the year and a film that I was convinced would be one of the best of 2013. It's not that I'm particularly smart when it comes to film stuff (I'm not). Nor is it because I am biased towards the Coens (though I do adore most of their films). It was because the Coen Brothers have become one of the most consistently brilliant, exemplary American filmmakers. And with an all-star cast full of amazing performances (Oscar Isaac is absolutely brilliant and I didn't even mention John Goodman as a pedantic, drug-addled jazzman who is fabulous as always), gorgeous cinematography, what is easily the finest soundtrack of the year (produced by the consistently en pointe T-Bone Burnette and including one of the most entertainingly performed original songs of the year in "Please Mr. Kennedy"), and of course impeccable directing, the Coens have once again produced a modern day masterpiece. That's why Inside Llewyn Davis is my favorite film of 2013.
And here are some odds & ends:
Close Calls (Or Films I Really, Really Enjoyed): 12 Years a Slave, The Act of Killing, American Hustle, Blackfish, Drinking Buddies, Gimme the Loot, Gravity, Monsters University, Only God Forgives, Pacific Rim, Room 237, Side Effects, The Spectacular Now, This is the End, You're Next
Films I Regrettably Didn't Get to See (But am Really, Really Looking Forward to Seeing): All is Lost, Blue is the Warmest Color, Dallas Buyers Club, Nebraska, No, The Stories We Tell, Wadjda, The Wind Rises
Films That Should Be Ashamed of Themselves: The Canyons, The Hobbit: The Desolation of SMOWWWWWWG, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Man of Steel, Now You See Me, R.I.P.D., Star Trek Into Darkness, AND GROWN UPS 2 ON PRINCIPLE
Thanks for tuning in as always, readers. I hope you enjoyed and, as always, if you haven't seen some of these films, I hope you have been sufficiently intrigued enough to go hunt them down. 2013 was a fantastic year for movies and I look forward to seeing what 2014 has in store. Until we meet again!
