53 films from 2013, Part II: The Highs
Counting DOWN, so that "Trance" is actually ranked No. 32, "La Grande Bellezza" No. 10 etc.
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- DirectorDanny BoyleStarsJames McAvoyRosario DawsonVincent CasselAn art auctioneer mixed up with a group of criminals partners with a hypnotherapist in order to recover a lost painting.32.
A guilty pleasure, if I ever had one. I’ve always been skeptical of Danny Boyle’s manipulations, and although he has never been as reckless as in this wild and twisted tour de force, there are moments of pleasure and delight and – almost unimaginably: tenderness. Needless to say: Rosario Dawson, too powerful to be the international star she deserves to be, is stunning throughout this sick, mind-boggling thriller. - DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsRooney MaraChanning TatumJude LawA young woman's world unravels when a drug prescribed by her psychiatrist has unexpected side effects.31.
Another cynical masterclass. Steven Soderbergh draws strong performances from Rooney Mara and Channing Tatum. And I really started rooting for Jude Law to find a way out of his mess. Although Soderbergh’s BEHIND THE CANDELABRA had many aspects that made it a superior movie, I enjoyed SIDE EFFECTS even more. - DirectorTakashi MiikeStarsTakao OsawaNanako MatsushimaGorô KishitaniA team of cops must protect an accused killer with a billion-yen bounty on his head.30.
An Asian version of THE GAUNTLET, this handsomely crafted Japanese production is almost as underestimated as Eastwood’s masterpiece was in the 1970’s. And I say that not being a fan of Takashi Miike. - DirectorPaul Andrew WilliamsStarsTerence StampGemma ArtertonChristopher EcclestonGrumpy pensioner Arthur honors his recently deceased wife's passion for performing by joining the unconventional local choir to which she used to belong, a process that helps him build bridges with his estranged son, James.29.
Vanessa Redgrave is touching as a dying senior, but Terence Stamp is just wonderful as her grumpy husband who’s being forced to encounter his human side – and sing in a choir full of elderly people he used to despise. - DirectorDustin HoffmanStarsMaggie SmithMichael GambonBilly ConnollyAt a home for retired musicians, the annual concert to celebrate Composer Giuseppe Verdi's birthday is disrupted by the arrival of Jean (Dame Maggie Smith), an eternal diva and the former wife of one of the residents.More seniors: Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay and Billy Connolly put up a fine display of egos and pride, and as the director Dustin Hoffman shows exactly the sense of understanding for actors I always expected from him.
- DirectorYaron ZilbermanStarsPhilip Seymour HoffmanChristopher WalkenCatherine KeenerMembers of a world-renowned string quartet struggle to stay together in the face of death, competing egos, and insuppressible lust.(aka A Late Quartet)
Even more grown-ups – and even more involving: Catherine Keener, Philip Seymour Hoffman and the fabulous Christopher Walken are three musicians from a devoted quartet that experiences a serious setback. Imogen Poots doesn’t really belong in the movie, but she is a welcome diversion anyway. - DirectorZhangke JiaStarsWu JiangBaoqiang WangTao ZhaoFour independent stories set in modern China about random acts of violence.Four grueling stories from China, expertly put together. The movie would have ranked higher, most likely, if working duties hadn’t forced me to leave the Cannes screening a bit prematurely.
- DirectorKar-Wai WongStarsTony Leung Chiu-waiZiyi ZhangJin ZhangThe story of martial-arts master Ip Man, the man who trained Bruce Lee.Not being particularly fond of Wong Kar-wai, I have to admit this movie about the wise Ip Man took me by surprise. I was especially struck by the no-nonsense approach and the subtle and loving references to Sergio Leone’s masterworks.
- DirectorEran RiklisStarsStephen DorffAbdallah El AkalAlice TaglioniBeirut, 1982: a young Palestinian refugee helps an Israeli fighter pilot escape from PLO captivity because he wants to visit his ancestral family home. En route through war-torn Lebanon their relationship develops into a close bond.A political story drawn from the personal encounter of an Israeli soldier and a Palestinian boy. Even world- and politics-weary spectators should be enthralled by their dilemma and growing friendship.
- DirectorHaifaa Al-MansourStarsWaad MohammedReem AbdullahAbdullrahman Al GohaniAn enterprising Saudi girl signs on for her school's Koran recitation competition as a way to raise the remaining funds she needs in order to buy the green bicycle that has captured her interest.Another political film that seems to be non-political: A Saudi girl refuses to be kept down by her country’s ideas of standard upbringing and traditional womanhood.
- DirectorNicole HolofcenerStarsJulia Louis-DreyfusJames GandolfiniCatherine KeenerA divorced woman who decides to pursue the man she's interested in learns he's her new friend's ex-husband.(aka Enough said)
Beautifully nonchalant in its acting and staging, this fine romantic comedy makes it even harder to accept that James Gandolfini is already gone – having been painfully underused in his movie-career. - DirectorNoah BaumbachStarsGreta GerwigMickey SumnerAdam DriverA New York woman apprentices for a dance company and throws herself headlong into her dreams, even as the possibility of realizing them dwindles.Finally, director Noah Baumbach fulfills the promise he gave us with THE SQUID AND THE WHALE eight years ago. Greta Gerwig, who can be a little wise-assy sometimes, is engrossing as a girl whose aspirations are always too steep for her abilities. Luckily she neglects life’s harsh truths when she needs to – and keeps on trying.
- DirectorJudd ApatowStarsPaul RuddLeslie MannMaude ApatowPete and Debbie are both about to turn 40, their kids hate each other, both of their businesses are failing, they're on the verge of losing their house, and their relationship is threatening to fall apart.Whenever Judd Apatow hits the sweet spot even the most sour notes are delicious. Although THIS IS 40 overstays its welcome by a bit, there is a lot of truth in the story of Pete and Debbie (Paul Rudd and gorgeous Leslie Mann), who were already the funniest characters in Apatow’s KNOCKED UP (2007). The director has already said he intends to follow their ways. For me, that’s not a threat but a promise.
- DirectorHany Abu-AssadStarsAdam BakriLeem LubanyEyad HouraniA young Palestinian freedom fighter agrees to work as an informant after he's tricked into an admission of guilt by association in the wake of an Israeli soldier's killing.A thrilling story of loyalty and betrayal among men having to cope with the border between Israel and Palestine. What’s so uncommon about OMAR is the fact that it plays as a thriller and a melodrama about friendship first – making the political side of the story even stronger by not pushing it to the foreground.
- DirectorRon HowardStarsDaniel BrühlChris HemsworthOlivia WildeThe merciless 1970s rivalry between Formula One rivals James Hunt and Niki Lauda.The European setting has done wonders to Ron Howard’s sense of mise en scène. Everything seems less sugary, and although the women can’t do much else than appear fabulous (the awesome Olivia Wilde is still waiting for a chance to shine as an actress), the main male protagonists (Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl) form a beautiful bond as archrivals James Hunt and Niki Lauda. It seems highly unlikely that Howard wasn’t familiar with Formula 1 before the production, because he has the knack for car-racing action, and the period setting just feels right all the time. A bloody good movie which I have to revisit in order to understand why it doesn’t rank higher.
- DirectorPaul GreengrassStarsTom HanksBarkhad AbdiBarkhad AbdirahmanThe true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the U.S.-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.Paul Greengrass is a complete filmmaker. His BOURNE-movies remain two of the highlights of the last decade, and while UNITED 93 has been rightly appreciated, GREEN ZONE is one of the mostly under-appreciated movies of this decade. CAPTAIN PHLILIPS is gripping as well, but although Tom Hanks is swell and Barkhad Abdi very convincing as the man in charge of the big boat’s abduction, I missed the last little step to greatness – knowing the actual story just killed some of the tension. What’s fabulous though is the way Greengrass depicts American wartactics as superpotent impotence. Whoever says that CAPTAIN PHILLIPS glorifies the military should be sent to an optician immediately.
- DirectorFrançois OzonStarsMarine VacthGéraldine PailhasFrédéric PierrotAfter losing her virginity, Isabelle takes up a secret life as a call girl, meeting her clients for hotel-room trysts. Throughout, she remains curiously aloof, showing little interest in the encounters themselves or the money she makes.(aka JEUNE ET JOLIE)
The French and young female sexuality, Part I: Isabelle starts a second life as a prostitute, thereby switching between the innocence of her Parisian lycée-life, meeting (much) older men for sex and money and returning home afterwards. The photography is clean-cut and the characters very clear – but the underlying intentions of Isabelle (breathtakingly natural: Marine Vacth) still remain in the dark. François Ozon is not out for THE truth or interested in judging Isabelle’s actions. He’s more into asking questions than answering them. - DirectorAbdellatif KechicheStarsLéa SeydouxAdèle ExarchopoulosSalim KechioucheAdèle's life is changed when she meets Emma, a young woman with blue hair, who will allow her to discover desire and to assert herself as a woman and as an adult. In front of others, Adèle grows, seeks herself, loses herself, and ultimately finds herself through love and loss.(aka LA VIE D’ADÈLE, chapitre 1 & 2)
The French and young female sexuality, Part II: The first real love of 17-year-old Adèle who never even suspected in the first place that she might be drawn to women. All the stories about Abdellatif Kechiche’s fanatic and maybe even brutal way of filming and forcing his actresses haven’t undercut my feelings for the movie, since Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos seemed true all the way through. The weird thing is: I want to see more of Adèle (yes, in the Antoine-Doinel-way) in order to really value the beginning. - DirectorAlexander PayneStarsBruce DernWill ForteJune SquibbAn aging, booze-addled father makes the trip from Montana to Nebraska with his estranged son in order to claim a million-dollar Mega Sweepstakes Marketing prize.Is Alexander Payne a mocking man? Or is he really loving his characters? Is he presenting them – or showing them off? The question that came up during ABOUT SCHMIDT, SIDEWAYS and even THE DESCENDANTS boils up again during NEBRASKA, which boasts two dozen (or more) suburban dorks. Then again, Bruce Dern is wonderful as the old father falling for a scam and stubbornly insisting to travel to Nebraska to collect a million dollars. (June Squibb as his wife has a lot of unclean words to say about him – and the rest of earth’s inhabitants. Will Forte as their son is almost too good and calm to be true.) The movie has a leisurely, unforced feel thanks to Phedon Papamichael’s b&w-photography and Mark Orton’s score.
- DirectorRobert RedfordStarsRobert RedfordBrit MarlingStanley TucciAfter a journalist discovers his identity, a former Weather Underground activist goes on the run.The closest we’ve come to a Pollack/Pakula picture in more than twenty years, this is Robert Redford’s best film as a thriller director. (I cherish THE HORSE WHISPERER, but that’s another story.) The genre: political thriller without dead bodies. Whoa, is someone doing that? Redford does with conviction. He plays Jim Grant, a 70-year-old who has led a long life as a solid middle-class-man and, as a widower, has brought up a very young daughter. He’s forced to run from the law when his old life is stirred up by a nosy and horribly arrogant young journalist (surprisingly good: Shia LaBeouf). While Jim is being accused of having been a terrorist he is looking for a long-vanished darling of the past (still a knockout: Julie Christie). All this time, you don’t really know whether Jim is guilty or not. In hindsight you might say: He could have told his side of story without running away. But that would be neglecting the political climate of today. Redford doesn’t put all the cards on the table at once, which is one of his most clever maneuvers. The second one: Hiring fantastic actors like Susan Sarandon, Nick Nolte, Chris Cooper, Terrence Howard, Stanley Tucci, Richard Jenkins, Anna Kendrick, Brendan Gleeson, Stephen Root and Sam Elliott. They get you emotionally involved in a flash.
Somewhere up there Sydney Pollack and Alan J. Pakula are surely brimming with delight. - DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsEmmanuelle SeignerMathieu AmalricAn actress attempts to convince a director how she's perfect for a role in his upcoming production.(aka LA VÉNUS À LA FOURRURE)
Delicious and wittily sadistic, Roman Polanski plays the boy/girl-game once more, just like he did in BITTER MOON or THE NINTH GATE and, of course, FRANTIC. It’s been a long 25 years since Emmanuelle Seigner has been that convincing (and hot), and it’s a delight seeing her play with the feelings of stage director Thomas (Mathieu Amalric). - DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsEthan HawkeJulie DelpySeamus Davey-FitzpatrickWe meet Jesse and Celine nine years on in Greece. Almost two decades have passed since their first meeting on that train bound for Vienna.When you love a movie as much as I love BEFORE SUNSET (2004), you can’t help but be afraid of a sequel. And it’s true: BEFORE MIDNIGHT is less dreamy and much harsher than the two BEFORE-movies. This time the truth hurts more than ever and you start wondering how on earth they can stay together nine more years in order make a fourth BEFORE-film. Or will they have split up and meet again? In the meantime we should try the double-bill THIS IS 40 & BEFORE MIDNIGHT.
- DirectorPaolo SorrentinoStarsToni ServilloCarlo VerdoneSabrina FerilliJep Gambardella has seduced his way through the lavish nightlife of Rome for decades, but after his 65th birthday and a shock from the past, Jep looks past the nightclubs and parties to find a timeless landscape of absurd, exquisite beauty.No. 10
A movie about Rome and people strolling through and talking about life in the Italian capital automatically draws comparisons to Federico Fellini’s work, especially LA DOLCE VITA (1960) and ROMA (1972). Probably never before has a movie been so unafraid of those comparisons. That’s easy to understand: Though Fellini’s spirit is near, Paolo Sorrentino (IL DIVO) is so sure of his skills and his vision of the decadent Rome in the year 2013 that LA GRANDE BELLEZZA feels like the independent continuation of Fellini’s work rather than just a copy or a remake of it. Tony Servillo’s writer/essayist Jep Gambardella could become the Marcello Rubini (Mastroianni’s character in LA DOLCE VITA) of the 21st century. Wonderful stuff, although I am still convinced the film would be even better without the first 15 minutes or so. - DirectorBen StillerStarsBen StillerKristen WiigJon DalyWhen both he and a colleague are about to lose their job, Walter takes action by embarking on an adventure more extraordinary than anything he ever imagined.Thurber’s holy short story directed by Mr. Ben Stiller, the guy from NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM?? You betcha! Contrary to what most skeptics expected, Stiller doesn’t sell the soul of the story to the gods of popcorn-movies – he uses the possibilities of modern cinema to give the classic a new twist. The characters keep their uniqueness but stay down to earth nevertheless, and the film doesn’t need fanfares, with many things seemingly happening en passant. (Especially wonderful: the scene in Central Park, when Mitty casually performs skateboard stunts and his true love [Kristen Wiig] misses out on that.) It’s the sort of movie that puts a smile on your face months after you’ve seen it.
- DirectorJames MangoldStarsHugh JackmanWill Yun LeeTao OkamotoWolverine comes to Japan to meet an old friend whose life he saved years ago, and gets embroiled in a conspiracy involving yakuza and mutants.Among the big splashy Hollywood blockbusters that tend to bore me these days, there were actually some that I enjoyed more than I had envisioned in 2013 (IRON MAN 3 and, probably the biggest suprise in this genre: THE HOBBIT 2, in many regards thanks to Evangeline Lilly). But there was nothing coming even close to the richness of THE WOLVERINE, itself being the sequel to the dreadful X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE (2009). Just when I thought there was no way of saving the Wolverine-character, James Mangold came up with the right ideas, tricks and settings to revitalize the franchise. After a rocky start to his career, with early heights (KATE & LEOPOLD), overestimated hits (WALK THE LINE) and dubious lows (KNIGHT & DAY), Mangold’s track-record is becoming more impressive, coming up with this jewel after having given us 3:10 TO YUMA (2007).
- DirectorChris BuckJennifer LeeStarsKristen BellIdina MenzelJonathan GroffFearless optimist Anna teams up with rugged mountain man Kristoff and his loyal reindeer Sven in an epic journey to find Anna's sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter.(aka FROZEN)
In the last decade we’ve been blessed with so many great works of animation – just look at 2010: TOY STORY 3, HOW TO TAME A DRAGON, FANTASTIC MR. FOX and TANGLED – that we took them for granted too soon. In a year with some likeable animated films (THE CROODS) as well as way too many formulaic ones (EPIC, TURBO), one work stuck out: Disney’s new musicalcomedymelodrama FROZEN was so modest about its quality that it was easy to miss all its lovely nuances. Luckily, some weeks after the first viewing I took my 9-year-old to see it and got involved immediately. (The songs, by the way, are pretty good [Max loves them even more than I do]. How can I tell that those songs are really good? Well, if you had to listen to them at least 90 times in three days and still enjoy them, that’s saying a lot.) No, it’s not as outstanding as the four films mentioned before (or RATATOUILLE or THE INCREDIBLES), but it’s still tremendous entertainment. - DirectorJ.C. ChandorStarsRobert RedfordAfter a collision with a shipping container at sea, a resourceful sailor finds himself, despite all efforts to the contrary, staring his mortality in the face.One upside of 2013 was that it was a great year for seniors. Besides SONG FOR MARION, QUARTET, A LATE QUARTET, Roman Polanski’s new movie and THE COMPANY YOU KEEP we had several (other) prime performances from ripe actors: Michael Douglas (68) in BEHIND THE CANDELABRA; Tony Servillo (only 54, but playing a 65-year-old) in LA GRANDE BELLEZZA; Bruce Dern (77) in NEBRASKA; and, best of them all, Robert Redford (77) as a castaway in ALL IS LOST. Once his sailboat is hit by a container floating on the high seas, the old skipper has to fight for his survival. In contrast to Ang Lee’s multiple Oscar-winner LIFE OF PI, Redford and director J.C. Chandor (39) don’t need a tiger or a framing background story, no dialogue, magic or fairy tale stuff to keep us glued to our seats. All that’s required is the actor and his face, telling us stories no words could match. After HAVANA flopped undeservedly in 1990, Robert Redford had two more wonderful main roles, in THE HORSE WHISPERER (1998) and in AN UNFINISHED LIFE (2005). But he didn’t have ALL IS LOST. Then again, he never had anything like it ever before.
- DirectorAsghar FarhadiStarsBérénice BejoTahar RahimAli MosaffaAn Iranian man deserts his French wife and her two children to return to his homeland. Meanwhile, his wife starts up a new relationship, a reality her husband confronts upon his wife's request for a divorce.From the first frames – the couple to be divorced separated by walls of glass – you can tell that a master is at work. But Asghar Farhadi is not the boasting kind of guy, although he could brag with his ideas to tell the story of two twisted family tragedies. It is strong stuff, but it never feels heavy because Farhadi is light on his feet, changing perspectives and even protagonists. He uses his story like a fan, revealing secrets, lies and truths one by one. Ali Mosaffa is perfect for his ambiguous role; Tahar Rahim proves that his magnificent tour de force four years ago in Jacques Audiard’s UN PROPHÈTE wasn’t a fluke; and Bérénice Bejo gets to show that she’s more than just a pretty face – of course she’s too beautiful for her role as a suburban woman, but the fact that I forgot about that says everything about her acting skills.
- DirectorDavid O. RussellStarsChristian BaleAmy AdamsBradley CooperA con man, Irving Rosenfeld, along with his seductive partner Sydney Prosser, is forced to work for a wild F.B.I. Agent, Richie DiMaso, who pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and the Mafia.Everything that’s missing from THE WOLF OF WALL STREET – daring, dignity, heart, heat, lust, character, fun, unforgettable performances filled with life, craziness, brio, meaning – can be found here. I would have never thought that I might be saying something like that about movies from Martin Scorsese and David O. Russell, respectively. For years I had my doubts about Russell, even after THREE KINGS. Never cared much for SPANKING THE MONKEY or FLIRTING WITH DISASTER, and I simply hated I HEART HUCKABEES. I still do, but I accept the fact that it helped the director on his way to come up with THE FIGHTER, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK and now AMERICAN HUSTLE. I’m not convinced he can keep that up, but it’s one hell of a ride and incredible fun to be part of. What Russell does here for Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence is something similar what Scorsese used to do for De Niro, DiCaprio and Keitel ages ago. You can see Russell’s talent by looking at Robert De Niro in his electrifying minutes of screen time here and comparing it to almost everything the actor has done in the 21st century.
- DirectorBora DagtekinStarsElyas M'BarekKaroline HerfurthKatja RiemannA comedy that follows an ex-convict who lands a position at a school that sits over the spot where money from one of his earlier robberies was stashed.The biggest surprise of the year: an all-out German comedy with jokes and situations that are hysterically funny, characters that are intelligently fleshed-out, and a ending that really gets to you. Normally those are terms that do not belong in one sentence – at least not in talks about German comedies. And since I wasn’t that much into TÜRKISCH FÜR ANFÄNGER (Turkish for beginners), the first movie-collaboration between Elyas M’Barek and director Bora Dagtekin, I never expetcted anything like this movie. The story is simple: A small-time crook acts like a temp teacher because there’s some stash hidden away on school grounds. And I guarantee you’ve never seen a teacher like Zeki. I don’t know whether all of the jokes would work in in other languages, but it’s certainly worth a try. The acting of M’Barek, Karoline Herfurth and the sensational supporting actresses Katja Riemann, Alwara Höfels and Jella Haase would translate perfectly.
- DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsOscar IsaacCarey MulliganJohn GoodmanA week in the life of a young singer as he navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961.No. 2
One week in the miserable life of folk singer Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac), who happens to be the right person at the right place at the false time. He’s rightly called „King Midas’s idiot brother“ by the ever grumbling and swearing Carey Mulligan, who uses the opportunity to reinvent herself (which was absolutely necessary after THE GREAT GATSBY). Is Llewyn’s story melancholic or comedic? It’s actually both, told in that unmistakably dry-witted Coen-fashion. There are dialogues so poignant and beautiful that you’d love to see them framed on the walls of your home. But one of the great gifts of the brothers is they are not showing off with their gift(s). They just let their characters stumble nonchalantly into hellish (and very often devilishly funny) situations. And boy, are those situations: in the club, in the car, in the recording booth, in Chicago; and those characters: the uptown friends; the chauffeured addicted singer; the driver; the impresario; and, of course, the cat. Make that cats. - DirectorAlfonso CuarónStarsSandra BullockGeorge ClooneyEd HarrisDr Ryan Stone, an engineer on her first time on a space mission, and Matt Kowalski, an astronaut on his final expedition, have to survive in space after they are hit by debris while spacewalking.And then sometimes there’s a movie that’s a game-changer. A movie that sweeps you off your feet and lets you rub your eyes because you’ve never seen anything quite like it before. That was the case with BLADE RUNNER and ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA, with POSSESSION (Zulawski’s 1981 movie!) and AVATAR.
This year, it happened again with GRAVITY. I left the theater shattered and trembling with joy, with spirits flying high and a lust for life I hadn’t experienced in a long time. I tried to understand what Alfonso Cuarón and d.p. Emmanuel Lubezki had created technically, but couldn’t figure it all out. I tried twice more, to no avail: Each and every time the story sucked me in so hard (mainly of course because of Sandra Bullock in her once-in-a-lifetime performance, but also thanks to George Clooney in a beautiful supporting role), I felt the same breathing-pain like Sandra Bullock. Then I felt relief and finally a joy that almost seemed religious: I started to believe again – in the power of movies.