Championing a year in cinema and the stories only it can tell
The major theme across the intros to most of this year’s Best Film lists has been that the movies matter. Critics have championed the movies that could only be movies, ones that feel cinematic not because they’re big but because they can be small, because they can avoid “complex narrative” as championed by TV and use imagery and style above all to conveya different sort of complexity.
“The ever-increasing prominence of television is, in turn, sparking a renewed reflection on the part of filmmakers about what cinema is, and what it can be. The conflict between the dependent image and the essential image, between the transparent and the conspicuous, is real and serious…The best movies this year are films of combative cinema, audacious inventions in vision. The specificity and originality of their moment-to-moment creation of images offers new ways for viewers to confront the notion of what “narrative” might be.”
“It is easy to conclude that movies have surrendered that long-held vanguard position. The creative flowering of television has exposed the complacency and conservatism that rules big-money filmmaking at the studio level… But within this landscape of bloat and desolation, there is quite a lot worth caring about. More important, there are filmmakers determined to refine and reinvigorate the medium, to recapture its newness and uniqueness and to figure out, in a post-film, platform-agnostic, digital-everything era, what the art of cinema might be.”
They seem to say in blunter terms, “Yeah, TV’s good, but fuck that.”
This is cinema. You can hurl around “golden age of TV” all you want, but I can’t imagine any of these stories, some of them with minimal plot, some with no discernable plot at all, being transplanted to TV.
That doesn’t mean they aren’t deeply moving works of art, experiences with beginnings, middles and ends that carry emotions, characters and visceral sensations through their durations.
These are the things you can’t find anywhere else. I don’t know if the movies are blooming or dying (the consensus seems to be both), but they continue to be groundbreaking and frankly amazing.
I’m aware there’s five seasons of “Breaking Bad” on Netflix, but these 25 movies, 15 ranked, eight unranked and two Honorable Mentions, are the stuff that will blow your mind if you gave it the time of day.
2014 Oscar Predictions near the end of the year and just before critics groups weigh in.
A month after my first batch of Oscar predictions, my sentiments about this season are summed up in this paragraph from just one of Mark Harris’s brilliant Oscar posts on Grantland:
In September, I got some ribbing from colleagues for saying it was too early to make predictions. I hope I don’t cause any of them to have an aneurysm by ever so gently saying it again two months later. At the very least, can we stipulate that Variety‘s pronouncementthat 2013 offers “more terrific awards possibilities than ever” feels slightly out of sync with the fare at your local multiplex, which is playing Free Birds, Last Vegas, Ender’s Game, and Bad Grandpa?
Right now I can go out and recommend a half dozen great movies that are playing in places outside New York and L.A.. But the disconnect between “Oscar talk and real-world moviegoers,” as Harris also mentions, is built not just on hyperbole. As Oscar world has hit its lull between the time when “American Hustle” and “The Wolf of Wall Street” come out, pundits have grown tired discussing “12 Years a Slave,” “Gravity” and “Captain Phillips” right as these movies need it most.
Movies like “Inside Llewyn Davis,” “Nebraska” and “All is Lost” are encountering the same problem because everyone who matters saw these movies MONTHS ago at Cannes. I mean honestly, who hasn’t seen “Inside Llewyn Davis” yet? Oh, everyone.
My latest set of predictions doesn’t have much in ways of changes, and that’s more of the reason why it’s easy to become bored of all this. But I was able to see a few more films like “Dallas Buyers Club,” “Blue is the Warmest Color” and “All is Lost” to confirm what the pundits already knew or suspected.
Now in just a few days, the critics will weigh in and nominations from the Indie Spirits and Golden Globes will begin rolling in and dictating the shape of the season all over again. Until then, here’s going with the flow:
* Designates a movie I’ve seen
Bulleted entries are Dark Horse candidates ranked in likelihood of getting in
Best Picture
Inside Llewyn Davis – CBS Films
Gravity*
12 Years a Slave*
Captain Phillips*
Saving Mr. Banks
Inside Llewyn Davis*
Nebraska*
August: Osage County*
Lee Daniels’ The Butler*
The Wolf of Wall Street
American Hustle
Dallas Buyers Club*
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Philomena*
All is Lost*
Blue Jasmine*
Before Midnight*
Her
Rush*
Fruitvale Station*
A month ago I worried that “Inside Llewyn Davis” might be ignored by the Academy, a slight Coen entry that would be overlooked by big Oscar bait like “12 Years,” “Saving Mr. Banks,” “The Butler” and “August: Osage County.” Now before the critics have even had their say, “Inside Llewyn Davis” is riding a small wave of anticipation as “August” and “The Butler” buckle under the weight of their casts and their reviews. It seems like a lock compared to the question marks that are “American Hustle” and “The Wolf of Wall Street.”
The other strong entry of course is “Nebraska,” which I feared would have the same fate. That film however, also a Cannes entry, has now reminded everyone that it is a genuine crowd pleaser that will scratch just the right itch in this Academy demographic.
Unfortunately for “All is Lost,” “Blue Jasmine,” “Before Midnight” or “Her,” those two movies in my mind take up the “indie” spots that the Academy now reserves. And if any were to bump out “The Butler” or “August” it would be “Dallas Buyers Club,” “Philomena” or a real Academy shocker in “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” movies that are more Oscar friendly and could use the help.
With “Before Midnight,” Richard Linklater continues to deepen the themes in this beautiful franchise.
If there’s one thing “Before Midnight,” Richard Linklater’s powerfully moving threequel to one of the best love sagas in movie history, has to teach us about middle age, it’s that life is no longer all about you.
Linklater’s most daring addition to “Midnight” could be having two completely different characters walking and talking in tandem, not solely Jesse and Celine. The opposite was once true, and the plotless, intimate focus on just these two young lovers was what made 1995’s “Before Sunrise” so effortlessly experimental. By adding a few characters who fall into familiar conventions, “Midnight” may be the least experimental of Linklater’s trilogy, but he continues to deepen these themes and lives in ways that couldn’t have been imagined if this trilogy was preconceived. Continue reading “Before Midnight”
But I’m not, and what makes it all the worse is I know someone who is. He had asked me to make some recommendations for him on what he should get tickets for. Cause I’m the movie guy and all.
So not being able to do anything halfway, I did a lot arguably unnecessary reconnaissance. And I really wish I was going to Sundance this year. The line-up of both in competition films and those just making their world premieres is impressive.
Aside from being in one of the best places for skiing on the planet, Sundance has that rare quality of discovery that other film festivals don’t anymore. Cannes has always featured a smaller line-up, usually foreign masters trotting out their latest art house experiment, and Toronto has become a stomping ground for awards bait movies to make their premieres.
But as I told my friend, Sundance is unique in that, you can do all the research about directors and stars that you want, but the next great film of the year, the “Beasts of the Southern Wild” or “Winter’s Bone” or what have you, will be full of unknowns and come as a complete surprise. It’s a place to discover the films that will never get a distributor, not the mid-range indie product that’ll be released just months from now. Here then is just part of the message I sent to my friend:
“So with that in mind, take some chances on some films. There will be scheduling conflicts, there will be movies that will be sold out, and of the 10 that you choose to go to (or whatever your number ends up being), there will likely be some bad ones in the bunch. The ones that might be most worth your time are the smaller films without big casts or directors that might never get distribution. Some of these are in competition and a lot are just premiering. Look into some foreign films or maybe even a short film program.”
I really did go all out in making suggestions, going as far as to provide a list of miniature blurbs and ranking my top choices, so at that point I decided I may as well turn this into an article and offer these suggestions to anyone else who may be going.
“Kill Your Darlings”
Before Midnight – In 1995, Richard Linklater did a movie with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy in which the two of them just walked around and talked and fell in love, “Before Sunrise.” 9 years later he revisited it with “Before Sunset,” and it was equally experimental and moving. This is the third time he’s revisited them, and it’s bound to be a big hit.
Sound City – This is Dave Grohl’s new documentary about a legendary recording studio that closed recently. I would go because he’s definitely going to be there, but the movie itself will be available for download in February, so it’s not like you’ll never see it if you really wanted to.
Muscle Shoals – Here’s another intriguing music doc. This one is about Rick Hall, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett and the music that arose out of the Alabama scene in the ’60s. The first time director Greg Camilier has assembled a flock of great musicians to say wonderful things about Hall and FAME Studios, including Mick Jagger, Etta James, Bono and more.
Kill Your Darlings – “Kill Your Darlings” is the story of what drew the beat poets William Burroughs and Jack Kerouac together, starring Daniel Radcliffe as Allen Ginsberg. It has a first time director but has an amazing cast that also includes Michael C. Hall, Elizabeth Olsen, Jack Huston, David Cross, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kyra Sedjwick and Ben Foster.
Touchy Feely – If you’re looking for a really depressing, mind-bending movie, this is probably it. It’s from Lynn Shelton, the director of “We Need to Talk About Kevin,” and it’s about a massage therapist who suddenly is afraid to touch people, starring Ellen Page, Rosemarie Dewitt and Allison Janney.
Mud – This one was actually slated for 2012, so it’s not a world premiere. But it stars Matthew McConaughey as a fugitive on the run from bounty hunters in this Americana character drama and thriller. It’s directed by one of my favorite up and coming directors, Jeff Nichols. He did “Shotgun Stories” and “Take Shelter,” which were also drenched in Americana.
The Spectacular Now – This tells the story of a teenager who is a budding alcoholic, and it has a coming of age story vibe about a kid who gets in an argument with his nerdy friend, gets drunk and ends up meeting the “cool kids” when he wakes up. The director, James Ponsoldt, is supposedly providing it with the same tone as his film “Smashed” released in 2012, also about an alcoholic and starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead.
The Way, Way Back – A dramedy from the writers of “The Descendants,” it’s about a 14-year-old visiting his mom and her annoying boyfriend on summer vacation. It stars Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, Toni Collette and Maya Rudolph.
Magic Magic – This is a kind of surreal drama starring Michael Cera and Juno Temple. It’s about a girl who dabbles in hypnosis and suffers from insomnia.
Ain’t Them Bodies Saints – This is a first time film starring Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara in a runaway love story that’s got a big “Bonnie and Clyde” or “Badlands” vibe.
The East – Brit Marling is a younger actress/screenwriter who really impressed me with the smart sci-fi “Another Earth,” and this film is a larger scale thriller about a secret agent who goes undercover to stop a group of activists attacking CEOs, but she eventually begins to like some of their ideas.
A.C.O.D. – A comedy starring both Adam Scott and Amy Poehler; what’s not to love?
Don Jon’s Addiction – The directorial debut of Joseph Gordon Levitt, this is a comedy about a guy addicted to porn but who can also land 10’s any night of the week. Stars JGL and Scarlett Johannson.
Stoker – A thriller/horror movie from the director behind “Oldboy,” Stoker stars Mia Wasikowska fearing the motives and potential of her increasingly unstable mother (Nicole Kidman) and her mysterious Uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode).
Lovelace – Amanda Seyfried stars as Linda Lovelace, the porn star from the 70’s movie “Deep Throat.”
The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete – This a coming of age drama about inner city kids living on the street, and it’s got a bunch of big stars in bit parts like Jennifer Hudson, Anthony Mackie and Jordin Sparks. It has something of a “Precious” vibe, and it’s from a debut filmmaker, George Tillman Jr.
The Gatekeepers – Another documentary that’s actually on this year’s Oscar shortlist, it’s about Israeli military leaders and is supposed to be really insightful into understanding the Middle East.
No – A Chilean film and on this year’s Oscar shortlist for Best Foreign Language Film.
Sweetgrass – A Western starring Ed Harris and January Jones.
Breathe In – A drama from the director of the 2011 Sundance winner “Like Crazy,” it’s about a family and the tension that spawns after they take in a foreign exchange student.
May in the Summer – Director of “Amreeka,” which won a prize at Cannes a few years back.
In a World… – A comedy from Adult Swim’s and “Children’s Hospital’s” Lake Bell about a struggling vocal coach. It also stars Demetri Martin and Rob Corddry.
Toy’s House – Three teenage boys go off to the woods to build a house of their own. Stars Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Mary Lynn Rajskub and Megan Mullaly.
Austenland – For any “Napoleon Dynamite” fans, “Austenland” is a comedy about a girl (Keri Russell) obsessed with “Pride and Prejudice” and visits a Jane Austen theme park to find true love. It comes from Jerusha Hess, cowriter of “Napoleon” and sister of brother Jared Hess.
jOBS – This is the closing night film of the festival, and maybe it’s terrific. But it’s the biopic about Steve Jobs starring Ashton Kutcher, a casting that always rubbed me the wrong way. It’s from the director of “Swing Vote,” and it was just picked up by Open Road Films for a April release date.
Top of the Water – The wonderful director Jane Campion’s new film is about a private detective investigating disturbances in a small New Zealand town, and it’s her first film at Sundance in over a decade. It’s probably lush and beautiful, but the only problem is, it’s six hours long. Yikes.
You should know that I don’t really consider the year over until all four and half hours of the Oscars have aired, so I have no reason to do a 2013 movie preview just yet. There are more than enough blogs with lists that’ll tell you there’s a new “Star Trek” movie coming out or that there are a half dozen superhero sequels and reboots set to clog up the summer.
Frankly I’m more interested in the movies that absolutely no one’s heard of yet, but suffice it to say there are a few already that have piqued my interest. So these are just the movie guy movies that don’t have established fan bases nor require plot speculation. I can be comprehensive next season.
Inside Llewyn Davis – Coen Brothers (TBD)
If you’ve called yourself a film buff in the last 10 years, how could a new Coen brothers movie not by at the top of your most anticipated list? Their new film is a dramatic foray into the world of 60’s folk rock. Oscar Isaac, who you might recognize as Carey Mulligan’s (also starring here along with Justin Timberlake) husband in “Drive,” plays the title character, a New York based producer modeled off the life of Dave Van Ronk.
“Prisoners” is the first English language film from the French Canadian director Denis Villeneuve, who brought us the excellent Oscar nominated drama “Incendies.” “Prisoners” has an absolutely terrific cast including Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, Viola Davis. The screenplay, however, by the writer of the unfortunate “Contraband” has been on the shelf awhile as it changed casts and directors.
Gravity – Alfonso Cuaron (October 18)
Alfonso Cuaron is supposedly attempting an unbroken take that lasts for 30 minutes in his new sci-fi “Gravity” (who does he think he is, Bela Tarr?) starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. If he pulls it off, it’ll be mighty impressive considering that it’s being shot in 3-D.
To the Wonder – Terrence Malick (April 12)
“To the Wonder” was almost universally hated when it premiered at the Venice Film Festival last year and was pushed back to 2013, and frankly, the trailer was edited in such a way that if you were to make a parody trailer of what a Terrence Malick movie looked and felt like, this would be it. If there’s less buzz surrounding it than Malick’s untitled Austin, Texas music scene movie that apparently stars everyone, that’s because “To the Wonder” is a companion piece to “The Tree of Life,” even going as far as to use some of the same footage. Granted, it could still be a masterpiece.
The Wolf of Wall Street – Martin Scorsese (TBD)
Yes, Scorsese pictures with Leo in them are great and all, and this one about a crooked NY stock broker seems to be more up Marty’s ally than “Hugo” or “Shutter Island,” but the big buzz is that the screenplay comes from “Sopranos” and “Boardwalk Empire” creator Terence Winter. It also stars Jonah Hill (could we soon be saying TWO-TIME Oscar nominee Jonah Hill?) and Matthew McConaughey, who is no doubt on a roll.
Labor Day – Jason Reitman (TBD)
Thankfully not another idiotic incarnation of the “New Years Eve” and “Valentine’s Day” movies, “Labor Day” is Jason Reitman’s first real foray into drama. The screenplay is his own from Joyce Maynard’s novel about a depressed woman (Kate Winslet) who offers a ride to an escaped convict (Josh Brolin).
Side Effects – Steven Soderbergh (February 8)
“In some instances, DEATH may occur,” i.e. the best tagline ever. You know Soderbergh, no one is going to believe that you’re retiring if you keep putting out a movie every six months. “Side Effects” is a romance and thriller surrounding a depressed woman (Rooney Mara) and the doctor (Jude Law) providing her prescription medication. It should make for a good thriller, as Soderbergh is working with the same screenwriter behind “Contagion.”
Before Midnight – Richard Linklater (Sundance first, then TBD)
In “Before Midnight,” Richard Linklater is revisiting Jesse and Celine again another nine years after “Before Sunset,” which of course was the sequel to “Before Sunrise” from 1995. Both Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy are now credited writers in what is sure to be another intelligent and improvised character study.
This is the End – Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (June 14)
I’m always wondering how some comedians today can make an outrageous and even groundbreaking web series or video and yet can continually make boring and cliché Hollywood comedies. Well, my prayers have been answered with “This is the End,” a movie that throws a bunch of celebrities together and lets them play off their own perceived screen personas in a madcap comedy about the end of the world. The Red Band trailer is hysterical.
I’m So Excited – Pedro Almodovar (March in Spain, then hopefully US before long)
It’s been nearly two decades since Pedro Almodovar has made a comedy, and he’s never made one with his two muses, Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas, both together. The trailer features three very gay flight attendants in very flamboyant colors singing the Pointer Sisters, so yes, I’m very excited.
The Place Beyond the Pines – Derek Cianfrance (March 29)
I have to keep telling myself this is not “Blue Valentine” meets “Drive.” It stars Ryan Gosling as a motorcycle stunt driver on the run from a cop (Bradley Cooper) in Derek Cianfrance’s follow-up to his indie darling. Both characters however are strong father figures, and this thriller uses that as a powerful theme throughout.
“The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: His” and “Hers” (TBD)
“The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby” is actually two films, although I’m not sure what either has to do with The Beatles, if anything. One is told from the perspective of the husband in a troubled relationship (James McAvoy) and the other is from the wife’s (Jessica Chastain).
Oldboy – Spike Lee (October 11)
Yes, this is a remake of the IMDB Top 250 darling “Oldboy” by Chan-wook Park, who is ironically also releasing a movie this year, “Stoker.” It stars Samuel L. Jackson, Josh Brolin, “Martha Marcy May Marlene’s” Elizabeth Olsen and “District 9’s” Sharlto Copley.
Captain Phillips – Paul Greengrass (October 11)
I was disappointed with Paul Greengrass’s last film “Green Zone,” so I’m hoping for a return to form in “Captain Phillips.” He’s cast Tom Hanks in the title role as a captain dealing with the first of the Somali pirate hijackings that took place in 2009. The screenplay comes from Billy Ray, director of “Breach” and co-screenwriter of “The Hunger Games.”
“The Monuments Men” – George Clooney (December 20)
“The Monuments Men” will be George Clooney’s fifth film behind the camera. It’s a World War II story about art historians trying to retrieve artwork stolen by the Nazis. It’s rumored to star Daniel Craig, Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, John Goodman and “The Artist’s” Jean Dujardin. Could be Oscar gold.
Ender’s Game – Gavin Hood (December 1)
“Ender’s Game” is one of my favorite childhood books I have no recollection of, a “Hunger Games” esque story in which kids are trained for intergalactic battle by participating in war games. Author Orson Scott Card was for a very long time hesitant to release the rights to the film, fearing that the movie would have to be very different from the book to be successful. Well, supposedly now it is, and he feels confident about the script. “Ender’s Game” is directed by Gavin Hood and stars Asa Butterfield, Abigail Breslin and Harrison Ford.
The World’s End – Edgar Wright (October 25)
Edgar Wright is returning to his collaboration with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost to create the third film in what’s known as “The Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy.” Despite being yet another comedy about the apocalypse this year, these guys are a tried and true pairing.
Sound City – Dave Grohl (February 1)
Foo Fighters front man Dave Grohl, in his quest to be everywhere at once, has now taken up documentary filmmaking with his debut movie “Sound City.” He’s gathered a huge flock of his rock star friends to discuss the joys of recording at a long forgotten studio called Sound City. The film will premiere at Sundance (and Grohl will be on hand with a performance by the newly formed Sound City Players) but will be available for download shortly thereafter.
A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III – Roman Coppola (February 15)
Roman Coppola’s (frequent Wes Anderson collaborator) second film could just be the most bananas comedy of the year, and not just because the movie poster is just one giant banana. Charlie Sheen plays Charles Swan III in this bizarre, surreal comedy starring Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray.
Dead Man Down – Niels Arden Oplev (March 8)
The trailer looked pretty ho-hum, but Niels Arden Oplev gave me the biggest surprise of the year in his Swedish version of “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.” This English language film actually reunites him with Noomi Rapace in a crime thriller about a woman who seduces a mobster to seek revenge.
Movies you might think I’d be more excited for, but no
“The Great Gatsby,” “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” “Oblivion,” “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “Elysium,” “Pacific Rim,” “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For,” “Saving Mr. Banks,” “Oz the Great and Powerful,” “Man of Steel,” “The Wolverine,” “Anchorman: The Legend Continues,” “Iron Man 3,” “Kick-Ass 2,” “Thor: The Dark World,” “The Lone Ranger”
