Films of 2013 Round-up

And to thee, world, I dump all the films I had little to say about and lumped together in one long post.

Don Jon

My main reaction to this film was a simple raise of the eyebrows and 'Hey good for you.' This sentiment pretty much sums up my feelings towards this film. Joseph Gordon-Levitt's first feature film with writer/director credits, it's about a 20-something year old guy, popular with the ladies, addicted to pornography, gets to have (cinema) sex with Scarlett Johansson and Julianne Moore, two of my personal favourite ladies in Hollywood and stunningly attractive ones at that, he's a smart cookie that boy... Unfortunately the film doesn't quite hang much purpose around the whole, sex with the amazing women bit. It tries, and it's kind of sweet in a way, watching a caricature of a man-child with no real responsibilities or pain in his life, grappling with the difficulties of seeing women as human connections rather than disposable sex-toys which lose their appeal compared to the simulated pornographic videos he prefers. I realise that many men's views of women are severely warped by pornography, and there are people in this world which are actually that shallow... But as a character Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Jon is just plain boring. He likes his routine, his way of things, never considers looking outside because routine is just too comforting and hey, when life is that easy! Scarlett Johansson never really excels beyond, beautiful woman with a beautiful woman view of the world, similarly a way that society has warped women into believing that being beautiful will get you everything you'd ever need or want in life or from people and therefore making allowances for people never seemed viable when someone else would be more than willing to applaud her beauty and give her anything she wants. I really wanted something more for her, for there to be a shred of depth, but it was just an odious uninteresting character. Julianne Moore was amazing but then again she always is, and although it's usually the characters who are older, wiser, experienced more pain, which are interesting and therefore have more to work with, she was still an wonderfully acted caricature... So as I sat and picked holes in the story-telling, predominantly the characters... I still found myself vaguely impressed by the end. Some stylistic flourishes were eye-raisingly good, the pace was swift and the cameos were pleasant enough, plus I just can't get enough of JGL's handsome features especially when he finally starts to almost register emotions... But yeah, it was a good effort for first time and I was vaguely pleased for Jon at the end of it all so it's not quite a shrug... I'll tilt my head and smile fondly at the memories I might retain, but that aside it won't be staying with me much longer than a night's sleep I reckon...

Filth

I couldn't praise this film enough if I actually had the energy to do so. As it stands, I have Irvine Welsh's original novel - Filth, on my bookcase but never enough time to actually read it, the first three pages made me feel slightly nauseous and disturbed, but I'll assume that's what the book intends to do, inflict it's awful character onto the world. My basic understanding was that the book was narrated by it's main character Bruce, and also by the tapeworm existing within Bruce, the irony being that the tapeworm was more sympathetic than Bruce himself. The film delightfully touches on the existence of the tapeworm with some demented interludes from Jim Broadbent but for the most part creates a truly loathsome terrible character for James McAvoy to play. I've been wondering if Mr Beautiful Blue Eyes could play a truly awful character, it's been an ongoing wonder as he stars next Michael Fassbender who could play sinister without breaking a sweat, he tried in Trance to play a complex/unlike-able/unreliable lead but it didn't seem to work very well as all the effort placed into making him seem like the innocent undid the plot twist of him being darker in the end. Filth is an amazing film in the fact that it takes time and care into perfectly de-constructing Bruce and his awful behaviour and James McAvoy keeps up with every step; it's effectively done and as he unravels McAvoy's acting improves wondrously. The entire film is swimming in pitch black humour and insane mind boggling visuals to boot, there are sequences from Bruce's wife which we can safely assume are his imagined perfect version of his wife and not the reality of the situation which in the end come to light with a truly well executed plot twist. It's a damn good film and worthy of recognition, especially if anyone is going to be lobbing awards in McAvoy's direction they would be fully deserved, it was one of the best performances I've seen in a long time. As it stands though, aside from receiving The British Independent Film Award for Best Actor, McAvoy has received no further nominations or accolades for his star turn; it's a travesty! One of my favourite films of last year by a long distance.

The Hunger Games - Catching Fire

I re-read my initial review for the first Hunger Games film and my main issues with the film were, the lack of blood and convincing violence and the lack of big flying helicopters scooping up the fallen tributes from the arena. This film vastly improved on the previous by addressing my main two issues directly, sure the scooping up bit wasn't how I imagined it and was to aid a powerful moment near the end, but it was there! As a whole the second film vastly improves in all aspects on what the first film set up. It creates more coherent characters to root for with the inclusion of previous tributes being put forward for the 75th Hunger Games to put Katniss back in the arena. I've read the books, the twists and turns were of little surprise but the execution worked better. Although it was damn long it still worked for the most part and included all the essential moments. As a plus it also seemed that Katniss had more to work with this time round, I felt Jennifer Lawrence settle into the role with more ease and her work was superior because the script gave her more to do and express with her beautiful face... So all I can really say is, it's a vast improvement. I don't think Mockingjay is going to be any good though so this, I predict, will be the high watermark for the series.

The Counsellor

Loathed by most, I was entranced by this one, mostly because Cameron Diaz was something else in this... I admire a film where the women have more agency than the men, not because it's supposed to invert our expectations, but because as in this case, no other character could simply come out on top, they are all just too out of their depth and ignorant. Cameron Diaz's character doesn't succeed because she's a woman and that'll be a surprise for the audience (ho-ho-ho woman is bad, who'd have thought) but because she plays the game the best, also she is psychotic on many levels... But it works. For those this film does not work for would include Javier Bardem (has a good time and most likeable but such a silly character) Michael Fassbender (out of his depth and playing an essentially straight man, much my to chagrin, I want him to be complex but this guy is just so straight forward and dull) Penelope Cruz (after all my praise for Diaz, poor Penelope is treated abominably in this film, two main women characters, one is amazing, the other, completely disposable, shocking...) Brad Pitt (he just turns up with his scruffy hair and a cowboy hat and doesn't do much else...) Dean Norris (essentially being Hank Schrader in a movie, doing exactly what I love to see him do and nothing more) and Goran Visnjic (I just love him since ER... He doesn't do anything...) The film's structure was almost inscrutable at various points at it jumped about without any intention of giving the viewer a vague understanding of who was what, why this was happening, when it was taking place and how such people knew each other, it just simply sped along expecting you to keep up, god help you if you weren't sure or simply didn't care. It moved along at a decent pace and then would stop for long scenes in which there was a monologue which felt completely detached and bizarre... Most people chose to despise this film for it's dense impenetrable manner, I liked it for it's audacity.

Kill Your Darlings

Harry Potter plays Allen Ginsberg and in turn manages to look more like Harry Potter when he's playing Allen Ginsberg. Got it? Well, Daniel Radcliffe stars as Allen Ginsberg in what is a biopic taking place in Ginsberg's formative years at college. There he meets one of my latest favourite people Dane Dehaan (Chronicle, Place Beyond the Pines, the new Harry Osborne in the upcoming Amazing Spiderman 2) then the whole film essentially falls apart. People have called Radcliffe's performance 'generous' which is a nice way of saying, he playing a reserved uncertain subtle character, and Dehaan is playing a larger than life (far more interesting) charismatic chap, put them in a scene together and Dehaan essentially subsumes all. I've not genuinely been so excited about an actor like this in... I can't even specify how long... Point being, the billing might have you assume this is Radcliffe's film, stepping out of the shadows of Harry Potter and forging a grown-up real adult acting career, and for the most part he is pretty damn good in this film, in fact I would say his performance was more than 'generous'; plus he's doing far better than his core associates (Ron and Hermione I'm looking at you!) But Dehaan is simply astounding, I love him. The film? It's serviceable, interesting enough, some fun scenes, others completely ruined by anachronistic music choices. Actually my main complaint about the film was the use of TV on the Radio and Bloc Party in otherwise interesting/exciting sequences, it completely takes me out of the moment and more than anything was irritating. It's a film about youth and experimentation and Ginsberg's burgeoning exploration of his sexuality, and the issues with obsession and generally pushing the boundaries of the norm, breaking rules, youthful exuberance all that jazz. Hence I can understand the music choices, it's a youthful experimental film, but it's also pretty straight forward and... standard. I adore Dane Dehaan though.

The Hobbit - The Desolation of Smaug

Main complaints about The Hobbit? Stretching out a short novel to three epic films, how Hollywood, how pointless, how irksome. Well, in some ways I appreciate Peter Jackson's ambitious attempt to stretch out and colour in Tolkein's universe and create a world and history that incorporates not just The Hobbit but parts of The Silmarillion and to create a more comprehensive look into Tolkein's world. Apart from those somewhat lofty ambitions, Jackson has decided to expand the story and colour in the characters of the dwarves and elves adding more than just Tolkein's inclusions but his own additions; this includes a love story between a dwarf (Kili played by the ebullient Aidan Turner) and an added female elf (Tauriel played by the gorgeous Evageline Lily.) Is this necessary? Nope... But it's kinda pleasant... Which how I generally feel about this series, it's pleasant, it doesn't demand much thought, it's exciting, the cast is incredibly likeable and it has enough interesting set pieces to keep things entertaining rather than boring. My only issue with this instalment is the fact that it really did feel like we were spinning wheels, the added scenes stuck out more and there were scenes lifted from the book which didn't seem to match the rest of the story-telling but had to be included because obviously they are in the book rather than they move the story along or make any sense... On the plus side, there's the dragon! Benedict Cumberbatch gradually taking over the world with his sonorous tones, he fits perfectly with the dragon and the introduction was incredible, but unfortunately attacking a dragon living in a mountain of gold with molten gold was a rubbish attempt by any standards, silly film. Still it was enjoyable and worth the cinema ticket for being a welcome distraction to a humdrum existence.

Frozen

I'll say it now, better than Tangled, better than any animated film I've seen in forever. The songs are amazing (Idina Menzel should have all the awards...) the graphics and details are astounding, the story is immersing and has logical steps and decent twists and real depth and emotion and the humour is just on the right side of warm and sharp rather than overly dependent on snark. It was a genuinely touching film with typical Disney princesses but most importantly it's their sisterly bond/relationship which is the core of the film and the most important aspect of the story. Rather than the women finding men to complete them and save them, it's the girl's relationship with each other which saves the day! Disney needs more films like this! But I digress, it's a delightful beautifully scripted and designed film, not one second was wasted and everything from the comedy mascot, to the trusty steed, to handsome suitor, all have their moments which make them interesting and fun and likeable! I adored this film.

The Hunt

This was recommended to my solely for the performance of a particular Mads Mikkelsen, on the strength of that alone this is an excellent film (he is mesmerising and wholly sympathetic and has a brief but thoroughly enjoyable sex scene) but it has so much more going on. It's a Danish film (subtitles for those who don't like concentrating) which has been nominated for this years Best Foreign Film Academy Award, it's pretty close in the running at the minute. Mikkelsen is a kindergarten teacher who enjoys playing with the kids and being an all around nice friendly affable chap, seriously a stand up guy, shame about the divorce and the wife taking the kid, the kid who really wants to actually live with his dad. Unfortunately a small blonde girl seems to become attached to our Mads (who wouldn't though?) and falls a little bit in love with him going as far as giving him a big ole kiss on the mouth and a love note, he rejects her kindly and does his best to be gentle with her but hurting her feelings. As it is her nasty brother showed her a picture of an erect penis before and she's vaguely aware of what this but not what it means, she then in her rejected state insinuates Mads showed her his erect penis; the head teacher (I'm assuming of the Kindergarten or the equivalent thereof...) takes the allegation radically seriously under the erroneous belief that children do not lie. She has a scary police man with a pleasant manner interrogate the girl into a position where she's too ashamed to admit it was a lie as she knows it's a big deal, and the girl basically agrees to all his assumptions. The parents wouldn't dare to believe their precious child would lie about something so horrific, the brother never once assumes he's at fault for exposing her to the image because no one has an explicit or honest conversation about the events and even when the child tries lamely to admit her lie it's too far to accept the truth. She's an innocent child so then it must be someone else's fault, be it her family for not taking better care of her, the school for not following the correct procedure (which they most certainly did not, raising hysteria, blindly believing a child without investigating the facts) Mads himself for being too affectionate to a lonely child (although I feel his whole personality/behaviour is charming and lovely and ruined by the accusations...) or the whole town for immediately jumping to the worst conclusions about someone who is essentially a stranger... The film never places blame or judgement, it simply runs the events through in a horrifyingly natural realistic manner and as things escalate it never feels like it's playing it for shocks, it feels achingly human for people to blithely follow everyone else especially when there's a presumed moral high ground. It's a frustrating, upsetting, painfully sad film but it paints a realistic unexplored picture of humanity, people don't like to see a mirror held up to their failings (for example most of the people in the film) it's hard to see unfold but it feels important... It's a reflection we should all observe, the anger and hatred that people spawn is unavoidable in this life and it's important just to see and feel the pain of how it can destroy someone from a vantage point, if only so we can avoid making the same mistakes. This film is not only haunting (I can't get it out of my head) but necessary.

American Hustle

After getting up to the leave the cinema I heard several people declare this was 'the fucking worst film they've ever seen.' An incredibly harsh criticism. Sure everyone hates David O Russell, it's a general known fact that his attitude stinks and he rubs up his actors the wrong way, Lily Tomlin essentially screamed at him in the back of a car whilst filming I Heart Huckabees (I loathe that film passionately...) and apparently he even ruffled the feathers of the unflappable Mr Clooney; most recently his statement about Jennifer Lawrence being signed up for '12 years of slavery' whilst involved in the Hunger Games Trilogy (Quadrology?) because actresses who are paid millions of pounds to star in films and are dressed and trotted out around the world making inane conversation with people and smiling lots is exactly the same as slavery according to David O Russell, the man is an utter idiot. Everyone hates David O Russell! Well, apart from the Academy? What? The people in the cinema probably didn't give a stuff about the director? Probably didn't know his name? Well... You're probably right random voice in my head... But since I Heart Huckabees he has been making much better films, in fact The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle have all been pretty damn decent films and because he's David O Russell he has somewhat strong armed the Academy's affection and garnered heaps of critical praise. Now American Hustle and Silver Linings Playbook were for me personally were both immensely enjoyable films, I actually really enjoyed as I peeled them away after my pleasant time spent watching them. The thing about American Hustle is that it's not a particularly deep/emotional film, it's just an enjoyable piece of fluff masquerading as something more, distinctly disposable! So, I enjoyed watching Jennifer Lawrence behaving ridiculously as a malicious ignorant housewife, I adored Jeremy Renner's wig, Christian Bale was simply incredible, Amy Adams... Boobs... Bradley Cooper, ridiculous perm... It was the 60s, if anything the costume design was incredible and the soundtrack was sing-along style awesome. It was all a bit of fun, stupid pointless fun, just rational enough to follow, complex enough to keep you guessing but silly enough to be humorous. I enjoyed it! But I wouldn't say it was the best film of the year by any stretch of the imagination.

Inside Llewyn Davis

I have tried on multiple occasions to write a blog that describes the most recent slew of films I've seen but for the most part it's been an unmitigated disaster, I will make that list soon, but it'll be terrible and uninspired. Anyways, speaking of failures, I went to see a film which provoked a strong emotional reaction, so I was inspired to write this blog.

The fact that Inside Llewyn Davis perfectly depicts the malaise of creativity and success is most likely a coincidence, but it brought me here so for that I am glad. For every success story in the world, there are thousands of people who simply didn't make it. The pain of this reality is not one often explored in cinema, there are always elements of how success causes more trouble than good, how the inevitable decline and pains of this are well documented within cinema but it's not oft we see the struggles of someone who is adequately talented but doomed to insignificance due to his own misfortune and failings. It seems to be a typical Coen Brothers film in which nihilism is rampant and hope and retribution are fleeting, if impossible. It sounds typical but there's a softer edge to this film, the comedy is more restrained (aside from a toe-tappingly catchy folk song with awkward yelping inclusions) and it's clear there's a fatigue and melancholy that runs throughout the film which is achingly affecting. It's probably worth pointing out now, I adored this film.

It may seem youthful and naive to say this but I am of the erroneous belief that there is a distinct beauty that can be found in sorrow. This film is so sad! There are moments of levity and beauty (for all it's grey wintery palette the film is beautifully shot thanks to the cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel - of Amelie fame) but for the most part this is a typically Coen film with a protagonist who is increasingly out of his depth and entrapped in helpless crappy situations. Also it's worth pointing out that although there a bunch of old folk songs used in this film, 'never new and never get old', the soundtrack is truly worth noting as wonderful (big Bob Dylan fan I am though...) and I'll definitely be listening to it lots more. It creates a melancholy bitter sweet sensation which is beautiful in my mind.

There are so many aspects of this film which enamoured me to it, from the misadventures of Llewyn trying to retain and return his friends cat which has a habit of fleeing for freedom, the sight of Carey Mulligan in a dark wig bellowing expletives, Justin Timberlake being affable and singing a jaunty folk song (I can't express how good that scene was...), the awkward reality of Llewyn's lack of fixed abode as he hops from couch to couch in the cold winter without the benefit of a suitable coat, John Goodman chewing the scenery in the back seat of a car whilst napping most of his screen time, Garrett Hedlund looking might fine and saying practically nothing chomping on cigarettes and wearing a leather jacket with a quiff and grim expression, or the understated yet incredibly affecting performance of Oscar Isaac.

I read some complaints about the fact that the film wasn't a particularly realistic or interesting interpretation of the folk-singer scene in the Greenwich Village in the early 60s and that for the most part Llewyn Davis is essentially a less charismatic feckless version of Dave Van Ronk. To these complaints I simply say that this was not what the story was about it. It felt more like the struggles of a man who was suffering deeply trying to maintain his artistic integrity and be more than anything and struggling with the pains of life in a very personal manner. If so I would argue that I doubt every woman in that era was capable of applying their eyeliner in perfect flicks above their eyes and didn't all have the same make-up artist but that would what took me personally out of the film if anything - pure envy on my part because I can not apply eyeliner like that and it became somewhat distracting...

My point being, the film's intention is to place you in a different time and place, not an exact representation of that world, it's simply just showing us a distinct world which feels like reality but is distinctly separate. It may feel like the Coens are simply playing one big cosmic joke on Llewyn Davis giving him the hardest possible time they can concoct but in that regard I felt the film made an honest attempt to depict a man in an endless (almost authentic) spiral of misfortune and depression. Llewyn Davis, although somewhat hard to understand, is a painfully real person, at least in my mind. My favourite kind of films are ones that gradually unfurl around you providing you with all the information you need to gain insight into the character's lives without explicitly having them tell you how they feel, or why are they doing something. Love means never having to explain yourself, and I love a good movie that doesn't feel the need to explain itself, it's simply there to be observed and admired. Inside Llewyn Davis doesn't demand you sympathise or even understand it's protagonist, it just gives you a window into his world.

There are several moments that made me really feel for the guy, but then throughout the film it's made equally impossible to sympathise or understand why he makes certain decisions. He consistently makes short-sighted impulsive decisions which are infuriating but also saddening. The main decision being he didn't accept royalties for recording the record 'Please Mr Kennedy' because he was in desperate need of the $200 cash that day to continue his survival, but it's made abundantly clear (because the song is so catchy and pretty much a guaranteed hit) if he'd waited a couple of days he could have lived happily off the much larger income. The fact he doesn't have a winter coat is another one! That he told his sister to chuck out all of his old stuff without specifying that which he might need later. Signing back up for the marines without knowing for sure if he had the paperwork. Sleeping with his friends girl is another. When asked to sing a song from Inside Llewyn Davis he chooses an old folk song about Henry VIII and Queen Jane, he sings it beautifully but why didn't he sing a song that was more personal? Why didn't he show his own song? Why didn't he give something of himself, something deeper, something unique to him? It felt like he was squandering the opportunity, especially when the man tells him the army guy was more personable.

Then there is the end sequence, Jean tells him a previous scene she got the spot for him and there'll be some people from the Times there, it could be his big break. He (from as far as I can tell) sings his damn heart out and it's amazing, he then leaves the stage and a young Bob Dylan takes his place and sings a song with distinctly similar lyrics. Well, it was just never meant to be for him, was it? I think my heart broke at that moment because of course, as Llewyn ends the film beaten and crumpled in a heap, it's simply never going to happen for him; that's just how life is sometimes... It's painful and it's sad but from my angle it's unmistakeably beautiful.