The Official Review Thread of 2013

anonymous1980
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Re: The Official Review Thread of 2013

Post by anonymous1980 »

STORIES WE TELL
Cast: N/A.
Dir: Sarah Polley.

This is an autobiographical documentary about the family life of Sarah Polley centering around her mother who died of cancer when she was very young. The film mixes interviews with her friends and family and archival footage and re-enactments. One of Sarah's siblings during a talking head interview remarked, "Who the fuck cares about our family?" and I admit for the first act or so of this film, I was feeling the same way but as the film goes and different layers of it was introduced, I was swept up on it. The film introduces some neat twists and turns here and there. But in the end, it's no more than that. I can see why it was snubbed for the Documentary Oscar nomination: It's neither "important" nor is it particularly inspiring. It's a well-crafted personal film essay. No more than that.

Grade: B
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Re: The Official Review Thread of 2013

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THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Kyle Chandler, Jean Dujardin, Matthew McConaughey, Rob Reiner, Jon Bernthal, Jon Favreau, Cristin Milioti, Christine Ebersole, P.J. Byrne, Ethan Suplee.
Dir: Martin Scorsese.

I frankly don't know why people think this film endorses the actions of its characters. I personally don't think it does. It doesn't judge them or try to condemn them in any way shape or form and allows the audience to judge them for themselves. After seeing it, I came away thinking it's a really hilarious very dark comedy featuring some very repulsive, greedy characters. It's like Goodfellas but with less guns, more tits and more laughs. This is probably Martin Scorsese's funniest film, funnier than even After Hours. Leonardo DiCaprio gives one of his career-best performance in this film. He oozes sleazy charm and gives one powerhouse motivational speech after another. I usually don't like Jonah Hill but he proves his worth here and Margot Robbie is a really wonderful (and sizzling hot!!!!!!) find. Overall, I think this is an excellent film. One of the best of the year and a crowning jewel in Martin Scorsese's ouvre

Oscar Prospects: I think Leo has a shot at winning.

Grade: A.

ERNEST & CELESTINE
Cast: Lambert Wilson, Pauline Brunner, Anne-Marie Loop, Patrice Melennec, Brigitte Virtudes, Leonard Louf, Dominique Maurin (voices).
Dirs: Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, Benjamin Renner.

I saw this the same day as The Wolf of Wall Street and I thought this would make for a nice palette cleanser. And it is. It's really a very nice, sweet fable about a world where mice and bears live in seperate worlds where they fear/disgust each other and Ernest, a bear, and Celestine, a mouse, each outsiders of sorts in their own worlds meet and become friends causing all sorts of complications. In a world filled with CGI, it's nice that they're still making wonderful 2D animated films like these. The story is simple yet manages to be funny and poignant. A terrific film.

Oscar Prospects: I wouldn't be mad if this won Best Animated Feature.

Grade: B+
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Re: The Official Review Thread of 2013

Post by Sabin »

dws1982 wrote
It's one of those movies where you really wish they had gone through another draft on their screenplay. A new girl named Jayden comes to the facility, and the screenplay just tries a little too hard to make sure we see how Jayden's trauma lines up perfectly with Grace's history. It leads to a sequence near the end that's fairly ridiculous and feels like it's out of a completely different movie. (It also isn't hard to guess what this hidden trauma is--as soon as it mentioned that Jayden was a cutter, I knew--but I don't really have a problem with that.)
I agree, but I still liked it. I also want to know how much of it is bullshit, i.e. would four people really work at that facility? Isn't that more of a ten person job?

The phrase "small brushstrokes" has been used to describe Nebraska's excellence by Mister Tee (I agree with him). Had Short Term 12 used less a less bludgeoning through line introduced so far into the film and remained more vignette-ish, it might be something truly, truly worth getting excited about. But the minute we start spending time with Jayden and Brie Larson (who is excellent) becomes quasi-vigilanteish, it's hard to take the film seriously. I could not loathe Newsroom and John Gallagher Jr's pseudo-Jim character more, so my goodness what a surprise that he can be so charming. I don't believe he's gotten a single citation for his superlative knucklehead but he deserves something for turning me into a believer of his. I think Damien would love this performance.
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Re: The Official Review Thread of 2013

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BLUE JASMINE
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Sally Hawkins, Alec Baldwin, Bobby Cannavale, Andrew Dice Clay, Louis CK, Peter Sarsgaard, Michael Stuhlbarg, Alden Ehrenreich.
Dir: Woody Allen.

I would not consider this one of Woody Allen's masterpieces. However, it does feature one of the best performances ever in a Woody Allen film. I am of course talking about Cate Blanchett who delivers an award-worthy performance as the title character, a mentally unstable spoiled wife whose husband was a Bernie Madoff-type crook. She's deservedly getting attention but I will also say that equally deserving of praise is Sally Hawkins whose role may not be as showy but she provides a pitch perfect foil for Blanchett's character as her "poor" but bit more together sister.

Oscar Prospects: Cate will probably win Best Actress.

Grade: B+

FRUITVALE STATION
Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Melonie Diaz, Octavia Spencer, Kevin Durand, Chad Michael Murray, Ahna O'Reilly, Ariana Neal.
Dir: Ryan Coogler.

Based on the tragic true story of Oscar Grant III, a young man who was shot during an altercation in a train station early New Year's Day 2009. The film mostly avoids sensationalism and preachiness which can often befall films like these. Instead, it concentrates on telling a story of a imperfect but decent human being going about what will be his final day. The film of course would not work nor have the same impact without the absolutely beautiful performances of Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer (whose work here is far superior to her Oscar-winning work in The Help). I first saw Michael B. Jordan as a standout in the first season of The Wire. It's wonderful to see him grow up to be a fine, fine young actor and one to look forward to seeing more of.

Oscar Prospects: Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer both deserve nominations.

Grade: B+

INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Garrett Hedlund, F. Murray Abraham, Justin Timberlake, Adam Driver, Max Casella, Stark Sands, Ethan Phillips, Robin Bartlett, Jeanine Serralles.
Dirs: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen.

The Coen Brothers, I noticed, have this really fascinating way of presenting the world regardless of genre or their subject matter. Even in their weakest film, there are always elements that I find interesting and funny. This film may not be my absolute favorite from them but it's certainly in the top-tier. The title character Llewyn Davis is a struggling, homeless folk singer who basically has a knack for alienating everyone around him. In other words, a chronic fuck-up. Oscar Isaac is quite excellent. He manages to make you want to go on his journey despite the fact he's a highly unlikeable character. Being, Coen brothers of course, the film is quite funny and features a colorful supporting cast of characters. Beautifully shot and also has a great soundtrack.

Oscar Prospects: This deserves to get in Picture, Actor, Director, Screenplay and Cinematography.

Grade: A-
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Re: The Official Review Thread of 2013

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LONE SURVIVOR
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster, Eric Bana, Ali Suliman, Alexander Ludwig.
Dir: Peter Berg.

Director Peter Berg very nicely bounces back from the disaster that was Battleship with this tight war drama. There is nothing here thematically that we haven't seen before but you still get swept up with the visceral, bone-crunching action. There's a sequence here where you can literally almost feel the pain. You'll know it when you see it. As a bleeding heart anti-war liberal, the film REALLY borders on the RAH RAH RAH 'MURICA! aspect of it which I found a bit problematic. The pre-credits sequence was particularly jarring. But still, it's very well made, very well-acted. It's worth checking out.

Oscar Prospects: I think it's a strong contender for Sound Mixing and Sound Editing honors. It REALLY deserves a Sound Editing nomination.

Grade: B.

47 RONIN
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada, Rinko Kikuchi, Ko Shibasaki, Tadanobu Asano, Min Tanaka, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa.
Dir: Carl Rinsch.

It's not quite as godawful as it's 10% Rotten Tomatoes score suggests. It's not as bad as I thought it would be. But it's pretty close. Now, I love samurai movies. I will say that I'm a fan of samurai movies. This is a samurai movie. But it's not for samurai movie fans. It's a samurai movie for people who have never seen a samurai movie. It's quite dumbed down. There's dialogue quite literally explaining the concept of seppuku that's absolutely laughable. If you've never seen a samurai movie in your life, I think it can be quite entertaining. But if you're like me and you've already seen Seven Samurai, Ran, The Sword of Doom, Samurai Rebellion, 13 Assassins, etc. or even the Japanese version of the 47 Ronin story (which has been filmed a lot in its native Japan), you will find yourself wanting to watch those movies again.

Oscar Prospects: Actually, wouldn't mind a Costume Design nomination for Penny Rose who unbelievably hasn't been nominated.

Grade: C-
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Re: The Official Review Thread of 2013

Post by dws1982 »

Short Term 12

Basically, this is an observational look at life in a short-term foster-care facility. (Although, as the characters who run the facility state, some kids end up in there long-term because they aren't able to be placed.) There's not a real plot; it just follows several of the workers--centered around Grace (Brie Larson) and her boyfriend Mason (John Gallagher Jr.)--and the children over several days. It's one of those movies where you really wish they had gone through another draft on their screenplay. A new girl named Jayden comes to the facility, and the screenplay just tries a little too hard to make sure we see how Jayden's trauma lines up perfectly with Grace's history. It leads to a sequence near the end that's fairly ridiculous and feels like it's out of a completely different movie. (It also isn't hard to guess what this hidden trauma is--as soon as it mentioned that Jayden was a cutter, I knew--but I don't really have a problem with that.)

Overall though, this is a very good movie. The screenplay does excel in creating a believable world within the foster-care facility, and the interactions between the characters (between the kids themselves, between the workers, between the kids and workers) are all very believable. As someone who works in an alternative school, I've seen the way things can blow up quickly and seemingly out of nowhere; I've had to be the teacher who takes students aside away from everyone and calms them down. Performances are all pretty excellent as well. Brie Larson has been nominated for several Best Actress awards (and won a few of the very minor film critics awards), and she's excellent as we see her trying (not always successfully) to channel her experiences into something positive. I feel like John Gallagher Jr. probably deserves more credit than he's gotten. He doesn't have the clear dramatic arc that Larson does, but he's just great. Possibly the best ensemble I've seen all year. Very much worth seeing. It's a very small, modest film, but it's worth looking at, especially if you need a break from the Oscar-bait.
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Re: The Official Review Thread of 2013

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BLACKFISH
Cast: N/A
Dir: Gabriela Cowperthwaite.

I've actually been to SeaWorld twice. Once when I was a young kid of 10 and I remember enjoying it and another when I was 16-17 and remembered being bored and disappointed with it and sensing something was not quite right with it. Well, this film just confirms it. This is a compelling documentary about how those stories of trainers being injured, attacked or killed by captive killer whales are far from isolated incidents or unfortunate accidents. It's quite an eye-opening expose though it falls a bit short of true greatness as a film since it doesn't go deeper than "treating orcas this way is bad!" Still, it's a very good film that must be seen. Boy, what greed and pride can do to people. Jeez.

Oscar Prospects: It will get nominated for Documentary Feature for sure but The Act of Killing deserves it more.

Grade: B+
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Re: The Official Review Thread of 2013

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LEVIATHAN
Cast: N/A.
Dirs: Lucien Castaing-Taylor, Verena Paravel.

I wish I saw this on the big screen but alas, my 32" HD flatscreen will do. This is an extraordinary film. I would best describe this as The Man with a Movie Camera meets The Deadliest Catch and that's a compliment. The film basically chronicles a North American fishing vessel. How they work, their day to day lives as well as the different sea life that surrounds them. Using special cameras mounted all over the boat and I don't know where else, they get these amazing shots which often assault your senses both visually and auditorily. It's beautiful, grotesque (there's a sequence where it feels like a horror film for fish) and oddly exciting. There is no real narrative to speak of or even a statement of any kind. It's an avant-garde experimental documentary that's an exercise is acrobatic shots. I don't know how a casual moviegoer would react to this but cinephiles will more likely be blown away by the sheer audaciousness of this cinematic undertaking.

Oscar Prospects: It SHOULD get Editing and Cinematography but I doubt it.

Grade: A-
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Re: The Official Review Thread of 2013

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Enough Said

I joked around with my buddy that Nicole Holofcener doesn't make movies about rich, white people who figure out their problems. She makes movies about rich, white people who by the end of the movie start to realize they might have a problem. Slight exaggeration. Slight.

It took me a moment to warm to Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Keener stand-in mostly because it took her a moment to create a character in Eva. She always seems to teeter on sitcomishness, but so does Holofcener's script. One senses that Holofcener is gearing up for a breakout hit of some sort which clearly works but her less jokey touch might have been the right approach for this one. I found Please Give to be warm but dull with only a passage point in these characters' lives to latch onto. With Enough Said, Holofcener has found a more engaging premise (a divorced masseuse finds a new friend and a new relationship…in two people who used to be married) and an unexpectedly engaging against-type performance by James Gandolfini. So, it feels almost like a lack of trust in the audience to throw in gags where Gandolfini's penis becomes accidentally visible or talking about boners (these divorced people are quite childish). Had the Nicole Holofcener who made Please Give made this film (and had Catherine Keener taken the Julia Louis-Dreyfus role and vice-versa) I think Holofcener might have ended up with the best film of her career.

For the past four years, James Gandolfini had begun to leave Tony Soprano behind and become the most welcome member of every ensemble that he's in. He was effortlessly integrated into the cast of In the Loop and Zero Dark Thirty. Here, he cuts through the bullshit of every joke Holofcener tosses him to create a complicated man who is a little too old to get put through heartbreak again. He's got a great big heart and a lot of idiosyncratic baggage that in the hands of another actor might end up annoying. You completely understand why women leave him but also why he's such a catch. I believe Italiano posited the question of whether James Gandolfini is honestly that good in the film or if this is sympathy for his death and I believe elsewhere Mister Tee wrote that James Gandolfini is getting praise for a performance that would otherwise deserve but not receive it. I agree.
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Re: The Official Review Thread of 2013

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TO THE WONDER
Cast: Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams, Javier Bardem.
Dir: Terrence Malick.

I don't understand how people who liked/loved The Tree of Life would turn around and bash this film. For me, this film expounds on the themes explored by the previous film by going into another type of love that has yet to be touched upon: the romantic, the passionate, the sexual, etc. The films are basically companion pieces that mirror one another. Whilst The Tree of Life was epic in scope, this one is far more intimate, as it should be because it delves into a far more inward spiritual and philosophical themes. As usual, it is beautifully shot and Terrence Malick again eschews more traditional structured narrative for something more visually poetic like only he can do. It's definitely not for everybody but I have to wonder why some critics are so dismissive of this one. It's not quite as great as The Tree of Life (few things are anyway) but it's still a Malick film and it's still far more interesting than most other people's films.

Oscar Prospects: Maybe Cinematography.

Grade: A-
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Re: The Official Review Thread of 2013

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anonymous1980 wrote:UPSTREAM COLOR
Cast: Amy Seimeitz, Shane Carruth, Andrew Sensenig, Thiago Martins.
Dir: Shane Carruth.

I really wanted to love this film. But I couldn't! First off, I appreciated how different it is and what Shane Carruth is trying to do. I've seen his previous film, Primer (which up until now, I'm still trying to figure out). This is a film that leaves nothing for me to chew on apart from the obvious craft that goes into it. Is it about aliens? Mind control? Psychic connections? Alternate dimensions? Who knows? Now, I love surrealist films. I love non-narrative films. I'm certainly open to both. I've loved films that were surreal and/or non-narrative. This one, I simply couldn't get aboard beyond the appreciating the technical and experimental aspects of it.

Oscar Prospects: None.

Grade: C+
Seen these? Not sure that they'll change your mind but they might give you some stuff to mull over.

http://gothamist.com/2013/04/06/upstrea ... ide_to.php
http://quakeculture.wordpress.com/2013/ ... eam-color/
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/b ... oison.html
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Re: The Official Review Thread of 2013

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UPSTREAM COLOR
Cast: Amy Seimeitz, Shane Carruth, Andrew Sensenig, Thiago Martins.
Dir: Shane Carruth.

I really wanted to love this film. But I couldn't! First off, I appreciated how different it is and what Shane Carruth is trying to do. I've seen his previous film, Primer (which up until now, I'm still trying to figure out). This is a film that leaves nothing for me to chew on apart from the obvious craft that goes into it. Is it about aliens? Mind control? Psychic connections? Alternate dimensions? Who knows? Now, I love surrealist films. I love non-narrative films. I'm certainly open to both. I've loved films that were surreal and/or non-narrative. This one, I simply couldn't get aboard beyond the appreciating the technical and experimental aspects of it.

Oscar Prospects: None.

Grade: C+

THE GRANDMASTER
Cast: Tony Leung, Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen, Zhao Benshan, Wang Qingxiang, Zhang Jin.
Dir: Wong Kar-Wai.

I saw the original 130 minute Hong Kong cut of this film. And I loved it. I haven't seen a good martial arts movie in a while. I love a good martial arts movie. I'm also a Wong Kar-Wai fan but I was a bit wary of this because the only Wong Kar-Wai film I've seen and disliked was a sort of martial arts film, Ashes of Time. I'm glad to say that this is not the case this time. The film is BEAUTIFULLY shot, designed and acted. Plus it has some really, really good martial arts scenes. I haven't seen any of the other Ip Man films (the man whose life story this film was based on) but this is a really, really good one. I have to say Zhang Ziyi gives one of her career-best performances in this one.

Oscar Prospects: The Hong Kong cut absolutely deserves a Best Foreign Language Film nom. The film has a shot in Cinematography, Production Design and Costume Design. But I'd like to see Zhang Ziyi somehow sneak into Supporting Actress.

Grade: A-
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Re: The Official Review Thread of 2013

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FRANCES HA
Cast: Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Michael Esper, Michael Zegen, Adam Driver, Charlotte d'Amboise, Patrick Heusinger, Grace Gummer, Juliet Rylance.
Dir: Noah Baumbach.

This film, I have to say, is a bit of a minor miracle. The title character could have easily have been the most annoying, irritating person on Earth: Immature, clingy, insecure. But thanks to a marvelous script and a wonderful performance by Greta Gerwig, Frances turns into a funny, oddly endearing character you find yourself rooting for despite all her flaws. The film's black & white cinematography makes this film feel like a modern day Manhattan and has the look and feel of a type of film that John Cassavetes or even Francois Truffaut would do if they were still making films to this day. It is one of the best films of the year.

Oscar Prospects: I hope this somehow sneaks in Original Screenplay and Best Actress.

Grade: A.
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Re: The Official Review Thread of 2013

Post by flipp525 »

Johnny Guitar wrote:
anonymous1980 wrote:Oscar Prospects: I'm rooting for James Franco to somehow sneak in Supporting Actor but since he only get prominently featured over 30 minutes into the film, most of the older Academy members will have been turned off by all the jiggling boobs.
I bet a lot of them liked the jiggling boobs immensely, but just wouldn't want to admit it when it came time to cast ballots. :wink:
Cue Big Magilla post about Academy members' wives filling out their ballots.
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Re: The Official Review Thread of 2013

Post by Johnny Guitar »

anonymous1980 wrote:Oscar Prospects: I'm rooting for James Franco to somehow sneak in Supporting Actor but since he only get prominently featured over 30 minutes into the film, most of the older Academy members will have been turned off by all the jiggling boobs.
I bet a lot of them liked the jiggling boobs immensely, but just wouldn't want to admit it when it came time to cast ballots. :wink:
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