Top 10 UK Releases of 2013
It should be noted, as avid a film fan as I am, it is literally impossible to see everything that is released. This list is subject to later additions, but I can only go by what I have seen. If you think I'm missing something, do let me know!
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- DirectorJohn Lee HancockStarsEmma ThompsonTom HanksAnnie Rose BuckleyAuthor P.L. Travers reflects on her childhood after reluctantly meeting with Walt Disney, who seeks to adapt her Mary Poppins books for the big screen.With fantastic performances all round, but specifically from Emma Thompson, who hits every single beat effortlessly, beautiful editing and perfect pace, I must say the majesty of the cinema here is surpising; the film is well-written, paying an honest tribute to an extremely moving backstory without overloading on the sentimentality. The second entry into my Top 10 of the year featuring Mr Hanks; almost certainly my film of 2013!
- 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.Perfectly paced, with a knuckle-chewing level of intensity, which rarely wanes, and with a powerful transformation performance from Tom Hanks, 'Captain Phillips' opts for thrills over commentary, with a dramatisation of events as seen through the eyes of Phillips. Perhaps may have been nice to have explored the globalization issues a little more, but Paul Greengrass still manages to make the pirates more than just "the bad guys", without ever making them sympathetic. The performances from the pirates (first time actors) seem unabashed by Hanks' presence, and in fact the reality that they never met before filming only creates a more palpable sense of fear and confusion. Greengrass also makes the wise choices to never get melodramatic and to never leave the action. Events just keep escalating; from early scenes of pirates boarding the Mearsk Alabama, to final scenes that make the finale of 'Zero Dark Thirty' look amateur, the intensity rarely wanes.
If it wasn't for the trademark voice of a director with whom we are now quite familiar, this could be Ron Howard when he is at his absolute must-see best. 'Captain Phillips' is certainly one of the best films of the year, not to mention pretty much undoubtedly Tom Hanks' best performance since 'The Green Mile'; he reminds us why he is one of the greatest actors alive, which is good, as we do tend to forget it. - 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.
- 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.An astonishing, terrifyingly real thrill-ride and a fantastically impressive feat in film-making, 'Gravity' is a huge step forward for cinema, technically speaking. The camera work and CGI is a fascinating ballet, a perfectly worked construction; Cuaron may as well have actually shot this in space. As far as 3D goes, it is good to see a director actually making it part of the fabric of the film rather than using it as a gimmick or retro-fitting what he has shot; it is almost definitely the best use of the technology I have seen, but it also confirms I am simply not somebody who needs 3D to enjoy such a great piece of work. A phenomenal and genuinely exciting score brings an extra intensity to the drama. A central performance from Bullock brings the deeper theme of the film nicely to the front, and does a lot to distract from the fact that the actual storytelling and character development is left very much second place to the incredible art that's happening in front of your eyes.
For the first time ever, I have truly struggled to decide which of two movies is my preference, and it seems I'm not the only one. 'Captain Phillips' and 'Gravity' are generally acknowledged as equally gripping and flawed; both deal with similar setups and tension-fueled journeys; one at space, one at sea; one fictional, one based on real events, and both are masterfully-handled. After much debate I decided that, perhaps for the first time since I have been making Top Ten lists, the movie I consider better is not actually my preferred one. Usually your acknowledgement of the technical perfection of a film goes a long way to making it your favourite, but this year I feel that despite my admiration for 'Gravity' as a clearly important piece of work, and despite the exhilaration felt whilst watching it, I was ultimately more gripped and moved by 'Captain Phillips'.
This has truly been a tough call and if I could give a joint position, I would, but a decision has to be made. - DirectorJeff NicholsStarsMatthew McConaugheyTye SheridanJacob LoflandTwo young boys encounter a fugitive and form a pact to help him evade the vigilantes that are on his trail and to reunite him with his true love.A couple of missteps and an underused Reese Witherspoon aside, 'Mud' boasts near perfect everything else: cinematography, well-judged use of score, performances and story. With this film, Jeff Nichols follows his fantastic 'Take Shelter' with an engaging, well-balanced story about boys becoming men, fathers and sons, lost innocence, faith in humanity, and the perils and virtues of love. It echoes most obviously the coming of age drama 'Stand By Me', and gives off more than a hint of 'Whistle Down the Wind'. Capturing a slice of Americana so well you can almost smell the air, this is a near masterpiece.
- DirectorDerek CianfranceStarsRyan GoslingBradley CooperEva MendesTwo men and their sons must deal with the unforeseen consequences of their actions.Derek Cianfrance creates something here that isn't just a movie; 'The Place Beyond the Pines' is a near perfect piece of art, and as such, won't be for everybody who thinks they know what they are going to get. The story is one you cannot easily sum up for others, and nor should you; it is one to be experienced for oneself. Everybody is fantastic, all characters so well drawn, a complex idea captured with seeming ease. The experience of this film is much like a great novel; it is poetic and epic. Yes, you feel its length a little, but this may be partly due to how the story plays out. It engages slowly, and then holds you with a surprisingly tight grip.
- DirectorJon S. BairdStarsJames McAvoyJamie BellEddie MarsanA corrupt, junkie cop with bipolar disorder attempts to manipulate his way through a promotion in order to win back his wife and daughter while also fighting his own inner demons.A ballsy adaption of Irvine Welsh's novel, as unpredictable as its central character and charged with the vitriolic energy of the author's writing. A well balanced, well judged juggling act of tones; in lesser hands this would have been a mess! What 'Filth' actually turns out to be is a near masterpiece, whose recognition as such is only made less likely by the inevitable comparison with 'Trainspotting'. Not always a pleasant watch, by turns dark, comical and moving, sometimes all at once, and featuring a career-best from James McEvoy (really...really good), 'Filth' is the film we would hail as a grenade of British cinema if Danny Boyle hadn't got there first.
- DirectorRich MooreStarsJohn C. ReillyJack McBrayerJane LynchA video game villain wants to be a hero and sets out to fulfill his dream, but his quest brings havoc to the whole arcade where he lives.Rich Moore arrived as the director with an impressive set of credentials in TV; being attached to, among other things, The Simpsons and Futurama is no bad starting point. Whilst it can be said it does not quite reach the heights of the Pixar classics, Moore has created a film that is charming, creative, moving, and a joy from which all ages can get pleasure. As I walked out of the auditorium with the perfectly suited, up-beat, closing credit song by Own City buzzing through my head, I was already thinking Wreck-It Ralph is absolutely going to be one of the best releases of 2013! I stand by this.
- DirectorPascal LaugierStarsJessica BielJodelle FerlandWilliam B. DavisWhen her child goes missing, a mother looks to unravel the legend of the Tall Man, an entity who allegedly abducts children.Pascal Laugier is a film maker to watch out for. He has a lack of concern for adhering to genre convention, the balls to toy with and defy our expectations, relishing the points where he pulls the rug from under us. The result of this is a storyteller with a well-honed ability to surprise the audience in ways that feel fresh, without being dishonest. The surprise may not be what some of the audience actually want or expect, which I genuinely believe accounts for such low ratings elsewhere, but this, for me, is what makes him such an exciting writer/director. 'The Tall Man', his first English language work, proves, like his previous effort, to be bold, provocative, full of incendiary philosophy, without compromise, well crafted, and if you are on board with it, even moving. It is a film that haunts and leaves you thinking. He has perhaps not found perfection yet, but he is certainly on his way to it.
- DirectorTravis FineStarsAlan CummingGarret DillahuntIsaac LeyvaIn the 1970s, a gay couple fights a biased legal system to keep custody of the abandoned mentally handicapped teenager that comes to live under their roof.