Top 10 films of 2013

After 2012's cinematic year of artistic breakthrough as well as blockbuster appeal, 2013 looked to do the same with films of a similar calibre. Although 2013 certainly delivered some greats it also delivered a large handful of disappointments, disappointments which make the year a rather mediocre one. None the less there were plenty of good releases and more than enough to create a top 10 list of the year.

Being in the UK a large majority of probable Oscar contenders won't be on the list as well as a couple of other films that were not available at the point of writing this list.

Those missed films being:

-Filth                    -About time

-Before Midnight  -The great beauty

-The selfish giant   -Behind the candelabra

Being a relatively competitive year there were a few too many films that didn't make the list but are honourable enough to mention.

Cloud Atlas- An exhilarating journey on mammoth proportions, Cloud atlas is one of the most expansive and elaborately told stories this year, neither of which takes away from its sheer beauty.

Insidious: Chapter 2- Somehow bettering the breakout original, the sequel brought some much needed realism that truly gets under the skin. The intelligent scares help to oversee the films average narrative.

The Worlds end- Edgar Wrights final film in the unofficially titled 'Cornetto Trilogy' finishes the series with a bang with excellent and creative action scenes with on-screen performances which burst energy and evident chemistry.

On to the top 10...

10. The Conjuring

Slowly but surely transforming the horror genre, director James Wan gives us his best film yet and perhaps the best big budget horror films in recent years. Following a typical family and their move into a new home, the conjuring’s biggest success is disguised as its weakness, with the narrative being quite clichéd and predictable the film more than makes up for this by concentrating far more on its aesthetics and ,more importantly, its scares. Blending various horror genres with intelligence and flair The Conjuring reverts back to old horror classics with subtle scares and a disturbing narrative as opposed to grandiose and unnecessary CGI set pieces.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/the-conjuring.html

9. Mud

Now recognised as the 'mcconissance', actor Matthew McConaughey has more than turned his career around, going from a sub-par rom-com actor into a more respectable thespian with acting talent to rival the best actors in the business. Mud showed this at its clearest with his central performance driving the film forward with very impressive supporting performances from the two boys in the film, Jacob Lofland and Tye Sheridan. Following many narrative themes, Mud accurately depicts each one juggling both an obvious story of friendship and adventure whilst carrying a back story of love in the background. Riveting from start to finish, Mud is one of the best dramas of the year.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/mud.html

8. Captain Phillips

Likely to receive a generous haul of awards come awards season Captain Phillips shows the excellent portrayal of the hijacking of the first American cargo ship in 200 years. Dramatizing the story a little for obvious effects, the plot still remains hugely realistic as it builds the tension to a sufficient level, waiting until we've become comfortable within the protagonist and his crew before springing us the terrifying dilemma of ruthless Somali pirates. Although many are praising Tom Hanks for his performance here, and no doubt he is fantastic, there is a better performance by main villain Barkhad Abdi, who acted with such dominance that he truly felt in charge of not only the ship but also the film, responsible for swinging it in the directions which it did. Often poking at themes which are unexpected, considering the films narrative, Captain Phillips does a good job in presenting an open opinion to the situation allowing the audience to make up its own mind on the events.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/captain-phillips.html

7. In The House

Much like many cinematic success' In the house was simply impossible to tear away from with a plot so ashamedly enticing it made you feel a little embarrassed to eagerly await the next scene. Surroundi

ng the story of a boy’s voyeuristic writing and his teacher’s incapability to stop reading, the film plays out much like a book that you can’t put down treating you to a new segment every 10 minutes or so as you, as well as the films protagonist, keeps guessing its conclusion and next chapter. This certainly proves to be the films biggest asset with its tone being pitch perfect, halfway between twisted and oddly loveable it never veers into one category, always keeping you guessing until the dying shot which ties up the film perfectly, as every great story should- keeping you guessing. With fantastic central performances, most notably from the boy, Ernst Umhauer, in the house proves to be riveting throughout with excellent cinematography helping to do so.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/in-house-in-nutshell.html

6. Robot And Frank

An early contender for film of the year, Robot and Frank has done a great job in holding its ground with a simple story with enough heart and grace to subtlety seduce its audience. Constantly flowing and upbeat Robot and Frank almost unknowingly jumps on the 'near future' bandwagon but refreshingly provides a new view, the view that nothing will change. Proving that Sci-Fi’s can be thrilling with the absence of ray-guns and gargantuan aircrafts, this is a film which finally portrayals a realistic view of the future from the perspective of a slightly bitter, yet extremely loveable, old man whose given a basic robot to help him round the house. Together they bond a friendship which never shows to be cheesy or drawn out as we follow Frank, played marvellously by Frank Langella, through a looking glass as he carries out his day to day tasks, and it truly does feel as though we are observing a man’s life with the characterisation of Frank being so realistic. Robot and Frank is a hidden gem which will catch audiences by surprise with its witty nature and intriguing undertones.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/robot-and-frank.html

5. Prisoners

Oddly overlooked despite its critical success, Prisoners follows the story of two girls who go missing from their homes as we witness their families' breakdown and attempt at separation from the events. With a mysterious and intriguing  narrative to drive the film along, Prisoners is ne

ver boring as, alike real life cases, new evidence is found frequently, and as we get to know the families of the children, we share in their emotional devastation and desperation, hanging on to whatever evidence we can to keep the victims alive. With a sub-plot which initially shows to be a little unnecessary, Prisoners more than makes up for this by using this plot more and more and to a more enticing degree as t throws in 'red herrings' into the investigation whilst also adding in depth and complexity. Being certainly worthy of recognition in the coming awards ceremonies be it in acting or screenplay, Prisoners is a fantastic drama with a riveting story, led by gripping performances. Prisoners is all in all a very neat and enjoyable watch.

4. The Kings Of Summer

Opening up to a small release, The Kings of summer is more than worthy of wide recognition with a strong coming of age story to rival the greats of the genre. Fulfilling perhaps every young boys dream, The Kings of summer follows a group of three good friends as they escape the repression of their parents to build a house in the wild. Although comedy is not the films central genre this doesn't stop the film from being one of the funniest films of the year with sporadic humour which consistently arrives at the perfect points, either to further engage within the characters or to lighten up a scene of seriousness. With a handful of other coming of age releases this year, The Kings of summer stands head and shoulders over the rest being far and away the most realistic when tacking the themes of love and escapism as well as in the portrayal of a confused young boy, conflicted between his desires and the expectations of those around him. Never boring and consistently charming, this film is pure joy to watch.

Full review-http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/the-kings-of-summer.html

3. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Certainly a surprise placing it so high on the list, the sequel to the much loved predecessor is simply a perfect example of how sequels should be done, presenting a narrative which is a

natural step-up but which remains hugely thrilling. After both Katnisses and Peetas controversial victory in the games, the sequel follows their tour around the districts as they put on a smiling face in the eyes of the intimidating dictatorship and 'celebrate' their win. In terms of blockbuster releases this film goes the extra mile to distance itself from its brainless summer competitors presenting a sadistic central plot of greed and the indulgence of power, exploring these themes effortlessly but with enough concentration to leave you pondering every inch of the world as the film ends. Unlike its predecessor the Hunger Game's Catching fire prefers to thrive outside of the games, instead presenting a world so full of wonder and eccentric feeling that it’s frustrating to move away from. That said however the film in no way loses intensity as it enters into the games, games which prove to be far more creative than the first films with an more interesting set pieces as well as the absence of unnecessary 'shaky-cam'.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/the-hunger-gamescatching-fire.html

2. Gravity

Praised as a 'huge cinematic achievement' Gravity is one of those rare films that truly lives up to its humongous hype, with only the films performances not living up to expectations. With an exterior plot of meaninglessness, it’s only until you see the film and happily flock in its beauty and narrative depth that you see its true success. With visuals that undoubtedly better ANY other cinematic release, Gravity is a film which is very difficult to forget about due to the emotional ride that you endure whilst watching the film. Due to the visuals, the film is hugely realistic and terrifying as you literally feel like you're floating through space; this is only aided by the minimalistic yet undoubtedly stupendous soundtrack which aids in the portrayal of the mysterious nature of the universe whilst helping to amplify its beauty. Gripping you to the edge of your seat, Gravity will leave you agonisingly close to breaking point, despairing in the characters losses and rejoicing in their successes.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/gravity.html

1. Prince Avalanche

Far and away the best film of 2013, Prince Avalanche has been all but forgotten about in the fog of Oscar contenders and blockbuster drivel but has lost no amount of quality and charm. Following the story of two road workers as they bask in the wilderness of their job and reminisce about the woman they've left behind, Prince Avalanches' minimalistic narrative is unashamedly lovable and enticing as we follow two characters that are explored in great depth. Using just two le

ad characters works hugely in the films favour being a character study of two lonely men and the solitude of their situation only allows this characterisation and chemistry to flow throughout each scene, making each one a joy to experience. This is what Prince Avalanche ultimately proves to be, an experience, in a film where every feature is spot on and contributes a great deal to the story. The films cinematography is amazing using the surrounding woods and wildlife to enhance the feeling of isolationism, contrasting with this is the equally fantastic score which gives a sense of wondrous scope to each scene and never fails to paint a smile on your face. Add this to the perfect chemistry of the two protagonists who effortlessly bounce subtle humour off of each other and you get Prince Avalanche a human story of two effortlessly likeable men, played with such enthusiasm and wholesomeness by the fantastic Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch.

Full review- http://wfilmr.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/prince-avalanche.html

Calum Russell

In the house- In a nutshell

Bored and frustrated with the lackluster performance of his English literature class, teacher Germain  

(Fabrice Luchini) sees potential in the voyeuristic writing of Claude (Ernst Umhauer) a young boy obsessed with a friend's family.

With a simple story that doesn't take much to tell, it is certainly an achievement to say that In the house is truly riveting throughout never letting up for comic relief or unnecessary sub-plots. Very much driving towards the films conclusion, the film plays out as if the audience is reading an engaging novel, very much relating to the themes of the film with the adult protagonist following suit being apprehensive in approach to the writing but elated whilst reading. Considering the films darker themes we also, as spectators feel ashamed at being so encapsulated within a story of such voyeurism. Much of this engrossment within the film comes from the acting performances, most notably from young actor Ernst Umhauer who plays the teenage boy with such sufficient menace and depth that his rather unrealistic character becomes believable and captivating as we attempt to deconstruct his complex behaviour; as he does with the characters he writes about. Using intelligent narrative and cinematic techniques to further increase the tempo of the story, the films cinematography is truly stunning carrying a bold sense of self-importance that only further involves the audience within its brilliant tale.

Despite being a little unrealistic and contrived, In the house proves to be a truly gripping piece of filmmaking giving a thought provoking explanation into the thrills of voyeuristic reading through the use of rich, meaningful characters. 

8.5/10- Dark, disturbing and undeniably involving. 

Calum Russell

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

With the best of luck a comedy sequel of recent release will glide past cinemas with little critical damage and the respect of its die-hard fan base still intact, however, with recent examples such as ‘the Hangover’ showing, sometimes they don’t fare so well. With the sequel to 2004’s hit comedy, and now cult classic, Anchorman, many were concerned that it would be a similar cash grab but with the whole cast and crew returning the result is a very different story; with consistent wit and intelligence throughout

Anchorman 2: The legend continues, is one of the biggest surprises of the year.

Alike the first film Anchorman 2 has little to boast about in the plot department with the story merely acting as a thin springboard on which to create the comedic moments. After conquering San-Diego Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) travels with his news team to New York to take 24 hour news by storm. Perhaps being the most significant issue of the film, the plot never really goes anywhere, for the majority of the time feeling much like a television sketch show with irrelevant joke after another. This is never really a major issue however as the joy of seeing the cohesive characters once more is enough to keep you entertained for potentially hours. Will Ferrell, most poignantly, reminds audiences of his absolute dominative screen presence and comedic timing, which has failed to deteriorate over the years. The same can be said for his fellow actors and news team in the film, consisting of Paul Rudd, Steve Carell and David Koechner, who each reprise their roles from the original film with enthusiasm and wit. Never truly pandering towards one type of comedy, Anchorman 2 instead dips its toes into various forms, doing so very effectively with the puerile humour of Carell as well as the more intelligent jokes from the films social commentary being combined fantastically for ultimate audience satisfaction. This commentary appears towards the end of the film, criticising the entertainment value which the news holds today, never feeling forced or out of place, this theme slots in perfectly both to the films narrative as well as its social context, making a very clever and humorous link to the state of today’s news. Other pop culture references don’t fare as well; with many falling flat as the celebrity references of the 70’s fly by unnoticed to today’s young, modern audience.

Despite Anchorman 2’s lack of plot and narrative drive, it still remains to be a very funny addition to, what will surely be the growing franchise. As with all comedy sequels, Director Adam Mckay could’ve sat back and relaxed with the knowledge that the first films success would carry the sequel however instead he’s, quite admirably, exerted a lot of time and effort to create an brilliantly crafted script which debatably results in being even funnier than its predecessor.

8/10- Knowingly messy and disjointed Anchorman 2 focuses on comedy and delivers in spades being by far the funniest film of the year.

Calum Russell 

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Despite the furious following of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, last year’s tentative revisit to middle earth was still seen as an overall critical disappointment. Its tone was off, pacing messy and overall aesthetic reminiscent of dated children’s cartoons. Divided into three unnecessary cinematic releases, fans were quick to state that ‘a lot of the action starts towards the end of the book’, giving much hope to the, now released, sequel, the desolation of smaug. Whilst this sequel does repair the glaring issues of its predecessor, it left some problems untouched and even created some more, more major, issues in the process.

After the rather forgettable conclusion to the first film we re-join the team of 13 dwarves, Gandalf and a Bilbo (Martin Freeman) on the second leg of their journey to the lonely mountain. As they travel towards their destination they’re challenged with a mysterious forest inhabited by bloodthirsty spiders among a multitude of other events that send their journey into disarray. This simple plot line is very much what it should be considering that it’s based on the popular adventure tale for children being action packed with fun fuelled set pieces. At these points in the film we really see the story flourish to its full potential, spilling its creative ideas over the screen to create for some truly exhilarating and fluid scenes of action. The most notable example of this is a scene where the team are sent down a thunderous lake, each in individual wooden barrels as they’re chased by the enemy, working effortlessly to fling axes and swords to each other and towards the foes to create for a scene of pure enjoyment and hilarity. Similar set pieces are seen throughout the film with each carrying a comforting and overwhelming sense of adventure as they explore the vast kingdom of middle earth, an important essence missed from the first release.

 Something that riddled middle earth however with no fault of its storytelling was the films CGI. Visibly distorting vast landscapes and making the enemy look like poorly designed waxworks, it’s easy to reminisce of the days when Peter Jackson used makeup and practical effects instead to truly ‘wow’ his audience. Whilst this isn’t as much an issue for the worlds landscapes, the digitally created villains on the other hand look consistently bad for the majority of their screen time, this makes them less of a threat and more of a lame bore. Unfortunately however this can be said for most of the films anti-heroes with each of their unrealistic physical attributes doing very little to intimidate both the audience and the on screen characters. There are a few exceptions to this with the spiders in the forest, which we are treated to in the form of an exciting set piece at the start of the film, looking visibly frightening as well as the film’s most domineering villain Smaug. Surprisingly more detailed in his appearance there are far fewer occasions where Smaug looks visibly poor however his most villainous feature is by far his superb tone voiced by the fantastic Benedict Cumberbatch, who perhaps saved the film from a total lack of threat. A scene almost comparable to the predecessor’s standout ‘riddles with Gollum’ occurs at the films climax where Bilbo and Smaug share a conversation. The wit and humour of Martin Freeman, playing Bilbo, is seen visibly here as he vocally battles the sinister Smaug in a hall filled with riches, in perhaps the most memorable scene of the film which combines character, humour, excitement all within a rich environment, here we see but a mere glimpse at what this film should have been.

As stated this release makes far greater steps than its predecessor did but also however made one grave decision that would make the film, at least for a lengthy proportion, a source of whimsical laughter. Bringing in a new character to the story, Peter Jackson introduced Tauriel a wise and strong female Elf who actually brought along quite a bit of variety to the plot but who also brought with her a sub-plot which needs to be cast into the flames of mount doom. The love triangle between Tauriel, Legolas and (dwarf) Kili is one of the worst narrative decisions of the year being hugely unnecessary and consistently whimsical to the point where it inadvertently becomes quite an effective source of comedy. With this brings Legolas who prove to be nearly just as pointless in the story. Bringing sword wielding talent and shiny blonde locks, aside from this Legolas doesn’t really serve a purpose and for the most part quite literally stands around reacting to situations, again to great comedy timing.

The Hobbit: The desolation of Smaug does make notable improvements on the first with this one actually feeling like a great adventure as oppose to the first film which felt more like a  lengthy route plan. This is why it comes as such a frustration to say that this release is still riddled with many issues, from the bizarre script to the questionable aesthetics. The Hobbit: the desolation of smaug shows many glimpses of greatness but never seems to go down the right path; it’s a definite improvement but only marginally.

6.5/10- Often an exciting journey with spectacular set pieces and humour, the film is let down by a lacklustre plot of irrelevant love and general goofiness.

Calum Russell

The Hunger Games:Catching Fire

All but gone are the days of the gentle ‘tween’ drama, with films following this dated tone suffering as a result at the box office. Instead recent ‘tween’ releases have tended to lean more towards hard-hitting and realistic narratives rather than masculine focused tear jerking sob stories. Debatably starting this new trend, the new blockbuster franchise of The Hunger Games has quickly built a mass following after just two film releases, and deservedly so as the 2^nd instalment in the franchise is surprisingly rich and fulfilling, pandering not only to young audiences.

Straight off the ending of the first film, we follow Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in her victory tour of the districts after she and her ‘lover’ Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) defied the government, both winning the games in an act of rebellion. Now however they have inadvertently sparked revolution in the districts as they become the capitols number one targets. Suffering from a lack of contextual information the first Hunger Games only really became interesting, bringing themes of morality and a corrupt government, once the games had begun. Its sequel couldn’t be further from this as Catching Fire truly does what a sequel should, building on the first films success and adding a stronger narrative and backstory to give the first film and subsequent releases even more meaning. This works to excellent effect the where the scenes outside the games become surprisingly more intense than when the protagonist finally goes back inside the games as the fleshed out and sinister society becomes increasingly more active and rebellious.

This isn’t to say the games are boring, which is quite far from the truth, alike the first film the games prove to be hugely creative and imaginative building a mini-world where literally anything can happen and is down to the hands of the sinister ‘game makers’. That said however the games are certainly the weakest part of this film as they bring up and highlight the majority of the films issues. The moment Katniss steps foot into the games an odd air of self-importance engulfs the script as it becomes carried away in its own fantasy world where although anything is possible, laws of physics are also broken. Furthermore the more forcibly emotional world of the games brings out the worst in the script which up to this point in the film was exceptional, letting itself down with whimsical lines of dialogue which seem fitting only in a tween ‘rom-com’.

As previously mentioned however the long length of running time before the games is hugely engrossing as the games themselves are all but forgotten, downplayed in favour for a far more realised narrative. This narrative is played out in a world which is established in the first film, but far more explored in the sequel from the sadistic and stylistic dictatorship to the harsh yet natural lands of district 12, the world of the hunger games, despite its cruelty is really quite beautiful. For this reason the narrative takes a huge step up suddenly becoming all the more intriguing and fascinating, only to discover that its controlled by the truly sinister dictator, President Snow, played excellently by Donald Sutherland. This allows us as the audience to immediately get behind the films protagonist and band of  allies, feeling their sadness as well as their victories as the film progresses. New characters to the franchise state their claim nicely with Finnick Odair, played by Sam Clafin, as well as Beetee, played by Jeffery Wright, both being acted with gusto to create characters of distinct personalities and likeability. The acting performance of Jennifer Lawrence however still proves to outdo the (still shining) rest, showing great depth in a character of perceived subtlety, providing emotional realism behind every scene, her enthusiasm grips you into the film and makes you believe the world as a reality.

The Hunger Games: Catching fire is a huge step forward, not only for blockbusters but also for young adult films in general, providing an intelligent story whilst showcasing an amazing world of colour and imagination. Delving far into its narrative to touch on strong themes of morals, The Hunger Games: Catching fire is one of the best blockbusters to come out of Hollywood for a very long time, differentiating itself from its competitors with a brave narrative which challenges audiences and never insults them.

8.5/10- Hugely involving and genuinely terrifying, Hollywood might finally be realising the benefits of taking risks.

Calum Russell