Well, we are coming to Popcorn@Movies first Christmas, and i was a little excited to celebrate the occasion with a best of 2013 list, on this list i am only including films released this year in their native country, and only films released theatrically, so here goes!
10. Catching Fire
The second installment of the Hunger
Games Saga is deceptively thoughtful cinema, visually stunning and superbly
acted, featuring some fantastically choreographed action sequences, Catching
Fire improves upon its predecessor in both tone and pace, and with a stunning
performance by Jennifer Lawrence, she truly is the girl on fire.
Blackfish uses a surprisingly
conventional structure, it is a chilling thriller about a tragic incident from
which it seems, we have learned nothing, the film raises some pointed questions
about the keeping of orcas in captivity, particularly for entertainment.
Blackfish is documentary filmmaking at its best; it’s a provoking often
shocking watch, which encourages us to think about the way we keep creatures in
captivity.
Baz Luhrmann’s stylish adaptation is
an instant classic, and updates the tone and themes of the novel whilst
retaining the period opulence of the era. A stunning soundtrack produced by Jay
Z and opulent dazzling costumes by Catherine Martin make this adaptation a
sumptuous delight.
After a slight stumble at the first
hurdle, Peter Jackson picks up the pace with this second installment, featuring
a stunningly animated dragon, beautiful sweeping vistas and some awe inspiring
middle earth architecture, middle earth has got it’s groove back and it looks
better than ever, in addition to the visuals and finely choreographed action,
the film features strong performances from McKellen, Freeman and Cumberbatch.
Jackson delivers with this exciting second installment stuffed full of pure spectacle.
The Coen Brothers at their best,
Inside Llewyn Davis provides audiences with a fluid yet non-linear structure, great
music produced by T Bone Burnett, and fantastic performances from Oscar Isaac,
Carey Mulligan and F. Murray Abraham. Inside Llewyn Davis is stylish and
cinematographically distinct, and offers an honest and personal story, about
the hardships of the folk music scene in the 1960’s Greenwich Village.
The latest from auteur Woody Allen
is some of his best work in recent memory, an intense character study featuring
an unexpected non-linear structure and a tour-de-force performance by Cate
Blanchett, Blue Jasmine features enough humor and quirk to satisfy
traditionalist Woody Allen fans, whilst showing the director expanding his art
to more dramatic territory focusing on largely contemporary issues.
Chilling and dark, Park Chan-Wook’s
english language debut represents an auspicious start for the Korean director,
suspenseful and stylized, Stoker features a fantastic cast and an inspired
story penned by Wentworth Miller in his screenwriting debut. Stoker is
undoubtedly the most stylish horror film in recent memory, and the best
thriller released this year.
This French adaptation of graphic
novel Blue Angel is intense, passionate and incredibly lifelike. The lead
actresses give fascinating complex performances, and the direction is well
handled. Blue is the Warmest Color is by far the strongest LGBT film released this
year.
Epic in scope, scale and ambition,
this instant animated classic rivals Disney classics from the renaissance period
with its dazzling 3D animation, sumptuous music and fantastic quirky characters.
Frozen is a film to be enjoyed for years to come, and despite being a classic Disney
princess film, stands out from the canon with some inspired story deviation and
character development.
Gravity is a rare thing in today’s
world, a surprise. This picture from auteur Alfonso Cuaron is pure theater,
featuring a standout performance from Sandra Bullock and stunning space
cinematography by Emanuel Lubezki, all enhanced with 3D. This is the only film
released this year that justifies paying the inflated ticket price. Gravity is
thrilling, beautiful and terrifying, and is the sort of instant classic that
will be cherished for years to come, and is a testament to the talents of
Bullock, Cuaron and Lubezki.