Archive
Wylie Writes’ Ten Best Movies of 2013
By: Addison Wylie
Now that we’ve recognized the bad movies that were slingshot at audiences last year, it’s time to move on and engulf ourselves in the cream of the crop.
2013 introduced a wide variety of great films to audiences. I feel like I say that every year, but as I scour my selected picks, the only thing these movies share are the odd genre they’re grouped in.
Take documentaries, for example. Audiences were shown terrific autobiographies that opened their subjects like books. André Gregory: Before and After Dinner was one that caught my interest. Gregory is a writer, an actor, a director, an all around theatrical wiz, yet he presents himself as such a humble human being who could easily sweep the average movie goer off their feet. Director Cindy Kleine doesn’t have to stretch to find a comfortable groove for this pleasant doc.
Nicky’s Family wasn’t necessarily a straightforward autobiography like André Gregory: Before and After Dinner, but it told a revolutionary story involving Nicholas Winton. Winton, who rescued Jewish children before WWII, is shown in high regard with Matej Mináč’s film. Nicky’s Family may look like something you’d find on PBS on a Sunday afternoon, but the doc’s importance could impact a sold-out stadium.
Rounding out the list of sensational documentaries was Lucy Walker’s The Crash Reel, a film that snuck onto our radars when the year was winding down. The message about the importance of safety during extreme sports follows alongside snowboarder Kevin Pearce’s inspirational story. Walker’s doc is incredible, and you’ll never want to take your eyes off of it.
There were a few independent films that caught my attention and impressed me with their storytelling. The Oxbow Cure, for instance, is a film that moves deliberately slow. However, Yonah Lewis and Calvin Thomas were able to chill me to the bone with their frigid settings and drawn out creeping.
Sally El Hosaini’s My Brother the Devil was a fantastic feature film debut, providing superb performances from actors who could rationalize their drastic arcs quite well. Sean Garrity’s Blood Pressure was a worthy-enough thriller with an anchoring turn from Michelle Giroux. The film has its flaws, but I enjoyed myself all the way through this low budget drama.
And, Tower. I desperately wanted Tower and actor Derek Bogart to receive more recognition for their contributions to Toronto’s indie scene. It was an uncomfortable, often amusing and unhinged jarring character study from filmmaker Kazik Radwanski. I’ve seen a lot of fine performances from lots of actors in 2013, but Bogart’s portrayal of a disconnected wanderer stuck with me all year round.
Of course, I had some mainstream picks. I thought The Wolf of Wall Street was great fun. It was a lengthly film, but it showed audiences that Martin Scorsese is still a gutsy filmmaker willing to tackle any genre at any given time. August: Osage County was another strong contender. It’s ensemble cast knocked the film out of the park, and frequently had me in stitches.
Blue is the Warmest Colour, The Spectacular Now, and The Way, Way Back were three coming-of-age films that were unforgettable. All three featured moving performances from everyone involved, the creative minds behind the flicks were fearless, and nothing was sugarcoated. Movie goers could sense the filmmakers treating the characters with earnest gratitude, which helped sustain the staying power of each flick.
But, enough lollygaging. Let’s take a look at what fleshed out the top spots of 2013.
Underrated Movies:
Everyday is Like Sunday
It’s A Disaster!
Nicky’s Family
Texas Chainsaw 3D
Warm Bodies
Honourable Mentions:
#15. Tatsumi
#14. Charles Bradley: Soul of America
#13. To The Wonder
#12. Nebraska
#11. Short Term 12
Wylie Writes’ Ten Best Movies of 2013
#10. Spring Breakers
Spring Breakers acts as a statement about the impatient youth of today, and about the need for constant change amongst a modern younger generation.
It’s also a stylistic blast and an interesting conversation starter. Filmmaker Harmony Korine reassures his fans that he isn’t leaving, and he brilliantly introduces younger audiences to a new way to look at movies.
#9. Her
Spike Jonze’s poignant work is a personal film about an impersonal society.
#8. Downloaded
Downloaded is a fantastic documentary on the brink of a remarkable level involving the rise and the inevitable fall of the file trading peer-to-peer service Napster.
#7. 12 Years a Slave
An absolutely brutal, but rewarding watch that’s extremely well acted by its vast ensemble.
Filmmaker Steve McQueen shows an anthropological side to the relationship between an owner and his slave, as well as a fascinating, stomach churning outlook on how easy it was for people to consider other people “possessions”.
Jim Mickle’s We Are What We Are shows a hauntingly humanistic portrayal of something that’s downright unfathomable: cannibalism. The film is an excellent slow burn with a jaw-dropping payoff.
#5. A Hijacking
Unfortunately overshadowed, A Hijacking is a riveting docudrama that I hope gets the respect and attention it deserves despite ingredients that some may be seasick about.
Dallas Buyers Club is an all around exceptional piece of work with flawless lead performances by Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto.
#3. Mud
Like the film’s stoic bluegrass backdrop, Mud resonates quietly. It’s an outstanding movie with phenomenal acting and careful direction.
#2. Before Midnight
Richard Linklater’s Before Midnight is brilliantly observant with its authentic portrayal of two people who love – and will always love – each other. The screenplay is simply one of the best.
#1. The Place Beyond the Pines
A complete 180° for filmmaker Derek Cianfrance. This sweeping drama about redemption, fatherhood, and “doing the right thing” is absorbing and never drops the ball. A true classic in the making.
**********
‘Ten Best Movies of 2013’ Artwork by: Sonya Padovani
On The Film Army Front: August ’13 Edition
Well, now that TIFF has come to an end, let’s take a trip back to August.
If you can believe it, August was busier than my experience with the Toronto International Film Festival. At Film Army, I was checking out different programmes hosted by Toronto’s TIFF Bell Lightbox, watching smaller independent fare, as well as getting ready for TIFF while setting up IFFFT coverage – the International Fetish Film Festival Toronto.
It’s great to cover all sorts of bases with my writing. It truly feels like I get a taste of everything.
The programmes at the Lightbox introduced me to more eclectic foreign movies. These being the films of Leos Carax and other assorted works brought to audiences by Turkish filmmakers.
It was great to finally see what all the hubbub was about with Carax’s Holy Motors, and it was neat uncovering obscure bizarre oddities from Turkey. Even if the films weren’t necessarily winners, I could appreciate the fly-on-the-wall takes these projects offered.
A highlight for me was watching Pavan Moondi’s Everyday Is Like Sunday, a little-known mumblecore flick that ran at Toronto’s Carlton Cinema during a fleeting theatrical run. Moondi’s film had technical flaws as well as running into a couple of unavoidable low-budget hurdles.
But, what really impressed me about Everyday Is Like Sunday is how often I laughed and how frequently I felt for the characters. There’s a very laid back approach to the free-form story in Moondi’s film, and it helps greatly. He’s able to grab honest observations and reactions without having to drill his actors for the right touch. To those who caught this film during it’s blink-or-you’ll-miss-it limited engagement: you witnessed an underdog worth rooting for.
And, then the festival coverage. When I attended TIFF’s press conference revealing Canadian content featured at this year’s event, it was a fairly exciting experience. It also helped that the venue was well run and informative to boot.
But, I was equally eager – and nervous – to watch some films at the International Fetish Film Festival. With these smaller types of festivals, the line separating good taste and inappropriate counterpoints tends to get blurred. Festivals with this sort of rebellious attitude makes my defense grow, but I always like to be proven wrong.
While the festival did a good job keeping content generally tasteful (at least, judging by the films I saw), the selection wasn’t very good. I didn’t see anything worthwhile and the only positive point I made about anything I saw was that the music was catchy during one of the shorts. Uh oh…
All in all, I’m very glad to have tackled all that I snagged. Here are some links:
TIFF 2013′S CANADIAN LINE-UP IS CANUCKARIFFIC
BEING THE POLA OPPOSITE OF A GOOD FILM
TGIS: THANK GOODNESS IT’S SUNDAY
I TRAVELED TO TURKEY AND ALL I GOT WERE THESE STUMPED SHORTS
MUSIC AND SAFE WORDS GO LIMP AT THE TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FETISH FILM FESTIVAL
Also, when you have a moment, click here and vote for me. I’m in the running for “Digital Personality of the Year” in nextMEDIA’s Digi Awards and I’m slowly creeping up the chart. You can vote once a day and all it takes is clicking that link and clicking a cute, lil’ green button. It’s just that easy. Thanks in advance!
**********
Visit FilmArmy.ca!
Do You Tweet? Follow Us:
Film Army: @FilmArmy
Addison Wylie: @AddisonWylie
Wylie Writes 