"The real question is this: was all this legal? Absolutely not."- FAVOURITE EVERYTHING ELSE OF 2013

Just a mix of all my other favourites of the year. The favourite performances and favourite films lists are yet to come :)

• Ethan Wate, Beautiful Creatures- Because he talks about Titanic and Bukowski within 5 minutes of each other.
• Samantha, Her- She was just such an incredible person and, as weird as it may sound, so full of life.
• Shaikh, The Lunchbox- So simple and friendly. Both a common and an incredibly rare kind of man.
• Anna, Frozen- Because she wakes up like a normal female human.
• Gary King, The World's End- Even though I know he's kind of sad, Simon Pegg just infuses him with so much energy.
• Wadjda, Wadjda- Total badass heroine.
• Mason, Short Term 12- Just the way he connects to these troubled kids is amazing.
• Shannon Mullins, The Heat- Not just funny. But still, my god, soooo funny!
• Rosalyn, American Hustle- Because she's basically Jennifer Lawrence, and Jennifer Lawrence is awesomesauce.

Favourite Character of 2013- Frances from Frances Ha

Yes she's confused and whiny and all that, but she's also so likeable and funny and undateable. I love her.

• The Wolf of Wall Street- This would have been on the list on the basis of having Spike Jonze and Rob Reiner as part of the cast alone.
• Blue Jasmine- While our ladies shine the most, they are supported by a number of other fantastic actors.
• Nebraska- Ugh just look at those beautiful old faces!
• Prisoners- Though everyone doesn't get equal footing in terms of script, I thought all the actors did great work in this.

Best Ensemble of 2013- This is the End

So many reasons this could have been awful, but the actors play caricatures of themselves and really elevate the movie.

• Kaijus, Pacific Rim- Who needs character development when you can have supremely cool-looking monsters?
• Ted Hendricks, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty- I love Adam Scott to death but good lord, he can play an excellent a-hole! I wanted to slap him so much.
• The Eppses, 12 Years A Slave- While most of the white characters in film can be included in this list, Mr. and Mrs. Epps were a special breed of terrifying, loathsome creatures.
• Danny McBride, This is the End- "The fucker's gots to GOOO!"
• Bathsheba, The Conjuring- In order for a horror movie to work, it needs something truly frightening and Bathsheba was just that. We never see her properly but her presence is scary enough.
• Loki, Thor: The Dark World- This is the 3rd year in a row Hiddles' Loki has made it into this list. That's because he always manages to steal the show in every scene he is in.
• Pigs, Upstream Colour- Because whaaaaaaaaaat?? My brain shut down every time they were on screen.
• Alien, Spring Breakers- No, he is not a "villain" villain but he is a bad guy, completely corrupted by his desire and greed.
• Smaug/Khan- 2013 was supposed to be Benedict Cumberbatch's year but that didn't happen because his big films didn't use him well. Still, he was a more than decent villain for his screentime in both The Hobbit: blahblah Smaug and Star Trek Into Darkness.

Biggest villain of 2013- Uncle Charlie from Stoker

Oh he is just so sinister AND attractive. Forget India, I was confused by these feelings myself. And the film really just basks in Matthew Goode's gargantuan sex appeal.

• Gypsy Danger, Pacific Rim- It's mindblowingly amazeballs and it comes with a sword!
• Jonah Hill's teeth, The Wolf of Wall Street- They're a thing of beauty, aren't they?
• The clothes, Laurence Anyways- From that showstopping gown to those raining scarves- ugh I want it all!
• Milky Way, This is the End- We all want a bite of that Milky Way, and I don't even like Milky Way.
• Nail polish, Spring Breakers- It is literally a trend maker. Love it.
• The Gos' arms, Only God Forgives- I *might* have made this list just for this entry. But seriously, look at them.
• The video game, Her- Theodore's lonely life is reflected in the video game. It is both funny and tragic.
• The shoes, Stoker- When are a pair of shoes not just a pair of shoes? Also, I adore them.
• The lunchbox, The Lunchbox- That one lunchbox is sent to the wrong person, and lives are changed!

Favourite Object of 2013- The bicycle, Wadjda

Such a simple wish for a girl to have and to have so much riding on it, literally. It is a symbol and a ray of hope.

(newest addition, especially for 2013)

• Scarlett Johansson, Don Jon- Accompanied by her gum chewing, ScarJo sounds like something out of the Jersey Shore, but she still keeps it classy.
• Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine- It just sounds so affected, so made up. I love it.
• Margot Robbie, The Wolf of Wall Street- Kinda amazed that an Aussie can get that accent so right.
• James Franco, Spring Breakers- Franco just gives it his all. It's brilliant.

Favourite Accent of 2013- Emma Watson, The Bling Ring

I have been trying to learn it ever since the first teaser came out. It's hilarious.

Favourite Quotes of 2013

"Beautiful things don't ask for attention."- 13 FAVOURITE SHOTS OF 2013

And my absolute favourite shot from a 2013 movie is-

A lot has been said about how 2013 movies focused on the idea of the American dream and the way it has been corrupted. There were a number of films that showed excess, practically indulged in it, and then there was Alexander Payne's Nebraska. Shot in black and white, set in small towns which almost seem to have been forgotten, Nebraska shows the "other" America. 

You might wonder why someone like me would care about all this. Though I don't really give a hoot about America or its ideals or whatever, the whole concept of the American dream to me is basically a place where everybody gets to be somebody. We all have places like that in our lives, whether it's a college or a company or a city or a country, and all of us, no matter where we come from or what age we might be, still harbour the hope, or dream the dream, of getting there. 

Woody Grant wants to get to Nebraska to get his million dollars. He is an ordinary man and has been so throughout his life. Who knows what his dreams were. "I never knew the son of a bitch even wanted to be a millionaire!" as his firecracker of a wife exclaims at the beginning of the movie. We also find out, apart from a new truck and an air compressor, Woody's whole desire for getting the million dollars is to leave something behind for his sons. But in the moment above, when the customers at the local diner in his hometown start applauding him for his new apparent status, we see for the briefest of moments, Woody feeling like somebody who is important, probably for the first time in a long time. He is shown as someone who is barely aware of his surroundings half the time, but here, for a second, Woody glimpses at that dream where he has achieved something that makes people appreciate him. It is sad that this moment has come so late, and also oddly affirming that a man like Woody did get to feel that way at some point in his life. It is a moment caught between regret and hope and it is absolutely incredible.

There are technical things to appreciate too. I loved that Nebraska was shot in black and white because old people have such wonderful faces that can only be done justice to in monochrome. The poster had already highlighted the wispiness of Bruce Dern's hair in this movie and this shot really captures that too. Also, the bulb behind makes it look like Woody is in the limelight, which is in tune with what is written above.

This is a Poster-Appreciation Life- 2013 edition

Who doesn't love a good poster? 2013 movies had some pretty remarkable poster though I am really starting to feel that official posters aren't half as fun or creative as the teaser ones. You'll see.

First, let's start with the boring stuff-

At least August: Osage County's one sheet is somewhat funny but there really isn't any imagination put in either of these posters. Just stills from the movie. Even the fonts are dull.

In contrast, these three just hit the nail on their USPs without getting boring. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is about Ron Burgundy and the mustache *is* kind of a big deal when it comes to him.

In case of the one sheet of The Kings of Summer, though the tagline is larger than the name of the film, it shows that this film is about a bunch of boys having fun in the nature and it really captures that spirit, which was what made the film so enjoyable.

And All is Lost is simply put 'Robert Redford stranded on a boat' and again, the poster is really showing that.

Somebody at Marvel got stingy-

I actually liked the Iron Man 3 poster when it came out but COME ON! More imagination, please?

Character posters galore-

Every film nowadays has a character poster set. While I do think it was necessary for something like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 2 as it was the end of a major franchise that had so many people in it, I think in most other cases, they're just kind of bleh.

The Great Gatsby character posters, for those literary nerds who *really* wanted a Myrtle Wilson poster. I won't be too mean about it though because the poster with Isla Fisher's Myrtle is my favourite among these.

And American Hustle of course. LOOK! SPARKLE, HAIR AND CLEAVAGE! TA DAAAA!!! Again, I happen to love the ones with the ladies and I actually feel that this film probably only needed character posters and not a normal movie one.

Posters I really like because of their colour-

This too uses an image from the movie itself but the shades make it romantic and wistful. 

Xavier Dolan is some insane prodigy when it comes to colour. The film was gorgeous and so is this poster. 

It's the most elusive one sheet of the year, but it's just so captivating! Something about the blue-grayness of the eyes against that shirt and the background. And of course, Joaquin Phoenix's face is magical.

I could have never guessed what the movie was about if I had just seen this poster, but it's alluring. And I like that it has colour. And Frances is dancing :)

There were a number of posters for Blue is the Warmest Colour but this one is my favourite. Mostly because of the blue, on both the background and in Lea Seydoux's hair. It's straightforward and eye-catching.

And the (almost) monochrome beauties-

I just really like the simplicity and the starkness of these two.

A thousand silhouettes...

Though both these films ended up being meh, I like how the posters capture the iconographies of their respective franchises. Superman's speed, his cape, and the way both of them sort of merge make a rather striking one sheet for our man of steel. And while the movie kind of wasted Benedict Cumberbatch's Khan (spoilers?), this Star Trek Into Darkness poster emphasizes on his destructiveness well and of course there is the cool Starfleet sign amidst all that.

Tease away: Why weren't these the official posters again?

A lot of people complain about the shallowness of the character of The Bling Ring but Sofia Coppola had warned us from the beginning. You don't even need to see their faces. Their designer shades tell all.

This poster is hilarious. Yes, it kinda sorta encapsulates the father-son theme of the movie, but I almost wish the movie was about biker Ryan Gosling taking care of a baby. That would've been fun.

My favourite thing about The Wolverine was how comparatively small scale it was and how that helped focus most of the story on Hugh Jackman's legendary mutant. I like the simplistic yet powerful approach on this teaser poster too.

Disney-fied-

Much like the Man of Steel and Star Trek Into Darkness posters above, both these posters evoke the spirit of Disney, though in very different ways. I think the Saving Mr. Banks one sheet is adorable. Some of my most favourite moments in the movie was whenever it referenced Mary Poppins and this poster shows that. And the Escape from Tomorrow one is plain cool. I want it on my wall even though I have little-to-no interest in watching the movie.

Disappointing movies with great posters-

By far the most disappointing movie of last year, and I *do* blame the posters partly for my raised expectations.

(PS. this isn't the last mention of Only God Forgives in this list)

This is such a crazy one sheet but it's awesome too. Unfortunately, the film only got the first part right.

Coming to my absolute favourites of the year...

Again, the teaser posters rule. The actual Catching Fire posters, character or otherwise, are very generic and blah, but these two teaser posters are stunning. I love the colours in the first and the details in the second. Shame the studios don't run with the more artistic one sheets.

Spring Breakers had a plethora of posters. My favourite is yet to come but these two beauties came close too. I like how different both these posters are in a way, from the font to the feel, and how both apply to the movie. Spring Breakers is a movie that defies definition, hence giving so many options for various kinds of posters.

And now, my top 3-

I still love this poster, no matter what my feelings towards the movie are. It's got the Gos; it's bloody, weird and straight up unforgettable. The movie is *kind of* like that but in a bad way. Ah well.

AND TIE FOR #1!

I can't choose between these two. I absolutely adore both of them. The Spring Breakers one is cheeky, colourful and totally amazeballs in its girly violent spirit, much like the movie. And just the intricacies and attention to detail in the Stoker poster are astounding. I love the thought put into both of them. Brilliant!

And that's it. What did you think? Which 2013 poster was your favourite?

My Top 10 Films of 2013, Somewhat

       My annual incomplete favourite movies list is here! As usual, due to the unfairness of the universe and general release dates problems, there are a number of 2013 films I have not been able to watch and therefore am unable to do a proper best films list. I hope to do my year's favourites sometime in February, as always, so look out for things like performances, scenes, shots, films etc. then.

10.

Spring Breakers

It's a wonderful feeling when you see a film and you know that it is something totally original and it's unlikely you'll ever seen anything like it again. This film is as insane as it is beautiful, both a satire of and an altar to American pop culture, a feminist coming-of-age tale and a gangster flick- there is no one way of describing Spring Breakers and I love it for it.

9.

Blue is the Warmest Colour

I guess coming-of-age is a recurrent theme for my favourite movies this year, because in Blue as well, we see the enticing and flawed Adèle grow up while falling in and out of the most maddening and consuming sort of love. A gorgeous look at a character to whom Adèle Exarchopoulos gives it her all.

8.

Mud

This film broke my heart. The realisation of how true everlasting love doesn't exist in the real world is affecting enough, and then we have actors like Matthew McConaughey and the excellent Tye Sheridan who were just so good. Really touching film.


7.

Stoker
My first favourite film of this year. It's almost addictive in a way. The actors, the story, the cinematography, the music- I have had a constant need to keep revisiting this film throughout the year because of these. It's sexy and creepy just like that unforgettable piano scene. Really gets under your skin.


6.

The Blue Umbrella
Very few things make me as happy as a Pixar short, and I really do think this is one of their best. "The course of true love never did run smooth," as the Bard said, and we see that in the simplest yet most magical way in this short about a blue umbrella falling in love with a red umbrella.


5.

Wadjda
I regret not having written a review of this because it is easily the most inspiring film I have seen all year. Both the character of Wadjda and the efforts of director Haifaa al-Mansour warrant that title. It's lovely and hopeful and Wadjda is truly my hero.


4.

The Lunchbox
An Indian housewife makes food to impress her husband but the tiffin intended for him accidentally reaches a lonely widower and thus a most unexpected romance begins. This film does so much right, from the isolation felt by people in big metros to the adorable humour to getting the perfect tone between both, largely due to the phenomenal cast of character actors and the fantastic direction. Films like this keep my faith in Indian cinema alive.


3.

Gravity
I don't claim to be an expert on what makes a classic and what doesn't, but I genuinely feel that in years to come, Gravity will be hailed as one. To mesh so perfectly a tale of the triumph of human spirit, a nail-biting thriller and a visual extravaganza and just that, without any deviations or distractions, keeping the audience as rapt as possible, is no simple task. Kudos to Alfonso Cuarón and his team.


2.

Frances Ha
There's a lot in this movie that screams "First World Problems", but the moment Frances, played by the luminescent Greta Gerwig, says "I'm not a real person yet," it started to feel universal. Frances Ha is about a certain time in our lives when our dreams and reality go their separate ways. I can see it happening to me, and whereas that would usually just fill me with paralysing fear, the adorkability of Frances and the simple humour and pathos that pervades the whole film weirdly gives me hope. Added to that, the film is one of the most truthful portrayals of female friendship, and is reminiscent of Woody Allen's movies and the French New Wave. Altogether, it's like magic.


1.

Stories We Tell
I have not seen many documentaries in my life and so Stories We Tell completely caught me completely by surprise. It's so personal yet so universal. Sarah Polley traces her mother's life and subsequently her origins with the help of her family and close friends, and through that also explores the nature of stories and memories. I thought it was beautiful and brave and ingenious and nothing like I have ever seen before. Michael Polley's narration and the obvious love and caring that everyone in this film has for each other had me crying buckets. I really love this film.

       Happy New Year everyone :)