"LOOK AT MY SHIT!"- FAVOURITE MOVIES OF 2013

      And finally, we have arrived to the ultimate "Best of 2013" list where I talk about 25 movies that have entertained, inspired and educated me from last year, which is why I love them so much.

Honourable mention:

The Day of the Doctor
I know this is technically a TV show but it was screened in 80 countries (not in mine but what's new about that) and it was almost movie length and well, it was awesome. I regret not writing a big post on it (I was too busy watching it again and again and again). To make an episode that not only pays tribute to the Doctor Who tradition but also paves a new path for the future, bringing together two of the most popular modern Doctors and one superb John Hurt as the War Doctor, giving us action, humour and heartbreak in equal amounts, and at the end of the day make it all about the children because it is a show for children- so many proper feature films are incapable of achieving that "The Day of the Doctor" does, and with such success.


25.

 Beautiful Creatures
Yes, I liked it more than probably everyone in the world. It just makes me happy to see two normal teenagers in love, even though one of them might technically be a witch or whatever. Plus, Emma Thompson and Emmy Rossum are a blast!

24.

 Ernest and Celestine
One of the most beautiful looking films of the year with such a special story about artists and true companionship at heart.

23.

 Pacific Rim
'Cuz it's fucking awesome.

22.

 Captain Phillips
The most thrilling movie of the year with a surprising debut and career-best work by an acting giant.

21.

 20 Feet from Stardom
Incredibly inspiring. When true talent doesn't get the due it deserves but people continue making art in spite of everything. Also, I wish I could sing! :'(

20.

Frozen

Yes, the singing thing again. Also, great to see Disney breaking away from its own tropes and embracing more human princesses while retaining all the splendour from its classic era. Hilarious, beautiful and in spite of the name, heartwarming.

19.

 Short Term 12
Such a delicate story told with such control and balance and insight. Short Term 12 was nothing like I had expected to be and it really blew me away. Excellent performances by everyone, from the adults to those amazing kids.

18.

The Bling Ring

"Only the shallow know themselves." People were put off by the hollowness of the teenagers depicted in the movie, but what we see is really what they are made off. One of the most biting portrayals of modern celebrity-obsessed culture but shown with such a patient, observant eye that we almost don't see the satire and get swept away by its exquisite look.

17.

Blue Jasmine

While this year has been full of figures who absolute greed has corrupted absolutely, none have been as tragic as Cate Blanchett's Jasmine. A perfect balance of comedy and drama, with fantastic performances by Blanchett and Sally Hawkins.

16.

 The World's End
Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost end their Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy with another genre-bending near-masterpiece about the dark effects of personal stagnation and alcoholism hidden under the facade of an apocalyptic comedy. I still have issues with its ending, but it honestly keeps getting better and better for me with every rewatch.

15.

 Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani
I had intended to make a post on why YJHD is one of my favourite movies of the year but if I were to narrow it down to one reason only, it would be because it is the closest thing to a 90s Bollywood movie I have seen in years. No, it's not perfect but it's thoroughly enjoyable, has addictively fun songs and Ranbir "Sex Eyes" Kapoor has never been better.

14.

Nebraska
There is a sense of nostalgia that runs through Nebraska that really touched my heart. It could've been a really harsh comedy about the kind of people shown in the movie, but instead the film is incredibly human and gentle in the way it treats the chief characters.

13.

This is the End

Just so freaking hilarious. Did not see that coming at all. It is kind of a spoof but it transcends that with a properly sensible plot and what it does with it. Kudos to all the actors playing madder versions of themselves too. Just look at Cera! If looks could kill...

12.

 The Blue Umbrella
At one point during last year, I was convinced this will end up topping my year end list. I have a special place in my heart for Pixar shorts and this is one of their best. They take a simple idea and just make something extraordinary out of it. The path of true love for our little blue umbrella is not smooth and it has to get to its beloved, the red umbrella. All of this is shown in splendid animation.

11.

 Mud
A cross between a coming of age movie, a fairytale and a thriller, Mud moves with such an assured pace, interweaving these elements effortlessly. Of course none of this would have been possible without its perfect cast- Tye Sheridan, Matthew McConaughey and Jacob Lofland.

10.

 Blue is the Warmest Colour
My film studies professor said that he was disappointed by Blue because he felt it was too conventional. The only reason the story seems conventional because it has happened to most of us. The film captures the pleasures and pain of first love better than I have ever seen in this medium. Of course, the film's life resides in its two actresses, Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux, who are both stunningly good in it.

9.

 Spring Breakers
It is the most wildly original movie I saw in 2013. It has so much to say and so much to show that even trying to define it in any way seems pointless and kind of insulting to the grand scheme of Harmony Korine. Just take it all in and spring break forever, bitches.

8.

 Wadjda
I love simple stories that have something important to say. Wadjda, in a sentence, is about a girl in Saudi Arabia who wants to ride a bike. It is as uncomplicated and as profound as that.

7.

 Stoker
'Cuz it's so pretty! Yes, there is also disturbing stuff and "finding your true self" stuff and Matthew Goode's sexy stuff but ultimately, I adore Stoker because of the way it looks and sounds. Gorgeous.

6.

 The Lunchbox
Exactly what I said about Wadjda except this also has a romance angle to it and it has a superb cast of Indian character actors. It is the kind of movie Indian filmmakers should focus on making.

5.

Her

I occasionally suffer from movie-induced depression and I swear I went through that after watching Her. It is so lovely and so sad. As I read somewhere on Twitter, "it is both a timely and a timeless romance." This is the most perfect description of Her that I have seen. Also, the world that Spike Jonze has created in this film, along with the performances by Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson- all of it just floored me.

4.

Gravity
Many people are scared that Gravity won't be as good when seen on small screen and I disagree because though we definitely don't get the total movie theatre effect, this film expands far beyond the idea of  "visually spectacular blockbuster". There is such heart in the movie and a very important theme about the strength of human spirit that can strive against all odds, and once you do see that, the film is revealed to be a cinematic treasure for doing the things it did and being so deceptively powerful.

3.

Frances Ha
It's one of those movies that I love because I can relate to it. No, I'm not 27 or a dancer and I don't live in New York either. However, the idea of being directionless and confused is something I know far too well. Again, it is not on the level of Frances, but I have my days, and she has become an almost role model in the sense that she she still manages to remain funny and charming throughout it. It is altogether a delightful movie that is full of unforgettable moments and one wonderful performance by Greta Gerwig.

2.

The Wolf of Wall Street

The most fun I have had in the theatres in the longest time. The film is outrageous, crazy, obscene, astonishing and I love every second of it. From the direction to the writing to all those brilliant actors, lead by Leo DiCaprio who surpassed all my expectations of him and then some in this movie, to the bleak truth that it confronts its audiences with, WoWS is basically amazeballs and I want to see it over and over again.

 1.

 Stories We Tell
There were moments in Sarah Polley's Stories We Tell where I just wondered about how awkward it must be for her to dig into her own past in this way. But then, the film reveals its main ploy and it becomes something more than a film about personal discovery- it becomes an exploration about memories and stories and how they are universal things that all human beings can relate to. But at the same time, the heart of the movie remains very much with these loving people in Polley's family and their feelings and thoughts. It is that balance that Polley manages, never losing the emotional gravity of these personal memories while also intellectually investigating this common human trait, that impressed me most about this film. It is one of the best films I have ever seen.

      And that's it. I hope you liked my choices. You can also check out my: 

1. Favourite Performances
2. Favourite Shots
3. Favourite Scenes
4. Favourite Everything Else including Characters, Villains, Objects, Ensembles, Accents and Quotes

     Now to move on to 2014. Anyone wants to make bets on whether or not The Lego Movie will remain in my top 10 of 2014? Too soon? :/

"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.

"I am not formed by things that are of myself alone."- FAVOURITE SCENES OF 2013

        They're finally here! My "best of 2013" lists are go! I begin with my favourite scenes/sequences of the movies that released in 2013. Last year I divided this list into a normal Best Scenes list and a Best Action Scenes list but this time, it's back to being one list. 

P.S.- There are a lot of endings that have made their way into this list so SPOILERS of course!

P.P.S.-I am going to say right from the start that 2013 was a fantastic year for movies and all my lists are actually very long and I am only highlighting a part of them, so please don't think that I don't appreciate the things that haven't made it into my lists.

Honourable mentions: The dance scene in The Heat, the Gos gets his ass kicked in Only God Forgives, "Let It Go" in Frozen.

10.

 Westray dies in The Counselor

One the whole, I found The Counselor to be dull and forgettable, except for one fantastically shot and freakishly creepy death scene towards the end. This mode of killing was described earlier in the movie and seeing it executed is both brutal and thrilling. Brad Pitt does excellent dying man acting too. Best death scene of the year :)

9.

Ryan gets detached in Gravity

This scene stood out the most for me on my first viewing of Gravity and it *almost* distracted me from the enjoying the rest of the movie because I was that floored by it. In one single take, the kind that the duo of Emmanuel Lubezki and Alfonso Cuaron have become famous for, we see Sandra Bullock's Ryan Stone spiraling into space and how the camera moves closer and closer to her until we start seeing from her perspective and then it moves back out again. It's absolutely gobsmacking, visually, thematically and emotionally. Bravo.

8.

Barrel of monkeys in Iron Man 3

Some time at the beginning of 2013, Iron Man 3 was my favourite movie of the year and this scene had contributed a lot to that (admittedly I had seen about 5 movies at that point). As fun as Jaegars and Kaijus fighting each other was, this is THE action sequence of the year in terms of pure action, thrill, innovation and just delight. We actually fear for those people's lives and it is amazing to see Iron Man save them in such a way, along with that hilarious twist at the end of it.

7.

The ending of Captain Phillips

Captain Phillips is a very tense movie that keeps you enthralled throughout, barely letting you catch a breather and it is the same way for the characters in it, especially Tom Hanks' Captain Phillips. We see all the hardships that he goes through, protecting his ship from the Somali pirates and then being kidnapped by them, and how he still remains stable and calm. We almost wonder at his resilience to these incredible events, but then, right at the end, he lets go. And its shattering. I dare you to watch that scene without crying.

6.

Going to The World's End in The World's End

Gary King and his two musketeers come face-to-face with the Network at the last bar of their epic bar crawl and the one-liners that are unleashed have to be seen/heard to be believed.

It is the ultimate scene about defiance. Beatiful.

"Go back to Legoland, you cunts!"

5.

Frances' speech in Frances Ha

I was tempted to put the awesome dance-y run across New York streets set to David Bowie's "Modern Love" here, but I was left with my mouth hanging open and my heart completely gone when Greta Gerwig's Frances explains to some people at a dinner party what she wants in life. 

"It's that thing when you're with someone and you love them and they know it, and they love you and you know it, but it’s a party! And you're both talking to other people and you're laughing and shining and you look across the room and catch each other's eyes. But not because you’re possessive or it's precisely sexual but because that is your person in this life. And it's funny and sad but only because this life will end. And it's this secret world that exists right there in public unnoticed that no one knows about. It’s sort of like how they say that other dimensions exist all around us, but we don't have the ability to perceive them. That’s what I want out of a relationship or just life, I guess."

When movies manage to explain something that you know to be true but have never articulated, it's just the best thing ever. I cried.

4.

The ending of This is the End

I am not going to write about it in case someone who has not watched the movie is reading this post. All I am going to say is that I was ASTONISHED, SHOCKED, SURPRISED, FUCKING MINDBLOWN at it. Never expected it in a million years and god, it was heavenly ;-) 

3.

The piano duet in Stoker

Holy moly, I have never been aroused more in a scene that doesn't involve Ryan Gosling, ever. It's sinister and sexy. The chemistry between Mia Wasikowska and Matthew Goode is fantastic. The fact that nothing happens makes it even more eroticised. Musical notes and sexual tension heightening together to reach a crescendo, oh my!

2.

Lemmons in The Wolf of Wall Street

I am taking into account the full sequence from the Country Club to Jordan saving Donnie's life because I can. Everything, from the way Leonardo DiCaprio distorts his face when the lemmons trip starts, to the way he crawls, to the never ending steps in the Country Club, to the opening of the car door, to him screaming nonsense on the phone, to him fighting Jonah Hill's equally tripped out Donnie, to Donnie stuffing his face with salami because why not, to the juxtaposition of Popeye eating his spinach and Jordan snorting his coke- it is all part of the funniest sequence of the whole year. It's crazy and unbelievable and rip-roaringly hilarious and man, Leo is officially the modern master of physical comedy. I can't imagine the state of the set on the days this whole sequence was shot.

1.

"Everytime" in Spring Breakers

Even a doped out Leonardo DiCaprio opening his Lamborghini with his legs cannot trump this scene in terms of what-the-fuck-ness. As funny as this scene is, what with James Franco's Alien showing his sensitive side by playing and singing "Everytime" by Britney Spears, "one of the greatest singers of all time, an angel if there ever was on this earth," on his white grand piano while the sun sets to inspire a trio of girls in leopard-print monokinis and pink ski masks to go rob spring breakers followed by the actual, rather violent robbing, it simultaneously subverts and pays an ode to pop culture, which is what I love about it the most. Think 20-30 years ago, such a scene would have been set to classical music and it would have been big men carrying out these armed robberies. But the world is changing and pop culture is changing and the American dream is changing and the scene captures all that, amidst some of the most beautiful cinematography of the year. It is monumental.

Thoughts

       I know I keep changing the day of publishing these posts but I am really going to try and keep it on Sundays from now on. Anyways, here are my movie thoughts-

1) David Fincher will direct the pilot of Utopia, the American remake of a British series of the same name about a group of people who find a cult graphic novel called "The Utopia Experiments" that predicts all sorts of disasters and try to stop them while an organisation called The Network is set out to intercept their attempts. This sounds like a pretty cool project and Gillian Flynn, the author of Gone Girl, will also be involved as a producer. I just read Gone Girl and absolutely loved it and am now super duper excited for the movie adaptation, being directed by Fincher of course. The most amazing thing is that I am now totally for the Ben Affleck casting- it's perfect! Ditto with Neil Patrick Harris. Flynn seems like a really talented writer and I can't wait to read her other novels. Fincher is the ideal director for this movie. I can imagine it being something with Fight Club-esque narration, editing a la The Social Network, badass heroine/twisted leads like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and it also has a lot to do with crime and media so bits of Se7en and Zodiac too. And also the new ending is something to look forward to. After reading the novel, it has jumped up to being #2 on my most anticipated 2014 films list (since we're never going to get any promotional stuff for How to Catch A Monster EVER. Wtf, Gos?). Yaay!!

2) Greta Gerwig will write, produce and star in How I Met Your Dad, a spin-off show of How I Met Your Mother. This is a bit depressing. Gerwig was so excellent in Frances Ha, both as the lead and co-writer, that to see her in a spin-off television show is kind of shocking. I do like that she's writing and producing and hence she'll have more control on the show, which is apparently about a "female Peter Pan" whose one-year marriage is now failing. This actually doesn't sound a great deal like How I Met Your Mother but the fact that it will be on CBS is apparently a bad idea ('apparently' because I don't really know or care about American networks unless they are HBO). We'll see how this goes.

3) Ellen Page, who came out earlier this week (yaaay, go Juno!), will star in Freeheld, a movie based on the documentary of the same name about a woman, Stace Andree, who was denied pension benefits of her longtime partner, Laurel Hester, when the latter became terminally ill. Page will play Andree and Julianne Moore will play Hester. Zach Galifianakis will also join the cast as the activist Steve Goldstein who helps Andree in her court battle. Peter Sollett, who directed Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, is going to be at the helm. This is a pretty neat cast and it will be nice to see Page doing interesting roles again.

4) Have you guys read the alternative ending to Gravity? Sheesh, bleak stuff! The entire interview with Alfonso Cuarón is quite interesting actually. Also, the Jack O'Connell interview is pretty cool. It's nice to see someone so figured out and not blind after fame and stuff, though I do think this is going to be a huge year for him.

5) All the Best Original Song nominees (minus "Alone Yet Not Alone" obviously) will sing at the 86th Academy Awards come March 3rd. The one I am most excited about is this one-

My crush on Spike Jonze grows daily. I wish he would play on Oscar day too.

6) Trailers- The second trailer of Transcendence has Johnny Depp upping the creepy. I do like the idea of him being the baddie and Rebecca Hall and Paul Bettany being the heroes. The teaser of Tammy is fucking hilarious. Melissa McCarthy is a comic god.

7) Finally, I know I have to find like new hot people to put on this blog every week but just look at Benedict Cumberbatch!!!

Cumberbatch looks younger than I am and he was in his early-to-mid 30s then! How do these Brits do it, man? Also, I really want Martin Freeman's jumper.

Byeeeeeee!