List: The Best Movies of Hollywood's Dead Season

A DEAD SEASON?  I THINK NOT by Bennett Campbell Ferguson

Above: Tom Hiddleston and Rachel Weisz in "The Deep Blue Sea," from March 2012

 

Ah, January, February, March, and April—the months when studios take out their trash.  Or at least that’s what most people believe.  As usual, the truth is more complex.  While distributors do tend to release their highest profile blockbusters and awards contenders in Summer, Fall, and early Winter, the late Winter/early Spring dead zone has hosted some cinematic masterpieces of its own.  And while it may not be prime a movie-going season, that’s why it’s so special—because there’s room for small (and big) risky films to slip into theaters.

            And so, here (in alphabetical order) are some of my favorite films that were released in Hollywood’s so-called dead season:

 

“The Adjustment Bureau” (George Nolfi, 2011)

“American Dreamz” (Paul Weitz, 2006)

“Be Kind Rewind” (Michel Gondry, 2008)          

“Blades of Glory” (Will Speck and Josh Gordon, 2007)

“Breach” (Billy Ray, 2007)

“The Deep Blue Sea” (Terence Davies, 2012)

“The Dreamers” (Bernardo Bertolucci, 2004)

“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” (Garth Jennings, 2005)

“Jeff, Who Lives At Home” (Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass, 2012)

“John Carter” (Andrew Stanton, 2012)

“To the Wonder” (Terrence Malick, 2013)

“Two Lovers” (James Gray, 2009)

Movie Review: "Her" (Spike Jonze, 2013)



MAN AND MACHINE: “HER” IS A TROUBLING TECH ROMANCE

by Bennett Campbell Ferguson

 

 

Left: Joaquin Phoenix stars in Mr. Jonze's movie

 

 

 

When we gaze into the future, what do we see?  That’s what some of the greatest filmmakers of our time have asked, and their answers have produced thought-provoking and adrenaline-charged movies like “Ender’s Game,” “Inception,” “Star Trek,” “WALL-E,” and “X2.”  But Spike Jonze’s “Her” is not like those films.  It is science fiction but not an adventure; futurist, but not fantastical; and finally, romantic, but not in the way that we usually envision romance.  It is, quite simply, the story of a man and his computer.

            That man is Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), a lonely Los Angeleno living in a not too distant era where he writes for a nameless corporation and longs for happier days with his ex-wife, Catherine (Rooney Mara).  For some, this might an acceptable existence, but Theodore seems trapped in an aimless cycle of detachment amplified by endless moping and video gaming.  In fact, the only thing that brings him any sort of solace is his computer operating system, which calls itself “Samantha.”

            There are, of course, already technologies similar to Samantha (who is voiced by Scarlett Johansson), but none nearly as advanced.  Her capabilities seem limitless—not only does she whip Theodore’s life into shape by organizing his emails and compiling a book of his writing for publishing, but she reanimates him, restoring his joy in life itself.  Thus, our unlikely heroes set off into the city together, where Theodore shows Samantha (she “sees” via a smart phone-esque device) everything from pizza to an amusement park to a glorious beach that’s elegantly enlivened by Ren Klyce’s sound design.  It’s the kind of adventure that movies were made to depict—an emotionally regenerative journey that combines the grace of photography with the empathy of music and the tangibility of human expression. 

And yet, for all that, “Her” feels startlingly flat.  To begin with, its images look too much like fussily frozen pictures (when Theodore mournfully slouches in an elevator, he looks less like a man in pain and more like a model posing for a painting entitled “Misery”).  Even worse, Mr. Jonze’s screenplay is almost stunning in its programmatic literalness.  His movie may be about the human heart, but it has none of the spontaneity of that boundless organ; instead, it devolves into a series of conversations in which characters Explain How They Are Feeling and pontificate about the complications of love.  And while didactic dialogue is not inherently evil, it’s thoroughly unwelcome in the stately realm of Mr. Jonze’s film, which feels like a sluggish therapy session even without characters making grand pronouncements like, “We’re only on this Earth for a short while.”

            So how, you may wonder, could any filmgoer endure such insufferableness?  The answer is by being patient.  Because even when “Her” is at its most static, you can enjoy K.K. Barrett’s masterly production design (with its red plastic chairs and light colors, this new Los Angeles looks a postmodern daycare center—a chilling and picturesque suggestion of what America’s coming years may hold) and once Theodor’s love for Samantha turns to troubled disaffection, things start to get interesting again.

            It all begins when Theodore meets Catherine for the final signing of their divorce papers, during which he makes the mistake of telling her about Samantha.  The problem is that by this point in the movie, Theodore no longer sees Samantha as a mere robotic assistant—he’s fallen in love with her chirpy kindness (don’t blame him; Ms. Johansson fills the character irresistibly tender sincerity) and he has no scruples about referring to her as his girlfriend.  To many people, this seems completely unordinary (in Mr. Jonze’s future, dating a computer has become a social norm), but Catherine is appalled.  For her, Theodore’s affection for a robotic device is not a strange quirk, but a proof of his inability to relate to living, breathing people.

Catherine may be right, although “Her” achieves a powerful ambiguity that makes it both a critique of and a love letter to technology.  In fact, what Mr. Jonze seems to be suggesting is that no one could not love Samantha—that her ability to be charming, understanding, and still a unique contribution to Theodore’s life makes her a wondrous and valuable individual.  Yet he also allows us to see the troubling claustrophobia that arises as Samantha and Theodore grow closer, as well as the childlike dependence their relationship engenders.  So while Theodore may gradually grow apart from his electronic paramour, that doesn’t stop him from running frantically into the street and sprawling across the sidewalk when she mysteriously disappears.

            That panicked scene is perhaps the finest moment in “Her,” mainly because it rents the movie’s reflective atmosphere and gives it a jittery emotional charge of desperation and fear.  I only wish that there were more moments like that in Mr. Jonze’s movie and fewer dully neat images, like the recurring close-ups of Theodore’s face as he lies in bed, unable to sleep. 

But really, could the dull nature of “Her” have been part of its director’s grand plan?  After all, it is such a stiffly staged film that it leaves you where it should—wanting to walk out of the theater to rejoin the real world. 

The 2013 Healthy Orange Award Nominations



THE BEST OF THE BEST by Bennett Campbell Ferguson

 Above: J.J. Abrams, Chris Pine, and Zoë Saldana on the set on "Star Trek Into Darkness," which leads the charge with fifteen (!) nominations

BEST PICTURE

“Ender’s Game”

“La Vie D’Adele – Chapitre 1 Et 2”

“Star Trek Into Darkness”

“To the Wonder”

“The Wolf of Wall Street”

DIRECTOR

J.J. Abrams, “Star Trek Into Darkness”

Gavin Hood, “Ender’s Game”

Abdellatif Kechiche, “La Vie D’Adele – Chapitre 1 Et 2”

Terrence Malick, “To the Wonder”

Martin Scorsese, “The Wolf of Wall Street”

 

ACTRESS

Lake Bell, “In a World…”

Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”

Sandra Bullock, “Gravity”

Adèle Exarchopoulos, “La Vie D’Adele – Chapitre 1 Et 2”

Olga Kurylenko, “To the Wonder”

ACTOR

Asa Butterfield, “Ender’s Game”

Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Wolf of Wall Street”

Will Ferrell, “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues”

Jake Gyllenhaal, “Prisoners”

Chris Pine, “Star Trek Into Darkness”

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Kaitlyn Dever, “Short Term 12”

Joey King, “Oz the Great and Powerful”

Mila Kunis, “Oz the Great and Powerful”

Romina Mondello, “To the Wonder”

Léa Seydoux, “La Vie D’Adele – Chapitre 1 Et 2”

SUPPORTING ACTOR

Bradley Cooper, "American Hustle"

Benedict Cumberbatch, “Star Trek Into Darkness”

Harrison Ford, “Ender’s Game”

Tom Hiddleston, “Thor: The Dark World”

Zachary Quinto, “Star Trek Into Darkness”

ORGINAL STORY AND SCREENPLAY

“American Hustle” by David O. Russell and Eric Warren Singer

“Gravity” by Alfonso Cuarón and Jonás Cuarón

“Fruitvale Station” by Ryan Coogler

“Inside Llewyn Davis” by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen

“To the Wonder” by Terrence Malick

ADAPTED STORY AND SCREENPLAY

“Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues,” by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay

“Ender’s Game” by Gavin Hood

“La Vie D’Adele – Chapitre 1 Et 2” by Abdellatif Kechiche and Ghalya Lacroix

“Star Trek Into Darkness” by Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, and Roberto Orci

“The Wolf of Wall Street” by Terence Winter

 

ORIGINAL SCORE

“Ender’s Game” by Steve Jablonsky

“The Lone Ranger” by Hans Zimmer

“Man of Steel” by Hans Zimmer

“Star Trek Into Darkness” by Michael Giacchino

“To the Wonder” by Hanan Townshend

ORIGINAL SONG
“Doby” by Andrew Feltenstein, Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, and John Nau (from “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues”)

“Please Mr. Kennedy” by T. Bone Burnett (from “Inside Llewyn Davis”)

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Sofian El Fani, “La Vie D’Adele – Chapitre 1 Et 2”

Emmauel Lubezki, “To the Wonder”

Donald M. McAlpine, “Ender’s Game”

Dan Mindel, “Star Trek Into Darkness”

Rodrigo Prieto, “The Wolf of Wall Street”

 

EDITING

“Ender’s Game” – Lee Smith and Zach Staenberg

“La Vie D’Adele – Chapitre 1 Et 2” – Sophie Brunet, Ghalya Lacroix, Albertine Lastera, Jean-Marie Lengelle, and Camille Toubkis

“Star Trek Into Darkness” – Maryann Brandon and Mary Jo Markey

“To the Wonder” – A.J. Edwards, Keith Fraase, Shane Hazen, Christopher Roldan, and Mark Yoshikawa

“The Wolf of Wall Street” – Thelma Schoonmaker

 

ART DIRECTION

“Inside Llewyn Davis” – Susan Bode and Jess Gonchor

“Gravity” – Rosie Goodwin, Andy Nicholson, and Joanne Wollard

“Her” – K.K. Barrett and Gene Serdena

“Oz the Great and Powerful” – Nancy Haigh and Robert Stromberg

“Star Trek Into Darkness” – Scott Chambliss and Karen Manthey

 

COSTUME DESIGN

Stacey Battat, “The Bling Ring”

Michael Kaplan, “Star Trek Into Darkness”

Sylvie Lettelier, “La Vie D’Adele – Chapitre 1 Et 2”

Lindy McMichael, “In a World…”

Jacqueline West, “To the Wonder”

 

MAKEUP

“Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” – Bridget Cook and Bernadette Mazur

“The Bling Ring” – Shelley Brien and Roz Music

“In a World…” – Liz Lash and Julia Papworth

“La Vie D’Adele – Chapitre 1 Et 2” – Pierre Olivier Persin

“Star Trek Into Darkness” – David LeRoy Anderson and Mary L. Mastro

 

SOUND DESIGN

“Ender’s Game” – Ron Bartlett, Dane A. Davis, Eric Lindemann, Jay Meagher,                          Tom Ozanich, and Michael C. Schapiro

“La Vie D’Adele – Chapitre 1 Et 2” – Mélanie Blouin, Renaud Guillaumin, Jean-Paul Hurier, Denis Martin, Fabien Pochet, and Caroline Reynaud

“Only God Forgives” – Kristian Eidnes Anderson and Eddie Simonsen

“Star Trek Into Darkness” – David Acord, James Bolt, Ben Burtt, Roberto Cappannelli, Dustin Cawood, Peter J. Devlin, Coya Elliot, Malcolm Fife, Will Files, Pascal Garneau,    Andy Nelson, Trey Turner, Tony Villaflor, Matthew Wood, and David Wyman

“To the Wonder” – Erik Aadahl, Craig Berkey, Joel Dougherty, José Antonio Garcia,                  and John Joseph Thomas

VISUAL EFFECTS

“Ender’s Game” – Matthew Butler

“Gravity” – Tim Webber

“Oz the Great and Powerful” – Scott Stodyk

“Pacific Rim” – John Knoll

“Star Trek Into Darkness” – Roger Guyett

WINNERS TO BE ANNOUNCED MARCH 2^ND! J

Maxwell Meyers' Favorite Films of 2013

TOP TEN FILMS OF THE YEAR, 2013 EDITION by Maxwell Meyers

Above: Sandra Bullock in "Gravity"

 

Now that 2014 has begun, I have been asked to take a look back at 2013, which was not only a profitable year in the box office, but a year when the Academy Award hopefuls seemed truly great, not just good enough.  With that in mind, here is a list of my favorite theater-going moments from throughout the year, and while I am an odd duck (as you readers will one day learn with time), there is a method (or reasoning) to my madness. 

So, without further ado, the best of 2013....

10.) "Pacific Rim”
I have been a fan of Guillermo del Toro since "Pan's Labyrinth," and it was thrilling to see him at Comic-Con in 2012.  There, with stars Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Hunnam, and Charlie Day, he previewed this film, namely by showing a little footage and promising that it would offer a healthy dose of giant monsters fighting giant robots.

 Boy, did he deliver.  While I can admit that the acting and writing in “Pacific Rim” aren’t great, the movie gives you exactly what Mr. del Toro promised—giant monsters fighting giant robots.  More importantly, I had a blast watching the film in HD at Cinetopia with a burger and fries and my friends.  And isn't that the escapism that movies were made for?

9.) "Evil Dead”
Now, I know what you might be doubtful, but allow me to convince you.  If you have seen the original “Evil Dead,” you know that its beauty lies not in its quality, but in director Sam Raimi’s attempt to make something scary out of a terrible script.  In the end, his efforts didn’t quite payoff, but Fede Alvarez’s new version has proved that with the right retooling and enough time to allow the MPAA to relax a little, a story about kids slaughtering each other in a cabin can be truly horrifying. 

Of course, “Evil Dead” was not the only fright fest I experienced in 2013—I also spent all of October watching horror movies and managed to squeeze 63 films into 31 days.  As a result, I learned a lot about a genre I never knew much about, which might be part of my soft spot for Mr. Alvarez’s film.  But nonetheless, “Evil Dead” is a standout in the field of great 2013 horror films and besides, it sets new standards for gore by deploying more corn syrup blood than any movie since "Kill Bill: Vol. 1.”

8.) "The Way, Way Back”
I first sought out this little indie darling a few months ago, not because it was directed by Academy Award winners Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, but because I had read that Steve Carell was in it and played, pardon my French, a major queue.  This is a small milestone because I don't believe Mr. Carell has ever portrayed a villain other than Gru, the silly mastermind of "Despicable Me" fame.  And yet even though he is outside of his natural benevolent element in “The Way, Way Back,” he gives an impressive performance as Trent, the obnoxious bully who takes it upon himself to torment Duncan (Liam James), the movie’s young hero. 

Of course, “The Way, Way Back” succeeds not only because Mr. Carell is magnificent, but because Mr. Faxon and Mr. Rash manage to hit the comedy nail right on the head with a real-life dramatic hammer.  In fact, the characters in the film’s beach community feel wonderfully familiar—they remind you of someone your parents knew growing up, or maybe friends you spent an extended vacation with.  Just as importantly, in “The Way, Way Back” these people are portrayed by a peerless ensemble, something that only makes the antics within the piece shine even brighter.

7.) “Frozen”
When I first read that "Frozen" was the best Disney movie to date and could potentially dethrone Pixar at this year’s Academy Awards, I was more than a little skeptical.  But in the end, I was pleasantly surprised—watching the movie, I found myself dancing, wanting to sing, and enjoying the film even more than “Tangled.”  Yes, “Frozen” is a movie I went to reluctantly, but it’s also incredibly refreshing, not only because of its fantastic voice cast (directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee tapped powerhouse vocalist Idina Menzel enliven and elevate the film), but because it’s a story specifically about sisters, and not just family.

P.S.—My fiancé told me I should wait to make my top ten list in case I needed to make room on it for this movie…as usual, of she was right!

6.) "Blackfish”
Speaking of my fiancé proving me wrong, this is the second movie that’s on this list because of her.  She was the one who convinced me to see this documentary, which relates a grim story about the horrific mistreatment of killer whales in captivity (one in particular).  Yet ultimately, the film won me over by making me feel hopeful about the creatures’ future and as a result, I believe it will continue to connect not only with documentary fans, but people like me who avoid the genre in general.  Also a best documentary shortlist contender this year.

5.) "Iron Man 3”
Who didn't see this movie?  Who didn't love this movie?  The answer is everyone and no one—hardly an exaggeration, seeing as the film grossed 1.2 billion dollars worldwide.  Why was it so popular?  Possibly it’s because we're all still hopped up on "The Avengers" (to which “Iron Man 3” is a sequel), or maybe it’s because Robert Downey Jr.’s deep-pocketed superhero Tony Stark (who faces his greatest nemesis in this time around) is so damn charismatic.

Yet in the end, I believe the success of “Iron Man 3” has everything to do with director Shane Black.  I love his movie "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" and I was delighted to see its wonderfully quick dialogue carried over to this film as well.  Mr. Black also chose to show more of Tony (and less of Iron Man) in this installment—a different direction that the franchise clearly needed. 

Still, I have one complaint.  As exciting as the now-notorious Mandarin plot twist is, I don’t approve of it wholeheartedly and am more than happy that the Marvel Studios brain trust is fixing it with a short film to be featured on the "Thor: The Dark World" BLU Ray.  Ultimately, that leaves “Iron Man 3” in the clear and us free to enjoy its immense merits, from Mr. Black’s wonderful writing (he co-wrote the screenplay with Drew Pearce) to one very unlikely achievement—that the movies features a child who doesn’t drive me bonkers.

4.) "The To Do List”                                                                                       I love the 90's.  I grew up during that wonderful decade, which might explain why I have an affinity for it.  But that doesn't matter.  The main thing is that "The To-Do List" is a hilarious and entertainingly raunchy movie.  With a great ensemble that includes Aubrey Plaza, Bill Hader, Clark Gregg, and Connie Britton, it’s a movie that catches you off guard in the best way possible. 

3.) "The World’s End”
Lots of laughs and wonderful action to boot—that’s what director Edgar Wright and longtime actor friends Nick Frost and Simon Pegg deliver in "The Worlds End.”  Showing how much these collaborators have matured as both artists and adults, this end cap to the Cornetto trilogy (which began with “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz”) finds a cast of colorful characters growing up and saying goodbye to the days of youth, albeit in an outrageously entertaining way that involves heartfelt reconciliations, aliens, and yes, the apocalypse.  

2.) "12 Years a Slave"
What could I even dare say about this film that any critic hasn't already said?  Or that I haven't already gushed about in my own review?  After all, “12 Years a Slave” is, if not perfect, than pretty close to it.  Chiwetel Ejifor is more than amazing; the rest of the ensemble is strong, well-rounded and just dynamite; and the sets and the writing (by Adam Stockhausen and John Ridley, respectively) are equally brilliant. 

Just as crucially, these talents all converge under the careful eye of director Steve McQueen, who presents us with a movie that literally blurs the line between historical drama and art piece.  The result?  Something that is simultaneously beautiful and hideous.

1.) "Gravity"
When I first heard the plot of this movie (which relates the saga of a space-stranded astronaut, played by Sandra Bullock), it didn’t sound especially interesting; even after seeing a presentation by Ms. Bullock and director Alfonso Cuarón in Hall H at Comic-Con, I still wasn’t convinced that the movie’s narrative could sustain itself.  So, it was only after being coaxed by both critics and my father that I finally went to see “Gravity.”

 I have never been so happy to be proven wrong in my life.  Not only was I in awe and at the edge of my seat for nearly the entire runtime of Mr. Cuarón’s movie, but it turned out to be the best film I’ve seen in many years (I haven't been this excited about a movie since I first saw "The Artist," a picture whose concept blew me away entirely).  For this reason, I believe that the Oscar battle for Best Picture will come down to either this or "12 Years a Slave” and personally, I will be rooting for “Gravity” to win and for the sci-fi genre to finally have its day in the golden Oscar sunlight.  

Mo Shaunette's Favorite (And Not-So-Favorite) Films of 2013

A WEIRD YEAR by Mo Shaunette

 

 

 Left: Nick Frost and Simon Pegg in "The World's End"

 

Although I wanted to do a top ten list for 2013, it was weird a year for me.  The truth is that I don’t even know if I have ten movies I want to talk about—while I’m pretty sure I saw ten or more films this past year, I don’t have much to say about forgettable flicks like “The Wolverine” or “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2,” and I have nothing to add to the discussions about attention-getters like “12 Years a Slave.”  

However, I do have a few movies I want say something about, so here we go:

 

Pacific Rim

Guillermo Del Toro is a weird sort of filmmaker: someone with art house credentials who also loves blockbusters and genre work.  Only he could make “Pacific Rim” and I’m glad for it. 

Why?  In part because it’s a movie about internationality and global cooperation that means it.  Not only does the story revolve around an alien menace being fought off by an American-Japanese tag-team, an Australian father-son duo, a Chinese triple-act, and a Russian married couple, but these disparate heroes act under the leadership of a black Briton operating out of a Hong Kong base using a Russian-provided nuke.  His support team?  A Chinese-American technician, two scientists (one American, one British, both with German surnames), and an American criminal based in China.

It’s thanks to this diversity that in the end, “Pacific Rim” is a movie about wildly different people setting old grudges aside, coming together, and forming personal connections with one another with one noble goal in mind: to make giant robots punch giant monsters in the face.  So, yeah, it’s a brilliant movie.

 

The Wolf of Wall Street

Much has been made of this film’s purported celebration of Jordan Belfort’s life of swindling, fraud, fortune, and wretched excess.  But while some believe that Martin Scorsese’s movie idolizes Belfort, it actually succeeds because it makes no pretext about its real-life source material: throughout the film, Belfort’s life of cocaine-fueled pool parties and orgies on private jets is made to look like a lot of fun, as it probably was.

Of course, Belfort himself was a lying, selfish, greedy, and a borderline sociopath, a man whose pursuit of profit put his family and his friends in life-threatening danger (early in the film, Belfort rationalizes his scheming by saying that he deserves to have his clients’ money because he knows how to spend it better.  Needless to say, he’s not an especially likable person).  But “Wolf” is still a great movie and you should absolutely go see it.

 

Pain and Gain

Everyone goes through life believing in certain absolute truths: A is A, the sky is blue, bacon is delicious, and, of course, that Michael Bay makes terrible movies.  And yet because of Mr. Bay’s “Pain and Gain,” that last has changed.  Maybe it’s because this movie lacks the turgid ambition of the director’s abominable “Transformers” trilogy, or maybe it’s because Mr. Bay cares more about psychotic body builders more than he cares about toy cars that turn into toy robots. 

But whatever the reason, “Pain and Gain” is a highly enjoyable pitch-black comedy, one that features a relatively small set of circumstances trumped up by the ludicrous places its characters go.  It may be a sleazier, less slick cousin to “The Wolf of Wall Street,” but it’s still a blast to watch, not least because of Dwayne Johnson’s performance as Paul Doyle, an earnest, simple kidnapper blessed by Jesus with the gift of “knocking someone the f*(& out.”

 

Man of Steel

“Man of Steel” is a mixed bag.  On the one hand, its actors all bring their A-game (particularly Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, and Russell Crowe); on the other hand, there’s the script.  On the one hand, director Zack Snyder has a fantastic eye for imagery and effects that makes the film’s faded color pallet work; on the other hand, there’s the script.  On the one hand, the film takes the idea of Superman as a modern mythical figure seriously; on the other hand, it features a messy, convoluted, humorless, poorly paced, and overindulgent script.

So “Man of Steel” isn’t a particularly good movie.  Yet I do appreciate that it forced me to think about what does and doesn’t make a good Superman story.  Indeed, Mr. Snyder’s film helped me gain new respect for other, better tales of the last son of Krypton, particularly the 2005 comic book series “All-Star Superman,” which acts as a polar opposite to “Man of Steel”: optimistic instead of morose, colorful instead of drab, human instead of messianic.  What’s more, the comic possesses a compelling simplicity that the film lacks—whereas “Man of Steel” bends over backwards to explain the basic mechanics of General Zod, the Phantom Zone, and the Fortress of Solitude, “All-Star Superman” provides a satisfying two-sentence explanation for one of its monsters (“It’s called a Chronovore. It eats time.”) and lets the story go from there.

That said, I’m not going to demand that DC/WB make exact translations of their comics or that all Superman stories should be the same tonally.  But for heaven’s sake, would it have killed them if someone in their movie had cracked a damn smile?

 

Star Trek Into Darkness

This is your reminder that “Star Trek Into Darkness” ends with Dr. Leonard McCoy synthesizing a cure for death.  He cured death.  He took Khan’s magic “super blood” and did science stuff to it and he brought dead Jim Kirk back to life.  So from now on, death is no longer a threat in the “Star Trek” universe because Bones McCoy found a cure for it.  Just thought you’d all like to remember it.

Also, did anyone else want a scene where Old Spock asks why Khan is suddenly a white dude?  That would’ve been funny.

 

An Adventure in Time and Space

TV movies count!  In honor of the 50^th anniversary of the initial airing of “Doctor Who” in 1963, the BBC created this little film dramatization of the first three years of the show’s run.  The result of their efforts is a humble, sweet movie that delves into the love and passion felt for a goofy little science-fiction show, particularly by series producer Verity Lambert (Jessica Raine), series director Waris Hussein (Sacha Dwahan), and lead actor William Hartnell (David Bradley).  Of course, the movie is especially focused on Hartnell and how “Doctor Who” not only revitalized his career, but gave him an audience he never thought he’d have—a development that allows Mr. Bradley to bring forth the character’s curmudgeonly and warm sides.

In the end, there are some historical facts that are fun to see play out in the flick.  Yet “An Adventure in Time and Space” is really more about emotion than it is about details, and also how much a show can mean to the people involved with it, even if it’s a show with cheap sets and silly robot.  As such, the story reminds us of the importance of putting passion into your work, and that’s something I can get behind any day of the week.

 

Much Ado About Nothing

Remember this?  This was a thing.  It was a pretty good thing, too.

 

The World’s End

If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s this: I.  F*(&ING.  LOVE.  EDGAR.  WRIGHT.  With “Spaced,” “Shaun of the Dead,” “Hot Fuzz,” and “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” he’s a director with a damn near perfect track record of films that blend of refined filmmaking technique, genre-film adoration, and surprisingly ripe subtext.   Just look at “Shaun” and “Pilgrim,” which are both about man-children forced to embrace adulthood in the midst of extraordinary circumstances (a zombie apocalypse in the former, video game-style brawls in the latter).

Taking a different course than those films, “The World’s End” serves as a sort of companion piece to “Hot Fuzz,” mainly because it peels back the curtain on British small town nostalgia.  And yet the two films are starkly different, particularly because of lead actor (and co-writer) Simon Pegg’s performance.  In “World’s End,” Mr. Pegg (who filled the role of the straight man in “Fuzz”) goes against expectations by playing Gary King, a forty-year-old addict so blinded by nostalgia that he still dresses and acts like his 18-year-old self.  But by the film’s (and the world’s) end, Mr. Pegg is forced to take his character to some dark places, and he doesn’t miss a beat in the process.

It’s because of this journey and more that “The World’s End” is exactly the kind of movie I love: fun, funny, smarter than it needs to be, and a clear labor of love—one that easily takes the top spot as my favorite film of 2013.

 

So that’s my list.  Hope you had a good 2013 and here’s looking forward to 2014, a year living Legos, funny cowboys, and talking raccoons from space.

Bennett Campbell Ferguson's Favorite Films of 2013

BOLD EMOTION, IN A WONDERFUL YEAR by Bennett Campbell Ferguson

Left: "La Vie D'Adele" (AKA "Blue is the Warmest Color)

 

 

Heavy weighs the hand that holds the pen, especially when it comes to listing your favorite films of the year.  It’s a thrilling task that seems simple, but is in fact anything but.  There are questions to answer—how much do you write?  How many movies do you list?  Do you rank each film from one to ten?  Or do you let them all stand on equal footing in a gesture of artistic fairness? 

For me, the answers are never easy.  But I have known for a while now that I could do nothing less than honor the movies of 2013 that I love.  Yes, every year produces great works, but I felt particularly strongly about this one.  Why?  The answer, in a word, is bravery—last year, no director seemed afraid to put us through the emotional wringer (even J.J. Abrams, an absolute popcorn maestro, seemed fixated on death and sacrifice).  And yet the year’s greatest could hardly be called bleak.  They may have embraced painful feelings, but they also prized kindness, compassion, and love, even if they never fully rewarded them.

            So here they are—my favorite films of 2013, listed by the order of their Portland release dates.  Some are from directors I’ve loved for a while now, while others come from filmmakers whose work I’m hoping to get to know better.  But for me, the main thing was that 2013 was a wonderful year, not just of fantastic movies, but movies that felt like worlds unto themselves, worlds that enriched my own. 

TO THE WONDER (Terrence Malick) Perhaps the most challenging thing about Terrence Malick is that, as a filmmaker, he seems content to float among fragments of clouds, distilling characters into quick images flickering amidst beautiful environments.  The result?  Something at once melodious and disarmingly frenetic.

            But, ah, the rewards of such visionary style.  Mr. Malick may be a sometime realist, but he finds deep poetry in this story about a tourist (Ben Affleck) who meets and falls in love with a Parisian woman (Olga Kurylenko, who spins through the movie with wild joy), before inviting her to join him at his home in the Midwest.  And though it is there that the movie spends most of its time, Mr. Malick’s gaze remains rapturous both stateside and abroad as he sweeps us through a gray coastal cathedral, over dark waters and train tracks, and through magnificent golden fields that, when not filled with buffalo, are gloriously empty and expansive. 

Of course, “To the Wonder” is a sad story, a movie about a romance that dies with agonized but stubborn breaths.  But in its supreme visual and emotional eloquence, Mr. Malick’s film remains a transcendent and tender experience, and an aptly titled one at that. 

 

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (J.J. Abrams) This time, the crew of the starship Enterprise has a new nemesis—the turtle-neck wearing, magnetic-voiced John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch), an adversaire diabolique whose true identity is revealed in a scene too delicious to spoil here.  Yet the real focus of this brightly entertaining and emotionally vibrant film is the heroic duo of Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and his ever-logical first officer, Commander Spock (Zachary Quinto). 

There’s a morality battle raging between them (here, Spock finds himself acting as Kirk’s conscience), but also a sweet friendship that is both witty and romantic.  “I’m scared, Spock,” Kirk breathes in the midst of ever-deepening danger. “Help me not be…how do you choose not to feel?”  And Spock, voice breaking, responds with the words that make the movie:

“I do not know.  Right now I am failing.” 

 

ENDER’S GAME (Gavin Hood) Ender Wiggin climbs into a shadowy, brown-walled cave, a dark travel bag slung over his shoulder.  For a moment, he’s alone.  But then, there is a series of clicks as a massive, many-tentacled creature emerges, moving smoothly toward him.  It presses a sharp claw to Ender’s cheek and, for a moment, you wonder—is it going to hurt him?  But it does not.  Instead, the creature looks at our hero with its deep, pupiless eyes and finally, wipes away one of Ender’s tears.

            Moments later, “Ender’s Game” concludes with a final flourish as Steve Jablonsky’s score leaps from mournful quiet to heartfelt loudness, signaling an end to a long and painful journey that has left Ender brimming with shame for the atrocities he’s committed.  But that moment between Ender and the creature still lingers and is honored by our hero’s declaration to atone for the destruction and murder he’s responsible for.  “Because,” as he says, “I have a promise to keep.” 

 

“LA VIE D’ADELE – CHAPITRE 1 ET 2” (Abdellatif Kechiche) For anyone who has ever been in love.  One day, while walking down a busy city street, Adele (Adèle Exarchopoulos) spots Emma (Léa Seydoux) as she glances over her shoulder, unable to look away.  Then that night, Emma’s blue hair flashes through Adele’s dreams and soon after, the two find themselves meeting in a bar, kissing at a park, and finally, living together. 

            It doesn’t take long for you to realize that it will never work, that Adele and Emma are too different from each other to be together forever.  How, though, can you not want them to be?  After all, what “La Vie D’Adele” understands so well is that even when a relationship is over, it doesn’t really finish because feelings intensify in grief to an excruciating degree.  In the end, that’s part of why the movie is so recognizably painful and also why Adele spends so much of her post-breakup days alone and miserable, whether she’s sleeping on a bench where she and Emma once sat together, or sobbing next to a “Cars” backpack. 

            In that moment, Adele’s anguish is more than relatable—it’s a part of you, because the movie’s clear-eyed and graceful realism (Adele and Emma’s first kiss is so coherently captured that you feel you’re there with them, lying in the grass) lets you to seep into Adele’s world completely, whether she’s chomping on a Butterfinger in bed, blowing out the candles on a cake, or dancing and mouthing the words to Lykke Li’s “I Follow Rivers” at a birthday party thrown for her by her family and friends. 

That party is a beautiful, happy event, especially because Adele is surrounded by people who love and care about her.  But it is not just because of that scene, but because of every part of “La Vie D’Adele” that, like her family and Emma, I care about Adele too.

 

ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES (Adam McKay) I’ll let this one speak for itself.  But suffice to say that in 2014, I’ll still be singing of Doby (and staying classy, America!). 

 

More Favorites:

“Blue Jasmine” (Woody Allen)

“Fruitvale Station” (Ryan Coogler)

“Gravity” (Alfonso Cuarón)                

“Pacific Rim” (Guillermo Del Toro)

“Short Term 12” (Destin Daniel Cretton)