Halfway Through the Movie Year

My radio silence should hopefully be over movie fans with my crazy brain starting to improve.

We’re nearing the end of July and it got me thinking about my “Films to look forward to in 2013” article back in the New Year. From reading through it some of them have been fantastic, whereas others have been disappointment. Let’s recap and see if my predictions were right or wrong.

The Impossible:

This was the first film of the New Year that I saw and I’m glad to say my prediction was right. The Impossible was a truly phenomenal film and a masterclass in storytelling. True the politics were everywhere but as a film it was engrossing, horrifying, and exceptionally moving. Naomi Watts gave a powerhouse performance and Ewan McGregor reminded us all as to why he is one of the greatest British acting exports of all time.

Man of Steel:

Never have I been more disappointed than when I watched Man of Steel. Whilst I was hoping for a replacement for the Dark Knight trilogy, instead I got a mishmash of “dark” material, a screaming Zod and saw enough smashed up buildings to last a life time. I was really looking forward to Man of Steel but it left me extremely cold and disappointed. It started well but there was no lightness to the film and it was almost a chore to get through it. Fingers crossed the sequel will be far superior and engaging. Although with today’s announcement about a Superman/Batman crossover I’m not holding my breath.

The Great Gatsby:

This film was a truly pleasant surprise to behold. There was far too much razzle dazzle on display and the updated soundtrack didn’t entirely work, but the adaptation itself was phenomenal. Leonardo DiCaprio was on fine form (he rarely disappoints anyway) and Tobey Maguire was surprisingly good as Nick. There were elements of it that didn’t’ quite gel but all in all it was an enjoyable film and more importantly it helped people rediscover the original novel.  There was a statistic announced that said that in the week after the film’s release, there were more copies of the novel sold than in Fitzgerald’s lifetime – I call that a resounding success.

Iron Man 3:

I left Iron Man 3 feeling a bit “meh”. That’s the only way I can think to describe it. It was far superior to the second outing but lacked the flair of the first film. I saw this one in IMAX 3D and firstly it has to be said that the 3D was completely pointless and almost painful to watch. The story was good, but Iron Man 3 fell down in its choice of villain. Now I won’t do spoilers here or anything, but the films 3^rd act felt a bit like jumping the shark and left me thinking “is that all there is?” Thankfully they ended the film well and there were plenty of laughs throughout. However, getting the villain wrong is never a good thing.

Star Trek Into Darkness:

This has been my favourite film of the year so far. Benedict Cumberbatch was excellent as the villain (with a nice twist that we all saw coming but still enjoyed anyway), the story was airtight and Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk came into his own. I also saw this film in IMAX 3D and was blown away by the effects. JJ Abrams got the casting spot on and toyed with the audience throughout. Star Trek 2 was an exhilarating thrill ride that I can’t wait to take again when it’s released on DVD.

Side Effects:

This film was truly unique and entirely different to what I thought it would be. What began as a searing portrait of the pharmaceutical sector, turned into something much more devious and darker. Rooney Mara was electrifying and it was good to see Jude Law taking on a challenging role. It didn’t entirely work (Its 3^rd act twist felt a little unnecessary) but it was still an intriguing film with great acting and an enthralling story. Hopefully Soderbergh’s break from directing won’t last too long!

Django Unchained:

Sublime is how to describe this Tarantino epic. True some were offended by the language and brutality of the film but it was pure class Tarantino and it was fascinating to watch. Christoph Waltz more than deserved his Oscar; I still think it’s criminal that Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L Jackson were overlooked for their incredible work. There were only two faults I could find with Django and those were: that it lasted about 20 minutes too long, and that Tarantino cast himself apparently as an Australian. Can’t wait to watch this one again.

Welcome to the Punch:

Average is how I would describe this film. Enjoyable and easy to watch but ultimately it was forgettable and at times I forget that I went to the cinema to see it. The story was ok, as was the action and acting. It definitely didn’t live up to the hype.

Gangster Squad:

Another one that left me feeling a bit cold. Gangster Squad lacked the heart of Lawless and felt like a half-baked attempt to do another Prohibition film. Some of the action was ok, but the only person you cared about in the whole thing was Giovanni Ribisi. The rest of them felt like cannon fodder.

 

Now there are some films that I’ve not got round to watching yet, and I’ve also seen some phenomenal films that weren’t on my list. Firstly The East was a truly sublime piece of cinema, as was French delight Populaire. It just goes to show how expectations can change at the drop of a hat.