BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
I have not seen nearly enough movies in 2013. For someone who prides themselves on seeing new movies and taking in the art of film, I’ve really slacked off. I’ve probably only written about forty reviews this year of current movies. In the past I’ve done upward of 150. I’m not sure if it’s that I’ve gotten really busy this year, less interested in movies, or if 2013 just sorta sucked.
I’m going with 2013 sorta sucking.
I’m a normal dude. I’m not a film expert. I’m just a dude with a love for movies who likes to ramble. I’ve not seen some of the biggest and most talked about movies. Some have been due to lack of interest and some have been because the production companies are pussies and put movies out just as the year ends. If a movie is good enough to be an award winner then it’s good enough to release in a more accessible time. I’ve not seen Nebraska, Wolf on Wall street, Anchorman 2, Inside Llewyn Davis, Her, Gravity, 12 Years a Slave, her, Fast and Furious 29493, Before Midnight, Fruitvale Station, Grudge Match, and like ten more movies that I should have.
Movies I considered for the list, but didn’t make it are:
Blue Jasmine, Coffee Town, The World’s End, Clear History, Pain & Gain, Out of the Furnace, and Rush.
Blue Jasmine was really good, but it got really tiresome as it kept dragging on. It’s just over an hour and a half so that’s a problem. The performances rocked, but the pacing and main character’s dialogue was obnoxiously annoying. It was a letdown for sure. Coffee Town was a really solid comedy movie that should have gotten a lot more attention. Clear History was an HBO movie and was great, but it felt like a surreal episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm”. I was really surprised by how enjoyable and fun Pain & Gain was despite so many bad ingredients about it. Then there was Rush and Out of the Furnace. Both were outstanding movies, but didn’t connect with me enough to make them all that memorable. Both are fine pieces of art and film yet lacked something to pull me in.
10. CBGB
Alan Rickman owns the world in this movie. He plays Hilly Kristal, the owner and founder of the famous rock club CBGBs. The movie follows his journey from being a struggling slacker businessman with a lot of dreams to trying to grasp the reality that he’s actually living in one. He ends up buying a small dive bar and it becomes THE place to be in the 70s. I’m a huge fan of the mid to late 70’s rock scene in New York. I love the Talking Heads, Iggy Pop, Blondie, the Ramones, Patti Smith, and all of the awesome bands that came through. In a wrestling comparison, it was like ECW of music.
9. The Place Beyond The Pines
You watch movies and expect a certain storytelling style. When the traditional style is abandoned it’s always interesting to see how the writer and filmmaker will handle it. In this movie, it works. What happens is unexpected, but you don’t miss a beat. Before you know it, it all makes perfect sense and ties together one HUGE story. The tone and narrative could be critiqued, but I appreciated it. There was a cautious dryness to a lot of it. The direction is great, the acting is spot on, and the viewing experience was enthralling.
8. Jackass Presents Bad Grandpa
I did not expect much going into this movie. It’s about a grandpa and a grandson, who may or may not love each other, going out there and causing a scene where ever they go. It sounds substance-less, but that’s where it gets me. Even in this strange experimental format of a movie, they find a lot of heart and sentiment in the mix. They really pulled it off. This kind of movie could have easily been a big lame bore or an obnoxious Jackass cash-in. It’s not. It’s something different and something better.
7. We’re The Millers
Julia Louis-Dreyfus stars as a middle aged woman who is sorta just adrift in life. Her daughter is leaving home and she’s alone and is a chiropractor for a living. She goes to a party and gains a client and meets a man. The man is a bigger guy who is also alone and looking. They go out and gradually start to really appreciate each other. Things are all good and well until she finds out that her new client is problematic to the blossoming relationship. It’s a good story with a lot of heart. It’s not a big popcorn movie or lots of laughs, but it’ll make you smile. What more can you ask for?
5. The Iceman
Michael Shannon plays Richard Kuklinski, a man who made his living as a henchman for the mafia. He kept it from his wife, played by Winona Ryder, and his kids. The kids were great and Ryder was stunning. She doesn't get the credit she deserves. She's always in interesting roles and does her part well. She could very well be my all-time favorite actress now that I think about it. Overall the cast was just stellar, but Michael Shannon was ridiculous. He just played the perfect thug. He was genuinely intimidating and was just batshit crazy. Come award season he should be nominated for best actor. He was that good. The movie has good pacing, looks dauntingly old school, and a damn good cast.
4. The Way Way Back
It’s a “coming of age” story where a timid kid gets stuck going to a local pool while on vacation with his mom and his seemingly future step-dad. At the pool he “comes out of his shell” and start to develop his own personality and grows some balls. This is all thanks to the change of scenery and the awesome cast of characters that worked at and hung out at the pool.
3. American Hustle
I had a hard time with this movie. It’s just too good for its own good. The storyline and content is just so hokey that you want to write it off. You can’t. It’s so well acted, well timed, and so enjoyable that you just have to accept it’s awesome and want to see it again. That’s how it worked for me. I went into it with some laid-back anticipation because of the cast and the fact that it’s a David O’Russell movie, but I ended up becoming so enthralled in the movie that I found myself thinking about it days after first seeing it.
2. This Is The End
It’s easily one of the best comedies of the year, but it’s also going to be one of those timeless comedies that show up on whatever the equivalent of basic cable will be in twenty years. It’s just a damn good movie. It’s a bunch of famous actors that we’ve all come to love and appreciate over the years hanging out as crazy hybrid versions of themselves. The world ends and they’re pretty much on their last legs during the apocalypse. Hilarity ensues.
1. Now You See Me
Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco play magicians of various skill and fame who are brought together for huge magic stunts. Along with these folks is Mark Ruffalo, a cop who is trying to figure their heist out plus Common, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Melanie Laurent. Elias Koteas shows up in a cool cameo and Conan O’Brien even appears! That’s a whole lot of awesomeness. The movie has a surreal feel to it, but is still grounded in a bit of logic and reality. The twists and turns are fun and it’s really worth watching and checking out. It’s NOT “Inception” but I think that’s a good thing. “Inception” is a great movie, but so is this one. The main difference is that this movie doesn’t take itself too seriously. It tells a fun story in a smart and interesting way. Pop some corn, sit back, and enjoy the ride.
Here’s to 2014 being even better!
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