Top 5 films of 2013 so far

I’ve excluded Side Effects and The Paperboy from the list since I already wrote about them earlier this year and I think The Paperboy is considered a 2012 film anyway. So without further ado, my top 5 of 2013 so far (no spoilers):

5) Upstream Color dir. Shane Carruth

I wouldn’t exactly say that I enjoyed this film (especially the first viewing) but it had my brain racing and asking questions for its entire duration. The narrative is far from linear so if you don’t like your mind getting f***ed then this may not be for you. That being said, it’s not in any way an unpleasant experience; there isn’t really anything disturbing except for the fact that you may not understand what’s going on and that might get on your nerves. There was a sense that maybe some things were purposely made to look more confusing then they were - I’m pretty sure the film would have been just as compelling had they made things a bit clearer. Whatever your level of comprehension throughout the film, the ending should be satisfying. I’ll admit that I still don’t completely understand it, and there is of course more than one interpretation, as there is with any piece of abstract art. But what I can say for sure is that the central theme is that of identity – losing it, and finding it again. Are we in control of our lives? Are we a tiny little part of a much larger something? It’s not like anything I’ve ever experienced before and I highly recommend it if you’re looking for something new.

4) Dans la maison (In the House) dir. François Ozon

This film completely seduces you, much like the way the teenage protagonist has his literature professor completely hooked with his writing. The professor gets a little too nosy and involved, and what results is a mysteriously riveting interfusion of fiction and reality. The initial motivation for the protagonist is his friend’s mother – he wants to be near her, he wants to write about her, so he spends a lot of time at this house. From there it dives into the unpredictable and shows us the anatomy of not just the house but the human imagination. It’s paced brilliantly, looks gorgeous, it’s psychological but doesn’t get too dark – it’s actually quite humorous – it’s sly, it’s clever, it’s audacious, it’s an absolutely delightful experience. Sorry, it feels like forever ago when I saw this one so my memory is quite hazy; as you can tell I’m waffling.

3) Stuck in Love dir. Josh Boone

This one’s also about writing – I’m a sucker for films about writing! As an experience I wouldn’t say it’s superior to Dans la maison, but I’m ranking this 3^rd because it surprised me and I like being surprised. In terms of realism, yes, it glamorises writing (they basically chill out and be all artsy and somehow off-screen all the writing gets done) and it’s a little too tidy, but given its genre I can let that slide. It’s surprisingly authentic, it’s engaging, there’s heart and soul – it surpasses the average romcom by a mile. As I mentioned, sure it’s not realistic, but there’s someone you’ll most definitely be able to relate to. I found myself genuinely caring for the characters, and as predictable it may have been, it was so heart-warming and sweet that I didn’t care. It’s a film that makes you want to write!

2) The Great Gatsby dir. Baz Luhrmann

Not being biased because it's DiCaprio, but he was fantastic! From the moment he appears (about 30mins or so into the film) he steadily guides you along for the rest of the ride – his presence is monumental, he is Jay Gatsby. His delivery of dialogue, the purposeful way he says ‘old sport’, the way he looks – I can’t imagine anyone else (haven’t seen the Redford version – sorry!) That first half hour or so before he appears is just chaotic though. It was all over the place, yes, illustrating the menace of the roaring 20s, but it was too much for me. You have to give Luhrmann credit for trying – and what a bold attempt! For me it all works so well: the colours, the music, the pace, the significance of the green light, it all on some deep level fuses into one giant explosion. In the novel Fitzgerald’s virtuoso writing had created this world too colourful and chaotic that it felt hollow, and I thought Luhrmann managed to do a job as good with his auteurship. Amidst the disillusion that he successfully creates, he manifests a powerful existential yearning which you can’t help but be sucked into and moved by. Some people have accused Luhrmann of turning it into a love story, and while I agree that some of those who haven’t read the novel may think that way, I hope that a more unwavering viewer would be able to see beyond the characters for what they represent. Every single performance was fantastic in this film – even Tobey Maguire, who is supposed to be an awkward and a bit of an unreliable Nick Carraway.

1) Mud dir. Jeff Nichols

This is, without doubt, pure brilliance. While the other films in this post you may or may not like depending on your taste, this one I recommend to all; if you are human you will enjoy it. It might still be showing in some cinemas so if you see it playing, consider yourself lucky and go see it! It’s storytelling at its best. You can tell Jeff Nichols took his time to really map things out and develop character arcs - masterfully done. There’s a boat stuck in a tree: we’re intrigued. So are the two young boys played brilliantly by Tye Sheridan (the youngest kid in Tree of Life) and Jacob Lofland, whose curiosity leads them to meddle with McConaughey's character’s affairs. By the way, when did Matthew McConaughey suddenly become awesome? His last few films have been brilliant, and his performance in this film is the best by him I’ve seen. The story is as compelling as the boat in the tree or McConaughey's mysterious character; it’s enchanting but at the same time raw and muddy (no pun intended). It’s a coming-of-age tale about love, family and friendship, character-driven with an incredibly strong sense of place. Its storytelling methods are pretty traditional, a fresh, original story written and executed so well – it’s an absolute gem which I cannot recommend highly enough.

Honourable mentions:

Like Someone In Love dir. Abbas Kiarostami

I read somewhere that the director was in Tokyo looking out from a car window when he got the idea for this film (or something along those lines). Not only was the act of being in a vehicle a reoccurring motif in this multicultural film, but that’s also how this experience felt like for me: loneliness viewed from a non-Japanese person’s POV from a couple of feet away. It takes a look at identity and mistaken identity; communication and miscommunication, perception, judgement... In fact it’s about a whole load of things which may not even cross your mind while you’re watching it. There are some heartbreaking moments, most notably during a sequence inside a taxi which takes place in the first act. Like the taxi driver who probably gets an idea of what’s going on but can’t (or shouldn’t) intervene, we can’t do anything about it either. People have to keep their distance – the film is a look on intimacy and the lack of it as well. The boundary between the viewer and camera is very clear (a lot of the things happen off screen); I still haven’t quite figured out the reasoning behind Kiarostami’s camera angles and POV choices, but hopefully with more thought it’ll become clearer. While the mismatch of what you see and what you hear may or may not bother you, it's an otherwise very easy-on-the-eyes elegantly shot film with an ending which has stirred up a lot of debate.

The Place Beyond the Pines dir. Derek Cianfrance

I appreciate what this film tries to do, and the first two acts are brilliant - but the third disappoints. For such an intimate and naturalistic build up, the pay off is far too unrealistic and forced - sudden too (a certain title card), to the point that it made the overall experience more disappointing than positive. It won't be a spoiler to tell you that basically its comprised of the stories of these two men and then their sons. I’m sure the director’s intention wasn’t for us to find the events of the film believable; I’d say his take was a mythological one, which would naturally involve fateful chance happenings. It just didn’t click that way for me and it seemed like it was trying to be what it simply wasn’t. That being said, I admire what he strove to do and I’m only disappointed because the first two acts were that good (near-perfect) and showed so much promise. The lead performances were brilliant – Ryan Gosling fits into the role nicely and Bradley Cooper seems to be getting better and better.